Arsenal Sign Alexis Sanchez

I must be dreaming after seeing the news last night that Arsenal have signed Alexis Sanchez from Barcelona. It's not that I didn't think he was going to sign, but it's only the middle of July and it's far too early for Arsenal to splash their cash. Seriously though I have to say I was thrilled to see the news and it's a huge boost for the club.

Sanchez has the ability to play in any of the front three positions and he will be a huge asset to the team. The thought of a team containing Sanchez, Theo Walcott, Mesut Ozil and Aaron Ramsey should strike fear into any opponent and rightly so. The attacking ability of those players is sensational and I can't wait to see all of them together in the team.

Sanchez has shown for both Barcelona and Chile that he has the ability and drive to compete with the very best at the highest level and his signing is great news for Arsenal fans. It also lays down a marker about the club's intentions and shows they are prepared to spend money to make the team better. Arsenal have a reputation for not spending big, but they have spent the largest amount of any Premier League club on any single player so far this summer and have two of the top six Premier League transfers of all time.

Sanchez's arrival will hopefully be the first of many this summer and it will surely help to attract other players to the club. Who wouldn't want to play in a team with Sanchez, Ozil, Ramsey and Walcott as attacking players and who have Champions League football coming up this season once they make it through the final qualifying round (fingers crossed). The team needs strengthening in defence though and a defensive midfielder needs to be added along with another striker too.

The signing couldn't have come on a better day for the club with the launch of the new kit by Puma after the deal with Nike came to an end. Arsenal are reported to be getting £150 million over the next five years from the deal and have already invested some of that money in Sanchez. His fee is believed to be in the region of £35 million, but half of that fee was recuperated with money received from add ons on both Cesc Fabregas and Carlos Vela.

The pictures of the new kit are pretty impressive and they should go down a treat with fans. Here's a look at new signing Sanchez in that Arsenal kit and a few others to go with it. 

Yesterday can only be described as a great day to be an Arsenal fan with a top class player choosing to join them despite interest from a host of other clubs. With the FA Cup sitting in the trophy cabinet and the funds there to make the team genuine challengers next season things are looking up. Hopefully those players will arrive pretty soon and the squad will be complete well before the season starts.

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.

