Chelsea (H)

So firstly it's been a long, long time since I last posted and so much has happened, too much to cover so I'll assume we're up to date with how it stands. Today we take on Chelsea who have the title all but wrapped up and for that reason I think this afternoons match could be a borefest. Mourinho will set his men out to get a draw and I have no doubt that's what they'll do.

You can be as tactically astute as you want, when his team are setup like that breaking them down is incredibly hard. They hold their shape, break up play and make life miserable for the opposition. That said we know their threat going forward and to think they won't attack is stupid.

In terms of team news, our big doubt this weekend is Per Mertesacker who limped off furing our win over Reading at Wembley. In that game Wenger shuffled the pack a lot bringing in a raft of players who weren't sharp which I think is part of the reason we struggled. I expected Paulista will start today and the back four will resume with Monreal and Bellerin as the full backs. 

Chelsea's main issue is their lack of a fully fit striker. Remy and Costa are out so our old foe Drogba will lead their line even though there are doubts over how fit he is. Trying to guess how Mourinho will setup is hard, he will be aware of Sanchez's threat so may deploy Ramires to deal with him. I expect Willian will come in to add even more muscle to the midfield containing Matic.

From a sporting point of view, the best thing to happen in this game is we score early on to draw them onto us although secretly aside from it being against us I don't think Mourinho would be devastated by a slim defeat with their gap. The three most likely scorelines I can see here are 1-0, 0-0 or 0-1. But only time will tell. This would be a huge monkey off our backs and a big victory for Wenger over that unbearable Portuguese prick. It would also take us back into second and following United's loss against Everton would give us a two point cushion over 3rd place City with a game in hand.

An interesting game it looks set to be. 

West Ham (H)

Well it's been a long time since my last post and I'm aware kick off is minutes away so I'll have to keep this one short ahead of the match at the Emirates against West Ham. A more thorough breakdown of the last few weeks to follow later before Monaco on Tuesday.

Team news today is that Welbeck and Cazorla have dropped to the bench probably with the Monaco match in mind if the manager has an idea of how he wants to line up ahead of that one. This means for the first time Sanchez, Ozil, Walcott and Giroud all lead our attack. They sit infront of Coq and Ramsey in the two holding roles. Chambers, Mertesacker, Koscielny and Monreal are the back four ahead of Ospina who regains his league place following SZCZs appearance against Man United on monday.

West Ham will line up with former gunner Alex Song who will be looking to prove a point against us. Of course they are without the other gunner in the side Jenkinson due to the terms of his loan deal. They've been in odd form of late which makes it hard to see how they'll play in this match. Sakho leads their line and he can be a handful on his day so the defence will need to be on the ball in order to prevent him for generally being a nuisance.

Well the match is underway so I'll leave it there. Come on you gunners!

Crystal Palace (A)

It's been a long time since my last post for various reasons and a lot has happened since then including a derby defeat, progression in the FA Cup and a draw at Old Trafford in the next round. Rather than cover it all I'm just going to assume you're all following and move on.

The games come thick and fast now with FA Cup ties, Champions League matches and of course the league all starting to pick up so we travel to Crystal Palace this weekend and there's a chance to leapfrog Southampton in fourth as they entertain Liverpool at St. Mary's on Sunday. Tottenham sit just two points behind us and we need to make sure they don't steal a march going into the business end of the season. 

Crystal Palace have enjoyed a revival under Alan Pardew and will be difficult to beat away from home. Pardew's sides are always physical so we know what to expect, but we're also on a good run and it'd be good to keep the pressure on those above us. Team news is overall positive with Wilshere returning along with the OX after spells on the side lines. Sanchez overcame a knock to play against Boro in the cup and I expect him to retain his place. Impressive Mesut Ozil will be hopeful of keeping his place also. Hector Bellerin is a doubt and needs to be assessed but if not we have Chambers who can step in as cover. Ospina should regain his place between the sticks after a break at the weekend.

Palace are a side who's dangers lie in the potential pace from the likes of Zaha along with star player Dwight Gayle who can hit a ball and find the net with relative ease as Liverpool have found out on various occasions. At the back Hangerland will give Giroud a tough time with his height and build but the pace of our players going forward will cause him problems. They also have a new left back who is lined up for his first taste of Premier League which could be an outlet for Sanchez to get in behind. 

