Predictions For Premier League Gameweek 7.

It's that time of the week again when I attempt to predict the outcome of the upcoming Premier League games this weekend. I did quite well last week with two perfect scorelines, five correct outcomes, and three incorrect outcomes. It moved me up to third in my prediction league, with a real chance of moving to second.


Hopefully I can do as well this week, but it's never easy to predict how local derbies will turn out and there are two big ones. The weekend starts early on Saturday with the Mersey derby, and it ends on Sunday evening with the north London derby.


Here's a look at how my predictions league stands.

Pos.	Player	Week	Total
1	ahujag	150	495
2	gooner2194	130	330
3	JamrockRover	120	310
4	DK1247	80	275
5	Smashit_Tuckit	110	265
6	nawa87	75	255
7	NickHemmings	60	250
8	Bradley08	35	230
9	ReApEr666	95	225
10	RADOK1993	80	215

Everton Vs. Liverpool


Saturday October 1, 12.45pm BST 


Everton's good start to the season came to an end last week when they lost 2-0 away to Manchester City. They are finding it very hard to score goals at the moment, but they won't need any extra motivation for this game. If they can manage to create some chances I think they could give a shaky Liverpool defence some problems.

At the moment attacking Everton players should be avoided by any fantasy football managers, but some of their defenders might be worth a look at.

Liverpool got back on track last week when they narrowly beat Wolves 2-1, but they were far from impressive. Steven Gerrard is nearing full fitness and they need to get him back in their team as soon as possible. Whether he plays with or instead of Charlie Adam will be the big question when he does return.

At the moment Charlie Adam and Luis Suarez are by far the best bets of all the Liverpool players for fantasy managers. 


Prediction 2-1
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Aston Villa Vs. Wigan Athletic


Saturday October 1, 3pm BST 


Villa's draw away to QPR last weekend meant they remain unbeaten in the Premier League so far this season. They have only won one of their games though, and they have drawn the other five. It leaves them in a mid-table position, but they will see a home game against Wigan as an ideal opportunity to get their second win.

Gabriel Agbonlahor is Villa's outstanding fantasy player so far, but Darren Bent is always a good long term bet if he can regain his fitness.

Wigan started well against the newly promoted teams, but they have now lost their last three league games in  row. Their inability to score goals has almost seen them relegated in previous seasons, and it looks like it will be their biggest problem again.

Franco Di Santo has been Wigan's standout performer so far, but his previous record suggests the goals might dry up for him quite soon.

I think Villa will be too strong for Wigan, and will take all three points.


Prediction 2-0
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Blackburn Rovers Vs. Manchester City


Saturday October 1, 3pm BST

Blackburn's brief comeback with their win over Arsenal came to an end last week when they lost to Newcastle. They're back in the relegation zone, and the pressure is again mounting on their manager Steve Kean. They look very unsure in defence, and unless they sort that out they could be in serious trouble.

Jumior Hoilett is slowly becoming Blackburn's best player from a fantasy perspective, and he could be worth taking a chance on.

City beat Everton last week to draw level with the leaders on points, and they look to be genuine contenders. Unfortunately for them things went very wrong during the week when they lost to Bayern Munich and Carlos Tevez made a fool of himself. They will need to overcome their internal troubles if they are going to continue to challenge in the Premier League.

The suspension of Tevez makes it easier to choose which attacking City players to choose, and Sergio Aguero looks to be a must have player now. Besdides him Joe Hart, Micah Richards, Vincent Kompany, David Villa, Samir Nasri and Eden Dzeko are all well worth having too. If I had to choose it would be Silva and a defensive player too along with Aguero of course.

I think City should have few problems beating a poor Blackburn team, and getting things back on track.


Prediction 1-3
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Manchester United Vs. Norwich City


Saturday October 1, 3pm BST 


United dropped their first points of the season last week when they drew away to Stoke. Their home record in the league is still magnificent, but FC Basel showed up the weaknesses in their defence on Tuesday night. Without Nemanja Vidic their defence looks shaky, but they have managed to score 22 goals in six games so far.

If both Wayne Rooney and Javier Hernandez are injured United might not be so strong going forward, but they have plenty of other players who can score too.

Rooney is a must have in his current form if he is fit, and both Ashley Young and Nani look like must have players too. If both Rooney and Hernadez are out this week it could open the way for Danny Wellbeck to have a good week.

Norwich are slowly growing into the Premier League since their promotion, and they have won their last two games. They have put up a very good fight in every game so far, and they should not be written off against any team. However, they will find things very tough away to the free-scoring United.

Norwich play very well as a team, but it makes it difficult to find any individual stars in their team.


I think United will prove to be too strong for Norwich, but they won't have it all their own way.


Prediction 4-1
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Sunderland Vs. West Bromwich Albion


Saturday October 1, 3pm BST

Sunderland brought a lot of players in during the transfer window, but I don't think many of them were any better than the players they replaced. They have started very poorly, but they are still ahead of West Brom in the table. It's a bit early to predict what teams might struggle, but unless something changes soon this could be a relegation six-pointer.

Seb Larsson is still the only Sunderland player to look worth while buying from a fantasy football perspective.

West Brom have only scored three goals in their opening six Premier League games, and they need to start putting some results together. They looked when they lost to both Manchester United and Chelsea at the start of the season, but they haven't been able to build on those good performances. I'm not so sure that they should be playing both Shane Long and Peter Odemwingie in the same team at the moment.

It's very hard to recommend any West Brom players when they are scoring or keeping clean sheets.

I think this game will end all square which won't do either team much good.


Prediction 1-1
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Wolverhampton Wanderers Vs. Newcastle United

Saturday October 1, 3pm BST 


Wolves started the season very well with seven points from their first three games, but they have lost three in a row since then. They played very well against Liverpool last week though, and if they continue to play that well they should finish comfortably in mid-table. They have found it tough to score in their last four games, and Newcastle have looked very good in defence.

Matt Jarvis still looks like the Wolves player most likely to make an impact on any fantasy team.

Newcastle are fourth in the table and they are unbeaten so far this season too. They have the best defence in the Premier League so far, and they are exceeding all expectations at the moment. If they can keep it up they will make their fans very happy, but it could change when they meet the teams above them in a few weeks.

Tim Krul, Ryan Taylor and Steven Taylor are all looking really good and they cost very little, but it's not so easy to know which attacking Newcastle players to buy. Last week I suggested Leon Best might be a good buy, but Demba then scoreda  hat-trick.

I have a funny feeling this game will end all scoreless with very little goalmouth action too. 


Prediction 0-0
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Bolton Wanderers Vs. Chelsea


Sunday October 2, 1.30pm BST

Since they lost the FA Cup semi-final to Stoke last season Bolton have been in free fall. They looked like they might have halted their slide by winning their opening game against QPR 4-0, but they have lost their five games since then. Their cause hasn't been helped by having the toughest opening schedule of any team in the league, but they have to start winning games very soon.

Bolton's best fantasy players so far are Martin Petrov and Ivan Klasnic, but Klasnic is still suspended following his red card against Norwich.

Chelsea are only three points behind the two Manchester clubs, but they have been far from convincing at times this season. Their defence no longer looks as secure as it used to be, but some of their newer attacking players have an awful lot of promise. Fernando Torres looks to be finally settling into their team, but he's now suspended until the end of October.

Jose Boswinga is scoring very well in defence for Chelsea, and he has got plenty of bonus points too. Frank Lampard is scoring well too, but he looks like he might be out of favour, which could open the way for Ramires to start amassing plenty of points.

I think Chelsea will take all three points, and Bolton will remain rooted to the foot of the table.


