Burnley preview: put in a performance

Good evening.

It's Burnley at home tomorrow and while the manager is wary of the threat (*cough*) Sean Dyche's side poses, this game looks a bit of a breather still. Burnley currently occupy the last position in the league and are yet to win a single game. That's not to say we only have to turn up to take the three points (Blackburn anyone?), but it's not like we are playing City or Chelsea either.

So I think a bit of rotation won't hurt. Quite a lot of players need practise in order to be sharp when called upon, so these should be given a chance, in my view.

There are question marks over some of our players, Gibbs and Wilshere in particular. Kieran is a 50/50 with a slight hip injury, while Jack has sustained some minor knock on his knee in training and may miss both the tomorrow's game and the return fixture against Anderlecht. Walcott also doesn't seem ready to start the game:

"He’s fit. He lacks competition. Physically he lacks two things: contact in the Premier League and competition. But fitness wise there is no problem at all."

If it was up to me, all three Englishmen would only be used from the bench, should they all be deemed fit to make the squad, of course. With Wilshere and Gibbs it's obvious: better short-term pain and the consequent long-term gain than vice versa. With Walcott, it's been a while since he's back, so giving him more than 15-20 minutes against not the strongest of sides may not be a bad idea, but this decision is completely up to the manager, as he's much better informed than I am. If Walcott needs to be eased back into action a while longer, so be it. Theo's been out for too long to risk him in any way.

In a brighter piece of news, Giroud is "miles ahead of schedule" in his recovery (see the link above):

"He is doing very well. He's three weeks ahead of schedule and I think he will join in normal training after the international break."

Which is really good to hear. Personally, I've missed the Frenchman more than I like to admit. His neat flicks, his impeccable haircut, the anguished look to the skies after a miss. Just before Ollie got injured I've written a piece on him, explaining just why I think he's so important. I stand by what I said.

Welbeck has done a very good job in the Frenchman's absence, but there are some aspects to Ollie's play Welbz couldn't emulate. I'm mostly talking about how Giroud is better at throwing his weight about, winning aerial duels and serving as a springboard for our attacks. However, Welbeck is definitely better with the ball at his feet and he's also a much, much better runner than the Frenchman. It'll be very interesting to see what happens when Giroud returns. We may even see the 4-4-2 Wenger talked about earlier, with both Welbeck and Giroud featuring at the same time.

Right, this was supposed to be a preview. So here goes.

The back five

It's Szczesny in goal, as usual, but what defenders will shield our goalie?

For me it should be Bellerin - Mertesacker - Chambers - Monreal. Even if fit, Gibbs should be rested, we don't want to aggravate his injury. With all due respect to Burnley, it's one of those occasions where playing both Bellerin and Chambers doesn't look much of a risk. The young Spaniard had a good game against Hull and we are going to need him anyway in the coming weeks, so providing Hector with the much-needed experience may stand him in good stead. Debuchy and Kos aren't due to return for another three weeks at least, no point in risking Gibbs when the situation doesn't call for it.

The midfield

With Jack most likely out, I fully expect Ramsey to be reintroduced to the side. The Welshman is over his injury and, as he hasn't hit the heights of the last year, he needs to play to find his form again.

I wouldn't be against the idea of Aaron playing a bit deeper, though, and helping Arteta out. As you may remember, Ramsey's dramatic upturn in form began during the second half of 2012-2013 campaign, when he formed a rock-solid partnership with Arteta and helped us secure the fourth place. We may want to revisit this situation once more, especially since Aaron's attacking verve has dwindled down for now.

However, I do not exclude Flamini slotting in for either Arteta or Ramsey, most likely the former. Though I'm not at all convinced in Flamini's usefulness, the Frenchman was included in last week's symbolic best XI, which means he's not that bad either. We'll see what happens tomorrow.

Ahead of a Ramsey-Arteta or Ramsey-Flamini duo I'd play Sanchez. And, after our game against Sunderland, I think few will disagree. Of course, the Chilean is far from being a conventional number 10, one like Ozil, but his restless energy and the ability to make things happen may be of more use to us right now. With Cazorla out of shape, Rosicky not playing a lot and Wilshere being unavailable for now, playing Sanchez under the striker may prove to be a masterstroke from Arsene. If you want to read more on the subject of Alexis in this new role, check out Tim Stillman's column. A very good read.

The attack

Is it time to cut Welbeck a break? I think it is, but, once again, Arsene may have different thoughts. If Daniel can take three games inside the next week, then he'll start tomorrow. If not, I think we should keep him wrapped in cotton wool for much harder games against Anderlecht and Swansea.

What options do we have if Welbz is rested? As I'm quite sure we'll see Sanchez under the striker, not leading the line, that leaves us with two possible options: Podolski and Campbell. Oh no, three: Sanogo. As the Frenchman hasn't featured for us since August 31st (I don't think it's a coincidence), he may get some minutes tomorrow. The official version is that Yaya had a hamstring injury, but I tend to think he was just taken out of the firing line by Wenger. Now that he has miraculously resurfaced, he may start tomorrow. I won't be too surprised if that happens.

Still, I'd prefer Campbell or Podolski. In that order. The German is more effective on the flank (and he may well play there tomorrow), while Campbell can be quite a good centre-forward. He's adept at holding up the play, can beat defenders when facing the goal and is very quick. Not quite Welbeck-quick, but still. I'd like to see the Costa-Rican given a chance.

On the flanks I fully expect Cazorla and Oxlade to continue, however, I may be wrong on both counts, especially if Welbeck starts up top. This game is a chance for some R&R for our key players and Cazorla, at the very least, is a key player. So Poldi or Campbell popping up on the flanks won't really surprise me.

The verdict

We need not only a win, but a strong performance to give our confidence a further boost. With the players we have I'm more than sure we can get both and start a very important week with a bang.

So let's do this. C'mon you Gunners.

And I'll be back with on Sunday with a review.

Until then

Follow me on Twitter (@AlexBaguzin). And don't forget you can subscribe via e-mail using the form on the right-hand side

Sunderland 0-2 Arsenal: Alexis the hero once again

Hello everyone.

So, we took the much needed three points on Saturday. Coupled with everyone else dropping points, we now sit fifth, nine behind Chelsea and five behind Southampton. Which is not that bad, considering our start of the season. Back to the game, however.

Arsene made just one change (Arteta for Wilshere), but, to the displeasure of many, left the defense untouched. He also didn't omit Flamini from the starting lineup, which, I guess, was down to Ramsey not being fit enough.

It was obvious from the start Sunderland set out not to concede. Understandable, given the spanking they received last week. We got hold of the ball, however, didn't do much with it. Our only half-moment was when Welbeck curled the ball over the bar at 20 minutes.

Suddenly, out of the blue, we scored. Mertesacker hoofed the ball towards no one in particular, Wes Brown lost it under pressure from Sanchez, the Chilean ran half the field and dinked the ball over Mannone.

This didn't bring any kind of response from Sunderland. The Cats continued to sit deep through the remainder of the first half, though they stepped it up a bit in the second.

This allowed us to exploit some space behind their erratic defending, but, unfortunately, Santi didn't have his shooting boots on. He spurned two glorious chances to put the game to bed, leaving all the fans in a rather nervous state until very late.

Till 92nd minute, if you are interested in the definition of "very late". It looked like our attack broke down near Sunderland's box, only for some defender or another to play a back pass to Mannone. The Italian failed to clear and Sanchez was on hand to poke the ball home. 2-0 and game over.

In the cold light of day, our performance looks only marginally better than the one in midweek. However, we got the three points and that's what really matters. We played two away games inside three days and won both. Did we produce good displays? No. But we got the job done, while everyone else didn't. I've written how I'd take an ugly win over a beautiful draw any day and I stand by what I said. Once we get the result, it doesn't really matter how.

