Arsenal v Spurs Preview

Things are going very well for Arsenal at the moment as they sit level with the leaders in the Premier League and have already qualified for the last 16 of the Champions League with two group games to spare. They are unbeaten since losing at home to Liverpool on the opening day with an understrength team and their usual injury curse hasn't kicked in yet even if there are a few players out. The pressure is about to ratchet up considerably though and that starts with tomorrow's game at home to Spurs.

On the face of it 23 points from 10 league games is a very good return, but we have to remember that Arsenal have had a very good run of away games so far. They drew at last season's champions Leicester, but the other four teams they have beaten are hardly world beaters. Hull, Burnley and Sunderland will all be very happy just to avoid the drop while Watford would probably be quite happy to finish comfortably in mid-table. When it came to the crunch last season we had a much tougher set of away fixtures in the second half of the season. 

On the other hand we have already dropped three points at home to Liverpool and struggling Middlesbrough managed to get a point at the Emirates too. We only just scraped past both Swansea and Southampton and our only convincing home display was when we beat Chelsea 3-0. As good as we might think we are there's an awful lot more work to do to stay in the title race.

We still have to visit every single one of the teams who will be challenging for the title while after tomorrow we will have played three of them at home. If we're going to keep pace at the top and build the confidence needed to mount a serious challenge I think nothing less than three points against Spurs is a necessity. We have looked very vulnerable in defence far too often this season and we're up against a Spurs team who have the best defensive record in the league.

We cannot defend like we did at home to Swansea and Liverpool or away to Ludogorets and PSG and expect not to pay a price for it. Spurs might be struggling to score goals, but they are the only unbeaten team in the league and we will have to be at our best from first minute to last to get the upper hand. We certainly have the flair players to cause any team real trouble and Arsene Wenger has to pick the right team to get about Spurs and beat them.

I'm hoping Santi Cazorla and Hector Bellerin will return from injury in time to play as they are both very important to our tempo in a game. Up front I think Alexis Sanchez must start as the central striker with Theo Walcott (if he's fit) and Alex Iwobi either side of him with Olivier Giroud as an option from the bench if needed. Who plays alongside Cazorla (if he's fit) is the big question and I think I might just prefer to see Mohamed Elneny get the nod.

I know it's probably a straight call between Francis Coquelin and Granit Xhaka, but I would be worried about the ability of either of them to last the 90 minutes without getting a red card. Maybe Coquelin will start and be replaced by Xhaka for the final 30 minutes and that might just rid us of the fear of a red card. It's going to be a very competitive game in midfield with tackles flying in and we need to insure we have the full compliment for the full game.

Since beating City a while back Spurs haven't won a game or scored a goal from open play. They will possibly have Harry Kane back from injury, but he will hardly be match fit and their confidence will not be high. Leverkusen showed on Wednesday night that they will make defensive mistakes if they are closed down and that's something we need to do.

I don't think for one second that Spurs have the ability or the mental strength to go through a whole season unbeaten as Arsenal did in 2003/04. It would be very nice if we could be the ones to end their unbeaten start to the season and maintain our sole Invincible status yet again. Of course we have so many reasons to want to beat them and yet another one is for us to go top of the league after City failed to beat Middlesbrough.

Spurs are going through a slump and will be vulnerable and there is no better time to put them in their place. In Mesut Ozil and Sanchez we have two players who should be the envy of every Premier League club and I think they will be the difference come full time. I'm hoping for a perfect day for Arsenal which will see us put Spurs in their rightful place (our shadow) and see us go top of the league before the international break too.

That's it for today.

See you tomorrow.

Arsenal's Trip To PSG Previewed

Arsenal just about managed to beat Southampton on Saturday, but I'm still not quite sure how they did it. It was a far from impressive display and they got out of jail right at the death with a somewhat lucky penalty. They won though and took three very important points to move them up to seventh in the Premier League table.

It was a pretty strong Arsenal team too, but there were a few noteable absentees. With the trip to PSG in mind Arsene Wenger left Granit Xhaka and Olivier Giroud on the bench while Alexis Sanchez didn't start as he was back quite late from international duty in South America. I expect all three of them to start against PSG as Arsene Wenger looks to play his strongest team possible.

There is a suggestion that David Ospina will get the nod ahead of Petr Cech as he did in some of the group games last season. It's a risky move which backfired badly at home to Olympiacis, but to be fair to Ospina he is a good keeper and Cech has made his fair share of mistakes since joining Arsenal too. None of those mistakes have been as obvious as the one Ospina made in that game, but there is a suggestion he is struggling with long range efforts.

There could be other changes too with the possibility of Mohamed Elneny coming in for Santi Cazorla to add some more strength in front of the defence alongside Xhaka. Santi has played very well so far and has probably been our best attacking player to this point, but a player who can offer more defensively might be a better option for this game. I'd like to see how Xhaka and Elneny perform together and we might just get a chance to see that combination in this game.

I suppose there's a possibility of Theo Walcott missing out too as he hasn't exactly been overly impressive so far this season. If Giroud plays centrally then Alexis will come in on the left or right and we could see Lucas Perez retain his place, but shift to a wide role. I think Walcott will get the nod ahead of both of them though while Alex Iwobi is unlikely to play from the start too.

There are plenty of other options available with the possibility of Mesut Ozil or Cazorla moving to the wide role and the other one of those two playing behind the striker to accomodate both players. I think Ozil will play his usual role though and Cazorla will be the man to miss out. It's good that we have so many options and hopefully the players can find more understanding than they did on Saturday as the season progresses.

PSG have the French league tied up at almost a stroll and the real challenge for them is in the Champions League. It's the trophy their mega rich owners desire more than any other, but it's not easy to win as Arsenal are well aware. They might not be on top of their domestic league right now, but I have no doubt they will be before too long and until the season ends too.

On the face of it Arsenal's group is none too difficult and it should be a fight between them and PSG for first place. While Basel and Ludogorets cannot be written off, Arsenal should be able to finish ahead of both of them as long as they don't treat them as lightly as they did the so called also rans in their group last season. They managed to get out of that group last season despite themselves and hopefully they will do things a lot better this season.

It's been far too long since Arsenal made it past the last 16 of the Champions League and the best way to do that is to win their group. If they can stay on top of their games against Basel and Ludogorets then the group should come down to the results home and away against PSG. A win away to them would be the ideal way to get off the mark in the group, but I'd happily take a point from this game.

The team still haven't put in a 90 minute performance in their four games to date, but now is the time for them to do just that. This will be their toughest game so far and a good result could be just what the team needs to get them going.

That's it for today.

See you tomorrow.

Arsenal's Trip To Leicester Previewed

A week has passed since I wrote my preview on Arsenal's first league game of the season against Liverpool last week. A week is a long time in the life of an Arsenal fan and an awful lot can change in a week, but obviously not for Arsenal. Well maybe I am a little wrong there because two players who played last week will be unavailable through injury, but that's hardly something new for Arsenal.