So 3 points this weekend could be very welcome with Southampton and Tottenham facing tricky games against Liverpool and West Ham respectively. Let's hope we can push on before our huge last 16 game against Monaco on Tuesday. COYG

Aston Villa

Another solid(ish) performance last weekend against Brighton in the FA Cup, securing our passage into the next round and setting up a home clash with Middlesborough, in a few weeks time. In reality the 3-2 scoreline made the game seem a lot closer than it was, we were always in control and when Theo Walcott scored his first goal since his return from injury after 6 minutes, it seemed as if it would be one way traffic. Mesut Ozil made it 2-0 with a smart finish and Arsenal were cruising. Brighton pulled one back, but no sooner where they back in it than Arsenal finished the match off as Rosicky, who was outstanding all match, scored a thumping volley to cap his performance. Although Brighton got a second Arsenal managed to hold on.

Today we have a chance to draw level on points with 4th placed Southampton if we beat Aston Villa at the Emirates. Villa are a side who are in big trouble and have struggled this season. That said they are in desperate need of some points and we all know that Villa at home is far from a banker. We've struggled against Villa at home before and we know what they bring with them and how they play. They have the powerful Benteke upfront who despite a dry spell is always dangerous infront of goal along with the likes of Agbonlahor and Fabien Delph on the wing they have the potential to pose a huge test for us. After a wonder strike last week Charles Gil might be their biggest threat though purely because he's an unknown quantity.

In our team news Wenger confirmed earlier in the week that his is "unlikely" to risk playing Sanchez who had a slight thigh issue. I would imagine this means he'll be on the bench and will only be used if he's desperately needed. The free space in the midfield I think will probably be take but the newly fit Mesut Ozil albeit in his least favourite position on the wing. Danny Welbeck remains sidelined but is expected to be fit again for the NLD next weekend. Coquelin is expected to regain his place as the holding player in the middle of the park whether that's alongside or behind Ramsey remains to be seen. The battle at right back is on between Chambers and Bellerin. My gut instinct looking at Villa's left flank would be to play Bellerin purely because of his pace against Delph and Agbonlahor. New boy Gabriel Paulista is fit and could see some action but I expect him to start on the bench.

With all teams around us winning yesterday we need to step up and show some steele to make sure we aren't the big losers of the weekend. A win would also put some pressure on Southampton who play against Swansea in the late game today. COYG!

Manchester City

It's been a good couple of weeks for Arsenal on the pitch, victory against Hull in the cup and then a good 3 points against Stoke in a controlling performance. But in football you can only look forward and today we take on Champions Man City away. Any wiggle room we might have been gifted by yesterdays results didn't materialise as Chelsea, Southampton, United and Sp*rs (lucky again) all won so today's game means just as much to both teams.

Last season we went down 6-3 in a bizarre game that although on the face of it looks like a demolition, I don't think it can be in the same class as the Stamford Bridge or Anfield mess. On another day we could have taken something from that match. But still we'll be eager to right some wrongs in this one and City are in patchy form, although we are too.

We're without Debuchy after the news that he'll be out for 3 months after a deliberate and unpunished push from that thugish shit Arnautovic. So I think Chambers will fill that gap on the right and it seems Gibbs is still out so Monreal will retain his place at left back. Ramsey returns to the team so he could partner Coquelin in the deep lying midfield role, Ozil is also back despite lacking match sharpness so I think he might start on the bench. The big decision for Wenger is whether he opts to keep Ospina in goal or revert back to SZCZ. My gut instinct is he sticks with Ospina but only time will tell.

City have Aguero and Kompany back in the side (of course they do) so we'll have problems defensively and offensively. Our defence will have to be on top form to keep the live wire quiet. Kompany is obviously a quality defender but I don't rate Mangala so if we can force anyone into some problems it will be him. Silva is the other player to stifle, the ugly Spaniard usually provides a moment of magic so stopping him should be our other priority.

This is a huge match for us today and anything we can take from this is a bonus, a point will take us back above Sp*rs on goal difference. A win though would keep us within touching distance of the top 4. Til next time, pray for a win.

Liverpool (A)

It's been a while since my last post and in that time we've won some big games against Southampton and Newcastle but also lost a disappointing match against Stoke. After we thrashed Newcastle last weekend hopefully we can kick on as we get right into the thick of the Christmas period and we take one Liverpool at Anfield.

Now Anfield is a place where we've had mixed success after years of good performances we got taken apart last season. However Liverpool have been in even worse form than we have this season. Losing Suarez and Sturridge has cost them although their main problem so far has been at the back, where they have been leaking goals. Just last week their first choice keeper was replaced as they got thumped 3-0 at Old Trafford. If that doesn't scream problems then I don't know what does.