What genuinely worries me right now is lack of fit defenders. We had five before the game (Bellerin included), but Gibbs limped off, holding his hip. If we lose the Englishman for any period of time, we're down to four defenders, two of them 19 years of age. Scary.

We can, once again, say how rash it was not to have bought another defender, with just six seniors, one of them with a chronic condition, but you also have to admit that any team will struggle with three injures in one line.

Look at United and their makeshift defense that costs them points in every game. Chelsea can consider themselves incredibly lucky, as they also have just six senior defenders. If the injury crisis hits them, they'll start losing games.

Let's hope there is nothing serious with Gibbs. Then we don't have long till Debuchy and Koscielny are back. Just a month to go. Before we furiously search the market in January.

That's it for now. Back in a couple of days with either fresh news or a preview. Or both.

Until later

Follow me on Twitter (@AlexBaguzin)

Sunderland preview: no margin for error

Morning everyone.

It's Sunderland away today and I cannot recall another occasion when we needed a win this badly.

However, Sunderland won't be easy to beat, not just because it's the BPL, where everyone fights tooth and nail, but because of the humiliation the Black Cats suffered in their last game. Having been made a laughing stock by Southampton, Poyet's side will be determined to put things right, especially at their own place. So any loss of focus, dip in concentration or underperformance will be punished.

We go into this game while still adapting to a new system and on the back of a very exhausting away European fixture. We also could have been better off in terms of personnel, so fielding a balanced team is something of a problem. The good thing, of course, is that we've won our last game, despite leaving it very late. With all this sorted out, a guessing game is in order.

The back five

Although Martinez had n excellent game against Anderlecht, I don't think we'll see the Argentine in goal. Szczesny is our number one, so, while it's good to know we have capable back-up, no one should fool himself that it's anything more than just back-up. Wojciech is the experienced guy and will start all games by default, at least till Ospina is back in full training.

Our defense is once again our weakest link. Though Chambers is back, it now looks like Koscielny will spend at least another month on the sidelines. Which is, of course, a huge blow, but given the nature of Laurent's injury we only have ourselves to blame for not buying cover. We knew he had a chronic condition which would require a lengthy treatment at some point and yet we failed to act. And the effort put into signing a defender doesn't really earn us any bonus points or a spare CB. Only the result matters. In this case the result is two injured leave us down to bare bones and the prospect of playing two youngsters week in, week out: Chambers and Bellerin.

And yes, I'd better have Bellerin starting games with Chambers alongside Per, than see Monreal deployed centrally. The Spaniard has bags of experience, but little of it he acquired by playing CB. So an axis of Mert and Chambers would make more sense. I also think it's more balanced and reliable.

The midfield

Here we have Jack unavailable, who serves a one-game ban for picking up five yellows. Apart from the Englishman, however, everyone else is good to go.

I've already stated I'm all for Arteta in that holding role and my opinion hasn't changed. In fact, my belief was further reinforced following an erratic showing from Flamini in midweek.

Maybe Arsene is playing mind games, eh? He knew Arteta received his bit of criticism prior to injury and decided to show the alternative is worse. So that everyone will cry their little eyes out and pray to the heavens Flamini won't start our next game. A clever ruse from Arsene.

No, honestly, this Flamdess has to stop. Enough's enough. The Frenchman doesn't bring anything to our side, apart from a lot of clapping and shouting. Which are important qualities, since we have very few players like that, but when every other aspect of your game flops, you have to ask a question of whether the cheerleader's qualities are more important than the overall performance of the team.

In front of Arteta I suspect Ramsey will start (who might just improve in Jack's absence) and AW has a decision to make of who to pair the Welshman with. Rosicky or Cazorla? Cazorla is a more natural playmaker, but Rosicky replicates Wilshere's qualities better. He likes to take players on, gives a pass at the last possible moment and it a tireless runner. He'll chase players all over the pitch, and this can be quite useful, when coupled with Ramsey's, Sanchez's and Welbeck's energy. Moreover, the Czech is fresh, having not featured a lot for us this season, so he'll be running through brick walls for us. Won't surprise me if he starts, with Cazorla on the flank.

The attack

Wlebeck is a regular starter, though I'm starting to question whether he can handle that many minutes. Was his substitution in midweek down to weak performance or because Danny's just exhausted?

If it's the latter scenario, we may see either Campbell or Sanchez up front. I think the Costa-Rican should be given a chance, but then I also think Sanchez is a more reliable option as a CF. He's different in the way he operates, but the manager is reluctant to use Campbell in any position right now, let alone as a lone striker. So it's either Welbeck up front or Sanchez.

The flanks are also an enigma. Assuming one of them is occupied by Cazorla, then we have Poldi, Sanchez, Oxlade and Campbell all fighting for one spot. Oh, and let's not forget Walcott, who can make the bench and as such is bound to come on at some point. A nice selection headache for Arsene. I'd personally go with a Cazorla-Sanchez-Welbeck trio, but there's no telling what Wenger may do.

The verdict

All in all, we have enough firepower up front and that little bit of confidence after our dramatic midweek game to win today. The defense is a sticking point, but then we all knew it is risky to go into the new season with just six seniors. No point bemoaning it now, we cannot change it, so time to get behind the team and the manager. And wait till January, when we should be furiously searching the market for a CB. And while we are at it, we might as well buy a DM. A decent one. Cause right now only Arteta looks decent, while Diaby... did I mention he is injured?

Right, that's it for today. Here's for the three points today and I'll get back to you with a review on Sunday or Monday.

Until then and c'mon you Gunners

Follow me on Twitter (@AlexBaguzin)

Anderlecht 1-2 Arsenal: by hook and crook

It's tough job being an Arsenal fan. Other people will probably never understand the stress you suffer. Your mood swings. Depression and joy. If I ask a person, why he's so sad or silent and he answers "I support Arsenal", he needn't continue. Should you cite the factors that affect your nervous system you can always count in Arsenal's latest perfo

Yet sometimes it's incredibly rewarding. Like yesterday. After 71 minutes of football I went and fetched myself some validol. When the 85th minute came around I started washing my teacup, deflated and fully prepared to have a long night of self-reflection and misery ahead. But it turned out I have given in too early.

When Chambers swung in his cross I wasn't hoping for anything. With Welbeck off and Alexis not in the box, there was no one to pounce on the cross but Oxlade-Chamberlain. Who picked the wrong position. However, to my immense astonishment, the cross was met with a neat volley and the ball rippled in the back of the net. At first I thought only Poldi, who came on five minutes prior to this episode, could have pulled off that finish. But I was wrong again. Replays showed Gibbs buried his chance, before burying his face in his hands.

It seemed a point for your thought and for Arsene's birthday. Which was unacceptable, but better than no points at all. The ref added 3 minutes, but the goal did what it always does: sparked us into life. Suddenly, chances came flooding in.

And we took the first one that presented itself. Gibbs crossed from the left, a scuffle ensued, Sanchez emerged on top and his pass found Podolski. The German smashed the ball home.

We could have added another in the later stages, but for some wayward passing and a poor first touch. But what the hell, we got the job done. The rest is history. This is what Arsene said after the game:

"We had the spirit. We had to go. It was disappointing we didn’t create more chances tonight but I put that down to the fact as well that Anderlecht defended very well."

I'd take a scrappy last-minute win over a gorgeous draw any day. However, it doesn't mean I'm satisfied with the performance. Far from it. There were only four players who fared relatively well. Martinez, Gibbs, Sanchez and Podolski.

Martinez could have done little about the goal, but kept us in the game by pulling off a brilliant save and then coming off his line quickly when one-on-one with Suarez. Very encouraging from the young Argentine, whose last competitive start for us was a 7-5 game against Reading.

Gibbs defended staunchingly, especially since he was offered little support from Cazorla, Alexis or whoever was supposed to cover for the Englishman on the left. Scored a brilliant volley too, and provided a cross for the second goal.

