Arsenal's Trip To Barcelona Previewed

It's been yet another tough week for Arsenal as they relinquished their hold on the FA Cup with a home defeat to Watford on Sunday. They still have the slightest chance of winning the league, but they would probably have to win all nine of their remaining games if that were to happen. That just leaves the Champions League and they go to Barcelona tomorrow night in an almost impossible position.

Barcelona haven't lost in almost 40 games in all competitions and they are the current holders of the Champions League as well as being the best club side in the world. They came to Arsenal a few weeks ago and left with a 2-0 win after two lapses in defence gave them the opportunities they wanted. Arsenal will have to go to Barcelona and match or better that result to progress and even the most optimistic of Arsenal fans surely cannot imagine that scenario.

For Arsenal to have any hope of doing that they will have to be at their very best and that's something we haven't seen in a long time. As the pressure has mounted over the last couple of months the players have struggled more and more with each game. Surely the pressure can't be on them in this game as there are no expectations and just maybe that will help them to play just a little bit better.

Barca are a fantastic team, but they are vulnerable on the break and from set pieces too. If Arsenal are to come out of this game with anything other than a bad memory they need to maximise their chances of taking advantage of Barca's weaknesses. For me that means playing attacking players with genuine pace who can take advantage of any break that might come our way.

The argument for Olivier Giroud says he is the player to hold the ball up and bring others into play, but I don't think that's what we need in this game. To be honest he's playing so badly at the moment that Arsene Wenger can't consider picking him. He might be the most likely man to get his head on the end of Mesut Ozil's set pieces, but Danny Welbeck has shown he can do that against United and Spurs.

If Giroud shouldn't play them Theo Walcott shouldn't either, but he does possess the pace to which Barca are vulnerable. I think Joel Campbell will get the nod on the right as he can put in the work needed and he's playing better than either Giroud or Walcott at the moment. 

I suppose you could say Alexis Sanchez should sit this one out too if current form is anything to go by, but I can't see that happening. He does possess the genuine class that others don't but he has struggled awfully since his return from injury. The difference between the Alexis of this season and last season is immense and his form mirrors the struggles of the team.

As far as the rest of the team goes I think we have to set up as defensively as we can and I think Nacho Monreal and Hector Bellerin will come back in to the full back roles. We can only hope Laurent Koscielny is fit to return because the Per Mertesacker and Gabriel Paulista partnership certainly isn't working. Maybe it's time to give Calum Chambers a run in the centre of defence as he surely can't do much worse than Gabriel at the moment.

The chances of winning the league are almost gone and the final nail will be put in the coffin if Arsenal lose away to Everton on Saturday. The boss has to be aware of the amount of work the players will put in against Barca and the lack of rest time available to them before Saturday. There is no effort from the Premier League and the TV companies to be of any aid to English teams playing in the Champions League unlike just about every country in the competition.

I'm almost always optimistic when Arsenal play, but it's very hard to be optimistic at the moment. I know how much ability there is in the team and what these players can be capable of at their best, but I've rarely seen them further from their best. Things have to change at some time though and just maybe the right performance in this game will be the trigger to do just that.

That's it for today.

See you tomorrow.

Arsenal v Barcelona: Champions League Preview

As opponents come they don't get any better than the current Champions League holders and Arsenal are facing up to their toughest task of the season on Tuesday night. They have had success in many of their big games this season and they managed to beat the next best team to Barcelona when they triumphed over Bayern Munich in the group stages of the Champions League. That 2-0 win at home was a great performance and result even if the return game ended in a drubbing.

I've watched Barcelona a few times this season and they can be quite incredible going forward, but they have vulnerabilities in defence and those vulnerabilities have to give Arsenal some hope. When Arsenal won at home to Bayern they fought a rearguard action and took the chances which came their way and they will have to try to do the same to have any hope against Barcelona. Arsenal have been poor in front of goal for a couple of months at least, but they need to find that killer touch when it matters most.

Barcelona's attacking trio is enough to strike fear into any defence and Barcelona are going to have plenty of possession to feed those three players. All three of them are capable of scoring goals out of nothing on their own and you cannot drop you guard against them for a single second. As good as Luis Suarez and Neymar might be it's the threat of Lionel Messi that is the biggest one to Arsenal as he is quite simply the best player in the world.

For all their strengths though Barcelona have weaknesses too and Arsenal have some of the tools necessary to exploit those weaknesses. They are vulnerable to pace on the break though and their defending of set pieces can be suspect at times too. If Arsenal are going to get any joy from the game they need to take advantage of those weaknesses at every opportunity possible.

With that in mind Arsene Wenger needs to think carefully about his team selection on the night and try to choose players who can best suit Arsenal's needs. Most of the team more or less picks itself and I would imagine it will be very close to the team which beat Leicester 2-1 last week. The changes made to that team could be what makes the difference though and they need to be carefully considered.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain started that game and he has struggled for form this season, but the confidence shown in him by the boss recently seems like it could be paying off. He can be very quick and tricky on the ball too, but I don't think he's the ideal choice to play on the right. Despite his recent poor form I would opt for Theo Walcott because he's more likely to use his pace to get in behind the Barcelona defence. Maybe, just maybe the equalising goal he got against Leicester is what he needed to kickstart his season and he carries more of a goalscoring threat than most others in the squad.

Walcott has taken a lot of stick for his recent performances while Alexis Sanchez is a certain starter no matter how poor he has been recently. Since his return from injury he seems to have got progressively worse with each game and it's a very worrying trend. I'm not sure if he's trying too hard or his standard move of coming inside on to his right has been found out, but something is affecting his game badly.

I wouldn't suggest for a second that Alexis should be left out as he is too good to omit. If Arsenal are going to have any chance they need to get something from their best players and Alexis fits into that mould. Maybe playing against his former club will bring out the best in him and he'll get a chance to show them what they're missing since they sold him to Arsenal.

