Arsenal Players And Their Euro 2016 Schedules

With Euro 2016 only two days away it's time to take a look at the games from an Arsenal perspective. It's not always easy to have an interest in a game unless your own country is playing, but it certainly helps if there is at least some Arsenal interest.

Group A has three Arsenal players in it as I write this, but there is a strong possibility of that changing to four. Both Laurent Koscielny and Olivier Giroud look like being mainstays of the hosts France while new boy Granit Xhaka should play each game for Switzerland. If the rumours are to be believed Roberto Rodriguez of Borussia Dortmund and Switzerland could be an Arsenal player very soon too.

France start the tournament off this Friday night with a game against Romania while Switzerland kick off against the group outsiders Albania the next afternoon. The following Wednesday Switzerland play Romania in the evening game while France take on Albania that night. The group finishes on Sunday June 19th when France and Switzerland play each other while the other two teams play at the same time. 

On the face of it France and Switzerland should both be looking to progress to the  knockout stages with France the most likely team to win the group. Romania and Albania will be no pushovers though and I expect this group could end up very close with three teams possibly progressing. From an Arsenal perspective we should have an interest in five of the six games which is no bad thing.

Group B has two Arsenal players on show with England's Jack Wilshere and Wales's Aaron Ramsey. While Ramsey should be an ever present for Wales, Wilshere is less likely to start for England unless things are going awry and they need to shake them up. The other two teams in the group are Russia and Slovakia and it promises to be a pretty tough group for England and Wales. There's always the possibility of a second Arsenal player in the England squad with Jamie Vardy mulling over a transfer to us and his signature would give Arsenal fans an added interest in the England games at least.

Wales kick off on Saturday evening when they play Slovakia and England play Russia that night. England play Wales on Thursday afternoon with Russia and Slovakia playing the afternoon before that. The group comes to a conclusion on the night of Monday June 20th with England playing Slovakia while Wales play Russia at the same time.

Despite my misgivings about England I think they should progress from the group, but Wales won't find it so easy. They did well to qualify for the finals, but they are very reliant on Gareth Bale and could struggle if he can be contained. With up to three teams going through there's every chance of both of them progressing, but Wales in particular will have to be at their very best to do so. As with Group A there is an Arsenal interest in five of the games which should at least make it worth watching for us Arsenal fans.

Group C gives us the chance to see Mesut Ozil strut his stuff for Germany while Wojciech Szczesny should start in goal for Poland. Germany are the reigning World Champions and one of the favourites to lift the trophy even if they weren't the greatest in qualifying. Szczesny looks like he could be about to depart the fold at Arsenal after his season long loan at Roma, but we will at least get to see what we are missing out on when he goes. The rest of the group is made up of Ukraine and Northern Ireland and it promises to be another close run group.

The games start on Sunday evening when Poland play Northern Ireland with Germany playing Ukraine that night. The following Thursdsy evening Ukraine play Northern Ireland with Germany playing Poland that night. Things come to a conclusion on the evening of Tuesday June 21st with Germany playing Northern Ireland and Poland playing Ukraine.

It would be a huge shock if Germany didn't come out on top of the group while Poland will be pretty hopeful of making the last 16 too. Ukraine are seen as the major threat to both of them, but Northern Ireland should not be underestimated. They won their group to get to the finals and their total is far better than the sum of it's parts. Yet again we will get to see Arsenal players in five of the six games and it's always a pleasure to watch Ozil play.

Group D is the final group with an Arsenal interest with Petr Cech and Tomas Rosicky in the Czech Republic squad and Hector Bellerin in the Spanish squad.  Again both teams will fancy their chances of making the knockout stages and Spain will be looking to keep the trophy they have won twice in a row. Croatia and Turkey make up the numbers in the group and it looks like it could be a very open group.

The group kicks off on Sunday afternoon with the game between Croatia and Tukey while Spain play the Czech Republic the next afternoon. The following Friday evening we see the Czech's play Croatia with Spain playing Turkey that night. The final group games are on the night of Tuesday June 21st when Croatia play Spain and the Czech Republic play Turkey.

On the face of it Turkey look the least likely to succeed in this group, but they won't be an easy opponent for any of the other three teams. Spain are among the favourites to win the tournament, but Bellerin might not get a starting berth in their team while both Arsenal players look likely to play for the Czech team. This could be Rosicky's swan song if things work out for him and it would be fantastic to see him have a great tournament. Yet again we could get to see Arsenal players in five of the games and it all helps to pass the time as we wait for the real football to return in August.

As it stands there are 10 Arsenal players in the first four groups and none in the final two, but that could rise to 12 quite soon depending on how our transfer dealings progress. Even if the two players most likely to join do so before the tournament starts there will still be no Arsenal interest in groups E and F. With only two days to go the tension is building and I can't wait for things to get going.

That's it for today.

See you tomorrow.

Arsenal Players: Their Hopes And Chances At Euro 2016

With Euro 2016 starting next week it's time to take a look at which Arsenal players will be at the tournament and how they might fare. I'll look into their individual chances and the chances their countries might have of glory too.

First up there's England and the only Arsenal player in their squad is Jack Wilshere. Theo Walcott and Kieran Gibbs have missed out because they simply haven't played enough for Arsenal in recent months and when Walcott in particular has played he's not been up to scratch. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Danny Welbeck probably would have hoped to have been included too, but injuries have ruled them both out of proceedings.

Wilshere hardly kicked a ball all season for Arsenal due to his own injury problems and he's been included because of how well he was playing for England before that injury. It's a risk taking him and from an Arsenal perspective I'm not so sure it's the best thing for him or us. His game time could be limited as he hasn't had a chance to regain any form with so few minutes under his belt and there's a real prospect of him just making up the numbers.

England are in Group B along with Russia, Slovakia and Wales and they should be more than capable of at least emerging from their group to the knockout stages. There isn't too much to be feared from those three teams, but being England in tournament football you never know what might or probably will go wrong. If it comes to the crunch a team which could be packed with Spurs players can be relied on to bottle it as is their way. If they win their group or even come second in it the quarter finals are about as far as I think they might go, but qualifying in third place would probably see them go out straight away in the knock out stages.

