Arsenal v Red Star Belgrade Preview

Arsenal's busy schedule continues tonight when they play at home to Red Star Belgrade in the Europa League. It's a competition that has gone quite well for Arsenal so far with three wins from three games and qualification for the knockout stages looking fairly certain at we stand. As I've said before it's a competition we can win and we should be looking to do just that with a Champions League place for the winner besides the nice shiny trophy.

Of course as important as this competition might become as the season progresses it's nowhere near the top of our list of priorities at the moment. That means we're going to see a mixture of fringe players and youngsters tonight and they have done very well so far. Besides the three Europa League wins they have also progressed to the last eight of Carabao Cup where they will meet West Ham a week before Christmas.

To be honest the team is being thrown together by Arsene Wenger with players having to fit into positions they're not accustomed to most of the time. That's most obvious in the defence where the only recognised defender playing in position has been Rob Holding in the centre of the back three. He has had Matthieu Debuchey and Mohamed Elneny in the center of that defence with him and that's something neither of them are used to and it shows at times. They have done well all things considered though, but we are vulnerable to a quick break right through the middle of our defence. 

You have to feel for the two players at wing back too because both Reiss Nelson and Ainsley Maitland-Niles must be delighted to get so much time in the first team, but it has to be tempered by where they are being asked to play. Nelson looks like he might really make an impression in an attacking role while Maitland-Niles would love the chance to display his wares in the centre of midfield. They are being asked to play out of position because of our lack of options in the wing back roles and it's difficult to understand why we didn't bring in cover in those positions if we were going to continue with five at the back this season.

We will of course get another chance to see Jack Wilshere ply his trade as he continues to try to regain a place in the first team. It's a little odd to hear the manager suggest he should be on the radar for the England team when he can't get a genuine look in at Arsenal. I still think he has a long way to go to fulfill his potential, but it's not easy to shine in a team without the club's real stars. I would like to see how Wilshere performs in a team with Alexis Sanchez, Mesut Ozil, Alexandre Lacazette and others rather than the makeshift one he's currently having to perform in.

These games are an opportunity for players to let the manager know they still exist or even to try to make an impression. As I said it's not always easy, but Eddie Nketiah showed in the Carabao Cup against Norwich that it's most certainly possible. His two goals from the bench to turn the game back in our favour made a name for him instantly and he'll be dying to get another chance as soon as possible.

A win tonight would put us through to the knockout stages and we're one of the favourites to win the trophy at the moment. That should leave us in a situation where we can rest a few players if needs be, but we're already resting the first choice players anyway. It's a good situation to be in and long may it continue.

If we do progress to the last 32 I would imagine the manager will gradually reintroduce the first choice players as the opposition improve. I suppose it could depend on what the league table looks like at that stage and whether we're still challenging for a top four spot. If we are the team could be stretched with the FA Cup to contend with too and given the choice I think the rewards of the Europa League outweigh those of the FA Cup.

Red Star were unbeaten before we beat them 1-0 a couple of weeks ago and they will still be hoping they can progress to the knockout stages. They made plenty of good chances against us at their ground and they will be looking to exploit our jumbled team tonight again. It's something that's quite possible given the team we will have out, but they have come through every challenge so far. I'd love to see Wilshere or Alex Iwobi grab the game by the scruff of the neck tonight and maybe Olivier Giroud or Theo Walcott could show us why they think they should be in the first team. 

As usual it's going to be difficult to get to see the game in my part of the world. BT Sport will be showing it live on one of their channels I suppose, but it's not a package I subscribe to. Hopefully I will get to see it, but it's not the end of the world if I don't which is probably an indication of how the group stages of the Europa League are judged. 

That's it for today.

See you tomorrow.

It's Ed, Edd & Eddy Time As Arsenal Beat Norwich

Arsenal took on Norwich last night in the last 16 of the the Carabao Cup with a place in Thursday's draw for the quarter finals as a reward for the winner. As he had done in the previous round and in the three Europa League games to date Arsene Wenger used his squad as he rested the players who beat Everton 5-2 on Sunday. He had the luxury of making 11 changes from that team despite being short of a few players thanks to injuries.

Matt Macey got his first start of the season in goal with David Ospina still injured and Alex Iwobi played instead of Joe Willock, but otherwise the team was the same as the one which won 1-0 at Red Star Belgrade on Thursday night. There were plenty of players out there looking to impress the manager or at least that was what we hoped. Norwich were going to be no pushover though and they will be pushing hard for a return to the Premier League at the end of the season.

The less said about the game the better I suppose up until a point at least because Arsenal were wholly unimpressive for the vast majority of the game. Our defence was a mish-mash and it showed as Norwich found a way in behind us far too often for comfort. They took the lead from such a move when the impressive Josh Murphy ran right past the centre of our defence and finished with a deft touch in the 34th minute.

Try as we might we never really looked like getting back into the game and Norwich had the better chances on the break. There was no cohesion to our play and it seemed like more than a lack of effort on the part of some players. Jack Wilshere was clearly frustrated by the inaction of some of those around him, but he didn't exactly have the best game either.

As the game wore on and we searched seemingly in vain for an equaliser I resigned myself to the fact that we were going out of the competition. I just couldn't see a goal coming from anywhere and I considered how bad the Europa League must be if this team had a 100% record in their first three games. There was one thing I hadn't considered though and we had to wait until the 85th minute to see what that was.

Reiss Nelson was replaced by Eddie Nkietah as Arsenal were about to take a corner and he just jogged forward into their box and poked home from close range as the ball from the corner dropped at his feet. He was only on the pitch 15 seconds at that stage and he could not have asked or hoped for a quicker impact. Arsenal had been improving before that goal and they took control of the game as they went in search of a winner.

They didn't manage it in normal time, but six minutes into the first period of extra time that man Nkietah rose to head home a corner to give them the lead. I had said in my preview that players needed to take their chance to make an impression and Nkietah most certainly did just that. He's only 18 years old, but there can't have been too many players from our youth system who have made such an impression so quickly when the chance has come their way.

There were chances at both ends before the game ended and Norwich felt aggrevied not to get a penalty after Mathieu Debuchey raised his arm across one of their players to hold him off. I still don't quite understand how an arm raised across your face causes your legs to go from under you, but maybe that's just me. They were probably a little unfortunate not to get the penalty and also Mohamed Elneny was a little lucky not to get a red card for a foul in the first half when he was the last line of defence. They're the breaks sometimes though and Arsenal have had their share of decisions go against them in recent games.

I'm not sure what the manager will make from the performances of most of the players, but he cannot have failed to have been impressed by Nkietah. Whether he'll get any more game time or not is another thing because dropping Olivier Giroud or Theo Walcott from our second string would be a real insult to them and I can't see him doing that. I think he should get a chance after a performance like that though as he showed far more desire and willingness to make runs in his 35 minutes on the pitch than both them did between them throughput the whole game.

We're through to the quarter finals where we will play one of United, City, Chelsea, West Ham, Bournemouth, Leicester or Bristol City. The draw will be made tomorrow and the funniest thing is the lack of Spurs in the pot after they put out a strong team at home to West Ham and blew a two goal lead to lose 3-2. I still don't think the team we're fielding in this competition can win it for us, but making it to the last eight isn't too shabby. 

I thing other clubs will probably play stronger teams with Wembley in their sights and it could make it difficult for us in the next round. For the moment though we can revel in the splendour of a great performance from a young man who is hopefully starting out on a long and illustrious Arsenal career.

That's it for today.

See you tomorrow.

Arsenal Beat West Brom With BATE Up Next

Arsenal played at home to West Brom on Monday night knowing that nothing but a win would do after all of the top teams in the Premier League won at the weekend. They have struggled away from home this season, but they have won all of their home games. Thankfully they kept that record up against West Brom, but not without a few scary moments along the way.

The performance in the first half left a lot to be desired with some very sloppy play in midfield leading to far too many chances for West Brom. They had a stonewall penalty denied to them early on when the referee either didn't see it or played an advantage which ultimately didn't lead to a goal. The tackle from Shkodran Mustafi was far too typical from a player who needs to learn how to stay on his feet.

