Match Review: Southampton 2 vs 2 Arsenal (Gunners drop vital points after poor display)

On a wet miserable night in the South coast of England, Arsenal contrived to hand the advantage back to its title rivals with what has to be described as one of our worst performances of the season. Its difficult to explain or rationalize just how badly we played in that first 45mins, was it nerves? or just our plain inability to get the engines firing. The boss in his now customary love for using automobile analogies to describe games, said we just couldn't find the right gear. He sounded coy in his press conference after the game, but i sense he must be worried at what has now become a consistent first half malaise in games recently. Apart from the Cup ties against the spurs and more recently against Coventry, matches against West ham, Fulham,Cardiff and now Southampton have seen us start worryingly flat. My concern revolves around the premise that unless we find a way to get our best foot forward in games, better teams in this division will capitalize on this and have us chasing games before we sort out ourselves out and start playing (which often is in the 2nd half). We were poor in our marking, sluggish on the ball, and laying sloppy passes throughout that miserable first half. And to be honest i'd say we were lucky not to have conceded more than one goal as the hosts had very good chances to kill us off.  Their goal was a bit unlucky for us as Mertasacker was called for a foul that wasn't one and from the resultant freekick Fonte (the man who was headbutted by his own teammate in training) climbed all over Monreal to head past Szczesny in the 21st minute. It nearly got worse as young striker Gallagher contrived to miss a simple tap-in after Monreal had made a very untidy clearance. It was the luckiest of breaks as the referee Lee Masons' whistle brought an end to Arsenal's misery at the break. I bet Wenger couldn't wait to get his men off the pitch fast. We were simply dreadful and the slight encouragement for me was that i couldn't fathom any way we could possibly play worse than that, therefore suggesting we could only emerge for the 2nd half better than what we saw in the first.

And so it proved, whatever the Boss said to the guys at half time worked like a charm. Arsenal began much better in the 2nd half. We looked a lot more like the premier league leaders as we bossed early proceedings. Jack Cork and Calum chambers of Southampton who had ran the show in the first half suddenly began to look like they were in for a long night as Arsenal began to pass the ball confidently around and had them chasing shadows. Within minutes of our early domination we were level. Bacary Sagna had ventured forward and managed to out-hussle a defender and steer the ball into Olivier Giroud's path. The striker did well to improvise with his back to goal and back heeled an effort past the goalkeeper. Goals change games and with that equalizer our confidence reached new levels. For a 2 minute spell the hosts couldn't get near the ball as we pushed to stamp our advantage. Four minutes later it was 2-1, Ozil in his languid manner swept into a wide position on the right and with customary ease found Carzola free just outside the box. The Spaniard who seems in confident form lately took one step to steady himself and rifled a low shot past Boruc to stun the home crowd into silence. It was a fine goal symptomatic of the upturn in form of Santi at a point in the season where we need him firing on all cylinders. Our joy was short-lived however, as Southampton restored parity quickly. For all our well eulogized defensive solidity, the goal by Llallana was a poor one to give away. A long ball from the middle caught Bacary Sagna struggling and from that pass Jay Rodriguez fed his strike partner who made no mistake. Curiously there was no one tracking the run of Llallana as he moved into the box and Arteta who had a rotten game last night, needs to take responsibility for that. So 2-2  it was and for the most part,somehow i felt we could still win it. Our best chance to do so came from Ozil, who made a stunning solo run from  the middle went past 3 men and smashed a deflected shot past Boruc that cannoned off the bar rather unluckily. Then a crucial moment of the game unfolded, Flamini in a moment of sheer madness lunged in 2 footed at Morgan Schneiderlin and got his marching orders. Straight red card for the Frenchman means he will miss the Man U, Liverpool games in (Cup and League) and Crystal palace on Sunday. It was a daft tackle to make in any game but considering we are the away team and knowing what the refs in the EPL are like, it looked even more stupid. Added to the terrible news of Ramsey's setback we are looking at being avoidably stretched now in midfield. 

This result even though it is quite bad,is not a complete disaster. Southampton are a decent team and were worthy of their point. There are still plenty of games ahead and so this one needs to be quickly forgotten. Chelsea and Manchester City play tomorrow and the worst case scenario is we may end up in 3rd position by the end of tomorrows games. I know it is wishful thinking, but here's hoping those Lilly whites can find some pride at their home ground and prevent city from winning. Also who knows, West ham could also pull out a shock result bouyed by their  recent Italian imports. For us  though, its a return to London with a clear conviction to improve on this rather poor outing before we welcome Crystal Palace on Sunday..

Match Preview: Southampton vs Arsenal ( A huge test awaits us..)

Arsenal make a trip to St. Mary's today to keep a date with Southampton. When these two sides met earlier in the season Southampton gave us a damn good game. I recall watching that game and saying to my mate about the visitors ''These guys can play''. Such was the good account they gave of themselves in that game at the Emirates and look,  if it weren't  for some goalkeeping clownishness from Boruc that game might not have ended as heartwarming as it did. In recent days they have suffered some poor results. I was particularly disappointed with their performance in the home loss to Tottenham, i didn't feel they did themselves justice in that game. But as any seasoned watcher of this League will tell you, you are only as good as your performance on the day. That goes for every team in the division, doesn't matter if you are sitting pretty at the Top of the pile or you are one of the basement strugglers. Their Manager, Pochettino will be the first to tell you he is quite happy to be the underdog in this game. That toga will suit him just fine. His team are only just recovering from a bad Christmas spell where they only won 1 game in 6 spanning Dec 14th to Jan 1 after surprising everyone by flying out of the blocks at the start of the season.