There's a real case to be made for Danny Welbeck to start too, but I think it's still too early in his recovery after missing 10 months through injury. For me Olivier Giroud has to play as the central striker despite his lack of pace, as he's the player most likely to take advantage at set pieces. He has the ability to get on the end of the deliveries of the most creative player in the top five leagues in Europe so far this season.

That man is of course Mesut Ozil and given the chance he can deliver killer passes to open any defence or deliver set pieces right on to the heads of Arsenal players. In Ozil and Sachez Arsenal have two world class players who can upset any team and we need the best from them on the biggest stage. If Arsenal are going to get something from the game the chances are Ozil will be the man to set up any or all of their scorers on the night.

Francis Couelin has to start in front of the back four and the chances are Aaron Ramsey will play alongside him. There's a case to be made for playing a second defensive midfielder, but no one else has the defensive discipline of Coquelin. Mathieu Flamini is the most likely candidate, but he is too fond of wandering forward to neglect his defensive duties and he could very quickly find himself on the wrong side of the referee if he plays.

All in all it's a huge task for Arsenal to try to get anything on the night, never mind over two legs. They have the ability to do so if they can remain compact at the back and use the weapons they have wisely in attack. They will have to do so much better than they have done recently, but part of the joy of supporting a team is believing they can win every single time they play.

That's it for today.

See you tomorrow.

Arsenal To Face Watford Next If They Can Overcome Hull

Despite failing to beat Hull on Saturday Arsenal are still in the FA Cup with their path to a Wembley semi final laid out before them. They will travel to Hull for the replay in a couple of weeks and will then play at home to Watford in the last eight if they overcome Hull. The draw has been very kind to them so far this season with four home games out of four and all of the other top dogs avoided.

Those draws have enabled Arsene Wenger to field reserve and fringe players so far in each game and it has worked to a degree. The wins over Sunderland and Burnley were a struggle at times, but Arsenal got the job done and deservedly so on each occasion. Saturday's draw with Hull was a different matter though and the result was exactky what both teams didn't want as they have had to add another game to an already busy schedule.

Arsenal made nine changes from their previous game on Saturday and Hull made 10. Arsenal dominated from start to finish, but they failed to find the net despite having 11 attempts on target. For their part Hull offered very little at the other end and never really looked like scoring except for their only real chance which came late in the game.

We can complain about the two penalties Arsenal should have had, but with Mike Dean in charge no more can be or should have been expected. At least he dished out a yellow card at the other end when a Hull player took a dive in the Arsenal box instead of the penalties he likes to give against us. To be fair to Hull they dug deep and defended very well and they probably deserved the draw for their defensive display.

The 11 shots on target would suggest Arsenal should have won though and rightly so, but a mixture of good goalkeeping and poor finishing conspired against them. It may have been almost a completely different team to the one which beat Leicester, but the same deficiencies in front of goal surfaced. Arsenal overcame those shortcomings last week, but on Saturday they failed to just like they have done far too often in recent weeks.

The replay in Hull will be put to the back of our minds for the moment though as there are more pressing matters to deal with. The first of them is the huge game at home to Barcelona on Tuesday night and it's followed by a trip to Old Trafford next Saturday. Only a week later there's the trip to Spurs with a home game against Swansea in between and wins are needed in all of those games.

For a team who are misfiring at the moment that's going to be no easy task, but it's certainly not beyond them. As good as Barcelona are they have their shortcomings too while United, Spurs and Swansea are all more than beatable at home or away. It's come to the stage of the season where it's almost make or break in every game and there's very little wriggle room left,

As important as winning the cup three years in a row might be the league has to be the number one priority and putting up a real fight against Barcelona is very important too. Despite having to travel to Hull for the replay Arsenal will still be favourites to go through no matter what team Hull play and move on to the game with Watford. The path to the semi final is very clear and it's one I think Arsenal will rise to even if they are taking the long way around.

That's it for today.

See you tomorrow.

Giroud Shines As Arsenal Progress

Arsenal didn't have the greatest record away to Olympiacos before last night, but there was nothing riding on the previous games which Olympiacos won. Last night was do or die for both teams with a place in the knockout stages as the reward for the winner. It wasn't going to be easy away to a team with a 100% record in their domestic league.

Olympiacos had already won 3-2 at Arsenal and Arsenal were the ones with all the work to do. There were plenty of scenarios but Arsenal had to win and a win by any other result except 1-0 and 2-1 was what they needed. It looked like a very tough task on the face of it with players like Alexis Sanchez, Santi Cazorla and Francis Coquelin unavailable through injury. 

The only question for me before the game was whether Joel Campbell or Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain would get the nod with the rest of the team more or less picking itself. Arsene Wenger opted for Campbell  with Chamberlain only just back from injury and it proved to be an inspired choice with Campbell playing a pivotal role. I haven't been his biggest fan by a long stretch, but the run of games he's getting is making him look more and more like fulfilling the potential of the huge prospect we signed. 

I had hoped before the game for somebody to step up and put in an away performance akin to some of those Thierry Henry gave us not so long ago. From a strikers perspective Olivier Giroud did just that with a hat trick on the night to silence his critics and the Olympiacos fans too. It was great to watch on my TV and hear the Arsenal fans singing their hearts out once the home fans were silenced. I have no doubt that those fantastic travelling fans were singing well before then, but they could rarely be heard over the home fans who were trying to invoke an intimidating atmosphere.

Not too much happened early on with neither keeper bothered until a great run and cut back from Campbell found Mathieu Flamini and his effort was deflected on to the bar when it looked certain to go in. Arsenal got a hold of the game then and Mesut Ozil fed Aaron Ramsey down the right. His cross was met by the head of Giroud and beat the keeper at the near post for the all important first goal. Giroud did brilliantly to get his head to the ball and I'm still not sure how he managed to put it away.

