Arsenal Name A Strong Squad For Singapore Trip

Pre season training has only just begun and Arsenal are already off on a trip almost halfway around the world to Singapore. The days of a trip to the Austrian mountains for conditioning and to build up the players strength and fitness are long gone with the need to build up the club's international profile considered to be so important. The Premier League has become such a global product that Arsenal need to make these trips to build their profile and increase their fan base.

There are very few absences from the full Arsenal squad for the trip with 27 players in total boarding the plane. The notable absences are Alexis Sanchez, David Ospina, Danny Welbeck and Tomas Risicky who all miss out for various reasons. Both Welbeck and Rosicky are carrying injuries and won't travel while Alexis and Ospina are still on their holidays after only recently finishing playing in the Copa America. 

Alexis won't be back at the club until August 3rd and will surely miss the start of the season, but Ospina will be back a week earlier. Of course the rumours of Ospina's departure persist and there's every chance he could be on his way out of the club before then. There's no doubt Alexis will be missed in the first couple of games after his fantastic performances last season, but there will be plenty of other players looking to make an impression in those games..

Besides the majority of the first team squad making the trip to Singapore there are still a few youngsters getting the chance to ply their trade. There are great hopes for players like Dan Crowley and Gedion Zelalem and we will hopefully get a chance to see what they can do in the next week. The team start off with a game against a Singapore Select team next Wednesday and will follow that with a game on Saturday the 18th. 

When they return from Singapore they will work hard for another week before playing in the Emirates Cup. A week later it's the Community Shield game against Chelsea and then the league season kicks off the following week. It still feels like the football season just ended, but the new season is only four weeks away.

In other news Lukas Podolski finally made his exit from the club when he signed for Galatasaray. His chances at Arsenal would have been severely limited next season and the only way he was going to get a game was if the team suffered a huge injury crisis. Hopefully that injury crisis won't rear it's ugly head and Podolski won't be missed. 

I hope he does well at his new club, but I never really felt he fitted in perfectly on the pitch with Arsenal though. He was quite the expert on social media and made himself popular among many Arsenal fans with some clever posts on occasions. At this point in his career he needs to be playing and it was obvious he needed a move for that to happen.

It was also announced that Mikel Arteta has extended his contract at the club and will be an Arsenal player for another year at least. Last season was a frustrating one for him as it was ruined by persistent and recurring injuries, but hopefully things will be a lot better for him this season. I can't see him commanding a regular place in the team, but he still has a lot to offer.

He's still the club captain and you would imagine his influence in the dressing room and with the younger players is quite important. I know he's not the same type of player as Francis Coquelin, but he will probably fill in for him on occasions as Coquelin won't be able to play every game this season. There's still talk of another player coming in to challenge Coquelin in that role or even to play alongside him on occasions and any purchase would really hamper Arteta's chances.

He has had his detractors at times, but I always thought he was a very good player being asked to play a role which didn't come naturally to him. When he joined Arsenal he definitely wasn't seen as some sort of defensive midfielder, but he has had to adjust his game to suit the team's needs and he did it quite well. I hope we get to see a fair deal of him this season in what could quite easily be his last season as an Arsenal player.

That's it for today.

See you tomorrow.

Arsenal Back In Training And Other Latest Arsenal News

It seems like such a short time since the domestic season ended, but the Arsenal players returned to pre season training yesterday. It's only just over five weeks since Arsenal won the FA Cup for the second season in a row, but the early start to the new season means it's an early start to pre season too. It's less than five weeks to the first league game of the season and less than four weeks to Arsenal's Community Shield game with Chelsea.

Of course not all of the players will be back immediately as some of them had qualifiers to play with their countries and there was the small matter of the Copa America too. With Chile winning the trophy for the first time ever Alexis Sanchez only finished his season on Saturday night and he probably won't come back to the club until after that Chelsea game. He played in the Workd Cup last summer too and his need for a break from the game has to be of the utmost importance for him and the club too no matter how much he might think he does not need the rest.

It's been a magnificent season for Alexis since he was signed from Barcelona last summer. He carried the team almost single handedly in the first half of the season and finished it with a great goal in the Cup Final and 25 goals in all competitions for the club. He topped it off perfectly with the winning goal in the penalty shoot out for Chile against Argentina on Saturday night to earn the few weeks rest he should now look forward to.

In his absence Arsenal have brought in Petr Cech and there's the possibility of David Ospina leaving as a result. Ospina played until the last eight in the Copa America and won't be back for a while either and that might just put his potential exit on hold for the next few weeks. It would be more than a little tough on him if he had to go after only one season, but it does seem to be the most likely scenario.

It looks like there will be another place in the squad to be filled too with Lukas Podolski on his way to Galatasaray after three years at Arsenal. He had his moments during that time and most of them involved his sweet left foot, but he never really made himself a mainstay of the team. When he was allowed to go out on loan to Inter Milan in the second half of last season the writing was on the wall and his departure comes as no surprise. 

The transfer rumours continue by the minute and they're far too numerous to go into here. The departures might not be finished either and a few players will have to go if there are to be new arrivals. I still think a couple of players will come in, but it's not easy to know who they will be or even what positions they will play.

There are plenty of players who will be looking to make a bigger impact this season too and it promises so much. Players like Theo Walcott, Jack Wilshere, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Mathieu Debuchey and Mikel Arteta were held back by injuries last season and all of them will want to have more influence in the coming season. There's Gabriel Paulista and Calum Chambers too who will look for more game time as well as players like Seege Gnabry and Gedion Zelalem trying to make their breakthrough.

I know Arsenal have had their problems with injuries for what seems like an eternity now, but the size and strength of the squad gives us genuine hope for next season. If the right money can be spent on the right players to finish the squad off then the season could be one which brings glory. It's hard to be downbeat about Arsenal's chances for next season and it's great to see the first of the players back to set the wheels in motion to what we hope will be more silverware.

That's it for today.

See you tomorrow.

Arsenal Latest on Wilshere, Cech And More

Another day has gone by and despite the continued speculation Arsenal still haven't added to their squad for next season. There were a couple of exits though with Ryo Myachi joining St. Pauli and Semi Ajayi on his way to Cardiff City. Neither player managed to make the grade at Arsenal despite the promise they showed, but hopefully they will go on to have good careers elsewhere.

They won't be the only departures this summer and it looks like a few players could be on their way out quite soon. Lukas Podolski was loaned out to Inter Milan for the second half of last season and it looks like he could be the first one to move with Galatasaray looking favourites to sign him at the moment. He's done well at times for Arsenal, but I don't think he really reached the heights we would have hoped for in his time at the club and it's probably best that he moves on at this stage.

Another player who could be playing elsewhere next season is Joel Campbell whose future looks to be at another club despite signing a new contract last season. He has been loaned out for most of his time as an Arsenal player and it looks like his next move might be a permanent one. At the moment Real Sociedad looks like the most likely destination for his talents, but there's still quite a while to go before the transfer window closes.

Surprisingly the latest player to be talked about in terms of an exit is David Ospina who is currently Arsenal's first choice goalkeeper. If the rumours are to be believed Peter Cech is on the verge of joining the club and his arrival will signal the departure of Ospina only a year after he joined. I'm not sure how much there is to these rumours and it would seem strange for Arsenal to sell their first choice keeper only a year after signing him.

However, Cech would surely usurp Ospina if he does join the club and Arsene Wenger is known to rate Wojciech Szczesny highly despite the problems he's had. At the moment it's all pure speculation, but it does all sound very believable and who's to say it won't happen. He could continue the exodus of Arsenal players to Turkey with Fenerbahce currently the supposed pacesetters in the race to sign him.

The Cech rumours just won't go away and it looks as if he's as good as an Arsenal player with just a few "i's" to be dotted and "t's" to be crossed before the deal is done. We've been here far too often with other players of course and nothing is guaranteed until we see it on the club site. I'm still not 100% convinced Cech is as good as he used to be, but he is still probably better than any of the current options Arsenal have in goal.

The final Arsenal transfer story of the day was the apparent bid from Manchester City for Jack Wilshere. If the stories are to be believed City have moved for Wilshere after having their offers for Raheem Sterling turned down. They need to boost their quota of English players and Wilshere certainly fits the bill on that count, but they surely don't have a hope of getting him.

Wilshere has spent far too much time on the treatment table in recent seasons and he needs to get a long run in the team so he can show what he can do on a permanent basis. I can't see Arsenal having an interest in selling the future of the team and the fact Wilshere was just fined £40,000 by the FA for taking the piss out of Spurs tells you all you need to know about his desire to play for Arsenal. The only way I could see him leaving is if the club accept an offer and make it obvious they don't want him, but that's not going to happen.