What Next For Arsenal This Season

Arsenal had the chance to keep pace with the Premier League leaders on Saturday, but to do so they had to win away to Stoke. Since their promotion to the top flight of football Stoke have made things difficult for Arsenal on their home patch and it was never going to be an easy task for Arsenal to win. If Arsenal were going to win they had to be at their very best and I hoped the break of one week before the game would be what the players needed to recharge their batteries.
For some strange reason though the Arsenal players failed to bring the tempo and attitude needed to win any game in the Premier League. Not for the first time this season they started the game slowly with no real tempo to their game. I don't know if it's just me who thinks so, but it's certainly not the first time this season that the attitude has been all wrong after a break of a week between games.
The players have had a very busy schedule this season and over the last few weeks in particular and it was hoped the week between games with be an opportunity for them to put that energy sapping spell behind them. Judging by their performance on Saturdsy it had the opposite effect as the team showed no urgency at all until they went behind. The penalty Stoke were awarded was a joke, but surely that shouldn't have been the catalyst the players needed as the three points on offer were of vital importance in the title race.
I was concerned when I saw the team picked to play Sunderland the previous week, but Arsenal went out and won 4-1 at a canter. I thought the team lacked width and attacking pace, but it didn't matter as they strolled to victory. Arsene Wenger picked the very same team to play Stoke with the exception of Kieran Gibbs coming in at left back for the injured Nacho Monreal.
Against Stoke the lack of pace and width was blatantly obvious as Arsenal failed to create almost anything in attack. It wasn't until Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain came on just before Stoke scored that Arsenal began to show a genuine threat in attack. He used his pace and ability to get behind the Stoke defence and created chances for both Olivier Giroud and fellow substitute Yaya Sanogo. The best of those chances could have saved a point for Arsenal in the dying moments, but Sanogo blazed over the bar when well positioned.
Much has been made of Laurent Koscielny again being the man to give away the penalty, but there was little he could do as the ball clearly struck his hand from no more than a yard away. How the referee could judge that as deliberate handball is anybody's guess and the linesman certainly didn't raise his flag to indicate a penalty. Even without the penalty Arsenal would only have taken a point though when three points were an absolute must.
With four really tough league games coming up against Spurs, Chelsea, City and Everton the three points on offer in the Stoke game were given up too easily. It will be an awful lot harder to gain points from those four games and every single point is so important at the moment. There are only 10 league games left this season and Arsenal have four points to make up on Chelsea and that doesn't even take City or Liverpool into account.
Before they get to those four league games there's the small matter of an FA Cup quarter final against Everton and a Champions League last 16 second leg away to Bayern Munich. As it stands the FA Cup would seem to be Arsenal's best chance of a trophy this season and the game against Everton takes on huge significance. With a two goal deficit to overcome away to Bayern the chances of making the last eight are very slim, but an FA cup semi final appearance is only one home game away.
Unfortunately there are midweek international friendlies this week and almost all of the Arsenal squad will be away with their countries playing games on Wednesday night. What state they will be in when they return is anybody's guess, but hopefully they will be ready to play what could be their biggest game for Arsenal so far this season. They will have to play an awful lot better against Everton than they did against Stoke to progress to the semi-finals.
If the team can overcome Everton and then go to Spurs and win a week later then I think a top four place will be secured and an FA Cup final spot will be a very real possibility. If they don't win those two games the rest of the season could be a real struggle and the season has reached a stage where there is no more room for mistakes. There can be no more inept performances where the team hope to coast through a game and nick it with a late goal.
Of course the players missing through injury are having an effect on the team at the moment and there's no doubt the team would be a lot better with Theo Walcott and Aaron Ramsey in it. Ramsey should be back soon but Walcott won't play again this season and the lack of action in the transfer window is looking like a fatal mistake right now. Maybe the right players weren't available but as it stands Arsenal's attacking options don't look as good as City and Liverpool in particular and Chelsea look stronger than them in defence.
Even if they can put Spurs behind them Liverpool have got back into the title race and there's a real possibility of Arsenal finishing fourth again. For me if they don't win the league they have to finish in the top three to show some progress and another trip to the Champions League qualifiers is hardly progress. I'd love to say I'm confident of a top three finish, but two wins in their last six league games has severely dented that confidence with so many crunch games coming up.
So far this season Arsenal have performed badly in their crunch league games away from home in particular and it doesn't auger well for the trips to Spurs, Chelsea and City. Until recently Arsenal's away form had been good with eight wins in 11 games, but they have taken only one point from their last three away games. There has to be a huge change in the team's away performances from here on in to save their season.
I haven't given up all hope of Arsenal winning the league quite yet, but it's getting very close to the stage where they won't be able to win it. The players need to raise their game against every single team they play from here on in or their season will be over very soon. After such a promising season so far that would be an awful shame and I hope it doesn't go that way, but it's a very real possibility.
That's it for today.
See you tomorrow.

10 Man Arsenal Lose To Bayern Munich

Last night was a good night for Arsenal in some ways despite losing 2-0 at home to Bayern Munich. The scoreline will probably mean they have little chance of qualifying for the quarter finals, but the circumstances of the night gave much hope for Arsenal for the rest of the season.

Arsene Wenger went with the team he was expected to pick with one exception when he included Yaya Sanogo as the central striker and kept Olivier Giroud on the bench. Sanogo had done well against Liverpool at the weekend but it had been supposed he played in that game to give Giroud a rest ahead of the Bayern game. It was a big risk from the boss and one which could have backfired quite easily.

Arsenal came out fighting from the first kick and looked to get behind Bayern as Bayern tried to push forward and close them down. They were on top early on and had the crowd behind them as they took the game to Bayern. The atmosphere died off a little when Wojciech Szczesny had to make an excellent save to deny Toni Kroos, but it picked up again as Arsenal pushed forward in search of the lead.

The first chance came to Sanogo whose snap shot was very well saved by Manuel Neuer and very shortly afterwards Arsenal got an even better chance. Jack Wilshere played Mesut Ozil in on the left and he feigned to shoot before cutting inside Jerome Boateng who took him down for a penalty. Ozil knew exactly what he was doing as he ran into the outstretched leg of Boateng who got a yellow card for his troubles.

