Chelsea review: a bit scary

Before the game, I've said several times, that I couldn't care less about the result. Both managers were supposed to field those with little to no practice and, come on, no one cares for the CoC anyway, right?

Not exactly. While Mourinho stuck to his promise and played Willian, Eto`o, De Bryune and the likes, Arsene Wenger`s side only fell a couple of players short of resembling our usual squad. We didn't see Hayden, Akpom or even Gnabry. The only young and promising face, who fails to make the bench under normal circumstances, was Miyachi. He and Bendtner (and Jenks, as it later turned out) were our only weak links in an otherwise very competitive side. These three guys, however, prevented our entire team from finding our rhythm.

I don't like to point at any specific players as a reason for a loss or a poor performance. I am firmly of the opinion, that football is a team game and you only win or lose matches because of a combined effort of all the players. True, sometimes a moment of brilliance from an individual can save us the points or bag a winner in the dying seconds, but the end result almost always depends on how good the whole team fared for ninety minutes. Almost.

We gave the ball away right from the start for Chelsea to knock it about. They didn't come up with much, but neither did we. We tried hitting them on the break, something that worked extremely well with other teams recently. This time, however, our right flank was basically non-existent, thanks to erratic Jenkinson and out-of-his-depth Miyachi. To be fair to them both, they tried hard and Miyachi was actually quite good at getting himself into dangerous positions, but couldn't, for various reasons, make it count. Bendtner, meanwhile, represented a beta-version of Giroud, unable to pull off passes, that could have opened up the opposition. He was useless, in other words.

It was unsurprising that, when the goal came, Jenkinson was at fault. He tried to pass the ball back to Fabinski, under-hit it and it fell to Azpilicueta. The Spaniard made no mistake.

After the restart, we looked only marginally better. We dominated possession and territory, but were just as ineffective up front.

Chelsea allowed us to take the ball and let us come at them. Cazorla and Ramsey had some half-chances, but not much came out of it. And, just when we seemed in control and on course to equalise, Chelsea scored again.

The throw-in fell to Mata and he produced a quite brilliant shot from outside the penalty box, which ended up in the net.

Wenger, in a surprising move, threw Giroud and Ozil for Bendtner and Miyachi, but it didn't bring about the desirable effect. Our midfield looked exhausted after putting in a lot of effort trying to set up either Bendtner or Miyachi up.

The best chance of the half fell to Giroud, only for his shot to be blocked by Schwarzer. It was soon clear, we won't be able to get back to level terms. Park (!) came in for Ramsey and it meant even Wenger had given up.

So, out of the cup, which didn't mean much anyway, but the manner in which we crashed out, is a bit unnerving. Chelsea didn't exactly played a bunch of kids, but our side wasn't light on experience either. Maybe it's Bendtner, who is to blame, because our midfield worked relentlessly to supply our attack. I think the team on the whole looked legged and exhausted, which is another troublesome thing, given we play Liverpool in two days.

I do hope, this game is really nothing to worry about. That it is another competition and that by no means will this result influence our future performances. However, I can't help but think it's not that simple psychologically-wise. The same players as always played the game and lost it. That must have had an impact on them. Let's just hope, they'll get over it and bounce back quickly.

Until later

Chelsea preview: indifference

I know it's a bit early for a proper preview, but as I'm not sure I'll be be able to post anything tomorrow, this will have to do.

Word is out, Flamini`s groin injury got bad, and the Frenchman is looking at two weeks on the sidelines. This means, he'll miss Liverpool, Borussia and maybe even United. Given how we looked without him in the last two games, I can't help but think we'll be somewhat exposed defensively. Let's hope, the injury isn't so serious after all. We have enough players out and the last thing we want is to find ourselves without Mathieu for any period of time. He has at least a cup game to recover, so fingers crossed he makes it in time for the clash against the Mugmashers.

He seems to be the only one out as a result of our last game (him and Arteta, obviously), but I don't think the manager would use either of them even had they been fully fit. Despite facing a side as strong as Chelsea, we will probably give run-outs for those, who need them. This means starts for Vermaelen, Monreal, Bendtner and others.

And I don't think, there's anything wrong with it. Carling Cup doesn't top our priorities list, and it never did. We give our youngsters a chance to develop, while giving our senior players a chance to properly prepare for their next game.

Even Mourinho said he will rotate, back when the draw pinned two teams against one another. The level of indifference demonstrated by both managers is understandable, given how many important games their sides will have to play in the upcoming weeks.

I always thought it strange, that English teams have two domestic cups instead of one. The best teams are the ones who suffer most, so it's little wonder they reached an unspoken consensus of considering one of these cups expendable. That's just rational.

So I don't expect a thrilling contest tomorrow. I will, of course, watch it, but I'm not particularly happy about it.

