Latest Arsenal Transfer Update

With the transfer window only open a few days it looks like Arsenal are attempting to get the much needed business of squad building off to a quick start. With European football to look forward to next season it will hopefully be an attraction to players we are looking to sign even if it’s only the Europa League. We are going to need a bigger squad with more quality in it so we can expect more arrivals than departures. 

Most of those that were surplus to requirements made their ways out of the club in January while there are also a few players out on loan who will ideally make those loans permanent too. I would like to see William Saliba return and fight for a place in the team because he looks like he could be a central defender of the highest quality for a long time to come and from what he has said today he will be at Arsenal next season. Of course we need to collect fees for Matteo Guendouzi, Hector Bellerin, Lucas Torreira, Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Konstantinos Mavropanos, Pablo Mari and Runar Alex Runarsson with Reiss Nelson possibly making his way back to the club.

Alexandre Lacazette has already as good as left on a free transfer with his contact almost up while Eddie Nketiah looks all set to sign up on a much improved contract from the same situation. If we are going to improve on the goals tally (or lack thereof) our strikers contributed last season then a top class striker will be a requirement. In addition we have signed Matt Turner as a back up to Aaron Ramsdale which should mean Bernd Leno is surplus to requirements too.

Youri Tielemans is currently looking like he could be Arsenal’s first purchase of the summer. The need to strengthen in the centre of our midfield is there for all to see and Tielemans would certainly improve our midfield as it is and give us more options there too. He only has one year left on his contract at Leicester City so we could get him at a decent price, but that would of course mean he will be expecting a pretty hefty wage from Arsenal.

If we can convince the player to join us I think he would be a very good addition to the team/squad as long as we keep Thomas Partey and Granit Xhaka too. Albert Sambi Lokonga still has a way to go before he’s ready to hold down a first team place and I just don’t think Mohamed Elneny is good enough at the level we want to play. Tielemans would definitely give us the strength in depth and options we need to challenge on four fronts next season.

Gabriel Jesus is the striker who’s name keeps coming up when Arsenal are mentioned, but it could be difficult to pry him from Manchester City. His chances there will be limited with the arrival of Erling Haaland which looks to be a done deal, but with the money behind City they don’t need to sell. If he is available I’m still not convinced he’s the striker to solve our problems, but Mikel Arteta seems to think he’s the man for us.

Oleksandr Zinchenko is hardly a first choice at City and again he could be available if they decide he’s surplus to requirements. As it stands Kieran Tierney is our first choice left back and Zinchenko would find it difficult to dislodge him, but Tierney’s constant absences through injury worry me and I imagine a lot of other Arsenal fans feel the same way too. If Nuno Tavares is loaned out next season we will need cover for Tierney and Zinchenko might even think he can make the position his own given a run in the team so it might make sense for him to look our way if he is going to make a move.

Aaron Hickey is another left back who seems to be making his way onto the Arsenal radar and like Zinchenko he’s an interesting option. He’s third choice for his favoured position with Scotland with Andy Robertson and Tierney both ahead of him, but he might feel he can make the position his own at Arsenal for the same reasons as Zinchenko. He’s had a good season at Bologna and he could well be an option for us, but I have no doubt he will have offers from elsewhere too.

Serge Gnabry left Arsenal six years ago and his departure and subsequent move to Bayern Munich just didn’t feel right at the time. If it’s true that he is available then he would be a fantastic addition to the team as he has shown himself to be a top class player since joining Bayern. His goalscoring record is very impressive for a wide player and I would be more than happy to see him in an Arsenal shirt again.

There will be intense interest from elsewhere I’m sure as his price should be reasonable enough given he only has one year left on his contract. Of all the players I have mentioned so far I think he’s the one who could make the biggest impression at Arsenal which makes me think it will be very difficult to get him. He’ll be 27 in a few weeks so this will probably be his last big move and we will have to offer him an awful lot of money to get him back to Arsenal.

Finally it looks like we have secured the services of Brazilian teenager Marquinhos from Sao Paolo despite a possible legal challenge from Wolves. I can’t say I know too much about him and I assume he’s one for the future with the three cup competitions being lined up to give him some first team games. Hopefully he’s going to be as good a signing as Gabriel Martinelli and we can look forward to watching him for years to come.

That’s it for today.

See you tomorrow.

Can Arsenal Bounce Back Against Swansea

Arsenal's 6-0 defeat to Chelsea was the worst result under Arsene Wenger's leadership and now they get to play again only three days later. The defeat has put paid to their title prospects in my opinion and my usually optimistic approach to Arsenal games has taken a severe dent. It was quite incredible to see a virtual repeat of the 5-1 defeat to Liverpool unfurl in front of our eyes, but it can't really have surprised anybody too much.

Arsenal's ability to self destruct in big games has been a major flaw for many seasons now, but they have taken that to a new level this season. The 17 goals they have conceded away to the three other teams they were challenging for the title with are inexplicable and they show a flaw right through the heart and mentality of the team and management. Viewed alone each game can be considered a one off or a bad day, but taken together they are symptoms of serious problems at the club.

We can of course point to the players missing on Saturday, but none of the injured players are defensive stalwarts of the team. Sure those players might have kept the ball better or might not have been caught in possession so easily but some of those players played in the games against City and Liverpool. The only conclusion to draw is that Arsenal just got everything wrong again including their tactics, formation and mental attitude to the game.

Thankfully the media lockdown at the club has meant we haven't had to listen to a series of apologies from players and statements of intent for the next game. The only place the players can do their talking is on the pitch and they get a chance to do so right away against Swansea. It's a game they quite simply have to win by any means possible or they risk seeing the rest of the season implode.

I have no doubt there has been soul searching and harsh words spoken between the players and the manager and I don't imagine they will have found any answers overnight. Hopefully they will have at least decided that they have be able to change their game plan if things aren't going the way they had planned. The insistence on playing the same way from first minute to last against City, Liverpool and Chelsea proved to be a disaster on each occasion but nobody did anything about it.

The good news is that Kieran Gibbs has had his red card rescinded and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain won his appeal after the red card was transferred to him. The whole scenario of the red card was ridiculous and the fact Chamberlain is free to play shows there should never have been a red card in the first place. I don't think the game would have gone any differently if Arsenal kept 11 men on the pitch as they were already three goals behind, but it does again show the need for video technology.

Speaking of video technology I would love to know who made the call to give Chelsea the penalty and send Gibbs off. The referee certainly didn't make the call and I don't think his assistant did either which surely means the fourth official had to make the call from video evidence. I was of the opinion video evidence was out of bounds but I wouldn't be at all surprised if it was used. Wasn't Zinadine Zidane sent off in a World Cup final on the video evidence of a fourth official at a time when there was no precedent for it. I doubt if we will ever know the truth of the matter and it clearly should have been a penalty, but if the referee and his assistant missed it then under the current rules surely that's the end of that. Chelsea might have felt cheated at the time but far worse incidents go unpunished on a weekly basis and there is no hint of fourth officials snatching a sneaky look at video evidence to decide them.

