Arsenal’s Trip To Manchester City Previewed

Arsenal moved into fourth place in the league during the week when Chelsea were thumped 4-0 at Bournemouth after Arsenal had made a meal of beating Cardiff 2-1 the previous night. Their ultimate goal this season is a top four finish and the reward of Champions League football for next season, but it won’t be easy. Chelsea bounced back with a 5-0 win against Huddersfield yesterday and Arsenal need to match that scoreline to move above them again today.

Of course the season doesn’t end today and it’s where we finish in May that counts, but we can’t afford to lose too much ground either. As away games go they don’t come much tougher than a trip to the reigning champions who have won 11 of their 12 home games with the only blot on their copybook coming in a 3-2 defeat against Palace. If Arsenal can somehow match that performance from Palace that might be their best chance of getting something from the game today.

Trying to match what Palace did won’t be easy though because City surely can’t be as complacent at the back as they were in that game and we don’t have the players to take them apart on the break like Palace did. Maybe Denis Suarez will be that player now that we’ve got him on loan from Barcelona, but I’d be very surprised if he started today. I would be very surprised to see Mesut Ozil in the team too as he usually sits out tough away games for one reason or another.

We have so many injuries already that the losses of both Granit Xhaka and Ainsley Maitland-Niles will only make things worse and Unai Emery has a job on his hands to put together a strong defence. There will be players like Laurent Koscielny and Nacho Monreal who are just back from injuries themselves and possibly Carl Jenkinson who has hardly kicked a ball for us in two years. Whatever team he puts out has to be disciplined in defence and that’s something we have not mastered away from home even once this season as we’re without a clean sheet on our league travels.

I’m not saying we can’t get a result of some sort today, but all the evidence would point to us losing and probably losing badly too. Let’s hope the manager can pull something out of the hat and surprise us all and astound the critics. I certainly don’t expect anything like that, but we can only live in hope.

That’s it for today.

See you tomorrow.

Arsenal Transfers Update

With the new season getting nearer and nearer it finally looks like we could be getting the sort of transfer activity which has been promised since last season ended. So far we have seen the arrivals of both Alexandre Lacazette and Sead Kolasinac with Wojciech Szczesny eventually departing to Juventus. I'm very happy with the arrivals of both Lacazette and Kolasinac, but I can't say I was overly happy to see Szczesny go.

He's done very well in his two years on loan at Roma and I honestly think he is at least an equal to Petr Cech and certainly better than any other options we have besides Cech. Maybe his bridges were burned along with that cigarette in the showers at Southampton, but I can't help feeling we might have made a mistake. Time will tell I suppose and playing understudy to Gianluigi Buffon at Juventus certainly won't make him a worse goalkeeper.


He's the only real departure of any note so far even if it does appear there are plenty more lining up at the exit door. It seems there is no place for Lucas Perez, Carl Jenkinson, Mathieu Debuchy, Jack Wilshere, Calum Chambers, Kieran Gibbs and maybe even a few more before the transfer deadline day. I would have thought David Ospina would be one of those on his way, but the sale of Szczesny has to make that fairly unlikely now.

The future of Alexis Sanchez is still uncertain, but the club seem to be determined to keep him even if it means losing him for nothing this time next year. I hope it doesn't come to that and he can be talked into a new contract, but if he can't I have to agree that it's better to keep him at the club for one final season despite what it might do to the bank balance in a year. He is the best player we have and if we are to make any impression next season we need to keep him and see how he can team up with Lacazette and Mesut Ozil.

There are plenty of rumours of the impending departures of Gibbs, Chambers, Perez and Jenkinson, but it might not be so easy to shift Debuchy or Wilshere. They're all on very good contracts at Arsenal and any team looking to buy them will have to think twice about matching their wages. We could be faced with a few of them not finding clubs because the money just isn't there to pay them.

We need to get their wages off the books though so we can pay that bit extra to the likes of Ozil and maybe Sanchez and the money we get for them would of course go nicely towards any upcoming purchases. The two players most likely to come at the moment seem to be Thomas Lemar and William Carvalho with the team/squad needing strengthening in their positions and both players possibly available. If we could add them to what we have already I think we could be almost optimistic about next season and it's been a while since I felt like that going into a new season with Arsenal.

It's also quite possible that we could lose Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain before the window closes as he doesn't seem eager to sign a new contract with only a year left to run on his current deal. It's a bit like the Alexis situation except Chamberlain isn't quite as valuable to us and we have never really found his true position in the team in his seven years at the club. He's a player who can be so good sometimes and the opposite too often too, but I still think he has a role to play in the long season ahead.

Much has been made of the need to sell Theo Walcott as he doesn't fit into our new formation, but playing with wing backs is hardly set in stone and I think we need to keep him too. He scored 19 goals last season and frustrate us as he might at times it won't be easy to replace those goals. Like Olivier Giroud he still has something to offer and I don't think we should be too quick to offload either of them. I would be surprised if Arsene Wenger thinks differently, but you never know what he might do if the right offer comes in.

With the new season comes a new season of "Fantasy Premier League" and as usual my "Ever Arsenal" league is up and running and there's €50 to the winner from my pocket unless a generous sponsor wants to step in and offer prizes galore. There's been well over a thousand teams in my league for the last few seasons and judging by the early uptake there will be again this season. If you haven't played before you can sign up here and join my league after you have set your team up by using the league code 57957-16522. For those who have been in the league before you will automatically rejoin once you set your team up and you can also find an auto link on my Twitter feed.

I'm also running my Predictions League again this season and you can find the link to join here and join my mini league with the code tq3c5. It's on the Talksport site and anyone good enough to predict all 10 scorelines correctly in a week can win £1,000,000 from them, but taking part in my mini league is obviously a lot more prestigious. I'll be updating the league here every week along with my usual fantasy tips and predictions.

That's it for today.

See you tomorrow.

Arsenal's Trip To Manchester United Previewed

Arsenal haven't won away to Manchester United in far too long and they have passed up a few good chances to do so in that time. The last time they managed the feat it was Emmanuel Adebayor who got the goal and Cesc Fabregas who set him, but their stars have long since faded for Arsenal fans. In the 10 years since that 2006 victory Arsenal have drawn twice and lost seven times at Old Trafford and that run has to end some time.

Last season provided one of the best opportunities in a long time, but a poor performance on the day helped a sub standard United team to a 3-2 win. Marcus Rashford was a star born on that day as Arsenal neglected their defensive duties and enabled to score two goals and make the other one. He hasn't looked too bad since then, but he will have to do an awful lot more to become the world beater we made him look like in that game.

The draw at home to Spurs in our last game was an opportunity to go to the top of the table missed and now Arsenal have to try to keep pace with Liverpool and Chelsea who are the in form teams at the moment. On the face of it Arsenal have the best away record in the Premier League with 13 points from five games and they have the best defensive record away from home too. Those 13 points have mostly come against teams who Arsenal would be expected to beat though and a trip to Old Trafford is a completely different prospect.

From a team perspective the absences of Hector Bellerin and Santi Cazorla will be sorely felt, but at least it looks like Alexis Sanchez will be fit to play. He played for Chile on Tuesday night despite apparently carrying a hamstring injury and he scored twice too. It would seem he has come through unscathed and will be available to play which is a huge boost and we can only hope his injury doesn't come back to haunt him and us too.

The biggest question will probably be who fills in for Bellerin and Carl Jenkinson seems the most likely to get the nod. There are other options though with Gabriel Paulista being one of those mentioned as a possibility and I think Shkodran Mustafi might be an even better option. He has played as a right back before and he plays on the right side of the centre of our defence. Of the three of them I think he offers the most going forward and I think he would be defensively stronger too.

Of course if Mustafi moves to the right it would mean Gabriel would have to come in to play alongside Laurent Koscielny. The partnership between Koscielny and Mustafi is developing nicely and I don't think Gabriel is as good as Mustafi, but I would be worried to see Jenkinson in the team as I think he might struggle. Not only is he just back from a long term injury, but I'm not sure he's quite good enough to play at this level.

The rest of the team nearly picks itself at the moment whether you agree with Arsene Wenger's choices or not we all have a pretty good idea of the players he will opt for. Midfield could give him a dilemma with Aaron Ramsey, Francis Coquelin, Granit Xhaka and Mohamed Elneny all vying for the two spots available. I wouldn't be surprised to see Ramsey and Coquelin chosen, but I think the other two might be a good fit for this game. I wouldn't be unhappy to see two defensively minded players in front of the defence as there will no doubt be a battle that needs to be won in midfield.

