Arsenal 3-0 Newcastle: nine in three

Morning everyone.

Yesterday we've won yet again and the game played out the way it did against Hull City. Only easier. Much easier.

It's not often that both my predictions and hopes for a game come true and that's because it's in the very nature of the game to be unpredictable. If everything was preplanned, the same teams would win tournaments over and over again and the game would have lost its allure to many. Who would want to watch an encounter, when they know their team will take a beating?

However my bets paid off last night. Arsenal have won comfortably, Newcastle was listless and not in the mood to even try and come back into the game after conceding the second goal, and Pardew was mocked by his own fans.

Arsene named an unchanged starting eleven (it's the best we have, in my opinion) and the only alteration was Vermaelen for the Ox on the bench. Quite why the Englishman didn't make it, I cannot tell, but it's likely he has a slight knock. Oxlade did watch the game, however, but only from the stands.

Both teams started in a cautious  manner, with Arsenal on the ball and Newcastle sitting deep and fending off the Gunners attacks. We weren't able to create moments of danger up until 15th minute or so. Then, Arsenal suddenly threatened following a corner, but Ozil's effort drifted inches wide.

Newcastle responded with a shot from outside the penalty area, but Sissokho fired wide. Then, in the 26th minute, Arsenal's pressure paid off.

Giroud was brought down halfway to the penalty box, Cazorla put in an inviting cross and Koscielny got on the end of it to break the deadlock.

Then came Podolski's time. First he went clean through only for Krul to save with his hip and then the German lashed a vicious header from a resulting corner, but Krul parried again. He won't be able to do so three minutes from the break.

Arsenal's move started with a simple, yet quite brilliant pass over the top from Arteta. Giroud chested the ball down, closed in on the keeper and fired a powerful shot, which Krul saved. The rebound fell to Giroud, the Frenchman produced an even more powerful shot and this time his parried effort ended up with Ozil. The German poked the ball into the net for his fifth goal this season.

It might have been 3-0 in injury time, but Krul pulled off another stunning save to deny Cazorla.

Newcastle started the second half better, with Remy going clean through, but his shot was as indifferent as his whole team was this evening.

Arsenal responded with a dangerous shot from Cazorla, before scoring a third goal to demonstrate just how much better they have been throughout. Ramsey's clever pass found Ozil on the left and Mesut picked out Giroud in the box. The Frenchman put his thumping header into the back of the net to make it 3-0.

Podolski almost scored another immediately, but his shot went wide after a slight touch from some bloke.

Arsene introduced Flamini and Rosicky soon after that, presumably just to rest Ramsey and Ozil. Rosicky proved a valuable member, as he should have got a penalty after being brought down in the box and then could have turned provider, but Sanogo (who subbed Giroud late on) was just offside. The final whistle blew soon after that, and Newcastle didn't even bother to come up with any kind of response.

After the game Arsene has talked up the importance of having Ozil and Ramsey back:

" I think they make a difference, but at the same period we had Walcott, Wilshere, Ozil, Ramsey and Koscielny all out. Of course you can sometimes miss one or two, but four or five? Every team feels that".

And you know, now that they are back, it has become painfully obvious how we've missed them. Ozil was, as always, floating in and out of the game, but his influence was more pronounced down to him scoring and assisting inside one game. We shouldn't forget about how his passing game made us look a more cohesive unit, however.

As for Ramsey, he was all over the pitch and, unlike Ozil, it's his energy and willingness going forward that we lacked earlier, rather than quality passing. Not that Ramsey is of no use to us as a playmaker, but you know what I mean. He just offers something no one else does.

So, a fine win, an even better performance and, most importantly, we are three points away from securing CL football. Should Everton lose to City on Saturday, we won't need any more points at all.

One last thing. I'm going away for a couple of days, but hope to be back in time to see Arsenal play their last home game. I'm not completely sure I'll be able to cover this game, but check back once in a while just in case.

Until later

Newcastle preview: two wins

Evening everyone.

In a couple of hours we face Newcastle at the Emirates and are presented with a very good chance to open up a four-point lead on Everton.

The Toffees were beaten by Southampton in an early game on Saturday and the Saints didn't even have to score to get the points. Two quite brilliant headers from Alcaraz and Coleman gifted Southampton the victory and with City up next Everon's chances of playing in the Champions League look slimmer by the minute. But we shouldn't count on Everton slipping up again. As the weekend has shown even a team with one hand on the the trophy can suddenly (and inexplicably) fail in a game of vital importance. That's because it's the Premier League we are talking about, and here everyone can beat everyone. Complacency can be punished even by the smallest teams.

That's why Arsenal has to be cautious going into today's match. Newcastle arrive on a back of an atrocious run of form, but, ultimately, they play in the top flight of the most competitive league in the world and it's for a reason.

Do I expect them to deliver? No. Even though I've long since spotted the pattern, due to which even the crappiest teams at their crappiest form add that little bit extra against the big guys, it's highly unlikely Newcastle will pull it off. They can punish us if we come into this game thinking the three points are already in the bag, but they don't seem like a bunch of players capable of turning the tables like Hull did in the first 25 minutes.