In other news, Gnabry had just signed a brand new contract and, given how he played in recent weeks, I'm happy he did. His talent is obvious, he's becoming a real option from the bench already, so he should develop into a great player. With time, but the signs are there. A clinical finish against Swansea, some clever movement in the box in Saturday, and his overall work rate all bode well for the future.

That's it for today. Back later with a review. Until then

Crystal Palace review: grinding it out

The dust still hasn't settled following our hard-fought win against Palace, but, whatever the critics may say, it was a win well deserved by the Gunners. Our mental test is behind us, the team has once again showcased their exceptional ability to bounce back and, oh yeah, we are still top of the league.

As expected, Flamini started the game, while Whilsere did not. Rosicky was also benched in favour of Santi Cazorla. The Frenchman didn't last long, however. He was substituted by Gnabry in the 8th minute, apparently having sustained a groin injury. I missed the moment, when he started to limp, but, either way, our game plan was disrupted once more.

Arsenal could have gone ahead in the third minute already, only for Giroud to head over from a Sagna cross. We didn't create anything of note till the 35th minute, despite dominating territory and possession. Palace defended deep and tried to catch us on the break, with Bannan heading over and then curling his effort wide of the far post. Our old pal Chamakh, meanwhile, troubled Szscesny with a low shot.

As the half-time whistle drew near, we created two clear-cut chances. Cazorla mis-hit his low cross/shot and Ramsey's drive was battered away by Speroni. Ozil had a chance of his own, but chose to play the ball to Giroud, thus wasting a good shooting opportunity.

Within 120 seconds after the restart, Arsenal was ahead. Gnabry was mowed down in the box, ref pointed to the spot and Arteta converted. We seemed to have finally found our feet, especially when Giroud spurned a glorious opportunity, but we were once again thrown off course in the 65th minute.

Palace tried to catch us on counter-attack, played a long ball towards Chamakh who was bundled over by Arteta some 40 yards away from goal. Chris Foy didn't hesitate in sending the Spaniard off, but replays showed it was Chamakh, who had his hands all over our skipper, not the other way around. The game turned on a dime.

Whilshere and Monreal soon came on to replace Gnabry and Cazorla respectively. Palace started poking and probing at our defense and could have equalised twice in the upcoming minutes, only to be denied by Szczesny.
He tipped Ward's effort over, after our defense fell prey to a simple one-two and then parried Jedinak's effort away to safety, following a corner.

Surprisingly, Arsenal found their way not long after that. You could sense something was coming, when an unmarked Ozil nearly found the net with a volley. And in the 88th minute our never-say-die attitude paid off.

Our trademark counter-attack ended up with a brilliant cross from Ramsey and, this time, Giroud's header was true. 2-0 and game over.

After the game, the manager has hailed our fantastic attitude, which made it possible for us to win this game in unfavourable circumstances. We kept our shape, defended well and took our chance on the break, following the suspension. A mature performance yet again.

Arsene also confirmed Flamini's groin injury and spoke about the atrocious quality of the pitch at Selhurst Park. I'm no specialist, but the pitch really did look to be in a bad shape. Gosh, is there no standard here? Why the referees don't check the quality of the pitch before the game the way the check the net for holes?

Either way, we did what we needed to, so forget stupid match officials and Chamakh's dreadful haircut. Have yourselves a good weekend

Crystal Palace preview: redemption?

Morning everyone.

Today's game (which will kick off earlier, than usual) is, according to tabloids, a chance for the Gunners to redeem themselves. Our Champions League encounter is something of an embarrassment, if mass media`s point of view has merit. And that's a big «if» in my opinion.

I've already said, I find nothing shameful in a loss to a team as good as yours. Arsene was right about Borussia`s physical condition, when he said that the Germans were a notch above anyone we played this season. You could see it with your own eyes, especially in the first half, how able Jurgen Klopp`s team was. They basically deprived us off possession for prolonged periods of time and their pressing off the ball ensured we could do little with it, when we finally laid our, erm, legs on it.

In the second half, the teams swapped places. We attacked, they defended, both sides had little success (but Arsenal just that little bit less).

We saw two very different sides of Borussia, and both were exceptionally able. Both were also in fine physical form, as good as ours, maybe better.

Fitness issues aside, Jurgen Klopp`s side also has a number of technical players (surprise, surprise) and, even Goetze`s absence wasn't noticeable. They didn't get to the final without reason, so at the moment, it's one of the best European teams we've lost to.

And even after admitting Borussia is as good as we are, I don't think we would have seen to many raised eyebrows, had the game ended in a draw, or had Arsenal grabbed a winner in the second half.