That's it for today.

See you tomorrow.

Arsenal v Hull City: FA Cup Third Round Preview

The FA Cup usually throws up a few strange or quirky draws in the third round every season and so it is with Arsenal's game against Hull. The clubs last met in the cup when they contested the final last May in what was a very memorable encounter. That final went Arsenal's way after extra time despite Hull racing into an early two goal lead.

That victory over Hull was Arsenal's first trophy in nine years and we hoped it was the start of something good for the club with the financial shackles also removed. Things started well in the summer transfer market, but some crucial areas of the squad were neglected and it's same old, same old for Arsenal this season. They are currently fifth in the league with a top three or four finish as their only realistic target and all hopes of a league title gone. 

The title challenge lasted a lot longer last season but ultimately ended up with a fourth placed finish and the FA Cup as the only realistic chance of a trophy. This season seems to be heading down that oh so familiar track although there is a very good chance of the team reaching the last eight of the Champions League this time. It would be their best performance in that competition in a few years if they were to beat Monaco, but realistically that's about as far as they can hope to go in the Champions League.

With all of that in mind today's game against Hull becomes a very important one for the players and the fans. Not only is it the only realistic chance of a trophy, but it's also Arsenal's trophy to defend and they need to do so for as long as possible. No other team has won the FA Cup more often than Arsenal and a win this season would see them hold the record on their own as the team who have won the most FA Cup finals.

In team news it looks like Arsene Wenger will have the same squad available to him as the one which were beaten 2-0 by Southampton on Sunday with a slight possibility of Mathieu Flamini and Mesut Ozil returning from their respective injuries. The perceived first choice defence was played against Southampton and they most certainly didn't cover themselves in glory. It was all going very well until Wojciech Szczesny and Laurent Koscielny combined to hand Southampton their first goal and after that they just went to pieces. 

Szczesny in particular had a game to forget when he inexplicably handed the second goal to Southampton with a clearance right out of a "Keystone Cops" sketch. The lack of composure he showed was unbelievable for a player with over 150 first team appearances behind him and he can't continue to be considered a goalkeeper with "loads of potential". He needs to live up to that potential on a consistent basis and it seems the only way he will do that is if he is put under pressure for his place.

David Ospina was bought to do just that, but his injury has made it too easy for Szczesny and his standards have dropped as a result. Emiliano Martinez got a chance when Szczesny was suspended and injured and did well, but was immediately dropped to the bench on Szczesny's return. I thought Ospina was fit again but he wasn't in the squad on Sunday so I can't see him playing today.

The boss has traditionally rotated his team and given fringe players a run in the cup, but the lack of available players doesn't give him too many options today. I would expect him to go with a very similar team to Sunday with Theo Walcott possibly coming in to make his full return to the team after getting injured at this stage of the FA Cup last season. When he's back to match fitness Walcott will be a real asset to the team, but it will take a while for him to get there.

In midfield I don't think it was fair on Calum Chambers to throw him in for his first start as a midfielder against a team as good as Southampton and with such a makeshift Arsenal team. Francis Coquelin was again very good in his defensive midfield role, but I wouldn't be surprised if Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain dropped back to play alongside him. Chamberlain's natural instinct is to attack and he wasn't at his best against Southampton, but he can play that defensive role and has done reasonably well there in the past. The majority of the defensive work will be done by Coquelin and Hull are no Southampton, but Chamberlain is capable of putting a shift in too.

The players have to be feeling an awful lot of fatigue after such a busy festive schedule and even more so as the injury situation has limited the manager's options in every single game. There's a real case to be made for giving both Alexis Sanchez and Santi Cazorla a much needed rest and pushing players too hard has led to too many injuries for the team in the past. I doubt if either player will be rested though as they are so important to the team and there are so few options at the moment. At least there's no midweek game this week and the players will have a chance to recover between today and next Sunday's game at home to Stoke.

Chuba Akpom could well make a start even if both Alexis and Cazorla play and he is a player who has the potential to become a very good player. With Lukas Podolski departed on loan to Inter Milan there aren't too many other options available to the boss. Podolski's chances were very limited this season and I can understand his desire to play, but it's hard to see why Arsenal let him go with all of their current injury worries. They could have at least waited another week or two until some of the injured players returned and put the team's needs ahead of the player's.

Hull will be just as tired from their recent games as Arsenal, but they have managed to win a couple of games to move away from the relegation zone. They have struggled to win games and score goals this season, but they are not an easy team to beat as they proved when they came to Arsenal and got a 2-2 draw earlier in the season. They will surely be very anxious to make amends for that cup final defeat and maybe go on another cup run of their own.

For me Arsenal are at their worst when they concede and Southampton showed that up on Sunday. I worry every time they concede a goal that they will go to pieces and sometimes it takes them an eternity to regain any sort of confidence once the opposition score. That seems to be the case when they concede first in a game or even when they are already 3-0 up like they were against Anderlecht. 

Despite the shortage of options and the obvious fatigue I still think whatever team Arsenal put out today will be more than good enough to beat Hull. I want to see them play with verve and confidence and dominate the game from first minute to last while winning well, but I will take any sort of victory. The feeling of elation after nine years of waiting last May was magnificent and I don't want all hopes of a trophy to have disappeared in the first week in January.

Hopefully the team can win and do so without the need for a replay and give themselves a month with no midweek football. It looks like the injury problems are sorting themselves out although that's probably tempting fate knowing how quickly Arsenal players pick up new injuries. A lack of midweek games would surely give the players who have been overplayed a chance to get a much needed rest and bring the injured players slowly back into the fold.

With the games stretched out from Friday to Monday and the fourth round draw not until Monday it's very hard to get a real feel for the FA Cup. I know it's to maximise the amount of games on TV, but I can't help feeling the competition is suffering as a result. A repeat of last season's final might be just the spectacle the competition needs and the holders going out always gets plenty of press. Hopefully that won't happen today and we will be treated to the holders showing their intent to keep a firm hold on their trophy.

That's it for today.

See you tomorrow.

Arsenal's Premier League Trip To West Ham Previewed

Less than 48 hours after narrowly beating QPR it's back to action for Arsenal with another London derby against West Ham. Of course West Ham had to play on Friday too when they kicked off five hours earlier than Arsenal and lost 2-0 away to Chelsea. Those five hours might not seem like a lot, but with so many games to play in such a short space of time they can make all the difference.

Ideally Arsene Wenger would have a full squad to choose from and could rotate his players to keep the team as fresh as possible. Unfortunately the chances of him doing so are slim with so many injuries as well as the suspension to Olivier Giroud. He will have to make some changes from the team which played more than the last half hour with 10 men against QPR, but his options are severely limited.

There is a possibility of both Laurent Koscielny and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain being available after their latest injuries, but it's only a small possibility. Hector Bellerin, Lukas Podolski, Joel Campbell, Calum Chambers, Theo Walcott and Francis Coquelin could all come into the team, but realistically only two or three of them at the most will do so. Tomas Rosicky was excellent in his first start of the season against QPR, but he didn't last the 90 minutes and it would be a big ask for him to start again.

Ideally Chamberlain will be able to play to replace Rosicky and Coquelin could play in midfield too, but I don't know if Coquelin is up to the task at this level. There was talk of Chambers eventually moving to a defensive midfield role at some time in the future, but it would be madness to throw him into that position in this game. I really don't know who will play alongside Mathieu Flamini, but whoever gets the job will hopefully be able to give Flamini some help with the defensive work to be done.

Unusually for Arsenal in recent weeks their problems aren't in finding defenders to play and the whole compliment will be available if Koscielny is passed fit. I wouldn't be surprised if we see the same defence as we saw against QPR, but Chambers might come in if any of them are the worse for wear. They will have to be at their best to withstand the threat West Ham pose from set pieces and they can expect a very tough afternoon.

With Giroud suspended for three games after his red card it's probably a straight choice between Campbell and Podolski to replace him. Podolski can be lethal in front of goal given the chance, but it looks like he could be on his way out of the club once the transfer window opens. Campbell has failed to impress in the few chances his has got this season, but his work rate might be better than that of Podolski which could well see him play. 

I doubt if Walcott will be risked from the start as it's almost a year since he last started a game. Ideally he will reintroduced gradually as a sub in games, but so far there has been no chance to do so as Arsenal have had their backs to the wall late on in the last two games. He'll get his chance when a game isn't so tight, but he might have to wait a bit for such a luxury.

Giroud's aerial ability will be badly missed at defensive set pieces with the threat West Ham pose and others will have to step up to fill the void. He is very important to the team when they are defending set pieces and I'm not sure if either Campbell or Podolski can match his efforts. Danny Welbeck may be called on to do his share of that work and he has the height required, but I don't know if he's that good in the air.