With Mikel Arteta suspended and Giroud on the bench Ozil stepped up to take the penalty himself despite missing his previous attempt for Arsenal. On that occasion he never looked like scoring once the keeper didn't buy his dummy in his run up and it was no surprise when it was saved. He took exactly the same approach last night and when Neuer didn't buy it he didn't know where to put the ball. In the end he put it just left of centre and Neuer was able to reach back and get a hand to it to keep the ball out.

It was a bitter blow for Arsenal and a miss I thought they might come to regret before the game was over. Bayern gradually grew into the game and began to get more possession, but Arsenal looked dangerous on the break as Bayern held a high back line. Sanogo played a great ball for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain to run on to and Neuer had to be very quick off his line to get to the ball before Chamberlain. 

As the half progressed the possession was more and more in Bayern's favour, but Arsenal were holding strong at the back and looking dangerous every time they went forward. The next blow for Arsenal came on the half hour mark when Kieran Gibbs went down with what looked like a hamstring injury and had to be replaced by Nacho Monreal. Bayern had being loading the right side of their attack and Monreal found it hard to get into the pace of the game as he struggled to cope on that side.

On 38 minutes the game swung hugely in Bayern's favour as Monreal didn't track an Arjen Robben run onto a ball over the top and Szczesny caught Robben on the shin after Robben beat him to the ball. It was a definite penalty but I thought the red card he got was harsh as Robben had knocked the ball away from the goal and Boateng had only got a yellow card when he took Ozil down and Ozil was through on the keeper. Lukasz Fabianski came on to play in goal and Santi Cazorla was the player sacrificed as a result.

David Alaba stepped up and hit the post with his penalty despite Fabianski going the wrong way and Arsenal were still in the game. They had to play for over 50 minutes with only 10 men though and against the best club side in the world too. It wax going to be a very tough backs to the wall remainder of the game for Arsenal and I would have happily taken a 0-0 draw at that stage.

Arsenal made it to half time without conceding but the second half was going to be very hard for them with only one substitution left to make in the game. The longer they could hold out the better but Bayern started to turn the screw immediately and got their reward after 54 minutes when that man Kroos fired a wonderful shot into the top corner of the net. There was nothing Fabianski could do about it and the signs were ominous for Arsenal with 35 minutes still remaining.

The players dug in though and gave their all for the cause as they did everything they could to keep the score at 1-0. There were a few close calls but it looked like they might just make it through to full time with only a solitary goal conceded until substitute Thomas Muller headed home with only two minutes remaining. He found space in the box after a great run by Claudio Pizarrio to take Per Mertesacker out of the way and he managed to lose Mathieu Flamini to score the goal.

The team managed to see out the last few minutes and the added time too, but there was some disappointment at the final whistle because of the late second goal. It was always going to be a huge task to go to Bayern for the second leg and to go there and overturn a two goal deficit is almost impossible. Arsenal did go to Bayern and win 2-0 last season though and ended up going out on away goals and they will need to at least match that score this time around.

The Arsenal players can be proud of their performance on the night and things might have been very different if Szczesny hadn't been sent off or if Ozil had scored his penalty. The attacking display from the team up until Szczesny's red card was very encouraging and it gives me a lot of hope for the rest of the season. If they can approach their remaining domestic games with the same attitude there is a trophy there for the taking.

Sanogo did very well in attack and looked like a genuine threat which is something it's been hard to say about Giroud in recent weeks. The boss said he picked him on form and it's up to Giroud now to up his game if he wants to get back in the team. Chamberlain used his pace again and was a real threat on the break and he has to be utilised as often as possible for the rest of the season.

Flamini was very strong in his defensive midfield role and it's a pity he lost Muller for the second Bayern goal. If Arsenal had defended like that against Liverpool last week they would not have conceded five goals and they need that level of defensive concentration for the rest of the season. 

Ozil came in for a lot of criticism during the game as he struggled to do the defensive part of the game which was needed after the red card. I thought he did as much as could be expected for a player who isn't defensively minded and he never stopped running for the whole game. The penalty miss might have affected his confidence for a while, but hopefully he will feel the need to make up for it over the rest of the season. 

Despite the defeat the Arsenal players can be proud of their performance on the night. If Szczesny had stayed on the game might have ended very differently but he didn't and Bayern took advantage of the situation. The players need to try to recharge their batteries for the game against Sunderland on Saturday and it won't be too easy after all the work they put in last night. A win against Sunderland is an absolute must but they have been in good form recently and are fighting for every single point at the wrong end of the table.