The media is of course full of the Wenger against Mourinho aspect and our boss certainly has a bad record against United's latest manager. The world is waiting for Mourinho to fail at United and things haven't gone too well for him so far this season. It would be fantastic if we could heap even more pressure on him by winning this game and bringing him even nearer the failure I think he will be at United.

We don't want to win just to get one over on Mourinho though and the best reason for wanting to win is to show we are genuine title contenders. I'm still not sure about that myself, but three points at United would certainly improve our chances. I still think the players need more belief in themselves and this could well be the way for them to build that confidence.

Who knows how United will approach the game with that man in charge, but he will certainly set his team up in the best way he sees to win. He won't be afraid to park the bus despite being at home and they're sure to put the boot in at every opportunity as well as trying every trick in the book to try to influence the referee. Arsenal will surely know what to expect though and they need to be strong enough to deal with it.

I have no doubt the boss will send the players out to play their own game as he always does. I think it's a great opportunity to get the first win at United in 10 years and I hope the players can find a performance to really go for it. I would be happy with a jammy three points, but I would love to see the players set down a marker and get the win with a commanding performance.

That's it for today.

See you tomorrow.

Arsenal v Reading: EFL Cup Preview

After the disappointment of only managing a 0-0 draw at home to Middlesbrough on Saturday it's EFL Cup action for Arsenal tomorrow night when they play at home to Reading. As competitions go the EFL Cup is at the bottom of the list of priorities, but that can change as the team progresses through the rounds. They had a comprehensive victory away to Championship side Forest in the last round and they play at home to another Championship side in this round.

The prize for the winner is a place in the quarter finals and it's at that stage that Arsene Wenger might just decide to show a little more interest in the competition. For the moment though it's a chance for the fringe players and reserves to get a run and show what they can do. It means we should see more or less all of the bench from Saturday get a run and a few of them will hopefully take the opportunity to impress.

At the moment I think there could quite easily be a case for Kieran Gibbs winning back his first team place as Nacho Monreal has struggled. If Gibbs can put in a good performance against Reading then he must surely have a chance of keeping his place against Sunderland next Saturday. It looks like the other full back will be Carl Jenkinson who will be making his return after a long term injury. It's good to see him back and it means he will be the back up for Hector Bellerin should the case arise as Mathieu Debuchy seems to be "persona nor grata".

We should also see both Rob Holding and Gabriel Paulista play in central defence and they are two more players who will be eager to make an impression. Holding did well when we had no option other than to play him at the start of the season, but the arrival of Shkodran Mustafi meant he became surplus to requirements in the first choice 11. He's most definitely one for the future though and the early signs are we might have got a real bargain when we signed him from Bolton.

Gabriel missed out on his chance to impress at the start of the season when he picked up an injury and the arrival of Mustafi has seen his chances severely limited too. He would be regarded as the next best option at the moment if either Laurent Koscielny or Mustafi were injured or suspended and the game must surely do him some good. I had very high hopes for him when he arrived at the club, but he hasn't progressed as much as we would have hoped and the form of Mustafi since his arrival won't have done his chances much good.

With Petr Cech taking preference in goal in league games and David Ospina playing in the Champions League we should see Emiliano Martinez get a game. He played in the last round and kept a clean sheet even if he didn't have an awful lot to do. He's another one for the future and it's good to see him get a chance like so many others.

In midfield I think we might see the same combination which we saw against Boro on Saturday with Santi Cazorla slightly injured and Granit Xhaka still suspended. It's another chance for Francis Coquelin to stake a claim for a more permanent place in the team while Mohamed Elneny must surely be glad of another chance to play. He's a player who seems to have dropped back in the pecking order despite impressing so much after he joined last January.

From what the boss has said we will also see Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Alex Iwobi, Jeff Reine-Adelaide and Lucas Perez in the team and that might just make up the starting 11. There's a chance of Chamberlain dropping back to play alongside Elneny or Coquelin which would possibly see Chuba Akpom play as the central striker, but I think Lucas will be the man to play there. Ainsley Maitland-Niles played in defence in the last round, but he might have to sit on the bench tonight even though he took up that position on Saturday too.

It seems Olivier Giroud might be fit to return too, but I imagine he will be on the bench to start at least. We could have done with his attributes on Saturday when we couldn't find a way through the Boro defence and it will be good to see him back in the fold. I've criticised him often enough in the past, but he still has plenty to offer the team.

All in all it's a fairly strong team with a fair deal of youth and some experience too and they have every chance of progressing. I think Reading will give us a much closer run than Forest did in the last round, but a place in the last eight is certainly attainable. It's a competition the boss has never won, but I don't think he should be overly bothered about it.

Given a choice between progressing to the next round and winning at Sunderland on Saturday I know what I would opt for and I have no doubt he would choose the same. Of course there's no reason why we can't win both games and line up a quarter final game as well as keeping pace with the teams at the top of the table. If things don't go our way tomorrow night I won't be overly concerned and it won't be a huge cause for celebration if we make the last eight either.

Of course I want the team to win and continue their unbeaten run in all competitions which stretches back to the second game of the season. A few impressive performances from players looking to get more first team game time wouldn't go astray either and that's certainly something we should be expecting. The most important thing though is for all the players to come through unscathed. I predicted a win on Saturday so I'll keep my predictions to myself this time.

That's it for today.

See you tomorrow.

Arsenal Unveil New Second Strip Plus Jenkinson And Sanogo Latest

As the new season draws closer Arsenal unveiled their new second strip yesterday to follow on the launch of the new first strip from a few weeks ago. The launch took place on the team's tour of Singapore and it looks pretty good to me on the first view as you can see below. I suppose it could be described as a gold shirt although it looks more yellow than gold to me.

Yellow has been the traditional colour of the away shirt for many years now and the team have had many glorious nights in that colour. The last time they wore a gold away strip they didn't do too badly either as they ended up winning their third league and cup double in 2002.

In other news Carl Jenkinson signed an extended deal with the club and then proceeded to go out on loan to West Ham for the season. He did quite well on loan with them last season and hopefully he will continue to progress. His chances at Arsenal would be limited this season with Mathieu Debuchey back from injury and the emergence of Hector Bellerin. It's hard to know if Jenkinson will have a long term future at Arsenal, but his experience gained at West Ham can't do him any harm. 

It looks as if Yaya Sanogo could be the latest player to leave the club and like Jenkinson he could be loaned out for the season. If the reports are correct Ajax are interested in taking him and again it looks like a smart move for both the player and Arsenal. Ajax look to play good football and Sanogo would get the chance to work with Arsenal legend Denis Bergkamp if he was to make the move. Since he joined Arsenal he has spent an awful lot of time on the injured list and he needs to go through a season relatively injury free if he's going to progress. 

Even though the season hasn't started Arsenal have already had their first injury setback with Tomas Rosicky set to miss the start of the season due to the knock he picked up on international duty. Rosicky isn't a first team starter any more, but when he's fit he still has plenty to offer on occasions. Hopefully he won't be out any longer than the projected four or five weeks, but his past injury record doesn't fill me with confidence on that front. 

At least Danny Welbeck should be back in time for the kick off of the new season as he looks set to eventually recover from the injury which saw him miss the end of the season and of course the cup final. It was such a shame for him to miss out on the cup final after he scored the winning goal in the quarter final away to United. Hopefully he can stay injury free this season and maybe get himself a nice shiney winners medal before it's over too.

Finally for today the first pre season game gets underway later today when Arsenal play a Singapore Select team in the Asia Trophy. The winners will play the winners of Stoke and Everton on Saturday while the losers will play the losers of that game. The game gets underway at 1.30pm BST and is available to watch on Sky Sports 1 or to listen to on the Arsenal Player.

Arsene Wenger has said a few fringe players will get a chance to impress in Singapore with players like Gedion Zelalem and Dan Crowley possibly the most like to make a breakthrough. Besides those two players Chuba Akpom, Alex Iwobi and Chris Willock are all likely to feature too and will be anxious to show what they can do. It will be great to get the first view of the team this season and it's hard to believe that the Community Shield is only two and half weeks away.

As usual this season my fantasy league is up and running again and it's open to all comers with a €50 prize (out of my pocket) to the winner. You can join up by using the league code 48497-14043 after you have set your team up here and good luck to all who play. There were over 1,000 teams in my league last season and I'm hoping for even more this season.

I'm also running my Predictions League again this season and it's very enjoyable even if there's no cash prize for the winner. The code for my league is FD757-ARR after you have signed up here and of course both games are completely free to play. 

This's it for today.

See you tomorrow.

Arsenal Still Await Cech Arrival With Schneiderlin Set To Follow Him

It's been a week since I wrote about the latest wheelings and dealings for Arsenal this summer and in truth nothing concrete has actually happened. There is money available to strengthen the squad, but players will have to leave to make way for any new arrivals. As always the rumour mill has been in full swing and it's not easy to separate the club's actual targets from the host of made up stories.