Poldi gets the props for doing what he was asked to do in the short ten minutes he was on. A sublime first touch and a cracking finish.

And Sanchez. Our only consistently good performer right now. Giving his all and contributing. Got another assist under his belt, nearly scored from a beautifully curved free-kick and set up Cazorla for the first really dangerous passage of play. Hope the Chilean has enough energy left in the tank to put in a performance against Sunderland.

Everyone else: not so good as a team, not so good at individual level. Monreal looked out of his depth, Chambers had an atrocious game (surprising, really. Maybe the schedule is catching up with him?). The Englishman was continuously caught out of position, let the opposition breathe past him too easily. A game to forget.

Our midfield also was far from the optimal condition. Wilshere and Ramsey cannot play together without one of them flopping, and right now Wilshere is the in-form guy. That's why I think it's reasonable to suggest to drop the Welshman and play Cazorla centrally. That way we'll have a real winger on the left, who'll be able to help Gibbs out, while also allowing the Spaniard to spread play effectively and feed Sanchez.

Flamini is a good cheerleader, but an average player. He should be omitted, Arteta definitely won't commit the kind of mistakes Flamini committed yesterday.

Up front we should maybe consider playing Podolski more often. His conversion rate is way too good to deploy the German for occasional 15 minutes or so.

On a side note, Borussia had smashed Gala in Turkey, and have thus ensured qualification. If they beat the Turks at home, while we win our game against Anderlecht, we'll be through. Can we top the group? It looks unlikely considering the Germans' form. They only have to lose by a one-goal margin to us and win their remaining two (home) games to ensure the top spot. But hey, it's the Champions League, where you can take nothing for granted.

That's it for today. Enjoy the win, if not the performance.

And Happy Birthday, Arsene

Until later

Follow me on Twitter (@AlexBaguzin)

Anderlecht preview:...

I've already run out of imperatives of how important it is to win the next game. After this season's showing I'm not even sure we can win tomorrow. Community Shield included, Arsenal only had three good performances this year. We can kind of count in the Man City performance, though we dropped points on that occasion.

A very gloomy atmosphere indeed surrounds our tomorrow's fixture. The fan base, predictably, erupted, after we failed to get the points against Hull. However, even had we nicked the win in the dying seconds of the game, would that have changed much? I'm not sure. The problem was not so much the result, but the performance itself. Shaky at the back, unconvincing up front. Lost, if you are looking for one word to describe our showing on Saturday.

However, the press and our own fans are definitely overreacting. The press is ready to scourge Arsene (did you see that awful interview with Jacqui Oatley? Disgusting), while rumour has it the fans are preparing some anti-Wenger banners for our game in Brussels. I've even heard about some back-turning to the pitch every 18 minutes to demonstrate the fans' dissatisfaction with AW.

I, for one, think such measures are completely uncalled for. What will they lead to, what are the fans trying to achieve? They want to show their displeasure and that's understandable, but, if you just think one step ahead, this will accomplish nothing, apart from heaping even more pressure on Wenger and the players. Arsene won't step down till at least the end of this season and thus I see no reason to try and force his retirement now. However bad the situation is, there's no immediate rescue, no easy answer to our problems. Both our manager and our footballers are in desperate need of our support exactly because we're going through a hard period. Right now they need our backing, not our contempt. Come the end of the season and we're still in a mess, fine. Protest all you want. Summer is a sufficient period to bring in a new manager and some new players, but right now there's no point, cause nothing will change. Not because the existing situation is good, but because it can become much worse with an interim manager.

Moreover, I've already stated that Arsenal gets the stick far more often, than other clubs under roughly the same circumstances do. Liverpool, Everton, Tottenham and United are much worse off than we are, yet I see next to no criticism coming their way. It goes to the point of absurdity. United drew yesterday against West Brom by only just getting a point thanks to a late equaliser. Yet for them the result is somehow acceptable, even good, while our draw against Hull is considered shameful. Man Utd appointed a wonder-manager, a brilliant tactician and bought world-class players for £150 mil, and sit just one point above us. Nonetheless, their start is kind of normal, Mata is somehow more effective than Ozil and Van Gaal is just unlucky, while Wenger is incompetent. What a fair world we live in.

Anyway, this was supposed to be a preview, so onto matters more pressing and more Arsenal-related.

The back five

Martinez will start between the sticks, while some rookie or other will make the bench. Surprised? I know I was when I first heard of it. Szczesny is out of the equation due to suspension, it was known long before, but where's Ospina? Well, can you guess?

Yes, the Colombian is injured. I'm not even sure when he managed to pick up whatever knock will keep him out of the game. So David's unavailable for selection and for the first time this season I'm genuinely worried about the shot-stopper position. I mean, Martinez seems a nice and dedicated lad, but I'm not exactly sure he's up to the task just yet. Fortunately, it's only (ahem), ONLY Anderlecht, so fingers crossed Emiliano won't have an awful lot of work.

The back four is a bit of an enigma. I don't know where we are with Koscielny, I guess it's too soon for the Frenchman, but good news is, Chambers is back. So the question is this: where will the Englishman be deployed? On the right, with Monreal through the middle once more? Or centrally, with Bellerin on the right and Monreal on the bench?

For me, the latter scenario sounds better, mainly because Monreal didn't impress against Hull, while Hector did. Furthermore, Chambers and Bellerin are better suited to play CB and RB respectively. The other two should be Gibbs and Mertesacker, though the German really has to improve on his Saturday's performance. He's not alone there, however.

The midfield

Mikel Arteta for Mathieu Flamini. Please. The Frenchman is more of a nuisance right now, Arteta at least doesn't make positional mistakes and is harder to push off the ball. He's also a much better passer, something that can make the difference. So we need our skipper on, from the very first minutes.

Further up I'd probably go with Cazorla and Ramsey, just because risking Wilshere is, well, risky. He's one of the few in-form players we have, so we should wrap him in cotton wool and use only as a sub tomorrow. If needs must. But I hope it won't come to that.

The attack

Welbeck and Sanchez should be regular starters for an obvious reason: they score goals. However, it's interesting to see, who will complete our front three.

Oxlade, Campbell, Podolski and maybe even Walcott are all candidates. In case with the Englishmen I suspect Alexis will switch to the left to free up the right flank, but, frankly, it looks like Alexis can score goals from any position, so I'm not particularly worried about where exactly the Chilean will play.

If it was for me, I'd probably go with Campbell. I really liked what I've seen from him against Hull and, earlier, Southampton, so Joel deserves his chance. Especially since Walcott may not be fully fit, while Poldi doesn't have the manager's trust. Oxlade will probably edge it, though. Both because I'm bad at guessing and because AW doesn't seem to trust Campbell any more than he trusts Podolski.

The verdict

We are, once again, the obvious favourites on paper, however it doesn't seem to guarantee us anything lately. We have a lot of attacking players to take the game to our opponent, while at the same time covering our ever-changing defense and this is exactly what we should do. We really need to jump-start our campaign.

So c'mon you Gunners

And I'll be back with you for a review.

Until then

Follow me on Twitter (@AlexBaguzin)

Arsenal 2-2 Hull: Alexis Sanchez's stand-out performance masks deep problems

At least twice this year I wrote about draws that felt like a point gained: City and Everton. Twice I lamented dropped points: Leicester and Tottenham. Now has come the third time to bemoan the latter and I don't at all feel like doing it. Needs must, though, so here comes.

The squad

Given Koscielny's injury and Chambers's suspension our back four was predictable: Bellerin, Mert, Monreal and Gibbs. There were rumours Hayden could have started and, taking Monreal's performance into consideration, it probably would have been better for all parties concerned if Isaac did just that. However, our CB sustained an injury (of course he had) and thus didn't even make the bench.

Of all defenders only Bellerin deserves some praise and this in itself tells you a lot about how our defense fared. When a 19 year old, who starts his first Premier League game, becomes the only bright spot, questions need to be asked.