That's it for today.

See you tomorrow.

Arsenal Facing A Mammoth Month In March

The Champions League draw was made today and Arsenal were among the group of lower seeds after finishing second in their group behind Borussia Dortmund. The list of potential opponents for them was almost a frightening one with Bayern Munich, Barcelona, Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid and PSG the five possible teams. The toughest draw possible would have been to get the current champions and that's exactly who Arsenal got.

The home leg will be played on Wednesday February 19th with the return leg in Munich on Tuesday March 11th. It's a huge challenge for Arsenal to face the reigning champions, but they did come very close to putting them out at the same stage last year. Bayern won the first leg in London 3-1 and Arsenal won the return game 2-0 to go out on away goals. That game was the catalyst for the form which saw Arsenal finish fourth in the league last season and sees them still on top of the league this season despite their defeat at the weekend.

That home leg in March will a few days after the FA Cup quarter finals and hopefully Arsenal will still be in the FA Cup at that stage. After the Bayern game Arsenal will have three league games which could well be decisive in their title challenge as long as they are still challenging at that point. A few days after Bayern it's a trip to local rivals Spurs with a trip to Chelsea a week later followed by a home game with City.

It could be an incredibly important run of five games for Arsenal and hopefully there will be an awful lot depending on those games for them. There's nothing quite like seeing your team playing against the very best teams at the stage in the season where it matters most of all. If Arsenal can still be challenging for three trophies in March it could be the month to make or break their season. 

Of course there's plenty of games to go between now and them and Arsenal need to get back on track after losing 6-3 to City on Saturday. Their lead at the top of the league has been cut to two points and they will probably lose that lead if they don't beat Chelsea. It's not overly important who is on top of the league until the season is actually over, but the longer Arsenal can stay there the better for their confidence in my opinion. 

Chelsea won't be an easy opponent next Monday night but Arsenal will have home advantage and Chelsea aren't exactly firing on all cylinders at the moment. They have struggled in recent weeks against Crystal Palace, Stoke and Sunderland and Arsenal are far better than any of those teams. I'm not saying it will be an easy task for Arsenal but the nine day break they have before the game will be vitally important for the players to recharge their batteries and focus on the challenges ahead.

While Arsenal are preparing for that game Chelsea will have a Capital One Cup quarter final against Sunderland and United, City and Spurs are all in quarter final action too. I'm hoping all four of them win, even though it would be great to see any or all of them lose, because they would all have two legged semi finals between themselves in January. The harder the time they have the better it has to be for Arsenal and the thought of City and Chelsea possibly facing each over two legs is one which really appeals to me. 

That's it for today.

See you tomorrow.

Arsenal's Trip To Napoli Previewed

Arsenal's Champions League group has come down to the final game yet again despite the fact that they have won four of their five games already. Usually 10 points is enough for any team to progress to the knockout stages, but Marseille have lost all of their games so far and left the group delicately poised. Arsenal are in the strongest position of the three clubs who can still qualify as they are three points ahead of both Napoli and Borussia Dortmund.

As the group stands Arsenal will finish top if they avoid defeat against Napoli and can only be eliminated if they lose by more than two goals and Dortmund win in Marseille. It has to be assumed Dortmund will get the win they need with Marseille having nothing but their pride to play for. It's very rare for a team to take no points at all from their Champions League group, but that's what faces Marseille if they lose against Dortmund. They were only beaten by one goal at home to both Arsenal and Napoli, but Arsenal cannot put their hopes in Marseille's hands and must concentrate on what they need to do themselves.

It's not easy to know how Arsene Wenger will approach the game and he says he will set out to win it as always. I can't imagine Arsenal over committing players forward though as they cannot leave themselves open to a counter attack. With that in mind I think there will be a few changes from the team which drew 1-1 at home to Everton on Sunday to move five points clear at the top of the league.

Their cause isn't helped by some crazy TV scheduling which saw them play Everton at 4pm on Sunday afternoon and sees them face City away in the early kick off on Saturday. Other clubs have complained in the past about the Premier League's inability to schedule games to give their clubs the best possible chance in European games. In other countries clubs with upcoming Champions League games always play their previous game on a Saturday and their following game on a Sunday to give them the best chance possible of getting a good result. There is no such plan in place in the Premier League as the needs of the clubs are overlooked for the needs of the TV companies.