Prediction 1-2
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Fulham Vs. Queens Park Rangers


Sunday October 2, 3pm BST 


Fulham are only out of the relegation zone on goal difference, and they haven't won a league game yet this season. They are unbeaten at home though, and that advantage could be what they need in this west London derby. It looks like their Europa League campaign could be hindering their chances in the Premier League yet again.

At the moment Danny Murphy, Clint Dempsey and Bobby Zamora are the best fantasy bets from Fulham, but none of them are doing well enough to include for a while yet.

QPR brought in almost a whole new team towards the end of the transfer window, but those players seem to be gelling very quickly. Since their opening day 4-0 defeat at home to Bolton they have looked very solid at the back, and they have won two of their three away games so far.  Their problems are in the goalscoring department, and they will probably be in the market for a new striker in January.

Joey Barton is still the QPR player most likely to score fantasy points, as long as he can avoid red cards.


I think this will be a vet tight game, and it will end up even.


Prediction 1-1
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Swansea City Vs. Stoke City



Sunday October 2, 3pm BST

Swansea haven't conceded a goal at home yet this season, and  they look very solid in defence at home. They play attractive football, and the Premier League is a better league to watch with them in it. They look like they might just have enough to stay up, but it will be a long hard fight for them to do so.

Michel Vorm and Ashley Williams look like good buys at a good price, especially when Swansea are playing at home.

Stoke were well beaten by Sunderland two weeks ago directly after a Europa League game, and they need to make sure it doesn't happen again against Swansea. They are the opposite to Swansea in footballing style, and the Premier League would probably be a better league without them. They will do all they can to bombard Swansea aerially, and it certainly isn't pretty to watch.

Jonathan Walters is probably the best fantasy bet in the Stoke team, but Matthew Etherington and Peter Crouch look like they could score a few points too.

I think Swansea might just about get all three points with a hard fought narrow victory.


Prediction 1-0
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Tottenham Hotspur Vs. Arsenal


Sunday October 2, 4pm BST 


Tottenham lost their first two league games, and conceded eight goals in the process, but they have bounced back with three straight wins. They have won two of the last three north London derbies, and they have to be favourites going into this game. A win would leave them in a very good position in the league with a game in hand on the teams around them.

Spurs defenders are best avoided in fantasy football, but some of their attacking players are well worth considering. Luka Modric, Gareth Bale, Rafael Van Der Vaart and Emmanuel Adebayor are all looking likely to have good seasons.

Arsenal's poor start to the season is slowly turning around, but this will be a real test of how far they have to go to get back on track. Robin Van Persie's form of last season is slowly returning, and he could be the man to make the difference on the day. A lot will depend on how many of their players can recover from injury in time to play on Sunday.

Both Mikael Arteta and RVP look to be the Arsenal players most likely to add more fantasy points this week.

I always predict an Arsenal win and this week is no different, but they will have to be strong in defence to get the win.

Prediction 2-3
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That's it for today, but feel free to tell me where I have gone right or wrong as the case might be.


It's not too late to join over 850 teams in my Fantasy League and there are prizes for the top three teams at the end of the season. Just go to the site and use the code 125540-42785 to join my league when your team is set up.

To join the predictions league just go to the site and set up your predictions. Then use the code F688F-JCO to join my league. I'll update the league table in my predictions every week.

Don't forget you can follow me on Twitter, tumblr and Facebook too.

I'm also a member of a very good and very active Arsenal group on Facebook which you can join here.
See You Tomorrow.

Arsenal 2-1 Olympiacos As The Debut Boys Score.

Arsenal played their second group game of this season's Champions League at home to Greek side Olympiacos last night. They had already drawn away to German champions Borussia Dortmund a couple of weeks ago, and a win was needed against Olympiacos to put them in a strong position in their group.

With nine first team players injured Arsene Wenger had to change things around a lot, and he did just that. Besides the players who were missing through injury he also decided to leave both Robin Van Persie and Aaron Ramsey out with Sunday's north London derby in mind. It meant Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain played from the start, and both Tomas Rosicky and Marouane Chamakh started as well.

The Arsenal team almost had a Carling Cup feel about it, with so many fringe players getting a chance. Andre Santos got another chance at left back, and Alex Song had to play at the centre of the defence alongside Per Mertesacker with all of the other central defenders injured. It was vital that Arsenal started well to give them the confidence needed to get a win.

The first half was a very open affair with both teams looking good in attack, but looking unstable at the back. Arsenal had already been a little fortunate at the back when they took the lead after only eight minutes.
Chamberlain was making his Champions League debut, but he was far from tentative on such a big stage. He took a pass from Alex Song, ran into the box and cut the ball back across the keeper into the corner. It was a very good finish and it was exactly what Arsenal needed on the night.

Only 12 minutes later Arsenal doubled their lead and another Champions League full debutant for them was the scorer. This time it was Andre Santos who scored after he picked up a blocked effort from Chamakh, and finished cooly at the near post with his right foot.

Things were looking good for Arsenal at that stage, as long as they could keep Olympiacos at bay. The Arsenal defensive effort had looked far from stable up to then, and Olympiacos took advantage only seven minutes later. They took a a short corner and only Chamberlain was on hand to try to cut it out with the rest of the Arsenal defence absent without leave. The two players worked their way around Chamberlain and when the cross came in David Fuster rose unchallenged to head the ball into the net.

The first half remained very open after that, but there were no more goals from either side. At half time Arsenal assistant manager Pat Rice changed things around a little, and the Arsenal full-backs didn't push up as much in the second half. It meant Arsenal offered less in attack, but they looked far more secure in defence.

Wenger was serving the last game of his UEFA ban and he was unable to get in contact with Rice or the Arsenal players, but I would be surprised if he wasn't behind the tactical change for the second half. I'm sure he would have found a way to get his thought across to the team at some stage during the interval.

There were chances at both ends in the second half, but Arsenal had far more control of the game than they did before the break. Around the hour mark they got a fright when a shot from outside the box by Vassilis Torosidis crashed off the bar and bounced to safety. Wojciech Szczesny looked like he might just have got one finger to the ball to deflect it onto the bar, but it was very hard to tell whether he did or not.

As the game wore on Arsenal had a few decent chances on the break with Olympiacos pushing forward, but they failed to take any of them. It meant things got a little nervy for the fans towards the end, but they held out for a 2-1 win.

It may not have been a convincing Arsenal win, but the most important thing was getting the three points. Arsenal have now won three games in a row in three different competitions, and that's a good habit to be getting into. Considering how many players Arsenal had missing I was very pleased with the win, and I'm sure they will have a much stronger team at the weekend.

The result leaves Arsenal second in their group behind Marseille who beat Dortmund 3-0. Arsenal head to Marseille for their next group game in three weeks time, but there is a lot of football to be played before then.

Arsenal face a trip to local rivals Spurs on Sunday afternoon, and then the players will head off to play for their countries. I wouldn't be surprised to see up to six changes in the Arsenal team on Sunday, with RVP, Ramsey, Gervinho, Theo Walcott, Laurent Koscielny and Kieran Gibbs all possibly starting. I hope there will at least be a place on the bench for Chamberlain, as I feel he did well enough last night to suggest he can claim a more regular role.

Spurs have a Europa League game tonight against Irish club Shamrock Rovers, and I'll be cheering on the minnows. I'm sure Spurs will play a weakened team with Sunday's game in mind, and I really hope Rovers can make them pay. I have seen Rovers play live on many occasions, and my father has supported them for 60 years at least since he grew up beside their old ground.

When the international break ends Arsenal will have a home game in the Premier League against Sunderland on Sunday October 16th. I'll be making the trip to that game myself to meet up with quite a few other Arsenal fans from Ireland and a few other places too.

It will be an early start on the day, as I will be up at 4.30am and I probably won't be home until a little before midnight. I've never made the trip in one day before, as I usually try to stay in a hotel in the vicinity of the Emirates but it works out costing a little less to do it all in one day. I'll do my best to get a few pictures and post them here and on my tumblr account too.