It does look as if the Petr Cech rumours are true though and it seems to be just a matter of time before he signs on the dotted line. A keeper of his experience will be a great addition to the squad, but it could lead to the exit of one of the other keepers. At the moment the rumour mill would suggest David Ospina is the most likely suspect to exit, but it would be strange if Arsenal sold him only a year after signing him.

I'm not sure if the current version of Cech is as good as he was a few years ago and whether he's a better option in goal than either Ospina or Wojciech Szczesny. He is proven at the very top though and has a list of medals as long as his arm to go with it too. Ex Arsenal players are queueing up to declare what a great signing he would be and the general consensus would seem to be that he's the top class keeper Arsenal have needed for many seasons.

With the Cech deal almost tied up the emphasis seems to be shifting to Morgan Schneiderlin and his possible arrival. Yet again he fits the bill for what Arsenal require and it would make sense for both the player and Arsenal if he was to join them. He won't come cheaply though and Arsenal will have to see off competition for his signature from plenty of other clubs if they're going to get their man.

The emergence of Francis Coquelin has made the necessity for a player like Schneiderlin not quite so important with Mikel Arteta hopefully back to full fitness next season too. I think there would be room in the Arsenal team for both Coquelin and Schneiderlin on occasions and he would certainly make the squad stronger. With trophies to be chased on all fronts next season I think it would make perfect sense to being Schneiderlin or a similar player in.

As usual there are plenty of stories linking Arsenal players with exits and the latest player is Laurent Koscielny. If the rumours are to be believed Real Madrid are the latest club to show an interest in the player I consider to be Arsenal's best and most important defender. It wouldn't make any sense at all for Arsenal to sell Koscielny and I would be very surprised if they were to even consider an offer for him.

The rumours of a Manchester City bid for Jack Wilshere still persist and talk of an exit for Theo Walcott won't go away either until he signs a new contract. I would be more than surprised if Arsenal had any intention of letting either player go despite the fact that their chances could be limited at times next season. They both have an awful lot to offer the team and it would cost so much more to replace them than Arsenal could expect to get for either player.

It's quite possible that Lukas Podolski could be on his way out though to make way for new players despite declaring his intention to stay at the club. I think it's more likely for him to be sold while both Yaya Sanogo and Carl Jenkinson look like spending more time out on loan this coming season. Premier League clubs are apparently lining up to borrow Jenkinson who I see as more likely to have a long term future at the club than Sanogo who looks more likely to spend his proposed loan spell abroad.

Finally for today I think it's about time I announced the winner of the competition I ran last week for a copy of Football Manager 2015. The lucky winner was Shaurya Vineet who will be hearing from me shortly in order to claim the prize. Thanks to everybody who entered the competition and read the review of the game by the guest reviewer (my son).

That's it for today.

See you tomorrow.

Arsenal and Arsene Wenger - Stick Or Twist

With an hour of Tuesday night's game against Anderlecht gone there was a very positive feeling about how Arsenal's season was progressing. Sure the team still weren't at their best but the attacking flair was returning and they looked destined for their fourth win in a row as they led 3-0. What happened next shows exactly why it is so frustrating to support the current Arsenal team, but I do support them and always will no matter what - they are and always have been my team.

It doesn't mean they're immune to criticism though and for that matter neither is the manager. Arsene Wenger criticised his defence afterwards, but he's the one who had the task of strengthening said defence last summer and failed to do so properly. Mathieu Debuchey and Calum Chambers were brought in while both Bacary Sagna and Tomas Vermaelen left which meant there was stalemate at best.

The thing is everybody knew the Arsenal squad was short of a central defender last season and we were told Vermaelen would be replaced when he was allowed to leave but he wasn't. Chambers was brought in to vie with Debuchey for the right back slot and also with an eye to playing as a central defender or a defensive midfielder in the future and he barely had more than a handful of first team games to his name when Arsenal signed him. If he was bought to play as a central defender then Carl Jenkinson would not have been loaned to West Ham, but he was. 

The way I see it Arsenal almost lost two central defenders because Sagna was so good at filling in there when needed. At the moment Nacho Monreal is being asked to fill in as a central defender and it's not something he's comfortable with or particularly good at for that matter. Arsenal only have two defensive injuries but that has reduced them to playing a left back in the centre and it just isn't good enough.

There are those who defend the manager no matter what and heap praise upon him when Arsenal do well, but then decide it's most certainly not his fault when the players "let him down". I certainly don't fit into that category and neither do I fit into the category of those who blame him for all of the clubs ills and will hear no good about him. I suppose that means I occupy the middle ground and right now that seems to be becoming more and more lonely by the day. 

The same mistakes seem to crop up time and again and the lessons we are told are bring learned just don't seem to be retained. With a defence which has been left short of proper cover and the players in front of them seemingly not capable of shielding them enough to help them with their defending it's very worrying. Arsenal possess some very good players in midfield but so many of them are far too similar and want to play in the same position. 

When it comes to putting in a real shift and sacrifing your own desire to go forward for the good of the team then Arsenal players have been found wanting too often. The tactical awareness of the team and the manager seems to be non existent at the moment and other teams are taking advantage of it. If managers of so called lesser teams can figure out how to make life so difficult for Arsenal then how come Arsenal struggle so often to do the reverse. 

When the team are obviously going wrong the manager doesn't seem to be capable of changing it and I think that's his biggest flaw at the moment. I don't know if it's an absolute faith in his team and/or his tactics or just tactical failings on his part, but it's hurting the team. The manager has to be able to identify where the team are going wrong and change it or it becomes too easy to play against Arsenal. 

If he can't get a hold of where the team are going wrong and get them to start playing in the way they are capable of playing then the tide of opinion is going to turn against him even more. I want Arsene Wenger to lead Arsenal to more glory and make them a force to be reckoned with, but I'm no longer sure he can do it. If he's not the man to do it then the club have to seriously consider their options.

I know the team is missing some of it's best players, but even with every single player available we all know Arsenal are capable of imploding at any time without any notice. There has to be something inherently wrong in the mentality of the team if we all fear the worst almost every time the opposition cross the half way line. Until the players can find the mental strength and togetherness to overcome adversity there will be questions asked of them and the man who sends them out to play with his instructions. 

Arsenal won the FA Cup last season to end their trophy drought but it could have been so much better had they not imploded in the league. When their mental strength was put to the test they failed miserably but at least they managed to finish strongly and claim fourth place as well as the cup. We all hoped that victory was going to be built on but it hasn't been and now it seems the height of our ambitions can only be to match last season.

If I was offered fourth place and the FA Cuo again for this season I would take it right now. That's a damning indictment on the club's ambition last summer and it's yet another season to be written off almost before it began. How long can the club continue to under invest when they have the money available to take the final step to make the team truly competitive again. 

Every summer we think we'll do what needs to be done and then find ourselves scrambling on deadline day to shore the gaps which should have been filled a lot earlier. In the last two summers Arsenal have signed two magnificent players in Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez, but they have failed to invest in the rest of the squad properly. If it happens again next summer I think the tide will turn irreversibly against the manager and his days could be numbered.

That's it for today.

See you tomorrow.

Arsenal's Champions League Trip To Anderlecht Previewed

It's hard to figure out where Arsenal's season is going, but already it looks like the FA Cup is their only realistic hope of a trophy. With Chelsea already 11 points ahead of them after only eight games it seems like the Premier League is already beyond them. They're back in Champions League action tonight away to Anderlecht and it's very hard to see them having enough to win the competition.

Qualification from their group should be well within their grasp though and they can almost assure themselves of that with back to back wins over Anderlecht. Arsenal lost their opening game away to Borussia Dortmund, but came back in fine style to win their last game 4-1 at home to Galatasary. That win leaves them in a strong position going into these two games against Anderlect with Galatasary having to play Dortmund twice.

Ideally for Arsenal Galatasary will take a point off Dortmund in those two games and Arsenal will hopefully take all six points off Anderlecht. That would leave Arsenal guaranteed a place in the knock out stages and fighting for top spot in the group with Dortmund. A home win over Dortmund would leave Arsenal needing to win their last game away to Galatasary to win the group, but all of that could be just pie in the sky.

If the performance against Hull on Saturday is anything to go by the two games against Anderlecht are going to be a real struggle. I didn't see the game on Saturday due to other commitments and didn't feel qualified to write about it after only seeing the Match of the Day highlights. I try to be as positive as I can about Arsenal as regular readers will know, but it seems the only positives from the game were the point we managed to salvage and the fact that we have Alexis Sanchez. 