Arsenal's joint largest contingent at Euro 2016 is in the French squad with both Laurent Koscielny and Olivier Giroud playing for the hosts. Both of them look like they will be intrical parts of a French team who haven't done much on the international stage in quite a while. As hosts they have a chance though and they have a pretty strong looking squad too.

They have what looks like a fairly easy group with Switzerland, Romania and Albania to contend with. They should emerge from that group to the knockout stages and given the right draw they could go all the way. I'm not so sure though and I have a feeling they won't go any further than the semi finals at best.

Germany are the current World champions and go into this tournament as one of the favourites to win it. Mesut Ozil had more assists than any other player in the top five leagues in Eurooe last season and he was also Germany's player of the year yet again. He will have a large part to play as Germany attempt to add the European title to the World title they won two years ago.

They are in a group containing Poland, Ukraine and Northern Ireland and they will be strong favourites to win that group. The talent available to Germany is vast and they are more than capable of winning the tournament if they can get the balance right. I wouldn't be surprised to see them in the final, but if they don't make it they will probably go out to a team who hit them on the break.

The Czech Republic have both Petr Cech and Tomas Rosicky in their squad and Rosicky is technically still an Arsenal player I think. Cech is sure to be in their team and Rosicky will probably play too if he can stay fit. Cech won the golden glove in the Premier League in his first season at Arsenal, but injuries yet again robbed us of Rosicky. 

The Czech's are in a strong group with Spain, Croatia and Turkey, but they are more than capable of making it through to the next stage. They can mix it with the best teams and won't be easy for any team to beat. I don't think they have enough to win the tournament, but a trip to the semi finals is certainly not beyond them.

Arsenal new boy Granit Xhaka will be playing for Switzerland and we should get to see what you can buy with £25 million these days. They're in group A along with France, Romania and Albania. From what I've seen of Switzerland I haven't been overly impressed and they're by no means certain to make the knockout stages even with 16 of the 24 teams qualifying.

If they do get out of their group they will need a favourable draw to make it to the last eight and would surely be the very best they could hope for. Even if Switzerland don't progress from their group we will at least get to see Xhaka strut his stuff in those games. There's a lot of hopes and expectations for him at Arsenal next season and we might just get the chance to see him live up to them for his country.

Wojciech Szczesny is another Arsenal player who's just about still at the club and he could easily be on his way this summer after spending the season on loan at Roma. He'll be in the Polish squad for the tournament and it will probably be a straight choice between him and former Arsenal keeper Lukasz Fabianski for the keeper's shirt. Poland beat Germany in the qualifiers and will be hopeful of putting in a strong performance in the finals.

They're in a tough group with Germany, Ukraine and Northern Ireland and getting out of the group will be no tough task. They can give any team a good game in the knockout stages if they get there and I wouldn't be surprised to see them make the last eight. Maybe Szczesny can have a good tournament and add a little to his value before he ends up at another club when the tournament is over.

Wales haven't played at an international tournament since who knows when and they were overjoyed to reach Euro 2016. It will be far from easy for them in a group containing England, Russia and Slovakia, but they will still be hopeful of making it to the last 16 at least. Aaron Ramsey is a very important player for them with only Gareth Bale ahead of him in terms of his importance to the team.

If they're going to progress from their group they will have to defend in depth and use Bale's ability on the break. That formula got them to the finals, but it might not be enough to help them go any further. Third place in the group might be enough to make the last 16 if they can win one group game, but it won't be an easy task.

I thought that would have been it for Arsenal players at Euro 2016, but Hector Bellerin has got a late call up to the Spanish squad after one of their defenders was injured in the Champions League final last Saturday night. He's had a great season for Arsenal and is a very good attacking full back even if he still has some work to do on his defending. The chances are he won't get to play too much, but the experience certainly shouldn't do him any harm.

Spain will be hopeful of retaining the title they have won on the last two occasions and they still have a very strong squad even if they did fail miserably at the World Cup two years ago. They will be fancied to win a group which contains Croatia, the Czech Republic and Turkey, but it won't be easy for them. Once they make it to the knockout stages they are more than capable of winning the tournament just like a few other teams and they have to be considered to be among the favourites.

There's a total of 10 Arsenal players on show at Euro 2016 and watching them play for their countries should at least help to pass the time as we wait for the real football to return next season. Quite a few of those players have a genuine chance of going very far in the tournament and we might even get to see one of them lift the trophy next month. Of course the further any players go into the tournament the less likely they are to return in time for the start of the new season, but every other team has to deal with those problems too. For the moment we will have to watch and hope that we get all of our players back in one piece and raring to go for the new season.

That's it for today.

See you tomorrow.

Arsenal Finish Second As Spurs Crumble

Who would have guessed Lasagne was on the menu again for Spurs when they travelled to Newcastle yesterday. All they had to do was avoid defeat to finish above Arsenal for the first time in 20 seasons, but they succombed to a 5-1 defeat instead. Arsenal's failings this season have been vast to say the least, but you have to give yourself the freedom to wallow in the absolute failure of Spurs just when they looked to be ready to step up.

While everybody has admired their football and knocked our team's lack of bottle and fight we somehow managed to finish above them as we always do under Arsene Wenger. It's a great feeling to celebrate St. Totteringham's Day this season when I have to say I had given up all hope of Arsenal finishing above them. It's Arsenal's highest league finish since 2005 when we were runners up to Chelsea and it looks an awful lot better in the record books than finishing third.

The day panned out very well for Arsenal in the end, but there were times when I have to admit I was very nervous. When Spurs got back to 2-1 down and Mitrovic was sent off for Newcastle I feared the worst, but Newcastle put another three goals past them with only 10 men. Arsenal might have taken an early lead against Villa, but they left it a little too late for comfort to add to the lead and a goal from Villa would have put the cat among the pigeons.

It all worked out perfectly in the end though and Arsenal took their rightful place above Spurs. They have had their best season since time immemorial and they still couldn't finish ahead of us. Second place isn't a trophy, but considering everything else it's an awful lot better than the alternative before yesterday's game.