West Ham have played very well so far this season and they're one point above Arsenal in fifth place with the season just half way over. A top four finish is probably a bit too much to expect for them, but they can certainly dream of Europa League football. Their home form will be crucial if they want to continue their challenge and a home win over Arsenal would be a huge bonus for them.

For Arsenal it's a chance to beat one of the teams just above them before they go to another one on Thursday when they play Southampton. These two games might not be season defining with half of the season left to play, but two wins in them would be a massive boost for the team. Not only wild it put Arsenal in the all important fourth spot, but it would also leave them breathing down the necks of third placed United.

It's impossible to tell what you will get with Arsenal, but they are of course capable of winning both games even with all of the absentees. There's still loads of football to play this season, but there has to come a time where the team step up and finally show the consistency needed to challenge with the best. I'm hoping today is that day and it leads to a really strong finish to the season with the injured players gradually making their way back over the next few weeks. 

That's it for today.

See you tomorrow.

Arsenal Champions League And FA Cup Latest

After a weekend to forget there isn't much breathing space for Arsenal as they travel to Galatasaray in their final Champions League group game. With a place in the last 16 already guaranteed there isn't too much to play for and the Arsenal team will show a lot of changes as a result. They have an outside chance of winning their group if Dortmund slip up at home to Anderlecht and Arsenal win, but it's a pretty unlikely scenario. 

Arsene Wenger took the unusual step of naming his team the day before the game and he has given a chance to some of his fringe players. With so many changes in the team it won't be easy for Arsenal to get a result, but at least some of the more important players will get a rest before the upcoming busy schedule. Arsenal haven't done too well in the past when they have fielded a weakened team in Champions League games and Galatasaray will see this as a chance to claim a big scalp. 

Both Mathieu Debuchey and Wojciech Szczesny make their returns from injury and the rest of the defence will be made up of Per Mertesacker, Calum Chambers and Hector Bellerin. The combination of Mertesacker and Chambers in central defence was very poor against Stoke on Saturday, but needs must and there's nobody else to play there. Yet again the folly of not addressing the defensive shortages in the summer is proving costly for the team and there can't be a single fan who thought it wouldn't. 

Both Aaron Ramsey and Mathieu Flamini will continue in midfield with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in front of them. After doing such a good job to protect the back four in recent games Flamini and Ramsey were found badly wanting in their defensive duties against Stoke. The whole team seemed to forget to do everything they had done right in the previous three games from the kick off on Saturday and questions have to be asked about their motivation and preparation for the game. They may have tried to turn things around in the second half, but that first half performance was one of the worst I have ever seen from Arsenal.

The attacking trio is the most interesting of all with forgotten man Joel Campbell playing with the injury prone Yaya Sanogo and the mistrusted by the manager Lukas Podolski. All three will hopefully be anxious to make an impression on a rare occasion they get to play and they're all well capable of it too. Sanogo scored when he started at home to Dortmund in the last group game, but Campbell and Podolski have had even less opportunities to show what they can do.

While I think the team might have a fair deal in attack the defence looks very ropey at best and I am worried about how they will hold up. The game might not be of much significance but the team cannot afford another defeat on the back of Saturday's loss. It seems each time the team appears to be turning the corner they come up with another horror show to go right back to square one.

On the bright side at least Alexis Sanchez will get a break from almost single handedly carrying the team. It's impossible to overestimate how important his contribution has been this season and I can only imagine how frustrating it must be for him at times to see the lack of contribution of others. He has been so much better than everyone else so far that I worry he will want to move on this summer to a team where his efforts might lead to more success.

In other news the draw for the FA Cup third round was made yesterday and Arsenal got a home game against Hull. The cup seems to pull out these strange coincidences so often and the game in early January will be a repeat of last May's final. Of course Arsenal won that game after going 2-0 down early on and will want to do all they can to defend the only trophy they have won in the last nine seasons.

Realistically the FA Cup is Arsenal's only hope of silverware this season and a home draw in the third round is a good start. They won the cup without ever leaving London last season and will start their defence in the city again. No other team have won the FA Cup more times than Arsenal and one more victory would see them out on their own on 12 victories.

That's it for today.

See you tomorrow.

Arsenal Aim To Win For The Third Game In A Row

The Arsenal season so far has lacked momentum as they have failed to put a decent run of wins together. All too often they have drawn games which they should be winning on paper at least, but have failed to do enough to merit victories. What they need to regain some vital confidence is a few wins in a row and the opportunity presents itself at the moment.

As it stands they have won their last two games but they have been far from convincing in either game. It took two magical minutes at the very end in Anderlecht for Arsenal to snatch three lucky points and they failed to create any clear cut chances of their own against Sunderland last Saturday. Thankfully Wes Brown and Vito Mannone were on hand to dish out some very early Christmas presents and Alexis Sanchez took full advantage both times.

In the next few days they play at home to the Premier League's bottom club and then they have the return fixture at home to Anderlecht. On the face of it they are games Arsenal should win and they will find themselves on a run of four consecutive wins if they do just that. I'm not saying it will be easy in either game, but they are games they have to win if Arsenal are to be considered more than also rans this season.

First up is Burnley at home on Saturday afternoon and another chance to get three points while some of the other top teams could struggle for the second week in a row. There's not much as sweet as seeing Arsenal rack up three points while the likes of Chelsea, City, Liverpool, Spurs and United all drop points as they did last weekend. When that happens it's vital to keep up the momentum and a home game against a team who have failed to win in their opening nine games fits the mould perfectly.

At the start of the season I thought Burnley didn't look strong enough to avoid relegation and it looks like they are destined for the drop unless something changes drastically. They are pretty resolute in defence, but their inability to score is proving to be a fatal flaw so far at least. They have managed two draws in their four away games so far, but they have failed to score in three of their four away games.

The team news for Arsenal isn't as bad as might have been expected with Per Mertesacker showing no ill effects from the weekend and Kieran Gibbs likely to recover from the knock he took too. The only new absentee would seem to be Jack Wilshere who is likely to miss out with a knee injury, but he didn't play last week due to suspension. It means Arsenal will more than likely field a fairly similar team to the one which won 2-0 at Sunderland last week.

We could get to see Theo Walcott make his comeback after almost 10 months out of the team due to injury. I doubt if he will start, but the chances are he will get a run from the bench and it will be even more likely if Arsenal have a nice lead under their belts. There's more good news on the injury front with Olivier Giroud well ahead of schedule in his recovery and set to join in full training after the next international break.

There is the possibility of a couple of fringe players getting a game and I wouldn't be surprised if either Lukas Podolski or Joel Campbell was in the team from the start. For me the most important player for Arsenal at the moment has to be Alexis and I'm pretty confident of them winning once he's in the team. His purchase in the summer was a master stroke from Arsene Wenger and it's a joy to watch him play for the team I support. His energy and commitment are an example to the rest of the team and Arsenal would have a lot more points if the other players could match them. 

I was at a home game against Burnley a few years ago when Arsenal won 3-1 and Nicklas Bendtner missed an absolute hatful of chances. He went on to score a hat trick only a few days later against Porto in the Champions League. Bendtner is no longer an Arsenal player, but it just goes to show how unpredictable a game football can be.

I expect Arsenal to dominate the game from start to finish and put loads of pressure on a Burnley team who have struggled at this level. The three points are theirs for the taking once they apply themselves properly and I expect Arsenal to win by two or three goals. It would be great to see them come out from the start and get a goal or two before Burnley know what has hit them, but I'll be happy once they play well and make plenty of chances as well as winning the game of course.

That's it for today.

See you tomorrow.

Three Arsenal Players On Their Way To The World Cup Final

When the World Cup started there were 11 Arsenal players in the tournament and that figure has now dropped to three players who will play in the final. There's still one semi final to go, but there's no Arsenal players in either the Dutch or Argentinian squads and it's left to their three German players to compete in the ultimate game of the tournament. That game will be on Sunday night when Germany take on the winners of the game between The Netherlands and Argentina.

Germany progressed to the final last night with a stunning 7-1 victory over Brazil and are surely going to be favourites no matter who they will play on Sunday. Mesut Ozil was the only one of the three Arsenal players in the German squad to start in a rampant German team, but Per Mertesacker came on for the second half. Lukas Podolski sat the game out again and his chances have been very limited at this World Cup.

Many critics have been unimpressed with Ozil's performances, but I think he has been an important part of a dominant German team. He has started every game and created many chances for team mates, but most of those chances were not taken. His only goal so far came in the last 16 win over Algeria, but he really should have put Germany 8-0 up against Brazil just moments before the hosts scored their consolation goal. He made a great run to get on to a through ball, but he put the ball wide of the far post with only the keeper to beat.