They say the fish rots from the head (God, I hate proverbs), but it describes the situation at Newcastle pretty accurately. The newspapers (in search of a flashy headline, perhaps) state that this game is a make-or-break for Pardew and it's not like they don't have good reason to. I mean, the Magpies have won three and lost nine in their last twelve games, something that can hardly be called spectacular. What is more, five straight losses during which Pardew was disqualified for his touchline antics, make their situation look worse still.

Will the fact that their manager's fate is depending on the outcome of this game shake the players out of their coma? I don't think so. Pardew looks an arrogant prick to me and, as far as I know, he's not very popular among Newcastle fans either. It just doesn't appear, as if the man feels for the club.

This is the part where I talk up that quality in Wenger. Arsene, whatever his shortcomings are, is one of the most passionate and loyal managers I've seen. Klopp is the only guy who comes close, but he's yet to work 18 years for Borussia. Back to the Frenchman and in him we've got a coach, who always defends his players, sometimes taking all the blame and has always fought for the ideals of this Club. Over the years Arsene has done so much for Arsenal FC and has become so deeply ingrained in everything that concerns it, that at this point we can say he IS the Club. Some even joke it's no coincidence, that the Frenchman's name is almost the same as the name of the Club.

And Pardew? Looks like a hired help to me. Like Benitez for Chelsea last season. It doesn't matter, how long he will be at the helm, he will always seem like an interim manager to me. A professional, who is doing his job, but over whose departure no tears will be shed. Is it likely, that the players will fight tooth (no pun intended) and nail for such a guy?

However, it's our performance (defensive, first of all) that we should be concentrated on. In that regard, we may have Vermaelen back. Even without the Belgian, though, our defense should cope. Sagna is having the time of his life at right-back (give this man a contract already), Mertesacker is much more assured with Koscielny back at his side and Monreal seems to have stepped it up, which was noticeable against Hull. I don't think he will be dropped in favour of our skipper, should Vermaelen make it.

In other positions I expect no changes at all. Podolski is in a free-scoring mood, Ozil and Ramsey are back and firing, and Giroud looks that much better with the Welshman making runs behind his back. Arteta and Cazorla complement this fine side.

The bench will also be a strong one, with only Gibbs, Gnabry, Wilshere and Walcott missing out (the latter will, unfortunately, miss the start of next season), so we'll have options available. A little too late, but still better than never.

Should we put in a shift like we did at Hull, I don't think it's unreasonable to hope for three points. Our fate is in our hands, two wins in three games will suffice for us to play among the best next season and both our next games will be played at home. We've dealt with such pressure before, let's do it again.

Come on you Gunners

Diaby, Vermaelen and transfers

Hello everyone.

It's been a long and quiet week and not much is happening still. However, as Arsene's press conference took place today, there are a few things to go on.

We can start with Abou Diaby. Remember him? Well, the Frenchman has made a return for the U-21s side, where he played for 45 minutes. Despite this, he's unlikely to be involved in the first team action before the end of the season, let alone our game on Monday. Which is understandable, Diaby needs time to get back into the swing of things.

However, there is a question of whether Arsenal need him at all. A couple of years back his injury would leave the Gunners light in midfield, now it won't. We are well stocked in this area and have learnt to cope without the Frenchman.

Diaby has one more year to run on his current contract and he'll have to at least stay fit to convince the manager he's not useless. If Abou does that, then, well, we may find him a place on the team. Diaby is that physical guy, the lack of whom we all bemoan, so playing him as a DM from time to time can benefit the Gunners.

Should we rely on the Frenchman's services however? Absolutely not. Unfortunately, his injury record is as long as Dumbledore's beard, so if we need to buy a couple of midfielders in the summer, we should do just that. If Diaby stays fit, great, if not, then we'll bade him farewell in when his contract runs out.

Truth be told, I'm concerned about the state of our squad. And more than a little. We have a very good core of players, but the to-do summer transfer list just keeps getting longer.

We are very unlikely to keep either Sagna or Fabianski, let alone Viviano (who hasn't played once this season), but it's not just these three, who will be gone on July 1st. Vermaelen and Podolski can add up to whopping five players on the cusp of leaving the club. And our midfield doesn't look young in the slightest, mind you.

While I have a small hope that a glorious day at Wembley may change Sagna's and Fabianski's minds, it looks a bit far-fetched. It means a right-back and a goalie are on the books, because Jenkinson and Martinez are just not ready to play at this level yet.

With Podolski and Vermaelen it's not crystal clear, but I personally won't be surprised at their respective exits. Poldi has hinted he won't be against returning to FC Koln, while Vermaelen's agent has been doing his best to talk up the Belgian. This, in its turn means two centre-halves need to be bought (we're still one short, even with Vermaelen) and definitely a winger.

Oh yeah, we also need a striker. A shiny new striker, that'll be able able to provide us with something different to what Giroud has to offer. This all adds up to six players. If need midfielders to replace ageing Arteta and/or Rosicky, this number gets bigger.

Given our transfer policy, even three purchases inside two months seem unlikely, let alone six. The manager himself talked about how risky it can be to bring in more than three players at once (four, with a keeper), so we can find ourselves short of options again when the new camapign starts. That is why I hope that at least Poldi and Vermaelen will stay, to make our job that bit easier.