I know we could and should have won the league and second place is scant consolation, but that's something to discuss another day. For the moment we can celebrate our win and the absolute joy it brought combined with the despair for Spurs. They so desperately want to finish ahead of us and they must be devestated to have finished third and the circumstances which led to it only make it even more hilarious.

In my preview I hoped for an early goal and predicted Olivier Giroud might have a good day and so it was. His three goals don't make him world class overnight though and we still need a striker upgrade this summer. I had hoped for a Spurs defeat in that preview too, but I didn't really believe it would happen and thankfully I got that completely wrong.

Things got a little emotional at the end with Mikel Arteta and Tomas Rosicky saying their goodbyes to the fans. I loved them both as players and it's sad to see them go, but it is time for it and their exits leave a couple of places in the squad to be filled. Arteta got to play late on and he was so close to scoring, but the final goal will go down as an own goal to the Villa keeper. 

All we can hope for now is some really positive additions to the squad this summer and for the team to be given the chance to go one better next season. It won't be easy with all of the other top clubs surely strengthening this summer too, but as a fan you have to believe it is possible.

That's it for today.

See you tomorrow.

Arsenal v Aston Villa Preview

A very disappointing season comes to an end for Arsenal today when they play at home to Aston Villa. It's been a season of what could have been and probably what should have been too, but ultimately it delivered nothing. At the turn of the year the league was there to be won, but all the old failings came back to haunt us in a far too familiar fashion.

There's still something to play for today of course with the possibility of finishing anywhere from second to fourth place still up for grabs. To finish second Arsenal need to win and Spurs need to lose at already relegated Newcastle which I just can't see happening. As long as we don't lose we will finish above City in third and qualify directly for the group stages of next season's Champions League.

On the face of it a home game against one of the worst teams the Premier League has seen in a long time is the ideal way to finish the season. In past years I would have been very confident of Arsenal handing out a thrashing to a Villa team who's only away win was on the opening day of the season and have only managed 17 points in their 37 games to date. Even with nothing really at stake, Arsenal should be looking for a very comfortable victory today.

The fans will get to say goodbye to a few players who won't be around next season, but we don't know if Mikel Arteta, Tomas Rosicky or Mathieu Flamini will get to play a part in proceedings today. Arteta came in at a time when we were really struggling and helped to steady the ship when it looked we were on our way out of the elite. He's the club captain and by all accounts a great influence in the dressing room and it will be sad to see him go, but he's been past his best for quite a while and injuries have curtailed his chances and performances.

Rosicky promised so much when he joined 10 years ago, but we never got the best out of him as he struggled from one injury to another. He's a very talented footballer and he could have been a huge part of the team during his time with us, but it wasn't to be. Players of his ability who stay at a club for as long as he did usually become legends, but his continued absences will mean he will be fondly remembered even if he fits into the "what could have been" category.

Flamini is a curious case who came back to train with us a couple of years ago when he had no club and we ended up offering him a contract. I would be with those who saw it as a backward step, but he did become a cult figure at the club. That doesn't mean he was good enough though, but he did at least beat Spurs almost single handedly in the Capital One Cup this season.

I'm not so sure we'll get to see those three play a part today because the game still has some meaning and none of them are anywhere near the team at the moment. I would imagine we'll see the strongest team possible play today as they look to finish the season on a high and put any pressure they can on Spurs. I would be surprised if the team differed too much from the one which drew at City last week and surely a strong Arsenal team has to be too good for a poor Villa team.

Villa drew 0-0 at home to Newcastle last week and it was the first point they managed in 12 games. After just avoiding relegation last summer they sold their best two players and replaced them with inferior players. Their fate this season comes as no surprise and they have been far and away the worst team in the league this season.

Second place might be out of Arsenal's hands, but they have to give it their all in an attempt to manage their highest league position in 11 years. There is still a possibility of Newcastle beating a Spurs team who have faded badly in the last few weeks. Newcastle may have been relegated already, but they have done relatively well at home this season and they will hopefully want to see their fans off on any high they can manage before playing in the Championship next season. 

In Arsene Wenger's 20 seasons at the club we have always finished ahead of Spurs despite them coming very close to catching us a couple of times. It looked like a done deal in their favour in 2006 until a dodgy lasagne put paid to their hopes and hopefully they have a similar dish on their menu today. Anything that can give Arsenal, or Newcastle for that matter, an edge will do very nicely indeed.

Looking back in a few years a second place finish and finishing above Spurs yet again will possibly be seen as some sort of improvement, but this season has been a huge failure for me. I'll deal what that more in my season review which will come in the next few days, but the biggest issue for me has been the lack of goals after failing to sign a striker last summer. When you see the seasons Gonzalo Higuain, Luis Suarez and to a lesser extent Javier Hernandez have all had it's so infuriating to know how we possibly could have had any of them in recent history. 

Olivier Giroud has been on a terrible run since January, but the manager has persevered with him in recent weeks and he has finally brought some goals and assists to his game. It would be just like him to play his best game of the season today and for the manager to tell us we don't need a striker after a performance like that. 

I can't imagine anything other than a compressive Arsenal win today and I think Villa will fold once they let in the first goal. The sooner we get that first goal the better and if we go ahead with Spurs drawing or losing it will put some pressure on them. We're playing for crumbs I know, but those crumbs would offer us some comfort at least. I don't think Spurs will lose, but we at least have to play as if we think they will.

That's it for today.

See you tomorrow.

Arsenal Move a Step Closer to FA Cup History

The weekend went quite well for Arsenal with a 2-1 victory over Burnley and a home tie against Hull lined up for the fifth round. The team are one game closer to becoming the first team in 130 years to win the FA Cup three seasons in a row. There are still some very good teams left in the competition, but Arsenal have to be favourites to make the last eight after that draw.

In one of those strange coincidences they will play Hull for the third season in a row in the competition and I think that has to be seen as a good omen. They beat Hull in the 2014 final after trailing 2-0 early on and then they beat them 2-0 in the third round last season. Hull beat Bury 3-1 in the fourth round with Chuba Akpom scoring a hat trick for them, but he won't be playing in the next round as he's on loan from Arsenal.