In terms of injuries our midfield that seemed so crowded at the beginning of the season has now been battered as we have a severe lack of central Midfielders. The OX faces a late fitness test ahead of the match and if he fails that, without Ramsey we are in big trouble. In some good news Chambers returns from suspension so I suspect we will see him slot alongside Mertesacker with Debuchy being shifted out to his familiar right. Welbeck, Cazorla and Sanchez will operate in supporting roles for Giroud upfront.

Liverpools back line tomorrow could be bare bones stuff with Johnson out and Lovren a doubt. We could see Arsenal old boy Kolo Toure handed a start. I don't rate Lazar Markovic as a wing back to whoever is on our right (probably Alexis) could have a field day as he wanders forward. Liverpool are also without Balotelli who has been banned by the FA so I'd think they'd go with Sterling upfront who has been hit and miss this season. Initially I thought this could be bad for us but thinking about it more, it means they have to pass the ball well and control the game which I'd like to think against us will be difficult. If they were playing Lambert the long balls and his hold up play may cause us problems with players making runs off him.

Looking at todays results with teams around us picking up points tomorrow is a huge game and hopefully one that we can take by the scruff of the neck and put in a shift that will take all 3 points back to the Emirates and set us up nicely for the Christmas period where we play 800 games in 10 days.

Manchester United: The Fallout

Here we are again. At the moment I feel like it's groundhog day. If you read my previous posts for a number of weeks now I've been saying the same thing. Need a win, sooner rather than later blah blah. And this is it all over again following yesterdays defeat.

Going into the game I was strangely confident of getting a result, foolish me. We started well and for the first half an hour we were all over them, we played well and looked dangerous. United were at sixes and sevens and it looked like this would be the time where finally we were going to beat them. But individual short comings yesterday cost us anything.

Danny Welbeck was trying way too hard to score against his old club and prove a point. That selfishness was his undoing. There were a number of chances where his finishing was piss poor frankly and another where he should have squared it for a team mate. But the worst finish of the day came from Wilshere who quite frankly could have been shot for missing one-on-one from all of 8 yards. What was even worse was that Sanchez was in acres of space to his left for a tap in.

From there the sense of inevitability was overwhelming and despite Fellaini was offside and fouled Gibbs for the 800th time in the match a shot heading wide was deflected in off Gibbs who you have to feel for. We pressed very hard and even though we were losing by only one goal it was poor management. We needed to clear our heads and get back in possession but it seemed like we have every player on the edge of the United and box and it was blindingly obvious we were gonna get caught on the break and low and behold thats what happened.

When Di Maria found Rooney it was obvious he would score against Martinez who came on for the injured SZCZ. Not his fault, it was Rooney one-on-one how do you deal with that. From there whatever we did it we were going to lose. The only silver lining was a cracking goal from Giroud on his return from injury deep into stoppage time.

We're in a bad way at the minute and we need a point against Dortmund to get through the CL group this week and I'm so far from confidence its unreal. Thankfully I'm out on Wednesday so I won't be subject to it. 

Wenger in? Wenger out? At the moment I don't know, but something needs to change and immediately.

Manchester United (H)

We appear to have escaped the break unscathed before we host an out of sorts United this weekend. We've been boosted by the news that Olivier Giroud and Mikel Arteta are back and available. Whilst they aren't the defenders we so desperately need it's nice to have them back to offer something different. We are in desperate need of confidence after shipping two leads in the same week. A win is needed this weekend and we're taking on one of the most top heavy sides in the league. 

In terms of our team news those are the only returns from the squad and Welbeck is a slight doubt but is expected to make it. Quite who will line up at the back in anybody's guess but against a team with Rooney, rvp and Di Maria they will need to be on the ball to deal with them. United are without Falcao and more importantly in my opinion Daley Blind who gave them some sort of defensive stability. If we go forward with pace and quality that we all know we have there are goals to be got against this side and quite a few at that. 

This weekends match could be an absolute goal fest the way both teams have been defending recently or it could be a cagey 1-0. It's a hard one to judge because both teams have had time to regroup after the international break so mentally they should all be focused. Make no mistake, although this match might not be the title decided that it once was it's still a huge game and it still carries huge importance for both sets of fans.