The much needed central defender is still a thing of our dreams and our striking options are as limited as they were last week. It seems like as a club we have decided to try to muddle through August as best we can and then concentrate on the season after the transfer window has closed. At this stage I'm not sure we will sign anyone despite having more actual cash available than almost any other club in the world. Arsene Wenger just doesn't seem to understand the frustration of the fans because we are so near and spending some of that money could be what we need to make us genuine contenders.

Of course nothing is guaranteed in football and we could still finish fourth if we spent the money, but we won't know if we don't do it. The sentiments against the manager are growing week by week and he is the only one who can do anything to stop them. There are some fans who want him out no matter what, but the more moderate ones like me can still be won over.

I have noticed a decided increase in anti Wenger sentiment since the season started and quite a of those who are in favour of his exit were previously on the fence. From my perspective the first time I ever thought he should consider his position was after the 8-2 loss against United five years ago, but he held firm and I will always support our manager whoever it might be. His contract is up at the end of this season though and I genuinely believe the club needs to be looking at very real alternatives, but I don't believe for one second that they are.

Anyway, on to Leicester and the team we might see playing away from home to last season's champions. Like Arsenal they lost their opening game and the manner of their defeat would hardly inspire confidence for the new season for them either. A defeat away to a newly promoted team with a temporary manager and only 13 senior players fit is hardly the stuff of champions.

The Arsenal team that shipped four goals at home to Liverpool will probably be very close to the one we see against Leicester. Of course both Alex Iwobi and Aaron Ramsey will miss out because of the injuries they picked up last week. The chances of Laurent Koscielny, Mesut Ozil and Olivier Giroud returning are slim as they all continue to build their fitness after their late returns to pre season. 

If any of them are to play the chances are Koscielny will come in, but he hasn't got even one competitive minute under his belt yet and it would be a risk to play him from the start. Needs must though and I wouldn't be surprised to see him in from the start with the other two possibly coming off the bench with a view to starting against Watford next week. The threat posed to our defence by Jamie Vardy's pace is a very real one and Koscielny is far more likely to be able to deal with it than Calum Chambers or Rob Holding even if he isn't fully match fit.

I think we will see Santi Cazorla and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain come in for Ramsey and Iwobi as they both did well when they came off the bench against Liverpool. That would mean Alexis Sanchez would start as the central striker again and I can't say I'm overly happy with that. I just don't see him as a central striker and I think he's a lot better in a wide role.

If he doesn't play as a striker he has to play in a wide role which would mean either Theo Walcott or Chuba Akpom would play in the centre. For me it has to be Akpom despite his lack of experience at this level because he is the only actual striker we have available. I would be shocked to see Akpom play though and I expect as few changes as possible from last week despite the concession of four goals at home.

Maybe we will see the full debut of Granit Xhaka after he started on the bench last week despite the club shelling out something like £35 million for him. It's a lot of money to pay for a sub and you have to think he will get his chance to start very soon. For me the team would be more balanced with him in midfield alongside Mohamed Elneny which would see Francis Coquelin missing out.

Leicester are no pushovers and they will want to do all they can to defend the title they won so well last season. They have done well to tie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez down to new contracts and they have added to their squad in the summer too. Arsenal inflicted two of their three league defeats on them last season and I have no doubt Leicester will want to take the chance to put that right.

The loss to Liverpool has made the outcome of this game all the more important for Arsenal and three points are almost a must. They can't afford to get too far behind the other teams looking to win the league and they need to get their campaign up and running as soon as possible. It's certainly not too much to imagine the team can win the game, but they have to control the game an awful lot more than they managed to do last week.

I can only imagine the reaction if Arsenal lose again and it's something I would really prefer not to deal with. It's up to the players to make sure that doesn't happen by winning the game or at the very least getting a point from it. 

Finally for today there's still time to join my Fantasy League and my Predictions League for the new season. There's a €50 prize for the fantasy league and it's open to anyone to join.

To join my fantasy league go to the official site and set up your team after entering your details. Once you've set up your team go to the league's option and join a private league. The code for my league (Ever Arsenal league) is 64693-22498 and there's already well over 1,000 teams in it.

For my predictions league go to the official site and make your forecasts and then go to the mini leagues option. Go to the join a mini league option (invitation code) and use the code for my league FD6F8-HYH to sign up. After that you can join in the fun of predicting every single game in the upcoming season.

That's it for this today.

See you tomorrow.

Arsenal v Sunderland Preview And Predicted Arsenal Line Up

Since Chelsea put a halt to Arsenal's great winning streak by taking a point at the Emirates Arsenal have lost their way. They have only taken five points from their last four games including that game and the only victory was against struggling Hull. The defeat at home to Swansea was a bitter pill to swallow in a game Arsenal had to and should have won and the point at United on Sunday was more than a little lucky.

I made a point before the game about the team needing pace in attack away to United and bemoaning the absence through injuries of Danny Welbeck and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. Arsenal set up to defend and hit United on the break when they could, but with those two injured and Theo Walcott again warming the bench it wasn't the right tactic for the players on the pitch. If the stats are to be believed it was the first time in 10 years Arsenal didn't manage a single shot in the first half of a game.

Walcott eventually came on and it was his cross which got deflected into the United net to earn Arsenal a point. I also made the point that Arsene Wenger was almost sure to pick the exact same side for the sixth game in a row and predictably he did so despite that team losing to Swansea six days earlier. With this game coming so soon after the United game there has to be some rotation in the team and Arsenal certainly have players who can come in and make an impact.

The team chosen against United had been abject for the first hour against Swansea and were even worse for just as long against United. Football is a game played over 90 minutes the last time I checked and Arsenal need to play with pace and commitment to their game from first minute to last to beat any team in the Premier League. There are no easy rides and Arsenal really haven't taken enough points off the rest of the top eight teams this season.

They have put the team's below that position to the sword more often than most teams though and Sunderland come to them in a precarious position at the wrong end of the table. They are three points above the relegation zone with this game and s trip to champions Chelsea to come and they will be guaranteed Premier League football if they take one point from those games. They will stay up even if they lose both of those games if Hull don't win at home to United or if Newcastle lose at home to West Ham.

I don't think Hull have it in them to beat United and I severely doubt that Newcastle will beat West Ham, but a point would put them level with Sunderland and that could put Sunderland behind them if Arsenal and Chelsea put a few goals past them. I can't see Sunderland coming to Arsenal and having a go and I would be very surprised if they didn't try to park the bus like Chelsea and Swansea in Arsenal's last two home games. It had been a long time since Arsenal failed to score in two home games in a row, but both of those teams shut them out and Sunderland will be more than happy to do the same.

They won't want to go into the final game of the season still involved in the relegation battle and they have put up some good performances in recent weeks to make themselves favourites to stay up. They have only won three of their 17 away games, but they have managed to draw more away games than any other team and their defensive record away from home is quite good with the exception of the eight goals Southampton put past them. They have taken eight points from their last four games which has included wins at home to Southampton and away to Everton and they will make life as hard as they can for Arsenal. 