Theo Walcott hasn't started a game since his return from injury a few weeks ago and he has been limited to substitute cameos. I think he is ideally suited for this game as Napoli have to push forward in search of goals and he has the pace to hit them on the break. If Mesut Ozil plays I expect to see Walcott sprinting towards goal on the end of passes supplied by Arsenal's record signing.

Before pursuing Ozil Arsenal were interested in signing Gonzalo Higuain among others and looked like they had agreed a deal with Real Madrid for his services at one stage. I can only imagine they would not have shattered the club's transfer record on Ozil if they had already broken it to sign Higuain. I think Ozil is a better player but Higuain would have been a fantastic addition to the squad too.

In midfield I would be surprised if both Mikael Arteta and Mathieu Flamini didn't play together in holding roles in front of the defence. Arsenal have been a lot stronger in defence this season than they have been for a few years and are conceding far fewer goals. Since the opening day 3-1 defeat to Villa only Dortmund have scored more than one goal against Arsenal in any game with the exception of the Capital One Cup defeat to Chelsea.

The boss has said there won't be too much rotation and besides Flamini and Walcott coming in the only other possible changes might be the inclusion of either Nacho Monreal or Tomas Rosicky or both of them. There's an argument for resting either Ozil or Aaron Ramsey but I would be surprised if both of them don't start as they are so important to the team right now. Neither Bacary Sagna or Lukas Podolski were included in the squad for the game, but they might be available for Saturday's game with a little luck.

I think Napoli will try to throw everything they have at Arsenal to try to get an early advantage and unnerve Arsenal. The team will have to be strong in defence but they have already shown how strong they can be with some excellent defensive displays away from home in particular in the last nine months. No team has scored more than one goal against Arsenal away from home since they lost to their knuckle dragging neighbours on March 3rd last.

There will be chances for Arsenal on the break and that's where the pace of Walcott and passing of Ozil will come into play. Olivier Giroud will have an important role to play too as he will be required to hold the ball up and take the pressure off the defensive players when he can. His aerial ability will come into play at defensive set pieces too as it always does.

Napoli are in a third position in their domestic league with 32 points from 15 games and have won their two home group games in the Champions League too. They could progress with a draw if Dortmund lose, but they know they are only guaranteed to make the knockout stages if they win by three goals. They have to chase the game from first minute to last and hopefully that will play right into Arsenal's hands.

I think Arsenal will score at least one goal and if that's the case Napoli will need four goals which I just cannot see happening. I think Arsenal might actually get the win the boss has said they will go for as long as they can take some of the chances they get on the break. If they don't win the game it's crucial they don't lose as the likely opponents in the next round will be very tough for the runners up.

If Arsenal were to come second they would have to play one of Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid or PSG and while I think they would have a chance against all of them I would prefer to avoid those teams for as long as possible. If Arsenal can win their group the alternatives should read something like Bayer Leverkusen, Juventus, Olympiakos, Basle or Schalke, Zenit or Porto and Milan or Ajax. To me those options are a lot more preferable than facing any of the group winners. 

While I always predict an Arsenal win I will be more than happy as long as they avoid defeat, but I'm still predicting a narrow victory. With two crucial league games coming up it would be a huge boost for the team to go into those games having won their Champions League group. 

That's it for today.

See you tomorrow.

How Far Can Arsenal Go In The Champions League ?

 

The dreaded international break is upon us and it's time to have a look at how things have gone so far for Arsenal and how they might go for the rest of the season in the Champions League in particular.

Arsenal were drawn in a very tough group with last season's runners up Borussia Dortmund, Napoli and Marseille. As it stands both Dortmund and Napoli are challenging very near the top of their domestic leagues and Marseille are fifth in theirs. In a group where all four teams would have felt they had a genuine chance of progressing Marseille have been left behind with no points from their four games so far.

Arsenal are in a prime position to qualify for the knockout stages and a win in their next match at home to pointless Marseille could be enough to put them through. It's a very tight group though and the chances are it will come down to their last game away to Napoli before the final group places are decided. The advantage is certainly with Arsenal at the moment because of their 2-0 win in their home game with Napoli.