With confidence at a real low and just 4 wins to our name out of 11 league matches this season we need to buck our ideas up and sharpish. We still have a mountain of games to complete before we have to face before we can even attempt to address our problems at the back in January and if we're already out of the running by then it will be insignificant. 

Onwards. Up the Arsenal.   

Swansea (A)

Arsenal have it all to do in Europe now after catastrophically throwing away a 3 goal lead against lowly Anderlecht. For 60 minutes the gunners played like champions, with pace and intent and quite frankly a cool penalty from Arteta, a superb volley from Alexis Sanchez and a very tidy finish from the OX should have put the game to bed. The tactics from us were bizzare. Most teams at 3-0 would hold the ball and invite pressure from the opponents then break on the counter. We continued to throw men forward and in the end that cost us. 

Anyway we move back to Premier League football this weekend as we travel to Swansea. We need to put in a solid performance to boost confidence ahead of the international break. A win would send us above West Ham into fourth (it seems so weird writing that). A loss could leave us languishing in the pack and with tricky games against United and Southampton to come some points would be very handy. 

So in team news Jack Wilshere is available for selection after illness, but we are without Arteta who went off midweek with a hamstring injury. Away from home I'm not sure we'll break out the 4-4-2 formation and Wenger may favour the 4-5-1. Theo Walcott will be pushing for some more minutes having returned from injury but I can't see him starting following Wengers comments yesterday.

Swansea are going to be awkward at home and are a team we've struggled against in recent seasons. They're playing well this season and we know Wilfred Bony and Sigurdson will be a handful.The defence will need to be on form in order to keep them quiet. Gary Monk has them playing good football and we need to retain possession well and they are good with the ball.

Tomorrow is going to be a tough game. Things need to to start clicking sooner rather than later cause it still doesn't feel like we've really got going this season and with some tough games and the busy Christmas period coming up we need to hit some form sooner rather than later. 

Sunderland (A)

Posts have been few and far between recently and for that I apologise. Hopefully this post will get this blog back on track this season. 

I'll start with a word on Wednesday nights performance. For 89 minutes we were outplayed and quite frankly looked out of ideas. The only two players whose performances I remember are wonderful Sanchez who at the moment is carrying the entire squad and Gibbs who put in a real shift at left back. We were on the verge of a humiliating defeat and Chambers who had a poor night put in the cross of his life to find onrushing Gibbs who's side footed finish into the far corner was truly top drawer.

Then in a dramatic finale, some fantastic work in box fell to Podolski who had been desperately thrown on for Wilshere and the German turned and blasted the ball into the net sending the travel fans into delirium. It was a great win but it doesn't cover up the frailties and our make shift defence at the moment just looks so weak its concerning and this has been confounded by the news that Koscielny will be out for another month at least.

Anyway we're in Premier League action today away at Sunderland and we're desperate for a win. We've not won in the league since Aston Villa which was weeks ago and Sunderland will be dangerous today following their monumental (and rather suspicious) thrashing at the hands of Southampton. So we should go there under no illusion that they will be playing for everything.

Our team today will be interesting. Arteta is fit and I feel that he will come straight back into the side today. Our back line I think will swap around as it's pretty clear that Monreal isn't cut out to play centre back. As thats the case I expect Chambers to start alongside Mertesacker with Gibbs on the left and Bellerin on the right. That doesn't bother me much as I think Bellerin can hold his own well, he's fast and intelligent. Jack Wilshere starts his ban for picking up too many yellows so I think Ramsey will sit alongside Arteta. Our three behind Welbeck I think will be the OX, Cazorla and Sanchez from right to left.

Sunderland do have dangerous players in the shape of Fletcher the thug upfront and with others like Connor Wickham who every now and then puts in a stella performance. We will face our old keeper Mannone between the sticks who no doubt will still be hurting from last weeks performance and though he's a former player today we need to pile on the misery.

Midweek Gibbs was asked whether that result could be a springboard for this season and he said he hoped so. I think we all join him on that and let's hope it starts today with a nice comfortable win over Sunderland. COYG!  

The last few weeks

Apologies it's been so long since I posted, I've had a manic few weeks at work and just haven't found the time. I was going to post before today's game but never got around to it. So I'm just going to run over the last couple of weeks.

Arsenal 1-1 Tottenham

We went into the Tottenham game with high hopes due to their lackluster start to the season. Wengers decision not to start Alexis was strange as myself and friends assumed it was due to an injury. We started brightly but the game levelled out and shortly after the half Flamini was played into trouble by SZCZ then fumbled to give them possession which Chaldi finished. The goal sparked us on and after pressing and pressing we finally equalised. The thing that concerned me most about this was the fact that it seemed to take a Sp*rs goal for us to actually look like we wanted to win. Still we can only view it as a point gained.