Until later

Hull 0-3 Arsenal: Rambo's back

Hello everyone.

Arsenal have kept their fourth place after a 3-0 thrashing of Hull and what a good game that was. For the first time in what seems like an eternity we've managed to win a game long before the final whistle was blown. We've also kept the first clean sheet since our North London derby, so fair play to Szczesny (first and foremost) and our defenders for being brilliant throughout.

Arsene reintroduced Ozil and Ramsey for Rosicky and Kallstrom respectively. Vermaelen was, surprisingly, omitted altogether, with Monreal filling at left-back. Apart from these three the squad was unchanged, something that proves the players aren't as exhausted as I suggested earlier. Which is a good thing, cause the group of players that took on Hull on Saturday is the best we have.

Arsenal started slowly with the only moment of danger coming from Podolski. The German received the ball on the left, rounded off a defender and smashed a shot with his right, forcing Harper into a great save.

Apart from this, it was all Hull for the first 25-30 minutes. They controlled the ball in our half and tried to create opportunities through crosses, but failed miserably. The reason? Brilliant, commanding Wojciech Szczesny. He grabbed them, punched them away and was basically up to everything thrown his way. The Pole's determination not to concede was such that he even elbowed his own teammates to get to some of the high balls. His effort was well rewarded in the 31st minute.

Ramsey held the ball on the right flank, passed it to Ozil, who weighed a perfect pass into the path of Cazorla. The Spaniard laid it off for Ramsey (who continued his run after the initial pass), the Welshman took a touch and sent the ball into the far corner for his 9th league goal.

Hull tried to respond and came close to equalizing when Shane Long hit the post with his distance shot. It wasn't meant to be, however.

We struck again in injury time. Arteta robbed Jelavic of possession (the latter was waiting to be tripped, so the ref gave nothing) and Arsenal stromed upfield at lightning speed. Cazorla played it to Ozil, Mesut found Giroud on the right and the Frenchman played a lob pass towards onrushing Ramsey and Podolski. The former chested the ball down and the latter smashed it past a stranded Harper, who could only stand and watch. The whistle for half-time blew soon after that.

Arsenal started the second half on the front foot and put all the doubts about the outcome to rest in the 54th minute.

There was a quick interchange on the edge of the box involving Ramsey, Monreal and Cazorla and it resulted in a cutback from the latter. The ball fell to Ramsey, the Welshman's shot was only just blocked by Harper, but Podolski was on hand to poke the ball home from close range for his fourth goal in two games. This time the German celebrated properly, such was his delight.
This goal meant game over. Hull knew there was no going back from 3-0 down and could not be bothered to try. Arsenal, on the other hand, could have added another goal. First Giroud nearly made the keeper pay for his mistake by smashing a shot against the the bar, then Ramsey found space in the box only to see his effort well-saved. Szczesny, meanwhile, finished what he started by claiming a few balls and thus ensuring Arsenal do not concede.

All in all, a very positive game. This is what Arsene said afterwards:

"It was a big win. I think the first half was very physical and played at a very high pace where our defenders needed to be very strong in the air on crosses. I believe as well that we looked dangerous when we went into their half and took advantage of that. In the second half when we scored the third goal it looked like we completely controlled the game. Overall it was a positive performance because I think if you look at our individual performances all over the pitch they were good".

Some words need to be said about Ozil, Ramsey and Giroud. The German made a very decent return, being directly involved in the first two goals, while Giroud very obviously benefited from Ramsey's presence. The Frenchman is more of a pivot, than a lone striker and having someone making runs made his actions much more dangerous all of a sudden.

And Ramsey, of course. Put in man of the match performance and rightly so. A goal and an assist aside, he made our play more direct, our attacks carried more purpose and our defence looked as solid as it gets. Here are some numbers, if you are interested.

It would have been interesting to see him play during those months he's missed. Would we have surrendered the title the way we did? I don't know and we won't find that out. Anyway, now that Ramsey is back, we definitely have better chances of finishing on a high.

Until later

Hull City preview: in our hands

Hello everyone.

Tomorrow we take on Hull in what is probably the hardest game (on paper), that we have left. It is portrayed by many as a kind of warm-up leading to the cup showdown in May, but with a couple of slight alterations. First, our game tomorrow is an away one, while the final will basically be held at home. Second, Shane Long and Nikica Jelavic will be available today, a luxury Steve Bruce won't have a month from now, due to both players featuring earlier for their respective clubs.

For me, such parallels aren't that important. It's just media trying to give the game some extra edge, while I'm pretty sure the managers will only be focused on getting the points out of this game. Hull are currently 13th in the table, well above the relegation zone, so for them, this game is about building momentum and getting to experiecnce Arsenal's style of play. That's not to say the Tigers will be an easy team to beat, though. They have some very good players and, as Sunderland has demonstrated, even a team with little to fight for can show their teeth and cause problems to even the likes of City.

From our point of view, this game is a chance to further tighten our grip on the fourth spot. Everton plays United tomorrow, no easy feat, cause United themselves may have a Europa League place to fight for. Better still, the game at the Mersyside kicks off after the final whistle blows at the KC stadium, and this fact presents us with a chance to be four points ahead of the Toffees.