When the transfer window closed it was obvious to one and all that Arsenal had not brought in the defensive midfielder and central defender (or two) which the squad needed to try to compete at the very top. Quite how Thomas Vermaelen was allowed to leave without being replaced is almost beyond me and it's a damning indictment of the club's inability to identify their targets and follow through on them. I know there was some real hope early in the window when Alexis arrived along with Mathieu Debuchy and Calum Chambers, but that early impetus was not built open until Danny Welbeck arrived in the dying minutes of the window and he was only brought in because of the injury to Olivier Giroud.

For me the defence is really missing Bacary Sagna and his ability to play in any defensive position as well as his defensive abilities. I know there was little they could do about Sagna leaving and the injury to Debuchy was unfortunate, but players like Sagna are very difficult to replace. The defence was short of a centre back last season and instead of buying another one Arsenal actually sold one and brought in Chambers who is a young right back with the potential to play in the centre of defence. He has made huge strides already and looks like he will be a stalwart for years to come, but they're asking an awful lot of a young and inexperienced player. Chambers' inexperience has caught him out a few times which led to his five yellow cards so early in the season and his suspension for the Hull game.

At the same time Carl Jenkinson has made his way into the West Ham team on his loan spell from Arsenal and I find it a little hard to fathom out why he was loaned out with such a shortage of defenders at the club. He could certainly have been used against Hull although Hector Bellerin did quite well in his Premier League debut at right back. With only six defenders listed on the club site surely the current situation could have been foreseen and Jenkinson kept at the club for the good of Arsenal.

The latest casualty for Arsenal is David Ospina and his injury couldn't have come at a worse time with Wojciech Szczesny suspended for tonight. Szczesny's red card was incredibly foolish considering Arsenal were 4-0 up at the time and his decision making is still not all it should be. It looks like he will have no competition for the next few months with Ospina's injury and complacency has been his biggest enemy in the past. Young Emiliano Martinez will wear the gloves tonight with even younger Ryan Huddart as the reserve goalkeeper.

At least Chambers will be available to boost the defence, but it doesn't look like Laurent Koscielny will return from his injury. It will be a straight choice between Chambers and Nacho Monreal to play in central defence alongside Per Mertesacker with Chambers to replace Bellerin if he doesn't replace Monreal. With so much change so often in the defence it's very hard to have any cohesion which has been a real hindrance. Let's hope that whatever combination is chosen tonight can find some cohesion and put in a resolute performance.

In midfield it looks like Jack Wilshere will recover from the knock he took on Saturday and will take his place in the team. He has to learn to control his frustration and his temper too and he could well have been sent off for the foul which led to his injury against Hull. He only got a yellow card for that foul, but the way he has been reacting at times this season could well lead to a red card very soon.

I would be surprised if both Aaron Ramsey and Mikel Arteta didn't come back into the team and they will hopefully help Arsenal to control the game. There's plenty of goals in this Arsenal team and they need to start punishing teams more when they are on top. Alexis got the team out of a hole on Saturday and I expect more of the same from him tonight.

There are many fans who doubt Arteta and I do think Arsenal should have signed a top class player to play in his position in the summer. He is still their best option in that position though with Mathieu Flamini making costly mistakes game after game at the moment when he plays. I know he was fouled in the build up to Hull's first goal in Saturday, but he could still have prevented the goal if he kept playing instead of appealing to the referee. He wasn't the only Arsenal player to stop playing and it's something you don't expect to see professional footballers doing. From a very young age players are told to play the whistle, but some Arsenal players certainly didn't do so for that goal. 

We're 13 games into the season and we're still waiting for Arsenal to click into gear. They've only won four of those 13 games in all competitions and it's getting to the stage where the fans are losing belief and it looks like some of the players are too. It's time for them to go out and dominate the opposition and show exactly what they have to offer to Arsenal.

From what I've seen of Anderlecht so far they're not a bad side, but an Arsenal team firing on all cylinders should be able to beat them even with their current injury problems. If they go out with the right attitude and commitment I expect them to do so, but the question is will they manage to show that attitude and commitment. They faded awfully after Hull equalised on Saturday and even more so when Hull went ahead and could only muster any real fight in the dying minutes. That fight has to be evident from first to last minute tonight and if it is I fully expect Arsenal to win.

Hopefully they can come through the game without more injuries and with three points ahead of their trip to Sunderland on Saturday. They have to start playing well and winning games in the league and a trip to a team who lost 8-0 last weekend must surely give them the chance to do so. I'll preview that game closer to it, but for the moment the Anderlecht game is the crucial one and it's one Arsenal must win. I would normally say I'm not too concerned about how they win, but I think they have to put in a really good performance to kick start the rest of the season and I'm hoping they do so along with taking the three points.

That's it for today.

See you tomorrow.

Deadline Day Dealings Leave Arsenal Short At The Back

After starting off the summer in the manner their fans wanted Arsenal yet again found themselves scrambling to do a deal in the final minutes of the transfer window. The relatively early arrivals of Alexis Sanchez, Mathieu Debuchy, Calum Chambers and David Ospina had raised hopes that the club had finally learnt their lesson from previous transfer windows. When it came to the crunch Arsenal failed to do the business which was crucial if they were to have a genuine chance of challenging on all fronts this season. 

I'm not knocking the signing of Danny Welbeck although it does look like he was signed only because he became available when United signed Radamel Falcao on loan for the season. Arsenal were supposedly looking at Falcao themselves, but the wages United have agreed to pay him are so ridiculous there is no way Arsenal could have even contemplated bringing him in. I can only imagine what paying a player almost £350,000 a week would do to the wants of other players and to the clubs salary structure too.

I think Welbeck could do a good job for Arsenal and he has to be a better option than Yaya Sanogo with Olivier Giroud injured until January at the earliest. I'm not trying to give Sanogo a hard time either, but he clearly has an awful lot to learn and the Arsenal first team is a very tough place to learn it in. When Giroud comes back I wouldn't be too surprised to see Sanogo go out on loan to give him a chance to learn his trade.

The fee of somewhere between £15 million and £20 million is hardly excessive considering the prices that have been paid for some other players in this transfer window. He's hardly the answer to all of Arsenal's striking problems, but he will score his fair share of goals if he plays as a central striker which wasn't happening for Sanogo. He may have only joined Arsenal because he became available when we needed a striker, but he's an Arsenal player now and deserves the support of each and every one of the Arsenal fans.

The real problem for Arsenal this season is their lack of defensive depth and the lack of central defenders in particular. There are only two recognised central strikers at the club with two right backs and two left backs also. Chambers may be capable of filling in as a central defender and Nacho Monreal had to do so in pre season too, but there is no excusing the club's failure to sign another central defender.

When Thomas Vermaelen was sold to Barcelona we were told he would be replaced, but the club could not bring a replacement in before the window closed. I have no doubt they were trying to sign various players at various times, but their failure to replace Vermaelen could be the mistake which ruins the team's chances this season. Vermaelen may not have been a first choice any more, but he was a hell of a lot better than nobody at all.

Arsenal rode their luck with injuries to their central defenders last season with only three players available to play the position and Bacary Sagna to come in from right back and play there when needed. Sagna's departure meant the club had to sign two players to replace him as I said months ago although Chambers was probably seen as the player who could replace him in both positions. If that was the case then Carl Jenkinson should have stayed at the club rather than being loaned out to West Ham. 

There are only six defenders listed in the first team squad on the official Arsenal web site and that is just not good enough. A couple of younger players might have to be promoted to the first team squad to make up the numbers, but if they were up to the task they would surely have been in the squad already. Again I'm not saying they won't be good enough in years to come, but they're not there right now.

An injury or two to Arsenal's central defenders would leave the team with a huge task defensively if they're up against any of the top teams in the Premier League or in the Champions League. As it is Arsenal haven't managed a clean sheet in their first three league games and the opposition in those games were hardly world beaters. We all know how Arsenal fared defensively away to the three teams who finished ahead of them last season and the failure to strengthen defensively looks like a massive blunder. Arsenal were not good enough defensively last season and they have failed to address that problem.

I won't even go into the failure to strengthen directly in front of the back four, but the need for a top class defensive midfielder was there for all to see. Again the club were in the market for players, but failed to find a solution to their problems. The team defends as a unit and the back four didn't get enough protection from the players in front of them last season with the defensive midfield role a particular weak link in big games.

I'll be writing my season preview in the next few days and I genuinely thought I would be writing it with hope of the team challenging on all fronts. I could be wrong and the team could ride it's luck with injuries, but that's no way for a club to face into a new season. Those who are paid to identify and bring in the players the club needs have not done their jobs properly in my opinion and the team could pay a high price for it.