As I said already there needs to be some rotation for the good of the squad and also because the players played only three days ago and play again in four days. None of the injured players will be returning from injury which means it's more than likely going to be the same squad which was used against United. There are plenty of those players who were on the bench on Sunday who could quite easily fit into the team and I expect to see a few of them get a run out.

I would be very surprised if Walcott and Jack Wilshere weren't in the starting team and I think there has to be room for Gabriel Paulista and Kieran Gibbs too. Which players would miss out would be another matter, but Gibbs would of course come in for Nacho Monreal and I would have said Gabriel would replace Per Mertesacker, but Laurent Koscielny is a bit of a doubt and it might not be a bad idea to rest him with the FA Cup final only 10 days away. 

If Walcott comes in it will mean Aaron Ramsey won't play on the right as I can't see Walcott being deployed in a central role. I would have Ramsey alongside Francis Coquelin in central midfield which would see Santi Cazorla miss out. Cazorla has had a great season, but it's hardly fair to Ramsey to continually play him out of position and he deserves a chance to play in his favoured position. 

If Ramsey plays centrally it might mean Wilshere will miss out unless the boss decides to play them alongside each other. Coquelin has been fantastic since getting into the team as he does the defensive work in midfield which others don't do, but the inclusion of Wilshere and Ramsey would certainly offer more attacking options. It could be a risk to play them both together, but against a team struggling at the wrong end of the table it might be one he chooses to take.

Of course Wilshere could push further forward or so could Ramsey if either Mesut Ozil or Alexis Sanchez were to be given some much needed rest. The club played an awful lot of money for those two players though and I expect they will play as they tend to do when they're fit. A bit of a shake up to the team wouldn't go astray and I hope those four players will get a chance. I don't think the team will suffer with them in it and the bench would have a very strong look to it too.

There's still the slight matter of third place to play for as Arsenal need a point to confirm direct qualification for the group stages of next season's Champions League. There's even the very slight possibility of Arsenal finishing second if Southampton can do them a favour by winning at City on Sunday and Arsenal can win their last two games. I don't see it happening myself, but Southampton can still finish fifth with a win if Liverpool fail to win at Stoke and Spurs don't win at Everton.

If Arsenal are going to open up Sunderland they need to get to the task a lot earlier than they have done in recent games and they need to use the full width of the pitch as much as possible. I know it's not easy with some of the injured players the more likely ones to play in those positions, but they cannot approach the game with the same lack of urgency which has been all too evident recently. I think a few fresh faces could be the remedy to that problem and I hope to see the players put Sunderland under real pressure from the off.

It would be a shame if the league campaign was to fizzle out after the players fought so hard to get themselves in such a good position since the turn of the year. A win would at least give them some hope of finishing second and give City something to think about when they play Southampton on Sunday. Who knows what could happen if Arsenal were to win their last two games and the only way we will see what it could mean is if they start by beating Sunderland.

I think they will get the win and I hope they put up a performance that shows the players still want to try to finish second as well as getting a place in the cup final team. That final is getting very close now and the chance to retain the trophy and become the team who has won the cup the most times is something to look forward to. Hopefully the team will go into it on the back of two home wins and knowing they have given their all to finish as high as possible in the table.

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 Have A Mountain To Climb In Monaco

First things first and Arsenal found out last night that they will face Reading in their FA Cup semi final after the Championship side beat Bradford 3-0 last night in their replay. The game is to be played at Wembley on the weekend of April 18/19 with the winners playing the winners of the other semi final between Villa and either Blackburn or Liverpool. It's a clear path to the final for Arsenal and they have to be favourites to retain the trophy as it stands.

Before they can even think about that game there's plenty to fight for in the league with second place up for grabs and the bare minimum of qualifying for next season's Champions League to be settled too. At the moment Arsenal are the form side in the Premier League, but Liverpool are looking pretty good too with nine games left to play. It looks like it could be a hard fought tussle from second to fifth place with the two Manchester clubs involved also.

Of course there's the little matter of this season's Champions League to contend with first and that brings us to tonight's game in Monaco. After the first leg Arsenal face an enormous task to make it through to the quarter finals, but they still have a chance no matter how slight it is. If they're going to overcome Monaco they have to score a minimum of three goals tonight and that is no easy task against a side with Monaco's defensive record.

Monaco won their group with a fantastic defensive effort when they conceded only one goal in their six games. They might have only scored four goals in those games, but allied with their defensive record it was enough to take top spot in the group. When they came to the Emirates last month we expected a solid defensive performance from them, but nobody expected them to score three goals on the night.

They were of course helped by a woeful Arsenal performance and some terrible defending by the home team, but they also showed they have an eye for goal when they get the chance. The first goal they got might have taken a deflection to beat David Ospina, but they hit Arsenal perfectly with swift counter attacks to score the other two goals. They will look to defend in numbers again tonight and are bound to look for the exact same opportunities on the break.

As good as Monaco's defence is they still gave up plenty of chances to Arsenal and on another night Arsenal might have got a draw with a little luck and some better finishing. Olivier Giroud has been in excellent form since returning from injury, but he had a nightmare in the first leg. He could have had four goals and most definitely should have had one when he put a fairly simple rebound over the bar.

To be fair to Giroud he has come back from that game and scored the opening goal in each of Arsenal's three league games since then. He will more than likely lead the line tonight and hopefully he can go some way towards making amends for that first leg performance. He has shown some real courage to come back so strong from that performance and hopefully that strength will be to the fore tonight.

I don't expect too many changes from the team that beat West Ham on Saturday and the only change to the squad will be the return of the fit again Gabriel Paulista for Chuba Akpom. I would imagine Santi Cazorla will return to the starting line up and it's a matter of either Aaron Ramsey or Theo Walcott missing out I suppose. Ramsey would give the team more strength alongside Francis Coquelin in the centre of midfield, but Walcott offers more width and is more than capable of getting in behind the Monaco defence. He showed that on Saturday against West Ham, but unfortunately he missed three very good chances. 

In defence I think there's a real case for including either Calum Chambers or Gabriel in the centre alongside Laurent Koscielny to utilise their pace. Monaco are going to get chances to take Arsenal on the break and both of them have a lot more pace than Per Mertesacker. I'm not saying Mertesacker needs to be dropped permanently, but he might not be suited to the game Arsenal will have to play tonight. I would be surprised if Mertesacker didn't start though and I think Hector Bellerin will come in for Chambers, but otherwise the defence will be the same as it was on Saturday.

The personell on the night won't be the most important factor for Arsenal. If they're going to win the game by the scoreline they need it will be down to the performance those chosen for the game can put in. As good as Monaco were in the first leg they are not Invincible and Arsenal will make chances on the night. If they are going to progress they will have to be an awful lot better at putting those chances away than they were in the first leg and they will have to ride their luck defensively as they push forward in search of goals.

