Arsenal’s FA Cup Trip To Blackpool Previewed

Arsenal face a tricky FA Cup third round trip to Blackpool this evening. With fourth place in the Premier League their first priority and the Europa League in second place it leaves the FA Cup a distant third. It’s a competition we have won more than any other club though and we have won it three times in the last five seasons too.

I have no doubt Unai Emery will make a few changes from the team that struggled to find any rhythm against Fulham, but still managed to win 4-1. The festive schedule was very tough for every team and the players are bound to be tired so he has a chance to rest a few weary legs as well as giving some game time to those on the fringes. Our next league game isn’t until next week so there is plenty of time for players to regroup and regain their strength.

I imagine we will see Petr Cech in goal with Ainsley Maitland-Niles in defence and maybe even Zach Medley too. The rest of the defence will probably be made of more first choice players, but I would hope Laurent Koscielny is rested as he clearly needs a little more recovery time from his long injury lay off. We might see Carl Jenkinson too, but I have a feeling he doesn’t really feature in the manager’s plans.

In midfield both Mohamed Elneny and Matteo Guendouzi should feature and Aaron Ramsey must be a shoe-in seeming as he didn’t start against Fulham. If the reports are to be believed he has more or less signed a pre-contract agreement with Juventus and will join them on a free transfer in the summer. It has also been reported that he turned down a bigger offer from PSG and we turned down a cash offer from Juventus to take him immediately. I would be surprised if we turned down a good fee considering he will go for free in the summer, but our squad is very short at the moment and he certainly has a part to play for the rest of the season.

If all three of those players do play it doesn’t leave too much room for Bukayo Saka, Joe Willock, Eddie Nketiah and Emile Smith-Rowe. All four of them would hope to play from the start today, but we might only see two of them with the others possibly coming off the bench. I wouldn’t be surprised if Alexandre Lacazette was in the team too as he might have a little more in the tank than others considering how often he has been substituted recently.

We beat Blackpool 2-1 at the Emirates a few months ago in the Carabao Cup and it won’t be too easy to repeat that on their patch. They’re a mid-table League One team and we can’t take them too lightly, but equally it’s a game we should win. There’s talk of a boycott by the home fans which means there might well be more Arsenal fans than Blackpool fans at the game which would be a little odd to say the least.

I imagine the manager will have a strong bench in case he needs to call on a few first teamers to rescue the game. Arsene Wenger made the mistake of giving himself no real options from the bench at this stage last season when we went out 4–2 away to Nottingham Forest. The FA Cup might not be our first priority, but I would be very surprised if the manager didn’t want to go as far as possible in a competition which has been out only route to silverware since 2004.

That’s it for today.

See you tomorrow.

Arsenal v FC Vorskla: Europa League Preview

With three Premier League wins in a row behind them Arsenal make the jaunt into Europa League football again tonight when FC Vorskla come to the Emirates Stadium. I can’t profess to knowing too much about tonight’s opponents and no team can be taken too lightly in European football as City learned to their expense last night. Whatever our opponents might be like we are again one of the favourites to win the trophy and we have a manager who knows what it takes to do it.

Arsene Wenger used the group stages to blood young players and give game time to those more senior players who weren’t getting it last season. I expect Unai Emery to do exactly the same this season with the team gradually improving as we go further into the competition. He has plenty of good players on the bench at the moment and he should add them to a few youngsters who could do with a game too.

We can expect to see Bernd Leno make his debut in goal after we spent so much money on him in the summer and I'm looking forward to seeing how he copes with how the manager wants the team to play. Petr Cech is struggling with the ball at his feet at times, but it seems we bought Leno because of his ability to use his feet among other things. If it goes well for him tonight I still don't expect him to dislodge Cech for a while yet, but the day must surely be coming.

In defence injuries mean we might have to play Nacho Monreal and one of either Shokdran Mustafi or Sokratis Papastathopoulos alongside Rob Holding and Stephan Lichsteiner who will be making his full debut tonight. Lichsteiner is a very strong defender who would get in a lot of Premier League teams, but Hector Bellerin will probably keep his place due to his youth and his attacking ability. It's good to know we have a player of Lichsteiner's quality available if Bellerin is injured or has problems with his form.

In midfield we should get to see the full debut of Lucas Torreira and he's a player who must be chomping at the bit for his first start. He has been very impressive in his substitute appearances so far and he has to make a first team place his own very soon for the good of the team. As much as I like Matteo Guendouzi I think Torreria has the ability to drive the team forward from midfield and he is exactly what we need in the team at the moment.

We should also see Mohamed Elneny get his first chance to show what he can do this season while Alex Iwobi and Henrikh Mkhitaryan will probably play too as they didn't start at Newcastle last Saturday. It looks like a pretty strong midfield to me and certainly one which should be able to dominate the game. I wouldn't be surprised if Torreira doesn't last the 90 minutes with Sunday's game against Everton on the manager's mind.

That should leave Danny Welbeck to lead the line with Emile Smith-Rowe playing somewhere between the midfield and attack unless the manager decides to pick Eddie Nketiah instead. I'm a big fan of Nketiah and I think he has a very exciting future in the game, but it's very hard for a young player to break into a team with strikers like Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette ahead of him. I'm a big fan of Smith-Rowe too and from what we have seen before I don't think either player would be overawed tonight.

Hopefully we can get the campaign off to a good start in front of a fairly good crowd, but the Europa League group stages are hardly the things dreams are made of. We need to get back to the main table of the Champions League as soon as possible for the good of the club and for the money it brings in which cannot be overstated. It's much easier to attract top class players to the club with the promise of Champions League football and the longer we're out of it the harder it will become to get back in. One way to do it is to win the Europa League of course and we most certainly have a manager who knows how to do just that.

That’s it for today.

See you tomorrow.

Arsenal Update As The World Cup Gets Real

When the World Cup started Arsenal were represented by nine of their players at the tournament and now with half of the 32 teams on their way home that figure has been cut to five players. The four players on their way home all managed to see some action with varying degrees of success, but at least they will be available to play for Arsenal sooner than the players still caught up in the tournament.

The big surprise among the players on their way home is Mesut Ozil as the reigning champions exited at the group stages for the third World Cup in a row. Germany picked Ozil from the start against South Korea and he created enough chances to win the game for them, but their 2-0 defeat saw them finish last in their group. As usual the Ozil haters were out in force blaming him for the failure of his country and just about anything else you care to think of. For me I think their demise was probably down to a little bit of over confidence and the lack of a striker to put away all the chances they (and Ozil in particular) made.

Joel Campbell will join Ozil on a beach somewhere no doubt and he managed to get his first start of the World Cup as Costa Rica managed their first point in a 2-2 draw with Switzerland. He actually had a very good game from what I saw and he had s huge part to play in both of their goals. He probably won’t be an Arsenal player next season, but his performance against Switzerland should at least mean sone interest is shown in him by other clubs.

Both Mohamed Elneny and Alex Iwobi are on their respective ways home too as their countries bowed out at the group stages. Egypt lost all three of their games with Elneny playing all of those games, but it’s probably a tournament they would prefer to forget. Nigeria lost two of their three games, but it took a very late winner from Argentina to see them off on their merry way. Iwobi didn’t see an awful lot of game time after starting their first game and failing to impress.

We still have the Swiss pair of Granit Xhaka and Stephan Lichsteiner involved as their country face Sweden in the last 16 on Tuesday, but they will have to do so without Lichsteiner as he got his second yellow in that game against Costa Rica and has to serve a one game suspension. He set up their first goal in that game and Xhaka played quite well too. Lichsteiner will be hoping the team can progress to the quarter finals so he can come in again and share in some of the glory.