Mertesacker started all of the group games and the last 16 game too, but he lost his place against France after a bout of illness. He was on the bench again last night and the chances are he will be on the bench in the final too. 

From an Arsenal perspective it's great to see three of their players in the World Cup final, but it also means those players will be back to pre season training very late. The players who didn't make it to the World Cup started their pre season training this week and the first real game of the new season is less than six weeks away. By the time the World Cup final is over there will be less than five weeks to Arsenal's first league game and less than four weeks to their Community Shield game with City.

Straight after Arsenal's first league game the team will have a Champions League qualifier and those World Cup final participants might not be back in time to be ready for those games. If they don't get a proper break this summer it will affect their season and could lead to fatigue or injuries. The team might suffer a little at the start of the season as a result, but it has to be for the better in the long term.

It's great to see the pictures of the players back in training (see below) and even though I'm enjoying a fantastic World Cup there is nothing better in football terms than watching Arsenal. Hopefully there will be quite a few additions to the squad over the next few weeks in plenty of time for the new arrivals to settle in and play a part from day one. Mathieu Debuchey looks almost certain to join very soon at this stage and hopefully Alexis Sanchez won't be too far behind him.

Once the World Cup final is over on Sunday the focus will switch back to the domestic game and Arsenal will be top of the agenda again. Hopefully three of the Arsenal squad will have nice shiny winners medals to show off to their team mates along with the FA Cup winners medals from last May. 

That's it for today.

See you tomorrow.

Seven Arsenal Players Reach The Last Eight Of The World Cup

At the outset of the World Cup there were 11 Arsenal players involved in the tournament and seven of those players have now reached the quarter finals. That figure could have been eight, but Bacary Sagna departed from the club on July 1st to spend the rest of his career on the Manchester City bench. It's still a very good return from the Arsenal contingent though and a few of those players will have hopes of making the semi finals or even the final.

The only Arsenal players to go home were Spain's Santi Cazorla and the English duo of Jack Wilshere and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain when their teams exited in the group stages. All the others progressed with their teams winning their groups and all the group winners then winning in the last 16. All of those Arsenal players can't make it through to the semi finals though with Germany playing France in a game which could have up to five Arsenal players in it.

For me the most impressive Arsenal player so far has probably been Joel Campbell as he has led the line for surprise packets Costa Rica. He scored in the 3-1 victory over Uruguay and was very impressive in their 1-0 victory over Italy too. He didn't look quite so good against England, but put in a sterling performance in the backs to the wall penalty shoot out win over Greece. He won't have an easy task against the Netherlands in the next game, but I haven't been impressed by their defence and he might get some joy out of them.

Both Per Mertesacker and Mesut Ozil have been mainstays of the German team who took seven points in the group stages and beat Algeria after extra time in the last 16. Ozil scored their second goal and it proved to be crucial when Algeria got a late consolation for their efforts. Ozil may not have been at his best in the game, but he kept going and there could still be plenty to come from him. 

Mertesacker continues to be slated by the critics as many of them claim Germany cannot win the World Cup with his lack of pace in their defence. It would make you wonder how he has managed to appear for his country more than 100 times if he's such a bad player. Germany have to be considered real contenders for me with the array of talent they have available to them.

Of course Germany will play France in the last eight and that French team will probably have Laurent Koscielny in it and possibly Olivier Giroud too. Koscielny has got his chance since Mamadou Sakho picked up an injury and he has looked the part in the centre of their defence. France weren't overly impressive in their last 16 win over Nigeria, but they got stronger towards the end and I thought they deserved to go through.

Giroud started in that game but France improved in attack when he went off to be replaced by supposed Arsenal target Antoine Griezmann. He's one of many players at the World Cup who Arsenal are apparently pursuing at the moment. Sagna has been kept out of the French team by Mathieu Debuchey and he's another player meant to be interesting Arsenal. I think he has more to offer in an attacking sense than Sagna, but I don't think he can match Sagna's defending.

Neither Lukas Podolski nor Thomas Vermaelen took part in the last 16 games due to injury, but they will both hope to be back for the quarter finals. If they are available they will both probably be on the bench, but they might have something to offer before the tournament is over. 

Arsenal's contingent of seven players left at the World Cup is more than that of any other Premier League club. It's not a bad return for a team who finished fourth and still can't match the bottomless pockets of the oil rich City and Chelsea. Hopefully a few more players who have lit up the World Cup will be putting in appearances in an Arsenal shirt next season.

That's it for today.

See you tomorrow.

An Arsenal World Cup Update

The World Cup is ticking along nicely with half of the group games played and a few teams knowing their fate already. There are 11 Arsenal players at the tournament and I'll try to give an accurate assessment of all of their performances so far.

I'll start at the wrong end of the scale from the players perspective, but maybe not from the club's perspective. With both England and Spain already out of the competition after only two group games there will be three Arsenal players heading home in a few days to get a longer than expected summer holiday. Jack Wilshere, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Santi Cazorla will all be disappointed their countries have lost their opening two games, but there was little they could do about it.

Wilshere got to play the final 20 minutes in England's defeat to Italy and was an unused sub when they were beaten by Uruguay. I don't think Wilshere was helped by his injuries this season and it might not have been a bad thing for him if he had stayed at home and got the break he so badly needs. He has to try to steer clear of injury this coming season if at all possible and hopefully his game can progress for both club and country given the chance.

Chamberlain picked up an injury in a friendly game before the World Cup and he didn't get to play as a result. England had hoped he would be available for the last group game and he still could be, but he might not be risked with England already out regardless of the result of that game against Costa Rica. He's another player who's season was badly affected by injury and he needs as much rest as possible before a season which could see him really make a name for himself.

Cazorla came on as a sub for the last 15 minutes in Spain's 2-0 defeat to Chile and he didn't get a run out in the 5-1 loss to The Netherlands. Spain have a host of quality midfielders and Cazorla got a run out while both Cesc Fabregas and Juan Mata kept the bench warm. It's possible that Cazorla will get more game time in the final Spanish group game, but they're only playing for their pride and the opportunity not to finish last in the group.

Cazorla has been reported as saying he will see what the future holds when the tournament is over with interest in him from some Spanish clubs. He has just signed a new deal at Arsenal and I can't imagine the club have any intention of letting him leave after deciding not to take Cesc back. I hope the quotes attributed to him aren't true because it's just not on for players to claim they're considering their options right after signing a contract extension. 

Belgium have only played once so far and Arsenal's Thomas Vermaelen didn't play a part in their 2-1 win over Algeria. I wasn't overly impressed with the central defensive pairing in the Belgian team in that game and Vermaelen might still force his way into the team. They look like they should qualify from the group and there are those who feel they have a real chance of winnng the trophy, but I'm not so sure.

There has been some talk of Vermaelen moving this summer to get more game time elsewhere and his name has been mentioned as a possible target for United recently. There had also been some suggestion of Tom Cleverley moving in the other direction, but that has to be pure speculation. I can't believe Arsenal would sign Cleverley in the same summer they opted not to be bring Cesc back to the club. 

Germany have only played once also and they were impressive in their 4-0 win over Portugal with both Mesut Ozil and Per Mertesacker starting and Lukas Podolski coming off the bench. If any Arsenal players are to win the World Cup those three are certainly the most likely to do so. I thought both Arsenal starters played well without setting the world alight and the game was over as a contest by the time Podolski came on. 

They play their second group game against Ghana on Saturday and I expect both Ozil and Mertesacker to start again. The group stages are all about doing enough to get through to the knock outs and it's only then that we'll see how good this German side are. I'd love to see Ozil shine for them before coming back to take the Premier League by storm next season. 

There are three Arsenal players in the French squad too although Bacary Sagna will no longer be one at the end of the month. He hasn't featured so far in their first two games with Newcastle's Mathieu Debuchey getting the nod at right back despite his suspect temperament and inferior defending abilities. When the going gets tougher France might be better served with Sagna in the team, but it looks like he will remain on the bench.

Neither Olivier Giroud or Laurent Koscielny started in France's opening 3-0 victory over Honduras, but Giroud came on late in the game. He did start in the 5-2 win over Switzerland and he scored the first goal and made the third while playing well. He played up front with Karim Benzema and they could find themselves as Arsenal's two main strikers next season too. I've been impressed with Benzema so far with his three goals and overall play despite the penalty miss and letting the ball go through him in the wall for Switzerland's first goal. If he was to sign for Arsenal the two of them showed they can play up front together or individually too if needed.