I get it Gibbs may have been exhausted after his game for the national team, but he also wasn't our worst performer on the day, despite clearly being caught out of position for their second. Instead, the heart of our (last year's rock-solid) defense was at fault for both goals. Mert failed to position himself for the second goal, allowing Hernandez to easily head past him and Monreal was nowhere to be seen when Diame scored his first (albeit controversial) goal.

Further up field Wenger stuck with Flamini and I wish he didn't. I already said Arteta is the better passer of the ball and this could have made the difference, especially in the second half, when we were desperately pursuing the equaliser. Further up the pitch we had a predictable duo of Wilshere and Cazorla. Both weren't overly convincing.

Welbeck and Oxlade started up top, which was not surprising, but Alexis did likewise, something I didn't expect, as the Chilean played two full games for the national team, the last finished on late Wednesday. And thank God Sanchez started.

The first half

We kicked off in good fashion, peppering Harper with shots during the first 15 minutes. The goalie saved every single effort on target, but we kept probing and were rewarded in the 14th minute. Sanchez dilly-dallied his way through the defense and fired an unstoppable low shot into the bottom corner. We looked in full control of the situation and the goal was only logical.

However, our joy at being in front didn't last long. Diame ran right through the middle as if our defense just wasn't there, pushed Flamini off the ball and chipped Szczesny. Did Diame foul Flamini? Yes, he did, even Steve Bruce admitted it after the game. But, while we can point the finger of blame at the ref to some extent, we ourselves failed on two basic fronts: cover the central defense and play to the whistle. Monreal was nowhere to be found, Flamini gave up too easily.

But did we respond? Hell no. We seemed deflated and completely disinterested. The only player who tried hard and made things happen was Sanchez. Even with him and third- choice stopper between the sticks (Harper got subbed for Jakupovic) we failed to trouble the keeper from 43rd minute to 86th. Needless to say, we didn't get anything out of the first half.

The second half

I was late for, like, twenty seconds and the first thing I saw? Right, Hull's goal. In a typical Arsenal fashion. A cross from the flank (Gibbs, where was Gibbs?!), Mert lost Abel Hernandez and the guy headed home. 2-1 down in a game we should have been comfortably winning. In front of our own fans.

But did it fuel our inner rage and spark us into life? Hell no. It felt like we were going through the motions, right up till the 86th minute.

It was the minute Monreal said to himself "F*ck it, I'm not losing it" and, not giving Gibbs so much as a cursory glance, bombed forward down his beloved left flank. He crossed, and it was our first dangerous cross of the game. Alexis met it with a thumping header, but Jakupovic saved.

Thankfully, we found that equaliser in the 91th minute. And Alexis was the man who did all the work. He danced his way through 3 players and played a perfect pass into Welbeck's path. The Englishman's finish was composed.

We could have probably nicked the win in the dying seconds, but both Monreal and Oxlade failed to connect with the ball properly on the volley, while Cazorla and Gibbs saw their respective efforts blocked by Jakupovic. 2-2 it finished.

The aftermath

I haven't seen our fan base so dissatisfied since our home loss to Villa last year and they have every reason to be: our performance was so much below expectations. The worst thing was how it was obvious we lacked passion and desire going forward in the second half. No one (apart from Sanchez) seemed to care we were on course to lose the game and this is genuinely scary.

This inability to break down defenses (whatever the reason), coupled with our make-shift back four led to yet another draw. In a game we should have won comfortably.

The sticking point was how unmotivated the team looked and this is the instance where the buckle stops with the manager. It's Arsene's job to ensure the players produce and if they don't, it's his fault and his alone.

Unfortunately, I see no immediate way out, no rescue. Can Arsene leave? He surely can, but if he steps down right now, we'll be in a real mess. A new man will need time to adapt and we cannot afford to lose any more points because of yet another transition period.

Can Arsene step down at the end of the season? He can, but will he, even if the team underperformes? We all know how Arsene stays till his contract expires, something that'll happen in only three years time.

The way I see it, Arsene has to stay and do his best to get the maximum out of this group of players. Because I genuinely think that this crop is capable of far better results. We played some great football last year and we were without Sanchez, Welbeck or Chambers back then. So Arsene should try as hard as he can to fuel this side to better achievements this year and if he fails by the end of it, he should step down. The boss always said how he will leave when he understands there's nothing more he can give to this team and I hope he keeps his word.

That's it for today. Back tomorrow with a preview for the game against Anderlecht.

Until then

Follow me on Twitter (@AlexBaguzin)

Hull preview: start winning. Now

Good evening everyone.

Football returns tomorrow and we face Hull City at the Emirates. This particular opponent not only brings back good memories, but also presents us with a chance to rack up some points, something we badly need.

In his usual injury update, Arsene informed us about the current state of the squad. The news is mixed, as you'd expect. I'll start with the not-so-pleasant bits.

Ozil is our major concern right now and, unfortunately, he'll be out for at least six weeks, having partially torn some ligaments in his left knee. There was a rumour in circulation, which went to assume Arsene has deliberately kept a knackered Ozil against Chelsea, but the boss was quick to play it down:

"He told me (about the injury) once it was discovered on the scan. He did not tell me anything during the Chelsea game, I did not know. What happened was that at half-time, just before we went out, he had a little pain with his knee but it was not bad. He wanted to go on and I told him, ‘If you don't feel well, tell me and I will take you off straight away'. He never did that during the whole game, and after I left him on because we were in a position where we needed to score a goal and he can deliver the final ball. "

Whether it was actually the case is now history, however I cannot, for the world of me, understand why we have to risk our key player like that. We had Oxlade on the bench, Santi was fresh, yet Arsene persisted and now we'll be without Ozil for quite some time. I think this "six week" talk is the bare minimum, cause initial reports suggested Ozil can spend up to three months on the sidelines. Coming from the German national team I believe the info was pretty accurate. Arsene may just fear the backlash this news can cause.

The other casualty of the international break is Koscielny. However, his problem seems to be chronic, something that hints at us carrying at least some blame. We new his achilles wasn't very good long before the start of the season, yet we've let Vermaelen go and bought nobody. As such we couldn't rotate, played Kos every week and now he's out. Arsene didn't put a time frame on this injury, but I somehow don't think it'll be one game only.

And now the good news. Arteta, Rosicky, Walcott and Gnabry are all fit, though our wingers won't be involved tomorrow. Both Theo and Gerge will take part in today's U-21s game and may travel to Brussels a couple of days from now. Fingers crossed. Arteta and Rosicky are fully fit and will make the squad against the Tigers, while Ramsey will join the main group on Monday and will fly with the team in midweek.

With all this covered, let's try putting a probable squad together.

The back five

I've heard some worrisome rumours that Ospina is carrying a knock, though nothing was said on the subject during the press-conference today. I assume that means the Colombian is alright and, if it was up to me, I'd start him.

I don't have a problem with Szczesny, especially since he's put in a MoM performance against Germany, but the simple truth is that Ospina will probably need some practise before we face Anderlecht. He should get, if fully fit. However, I won't be surprised to see the Pole start the game. Last year Arsene refused to rotate keepers before a cup game, and so Fabianski didn't get any warm-up. Arsene may utilise this strategy once more.

The defense is genuinely scary and I think we can all thank the Lord we weren't in such defensive mess before the Chelsea game. Now we have Kos out and Chambers suspended and this means starts for Monreal at centre-back and Bellerin at right-back. Hayden should make the bench, cause there's just no one else.

The midfield

Flamini did well in his last game and I wonder whether Arsene will be reluctant to remove the Frenchman from the line-up. He's a tad more pacy than Arteta, though there's no doubt the Spaniard sets the tone to our passing better. Tough call, I hope Arteta edges it, though. I'll be a bit more calm with our skipper at the base of the midfield.