They were at their very best that night and completely outplayed a Napoli team who were billed as being their first real challenge of the season. The attacking flair Arsenal showed in the first half of that game was matched by the defensive solidity they showed in the second half and it was an ideal European performance. Despite losing their next game at home to Dortmund they bounced back to win away to the German team in their most recent group game.

Qualification for the last 16 is by no means certain yet, but coming through such a tough group would surely be a great boost for Arsenal.  

There are no doubt lots of fans who are travelling to all these games in a bid to try help boost the Gunners, many of whom are hard-core Arsenal fans. Some by plane, others by driving through to get to the country hosting the match, let’s hope they have their driving insurance sorted out! For those still looking to get their insurance sorted you can look at Gocompare, motor insurance with Express Insurance or even Moneysupermarket to name a few.

It's always ideal to win your Champions League group to ensure a slightly easier draw in the first knockout round and it would certainly be for Arsenal this season. As it stands they would avoid Barcelona, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, PSG and Atletico Madrid in the last 16 if they were to win their group. Of course most if not all of those teams would probably win and be potential opponents in the last eight and you can't win the competition without beating some of the best teams in Europe. 

The big question is whether the current Arsenal team/squad is good enough to actually win the Champions League and it's not an easy one to answer. Chelsea managed to win it in 2012 and they certainly weren't the best team in Europe, but they defended well and rode their luck at times. Last season's winners Bayern Munich more or less swept all before them and were definitely the best team in Europe last season. 

Bayern did come close to going out in the last 16 though and it was Arsenal who almost beat them when they lost on away goals after winning the second leg 2-0 in Munich.

That game seems to have been the catalyst for Arsenal's current form and they have been on a great run of results ever since that night. That game seemed to bring a confidence the team was lacking in and they have won 16 of their 21 league games since it.

If Arsenal are going to progress in the Champions League it won't make their chances in the Premier League any easier. Their squad has been severely stretched already this season with injuries depriving them of key players far too often. Some of their players have been asked to play too often already and they will need their injured players to return to continue challenging on both fronts. In the new year they will also be faced with FA Cup games to further clog up their schedule.

The current Arsenal squad does look more capable of dealing with the rigours of challenging on three fronts though with the average age now a little higher than it has been for quite a few years. There is plenty of experience in the squad with players such as Bacary Sagna, PerMertesacker, Lukas Podolski and Mikael Arteta and even some of the younger players have a lot of games under their belts. When it comes to the business end of the season that experience could count for an awful lot.

The form of players such as Aaron Ramsey, Olivier Giroud, Kieran Gibbs and Laurent Koscielny so far this season has been a plus for Arsenal too. They have shown real progression since last season even and have helped to make the team much stronger overall. Those four players have made themselves invaluable to the team and the team has progressed along with them. Of course the addition of Mesut Ozil on deadline day was a fantastic addition to the team and showed the club has genuine ambition.

If Arsenal are going to have a real chance in the Champions League their away form could have a crucial bearing on their chances. That win away to Bayern showed that they have a genuine chance against Europe's best clubs and the win against Dortmund endorsed that opinion. They would certainly need a little luck on their side if they are to have a chance but sometimes these things have a way of working themselves out.

It's still very hard to be sure Arsenal will continue to challenge right up until the end of the season but they seem to have all the right ingredients at the moment. The players are all working very hard and playing for each other and the team and maybe Arsene Wenger's patience has finally paid off. If they can get another striker to supplement Giroud in the January transfer window it could be the final piece in the jigsaw for them. 

I'm not sure Arsenal are quite there yet when it comes to winning the Champions League, but they're not far away. Dortmund’s boss Jurgen Klopp said that Arsenal can win the Champions League, as long as they don’t face Bayern Munich, but they showed last season that Bayern are vulnerable. Arsenal are a better team than they were last season and I'm sure they would give Bayern or any other team a run for their money.

If I had to choose I would say Arsenal have a better chance of winning the Premier League but continued progression in Europe would be no bad thing either. Besides the additional money the club would make from progressing it would also help to raise their profile and make them a better prospect for potential transfer targets. I don't think that progression could reach all the way to lifting the Champions League trophy but it will be interesting to see how far it can go.

What are your opinions?