Koscielny came on against Switzerland when Liverpool's Mamadou Sakho picked up an injury, but it only looked like Sakho went off as a precaution. If he has recovered I imagine he will keep his place in the team, but I find it hard to understand how he can be chosen ahead of Koscielny. France have looked very good so far, but the real challenges lie ahead of them in the knock out stages and we'll see how good they really are then.

Finally there's Costa Rica's Joel Campbell and he has to be the most impressive Arsenal player in the tournament so far. He was the man of the match when they came from behind to beat Uruguay 3-1 as he scored the equaliser and made the third goal. He played well in the 1-0 win over Italy too and should have had a penalty late in the first half.

He has taken his opportunity to shine on the world stage and Arsene Wenger has confirmed he will return to the club for next season after spending a season on loan with Olimpiacos. He looks like he could have something to add to the team and I'm looking forward to seeing him in an Arsenal shirt next season. With Costa Rica having already won their group he might not feature too much in their final group game against England if they decide to rest him ahead of the last 16 game. I'd like to see how he plays against English defenders though and hopefully he will play in that game.

Overall it hasn't been an overly impressive World Cup from Arsenal players so far, but it looks like eight of the 11 players will make it through to the knockout phase. The French and German players are the ones with the best chance of overall glory, but no European team has won a World Cup in South America. I haven't been overly impressed with the South American teams so far, but again that might change in the last 16. It's been a very good tournament so far and hopefully that will continue right up to the final in just over three weeks time.

That's it for today.

See you tomorrow.

Arsenal Players At The World Cup

The World Cup begins this Thursday and there are 11 Arsenal players appearing for six different countries at it. I'm going to attempt to take a look at how those players and their countries might fare over the next month. 

Of all the countries with Arsenal players in their squad Spain probably have the best chance of lifting the trophy. They play in Group B with The Netherlands, Chile and Australia and they're the reigning World and European champions. Their group is far from easy with the Netherlands and Chile both capable of playing very good football and hoping to progress beyond the group stages. Australia aren't a bad side but they will struggle to get anything out of three very tough games.

Santi Cazorla is the sole Arsenal representative in the Spanish squad with Nacho Monreal not making the cut. Cazorla will do well to get into a star studded Spainish team, but he should see some action on occasions. There's every chance Spain will retain the trophy, but it won't be easy for a team which is ageing just a bit and has to play in a far from easy climate. I think Spain have a chance to win the tournament but the chances are they won't.

Next up is Germany who have a host of top class players in their squad and have to be considered as genuine contenders too. They play in Group G along with Portugal, Ghana and the United States and despite being favourites to top the group it will be a far from easy task. Both Portugal and Ghana stand a very good chance of making it through to the next phase, but the United States won't find it easy against those three teams.

Germany have three Arsenal players in their squad and all three should see plenty of action throughout the tournament. Per Mertesacker and Mesut Ozil are regulars in the team with Lukas Podolski often contributing from the bench. Podolski has played over 100 times for Germany and has scored almost 50 goals for them despite only turning 29 last week. 

Germany have some fantastic attacking options, but they will need to tighten up their defence if they're going to have any hope of winning the World Cup. Ozil could be a real star of the tournament if things go Germany's way and Podolski only needs one more goal to become the third highest scorer in history for Germany. I can't see Germany winning the World Cup but reaching the semi finals certainly isn't a task which is beyond them.

Group H contains a much fancied Belgium team along with Algeria, Russia and South Korea. Belgium were very good in their qualifying group and have a lot of very good players available to them. Their group isn't the toughest one by a long shot and they should be more than capable of making it through to the next stage. 

Arsenal's Thomas Vermaelen is a mainstay of the Belgian defence despite being out of favour with his club and he might just see the World Cup as a bit of a shop window if he decides his future lies elsewhere next season. Belgium have never won the World Cup and it would be great to see another country lift the trophy, but I think they might be a little short of experience when it comes to the crunch. If I had to pick a team I'd like to see win it would be Belgium, but maybe the last eight will be as far as they go.

In Group E France will go head to head with Switzerland, Ecuador and Honduras and they have to be favourites to progress. They might not be the force they were a few years ago, but they still have some decent players and will hope to put up a good performance. They must have the easiest group to qualify from, but they will have to perform a lot better than they did at the last World Cup to even get out of their group. 

There are three Arsenal players in the French squad with Laurent Koscielny the one most likely to be a permanent fixture in the team. Olivier Giroud will get his fair share of game time too, but he has a lot of competition for the main striking role in the team. Bacary Sagna should be the first choice right back and he's still an Arsenal player for the moment despite letting it be known he will ply his trade elsewhere next season.

I would be surprised if France didn't make it out of their group, but after that they could find it difficult in the knockout stages and a quarter final might be as far as they go. There's a feeling among some Arsenal fans that Giroud could be the top scorer in the tournament with France having a relatively easy group, but I don't think he's prolific enough despite who the opposition are and he might not play in every game either.

England play in Group D with Uruguay, Costa Rica and Italy and the two Arsenal players in the England squad might just get to play against their club team mate in the Costa Rican side. Both Jack Wilshere and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain have had their problems with injuries with Wilshere only just recovering in time to make the squad and Chamberlain now doubtful to play after picking up a knock last week. The chances are Wilshere won't be a first choice pick at this World Cup, but Chamberlain might make an impact if he can recover from his injury.

It's a very tough group and England will have to be at their very best to make it through to the knockout stages. Both Italy and Uruguay will feel they have enough to finish in the first two places in the group and England will have an uphill task to finish ahead of either of them. It's a task that's not beyond them though and if they do make it out of the group a quarter final spot would be seen as not a bad performance from them.

There's not too much expected of Costa Rica at this World Cup, but they might just have enough about them to cause at least one surprise. Arsenal's Joel Campbell will get the chance to show what he can do on an international stage as he did on loan at Olympiacos last season. He could end up an Arsenal player in the future if he returns from his various loan spells and forces his way into the manager's plans. 

The chances are Costa Rica will finish last in the group, but Campbell has enough about him to cause a few problems for the other teams at times. I'm sure they would love to beat one of the three big teams in the group, but they would probably be happy to take a point off one of them and affect the outcome of the group.

All in all there's every chance of 10 Arsenal players still being involved in the quarter final stages to provide that little bit of extra interest for Arsenal fans. It would be great to see one of them lifting the trophy, but the chances are it will go to a South American team with Brazil and Argentina the most likely candidates. Spain can't be discounted and maybe even Germany too if they can defend a little better.

That's it for today.

See you tomorrow.

