Manchester City preview: bounce back

This year we've shown incredible character. Our midweek loss was the fifth loss in all competitions. Four times now Arsenal have showcased their ability to overcome  a defeat and move on.

Lose to Villa, go on to set a new away record. Lose to Borussia, beat them at their turf. Lose to Chelsea, defeat Liverpool straight away. Lose to United, go on to win the next four games, which saw us widen the gap on the Skunk Dutch and Co to thirteen points.

Pretty neat, isn't it? And now we face another test, the sternest of all. City away. Over the course of the season, they have demonstrated just how hard it is to escape Etihad unscathed. Only Bayern have won there, all of the others were demolished. Mercilessly.

Statistics confirm City's superiority at home. 29 goals scored, 2 conceded. The best team in the league, if we judge them based on these stats. Oh, and City also have the highest conversion rate, not just at home. 20.6% of their shots ended up in the back of the net.

Should we fear them? I don't think so. If we look at this stats-wise (again), Arsenal has the best away record in the league (not for nothing, also), having scored 14 and conceded just 5. Their conversion rate, at 18.9% is second only to City.

Before the game, Arsene said when he looks at his side, he doesn't envy City. And he's right. When everyone's available, our squad looks intimidating fro just any team. We've got rid of all the slack and now reap the benefits. Everyone's focused, everyone does his utmost, because he knows there's someone on the bench, who'll gladly take the opportunity, if provided with one.

Speaking of squad, Podolski and Sagna seem back in contention. The manager was elusive on both guys, saying Podolski is still a bit short and Sagna needs a late test, but both will definitely be available for the next game. So why am I telling you this?

Because both can actually be available today. There were reports of Sagna making the trip and "a bit short" for Podolski might mean "a bit short to start". So I'll keep my fingers crossed.

Should Sagna start, I fancy Walcott will, too. Knowing the Englishman's love to drift inside and leave the flank exposed, I think the manager didn't risk it, as he had Jenkinson on the right. The young man needed that extra level of protection. He wasn't rock solid even then, but he could have been much worse without any help.

I also think it may be time to drop Cazorla, if Sagna starts. The Spaniard is off the pace, so a sharp shock to his system may benefit him, the way it benefited Szczesny. I'm not particularly happy to say that, because I love the Spaniard, but the team should come first.

Unfortunately, all of this is riding on the assumption, that Sagna will play. If he doesn't, chances are we'll see exactly the same side that drew with Everton. But even then there is one change, that may benefit us.

I'm talking about Mikel Arteta. He's another player, that seems out of his depth right now. Our captain was overrun by Barkley a week ago and wasn't exactly our best performer on Wednesday. Maybe it's just the effect of playing too many games, but I think a Ramsey-Flamini duo will look fresher. More capable of setting the right rhythm to the game. And stopping Toure.

The stage is set. Now we need to perform. So here's for the three points later today.

Come on you Gunners

Napoli 2-0 Arsenal: could have been worse

Let's get the positive stuff out of the way first: we have qualified. This nightmarish group is well and truly behind us and we can focus on the league for the next couple of months.

I feel genuine pity for Napoli. They have won this game as comprehensively as we have won the first. The Italians will go out, perhaps setting a record by not qualifying with twelve points. No one will say, they take the fall without a fight, though.

And now the bad stuff. First and foremost, we blew our chance to make things relatively easy by topping the group. In the cold light of day (though the sun hasn't risen here yet), I think we can consider ourselves lucky for not being in the Europa League this morning. We were a whisker away from a complete failure.

And yet I cannot force myself to celebrate. We had everything under control before the game. A draw would have sufficed. It was pretty obvious a managerless Marseille would lose, though the manner, in which they went down, gives you the thought that Borussia had to work hard to get the much needed result. Had they drawn, they would have been out.

This group was always going to be tough, we all knew it. Fine margins (like not scoring that second goal in Dortmund) saw us finish second. And I've already said about Napoli and how unlucky they were.

Arsenal should have been in for a win yesterday. Must have been in for a win. After all the talk from the manager and the players, who would have had it any other way? Napoli`s cause seemed a lost one before the match even started.

Yet it proved much more alive from the first minute to the last. The only decent chance we had came during the first forty-five minutes, when Giroud`s effort was saved, and one of us failed to punch in the rebound.

But apart from that, nothing. Zip. There were two changes to the side, that drew with Everton, with Flamini coming in for Ramsey to help our defenders out and Rosicky subbing Wilshere, presumably to set a frenetic rhythm to both our attack and our defense.

Can we say the changes didn't work? I don't think so. Our game never really clicked from an attacking point of view, though it was a defensive masterclass in the first half. I would like to single out Mertescielny as the most solid defensive pair we've had in, like, ten years. They won duels, intercepted passes, tackled well and were above and beyond.

Napoli had two half-chances, one of them created by Szczesny. Thankfully, we were still level at the break.

In the second half, the Italians stepped it up. Not much came off, until the 73rd minute, that is. We, however, created even less. Nothing at all, to be precise.