From an Arsenal perspective we were treated to the return of Francis Coquelin after injury as well as Alexis Sanchez making his first start in 10 games after recovering from his injury too. Alexis had come on against Chelsea, but it was good to see him from the start and hopefully the two of them will be available to play from the start against Southampton. Alexis was by far the best player on the pitch despite being a little rusty be he showed what the team has being missing for the last couple of months. 

We were also treated to Mohamed Elneny making his debut after singing from Basel and Tomas Rosicky making his first appearance of the season after his latest injury. Unfortunately Rosicky picked up another knock and will miss another month which could spell the end of his career at Arsenal. Elneny did well on his debut although he has more attacking instincts than some would have hoped for and he certainly doesn't look like he was bought to cover Coquelin.

The performance was far from spectacular, but getting the win was important after taking only two points in the last three league games. There's a game against Southampton to come tonight and it's a game that has to be won to keep pace with Leicester and City. I can't see City dropping any points at Sunderland, but Leicester won't have it all their own way against Liverpool.

The boss definitely has a few decisions to make for that game after Saturday's game and he will have to think long and hard about his team. There are no pushovers in the Premier League and he needs to pick a team that will take the three points. The games are coming thick and fast now and it's reaching the stage in the season where any slip ups can be fatal. I'll look into that game against Southampton in my preview a little later, but for now it's just good to be in the next round of the cup and to see some different players in an Arsenal shirt.

That's it for today.

See you tomorrow.

Arsenal Unveil New Second Strip Plus Jenkinson And Sanogo Latest

As the new season draws closer Arsenal unveiled their new second strip yesterday to follow on the launch of the new first strip from a few weeks ago. The launch took place on the team's tour of Singapore and it looks pretty good to me on the first view as you can see below. I suppose it could be described as a gold shirt although it looks more yellow than gold to me.

Yellow has been the traditional colour of the away shirt for many years now and the team have had many glorious nights in that colour. The last time they wore a gold away strip they didn't do too badly either as they ended up winning their third league and cup double in 2002.

In other news Carl Jenkinson signed an extended deal with the club and then proceeded to go out on loan to West Ham for the season. He did quite well on loan with them last season and hopefully he will continue to progress. His chances at Arsenal would be limited this season with Mathieu Debuchey back from injury and the emergence of Hector Bellerin. It's hard to know if Jenkinson will have a long term future at Arsenal, but his experience gained at West Ham can't do him any harm. 

It looks as if Yaya Sanogo could be the latest player to leave the club and like Jenkinson he could be loaned out for the season. If the reports are correct Ajax are interested in taking him and again it looks like a smart move for both the player and Arsenal. Ajax look to play good football and Sanogo would get the chance to work with Arsenal legend Denis Bergkamp if he was to make the move. Since he joined Arsenal he has spent an awful lot of time on the injured list and he needs to go through a season relatively injury free if he's going to progress. 

Even though the season hasn't started Arsenal have already had their first injury setback with Tomas Rosicky set to miss the start of the season due to the knock he picked up on international duty. Rosicky isn't a first team starter any more, but when he's fit he still has plenty to offer on occasions. Hopefully he won't be out any longer than the projected four or five weeks, but his past injury record doesn't fill me with confidence on that front. 

At least Danny Welbeck should be back in time for the kick off of the new season as he looks set to eventually recover from the injury which saw him miss the end of the season and of course the cup final. It was such a shame for him to miss out on the cup final after he scored the winning goal in the quarter final away to United. Hopefully he can stay injury free this season and maybe get himself a nice shiney winners medal before it's over too.

Finally for today the first pre season game gets underway later today when Arsenal play a Singapore Select team in the Asia Trophy. The winners will play the winners of Stoke and Everton on Saturday while the losers will play the losers of that game. The game gets underway at 1.30pm BST and is available to watch on Sky Sports 1 or to listen to on the Arsenal Player.

Arsene Wenger has said a few fringe players will get a chance to impress in Singapore with players like Gedion Zelalem and Dan Crowley possibly the most like to make a breakthrough. Besides those two players Chuba Akpom, Alex Iwobi and Chris Willock are all likely to feature too and will be anxious to show what they can do. It will be great to get the first view of the team this season and it's hard to believe that the Community Shield is only two and half weeks away.

As usual this season my fantasy league is up and running again and it's open to all comers with a €50 prize (out of my pocket) to the winner. You can join up by using the league code 48497-14043 after you have set your team up here and good luck to all who play. There were over 1,000 teams in my league last season and I'm hoping for even more this season.

I'm also running my Predictions League again this season and it's very enjoyable even if there's no cash prize for the winner. The code for my league is FD757-ARR after you have signed up here and of course both games are completely free to play. 

This's it for today.

See you tomorrow.

Arsenal's Premier League Trip To West Ham Previewed

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

That's it for today.

See you tomorrow.

Arsenal Face Southampton In The Capital One Cup

After what could only be described as a perfect weekend in the Premier League for Arsenal they face Southampton tonight in the third round of the Capital One Cup. It's a competition in which Arsenal have done well in the past, but not quite so well in recent seasons. They haven't actually won the League Cup since 1993 and have never done so under Arsene Wenger despite reaching the final in 2007 and 2011.

The manager has traditionally given a run to fringe players and reserves in league cup games and I can't see this game being any different. He has quite often played a completely different starting 11 in this competition from the one which has played in the previous league game. This game should give a few players a chance to show what they can do and maybe try to impress the boss.

We should get our first chance to see David Ospina in an Arsenal goalkeepers shirt and he could be in for a pretty busy night too. In defence I imagine both Hector Bellerin and Isaac Hayden will get a run out, but it's not easy to see who else might play there. Semi Ajayi has been drafted into the squad and he could well see himself in the centre of defence with Hayden. Who plays at left back is anybody's guess although I suppose there is a chance Francis Coquelin will have to fill in with no other real options. Nacho Monreal is still injured and I would be very surprised if injury prone Kieran Gibbs was risked.