Centrally, I'm pretty certain Wilshere and Cazorla will continue. Jack was England's stand-out performer, while he's also done very well in our shirt this season. Moreover, Arsene seems to view Jack a regular starter, so my money's on Wilsh making it.

Cazorla will now have to fill the void left by Ozil and, though I concede Rosicky will get his fair bit of football while the German is injured, Santi is our most obvious go-to solution. He doesn't quite fit Ozil's mould, but then again, no one does. We've lost a really important player in Mesut.

The attack

Welbeck up top is a res judicata for me, but the flanks present an interesting problem.

Walcott and Gnabry are out of the equation for now, but Sanchez is also unlikely to feature, having played the full game for Chile on Wednesday. He should make the bench, but I'd be surprised if we see him start.

This means a definite start for Oxlade on the right, but who'll play on the left? It can either be Podolski or Campbell and the question is, whom does the manager trust less. I'd give Campbell a chance to show himself, but, knowing my betting record, it just means Podolski will start. If he does, I really hopes Poldi puts in a shift.

The verdict

Hull, Sunderland, Burnley, Swansea. These are the teams we face before the next international break and we should be looking at 10 points at the very least. Anything else can put to bed any title claims we may have, not to mention the fans' reaction. On which, by the way, you can read another brilliant piece by Tim Stillman. It really got me thinking about how we perceive our idols and success as a whole. Give it a go, fascinating stuff.

One last thing. I know AGM has taken place yesterday and there were some really interesting things to chew on. I'll try writing about it as soon as I have a bit of time, promise. For now, you can read the essence here and follow me on Twitter for some other interesting stuff.

That's it for today. Here's for the three points tomorrow and I'll back as soon as I can with either AGM's or game's review. Or both.

Until then and come on you Gunners

Formation headache, alternatives and Walcott

Hello everyone.

The final international games took place yesterday and now, as always, we're assessing the damage done to our squad.

Injury update

Ozil will, of course, be out for long, Koscielny's state is unclear, with reports suggesting the Frenchman should be fit to face Hull, but the latest injury worry is Welbeck. Our last-gasp summer purchase seemed to have rolled his ankle two days ago and was subsequently subbed. He went straight down the tunnel with the physiologist, but Hodgson later assured everyone that Welbeck is alright and should be available for the weekend. I sincerely hope it's the case.

However, there is also good news for the Gunners on the injury front. Ramsey is just a couple of days away from joining the main group, which means Arteta is likely to do the same. Arsene also said Giroud is ahead of schedule after Olivier was operated on successfully. Wenger didn't elaborate on what "ahead of schedule" means, so I don't expect the French international to be back earlier than the beginning of December. However, the more interesting bit comes later:

"Welbeck and Giroud can play together in the centre or separately. Welbeck also played on one side to Manchester United. Welbeck played in the same team with Rooney and van Persie. He can play down the sides."

I hope it's only hypothetical. We've all seen how effective Welbeck is down the middle. Also, one of the reasons why Daniel decided to part ways with United was his wide role. I'd rather Arsene explored the possibility of playing Giroud and Welbeck together as two centre-forwards, but we'll cross that bridge when we get Olivier up and running.

For now, though, we have Walcott and Gnabry up and running and their return got me thinking about our possible line-ups. So here goes.

Possible formation and approach with Ozil out

I know it sounds cynical, but it looks like Walcott will be a replacement for Ozil. I mean positionally. This season the German was mostly deployed on the flank, though he was given license to roam to spread the play and do his magic. In this regard Cazorla will most likely pick up the slack, with Wilshere more than able to help out.

It is obvious a fully-fit Walcott should start games, so this means Alexis will be shifted wide left to accommodate Walcott on the right. Until the Englishman is back to his best I'd really like the Ox to be given a run of games.

As paradoxical as it sounds, Ozil's injury + Walcott's return may finally prompt us to return to 4-2-3-1. If not on paper, then definitely on the pitch. With two pure wingers and Cazorla centrally it'll be much closer to 4-2-3-1. Unless Wenger suddenly decides that Cazorla should play on the wing, with Wilshere and Ramsey in the middle of the park. Which is not completely out of question. It is clear Arsene gives every chance to Wilshere, while Ramsey, when fit, also starts. On more than just a couple of occasions this has led to both being deployed centrally. It's fair to say this experiment hasn't quite worked out yet, but it CAN in the future. There's a brilliant piece on the subject from Tim Stillman, over on Goonersphere. Check it out.

Right now, though, it'll make more sense to deploy Cazorla as a playmaker with Rosicky waiting in the wings. It looks like the Czech has a fair number of games coming his way, so he should be getting ready for these.

Finally for today, there's a good piece in the Mirror (yeah, I know, but don't laugh) on our injury crisis. I basically never believe anything written there, so this an exception. Worth checking out.

That's it for now. Sorry it's a bit short, but not much happening still. I'll get back to you in a couple of days, most likely with Hull preview.

Until then

Follow me on Twitter (@AlexBaguzin)

UEFA introduces yet another major change, but is it a fair one?

Hello.

I'll start with the bit that has everyone's attention right now: UEFA is about to introduce a change to the existing seeding system. Namely: the champions of seven highest-ranking countries will go straight into the first pot, along with the defending champions. It is yet unclear what will happen if one of the domestic champions also wins the Champions League. I suspect the eight's country's champion will be seeded in the first pot, but it's pure guesswork. This is the statement:

“It will be ratified later on by the executive committee but it’s a clear recommendation of the club competition’s committee that the seeding system changes in this respect as from next season.

People had difficulties in understanding how the champion of a country is in a lower pot than the third-ranked in that country.

This will give another dynamic with the draw and in the way the groups are composed. It will be approved with the regulations at the start of next year.

The club committee felt that there should be somehow an additional award given to the winners of the different national competitions."

What is also unclear, is how other pots will shape up. Seeding vice-champions in the second, third-place teams in the third and so on could potentially lead to very strong teams being left out of the elite. Which means we'll get several groups of death each year. Which, in its turn, can devalue the competition. But again, I don't know, whether it'll be the case.

Is it a fair system UEFA is trying to organise? Is it better than the one we already have in place?

Remember how a couple of years back the European's Football governing body introduced a path for the champions and a path for the non-champions (I still haven't got used to it)? They argued that very few small-country champions are represented during the group stages, which is not exactly fair.

This overhaul gifted us a couple of surprises, like APOEL and BATE going through to the knock-out stages, but, overall, I think the tournament got less entertaining. It doesn't really matter when the small clubs get knocked out, during the third qualifier or during the group stages. However, you could sort of see what UEFA's goal was. To give the chance to others.

And history repeats itself. You can understand what prompted this current change to the seeding system. You can say it's strange to see the reigning champion in the third pot with a potential chance to land themselves in a tough group, Borussia were even seeded in the fourth pot following 2010-2011 campaign, as they had a low rating. This injustice of sorts greatly hampered the Germans' chances to go through.

However, the current set-up is far from dysfunctional. It takes a historical aspect into consideration. For example, this year only three champions (Benfica, Atletico, Bayern) + the defending champions Real made it into the top pot. But the reasons why Arsenal, Chelsea, Porto and Barcelona made it are fairly obvious: their countries and the teams themselves perform to a very high standard in European competitions on a regular basis. Porto and Benfica are very successful in the Europa League for several years now, Barcelona and Chelsea are very consistent in the Champions League (they often get to the semi-finals), while Arsenal, well, gets into the group stages for 17 consecutive years and gets out of the group for 14-15 years running. Is it fair they go into the first pot for their consistency? I think so.

It may also prompt a change in our approach to the BPL. Which is exactly what we need. If we don't win, we'll find ourselves in a tough group once more. Do we want to have Barca or Bayern in our group? So this change can also be for the better. It can finally lead us to realise just how important winning the championship is.