We should have some help, as Ozil and Monreal return from their respective injures. Flamini is also back from his two-game ban and should probably start in place of Mikel Arteta. The Spaniard played a lot of minutes recently and could use some rest, in my opinion. Kallstrom is another player, who can start alongside Ramsey in midfield, so it's a tough decision for the manager to make. Arsene definitely has more input on the condition of his squad and, whoever plays, will be utterly focused and will give his all. I just try to emphasise that we do have options in midfield and if someone is nearing that red zone, he can sit the game out.

Another Spaniard I think can benefit from a break, is Santi Cazorla. Here's another guy, who's put in quite a shift recently. When Ozil pulled his hamstring, Santi was called upon to fill that role of the playmaker and thus has been playing basically non-stop. His match-winning spot-kick in the penalty shoot-out against Wigan seemed to have injected some confidence into the Spaniard and that is backed by his game against West Ham. Cazorla was at the heart of all three goals, provided an assist for the first one and could have scored himself, only for his beautiful shot to swerve agonisingly close to the far post.

Anyway, the fact that Santi played week in week out remains and should, in my opinion, be addressed. Ozil's back, ha can play under Giroud once more and, if I remember correctly, one of the goals from the German happened to be against Hull. Maybe he can add to that tally.

I'd also be tempted to reshuffle our defence a bit, but it's hard to say, who can come in. True, Mert, Sagna and Vermaelen are in the same situation as the two Spaniards, but dropping any of them can prove risky.

Gibbs is still out, meaning Monreal is the only option for left-back. However, Nacho was terribly convincing there as of late, so I'd stick to Vermaelen. The skipper had a solid game on the flank against the Hammers, so no reason to drop him. However, I don't think Arsene will agree with me. After all, it's risky playing all your centre-halves at once and Monreal is still (unlike Vermaelen) a more natural left-back. So, if the Spaniard is fully fit, our skipper will probably find himself benched once again.

Jenkinson. meanwhile, can start on the right (he played there the last time we faced Hull), but it's unlikely he'll do so tomorrow. Arsene has stuck with Sagna all season long (for good reason, might I add), so Jenkinson will probably be only a bench sub. If Sagna's not dead tired, that is.

Apart from these (possible) changes, the starting line-up should look the same. Whoever the manager picks, I'm more than sure will be up for it and what is even better, we'll have a strong bench as well, something that can help Arsene influence the game if such a need arises. But I don't think we'll have a whole lot of problems with this one. Sure, nothing can be taken for granted in the league, where relegation-threatened Sunderland nearly snatches all the three points from title-aspiring City at the Etihad, but the Gunners seem to be on the way up and should, on their day, experience no problems with a team such as Hull.

Now to the easiest part. The win. Come on you Gunners

Arsenal 3-1 West Ham: we're back

Arsenal jump-started their campaign on Tuesday with a convincing win against West Ham, while also putting in an encouraging performance. What makes this win even sweeter, is Everton losing to Palace at home (!), which means we keep the fourth place and our destiny is once again in our own hands.

Arsene made quite a few changes to the side, that gave their all in the cup game, with Szczesny, Koscielny, Kallstrom and Rosicky playing from the very first minutes. The glaring omissions were Ozil and Gibbs, as both of them haven't completely recovered from their respective injures. Monreal also haven't made the bench, which meant Vermaelen started on the left. Apart from him, Sagna, Mertesacker, Arteta and Cazorla all played, despite featuring to the very last minute earlier against the Latics.

As is the tradition in recent games, Arsenal started slowly. West Ham looked more dangerous in the opening minutes, creating several half-chances, before the Gunners took hold of the game and pinned the Hammers against the wall.

The problem, however, was Giroud. He didn't look particularly tired, but still played like crap the entire half, failing to get onto the end of Podolski's low pass, not making contract with any of Sagna's (very decent) crosses and spurning a brilliant chance from a one-on-one.
The Frenchman tried to poke the ball with his left, instead of smashing it with his right, and Adrian saved easily.

Then, just when we seemed to be building some momentum, West Ham scored. Nocerino sliced through our defense on the left and produced a fierce shot that Szczesny saved. However Jarvis was first on the rebound (though Koscielny desperately tried to stop him) and this time Szczesny was powerless to stop the effort from going in.

Now, in retrospective, I'm glad that Jarvis was allowed to plant his header into the net. Had Koscielny stopped him, it would have been a foul and a red card for Laurent, so we would have been really hard-pressed to get anything out of the game. We got away with such dangerous play, but would someone please tell Koscielny not to do this again. We may not be so lucky next time.

A conceded goal sparked Arsenal and men started pouring forward in search of an equaliser. Kallstrom lashed a shot of his own, after making space in the box, but the keeper got down well to parry. In a few minutes he'd be unable to do so.

It all started with a throw-in deep in West Ham's half. Vermaelen returned the ball into play, Giroud lost it and a clearance followed. It fell to Cazorla, who lurked not far from the box and the Spaniard did brilliantly to dissect the Hammers defence. His pass found Podolski and the German buried his chance without pausing for thought. So the teams went into the dressing room with the scores level.