We rode our luck in that first half though and took the lead with Alexander Lacazette headed in after an Alexis Sanchez free kick had been touched on to the bar by the Albion keeper. Alexis came close with two other free kicks, but I was still glad we made it to the break with our lead intact. Whatever was said at half time had an impact because we saw a much more focused team in the second half and West Brom rarely got a look in. 

The second goal came from a well taken Lacazette penalty after Aaron Ramsey had been bundled over. Ramsey kept his place ahead of Mesut Ozil who came off the bench late on as he made his way back from injury or continued to haggle over a new contract depending on what you choose to believe. I wonder if Ozil will start tomorrow night away to BATE Borisov considering he was on the bench against West Brom.

The three points gained against West Brom moved us up to seventh in the table and we have a good run of games coming up too while some of the teams above us have to play among themselves. While I still can't see this team genuinely challenging for the title I at least want them to make a fist of trying to finish in the top four. One season without Champions League football is bad enough, but another season would be an absolute disaster when it comes to finances and attracting new players.

As for the trip to Belarus tomorrow night it's going to be a tricky game for us with so many probable changes from the perceived first 11. I would imagine we could see anything up to eight or nine changes from the team that beat West Brom and those players might not find the task too easy. We can expect to see David Ospina, Per Mertesacker, Rob Holding, Jack Wilshere, Theo Walcott, Ainsley Mailland-Niles, Alex Iwobi and Olivier Giroud in from the start along with a few others.

The issues will come in the wing back roles as we saw in the League Cup against Doncaster and when we played Koln in our first Europa League game. The only real cover for Sead Kolasinac is Nacho Monreal and he's already in the team in a different position while the only real alternative to Hector Bellerin is Mathieu Debuchey. I would doubt very much if Monreal, Kolasinac or Bellerin will play and not only is Debuchey not ready to return, but it's hard to believe he's still an Arsenal player.

We seem set on our new formation, but the manager should have addressed the issue of back up for his wing backs in the summer if he intended sticking with it. Of course there were other areas of the team and squad which needed attention and most of them were ignored too. The arrivals of Lacazette and Kolasinac were very welcome though and I'm highly impressed by both of them so far.

BATE will make things very tough for us and they have proven to be a hard team to beat on their own patch in European competitions. I would be more than happy with a point as the three points at home to Koln put us in a strong position in the group with BATE drawing away to Red Star Belgrade in their first game. Three home wins and a little more besides should see us out of our group and maybe we might just take the competition a little more seriously then.

The most important game for us at the moment is the home game in the Premier League against Brighton on Sunday. It's another must win game and the manager has to make sure he has a team that can go out and win that game. Brighton haven't had a bad start to life in the top flight, but we need to

not only beat them, but beat them well. That might mean sacrificing the trip to BATE, but as I said I would be happy enough with a point.

That's it for today.

See you tomorrow.

11 Arsenal Players Who Could Be On The Move

The transfer window hasn't even opened yet and Arsenal have already signed the first of what will be quite a few new players. The arrival of Granit Xhaka looks to be a good move for the club and it's great to have managed it so early in the summer. It looks like he won't be the last arrival either with a few places in the squad to be filled.

For a start Tomas Rosicky and Mikel Arteta have reached the end of their contracts and it looks like both of them will retire from playing. Arteta will definitely retire and Risicky might continue if he can find a club willing to take a risk on an injury prone player after Euro 2016. 

The other player to reach the end of his contract is Mathieu Flamini and I can only imagine he will be on his way too. I can't see him retiring just yet, but the arrivals of Xhaka yesterday and Mohamed Elneny last January mean he is surplus to requirements. For me he was never quite good enough for the level Arsenal want to play at, but he always gave his all and who can forget his two goals against Spurs in the Capital One Cup last season.

I'd be surprised if Mathieu Debuchey stayed too considering the fact that he went out on loan in January looking for first team football. He lost his place when Hector Bellerin took his chance with both hands as Debuchey was out injured. A player at his stage of his career doesn't want to sit on the bench and I cannot see him being an Arsenal player next season.

Kieran Gibbs was used sparingly last season and he missed out on a chance of going to Euro 2016 as a result. Nacho Monreal has made the left back slot his own and it would come as no surprise if Gibbs was to consider his future with Arsenal. He would have no problem getting into most Premier League teams and the prospect of sitting on the bench at Arsenal can hardly be too appealing to him.

Calum Chambers was signed from Southampton a few years ago at a high price, but he hasn't really been given much of a chance to strut his stuff at Arsenal. It's not clear what position suits him best and he needs a lot more game time if he is going to improve. As it stands it doesn't look like he will get that game time at Arsenal and the club could be tempted to get back at least some of the money they shelled out for him or he might even consider a move himself to further his career.

Carl Jenkinson has spent the last two seasons on loan at West Ham and it's hard to see where he fits in at Arsenal. Maybe he will stay with the club next season as an understudy to Bellerin, but I wouldn't be surprised if he didn't. With plenty of rebuilding to do this summer the club could be tempted to cash in on a player they got for a small fee or again Jenkinson might feel his career might flourish elsewhere.

Joel Campbell did well when he got the chance to play last season, but he was usually the first to be discarded when others were available. It looks to me like the boss isn't convinced by him and I wouldn't be surprised if he was offered to other clubs this summer. Despite how well he performed at times last season I don't think he's quite good enough to make it with Arsenal and a move might be the best thing for all parties.

Theo Walcott has been an Arsenal player for 10 years now, but he's never really reached the heights we hoped he would reach. Last season was not good for him at all and he has quite obviously fallen out of favour with the boss. It's hard to see where he goes from here considering how much he is paid, but he might need to move if he wants to play more often. If Arsenal get the chance to bring in a wide player who can take take defenders on and beat them as well as scoring a few goals I wouldn't be shocked to see Walcott on his way.

Wojciech Szczesny has spent the season on loan at Roma and it's difficult to know if there's a place for him at Arsenal. If he does come back he would be third choice behind Petr Cech and David Ospina unless Ospina decides he wants first team football elsewhere. There have been suggestions his move to Roma will be made permanent and it wouldn't surprise if he did leave. It wouldn't be too easy for him to come back as second or third choice at Arsenal considering how long he spent as first choice and that he was first choice for Roma too.

Lastly there's Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain who was another player to have a season to forget. He started well but things quickly deteriorated for him and yet again he wasn't helped by injuries. There have been rumours the club might be prepared to sell him due to his lack of improvement, but I would be surprised if they did so. He's still young enough to improve if he can overcome his persistent injuries and he certainly has lots of natural ability. 

All in all that's 11 players who could be on their way which is almost half a squad and it would be far more change than would be considered healthy for any squad. I have no doubt some of those players have played their last game for Arsenal, but it's a matter of how many the club decide to dispose of and how many choose to leave. It certainly promises to be a busy summer with those who leave having to be replaced and plenty of money in the bank to do so.

That's it for today.

See you tomorrow.

Arsenal v Sunderland: FA Cup Preview

Let me just start this preview by saying I will be at the game and I can't wait to see my beloved Arsenal play. My wife is well aware of their status in my life and has resigned herself to playing second fiddle to them. To be fair I have known Arsenal 16 years longer than her and they were my first love.

It's going to be a very early start for me as I have to get up at 3am to make my flight, but I'll be lucky if I sleep at all such is the excitement at seeing Arsenal play. I've already made plans to meet friends near the ground and get some breakfast as we wait for The Tollington to open at 11 for some pre game refreshments. There's no better watering home in the vicinity of the ground and it's great to be among 700 Arsenal fans on match day before and after the game.

I suppose I should mention the game itself at this stage and the competition we're playing in too. Arsenal ended their longest run without a trophy since I started supporting them in 1970 by winning the FA Cup in 2014 and then they went on to retain the trophy last season. They have won the FA Cup more times than any other team and it's a competition that they are more than capable of winning again.