So who are the Saints Danger Men we have to look out for? There's the exciting Adam llalana who plays behind the battering center forward Ricky Lambert known for his dead ball ability.... Not forgetting Jay Rodriguez who operates from the Left but loves to cut in on his trusty Right foot. These three forward men are individually talented players and do not necessarily depend on being spoon fed by their Midfield. They are comfy dropping deep and complementing each other in tight games. Our back four have been great all season (apart from that hellish Etihad afternoon) and will do well to watch these live wire forward men.

We have a chance to pull clear of Mancity and Chelsea with a win, and in so doing , pile pressure on them before their games Wednesday. We are expecting a return for Ramsey and Arteta but looks like Jack will not be involved due to a whack he sustained vs Coventry. 3 points will be what the doctor ordered as we move into a daunting February and March. We have the quality no doubt but will we show the required desire to out-slug the Hosts? Time will tell.. C'mon Arsenal

Thoughts on last nights FA CUP win.. (AFC 4-0 COVENTRY)

So expectedly we did  the business against the Minnows last night...4-0 it ended and i'll be the first to say the result was a little flattering for us as the League one Club gave a good account of themselves.Yes they were lacking the Killer instincts required to punish Arsenal on the day but what they lacked in terms of ruthlessness they compensated with a good dose of bravery and positive approach to the game. First half Goals from Lukas ''aha'' Podolski (2) and one each from Cazorla and Giroud in the second half was enough to ensure our passage into the 5th round. Honorable mention goes to Gnabry, Podolski and Mesut Ozil for eye catching performances...On Twitter someone mentioned his observation that the starting lineup didn't have a recognized Defensive Midfielder. I felt at first a bit of panic in the light of that because the last time we ventured into a game without a recognized DM we got bashed 1-3 by Villa at the Emirates. But eventually, there wasn't much to worry about as Jack and Oxlade chamberlain were disciplined in their Dual-defensive role efforts. Coventry were good value for their 4th round presence in the FA cup and didn't roll over in any way to the hot favorites, however in the end it proved a mountain to tall for them to scale through.

Other observations on the Night.

• The pace of our movement in attack especially in the first half was great to watch. It appears the directness of Gnabry and OX was the reason for this. They possess the confidence in possession to run at the heart of defenses and lay off good one-two's. I know against better teams they would be denied that space but still its a great reassurance to me that we can switch from the sometimes predictable short passes around the box to a more direct use of runs at the opponents to scare the shit out of their back-line and force errors.

• Fabianski needs games and needs them fast. He looked hella rusty last night but luckily didn't commit any of the howlers that would have kick started the plethora of harsh ''Flappyhanski'' comments allover again. Im sure he knows he's nowhere close to unseating Szczesny as our number one so definitely his days at the club are numbered if his career is to move forward. He would've watched Vito Mannone in action on Tuesday for Sunderland and probably come to terms that he has to do the same..

• Podolski is quite a decent player  Ok im a huge fan of ''guy smiley'' Podolski not only because of his like-able personality off the pitch but also the little things he does on the pitch. He has a great understanding/match reading ability and knows how to finish. although it has to be said he suffers a kind of ''Deer in the headlights'' syndrome when played alone centrally as the top striker, no thanks to his lack of Holdup-play and poor positioning. I feel when he has the benefit of someone else like Giroud/Bendtner to worry about all that Holdup play stress, he becomes a different player. I read somewhere that it may have been that Wenger bought him because he felt Podolski could play centrally only to find out he can't and is dissapointed. But one thing Poldi gives you is a great ''chance/Goal scored'' ratio. He knows how to find the net and i would want him to make it hard for the manager to drop him by making sure he keeps banging them in and showing a bit of defensive nous like he did last night.

• Ozil showed us we haven't seen anything yet.  His overall performance last night was as good as iv seen since he joined. The guy was everywhere and his close control and dribbling kept the Coventry defenders guessing his next turn. His ball to Podolski showed a clear understanding of his country man's game and i felt he (Ozil) deserved a goal himself. I loved the way he combined with the Ox. The young English man's constant running was being lapped up by Ozil as he kept finding him with great balls. Ozil loves runners ahead of him as it makes his job easier than when everything around him is static. He can only get even better and if you ask me, not a second too soon as big big games approach.

• Olivier coming in as a substitute seems interesting. You may disagree with me saying this but it looks like when Giroud comes into a game, he has a certain different ruthlessness about him as opposed to when he starts. Its difficult to explain and it may seem like nonsense but id' like to see us surprise opponents every now and then by starting Bendtner in some games and then later bringing on Giroud later. I have a feeling it will unsettle the opposing defense to cope with a fresh Giroud in the course of a game, who provides a different skillset to Bendtner. Last night his finish was emphatic and clinical. There was no trying to flick the ball inside the box to play in a teammate, just a good old fashioned  whack!

• Please no more Friday kickoffs!    Seeing the game for me was Hell as i had to negotiate traffic to meet up with kickoff from the Island. I ended up not seeing Poldi's first goal real time and i hate missing the spontaneity of watching key moments in a game live as opposed to watching them on highlights. The scheduling must have been tough also for those who went to the stadium from work (Kudos to the fans in London for filling up the stadium tho). So here's hoping we don't get to see more of this unhealthy kickoff time in future.

The squad named was strong and a clear indication the boss isn't going to allow any complacency creep into our game. Winning is a habit and as long as we keep up this run of  games now without a loss, Our confidence can only get stronger. Its Southampton on Tuesday and that will not be an easy game. Ramsey and Arteta will be back hopefully for that to boost the squad options. The 5th round draw is tomorrow so here's hoping we get another Minnow to slaughter in our quest to Wembley.