I have been a long time admirer of Arsene Wenger but it increasingly looks like he might not be the man to turn things around for Arsenal. If he can't get the response he needs from his players from now to the end of the season then maybe it's time he did go in search of a fresh challenge. I would of course be sad to see him go but I want what's best for my club and if it's best for him to leave then so be it. I will look back fondly on his time at the club and how he has helped to build us into what we are now, but huge cracks are there for all to see and they have to be fixed by somebody. 

I can't see there being too many changes to the team for the game against Swansea with the current spat of injuries and lack of options. Laurent Koscielny will miss out through the injury which saw substituted at half time on Saturday and Thomas Vermaelen will surely come in for him. I think the rest of the defence will stay the same as the boss gives those who played so badly a chance to prove how good they can be.

In midfield I think Mathieu Flamini has to play and probably alongside Mikel Arteta to form some sort of a defensive axis in front of the back four. The other midfielder will probably be Tomas Rosicky or Santi Cazorla and I doubt if Kim Kallstrom will come into the starting line up. His signing in the transfer window, while injured, still puzzles me to this day.

Up front Olivier Giroud's lack of pace and inability to put away good chances at crucial times should really see him dropped, but the alternatives are young and untried. He's still by far the most experienced and best goal scorer in the team and that says an awful lot about the club's transfer market failings last summer. The team needs some genuine pace in attacking positions and for that reason I would like to see Chamberlain and Serge Gnabry in the wide roles.

Chamberlain is still very raw and was cruelly exposed by Chelsea in a central role at the weekend. He was badly caught out twice in the FA Cup game by Everton too but managed to chase back and atone for his mistakes against a less clinical Everton team. Maybe his long term position is in a central midfield role but it's asking an awful for him to learn that role in such important games. His confidence might well have been damaged by events on Saturday and I hope he can show the strength to bounce right back if he plays. 

Swansea are a good team but they're on a very poor run at the moment and sliding dangerously close to the relegation zone. They have only taken two points in their last five games and have only won two of their last 16 league games to leave them four points above the bottom three with eight games to play. They have lost nine of their 15 away games and are coming up against an Arsenal team with the best defensive record at home in the league. In 14 home games Arsenal have only conceded seven goals and three of them were in their only home defeat on the opening day against Villa.

Arsenal's defence have actually conceded half of their 34 goals in the three away games against City, Liverpool and Chelsea. It's an incredible statistic to think half of all of the goals they have conceded came in those three defeats. The Arsenal defence has been very good so often this season, but when they have got it wrong they have really got it wrong.

I can't see Arsenal going all out and throwing the kitchen sink at Swansea and I think they will more than likely adopt a cautious approach. Swansea showed they can play well against Everton on Saturday but they give up chances to the opposition and Arsenal need to take those chances when they come along. I have no doubt they are more than capable of winning and I hope the players believe so too.

With City coming up on Saturday three points against Swansea are an absolute must and then we can worry about what might happen against City. I know it's a home game but it still worries me what could happen to Arsenal and I would gladly take a 0-0 draw right now. A top four finish is vitally important and no more encouragement can be given to the teams looking to close in on Arsenal.

I'm not saying a win against Swansea will put the hurt of Chelsea to bed, but at least it will be the first step in helping the team and fans to move on. It's a long road to recovery but the prospect of anything other than a victory is one not worth thinking about. Let's hope the players can find it within themselves to put in a performance to take the three points.

That's it for today.

See you tomorrow.

Arsenal v Manchester United Preview

It's only been a few days since Arsenal were soundly thrashed by Liverpool and the pain must still be fresh in the memories of the players as it is with the fans. Those players get a chance to put that pain behind them at home to United tonight and after losing to Liverpool it's a game they quite simply have to win. There can be no ifs or buts as only three points will do if they are to continue their pursuit of their first league title since The Invincibles.

United come to Arsenal as reigning league champions, but they have no hope of retaining that title. Arsenal are in second place two points behind the leaders Chelsea on 55 points with 13 games to play and United are a further 14 points back in seventh place. A Champions League place will be a tough task for them with Everton, Spurs and Liverpool all ahead of them and it could be a very bad first season in charge for David Moyes. 

Their form had been patchy at best and they have lost to all of the teams above them so far with the exception of Arsenal. In the reverse fixture United won by the only goal in a rather tame affair. That goal was more than a little fortunate as it went in off the shoulder of Robin van Persie as he attempted to head the ball from a corner. There is no love lost between him and Arsenal fans and they will yet again let their former captain know what they think of him during the game. 

He claims to have left Arsenal because the club weren't going in the direction he thought they should be going and this came only a year after he accepted the role of captain and declared his love for Arsenal. He may have won a league title in his first season with United, but it's great to see them languishing in seventh place as Arsenal make the title challenge this season. It would be poetic justice if United were to only make it to the Europa League for next season and van Persie got to display his talent along with the rest of the also rans and no hopers.

Arsenal showed remarkable faith and patience in a player who spent most of his first six and a half seasons at the club injured and then he upped and left after 18 injury free months. He has been plagued by injury problems yet again this season and his fortunes have been matched by the club he joined as they struggle against the Premier League's weaker teams. As Kevin Keegan once said "I'll love it if we beat them".

Leaving aside my dislike for Arsenal's former captain there is a chance for Arsenal to reclaim top spot in the league after Chelsea could only draw at West Brom last night. They may be favourites for the title but they showed they are by no means certain to take the trophy come this May. Arsenal have just as much chance of doing so and if they can beat United they can put the Liverpool game behind them and look forward to other challenges.

With regards to the team selection I can only think that Arsene Wenger needs to shake things up a little and bring in one or two different players. I wouldn't be surprised to see Kieran Gibbs get a chance at left back or to see Tomas Rosicky come into the midfield. There is no real option in the striking role with Olivier Giroud as the only genuine choice to lead the line.

There had been much made of the form of Mesut Ozil or lack thereof but I would be very surprised if he is left out unless he has picked up a "knock". He needs willing runners to get on the end of the passes he can thread which few others have the ability to do. There aren't too many of them in the Arsenal team with Theo Walcott injured but Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has the pace to be that player and so has Serge Gnabry if he plays.

Arsenal spent an awful lot of money on Ozil and they need to build a team around him which can get the very best out of him. They can't change their personnel between now and the end of the season, but it's something which has to be addressed in the summer. I still think Ozil is one of the best players in the world and the team will benefit when he has proper outlets for his vision and ability.