There are plenty of options in midfield and I would imagine a combination of Mathieu Flamini, Abou Diaby, Tomas Rosicky and Gideon Zelalem might be the ones to play. Jack Wilshere is a possibility after he was on the bench at the weekend, but I would be surprised if he was risked in a game which is so far down the list of priorities for the club. There's plenty of talent in that foursome and it would be great to see Diaby in particular playing a competitive match for Arsenal.

In attack I suppose Lukas Podolski is a shoe in to start with Joel Campbell more than likely to get a run out too. That would leave Chuba Akpom on the bench and hopefully he can get a run at some stage in the game. He's a talented player and has looked very good in his appearances for the under 21 team so far this season.

I would be surprised if Southampton didn't play a full strength team to continue their fine start to the season. They have taken 10 points in their last four games and are in second place behind leaders Chelsea. They have also got the best defensive record in the league so far this season with only three goals conceded in their five games and only one in their last four.

There was some concern that they would struggle after they sold so many of their players in the summer, but Ronald Koeman appears to be doing a very good job. They are still playing an attractive brand of football and look like they are capable of giving any team a run for their money. They're not going to win the league though and a top four finish is probably beyond them so a good cup run is probably the best they can hope for.

A win away to Arsenal would be a great feather in their collective caps for Southampton and a further boost to their confidence too. If they play a strong team they have every chance of doing so with the probable Arsenal defence looking short of experience at this level. The winners go through to the last 16 and I have no doubt Southampton would be more than happy to progress to the next round.

For me the Capital One Cup offers some young Arsenal players a chance to sample first team football and play in front of a very large crowd. I'm not too bothered whether they progress or not, but I do want to see a good performance from the players who are chosen. If they manage to get through to the next round then that's great but it's no big deal if they go out.

I will of course be cheering Arsenal on and hoping for a victory as always when they play, but I won't be taking the result as a pointer to how the rest of the season is going to go. In an ideal world Arsenal will win with Diaby shining and Campbell maybe getting his first goal for the club too. There are bigger fish to fry though with Spurs, Galatasary and Chelsea all coming up after this game and it's important to have the strongest team possible for those three games which has to be the most important factor when tonight's team is picked.

That's it for today.

See you tomorrow.

Arsenal's Premier League Game With West Ham Previewed

With a place in next month's FA Cup final booked it's back to Premier League action for Arsenal tonight with a home game against West Ham. While Arsenal were winning their place in that final they were overtaken by Everton and they're now two points behind them with five games left for both clubs. If Arsenal are going to finish in the Champions League places they are probably going to have to take maximum points from their remaining games.

Saturday was a grueling afternoon for the Arsenal players with the game going to extra time and a few of them must be feeling the effects. It was Aaron Ramsey's first full game of the year and he played over 100 minutes before being replaced by Kim Kallstrom. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has had his injury problems recently too and he gave everything he had for 120 minutes against Wigan. 

Nacho Monreal went off injured and he has to be a doubt too, but at least Kieran Gibbs was able to come on for him and should be available again. There's also a possibility of Laurent Koscielny returning from injury to strengthen the defence and Wojciech Szczesny will of course return in goal for Lukasz Fabianski. I can only imagine Olivier Giroud will take over from Yaya Sanogo in the centre forward role and there is a slight doubt about Lukas Podolski too.

I would be surprised if Ramsey and Chamberlain started and they will be missed if they don't play. There would be no point in pushing them to the point where they end up missing the remaining games through injury. If they're not playng it will leave the team short of pace and they have struggled without pace in recent months.

With Mathieu Flamini still suspended it means Mikel Arteta will have to play again and he's another player who gave an awful lot in the 120 minutes on Saturday. There's a chance of Tomas Rosicky returning after missing out through injury on Saturday and surely Kallstrom has to be considered from the start. He was brought in for his experience among other things and he must have something to offer to the team. 

West Ham have done well in recent weeks and they're safe from relegation worries. They will look to put pressure on Arsenal as often as possible and we can expect to see plenty of balls into the Arsenal box at every opportunity. With Andy Carroll up front they will expect to win their fair share of balls in the air and cause trouble from knock downs too. It's hardly an attractive style of play but it's all Sam Allardyce knows and it has worked well for him in the past. 

Arsenal haven't won in their last four league games and it's reached a stage where there can be no more slip ups. Their remaining five games are all winnable and they will end up on 79 points if they do win them all. I can't imagine Everton will finish ahead of Arsenal if Arsenal win those five games considering the opponents Everton still have to play. 

It's simple to say Arsenal have an easier run in but the way they have played recently it won't be easy to beat anybody. I'm hoping the semi final win and upcoming final will give the players the boost they need to overcome their current form. There's nothing like playing for your place in a cup final team to get the best out of players. There's still a few more players to return from injury too and places in the final will be at a premium. 

Despite Arsenal's recent run of poor results they still have a very good home record and haven't lost a home game since the opening day of the season. Only Chelsea have a better defensive record at home than Arsenal and they still have to be favourites to win. West Ham have only won four of their 16 away games and have only scored 14 goals in those games, but only Chelsea and Everton have conceded less goals away from home.

They are sure to try to keep the game as tight as possible and frustrate an Arsenal team which could be suffering from a little fatigue. If Arsenal are without the pace of Chamberlain in particular it will be a big blow as he's the only player available who's prepared to run at defenders and make things happen. They tend to play far too slowly without him in the team and can be far too predictable. 

I don't think it's going to be easy for Arsenal but I do think they have enough to beat West Ham. At this stage in the season it's all about results and Arsenal need to win whether it's pretty or ugly. If they can take the three points the pressure will be back on Everton ahead of their game at home to Palace on Wednesday night. 

It's important for Arsenal to end their trophy drought and hopefully they can do so against Hull next month in the FA Cup final, but it's equally important for them to qualify for next season's Champions League. It won't be easy to attract the quality players Arsenal need to strengthen their squad this summer if they haven't booked a place among Europe's elite for next season. I still believe they will do it and take the FA Cup too, but the time for slipping up is over and it's do or die now.

A win over West Ham is absolutely essential and it has to be followed by victories over Hull, Newcastle, West Brom, Norwich and Hull again. Six wins in the final six games of the season and the season will be judged to have been a success despite the collapse in the league. Anything less and the season could possibly be judged as an unmitigated disaster. It's a very fine line between the two of them and hopefully Arsenal can stay on the right side of that line starting with victory over West Ham tonight.