Arsenal 4-1 Galatasaray

In contrast to the Tottenham game, the Champions League game midweek was an outright walkover. With Ozil deployed in the middle where he just belongs, we bossed the game. Danny Welbeck scored his first career hat-trick and Alexis added another. The only sour note on the night was that SZCZ got himself sent off for pole-axing a Gala player. They scored the resulting penalty but overall it was a dominant performance from the Arsenal.

Chelsea 2-0 Arsenal

The game today was a huge game, especially considering what happened last season at the same venue when we went down 6-0. We went out looking to make a statement against the team that I think could go all the way. The game started cagily with neither side really making progress, Alexis shot from 35 yards and it cruised wide of Courtois' post. As the half wore on both sides started to open up when a well worked move saw Hazard blatantly fouled in the box. He stepped up and put his side 1-0 to the good.

We picked up the second half and pressed for the equaliser with no luck. Our fear of shooting meant we ended up going nowhere. It's not we don't have players who can't shoot it's just they really don't seem to want too. Our timidness as always cost us and as Fabregas lofted a ball between out centre backs Costa ran onto it and lobbed SZCZ and the game was done. Wenger made some bizarre substitutions and nothing changed. We lost, that disgusting cretin of a man Mourinho walked off without a handshake. He's a vile human being and the sooner everyone is rid of him the better.

None of that changes the fact that we're 9 points off the chase and our short lived title challenge is over. Even with so long left, we're not up to it against the big teams and 9 points is a huge gap. We can only right it off as one game and move onto Hull which now lies after the tedium of an international break. Let's hope we come out of it unscathed. 

Right I'll be back before Hull with a preview of the match. Until then, enjoy your weekend. 

Man City (H)

After a rather tedious International break we return to league action tomorrow with a huge game against Manchester City. It's one of those "season defining" games early on that the press bang on about and in our case with good reason. Last season we took just 5 points against the top 3 sides in the league. We lost all of the away matches against them conceding 17 in the process. Tomorrow represents a chance to build some much needed confidence going into the next spell of the campaign.

We have suffered one casualty over the last two weeks, one Aaron Ramsey which is far from ideal going into this huge clash but the rest of the side are fit to play. We have Gibbs returning along with Arteta meaning that the side will take a familiar shape in my opinion with new boy Danny Welbeck leading the line. Sanchez, Ozil and Cazorla should slot in behind him with Wilshere and Arteta in the gap. City are without Stefan Jovetic who has tweaked a hamstring, that aside they are essentially at full strength and no doubt Toure and Fernandinho will bully our midfield so it could be a tough day for them all round. 

Tomorrow will be a tough day for us all round but this City side have weaknesses as we exposed in the Community Shield and more recently Stoke exposed as they beat them 1-0 at the Etihad. What concerns me though is that we have struggled to find any rhythm in any of our matches so far and if City turn up and play like they can we'll get ripped apart based on displays in recent weeks. We need to stay switched on at the back an make the most of our newly acquired pace going forward. New boy Welbeck will be out to impress and especially against old foes City.

Tomorrow is our first big test of the season and make no mistake a loss will have the media all over us like flies should we not take anything from the game. A draw is not a disaster but it's not ideal. We need to ensure that we put on a good performance tomorrow an that we get a good result to boot. Only time will tell.

Until tomorrow COYG!

Norwich (A)

Well, the time is almost here when the Premier League draws to a close. It's been a very mixed season for us and I'll talk about that in a later blog, but for today it's a combination for me of feeling disappointed as the season ends but also rather happy that we won't be put through the nerve shredding rigor of scrapping for fourth with Spurs. We'll finish fourth win, draw or lose today and I think that'll reflect on the squad.

I understand that game time is important ahead of the final next weekend but it seems utterly stupid to risk the like of Ozil, Ramsey, Cazorla etc. in a meaningless game. Therefore I think we'll see players like Jenkinson, Diaby, Rosicky, Sanogo maybe Kallstrom play. I also think purely for fitness we'll see Gibbs and Wilshere play. It'll be an interesting team and I'm sure should it go wrong we won't look back with too many regrets. That said we can't allow the players to be on their holidays already, next week is the biggest game we'll have played for years and they need to be prepared for it.