Getting back to tonight I would be surprised if Arsenal went Gung Ho at United from the start as their confidence must be fragile after the weekend. They have started far too many games in a very slow fashion recently but there is a case for some trepidation in the early stages tonight. I would also surprised if United had the confidence to come out all guns blazing from the start.

The United defence has been poor this season and Arsenal will get chances by playing their own game. Players like Ferdinand, Vidic and Evra are past their best defensively and make mistakes when they play and Arsenal need to put pressure on any of them that do play. Their goalkeeper is a good shot stopper but he is dodgy on crosses and that's another area where Arsenal need to exploit United.

A big performance from the team tonight will put an end to the doubt surrounding them following the Liverpool result and set them up nicely for the next two big tests of their current run of games. If they beat United to go on top of the league and put Liverpool out of the FA Cup on Sunday it will have been a very good week no matter how badly it started. I think this team are capable of just that and I hope they show tonight that they are just that.

That's it for today.

See you tomorrow.

Arsenal's Trip To Liverpool Previewed

Arsenal are top of the league again after Chelsea won away to City on Monday night. They are coming into a very testing run of four games which could make or break their season and that run starts away to Liverpool in the league today. They follow that game with a home league game against United, Liverpool at home in the FA Cup and then the home leg of their Champions League round of 16 against Bayern Munich.

The team news for Arsenal is a little more positive than last week with Jack Wilshere set to return to the squad after recovering from his ankle injury. Mikel Arteta picked up a slight knock in the 2-0 win over Palace on Sunday, but he seems to have recovered and is available too. With Mathieu Flamini into the second game of his three game ban it's important for Arteta to stay fit.

I don't imagine there will be too many changes from the team which beat Palace. The defence more or less picks itself when everybody is fit with the exception of the left back slot which is up for grabs between Kieran Gibbs and Nacho Monreal. My personal favourite is Gibbs but it seems to be operating on a "what you have you hold" basis for the moment and Monreal is the man in possession of the shirt. Gibbs lost his place due to injury and he might have to wait a while to get a chance to reclaim it although the chances are he will get a run against Liverpool in the cup next weekend.

I expect Wilshere to come back into the midfield as long as he's up to it which would probably see Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain switch to one of the flanks. He was the hero and man of the match against Palace with two fine goals and has to be in the team. That should mean there is no place for either Serge Gnabry or Lukas Podolski and I'm not sure which one of them will miss out.

Gnabry has been impressive since getting into the team and he could find more room to play in against a Liverpool team who will surely try to attack Arsenal. On the other hand Podolski is vastly experienced and a proven goalscorer whose contribution could be vital in this game. It's a hard one to call but I'll be happy with whoever is picked as they both have a lot to offer.

That would leave no place for Tomas Rosicky in the team and he's a player who might just make the difference for Arsenal if he plays. His ability to get among the opposition and go at them with the ball at speed could be just what Arsenal need to take the game to Liverpool. I have a feeling Arsenal can win this game in midfield like they did when Liverpool came to them a couple of months ago. 

Liverpool simply couldn't cope with Arsenal that day in midfield and their striking duo could do very little when starved of possession. I haven't been overly impressed with Liverpool in recent weeks and their defence in particular looks very vulnerable. If Arsenal can play the game with some real tempo I think Liverpool will struggle and give up quite a few chances.

Like any big game it could depend on the ability to put those chances away and there is no doubting the finishing skill of both Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge for Liverpool. Arsenal could dominate from start to finish and still lose to some magic from either of them. It's up to Arsenal not to give the ball to Liverpool so their strikers are starved of possession and chances. 

When it comes to defending Arsenal have to face the player in the Premier League most likely to pull an opponent in his penalty area. Martin Skrtel gets away on an almost weekly basis with challenges which are such obvious fouls that it's almost unbelievable. I don't hold out much hope of him being called for it though if Palace got away with this challenge on Olivier Giroud last week.

Arsenal most certainly have the players to go to Liverpool and dominate the game and I think they will do just that. With their strong defensive base they should have the platform to set themselves up to win the game as long as they can take the chances that come their way. I'm sure Liverpool will try to counter Arsenal and have a bigger say in the game than they had in the reverse fixture, but it's up to the Arsenal players to make sure that doesn't happen.

I'm not saying a victory at Anfield would make Arsenal favourites for the title or that a defeat would put them out of the running as either opinion is a little extreme. A win might just be what is needed to help propel the team towards that title and especially if they can follow it up with a win against United in midweek. If Arsenal are still sitting on top of the Premier League on Thursday morning I have no doubt their title odds will have shortened. It's a great position for the team to be in and one which few fans could have imagined at the start of the season. 

That's it for today.

See you tomorrow.

Arsenal's Premier League Trip To Aston Villa Previewed

Arsenal went into the weekend on top of the Premier League but the teams below them all got to play before they did. Chelsea won at Hull on Saturday and City beat Hull on Sunday for both of them to move ahead of Arsenal for the moment at least. Arsenal travel to Villa knowing they need to win to retake top spot and it's a task they're more than capable of completing.

Until Liverpool put five goals past Stoke on Sunday Arsenal were the top scorers away from home and they have won seven of their 10 away games. Their away form has been very impressive so far, but they have some tough away games to come between now and the end of the season. Of the away games they have left Villa is definitely one of the easier ones and it's one Arsenal should be winning.

Villa have only won two of their 10 home games and they have only scored seven goals in those games. They are the lowest scorers at home in the league and have only taken eight points at home compared to 15 away from home. Their style of football is suited to playing on the break away from home and that should hopefully work to Arsenal's advantage. On the other hand Villa might just be able to sit back and defend against Arsenal and try to hit them on the break as Arsenal's way is to attack themselves. 

In team news Arsenal will of course be without Theo Walcott as the injury he picked up against Spurs last week has ended his season. Kieran Gibbs probably won't be available either and Nicklas Bendtner is still a few weeks away from returning to the squad. Thomas Vermaelen's knee injury will keep him out of the game and Aaron Ramsey probably won't return until next week's game at home to Fulham.

It's not all bad news though as Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain should rejoin the squad for the first time since the opening day off the season. He was taken off injured in that 3-1 defeat at home to a Villa and it's been almost five months since he last played for the first team. He played 45 minutes for the under 21 team against Fulham on Thursday night and Arsene Wenger says he should be fit to take his place in the squad.

With Walcott out for the rest of the season Chamberlain can expect to get a lot of game time and he will hope to make an impression on the England manager Roy Hodgson with the World Cup coming up. I have to confess I'm a little worried Chamberlain is being rushed back and he will hopefully only be used sparingly over the next couple of weeks. The team's need is great at the moment, but there is always the option of the impressive Serge Gnabry to replace Walcott.