It's certainly not an impossible task, but it is highly unlikely that Arsenal will come out on top. That third goal Monaco scored in added time could be the one which makes the difference, but I at least want to see Arsenal give it a real go on the night. If they give their all don't go through then there's not too much more that can be asked of the players. The damage was done in that first leg and hopefully some if not all of that damage will be undone tonight. I'm not writing Arsenal off at all, but I'm not exactly getting my hopes up either.

That's it for today.

See you tomorrow.

Arsenal Make The Short Trip To Play Spurs

Arsenal and Spurs are in very good form in the league at the moment with both of them taking 19 points from their last eight games. Only two points separate them in the table with 15 games left to play and a Champions League spot the goal for both teams. The teams have met once already this season with Spurs just about managing to hold on for a 1-1 draw at the Emirates back in September.

Of course there's more at stake than just the three points and an edge in the race for that top four finish with local pride at stake too. That draw earlier in the season means the winner of this game will gain the bragging rights for the rest of the season and that's very important for any football fan. Arsenal beat Spurs at home and away last season as well as knocking them out of the FA Cup and the Arsenal fans were quick to remind their Spurs counterparts about it on every possible occasion.

Since Arsene Wenger took the reins at Arsenal in 1996 they have had a very good head to head record against Spurs and have also finished ahead of them in the league every single season. Spurs have come close to finishing ahead of Arsenal on a couple of occasions and came very close to doing so in 2006, but failed when the pressure was on them. It would be a brave person who would bet on Spurs to finish ahead of Arsenal this season and I would imagine the majority of those who would make that bet would be die hard Spurs fans.

In fact Arsenal are favourites to win on Saturday despite being away from home. If you're that way inclined William Hill offers the best odds to bet on football and are always worth checking out. I'll be having a few bob on Arsenal to win myself and I'm fairly confident it will pay off too.



Despite being in such a good run of league form Spurs haven't got the best home record with four defeats in their 12 games and only 18 goals scored in those games. They did of course beat league leaders Chelsea 5-3 not so long ago and any team who can beat Chelsea has to be given plenty of respect. Arsenal will have to be at their best and give everything they have to get the three points, but they are more than capable of doing so.

In team news it seems Alexis Sanchez will again miss out for Arsenal as he did in the 5-0 win over Villa last weekend. He has been Arsenal's best player this season and his loss will be a big blow, but there are plenty of other players capable of stepping up to the plate. In particular Santi Cazorla has been in fantastic form in the last couple of months and has been a huge asset to the team.

Arsenal were very good against Villa last week and had some great attacking options throughout the game. I had wondered where Alexis would fit back into the team, but I knew he would play and his absence at least eases one headache for the boss. The four players in the most advanced attacking roles all scored last week and it would have been difficult to have left any of them out, but the return of Alexis would certainly have done so.

Despite the absence of Alexis and others such as Mathieu Debuchy and Mikel Arteta Arsenal still have a very strong squad to draw from. Danny Welbeck is fit to return but he will have to be satisfied with a place on the bench as I would imagine the boss will go with the same team that beat Villa on Sunday. He will have plenty of options on the bench if he wants to change things, but the quality available from the start has the ability to win the game.

Of course Spurs have some good players of their own with Christian Eriksen and Harry Kane in particularly good form at the moment. Eriksen has shown excellent ability from set pieces in particular and he's the top scoring midfielder in the Premier League while Kane has grabbed his chance with both hands this season and scored plenty of goals. Man for man though Arsenal have a better team and squad and they need to impose their game on Spurs to make sure they take the three points.

With the FA Cup and Champions League still to play for there's plenty of action still to come this season, but a top four finish is vital to Arsenal. At the moment they have closed the gap to fourth place to goal difference only while third place is only a point away and they have even closed to within six points of second place. If they can continue their winning ways they will close in on all of those teams above them bit by bit and who knows where it might end.

A loss would be a very bad result though and not just because of the bragging rights, but because Spurs would overtake them and Liverpool could get within a point of them too. I still have every confidence in Arsenal finishing in the top four this season, but I would like them to do it the easy way for a change rather than scraping in right at the end. For me the ideal way to do so will be to go out and beat Spurs on Saturday and move into third place before all of the other challengers get to play their games.

That's it for this today.

See you tomorrow.

Arsenal 6-1 Southampton

Arsenal played at home to Southampton yesterday in the Premier League. It was only their second home game of the season and the other one had ended 0-0 with a very defensive Sunderland team. Southampton hadn't tried to be defensive in their opening three games and the signs were Arsenal would get more goal scoring chances in this game.

Arsene Wenger made three changes from the team which beat Liverpool 2-0 in their last game. Wojceich Szczesny returned from injury to play in goal and Francis Coquelin filled in for the injured Abou Diaby in midfield. Up front Gervinho came into the team in a wide role which meant Olivier Giroud missed out and Lukas Podolski played in a central role.

When the team lined up it actually looked like Gervinho was the central player and both him and Podolski exchanged roles at times. Southampton did try to play defensively at first but once the goals started to flow there was no point. It took only 11 minutes for the first goal to come and Southampton generously put it into their own net for Arsenal.

Podolski did very well to win the ball in midfield and he gave it to Cazorla. The diminutive Spaniard then played the ball between two defenders for Kieran Gibbs to run on to. Gibbs cut the ball across the goalmouth and the keeper could only parry it onto a defender who deflected into his own goal from close range.

Arsenal then played some very good football and it seemed like only a matter of time before they added to the tally. The second goal came just after the half hour mark and unusually for Arsenal it came directly from a free kick.

Coquelin was taken down after he had played the ball 25 yards out from the Southampton goal. Both Podolski and Cazorla stood over the ball but it was Podolski who struck it. The ball went over the wall and came back down again to beat the keeper.

It was a very well struck free kick and a pleasant surprise to see Arsenal score directly from one. The ball wasn't right in the corner and maybe the keeper could have done better. With a two goal lead Arsenal looked very comfortable and it didn't look good for Southampton.

Within six minutes Arsenal had added two more goals and Southampton were four down with the break approachimg. The first one came from Gervinho when he spun away from his marker to run on to a ball over the top from Mikael Arteta. The ball was so well weighted that he was able to run on to it and blast it past the keeper at his near post with his first touch.

The final goal of the first half was another own goal after some more excellent football from Arsenal. The ball got played wide to the advancing Gibbs and his first time ball across the area was deflected into the net by a defender from 10 yards out. Half time couldn't come quickly enough for Southampton but they did manage some consolation just before the break.

With Arsenal 4-0 up they looked like they could come out and do the same thing in the second half. However, just before the break Szczesny made a very bad error and handed Southampton a simple goal. He came to catch a fairly routine cross but he dropped the ball on to the head of one of his defenders and it popped up for Daniel Fox to stab home from close range.