Finally for today, all our international players seem to have come through the first round of internationals unscathed, which is certainly good news, considering five our of them featured for England alone. Even more, Wilshere got MoM for his performance, while Welbeck scored one of the goals from a Chamberlain assist. Chambers and Gibbs both completed 90 minutes and have impressed, for all I know. The most important thing they are all healthy, of course.

That's it for today. Back with fresh news in a couple of days.

Until then

Follow me on Twitter (@AlexBaguzin)

Injury situation worsens as Ozil becomes the latest fallen

I originally intended to get back a bit earlier, but nothing worth mentioning happened. Now, unfortunately, we do have something to talk about. I wish we didn't.

Yesterday news of Ozil's injury emerged and Arsenal's fan base erupted. With Ramsey and Arteta already out, it stretches our midfield situation to almost breaking point. What is much more important, however, is that we've lost our most valuable player, a man around whom the whole team can be built.

Remember how everyone said we're playing better without Ozil and then collectively bemoaned his absence at the start of the season? Back in August we were far from a cohesive unit and the German's return sparked us into life. Twice Ozil was deployed centrally after his come-back and on both occasions we've delivered stellar performances (3-0 against Villa and 4-1 against Gala). The German was less noticeable on the flank, but I've already stated, despite Mesut not buzzing around like Sanchez, he's no less influential. Even during the last game against Chelsea (when our number 10 was clearly nursing an injury), he fared better, statistically-wise, than Fabregas. We don't have a direct replacement for Ozil and I'm certain we're going to miss Mesut thoroughly.

I don't, for that reason, understand the reaction of some Arsenal "fans", who say Ozil was nicking a living anyway and there are better players on our team. There aren't. But what strikes me as the most stupid thing about such "fans" behavior, is how they say we should have signed Cesc. They've been repeating this since the start of the season, though their reasoning is, let's say, adaptable. They just take a jab when a merest opportunity presents itself. Disgusting.

Who could have foreseen an injury to the German? Or the downturn in Ramsey's form? We really do have a wealth of attacking players and re-signing Cesc was a risk, which the manager didn't take. Let's not forget the simple fact, that the Spaniard only plays in central midfield at Chelsea because he has Matic alongside him to do all the dirty work. We couldn't have played Cesc there, cause we don't have a powerful holding DM. Both Arteta and Flamini require help and they wouldn't have got much from Fabregas. While using Cesc as a 10 would have meant sacrificing Ozil. And, despite all the critic coming his way, I still think the German is the better player.

In an even worse twist, Koscielny seems to have been withdrawn from France's national team due to an achilles injury. We've known for some time now the Frenchman was carrying one, but we just couldn't allow to rest him. It all comes down to lack of proper cover, again. Had Debuchy been alright, we could have tried playing a central pairing of Mertesacker and Chambers, but Debuchy is out till new year. Moreover, this duo didn't seem to work properly on the only occasion we've seen it: against Everton.

All of this means Koscielny had to play and now we are at the crossroads. We all know how an injury to the achilles deteriorates over time. You can play with it for a while, but the longer you play, the more you aggravate it. And so the treatment would also take longer. Right now Kos does seem to be in a passable condition, so the decision to keep him wrapped in cotton wool is more of a precaution, but the Frenchman will require a lengthy treatment at some point. I only hope he holds out till January, when we'll have the chance to furiously search the transfer market for at least one centre-back. Two is better.

This grim news diverts our attention from the real problem: we're in the middle of yet another injury crisis and it's not even the middle of October. Debuchy and Giroud will be sidelined till at least early December and Ozil will be out longer still. And that's not to mention short-termers (Arteta, Ramsey), newly-returned Theo and Gnabry and a brittle French duo of Sanogo and Diaby. We have, at the very least, five injured players, none of whom will take part in our next game, and a suspended Chambers, of course. How can we possibly fight for anything with half the team out?!

What interests me most, is how exactly we manage to gather so many injures every year. It's been ongoing, yet no one can solve it. We've brought in Shad Forsythe and, while the new man will need some time, the situation definitely hasn't improved. We've conducted countless investigations into any possible reasons behind these injures and haven't found out anything.

What is it we are doing wrong? Is it the pitch at the Emirates, is it training methods? Players carrying on despite nursing knocks, like Ozil and before him, Wilshere? Perhaps short recovery periods after games? Is it down to our style of football or maybe we've just assembled the world's most brittle collaction of players? A combination of all these factors? I wish I knew.

I cannot express how tired I am to experience this Groundhog Day year after year after year. We've failed to challenge for trophies more than once because of our walking wounded and I fear this situation is still not behind us. It's sad really. All the good work in the transfer market undone and it's still early days. So much work to get the Club out of the financial hole and to work us into a position when we can genuinely compete, only for the injures to dent our hopes.

Alright, I think it's enough for today. Back in a couple of days, when I'll (hopefully) have better news.

Until then

Cheslea 2-0 Arsenal: a dignified loss

Morning everyone.

Our curse of not being able to overpower Jose Mourinho's Chelsea continued yesterday, as we suffered the first loss this year. Little actual football happened during the ninety minutes, so instead of describing how each half went (as I usually do), I'll just present to you other points of interest.

Our squad and set-up

There was only one change compared to our midweek game: Wilshere for Oxlade-Chamberlain. We also reverted to 4-1-4-1, but, surprisingly, not Cazorla was asked to play on the flank. Instead, Ozil did, and the question of whether the German would have performed better under the striker is an open one. However, thanks to 7amkickoff, we know that, statistically-wise, Ozil fared better than Cesc. The fact that Ozil doesn't run around as Sanchez does, doesn't mean he's contributed less.

Hazard, Cahill and Mourinho

We played some very decent football before conceding. Sure, the moments were few and far between, but we looked well-organised and disciplined, with Flamini rocking the midfield. And then, I'd say against the run of play, we conceded. Hazard picked the ball some 30 yards from goal, breezed past Cazorla, rounded off Flamini and then stormed into the box, wrong-footing Koscielny in the process. The Frenchman had little choice, but to foul the Belgian. Eden converted calmly from the spot.

This forced Arsenal to take more decisive action. Wilshere was one-on-one after a good move, but the Englishman's clumsy first touch allowed Cech to claim the ball. Minutes before that, a scuffle on the sidelines broke out and with good reason to back it: Cahill two-footed Sanchez. Arsene demanded red and thus entered into a conflict with Mourinho, pushing the latter. Wenger later stated he didn't regret this decision:

"What is there to regret after that? I wanted to go from A to B and somebody confronted me in between without any sign of welcome."

If Arsene then knocked Mourinho down and stamped on his face I would have said personally said the Frenchman deserves a knighthood. As it is, I can just applause this decision. I don't care what happened, I don't care what Mourinho said or did, the Portuguese is a despicable personality and deserves all the pushes in the world.

Oscar, Cesc and the second goal

Cesc was booed. Simple as that. The three thousand fans supporting Arsenal were heard loud and clear when the Spaniard received the ball. Of our players, only Wilshere (understandable) and Welbeck showed their contempt towards Cesc. Wilshere just turned away when Fabregas wanted to talk to him and Welbeck two-footed the Spaniard late in the game, knowing full-well he won't get the ball. Two knighthoods, please.

However, it didn't stop Cesc from making a decisive contribution. When we lost the ball some fifteen minutes from time, our former skipper clipped an inch-perfect pass over our defense and Costa chipped Szczesny. Game over and we were in damage control mode since that second goal.

On a side note, we should have been given a penalty when Fabregas clearly stopped the ball with his hand, but I think it was already 2-0 at that point.

Oh, and Oscar. Almost as despicable as Mourinho. He committed these nasty fouls when the ref wasn't looking, but only received a yellow very late in the game, when in fairness he could have been sent off for these antics in the first half. Disgusting behaviour. He's a true Chelsea player in that regard.