That's it for today.

See you tomorrow.

Arsenal's Trip To Chelsea Previewed

The killer games just keep coming for Arsenal and there's no let up this Saturday as they go to the Premier League leaders Chelsea. As it stands Arsenal are four points behind Chelsea with a game in hand and have nine games left to play. On the face of it a draw wouldn't be a bad result at all, but a win would be so much better with City only two points further back and they have two games in hand on Arsenal.

To add further spice to the game it's Arsene Wenger's 1,000th game as Arsenal manager and he has never beaten a team managed by Jose Mourinho. In 10 previous attempts Arsenal have come up short against Mourinho teams with the most recent being the 0-0 draw in the league in December. Chelsea parked the bus that night and were fortunate to end the game with 10 players and without conceding a penalty too.

They're at home this time and can't afford anything other than a win if they're going to put pressure on the chasing pack. The Chelsea defence has been miserly this season and they have the tightest defence in the league. They're far from invincible though as Villa showed when they beat them last week. 

Mourinho is in his second spell at Chelsea and they have never lost a home league game under him although that record should have been ended by West Brom earlier this season. Chelsea were again aided by some very poor refereeing on that occasion and it's hilarious to hear Mourinho complain about referees considering the decisions that have gone in their favour far too often this season. It was great to see Ramires finally get his marching orders for a disgusting lunge against Villa last week and fans of most other clubs will tell you he had got away with far too much for far too long up to that moment.

Arsenal have struggled a little in recent weeks and have failed to dominate teams in games they should be dominating, but it's hardly surprising considering the players they are missing through injury. The list includes Mesut Ozil, Aaron Ramsey, Theo Walcott and Jack Wilshere and any team would find it difficult to cope without four players of their calibre. It's a credit to the players that are playing that they are still in contention in the league as well as being through to the FA Cup semi finals.

With all of those injuries the Arsenal team almost picks itself with the only real decision for the boss being whether to play Mikel Arteta or Mathieu Flamini in midfield. There's a chance he will pick them both and that could well be the case if Tomas Rosicky isn't passed fit to play. He picked up a knock against Spurs last week and a decision on his inclusion has yet to be made.

If everybody is fit I think the team will probably be the same as the one which beat Spurs 1-0 last Sunday and a similar result would be fantastic. Arsenal haven't done well away to the other teams in the top four this season with City beating them 6-3 and Liverpool winning 5-1 and a much better performance is required against Chelsea. A draw would not be a bad result but a win could be just what they need to instill enough belief to win the title.

In an ideal world Arsenal would go to Chelsea and dominate the game from first to last minute before winning by a few goals. With some of their best players missing that won't be easy though and the chances are they will have to be at their best defensively like they were against Spurs last week. I don't expect Chelsea to come out all guns blazing either though and I suspect Mourinho would be happy to nick the game by the only goal no matter whether it comes in the first or the last minute.

Chelsea have become very dependant on Eden Hazard this season for their creativity and for Arsenal to win the game they will have to keep him as quiet as possible. At least Ramires won't be around to put his boot in and the shins of the Arsenal players should be a lot safer with him suspended. The team are going to have to work very hard to get the result they want and hopefully the fact they had no midweek game and Chelsea did will help them to do just that.

The last time they had no midweek game was before the trip to Stoke and that led to an inept display. Hopefully the players will have used the week to get themselves in the right frame of mind for this game and can put in a much better performance against Chelsea. Arsenal have a very good away record in the league this season with nine wins and only four defeats in their 15 away games and they have actually scored more goals away from home than at home.

Sometimes football games can be decided by the smallest of things such as a lucky bounce, a deflection or a dodgy call from the officials. Let's just hope any of those things that are going around end up going in Arsenal's favour. I'm not really bothered how Arsenal win the game as long as they win it.

The biggest problem for them could be scoring though with all of those players missing against a well disciplined Chelsea defence. Thankfully Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has overcome his slight knock as he offers that something different the team needs to worry that Chelsea defence. If he can get the chance to run at them at pace he might just cause enough panic to score or make a chance for someone else. Hopefully he will have his shooting boots on if a chance comes his way unlike last week.

It will hopefully be a thrilling day for Arsenal which will end Chelsea's unbeaten home record under Mourinho while our boss wins his landmark game to put Arsenal right up there with eight games to go. If things don't go their way it's not the end of the world though and once the players give their all I can live with the result. Of course I'm hoping for a win and I think the players are capable of getting it. Hopefully they can find the belief and a performance to match and make Arsene's 1,000th game in charge one of his most memorable ones ever.

That's it for today.

See you tomorrow.

Arsenal Win Ugly Against Spurs

Far too often it's been claimed Arsenal can't "win ugly" when they're not at their best and need to do all they can to take the three points against lesser teams. They have proved that theory wrong on quite a few occasions in the last year and they did so yet again away to Spurs yesterday. It took a strong defensive display for Arsenal to keep a clean sheet after Tomas Rosicky gave them the lead just 72 seconds into the game and that's just what they produced on the day.

Rosicky's goal was an absolute screamer as he latched on to the ball after Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain had miscontrolled it and he buried into the far corner from 20 yards out. Both of his feet were off the ground when he hit the ball and it was as sweet a strike as a player can hope for. With Liverpool and City already having won and Chelsea losing to Villa it was vital for Arsenal to take the three points.

Spurs played pretty well after that without really creating much in the way of chances in the first half and Arsenal spurned a few good chances on the break. Chamberlain missed the very best of them when he tried to be too clever when he was through one on one with the keeper. He tried to dink the ball with the outside of his foot but miscued itwhen he could have put Lukas Podolski in or chipped the keeper. 

With Spurs playing a high back line as they chased the game Arsenal were always going to get chances on the break, but they failed to make the most of them. Without a second goal it was very nervy for Arsenal and they dropped deeper and deeper as the game progressed. For all their possession though Spurs had very little creativity and their main tactic was to hoof the ball forward into Adebayor's direction. There were a few scary moments when he won headers but the Arsenal defence put him under enough pressure to insure he couldn't get any direction on them. 