David Ospina gets the thrill of playing against an England team which will see Danny Welbeck on the bench once more although he did manage a few minutes off the bench in their last group game. The defeat against Belgium sees England in the supposed easier half of the draw, but they will have to get past a Colombian team who have won their last two games without conceding a goal and only lost their opening game because they had to play for 87 minutes with 10 men. I’m not saying Colombia are favourites, but England could underestimate them at their peril.

As Arsenal fans we all know Ospina’s weaknesses and England would do well to try to exploit them. They have been very good at set pieces so far and I expect the ball to be put right in on top of Ospina at every chance. I also expect to see him go down injured on at least three occasions and who knows he might actually be injured on one of those occasions.

The final Arsenal player is Nacho Monreal who looks highly unlikely to get a game at all unless someone else is injured or suspended. As I write this Spain have just gone out on penalties in their round of 16 game with Russia and yet again Nacho is on the bench watching.

It does look like we will have a few players in  the quarter finals, but maybe only because England are playing  Colombia and we are guaranteed at least one player in the last eight.

That’s it for today.

See you tomorrow.

Latest Arsenal World Cup Update

The World Cup continues apace and the Arsenal players at it are continuing to make very little impact. Of the nine players who are there to represent their countries only four started in the second round of games after five of them had started in the first round.

The first Arsenal player to make a real impact was Granit Xhaka when he scored a fantastic equaliser to get Switzerland back into the game against Serbia. A late Xherdan Shaqiri goal gave them the three points and they will qualify for the knockout stages once they don’t lose to Costa Rica. They could even win the group if they can outdo Brazil’s result against Serbia, but I’m sure they’ll be happy enough once they progress. Xhaka nearly got himself in trouble with FIFA for his goal celebration, but they decided not to press charges for him, Shaqiri and Stephan Lichsteiner.

Xhaka was joined in that Swiss team by Lichsteiner for that game and the more I see him the more I like him. He looks like he has the mentality we seem to be lacking and hopefully some of that can rub off on his new team mates next season. 

David Ospina kept a clean sheet for Colombia as they bounced back from their defeat against Japan with a convincing 3-0 win against Poland. He played his part in that victory with some good saves and he even managed to go down injured three times during the game as per usual. Colombia will have to beat Senegal in their final group game to progress, but they have every chance of doing so if they play like they did against Poland.

The last Arsenal player to get a game from the start was Mohamed Elneny and he has played his third game as I write this. Unfortunately Egypt lost all three games to finish last in their group and the tournament is over for them despite having Mohamed Salah among their ranks. On the plus side from an Arsenal perspective at least Elneny will have some down time before he’s back to pre season training.

The tale of the rest of the players doesn’t play too well with Nacho Monreal and Danny Welbeck still to kick a ball for Spain and England respectively even though both of their countries have progressed to the next round. 

Mesut Ozil didn’t play for Germany as they managed to bring themselves back from the brink of elimination with a 2-1 win against Sweden and a victory over South Korea should be enough to make the last 16 for them. It doesn’t look like it was injury which kept Ozil out, but you can’t be sure and I would be very surprised if we don’t see him back in the German team before too long.

Alex Iwobi came off the bench very late on as Nigeria beat Iceland 2-1 to boost their chances of progression. They should make the last 16 if they don’t lose to underperforming Argentina, but that still won’t be an easy task. Iwobi will find it hard to get into the team if they continue to perform like they did against Iceland, but he might still have a part to play too.

Finally Joel Campbell didn’t see any action as Costa Rica went down very late on to Brazil. They’re out of the tournament and they won’t find it easy to get anything from a Switzerland team looking for a result to make the last 16. With their tournament over they might just be tempted to give Campbell a chance to play from the start in that final game.

That’s it for today.

See you tomorrow.

World Cup Update From An Arsenal Perspective

With the first round of games at the World Cup over it’s time to look at the impact of the Arsenal players in the tournament so far. We have nine players in total playing for their countries, but not all of them are guaranteed starters.

First up I suppose we have to talk about Mesut Ozil and his contribution, or lack thereof, in the defeat for Germany against Mexico. Germany didn’t play well on the day, but for me far too many pundits and Arsenal fans are far too quick to lay the blame at his door time after time. If I hear one more idiot saying “he’s nicking a living” I think my head will explode. 

For me he was far from their worst player, but those who crave attention find it easy to single him out despite evidence to the contrary. He’s not the sort of player to grab a game by the scruff of the neck and win it on his own, but it seems nothing else is good enough than just that for some. His statistics on the day were quite good and it’s difficult to hold him responsible when others fail to finish the chances he invariably creates. Germany are far from done in this tournament though and we will probably see a lot more of them and Ozil too.

Granit Xhaka and Stephan Lichsteiner were both important cogs in the Swiss team that got a creditable 1-1 against tournament favourites Brazil. That point gives them a very good chance of progressing to the knockout stages, but they still have a tricky game against Serbia as well as a game against Costa Rica. I thought both of them played quite well without being spectacular and I have no doubt they both have more to offer.

Lichsteiner did well against Brazil’s star player considering he had to play behind Xherdan Shaqiri who didn’t offer him too much defensive cover. Hector Bellerin will still be our first choice right back, but I would have no worries seeing Lichsteiner coming into the team at any time. Xhaka can do better and I would expect to see him get more of the ball in their next two games and hopefully make a real impact on those games.

Alex Iwobi played from the start for Nigeria in their 2-0 defeat against Croatia and that defeat leaves them on the brink of exiting the tournament with games against Argentina and Iceland to come. Iwobi didn’t have too much of an impact on the game and he was substituted shortly after the hour mark. He’s another player who might still make an impact though and I hope he can retain his place for the next two games and maybe go some way towards proving his doubters wrong.

Joel Campbell came off the bench for the last 30 minutes for Costa Rica in their 1-0 defeat against Serbia. With Brazil and Switzerland still to play the chances of progression for them are slim and they could easily end up pointless when the group concludes. I thought Costa Rica looked a little sharper in attack when Campbell came on and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him start their next game.

Mohamed Elneny has played two games for Egypt now and defeats against Uruguay and Russia mean their tournament is as good as over. He hasn’t played badly in their two games, but he didn’t exactly make a huge impression either. It looks like he’ll be on his holidays very soon and back to pre season training for Arsenal nice and early.

David Ospina played in Colombia’s 2-1 defeat against Japan and there was very little he could do to prevent their first goal which was a penalty. He didn’t cover himself in glory for Japan’s winner though and I thought it was a ball he should have come for and won. Colombia have an uphill task with games to come against Senegal and Poland, but they can still progress to the last 16. They weren’t helped by having to play for 87 minutes with 10 men after an early red card and the absence of star man James Rodriguez too.

Danny Welbeck and Nacho Monreal didn’t get to play for their respective countries in their first games and they can only hope they get a chance to show what they can do as the competition progresses. Both England and Spain will be expected to progress to the last 16 and there’s every chance both of them will be called upon at some stage.

That’s it for today.

See you tomorrow.

Arsenal Players At The World Cup

With the World Cup only just around the corner it’s time to take a look at the Arsenal players who we will get to see playing in it for their countries. There are nine on show overall and I’ll go through them one by one starting with the ones with the best chance of actually lifting the trophy.