On the other hand Lukas Podolski has been eased back into the team so gradually that there is an impression in some quarters that the manager doesn't trust him. He returned to full training a month ago and has only started one game since then and he came on as a sub in one other game. His goal scoring ability could be a real asset to the team for the rest of the season and he has to be given a fair crack of the whip in my opinion.

With no midweek games for the next two weeks Arsenal can play their strongest team in the next two games without the need to rest any players. The boss can rotate a little if he feels the need but the vitally important players such as Mesut Ozil and Olivier Giroud should be able to play each of the games. Giroud has become a very important player to the way Arsenal play and hopefully he can get himself on the score sheet against Villa and Fulham.

The defence should be the same as last week's win against Spurs but I think Ozil will come back into the midfield as long as he gets the all clear from his injury. With Giroud returning in attack to replace Walcott I would expect Gnabry to probably keep his place on the right and Santi Cazorla to probably play on the left again too. The big choice will be who will play in midfield along with Ozil assuming that he returns to the team.

Assuming Mikael Arteta retains his holding role that only leaves one place in the team between Jack Wilshere and Tomas Rosicky, but both of them deserve to keep their places. These are the tough decisions the boss has to make and he has to make the ones which are best for the team. Besides all of those players there wouldn't be a place in the team for Mathieu Flamini, Podolski or Chamberlain which should make the bench look pretty strong. 

Arsenal may have lost at home to Villa on the opening day of the season but you have to go back to last century to find the last time they lost away to Villa in the league. In their last 14 trips to Villa they have won seven and drawn seven and it's a record Arsenal should be very proud of. 

Their need for a win to take them back to the top of the table is great, but Villa also need points to move clear of the relegation zone. The weekend results have seen things tighten up an awful lot at the wrong end of the table and Villa are now only six points off the bottom of the table. They won away to Sunderland last week and it was their first win in six games with only three goals scored in those games.

Villa may be the home team but they will hope to defend and hit Arsenal on the break and that tactic worked very well in their opening day win away to Arsenal. The Arsenal team have improved an awful lot since then and deserve their place at the top of the table. They're playing some very good football and would be in an even better position if they could be a little more clinical in front of goal.

They owe Villa a beating after that opening day defeat and hopefully they will have a better referee this time out. Laurent Koscielny was given his marching orders in that game for two yellow cards but the first one was for a penalty which never should have been given. I've said a few times recently that Arsenal are due a few decisions in their favour after missing out on quite a few penalties and red cards for opponents in the last few weeks. 

They haven't let those bad decisions affect them though and have recovered well from their slight blip before Christmas by winning their last four games and only conceding one goal in those games. That goal was awAy to West Ham and it put them 1-0 down in the game, but they came roaring to win 3-1. Even if they go behind against Villa they have the ability and the bottle to get themselves back into the game and win it. 

Villa are definitely a threat on the break, but Arsenal have an awful lot more threats in their team. Villa will be far more worried about the threat Arsenal pose than Arsenal will about Villa and Arsenal need to make that threat pay. Arsenal play at home to the Premier League's worst defence next week while City play at home to struggling Cardiff and Chelsea are at home to United. It would be great if Arsenal could go into that game still on top of the table. I think they will do just that and win tonight's game by a couple of goals.

That's it for today.

See you tomorrow.

Arsenal's Need For A Striker Increases As Theo Walcott Is Ruled Out For 6 Months

When Theo Walcott went off on a stretcher against Spurs on Saturday I was worried he might miss a few weeks which could damage Arsenal's season. There were suggestions in some quarters that he could be out for up to a month just like Nicklas Bendtner, but the prognosis has proved to be a lot worse. The club announced on Monday evening that Walcott has ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament on his left knee and will be out for a minimum of six months. 

Walcott had got a chance to play in his favoured central strikers role against Spurs and had impressed in Arsenal's 2-0 victory. The club will have to plan for the rest of the season without him though and their striking options are shrinking by the day. With Bendtner already ruled out for a month the pressure on Olivier Giroud to stay fit will become even more intense with only Lukasz Podolski as an alternative to the big Frenchman.

Giroud has been impressive in his second season with the club but he is not a prolific goalscorer. He has plenty of other attributes though which are very important to the team and his continued fitness is now of utmost importance. Walcott is a different type of player to Giroud and so is Podolski with Bendtner being the player most similar to him.

Walcott probably wouldn't have played as a striker too often for the rest of the season as long as Giroud stayed fit, but his injury lessens Arsenal's options which could be very damaging. Walcott has played on the right hand side of the Arsenal attacking trio for the most part and he has become a very important member of the team in that position. With his season over Arsenal have to find a player who can add the goals and assists from that position to help them continue their challenge on three fronts.

Serge Gnabry impressed in that position against Spurs but he is still very much inexperienced and it would be a huge task to expect him to take Walcott's place. Santi Cazorla has played on the left of the attacking trio in recent weeks and he could probably switch to the right with Podolski playing on the left where he has played his best football for the club. Cazorla is equally adept with either foot and can certainly play on the right, but he doesn't have the speed or directness of Walcott.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain should make his return from a long injury lay off very soon and he's another player who can play in Walcott's position. He certainly has the speed and directness needed and he can't return quick enough for me. None of those players really offer a genuine alternative to Giroud though and it can be argued that Walcott didn't either. To be honest Arsenal really needed to bring in another striker in the transfer window, but the injury to Walcott could be the factor which pushes Arsene Wenger into buying a striker.

His biggest problem will be identifying his target and then trying to convince that player's club to sell half way through the season. It's never easy to find the players needed for any club, but the task becomes a lot harder in the January transfer window with so many clubs vying for the few players available. If Arsenal are to continue to challenge on all three fronts their ability to sign a proven goalscorer this month could be crucial to their chances.

Hopefully they can do just that and continue to challenge in the Premier League while progressing through the rounds in the FA Cup before they take on the holders over two legs in the Champions League. Walcott will have to watch it all from the sidelines as he recovers from the surgery he is due to have and he will miss out on playing in the World Cup for England too. It's a huge blow for him and hopefully it's one he can come back from and find the form he has shown for Arsenal again. He had already missed a fair deal of this season through injury, but his return to the team had seen him score five goals in six games. I'm not sure any of the other players who might replace him can score as much as he can and I hope it won't affect the teams chances of silverware. 

That's it for today.

See you tomorrow.

Arsenal Brush Spurs Aside And Face Coventry Next

Arsenal have won the FA Cup 10 times in their history and a win this season would equal the record amount of wins for any club which is held by Manchester United. They faced a tricky home game against local rivals Spurs yesterday, but emerged as 2-0 winners to enter into the hat for the fourth round draw. The draw was made this afternoon and Arsenal will play at home to League One side Coventry City three weeks from now.