The last team to win the Cup three years in a row was Blackburn Rovers in 1886, but plenty of teams have won twice in a row in the 130 years since then. It would be fantastic if Arsenal could go on to win the cup and emulate that feat. Having said that they are currently on top of the Premier League just past the halfway stage of the season and they face a tough trip to Liverpool on Wednesday night followed by a trip to Stoke the Sunday after that.

The question is whether Arsene Wenger will risk playing his strongest team with those two games coming up or if he will give a chance to some fringe players and some of the younger players. Sam Allardyce has already said he won't be playing his strongest side with a huge game for Sunderland away to Swansea on Wednesday night in their struggle to avoid relegation. When it comes to attempting to avoid relegation their FA Cup chances fade into insignificance.

The boss has said that the third round can be tricky and he wants to progress so I suspect he will play a relatively strong team. Alexis Sanchez won't play a part in proceedings as he still hasn't recovered from injury, but hopefully he can make his return against Liveepool or Stoke. The only player to add to the squad from last week is the fit again Mikel Arteta who managed 45 minutes for the under 21s during the week, but I would be surprised to see him in from the start as he has suffered from being thrown back into the action too soon in the past.

I imagine David Ospina will be the cup keeper for this season and we will see Kieran Gibbs, Gabriel Paulista, Calum Chambers and Joel Campbell in from the start as they were on the bench last week. Mathieu Debuchey is a different story as it looks like he is on his way out of the club on loan and I don't know if he will be in the right frame of mind to play. If any of the younger players are to get a run you would imagine it would be a choice between Alex Iwobe and Jeff Reine-Adelaide and maybe even both of them.

I think one of them could possibly play and I think Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain needs more game time too so he might well be included. Mesut Ozil, Olivier Giroud and Theo Walcott could all probably do with a rest, but they will surely be on the bench if they don't start. It's all about striking a balance between finding a team that can win the game and making sure the players are ready for the challenges ahead.

Sunderland have little to lose in this game and the players who do get the nod for them could well play with the freedom that brings. They have a very poor away record in the Premier League this season, but they played quite well when Arsenal beat them 3-1 a few weeks ago. If Arsenal can find their attacking rhythm I think they should have more than enough to overcome a team who will do very well not to drop to the Championship for next season.

I'll be somewhere in the upper tier of the East Stand, freezing cold, watching the action and I wouldn't have it any other way. It's been too long since I last saw Arsenal play and hopefully it will be nowhere near as long before I get to see them again. A win is what's required on the day as we can do without any replays and I think the team will deliver just that.

That's it for today.

See you tomorrow.

Arsenal v Spurs Preview

Arsenal have won their last five Premier Lesgue games and are only behind the leaders on goal difference. They're very much the form team in the league with 16 goals and three clean sheets in those five games too. Everything points to what could be a really good season for them and they look capable of putting in a genuine challenge for the title.

It all sounds so good until you remember what happened on Wednesday night and what this team are capable of at times. The 5-1 defeat against Bayern was most certainly a low point and it makes Arsenal's chances of qualifying from their Champions League group slim at the very best. The players have a chance to redeem themselves today though and they have the ideal opponents to do so.

No matter how badly things might be going it always feels great to get one over on Spurs. That's not to say things are going badly though with the team doing so well in the league despite the current injury crisis. A win today will leave Arsenal second behind City on goal difference only at the very worst.

There isn't too much to report in terms of team news with Laurent Koscielny possibly being the only one of the injured players set to return. If he's fit enough to play he will come straight back into the team for either Per Mertesacker or Gabriel Paulista. It also means Mathieu Debuchey will continue at right back with Hector Bellerin still out and hopefully he can improve on his recent performances.

There's also a possibility of Mikel Arteta returning to the squad, but he will only be on the bench even if he does return. With another international break after this game we could actually see things improve on the injury front for Arsenal by the time they get to play again in two weeks time. Hopefully we will see the returns of Aaron Ramsey, Theo Walcott and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in time for what promises to be a very busy end to the calendar year.

As for today the boss has very few options open to him and the team will be almost identical to the one which fared so badly on Wednesday night. If Koscielny is fit he will be the only change I would imagine and hopefully the ineptness of that game will mean the players have plenty left to give today. I don't think that defeat on Wednesday will affect their confidence too much as the team seem more capable of bouncing back from setbacks than they have done in past seasons.

Arsenal have of course already beaten Spurs this season when a second string side put them out of the Capital One Cup thanks to two goals from Mathieu Flamini. They didn't manage to beat Spurs in the league last season though with a defeat away to them and a 1-1 draw at home. That home game was one Arsenal should have won comfortably, but they didn't take their chances and paid the price.

As Arsenal's league form has improved this season they have become a lot better at taking their chances in games. They have a knack of scoring at crucial times and very quickly scoring a second goal after the first one. If they can be ruthless with their chances today they should be too good for a Spurs team who are in good form too.

They have only lost one league game so far and that was on the opening day. Since then they have five wins and five draws to their name and have won five of their last seven in the league. It's about time they were put in their place and there's no better team to do that than Arsenal.

We all know their place is in our shadow and they cannot find their way out of it no matter how hard they try. Since the boss took the reins in 1996 Arsenal have finished above Spurs every single season and I expect this season to be no different. A win today would be the perfect way to remind them of their place and I feel pretty confident they will get that win.

Olivier Giroud is in a fine run of goal scoring form at the moment and he could be just the man to make the difference. Mesut Ozil is the man most likely to supply him with the chances as he continues to impress while Alexis Sanchez can win any game all on his own. I'm a little concerned about his form for the last few games, but there would be no better game for him to show his class than in this game.

The team will most certainly have to defend an awful lot better than they did on Wednesday. Even with the huge injury list at the moment they still have the top class players to keep Spurs at bay and hurt them when the chances arrive. I don't think there will be too much in it, but I think Arsenal will get the win by the odd goal.

When Arsene Wenger

That's it for today.

See you tomorrow.

Arsenal v Bayern Munich Preview

Arsenal have been in very good form recently and look like they could be real contenders to win the Premier League. They're only off the top of the league on goal difference and have won seven of their last eight league games. Their form in the Champions League hasn't been quite so good though with the notable exception of their last game when they beat Bayern 2-0 at home.

Unfortunately that fantastic victory was preceded by a defeat away to Dinamo Zagreb and a loss at home to Olimpiacos. The defeat in Zagreb was bad enough, but the defeat at home to Olympiacos is the one which has really made their chances of making the knock out stages so difficult. That result against Olympiacos also means that Arsenal probably need something from the game in Munich and that will be no easy task.

As it stands Arsenal sit at the bottom of the group with three points from three games which is the same amount as Zagreb. They're three points behind Bayern and Olympiacis which is where the problem would lie if Arsenal were to lose in Munich. We can only assume Olympiacos will win at home to Zagreb which would leave Arsenal six points behind the two leaders if Arsenal lost and in a precarious position.

I think Bayern will win at home to Olympiacos whether they need to or not, but Arsenal would still have to go to Greece for their last group game needing a two goal win to qualify as long as they win at home to Zagreb. However a point in Munich would mean any victory away to Olympiacos would be enough and it would also mean Bayern would need a victory over Olympiacos in their next game. It's not an easy task to get anything away to Bayern, but Arsenal have done it twice in recent seasons and are capable of doing so again. 

Those two results came too late for Arsenal after poor results in the home leg at the knock out stages, but they must give the team some confidence for this game. Bayern dominated possession at the Emirates and I have no doubt they will again, but Arsenal were resilient enough to withstand them and can hopefully do so again. It's a shame Theo Walcott is injured because his pace on the break could have been a huge factor, but it's something Arsenal will have to do without.

They coped well away to Swansea on Saturday even with all of the injuries the squad has to cope with at the moment. The team won't be much different tonight with the obvious exception of Mathieu Debuchey coming in for Hector Bellerin who is the latest player to join the growing injury list. I haven't been impressed with Debuchey when he has played this season, but he will hopefully do better as part of s strong team and he should benefit from having the hard working Joel Campbell on the right hand side with him.