The Arsenal player with the best chance of winning the World Cup is probably Mesut Ozil considering Germany are the reigning champions and second favourites to lift the trophy. They have a very strong squad and Ozil is an intrical part of their team as long as he can recover from the injury which hampered his end to the season with Arsenal. If any Arsenal player is going to take a World Cup winners medal home it’s Ozil and it would be a real surprise if Germany didn’t at least make it to the semi finals. I’d give Ozil a rating of 40/100 for his chances.

Nacho Monreal has had a very good season for Arsenal despite the club having it’s worst season defensively under Arsene Wenger. He’s not a definite starter for Spain, but he can be depended upon if he gets the call to give his all. With Spain’s hopes in turmoil after the last minute sacking of their manager they might find their chances of regaining the trophy they won in 2010 that bit more difficult. After the events of this week I think his chances of lifting the trophy have drifted out and maybe they at about 20/100.

Despite playing for England Danny Welbeck is probably the Arsenal player with the third best chance of winning the World Cup. After recovering from his latest injury he finished the season well and he will be hopeful of getting a chance to make an impact in Russia. England should get out of their group, but their record in the knock out stages in tournaments isn’t good and they will have to raise their game to have an impact on this competition. If they reach the last eight they will have done quite well and for that reason I think his chances should get a rating of about 7/100.

David Ospina might not be the first choice goalkeeper for Arsenal, but he is most certainly the first choice for Colombia with nearly 100 caps to his name. They don’t have an easy group though, but their chances of making the last 16 are still pretty good. On the other hand their chances of winning the trophy are fairly long and even longer if Ospina insists on standing behind his line. They might be rank outsiders compared to the big boys, but only 10 other teams are a shorter price which means I should give them a chance of about 3/100 of winning.

Granit Xhaka can divide opinion among Arsenal fans, but he’s certainly one of the star players in a Swiss side that tends to qualify with ease and disappoint at tournaments. They will have to finish ahead of either Brazil or Serbia to make the knockout stages and that could prove to be more than problematic for them. If they’re going to make an impression they will need Xhaka to be at his best, but the chances are they will struggle for the goals they need to progress. I think Xhaka can make an impression at the World Cup, but his hopes of lifting trophy are probably about 1/100.

Stephan Lichsteiner has only just joined Arsenal after a very successful time at Juventus and he will be key to Switzerland’s chances too. He’s a vastly experienced defender at the very highest level in the game and he will make his 100th appearance for his country in their opening game against Brazil on Sunday. Like Xhaka he will be hoping to at least make the knock out stages in what will surely be his last chance to impress on the biggest stage of all. Like Xhaka his chances have to be 1/100.

Mohamed Elneny got injured towards the end of the season, but it looks like he will recover in time to represent his country at the World Cup. They’re in a group with the hosts, but it’s a group which gives them a great chance of progressing to the knockout stages. If they do make the last 16 they might need a bit of magic from Mo Salah to have a chance against any team, but who’s to say that won’t happen. With a ranking out of 100 it’s not easy to rank Egypt’s chances, but I can’t really go any lower than 1/100.

Alex Iwobi is another player who divides Arsenal fans, but it’s difficult to deny that he is very talented. How he puts that talent to use for Arsenal seems to be the issue, but he is certainly making an impact for his country with five goals in his 19 games and some good performances too which were topped off with two goals in a 4-2 friendly win against Argentina. They have a very tough group though and it will be a huge task for them to progress to the last 16. That means I can’t give them any more than the minimum 1/100, but in reality it should probably be less.

Joel Campbell is still an Arsenal player despite being out on loan for what seems like an awfully long time. Costa Rica are in a very tough group though and only four teams have a lesser chance of winning the trophy if the bookies are to be believed. It would be a huge deal for them to make the last 16 from such a tough group, but it’s something I just can’t see happening. Again their rating should be a lot less, but I’ll give them the minimum of 1/100.

With Ireland not qualifying for the World Cup I’m not sure who to support, but I will at least enjoy watching the Arsenal players playing for their countries.

That’s it for today.

See you tomorrow.

We’re The Famous Arsenal And We’re Going To Wembley

Going into last night’s second leg of the Carabao Cup semi final at home to Chelsea I didn’t hold out too much hope of Arsenal advancing to the final. The first leg saw a very good defensive performance from Arsenal and they were well worth the 0-0 so the advantage should have been with them as they were at home. My worry was our current form and our inability to defend when good teams (or any team) attack us.

Arsene Wenger went with the same team (except for David Ospina) and formation that strolled to a 4-1 win at home to Palace on Saturday. New boy Henrikh Mkhitaryan was ineligible and there weren’t too many other options due to injuries and lack of genuine depth in the squad. It wasn’t going to be an easy task, but Chelsea hadn’t been at their best recently and they had their injury problems too.

The game didn’t start well for Arsenal with Chelsea dominating and it was no surprise when they took the lead when Eden Hazard slipped a shot past Ospina after being played through. There were only seven minutes gone, but Arsenal were all at sea in defence and midfield while the ball just could not stick when it went forward. The signs were ominous for Arsenal and I couldn’t see a way back into the game for them at that stage.

Somehow or other they were level only five minutes later when Nacho Monreal got his head to a corner and it took two deflections before nestling in the back of the net. Chelsea continued to dominate after that goal without ever really cutting Arsenal open, but we showed very little in attack for the rest of the first half. We needed a shake up at half time to try to go on and win and that’s just what we got.

The manager switched from a back four to three central defenders in the main with Mohamed Elneny dropping back between Laurent Koscielny and Shkodran Mustafi. The new formation seemed to work as Arsenal took more control of the game without actually totally dominating proceedings and it only took 15 minutes for them to take the lead. Again the goal had a touch of fortune about it, but with the luck we have had recently it was about time something went in our favour.

Alexandre Lacazette did very well to hold the ball up on the right and he tried to get it into the box, but it took a deflection off Antonio Rudiger and Granit Xhaka was on hand to prod home. It was tough on Rudiger who was also credited with Arsenal’s first goal, but Arsenal just about deserved it at that stage. I waited for them to drop back and defend in depth, but for once they stayed on the front foot and continued to press forward. They didn’t create an awful lot until Alex Iwobi missed a glorious chance with about 10 minutes to go after a great Arsenal move and a sumptuous ball from Mesut Ozil.

Eventually they dropped deeper as the clock ticked down, but Chelsea still couldn’t open up a stubborn defence. Every player gave his all and they defended very well as a team in that second half. When the final whistle went I was pretty happy to beat Chelsea despite the prospect of playing a very good City team in the final next month.

I could have a go at a few players who really didn’t perform well despite trying hard, but maybe that’s something for another day. I was particularly impressed with Monreal who was an inspiration to those around him and I have to say I’m beginning to like Mustafi more with each game. He loves to win the ball and tries to do so at every opportunity, but he does get caught out occasionally which can be fatal for the team. 

Elsewhere both Jack Wilshere and Ozil were very impressive and they seem to be working better with each other with each passing game. Lacazette worked very hard, but he’s still struggling with his confidence and we’re just not making enough chances for him either. He wasn’t helped by a linesman who continually called him offside despite replays showing he was onside. 

There’s just over four weeks to go to the final and it will be our fourth Wembley final in five seasons. We won three FA Cups in that time, but we have never won this competition under Wenger and I’m sure it’s a trophy he would like to get his hands on. In the great scheme of things it’s not the biggest competition to win, but winning it would still make our season an awful lot better. 

For the moment though we can bask in the glory of beating Chelsea and the knowledge that our players have the bones of a week off playing before we go to Swansea next Tuesday night. Nothing other than three points will do in that game and who knows we might just have a shiny new striker to show off on the night too. Meanwhile we can enjoy the rest while the teams we are trying to catch have to play in the FA Cup this weekend. Of course I’d prefer to be playing in the cup too, but that ship has sailed and we can only make the best off the situation as it is.