Their win also didn't happen only due to how good they were. Arsenal wasn't exactly at their best, with exhaustion having kicked in and the overconfidence of some players also hampering our chances. Both goals, we have conceded were completely avoidable, had Ramsey not decided to dribble his way out of trouble on the edge of the box, while facing three opponents and had we not tried so desperately to win, throwing everyone forward, thus exposing or own goal.

So any talk of redemption is complete and utter crap. Just knock the steam off some overly enthusiastic individuals and we should be fine.

In terms of availability, Flamini is back, and I expect him to start alongside Arteta. His presence and overall discipline was thoroughly missed on Tuesday and I see no reason to omit him today.

Whilshere is still a doubt, having jarred his ankle, but even if he is fit, he'd probably be rested. He's pivotal to our success, so the manager won't want to take any chances with him, especially when it can come at a cost in the long run.

Apart from that, I don't think Arsene will field a much changed side. Guys like Gnabry, Bendtner and Vermaelen will get their respective chances midweek, when we play Chelsea in the CoC. The Belgian, by the way, was praised by the manager for his fantastic attitude in training, saying, that when he's called upon, Thomas will be ready. Good to hear. That's what competition does to people.

I don't think, Crystal Palace will be up to scratch, when it comes to providing us with a test, but our test is of another kind. Should we pass it, the now managerless Palace will be demolished. So here's for a win and a good display. Come on you reds.

Not much else going on, so I'll leave it at that. There's this piece from our former skipper, that provides for an interesting read, so check it out.

Back later with a review

Borussia review: all good things come to an end

It's been twelve games and over two months since I've last written about a loss and I'd be happy not to write about in for another two months. This time, however, the situation is markedly different from that Villa game. There is, in my opinion, nothing shameful about losing a game to a team which is as good as yours in a match as tight as this one. But first things first.

Arsene Wenger, fresh from celebrations, made two changes to the side, that demolished Norwich on Saturday. Ramsey started in place of injured Flamini and Rosicky was deployed in a wide position, substituting Cazorla, so the Spaniard could be eased into action cautiously, following his injury.

Ramsey`s and Rosicky`s restless energy did little to influence how the game unfolded, however. From the first minutes Arsenal didn't have much of the ball, chasing ghosts all over the pitch, while Borussia was knocking the ball about. The Germans had a lion's share of possession, but were unable to come up with anything, other than shots from distance, both before and after the 16th minute.

The 16th minute brought a goal which was logical and illogical at the same time. Logical, because Borussia looked the better side. Illogical, cause they had nothing to show for it.

Ramsey tried to dribble his way out of trouble at the edge of the box, lost the ball, Lewandowski laid it off for Mkhitarian who put it beyond Szczesny with a low shot.

This seemed to finally shake the Gunners out of their apathy, though, like Borussia before, we couldn't do anything with the ball we had. We were mounting the pressure and the warning signs for the Germans were there, when Rosicky`s volleyd strike was cleared off the line by Hummels. However, when the goal came, it did so with a touch of good fortune.

The move started in our half. Mertesacker robbed someone of possession, played the ball to Ramsey and the Welshman fed Sagna on the right. The Frenchman crossed the ball, Weidenfeller and Hummels weren't sure, who should claim it, so neither did. Giroud squeezed his way through them and smashed the ball into the net from several feet. 1-1.

In the second half, Arsenal kicked into high gear right from the start (presumably having got a kick up the arse from the manager), but were again unable to create moments of real danger. Borussia were on the back foot, defending deep and snuffing out all the problems. Whilshere came closest to scoring when Rosicky`s lob, meant for the Englishman, was claimed by Weidenfeller. Jack sustained a knock to his ankle in this episode and was soon replaced by Cazorla. After the game, Whilshere said the knock was nothing serious, Arsene`s assessment was a bit more cautious, so it's unclear, whether Jack will have a part to play against Crystal Palace. Given the slew of important games coming our way, I won't be surprised, if he's rested.

Cazorla changed the dynamic of the game, but also came up short, when it came to creating goal threats. He did, however, had the best moment of the half.

Ozil ripped through the right flank, cut the ball back for the Spaniard, but Santi`s first-time shot hit the outside of the crosshair.

After that we continued to pile up the pressure, but to no avail. With eight minutes to go, we paid the price for monetarily switching off defensive-wise.

Grosskreutz teared down our left flank and sent in a low cross to the far post, where Lewandowski had all the space and time in the world to volley the ball home.

And that was it. It was obvious, this was the blow, Arsenal wouldn't recover from. We gave too much, both physically and mentally, to find the winner in the second forty-five minutes, that eventually conceding was the last straw. Wenger threw Bendtner and Gnabry on in the latter stages, but Borussia`s expert time-wasting ensured they left London with all three points.