Campbell at last took his chance when he played at Swansea on Saturday and it was great to see him get his first goal. I haven't been his greatest fan, but he looked better as part of a strong team and hopefully he can continue to impress. He will have to work very hard tonight along with the rest of the team, but he certainly isn't afraid of hard graft.

Pace is the biggest weapon Arsenal have against Bayern as they will push forward and press the ball from first minute to last. With Walcott out Giroud will have to lead the line and he doesn't possess Walcott's pace, but he is far better at holding the ball up and bringing others into the game. He's going to have to be at his best tonight too, but he has scored plenty of goals in recent games.

I don't think the boss will go for something like a double defensive axis in midfield because Santi Cazorla is so important to the team in his central role and I'm not so sure he can trust Mathieu Flamini to keep his concentration for the whole game. It's going to be backs to the wall for Arsenal for much of the night and he needs to have his best team possible out there to try to get something from the game. Bayern are a force to be reckoned with and are big favourites to win the game, but Arsenal have shown they have the wherewithal to get the better of them.

It won't be the end of their hopes if they lose though, but they will be balancing on a knife edge. Anything other than a defeat would be fantastic and it's something I think this team are capable of. Hopefully they can get the point they need or even more tonight and go into the North London derby on Sunday in a very healthy position.

That's it for today.

See you tomorrow.

Arsenal Have A Tuesday To Forget Against Wednesday

What can you say about a night like last night for Arsenal. On the face of it there was a chance for a few youngsters and fringe players to make an impression, but it ended up as an unmitigated disaster. To add insult to the result Arsenal lost two players to injury when the squad was already threadbare.

Arsene Wenger would usually try to make 11 changes from the team that played at the weekend at this stage in the Capital One Cup, but injuries and players loaned out limited those changes to eight. He kept Petr Cech in goal with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain playing the advanced midfield role and Olivier Giroud lead the attack. Otherwise it was all change with both Alex Iwobi and and Glen Kamara making their debuts and the whole defence rotating as well as Joel Campbell and Mathieu Flamini coming in.

The biggest concern for games like this is for the players not to pick up injuries and it took less than 20 minutes for those fears to be realised. First of all it was Chamberlain who went off after only a couple of minutes with hamstring trouble and he was quickly followed by Theo Walcott who had only come on to replace him. 

Those changes did little to help the team shape with Ismael Bennacer coming on to make his debut for Walcott and Giroud as the only player with any real first team experience among the attacking players. It's hard to know if Chamberlain's injury was something he carried into the game or if it was something he just picked up on the night. He certainly seemed to warm up well enough, but the same cannot be said of Walcott and it's hard to see how his injury was caused by anything other than him failing to warm up properly.

The result of those injuries is that Giroud is the only striker available for the trips to Swansea and Munich as well as the North London Derby and Arsenal won't have the option of Walcott's pace on the break. The chances are Campbell will have to play in each of those games too unless Iwobi is risked, but the boss didn't think any of the youngsters were up to the task last night.

If you ask me it was the senior players who should have come in for far more criticism as all of them are a level above the Championship, but allowed themselves to be outplayed and outfought by a team from a league below them. Those youngsters needed help and guidance through their first games, but none of that was on offer from a team who looked like they didn't even want to be there. I really thought players like Mathieu Debuchey and Kieran Gibbs would take the opportunity to remind the boss that they have something to offer the team, but they did the opposite.

Elsewhere Flamini only showed any fight for a short spell in the second half and was again absent without leave when it came to his most important defensive duties far too often. He might have scored the two goals that beat Spurs in the last round, but he should have been the rock on which the youngsters could lean last night and he failed to show up. If Francis Coquelin picks up an injury or suspension I would be very worried to think Flamini would come in for him.

I felt sorry for Canpbell because he gave his all on the night, but football takes more than just commitment and that's something he's clearly lacking. When he got the chance to deliver the ball into the box he failed miserably and not just by slight margins. If he does play in the next three games I have no doubt he will give his all, but I can't see what he has to offer the team. 

Wednesday fully deserved their win and took their goals well even if Arsenal were abysmal. It was an awful night to be an Arsenal fan with the injuries a much bigger blow for me than the defeat. I've never been a huge fan of this competition and I'd prefer it if Arsenal could opt out rather than go through the torture of last night again.

I can't see any positives to take from the game and the next three games are going to be far from easy as a result. I'm not so much worried by the loss of momentum as the injuries and the decision not to add to the outfield players in the squad last summer is coming back to haunt the boss. He has to seriously consider his options for the next three games and hope Aaron Ramsey, Wakcott and Chamberlain can return after the next round of international games in a couple of weeks. 

Their absences for the next three games could have a bad effect on not only the team's chances of getting out of their Champions League group, but also on their chances of keeping up the pace in the Premier League. After a slow start the team are right there in the mix, but the games against Swansea and Spurs won't be easy and last night will only make them harder. There's still enough quality in the team to win both of those games, but one more attacking injury and the crisis will become almost too much for the team to handle.

That's it for today.

See you tomorrow.

Arsenal's Game With Sheffield Wednesday Previewed

Things are going pretty well for Arsenal at the moment with the win over Everton on Saturday keeping them second in the league. They're only behind City on goal difference after the Manchester derby bored us all to death on Sunday afternoon. There's still a long way to go in the Champions League group if qualification for the knock out stages is to be achieved, but the win against Bayern has given us real hope.

For the moment though it's a game in the less glamourous Capital One Cup with Arsenal making the trip to Sheffield to play Wednesday on Tuesday night. It's been quite a while since they played Wednesday that I can remember at least, but there was a time when the games were a permanent fixture in the top flight of English football. The most memorable encounters were probably the meetings in the FA Cup and League cup finals of 1993 with Arsenal coming out on top in both.

Arsene Wenger usually gives his fringe and reserve players a run out in this competition and this game should be no didferent, but his options are somewhat limited. The players who have played so many games in recent weeks are in need of a break with a tough week coming up after the game which includes trips to Swansea and Bayern as well as the North London derby. His problem is injuries have deprived him of many of the players who would have played and he has loaned out most of the others.

The only goalkeeper available besides Petr Cech is the untested Matt Macey and it would certainly be a gamble to play him. The defensive options are much easier for him and I would expect to see Mathieu Debuchey, Calum Chambers and Kieran Gibbs play from the start. Per Mertesacker has returned from the illness which saw him miss Saturday's game and I expect him to play from the start too.

In midfield Mathieu Flamini is bound to come in to play the defensive role which saw him score twice against Spurs in the last round and nearly do the same when he came on late on Saturday, but Mikel Arteta is again unavailable through injury. The only other player certain to start is Joel Campbell while I doubt if we'll see Theo Walcott in the team even if he was an unused sub against Everton. I think the most likely option on the right will be Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain who still looks like he needs more game time to me.

After that it's a matter of which players will be chosen from the ones who played on Saturday and I suspect Olivier Giroud will be one of them considering how often he has been on the bench recently. He has done very well when he has come in from the bench and led the line well when he started against Everton on Saturday. I wouldn't be surprised to see him play tonight and then play alongside Walcott on Saturday with Walcott taking over the striking duties away to Bayern next week.

It's anyone's guess who the other two players to make up the team will be, but the chances are they will be first team regulars. The hopes of dipping into the younger players have diminished with so many of the more advanced ones out on loan, but it's not impossible to suggest he might play Alex Iwobi. He's already made his full debut for Nigeria and didn't look out of place in pre season games in the first team so he's probably the most likely to play if any of the youngsters get a run out. 

Wednesday are sitting in mid table in the Championship and they're not too far off the play off places at the moment. I have no doubt they would like to get one over on the team who are joint leaders in the Premier League and it would be a huge boost for them if they did. I'm no lover of this competition and the team could probably do without a game this midweek, but a win would certainly continue the current momentum.

A loss won't be the end of the world either and at least the game will give our back up defenders a chance to show what they can do. It's an opportunity for all of the players who aren't regulars to remind the boss of their abilities and let's hope they take it with both hands. Arsenal have a pretty solid first choice 11 at the moment and a few of the players on show tonight need to try their all to changes minds on their current situation. 