Arsenal 3-0 Newcastle: Happy St. Totteringham's Day

Arsenal played Newcastle last night knowing that a win would put them within three points of finishing fourth in the Premier League and also guarantee that they finished ahead of Spurs for the 19th season in a row. They came into the game on the back of two wins in a row while Newcastle had lost their previous five games. The scene was set for Arsenal to finish their season strongly after the setbacks of the last couple of months.
Arsene Wenger chose the same team which won 3-0 away to Hull last week and Newcastle's team looked a little stronger than it had recently with Loric Remy and Mathieu Debuchy returning from injury. They also welcomed Alan Pardew back to the sideline after serving his seven match ban for head butting Hull's David Myler. If they were going to cause a shock Remy was the man most likely to deliver the goods.
The game started fairly slowly but Arsenal gradually started to apply more and more pressure as Newcastle showed very little ambition. They took the lead after 26 minutes when Laurent Koscielny got on the end of a Santi Cazorla free kick to slide the ball past Tim Krul. It was the goal of a poacher and Koscielny has shown that ability a few times in the past too.
Arsenal began to turn the screw on Newcastle and it looked like only a matter of time before they increased their lead. Both Mesut Ozil and Aaron Ramsey were putting in very good displays in midfield and showing exactly what Arsenal had missed during their absences. It was Ozil who got the second goal after he tapped home a rebound from a twice saved Olivier Giroud effort.
Giroud had been played through on the right with only Krul to beat and should have done a lot better, but Ozil was on hand at the far post to finish it off. He was in an offside position but it wasn't spotted and Arsenal had a two goal advantage just before half time. There were a few other good chances in that first half too with Ozil, Cazorla and Lukas Podolski all going close at times.
It was more of the same in the second half with Arsenal looking to add to their lead and Newcastle offering very little at the other end. They did have one good chance when it was still 2-0 with Yoan Gouffran getting through on goal but Wojciech Szczesny saved well on one of the few occasions he was called upon to do anything. It was a reminder that the game wasn't completely put to bed though and Arsenal pressed forward to get the all important third goal.
That goal came mid way through the half when Ramsey held the ball up and played it to Ozil who went past him on the left side of the Newcastle penalty area. He had time to pick out his cross and put it perfectly on to the head of Giroud who made a run to the near post and headed it past Krul. It was 3-0 to Arsenal and game over with just over 20 minutes to go. I thought Newcastle were there to be well and truly beaten but the players did enough to ensure the victory without over exerting themselves.
Mathieu Flamini and Tomas Rosicky came on for Ozil and Ramsey and the team lost some of it's attacking impetus. The performances of Ozil and Ramsey showed what the team were missing as their league campaign fell apart and left us all wondering what might have been if they had stayed fit. It wasn't to be though and at least they arrived back in time to help the push for a Champions League place and the FA Cup.
The win puts Arsenal four points ahead of Everton with two games left to play and they will secure the last Champions League place if they beat West Brom on Sunday. In fact that spot could be tied up on Saturday evening if Everton lose at home to title chasing City, but either way it looks like Arsenal will now finish fourth. With two games to go they have closed the gap to the league leaders to seven points and that could be even less by the time the season ends.
If Arsenal finish fourth it will be the 17th season in a row they have qualified for the Champions League and that's a feat all of it's own. Fourth place is not a trophy though and it's even like a trophy in my opinion, but the FA Cup most certainly is a trophy. If they can secure fourth place and beat Hull in the final the season has to be judged to be a success despite the collapse of their league challenge. There are only four trophies available each season and it's been nine years since Arsenal won any of them so taking the FA Cup will be a success and is very very important for the club.
The big celebrations were of course for the arrival of St. Totteringham's Day for the 19th season in a row as last night's win meant Arsenal will finish ahead of Spurs as per usual. It's always nice to celebrate getting one up on Spurs and it was nice not to leave it until the last day of the season this time. They will have to content themselves with more Thursday night European football next season as they scratch about in Europe's second rate competition and Arsenal yet again play in the Champions League as long as they get past the qualifying round.
All in all it was a good night for Arsenal and there promises to be a few more before the season ends. Fourth place should hopefully be tied up for the final home game of the season on Sunday and then there's the small matter of that trip to Wembley. Fingers crossed that the team bring home the trophy before the important transfer business that has to be done this summer.
That's it for today.
See you tomorrow.

Arsenal v Newcastle United Preview

There's only three league games to go for Arsenal this season and two wins in those games will guarantee fourth place for them. Everton were good enough to lose at Southampton on Saturday and are still a point behind Arsenal having played a game more than them. A win against Newcastle would give Arsenal a four point advantage with two games to play and it would also bring about a celebration which has become an annual event under Arsene Wenger.
Since he took the reins at Arsenal in 1996 they have finished above Spurs every single season although there have been a couple of close calls. At the moment Arsenal are four points above Spurs and Spurs have only two games left to play which means a win for Arsenal would bring about a celebration of St. Totteringham's Day. It's always good to finish above Spurs and it would be nice to do so with a couple of games to spare this season.
Arsenal have looked an awful lot better in their last two games with Aaron Ramsey back in the team and it's impossible to know how they might have fared if he hadn't been out injured since late December. It took a while for the team to get going against West Ham but in the second half of that game their attacking play was back to it's best. With Mesut Ozil returning for the game against Hull the team were even more fluid in attack and their performance was very encouraging considering the two teams will meet again in the FA Cup final in a couple of weeks.
Another big factor in those two victories was the performances and goals of Lukas Podolski. He is by far the best finisher in the Arsenal squad and in those two games he has been able to get himself into the right positions to score. He is absolutely lethal on his left foot and his four goals in the last two games have been very important.
Newcastle come into the game on the back of five defeats in a row and 12 defeats in their last 17 games. They have only scored one goal in those five defeats and have failed to score in 12 of the 17 games in that awful run. The sale of Yohan Cabaye in January was a big blow for them and it looks like the team have not recovered from it to me.
Arsenal are unbeaten at home since the first day of the season and a win is expected against Newcastle. The players know there is plenty of competition for places at the moment and are all trying to make sure they get a place in the cup final team. As long as they don't take the challenge Newcastle pose too lightly I expect Arsenal to win by a few goals.
The only addition to the squad which won away to Hull last week should be the return of Thomas Vermaelen, but he will more than likely be on the bench. I wouldn't be surprised to see the exact same Arsenal team start against Newcastle after the performance they put in against Hull. I'm sure Mathieu Flamini and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain would like to get into the team, but I would be surprised if they did.
I know the exclusion of Chamberlain will leave the team a little short of pace but the ability of both Ramsey and Podolski to get into goal scoring positions helps to make up for that. Even if Newcastle sit deep and try to defend I think Arsenal will have the guile to break them open. On the other hand if they hold a high line Ozil can pick a pass to any player although Chamberlain would obviously be the ideal player in that situation.
It's tough watching Liverpool, City and Chelsea battling for the league title while Arsenal can only finish in fourth after they spent so long leading the league. If Arsenal win their last three games they will finish a maximum of seven points behind the winners and it's impossible not to think about what might have been. The run the team went on starting with the 5-1 defeat to Liverpool destroyed their chances and it's no coincidence that they were missing some of their best players in most of those games.
While the replacements are all very good players it's very difficult for any team to cope without their best players. Look how City have struggled when both Yaya Toure and David Silva were out of the team at the same time despite the vast fortunes they have spent. I know Arsenal made big mistakes in the transfer market and should have strengthened in January too, but their challenge might well have gone the whole way if Ramsey, Ozil and Theo Walcott had all managed to steer clear of injury.
The run in for Arsenal is relatively easy compared to the three teams above them and they might just have had a chance if they could have held on in there with all of those players injured. It's not to be though and fourth place is all that's available now along with the possible added bonus of the club's eleventh FA Cup victory. If I was offered fourth place and the FA Cup at the start of the season with the team within seven points of the league winners I would have been very happy.  Hopefully the team can win the four games they have left to finish on 79 points and win the FA Cup too. 
It could be a very good night for Arsenal with fourth place almost tied up by beating Newcastle and celebrating St. Totteringham's Day at the same time. Let's hope the players can keep their focus enough to make sure both of those things happen.
That's it for today.
See you tomorrow.

Arsenal Get Their Mojo Back

Arsenal played Hull on Sunday afternoon in a dress rehearsal  for their FA Cup final meeting on May 17th and ended up winnining comfortably. Hull had a very good home record in the league but the return to the Arsenal team of both Aaron Ramsey and Mesut Ozil was too much for them to handle. Ramsey hadn't started a league game since getting injured in late December and Ozil was playing for the first time in six weeks.

During the absence of Ransey the team continued winning in January but without the attacking flair and convincing performances of earlier in the season. If there was any doubt about his importance to the team it was put to bed with the attacking display he put in against Hull and when he came on towards the end of last Tuesday night's win over West Ham. In less than two hours of league football since his return he has scored one goal and made there more.

He has the ability to break into the opposing penalty area at just the tight time and score goals or set them up for others. He does what is required of him defensively too and there are few players who work harder than him in all of the Premier League. It's that ability to get from the centre of midfield into the opposing area which sets him aside from most other players though and it was what Arsenal mised so badly during his absence. 

Ozil's performance may not have been up to the standard of Ramsey's but he put in a very good display for his first game back after injury. He had a big hand in the first goal and was clearly taken down for a penalty which wasn't awarded when there was no score on the board. He's a world class player who will be a huge asset for years to come as long as he has other players who can perform at his level to play with.

Lukas Podolski was the main man on the scoresheet yet again with his second league brace in a row. He is the best finisher in the Arsenal squad and again showed what he can do once Arsenal can get the ball to his left foot in the opposing penalty area. Those four goals have helped to bring six very important points just at the time the team needed them to maintain their advantage in the race for fourth place.

The overall performance from the team was to be admired as they dug in at the back under a lot of pressure from Hull and played good football in the opposing half. Wojciech Szczesny was commanding in goal and kept everything Hull could throw at him at bay while Mikel Arteta gave his front tooth to the cause in midfield. The contribution of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain when he came on was excellent too and he should have been awarded a penalty late on.

With the FA Cup final coming up next month Hull set out to close Arsenal down and rough them up when they could. I have no doubt it was a practice run for the tactics they intend to display in the cup final, but Arsenal countered those tactics perfectly. If Hull try to play the same way in the cup final they will hopefully find themselves on the end of another beating. It's very hard to put in that much work in the wide open spaces of the Wembley pitch and that space should suit Arsenal with players like Ramsey, Ozil and Chamberlain back in the team.