That’s it for today.

See you tomorrow.

Arsenal’s Trip To Nottingham Forest Previewed

It’s FA Cup third round action for Arsenal this afternoon when they travel to Nottingham to face managerless Forest. Arsenal are the cup holders and have won it three times in the last four seasons as well as winning it more times than any other team. Add to that Arsene Wenger’s record as the manager with the most FA Cups to his name and it’s obviously a competition which means an awful lot to us.

We face into the game in the middle of a very busy two month schedule which sees us playing almost twice a week from the start of December to the end of January. Our squad is fairly stretched as it is and we have the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi final at Chelsea coming up on Wednesday night too. Chelsea’s schedule is just as busy as our’s and I’m should they could have done without drawing their third round game at Norwich yesterday and adding a replay to that schedule.

With the league already beyond us the cup yet again takes on added significance although we still have the Europa League and the chase for a top four spot to contend with. Of them all I see the Carabao Cup as being the least important, but we cannot take a two legged semi final against Chelsea too lightly with a Cup Final so near and also because of what defeat could do to our already brittle confidence.

I think we could see a fair deal of squad rotation today and I wouldn’t be surprised to see up to eight changes from the team which drew 2-2 at home to Chelsea in the league on Wednesday night. David Ospina will surely start while I would expect Per Mertesacker and Mathieu Debuchy come into the defence too. In midfield there could be starts for Francis Coquelin and Mohamed Elneny with Theo Walcott, Danny Welbeck and Alex Iwobi all likely to play too. That would probably mean Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Rob Holding and Calum Chambers staying in the team unless the manager switches to a back four instead of the usual three central defenders.

Playing that team would certainly risk our continuation in the competition, but it’s a risk we probably need to take. Forest are sitting in mid-table in the Championship after a fairly unimpressive season so far, but I have no doubt they will relish a home game against on the “big teams” and FA Cup holders. It’s a chance for some of their players to shine and maybe make an impression on whoever their new manager might be.

Despite the Carabao Cup being of secondary importance up to now I think it will take more prominence at this stage of the competition and that’s another reason why so many players will possibly be rested today. I wouldn’t be surprised to see a strong bench though just in case we need to add some firepower late on to get back in the game or go on to win it. It’s certainly a chance for those who start to make an impression, but Maitland-Niles is the only one who has really grabbed that chance when it has presented itself so far this season.

I would love to see AMN in his natural position in the centre of the midfield today and it could happen if we play a back four. The problem would be finding a left back, but I would suggest Debuchy is capable of playing there while Chambers can certainly play at right back if required. With so many changes in the team already I don’t think we will see a back four with those full backs though and there central defenders is the most likely formation.

No matter what personnel have been in our defence this season we haven’t defended well against the bigger and better teams in particular. Forest may not fit into those categories, but one of the reasons we are doing even worse than last season is our comparative lack of goals. We scored so many goals last season that it quite often got our defence out of trouble, but we’re just not scoring as many this season. I just hope we can find our shooting boots from here on in because I cannot see our defending improving judging by what we have seen this season and for far too many seasons to want to remember. I think the chances are we will progress in a tight game today, but we might have to empty some quality from the bench to do so.

That’s it for today.

See you tomorrow.

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 See Off Bournemouth As Bigger Tests Await Them

After a traumatic two week wait for a game since their 4-0 drubbing by Liverpool it was back to Premier League action for Arsenal on Saturday when Bournemouth came calling. We didn't find them easy to beat last season with a 3-3 draw at their place while we struggled to eventually beat them 3-1 at the Emirates. It was a different matter on Saturday though as Arsenal won easily and could have scored a few more than the three goals they managed.

The team was more or less as expected with the exception of Alexis Sanchez I suppose who was on the bench with Danny Welbeck retaining his place. We did see the return of both Sead Kolasinac and Alexander Lacazette though which meant the team looked balanced with players playing in more or less their best positions. The one exception was Nacho Monreal who looks like he's now a certainty as one of the three central defenders despite it not being his position. He has done well there though and it makes sense to play him on the left of that back three.

As good as Arsenal were it has to be said Bournemouth offered very little and it was all too easy. Welbeck took his second goal well even if he was a little fortunate with his first goal and Lacazette took his goal very well too. We were rarely under pressure at the back with the exception of Jermain Defoe hitting the post early in the second half and a late flurry which saw Petr Cech make one good save right at death when we were down to 10 men.

The reason we were a man shy was Francis Coquelin picked up an injury when we had already used all of our subs and his absence means are midfield options are even more limited. He would have been a shoe-in to play against Cologne in the Europa League on Thursday night, but Arsene Wenger might have to get a little creative with his team selection now. I suppose Mohamed Elneny will play, but who partners him in the centre of midfield is the big question and will it mean a recall for Jack Wilshere.

As tempted as the manager might be to play a much weakened side he will also want to make sure we're not playing catch up in our group as it's a competition we can most definitely have real hopes of winning. United showed the advantages of winning it last season as it qualified them for the Champions League despite only finishing sixth in the league and we might need that safety net come the end of the season. The problem with playing a strong team is we face Chelsea away from home three days later and it's a game where we have to turn up in a big way.

After the debacle of Liverpool and our dreadful away record against any sort of good side for far too many years it has reached a stage where the fans are unwilling to accept any more of the dross we have seen far too often. Anything other than a defeat at Chelsea would be a great result, but if we lose while playing well and giving our all it would be a marked improvement from what we have seen too often in the past and against Liverpool only a couple of weeks ago. Chelsea have recovered from losing their opening game and look like they will be right up there in the title race again this season.

When you look at our players as individuals they are capable of being a very good team, but far too often the sum of the parts does not match up to those individual parts. We need to play as a team with players who are willing to give their all for the team and for their team mates too with no players hiding. It's certainly not beyond the bounds of possibility, but after Liverpool it's a hard stretch to believe it will happen.

If we can come through the Chelsea game with our pride intact the fixture schedule is pretty kind to us relatively speaking until at least November. We could give ourselves something to build on in that Chelsea game and a good run after it could leave us in a fairly good position. I know there's a lot of ifs and buts in there and the chances are the team will let us down, but as a fan you have to believe your team can do it despite what your eyes tell you sometimes.

I'm not saying we're going to win the league, but we have been completely written off for a top four place by far too many "experts" already. A top four finish is most certainly not beyond the team and squad as it is even if the chances of winning the league are slim to none. While a top four finish isn't the bee all and end all it's certainly far superior to the alternative which sees us playing on Thursday nights this season.

That's it for today.

See you tomorrow.

Arsenal v Bournemouth Preview

It's been almost two weeks since Arsenal played thanks to the international break and those two weeks have seemed like an eternity. That last game was an unmitigated disaster when Liverpool destroyed a disinterested Arsenal 4-0 and we were probably lucky it was only 4-0. Since then we've had the shambles of an end to thr transfer window and the pressure on the manager has already reached higher heights than at any time last season.

Last season was our worst league finish since Arsene Wenger took charge in 1996 and like so many I thought it was the ideal time for him to go with his contract up and yet another FA Cup in the bag. He convinced himself to sign on again though with the belief that he could return the team to the glory days of his first 10 years at the club. That hasn't started so well though with two defeats in our first three games and team selections and performances that beggar belief.

Of course those performances don't really beggar belief as we've seen them too often before, but the team selections were more than puzzling. I have no doubt Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was accommodated to try to convince him to stay at the club, but that didn't work out as he is now a Liverpool player and I don't think he will be missed too much.