The one thing we really don't want is extra time followed by penalties and we can do without any more injuries too. Let's hope the fringe players decide to remind the boss of their abilities tonight and help the team through to the quarter finals. It's been a long time since Arsenal won the league cup and they have never won it under Wenger, but who knows where it could end up if they reach the last eight.

That's it for today.

See you tomorrow.

Ladies And Gentleman It's The Mathieu Flamini Show

Mathieu Flamini hadn't got a look in so far this season for Arsenal, but he was one of 10 changes Arsene Wenger made to the team which lost to Chelsea last Saturday. The only player who remained from the starting 11 in that game was Aaron Ramsey who got to play just behind Olivier Giroud. I can't say I was overly impressed with the team and I worried about the outcome of the game, but Spurs made eight changes to the team which beat Palace on Sunday.

The boss did at least decide to go with a double defensive axis of Mathieu Flamini and Mikel Arteta to protect the back four. That looked like a wise move after Arteta struggled so badly in the defeat away to Dinamo Zagreb last week. The choice of Flanini turned out to be an inspired one as it was his contributions which ultimately won the game for Arsenal.

The first half was going nowhere until Flamini stepped in to bury the rebound from an Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain into the roof of the net and give Arsenal the lead. The game got better after that goal with Spurs offering more out of necessity and the makeshift Arsenal team finding some belief. There were no more goals in the first half, but there was still plenty of drama to come after the break.

There was a marked difference in Spurs after the break and they gradually got on top of the game. Even though they were on top Spurs still struggled to make real chances and needed a lot of help to get their equaliser. Calum Chambers inexplicably stuck his foot out at a ball which was bound for David Ospina in the Arsenal goal and deflected it past him into an empty net. I can only assume Ospina called for a ball which was his all the way, but Chambers couldn't help himself.  

The goal had been coming for a while as Arsenal kept giving the ball away and were offering next to nothing in attack. Spurs continued to dominate after their equaliser and it took a fantastic goal line clearance from Kieran Gibbs to keep the scores level. The game was only going one way at that stage, but the boss brought Alexis Sanchez on for Joel Campbell and Arsenal found their feet again.

They made a couple of decent chances but nothing came of them until that man Flamini intervened again. With just over 10 minutes to go he ran on to a ball which had been deflected high into the air. He shifted his feet brilliantly and hit a first time volley from outside the box past the despairing dive of Michelle Vorm. 

The goal was a thing of beauty and it was richly deserved by a player who showed he still has something to offer the team. With performances like last night he has to be considered to play alongside Francis Coquelin in games where the team needs a more defensive formation. The trip to Bayern Munich springs to mind and maybe even a few of the games away to some of the better teams in the Premier League.

Spurs tried to get back into the game in the remaining time, but it was Arsenal who had the best of the chances. The game finished with an Arsenal victory and first blood in their local rivalry for this season. It put an end to a run of successive defeats and most of the first choice 11 were able to sit the game out. 

Some of the performances weren't the best though and I thought Mathieu Debuchey didn't have a good night. Danny Rose gave him a rough ride all night long and it was no surprise when the goal came from his side. He hasn't had many chances since Hector Bellerin made the right back slot his own during Debuchey's injuries last season, but he will have to do an awful lot better if he is to have any hope of regaining his place in the team.

Campbell gave it his all for the time he was on the pitch, but nothing he did worked out for him. He just doesn't look good enough to play at this level to me and maybe he might be better suited to a team who play a different style of football. I couldn't fault his effort, but it takes more than effort to play at the top.

I wasn't too impressed with Arteta again, but he was better than his performance against Dinamo at least. The more I see of him the more I am convinced he's past his sell by date. I hope I'm wrong and he can find some form and make a telling contribution this season.

The difference in the team play when Alexis came on for Campbell was amazing. He came close to his first goal of the season and it surely can't be too far away. 

The real star of the show was Flamini and his performance was s reminder to the boss that he still has something to offer and that he wants to play. You want players to do well when they get their chance and he did just that besides his two goals. Those goals were the icing on the cake though and I have no doubt he will remember them for a long time to come.

The draw for the fourth round was made after the game and Arsenal were drawn away to Sheffield Wednesday. The game brings back memories of two Cup Finals in 1993 which both went Arsenal's way even if they weren't classic games. The game will be played in five weeks time with the winners going through to the quarter finals.

That's it for today.

See you tomorrow.

Arsenal's Trip To Manchester United Previewed

The defeat at home to Swansea on Monday night means Arsenal's chances of finishing second are an awful lot less likely. They're only three points behind City with a game in hand, but City have much better goal difference thanks mainly to the 6-0 spanking they gave QPR last week. Arsenal's chances of catching them will be a lot clearer after City play away to Swansea in the earlier kick off today.

Swansea have something to play for themselves with a Europa League place still a possibility if they can win their last two games. After both Southampton and Spurs won yesterday Swansea know they have to win to realistically keep their chances alive and they're very much an in form side. If they can do Arsenal a favour by taking a point or even three off City then second place will be very much up for grabs again.

Of course for Arsenal to keep those chances alive they will have to go to United today and win and that's no easy thing. United have lost three league games at home so far this season, but they have also won 14 and no other team has won more home games in the league. It's United's final home game of the season and they will want to sign off with a win for the home fans.

United have their injury problems coming into this game and Arsenal do too even if they have named an unchanged side in five successive games. It doesn't look like Danny Welbeck will be available and he was the player who scored the winning goal against his former club when Arsenal won away to United in the FA Cup quarter final. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Mathieu Debuchey and Mikel Arteta are all unavailable too and I think the team is missing the pace of both Welbeck and Chamberlain and the options that pace gives them. For me the unchanged nature of the team may not necessarily have been a good thing as Arsenal have a squad capable of beating almost any team and I think the squad needs to be utilised more often.

United came to Arsenal in the league in November and somehow or other won 2-1 despite only having one effort on target. The cup game was a lot different, but Arsenal did need a defensive howler to hand them the winning goal and I have no doubt this game will be just as close as those two were. It could come down to which teams makes an error to give the game away just like the cup game and Arsenal need to be switched on from first minute to last to ensure they're not the ones messing up this time.

Without the pace of Welbeck and Chamberlain it might not be a bad idea for Arsene Wenger to deploy Theo Walcott on the right even if he isn't exactly a genuinely wide player. Walcott hasn't really got much of a look in for one reason or another since returning from injury in January and the chances are he will be on the bench again today. When he came on against Swansea he missed a good chance to put Arsenal ahead, but he wasn't the only player who should have scored in that game.

I think the United defense are vulnerable to pace and Walcott could be the player to expose their deficiencies given the chance. He offers that something different that Arsenal need at the moment, but the chances are the boss will stick with the same side despite the result on Monday night. That team has loads of quality in it and is more than capable of winning this game, but they cannot afford to play it at the same pace as they did in the first half against Swansea. They didn't make Swansea work hard enough in the first hour of that game to keep them out and then they missed chances when they eventually opened them up in the last 30 minutes. 

United are guaranteed Champions League football for next season and that's an improvement on last season, but they must still hold some hope of finishing above Arsenal too. Third place means no final qualifying round for next season's competition and it's a hurdle both teams would like to avoid. If United win they will be a point ahead of Arsenal even if Arsenal have a game in hand and they will give themselves a chance of finishing third. A draw for Arsenal would more or less guarantee third place and might be enough to keep their chances of second place alive depending on the City result.

The defeat on Monday night brought Arsenal's great run in the league to an end, but they really should have at least taken a point from that game. The players have to show today that they aren't affected by that result and go out and play their game against United. This United team is far from the finished article and with the injuries they have they will be all the easier to beat too. 

Of course Arsenal will have to be aware of the threat posed by Marouane Fellaini, but Francis Coquelin had a great game against him in the cup match and I expect more of the same from Coquelin in this game. He has made himself such an important player for the team since circumstances saw him come into it and he's the one player you expect to always be at his best. If he can help to win the battle in midfield I think Arsenal will gain enough of a foothold to win the game. 