We started the second half energetically and it paid off almost immediately.

One of our corners was cleared, Vermaelen picked up the loose ball near the centre circle and sent it back in. Giroud got rid of two defenders, who desperately tried to hold the Frenchman back, got the ball down in one neat touch and smashed his effort home with his right foot. 2-1.

This was when I thought that now we're going to drop deep and defend our slender lead, but I was surprised. Arsenal continued threatening West Ham with endless attacks and it was obvious from the way we passed the ball that confidence was high.

We struck again in the 79th minute. Cazorla found Giroud on the flank, Olivier sent in a cross which fell to Ramsey (the Welshman came on for Rosicky mere minutes prior to that) and the header from our star midfielder sliced the Hammers defence open once again. And once again the pass picked out Podolski, whose first-time effort made the score 3-1.

We didn't fall back even after that and Cazorla could have made it 4-1, but his brilliant shot swerved agonisingly close to the far post. It was game over at that stage, but had the Spaniard got his name on the score sheet, it would have been a reward for all the hard work he's put in.

I didn't pay attention to this in the immediate aftermath of the game, but it turned out the manager fielded a group of players whose average age was above 29. It is our most experienced squad in over ten years, but then again, who cares? Arsene didn't have much of a choice in the light of all the injures and suspensions and it's not like the players haven't got the job done. Maybe their knowledge in how to grind out results in these games was what made the difference. That’s what the manager himself said on his team selection:

“It was a gamble but I said before the game as well that it was the oldest team certainly that I've ever played at Arsenal. I trusted the experience of the players because… tonight it was an unusual around-30 team, and that experience of course helps when you are a little bit backs against the wall.”

On the result as a whole:

“Yes, we were tested mentally, but I think we were strong. We were united, disciplined, determined, and despite being 1-0 down - I couldn't see where we could be 1-0 down - it was a big blow but we responded well. Overall you could feel that the team was absolutely focused from the first to the last minute. We built slowly a win that I think was normal.”

And on his temptation to go old-school with two strikers after Podolski’s brilliant performance:

“I am tempted but I have so many offensive players, who all want to go in the middle, and Lukas is the only one who is really a wide player. Rosicky is a central player, Cazorla is basically a central player, and when you don't have Walcott it's very difficult to do that.”

Overall, a very good game coupled with a very good performance. Cazorla seemed to have finally returned to his old self, Koscielny slotted back alongside Per as if he's never left, Kallstrom put in a reassuring 90 minutes.

A special mention has to go to the strikers. Podolski was brilliant, coolly putting away his chances and taking a beautiful free-kick in the first half, while Giroud demonstrated his mental toughness. After an atrocious 45 minutes during which nothing came his way, he worked hard in the second half and got himself a brilliant goal, perhaps his best this year.

Everton dropping points means we're fourth again and four wins will see us qualify for the Champions League however good the Toffees play in the last games. We have some experience pinching that last CL spot, so let's make sure we do it again.

Back later. Until then, enjoy the win and the fourth place that comes with it

West Ham preview: almighty scrap

Hello.

Tonight we face West Ham in yet another London derby and we have to win in order to put pressure on Everton.

The Toffees won their game in hand while we were having fun (just kidding) in the FA Cup, so they are two points ahead with a better goal difference. Everton still have to play both Manchester clubs, and at least City are going to give them a hell of a hard time, so fingers crossed we can take advantage of that.

However, we should be more concentrated on our own games and, what's more important, on the level of our performances, rather than wait for a slip-up from Martinez side. We got the job done at Wembley, but the game was decided by the penalties. Had the game ended in normal time, it would have finished with teams level.

We also haven't enjoyed our free-flowing style of play for awhile now, the last time that comes to mind is an encounter against Sunderland. Late February, that was.

Another thing is that we've yet to win a league match since our North London derby. Three losses and two draws since then, not a single clean sheet. Is this somehow connected to the fact, that Koscielny is out? We haven't won anything with a pair of central defenders of Mertesacker and Vermaelen.

This is why I think we have to really get back to basics and start building the team from the back. We've done it last year against Bayern and then went almost a year with the best defensive record in the league. Just one defeat by a three-goal margin (City), everything else was manageable. This February saw our defence give way and we need to rebuild it again.

For now we have to take it game by game and West Ham is the most pressing matter of all, just because it comes sooner than any other game. We had some mixed news from the manager regarding player availability, let's dissect it.

First off, there are doubts regarding a host of first team players, who faced Wigan three days ago, but that's understandable. Ramsey, fresh back from an injury, played over 100 minutes, Oxlade played the full game, the same goes for Arteta, Cazorla, Sanogo and some others. All of them are likely to start the game on the bench and I'm fine with that.

However, it's going to be hard to scrap a decent starting eleven. Szczesny will regain his place between the sticks, Gibbs and Koscielny should start in defence, and I see little choice but to play Mertesacker again, probably with Sagna on the right. Jenkinson is a possibility, but seeing how the manager is reluctant to play the young right-back even in the cup, I doubt we'll see him today.