That's it for today.

See you tomorrow.

 

Arsenal Beaten But Not Outclassed

Arsenal faced their biggest test so far this season at home to Borussia Dortmund last night and despite losing they certainly weren't outclassed. It was a game which could have gone either way, but went the way of the German team after a ruthless counter attack late on. It puts Arsenal in a very difficult position in their Champions League group, but it's far from all over.

The team showed a couple of changes from the weekend with Aaron Ramsey coming in for the injured Mathieu Flamini and Tomas Rosicky replacing Santi Cazorla. It was a strong looking Arsenal team but Dortmund were certainly going to be no pushover. Rosicky and Jack Wilshere took up the wide attacking positions for Arsenal but neither of them are ideally suited to those roles. The sooner the better for the team that Theo Walcott, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Lukas Podolski return to play in those positions.

Dortmund started on the front foot and kept possession very well while also putting extreme pressure on any Arsenal player with the ball. Arsenal found it hard to cope and couldn't get their passing game going, but they were holding firm in defence and Dortmund didn't actually open them up. The breakthrough for Dortmund came just after the quarter hour mark and it was a self inflicted wound for Arsenal.

Aaron Ramsey was dispossessed while trying to bring the ball out from in front of his own box and within moments the ball was in the back of the net. Ramsey has had a fantastic season so far but he wasn't really at the races last night and his touch and passing were both well off what they have been up to now. The contrast between last Saturday night and last night for him was huge but so was the contrast in the quality of the opposition.

Gradually Arsenal began to get into the game and they had some real encouragement when a Dortmund defender somehow managed to appear behind the keeper and block a Rosicky shot almost on the line. Dortmund had worked very hard up to that point and Arsenal looked to have a chance as they tired with half time approaching. A few minutes before the interval they got the break they wanted to equalise.

A great cross from Bacary Sagna went into the space between the keeper and his defence and in the subsequent chaos Olivier Giroud pounced to put the ball into an empty net. It was just what Arsenal needed as half time approached and I hoped they could pick up the pace after the break and take the game to Dortmund. 

The second half started in the same vein as the first though and for 10 minutes Dortmund again took control. Arsenal got back into it a lot sooner in the second half though and gradually they took over and pushed forward looking for a winning goal. The introduction of Cazorla for Wilshere with 30 minutes remaining had a real impact on their ability to keep the ball and he came closest to getting that goal with a super shot which hit the woodwork. 

Dortmund had put in an awful lot of hard work and as a team they covered a lot more ground than Arsenal which gave me hope that Arsenal would have enough left to get the winner. It wasn't to be though as Dortmund showed they still had something in the tank with a swift counter attack after Giroud lost the ball with eight minutes left. By the time the ball reached Lewandowski at the far post he had the relatively easy task of putting it into the net. 

Dortmund found it very easy to see the game out after that and Arsenal never threatened again. Both Nicklas Bendtner and Serge Gnabry came on in the dying minutes but there was no time for either of them to make an impact. 

Arsenal paid the price for over committing players in search of a winning goal and it probably cost them a point. That point could have proved to be very important come the end of the group and Arsenal will now need to take something away from home to either Dortmund or Napoli or maybe even both of them. It's not a task that's beyond this team and they have shown for quite a while now that they are a force to be reckoned with away from home.

Arsene Wenger spoke of the players being tired after the game and there is no doubt that too many players have had to play too often already this season. The returning players need to be reintroduced into the team as soon as possible to enable others to get some much needed down time. Maybe if Ramsey and Ozil had got a break at the weekend they might have had more to offer last night when the going got tough. 

I'm not disheartened by last night's result though because a below par Arsenal really should have taken a point and I think they have a lot more to offer in the remaining group games. A defeat in the next game away to Dortmund would leave them in a perilous position though and would mean they would probably have to win in Napoli to have a chance of progressing. I think they can get a result at Dortmund and I hope they can do so, but it's sandwiched between games against Liverpool and United in the league.

That week could have a huge bearing on the rest of the season for Arsenal and it promises to be one of high drama. Before that there's a league game at Palace on Saturday and it's one Arsenal should win comfortably as long as they treat Palace with the respect they deserve. After that there's a Capital One Cup game against Chelsea which really is a game that needs to be gotten out of the way.