I suppose I would be happy enough as long as they don't lose considering how long it has been since they won a league game at Old Trafford. That cup victory was the template for what they can achieve in this game though and more of the same would be very welcome. Ideally I would love to see Arsenal win after City have failed to do so earlier in the day and make themselves favourites to finish second for the first time in 10 years. We don't always get what we want though, but it is more than possible today and the optimist in me thinks it might just happen. Even if Swansea don't do their part I think Arsenal can still beat a United team who have been far from impressive for most of the season and in recent weeks in particular.

That's it for today.

See you tomorrow.

Arsenal v Chelsea Preview

Let me just start off by saying Arsenal have no hope of catching Chelsea with a 10 point deficit to make up and only six games to go. Chelsea have only lost two league games this season and they're not going to lose three of their last six even if Arsenal do get the better of them. There was a very slim chance of Arsenal catching them, but that ended when Chelsea beat United last week.

As they have got closer and closer to lifting the title Jose Mourinho has reverted to type and his team have become more and more defensive and far less entertaining to watch. They have got the results though and I'm sure he's happy that the ends justify the means. If I'm not mistaken it was a similar approach to the game which cost him his job the last time he managed Chelsea.

They will more than likely park their executive bus across their penalty area and look to frustrate Arsenal from first minute to last. I have no doubt Mourinho would be delighted with a draw as it would move them a step closer to glory. Arsenal have to find a way to open up their defensive masses and get the goal or goals they need to stay second ahead of the two Manchester clubs.

Of course there's more than one sideshow to this game with the return of Cesc Fabregas to his former club and the first meeting of the two managers since their little pushing incident in the reverse fixture. I don't think there's too much to concern ourselves about between Arsene Wenger and Mourinho and I doubt very much they will have a repeat of that incident. Perhaps the biggest opportunity for the boss is to finally get one over on a manager he has never beaten.

As for Fabregas it will be more than a little interesting to see how the Arsenal fans react to the return of their former captain. The hatred of Robin van Persie doesn't seem to be matched with Fabregas despite both players leaving the club in fairly similar circumstances. Of course van Persie didn't help himself by going public with his intentions, but was that a more honest way to leave the club than the path Fabregas chose.

He made it obvious he wanted to return to his hometown club where he had failed to make the grade when he was younger and he made sure he got his way. We'll never know the full truth of the matter and we don't know whether he was promised a move or not. What we do know is he turned his back on the club which made him the player he is and forced a move to Barcelona for a fee which really didn't reflect his value at the time.

As it turned out he didn't quite make the grade at Barcelona again and they decided he could leave after three years. Arsenal had dibs on him, but the boss chose not to exercise his option and let Fabregas go and look for another club. Fabregas had always claimed to love Arsenal even when he left, but that didn't stop him heading to the west of London to join that team of cheats, divers and obnoxious people.

It didn't take him too long to start kissing the Chelsea badge and his Arsenal days are well and truly in the past now. He was a high profile captain who turned his back on the club and manager who showed faith in him from a very young age and made him the player he became. The boss may have asked for respect to be shown to him on Sunday, but I have no doubt he will receive a rough reception and I have to say it's fully justified.

Did he really think Arsenal would wait around for him to waltz back when things didn't go his way in Barcelona. There are so many opinions on why we didn't sign him and how he ended up at Chelsea, but the facts are he did join them and as a former Arsenal player playing for a rival he will get slated by the Arsenal fans. Let's just hope the team can give him the best reception of all by taking all three points off Chelsea.

I expect the boss to pick his strongest team available to him and I would expect to see the same team that won away to Burnley in their last league game. There's a real argument for Mathieu Debuchey playing ahead of Hector Bellerin at right back as his experience could be very valuable as Arsenal attempt to counter the threat offered by Eden Hazard. I suspect Bellerin will get the nod though as Debuchey has played so little football recently and Bellerin's pace might come in handy.

Arsenal have won their last eight league games in a row to move ahead of both Manchester clubs in the race for second place and they won't want that run to come to an end. It won't be easy though as Chelsea will be perfectly happy to defend in numbers and look to hit Arsenal on the break with Hazard as their main weapon. Arsenal cannot over commit players forward and leave themselves too vulnerable at the back and the role of Francis Coquelin will be crucial for them.

Since his recall from his loan spell at Charlton he has been immense and played a huge role in the form and results since the turn of the year. He's not afraid to do the hard work which others looked to avoid or at least didn't put the required effort into and he has given the attacking players a great base to build from. His ability to be in the right place at the right time to intercept opposition passes is exceptional and his ability to cover for others who have been caught out of position has to be admired. He may have found his way into the team due to necessity when it looked like he was surplus to requirements, but he has grasped his opportunity with both hands. 

Chelsea will miss Diego Costa but they have had a relatively injury free season in comparison to Arsenal and it's only since the boss has had most of his first choice players available that Arsenal have put their run together. They have taken more points so far in the second half of the season than any other team and while it might be too late for them this season it's something that has to be brought into next season. We have been here before with false beginnings over the last 10 years, but this time it looks like it could be for real.

Before next season can be considered though this season has to finish and there's an FA Cup final to play and six league games to go too. Arsenal have put some of their awful form against the Premier League's top sides behind them this season with victories away to City and at home to Liverpool and it's time to add Chelsea to that list. The confidence of the players has grown this season and they're not as brittle as they were at times last season and a victory over the champions elect would only build on that confidence.

I have no doubt Chelsea will foul tactically to stop Arsenal and take every chance they can to cheat and badger the referee. Arsenal cannot be distracted from their task though and need to continue their fantastic run of nine home league wins in a row. Chelsea have the best away record in the league though and no other team has scored more away goals than them, but they have leaked more goals than you might expect away from home.

If Arsenal are going to beat them they need to put some real pressure on the centre of the Chelsea defence where I think John Terry is well past his best. If they can get past the defensive shield in front of him I think they can make the chances they need to win the game. It's a matter of taking those chances then, but a team with Alexis Sanchez, Mesut Ozil, Olivier Giroud, Santi Cazorla and Aaron Ramsey in it has so much attacking potential that any team should be worried to face them.

I think Arsenal can do it and go on to finish second and win the cup too and the season has to be judged as a success if they do so. If it goes the other way and they fade to fourth and lose to Villa then there will be an awful lot of questions asked this summer. It's a fine line to run in these seven games, but I think it will go the way all right minded fans want it to go.

That's it for today.

See you tomorrow.

Arsenal Snatch A Point From The Jaws of Victory

The roller coaster ride continued for Arsenal yesterday when they went to Liverpool and came away with a 2-2 draw from a game which could have gone either way. The team didn't play well in the first half in particular with goalscoring chances few and far between. The result may have been a lot better than the 5-1 drubbing handed out by Liverpool last season, but the late Liverpool equaliser certainly didn't make it feel too much better.

With so many injuries for Arsenal there was little choice for Arsene Wenger's team selection and he went with the predicted line up. Calum Chambers returned from suspension to play at right back with Mathieu Debuchey continuing in central defence. Otherwise it was the same team which beat Newcastle 4-1 last weekend and I thought they should be good enough to win the game despite all of the absentees.

Right from the start Liverpool dominated possession and Arsenal found it hard to find any rhythm. There weren't many chances in the first half, but Liverpool had the best of them and I hoped Arsenal could make it to the break all square. It looked like they would do just that until Philippe Coutinho found the back of the Arsenal net in the last minute of the half. He was given too much space on the edge of the Arsenal area and Wojciech Szczesny had no chance with his shot which went in off the post.

Liverpool deserved their lead at that stage, but there was a twist in the game in the one added minute which followed. Alexis Sanchez was fouled outside the Liverpool box and the free kick was floated to the far post before it was cleared in the direction of Mathieu Flamini. He headed it back towards the far post and Debuchey rose to head it goalwards. His header came off the head of Martin Skrtel and went into the top corner of the net for an equaliser which wasn't really deserved, but was very welcome.