I hope I'm wrong and players like Sanchez and Mesut Ozil get the success they came to Arsenal for. If they're let down by the club's inactivity in the transfer market they might just get the hump like one or two others have done in the past. It's a scenario I don't want to see and I want Arsenal to challenge the best and win trophies, but I have an awful feeling it's only a hope for this season and not a genuine chance.

However much the Welbeck signing smelt of desperation I welcome him to the club because he is a better option as a central striker than anyone else we have at the moment. I hope things work out for him at Arsenal and he goes on to prove the doubters wrong. I can't say I've been overly impressed with him up to now, but I'm happy to put those preconceptions to the side and judge him on how he plays for Arsenal.

Finally for today it's still not too late to join my predictions league and you can do so here with the code FD20D-AVD after you have made your predictions. You can also join over 1,250 others in my fantasy league here with the code 13125-4843 after you have set up your team and there's €50 to the winner. 

That's it for today.

See you tomorrow.

Arsenal Update Ahead of The Emirates Cup

It's been a while since I wrote anything about Arsenal which means I have a bit of catching up to do. Since my last piece Arsenal have signed three more players and got their pre season schedule underway with a friendly in New York. This weekend they return home from training in Austria to play in the Emirates Cup along with Benfica, Monaco and Valencia.

With the marquee signing of Alexis Sanchez already wrapped up Arsenal then purchased Mathieu Debuchey from Newcastle to replace the departed Bacary Sagna. His signature was followed earlier this week by two new arrivals in two days with Colombian World Cup goalkeeper David Ospina arriving on Sunday from Nice and then Calum Chambers arriving from Southampton the next day.

With Lukas Fabianski departing the club another keeper was needed and Ospina certainly fits the mould. Wojciech Szczesny will remain the first choice, but Ospina is good enough to put him under real pressure and keep him on his toes. It leaves Arsene Wenger with two very good keepers to choose from and can only be a good thing for the team.

Chambers is still very young and has only played a few Premier League games for Southampton, but Arsenal have spent quite a lot of money on him. I know it costs more to buy English players and that will certainly have added to his price, but it is a bit of a gamble signing Chambers. He's seen as a right back at the moment but it's thought he can play as a central defender or even a holding midfielder.

With the German trio not returning to training for another couple of weeks and Thomas Vermaelen seemingly not involved in pre season training Chambers might get a chance to show what he can do as a central defender this weekend. His arrival has seen Carl Jenkinson loaned out to West Ham and that loan will hopefully be a good thing for him. The arrivals of Debuchey and Chambers would limit his chances this season, but he might get the chance to progress if he can cement a place in the West Ham team.

The first friendly game of the pre season was away to the New York Red Bulls last Saturday and it ended with a 1-0 defeat for Arsenal. It might have been an away game, but the stadium was full of Arsenal fans as they made their way from near and far in America to see the team we all love. Arsenal hadn't played in the States in 25 years, but hopefully their next trip over there will be a lot sooner with their support growing so quickly on the far side of the pond.

The game itself was nothing much to write home about and the most interesting thing for me was to be able to watch it on a free app on my ipad. I was able to watch it on TV through Apple TV and hopefully I can see any games which aren't available live through this app from here on. Pre season games are all about building fitness and there's still a lot of work to be done on that front with the season just over two weeks away.

Things should be a little more competitive this weekend in the Emirates Cup with Arsenal playing Benfica on Saturday and Monaco on Sunday. There's still a few players to return but the chances are the fans will get their first sight of all four new signings at some stage over the two games. I can't wait to see Sanchez in particular and I think he's going to be a very important player for the team this season.

It's still possible there will be more arrivals before the transfer window closes in a month's time, but it's good to have so much of the transfer business done already. If the rumours are to be believed Arsenal are still in the market for a big signing and it's a pleasant change to see so much investment in the team/squad. As it stands only Chelsea and Liverpool have spent more money than Arsenal and they have both taken in a lot more than Arsenal from the sale of players.

Finally for today I'm running my league in Fantasy Premier League yet again this season and there will be a prize of €50 for the winner once the league reaches 1,000 teams. It's already over half way there and I'm very confident it will surpass the magical 1,000 mark. To join just go to the site and use the code 13125-4843 to join my league once your team is set up.

That's it for today.

See you tomorrow.

Arsenal Close To Signing Serge Aurier

Bacary Sagna has been a fantastic right back for Arsenal over the last seven years, but he has made his intention to leave this summer common knowledge. With his contract at an end he can leave on a free transfer and he is sure to have a host of clubs looking to sign him. Unfortunately from an Arsenal perspective it's not going to be easy to replace him and it won't be cheap either.

Arsenal offered Sagna a new contract but he chose to leave and he will earn more elsewhere I'm sure. A new three year contract would probably have cost Arsenal up to €20 million in wages, but a replacement is bound to cost more between wages and a transfer fee. It won't be easy to replace a player of Sagna's ability, commitment and determination, but it can of course be done. I don't think Carl Jenkinson is quite up to the job on a permanent basis yet and he will probably remain as an understudy to whoever the club sign.

The name which keeps coming up again and again is Serge Aurier and from what I've seen of him he looks like he would be a very good purchase. The Toulouse and Ivory Coast defender was in the team of the season in the French League and looks set to put himself in the shop window at the World Cup which starts next week. He's been quoted as wanting to play for Arsenal and according to this Daily Mail article he even told a fan he will be joining Arsenal.

Arsenal aren't the only team interested in his services though and there are suggestions Liverpool will try to sign the player before Arsenal. If he is so keen to come to Arsenal then surely they should move quickly and sign him before the World Cup starts. Once the tournament has started it will be a lot harder to sign players and the club will more than likely have to wait until it's over to do their business.

The summer break might seem like it's long to us fans but once the World Cup is over the team will be back to pre season training pretty quickly. With a Community Shield and the final round of the Champions League qualifiers to play Arsenal need to get their squad sorted out as soon as possible. A signing before the World Cup begins would send out all the right signals about the clubs intentions this summer. Hopefully Aurier can be that player and go on to become as good for the club as Sagna was.

I don't hold a grudge against Sagna for leaving, but I would be far from happy to see him playing for another Premier League club next season. Hopefully he will decide his future lies outside of the English game and the only way he will play against Arsenal will be if his new team draw them in the Champions League. The blow of him leaving would certainly be softened if Aurier was to take his place and the sooner the better. 

That's it for today.

See you tomorrow.

Arsenal Finish Their League Campaign On A High

Arsenal played their final league game of the season yesterday when they travelled to already relegated Norwich City. Arsenal came into the game on a run of four wins in a row and wanted to finish their season with 15 points from their last five games and their highest points tally since 2005. Despite Norwich already being as good as relegated they have proved to be a tough team to beat at home this season and weren't going to lie down and play dead.

I expected Arsene Wenger to make quite a few chances to the team with next week's FA Cup final against Hull in mind. There weren't too many changes though as the boss chose to pick a strong side and keep the team's momentum going. The team he picked proved to be far too strong for Norwich and Arsenal ran out 2-0 winners. 

Lukasz Fabianski was picked in goal which denied Wojciech Szczesny the chance to run up the most clean sheets of any keeper in the Premier League this season. With Szczesny not playing I think he might be the keeper to get the nod for the cup final next week which would be the correct decision in my opinion. It's a possibility that Fabianski was played because he will be the one to play in the cup final next week and it was decided to give him a game the week beforehand. 

Fabianski has played in every other round but he's set to leave in the summer and surely Szczesny has to be the man for the cup final. Fabianski had a very good game though and he showed he will be a big loss to the squad when he does leave. He had his problems when he first got into the team, but he probably would be Arsenal's first choice right now if it wasn't for a series of unfortunate injuries at exactly the wrong times for him.

In defence both Kieran Gibbs and Carl Jenkinson came into the team with Nacho Monreal dropping to the bench and Per Mertesacker getting a day off. It meant Bacary Sagna played as a central defender, but I have no doubt that Mertesacker will be back in the team next week. Gibbs got the chance to prove his fitness after his latest injury and it's going to be a very close call between him and Monreal next week.

In midfield Aaron Ramsey and Tomas Rosicky came in for Mathieu Flamini and Santi Cazorla but their additions certainly didn't weaken the team. Ramsey has had a great season and Arsenal's fate in the league might have been a lot different if he hadn't missed over three months due to injury. If he can stay fit for the whole of next season his influence could be what the team need to get even closer to winning the league than they did this season.

I was surprised to see Olivier Giroud starting as I thought he would be rested for next week after playing so many games this season. He is Arsenal's top scorer this season despite the misgivings I have about his goalscoring ability and it's important for the team that he is fit for next week. He went close on a couple of occasions, but again showed he doesn't have the killer instinct associated with a top class striker.