This is what the manager had to say after the game:

« It was a game of high intensity but very few chances. Dortmund were well organised to stop us from playing, and I must say as well that we were not as good as we can be offensively. Some of our players were not as fresh as they were recently. But we put ourselves on the back foot with the first goal and naive for the second goal. If you look at the number of saves our keeper had to make tonight and you concede two goals, you can say that we can only look at ourselves for not being mature enough in situations like that. If you cannot win the game, you don't lose it. Especially in the second half when we were on top, we made things difficult for ourselves by giving them the second goal».

That pretty much sums it up. It's disappointing to lose a game in such a fashion, but better Borussia, than, erm, Blackburn.

So, what happens now? In terms of qualification, our result, combined with that of Napoli`s, throws the group wide open. Three teams have six points, so anything can happen. Our situation is not ideal, but it's also far from precarious. We now have to get an away result, but I recall a certain German team, that has suffered at our hands on their turf. Don't see, why we can't repeat this feat.

Until later

Borussia preview: make Arsene happy

Morning everyone.

Borussia game is looming large and I don't think we could go into this encounter in a better shape.

We have found our feet after the break with a brilliant display on Saturday, got a couple of players back from injury and, frankly, seem unstoppable at the moment. Ozil and Flamini bedded in (Did they really? It seems, they always were here), we play the kind of attacking football, that is a joy to watch, and the level of understanding between the players is unprecedented. We are also delivering on a consistent basis, something that was the case some nine years ago. Right now, it's like like good old days are back.

Today's game will no doubt be a (yet another) stern test, but for the first time in years, I'm looking forward to this kind of game. We have all the chances to snatch the three points today. If we perform to our usual standard, we do seem unstoppable, as the manager has rightly pointed out.

There are a few worries, and these are about our absentees. Flamini is out running and stuff, but his concussion means he's not available today. Arsene doesn't want to take risks, which is sensible, given how many games we'll have to play in the upcoming weeks, and thus, will need every single player.

Another one missing out on today's fun is Theo Walcott. The Englishman wasn't expected to be back in time for the game, but his recent setback in training means he'll be out till November. The next bit of competitive football he'll get will probably be on November 10th, when we visit Man Utd. In for a glorious comeback, isn't he?

Apart from Flamini, no one from Saturday's game will have to watch the game from the stands, so we still have players aplenty to hurt Borussia.

Ramsey should once again regain his place alongside Arteta after a brief respite against the Canaries. It's perhaps a bit more risky defensive set-up, but the difference may not even be noticeable. Besides, Ramsey is still in great form, so this duo looks more exciting to me, than the Artera-Flamini partnership.

All going well, we will be looking at three points today. Jurgen Klopp`s side are no pushovers, but such is our confidence, that anything less, than a win, will be a disappointment. So come on you reds. Make our now a-little-bit-older man happy.

In other news, the Dutch Skunk had apparently spoken to goal.com, expressing his dissatisfaction at Moyes` training methods and going on to say he'd be glad to return to Arsenal, cause there are many good memories here. The cunt. His hypocrisy seem to have no limits, pushing him to find better places, once the ones, he's in, lose their appeal.

If this is true (and no words can express my emotions at this point), Wenger will have a unique opportunity to show van Persie the bird he deserves. Oh, how much I'd give to see it with my own eyes.

I'll leave it at that. Back tomorrow for a usual review.

Until then

Norwich review: a thing of beauty

I intended to write a full review as always, but Saturday's game was so packed with events, that I decided to concentrate on only some points, as well as individual performances. You can read the full review here, if you like.

The obvious place to start is, of course, the quality of our goals. The first one was particularly gorgeous, something the manager himself admitted during the press conference. The goal encapsulated the philosophy Arsene always tried to implement, whatever were the players at his disposal. The combination leading up to the goal was Arsenal at its best. The quick counter-attack, which started deep in our half, resulted in a beautiful exchange around the box. Whilshere played a one-two first with Cazorla and then with Giroud, returned the Frenchman`s pass with his heel and continued his run into the box. Giroud flicked the return pass and Whilshere sent the ball home on the volley before Norwich defenders even knew what hit them. There were calls for offside, but none was given.

Then we suffered a setback, which luckily didn't result in a conceded goal, though we may consider ourselves lucky on that front. Norwich were in control for approximately thirty minutes (from 30th to 60th), forcing Szczesny in a number of great saves. The one that comes to mind, is La Fer`s low shot from distance, which the Pole parried quite brilliantly.

The major (probably, only) factor in our temporary downfall was a forced substitute in the 37th minute. Flamini clashed heads with some bloke I can't bother looking up, and had to be taken off, after our medical stuff concluded the Frenchman had double vision. Word is, this injury can keep Mathieu out off action for a couple off games, although I suspect it'll be a shorter absence. He will definitely miss the Borussia game, though.