Half time came and went with the impetus with Arsenal and Olympiacos rarely threatening their goal. When they did come forward they faced an inspired Laurent Koscielny who showed why some rate him as the best central defender in the Premier League. He was ably assisted by the ever reliable Nacho Monreal and both Hector Bellerin and Per Mertesacker who improved after slightly worrying starts. Behind the four of them was the imperious sight of Petr Cech who must never be rested again and proved exactly what a bargain Arsenal got last summer and why Jose Mourinho didn't want to sell him to us.

The second half had only just started when Giroud went down clutching his ankle and I worried that the injury curse had struck again. He got up and moved forward and within seconds he had bagged the crucial second goal after some great work from Campbell left him with only the keeper to beat. Arsenal had their fortunes back in their own hands now and another goal would seal it.

Olympiacos knew they had to offer more, but Arsenal held firm and Cech was on hand whenever they did get a shot in. The absolute killer came midway through the half when an Olympiacos defender was harshly adjudged to have handled the ball deliberately and that man Giroud stepped up to put the keeper the wrong way from the spot.

It was game over for Olympiacos at that stage as they needed three goals to qualify and their players knew it. Arsenal saw out the game with relative ease and it was their fans who could be heard singing as the locals went quiet. They're through to the knockout stages yet again and it's fully deserved no matter how badly they started the group.

Giroud scored his first hat trick for the club and was the man who delivered when the team needed it most. His red card in the opening group game is a distant memory and he should be proud of his performance last night. He's on a really good streak at the moment and hopefully he can continue that over the busy festive period.

The last 16 holds some possible daunting prospects, but it's got to be better to be in the draw than in the last 32 of the Europa League and playing European football on a Thursday night. Those games won't be until February though and there's an awful lot of football to be played before them starting with a trip to the Premier League's basement club on Sunday afternoon. A win at Villa will put Arsenal top of the table ahead of Leicster's game with Chelsea on Monday night and it would be the perfect way to end a great week.

That's it for today.

See you tomorrow.

Arsenal's Trip To Olympiacos Previewed

Arsenal's Champions League group comes to a conclusion tonight and it's crunch time for them. It's been a pretty dismal campaign so far with three defeats in their five games, but they can put that right with the right result in Greece. It's certainly going to be far from easy, but it's something the players are capable of and something they have to go for.

The spate of injuries for the last month or so has robbed Arsene Wenger of Alexis Sanchez, Santi Cazorla and Francis Coquelin among others and those three would have been certain starters tonight. The combination of Coquelin and Cazorla was the axis Arsenal built everything on with Coquelin doing so much hard work and Cazorla keeping the engine of the team ticking.

In their absence those tasks will fall to Mathieu Flamini and Aaron Ramsey and their performances will have a huge say in the outcome of the game. Flamini doesn't possess the defensive discipline of Coquelin or his youth either and he will have to be on his game from first minute to last to stop the threat of Olympiacos counter attacking. He seems to have a desire to get involved in the opposition penalty area, but Arsenal need him to sit and hold for every minute he is on the pitch tonight.

Ramsey is only just back from injury himself, but he is getting a chance to play in his favoured position and he seems determined to show that he deserves the role on a permanent basis. He got a goal and an assist in the win over Sunderland on Saturday and he probably should have had two more goals. He plays a lot further forward than Cazorla in that role and his runs into the box could be just what Arsenal need to break Olympiacos down. Of course those runs also leave Arsenal more vulnerable to the break and that's why it has to be impressed on Flamini to keep his attacking urges under control. 

It was good to see Theo Walcott make his comeback on Saturday and hopefully it means he will be available from the start tonight. His pace offers Arsenal something in attack which Olivier Giroud doesn't have although I think Walcott will be deployed on the right if he does start. Giroud has done so well from the set piece deliveries of Mesut Ozil that I think it's an option that has to be used from the start. I have no doubt Olympiacos will do all they can to prevent Arsenal's progress on the pitch and Ozil could find himself delivering quite a few set pieces in the 90 minutes. 

The form of that man Ozil is a real positive for the team and his contributions are almost single handedly making the difference for Arsenal at the moment. Along with Alexis he's one of the two really special players in the team and in the absence of Alexis even more is expected of Ozil. While Ozil is the master of making chances Alexis can make things happen all on his own and he will be sorely missed. His absence has made the return of Walcott even more important as he can score goals and worry any defence with his pace.

Once he's fit I expect Walcott to start and it's just a matter of whether the boss picks Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain or Joel Campbell to play on the opposite side to him. I know Chamberlain offers far more at his best, but he's only just back from injury too and I have a feeling Campbell might get the nod. I would prefer to see Chamberlain play because he can make a real difference when he turns it on and like Walcott he can really worry the Olympiacos defence.

The chances are Walcott will play on the right, but I wouldn't mind seeing him on the left as it makes it easier for him to score with his right foot as he comes in from the left. A few of the goals he has got from that side are reminiscent of Thierry Henry and we could do with some of that inspiration tonight. Henry had some great away days in the Champions League in his time at Arsenal and it would be great to see somebody follow in his illustrious footsteps.

Arsenal have to win tonight to go through and a 2-0 win is the minimum requirement too. However, once they win and score three goals it doesn't matter what the winning margin is as Arsenal will go through. I can't see Arsenal keeping a clean sheet in a game where they have to attack so they will probably have to manage those three goals if they are going to progress.

When Olympiacos won 3-2 at the Emirates they were helped in no small part by an awful Arsenal performance as well as an horrendous error from David Ospina. Petr Cech will be between the sticks tonight and that has to give the whole team more belief in their chances of getting a result. He has already proved his worth since joining from Chelsea in the summer and he could still prove to be the most important signing for any Premier League team last summer.