After seven years at the club he had never made himself a first team regular and never made a position his own. My only issue with his sale is how late it was done and the fact that we didn't come up with a replacement. The emergence of Reiss Nelson could negate Chamberlain's departure, but it remains to be seen whether he will get the call up to the first team and if he can make that step up.

The three central defender's that the manager switched to late last season isn't looking so good now and the consensus is it might be ditched today. If we do switch to a back four again we might see a player sitting in front of them to shield them from nasty teams who try to attack us and exploit our weaknesses and tactical nativity. The most obvious choice would be Francis Coquelin who played in that role when he broke into the team a few years ago and he's certainly more suited to it than Mohamed Elneny.

Whatever formation we go with we quite simply have to play both Alexander Lacazette and Sead Kolasinac from the start and the decision to leave them out against Liverpool was ridiculous. Kolasinac was voted the best left back in the Bundesliga last season and Lacazette is supposedly the striker we have needed for far too many years now. If we going to have any chance of making headway in the Premier League this season we need to play our strongest team in every game.

We don't have to worry about upcoming Champions League games with only the Europa League to play in and the teams we are chasing are all playing in the Champions League. I would be very surprised if we didn't play a weakened team against Cologne on Thursday night with a trip to Chelsea in the league next Sunday. After our bad start we need to consolidate and anything other than a defeat at Chelsea next week would be a great result. 

All that depends on today of course and it goes without saying that we have to win today and win well too. If we don't put on a performance that shows we can play and play well today then it's a very bad sign. As bad as the results and performances against Liverpool and Stoke were they were both away from home. We're at home today and we just have to put a performance to warm the fans and show we are still a force to be reckoned with.

Our away form went to pieces after Christmas last season and while it did improve towards the end of the season we ended up missing out on the Champions League thanks to that away form. Our home form still held up with only one defeat after the opening day last season and it has to hold up again this season. As bad as our start has been, Bournemouth's has been worse with three defeats out of three and only one goal scored.

We need to go at them at full pelt from the first minute and punish their mistakes. There is no place for taking it slowly and letting the game develop. If we attack them from the start I think the goals will come and I think we should be looking to win with a few goals to spare.

I heard both Charlie Nicholas and Phil Neville on the TV last night saying they think Everton will finish ahead of Arsenal and they think the best we can do is seventh. It's very early to write off a team with our talent and with the amount of goals we can score and I hope the players can use those opinions to galvanise them and make them play better. I hope that will start today, but I suppose it's only hope when you consider what we have seen so far this season. I do think we will win today though and I think will score three goals at least, but the real tests will come next week and as the season progresses.

That's it for today.

See you tomorrow.

Arsenal's Trip To Southampton Previewed

Arsenal's hopes of a top four finish this season are still just about alive, but it's last chance saloon with every single game at this stage. Any defeat would surely be the final nail in the coffin for a top four finish and with it a place in next season's Champions League. As it is Liverpool have to draw one of their remaining games and City lose one for us to have a hope of catching either of them.

Liverpool only have two games left to play and their opponents in those games are hardly world beaters, but they have shown they are capable of making just as much a mess of things as we are in recent weeks. City's finish is even easier and even if they do lose a game they hold a nine goal advantage on goal difference and we would have to hand out some hefty beatings in our last four games. It's all still possible though and as long as it is mathematically possible I won't give up all hope.

The biggest problem is we have two away games in a row and our away form is absolutely awful at the moment. We have taken 13 from the last 15 points available at home and our last two games are at home, but before them there's tonight's trip to Southampton and a trip to Stoke on Saturday. We have lost five of our last six away games and our only win in those games was against a Boro team who will be in the Championship next season after their defeat at Chelsea on Monday night.

Southampton might not have the best home record this season with only three other teams gaining less points at home and only the two relegated teams scoring less goals at home, but it's a ground where we have struggled in recent seasons. A reserve Arsenal side won 5-0 there in the cup in January, but we suffered an embarrassing 4-0 defeat at the same ground in the league last season. We have found it hard to break this Southampton team down all too often and Fraser Forster seems to have an inspired game every time he plays us.

We put a hoodoo to bed on Sunday when we beat a Jose Mourinho team in the league for the first time even if the performance was hardly inspired. His excuses and insults aimed at the Arsenal fans after the game were no more than you would expect from a lowlife like him and I have no doubt he thought he could get a result despite the changes he made to his team. As bad as this season has been it would look an awful lot better if United somehow or other contrived not to win the Europa League in a few weeks.

I can't imagine there will be too many changes from the team that beat United as long as Laurent Koscielny and Granit Xhaka are both passed fit to play. If Xhaka doesn't make it we cannot afford to play Francis Coquelin in the team as he contributes nothing besides his defensive attributes in midfield and our players have to be able to offer more. That would mean Mohamed Elneny might get a rare appearance and I think he's certainly more capable of doing the job than Coquelin. The potential replacement for Koscielny worries me and I just hope he's passed fit to play.

I imagine we're stuck on a back three and I just hope the players keep growing into this formation because I'm still far from convinced by it. However, we're just as unconvincing with a back four so I suppose we might as well get in as much practice as we can for the formation we appear to favour for the cup final against Chelsea in two and a half weeks.It's up to us to stop them doing the double and I just hope we can raise our game on that day to a level we haven't seen in far too long.

As for tonight, I think it's going to be a low scoring affair and Southampton showed how tight they can be at the back in their 0-0 draw at Liverpool on Sunday. We need to score first or I think we will be too open to the break and Southampton will pick us off if they do go ahead. We must be due a performance from Alexis Sanchez who just hasn't been at the races in terms of goals and assists in recent week, but he keeps trying. If he can pull one out of the top drawer I think we might just keep our hopes alive ahead of a trip to Stoke on Saturday.

That's it for today.

See you tomorrow.

Arsenal v Leicester City Preview

After a great FA Cup semi final victory over Manchester City on Sunday it's back to Premier League action when reigning champions Leicester City come calling to the Emirates Stadium. Leicester haven't exactly defended their title in style and it's only in recent weeks where they have managed to pull away from the relegation zone. As it stands they are six points above third from bottom Swansea and Swansea only have four games left to play. They did of course reach the last eight of the Champions League and only went out to last year's runners up Atletico Madrid by a single goal. 

They did better in the Champions League than Arsenal have done in seven years, but they struggled badly to live up to the heights they reached last season. Their home form hasn't been too bad, but they have only won once in 16 away games with only Hull and Bournemouth conceding more goals away from home. If Arsenal are going to keep their top four hopes alive Leicester are a team they quite simply have to beat.

The teams drew 0-0 when they met in Leicester earlier in the season and there are plenty of points of interest in the game. Jamie Vardy came very close to joining Arsenal from Leicester last summer and I have no doubt the Arsenal fans will give him the reception they feel he deserves. Leicester only lost three league games last season and two of them were against Arsenal, but a mid season collapse meant Arsenal had to settle for second place in the end.

This season hasn't gone as well for Arsenal and they will have to finish very strongly if they are going to retain their regular top four place. They have seven league games to go before they play Chelsea in the Cup Final and seven wins would guarantee them a top four finish. Some of those games are decidedly difficult though and to win all of them would be a tough task if Arsenal were playing at their very best.

They have been far from their best for a long time now though and it would be a brave person who truly believed they will win all seven games. Their record against the rest of the top seven this season has been abysmal with only one win in nine games and three of their last seven games are against teams in the top seven. After Leicester they make the short trip to Spurs on Sunday and they still have to play at home to both United and Everton.