Ramsey came on as a substitute and looked much better in his natural position. He delivered some moments of true magic, though more on that later.

The dynamic of the game was broken and we couldn't find out rhythm until well into the second half.

Around the hour mark we scored, much against the run of play. We delivered one of those explosive counter-attacks, Giroud held up the play, saw Ozil`s run and crossed the ball perfectly. Ozil finished the move with a header to make it the first headed goal in his career. Good for him.

Norwich pulled one back soon, unfortunately. Some bloke or the other swung the ball in from the left, Mertesacker mis-hit the ball and it fell to Howson. The latter chested it down and fired a low shot, which went in at the near post.

This seemed to infuriate Arsenal and, after Cazorla (who was handed a surprise start) went off to be replaced by Rosicky, we went forward. Ruddy pulled off a number of good saves but we seemed unable to break the deadlock until Bendter came on for Giroud.

In the 83rd minute, however, we scored again. Ramsey exchanged passes with Whilshere on the edge of the box, then took out two defenders with a feint shot, cut another one back and put his low shot past a helpless Ruddy.

We didn't back off after that, though. Five minutes later Bendtner picked the ball up on the left, laid it off for Rosicky, who crossed it towards Ramsey. The Welshman`s sublime touch found Ozil, who had the goal at his mercy. 4-1.

Even that didn't slow us down. We produced attack after attack till the final whistle, with Ozil being denied his hat-trick twice. Even Bendnter had a chance to score, only to be denied by Ruddy.

After the match, Arsene has hailed both the first goal (naming it the best in Arsenal`s history, and not without reason) and the quality of both ours and our opponents` performance by saying:

«We won 4-1 and their keeper had a good game. But I think as well that Norwich played well, so it is strange. They made it difficult for us. We had a difficult period between 30 and 60 minutes where we struggled a little bit to keep our game going. I would come out of the game thinking Norwich is a good team».

He didn't single out anyone and I think he was right. To me, it was an accomplished performance from the whole team, a great collective effort. Szczesny is the only one I feel sorry for. He had another good game, dealt with everything thrown his way, but was once again denied the clean sheet.

Individual performances aside, I also really liked the way we responded to conceding. We didn't try to clinch to a one-goal lead, didn't panic in the defense and just kept going as if nothing has happened. We truly seem to be high on belief, so let's see, what shape this belief takes come tomorrow.

Until then

Norwich preview: all set

Morning everyone.

Today Norwich comes to the Emirates and I think it's a game we should, in our current condition, take three points from.

It remains to be seen, whether we are as good as were before the break, however. These Interlulls work both ways. Last year's, for example, came at a crucial time. We had a bad start (seven points in seven games, I think) and it was absolutely necessary to break this vicious circle. The players cane back refreshed (at least, mentally) and we set out to do what needed to be done.

This time around, international matches interrupted a fine run of games. We clearly were (hopefully, still are) at our best back then. There may still be something to cheer about, though. The last game before the break (against West Bromwich) showed our energy reserves were running low. To me it almost looked like the players were forcing themselves to play, let alone play good. They seemed physically drained, and I, for one, was glad we got a point. Our resilience, the strength of our character, our pride or whatever else kicked into full gear in the second half, almost to the extent, when we could have won the game. Almost. So, on second thought, a break from club football may not have been that useless after all.

As there are no new injures (bar the one I'll cover later) and even some players making their respective comebacks, we have a packed squad. The flank problem remains (Walcott, the first one back, is expected to join the action in two weeks), but Rosicky and Cazorla are back, meaning we still have options out wide. And let's not forget about Gnabry. He is young, true, but after the promise he showed, it's not unreasonable to view him as a genuine option. We shall see.

Apart from Rosicky and Cazorla, we also have Sagna back. He's still not quite ready for today, but he should be for our Tuesday's clash. Jenks can fill in,  meanwhile, and in him we have a quite brilliant deputy. His last game wasn't that good, but it looked like a one-off event. See Spurs game, if you're not convinced.

Ozil should also be alright, despite earlier rumours to the contrary. A knock he received to his knee in a game against Sweden turned out to be just that, a knock. So I expect him to start today.

I don't think we'll see a much changed squad from our last outing. Cazorla isn't yet ready for a start, so maybe a second half cameo for him today. We may, however, see Rosicky or Gnabry (or both) start out wide, and that leaves Arsene with a decision, concerning our midfield duo, to make. In this case, an Arteta-Ramsey pair looks the best one to me. Flaming is more defense-oriented, which might just disrupt the fluidity of our performance. He is the fresher one, however, while Ramsey played two full games for Wales. The way I see it, the manager will probably play Rosicky instead of Whilshere, and both After a and Flamini in the middle of the park.