It's a game Arsenal will be very strong favourites to win and should do just that as long as they don't underestimate their opposition. The prize for a victory over Coventry would be a place in the fifth round when the competition is reduced to just 16 clubs. It's a draw Arsenal have to be more than happy with and one which can get the team dreaming just a little of a trip to Wembley.

When the teams were announced for the game against Spurs yesterday I was a little worried as Arsene Wenger decided to rest a few players and it could have been a big risk. The Arsenal bench looked very strong though with Per Mertesacker, Mesut Ozil, Mathieu Flamini and Lukas Podolski all available if they were to be called upon. Spurs had a few injuries of their own and it promised to be a very close game.

As usual in the FA Cup Arsenal put their second choice goalkeeper in the team and Lukasz Fabianski got a rare chance to show what he can do. His contract is up at the end of the season and the chances are he will be on his way elsewhere, but he's still a good goalkeeper. As it turned out Arsenal could almost have put a ball boy in goals such was the lack of goal threat from Spurs.

The other changes in the team saw Serge Gnabry get a rare start on the right side of the attacking trio with Thomas Vermaelen coming into the defence and Tomas Rosicky playing in midfield. The players to miss out were Mertesacker, Flamini and Podolski, but all three were held in reserve just in case they were needed. It meant Theo Walcott got a rare chance to play in his favoured position as the focal point for the Arsenal attack.

The game didn't look like it would be so one sided early on when a lucky deflection put Christian Eriksen through with only Fabianski to beat, but the keeper saved well in what was his toughest task of the day. Arsenal gradually got on top of the game and their midfield started creating chances for lone striker Walcott. It's a role Walcott favours but has rarely got a chance to play in and he showed he can be a threat and he was a constant thorn in Spurs' sides. 

Arsenal came close a few times before they made the breakthrough just after the half hour mark. A quick break saw Gnabry run at the Spurs defence and he timed a perfect pass for Santi Cazorla who was coming in from the left. Cazorla hit a perfect left footed shot which left Hugo Lloris with no chance in the Spurs goal. I expected Spurs to rally after the goal and throw players forward in search of an equaliser, but they continued to be toothless in the face of a strong Arsenal defensive unit.

In the second half the best chances were again going Arsenal's way and it took just over 15 minutes for them to convert one. Spurs defender Danny Rose was the last man back and tried to turn Tomas Rosicky on the halfway line, but was dispossessed by the little Czech dynamo. He raced towards goal with Kyle Walker quickly making up ground on him, but to no avail as Rosicky clipped the ball over the advancing Lloris to make it 2-0 to Arsenal.

The only surprise for the rest of the game was that Arsenal failed to add to their tally and Fabianski still remained relatively inactive in the Arsenal goal. Spurs tried to push further forward and Arsenal were happy to defend in depth with the threat of hitting them on the break. That threat subsided a little with 10 minutes left when Walcott was stretchered off and Arsenal had to finish the game with 10 men as they had already used all of their substitutes. Spurs still failed to offer any real threat though and it was Arsenal who came closest to scoring in those last 10 minutes plus the five minutes of added time. 

There were so many positives on the day for Arsenal with the performance of Gnabry in particular being a real bonus. He showed again that he has something to offer the team right now and he could well get a chance depending on the prognosis on the Walcott injury. He looks like he's the real deal and he impressed with his shooting, dribbling and awareness of his team mates. 

The players now have an eight day break before they travel to Villa on Monday week for their next league game. Olivier Giroud should be back to lead the line for that game, but Nicklas Bendtner won't be available after the news he will be out for at least four weeks with the ankle injury he picked up scoring the all important breakthrough goal against Cardiff. His absence and the injury to Walcott may well tempt the boss into dipping into the transfer market for a striker if he can find the right player to sign in a hurry. I'm still not convinced he will sign a striker though, but only time will tell.

All in all it was a very good weekend for Arsenal with a routine win over Spurs and a home draw in the next round against lower league opposition. Added to that City only drew with Blackburn in the cup and must face a replay as well as a two legged Capital One Cup semi final this month. That means they will have to play three extra games this month and hopefully that schedule will have an effect on their league results.

That's it for today.

See you tomorrow.

Arsenal Suffer An Ox Blow And Szczesny Signs On

The recent defeat to United showed up Arsenal's lack of width in attack with Theo Walcott, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Lukas Podolski all out injured. Serge Gnabry was available that day but like a few of the other players he was unwell and only came off the bench towards the end of the game. In the short time he was on he showed he had something to offer the team and given a little longer he might just have helped to get the team back into the game.

Walcott and Podolski should both be back very soon and Gnabry is available now of course, but the latest news on Chamberlain is far from encouraging. He was scheduled to return to the team in late November when he picked up his injury on the opening day of the season, but it looks like he's going to be out for a lot longer. The latest news would seem to suggest he won't be back until some time in the new year and it's a blow Arsenal could do without.

The team has some fantastic options in midfield with players such as Mesut Ozil, Aaron Ramsey, Santi Cazorla, Jack Wilshere and Tomas Rosicky. All of those players are better in central positions though and the lack of wide attacking options proved crucial against United. If Arsenal are going to continue their fantastic start to the season they need as many options as possible.

Chamberlain will have to work hard when he comes back if he's going to get back into the reckoning in the Arsenal team and go to the World Cup with England. He's still very young and has a very promising career ahead of him, but to miss out on the World Cup would be a big blow for him. Hopefully for both Arsenal and Chamberlain he can come back fit and strong in the new year with something to offer the team at a crucial time in the season.

Meanwhile Arsenal will have to cope without his talents and hope that the return of Walcott and Podolski will offer them the width they need along with Gnabry. There's a possibility of Arsene Wenger dipping into the transfer market in the January window to add to his wide options, but the need for a striker is even more pressing. A few names keep popping up time and again and I'll probably have a look at some of them tomorrow.

On the good news front Wojciech Szczesny has signed a new long term contract and will be at the club for years to come. Since his debut four years ago he has played over 100 times for the club and has made the goalkeeper's shirt his own. He's still only 23 years old which is very young for a goalkeeper and his best years are still ahead of him.

He's had his ups and downs in the team, but he finally seems to have found the consistency he needed to go with his undoubted talent. Any team that wants to seriously challenge for trophies needs a top class keeper and Arsenal undoubtedly have one of the best in my opinion. If he continues to progress his future is very bright and so too could Arsenal's be.

That's it for today.

See you tomorrow.