The midfield is going to be tricky. Assuming Rosicky and Ozil are fit (both took part in the training session) they should start. Rosicky in central midfield, alongside Kallstrom (you don't play Arteta and Ramsey after such a cup game) and Ozil under the striker. Not ideal, but then again, what's the alternative?

In attack, it's probably Podolski on the left (he's relatively fresh), Giroud (same here) and maybe Gnabry on the right. Oxlade looked dead tired, so he's a bench sub at best today.

It looks a decent squad to me, physically able to cope with West Ham and tactically astute to try and implement our style of play. The problem, of course, is getting these players mentally prepared to win this. Arsene should do his utmost to motivate the players to not only win this game, but all the remaining games as well. It's quite probable, that we are gonna need to get 15 points out of 15 points to finish fourth, today will show whether Arsenal is ready for a fight.

Hope they are

Wigan 1-1 Arsenal (2-4 on penalties): turning point

So, we're through to the final of the FA Cup with a win over Wigan, but it was by no way a pleasant ride. With nine minutes to go Arsenal were trailing and could have gone out. We didn't, luckily.

The manager made only four changes to the team, with Fabianski, Ramsey, Oxlade and Sanogo replacing Szczesny, Flamini, Giroud and Rosicky respectively. Gibbs made the bench, while Gnabry and Rosicky were left out due to their injures.

Arsenal started brightly enough, with Oxlade nearly putting us ahead in the first minute following an interchange with Sanogo. The Frenchman himself then tested the keeper, but his headed effort was saved.

Arsenal then fell into a kind of lull, enjoying lots of possession, but failing to create chances. We only had two more before the break, first when Podolski's effort from a free-kick went wide, then when Sanogo shot straight at the keeper from a one-on-one. But basically Wigan's defence worked like clock.

Little changed in the opening stages of the second half. Arsene made no changes and Arsenal continued to look like they were sleepwalking. Just when I thought we started to find a foothold in the game, Wigan scored.

McManaman stormed into the box, Mertesacker hacked him down and the ref pointed to the spot. Gomez stepped up and converted coolly, despite Fabianski going in the right direction.

This had shaken Arsenal out of their coma. They started to pour men forward, however nothing exciting happened until 80th minute. We had a succession of corners, Sagna hit the post from one, then Gibbs saw his effort cleared off the line. In the 82nd minute we equalised.

Vermaelen was first on the ball from yet another corner, his pass found Oxlade on the edge of the box. The Englishman's mis-hit shot fell to Mert and the latter tucked the ball away from 2 yards. That meant extra time was in order.

It came and went, but little happened during these 30 minutes. Oxlade hit the bar and some Wigan bloke (Collison?) planted a header just wide, but it was obvious the players were exhausted and so the game petered out towards the penalties.

And, despite all the misgivings, we came out on top. Fabianski saved the first two spot-kicks, giving us the platform to build on, Arteta and Kallstrom put away theirs and were were 2-0 up. After that, steely nerves from Giroud and Cazorla ensured we won.

The players were over the moon and I find the criticism, they received for celebrating the way they did, petty. It wasn't about the opponent or about the performance (cause both were below par), but rather about being through to the finals. And this I can understand completely.

If there's anything to like about the way we played though, it's that we showed some character. Arsenal fought from being 1-0 down and showed they are the better prepared side mentally after getting the win in the penalty shoot-out. If there's a point, which can turn the tide, it's this.

To be more exact, it's the goal itself. A goal, which demonstrated we're ready for a fight, and the players can draw confidence and even inspiration from their fighting spirit.

Arsene, meanwhile, will stay with us a little longer.

Back tomorrow for a preview.

Until then

Wigan preview: get at it

Good evening everyone.

It's been a long and not very pleasant week, with all sorts of things happening. From Cazorla's controversial interview to some wild theories regarding Arsene's possible successor, we've had it all, but little of it has been positive. I sincerely hope we can come out of it on top and Wigan present us with a chance of doing just that.

Many portray this game as a make-or-break for Arsene, but to me Wenger looks like the only man, who decides when to move on (or retire). I've seen suggestions that the contract for our manager has been done and dusted and only awaits Arsene's signature. As I gather, the contract will be offered even if we fail to win the cup and end up outside the CL zone and if that's the case, well, then Arsene is the only man who can prevent this plan from coming to fruition. He looks like the man of honour to me, and I hope he retires if things go terribly wrong this season. He's done a lot for the Club, thus he shouldn't remain at the helm long enough to become a villain.

However, this game is of paramount importance not only to Arsene, but to the players as well. Win, and we'll have the confidence to climb the table and win the Cup. Lose, and our downward spiral continues and there's no telling how it will affect our chances for the top four spot.

What makes this game harder still is our almost depleted squad. Gibbs, the Ox and Rosicky are all 50/50s, while some of the others need to be dropped in order to keep things fresh and change the mindset of the team as a whole. (UPDATE: all three took part in the training session this afternoon, so should, at the very least, make the bench).

The manager has confirmed Fabianski and Ramsey will start, but Arsene shouldn't restrict himself to these two. In fact, I'd play a squad that is as far away from the one which took on Everton as possible.