Arsenal certainly had their fair share of luck in the first half, but they played well enough to deserve their three goal advantage. The pace of the game dropped off a little in the second half from an Arsenal perspective. The players had worked hard to gain their lead and the prospect of a trip to Montpellier on Tuesday night might well have been on their minds. Southampton came into the game a little more but Arsenal still looked very dangerous on the break.

Midway through the half Aaron Ramsey came on for Coquelin and he had an immediate impact. He played further forward than Coquelin did and within a few minutes he had made the third goal for Gervinho. He made a great run into the box and his shot came back off the post for Gervinho to bundle it into the net.

Gervinho hadn't scored a goal for Arsenal in 2012 but like buses these things usually come along in twos. I thought he had suffered badly after being made to take a penalty in a shoot out for his country in the ACN final. He missed that penalty of course and the rest of his season with Arsenal went badly after that.

Hopefully the two goals yesterday will be the boost he needs to get back on track and become an integral part of the Arsenal team. He's a bit like Theo Walcott at times in so far as you're never quite sure what he is going to do next and neither is he it seems. There is no doubting his talent but his decision making at times leaves a lot to be desired.

With 15 minutes to go Arsenal brought Walcott and Giroud on for Gervinho and Podolski. I hoped Giroud would get the chance to open his Arsenal account but he never really got a sight of goal. Walcott did manage to get his name on the scoresheet though when he added Arsenal's sixth just before the end.

Thomas Vermaelen was very much involved in the last Arsenal goal when he got forward only to have a good shot well saved. Cazorla shifted the ball quickly to Walcott from the rebound and he side footed it into the net with his left foot. He didn't really celebrate apparently "out of respect" for his old club.

A little bit of that respect directed towards the team he currently plays for would go a long way in my opinion. His refusal to sign a new contract was a real slap in the face for Arsenal and I cannot see him being an Arsenal player next season. I would be shocked if he didn't leave the club on a free transfer next season without ever really fulfilling his potential.

In the end it was a fairly routine win for Arsenal and not too bad a game to have three days before a trip to France. I'm sure Montpellier will offer a much sterner test on Tuesday night but a similar performance from Arsenal will give them a great chance of getting a result.

Arsenal now find themselves up to third in the league table with only Chelsea and Manchester United ahead if them. For a team going through some real transition that's not a bad start to the season. Their next two league games will be much sterner tests though and real tests of how far the team has come.

For the moment it's great to bask in the glory of a five goal win, but the season really gets going now.

Here's the highlights of yesterday's game.

That's it for today.

See you tomorrow.

Arsenal Season Preview

It may seem a little strange to be writing a season preview three games into the season, but it was impossible to do so before the transfer window closed. Arsenal got their transfer dealings done early on with the arrivals of Lukas Podolski, Olivier Giroud and Santi Cazorla, but I had hoped they would do some more business in the closing days. There was money there to spend, but it would appear Arsene Wenger couldn't find the right players to spend it on.

Arsenal bought all three of those players before any others left, and I would have been very happy with the squad as it was after Cazorla arrived. Of course Robin van Persie was never going to stay, but the departure of Alex Song was unexpected to say the least. Theo Walcott didn't follow him out the door, but few Arsenal fans can believe he won't now see his contract out and leave for free next summer.

As it stands it's very hard to see the current Arsenal squad genuinely challenging for the league this season. That's not to say there isn't genuine quality in the squad, but the arrivals only really replaced the players who left over the last two years. The squad just doesn't seem to have the depth required to go the full distance in the Premier League.

Don't get me wrong I would love to see Arsenal challenge the two Manchester clubs and probably Chelsea too right up until next May. To do so they are going to have to call on all of their resources, and that's where the problem lies. Both Chelsea and Manchester City have owners with bottomless pockets, and United are the biggest sports team in the world.

It would seem Chelsea in particular have spent a fortune this summer despite the impending arrival of "financial fair play". How they can justify the money they have spent on fees and will spend on wages is anybody's guess. The losses both Chelsea and City make are outrageous but there is little that can be done to stop it.

It means Arsenal must look to sign players both of those clubs are not interested in, or players who are willing to play for lower wages. Arsene Wenger has signed three very good players and all three of them are capable of making the team a much better one. It would be hard to see any of them get into the other teams that are favourites to win the league though with the possible exception of Santi Cazorla.

Since Cesc Fabregas left the club last summer Arsenal have needed a playmaker, and Cazorla certainly seems to fit the bill. He has great vision, control, passing and an eye for a goal too. It is imperative that he stats fit for the whole season if Arsenal are going to progress.

Of course Jack Wilshere has to return from injury before too long hopefully. He is seen as a possible contender for the role played by Cazorla, but he has little experience in that role. Besides trying to recover from his injury he will surely have to get a couple of years experience behind him before he can play that role.

The team has looked very secure in defence in those first three games with Steve Bould's influence on the defence there for all to see. Despite the absence of Bacary Sagna the defence have played as a unit, and they have been helped by the players in front of them. With the sale of Song Arsenal looked like they might be weaker in midfield, but Mikael Arteta has stepped in the defensive midfield role and excelled so far.

The goalscoring duties will have to be shared among the team now that van Persie is gone and there is a lot of pressure on Giroud to get his share. He has missed a couple of very good chances so far but I think the goals just might flow once the first one goes in. It has been a while since Arsenal have had a wide player contribute a lot of goals but Podolski is sure to get quite a few this season.

The Arsenal team has gone through an awful lot of changes in just over a year, but their style of play has not been affected too much. If they can continue to improve throughout the season the Premier League title is not beyond them, but I think a top three finish is probably a more realistic target. Their best chance of a trophy might well be in one of the cup competitions.

Arsenal have a pretty good Champions League group and there is no reason why they cannot progress to the last 16. After that it's really a matter of how much the team has progressed and what teams they draw in the knockout stages. It's not beyond the realms of possibility for Arsenal to reach the last eight or even the semi finals if the draw is good to them.

The Capital One Cup will probably be a chance for Wenger to play his fringe players and a few reserves too. A run to the later stages of the competition is not unusual for that mix of players, but it is on the bottom of the club's list of priorities. I don't think it's worth risking first team players for a competition which has lost a lot of it's sparkle over the years.

The last trophy Arsenal won was the FA Cup in 2005 and that competition is probably their best chance of a trophy again this season. A trip to Wembley is always a great occasion and it's about time Arsenal equalled Manchester United's record of 11 wins. When the FA Cup starts in the new year there are usually an awful lot of games for Arsenal to play.

Wenger quite often has to make decisions on which players to play in which games for the good of the team. The FA Cup side has quite often lost out to these decisions and I would like to see it targeted this season. It only takes six games to win it and a victory would stop those who count the years since Arsenal last won a trophy.

My thoughts on Arsenal's inability to win the league may seem a little gloomy, but I am trying to be as pragmatic as possible. I would love nothing more than to see Arsenal mount a sustained title challenge and I will be happy to say I was wrong at the end of the season if they do. The signs are very encouraging at the moment but the team is still in transition and the season is very long.