Match Preview: Arsenal vs Coventry (David and Goliath at the Emirates in the FA Cup)

Right... its great to be back on the beat after a short absence from this forum. Hope everyone is doing ok. Its hard to imagine that there's actually a transfer window open right now, such has been the silence in terms of business across the big guns not only in England but across Europe.Although its a generally accepted fact that the January transfer window is one of the hardest to do business given its short span, this particular one has done little to change that assertion. Apart from the Mata deal that looks to be moving to completion, every other thing has been mostly speculation and little in terms of concrete followup. Its also been quiet from the Arsenal camp transfer-wise (surprise, surprise) and earlier today, the boss was his usual reticent self when quizzed for clues on possible signings. If you ask me, i really don't know why these reporters even bother asking him anyway. In my opinion, the ''wait and see'' approach has proven to be the best strategy when transfers involving Arsenal are concerned. Any other method to squeeze info from Arsene is nigh on impossible.

But lest i digress, We have a game on Friday. An FA cup fixture against Coventry city. The League one outfit are not new to the Emirates, they paid a visit early last season and were dealt a 6-1 defeat in the then Carling Cup. This season, they can be found right smack in the mid-table regions of their division and in decent form too beaten only once in their last 11 games this season. I admit i'm struggling to write in volume about Coventry, as i know next to nothing about them. But as their captain Carl Baker has described it , this is a game they intend to give everything to make their fans proud and also progress to the next round. Wishful thinking you might be tempted to say, considering our recent form and record in the league this season. However, the memory of Blackburn and Bradford from last year who ended our cup dreams i.e the FA and Carling Cups must not be forgotten. The boss will be wary of those two awful experiences repeating themselves and will likely name a strong squad having some first teamers mixed with fringe/youngsters looking to impress. I expect Coventry to sit deep and try to frustrate us early. They won' t be looking to go toe-to-toe with us because technically we are from another planet compared to them, and will eat them up if they throw caution to the wind and try to come at us. 

Team News from our camp is encouraging. Bendtner is back from injury, Ramsey and Arteta are not too far behind, including Sanogo. For squad depth, this is welcome news. Particularly because the second half of the season will see difficult games occurring in alarming regularity hence the importance of  having as many bodies in the squad as possible ready to contribute. Oxlade chamberlain is still in the mix, and might start on the right side of the attack with Ryo on the left channel. Gideon Zelalem has impressed in Training this week and will likely get the nod to feature alongside Rosicky and Flamini. The back four will definitely see the captain Vermaelen in the team to be paired with Either Mertasacker or Koscielny. Who plays up front is a little more difficult to predict, due to the amount of fringe candidates who are itching to play and are due a game. Popular assertion would be for Podolski to start alongside Bendtner, whilst Giroud stays on the bench. Don't be surprised if  Park chu young is given a chance to play also, his attitude and application in training has been commended by the boss  severally and who knows...he may be rewarded with playing time come Friday.

Our possesion game coupled with its quick passing around the box ought to slice the Coventry Defense open at will but its necessary that the sell-out Emirates crowd support the team fully to make short work of the visitors, so they can all return home after their Friday exertions at work...here's to a smooth passage to the 5th round, with no injuries....c'mon Arsenal

Back on Top...but Dangerous habit of leaving it late may come back to bite us soon

Apologies for the lack of match preview and reviews this week guys. I moved house recently and needed to take time off to settle a lot of things. However as i type this we have just defeated Fulham 2-0 at home in a rather nonchalant manner that in my opinion tends to suggest we may be playing a dangerous game leaving some of this winnable games until the 2nd Half before we kick in to gear..It was like that against Cardiff and just like that day we managed to escape any calamity. I just hope we don't run out of luck next time. Anyways we return back to the top of the league and that's all that matters at the end of the day. Its a good pressure to be Top of the league, and every weekend trying to preserve that status. I know there are many who would love to swap positions with us..Back next game. cheers

REVEALED: Why Arsenal Fans Hate Tottenham | FTBpro Fan TV

Hey guys, as we count down to the game at the weekend with Fulham, i bring you the part two of what i have christened the ''Hate'' series. Not long ago i put up the Video from the nice guys at FTBpro Fan Tv on why Spurs fans hate us..Now in conclusion of the series i present you the counter video on why our fans hate those lilly white wearing no-hopers from down the road..My favorite response came from the tough looking bloke who kept asking ''where do you want me to start? huh..where do you want me to start?'' hilarious...Its fun banter and gives you an idea of what watching a game live at the emirates is like...back tomorrow with a full match preview

Match Review: Aston Villa 1 vs 2 Arsenal (3 points, Job done..back on top, Dust your shoulders)

That's more like it Ollie be composed and you will be more clinical

Morning guys. So Arsenal did what they had to do last night and got the 3 points yesterday after seeing off hosts Aston Villa on the road. Two quickfire1st-half goals from Jack Wilshere and the returnee Olivier Giroud in the 34th and 35th minutes respectively put the contest out of the reach of the home side as the gunners ran away with the points. Its funny how times can change in football. I mentioned in the preview to this game that we were no longer the same team that Villa beat in August, and that a lot about our team has changed mentally,defensively, and in terms of quality. In August, it was Wenger who was the manager under fire, embattled under the pressure of a summer transfer window that had flown by without him doing anything significant to strengthen his team. The fans were on his neck and that opening day 3-1 defeat looked to have been the last straw for the Frenchman. On the other hand Lambert was the celebrated manager who with a small budget team had succeeded in embarrassing an EPL giant. Now i have to say that i very much like Paul Lambert because of a statement he made after that game in August, he had said '' Look if you all say Arsene Wenger does not know what he's doing or has run out of ideas, then there's no hope for the likes of us'' . A fine comment that hit me as one coming from a manager whom despite the fact that he had just upset a title favorite in their back yard, was full of understanding and class not to gloat or milk the occasion. I'm very sure Arsene didn't forget that vote of confidence from Lambert. Now that the tables are turned and its the Villa manager who's facing his own difficult times, they shook hands at the end of the game and i'm sure Wenger reassured him to keep pushing and fight on.