That's it for today.

Here's Chamberlain's goal from last night.

It's not too late to join over 850 teams in my Fantasy League and there are prizes for the top three teams at the end of the season. Just go to the site and use the code 125540-42785 to join my league when your team is set up.

To join the predictions league just go to the site and set up your predictions. Then use the code F688F-JCO to join my league. I'll update the league table in my predictions every week.

Don't forget you can follow me on Twitter, tumblr and Facebook too.

I'm also a member of a very good and very active Arsenal group on Facebook which you can join here.

See you tomorrow.

Arsenal's Champions League Game With Olympiacos Previewed.

Arsenal's league campaign hasn't got off to the best of starts this season, but they have played four cup games so far without losing any of them. Three of those games have been in the Champions League where they have managed two wins and a draw against tough opposition. They will be looking to add another win to that statistic to put them in a strong position in their Champions League group.

Olympiacos lost their first game in the group at home to a Marseille team that are struggling to make an impact in their domestic league. Olympiacos have won their first two league games in Greece so far, but it's a big step up for them to Champions League level. Their record on the road in the Champions League isn't very good, but they did manage to beat Arsenal at home in the group stages two seasons ago.

On that night Arsenal played a weakened team, as they had already won their group and the trip to Greece can be quite grueling. When Olympiacos came to the Emirates in late September 2009 they managed to keep Arsenal scoreless until just over 10 minutes to go. Arsenal managed two goals in the last 12 minutes through Robin Van Persie and Andrey Arshavin to win the game, but they really should have won by more.

The latest injury news from Arsenal isn't very encouraging, as their casualties continue to mount. Jack Wilshere won't play again until February at the earliest, but there are real concerns that his season could be over. Abu Diaby hasn't been seen at all so far this season, but the club have said he should return after the next international break along with Thomas Vermaelen.

The latest players to be added to the injury list are Theo Walcott, Laurent Koscielny and Gervinho. They join Johan Djourou, Sebastien Squillaci and Yossi Benayoun who all have short term injuries and will not be available to play tonight.

It means Arsene Wenger will have to switch things around a little against Olympiacos, and there is always a possibility he will change the formation slightly. The biggest problem will be who plays alongside Per Mertesacker in the centre of defence with only Ignasi Miquel and possibly Alex Song being the candidates. If Song plays it means Arsenal will lose some of their defensive strength in midfield, and I'm not overly confident of his ability and concentration in defence.

It would be asking an awful lot of Miquel to step up to this level, but I think he is capable of playing in this game at least as long as he is fit. I have a feeling Song will get the nod though which should mean Emmanuel Frimpong gets to play the defensive role in midfield. If Wenger goes with a different formation it could see Francis Coquelin play alongside Frimpong in a four-four-two, but I think he will stick with his favoured four-three-three.

The other two midfielders are bound to be both Mikael Arteta and Aaron Ramsey with Robin Van Persie filling the centre forward role. That leaves Andrey Arshavin as one of the wide players, and then Wenger has to decide who plays on the other side. I wouldn't be surprised to see Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain play, as there are so few other options but I have a feeling Ju Young Park might get to play.

He hasn't played much since his arrival at the club, but Wenger stated that he can play in any of the three attacking roles in the team when he signed him. It's a chance for him to show the Arsenal fans what he can do alongside the strongest team Arsenal have available on the night, unlike his previous appearance against Shrewsbury Town.

The Arsenal bench might have a very young look to it with so many players out injured, and hopefully those injuries won't be added to. I think Chamberlain will be seen at some stage during the game, and I hope to see him running at Olympiacos with the ball and causing them problems. He's a player with real potential and ability, and I'm sure he has a great future at the club.

Despite the glut of injuries  Arsenal have more than enough about them to make things very tough for Olympiacos, and they need to put them away when the chance arises. Olympiacos do not travel well in European football, and as long as Arsenal put them under pressure they will create the chances they need. A win should set Arsenal up nicely going into the international break with the Marseille double-header to come afterwards.

I think Arsenal will win 2-0 with RVP adding to the 100 goals he has scored for the club already. He has been absolutely fantastic since he returned from injury at the start of January, and without him at the moment Arsenal would have a real struggle on their hands. It is vital for them that he stays fit and able to play the north London derby at Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.

Wenger will again be in the stands tonight, as he sits out the rest of his UEFA ban imposed upon him for making contact with the bench while serving a ban for his reaction to Arsenal's defeat to Barcelona last season. The ban is a joke, as others have done the same thing before and escaped censure and he was told by the UEFA official on the night that he was working within the rules. Hopefully Pat Rice can do as well as he did in charge of the team away to Borussia Dortmund in Arsenal's previous Champions League game.


That's it for today.

It's not too late to join over 850 teams in my Fantasy League and there are prizes for the top three teams at the end of the season. Just go to the site and use the code 125540-42785 to join my league when your team is set up.

To join the predictions league just go to the site and set up your predictions. Then use the code F688F-JCO to join my league. I'll update the league table in my predictions every week.

Don't forget you can follow me on Twitter, tumblr and Facebook too.

I'm also a member of a very good and very active Arsenal group on Facebook which you can join here.

Here's the highlights of Arsenal's 2-0 win over Olympiacos two years ago.

See You Tomorrow.

Tottenham v Arsenal: History of the North London Rivalry

Arsenal make the short journey to White Harte Lane on Sunday to play their local rivals Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League. The two teams are very close geographically, but in terms of history and trophies there is a wide gap between them.

Arsenal have won 13 league titles compared to Tottenham's two, and overall Arsenal have won 27 major honours against Tottenham's 17. The big difference of course is in the number of league titles, and that's the true measure of the greatness of any team in England.

The rivalry didn't really begin until 1913 when Arsenal moved from Plumstead to a new stadium in Highbury which was only five miles away from Spurs' ground. It meant the two teams became local rivals, and there is always animosity between local rivals in football.

Arsenal were a second division club at the time and Spurs were in the top flight, but that didn't last very long. World War One interrupted the world of football from 1914 until 1918, and when the war was over things took a turn in Arsenal's favour. There were plans to expand the first division from 20 teams to 22 teams, and Spurs hoped to stay up despite finishing 20th in the last season prior to the war.

Somehow or other Arsenal managed to take the last spot in the top flight despite the fact that they had only finished sixth in the second division in that last season before the war. There were rumours and allegations that Arsenal chairman Sir Henry Norris had used underhand dealings to obtain their promotion, but nothing was ever proven. Needless to say Spurs were far from happy with the outcome, but they soon won promotion back to the first division to set up the rivalry.

The first league encounter between the sides was in early 1921, and Spurs won 2-1 at home. After that the games between the sides became rather heated, and after a particularly vicious game in 1922 the FA threatened to make both teams play behind closed doors.

The rivalry might have become even more intense after that, but Spurs spent most of the time between 1928 and 1950 in the second division. During that time Arsenal rose to prominence in English football with six league titles to their name, while their local rivals still had none to their name. Spurs only spent two seasons in the top league in that time, and Arsenal won the title on both occasions.

Directly after the second World War things improved between both clubs, as Spurs allowed Arsenal to use their ground. Highbury had suffered bombing damage during the war, and Spurs proved that rivalries can be forgotten in times of need by offering their ground for use.

Spurs were promoted back to the Premier League in 1950, and they have remained there ever since with the exception of the 1977/8 season. Arsenal have of course never been relegated since that season when they mysteriously managed to gain a place in the top flight in 1919.

Arsenal have had the pleasure of winning the league title on Tottenham's ground on two occasions in 1971 and 2004. The 1971 victory also brought Arsenal their first domestic league and cup double which emulated the Spurs achievement of 1961. Up until then Spurs were the only team to manage that feat in the 20th century, but others have gone on to do it since and Arsenal have three doubles to their name now.