10 Man Arsenal Win 2-0 At Palace

Arsenal went to Crystal Palace in the early kick off today knowing a win would put them five points clear at the top of the table before any of the chasing pack played their games. Arsenal had taken 19 points in their last seven league games while Palace had lost their previous five and only Sunderland were below them in the table. Arsenal were very strong favourites to win and their biggest enemy was going to be complacency more than likely. 

Arsene Wenger made two changes from the team which was beaten 2-1 at home in the Champions League by Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday night. Santi Cazorla came in for Tomas Rosicky on the left of the attacking trio and Mathieu Flamini returned to his midfield anchor role in place of Jack Wilshere who wasn't risked after hurting his ankle against Dortmund. It was a very strong looking Arsenal team and they surely just needed to play at full pace to get a win.

Arsenal were on top from the start but the pace they were playing at wasn't what it might have been as they looked a little fatigued and possibly a little complacent too. The best chances early on came to Arsenal but they suffered a blow after only eight minutes when Flamini limped off with what looked like a groin injury. He was replaced by Serge Gnabry who went out to the right hand side of the attacking trio.

When Arsenal didn't score early on Palace gradually came into the game and had a few chances of their own before the half was over. Luckily Wojciech Szczesny was in fine form in the Arsenal goal and Palace weren't at their best in front of goal. Arsenal probably should have had a penalty in that first half but the referee ruled that a foul on Gnabry was outside the box when it was actually in it.

There was no score at half time and Arsenal needed to pick up the pace and the effort after the break if they were going to win. Thankfully they were given a helping hand by Palace after less than a minute of the second half when a foolish challenge in the box brought Gnabry down for a certain penalty. Mikael Arteta stepped up to put the penalty away and give Arsenal the lead they wanted.

I hoped to see Arsenal build on that lead but they didn't reall create an awful lot and Palace gradually started to push forward in search of an equaliser. They didn't really seem to carry much of a threat until just before the mid point in the half when Arteta was judged to have impeded Marouane Chamakh in a goal scoring position and was shown a straight red card. There are a few questions to be asked of the referee about the card but also about the Arsenal defence.

First of all I would like to know how Chamakh was given so much space to run into and secondly where were the Arsenal central defenders at the time to leave Arteta marking him. Also how did the referee judge that a player has an obvious goal scoring chance when he was only a few yards inside the Arsenal half and did Arteta actually take Chamakh down or did they just collide. It was harsh on Arteta and it was just what Palace needed to try to get back into the game.

With the man advantage Palace started to push forward and Arsenal quickly brought Wilshere on to replace Gnabry. For the next 10 minutes Palace built up a head of steam and Arsenal only kept their lead thanks to the brilliance of Szczesny. He showed exactly how good he can be and made one fantastic save in particular which probably won Arsenal the three points.

As the game wore on Arsenal were getting more chances on the break as Palace pushed further forward but couldn't get the final ball right to put the game to bed. Nacho Monreal came on for Santi Cazorla to tighten things up at the back and he was the one who looked most likely to make something happen as he pushed forward. The second goal eventually came with three minutes left and with it the game was finally over.

Aaron Ramsey broke into the Palace box and held the ball up before floating it into the path of the on rushing Olivier Giroud to power a header home from five yards out. There was nothing the Palace keeper could do about it and Arsenal saw the rest of the game out with relative ease. When the final whistle went Arsenal had the three points they needed and could sit back to see how all of their rivals fared.

It might not have been a vintage performance from Arsenal but most importantly of all they got the win they needed. They have 22 points from their first 9 league games and are top of the table going into two really tough league games. It's been a hectic season with games coming twice a week every week and Arsenal have managed to keep winning in the league.

Most of the players who played today will now have a bit of a rest in midweek as the boss will look to play the fringe players in the Capital One Cup against Chelsea. As I've said before I don't really mind too much how that game goes as long as Arsenal can have their best team possible ready to play Liverpool next Saturday. With Dortmund and United to follow that game before another international break it would be too much of a gamble to risk players against Chelsea.

For the moment though Arsenal are top of the table and have won 15, drawn three and lost one of their last 18 league games. That's one defeat in almost half of a season and they have taken more points in the current calendar year than any other team. As the schedule gets really tough in the next few weeks hopefully they can keep that record going.

That's it for today.

See you tomorrow.

Arsenal v Norwich City Preview

It's back to Premier League action after yet another international break for Arsenal as they play at home to Norwich. They went into the break on top of the league after recovering brilliantly from their opening day defeat to Aston Villa. Five consecutive wins and a draw has seen them ahead of Liverpool by virtue of the amount of goals they have scored.

It looks like all of the Arsenal players have come through unscathed although there is a slight worry over a knock Mesut Ozil picked up in Germany's 5-3 win away to Sweden. It does appear that he will be fit to play though and there could be a few other players returning from injury too. Tomas Rosicky will be available again while both Santi Cazorla and Bacary Sagna will probably be in the squad but more than likely on the bench.

Arsenal fans have being waiting for a month and a half now to see Ozil and Cazorla play together, but it appears the wait will have to go on a little longer. If Cazorla does make it to the bench the chances are he will get a run for the final 15 or 20 minutes and my money would be on him replacing Ozil as long as the situation in the game allows it. There's a possibility of them both playing against Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday night, but that game might still be a bit soon for Cazorla to start.

Norwich haven't started the season too well and find themselves in the bottom three with only seven points and five goals in seven games. In their three away games so far they have only scored one goal, but they have only conceded three goals in those games. In fact Norwich have only conceded nine goals in their seven games and that's only one more than Arsenal. The difference between the teams is the 14 goals Arsenal have scored.

On paper it's a run of the mill game for Arsenal and should be three easy points, but Norwich have proved far from easy for Arsenal to beat since their return to the Premier League. The worst thing Arsenal can do is take Norwich for granted and expect them to just roll over and hand up the three points. Like every other team in the league Norwich will fight for every single point available to them and will make a real game of it if they are given the slightest chance.

Norwich are quite disciplined in defence and won't be easy to break down, but Arsenal have the players who are capable of doing just that. If they go about the game as they were doing up until the international break then they should prove to be too strong for Norwich. They might have to be patient but I think the goals will come.

The team will probably be very similar to the one that played against West Brom two weeks ago. I can't see any changes happening in the defence and I expect Carl Jenkinson to keep his place with Sagna given the chance to be fully recovered for the game on Tuesday night. Jenkinson didn't have the greatest game against West Brom but he has plenty of promise and I expect him to bounce back.

In midfield there's a choice for Arsene Wenger to make as to what system he plays and whether he deploys both Mathieu Flamini and Mikael Arteta in the team. I thought the team lost some of it's attacking impetus with both of them playing against West Brom and maybe there's a need for only one holding player in front of the back four in a lot of Premier League games. It might just have been tiredness after two games a week since the start of the season, but that's what Arsenal face for the next three weeks as well. The team needs a bit of rotation and thankfully the returning players will offer the boss the chance to do just that. 