Starting with dropping Arteta and Monreal entirely. These two were the weakest links against the Toffees and we do not want to become exposed because of them in a match where the stakes are so high.

Arteta, for one, was slow. Slow on the ball, slow to track runners, slow to get stuck in in tackles. Did I mention he was slow?

I don't know, whether it's down to fatigue (our vice captain made 36 appearances in all competitions) or just because his age is starting to tell, but letting the Spaniard sit this game out will most likely benefit both parties.

Monreal, meanwhile, was way below par against Everton. Lukaku mocked our left-back again and again and I'm sure Rosler will try to exploit this weakness, if given the chance. We should not present him with one.

Coupled with Flamini's suspension and with injures to Ozil, Wilshere, Walcott and Koscielny, we're pretty stretched both defensively and offensively. If we add Giroud as another possible bench sub, things get really hot. Good news is, Ramsey will definitely start (as I've already mentioned), so we should even scrape a decent (though, exhausted) bench.

If we are to drop Arteta and Monreal, I suggest pushing Vermaelen out wide (if Gibbs cannot start, that is) and pairing Mertesacker with Sagna. Vermaelen was found wanting alongside the German, playing him as a full-back can benefit us and him. The Belgian will be able to make his forays forward and helping out offensively, while we'll get a defender who won't stand being bullied by anyone.

Should Arsene do this, Jenkinson will have to be introduced on the right. Personally, I have nothing against it. I've expressed my reservations about Vermaelen playing as a centre-back and I don't want to see us crack right down the middle again. Unlikely that Arsene will look at it the way I do (and that's alright, he has more input on players' form and abilities), but from what I see Jenkinson, Mertesacker, Sagna and Gibbs/Vermaelen is the best defense under current circumstances.

In midfield I'd like to see Kallstrom, Ramsey and either Rosicky or Cazorla. It'll be an energetic trio, capable of shielding the back four better, than Arteta and Flamini + Rosicky/Cazorla. At least Kallstrom and Ramsey will be full of energy and that can benefit all aspects of our play. It was blindingly obvious how much our game improved when Ramsey was thrown on late on Sunday, bringing Kallstrom into the mix will make it even better.

Up front, I'd play anyone (Podolski, Oxlade, Gnabry, Cazorla/Rosicky) on the flanks, but I'd drop Giroud. The Frenchman is knackered, all the games he's played are catching up on him and a little rest can't hurt. Sanogo wants blood, he'll be hell-bent on scoring after his goal on Goodison was disallowed, so he can, at this point in time, be of more use than Giroud. The manager may want to plough on with the experienced guy here, though, so it's a close call.

All in all, it's a game we have to win for numerous reasons and, as much pessimistic as things are going right now, I just can't see us losing. We are Arsenal, we just cannot lose the game of this stature to such an opponent. If we do, it will be a shock like I've never experienced.

And I don't want a shock. I've had enough of them this season. So let's go get the goddamn win

Everton 3-0 Arsenal: fundamentally wrong

When I was a kid, I liked reading and re-reading Mark Twain's Adventures of Tom Sawyer. Light reading that was, a kind of fairytale with a happy ending and not much meaning, but there was one passage that I remember even now. Here's a slightly changed version of it: "Hope makes a show of reviving - not with any reason to back it, but only because it is its nature to revive when the spring has not been taken out of it by age and familiarity with failure". This sums up perfectly well how I feel (and have felt down the years) about Arsenal.

Because life without hope would be extremely hard (unbearable, maybe) for any human being, it is in human's nature to hope for the better, when there's nothing to back it up with.

I hoped, a couple of resounding failures in these two months will ensure the players and the manager do their best to avoid another heavy defeat in a match of vital importance (important for other reasons, but important nonetheless). They did not.

We were condemned to watch an atrocious first half, which saw Everton take the lead and the worst thing about it, was that they completely deserved to be 2-0 up at the break. A listless, disinterested Arsenal side had more of the ball, but never looked like they could do anything with it. Everton executed their plan flawlessly, by sitting deep and exploding on counters.

We looked toothless in attack, only getting as close as Everton would let us and pathetic defensively, allowing the Toffees to cut us open through the middle with simple passes.

All goals were disgusting, if you think of it. For the first, Baines split our defense with a simple through ball. Sagna wasn't quick enough to close Baines down, Arteta just stood and stared as the ball rolled past him, Mertesacker did the same, counting on Vermaelen to cover him up and the captain himself was late to return from his latest charge up the pitch. The situation wasn't beyond repair even then, thanks to Szczesny pulling off a brilliant save, but Naithsmith was allowed all the time in the world to put the ball into the empty net.

For the second, Lukaku received the ball on the right and had at least Monreal and Vermaelen in front of him. Lukaku drifted inside as if these two just weren't there and then fired an unstoppable shot between Mertesacker and Vermaelen.

The third one came as a result of another through ball, which Szczesny got down to well, but the Pole's effort was in vain, as Arteta failed to track back Mirallas and then further compounded the misery by sending the ball into his own net in a last-ditch effort to stop the Belgian. To be fair to Mikel, Mirallas would have scored anyway, but the fact that it was our vice-captain who allowed Mirallas in that position in the first place is atrocious.