Arsenal fans are very fond of reminding their Spurs rivals that it has been 50 years since they last won a league title, and Arsenal have won six of them since then. The Spurs fans look for solace where they can find it, but occasional cup victories hardly compensate for league titles.

When Spurs beat Arsenal in the 1991 FA Cup semi final their fans decided to celebrate by naming April 14th as St. Hotspur Day. Arsenal fans have since celebrated what they call St. Totteringham's Day on the day when Spurs can no longer mathematically catch them in the league. Since Arsene Wenger took over at Arsenal they have celebrated St. Totteringham's Day every single one of the 15 seasons he has been their manager.

Since the advent of the Champions League Arsenal have also managed to qualify for the competition every season under Wenger, but Spurs have only once managed to do so. Arsenal made it to the final in 2006, and the failure to beat Barcelona was probably the highlight of that season for Spurs fans.

At the very end of that season Spurs had the chance to finally finish above Arsenal in the league, but they lost their game against West Ham on the final day of the season to allow Arsenal to overtake them. It was a dramatic day as Spurs looked to have their game called off due to a bout of food poisoning among their players, but the game went ahead. Apparently a dodgy lasagna was blamed for the sickness, but there have also been suggestions that the team simply bottled it.

Due to the intense rivalry between both clubs there have been very few players who have played for both of them during their careers. Jimmy Robertson is the only player to have scored for both clubs in the north London derby, but there is a chance for Emmanuel Adebayor to become the second player to do so this Sunday. He is only the 15th player ever to have played for both clubs.

Perhaps the most famous and controversial player to cross the divide was Sol Campbell who left Spurs in the summer of 2001 on a free transfer to join Arsenal. He was Tottenham's captain at the time, and the move did not go down well with their fans. He claimed to have left Tottenham to win trophies, and the two league titles and two FA Cups he won probably justify his decision.

He has actually won as many league titles with Arsenal as Spurs have ever won. He also played in and scored in the 2006 Champions League final, and at Spurs he never got the chance to play in that competition at all.


At the moment Tottenham are a couple of points above Arsenal in the Premier League, and they feel they finally have a chance to outshine their bitter rivals. They managed to hold on to their best players during the transfer window, but Arsenal lost the services of both Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri. The Arsenal team is in a transitional stage, and if Spurs are to emulate them it has to be this season.

The demise of Arsenal as a top four club has been predicted for a few years, but they always manage to bring in the players to make them competitive and finish above Spurs. History would seem to indicate that Arsenal will again manage to overcome their difficulties, and leave Spurs in their wake yet again.

A rivalry is usually based on two teams that are in some way close, but it's only a geographical closeness with Arsenal and Spurs. Arsenal hold the upper hand in meeting between both clubs in all competitions, as well as far more league titles.

Up until April 2010 Spurs had not beaten Arsenal in a league game in almost 11 years, but at the moment they hold a slight upper hand. Arsenal have failed to win the last three league encounters between the two clubs, despite twice having two goal leads. Spurs have won two of those three games, and their hope is to extend it to four games on Sunday.

That's about the limit of their hopes though, as their chances of getting any closer to Arsenal's haul of league titles are very slim. Arsenal may not be in the greatest position themselves, and that's probably the reason why Spurs feel they can at last overtake their rivals. In the long term their hopes are doomed to failure though, as the cream of Arsenal will again rise to the top in my opinion.

That's it for today.

Here's Robert Pires doing what he did best by scoring against Spurs.

It's not too late to join over 850 teams in my Fantasy League and there are prizes for the top three teams at the end of the season. Just go to the site and use the code 125540-42785 to join my league when your team is set up.

To join the predictions league just go to the site and set up your predictions. Then use the code F688F-JCO to join my league. I'll update the league table in my predictions every week.

Don't forget you can follow me on Twitter, tumblr and Facebook too.

I'm also a member of a very good and very active Arsenal group on Facebook which you can join here.
 
See You Tomorrow.

Robin Van Persie Stars As Arsenal Beat Bolton 3-0.

Arsenal played Bolton yesterday afternoon in the Premier League at the rather unusual kick off time of 3 pm. It was a game they quite simply had to win with their league campaign already faltering badly. They started the game with only four points from five games, and in the lowly position of 17th place.

Arsenal have finished in the top four of the Premier League every single season under the guidance of Arsene Wenger, and anything other than that is almost inconceivable. It's a long way from where they are now back up to the top four, but before yesterday's game there were still 33 games left to play. The most important thing for them against Bolton was to take the three points, and begin the task of gradually climbing back up the table.

The team was more or less as expected with Kieran Gibbs and Theo Walcott coming in for Andre Santos and Andrey Arshavin in the only changes from the team that lost to Blackburn Rovers last week. It meant Arsene Wenger was showing faith in almost the same team that performed so badly at times last week. I was hoping the full week together on the training ground might make a difference to how Arsenal defended as a team, as the deadline day arrivals looked to fit in with the rest of the team.

The first half was fairly non-descript with the only real highlights being a couple of close efforts from Arsenal, and a great early save from Wojciech Szczesny after some poor defending. Arsenal needed to up the pace in the second half, and put the Bolton defence under a lot more pressure. What they needed most of all was a goal to draw Bolton out, and open the way for them to score some more.

It didn't take long for that goal to come in the second half when Robin Van Persie got his name on the scoresheet for the 99th time in his Arsenal career. With less than a minute gone Arsenal broke forward and Gervinho turned Gretar Steinsson just inside the Bolton half. The referee allowed the advantage, as Aaron Ramsey ran on to the the loose ball.

Ramsey found  Robin Van Persie just outside the Bolton box, and he brought the ball forward before finishing very well at the near post. I can be the first person to criticise referees at times, but he did very well to allow the advantage. Arsenal had the goal they needed, and now they needed to punish Bolton.

Only 10 minutes later Arsenal found themselves a man up when  David Wheater was given a straight red card for pulling Theo Walcott back after Ramsey had played him in. Wheater was the last man back, and the referee had no choice once he had deemed it a foul. Walcott looked to have gone down quite easily, but Wheater definitely impeded him, and it was a correct decision in my opinion.

Arsenal were creating plenty of chances at that stage, but they needed to get the second goal to put the game to bed against ten men.  Bolton did manage one good chance at that stage when Arsenal were caught on the break from their own corner kick. Thankfully Gibbs managed to get back and put some pressure on Chris Eagles who had to shoot early, and Szczesny saved well.

Arsenal have been caught on the break far too often this season when they have had corners, and it's an aspect of their game that has to be looked at. It seems to me that the problem occurs when the corner is first cleared, and Arsenal attempt to get the ball back into the opposition box. Some of the players who should be holding back push forward at this stage, and if the opposition win the ball Arsenal are very vulnerable on the break.

Bolton's best player at that time was their goalkeeper Jussi  Jaaskelainen who made some very good saves to deny Arsenal. Straight after Bolton's goal RVP almost scored again, but some of the Bolton players took exception to his attempt on goal. Paul Robinson was down injured at the time, and they felt Arsenal should have put the ball out to allow him to get treatment.

Four Bolton players confronted RVP, and he stood his ground and made his point back to them. Robinson was down when Bolton attacked and there was no suggestion that they should stop to allow him to get treatment then. The rules of the game are that it's up to the referee to stop the game if he believes a player needs immediate treatment, and the Bolton players should have remonstrated with him.

Not too long afterwards Arsenal got the second goal they needed, and RVP was again the scorer. Theo Walcott did very well to get clear of his man on the right hand side, and he put the ball low across the six-yard box for RVP to steer home with his shin. It was a very clever finish from him, and it was also his 100th goal for Arsenal.