If the boss decides to go with only one defensive midfielder then I think Serge Gnabry might get another start wide in the right. He looked very promising in the couple of games he played a few weeks ago and it's a good opportunity for him to possibly show what he can do again. I wouldn't be surprised to see Rosicky and Jack Wilshere in the team too with Wilshere possibly playing wide on the left again. 

In the game against West Brom Wilshere had an awful first half but he came back after the break to score the equalising goal and put in an excellent display. He's had a tough couple of years with injury and it will take a while for him to get back to where he was before those injuries kicked in. There is no doubt that he has genuine quality and will be a real star for Arsenal in years to come.

I haven't even mentioned Aaron Ramsey or Ozil and they have already found a fantastic understanding in their few short weeks in the team together. They are both in fantastic form and will be a real handful for Norwich who must be genuinely worried about what both of them can do. The prospect of both of them in a team with Cazorla is one to make my mouth water and it's coming very soon I hope.

Olivier Giroud got a couple of good goals on international duty and played very well in the games leading up to it for Arsenal. Maybe the reemergence of Nicklas Bendtner might be the impetus Giroud needed to make him just a little worried about his place in the team. Bendtner didn't do too badly either with a couple of good headed goals for Denmark against Italy.

Things are looking very good for Arsenal at the moment but it could all go wrong very quickly with seven games in the next three weeks. Some of those games are going to be really tough and how Arsenal perform in those games will tell a lot about how their season might progress. I think they might just have what it takes to come through those games in a good place and go on to make a real go of it this season. If they are to do so they have to beat Norwich and I think they will do so by a couple of goals. 

That's it for today.

See you tomorrow.

Arsenal Retain Top Spot With A 2-1 Win Over Swansea

Arsenal just keep on winning games at the moment and it's great to be an Arsenal supporter. They have won 18 of their last 21 games and only lost one of them starting with that great 2-0 win away to Bayern Munich last march. That run saw them qualify for this season's Champions League and now it sees them sitting on top of the Premier League.

Of course we're only six games into the season and there's a long way to go, but they're in a much healthier position than most of us could have wished for. The team are looking solid in defence and scoring goals when it really matters at the other end. As it stands they have won their last eight league games away from home in a row.

Yesterday was never going to be an easy task against a Swansea team who player in a similar style to Arsenal. They needed to find that something extra to get the three points and when the chips were down it was again Aaron Ramsey who delivered. He played a lovely disguised pass to Serge Gnabry to set up the first goal and was on hand himself to score the second one after a lay off from Olivier Giroud.

The marquee signing of Mesut Ozil was the boost the club needed on deadline day, but the form of Ramsey has been the outstanding feature of the team so far this season. He took a fair deal of criticism from some Arsenal fans at times last season as he struggled with his form, but he has finally put his dreadful injury of three years ago behind him and shown what he is capable of. He has added goals and assists to his amazing work rate and superb engine.

When Arsenal signed Ozil I said they now had the best player in the league, but it's Ramsey who is currently the best player. That's no slight on Ozil who has fitted in very nicely and already looks like he has been an Arsenal player for a lot longer than four weeks. He's a player who makes things happen when he plays and they are few and far between.

With Theo Walcott injured Gnabry got a chance for the third game in a row and he really took advantage of that chance yesterday. When there was nothing happening in the game it was him who ran at the Swansea defence and set Giroud up for what should have been the first goal just before the break. He was prepared to take players on and was a constant threat to the Swansea defence when he came inside in particular.

Maybe he's not wholly comfortable with playing in a wide right role, but he certainly did the defensive work which is required of a player in that position. It was the Swansea left back who scored their goal to give them some hope after Gnabry had gone off. Maybe Gnabry would have been there to track back if he was still on the pitch.

In truth Swansea created very little besides their goal and the closest they came to scoring was from two cases of sloppy defending by Arsenal. In the first half an over hit back pass from Mathieu Flamini left Wojciech Szczesny in a spot of bother which he just about got out of and in the second half Jack Wilshere nearly set up an equaliser with a poor pass to Kieran Gibbs.

In attack Giroud didn't have a great game and he probably needs to get a goal to boost his confidence after missing a few chances in recent games. He never kept trying though and his work rate has to be admired. His fitness is of vital importance to the team and there's real worry for Arsenal fans every time he goes down.

The performance of Mathieu Flamini was yet again one to be admired as he did the dirty work others sometimes don't like to do. He's prepared to put his boot in and take a hit or a yellow card for the good of the team which is what us fans want to see. His free transfer just before the deadline is looking increasingly like a great piece of business by Arsenal.

If anything was to happen to Giroud then the chances are Nicklas Bendtner would be the man to benefit. He has shown before that he has the ability needed to play at the highest level, but his career has gone severely off track in the last few seasons. It could be a huge risk for Arsenal to depend on him to lead the line, but there is a chance it might just be the making of him.

The Arsenal bench had a stronger look to it than it has done in a while yesterday and there's a possibility of Tomas Rosicky returning for Tuesday night's game at home to 

Napoli. I can't see an awful lot of any change for that game and it is very important game for Arsenal. If they can win they will put themselves in a very strong position in their group after only two games. I'll look at that game a lot more closely in my preview in the next couple of days.

For the moment though it's great to see Arsenal sitting on the top of the league table with every other team looking up at them. Let's hope that's where they are in May when the trophies are handed out.

That's it for today.

See you tomorrow.

Arsenal's Capital One Cup Game With West Brom Previewed

The Premier League leaders make their way to Birmingham tonight to play West Brom in the third round of the Capital One Cup. It needs saying twice almost to say Arsenal top the league considering how the transfer window progressed and the first game of the season went. Arsenal have really turned things around since then with four league wins in a row and the marquee signing of Mesut Ozil.

When Ozil signed I said Arsenal now had the best player in the league and the four assists in his first two league games have done nothing to disprove that. He already has more assists than any other player this season and he has only played two games. He is showing why he is the player with the most assists in the top leagues in Europe over the last four years.

With a push for the league title now looking a distinct possibility it's a little unfortunate to have a Capital One Cup game thrown into the mix. Under different guises Arsenal have come very close in this competition on a few occasions since they last won a trophy, but in reality it's the poor relation of trophies. I would almost prefer to see Arsenal go out of this competition tonight than get to another semi final or final only to lose again.

With so many injured players at the moment the players available could probably do with a midweek break from competitive football rather than facing a top flight team away from home. Every midweek date available so far this season they have been in Champions League action and it's not easy to play twice a week every week. I have no doubt Arsene Wenger will do all he can to rest some players tonight while still putting out a competitive team.