Olympiacos have had a very good season so far and have won all 12 of their domestic league games. Their only defeats so far have come home and away to Bayern Munich and they won't be short of confidence. They showed in the game at the Emirates that they can be deadly on the break and Arsenal have to be aware of that.

Arsenal haven't played well for a while now and they will have to up their game an awful lot to get the result they need tonight. They are capable of it though and I just hope they can give it a real go. If they can go one up at any stage in the game it will put the cat among the pigeons and just maybe give them the edge they need.

We've been through all the close calls and glorious second leg results that just weren't quite good enough in recent seasons. Maybe it's time for the players to actually come through this time and get the result to put them through to the last 16. If they can do so who knows where they can go, but looking at some of the team's through already the draw could be very difficult. I'll be happy to see their name go into that draw though and I have a sneaky feeling they might just do it.

That's it for today.

See you tomorrow.

Arsenal v Dinamo Zagreb Preview

It's do or die tomorrow night for Arsenal when they take on Dinamo Zagreb in the Champions League. A win is the only thing that will do for them to keep their hopes alive and even then they will need Bayern Munich to win at home to Olympiacos. Three defeats in their first four group games have left them on the verge of missing out on the knock out stages and the cash rewards that brings.

Their only victory in the group so far came at home to Bayern and the German champions exacted their revenge in the return game. If Bayern draw at home to Olympiacos it would see both teams through to the next stage, but I would be very surprised if Bayern didn't do to Olympiacos what they have done to almost every other opponent this season. Arsenal just have to assume that Bayern will want to win the game to make sure they top the group and concentrate on what they need to do against Dinamo.

From a team selection point Arsene Wenger's options are even more limited since the weekend defeat to West Brom. It was bad enough to lose a game Arsenal were winning, but to lose both Francis Coquelin and Mikel Arteta to injury made it an even worse day. The loss of Coquelin in particular is a huge blow to the team as his emergence has been a huge factor in the team's performances in this calendar year.

Arteta limped off yet again within half an hour of coming on and it's hard to believe that he will be able to put his continuous injuries behind him. The absence of both of those players means the team will have to rely on Mathieu Flamini to play a defensive midfield role and I have to say that worries me greatly. There have been suggestions of playing Calum Chambers, Gabriel Paulista or Kieran Gibbs in the role, but I can't see any of them being up to the task in that role at least. It has to be Flamini for me or maybe the boss might have to rethink the way the team is playing just a little.

The only good news is that Aaron Ramsey is fit to play at least although it might be a risk for him to play from the start. His inclusion would certainly make the team stronger and I assume it would be on the right rather than in a central role alongside Santi Cazorla. Ramsey would be a far better choice than Joel Campbell who I am still far from convinced by, but the boss has to decide whether it's worth the risk so soon after his return.

When Arsensl lost their opening game in Zagreb and the next game at home to Olympiacos the boss played some of his fringe players in each game. The gamble backfired on each occasion and it's one of the main reasons the team are so close to elimination at the moment. The performances and attitudes on each night didn't help either and they need to put those results right in the next two games. They owe both Zagreb and Olympiacos the beating they should have given them in the first place and they need to get that underway tomorrow night.

It's not going to be easy for the players who are available to keep on putting in performances game after game, but they have to find it within themselves to do it. I thought they were a little unlucky against West Brom to lose 2-1 to a team who only had one shot on target. They weren't helped by the penalty miss, Mesut Ozil hitting the post or Campbell's miss, but the defending on the day and the drop in concentration when they went ahead wasn't good enough either.

Zagreb showed in the first game that they have plenty to offer and Arsenal cannot afford to take them lightly again. Hopefully none of the players will get themselves sent off like Olivier Giroud did in the first game and the boss will play his strongest team too. After that it's down to taking their chances and not over committing players forward so they're not caught on the break.

November has been a bad month for Arsenal far too often and a win tomorrow night would be their first win this month. They have a trip to Norwich on Sunday, but at least that's five days after the Zagreb game and any small knocks or tiredness can be overcome in that time. It's a tough schedule from here until the transfer window opens in January and the team need to get back on track right away if they're going to continue to challenge in the league.

The way I see it they're the better team and they just need to put in a performance to show that. If Bayern can do their part then Arsenal can go to Olympiacos in two weeks and try to get the two goal win they will need to make the last 16. It won't be an easy task but it's one they're capable of once the get the first part of that task done tomorrow night. 

That's it for today.

See you tomorrow.

Arsenal Concede Five In Munich

Arsenal went to Bayern Munich last night knowing they needed at least a point to keep their Champions League hopes in their own hands. After losing their first two games to Dinamo Zagreb and Olympiacos they had managed to win at home to Bayern two weeks ago to keep their hopes alive. It was always going to be a tough task and Arsenal needed to be at their best from the off.

When they beat Bayern two weeks ago they fought hard as a team and defended in numbers as well as riding their luck a couple of times. It was going to take even more to get a result in Munich and the team news didn't help very much. Besides Hector Bellerin being added to the long list of injuries we also learned that Laurent Koscielny was sitting the game out with a slight knock.

Mathieu Debuchey came in for Bellerin with Gabriel Paulista replacing Koscielny in an otherwise unchanged team from Saturday's victory at Swansea. Arsenal weren't really at the races in the first half of that match and so it proved last night too with a far more ruthless Bayern team taking the advantage that Swansea failed to take. By the time the break came around Arsenal were 3-0 down and the game was already well beyond them.

I hoped to see something better in the second half and Arsenal did offer more of an attacking threat, but Bayern added two more goals with only Olivier Giroud getting on the scoresheet for Arsenal. It was Arsenals worst away defeat in European football and it leaves their chances of making the knockout stages hanging by a thread. Those chances are still alive though and nothing short of victories in their last two games will do now.