Thoughts on performance and result

"It was a very intense game. Very tight as well. It was about not making a mistake and not giving the first goal away. After that we were 1-0 down. We had good opportunities in the first half and we have to turn these into dangerous situations and finish them. After that in the second half it was all us and we were a bit unlucky. We made a mistake on the second goal, and the second goal killed the game off."

The result aside, I think we did pretty well. We were well-organised from the first minute to the last, we had some chances (Wilshere, Cazorla) and I'm starting to think this 4-1-4-1 can do us a lot of good against the big teams. We may still be more efficient playing 4-2-3-1 with lesser opposition, but we'll see.

A loss leaves us with ten points after seven games, however, and you really start to lament these dropped points against Tottenham and Leicester. 14 points is a much more respectable number. Let's not forget, though, that United, LIverpool and the likes, who now boast how good they are, still have both City and Chelsea to play. And if they get four points combined from four games, I'd be really surprised.

Now we have a bit of a break before our next game. I don't think the players should beat themselves up because we lost to a probable champion. We had a good, committed performance, and been as organised as it gets. So play for the national sides, return and carry on as usual. It's not pleasant to lose, but we've lost only just and given our everything.

So don't feel too down. Have a good week and I'll be back with you in a couple of days.

Until then

Follow me on Twitter (@AlexBaguzin)

Chelsea preview: the stage is set

Good morning.

Tomorrow Arsenal visits Stamford Bridge and I won't deny I'm a little nervous about this one.

We haven't exactly been at our best last time we went there, while our overall record against the Blues leaves a lot to be desired. We've last beaten Chelsea in 2012, when a hat-trick from a certain Dutch ensured we came out on top 5-3, but it's been no bed of roses since then.

Arsenal's record against Mourinho's Chelsea is worse still, with no wins in eleven games. However, I'm with Wenger on this one (surprise, surprise):

“I don’t deny that history is against us with Chelsea. The thing about top teams is that they make history and they change history.”

Do I think we have what it takes to bring down Chelsea? Absolutely. Yes, we still have 7 players out, 5 of whom would have made the squad, but it was basically the same story in midweek.

With that settled, let's try putting a comprehensive squad together.

The back five

Although Monreal can be back (which is certainly a boost), I don't expect any changes in defense. Gibbs is blossoming right now, so much so he received a call-up to the national side. Delightfully, he got one at the expense of that ignorant and overrated Man United left-back. But it's just an observation, which, I think, has little to do with Gibbs's participation tomorrow.

However, I strongly believe Arsene should drop Szczesny, or at least consider doing it. I've softened my stance towards the Pole's red and I realise it's unlikely AW will bench Wojciech after just one mistake, but he still should consider it. Ospina had a very good game on Wednesday, answering all the critics who crawled out of their holes after the Saints' match. Moreover, the Colombian will surely need practise before we play Anderlecht. Tomorrow may be the time to provide him with some.

The midfield

Here we have another dilemma. I'm pretty sure Flamini will continue in his holding position after a strong performance on Wednesday, but who starts further up the pitch is another question entirely.

Playing a partnership of Cazorla and Ozil may worked against Gala, but I think we'll have one hell of a hard time breaking up Chelsea's attacks with such a duo. We are going to need someone more sound defensively to not lose the midfield battle.

Shifting Ozil out wide to keep Cazorla in the centre of the park is not an option, as far as I'm concerned. It'll mean inviting Chelsea to attack down that flank and with players like Hazard and Schurrle they may reap the benefits. So Ozil should remain where he was, not the least because his best games came when the German was deployed under the striker.

He'll need someone who'll play closer to defense in this scenario, and with Arteta and Ramsey out, Wilshere remains our only option. Not that it's a bad option, Jack is just no Viera or Gilberto when it comes to defending.

The attack

It's obvious Alexis and Welbeck should start after their brilliant performance, but who'll occupy the other flank? In my opinion, it's a two-horse race between the Ox and Cazorla.

And, once again, I'm not sure Cazorla is an ideal option. The little Spaniard is less of a runner-tracker than Oxlade, while he's also less physical. It's still fiendishly hard to dispossess Santi though, while he's also instrumental at performing the transition from defense to attack, so it's a close call.

The verdict

“Chelsea have always been a good team - no matter which year you go there, they have a good team. It’s not too much about them, it’s about what we will do, how much we are ready to put the work rate, effort and togetherness in to get the result. That’s what will make it.”

That about sums it up. The Blues are strong, they have become stronger still with the addition of Costa, Matic and Cesc, but we've seen before how we can beat anyone if we catch our rhythm.

There is a question, of course, which tactic would be the most beneficial for us? Do we sit back and hit them on the counter or do we seize control of the ball and go all guns-blazing?

The former scenario may have worked a year ago, but I'm not so sure it will now. Without Ramsey and Debuchy we are less sound defensively. Actually, I'm still wrapping my head around this transformation. Surely Chambers and Flamini know how to defend? Why have our clean sheets dried up? Why can't we be as solid now as were a year ago? Is the change of formation to blame? Is is the question of adapting to it? If you feel like it, you can read more on the subject in Tim Stilman's weekly column over on Arseblog.

Anyway, back to how we approach our opposition and I'm inclined to think we'll try to take the game to Chelsea. It's just what we do normally and given the wealth of our attacking talent it may be the most sensible thing to do. It yields the potential danger of exposing ourselves to their counter-attacks, however, so a balance should be found. Just don't use that high pressing line and we may nick the three points.

One last thing: Cesc. How should we treat him? It's hard to say, really. The most sensible suggestion I've seen on Twitter is ignoring our former captain. Cheering a guy who went on strike to leave would be strange, to say the least, but booing someone who has played for eight years is also kind of immature and disrespectful. Unless he scores and celebrates van Persie or Adebayor-style. 

That's it for now. Back Sunday or Monday with a review.

Until then and C'mon. On. You. Gunners.

Follow me on Twitter (@AlexBaguzin)

Arsenal 4-1 Galatasaray: two different sides to one very good Arsenal

Yesterday's game can easily be split in two periods: the first sixty minutes and the last thirty. For the first hour there was only one team on the pitch. We dominated Galatasaray completely and could have been 6 or 7 up (pun absolutely intended) by the 60th minute. The we showed another side to our game: defensive resilience. And it was thrilling to watch. However, let's go step-by-step.

The squad

Did we go back to 4-2-3-1, at least for this game? Frankly, it's not that important. Of much greater interest was the attacking roster of players that started: Flamini, Cazorla, Ozil, Alexis, Oxlade and Welbeck. After all the criticism his way, I must admit I was impressed with Flamini's performance. His positioning may still be a bit suspect at times, but yesterday he has well and truly made up for it with his fighting spirit and his overall contribution.

Our attack looked lethal. Cazorla and Ozil centrally, the Ox and Sanchez out wide and Welbeck up top. All these players functioned like clockwork, interchanging passes and on-pitch positions for a greater effect.

I failed to mention the back four, but you can guess it without too much problem: Chambers, Mert, Kos and Gibbs. All performed brilliantly, nothing more, nothing less.

The first 60 minutes

It took us roughly 20 minutes to really click, but even inside this period we looked much more the part than Gala. Constantly in possession and constantly threatening, but not finishing just yet.

This changed in the 22nd minute. Sanchez (who was bullied every living second) played Welbeck through, the Englishman blocked the defender and poked the ball home between the keeper's legs.

8 minutes later Daniel grabbed a second. A mis-hit pass backwards fell to the Englishman, our centre-forward powered past Melo as if he wasn't there and slotted the ball into the far corner. 2-0.

10 minutes later the game was over as a contest. Sanchez got on the back of a beautiful pass from Ozil, stepped inside the defender and sent the ball into the same corner as Welbeck minutes earlier. We saw the first half out safely, but the show continued in the second.

Oxlade nearly set up Ozil, only for his cut back to be cleared, but it didn't matter, cause seven minutes into the second half Welbeck completed his hat-trick.