We were pretty good in the first half, dominating the play and controlling the game against a Villa team  that was quite happy to sit back and soak the pressure. They weren't bothered about struggling for possession with us (not like they could if they wanted to anyway) and looked to concede early as we fizzed in crosses from Bacary Sagna on the right. We took the goals well when the chances came and its so heart warming for me to see Jack getting the headlines for the right reasons again. He was super last night and dictated the game like i know he can. The 2nd half was a shadow of the first, it looked to me that we felt the game was over. A dangerous tactic to play in this league where teams can come from 4-0 down to share points with others (*cough). We seemed either uninterested to push ourselves to kill the game off with a third goal or simply unable to do so. The boss said it was down to us being too ''Cautious'' to protect the lead we had. That's understandable, but lets say you want to secure a win, you have to consider a third goal may just be your best bet in that regard eh? just saying...Heres my player ratings on the night...

Szczesney 7----------------------------- Literally only got busy in this game after the Home side got their goal and started to feel confident that they could do something unexpected. Made some good saves from long range efforts and did the things he had to do well enough..oh and i know iv said it before, but thank Heavens the erratic kicking is now officially history.

Sagna       7.5----------------------------Mr reliable, who is yet to commit his future to us. But on the pitch last night he had another faultless shift. Not troubled at all by the Villa wingers and even felt confident enough to launch tasty crosses to Giroud in the box. Brilliant player for us. C'mon Bac sign that tin..you know you want to.

Monreal   7------------------------------ Nacho had to leave the game early in the 2nd half after a painful looking clash from Villa defender Vlaar. Here's hoping he comes out fine, he had a fine game too up until that point. Providing the cross in the first-half which Jack converted for our first and was lively all through the match down the left channel. He provides an experienced option to Gibbs and i can't tell you how much i love the differences in quality both offer in that wing.

Mertasacker  8-------------------------- The official leader of the back four. Directing affairs, barking out instructions and berating any team mate who needs berating (like cazorla, who drew his ire after giving the ball away for their goal). This is one man we absolutely cannot afford to lose to injury at the moment or at any time at all. He is just massive for us, winning headers, anticipating dangerous runs and keeping our shape at all times. Benteke who is 2nd in the EPL for wining headers, didn't win too many headers like he regularly does last night..Thanks to Per.

Koscielny 7.5---------------------------- Kos was the perfect fodder for Per as always, ensuring the quicker runners were dealt with promptly in-order not to expose Per who isn't the quickest. Loved his tackling all night and close marking in the box.  A good nights work no doubt.

Flamini    7------------------------------- Matthieu started this game in place of Arteta and was a rock in midfield alongside Jack. He was controlled and only ''hard'' on one occasion on Weimann just to let him know what he was in for on the night, but outside that he did his job of breaking up the Villa play in midfield quite well. Its hard to see a game he finishes without a yellow card but last night was one of those rare occasions. He's another vocal and experienced head we have in this side, whose role is vital in keeping the younger ones focused in this EPL war.

Cazorla  6------------------------------ Lively as always and literally can be found anywhere the ball is. He hasn't had as good a season as his first so far, but he keeps trying. He lost points in this rating for giving the ball away in that careless manner for Villas's solitary goal which on another day could have been costly.Any one blessed with his kind of close control and skill will definitely feel confident enough to try anything but i'd like him to sometimes just hoof the ball away especially in our danger area instead of trying to be too clever. 

Wilshere  8----------------------------- Scored one and provided the other. That's certainly more like it Jack. I'm such a fan of this man's  ability on the pitch that it really had me worried in the recent past over the negative headlines he had attracted to himself due to some avoidable behavior. None of such rubbish last night though, because he was pure class. The Villa midfield couldn't live with his runs and change of pace. And its clear why the Boss rates him so highly. His pass to Giroud for the 2nd goal was particularly beautiful. More of this Jack..

Ozil   6----------------------------------- Largely pedestrian for the most part of the evening but still when he has the ball its easy to see his stamp of quality. The Villa defence feared the worse whenever he had the ball in their area. Had a hand in the 1st goal, as it was his defence-splitter that set Monreal  through to cross for Jack. My only gripe with him is he needs to support the team more when we are under pressure. Like in the closing minutes of the game with Villa looking to get a point, Giroud was running past him to go back and help out, yet that did little to motivate him.

Gnabry  6.5------------------------------- Got rewarded with another start like i correctly predicted in the preview. His talents are apparent if you are a keen watcher. He combines a rare skill that sees him change direction in seconds whilst running with the ball at high speed. Times his runs in to the box beautifully and has a great understanding it appears with Jack as i saw both of them exchaging passes seamlessly. He perhaps gets tired quite easily, as i observed also in the spurs game which perhaps is what leads to his drop in performance in 2nd halves. But that's not a problem, he will only get better overall as his game minutes increase.