He became the 17th  Arsenal player to reach that landmark, and hopefully he will be around long enough to double it. He has joined a very elite group which includes great players like Thierry Henry, Denis Begkamp and Ian Wright in recent history.

The game was effectively over at that stage, and Wenger brought Tomas Rosicky, Andrey  Arshavin and Marouane Chamakh on for Mikael Arteta, Gervinho and RVP. Arsenal missed a few more chances with Walcott in particular missing a great opportunity when played through on the keeper. He had loads of time, but he took his shot far too early and really should have scored.

In the very last minute Alex Song scored Arsenal's third goal, and he showed one or two others how to do it with a fine finish into the top corner. Walcott went down towards the end in pain, and there will be an anxious wait for the results of a scan he is having on his knee. Hopefully he will get the all clear, as the last thing Arsenal need right now is yet another injury.

The result saw Arsenal move up to 12th in the table, and they now need to build on it with wins in the next week against Olympiacos and Tottenham Hotspur. The trip to Spurs next Sunday won't be an easy task for them, and they haven't beaten their local rivals in a league game since October 2009. They had remained unbeaten by Spurs in the league for over 10 years, but Spurs have now won two of the last three meetings.

An Arsenal win would put them ahead of Spurs going into the international break, and hopefully move them into the top half of the table too. Before that there's the matter of a home  Champions League game against the weakest team in their group. Olympiacos have started well in their domestic league with two wins, but they have lost at least seven Champions League games in a row.

It looks like it will be a very interesting week for  Arsenal, and thankfully it started off on a very good note.

That's it for today.

Here's the highlights from yesterday's game.

See You Tomorrow.

Arsenal's Premier League Game With Bolton Wanderers Previewed

Arsenal play at home against Bolton Wanderers in the Premier League later today. Bolton are one of the three teams still below Arsenal in the league, and anything other than a victory would be yet another huge blow for Arsenal. Arsenal's current ambitions for this season are to finish in the top four, but their terrible start has made even that look a difficult task.

The injury news from the club is a little encouraging, as only Yossi Benayoun and Johan Djourou are added to those already out. That list includes Jack Wilshere and Thomas Vermaelen who are currently badly missed by an Arsenal team struggling to find any consistency. At least Bacary Sagna should return from injury, and both Aaron Ramsey and Tomas Rosicky are available again too.

The Arsenal team should have a fairly similar look to the one which lost to Blackburn last week, but Sagna limped off in that game and was badly missed. He has had an impressive start to the season despite the form of some of those around him, and his return will be very welcome. Arsenal suffered badly on the right side of their defence when Sagna went off, and he will be needed to keep a close eye on Bolton's Martin Petrov.

The only question for Arsene Wenger in his defence will be whether he picks Andre Santos or Kieran Gibbs at left back. I have a feeling that Santos will play even though he was far from impressive last week. The manager spoke of his passing and shooting ability before last week's game, but it was not on display in the game.

The midfield trio will probably be the same, as Arsenal attempt to find some consistency. The chances are that Alex Song, Aaron Ramsey and Mikael Arteta are Arsenal's current strongest available midfield combination, and they need to play more games together. There is an argument for including Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in the team after he performed so well against Shrewsbury Town, but I can't see Arsene Wenger picking him yet.

I do hope he is included on the bench though, as he has the ability to change the game in an instant and it's a rare thing in football. He cost Arsenal a lot of money, but he looks like he can start to repay that very soon.

I would imagine that both Robin Van Persie and Gervinho will start again, but there is a possibility that Theo Walcott will replace Andrey Arshavin. I'm not saying Arshavin was any worse than some of the others last week, but he always seems to be the first to be left out of the side.

Bolton have lost four of their first five games, and only an opening day victory away to Queens Park Rangers has given them any points. Their defence has looked a little vulnerable at times during those games, but then again so has Arsenal's. Kevin Davies just loves to put himself about, and I have no doubt that he will get stuck into Arsenal.

Thankfully Ivan Klasnic is suspended, as he has started off this season in good goalscoring form, but Bolton will still pose a real threat. The last time the teams played was towards the end of last season when Arsenal's inability to defend set pieces cost them all three points. Bolton will have seen how Arsenal struggled from set pieces against Blackburn, and they will be determined to punish them again.

The deliveries from Petrov could be a real problem for Arsenal, but the best way to counter Bolton is for Arsenal to control the game. So far this season games have got away from them too easily for long spells, and the opposition have punished them during those spells. Last week against Blackburn was a classic example when Arsenal conceded three goals in the first 23 minutes of the second half.

They came back very strongly before the end and probably should have scored more than the late goal from Marouane Chamakh, but they were wasteful. If Arsenal get an advantage against Bolton they have to expect Bolton to come back at them, and Arsenal have to fight to maintain their advantage. That doesn't mean they need stupid red cards like the one against Newcastle, but they can't be afraid to stand up to Bolton either.

Bolton may play a better style of football these days, but with Davies and Paul Robinson in their team they know how to hurt an opponent still. If Arsenal show any weakness or hesitancy they will quickly be on the backfoot. RVP is the captain and it's up to him to ensure Arsenal stand strong and are not intimidated.

The pitch at the Emirates is very big, and Arsenal need to use every inch of that pitch to run Bolton ragged. It's not an easy task for a team seemingly devoid of confidence, but the players on show against Bolton didn't play on Tuesday night which means they have had a week to train together. That's the first time those players have had more than a couple of days together since all of the new players arrived on deadline day.

The games have been coming so often that there has been no real opportunity for the coaching staff to get some real work done. Hopefully the players will have a better idea of their defensive responsibilities and duties, and they will adhere to them too.

Despite all of the negative publicity and doom-mongering surrounding Arsenal I am feeling confident about this game. It's about time Arsenal took their chances and hammered a few goals past an opponent, and for some reason I think they will do so against Bolton. RVP has been a little slow off the mark this season, but I can see him putting in a performance to show why he is so important to Arsenal.

I'm predicting a 4-1 win for Arsenal with RVP bagging a couple of those goals hopefully. I know it's probably a crazy prediction, but I have a feeling Arsenal are going to win well. I hope to see some of the free flowing football Arsenal have become famous for as well, and for Arsenal fans to feel a little more positive after the game too.

A good would be a great boost for Arsenal before they play Olympiacos at home on Wednesday night in the Champions League. After that game it's a short trip across north London to play Tottenham the next Sunday, before another dreaded international break. When that international break ends it looks like Vermaelen might be available again, and his addition to the team will be a huge boost.

The game against Bolton won't be live on TV in my part of the world, but I might be making a trip to a local pub which will be showing the game. With my laptop still out of action it's impossible to get a good stream on my PC, and I don't like following Arsenal games on twitter. Hopefully the part I've ordered to mend my laptop will arrive on Monday, and then it's business as usual again.

That's it for today.

Here's a look at Chamberlain's goal against Shrewsbury.

See You Tomorrow

Predictions For Premier League Gameweek Six.

It's that time of the week again when I attempt to predict the outcomes of the upcoming Premier League games. I didn't do very well in last weeks predictions, but funnily enough I moved up to fifth in my predictions league. I did manage to get two correct scorelines, one correct outcome and seven incorrect outcomes.

There were quite a few unexpected results last week with all of the promoted teams winning, and Liverpool and Arsenal both losing whilst conceding four goals. The big winners were Manchester United as they beat Chelsea to maintain their 100% record, and move two points clear of second placed Manchester City.

Here's a look at how my predictions league stands.