Whatever Arsene thoughts are on the squad, it's nice to have options. Some real competition won't hurt anyone, let alone the team as a whole, so we finally have some pleasant choices to make, as to who starts, and not just pick the ones, that are available. Here's for the three points today. Come on Arsenal.

And a few words about Diaby. He was expected to be back in December, but has recently suffered a setback. Another surgery took place and now he'll be out till March. It's hard not to feel sorry for the guy on a purely human level. About is a decent chap, hardworking and honest. He really wants to play football at Arsenal, but his injures will most likely prevent him from doing so. Maybe we are looking at a premature end to his professional career not only at Arsenal. Which is very sad. The manager took steps over the years to ensure Diaby`s absence won't be missed, but it's still hard not to empathise with the Frenchman. All the luck to him.

I'll leave it at that. Back later with a review.

Interlull over. For now

Turned out I was wrong about this Interlull being the last this season, cause I completely forgot about the play-off matches. In a month another round of international games is due, which will give the players something of a breather. In the following three weeks Arsenal will play seven games across three different competitions and only Norwich this Saturday looks manageable. Sure, we're clearly on a good run (let's hope the internationals haven't disrupted it), but playing Borussia twice, Chelsea, Man Utd and Liverpool is a hell of a tough schedule. It will also show, what we're really worth this season, so we should be fully switched on, each and every player should.

Speaking of players, nothing short of a miracle happened during this Interlull. Though there were troubling reports of Ozil (and earlier, Koscielny) having sustained injures, both seem to be fine. Apart from these no-worries, no one is coming back sporting a knock of some kind. Even better, Cazorla, Walcott and Sagna all seem ready to join the action, with Podolski not far away. Truth be told, I'm dying to see Cazorla and Ozil in the same squad, but it probably won't happen this weekend. After most of players have put in quite a shift playing for their national sides, I think some rotation it's inevitable.

Either way, it's good to have some options on the bench and, should the aforementioned trio make their return in time for the Norwich encounter, we'll have a couple of players on the bench, who can make a difference.

When everyone is fit (unlikely, especially at Arsenal, but still) we have a big and, what's more important, competitive squad. Every single player will give no less than a hundred percent in every game, partly because there's not a Gervinho waiting in the wings but, say a Whilshere.

That's all for today, back tomorrow with squad updates and other bits and pieces that'll pop up.

Until then

West Brom review: spoils shared

Good day to you.

Yesterday we drew West Brom in a tight encounter and a point apiece was probably a fair reflection of the proceedings.

The manager pretty much stuck to the side that produced such a scintillating display against Napoli, with only Jenkinson and Whilshere coming in. The former was a forced change, while the latter got the rest he needed and substituted Rosicky, who hasn't returned to his best yet.

The first half was a rather tedious affair. We dominated possession, but couldn't make it count, while West Brom sat back, trying to hit us on the break. The first moment of real danger came when Berahino`s deflected shot nearly found the bottom corner, only for the wrong-footed Sczcesny to demonstrate superb reflexes and palm the ball away.

In the meantime, Arsenal tried to find their usual rhythm, but were unable to do so. I suspect our shortage of players finally showed.

West Brom smelled blood in the final five minutes or so and threw men forward. Their effort was rewarded in the 42nd minute, when a corner half-cleared resulted in another cross, which found Yacob. He made no mistake and headed the ball home.

The second half started in a similar style, only West Brom could have been further ahead in the 47th minute.

Jenkinson was caught out of position, Berahino`s clever through ball sent Anelka clear, only for the Frenchman to curl his effort wide of the far post. Replays didn't present a clear picture of whether on not Anelka was offside, but to me he looked onside.

This served as a wake-up call for the Gunners and we went forward with all determination we could muster.

Rosicky was trown on for Ramsey, who left the field nursing his knee, and added his usual zipness to proceedings. This resulted in a brilliant combination we pulled off around the hour mark. Ozil (I think) played the ball to Giroud, who held the ball, rounded off the defender and, when it seemed he was about to be robbed of possession, made a pass to Rosicky. The Czech, with his back to the goal, laid the ball off for Whilshere and the Englishman smashed his low effort past Myhill. The shot took a bit of a deflection, but was still a work of art from Jack.

In the final fifteen minutes, the game became open, end-to-end stuff, with chances to score for both teams. We came closer, when Whilshere`s pass split West Brom`s defense open. Giroud controlled the ball well, poked it around the keeper, and when it seemed the goal was inevitable, Myhill recovered himself and produced a stunning save to deny us the three points. Bendther came on for Giroud in the dying minutes, but wasn't able to come up with anything.