Giroud  8-------------------------------------Olivier returned to the squad and looked like the near two weeks rest did him a lot of good. He looked refreshed and i also observed how composed he was while taking his goal. I expected the usual wild lash with that left foot, before blowing the chance and then looking up to the sky in pity. But No, this time Ollie was clinical & that's just what we want from him. He is blessed to have a midfield kitchen that will feed any striker to nearly 30-35 goals per season if they are clinical enough. He knows this and wants to badly improve on his conversion rate i'm sure. Lets hope he discovers his early season form and grab 16 more to end us with the EPL. i'd like to extol his defensive side also, that's one attribute of his i love he seems ever ready to help out back there. thumbs up to him for that.

Subs:

Gibbs: 7-----------replaced Monreal and just got on with the Job in his characteristic nature.

Rosicky  N/A ------ Came on got a broken nose and got subbed himself.....

Oxlade Chamberlain 5----------  Good to see him back, Must be feeling rusty after being out so long. An asset in this team for pace and long range shooting, hope he can find his game again quickly.

Onwards to Fulham on Saturday, and different opportunity to grab another 3 points. Its our results against these lesser lights that you feel will go a long way to define our title quest. Its not important to worry too much about the big sides like the pundits will want you to beleive. Just keep smashing these little ones and we wont be far from the promised land. Back on friday.

Match Preview: Aston Villa vs Arsenal ( Revenge is nothing, 3 points is everything)

Its back to business in the EPL for us after what seems an age since we last saw Arsenal in action. Quite a lot has happened since last Sunday's win against Tottenham..both Good and Bad.. i.e  (Bad): We lost one of our key players for the rest of the season in the person of Theo Walcott  (Good): We welcomed another player back from injury Alex Oxlade chamberlain..plus,  the boss hinted that Rosicky might stay with us for the foreseeable future (yaay!) . So a bit of a mixed week you might say but as i type this write-up (Sunday night) we have been temporarily deposed from the summit of the EPL following the week 21 games that have been played this weekend .Chelsea and Mancity now sit above us following their expected victories over Hull and Newcastle respectively. I fancied them to annex all 3 points before those games anyway so i'm not surprised. Meaning we go into the Aston Villa game in 3rd position and in need of a win against them to move us back to the summit. In the light of their recent form at their home stadium, getting the win we need may not be exactly mission impossible. Here's a look at how they've fared at Villa Park. They've won 6 games all season with 4 of those wins coming at home. They always seem like a team with a lot of individual talent but yet, flatter to deceive with underachievement every single season. Boasting dangerous attacking talents like Benteke,Weimann,Agbonlahor,and Marc Albrighton you wouldn't be wrong to suggest that 10th position isn't where Villa should be found. But as they say the table never lies, and its their patchy form that has been their albatross. Anyway, they have managed to beat Manchester City at home this season and that game demonstrated how they love to set up against teams who look to dominate possession. They sit back and soak pressure against such teams, then seek to exploit their pacy players and hurt the opposition on the break. This was the ploy they used to devastating effect at the Emirates in August and we will have to be very careful this time around.

However, it has to be said we are not the same team we were in August. Right now, we are considerably more formidable than 5 months ago when an Ozil-less Arsenal without the boost of any significant summer signing got smashed at home 1-3 nearly triggering off Armageddon. We played naively after taking the lead on that occasion..without any holding midfielder like Arteta or Flamini we found ourselves exposed via runs from the speedy Agbonlahor and Weimann. Not forgetting the ref on that day was a muppet but still the lesson learnt on the day was that neither Wilshere nor Ramsey can be effective defensive midfielders. Both tried to interchange and share the holding role in midfield but found their natural offensive instincts to strong to curb leaving us exposed time and again. Recently we have evolved a style and balance to our play that sees us less ball hungry and more willing to allow the opposition more of the ball deliberately. I think this ploy is to give the other team the encouragement to feel less threatened and attack us. We have also learnt how to keep it tighter at the back now so Villa will also find life difficult breaking us down..On twitter all the talk is about avenging that humiliating defeat,which in my opinion is irrelevant. All we need is 3 points and not an ego massage against a mid-table club.

We will likely see the return of Olivier Giroud back in the starting lineup after his much needed rest, then in Walcotts' absence my guess is that Gnabry one of the heroes of last Sunday might be rewarded with another start on the right, while Cazorla whom he combined with beautifully goes left. The middle will see Arteta, Wilshere and Ozil while the ever reliable back four will be the usual suspects..

Szczesny,Sagna,Gibbs,Mertasacker, Koscielny,Arteta,Ozil,Wilshere,Gnabry,Giroud,Cazorla


The boss talked up the striking prowess of Podolski and tipped him to play a crucial role in the season run in. while answering questions as to the continued absence of the German Forward, he replied that the player was not yet at the required physical level to compete in the Premier league after being out of action over the last 4 months with a hamstring injury. But he did extol the virtues of the ''Smiling'' German and described him as one of the ''best'' finishers he has ever seen. High praise indeed coming from a man that gave the world George Weah, Thierry Henry and Robert Pires..having said that though he's absolutely right when he said that Podolski is probably the best man you want to see in a shooting position in front of the opposition goal. Fans of the German like me, can only hope we see him in action again at some point  during the game tomorrow. Our throne at the top of the league beckons, here's to 3points tonight so we can slap Mancity out of it..back with a review

Thoughts on Transfer window, Theo others....