What they need to do is pretty simple with nothing short of a victory at home to Zagreb followed by a two goal win away to Olympiacos being good enough. Those results will see them come second in the group as long as Bayern win at home to Olympiacos in the next round of games on November 24th. Bayern haven't won the group yet and are level on points with Olympiacos so I can only assume they will give their all to win the game.

The performance last night left an awful lot to be desired, but not many teams can live with Bayern at their best. I don't think Arsenal's cause has been helped by their severe injury crisis and the same players are being asked to play game after game. Bayern ran them ragged last night and some of those players who are playing twice a week really struggled to keep the pace.

It still doesn't explain the manner of the defeat though and too many of the players looked almost disinterested at times. In a game like last night 100% commitment is required and sadly it was missing from far too many players. In the grand scheme of things last night will be forgotten if the team go out on Sunday and beat Spurs and then continue on to qualify for the last 16 of the Champions League.

We all know the team are capable of performances like last night, but it has been a while since we've seen one. It's something they have to put behind them quickly and move on to the all important North London Derby this Sunday. If the players dwell on last night it won't do them any good and they owe Spurs a beating after failing to beat them in the league last season.

It''s not going to be easy for a team which has virtually no options in terms of changes to the attacking players in particular. I still think they can get the win though and I think qualification for the knock out stages of the Champions League is well within their abilities too. I know it's no longer in their own hands, but wins for Arsenal and Bayen in three weeks will change that in Arsenal's favour. Going to Olympiacos and winning by two goals on that final day won't be easy either if it comes to it, but again I don't think it's beyond the team. 

Despite the result from last night it's still far from doom and gloom for Arsenal with a genuine title challenge still on the cards. Two weeks ago I would have been more than happy to have taken three points off Bayern and been in the hunt with two games to go. We're still there but only just and until Arsenal can no longer qualify I'll still hold plenty of hope of them making it. 

The damage wasn't done last night as it was a game they were always highly likely to lose. The damage occurred in the first two group games and the team have the opportunity to put that right in the next two games. They have to do just that and give themselves every chance of taking their place in the last 16.

That's it for today.

See you tomorrow.

Arsenal v Bayern Munich Preview

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

That's it for today.

See you tomorrow.

Arsenal Keep Their Hopes Alive By Beating Bayern Munich

Arsenal played at home to Bayern Munich last night knowing that anything other than a win would all but end their participation in this season's Champions League. They faced a team who had won their last 12 games in a row and had swatted away the two teams who had already beaten Arsenal. Despite the claims of Pep Guardiola Arsenal were not favourites to win the game and it was going to be an uphill struggle for them.

From the start Bayern dominated possession as Arsenal defended in numbers and looked to make something happen on the break. Despite Bayern's dominance it was Arsenal who should have led at the break, but Theo Walcott couldn't put a header away when he seemed certain to score. He was part of an unchanged Arsenal team from the one which won 3-0 at Watford on Saturday. To be fair to Walcott Manuel Neuer made a magnificent save from the header, but he shouldn't have had a chance to save it.

The second half started in the same vein with Bayern dominant again and Petr Cech was called upon a couple of times to make excellent saves to keep Arsenal in the game. The difference between him and David Ospina is vast and he quite simply has to play in the rest of the group games even if Ospina is fit again. Besides his brilliance the confidence he instills in the defence cannot be overestimated and it's great to see him in an Arsenal shirt.

Aaron Ramsey pulled up with a hamstring injury before the hour mark and he was replaced by Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. Ramsey is going to be out for a while by the looks of it and Chamberlain should get the run in the team that he probably needs to progress. Ramsey had done well up to that point as had every single Arsenal player and Chamberlain continued in that mould.

The breakthrough came with just over 10 minutes left when Olivier Giroud got his face on a free kick from Santi Cazorla and the ball ended up in the net. Giroud had only been on the field for three minutes as a substitute for Walcott when he got the goal. Bayern played a huge part in their own downfall by holding a line which was too far out for the free kick and Cazorla had an easy job of putting the ball in the space between the keeper and the defence. Neuer didn't cover himself in glory either as he completely missed the ball after it had gone over the head of Laurent Koscielny before it hit Giroud to go in.

Bayern tried to throw all they had at Arsenal, but Arsenal held firm in defence. In the last of the four added minutes they doubled their advantage when Hector Bellerin raced into the Bayern box and squared the ball for Ozil who appeared to have his point blank shot saved. The official behind the goal was on hand to award the goal though and correctly so despite the best efforts of Neuer. 

Bayern only just had time to kick off before the final whistle blew and Arsenal got the victory they so badly needed. The win puts them back in with a chance in the group with three games left to play. A draw between Zagreb and Olympiacos would have been an ideal result for Arsenal in the other game in the group, but unfortunately Olympiacos won 1-0 away from home.

If Arsenal are going to progress from the group the chances are it will go right to the wire and they will need to win by a couple of goals away to Olympiacos in early December. They could make things that bit easier for themselves if they can manage to take something from the return game in Munich, but that will be a huge task to try to achieve. There is some hope in that game though as Arsenal have won and drawn their last two games away to Bayern in recent years.

The injury to Ramsey has to be a real worry for Arsene Wenger with Jack Wilshere, Danny Welbeck and Tomas Risicky already on the injury list. The team's attacking options are decreasing rapidly with Guroud and Chamberlain the only attacking options on the bench last night. If Chamberlain starts on Saturday Joel Canpbell will probably be on the bench and that's more or less the extent of the attacking options. One more injury could be one too many and the chances to rotate and rest players just won't be there with so few options.

Hopefully Ramsey won't be out for too long and Chamberlain will make the most of his chance or maybe even Campbell will grab any chance he might get with both hands. The alternative doesn't bear thinking about and it really is better off ignored until it actually happens.