Pos	Name	Week	Total
1	ahujag	-45	345
2	gooner2194	-40	200
3	Bradley08	-40	195
4	DK1247	-15	195
5	JamrockRover	15	190
6	NickHemmings	-80	190
7	nawa87	-10	180
8	Sofire	-100	165
9	Smashit_Tuckit	-55	155
10	lubu722	-35	140

 Manchester City Vs. Everton
 
Saturday September 24, 12.45pm BST
 
Manchester City have had a very good start to the season with 13 points from their first five league games. They were two up at Fulham last week, but were pegged back and their Champions League schedule could have an impact on their title challenge. Their home form has been perfect so far with two wins out of two and seven goals scored with none conceded.

Both David Silva and Sergio Aguero are setting the Premier League alight at the moment, but there is a possibility Aguero will be rested ahead of the Champions League trip to Bayern Munich.

Everton didn't play in the first week of the season and they lost their first game in week two, but since then they have picked up seven points in three games. They usually start off their Premier League campaign poorly and improve, but with a good start a top six finish is a real possibility. A trip to City won't be easy for them, but they won't make it easy for City either.

It's difficult to pick any attacking Everton players at the moment but defensively Tim Howard, Leighton Baines and Phil Jagielka are all doing pretty well.

I think Everton will give City a run for their money, but their lack of firepower will let them down and City will take all three points.


Prediction 2-0
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Arsenal Vs. Bolton Wanderers


Saturday September 24, 3pm BST


Arsenal are 17th in the league table and, it's their worst start in 58 years apparently. They also suffered their worst defeat in over 100 years when they lost 8-2 to Manchester United a few weeks ago, and it doesn't make pretty reading for Arsenal fans. Their squad went through huge changes in the summer and it seems the players are still adjusting, but they are good enough to turn things around.

At the moment Arsenal's defenders should be avoided like the plague, but Mikael Arteta looks to be a good buy at his current price.

Bolton are in the middle of a very tough run in the league, but they had a supposedly easier game last week and lost at home to Norwich. With Chelsea to play next week they could find themselves rooted to the bottom of the table if they don't get some sort of result from this game. Their defence has only conceded one goal less than Arsenal's and that statistic could well be reversed after this game.

At the moment Martin Petrov is the best Bolton player to choose, as Ivan Klasnic is serving a three game ban
.
I think Arsenal will get things back on track with a good win, and pile even more misery on Bolton. 


Prediction 4-1
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Chelsea Vs. Swansea City


Saturday September 24, 3pm BST


Chelsea were well beaten in the end by Manchester United last week, but they did create plenty of chances against the champions. They are still capable of scoring plenty of goals, but their defence is looking a lot weaker than it has been in a number of years. They will value this opportunity to put some pressure on the two Manchester clubs who are ahead of them in table.

Despite Chelsea's defensive weaknesses both John Terry and Jose Boswinga are raking up fantasy points, as is Frank Lampard despite being well past his best.

Swansea scored their first Premier League goals last week, and it brought them three points against West Brom. It also moved them out of the relegation zone, and if they can continue that goalscoring form they have a chance of staying up. Their defence has been very solid since they let in four goals on the opening day of the season against Manchester City.

The best bet from the Swansea team for any fantasy manager has to be their goalkeeper Michel Vorm, but if their defence remains solid there is a lot of value to be had in it.

I think Chelsea will have too much attacking power for Swansea, and they will run out comfortable winners.


Prediction 3-0
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Liverpool Vs. Wolverhampton Wanderers

Saturday September 24, 3pm BST


Liverpool's good start to their league campaign has gone by the wayside with successive defeats and five goals conceded in their last two games. I haven't been overly impressed by them since Kenny Dalglish took over, and they could find their attempt to finish in the top four a very tough struggle. Jamie Carragher looks to have passed his best, and their defence as a whole looks a little shaky too.

Charlie Adam is still the Liverpool player most likely to deliver fantasy points, but that might change with Steven Gerrard back in the team.

Wolves are in a similar situation to Liverpool, as they have lost their last two games without scoring after a good start to the season. Their expectations are a lot lower than Liverpool's though, and they will be happy to finish somewhere in the middle of the table. They were very poor on their travels last season, but they look a little better away from home this time around.

Matt Jarvis is still the Wolves player most likely to deliver fantasy points.

I think Liverpool will get back on track with a win, but Wolves won't make it easy for them.


Prediction 3-1
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Newcastle United Vs. Blackburn Rovers 


Saturday September 24, 3pm BST


Newcastle are in the top four and unbeaten after five games, with only two goals conceded. Their problems are in their ability to score, but Leon Best looks like he might be the man to cure that problem. They look to be punching well above their weight at the moment, but as long as their defence remains solid they will have a relatively good season.

Take your choice from Tim Krul, Steven Taylor or Roger Taylor in defence for Newcastle, but Leon Best is also available at a very good price.

Blackburn got themselves off the bottom of the table with a 4-3 win over Arsenal last week, after twice going behind. It helped to ease the pressure on their manager, but his problems could be far from over as the season progresses. I still think they will struggle, and he could possibly be the first managerial casualty of the season.


Before the season started I liked the look of Junior Hoilett, and I think he might still come good for them.

I think Newcastle will manage another narrow victory to maintain their current top four status.


Prediction 2-1
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West Bromwich Albion Vs. Fulham


Saturday September 24, 3pm BST


West Brom had some tough games to start their season, but they came back with a win away to Norwich two weeks ago. Their 3-0 defeat to Swansea last week was a major setback for them, and it has left them propping up the league table. They will be looking to take all three points from a Fulham team who don't travel well.

Shane Long started the season off in great form, but he hasn't scored in the last three games for West Brom and there aren't too many other candidates from their team.

Fulham have yet to win a game this season, and they have lost both of their away games so far. If they lose this game they will be rooted to the foot of the table, and Martin Jol will start to feel some pressure. I think their team is good enough to finish a lot higher, but they need to start putting points on the board.

At the moment Danny Murphy is the their best point scorer, but both Clint Dempsy and Bobby Zamora look likely to do well too.

I think West Brom just just about win a very close game.


Prediction 2-1
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Wigan Athletic Vs. Tottenham Hotspur


Saturday September 24, 3pm BST


Wigan started well with five points against the three newly promoted teams, but since then they have lost twice and conceded six goals. They have found it difficult to score goals for the last few seasons, and it has meant they have struggled. They will need to score a couple of goals to get anything out of this game, and I can't see it happening.

Ali Al-Habsi is again raking up points in goal for Wigan, and Franco Di Santo is doing very well up front for them, but I don't know how long it will continue.

Spurs had two bad defeats to start the season, but they have come back with two good wins in their last two games. Holding on to Luka Modric looks like it could be of real benefit to them, as does the addition of Emmanuel Adebayor for now. His track record at other clubs would suggest it's only a honeymoon period though, and things will probably go wrong at some stage.

From a fantasy perspective Modric and Adebayor currently look to be good buys, as does Jermaine Defoe. Rafael Van Der Vaart is back from injury too, and he can be a great asset to any fantasy team.

I think Spurs superior fire power will tell, and they will emerge with a narrow victory.


Prediction 1-2
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Stoke City Vs. Manchester United

Saturday September 24, 5.30pm BST


Stoke's great start to the season came to an abrupt end when Sunderland beat them 4-0 last week. They are trying to cope with the Premier League as well as Europa League football, and it's not an easy task for any team to manage. They have got a very good home record though, and this could be United's toughest league test so far this season.

From a fantasy perspective Stoke goalkeeper Asmir Begovic has had a great start to the season, and Jonathan Walters looks like a good buy too.

United have a 100% record in defence of their Premier League title so far, and they have looked really good so far. They have scored 21 goals in five league games, and their attacking options seem endless. I'm still not convinced by their defence though, but they are scoring so easily that hardly seems relevant.