So we are right smack in the January transfer window and as is the case with this period in the football season, fans all over the world are glued to any bit of news on likely additions to strengthen their respective teams. Compared to the summer variant, its not a favorite of managers to do deals..no thanks to the criminally short space of time to negotiate those deals but for some of them in peculiar scenarios it offers a huge life-line to rescue a dying season. Take Sam Allardyce of West ham for example, his club is neck deep in relegation waters after losing 8 of their last 10 games in all competitions, conceding 16 goals in their last six and managing to score just 6. You'd agree with me that is hot relegation form, but his fate has not been helped by terrible injuries to key players. In such cases as described above, such a manager would be grateful for the 31 days the January transfer window offers to quickly address the rot in his setup to avoid sure relegation. It offers a welcome opportunity to find quick solutions to present squad problems as opposed to waiting for the summer to come by which time your fate would long have been sealed.

Arsenal as a club are not completely without its own squad problems even though the first half of the season has been remarkably successful for us. We sit top of the EPL after 20 games and are still in the Champions league and F.A cup. We do not boast the largest squad around, but we do have cover in important areas if the need arises. However, we are now half way through the season & many of us would have observed from the games we have played...as well as the injury misfortunes we have suffered that this is a window we must leverage on if we want to remain in the strong position we are in come the latter stages of this season. The popular cliche is that you cannot have a ''perfect team'', but my take is a ''perfect'' team may win you a game but a ''perfect squad'' will win you a League title. You will agree with me that in the light of the recent news of Theo Walcotts' serious injury our squad is now well below what you might describe as anything near perfect. We need to augment it  in this window to replace the goals that Walcott's presence in the team guarantees. Even before the injury, i had in my wish list for this window a Striker and maybe a Central defender. The former was by far more crucial than the latter in my opinion, as it was evident from the 1st half of the season that Olivier Giroud cannot be banked on to cater for all our striking needs this season..not with his erratic finishing.  Many names are being bandied around from heavy weights like Jackson Martinez, Diego Costa to lesser knowns like Mitroglou and Morata . Even the familiar name of Salomon Kalou has been mentioned but it will all boil down to the question of are we looking for a ''stop gap solution'' until the end of the season or a much more permanent, morale boosting'' signing. Unfortunately only Arsene Wenger can provide the answer to that question. 

My opinion would be for us to get a striker on a short term loan who isn't Champions league cup tied. Ideally, he would not cost too much for us to bring in so as not to disrupt our budgetary allocations for such a loan, but at the same time his potency would be such that his impact can be immediate and decisive.The million dollar question is who and where do we find such a player? There lies the reason why managers are paid the big money. :-)  Make no mistake, there's every reason to believe that Arsene can find such a player. He's done it with Eduardo in the past and can certainly do it again. He knows this is perhaps the best chance we have to win the EPL title again and i'm sure he and his retinue of scouts worldwide are looking for that person to help us do just that. Having said that expect a few surprises though we all know Arsene has that unpredictability in the market...He could still shock us with a massive Mesut Ozil-esq signing..

On a closing note Theo Walcotts injury is a bad blow to him and us. And i want to join Fans worldwide to wish him the speediest recovery possible. However we must not let ourselves crumble under his unavailability for the rest of the season. Arsenal have capable replacements who though may not be similar to Theo are definitely able to contribute something. We welcome back the Ox from long term injury and Gnabry is also a good option...so here's hoping we just rally round ourselves and push on to the finish line. back on Monday.

REVEALED: Why Spurs Fans Hate Arsenal | FTBpro Fan TV

Hey guys...Its the start of the real working week in Lasgidi. As i'm sure many of us out there will be gearing up to return back to our places of work after the festive season.. yep Christmas and New year celebrations are well and truly over for the next 364 or so days..but Not for us Gooners! our Gloating cos of our WIN over the Spurs last saturday is still well and truly on..hahaha.. So to lighten your moods further, i bring you a video i find funny. It brings a bit of nostalgia to me as i once lived around the area where this interview was conducted in 2011..enjoy the Banter guys while we spare a thought for our Man utd pals who feel like the most unhappiest people on earth..back on Wednesday with a Transfer window analysis. Have a great day

Match Review: Arsenal 2 vs Tottenham 0 (Derby delight for Arsenal)

A brilliant game that was charged with emotion and the usual intense rivalry ended in victory for the home team. Tottenham came into this game on the back of a victory over Man utd and were definitely not low on confidence. Our lineup was symptomatic of our current injury state and it was not surprising to see a few regulars missing by virtue of the knocks they sustained over the hectic xmas schedule or due to Fatigue in general.

Fabianski, Sagna,Vermaelen,Koscielny,Monreal,Cazorla,Wilshere,Arteta,Rosicky,Gnabry,Walcott.

That was the starting lineup, not too under-strength in any way but the early concerns were if Theo would be able to deliver in the top striker role..It turns out he didn't do that bad. He was dangerous through out the game and played better than i expected. Cazorla scored in the 32nd min after good work from youngster Gnabry while Rosicky got the 2nd in the 62nd after making Danny rose look really stupid. It was a team performance that was rewarded with progress to the round of 32..here's my player rating as it happened.

Fabianski:-------------8    Great game. Made the saves he needed to make (especially the Erikson one in the 1st half) and looked composed all through. I understand his need to play and have to say he deserves to even if it means bidding us farewell.

Sagna:----------------7    Always a confidence boost for me when i see this guy on the starting list. Is there anything i can say to describe his performance? his consistency is unparalleled. I hope news of progress on a new contract is true, really do.

Vermaelen------------7    Showed his battling qualities and read the game well. His tackling remains as robust as ever (just ask Dembele) but had to be subbed in the 2nd half ostensibly due to a knock ..like i'v said here before and i'll say it again,.its great to be able to call upon some one of his quality if the need arises.