There are three league games left and they are all winnable for an Arsenal team who have found their form just in time to save their season. They lead the race for fourth place with home games against Newcastle and West Brom coming up and go into the FA Cup final strong favourites to take their first trophy in nine years. It may not be ideal but it's infinitely better than playing in next season's Europa League and letting the trophy drought reach 10 years. Of course it's still possible for both of those alternatives to occur, but the chances are they won't.

It's impossible to know if the team would have continued their title challenge if both Ramsey and Ozil had stayed fit along with Theo Walcott. All of their inclusions in the team probably would have prevented the points dropped at Southampton and Stoke and at home to Swansea too, but their possible influence on the "accidents" against Liverpool, Chelsea and Everton is impossible to gauge. I'd like to think the team would not have capitulated in those games with their best players in the team, but that's a question which cannot be answered.

At the start of the season I would have been very happy to have seen the team finish on an average of two points or more per game and to win the FA Cup too. They're still on course to do just that and their fate on both counts is in their own hands with four games left to play. The manner of how they finished up fighting up for fourth place is what grates and those awful performances in big league games away from home are so hard to take too. 

I would also have been very happy at the start of the season to see Arsenal with an unassailable lead over United while United still have four games left to play. The demise of United has made Arsenal's chances of finishing in the top four so much easier and they look like seeing the job through. If they win their last three league games they will finish on 79 points and that's more points than the team have managed since the 2004/05 season. It will be odd that they only finish fourth on 79 points, but I can't see them finishing any higher.

There are always regrets at the end of any season and I think my biggest one will be for the season that might have been. The league title was a very real possibility until it all went horribly wrong for a variety of reasons which can be discussed in full when the season is over. Hopefully it will end with fourth place and a trophy though and both of those goals look a lot more likely at the moment.

That's it for the moment.

See you tomorrow.

Arsenal's Trip To Hull City Previewed

Fortune took a turn in Arsenal's favour on Wednesday night when Everton lost at home to Crystal Palace. That result meant Arsenal stayed in fourth place with a one point advantage over Everton and four league games left to play for both clubs. It's a far cry from the lofty heights of only a couple of months ago, but it's vital for Arsenal to maintain that advantage until the season ends.

On the face of it Arsenal have the easier run in of the two clubs and they play before Everton on Sunday. To put as much pressure as possible on Everton who play against United it's very important for Arsenal to beat Hull. United have the best away record in the league despite being back in seventh place and they need results in their last five games to try to make the Europa League places.

That shock defeat to Palace will have been a real blow to an Everton team who had won their previous seven league games and an Arsenal win before they play could put another dent in their confidence. Arsenal have a real chance of a trophy with the FA Cup final against Hull in four weeks, but an FA Cup victory would feel more than a little hollow if they missed out on next season's Champions League. It would be a fantastic day for them if they can beat Hull in the Lesgue and lay down a marker for the cup final too. 

In team news Mathieu Flamini returns from suspension, Nacho Monreal might have recovered to take his place at left back and it looks like Mesut Ozil will make the trip too. There's also Aaron Ramsey and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain who didn't start in Tuesday night's victory over West Ham, but should both be refreshed enough to take their places in the team. I doubt if Ozil will start but it will be great to see him back in the squad and probably getting 20 minutes at the end of the game. Arsene Wenger hasn't had too many options with his team selection recently, but he will certainly have a headache deciding who should play and who should be on the bench. 

I think both Ramsey and Chamberlain have to come back into the team as they offer the drive and pace this side needs. I'm not too bothered whether Mikel Arteta or Flamini starts in the holding role, but I think Arteta is probably due a rest. It will be impossible to leave Lukas Podolski out of the team after he scored twice on Tuesday night and his inclusion will go a long way to deciding the rest of the team. The other two places should go to Santi Cazorla and Olivier Giroud who both did well in that win over West Ham.

With that team there is a chance the boss will change the formation to 4-4-2 with Podolski playing alongside Giroud rather than wide on the left. Podolski's two goals on Tuesday came from a very similar position just to the left of the goal and inside the box. He is by far the best finisher in the Arsenal team and is more than capable of getting the goals they need if they can get the ball to his left foot in the Hull penalty area. Arsenal have struggled in front of goal quite a lot in the last few months and having two strikers from the start might just make the difference for them. 

I thought Cazorla was back to his best against West Ham and showed the form which made him so good for much of last season. He pulled the strings in midfield and caused problems for West Ham time and again. He could be the man to pick the passes for the runs of the attacking players in the absence of Ozil.

Hull will have both Shane Long and Nikica Jelavic in attack, but neither of those players will be available to play in the FA Cup final. They were both signed in January and had already played in the competition this season for their previous clubs. It won't be too easy to get an idea of how Hull will play in that final with two different strikers in the league game. 

With four games to go it's still possible for Arsenal to finish the season on 79 points and that would be their highest points tally since 2005. Despite the slip ups by both City and Chelsea in the last week it still looks like 79 points will only be good enough for fourth place. Those games cannot be taken for granted though with Sunderland showing in their last two games just how dangerous teams struggling at the wrong end of the table can be. In their last four games Arsenal have to play three teams who still need points to ensure their Premier League survival and any lapses in concentration in those games could be costly.

The players cannot let their minds drift to the cup final and they have to go to Wembley having booked their place in next season's Champions League yet again. The ideal scenario will be for Arsenal to do what is needed of them to get the three points and then sit back and see how Everton get on against United. It has the potential to be a very good day for Arsenal once they give their all to their game.

Hull are a tough team to beat at home, but Arsenal's away record has been very good against the teams in the lower reaches of the league this season. Hull probably need three more points to make sure they stay in the Premier League and they would love to get those points as soon as possible. The longer they go without ensuring their safety the more nervous they will become as the teams below them pick up points. 

I have no doubt Arsenal are good enough to take the three points and lay down a marker for the FA Cup final as well as putting it up to Everton. Hopefully they can do just that and finish the season strongly enough to dispell the disappointments of the last couple of months.

That's it for today.

See you tomorrow.

Arsenal Beat West Ham To Regain Fourth Place

After qualifying for the FA Cup with a win over Wigan on penalties at the weekend Arsenal got back to Premier League action at home to West Ham last night. With Everton two points ahead of them in fourth place and only five games to go it was a must win game for Arsenal. They hadn't won in their last four league games though and if they were going to finish in the top four they had to start winning again. With an FA Cup final to come in mid May Arsenal's remaining six games were being described by some as six cup finals. 

The extra time and penalties at the weekend took their toll on the Arsenal players and Arsene Wenger decided not to risk either Aaron Ramsey or Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain from the start. They're two players who could really have made a difference, but risking them after Sunday could have seriously hampered the team's chances for the remaining games. There will be no more midweek games from here on in and players will get a break of a week between each game.

There were five changes from the team which came through on Saturday with Wojciech Szczesny, Laurent Koscielny, Tomas Rosicky, Kim Kallstrom and Olivier Giroud all coming into the team. The players to miss out were the injured Nacho Monreal, Ramsey, Chamberlain, Lukasz Fabianski and Yaya Sanogo. It meant there was very little pace in the team and I was worried that lack of pace would make it too easy for West Ham to defend.

The game didn't start too brightly for Arsenal as fatigue looked to be playing a part in a lethargic opening. The first couple of chances they got came to Giroud, but he failed to get on the end of a Lukas Podolski ball across the six yard line and then fluffed his lines badly when Santi Cazorla played him in with only the keeper to beat. That miss from Giroud seemed to lift the team though and they eventually found some fluency to put West Ham under pressure.

The pressure didn't pay off though and the moment I dreaded came just five minutes before the break when West Ham scored. Antonio Nocerino broke from midfield and got past Kallstrom but Szczesny managed to save twice from him before the ball popped up for Matt Jarvis to head into an empty net. Koscielny tried to get a foot to the ball as Jarvis headed it, but it was just as well he didn't because he probably would have got a red card and given West Ham a penalty too.

It didn't look good for Arsenal with half time approaching and it was vital for them to get back into the game before the break. Thankfully Stewart Downing fluffed a clearance with a minute to go to the break and Cazorla seized on the chance. He played a beautifully disguised ball to Podolski in the box and he turned and shot across the keeper into the far corner. It was just what Arsenal needed and it got the crowd right behind them just before the break. If they had gone in one behind the reaction from some of the crowd might have been very different.

There wasn't an awful lot of energy to Arsenal's start to the second half but they eventually started to pick the pace up gradually. West Ham's two wide players had looked good in the first half, but they gradually played more and more directly towards the head of Andy Carroll at any and every opportunity. He was pretty well marshalled by Per Mertesacker and Koscielny and their long ball tactics rarely threatened.