Afterwards, Arsene said about the result:
«Pleased? No because I want to win but if you ask me if it was a fair point over the 90 minutes I would say yes. Why? Because we were 1-0 down just before half-time and straight after half-time Anelka misses a chance for 2-0 and that would have made it difficult. After that I have some regrets because when we came back to 1-1 in the last half an hour we had the chances to score a second goal but we have shown spirit to come back and we did give it».

Such resilience can only be good for the team's confidence, battling from a goal down to earn a valuable point (under these circumstances), so fair play to everybody involved. They gave their all.

And just a few words about individual performances. I'd like to give the thumbs up to Szczesny and Whilshere. The Pole had another good game and was unlucky not to keep a clean sheet. His improvement from the Villa game is huge and, what's even more important, he's become consistent. Let's hope, he keeps it up, then the clean sheets would come.

Whilshere had a sloppy first half, losing possession and being knocked about all over the pitch, but he put it behind him and came flying out of the blocks for the second period. He scored, set up Giroud and was basically our best player.

And Jenkinson. Well, a poor game for him. Didn't do enough to stop Yacob from scoring, was continuously caught out of possession and his right flank was the go-to for West Brom when they attacked. The young full-back should pick himself up and produce better next time he's called upon.

So, what now? The Interlull. Fingers crossed our guys won't return in pieces after it, while the, as someone called them, walking wounded recover from their respective knocks in time for the real action.

Until later

West Brom preview: Sagna out + Whilshere stuff

Hello everyone.

Tomorrow we play against WBA on their turf in what will be the last game before the international break. The last international break this season. Good. If our players return from it unscathed, the only injures they'll sustain this year will be in their club matches. Something tells me these won't be as severe and lasting as the ones they can pick up on international duty.

Sagna, however, won't have the luxury of getting his leg snapped in two during the next fourteen days, seeing as he pulled his hamstring against Napoli. The Frenchman will remain sidelined for two to three weeks, but still has a good chance to play in our first game after the Interlull (is it against Norwich?)

Anyway, we should be able to cope with Sagna loss for now (with Jenkinson getting ready to join the action). Certainly we can go one game without the French international, so nothing to worry about.

Another piece of bad news concerns Cazorla. Despite his claims, that he'll be in contention for Sunday, he won't. The manager flat-out denied Cazorla`s availability, so what we have for now, we hold. Whether Arsene is playing mind games with Del Bosque remains to be seen, but I'd back our manager if he does. Even had the Spaniard been fully ready, I would not have risked him. Fresh from injury, that has kept him out for three weeks, in for a flight and a late cameo, which will probably only aggravate his injury (it doesn't have to, but it will). Not a good prospect. Spain will manage without him, but we will be hard pressed, should we lose Cazorla again. So he should stay put. Better miss an encounter against WBA now, than the slew of important games after the break.

Everyone else, though, should be gunned and ready for our trip to the Hawthorns. They are a tricky opponent, surely, but we've dispatched trickier ones this season. Napoli game looks like our best yet, so I see no reason, why we shouldn't take all the three points on Sunday. Ozil has opened his scoring account, Giroud rediscovered his earlier form, Ramsey is, well, Ramsey. At his best.

I'm also interested, whether Gnabry will start. Rosicky`s return gave us an option on the flanks, but Gnabry is, without doubt, more suited to this position. He's also in good form, something you can't say about Rosicky for now. So I think the German needs to play.

In other news, Whilshere was spotted having a smoke yesterday. All kinds of theories and statements have been thrown around since then, but it's not the fact itself (smoking) that makes my blood boil. I'm pretty sure it was a prank of some kind, but even if it wasn't, I'm outraged at how little privacy footballers get. I do get they are public figures, maybe role models, but the fact, that someone managed to take a shot of Whilshere having a smoke, cause they could only operate at very short notice, disgusts me.

After all, Jack is 20 years old (maybe even 19). Give the guy a rest, a moment's peace, some privacy. Don't hold your cameras at the ready, when he pops up at the nearest nightclub. The picture without a context can give a wrong impression, and I think that's exactly what's happening now.

Other than that, not much going on, so I'll leave it at that. Here's hoping for three points tomorrow, so we'll go into the break on a high.

Until later

Napoli review: Özilmandias

Good day to you.

Tuesday evening saw us take on Napoli, and, whatever I was expecting from the game, this was not it. It's not so much about the victory, rather the style we pulled it off with. Arsenal were in control of the situation for the entire game and I cannot recall any moment of danger near our own goal.

Arsene made a couple of changes to the side that played against Swansea, with Rosicky coming in for Whilshere and Arteta substituting Gnabry. The last one wasn't as straightforward as the first and saw Ramsey move to the right flank.

The hosts played in full gear right from the start and our two-goal lead by the quarter of the hour mark was as deserved as it gets.