It's back to Premier League action for Arsenal with a home game against Southampton on Saturday afternoon. After that their next two league games are against Manchester City and Chelsea, and the level the team has reached might be a bit more obvious when those games are played. Confidence is a major factor in any sport and the right results in those games could be exactly what the team needs to take things to the next level.

My dream is to again see Arsenal sweep all before them aside as they stride majestically towards the Premier League title. If it happens I'll be a very happy man but if it doesn't it won't change my love for Arsenal.

That's it for today.

See you tomorrow.    

Arsenal's Trip To Stoke City Previewed

Arsenal make the tough trip to play Stoke in the early kick off on Sunday. They only managed to take one point from their first game at home to Sunderland, and they have to get something from this game. Arsenal have never had it easy when traveling to play Stoke in recent years, and this game will be no different.

There is a marked contrast between the footballing styles and philosophies of both clubs. While Arsenal do their best to play a possession based game which can be appealing to the eye, Stoke prefer a more old fashioned "up and at them approach." There is also more than a little needle between the two clubs after Aaron Ramsey's horrific injury against Stoke two years ago.

Both teams started their campaigns with draws last week, and both of them would have been unhappy with those results. Arsenal could only manage a 0-0 draw at home to Sunderland while Stoke conceded a last minute goal to draw away to Reading. A win for either team would mean a good start to the season, but a defeat would see them struggling at the wrong end of the table.

Arsenal have played away to Stoke four times since Stoke were promoted to the Premier League, and they have only won once. That victory came in the game where Ramsey had his leg so badly broken, and it's about time victory number two arrived. The chances are Ramsey will be on the bench tomorrow, but his appearance at any stage will draw howls of derision from the Stoke fans.

They haven't quite managed to forgive him yet for being a little ungracious in accepting Ryan Shawcross's apology for the horrific tackle which broke his leg. To be fair to Shawcross he was very upset afterwards, and his mother had to bring him home in tears. They are hardly the actions of a thug or hard man, but then again bullies and thugs will hide behind anyone who will shelter them.

In team news Arsenal should have more or less the same players available as last week, but Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain might return and Wojciech Szczesny is a doubt after picking up an injury. I can only hope Szczesny plays because I don't fancy the thought of watching Lukasz Fabianski play against Stoke. He has struggled with their style of football in the past, and if he is to get his chance I would hope for it to be against a less physical team. 

The defence and midfield will probably be the exact same as they were last week against Sunderland, but Chamberlain and Ramsey will be hoping to be included. The most important player for Arsenal in their midfield could be Santi Carzola, and he proved his worth last week by creating more goalscoring chances than any other Premier League player. Hopefully Arsenal can put away a few of those chances this time to help them on the road to a victory.

Arsene Wenger has to decide whether new boy Oliver Giroud will play from the start or not in a central attacking role. If Giroud does start I would expect either Theo Walcott or Gervinho to miss out, as I expect Lukas Podolski to keep his place but play on the left more than likely. Walcott struggled against a defensive team last week. and I suspect he could be the player to lose out.

The inclusion of Per Mertesacker at the heart of the Arsenal defence while Laurent Koscielny is injured is seen as a big positive in this game by many Arsenal fans. Despite his height I don't think Mertesacker is a very physical player, and he depends more on anticipation for defensive interceptions. I hope he can stand firm against the onslaught from set pieces which is inevitable, and hopefully his stature will be an advantage for Arsenal.

Stoke only know one way to play and they will look to pressurise the Arsenal defence at every opportunity. They may have been the lowest scorers in the Premier League last season, but their home record is still pretty good. Arsenal have conceded the first goal on all previous Premier League trips to Stoke, and it would be a pleasant change for them to reverse that trend.

Of course Arsenal only really know the one way to play as well, and if they can get their passing game going at the right pace they will cause Stoke problems. The wide players need to become more involved than they were against Sunderland, and they need to take the good chances that come their way. Hopefully Giroud will get his name on the scoresheet if he gets a chance as good as the one he missed last week.

It takes time for players to settle into a new club, but the best way for a striker to settle is to find the back of the net. Carzola doesn't seem like he will need time to settle in ,and his quick feet and football brain will cause Stoke real problems, as long as the referee doesn't allow them to kick him out of the game. I am genuinely excited by the prospect of Carzola, and what he can do for Arsenal this season.

I think it's going to be a very tight game, but Arsenal have the ability to take all three points if they can work hard enough to win them. I'm predicting a 2-1 win for Arsenal with Carzola again being the star of the show. It would be nice for Arsenal to head to Liverpool next weekend with four points in the bag already.

That's it for today.

See you tomorrow.

Arsenal 0-0 Sunderland: An Opportunity Spurned

Arsenal played Sunderland yesterday afternoon in their first Premier League fixture of the new season. After the high profile departure of Robin van Persie it was an opportunity for the Arsenal players to show how good they can be without their former captain. Sunderland were always going to try to make things difficult for Arsenal, and it was up to Arsenal to open the game up.

I managed to find a pub on my holidays in Spain which was showing the game live, and I settled back with a few pints of Peroni to watch yet another new Arsenal era unfold. The other screens in the pub were showing West Ham against Aston Villa, and a botoxed looking Jeff Stelling on Sky Sports News.

Sunderland showed some adventure in the first 20 minutes, but their game plan soon became apparent. They were perfectly happy to settle for a 0-0 draw, and it was up to Arsenal to dictate the pace of the game. It was a hot afternoon in north London, and I hoped for Arsenal to stretch Sunderland and tire them out.

Fans of many different Premier League teams gathered in the pub to watch the afternoons proceedings, and there was even a Sunderland fan among them. He was wearing their away shirt with a number 40 and "Wozza" on the back, but he was in the minority. As the games progressed there were some fascinating scorelines emerging, but I was only interested in the Arsenal game.

I was impressed with the first half performances of Santi Carzola and Per Mertesacker in particular, but Arsenal needed to pick up the pace in the second half. Arsene Wenger chose to leave Oliver Giroud on the bench, as he played Lukas Podolski in the central striker's role. It meant there was a starting role for Gervinho, and he looked like he might be the Arsenal player to unlock the Sunderland defence.

There were a couple of half chances for Sunderland in the first 20 minutes, but Arsenal assumed complete control as the game wore on. When Giroud made his entrance in the second half I hoped he could get the opening goal which would probably have won the game for Arsenal.

He had a fantastic opportunity in the last 10 minutes when Carzola played him in, but unfortunately he put it wide. It was the ideal opportunity for Arsenal to show that they were still a force to be reckoned with after the departure of van Persie, but it wasn't to be. Better players have missed easier chances on numerous occasions, but I have no doubt the press focus will be on his miss.