The experiment with three at the back seems to be progressing nicely and we certainly looked like a stronger unit against City than we have done in quite a while. The players also showed some belief and mental strength to come from behind to win even if they did ride their luck a little at times. Those qualities will have to be shown in abundance for the rest of the season if the team are going to reach the goals they have left.

The extra time the players had to play on Sunday could have an effect on some of them and could lead to a few changes in the team. While we were working our socks off to repel City the Leicester players were taking it easy and preparing for this game. I'm sure they would be more than happy to get one over on us and more or less put the final nail in our top four chances.

Arsene Wenger has a few options available to him with players like Mohamed Elneny, Danny Welbeck, Francis Coquelin, Alex Iwobi and Theo Walcott all looking to get a chance. I don't think he will make too many changes from the City game though and hopefully the players can show more of the spirit they showed on Sunday. It's going to be very tough to finish in the top four and I honestly don't think we will make it, but I don't think our chances will be killed off in this game.

That's it for today.

See you tomorrow.

Can Arsenal Show Their "Mental Strength" Against City

Time and again we are told of the mental strength the Arsenal players possess when they manage to overcome a hurdle and take a point or even three from a game. Of course every team faces setbacks no matter how good they are and their mental strength is shown in their reactions to those setbacks. Arsene Wenger is very fond of telling us of his players' mental strength, but I just cannot see it.

A team with mental strength simply could not be as brittle as Arsenal every time they concede a goal. All it takes is for the opposition to score against them and the whole team as a unit become almost visibly afraid. We are almost as vulnerable when we have conceded as when we score and it happens in game after game.

When we suffer a bad defeat or a surprise defeat to a so called lesser team it can take weeks for the players to even approach the level expected from a team who should be challenging for trophies. Since we lost at home to Watford in January we have spiralled from one crisis to another with the odd unconvincing victory thrown in to avert a full blown collapse. From a position where we were in the last 16 of the Champions League and challenging for at least second place in the league we are now faced with the FA Cup as our only route to success.

To make matters worse for Arsenal it's Spurs who have gone a great run and put the sort of pressure on Chelsea that has made them stumble. It's a sad day for an Arsenal fan when you are happy to see Chelsea win an FA Cup semi final because the alternative was so impalitable. If Arsenal were to somehow manage to beat City today I would have had very little confidence in their ability to beat Spurs if they had reached the final despite Spurs terrible record at Wembley this season.

The FA Cup draw has been very kind to us so far to say the least, but that ends today when we play a City team who have fared only slightly better than us so far this season. Their only chance of a trophy this season is the FA Cup too, but they are far more likely than us to at least qualify for the Champions League. Their mental strength has been called into question too this season, but their manager will be cut a little more slack as it's his first season in the job.

Our manager seems to think he can redeem the season and get the fans back onboard if he can deliver his third FA Cup in four seasons and seventh in his almost 21 years at the club. If he was somehow to scrape into fourth place and win the FA Cup that might be the case with some fans, but I believe the vast majority believe at this stage that the club needs to move on and part ways with him. I still don't want to see him get the bullet, but if he can't see the writing on the wall then that might be the only option.

I'm not laying all the blame for our woes at his door of course and we all know how unfit for purpose the upper echelons of the club are too. We have a majority shareholder who doesn't seem interested in the footballing side progressing as long as his investment continues to gain value and all those in between him and the manager are almost invisible in their inaction. We have at least spent some money in the last few years, but the players needed to advance the squad never arrived and the only change that we can have any chance of achieving is in the management.

Our manager seems to have fallen so far behind the tactics and football needed to win in the game as it is that he cannot be allowed to continue in the job. Opponents do their homework and prepare for us so they know how to combat us as well as how to put pressure on us in the places where we can't handle it. We have been completely out thought by both Tony Pulis and Sam Allardyce in recent weeks and they are hardly master tacticians. 

Not only do our opponents know exactly how to combat us, but the reverse just isn't true. It's as if the players haven't been briefed on the strengths and weaknesses of the opposition before every game and that can only come down to one person. If they have been briefed then it hasn't been done correctly and if they haven't then it's incredibly arrogant to think all that matters is what we do with the ball and not what the opposition do.

The players have some responsibility to bear too of course and too many of them have gone missing when they were needed most. Our injuries have been better than they have been for a long time this season, but the same old failings still come through game after game. It's not a personell issue because it happens no matter what team plays which leads us back to the leadership which just isn't right on and off the pitch.

I still want Arsenal to win every single game they play and I would be as delighted as the next fan if we win the Cup and finish in the top four, but it won't change my opinion on the manager. Even if we do manage to somehow make them both happen I think he should see that as the ideal way to sign off on a high and give the club a chance to move on to a new era. Everything comes to an end and it would at least be a good thing to end his reign on a high rather than the low which we seem to be crashing and burning towards.

As for the team today, I think he has to play the strongest team possible despite having a league game against Leicester on Wednesday night. I think that should mean a midfield pairing of Granit Xhaka and Mohamed Elneny which gives a much more stable basis to build on than having Aaron Ramsey in the team. I also think Alexis Sanchez has to go back to the central strikers role and we need players who can hit City with pace on the break which means there should be no place in the team for Olivier Giroud.

I don't think the experiment with three (or five) at the back at Boro was any better than we have seen in other games and we were still just as vulnerable as ever once they equalised. They are heading for relegation and can't score a goal for love or money, but we had to ride our luck when the game was at 1-1. A win is a win though and a defeat in that game would have left us in absolute turmoil before going into today's semi final.

We are capable of beating City even if we were more than a little lucky to draw 2-2 at home to them a few weeks ago. The players are well used to the Wembley surface and atmosphere as they have played there so often in recent seasons and there is some hope of a Cup Final to look forward to. Maybe the players will finally show their mental strength, but I won't be holding my breath.

That's it for today.

See you tomorrow.

Arsenal's Trip To Crystal Palace Previewed

The weekend hasn't gone too well for Arsenal so far with the rest of the top six all playing and winning which means nothing less than three points will do against Crystal Palace. As it stands they still have every chance of overhauling Liverpool, City and United with games in hand on all of them and three points against Palace would put them ahead of United on goal difference. A top four finish is most certainly not anything like a trophy, but it's infinitely better than finishing outside the top four.

Arsenal still have eight games to go after the Palace game and bizarrely two of those games have still to be scheduled with only six weeks until the end of the season. At this stage it looks like their games against Sunderland and Southampton away from home will come on May 10th and either May 16th or 17th. Of all the teams chasing a top four place their finish to the season looks the toughest and they're the ones struggling for form most of all too.

They at least got back on the horse in their last two games with a 2-2 draw at home to City followed by a 3-0 win at home to West Ham. They have to continue their revival against a Palace team who are desperate for points to avoid relegation and who won away to league leaders Chelsea last week. They did lose at Southampton in midweek though and they only have three points to spare over the bottom three.

Their fortunes have improved an awful lot in recent weeks with four wins in a row before that defeat to Southampton and clean sheets in three of those games too. As it stands no other team has taken less points at home than Palace and only the bottom two clubs have scored less goals at home. They have actually taken more points away from home than they have at home, but their recent form means they cannot be underestimated.

From a selection point of view I think Arsene Wenger should probably go with the same team which beat West Ham despite having both Aaron Ramsey and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain available to him. The performance was far from exceptional, but it was certainly better than it has been in a long time. I for one would like to see more of the Granit Xhaka and Mohamed Elneny partnership in midfield as I think the two of them together might just offer the balance the midfield has been painfully missing.