Only 10 minutes into the second half Arsenal took the lead when Thomas Vermaelen played a long ball back into the West Ham box after a corner had been cleared. Giroud brought the ball down beautifully on his left foot under pressure from two defenders and crashed it home between the keeper's legs with his weaker right foot. It was his 20th goal of the season in all competitions and it couldn't have come at a better time for Arsenal.

With just less than 20 minutes to go Ramsey came on for Rosicky and he had a big part in the third Arsenal goal six minutes later. He cushioned a header down to Podolski in the box and Podolski turned and crashed the ball past the keeper to extend Arsenal's lead. With 12 minutes left the game looked done and dusted and Arsenal managed to see it out without much incident. 

The three points moved them above Everton by one point with Everton playing at home to Palace tonight. Palace have proved very difficult to beat since Tony Pulis took the reins, but they are far better at home than away. I don't hold out much hope of Palace taking anything from Everton, but their next three games after Palace will be far from easy for them. At least Arsenal have put themselves in a position to take advantage of any slips by Everton in their last five games.

I thought Cazorla was Arsenal's best player last night and he showed glimpses of the form which impressed us all so much last season. He was ably assisted by Podolski with his two expertly taken goals and he showed exactly what he has to bring to the team when he gets a chance. I thought Vermaelen had a good game too after bring moved from the centre of defence to fill in at left back.

West Ham may not have had too much to play for but that didn't stop them taking a point at Chelsea a few weeks ago. They can be a tough team to beat and had a good defensive record away from home, but Arsenal managed to find enough to put a potentially tricky game behind them. If they're going to finish fourth they are going to have to show a lot more of that resilience in their remaining games.

Like a lot of others I have being giving Giroud a hard time recently as I just don't think he's good enough to be the first choice striker at the level Arsenal play. I was far from surprised when he made a complete mess of his great chance in the first half, but he took his goal really well. Hopefully that goal will give him the confidence to go on add a few more before the season ends.

It was good to end a run of four league games without a win and to come from behind to do it too. There are plenty of players to come back into the team in the coming weeks and hopefully all of that competition will be to the team's advantage. I would be very surprised if Everton didn't drop at least four points in their remaining five games and Arsenal have set themselves up to take advantage of any slips.

The win also put Arsenal seven points ahead of Spurs with four games to go and St. Totteringham's Day is suddenly drawing an awful lot closer. Arsenal will finish ahead of Spurs if they win two of their last four games and there's even a possibility of it happening this weekend if Spurs lose at home to Fulham and Arsenal win away to Hull. 

The chances of Spurs losing are slim, but Arsenal know they have to win the dress rehearsal for the cup final. Hull won't be easy to beat and will want to show Arsenal the cup final will be no pushover either. The big games just keep coming thick and fast and it's the best way to have it at this stage of the season.

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.

Another Abysmal Arsenal Afternoon

Arsenal went to Everton on Sunday afternoon knowing they couldn't afford to lose the game, but that's exactly what they did. They continued their trend of inept performances away from home to any team which is competent at playing football and their chances of finishing in the top four have seriously decreased as a result. Everton hadn't beaten Arsenal in the last 14 games between the clubs, but there was only one team in the game from start to finish.

An Arsenal team that went to Anfield as league leaders in early February have now only managed to take nine points from their last nine games and are in real danger of a complete collapse. The team showed little fight against Everton and their effort in such an important game was completely unacceptable. It's hard to understand how the team could have put in such an inept performance in a game they didn't seem to understand the significance of. 

The players that are injured have been a big loss of course but the lack of investment in the squad and poor team selection have played a part too. I can't remember seeing an Arsenal team under Arsene Wenger so devoid of pace as the current team, but the only player with that pace was sitting on the bench again yesterday. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain hasn't had the easiest of times in the last couple of weeks, but omitting him from the team makes it too easy for opponents to defend against Arsenal. 

Everton are a good attacking team, but for me their two full backs can be taken advantage of. Instead Arsenal didn't play anybody in a wide right role which meant Bacary Sagna was the only player getting forward into that position. It also meant Sagna had no help when Leighton Baines got forward and Arsenal were vulnerable on the right side of their defence which is something which doesn't usually happen.

The absence of Laurent Koscielny was shown for the first Everton goal as Thomas Vermaelen was caught ball watching twice when Steven Naismith scored. For the second goal both Nacho Monreal and Vermaelen should have done an awful lot better and Per Mertesacker didn't exactly cover himself in glory either. The less said about their third goal the better, but suffice it to say it ended up with Mikel Arteta putting the ball into his own net.

Arsenal have lost all of their attacking flair at the same time as the defence has being giving goals away far too easily. The excuse of the injured players is wearing thin and the players who are available are better than the results they have being getting. It's hard to understand why or how they are playing so badly and how they are unable to react to events as they happen on the pitch.

It has become too easy to play against Arsenal and the manager is being out thought by opposing managers week after week. It's hard to see what Arsenal's game plan was yesterday and what instructions the players were given before the game. It looked like they were told to go out there and play their own game and see what happened.

Everton went out to close Arsenal down in possession and push them as far back as they could with their full backs advancing. It was an easy tactic for them to implement with no pace in the Arsenal attack and only Lukas Podolski prepared to have a shot from outside the box. Everton allowed Arsenal to play the ball in front of them knowing they were incapable of getting behind them and then broke at pace against a disorganised defence. 

It was all too easy for them but Arsenal did nothing to counter it at any stage as they continued with the tactics which had not worked. By the time the bench was used Arsenal were 3-0 down and it was too late, but even then it was more likely that Everton would add to their lead. Yaya Sanogo did put the ball in the net very late on and he was mistakenly given offside and Chamberlain hit the bar too, but it was too little too late.

The refereeing didn't help and Everton's second goal should have been disallowed as Naismith was clearly in an offside position and blocking Wojciech Szczesny's view of the ball when Romelu Lukaku scored. He was also far too lenient on a couple of occasions with poor Everton tackles early on as they put the boot in to put Arsenal off their game. The result was not down to the referee though and the outcome was all Arsenal's own doing.

There are five league games left and all of those games are winnable even for this depleted Arsenal side. If they win all five games they will finish on 79 points and I cannot believe that won't be enough for a top four finish. For them to win those games they are going to have to play an awful lot better than they did yesterday and at this stage I'm not so sure that will happen.

By the time they play their FA Cup semi final against Wigan next week Everton will have played away to Sunderland and a point will be enough to move them ahead of Arsenal. The FA Cup has now become an absolute must for Arsenal to win to rescue something from a season which has fallen apart, but the players are at a low ebb heading into that semi final. The blow of dropping to fifth place just before they kick off could be bad for them and they have been unable to react well to setbacks recently.

Wigan are no mugs and have done very well to get this far in their defence of the trophy they won last season, but they are a Championship side and Arsenal have to beat them. The alternative doesn't bear thinking about but it's a very real prospect with Wigan having the blueprint of how to play Arsenal shown to them week after week at the moment. If the Arsenal players put as little effort into that game as they did yesterday they will be beaten.

The only real positive to take from yesterday's game was the return of Aaron Ramsey after a three month injury absence and he has to play next week as does Chamberlain. They at least offer an attacking threat which was virtually non existant for far too much of yesterday's game. I don't know if Mesut Ozil or Koscielny will be back by next Saturday, but the team could do with the quality they offer too.

As for Olivier Giroud the chances are he will play in that game as there is no real alternative, but he's just not good enough at the level Arsenal want to play. Arsene Wenger has seldom had a striker in his Arsenal teams with his lack of pace and he is an ordinary finisher at best. His hold up and link play are ordinary at best too and a striker can't be kept in the team just because he defends set pieces well. If Giroud doesn't play then it's a choice between Sanogo, Nicklas Bendtner and Podolski and none of them really offer what Arsenal want or need. 

The team need to get through what's left of this season and somehow manage to win the FA Cup and finish fourth too. There then has to be real investment in the squad and the first priority has to be a top class striker. The team cannot go into next season with such a hopelessly inept set of options up front.

If Arsenal don't win the FA Cup and finish outside the top four I really think the manager has to pay the price. Despite all the injured players he is still picking the team and choosing the tactics which are proving to be wrong week after week at the moment. If he can't raise their spirits and get the best from them then somebody else has to be found who can do that. I would hate to see Arsene leave under such circumstances and I would love to see him bring the glory days back, but I am no longer sure he will.

This time next week we should have a much clearer picture of whether this team are still playing for the manager or not. If they lose to Wigan I can't see them recovering to finish fourth and it's not something I want to see happen. It's hard to be upbeat about the team's chances when they continue to play so poorly week after week, but all hope is not lost yet.

That's it for today.

See you tomorrow.