There was no Alex Song in the Arsenal team, as it looks like he will be departing the club very soon. It meant Abu Diaby played in midfield, but he will have to do a lot more to convince me he is up to the task. Hopefully Arsenal can bring in Nuri Sahin on loan before Song leaves, as they will need his defensive abilities against better teams than Sunderland.

While a point from their first game is far from disastrous for Arsenal there is no doubt that three points were required on the day. The players were a little laboured in their approach at times, and the lack of proper pre season games showed in my opinion. Hopefully the coaching staff can get some good work in during the next week before they travel to Stoke.

Goals change games in football, and I have no doubt that an Arsenal goal at some stage yesterday would have opened the game up. Sunderland didn't have an awful lot to offer, but they stuck to their defensive duties very well. All too often last season Arsenal managed to win games like that through the brilliance of van Persie.

He is no more than a distant memory now of a player who could have been an Arsenal great. The team have to play more as a unit without him, and hope they can gel enough to get the results they need. There were some very encouraging signs against Sunderland, but only time will tell if they can do it.

There are still some very good players in the Arsenal team, and more to return from injury too. To write them off after a scoreless draw at home to Sunderland would be foolish, but I have no doubt the "so called" experts had them written off before the season started. It's up to the players and management to show they have what it takes to make a genuine challenge in the Premier League starting with next weeks daunting trip to Stoke's school of hard knocks.

I still have belief in the players, and I was encouraged by yesterday's game despite the result. There's a long way to go this season, and many twists and turns before the trophies are handed out. As long Arsenal stick to their principles they have a real chance of landing a trophy.

Finally for today don't forget to join my Fantasy Premier league for the new season with prizes for the top three teams. To join up just go to the site and use the code 17031-6252 to join my league when your team is set up. If you were in my league last season you should automatically be given a choice to rejoin it once your team is set up. There are over 400 teams in my league at the moment, and I'm hoping to match last season's total of over 1,000 teams.

I'm also running my predictions league again, and it's open to anyone who wants to join too. It's an easy game to play with points awarded for predicting the outcomes of every Premier League game. To sign up just go to the site , http://predictor.talksport.co.uk/landing.htm and use the code FD047-YLG to join my league once you have registered.

See you tomorrow.

Arsenal's Premier League Game With Sunderland Previewed

Arsenal kick off the new Premier League season with a home game against Sunderland. They go into the game right after the departure of their captain Robin van Persie to Manchester United. It was a real blow for Arsenal to lose him, but he had made his position quite clear, and he had to be sold.

The captaincy will now be handed to Thomas Vermaelen, and hopefully he can prove worthy of the honour. The disrespect the previous holder of that honour showed to his position and the club is something I will not quickly forget. He can make all the arguments he wants to about winning trophies elsewhere, but his claims of being a true Gunner were just a pile of rubbish.

If he genuinely felt the club could not deliver the success he wanted he should have resigned the captaincy and handed in a transfer request. By not doing so he probably received a nice chunk of the transfer for himself, and that was obviously of utmost importance to him. He has joined a club could well deliver the trophies he apparently craves, but if his past injury record is anything to go by they might have to do so without him on a regular basis.

Thankfully Arsenal were proactive in the transfer market, and they signed three players before the transfer of van Persie was announced. Lukasz Podolski, Oliver Giroud and Santi Carzola all have plenty to offer the team, and will more than make up his loss.

For me van Persie is just another ex Arsenal player now, and his exploits at the club are already a distant memory. Arsenal have lost better players in the past and survived, and they will in the future too I'm sure. I hope they have a large stock of horse placenta in the medical room at Old Trafford.

I did hear it suggested that van Persie had a change of heart when he saw the players Arsenal had signed. He supposedly approached Wenger and told him so, but the boss said he was no longer part of his plans and promptly sold him. I don't know if there is any truth in it, but I absolutely love the thought that there might be.

It's not easy to keep up with the build up to a new season from a beach in Spain, but such is my lot at the moment. On the occasions I manage to find some working Wi Fi I try to catch up, as the price of data on my phone plan is absolutely absurd while out of Ireland. As a result I have myself a little out of the loop with events surrounding Alex Song.

The last I heard he had three years left on his contract, and there was no need for Arsenal to consider selling him despite interest from Barcelona. Now it appears his departure is imminent after rumours of a training ground bust up with Arsene Wenger. A lot of Arsenal fans I know have never been over impressed with Song, but he needs to be replaced by a better player if he is allowed to leave.

His departure would see Arsenal breaking even in the transfer market this summer, and it must leave quite a bit of money available for new players. If Nuri Sahin can be tempted on loan from Real Madrid I think he might well make the team stronger.

It certainly promises to be an interesting start to the new season with so many players making their official Arsenal debuts, and more possible transfer activity. The most important thing for me is that the team is ready to hit the ground running this season, and not in the mess it was at this time last year. The performances against Sunderland this week and Stoke next week will hopefully show that the team is properly prepared.

There are a couple of first team certainties still injured, and the returns of Bacary Sagna and Jack Wilshere will be very welcome when they happen. For the moment the team must cope without them, as well as integrating the new boys. The midweek international friendliest didn't make Wenger's task any easier, but little can be done to counter the stupidity of those in charge of football.

The team nearly picks itself in my opinion, but Wenger has a few interesting choices to make. With Vermaelen as captain it's a matter of whether he picks Laurent Koscielny or Per Mertesacker to play alongside him. I would opt for Koscielny, but he may have a slight knock and the choice is not mine.

At left back it's a straight fight between Kieran Gibbs and Andre Santos, and both players will think they should be first choice. I think Gibbs offers a little more defensive stability, and that could just get him the nod.

I hope to see Carzola in an attacking midfield role, but he is the most likely to be fatigued from midweek international travel. Mikael Arteta should be in midfield too, and so should Song if all is well between him and the club. His omission would be a sign that his future lies in the graveyard of so many former Arsenal players at Barcelona.

Both Podolski and Giroud must be certain to start with Theo Walcott making up the other player in the from three. Where is future lies is still uncertain too, but I doubt if he will beefy out.

The bench should have some good options on it too, and hopefully their presence will help to I spire those on the pitch. Sometimes the best inspiration for a player can be the thought of losing his place.

Sunderland have picked up Louis Saha, and he could well feature against Arsenal at some stage. They haven't really gotten any stronger since last season, but Martin O'Neill's teams are never easy to beat. They will work very hard without the ball, and make life as difficult as possible for the Arsenal players.

It's set to be a very hot day in London if the weather forecasters are to believed, and that could make things difficult for Sunderland. If Arsenal can pass the ball around with real pace and purpose I expect Sunderland to tire in the second half. Hopefully it will open the way for Arsenal to bang in a few goals, and get their season off to an ideal start.

I'm predicting a 3-1 win for Arsenal, and I have a feeling Podolski will score at least one of the goals. After the game there's a week before Arsenal play again, and the new players are introduced to football as seen through the eyes of Stoke City RFC. It will be a real challenge for the team, but a good result against Sunderland should hopefully set them up to meet that challenge head on.