Their one really good chance came when Wojciech Szczesny tried to catch a cross he probably should have punched and Nacer Chadli was presented with a glorious chance six yards out. With the keeper out of the picture it was left to Laurent Koscielny and Per Mertesacker to stop him and Koscielny got the block in to prevent him. Chadli really should have shown more composure and picked his spot but thankfully for Arsenal he didn't.

For all of Spurs possession it was Hugo Loris who made the save of the match when he showed fantastic reactions to stop a close range effort from Mertesacker. Without that second goal it went right to the wire but Arsenal's defence were so dominant that Spurs never looked like scoring again. Arsene Wenger brought more defensive players on as the game progressed and they helped to ease the pressure towards the end too.

Arsenal's inability to hold on to the ball was far from good, but the most important thing was the result and they took the three points to almost guarantee a top four finish with nine games to go. They are nine points clear of fourth placed Spurs and have a game in hand on them as well as vastly superior goal difference. It's surely only a matter of time now before St. Totteringham's Day is once again upon us. 

Of course Arsenal want a lot more than just fourth place and the win was enough to put them into third place. They're four points behind the leaders Chelsea with a game in hand and face them in their next game. It's an absolutely huge game for both clubs and a win for Arsenal would blow the title race wide open. It won't be an easy task though with so many of their best players on the injury list.

Back to yesterday though and the players celebrated with the fans afterwards with Szczesny even going so far as taking a selfie in front of those fans and posting it on Facebook. 

There was also a fabulous photo of Podolski celebrating with the Arsenal fans and it was clear how much the game meant to the players. 

They have played Spurs three times this season and won all three games with four goals scored and none conceded. Spurs spent a fortune on new players in the summer and for all the money they spent their team are worse than they were a year ago. 

Arsenal have a week to prepare for the Chelsea game and hopefully they can get those preparations just right in that time. Of the four teams still chasing the title they're the outsiders and the main reason for that is the injuries to some of their best players. Their games against Chelsea, City and Everton will be really tough without those players and they will have to show even more ressielence than they did yesterday to get the results they need. For now though we can celebrate being kings of North London and look forward to a thrilling end to the season hopefully.

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 Game With Fulham Previewed

Arsenal are still sitting pretty at the top of the Premier League despite the best attempts of City and Chelsea to displace them. Last weekend was a very nervous one for Arsenal with the chasing pack all playing before them and winning, but Arsenal went to Villa on Monday night and got the three points they needed. The second half was far from the stuff legends are made of, but they managed their eighth win so far in their 11 away games.
They play at home this weekend and with the game on Saturday afternoon they get a chance to put some pressure on Chelsea who play at home to United on Sunday afternoon. United have been better on their travels this season and need something from the game to continue their pursuit of a top four place with the title already looking lost to them. Arsenal need to go out on Saturday against Fulham and put the points on the board to put Chelsea five points behind them and see how they react to the pressure of playing catch up.
City play at the same time as Arsenal on Saturday and it has to be assumed that they will win comfortably at home to struggling Cardiff. City's home form had been magnificent this season and they have won all 10 of their home league games. I wouldn't be surprised to see them score 100 goals at home this season in all competitions.
Arsenal haven't been too bad at home either and their only home defeat came on the opening day of the season. Since then they have won seven and drawn two home games and only conceded three goals in the process. They haven't exactly banged the goals in at home though and have scored more goals away from home.
They play a Fulham team who have the worst defensive record in the league and that hasn't changed since Rene Muelensteen took over the reins from Martin Jol. He has managed to move them out of the bottom three with a couple of important wins over other teams at the wrong end of the table, but he hasn't managed to tighten up their defence at all. Arsenal are probably going to get plenty of goalscoring chances and they need to take as many of them as possible.
I'm not for one second suggesting Arsenal will thrash Fulham, but they are overdue to thrash somebody and surely the opportunity has to be there against the worst defence in the league. Of course Fulham came to Arsenal last season and came away with a 3-3 draw after going 2-0 down early on and the bitterest blow for Arsenal was the last minute penalty miss by Mikel Arteta. If Arsenal get ahead in this game they cannot afford to let Fulham back in.
The Arsenal team has changed an awful lot since even though the personell are more or less the same. Mesut Ozil and Mathieu Flamini joined in the summer, but the mental attitude seemed to change before either of them signed. Maybe it goes back to that night in Munich when they won 2-0 away to Bayern, but one thing is for sure - Arsenal have found the ability to see games through and win when they're not at their best. 
In previous seasons Arsenal have dropped too many points against teams they should not drop them to, but that changed in the last 10 games of last season and has continued into this season. Of course no team is perfect and besides the opening day defeat by to Villa they also drew away to West Brom. For me that's only five points dropped to teams outside the top seven and that has to be better than any of the other title chasing clubs.
That record makes me very confident Arsenal will beat Fulham and it has to install confidence in the players too. It hasn't always been easy with the last home game against Cardiff being a case to prove that. When the goals came in that game they were very late, but the players kept trying and eventually got their reward. 
Arsenal have their injury concerns at the moment, but they still have a strong enough side available to do the business against Fulham. The team probably won't be too different to the one which beat Villa on Monday night with a few obvious exceptions. Nacho Monreal will miss out after picking up an injury in that game, but at least Kieran Gibbs is back to take his place at left back. Hopefully he can put his injury problems behind him as he's the only fit left back available now.
Tomas Rosicky came on as a sub against Villa but the chances are he won't play a part after Gabriel Agbonlahor spread his nose across his face. Rosicky had to have surgery to sort his nose out and I doubt if he will play any part against Fulham. Hopefully he will be back for the FA Cup game at home to Coventry next Friday night. I'm pretty sure the referee had a good view of what Agbonlahor did to Rosicky and that means the FA have no interest in reviewing the incident. It seems you can lead with your forearm and break an opponent's nose as long as the referee doesn't see anything wrong with the challenge. In this day and age there are few infallible people in the world but it's good to know referees are just that in the eyes of the FA.
There will be no return for Aaron Ramsey, Arteta or Thomas Vermaelen either who will all miss the Coventry game too, but could be ready for Southampton a few days later. The decision to play Arsenal's FA Cup game with Coventry on Friday is a ridiculous one which is done to suit TV and will make life very hard for the Coventry fans in particular. It works out well for Arsenal though with an extra days rest before a tricky trip to Southampton the following Tuesday. 
As I said the team should be almost the same as the one which beat Villa and the chances are Lukas Podolski will be warming the bench again. He didn't look too happy when he didn't get on in that game and it's difficult to know why he isn't getting any game time at all at the moment. Maybe he will get a run out and with a point to prove he might just put on a performance to give the boss a reminder of what he's missing. He did get two of Arsenal's three goals when they won away to Fulham back in August and he offers more of a goal scoring threat in the wide left role than any other player.
A win keeps Arsenal on top of the table yet again and the longer they stay there the more likely they are to continue that challenge. I have no doubt they are a better team than Fulham and I think they will win by a few goals at least. I'll be happy as long as they win but I'd love to see a performance to put it up to the chasing pack.
That's it for today.
See you tomorrow.