It's a competition which is actually getting in the way at the moment and hopefully none of the really important players will be risked in it. The three games coming up after it are far too important for Arsenal and personally I would prefer it if West Brom had knocked Arsenal out on penalties in the last round. I'm sure plenty of fringe players and players returning from injury will play in that game and the likes of Ozil, Cazorla, Ramsey and Giroud will sit it out.

Getting back to last night I thought Mikael Arteta had a great game shielding the defence for Arsenal and he showed he can do the job Flamini is so good at. I still can't see the need to play them both in all but the very toughest games and hopefully the boss will think so too. It was one of those games last night and maybe the team might have fared better if Flamini had been fit to take his place alongside Arteta.

That's it for today.

See you tomorrow.

Arsenal To Face Fenerbache In Final Champions League Qualifying Round

The draw for the final qualifying round for this season's Champions League has been made and Arsenal have been drawn against Turkish side Fenerbache. Their opponents are currently waiting on the verdict from the Court of Arbitration for Sport to decide whether they will have to serve a two year UEFA ban. That decision should be made on August 28th but it will have no effect on the outcome of Arsenal's tie with them. If Arsenal are knocked out they will not be reinstated as the next Turkish club in line to qualify will take the place of Fenerbache.

It makes Arsenal's task all very plain as they have to win over two legs to make the group stages of this season's competition. It's a feat they have achieved for 16 years in a row and they have to be favourites to do so yet again. The alternative doesn't bear thinking about as it would it would mean joining the also ran clubs for Thursday night football in the Europa League.

I am fairly confident that the current Arsenal squad will have enough within them to see off Fenerbache and progress, but it will be far from easy for them. The season begins at home to Villa in eight days and the first leg away to Fenerbache is only four days later. That's followed by a league trip to Fulham three days after that and then the home game with Fenerbache another three days after the Fulham game. Finally there's the home game against Spurs five days later before the players head off for a dreaded international break.

Of course just to complicate matters the players also have a break for international friendlies next week during the build up to the start of the new campaign. I know the players of other clubs will have to play for their countries too, but none of them will come back to the schedule facing Arsenal. The Arsenal squad isn't exactly bulging with players at the moment and any injuries picked up could have an adverse effect on their start to the campaign.

Somehow or other Arsenal have managed to reach August 9th without spending a penny of their transfer budget and have in fact taken in roughly €10 million in fees for players sold. Added to that there has been a clearing of decks with many of the unwanted and unneeded players at the club eventually finding new homes. There are a few still left to depart (hopefully) but I wouldn't be surprised if the wage bill has been cut by €500,000 per week. 

That leaves an awful lot of room for new arrivals and us fans are being as patient as possible, but it's hard not to feel the gradual onset of panic. Plenty of players who might have done very well at Arsenal have joined other clubs and still Arsenal are keeping their powder dry expect for the arrival of Yaya Sanogo for free. It would appear Arsenal have put all of their eggs in the Luis Suarez basket, but Liverpool are adamant they do not want to sell to Arsenal.

There was a chance to sign Gonzalo Higuain from Real Madrid and he was available as Napoli proved when they bought him, but Arsenal decided Suarez was their first priority despite Liverpool not wanting  to sell. It would seem Suarez and his people have got the wrong end of the stick with the clause in his contract and have passed that wrong information on to Arsenal. If Liverpool don't want to sell they don't have to and it could leave Arsenal in a very difficult situation.

I still remain hopeful that Arsenal can make the additions to their squad that are needed but it looks more and more likely that they will be last minute additions. Those players are needed immediately in my opinion and the next three weeks could be very awkward without them. The shortage of defenders at the moment is a real worry and Arsenal are only one injury way from a criss in their defence.

Hopefully it won't come to that and the team can progress to the group stages of the Champions League as well as taking six or seven points in their first three league games. The current squad is more or less the one which finished the season so well and won away to Bayern Munich as well. There are those who believe that squad is strong enough to compete at the top but I just cannot see it.

Chelsea, Manchester CIty and Spurs have all strengthened considerably and even if United fail to do so they finished very far ahead of Arsenal last season. Failure to strengthen the current Arsenal team/squad could be a huge mistake and just at the stage where the club finally have the finances in place to truly compete again. 

That's it for today.

See you tomorrow.