Norwich started well but Arsenal gradually took over and should have been ahead by half time, but a mixture of John Ruddy saves and some poor finishing kept Norwich in the game. With Ramsey and Mesut Ozil running the show in midfield I was confident the goals would come in the second half. 

It didn't take too long for Arsenal to go ahead in the second half and it was no surprise to see Ramsey get the goal. Just seven minutes in Giroud clipped a ball to the far post and Ramsey met it with a sweet volley into the top corner of the net. It was a fantastic finish from a player who's goals from midfield have been a revelation this season.

Only 10 minutes later the game was over as a contest when Jenkinson poked the ball home for his first goal for the club. He was thrilled with his goal and who can blame a player who has been a life long Arsenal fan. With Sagna also leaving this summer he might expect to play a lot more next season, but it does look like Arsenal are hunting for a new right back.

With Arsenal looking good for the win Jack Wilshere came on for Ramsey just after the goal and he will hope to at least make the bench next week. Like Ramsey his season has been interrupted by injury and that was his first appearance in 10 weeks. Arsenal have so many midfield options for next week that the boss will have a tough job picking the right combination.

With 15 minutes to go Giroud and Rosicky were replaced by Yaya Sanogo and Abou Diaby. It was great we too see Diaby back after a 14 month injury absence and on his 28th birthday too. It's impossible to know how his career might have gone if he didn't suffer that horrific injury in 2006 and hopefully he can put all of those injuries behind him now. Sanogo has been the striker to lead the line in the FA Cup this season, but it's difficult to imagine he will get the nod ahead of Giroud next week.

Arsenal went looking for more goals and could have had a few but Ruddy was at his best to deny them. At the other end Fabianski did his best to keep Norwich out and he did very well to keep a clean sheet on the day. The win saw Arsenal finish the season on 79 points in fourth place and qualify for the final qualifying round for next season's Champions League yet again.

They finished 15 points ahead of last season's champions and it's strange to think that tally only brought them fourth place. At the start of the season I would have thought finishing 15 points ahead of Umited would have been enough for any team to win the league. I would also have thought a final tally of 79 points would more than lithely have seen any team finish second in the league.

The season isn't over for Arsenal though with the FA Cup final to come next week and it will be judged as a successful one if they win the cup. The league campaign might be one full of what might have beens, but the thought of playing for a trophy next week is one all Arsenal fans are looking forward to. Let's hope they can continue the vein of form they're in at the moment and lift that trophy at Wembley next Saturday evening.

That's it for today.

See you tomorrow.

Arsenal's Trip To Norwich Previewed

Arsenal play their final league game of the season away to Norwich on Sunday afternoon. It's a game with very little significance for either club with Arsenal secure in fourth place and Norwich all but relegated. Their is still a mathematical chance of Arsenal overtaking Chelsea for third place and Norwich have just as much chance of clawing back the gap between them and West Brom to stay up. 

In fact Norwich's task is slightly easier than Arsenal's as they only have to make up three points and a 17 goal advantage in goal difference. Arsenal also have to make up a three point gap and need to overcome Chelsea's goal difference which is 18 better than theirs. In reality neither of those things can happen though and Arsenal will have to settle for fourth place while Norwich will be relegated.

Arsenal have a far more important game the following week when they play Hull in the FA Cup final. With that game in mind it's hard to imagine Arsene Wenger will put his strongest side out in a game where the outcome will change nothing. A few of the most important players are bound to be rested ahead of the cup final and one or two fringe players might get the chance to impress.

I don't know if a decision on the cup final goalkeeper has been made yet, but I think Wojciech Szczesny should get the nod. I know Lukasz Fabianski has played in all the other rounds so far, but he is leaving this summer and Szczesny should play as the club's first choice keeper. For me he is the best keeper at the club and the best team has to be picked in the final regardless of any sentiment. I can understand Fabianski wanting to leave to play first team football, but the needs of the team have to be of paramount importance in the final rather than a sense of loyalty to a player who will not be an Arsenal player next season.

If Szczesny plays against Norwich I can't see him playing in the final and I hope we see Fabianski in goal for that final league game. In defence I wouldn't be surprised to see Thomas Vermaelen play what could possibly be his last game for the club if he decides he wants first team football next season too. There's every chance of Carl Jenkinson getting a game too but it's hard to know who will play at left back with Kieran Gibbs returning to the squad.

In midfield both Aaron Ramsey and Jack Wilshere will be available again but I'm not so sure if either of them will play. I don't know if Ramsey will be risked ahead of the cup final and I think it's too soon for Wilshere to start a game after his injury. There are plenty of other options available to the boss out of players who probably won't start in the final. I wouldn't be surprised to see Tomas Rosicky, Mathieu Flamini, Abou Diaby and Kim Kallstrom all playing from the start.

I think Yaya Sanogo will possibly lead the line, but it's not so easy to know who the other player might be in a wide role. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is still injured and it looks like he could miss the final too which would be a big loss. He has the genuine pace which could make a big difference on the Wembley pitch and which Arsenal lack when Theo Walcott is injured.

I suppose there's a posfibility of some of the younger players getting a run out but I suspect a couple of the cup final team will be risked. I could have it all wrong with my opinions on the team selection and the boss might put a strong team out to make sure Arsenal finish their league campaign on a high and go into the cup final on the back of five consecutive wins. 

A win would see Arsenal finish the season on 79 points and that's a very healthy return for any team. It would be Arsenal's highest tally since 2005 when they were runners up in the league and of course they won the FA Cup too. Maybe they should have finished on more points but that can't be changed now and it can be gone into in more depth when the season is over. 

Norwich's approach could have a significant bearing on the game and it's not easy to know what it will be. With relegation a certainty they might see the chance to at least go out on a high with a win over one of the big teams. They could well think Arsenal's minds will be elsewhere and could see this as a chance to finish their season on a relative high.

Since Chris Hughton was sacked five games ago Norwich have only taken one point and that decision was the one which sealed their fate. They have found goals very hard to come by all season long but they have a good defensive record at home. They managed a 1-0 win in this fixture last season and would love to replicate that performance on Sunday.

To be honest it's a bit of a dead rubber of a match and those games are very difficult to predict. It could go either way or end up being a 0-0 draw or maybe even a high scoring thriller. As always I want Arsenal to win but the most important thing is that they don't lose any of their most important players for the cup final. Hopefully it will be a thriller and Arsenal can finish their league campaign on a high.

With just two games left to play this season Arsenal have scored 94 goals in all competitions. It's hardly a huge return from an attacking minded team and they are a long way behind both City and Loverpool in goal scoring terms in the league this season. City have already scored 100 goals and Liverpool are only one goal behind them. City have a better defensive record than Arsenal, but Liverpool have conceded more goals than them.

I'd love to see the team make the 100 goals for the season and I think they will win their last two games if they manage to do so. The thoughts of a trophy, fourth place and 100 goals are quite nice and are certainly ones I could live with. 

That's it for today.

See you tomorrow.

What Changes Can Arsenal Make Against Wigan

Arsenal haven't played well for quite a while now and they have an FA Cup semi final coming up on Saturday against Wigan. They're no longer in the title race and even fourth place has become a fight with Everton closing in quickly on them. If they're going to save their season they need to win the FA Cup and to get to the final they have to overcome the holders this Saturday evening.

Wigan were huge underdogs when they beat City in the final last year, but they finished the season getting relegated to the Championship. They didn't do too well early on this season but they have looked like a much better side Uwe Rosler took the reins. They have climbed into the play off places and went to City in the last round of the cup and won again. For all their positives though they are a Championship side and Arsenal are still a top four Premier League club. Wigan will have to play above themselves to get a result and Arsenal will have to put in another one of their far too frequent poor displays. 

For me there almost seems to be a picking order at Arsenal as Arsene Wenger continues to put his trust in players who are letting him down week after week. The team that was chosen against Everton last week was good enough on paper to have taken at least a point, but they failed abysmally both tactically and in their effort and commitment. There has to be other options and maybe it's a time a few changes were made to the team.

In defence I think Bacary Sagna has to play and it might not be the worst idea to switch him to centre back with Carl Jenkinson coming in on the right. If Kieran Gibbs isn't fit to return at left back then maybe Thomas Vermaelen could switch to that role as he must be better defensively than Nacho Monreal. That would leave Per Mertesacker alongside Sagna and Wojciech Szczesny still in goal as he can hardly be blamed for last week's debacle. I know a defence of Jenkinson, Vermaelen, Sagna and Mertesacker might not be ideal but the change might just be what the team needs. Ideally of course Laurent Koscielny will return from injury but that's by no means certain.