Koscielny------------7  i wasn't happy with his concentration early on in the game as silly give-aways that could have been costly were committed by him in the first half. Maybe it was as a result of his pairing with Vermaelen as no sooner had Per entered the fray, Kos was back to his best.

Monreal--------------7.5   Very good shift by the Spaniard today. He came under some deserved criticism in the Mancity game for what was a pretty poor afternoon, but today he was faultless in everything.Kudos

Arteta----------------7      Mikel was his archetypal self. Doing the silent dirty work and ensuring protection for the back 4. Found himself outnumbered on one or two breakaways but was experienced enough to escape any serious fouling without a card.

Wilshere-------------6     I wish jack would just ignore certain things on the pitch and learn to get on with it. He appears to quick to react to every thing on the pitch these days at the expense of his focus on the game. When he's switched on, he's unplayable but when he starts fighting and being petulant not so much.

Cazorla--------------7.5  Great to see Santi back to somewhere near his best. His goal was great, and the kind of goal in this squad i don't see anyone outside him able to score. First time shot on the left foot with dead eye accuracy. brilliant

Rosicky--------------8  My  man of the match. Always runs his heart out for the team and never shys away from making a tackle. He scored a goal that came about as a result of his own making. Pressing the opponent is his specialty and in this occasion he got rewarded. i pray he winds up this glorious career with us.

Gnabry---------------7.5   I forsee big things for this boy. Brilliant and confident in possession, this guy has an air of unpredictability that i love. Raw natural skill sees him able to hoodwink defenders and he also showed he has an eye for goal..Great assist to Cazorla, the pass was perfectly measured.

Walcott-------------8      A great night for Theo who looks ever so confident these days of his ability and game. He led the attack in his own way today not by Holding up play like a big guy would, but by making good runs and positioning himself brilliantly. He deserved a goal, but can be happy with his performance. (NB: I admit that 2-0 hand gesture took him from a 7.5 to an 8 on the ratings :-)

Subs:

 Per-----------7  came in and was Big as always.

Flamini--------7 no one wanted to mess with him when he came in to the fray, says  a lot.

Ozil-----------7.5 game was already won by the time he was introduced,  still nearly grabbed a third goal but Lloris made a good save.

So Spurs got served what they deserved and its now time we rest some legs ahead of Villa on Monday. Hopefully Theo is fine and Giroud can start. Till then cheers.

P.S: im hearing the FA may charge Theo for the hand score gesture. Seriously? look the game needs moments like that to remind us why it is a competitive sport not a Soap opera...

Match Preview: Arsenal vs Tottenham Hotspurs (Derby fireworks meets Cup drama)

What do you get when you take the traditional drama associated with the F.A Cup and coalesce it with the regular fireworks that exists in the North London Derby? Whatever will be the result of such an incendiary mixture, we all will be witnesses to it this evening. The bitter rivals have been drawn to face each other in the 3rd round of the FA Cup for the first time in 12 years in this competition. In that period, the Gunners have won the trophy 3 times while Spurs haven't even been in the Latter stages since 2012 when they were battered by Chelsea in the semis. Both teams have had relatively remarkable moments thus far in the 2013/2014 season. While Arsenal are current league leaders with 20 games gone, spurs are 6th and smarting from a season of ridicule after seeing large scale investments in players only lead to heavy defeats 6-0 vs Mancity, 3-0 to Westham and 5-0 vs Liverpool ( both at home). AVB the manager in charge at the start of the season has been the first casualty of those setbacks and has been promptly replaced by Tim Sherwood. Results have slowly improved for them ever since he came in, no thanks to him realizing what a helmet Soldado is in front of goal and drafting Adebayor to fill in as the Top striker. A confidence boosting win against an embattled Man united going into this tie with Arsenal should make them a bit more Adventurous with self belief.

For us we have been decimated by injuries lately, Bendtner, Gibbs, Giroud, Ramsey are certified out. Ozil will be assessed but he is regarded as a doubt also. Grapevine has it youngster Gideon Zelalem will be started, he is one that has attracted a lot of praise  recently and today provides a chance for those of us who haven't seen him in action to do so. My concern for this game lies in the attack though. In the absence of Bendtner and Giroud and also with the knowledge of Podolski's inability to play upfront on his own what format will the boss adopt? Walcott has always canvassed for this top striker role, but we have not been convinced in any way that he can shoulder that responsibility. Could we possibly go twin striker style with Poldi and Theo? It remains to be seen. better leave it at that for now with this preview. The action will be interesting as it always is with Derbies, but its anyone's guess how the added verve of Cup drama will add to it. C'mon Arsenal

Match Review: Arsenal 2 vs 0 Cardiff City: (Blood Pressure test at the Emirates ends in Joy)