The Englishman started on the left, played the ball to Sanchez and the Chilean, in his turn, found Oxlade-Chamberlain. By the time Alex received the pass, Welbeck was ready to pounce. The Ox sliced apart Gala's defense to feed Welbeck and the Englishman's lob made it 4-0. The points were secured, but, suddenly, and quite unexpectedly, we had to work for them.

The last 30 minutes

Some carelessness in midfield saw Burak go one-on-one with Szczesny and the Pole was a fraction of a second late to clear the ball. Instead, he hacked off the Turk and saw red.

In the immediate aftermath of the foul I was furious with Szczesny's behaviour. How could have he been so stupid? Better 4-1 with 11 men, than a penalty (essentially, a goal) with 10 men. However, after watching the replays once more today I realised our keeper didn't hack the Turk down with his outstretched hands. Burak intentionally stumbled into Szczesny to try and get a pen. It was, in essence, a dive.

Ospina came on for Alexis and, though he couldn't save the spot-kick, the Colombian was instrumental in letting in only once. He pulled off at least three marvellous saves in these thirty minutes. Two point-blank (a header and a low shot) and one distance effort from Sneider. Ospina was also very good at claiming crosses.

We could have actually added two more after the sending off, but brilliant Welbeck was robbed at the last possible moment after an outstanding run and Cazorla's dink was too weak, allowing the defender to clear the ball off the line. 4-1 it ended.

The aftermath

After the game Arsene was, expectantly, full of praise for our hat-trick hero:

"He’s a good finisher. I believe that, technically, he’s very sound. That was a surprise that he’s technically clean and that he’s a good passer of the ball. I didn’t know he was so quick. Honestly, I knew he was quick but he can be electric when he starts - he has great pace."

However, the team as a whole deserves the highest of marks. Everyone was great, even the subs which were designed to hold off the Turks. So fair play to everyone involved.

A couple of final notes. First, while Szczesny is not the sole culprit in this episode with the red, the boss may still want to explore the possibility of dropping the Pole. After all, it's not the first time Wojciech did that. Arsene needs to teach our number 1 right from wrong and omitting him against Chelsea may produce the desired effect. It worked in 2013, I see no reason why it shouldn't work now. And even if it doesn't, I'm more than happy with Ospina.

And finally, Turksih fans were disgusting. They've set the pitch on fire and lit something up in the stands. Outrageous behaviour. All of them were isolated after the game, 6 were arrested. It's high time UEFA punished Gala for such a thing. Fine them or, better still, ban their fans to watch the game from the stands in the remaining CL matches, Something definitely needs to be done.

That's it for now. Back soon with a preview of the Chelsea game.

Until then

Follow me on Twitter (@AlexBaguzin)

P.S. Melo's foul on Alexis was no less disgusting than the behaviour of his side's fans. How he got away with only a yellow for such a foul is beyond me.

Galatasaray preview: need to start winning

Hello.

We play Galatasaray today and things aren't looking good on the injury front. Again. Arteta and Ramsey will both spend around four weeks out of the game with a calf and a hamstring strain respectively. Arsene commented on these two:

"There’s no logic [behind our latest injuries to Arteta and Ramsey]. We have to analyse what happened. I don’t understand".

When a player has a week's long rest and then pulls a muscle, questions arise. How has a player in question prepared for this game?

Good news is, the Interlull is close, which means Arteta (hypothetically, as his injury is not as serious) can be available right after it, while Ramsey can join us in early November. Hope this is what happens.

Also, Wilshere seems to be alright. He's a doubt for Gala, but should be good to go against Chelsea. Jack may also be available today, as he has made the squad. With all this figured out (more or less), we can try naming the side which will face the Turks.

The back five

Szczesny should start in goal. No reason to drop him. The Pole's distribution is a bit dodgy, yes, but apart from that, he's definitely more convincing than Ospina.

The defense should also remain the same. No one returned, no one seems to have sustained an injury, so I expect the usual guys to start. Arsene hinted he may explore the option of utilising Chambers' talents further up field, but I somehow don't think it's such a good idea right now. Our back four is stable, we don't want to fix what isn't broken. Especially with no Debuchy and Monreal.

The midfield

The holding position worries me greatly. Arteta and Ramsey, our most natural choices, are out, while Flamini just isn't that convincing. The sight of the Frenchman in the box for our countless corners against Spurs made me want to scream obscenities. What was our DM (and a very small one at that) doing inside the eighteen-yard box with the scores level? He should be shielding the defense in case we lose possession and a counter-attack ensues.

That's why I think it's time for Arsene to get creative. The most obvious option to me is Wilshere, if the Englishman is fit. He's quick, combative and rather good in the tackle. He'll have to be disciplined enough to sit back rather than bomb forward, though, so it may not be an ideal solution.

Another one is Diaby. The Frenchman has only just recovered, but with all the talk of how Arsene can make a good DM out of his compatriot it's perhaps time to start using Abou in that role. He'll have to play there at some point to learn the trade and the time seems to have come. However, it's more of a long-term option, as the Frenchman is unavailable for selection today.

AW can also think of less conventional choices, like Oxlade-Chamberlain, Rosicky or even Cazorla. The Ox demonstrated his desire to track back against Borussia, Cazorla had a really good spell in central midfield in August. Rosicky is, of course, viewed more as a playmaker than a DM, but the Czech's harrying and pressing can prove useful in this new role.

However, I have a strange feeling Arsene will persist with Flamini, especially after the boss has publicly shielded Mathieu from criticism, and I don't like it. Sure, the Frenchman is a more natural def than anyone else I've mentioned, but he's still error-prone.

Ozil should be reinstated in a central role, both because he's more effective there and because our options are becoming limited. Who should be his partner? I'd say Wilshere, if the Englishman is fit and isn't deployed elsewhere. Otherwise I really want to see the Ox in the middle of the park. Oxlade played his best games there and has also been talked up by Arsene, so the time may have come to give the Englishman a chance in his future position.

The attack

Welbeck should start once again:

"If we play well collectively then he will score. He's integrated very well into our team".

However, the fact that Danny's finishing is off at the moment worries me. He's missed a few changes against Borussia, failed  to score in his debut game against City and kicked out at thin air against Tottenham.

It's his hold-up play and dragging defenders into channels which are the Englishman's most important assets right now, but he needs to become more clinical and assured in front of goal. Simply because he's tasked with leading the line.

On the flanks I hope to see Cazorla and Sanchez. Both looked pretty dangerous in our last game and both have goals in them. I don't know where the info about Arsene being unhappy with Sanchez's team ethics came from, but our £30 million summer buy should start games when fit. Simple as that. He can make the difference, score a winner, set up Welbeck or whoever else and the Chilean's work rate is second to none.

The verdict

"The group stage is a minimum of 10 points so the home games are vital. We had a disappointing result in Dortmund and at the moment I feel that the potential is there for us.

"We don’t lose a lot but we want to find the winning edge together and we have that opportunity on Wednesday.

"It’s early but we are maybe more under pressure to win the game than if we had won the first."

Arsene's take on our tonight's clash. As far as I'm concerned a win is vital not only in terms of boosting the chances to qualify, but also because we need to go into the Chelsea game brimming with confidence. A draw against the Blues away from home is never a bad result, but it'll take our draws tally to five in seven games. Win it, and suddenly we're in the mix.

As for tonight's game, I think we have more than enough to win in terms of quality, even with all the injures. We play at home, which is also a bonus, so go for the three points. And get them.

That's it, back with a review tomorrow or Friday.

Until then and c'mon you Gunners

Follow me on Twitter (@AlexBaguzin)

P.S. Giroud has signed a contract extension yesterday and it will see the Frenchman stay at the Club till 2018. Congrats to Olivier, it's no less what he deserves. Before the extent of his injury was confirmed, I wrote a piece on why Olivier is so important to us. Stand by what I've said