Finally for today don't forget to join my Fantasy Premier league for the new season with prizes for the top three teams. To join up just go to the site and use the code 17031-6252 to join my league when your team is set up. If you were in my league last season you should automatically be given a choice to rejoin it once your team is set up. There are over 400 teams in my league at the moment, and I'm hoping to match last season's total of over 1,000 teams.

I'm also running my predictions league again, and it's open to anyone who wants to join too. It's an easy game to play with points awarded for predicting the outcomes of every Premier League game. To sign up just go to the site , http://predictor.talksport.co.uk/landing.htm and use the code FD047-YLG to join my league once you have registered.

See you tomorrow.

Arsenal Play Cologne in Last Pre Season Game

Arsenal play their last pre season game against Cologne today in a game which was part of the deal which brought Lukasz Podolski to the club. The game should see the first appearances in an Arsenal shirt for Podolski, Olover Giroud and Santi Carzola. After the proposed game in Nigeria last week was cancelled this will be Arsenal's first game in two weeks.

It's hardly ideal preparation for the new season, as those three new signings will obvious take some time to adjust to playing with their new team mates. They're all very good players though, and I'm sure they will manage to settle in pretty quickly.

With the first Premier League game of the season only six days away I wonder if Arsene Wenger will start with what he sees as his first choice team. There are a few decisions for him to make if that is what he chooses to do, but most of the first choice team picks itself in my opinion. The absence of a couple of first choice players will obviously give a chance for others to stake their claim and possibly shine.

Carl Jenkinson should get the chance to show what he can do at right back, as Bacary Sagna continues his recovery process from his broken leg towards the end of last season. Jenkinson is still a little raw, but he looks like he really wants to play for the team and continue to learn as he does so. Sagna is the best right back in the Premier League, and Jenkinson couldn't ask for a better model to learn his game from.

Despite the continued rumours linking Alex Song with a move to Barcelona I expect him to anchor the midfield trio. I have no idea whether Arsenal will even consider letting Song go, but surely it wouldn't be a good idea with the season just about to start. Song has become an important part of the team, and they can do without the turmoil of losing another player to Barcelona.

I think Mikael Arteta and new boy Carzola will make up the rest of the midfield trio. That should see Carzola playing in the most attacking role of the three, and he has a lot to offer in that position. Those three players will make up a very strong midfield combination which augers well for the new season.

With both Jack Wilshere and Tomas Rosicky to return from injury Wenger will have a lot of midfield options. He also has Abu Diaby, Aaron Ramsey, Francis Coquelin and Emmanuel Frimpong to call upon if needed.

Some of his tougher choices might be in the defence where he has to pick a left back, as well as a central defensive partnership. It won't be easy to choose between Kieran Gibbs and Andre Santos at left back, but they both have their strengths and weaknesses too. I'm not too sure that either of them have their defensive duties perfected, but they can certainly do a lot of damage to the opposition going forward.

In the centre of the defence the perceived wisdom is that Thomas Vermaelen and Laurent Koscielny will get the nod, but Per Mertesacker must also have a claim to be included. It's a good thing that Wenger has some options available to him with Johan Djourou, Kyle Bartley and Ignasi Miquel all waiting in the background too. No matter which players are chose it's vital that the players play and defend as a unit.

The real big decision for Wenger could be who he chooses to lead the attack. Robin van Persie was the top scorer in the Premier League last season, but his current situation at the club is far from ideal. His choice not to renew his contract is old news now, and becoming more than a little boring too.

I'm sure the vast majority of Arsenal fans would prefer to see him move immediately, but transfer negotiations are never easy. Where he ends up is anybody's guess, but Manchester United seem to think they are favourites to land him. It would sicken me to see him in a United shirt, but as a fan there is nothing I can do about it.

I'm not too sure what the club can do about it either, as the club who offers the highest fee are the most likely team to sign him. It will hurt to see him in the colours of another team, but such is the lot of a fan. I just hope his injury problems return to haunt him and his new club when he does leave.

I have a sneaking suspicion new boy Giroud will play from the start in a central role. He looks to be a well rounded player with good skill on the ball, as well as a good target man and header of the ball if needed. His inclusion in the team will certainly give options to the players around him in the team.

The two wide roles in the team have an awful lot of players competing to play in them. Podolski will more than likely play on the left against his former team, but Andrey Arshavin, Theo Walcott, Gervinho and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain will all want a chance to impress too. Chamberlain could play a central role too, and he is bound to see a lot more action this season in either role.

The situation with Walcott is far from ideal too, as he has yet to agree a new contract with less than a year to go. Surely he can't be allowed to remain at the club past transfer deadline day if he still hasn't made a decision on what he wants to do. I am sure that negotiations must be frantically going on in the background despite the outer appearance of calmness.

Hopefully Gervinho will have some more end product this season, as he certainly has the ability to be a very good player. Arshavin could also be on his way out, but if he stays he is still a very good player too. I would like to see Chamberlain play from the start, and stake his claim for a starting role in the team.

At this stage a couple of seasons ago Arsenal played a very entertaining game with Legia Warsaw which ended in a 6-5 victory. It was a lesson in how not to defend, and hopefully Steve Bould's influence on the defensive training will help to make the defence much tighter.

I expect to see a strong Arsenal side, but I would also expect to see all of the players get a chance at some stage. I won't be happy to see RVP with the captain's armband if he does get to wear it, and I can't imagine the reaction if he scores.

It's not easy for a club to lose their best player, but Arsenal fans have got used to it. Wenger has gone out and bought players to really improve the team and the squad, and managed to do it before van Persie leaves too. I don't imagine that deadline day will be quite so hectic for Arsenal this season thankfully.

They may not have finished all of their acquisitions for the summer, but they have done very well so far. The next step of course is to get rid of a few of the players who are surplus to requirements, and hopefully that can happen over the next couple of weeks. There's no need to list the players who are in need of a fresh challenge, but the club could do with cutting the wage bill by selling them.

I'll be watching today's game with real interest, as it's the one and only proper pre season game in my opinion. The tour of Asia was short of a lot of the best players, and the games were really only exercises in fitness. Hopefully a good performance will get the players and fans in the right mood for the new season.

Finally for today don't forget to join my Fantasy Premier league for the new season with prizes for the top three teams. To join up just go to the site and use the code 17031-6252 to join my league when your team is set up. If you were in my league last season you should automatically be given a choice to rejoin it once your team is set up. There are over 400 teams in my league at the moment, and I'm hoping to match last season's total of over 1,000 teams.

I'm also running my predictions league again, and it's open to anyone who wants to join too. It's an easy game to play with points awarded for predicting the outcomes of every Premier League game. To sign up just go to the site , http://predictor.talksport.co.uk/landing.htm and use the code FD047-YLG to join my league once you have registered.

That's it for today.

See you tomorrow.