There is a case to be made for Olivier Giroud returning instead of Danny Welbeck I suppose or even Welbeck pushing wide and Alexis Sanchez playing through the middle where he is clearly at his best. I think more of what we saw in the second half in particular against West Ham is what's required though and an unchanged team might be the way to do just that.

Palace have their players to watch of course with both Wilfried Zaha and Christian Benteke proving a real hand full when they beat Chelsea, but Arsenal certainly have players better than both of them. As good as Palace might have been against Chelsea they also rode their luck at the back and could easily have conceded a hat full of goals. If Arsenal are in any way clinical in front of goal tonight I think they should see this game out with a couple of goals to spare.

Of course I'll be perfectly happy with any sort of victory, but the better the performance the more likely it is to inspire confidence in a team which has been short of it for so long now. There are tougher challenges to come before the season ends, but they need to get ones like this out of the way for those challenges to even become important. I have a feeling they will do just that tonight and I must admit it's great to have some confidence in the players for a change and I only hope they can live up to the billing.

That's it for today.

See you tomorrow.

Arsenal v West Ham United Preview

Arsenal aren't exactly playing well at the moment and they have only won once in their last six league games. During that time they were humiliated in the Champions against Bayern Munich, but they have made it to the semi finals of the FA Cup. They still have a chance of winning a trophy at least, but their biggest priority has to be trying to finish in the top four.

The draw with City on Sunday didn't really help their cause, but it was infinitely better than losing to one of the teams they're attempting to overhaul. They have seven points to make up on City, but they do have a game in hand while they have two games in hand on Liverpool with eight points to make up. Neither of those gaps are too much with 10 games still to play, but Arsenal will have to play an awful lot better if they are to have any chance of qualifying for the Champions League yet again.

Their upturn has to start now and they won't get too many better chances than against a West Ham team who have lost their last four games. They're letting in a lot of goals at the moment too with 10 conceded in those four defeats and they haven't kept a clean sheet in nine games. They lost 5-1 at home to Arsenal in December and only Swansea and Hull have conceded more goals than them.

Of course Arsenal haven't exactly covered themselves in defensive glory recently either and the manner of the goals they have been conceding leaves a lot to be desired. They showed character to come from behind twice against City on Sunday, but they were so fragile at the back that it was almost scary. It's hard to believe that there is any defensive coaching at all, but there has to be even if what they're being taught just isn't sinking in.

I captained just about every team I ever played for and my job was always to constantly remind every player of their job and to make sure they did it. It's hard to believe there was anyone telling Hector Bellerin exactly where he should be for City's first goal and almost every single Arsenal player stood and watched as City scored their second goal. Rather than acting to prevent City players getting the space to make and score the goal the Arsenal players only reacted after the events.

Arsene Wenger has often said he has a team of captains, but for me he needs one player out there screaming at the rest of the players from first minute to last. When Laurent Koscielny went off injured at half time against City nobody took over the captain's armband or the role either. Underestimating the role of a captain is a serious mistake by the manager in my opinion and I think it's one of the reasons we keep making the same mistakes game after game. It's hard to see who the captain will be against West Ham as we don't exactly have candidates queueing up for the job. Even at that the worst defensive lapses against City came when we had a captain on the pitch so it's clear that the captain's role certainly isn't organising the players.

As bad as West Ham have been recently I still think Andy Carroll can cause us problems as he has done all too often in the past. West Brom showed our defensive frailty in the air and Carroll will relish the chance to get among the Arsenal defenders. The chances of Arsenal keeping a clean sheet are slim and I only hope they can score enough goals to win the game.

As bad as our defence has been we haven't exactly excelled in attack recently either, but we only need to score two goals to reach the 100 mark in all competitions this season. It's not a bad return for a team who have struggled to find any consistency and didn't sign the striker they so badly needed last summer. Alexis Sanchez made the central striking his role with some great performances, but his reward seems to be a shift to the left side where he cannot influence the game as much.

He's got to be the first name on the team sheet for every game no matter how his contract negotiations might be going for next season. He's certainly not the only player who will enter the last year of his contract this summer with 11 others in the same situation. It's unbelievable to think a club that is being run properly would allow 12 players' contracts to run down to the point where all the bargaining chips are in those players hands.

That's what we're faced with at Arsenal though and the chances are the best of those players will be sold below their market value if they go into the final year of their contract while those we cannot sell will either see out their contracts or get a substantial increase in wages. Again you have to ask the questions about the running of the club and who is ultimately responsible for the shambles we are descending into.

With some supporters marching at every game to protest against the manager and banners for and against him unfurled in the stadium it has become a hostile environment for the players and the fans too. Despite all of the protests I am still firmly of the belief that there are very few fans who would like to see the manager sacked, but I also think the majority at this stage think he should decide to call it quits at the end of this season and make the announcement now. I think the best way the club can move forward is with a new man at the helm, but it could of course all go wrong.

I think we have to take that chance now as fear of the future cannot be cited as a reason not to change. If the manager is going to be fondly remembered by fans in years to come I think a decision by him to leave rather than facing the bullet is the way to go. I have little faith in the powers that be at the club to do so though and I fear we will face into next season with no Champions League football, an incomplete squad (yet again) and an even more fractured fan base. It's not a pleasant prospect, but it seems the most likely scenario at this stage.

As for West Ham tonight it's a game we should win despite our current mess and three points would be a welcome boost ahead of a tricky trip to a rejuvenated Palace on Monday night. We have to start winning games again and we have some tough games to go against United, Everton and Spurs among others which could decide our fate this season. If the players are to rebuild their confidence then three points tonight are an absolute must.

So many players are playing with little or no confidence and so unsure of their roles that it's hard to see how it will change though. Gabriel Paulista will come in for the injured Laurent Koscielny and there is a possibility David Ospina might miss out with injury which could see Emiliano Martinez come in as Petr Cech is still doubtful too. I would like to see Mohamed Elneny replace Francis Coquelin as I just don't think Coquelin is good enough on the ball and it's like we're carrying a player when we are in possession. He makes plenty of tackles, but is too prone to an early booking which means he has to curb his game and he becomes even more ineffectual.

For me Alexis has to be redeployed in the central striking role where he was so effective earlier in the season. You don't move your best player out of their best position and one where they can influence the game the most to accommodate others to the detriment of the team, but apparently that's just what we're doing now. If we play Alexis centrally I think he can do what he did to West Ham in the reverse fixture when he got three goals and an assist.

I'd love to say I'm confident of a win tonight, but nothing about the current situation fills me with confidence. Of course I have seen the team in a much worse state in my 47 years supporting them, but we weren't one of the richest clubs in the world then and it was a much more level playing field for other teams. Things have to improve and they have to improve quickly starting with three points tonight and maybe even a good performance too if we're lucky.

That's it for today.

See you tomorrow.

Arsenal v Manchester City Preview

Time is of the essence for me today so I'll try to make this preview as quick as possible. To be honest it's not exactly easy to write about Arsenal at the moment despite the club giving us so much raw material. So much has been said that there's not too much I can add to it without boring everybody to tears.

Our form is at probably it's lowest point under Arsene Wenger and his position is under more pressure than it has ever been in nearly 21 years at the club. We have fallen alarmingly behind the top four with four defeats in five games and we need to arrest that slide immediately or there will be no Champions League football next season. As bad as we have been in the knock out stages of the Champions League it would be a huge blow for the club to miss out on qualification. 