In midfield some changes are needed too and there are certainly options to be considered. With Aaron Ramsey back from injury I expect him to come in from the start and there has to be a case for Kim Kallstrom playing too. What was the point in signing Kallstrom if he's not going to play and he has enough experience and quality to cope at this level. I think Mathieu Flamini should be given the holding role and given strict instructions to hold his position at all times to protect the defence.

Mikel Arteta has looked jaded and off the pace recently and it surely has to be time to try to play without him. I know he's seen by many as the engine room of the team as he keeps things ticking in midfield, but a different approach is needed. No player can be immune from losing their place if they don't play well and Arteta is one of many who are badly out of sorts at the moment.

There's plenty of scope for change in the attacking trio too and Arsenal have to start the game with some genuine pace in the team. I think Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has to play despite being a bit hit and miss recently as he had the pace to put Wigan's defence on the back foot. At the moment he is one of the few Arsenal players who look capable of scoring when they play.

On the other side I would be tempted to keep Lukas Podolski in the team for his goal scoring ability, but if he doesn't play I think Serge Gnabry might deserve a shot. Like Chamberlain he offers pace and he has plenty of youthful enthusiasm too. It would be great to see an Arsenal team with a genuine attacking threat and the two youngsters on either side could well be the players to offer it.

The central strikers role is the biggest quandary of all as Olivier Giroud still looks like the best option despite playing so poorly recently. The alternatives are all ones the boss has shown no interest in up to now and they have gotten very little game time between them. Giroud has looked tired for a while now as he has played the strikers role almost single-handedly and he has become too easy for opponents to play against. 

Yaya Sanogo came on late against Everton and wrongfully had a goal disallowed for offside, but an injury plagued season has seen him make no real impression since he joined in August. It would be a big risk to play him in what could be Arsenal's most important game of the season so far, but he has more pace than Giroud and a fresh face could be what the team needs.

Nicklas Bendtner is again persona non grata at the club and the chances of him getting back into Arsene's plans are minimal. I think Chuba Akpom has returned from his loan spell at Brentford but he is hardly likely to get a look in desite impressing in pre season with the first team. It looks like a straight choice between Giroud and Sanogo and I think Giroud will get the nod, but I hope it's Sanogo.

I know it would be a huge risk to make so many changes in a game Arsenal have to win, but the team which has played week after week recently has had it's chances and failed far too often. Maybe a few of the up and coming and fringe players might be prepared to put more in if they get a rare chance and might just make the difference. They certainly can't do any worse than so many of the first choice players who were in the starting 11 last week. 

If the team is going to be different then the tactics will have to change too and Arsenal need to find a way to get behind opponents' defences. They are too predictable and too easy to stop and they have to find a way to get behind the opposition. If Sanogo can sit on the shoulder of the last defender or Chamberlain and Gnabry can break quickly it might just offer Arsenal the space they want to play as Wigan will have to drop off to try to stop them. 

I think there will be a couple of changes but certainly not as many as I have suggested and it would take a brave manager to make so many changes. Arsene is very loyal to his players but he's hardly known for changing his tactics or taking big risks. I wouldn't even be surprised if he decided to go with the same team which fared so badly against Everton if he decides to give them a chance to right the wrongs of that game.

No matter what team Arsenal put out they will be strong favourites to win the game and go on and win the FA Cup. I only hope they can do just that because the alternative doesn't bear thinking of. With their league chances lying in ruins it could well be the last straw if the FA Cup goes by the wayside too.

UPDATE: Flamini is suspended which means Arteta is more or less certain to start against Wigan. Thanks to those who told me in the comments and on Twitter.

That's it for today.

See you tomorrow.

Arsenal's Trip To Bayern Munich Previewed

Arsenal face the daunting task of a trip to Bayern Munich tonight in the second leg of their Champions League last 16 tie. To make matters worse they go into the game with a 2-0 deficit to make up after losing the first leg at home. That game was very even until Wojciech Szczesny got his marching orders shortly before half time and Bayern took advantage of the extra man to score twice.

Bayern are running away with their domestic league and have now matched Arsenal's invincibles by going 49 league games unbeaten. They look like they will be unbeaten in the league this season and they just don't lose games at home in particular. They're the current champions of Europe and are rightly favourites to retain that trophy despite some very tough opposition.

Of course it's easy to dominate a domestic league when your club can afford to buy the best players from their opponents every season. Any player in Germany who looks good enough usually ends up at Bayern or leaving to ply their trade in another country. They can afford to have a huge squad filled with quality players and it helps them to dominate at home.

For all of their excellence they are not unbeatable though and Arsenal gave them a real run for their money when it was 11 v 11 in the first leg. Things might have been different if Mesut Ozil hadn't missed an early penalty for Arsenal or if the referee chose not to send Szczesny off when he awarded Bayern a penalty. Arsenal made chances early in that game and that early performance will give them hope for tonight.

It also has to be remembered that Bayern have only lost at home once since Arsenal beat them at this exact stage of the same competition last season and that was against Manchester City. Their 2-0 win that night was not enough for Arsenal as Bayern went through on the away goals rule and went on to lift the trophy. It does show that they can be beaten at home though and that Arsenal are capable of doing so.

With Szczesny suspended tonight Lukasz Fabianski will deputise for him and Kieran Gibbs will miss out too through injury. Laurent Koscielny will be fit to return though and resume his excellent central defensive partnership with Per Mertesacker. The big question is who will replace Gibbs with Nacho Mobreal also out injured. 

There are three options and I'm not so sure which is the best of them. First of all Bacary Sagna could switch to the left with Carl Jenkinson coming in on the right, but Jenkinson has a lot to learn at this level still and Bayern will target any supposed weak links in the Arsenal team. Mathieu Flamini could play there too as he has done many years ago when Arsenal went all the way to the 2007 Champions League final, but his services will surely be needed in midfield. The final and most likely option is Thomas Vermaelen who looked very rusty at times in central defence at the weekend, but is the most likely to get the nod in my opinion.

At least Mikael Arteta will be available again after sitting out the first leg through suspension and I expect the Arsenal midfield and attack to be unchanged from Saturday with one exception. I would be very surprised if Yaya Sanogo was chosen ahead of Olivier Giroud for this game and Giroud staked his claim for a place by scoring twice after replacing Sanogo on Saturday against Everton. I thought Sanogo was off the pace in that game, but he did look good in his previous appearances and one of them was in the first leg against Bayern.

If Arsenal are to have any chance tonight I think they have to get the first goal just to see how Bayern react. When they did just that in the game last season Bayern weren't sure what approach to take and ended up a little confused before losing 2-0. That scoreline was of course just good enough to see Bayern progress and they didn't look back as they went on to lift the trophy.

Arsenal's chances are slim to say the least tonight but that gives the players a free shot at it really. No matter what anyone says nobody really expects them to make it through to the next stage and there can be no outcry if they go out to the favourites and reigning champions. They might have won their group and got a better draw in the last 16, but that can't be changed now and there is no shame if they go out to Bayern.

There is still plenty to look forward to this season with Arsenal strong favourites to win the FA Cup and still in with a shout in the Premier League. I haven't given up all hope tonight and I will be over the moon if Arsenal win or better still win by enough to knock Bayern out. It's a highly unlikely scenario but hoping it happens is what supporting your team is all about. 

That's it for today.

See you tomorrow.

Arsenal's Trip To Stoke Previewed

Arsenal have had a week off for the first time in quite a well, but it's back to action with a bang for them from here on in. They put in a very good performance to see off Sunderland last week and now they face a trip to another team struggling at the wrong end of the table. With a really hard schedule coming up for Arsenal they need to take all three points off a Stoke team who are never easy to beat at home.

Stoke have shown already this season that they're a match for any team at home by beating both Chelsea and United and drawing with City. They don't give up the fight at home and Liverpool had to score five goals to finally see them off up there. Both Chelsea and United got back into their games against Stoke, but Stoke were able to go forward and score the winner each time after being pegged back. If Arsenal are going to take the three points they will have to put all they have into the game from the first minute to the last.

Arsenal have been very good at despatching the teams from the lower half of the table this season. They lost at home to Villa on the opening day, but since then the only points dropped to a team in the bottom half of the table were in a 1-1 draw at West Brom. If Arsenal are going to continue to challenge for the title it's vital that they continue to put away the Premier League's less glamourous teams. So far they have won 13 of their 15 games against teams in the bottom half of the table and no other team can match that record.

This is a fixture which has had it's moments of controversy in the recent past and none more so than the incident between Aaron Ramsey and Ryan Shawcross. Whether you think Shawcross intended to cause him such an horrific injury or not is a matter of opinion, but there is no denying it was an awful challenge. Shawcross is still a valued member of the Stoke team and Ramsey has finally put that injury behind him to blossom into a magnificent player. Unfortunately for Arsenal Ramsey has been injured for a few months now and his contribution had been sorely missed at times during that spell.