I hoped Arsenal could regroup at half time and come out a lot stronger as they were very lucky to be still in the game after what could be described as an inept first half display. The passion and commitment which are needed in such a big game were missing and the players looked like the three days of rest they were given was having an adverse effect on them. They needed to do everything a lot quicker and impose themselves on a fairly average Liverpool team.

Arsenal were probably more than a little lucky to have 11 men on the pitch at that stage with Flamini catching a Liverpool player in the face with his arm in what looked like a deliberate action. He had already been given his traditional first yellow card of the game for his first foul despite one of the Liverpool players deserving one for taking Kieran Gibbs down as he raced away from him. With Mikel Arteta still injured Arsenal can ill afford to have Flamini suspended despite his shortcomings when he does play.

The second half started well for Arsenal and I thought they were at least matching Liverpool when Olivier Giroud accidentally stood on Skrtel's head which led to a long break as he received treatment for the cut to his head. When the game resumed it quickly swung in Arsenal's favour as a slick move ended with Giroud slotting a Santi Cazorla cut back home from six yards just after the hour mark. It looked like Arsenal might just get a win despite themselves and keep up with the team's above them in the table.

From then on it was all Liverpool as they attempted to get back into the game and peppered the Arsenal goal with what were mostly lame efforts. Szczesny had to make a couple of good saves, but he never really looked like being beaten as the game entered the nine added minutes thanks to Skrtel's injury. My Liverpool supporting friend sitting next to me in the pub told me that he still thought they would equalise and he wouldn't be surprised if it was Skrtel who got the goal. 

Unfortunately for Arsenal he was proved right when Skrtel rose unchallenged to head a corner home in the seventh of those nine added minutes. I know Arsenal play a zonal marking system, but surely somebody had to have the "zone" which Skrtel had all to himself. Even if Arsenal had a man on the post he might have blocked the header, but that too seems to be a thing of the past.

To make matters worse Arsenal were playing against 10 men at that stage with Fabio Borini taking an early bath for two yellows. The first yellow card was for a show of petulance towards the referee and the second was for a high foot on Cazorla which ripped his shirt and cut his chest too. Borini had only come on with 15 minutes left in the game and he couldn't have any argument with either card.

From what I've read Arsenal had their lowest ever percentage of possession in a Premier League game and the 27 shots Liverpool had are quite possibly the most Arsenal have allowed in the Premier League too. When you read stats like that a draw looks like a good result for Arsenal, but the most telling stat was Liverpool equalising after 96 minutes. In the time that was left Arsenal went forward and very nearly snatched another goal, but they weren't going to be so lucky.

I thought Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was way off the pace of the game and the chances are he was asked to play while injured and it affected his game. He was replaced late on by Joel Campbell in what can only be called a strange decision by the manager. Campbell is no midfielder and surely Nacho Monreal could have come on for Chamberlain with Francis Coquelin already in midfield after he had replaced Giroud. Monreal did come on for Alexis a couple of minutes before Liverpool equalised as the strange substitutions continued.

I know there weren't an awful lot of options on the bench for the boss, but the team lost two outlets for the ball when Alexis and Giroud went off and one of their best defenders from set pieces too. Giroud may still be finding his feet after his return from injury, but I think Skrtel would have found it a lot harder to score his goal if Giroud had still been on the pitch. Arsenal loaded their defence towards the end as they tried to hang on, but they kept giving the ball straight back to Liverpool and invited trouble.

It's not easy to see any Arsenal players who came out of the game with much credit, but Szczesny certainly earned his wages and I thought Debuchey did well out of position yet again. Cazorla continued his recent run of making things happen by setting up the second goal even if some of his passing was very wayward in the first half in particular. Giroud took his goal well and his form since his return from injury has been a real boost for the team.

With Liverpool closing Alexis down every time he got the ball there was no one else to step up and take on the task of making things happen in attack. I think Chamberlain might have been able to do so if he wasn't carring a knock, but Danny Welbeck was notable mostly by his absence. Alexis certainly didn't have a good game, but we cannot depend on him to win every game almost single handedly.

As a whole Arsenal just weren't good enough though and were lucky to get a point even if they did almost win the game. The have no consistency in their performances and it's just too easy for opponents to play against them. They need to improve an awful lot to make sure they finish in the top four and it's not easy to see where that improvement will come from.

The team as a collective and individually just don't seem to be learning from their mistakes and the manager is suffering from the same malaise. The injured players will surely make a difference when they return, but history has taught us that they will be replaced by others on the treatment table as soon as they come back. A top four finish is still easily within Arsenal's grasp, but they cannot continue to throw away points or it will catch up with them. 

The positives from yesterday's game are of course the team getting a point from a poor performance and improving vastly on their result from the corresponding fixture last season. There don't seem to be any new injuries either and Flamini avoided a red card which would have ruled him out of the next game too. 

On the negative side Arsenal were again absolutely awful in a game away to one of the league's supposed better sides. They had a chance to get the better of a pretty average Liverpool team, but the players couldn't rise to the occasion and the manager couldn't inspire them to do so. As long as they do so badly in these games huge questions will be asked of them and it's only the players and the manager who can change that.

There's a tough festive schedule coming up and all of those players will have to play an awful lot of games if others don't return. A performance like yesterday doesn't fill me with confidence that they can get results in away games against both West Ham and Southampton while they simply have to win at home to QPR on Friday. QPR have lost all of their away games so far and have conceded more goals than any other team in the league and Arsenal have to put them to the sword.

I'll be previewing that game closer to the day as always and my usual predictions blogs will be coming fast and furious for the next week. I'll be having trouble writing about all the footbal to be played and I can only imagine how difficult it will be for the players to play all of those games. 

That's it for today.

See you tomorrow.

Arsenal v Newcastle United Preview

Arsenal's roller coaster season continues today when they play at home to Newcastle in the Premier League. The low of last Saturday's defeat to Stoke and the abysmal first half performance was countered with the 4-1 win away to Galatasaray on Tuesday night. The three points dropped to Stoke were a lot more important though as the result in Turkey had no effect on Arsenal's final position in their Champions League group. 

They ended up second behind Borussia Dortmund on goal difference with the damage being done when they drew 3-3 at home to Anderlecht after leading 3-0 with 30 minutes left. That game has come to signify Arsenal's season so far as it highlighted their awful defending at times and the inability to change things when they are going wrong. They did manage to make those changes against Stoke at half time, but could only pull back two of the three goal deficit.

Arsenal are still only four points outside the top four with the season nearly halfway completed and a top four finish is still well within their reach. There's nothing in particular to fear from any of the teams from third place down and most of the teams they thought would be challenging for a top four place are behind them. Liverpool, Everton and Spurs have had even worse starts to their season than Arsenal, but that in no way excuses the mistakes Arsenal have made on the pitch or in the transfer market for that matter.

When Thomas Vermaelen was sold the squad was short of two centre backs and Arsene Wenger said he would address the issue before the window closed. He failed to do so and the team has seen a succession of players forced to fill in as a central defender and most of them have not been up to the task. With Arsenal's injury record it was madness to gamble on having no central defensive injuries or suspensions from August to January and some would say it was negligence on the manager's part.

His inability to properly strengthen the defensive part of the squad is the biggest factor in the teams current league position and their failure to win their Champions League group. Arsenal need to sign a quality central defender on the first day that the window reopens, but the chances are they will be scraping for a bargain in the final minutes before the window closes. It's not too late to undo some of the bad work that last summer's inactivity cost, but there are a lot of games to be won and lost in January.

It's a shame that a team with Alexis, Sanchez, Mesut Ozil, Theo Walcott and Aaron Ramsey should have their sights set as low as vying for fourth place, but it's a fact of life with Arsenal. The signing of Alexis made it look like the club were going to finally have a strong enough team to challenge for the whole season, but all of the other transfers were only replacements for departures with Vermaelen not even replaced. Those poor decisions in the summer could be highlighted yet again today when Arsenal play Newcastle.