Up front, things didn't look better and, to my immense surprise, Wenger was reluctant to change this until the game was beyond salvation. Podolski, who was taken off in favour of the Ox, was our best bet to nick a goal right up to 60th minute and that's saying a lot. A guy who, with everyone fit, only makes the bench and is inconsistent in his performances to say the least, was the best chance we had to score.

Giroud was, frankly, shit. Suggestions that even an actual tree up front would fare better don't seem that funny anymore. Hell, Sanogo did better when thrown on. The Frenchman would have actually scored a goal, had he not been wrongly flagged offside.

The only bright spots of this game were Ramsey and the Ox. The latter had hit the bar and saw another goalbound effort blocked, while the former pulled off clever passes left and right, threw himself about and was, all in all, a very positive influence. Why these two weren't thrown on at half-time will remain the greatest mystery to me.

I had last had such emptiness back in August, after our first game of the season. It didn't come on a back of a bad stretch of form, rather on a poor decision-making from Arsene, who failed to bring in reinforcements we so desperately (and painful obviously) needed. We have a good squad, but, as the commentator rightly noticed yesterday, our style of play will always result in quite a few injures and it's about having as many players as possible to avoid a downfall in both the form and the results.

This group of players was pushed to the limit in January, but managed to stay top. It's easy to see how, with a new striker and a centre-half, we would still be top. As it is, we now have to fight for the Champions League football and even this is not in our hands anymore.

Until later

Everton preview: the return of the king

Good evening to you.

Tomorrow we play Everton in a "six-pointer" and it's hard not to regret our current position. Less than a month ago we were fighting for the title and now we tread an all-too-familiar territory of staying in the top four.

Everton has done extremely well this season and their Europa League place is all but secured. It's hard to envisage a hit-and-miss Tottenham or a faltering United side beating the Toffees to fifth place.

What is more, Everton are on a good run, having won five league games in a row and losing just one home fixture in an entire campaign. The acquisitions of Lukaku and Deulofeu, coupled with emergence of Barkley as a potent force make Everton a hard opponent for anyone. We've had a chance to see that for ourselves back in December. We've scraped a draw and, mind you, Wilshere, Ozil and Walcott were available back then.

A win tomorrow throws the race for the fourth spot wide open and it's something the players should be well aware of. Luckily, there's been some positive news regarding our injured.

Ramsey and Monreal will be named on the team sheet and both are extremely welcome. Monreal can (if needed) fill the void left by Gibbs, while Ramsey will give us the end product our current midfield lacks.

I know I've mentioned it already, but the amount of players we have out  each year is infuriating. Monreal picked up a knock against Sunderland and haven't played since. Just think of it. A knock that was supposed to keep the Spaniard for a week, maybe two, resulted in a month on the sidelines.

Ramsey injured himself on Boxing Day and should have played against Southampton. Remember that 2-2 draw back in late January? We are into April and the Welshman only just recovered.

That is not the end of the story, though. Gibbs and Gnabry are unlikely to feature tomorrow, the former with a troublesome ankle, the latter with a knackered knee. While Gibbs has played quite a lot this month, it's hard to see, where Gnabry's injury came from. He had hardly made even substitute appearances, so how on Earth did he get himself injured?

Luckily, these knocks have come at a more a less good time. Ramsey will fill in for Gnabry, Monreal will slot in for Gibbs and we carry on. Maybe a few more players will make a comeback against Wigan (I have Koscielny and the aforementioned  duo in mind), but we'll manage for now.

Back to our all-important game tomorrow and I expect Arsene to field basically the same squad. It's either Gibbs or Monreal on the left (depending on whether the Englishman is fit), we may see Kallstrom alongside Arteta (don't think Ramsey is ready or should be risked now) and I'd play Rosicky centrally and move Cazorla to the left. Though the Spaniard did good against City, Podolski looked a weak link. Sure, he got an assist to his name and could have nicked a win for us, but he was still largely ineffective.

The main problem with Podolski is that he's neither a striker, nor a winger. He doesn't impress in both positions, preferring to play in a narrow corridor between a winger and a striker, waiting for a perfect pass to explode into life, but spends the rest of the game in shadows. He's not a willing runner forward, doesn't drift infield to create an overload or to help out teammates and shies away from his defensive duties. Moreover, the German's persistence on using only his left foot effectively limits the number of options available to him.

So, I say drop Poldi, play the Ox on the right, Rosicky in the centre and Cazorla on the left and we should be all right. Such a setup ensures our back four receives proper protection, while also not taking anything from our attacking play away.

The manager will also have a decent bench at his disposal, with players on it being able to contribute at both ends of the pitch.

We are still masters of our destiny when it comes to securing the fourth place and this game is vital. Win, and we are seven points clear with five games remaining. Lose, and Everton may leapfrog us in the very near future.

I think  we have enough to get the three points, though. City game saw us "turn a corner", if I may quote Arsene here, Ramsey and Monreal are back to help out, so we should be ready both psychologically and physically (after a week off). All that remains is to get a win tomorrow, so we can start worrying about the looming semi-final FA Cup against Wigan.

Come on you reds.