For the moment Arsenal can bask in the glory of beating Bayern and look forward to their game with Everton this weekend. If they can win that game they will go to the top of the table ahead of the Manchester derby and the right result in that game could see Arsenal keep that top spot. It would be the perfect way to end a great week for the team if they were to take over at the top of the league after last night's great victory.

That's it for today.

See you tomorrow.

Arsenal's Champions League Nightmare Continues

After losing their opening Champions League group game away to Dinamo Zagreb a few weeks ago Arsenal had to win at home to Olympiacos last night. There was no room for error with back to back games against Bayern Munich, but somebody forget to tell Arsene Wenger and his players. The night ended with a shambolic defeat against a team who had never won a game in England in their previous 12 attempts.

The team named before the game left us fans feeling a little anxious as Petr Cech was on the bench with David Ospina playing in goal. The boss chose a team which wasn't his strongest one for the defeat in Zagreb and the inclusion of Ospina showed he still wasn't treating the competition or the opposition with the required respect. We were told Cech had a knock, but he was able to sit on the bench which surely meant he had to be able to play.

Francis Coquelin returned just in time from injury in midfield at least with both Mikel Arteta and Mathieu Flamini injured. Aaron Ramsey dropped to the bench as he was the only player to have played in each of the last three games and he possibly needed a break with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain coming in. There were a couple of changes in defence too with Gabriel Paulista and Kieran Gibbs coming in for Per Mertesacker and Nacho Monreal.

Whatever about Gabriel coming in I was surprised to see Monreal on the bench. You would be hard pressed to find an Arsenal fan who doesn't think Monreal has been Arsenal's best defender for quite a while now. I was more than surprised to see Monreal on the bench, but I still thought Arsenal had a strong enough team to get the win.

Olympiacos came into the game on the back of five wins out of five in their domestic league, but they were well beaten at home by Bayern in their first group game. They were underdogs on the night and it would take an exceptional performance from them to get anything from the game once Arsenal got into their stride. After the 5-2 win at Leicester on Saturday I fully expected to see Arsenal do just that to make amends for the opening defeat. 

Arsenal started reasonably well, but before long it was obvious they were very short of ideas. Gradually Olympiacos grew in confidence and their opening goal may have been a surprise, but not a shock knowing Arsenal. The fact that they played a large part in handing the goal to their opponents was hardly a surprise either.

Both Gabriel and Laurent Koscielny went for the same ball and managed to recover enough to block the ensuing shot for a corner. When the corner came in Arsenal were completely asleep and nobody marked the man on the edge of the box. His first time shot from the corner was deflected off Chamberlain past the helpless Ospina and Arsenal were behind.

They immediately upped their game with Alexis Sanchez getting stuck in and he quickly set up a chance for Theo Walcott. His finish wasn't great but the Olympiacos keeper made a mess of his attempted save and the scores were level. I hoped Arsenal had learned their lesson from the fright of going behind and would approach the game in a much more positive manner.

Almost immediately they were behind again when Ospina as good as threw the ball into his own net from a corner. He came too soon for the corner with the taker putting right it under the bar and tried to catch it as he back pedalled. All he could do was push the ball away and the official behind the goal confirmed the ball had crossed the line.

I couldn't understand why Ospina didn't just push the ball over the bar, but he took the difficult option and Arsenal trailed again. It was hard to know if the ball had crossed the line or not, but the insistence on using an official behind the goal rather than goal line technology means we'll never really know for sure. None of that can hide from the horrendous mistake Ospina made and the decision to play him ahead of Cech just had to be the wrong one.

Half time came and went and still Arsenal couldn't muster a head of steam to put Olympiacos under pressure. Koscielny went off with what looked like a hamstring injury which limited Arsenal's attacking options from the bench, but a look at the bench revealed how limited those options were anyway. The introduction of Ramsey a little later did the trick though and Arsenal turned the heat up almost instantly.

It didn't take long for the second equaliser to come and it was no surprise when Alexis got it. He headed in a lovely cross from Walcott and I thought surely Arsenal would now go on to take the three points. I couldn't have been more wrong though as they immediately pressed the incredibly huge self destruct button which they are so fond of.

Olympiacos broke forward and Arsenal panicked in defence. With Coquelin off the pitch the midfield neglected their defensive duties and Olympiacos had time and space to score their third goal. If it didn't hurt so badly it would almost have been funny, but there was still time for Arsenal to at least try to get back into the game.

The boss threw on his last sub with Joel Campbell replacing Hector Bellerin, but that move showed the lack of options we have. They huffed and puffed for the rest of the game, but never really put the pressure on the Olympiacos goal that was required. The only time I thought the team played with the tempo needed was when Ramsey came on and they were chasing their second equaliser.

The defeat leaves Arsenal in a precarious position in their group and needing to take points off Bayern or facing missing out on the knock out stages. Their chances of getting any points off Bayern were always going to be slim, but the two performances so far will only make it more difficult. They will have to win at home to Dinamo and away to Olympiacos too to have any chance, but I honestly think they're out of it already.

For me the team selection was wrong again as it was in Zagreb and those decisions stand squarely at the feet of the boss. He didn't put out his strongest team in either game and the lack of respect shown to the competition and the opposition backfired. I don't know if the players let that lack of respect get to them and thought they just had to show up in both games to win.

The excuse of Olivier Giroud's red card in the first game couldn't be used last night, but the consequences had an affect on the game as Giroud would surely have been a welcome option from the bench. Not having Danny Welbeck, Jack Wilshere or Tomas Rosicky available through injuries wasn't ideal either, but the squad has to be strong enough to deal with injuries. The failure to add quality in the summer transfer window besides Cech is surely the biggest failing of all considering the money Arsenal have available.

From the debacle of last night Arsenal have to play at home to the league leaders Manchester United on Sunday and they have to do an awful lot better in that game. United have had the better of Arsenal in the league for more years than I care to remember and that has to stop. The players owe the fans a performance after last night's debacle and nothing short of beating United should do on Sunday.