As it stands we are seven points behind City with a game in hand and could close that gap to four points with a victory today. Liverpool are nine points ahead of us and we have three games in hand on them which makes them catchable. I can't see us catching Chelsea or Spurs and it doesn't really matter whether we catch United or not if we don't overhaul either City or Liverpool too.

Chelsea's defeat at home to Palace yesterday has given City a chink of light and they play at home to Chelsea on Wednesday night. They have to beat us today if they are to have any hope of getting back in the title race and that might give Arsenal the opportunity they need to get at City. We find it so hard to break down team's who sit tight and try to hit us on the break or from set pieces, but surely City have to come to play today.

Earlier this season or in seasons gone by that might have been a good thing for Arsenal, but this season we are the ones who have struggled against teams who play an open game against us. It's not too easy to criticise an attack which has scored 96 goals in all competitions, but we have most definitely let in too many goals this season. We have been poor in defence this season and that includes the goalkeepers and the midfield too with the whole team failing to defend properly as a unit.

I have been critical of Petr Cech this season, but he's still a better option than David Ospina and I would probably prefer to see Wojciech Szczesny back at the club next season or a new keeper coming in. Ospina will play today with Cech still injured and it worries me when he plays. He's a good shot stopper, but his distribution can be far too risky, he's poor on corners and he has an annoying habit of standing behind his line.

There aren't too many other players missing though with Santi Cazorla the most notable absentee and Lucas Perez out too. I don't think Perez has got the opportunities his performances have deserved and it would be no surprise to see him leave in the summer. As for today I would hope to see a front three of Alexis Sanchez, Danny Welbeck and Theo Walcott with us trying to use their combined pace to stretch a City defence who have been as bad as our's quite often this season.

The biggest decision for the manager could be what players play in midfield and I think the Granit Xhaka and Mohamed Elneny combination could be the way to go. In front of them I think we just have to play Mesut Ozil despite his current lack of form as he is the man who can unlock the City defence in a split second given the chance. We need to get him some good possession in good positions first though and that's something we haven't done much of recently.

City are in good form at the moment and they have some very good players in their team, but they are vulnerable too. They have won 10 and lost four games on the road and they have scored more away goals than any other team. Their away defeats have come against some of the better teams and that has to give Arsenal some hope today.

Arsenal's problem at home has been their lack of goals and they have actually scored more goals away from home than at home. They will probably need to score two or three goals today if they are going to win as I can't see them keeping a clean sheet. Their chances will ultimately depend on the attitude of the players and that's something which has to improve dramatically.

The manager told us his decision on his future would be known by now, but still we have no word and it's very difficult to believe it's not affecting the team. A great performance today would show those players are behind him no matter what the decision is, but more of what we have seen recently is what us fans fear most. It's a game I'm really not looking forward to and it could easily end up like "car crash TV", but as always I won't be able to drag myself away from it.

That's it for today.

See you tomorrow.

Arsenal v Hull City Preview

Last Saturday's defeat to Chelsea is still fresh in the mind and yet it seems so far away. It's been a difficult week since that game and there can be very few excuses offered for the lack of fight in the second half in particular. The league has to be beyond Arsenal now and that means it's back to the annual fight to finish in the top four.

There is of course the side issue of the trip to Bayern Munich on Wednesday night for the first leg of the Champions League round of 16. It would take a brave man to predict anything other than yet another exit at this stage of the competition for Arsenal. Despite all this I find myself writing this preview on the Air Coach on the way to Dublin airport as I make the way to see my beloved Arsenal take on Hull City.

Let me make it clear that Arsenal always have been and always will be a part of me no matter what league they play in or how badly they might be doing. It doesn't matter who owns the club or manages it, my heart will always belong to Arsenal and I'm quite fond of the wife and kids too. I'll meet some good friends today and have a few beers before and after the game, but I'm making the pilgrimage out of devotion to Arsenal.

There's the usual requests for programs for those not as lucky as me to make it over. Right now I'm in dire need of coffee and food, but those extra few minutes in bed at 3am always seem worth it when you press the snooze button. I've no doubt I'll pick up something overpriced in the airport, but it's my own fault. 

I'm listening to a Ska mix on my phone as I write this and the prospect of Arsenal and listening to some great music makes me exceedingly happy despite the hour. I was that guy moving in time to the music at the bus stop at 3.30am as others made their way home from their night out. I thought my earphones were pretty obvious, but it still didn't stop those stumbling past from trying to start a conversation with me.

Anyway, I digress and this is meant to be a preview of a game Arsenal quite simply have to get three points from. The defeat to Chelsea was bad enough, but it was preceded by a defeat at home to Watford and the first half display in that game was one of the most abject displays in a long time. It seems we have become a team who perform for one half of a game all too often and if we don't get our business done in that half then we're in real trouble.

Hull won at home to Liverpool last week and drew away to United in their previous game and they kept a clean sheet in both games. They might still be in the bottom three, but the arrival of Marco Silva has been exactly what they needed and I would be surprised if they were relegated. He has a very good record in his short managerial career and he certainly knows how to get the best out of his players even if he doesn't tend to stick around for too long.

This week has been dominated by speculation about Arsene Wenger's future and he has been a fantastic manager for Arsenal for over 20 years now. There have been highs and lows of course, but I think the tide may have turned and it could be best for all if he didn't take up the offer of the new contract at the end of this season. Change can be scary, but I think Arsenal need a change even if things don't immediately improve if he goes. Not every team can be successful every season, but I think things cannot continue as they are and a change is essential at this stage.

Having said that I still greatly admire the man and what he has done for the club and I will never abuse him here or on social media. I cannot see what can be gained from the abuse which some people throw in his direction and it only helps to further divide an already split fan base. It can't help the players either, but you can only hope as professionals they can ignore it.

I don't imagine there will be too many changes from the team last week despite virtually every player under performing. I would like to see Mohamed Elneny, Danny Welbeck and/or Lucas Perez come into the team, but it's not really about who plays and more about the attitude and commitment. Hull will more than likely sit deep and hit us on the break as they did so well in beating Liverpool last week, but maybe they might have the audacity to come at us like Watford did in the first half. We didn't have a clue how to deal with that as we obviously hadn't prepared for a team having the nerve to take us on on our own patch.

We need the players who went missing last week to stand up and be counted and it's worrying that Alexis Sanchez has suddenly had far less influence than usual in his last few games. The contract situations of both him and Mesut Ozil are extremely worrying and it's becoming more difficult to believe they will be Arsenal players next season. For me I think they would have tied everything down before now if they were staying and we will have to sell them both at a cut price this summer with only a year left on their contracts if they don't sign up very soon.

Despite all of this I'm still looking forward to the game as I always am when I make the trip. I'm an optimist at heart and I always believe Arsenal will win no matter who they play or where the game is. Today is no different and I think we will get the job done no matter how messy or ugly it might get.

Hopefully Hector Bellerin will be able to return after his injury last week and I'm still struggling to believe that the so called "pundits" to a man didn't think it was even a foul on him. The rules of the game clearly state it was not only a foul but a red card for Marcus Alonso and Chelsea's first goal should not have stood. Where the game might have gone after that is another matter, but you cannot rewrite the past. As a person who has suffered concussion playing football I know how dangerous it can be and I wasn't allowed to play for three months after my concussion. I hope we don't rush him back too soon and his welfare has to be of paramount importance.

I'll leave it there as I near the airport and the inevitable queue for security before I finally get that cup of coffee. My final thought for the day is that the team need the fans behind them in good and bad times and it's too easy to turn on the manager and/or the players. I just hope they can get the support they need today and use it to put two bad results behind them as they build towards at least a strong finish to the season.

That's it for today.

See you tomorrow.