On the other side of that make no mistake the players will have half an eye on Wembley next week too and I don't think they'll be playing to their full potential today if they can help it. In many ways I wouldn't be surprised if we didn't win today. But our fans have traveled up there and hopefully they'll all be rewarded for doing so. A win today would take us to 79 points which would be our highest tally for 6 years.

So this is essentially a meaningless game for us playing just to finish on a high ahead of next weekend. Finally I'd like to just say that whilst everybody gets wrapped up in the Hillsborough saga, we should never forget that 29 years ago today 56 people went to Valley Parade and never came home in the Bradford City fire.

Until next week enjoy the final day, for once!

West Ham (H)

A very, tired and drained Arsenal team take on a West Ham side with 9 full days rest who realistically only need 3 more points to absolutely secure their safety. Many of our players will face late fitness tests which makes the team line up almost impossible to predict. We have many doubts from muscle problems and fatigue and after players put in the full shift at the weekend it's hardly surprising. We my see Kim Kallstrom make his first start and all of a sudden that ridiculous signing looks like it could be very important after all.

West Ham have a doubt over Kevin Nolan tonight but that aside they have very few problems and the issue tonight will be dealing with Carroll especially if Mertesacker is rested tonight or is a doubt. We have to deal with the long balls lumped forward and Per has been instrumental in doing that this season. It is going to be a long and difficult night and as the game wears on the tiredness will begin to show. While it's true to say that players on this much should be able to cope with the strains of being an athlete, that's just not the case tonight. One team played 3 days ago and one played 9 days ago.

I firmly believe that tonight we need to do the damage early whilst the legs are fresh. If we hit the 75-80 minute mark and we're leading then although the last portion of the game will be nervy with any luck we'll grind out a result. If we hit that point even or worse then West Ham will feel they can do the job. That's what comes of playing a lot of football.

When you look at our position in the league you can't help but think if we're to make Champions League football then we need to win our 5 remaining games. It's out of our hands but with Everton facing tough matches against City and United we may be given a chance and that's why games like tonights are vital to our final push. All of our remaining games are very winnable but at the moment we lack momentum and we desperately need a win to get that belief back.

Finally, 25 years ago today, 96 fans went to a football match and never came home. It could have been any club and any fans. Whatever you're opinion of the Justice campaign it's important to remember those who died watching the team they loved. RIP.

 

Everton (A)

It's hard to think that a month ago we were well and truly in the title race and now today we find ourselves playing a game which is crucial to obtaining a Champions League place. Everton have been in top form recently and we well, we haven't. A loss today and it's totally out of our hands. A win and we control our fate, just. Goodison Park has not been a happy hunting ground for teams this season and Everton's record there is very good.

There is no doubt we'll need to on top form to get anything from the game and we've been given a small boost ahead of our trip. Aaron Ramsey has been declared fit to play although I doubt we'll see him start it will certainly lift the team. Monreal is back and will probably fill in at left back as Gibbs is a doubt. Koscielny is out so I would assume Vermaelen will slot in alongside Mertesacker. In the midfield Wenger has options and no doubt Podolski will be hoping to start, although with the Ox also in contention Cazorla could be pushed out to the left.

Everton have far fewer injuries than me, but Ross Barley looks set to recover from a knock. Jagielka on the other hand looks set to miss out today, meaning Stones could step in. They have a plethora of players to pick from up top with Mirallas, McGeady, Deulofeu etc. Their main striker of course will be Lukaku who's on form at the moment. Containing them will be difficult and the defence will have to be sharp today if we're to get anything from the game.

Some will point to the fact Everton have some tough games remaining but I'm still concerned that we could blow it today. If we get a result it's still within our hands although a draw assuming Everton win their game in hand will leave them just one point behind us. This is the last game in the so called deathrun but it's getting to that silly stage of the season and every point counts.

We'll just have to wait and see what happens today.
  

Liverpool (A) Review

I don't really know where to start analysing this. After all the talk of our solid defence and how it had been the difference this season we shipped 4 goals in 18 minutes and the match was lost before it had started.

Liverpool came tearing out of the blocks but that's no excuse for what happened their pace pulled our defence all over the place. The entire back line was dreadful, I've never seen them come apart like that. There was no organisation whatsoever between them and it showed.