Wayne Rooney and Ashley Young are both racking up loads of points, and Nani is following closely behind them. David de Gea has loads of points too, but I'm still not convinced by him. Javier Hernadez has looked good since returning from injury and he can't be ignored either.

I think United will have far too much for Stoke to cope with, and will emerge with all three points yet again.


Prediction 1-3
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Queens Park Rangers Vs. Aston Villa


Sunday September 25, 4pm BST


QPR look to be the most likely of the three promoted clubs to flourish in the Premier League, and the players they added late in the transfer window have helped their cause. They haven't managed to score in their two home games so far this season, but they will be looking to put that right in this game. Their whole squad looks strong enough to finish mid-table, but they could still do with a goalscorer.

Joey Barton always performs well, and he would probably be the best fantasy bet in the QPR team.

Villa are unbeaten in their five Premier League games so far this season, but they have drawn four of them. A few wins wouldn't go astray to add to all the draws, but anything that is unbeaten must have some degree of confidence. This could be a tough game for them, and they will do well to keep their unbeaten run.

Gabriel Agbonlahor is Villa's stand out player so far, but he has been ably supported by Stiliyan Petrov and Darren Bent.

I think Villa will keep their unbeaten record by getting their fifth draw of the season.


Prediction 2-2

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Norwich City Vs. Sunderland
Monday September 26, 8pm BST




Norwich had played very well in their first four games with very little reward until they won 2-1 away to Bolton last week. They try to play football the right way, but at times they have a lack of real class at this level. They might stay in the Premier League, but it won't be easy for them.

At the moment it's hard to see any Norwich players that are scoring enough fantasy points to consider buying.

Sunderland's poor start to the season came to a sudden end last week when they beat Stoke 4-0. Seb Larsson was the star of the show for them, and his contribution could be very important for them this season. They will see this as a game they can take three points from if they can play as well as they did last week.

Larsson is the outstanding Sunderland player so far this season, but Nicklas Bendtner could possibly benefit from his ball delivery too.

I can see this game ending in a draw.


Prediction 1-1
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That's it for this week's predictions, but feel free to tell me where I have gone wrong or right as the case might be.

It's not too late to join over 850 teams in my Fantasy League and there are prizes for the top three teams at the end of the season. Just go to the site and use the code 125540-42785 to join my league when your team is set up.

To join the predictions league just go to the site and set up your predictions. Then use the code F688F-JCO to join my league. I'll update the league table in my predictions every week.

Don't forget you can follow me on Twitter, tumblr and Facebook too.

I'm also a member of a very good and very active Arsenal group on Facebook which you can join here.

See You Tomorrow.

Arsenal 3-1 Shrewsbury Town

Arsenal hosted League Two side Shrewsbury Town last night in the third round of the Carling Cup, and they won their way through to the fourth round after an early scare. It's been a tough time for Arsenal fans in the Premier League so far this season, but their form in other competitions has managed to hold up at least. After Saturday's disastrous defeat to Blackburn Rovers it was important for the team to get a win against a team which are three leagues below them.

As usual in the Carling Cup Arsene Wenger picked a completely different starting 11 from the side that played against Blackburn on Saturday. It meant the fans got a chance to see a few of the new signings along with some the very promising young prospects at the club. The team was as I had predicted yesterday with the exception of Francis Coquelin playing instead if Ryo Miyaichi who was not quite fit enough to start.

Arsenal started brightly and almost scored early on, but gradually the lack of belief that seems to have enveloped the whole club became more evident. Shrewsbury hit the post after little more than 10 minutes, and then they managed to go one better by taking the lead. A cross from the Arsenal left was met by James Collins, who rose unchallenged to head home for Shrewsbury.

Arsenal looked nervous at that stage and Shrewsbury sensed that they could cause a real upset. As Arsenal tried to get back into the game Shrewsbury did their best to pick them off on the break, and it almost paid off on a few occasions.

With just over half an hour gone Arsenal managed to get back into the game with a long range header from Kieran Gibbs, but they were still unconvincing right up until half time. In the second half Arsenal improved, and Alec Oxlade-Chamberlain was the man behind most of their good work. It was his 25 yard drive which put Arsenal 2-1 ahead just before the hour mark, as he visibly grew with confidence with every passing minute.

I wrote yesterday that I thought he could have a real influence on the game for Arsenal, and he has certainly given Wenger something to think about over the next few weeks. He may not be the finished article yet, but he showed enough to suggest that he could have a lot to offer to the Arsenal first team as they look to rescue their season. The ability to take players on and beat them cannot be underestimated, and he has that as well as an awful lot else to his game.

I was very impressed with the manner of his goal because it was so untypical of Arsenal. He took a pass 25 yards out as Arsenal played their predictable tippy-tappy game, but instead of another pass he unleashed a 25 yard bullet shot. When the opposition are unsure of what comes next it's difficult for them to defend, and Arsenal have become far too predictable in my opinion.

Shrewsbury may be three leagues below Arsenal, but he showed enough to suggest he should be in the manager's plans unlike some others in the team. Francis Coquelin was also impressive in his holding role in midfield, and it looks like his year in France may have paid some dividends for Arsenal. Both him and Emmanuel Frimpong look capable of stepping up to cover Alex Song when called upon, and that's a role Arsenal found hard to fill last season.

The third goal came from Yossi Benayoun with just 10 minutes left, after some good work by substitute Oguzhan Ozyakup on the right. It meant that all of Arsenal's scorers on the night were scoring their first goal for the club. I expect to see plenty more goals from both Chamberlain and Benayoun in the not too distant future.

There were still questions to be asked of the Arsenal defence last night, and Lukasz Fabianski didn't always look convincing in goal either. They are through to the last 16 of the Carling Cup though, and some of the fringe players got some much needed game time too.

The draw for the last 16 will take place just after midday on Saturday and as it stands Arsenal are one of seven Premier League teams through so far. There are six more games tonight and all 16 teams will be known after those games, but a Premier League opponent in the next round is the most likely scenario for Arsenal. It will be interesting to see if Wenger decides to put out a stronger team if the next opponents are of a higher calibre than Shrewsbury.

That's it for today.

Here's the highlights from yesterday's game.

See You Tomorrow.

Six Arsenal Players To Watch Against Shrewsbury Town.

Arsenal host League Two side Shrewsbury Town tonight in the third round of the Carling Cup. It's an opportunity for Arsene Wenger to showcase some of his fringe players, as well as some of the young talent available to him. In this article I will attempt to assess the relative strengths of some of those players who might get a chance.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain

Arsenal signed Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain this summer from Southampton for a fee believed to be somewhere between £10 and £15 million. He has been compared to Theo Walcott, who was a little younger than him when Arsenal signed him from the same club for a similar fee.

I can see why the comparisons have been made, but I think Chamberlain is a very different player. He seems to have more awareness of what's going on around him on the pitch and where his teammates are. His ability to take players on and beat them is also superior to that of Walcott, and he has a very bright future in the game.

Arsenal might play him in a central role tonight, but he was very impressive playing in a wide role for the English under-21 team recently. He assisted in four goals in just two games, and his crossing was quite superb.

He has plenty of skill, pace and intelligence, and hopefully he will get the chance to show it tonight.

Ju-Young Park

Ju-Young Park is another player signed by Arsenal in the last transfer window, and they got him for a very reasonable price. He's the current captain of South Korea, and he can play in any of the three attacking roles deployed by Arsenal.

He's 26 years old and will return to his homeland for military service when his Arsenal contract is up, which is why they got him for such a good price. He has plenty of skill and pace, as well as an eye for a goal, and his hard-working attitude will hopefully rub off on some of the other Arsenal players.

He should get his chance to make his Arsenal debut tonight, and hopefully he will flourish against a team three leagues below Arsenal.
I think he will play in a wide role, but his flexibility will allow him to interchange with the other attacking players. I wouldn't be at all surprised to see him score a goal on his debut.