Arsenal v Fulham Preview

Arsenal are still sitting pretty at the top of the Premier League despite the best attempts of City and Chelsea to displace them. Last weekend was a very nervous one for Arsenal with the chasing pack all playing before them and winning, but Arsenal went to Villa on Monday night and got the three points they needed. The second half was far from the stuff legends are made of, but they managed their eighth win so far in their 11 away games.

They play at home this weekend and with the game on Saturday afternoon they get a chance to put some pressure on Chelsea who play at home to United on Sunday afternoon. United have been better on their travels this season and need something from the game to continue their pursuit of a top four place with the title already looking lost to them. Arsenal need to go out on Saturday against Fulham and put the points on the board to put Chelsea five points behind them and see how they react to the pressure of playing catch up.

City play at the same time as Arsenal on Saturday and it has to be assumed that they will win comfortably at home to struggling Cardiff. City's home form had been magnificent this season and they have won all 10 of their home league games. I wouldn't be surprised to see them score 100 goals at home this season in all competitions.

Arsenal haven't been too bad at home either and their only home defeat came on the opening day of the season. Since then they have won seven and drawn two home games and only conceded three goals in the process. They haven't exactly banged the goals in at home though and have scored more goals away from home.

They play a Fulham team who have the worst defensive record in the league and that hasn't changed since Rene Muelensteen took over the reins from Martin Jol. He has managed to move them out of the bottom three with a couple of important wins over other teams at the wrong end of the table, but he hasn't managed to tighten up their defence at all. Arsenal are probably going to get plenty of goalscoring chances and they need to take as many of them as possible.

I'm not for one second suggesting Arsenal will thrash Fulham, but they are overdue to thrash somebody and surely the opportunity has to be there against the worst defence in the league. Of course Fulham came to Arsenal last season and came away with a 3-3 draw after going 2-0 down early on and the bitterest blow for Arsenal was the last minute penalty miss by Mikel Arteta. If Arsenal get ahead in this game they cannot afford to let Fulham back in.

The Arsenal team has changed an awful lot since even though the personell are more or less the same. Mesut Ozil and Mathieu Flamini joined in the summer, but the mental attitude seemed to change before either of them signed. Maybe it goes back to that night in Munich when they won 2-0 away to Bayern, but one thing is for sure - Arsenal have found the ability to see games through and win when they're not at their best. 

In previous seasons Arsenal have dropped too many points against teams they should not drop them to, but that changed in the last 10 games of last season and has continued into this season. Of course no team is perfect and besides the opening day defeat by to Villa they also drew away to West Brom. For me that's only five points dropped to teams outside the top seven and that has to be better than any of the other title chasing clubs.

That record makes me very confident Arsenal will beat Fulham and it has to install confidence in the players too. It hasn't always been easy with the last home game against Cardiff being a case to prove that. When the goals came in that game they were very late, but the players kept trying and eventually got their reward. 

Arsenal have their injury concerns at the moment, but they still have a strong enough side available to do the business against Fulham. The team probably won't be too different to the one which beat Villa on Monday night with a few obvious exceptions. Nacho Monreal will miss out after picking up an injury in that game, but at least Kieran Gibbs is back to take his place at left back. Hopefully he can put his injury problems behind him as he's the only fit left back available now.

Tomas Rosicky came on as a sub against Villa but the chances are he won't play a part after Gabriel Agbonlahor spread his nose across his face. Rosicky had to have surgery to sort his nose out and I doubt if he will play any part against Fulham. Hopefully he will be back for the FA Cup game at home to Coventry next Friday night. I'm pretty sure the referee had a good view of what Agbonlahor did to Rosicky and that means the FA have no interest in reviewing the incident. It seems you can lead with your forearm and break an opponent's nose as long as the referee doesn't see anything wrong with the challenge. In this day and age there are few infallible people in the world but it's good to know referees are just that in the eyes of the FA.

There will be no return for Aaron Ramsey, Arteta or Thomas Vermaelen either who will all miss the Coventry game too, but could be ready for Southampton a few days later. The decision to play Arsenal's FA Cup game with Coventry on Friday is a ridiculous one which is done to suit TV and will make life very hard for the Coventry fans in particular. It works out well for Arsenal though with an extra days rest before a tricky trip to Southampton the following Tuesday. 

As I said the team should be almost the same as the one which beat Villa and the chances are Lukas Podolski will be warming the bench again. He didn't look too happy when he didn't get on in that game and it's difficult to know why he isn't getting any game time at all at the moment. Maybe he will get a run out and with a point to prove he might just put on a performance to give the boss a reminder of what he's missing. He did get two of Arsenal's three goals when they won away to Fulham back in August and he offers more of a goal scoring threat in the wide left role than any other player.

A win keeps Arsenal on top of the table yet again and the longer they stay there the more likely they are to continue that challenge. I have no doubt they are a better team than Fulham and I think they will win by a few goals at least. I'll be happy as long as they win but I'd love to see a performance to put it up to the chasing pack.

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 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.