The issues didn't stop there however. The midfield were miles off the pace, Liverpool pressed them hard and the cracks were there early on. Arteta as truly awful, he dispatched his penalty but that's really it. Ozil went missing yet again and I'll come onto that a bit later. Our best player was Wilshere and that was purely because he tried and nothing more. Ox did OK at best as did Cazorla. Aside from not receiving much Giroud was pretty hopeless upfront too. It may seem harsh condemning the team that have played so well this season but it was a truly gutless performance.

There are a number of possible reasons for this: fatigue, complacency, an off day. All possibilities. Some can be put right: complacency, off days. Some can't: fatigue. We have to hope that this team have what it takes to stand up, brush themselves off and get back on the right track.

Coming back to a point I made earlier, I've read a lot on Mesut Ozil over the last few days and whilst there is no doubt he's been well off form, there's also no doubt he's a top drawer player. If you ask any other manager or fan would they want him in their team, I'm pretty sure 100% would say yes. But at the moment he is struggling and that, much like the team problems, could be due to a number of reasons. Fatigue is certainly highly possible, he's played 35 games this season and we're in February. We also have to remember this is his first season in the Premier League and there is nearly always an adjustment period regardless of how good you are.

However you look at it, he has the ability to change a game by himself. If he turns up and puts in a performance like we all know he can then that could easily be the difference. Regardless of how he's playing no team will want to see his name on the team sheet against them. Let's hope tomorrow night is his night.

The game tomorrow against an out of sorts United team really for me is must win for us to stay in touch with the top of the table. Another slip up and we could be scrapping for 4th let alone top. But more on that tomorrow. Till then have a good Tuesday, if there is such a thing.

Crystal Palace (H)

We came unstuck the other night against and very good Southampton side who broke with pace and quality and on the face of it considering how long it took us to get into the game a point was probably fair. West Ham somehow did us a favour at Stamford Bridge keeping Chelsea two points away. Tottenham, naturally, didn't fare as well and City jumped to top of the table.

 

With a huge game tomorrow in which Chelsea travel to City where we can hope that a dull draw will be on the cards (HA) we have a chance to re-take top when we take on Palace this afternoon. I'll come onto our transfer which quite honestly have baffled me later. 

The boss has admitted that we're stretched in the middle of the park with Wilshere out, Flamini out and Ramsey out. I think we'll probably go for Arteta and Rosicky in the holding roles. On the flanks I think we'll have Cazorla and then I'm not so sure on the other side. Gnabry has shown a lot of promise but he was struggling against Southampton the other night. With the typical Pulis brand of brutality I think the power of the OX or Podolski would win out. Obviously depending on who would depend on which side Cazorla plays.

We'll need to be on our game though as Palace have been picking up points here and there. They do have a few dangerous players in the form of Jedinak and Puncheon. Chamakh up front should pose no surprises, but the defence will have to be sharp. With the run in we have coming up we need to make sure we don't slip up at the first hurdle.

This presents us with an opportunity make sure regardless of the score tomorrow we'll still be in the top 2 and potentially with a bit of luck go top and with the run we have coming up every point is going to count.

I want to end with a brief bit about our new signing which is just honestly baffling. News began to emerge yesterday that he was injured in his first training session but as the day wore on it actually came out that he had a back problem before we'd bought him. We were told about this and still brought him in. Now bringing in an injured player to cover for injured players is beyond stupid and I personally can't believe Wenger went ahead unless we're missing something...

Anyway on to the football after the madness of the window. COYG!     

Cup draw and Southampton Away

It was strange thinking about Arsenal playing on a Friday night, it's happened in the past but not very often. However when you look at the stats maybe we should play on Fridays more often. Anyway we beat Coventry fairly comfortably and our reward for that is a 5th round tie at home against Liverpool. Looking at the rest of the teams in the cup we could feel hard done by but that's the cup and with City taking on Chelsea in the same round the winner of our tie will certainly fancy their chances.

Tomorrow gives us a chance to extend our lead at the top of the table, for a day albeit, against a Southampton side who have been a bit of a surprise package in this league and I think Pochetino has done fantastically well. It will be a hard game for us but then every match in this league is hard, Southampton have pace and power and they use them well when they click. They made it hard for us earlier in the season until their goalkeeper decided to show Ronaldo how it's done and gifted Giroud the opener. 

Playing before your rivals or playing after when you're top really makes no difference the simple fact is if you win, you will remain top. We can't go into it hoping that other teams drop points, we go in knowing a win will do the job. Looking around I can't see our North London Rivals taking anything from City, baring a miracle and baring a miracle of biblical proportions I can't see West Ham taking anything from Chelsea either so we treat it as we do every other week.