Who he decides to play could well have an impact on the game, but he has to give players who need it a rest. There's a trip to Swansea in the league on Saturday evening to think of as well as more Champions League action next week. Those games have to take priority in my opinion and I think they will.

With that in mind I expect to see the bench from Sunday's win over Stoke all getting a chance which should mean there's a pretty good looking defence at least. Both Thomas Vermaelen and Nacho Monreal are current members of two of the best international teams but they can't get into the Arsenal team at the moment. They should both be in from the start along with Carl Jenkinson and Lukasz Fabianski and the other central defensive role could well be filled by Isaac Hayden although I think either Per Mertesacker or Laurent Koscielny will probably start.

The biggest problems could come in midfield where Mikael Arteta will probably play although he has only a few minutes under his belt since his return from injury. There's a possibility of Emmanuel Frimpong playing there with him but I'm really not sure who will take up the attacking midfield role. I hope Aaron Ransey, Jack Wilshere and Ozil are all rested for their good and the good of the club too.

The final midfield place could be taken by Thonas Eisfeld or to play in behind the striker and there's a chance Mathieu Flamini could play instead of Frimpong too. Eisfeld could even push to a wide role if Serge Gnabry plays behind the striker and it's anyone's guess really what the midfield trio will be. 

In attack we could see the return of Nicklas Bendtner from the wilderness for his first game for Arsenal in a very long time. How he's still at the club I'm not sure, but if he's half the player he thinks he is he still has something to offer. If he does play tonight at any stage I hope he can put in the effort and commitment the team needs.

I would imagine both Ryo Myiachi and Gnabry will be playing in the wide roles despite Gnabry having played on Sunday. He needs as much time as possible in the team now that Theo Walcott is the latest player to join the list of injured players. Walcott's pace to get on to Ozil's through balls will be sorely missed, but Gnabry has a real chance to make a name for himself.

Myiachi looked very good when he was loaned out to Feyenord a couple of years ago but loan moves since then haven't been a real success. He has suffered with injuries and hopefully he too can take the chance to impress tonight and stake a claim for at least an occasional place in the team. It could be a big night for both of those players and they both certainly have the ability to make the most of it.

It won't be an easy task for Arsenal by any stretch of the imagination, but the ability they should have to call from the bench could be second to none. Players who are lighting the league up at the moment could be ready to take part if needed, but hopefully the likes of Ozil and Ramsey can take the whole night off. 

As I said at the top of the page I'm not too bothered by the result and I'll be happy if the team perform well. I know there's a lot to be said for momentum at the moment with the team on a run of seven wins in a row and 10 successive away wins. I still think the fitness of the players who will be needed for more important games takes priority though and I hope the boss sees it that way too.

West Brom haven't had a great start to their season and only managed their first win in the league on Saturday. They have found goals hard to come by and hopefully that will be the case again tonight. I would be surprised if they field a weakened team as the chance to get a win over Arsenal is one they will certainly want to take advantage of.

I always want Arsenal to win no matter who they are playing and tonight is no different. If it doesn't work out that way so be it though as long as no more first choice players pick up injuries. There are far more important games to come and I think they are where Arsenal have to place their emphasis.

That's it for today.

See you tomorrow.

Arsenal Beat Coventry City 6-1

Arsenal went into their Capital One Cup tie with Coventry City last night with a completely different team to the one which drew away to Manchester City on Sunday. It meant there were first team debuts for both Damian Martinez and Martin Angha from the start with Serge Gnabry coming off the bench to make his debut.

The team was pretty much as expected with Olivier Giroud playing the central strikers role to try to bag his first goal for the club. There was plenty of experience in the Arsenal team besides Giroud with Johan Djourou, Andrey Arshavin and Theo Walcott all playing from the start too.

The first half was a fairly scrappy affair with not too much between the teams, but it was Arsenal who made the breakthrough. Five minutes before half time Francis Coquelin slid in to prod the ball through to Giroud and he clipped it over the advancing keeper into the net. He had his first Arsenal goal at last and it actually took him a little less than four hours playing time to do so.

Arsenal picked up the pace in the second half and Arshavin earned a penalty five minutes in when he was taken down in the box. Giroud stepped up to take it, but his well struck effort was very well saved. Thankfully he had managed his first goal already or the miss could have been a real burden for him.

The second goal wasn't long coming when Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain unleashed a swerving screamer from outside the box which beat the keeper. Chamberlain strikes the ball very well and I'm sure there are plenty of goals to come for him in his Arsenal career.

With 64 minutes gone Arsenal added a third goal and it was Arshavin who scored this time. He was played in by Giroud and finished neatly past the advancing keeper. Arshavin played well last night and he showed he might still have something to contribute to the team.

With 15 minutes left Walcott made it 4-0 when he came in from the right and stroked the ball past the keeper into the far corner. It was a timely reminder from him too that he can contribute to the team despite his contractual dispute.

With 10 minutes left Coventry got a consolation goal to cheer up their 8,000 traveling fans. A good ball across the Arsenal area was met by ? who finished it first time past the helpless Martinez. It was some reward for a Coventry team that had worked very hard, but tired noticeably in the second half.

Arsenal had rung the changes after their third goal with Emmanuel Frimpong making his comeback after a seven month absence through injury. He's another player who will be looking to make an impact on the first team this season. Arsenal's midfield options are increasing almost weekly at the moment and Jack Wilshere has to return yet as does Tomas Rosicky.

The other players to come on were the aforementioned Gnabry and Marouane Chamakh. It's was Chamakh's first action of the season, as he has become the forgotten man at Arsenal. He has slipped so far down the pecking order that surely his exit will come in January or next summer at the latest.

The fifth Arsenal goal came with 10 minutes left and it was young central defender Ignasi Miquel who scored it. He rose high to head home a cross from the left after he had hit the bar earlier in the game. His inclusion ahead of Sebastien Squillaci shows exactly where Squillaci has slipped to in the pecking order too.

In the final minute Walcott added a sixth goal for Arsenal. It was their second home game in a row managing that feat and he took his goal very well. He collected the ball just inside the Coventry half before beating a few players and finishing into the far corner from the left this time.

All in all it was a good display from Arsenal considering it was a completely different team to the one that played on Sunday. The six goals were well taken and the full house enjoyed the goal festival. A few players showed the manager what they can do and reminded him that they might still have a future at the club.

Arsenal are through to the last 16 of the competition, but the next round will pose a sterner test I would imagine. They play away to Reading who are now a Premier League club and will more than likely play the strongest team available to them. There is a possibility of a few injured players returning for Arsenal in that game, but that won't be known until closer to the actual game.

Here's the highlights of last night's game.

That's it for today.

See you tomorrow.