Ignasi Miquel

Ignasi Miquel is a Spanish central defender who will turn 19 next week. He joined Arsenal in 2008 and has gradually worked his way through the Arsenal underage teams and reserves.
He is probably considered to be the sixth-choice central defender at the club, but only because of his age and relative inexperience.

Along with being Arsenal's reserve team captain, he was a member of the Spanish under-19 team that were the European champions this summer.

His formative years were spent at Barcelona, and he is a defender who is well capable of playing along with his defending duties. He played twice in the FA Cup for Arsenal last season and came on as a substitute for his Premier League debut against Liverpool last month.

I expect to see him organising the defence despite his youth, and taking the opportunity to bring the ball out and use it when the chance arises. He has all the assets required to be a top-class defender in years to come, and hopefully he can display them tonight.

Emmanuel Frimpong

Emmanuel Frimpong looked likely to make the breakthrough to the Arsenal first team last season, but he suffered a bad injury and missed almost the entire season. His career has been put back by a whole year as a result, but he seems to be determined to make up for lost time this season.

He featured in Arsenal's preseason as a defensive midfielder, and he made his debut as a substitute in their first game of the season against Newcastle United.

He is seen as almost a direct replacement for Alex Song, and it's a position for which Arsenal have needed some reserve strength for a while. His chances will be a little limited this season, as Song is the first choice, but he should get quite a few opportunities to shine.

He is a very strong player with a great engine, and a tough tackler, too. He has already shown this season that he is by no means overawed by playing in the Arsenal first team, and I expect more of the same from him tonight.

As well as doing all the hard work required in the centre of midfield, he has shown an ability to drive forward and threaten the opposition goal when the chance occurs. If he can get a firm grip on the midfield tonight, he could be the player that helps Arsenal to dominate the game.

Carl Jenkinson

Carl Jenkinson was signed from Charlton Athletic in the last transfer window, and he has taken the role of understudy to Bacary Sagna.

He was thrown into action sooner than expected, as Arsenal suffered an early season injury crisis. Despite looking a little raw at times, he has also shown loads of potential, and he should have a much better chance to shine tonight.

His defensive basics look sound, and he likes to get forward from the right back role, too. His height will be an advantage to Arsenal as well, as their full-backs have been quite short for the last number of years.

If Arsenal can progress in the Carling Cup, Jenkinson will get the game time he needs to progress, and hopefully that progress can see him put pressure on Sagna for a place in the team.

Yossi Benayoun

Yossi Benayoun seemed to be a strange deadline-day loan to arrive at Arsenal, but if he can stay fit he could have an awful lot to offer the club.

He is 31 years old, but he has always managed to score and make goals for whichever club he played for.
He has added some much-needed experience to the Arsenal squad, and he will be their most experienced player on the field if he plays against Shrewsbury tonight.

He looked very good in the away draw with Borussia Dortmund in Arsenal's Champions League group, and he showed how hard he can work. He also showed his creative side, and given the chance tonight he could cause Shrewsbury some real problems.

The Shrewsbury players will rarely have come up against a player with his skill and intelligence on the ball, and his eye for a goal could be rewarded against them tonight.
That's it for today.

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Arsenal's Carling Cup Game With Shrewsbury Town Previewed

With the weekend Premier League defeat to Blackburn Rovers still fresh in the minds of their fans Arsenal are back in action tonight. They face a home game against League Two side Shrewsbury Town in the third round of the Carling Cup. Arsenal took this competition a lot more seriously than usual last season and reached the final where they were beaten 2-1 by Birmingham City.

It was a game Arsenal should have won, but a comical piece of defending in the last minute cost them the game. It's a scenario that sounds all too familiar to Arsenal fans and this season has started with more of the same from the team. The manner of their defeat to Blackburn on Saturday was another episode from the Arsenal manual of how not to defend, and it's a problem which has to be sorted out before it's too late.

A good win against Shrewsbury could be just the tonic the Arsenal players need, and that's a good argument for playing a strong team against them. I think the players might be better served getting in a full week's work on the training ground, as there has been no real time for the new players to settle in since they signed on deadline day. Hopefully a full week of defensive work on the training ground will be of some advantage to the team as a whole.

If that's the case then Arsene Wenger will use the fringe players and younger players against Shrewsbury, and I think that's the most likely method of team selection. It means the Arsenal fans will get a chance to see some of the promising players at the club showing what they can do, and I like that prospect. In previous seasons those young players have performed really well in this competition, and they have never let the club down.

I expect Arsene Wenger to start with a completely different team to the one that started against Blackburn on Saturday. It should see Lukasz Fabianski in goal with Carl Jenkinson and Kieran Gibbs as the two full backs. I think the central defensive pairing will probably be Johan Djourou and Ignasi Miquel, and it will hopefully give Djourou a chance to play in his favourite position after his troubles as a substitute for Bacary Sagna on Saturday.

The midfield should see Emmanuel Frimpong play from the start and I think Yossi Benayoun will play in front of him. The other midfield player isn't so easy to predict, but I think Alec Oxlade-Chamberlain can play there. He's probably seen as a winger, but I think Wenger will be happy to see him operate behind a central striker.


The attacking trio will probably be led by Marouane Chamakh with Ju Young Park on one side of him and possibly Ryo Miyaichi on the other if he is fit enough to play. Chamakh got his first goal since last  November when he came on as a substitute on Saturday, and hopefully it will help him to regain some confidence. The two wide players will be making their competitive debuts for Arsenal, and I'm looking forward to seeing what they can do.

If Ryo isn't fit enough to start I think  Francis Coquelin will play in the midfield with Chamberlain going into a wide role. If he was to play alongside Frimpong it might give the team a more defensive look to it, and I don't think Wenger will go for that. That Arsenal lineup has six full internationals in it, as well as some really promising talent and it's good enough to get a result on the night.

Shrewsbury have had a good start to the season and they currently sit in an automatic promotion slot in League Two. However, Arsenal have to be huge favourites to win the game, regardless of how they have played so far this season. The class of the Arsenal players is not something which is in doubt, but their ability to make that class tell is under scrutiny.

In previous seasons the young Arsenal players have gone out and played with passion and commitment in the Carling Cup, and with no little skill either. The performance tonight might point to how much recent results have affected the whole squad if the players turn in a below par performance. I'm hoping for the opposite, as the youngsters take the opportunity to showcase their talents and show Wenger why they should be considered for the first team.

With the club selling Carling Cup tickets at a reduced price there should be a large turnout for the game, and hopefully those fans can get behind the team. A good performance from the team, as well as some very vocal support could be just the tonic the club as a whole needs.

I want Arsenal to win of course, but ultimately the Carling Cup is the least important competition the club will play in this season. I'm predicting a 3-1 win for Arsenal with Chamberlain hopefully playing a starring role. I would gladly sacrifice progression in the Carling Cup for six points in Arsenal's next two league games against Bolton Wanderers and Tottenham Hotspur.

The game isn't live on TV to the best of my knowledge which means I'll be looking for a stream like so many other Arsenal fans if I want to watch it live. The details to follow me on Twitter are below, and I'll gladly share any stream I get with anyone looking for it.

That's it for today.

Here's a little bit of what Chamberlain can do.

It's not too late to join over 850 teams in my Fantasy League and there are prizes for the top three teams at the end of the season. Just go to the site and use the code 125540-42785 to join my league when your team is set up.

To join the predictions league just go to the site and set up your predictions. Then use the code F688F-JCO to join my league. I'll update the league table in my predictions every week.

Don't forget you can follow me on Twitter, tumblr and Facebook too.

I'm also a member of a very good and very active Arsenal group on Facebook which you can join here.

See You Tomorrow.