Following this game we have Crystal Palace then we hit the start of a truly horrific run of fixtures which reads: Liverpool, Man United, Liverpool, Bayern Munich. And that's just the prelude to the quite ludicrous run we have in March but I'll rant about that nearer the time.

In other news there's good news that Ramsey, Vermaelen and Arteta are all back from injury and are available for the game although Wilshere is a doubt for the match. According to all the right people we are still working on contract talks with Bacary Sagna who I think deserves exactly what he's asking for, he's been a servant for the club and this will be his last big contract and I'd love for it to be wit us. He's a fan favourite and the best right back in the league.

Transfer news is slow around us in this window, like most windows to be honest. We shelled out a fortune on Ozil and I really can't see us repeating that despite our obvious need for a striker. I think there is concrete interest in Draxler but firstly I'm not sure he's what we need to kick our season on and secondly I think a January move is far more likely for the young German.

So we take on Southampton tomorrow night and let's hope that we can do the business to keep our title surge going. COYG.   

 

Fulham (H)

We ground out another result on Monday and another three points to take us back to the top after, as everyone predicted, Chelsea, then Manchester City jumped to the top of the pack. This weekend presents us with a potential chance of opening a slight lead against Chelsea as they welcome a very shaky United tomorrow. To do so we'll have to overcome a Fulham side who have been in poor form recently.

Ahead of the tie it seems we will have a few players missing. Rosicky will miss the match after the referee deemed a very bloody broken nose to be unworthy of stopping the match. Nacho Monreal is another doubt after picking up a knock to his ankle on Monday so I think Gibbs will step back into the team. Ramsey and Arteta remain out so I can see the two holding roles being retained by Wilshere and Flamini. Cazorla seems to be rediscovering his form last season so I think he'll start along with Ozil and of course Giroud up front. The right wing however will be interesting. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain made his return from the bench against Aston Villa after Serge Gnabry started so they'll jostle for the start. Knowing Wenger I think Gnabry will get the nod as he likes to ease players back in.

Annoyingly Hangeland and Stekelenburg will be back to face us today which gives them experience. Hangeland also gives them power at the back so Giroud could be in for a very physical game. Going up the pitch obviously Berbatov remains a real threat for them and seems to have a worrying habit of scoring against us so our defence will have to keep in quiet. Although Hangeland offers power at the back he isn't the fastest so we will need speed to get through the defence as I think our chances of winning ariel duels could be slim today.

Another important match today where we can't afford to slip up, we go into this game knowing that 3 points means we'll be top for another week and if we do win we'll pile the pressure on Chelsea tomorrow.

Newcastle United (A)

This is my first post in a while and after a bumpy spell against Everton, City and Chelsea we bounced back nicely against West Ham on Boxing Day and due to Liverpools defeat at City we returned to the top of the table after a few days off it only to be knocked off it today by City. 

It was a solid performance against West Ham aside from maybe not taking more chances. Cazorla was brilliant and was unlucky not to nick a goal. Walcott and Podolski also played well and it was great to see both on the score sheet. Hopefully we can kick on from this and continue in our current vain.

With Chelsea taking on Liverpool tomorrow we have to chance to make up a few points on them at least and if we were to win we'd leapfrog City into top spot. However we travel to Newcastle where last season aside we don't have a fantastic recent record. Along with that Newcastle have been playing well recently and it won't be an easy match. Taking 3 points would be a huge result as the fixtures bunch up now and this is second match we have in 10 days.

The bad news coming out of the camp is that Aaron Ramsey is out for the rest of the Christmas period with a thigh strain. It is hopeful Koscielny will be back after a minor issue but I think Vermealen has stepped in well when needed so I'm not too concerned about that. I think the boss will rotate in the middle but I'm not sure how. We have the options and unless fatigue is a problem I think Cazorla will retain his place. Podolski gives us an option from the bench and Walcott should start.

Newcastle have Tiote back after a spell out and we all know what he can do when he feels the moment. Ben-Arfa is also back despite only appearing from the bench in their last outing I have a feeling he'll start against us. Remy and Ameobi make up their strike force. We all know that this team can do some damage but only if we let them play. If we shut them out and get an early goal there is no reason why we shouldn't go on to win it. I can't see it being that straight forward myself but who knows.

This is a vital game in this busy period and they are a team in form so it won't be easy but if we play like we can, we can get a result. COYG!