Of course the players have to take a huge amount of the blame for last night, but for me the manager has to bear even more. The team continue to suffer from the same failings season after season and yet those failings just do not seem to be addressed. The manager has to be able to get his players to defend better, but it just doesn't seem to be working.

I've always thought he was still the man for the job, but I'm increasingly beginning to think I could be wrong. I'm not going to be one of those constantly calling for his removal, but I can't say I'd be adverse to him calling it a day either. The team might still challenge for the league this season, but it's difficult to see how if they're capable of performances like last night.

Despite the vast amount of money in the English game English teams are performing worse each season in the Champions League. Something has to change at Arsenal and other clubs too if they're going to challenge again. I don't know if a change of manager is what's needed, but I think I'd be willing to give it a try.

That's it for today.

See you tomorrow.

Arsenal v Olympiacos: Champions League Preview

Arsenal finally found their shooting boots on Saturday when they put five goals past Leicester to match their tally of their previous six league games. Those goals couldn't have come at a better time with a Champions League game that has to be won at home to Olympiacos tonight. After losing their first game away to Dinamo Zagreb there is very little room for error left for Arsenal in a group which also includes Bayern Munich.

After tonight's game Arsenal have back to back games at home and then away to Bayern and they have to go into those games with three points in the bag. The defeat to Dinamo has made life difficult in the group, but failure to win tonight would make it almost impossible. Bayern are in fantastic form at the moment and it won't be easy to get anything off them, but Arsenal are of course capable of doing just that.

It would be just like Arsenal to drop points tonight and then go out and take three or four points off Bayern. They can't depend on getting anything from Bayern though and they need to make sure they take maximum points from the three games left against Olympiacos and Dinamo starting with tonight. 

Olympiacos have had a very good start to their domestic campaign and they're on top of the Greek league after winning their first five games. They lost their opening group game 3-0 at home to Bayern, but Arsenal's defeat in Zagreb will have given them real hope of making the knockout stages. They will hope to get through to the final game with a chance of qualifying and know they have a chance at home to Arsenal in that game. 

As for Arsenal they know it would not be in their best interests to have to go to Greece needing a result in the last game and they need to tie things up before that game. The first step in that journey is tonight's game and it's a game they should and have to win. 

In team news it seems both Mathieu Flamini and Mikel Arteta will miss out with slight knocks after Saturday's victory over Leicester. Flamini started that game after his heroics against Spurs in the Capital One Cup, but he went off injured early on to be replaced by Arteta. The team looked a lot more solid with Arteta in the holding role instead of Flamini and maybe the games he's played recently are helping him to regain some form after he missed so much of last season through injury.

It looks like Francis Coquelin could be set for a return to the team as he's been back in training for a few days after recovering from the knock he picked against Chelsea last week. Coquelin has made that defensive midfield spot his own and it will be good to see him back in the team if he's fit to play. If he's not fit to play I can only imagine an axis of Aaron Ramsey and Santi Cazorla will play together, but neither of them have the defensive instincts of Coquelin.

One player who definitely won't be playing is Olivier Giroud after he was sent off in the first half of that defeat in Zagreb. His absence will surely mean Theo Walcott starts again and he seems to be growing in confidence with each game he plays as a striker. The jury may still be out on him, but 12 goals in his last 13 Premier League starts suggest he must be doing something right.

Gabriel Paulista will also be available after sitting out the victory over Leicester as he served his one match ban. It's going to be a close call between him and Per Mertesacker to play alongside Laurent Koscielny at the heart of the defence and it's impossible to know who will get the nod. For me Gabriel is the better choice and I think he will confirm his status as first choice before too long. 

Arsene Wenger made quite a few changes for the game in Zagreb, but I don't expect him to make too many for tonight. I think he has to play what he sees as his strongest team possible to do everything possible to ensure a victory. Arsenal don't play again until Sunday and that should give the players plenty of time to recover.

Of course they did play only three days ago and that game next Sunday is against the current league leaders Manchester United. It's been a long time since Arsenal beat United in the league and a victory on Sunday would be so sweet with them on top of the league, but the points tonight are just as important. I think the five day gap to the United game has to be more than enough for the key players to play in both games.

Speaking of key players it was great to see Alexis Sanchez get his first goals of the season on Saturday. I said in my preview of that game that he looked to have finally found his feet after missing out on a pre season and his hat trick showed that he is back to his best. Not only was he the 100th player to score a hat trick for Arsenal, but apparently he was the first player to score a hat trick in all three of Serie A, La Liga and the Premier League. 

A few times in recent seasons Arsenal have come out in home group games and blown the opposition away with some great attacking football and early goals. It would be great to see them turn that style on tonight and get the win they need to get their chances of qualifying back on track. Any sort of win would do tonight of course, but another attacking performance like Saturday's would be great ahead of the United game.

That's it for today.

See you tomorrow.

Arsenal Lose After A Horror Show In Zagreb

What can you say about that defeat for Arsenal last night. It was such a familiar performance from the team yet it happened again. If you go into any football game with the wrong attitude you are likely to get beaten and it's hard to think Arsenal had anything but the wrong attitude.

I said before the game that Arsenal had to treat their opponents with respect as you must do against any team in the Champions League. Right from the start Arsenal looked vulnerable with bad decisions and bad passes being made all over the pitch. Dinamo Zagreb set out to frustrate Arsenal and try to hit them on the break, but it didn't take them long to realise they had every chance of getting something from the game.

Arsene Wenger made six changes from the team which beat Stoke on Saturday and on the face of it the team looked very strong. I had said beforehand that I was worried about Mikel Arteta possibly coming in for Francis Coquelin and so it proved as Arteta had a shocker. He wasn't the only one though and it was a game where it was hard to find any positives.