The first move saw Sagna flick a pass towards Giroud, who chested the ball down and kept the defender at bay, all the while waiting for Ramsey`s run. The Welshman didn't disappoint and mere seconds later cut the ball across goal. At first I thought he mistimed his pass, but then I saw Ozil running towards the ball completely unmarked. His first-time shot from the edge of the penalty box swerved past Reina and into the net.

The German celebrated his first goal for Arsenal with gusto, but the combination itself should not be forgotten in the light of this goal. I especially liked how Giroud did the bulk of the job flawlessly, thus setting up Ramsey.

The second goal came seven minutes later, this time Giroud being the scorer. We capitalized on Napoli`s mistake from the throw-in, which saw Giroud take possession in their half and make a quick pas to Ozil. The latter made a run towards the byline, waited till Giroud got into a good position and executed a return pass. All that was left for the Frenchman, was to poke the ball home.

After that the game calmed down. We probed till the half-time whistle came, Ramsey driving the team forward, but the third goal didn't come. Napoli, in the meantime, were listless, unable to wake from their coma and restricted to shots from distance.

The second half wasn't much more interesting, than the thirty minutes leading to it. Napoli played with more purpose, but were still a long way from scoring. We sparked the game up occasionally on counter attacks and were actually much closer to scoring a third, than Napoli their first. Ozil stood out, his delivery from corners and free-kicks creating opportunities. We didn't take them, but it didn't matter in the end. The game petered out and we took the the points.

The manager summed it up nicely during the press conference, saying we went for it, got  what we wanted and calmed down, content to let Napoli move it around.

A really great win, we now top the group with six points. 180 minutes against Borussia to follow.

In other news, Wenger seems to have been offered a new contract which, if signed, could see him remain at the helm till 2017. On the back of some outstanding performances it looks well placed, but Arsene himself was quick to play down any talk, saying he's got to prove his worth first. Here we go round the merry-go-round. The matter has been discussed at length already, so I'll leave it at that.

Until later

Napoli preview: finally, some options

Today we host Napoli in what will no doubt be a thrilling encounter.

The Italian side is yet to lose a game under Benitez, and that's saying something about their current shape. They provide a stern challenge, probably our first real test since Spurs came to town. The players they have are top quality guys, something we had a chance to see for ourselves, when the two teams met in the Emirates cup.

Even Arsene Wenger expressed his surprise at how quickly they made the transit from defense to attack. He pointed to Insigne, Gamshik and Higuain as their most dangerous players, whose abilities make it possible to pull off such counter-attacks. Arsene therefore warned our players against any complacency and defensive mistakes.

Both managers have also paid tribute to one another, recognizing their achievements. Rafa named Arsene the best coach in the league and said he isn't at all surprised Arsenal are currently occupying the top spot. He also wished Wenger all the luck to win the Champions League, though later, rather than sooner.

Arsene, in his turn, spoke highly of Benitez abilities, saying it's no wonder Napoli has beaten Borussia and adopt such an attractive (and tactically brilliant) style of play. He hailed Benitez further still, when he said the Italian side now stand a real chance of winning Scudetto.

It'll be interesting to see, how the game unfolds from a strategic point of view, seeing as both managers have an extensive knowledge of one another's play style. Don't think it'll be the case of canceling each other out, so we're most likely in for a thrilling contest, end-to-end stuff.

In terms of availability, everyone who played against Swansea should be ready, while we also have good news, regarding Rosicky, who's back in contention for the game. I say, if he's fully fit, he should start. We have Gnabry (and maybe Whilshere), who could use a breather. Both have been brilliant recently, but the former played a lot of minutes (especially for his age) and the latter may have sustained a knock and in this case, it's better to take no risks. We'll need him in the long run, so taking a gamble on him for the sake of just one game won't do us any good.

I'm also slightly concerned for Mertesacker`s and Flamini`s states. Both have put in quite a shift recently, so it may be a better option to use them only as subs, while Arteta and Vermaelen get some playing time under their belts. Besides, the more technical Spaniard might prove more useful in this particular game.

Whatever the manager`s thoughts are on the starting eleven, I think Gnabry will be our only youngster in the whole squad. It's good to finally have some options for a change.

In other news, the manager has also spoken of his desire to fill in the gap in his CV and win the Champions League. He named bad luck as a reason for out recent failures in Europe and, looking at who we faced in the knockout stages recently, it's hard to disagree. Double trouble from Barcelona, tough games against Bayern Munich and Milan is hardly a dream of any team at this stage.

Arsene also cited the lack of quality in our squad as one of the reasons we were unable to go through in these encounters. The quality which we now possess, so fingers crossed we can really achieve something this year.

That's it for today. Back tomorrow with a review. Until then