It looks like both Laurent Koscielny and Nacho Monreal will be absent and that leaves the manager with a real headache. Thankfully Mathieu Debuchey made his comeback from injury against Galatasaray and it has to be hoped he's up to playing another game so quickly and probably as a central defender too. The only real options at the back would seem to be playing Debuchey beside Per Mertesacker with Hector Bellerin at right back and Kieran Gibbs at left back as Calum Chambers is suspended after his red card last Saturday. To say it's a makeshift defence is an understatement but I doubt very much if any other players can even be considered for the defence.

The big question could be who plays in goal as Emiliano Martinez did so well when Wojciech Szczesny was out injured and does not deserve to be dropped in my opinion. Szczesny came back on Tuesday night, but Martinez would have played that game if Szczesny hadn't missed the previous three games through injury. I think the role should stick with a keeper who has done well when he has got his chance.

Mathieu Flamini and Aaron Ramsey should continue in midfield as long as Ramsey is suffering no effects from Tuesday night and the chances are Santi Cazorla will play in front of them. With the news of Francis Coquelin returning from his loan at Charlton it's quite possible Ramsey will miss out or Coquelin could even play in defence as he has done before. I thought Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain did very well in that role on Tuesday and offered something different to Arsenal's usual approach. Galatasaray made it easy for Arsenal by playing a high line and I can't see Newcastle or many other teams playing that way against Arsenal.

They will defend in depth and numbers and hope to hit Arsenal on the break and it's a tactic which works against Arsenal all too often and far too easily at times. How many times do Arsenal do all the pressing and then concede with their opponents first attempt on target. Maybe it's just a perception on my part, but it certainly seems that way far too often.

The Arsenal attacking trio will include Alexis and Arsenal always have a chance when he is in the side no matter how they are playing. It's probably a straight choice between Oliver Giroud and Danny Welbeck for the central role with Chamberlain most likely in the right. It is possible both Giroud and Welbeck will play as Chamberlain is quite often the player who misses out although I think he should start a lot more often. 

Newcastle have injury issues of their own and hopefully Arsenal can take advantage of any weaknesses they have as a result. They had a very bad start to their season, but turned things around very quickly and have made themselves a hard team to beat. They did Arsenal a huge favour last week by putting an end to Chelsea's aspirations of matching the Invincibles of 2004, but Arsenal can have no sympathy for them today.

Even with all of their injuries there's still enough quality in the Arsenal team to win this game and go to Liverpool next week on the start of a good run which is needed to kick start the rest of the season. I think Arsenal will win and Alexis will make the difference after his week off. There have been some high scoring games between these two teams in the recent past but I expect a close and cagey game with Arsenal hopefully edging it. Fingers crossed that it's the start of a good festive programme for the team, but you just never know with Arsenal at the moment.

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 and Arsene Wenger - Stick Or Twist

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

That's it for today.

See you tomorrow.

Arsenal's Champions League Trip To Borussia Dortmund Previewed

Arsenal take the stage in the group stages of the Champions League for the 17th season in a row tonight when they travel to Germany to play Borussia Dortmund. It's the third time in four seasons that the teams have been drawn together at this stage in the competition. So far Arsenal have had the better of those meetings despite the defeat at home to Dortmund last season.

That game was the only one of the four recent games between the clubs which Dortmund have won and Arsenal didn't lose either of their trips to their German opponents. They badly needed a result away to them last season and came away with a 1-0 to get back into contention to qualify from the group. Ultimately they finished second in that group after losing their last game away to Naoli and went out to Bayern Munich in the last 16.

Despite failing to progress past the last 16 for a few years Arsenal are still one of the top eight seeds and are the top seed in their group. It's a group which also contains Galatasary and Anderlecht which won't be easy for Arsenal, but they have to be favourites to make it through to the knockout stages. It would be a pleasant change to see them top the group and get a more favourable draw in the last 16. The group won't be decided on this game though, but a positive result from it would certainly give Arsenal a great start to their campaign. 

Arsenal looked an awful lot better against City on Saturday than they did in any of their games in August, but their defensive issues were there for all to see. In their four league games so far this season the opposition have scored with their first shot on target in each game. Besides that three of the six goals they have conceded have come from set pieces and it's something the squad have to work on an awful lot harder than they appear to be at the moment. The funny thing is Arsenal did manage to keep clean sheets in both legs of their qualifying round victory over Fenerbache.

It's not going to be easy to solve the defensive issues the team has with two of the six defenders in the first team squad injured for this game and another one doubtful. Mathieu Debuchy sprained his ankle very badly against City and it looks like he'll be out for a couple of months at least. Nacho Monreal has picked up a back injury and hasn't travelled to Dortmund while Calum Chambers has tonsillitis and might not be available to play.

It could be said the defence picks itself as a result, but there might only be three defenders available to play. If Chambers does miss out the chances are Hector Bellerin will come in at right back and he certainly looks like a prospect for the future, but it's throwing in him at the deep indeed without a doubt. I suppose Francis Coquelin could play there too as he has done in the past, but there can't be many who believe he has a future at the club in his favoured midfield role, never mind at right back.

It's not such an easy task to pick the rest of the team though with so many options in midfield in particular. After his display at the weekend Jack Wilshere looks a shoe in, but it might not be a bad idea to give him a rest considering his past problems with injuries. There's a case for leaving both Mesut Ozil and Aaron Ramsey out of the team too after they were less than impressive on Saturday. Ramsey hasn't quite got going yet this season despite scoring three goals so far and Arsene Wenger continues to play Ozil out of position.

There are plenty of players who didn't start on Saturday who could come into the team and do a very good job. Santi Cazorla in particular is a player with a lot to offer and I wouldn't be surprised to see him play. I can't see Tomas Rosicky getting into the team tonight though with so much talent ahead of him.

The defensive midfield role is a bit of a poser for the boss with Mikel Arteta back from injury and Mathieu Flamini holding sway at the moment. Like in most away European games there is a case for playing both of them to protect the defence, but the boss stated on Saturday that Arsenal are an attacking team and I can't see him changing that tonight. I think Arteta will get the nod, but I'm not the only one who worries about his lack of pace. He is very good when he's on the ball, but the defensive role he has been asked to play in recent seasons doesn't come naturally to him and he has struggled against the better teams.

With Yaya Sanogo injured yet again it looks like Danny Welbeck will continue in the centre forward's role with Alexis Sanchez and Ozil probably on either side of him. I would love to see Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain get a chance from the start to utilise the attacking speed of him, Sanchez and Welbeck with Ozil pulling the strings in midfield, but it appears Ozil has yet to convince the manager he is the best option in that role. I'd like somebody to explain to me why the club paid so much money for Ozil if he's not going to be played in his best position when the team finally has the players with the pace it needs to get on to his fantastic range of passing.

It could be a very open game tonight with two teams who like to attack and tend to leave spaces behind their defence. I expect to see plenty of players pouring forward at pace from both teams once possession has been turned over and it could be a matter of which team makes the most of the chances they create. Dortmund lost their first league game of the season last month, but they have come back to win their two games since then.

Arsenal and Dortmund are considered to be the clear favourites to progress from the group with Galatasary having a chance and Anderlect as rank outsiders. It's crucial for Arsenal to take all six points off Anderlecht and try to make sure they have qualification tied up before they travel to Galatasary for their final group game. It's not exactly an ideal place to go for any team needing a result and I wouldn't want to see Arsenal going there needing something.

Back to tonight's game though and Arsenal's defensive frailty could be the biggest obstacle for them to overcome. I have no doubt they will make chances at the other end, but I would be very surprised to see them keep a clean sheet. I'm still hopeful of a good result for Arsenal and that would be anything other than a defeat. 

It would be great to Welbeck get his first goal for the club and to see Wilshere and Sanchez put on another show like they did on Saturday. Most of all I'd like to see Ozil play in his best position and pull the strings to get the attacking players in behind the Dortmund defence. It's far more likely that he'll play on the left though and continue to frustrate quite a lot of Arsenal fans. I'm prepared to give him time to get going this season, but it seems there are many fans who have no patience at all.

That's it for today.

See you tomorrow.