Mark Hughes may have changed the way Stoke play from the bad old days of Tony Pulis, but I have no doubt they will still be prepared to put the boot in against Arsenal if they get a chance. The long ball tactics and long throw ins may have gone by the wayside for the main part, but Stoke fans want to see their players kick Arsenal at home. Those fans will give Arsene Wenger plenty of abuse and no doubt Ramsey too even though he's not playing and the best way to shut them up is for Arsenal to play their team off the park and rattle a few goals in. 

If the magnificent Arsenal travelling fans can be heard loud and clear above the home fans it's always a good sign the game is going well. Of course those Arsenal fans will sing and support the team from first minute to last regardless of the result as they always do, but they are always more audible when the home fans have been silenced. Arsenal have an excellent record at home to Stoke but they have found it difficult to get results in Stoke in the Premier League. 

In team news Arsenal can welcome Mesut Ozil and Thomas Vermaelen back to the squad, but there are injury doubts over both Nacho Monreal and Kieran Gibbs. If neither of them are available to play there are still options at left back with Vermaelen, Bacary Sagna and Mathieu Flamini all capable of playing the role quite well. It would be a big ask for Vermaelen in his first game back and I think Sagna will switch to the left if both Gibbs and Monreal don't make it. That would see Carl Jenkinson come in at right back and his stature could be an added bonus against the threat in the air which Stoke pose.

In midfield I expect Ozil to come straight back into the team which could see either Jack Wilshere or Tomas Rosicky lose out. I think Wilshere will keep his place and Rosicky will lose out despite his very good performance last week. That would mean either Flamini or Mikel Arteta wouldn't start either and I suspect Arteta will play although this game might be custom made for Flamini.

Lukas Podolski got a rare start last week but I suspect he will be on the bench again with Santi Cazorla playing on the left of the attacking trio and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain coming back in on the right. Olivier Giroud came back in last week after missing out on the previous two games and showed why he should still be the first choice striker with two goals and an assist. He may just have benefitted from the rest he got on the bench for those two games and hopefully he can continue on where he left off last week.

Stoke may be only three points above the relegation zone but they have only lost two of their 13 home games in the league. They have been good defensively at home except for the five goals Liverpool put past them and that can happen to any team no matter how good they are. They haven't scored too many goals at home and have drawn six of those home games with three 0-0 draws and three 1-1 draws.

Arsenal are coming into a crucial stage of the season and they need to be at their very best to keep challenging in the league and the FA Cup. There are a few players out with injuries at the moment but almost all of them should be back very soon with the exception of Theo Walcott who won't play again this season. Those returning players will be a real welcome boost to a squad which needs every bit of quality it can get from here on in.

Arsenal had being starting games far too slowly in the last few months but they made very good starts in their last two games against Bayern Munich and Sunderland. More of the same is needed against Stoke to try to get ahead and then stay ahead. Stoke may have a good home record, but Arsenal are pretty good away from home with eight wins in their 13 games and only Liverpool scoring more away goals than them. 

I'm hoping to see a performance from Arsenal to set them up for the upcoming challenges which start with the FA Cup quarter final against Everton next week. When Arsenal are playing that game against Everton Chelsea will be playing in the league and could open up a gap by playing that extra game. It's vital for Arsenal to stay as close as possible to them before they play them in three weeks time at Stamford Bridge. That game comes either side of league games against Spurs and City and it's a run of three games which will probably decide whether Arsenal stay in the title race or not.

Despite their home record I think Stoke are there for the taking and a fully switched on Arsenal will do just that. As long as the players bring the attitude and commitment which are needed in any Premier League game they should be good enough to win. 

That's it for today.

See you tomorrow. 

Arsenal Face A Huge Test At Manchester City

It's been a tough week for Arsenal so far with a game last Sunday followed by the midweek trip to Napoli. Those games may not have gone quite as well as Arsenal would have liked but they're still five points clear at the top of the league and through to the knockout stages of the Champions League. Ideally they would have beat Everton and got the point they needed against Naloli to win their group, but it's a far from ideal world we live in.

It doesn't get any easier for Arsenal either with their next two games coming against the teams considered to be the most likely Premier League winners this season. First of all they face the daunting prospect of a trip to City in the early kick off on Saturday and then they play at home to Chelsea nine days later. That nine day break will be of great benefit to the players as some of them must be feeling the effects of the current hectic schedule despite Arsene Wenger rotating the team a little.

City have an incredible home record in the league this season with seven wins out of seven games and 29 goals scored in those games. They have thrown everything at the opposition in those games and despite being vulnerable at the back have only conceded two goals. I've watched them a number of times at home and was surprised at home many genuine chances their opponents got in those games and how easily City won in the end on almost every occasion.

They tried the same tactics at home to Bayern Munich in the Champions League and were shown that it isn't always going to work against a very good team. City showed how good they can be themselves though by coming from behind to win the reverse fixture on Tuesday last. If Arsenal are to have a chance they will have to be as ruthless with City as Bayern were in that win at the Etihad.

City have some fantastic players and can sign almost any player they want with a bottomless pit of oil money to support them while financial fair play is still only paid lip service. On the other hand Arsenal have to be run like any other business and work within their actual resources while trying to progress and build for the future. Despite the vast wealth of the two main shareholders in Arsenal there has never been any question of them putting a red cent of their own money into the club.

To be honest I prefer it that way and I wouldn't like to see the club spend money they don't actually have chasing short term glory. Added to that I can't say I would like the profits from the suffering of others ploughed into the club for the benefit of the multi rich. The Arsenal model may be frustrating for us fans at times but it's infinitely superior to City's or Chelsea's in my opinion.

Back to actual football matters anyway and the task Arsenal face. I can only assume the boss will play the strongest team possible and ask for one more big effort from the players before they have a chance of some recovery time. The scheduling of the Everton game and this game have been a joke by the Premier League and it's quite obvious the TV companies call the shots. 

I hope Bacary Sagna is fit to return because his experience and superior defensive qualities will be needed ahead of those of Carl Jenkinson. I'm not trying to knock Jenkinson as Sagna is a top quality full back and Jenkinson still had an awful lot to learn. Hopefully the club can come to some sort of agreement with Sagna to get him to stay for another year or two and maybe pass whatever he can about the art of defending on to Jenkinson. The rest of the defence picks itself with Kieran Gibbs still preferred to Nacho Monreal on the left and Wojciech Szczesny, Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny nailed on certainties unless they are injured. 

In midfield I expect Mesut Ozil will be asked to play once again and he needs the rest more than anyone else at the moment. At least Aaron Ramsey spent most of Wednesday night on the bench and hopefully his batteries will be a little recharged as a result. I also expect to see the Mikael Arteta and Mathieu Flamini defensive partnership deployed to help to protect the back four and hold City at bay. The most interesting choice for me will be the other player to be picked in the starting team besides Olivier Giroud who will of course lead the line.

It's a choice between Santi Cazorla, Jack Wilshere and Theo Walcott and personally I'd like to see Walcott get the nod if he's fit enough to start. He hasn't started a game since returning from injury and his pace could be very important for Arsenal if they hope to hit City on the break. The other two players might be more capable of keeping possession and playing the passing football are so good at, but Walcott offers a different route go goal which could be important.

If Arsenal are going to have a chance of getting a result they will have to be at their very best and take the chances which come their way. City have some fantastic attacking players but they are vulnerable at the back and Arsenal are good enough to take advantage of it. Ramsey has been in fantastic form this season and Ozil is a player who makes things happen and I think those two players could be the ones to make the difference for Arsenal. 

I would be happy to see Arsenal become the first team to take a point off City at home this season and I think they might just do so. A win would be fantastic for the players and the club too, but I would be more than happy with a draw. Whatever happens they will still be on top of the league after this weekend, but avoiding defeat is infinitely superior to the alternative. 

While Arsenal are enjoying the nine day break after the City game some of the other challengers will be playing Capital One Cup quarter finals. I really hope Chelsea, City, United and Spurs win their games and set themselves up with two legged semi finals among those four teams in January. That would surely work to the advantage of an Arsenal team who will have no such distractions just after the turn of the year when the FA Cup games kick in.

There's a lot of people looking forward to the game between City and Arsenal and thinking it's going to be a very good game between two excellent footballing teams. Sometimes these games can be a big disappointment after all the build up and end being a bit of a damp squib. I'm not too concerned about how good or bad the game is as the result is all important to Arsenal and hopefully they can get something out of the game. 

That's it for today.

See you tomorrow.