samurai savior strikes

Phew! If you have been an Arsenal supporter as long as i'v been under Wenger's years, you would have been familiar with what we saw yesterday evening. A tense, nervy, distressing end to a game that we need a win from.. then in a twinkle of an eye...excitement, Joy, Relief, and fan gloating as we eventually win....This occasion, the first day of the Year 2014 we got lucky and got the result we wanted ..In the past,we certainly have seen many down the years that didn't end quite as happily but still this sort of games always serve to remind us that football is never cut and dried. You cannot simply go into a game expecting your opponents will not be tough because they are not a big name in the game. I don't think we underrated Cardiff city in any sense, the terrible weather conditions were similar to the Chelsea tie and definitely affected the flow of our game. But my feeling whilst watching how we played so much better in the 2nd half was that we never really gave everything we could've given in terms of effort in the 1st half. Over at the pub, i kept asking Gooner Sam (my pub mate)'' why didn't they play like this in the first half..we would have wrapped the game up earlier'' the answer he gave was in his characteristic one liner...''cos' they know there's no Third Half'' he said..''They know they either go for broke now or we drop points..simple as''. So after labouring with no end result in the first-half, we camped in the Cardiff 18 yard box desperately trying to break them down in the 2nd half. Being so organised, they stood their ground and wouldn't let us breach them to find an opening. Then on came ''Iceman Nick'' for Podolski in the 65th min and in the 89th minute he did what some of us have known as his trademark back in the day, he grabbed a late goal to calm our collective nerves. What i liked about the Goal is his instinctive, and calm execution of the strike. Make no mistake, many a good players would  have skied that effort easily due to (a) The playing conditions  (b) the Haste to score knowing time was running out and (c) lack of anticipation of that all important rebound. Walcott then scored his 5th goal in 5games to bury the visitors.

Its still a long way to  go in the season, so we can't over celebrate though. We need to quickly forget this win and look to the next game which is  Tottenham in the FA cup. A win in that game will no doubt boost belief and confidence moving forward. Quick word on Podolski, he may not have performed as expected last night, but as the boss explained..we have to recall he has been out for 4months. However, he has shown before last night that his game isn't suited to the lone striker role. Perhaps a left-sided attacker yes, but never up top. He lacks the ability to make those runs  and position himself in areas where he can be dangerous with that left foot. All this boils down to us appreciating Giroud and the work he does in that lone striker role. Its not an easy role. 

Back to the Top of the league, and yes it feels good. However the warnings of dropping point  that this game provided last night must not be lost. We must give everything from the first to the last minute regardless of who it is we are playing. Its risky business to go through the motions in the 1st half, believing we can always then step it up in the 2nd. We got away with this one, so we march on. Back at the weekend.

Match Preview: Arsenal Vs Cardiff City (Lets begin the New year..3 points style)

HappyNew year people!!!! Here's wishing you all the best 2014 has to offer.....2013 gone past was a mixed bag for everyone i'm sure..A bit of the ''good, the bad and the Ugly''(without the Old classic Music from that Western of course). Yes, some things in our lives went well, as some others didn't go as well as we would have liked. But as they say over here in Lasgidi, ''Man no die, Man no rotten''... Simply meaning whatever your struggles may be in this crazy world  we live in, as long as you are still breathing..shake off all your limitations, failures, doubts, fears, and just get on with living. There's still the best of you to come and it may come around sooner than you think. So if its worth anything, my exhortation to every dear reader of  this forum is to keep your head up no matter what you are up against..You ain't dead yet.

In the wonderful world of Arsenal, no time for New-year back slapping its straight into business mode. There are 3 points at stake today and if our march to destiny this season is to end happily, then we must take all three against Cardiff city. They have been in the news for all the wrong reasons lately as a result of a media storm attracted by their eccentric owner Vincent Tan. Be it far from me to get embroiled in the murky affairs of corporate football where fancy suits ( or in this case a dodgy mustache and weird hair) threatens to disrupt the simple joys of watching a good football match. After issuing a warning shot to erstwhile manager Malky Malkay over being sacked if he doesn't resign his position. The owner made good his threat after a three nil defeat to Southampton and fired Malkay. Leaving Cardiff manager-less as they make the trip down to London to face Arsenal. Its a poor situation to be in if you are a fan of a club struggling to stay up and then forced to cope with boardroom decisions like these that leave you scratching your head. Criticisms of the move aside, i just think there's pretty little any one can do about how a man chooses to behave with a property he has invested  a truck load of money on. 

We have a rash of injuries to report, Walcott,Giroud,Wilshere,Rosicky, all didn't come out of the last game ok. Vermaelen and Monreal also have question marks over their availability but its the boss's decision to assess their participation or not. Its winnable games like this we would have hoped to allow the likes of Vermaelen, Monreal and Bendtner get much needed playing time. The striker is a sure bet to start today in place of Giroud but Monreal and Vermaelen have obviously been  waiting for games like this one, so it'll be a shame if they miss out due to knocks. Vermaelen was excellent against Chelsea and very good against West ham over the end of last year and it goes without saying that being able to call upon his quality from the bench is so vital for our ambitions this year. I know there are speculations over his future (oh and by the way welcome January Transfer window) because he's a good player and good players want to play. But i just wish he stays because in him we have a great professional and leader. Its inevitable we will see changes today, but the boss spoke about ''Squad Balance'' in his team selection. I reckon he's trying to say we cannot afford to underrate the Men from Wales. And rightly so, after all this is the EPL. We saw how Crystal palace went to the Etihad and were far from rolled over, they were even close to sharing the points. We on our part have been immaculate over the past months swatting aside smaller teams in the division like Cardiff and i feel if we must remain around the top of the table come the end of season we must continue with that trend.  

Here's hoping we begin the year with a victory, which i believe we can comfortably secure despite the injury state we find ourself in. I'll be looking to see Podolski, Bendtner and Gnabry start. I expect that front-line will still give Cardiff a few troubles, the other areas of the pitch will depend on who the boss thinks can stand on his legs after the assessments. No much to talk about anymore, so lets go for the points and hope it'll be a happy match review in 24hrs.

P.S: I know Ramsey is injured for this fixture but wow, i just couldn't help but place that picture at the head of this post. I think its Brilliant. Get well soon Rambo