I was surprised to see David Ospina in goal as Petr Cech was given a rest, but to be fair to Ospina I wouldn't blame him for either goal and he made some good saves to keep Dinamo from increasing their lead at times. I have no doubt that Cech will be back for the trip to Chelsea on Saturday where Arsenal will need their strongest team to be at it's very best. Chelsea have had an awful start to the season but they won in the Champions League last night and will want to transfer that to the Premier League.

Both full backs were changed last night too with Hector Bellerin not making the trip as he was rested and Nacho Monreal on the bench. Gibbs gave the ball away too often for me and I thought he made a poor attempt to head the corner from which Dinamo got their second goal. Debuchey just doesn't offer the attacking options of Bellerin and I thought he had tucked in too far for the first Dinamo goal.

That first goal was more down to Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain though as he completely lost his man and then was unfortunate to deflect the rebound into the net after Ospina had saved the original shot. I thought Chamberlain had looked good before then but he faded after his mistake. He still has a lot to learn about the defensive side of his game and he needs to start learning quickly.

For the second goal Gibbs may not have jumped as the corner came in, but I don't think he would have got the ball anyway while Arteta failed to get off the ground and the man he was on powered a header home. They were two very bad goals to give away and spoke a lot about a general malaise through almost all of the team. One player who should be excluded from the criticism for me is Gabriel Paulista who did more than his fair share to keep Dinamo out.

Despite all of those poor performances the real culprit on the night was Olivier Giroud who got himself sent off due to his own stupidity. A free was wrongly given against him and his reaction earned him a yellow card for dissent. As if that wasn't enough he was called for another foul and then made a poor defensive tackle which earned him his second yellow. 

The boss may have complained about the refereeing after the game, but there could be no excuse for Giroud's stupidity. He is so concerned with his gesticulating after every incident that he forgot about his commitment to the team. He had already had two good chances to score himself before Dinamo scored, but he spurned them both.

The first chance was free header from eight yards out which was very well saved, but Giroud would surely have scored if he had headed the ball down. He was set up by Chamberlain for the second chance and hit the post, but he probabLy could have done better with the rebound. I have no doubt Giroud is a good player and he has his admirers among Arsenal fans, but I just don't think he's good enough for the level Arsenal want to play at.

His goalscoring record for Arsenal is good but I think he takes too many chances to score and his lack of pace is a real hindrance. What's the point of having Mesut Ozil in the team to play passes to a player who hasn't got the pace to get on the end of them. When Ozil was signed over two years ago I was sure Arsenal would sign a striker to suit his game, but I'm still waiting for it to happen.

Theo Walcott, Joel Campbell and Coquelin came on for Chamberlain, Gibbs and Arteta and Walcott did at least pull a goal back after being played in by Alexis Sanchez. Campbell looked out of his depth again to me and was probably lucky not to get a second yellow card late in the game. Coquelin tried to shore up the midfield, but it wasn't possible with Arsenal trying to chase the game.

The defeat certainly doesn't end Arsenal's chances in the Champions League, but it doesn't make them any easier. They have lost away to the lowest ranked team in the group and they will probably have to win away to Olympiacos as well as at home to both Olympiacos and Dinamo to guarantee a last 16 spot. If they play like they did last night they can expect Bayern Munich to give them a real pasting.

It's depressing to write about a performance like last night and particularly with such a big game coming up early on Saturday. I think the boss took a gamble with his team selection ahead of the Chelsea game and it backfired in a big way. The sending off only compounded the situation and made it even harder to get a result.

I just hope the players can turn things around between now and Saturday and that last night has no effect on them. I expect to see the players who were rested last night come in against Chelsea and those who weren't rested need to do an awful lot better. There is a real chance to pile more pressure on Chelsea and it's one Arsenal have to do all they can to take.

That's it for today.

See you tomorrow.

Arsenal's Trip To Dinamo Zagreb Previewed

The Champions League is back and Arsenal make the trip to Zahreb tonight to play Crotian champions Dinamo. In a group that also contains Bayern Munich and Olympiacos, Arsenal will be expected to qualify for the last 16 but winning the group won't be easy. To do so they will have to get the better of Bayern and that's no easy task.

Arsene Wenger should have more or less the same squad available as he had in the weekend victory over Stoke with the exception of Aaron Ramsey and Hector Belłerin who have been rested for the trip.  The need for rotation is pressing with a hard schedule ahead, but Dinamo cannot be taken lightly. There are very few easy games in the Champions League and both Manchester teams have already got their campaigns off to a bad start.

I would expect to see Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain come in as he has plenty to offer and there's every chance Olivier Giroud will play from the start too. I wouldn't be surprised if one of Mathieu Debuchey, Kieran Gibbs or Per Mertesacker was included also as all are capable of stepping straight into the team. There's the possibility of Mikel Arteta or Mathieu Flamini reacing Francis Coquelin, but it's not a decision I would be overly happy with if it did happen.

Whatever team is chosen from the start they will have to be up for the game in what promises to be an intimidating atmosphere. I would expect Dinamo to defend deep and try to hit Arsenal on the break as so many other teams attempt to do. Arsenal might need plenty of patience to try to break them down, but they certainly have the players to do so.

For me it's very important to get the Champions League off to a good start and three points would be the ideal one. If Arsenal can amass enough points to ensure qualification for the knockout stages before their final game that would be great as I can do without the final day nerves. In an ideal world Arsenal will win their group and get a relatively easier draw in the last 16, but it's been a long time since that last happened.

You never know what the draw will bring though and Arsnal were seen to have got a relatively easy last 16 opponent last season only to blow it in the home leg. That game was a lesson in treating your opponents with respect and making sure you are on your game in European games. Hopefully that lesson has been learned and Arsenal can grind out the win to get their campaign off to a good start.

That's it for today.

See you tomorrow.