Then Napoli scored. Higuain received the ball with his back to the goal, turned on the spot and sent a low shot into the bottom corner.

Monreal and Ramsey made their grand entrance to help a crumbling Arsenal side hold on. They didn't, however, affect our attacking game, which continued to be non-existent.

We looked better organised from that point on, but Arteta was sent off shortly after the double substitution, breathing a new life into the home side. I got to say, the decision to show Arteta a red card (as a result of two yellows) was harsh. The foul that earned him that second yellow wasn't as bad as the Napoli player made it look.

Arsenal looked to be walking on thin ice and in the dying seconds we were caught out again. A cross came in from the left and Callejon chipped Szczesny with his first-time shot. Mercifully, the whistle blew as soon as Arsenal kicked off.

I gotta say, I'm worried. It's not about the result, it's more about the performance. I don't think I've seen a worse performance this season. Villa and Chelsea were not great, but they were not THAT bad. Both teams have caught us on the break, when we were pushing for an equaliser. We dominated possession and territory in these matches and though our attacking threat was nullified, we still had some chances.

I don't want to name names, but Jenkinson doesn't look ready for regular first team action. Is it a coincidence, that all three goals, we've conceded in the last two games came from his flank? Would Sagna have fared better? I think the answer to the first one is «no», while fir the second it is a definite «yes».

Before the game, I said we need to learn to cope without the Frenchman. I even said, the manager must have his reasons for not offering Sagna a new contract. Now I've seen the alternative. Right now, we need Bac. We look fragile without him. If needs must, buy another experienced right-back. Johnson, Richards, Arbeloa, whoever. Personally, I think we should accept whatever conditions the Frenchman wants. He's integral to this team. Hold on to him for a couple of years. Let Jenks develop. Or, at least, buy a ready product.

Also, a couple of words about Giroud. He battled hard, but was provided with little service. Unfortunately, he's not the kind of forward, who can create chances out of thin air, so he wasn't much help. This is, I think, another matter that needs to be addressed during the transfer window. We need a different kind of striker, an alternative in playstyle.

So, what now? Borussia`s win means we finish second and will have to play one of the big boys in February. And all of them look frightening. PSG, Bayern Munich, Atletico, Barca and Real Madrid. We made our own luck, so here you go. Another super-tough encounter. How many times do we need to be punished to finally learn the lesson?

Napoli preview: under control

Hello.

Today I'd like to start with one thing, that seemed to go unnoticed, amidst all the analysis, following our clash with Everton: the FA Cup draw. Arsenal will host Spurs and it will happen on January 4th. A cursory glance at history books tells us the Gunners last faced Tottenham in 2001. I have not even supported Arsenal back then, so I can tell you next to nothing about that game.

What I can tell, however, is that this draw is a hard one, as it rounds off the busy New Year schedule. We play on January 1st in the league and three days later comes this cup game. Not pretty. But we can forget all about it for now and focus on something much more important.

Which is our return fixture in Naples one day from now. I suspect the team is already there, but no news have come in yet. Arsene said post-Everton there were no injures, so let's hope it stayed that way.

Something I also hope for, is a possible return of Sagna or Podolski (or both). They weren't ready to play three days ago, but they may be now. Which leaves only the Ox and Diaby sidelined, with the former having a chance to face City.

We've been building towards the clean bill of health for almost four months, so it's nice to know, we can have everyone up and running ahead of the tough schedule. The returns of Podolski and Oxlade are particularly welcome, cause the former provides us with an alternative to Giroud, while the latter offers some more direct play on the flanks. Tippy-tappy is great, but no alternative to it is not. Our passing game doesn't always come off, you know.

I suspect the manager will introduce some changes tomorrow, cause he must also keep one eye on our weekend game. City play today, having already qualified, so they will be in a better physical shape. They will also play in front of their fans. All in all, it may well prove a sterner test, than the one the Toffees provided us with.

The decision to rotate is now nowhere near as complicated, as it was even a year ago. All the stand-ins will give no less than a hundred percent, knowing the guys waiting in the wings will grab their chance with both hands, should someone perform even slightly below par. Competition can be exciting, isn't it?

I think that, whoever plays, we need to try and replicate our first performance against Napoli, one of the most (if not the most) accomplished our game this far. We overwhelmed them with chances, scored two goals, and then kept the Italians at arm's length for the remainder of the match. Should we pull it off, the first spot is ours.

But if we don't reach this kind of level, we know we can grind out results. Bottom line, I don't envisage us losing the game by a three-goal margin. It just doesn't fit the description of this group of players.

There will surely be more news later today and tomorrow, so I may write again. However, in case I don't, I'll be back with a review come Thursday.

Come on you Gunners and until later the rest of you

Arsenal 1-1 Everton: a fair point

Yesterday we (partially) failed to capitalize on City`s and Chelsea`s results by dropping points against Everton. However, it's turned out to be a most entertaining game, so I almost don't mind the two teams sharing points.

Arsene made five changes to the side, that has beaten Hull, with Gibbs, Arteta, Whilshere, Cazorla and Giroud all being named in the starting eleven. Bendtner dropped to the bench at Gnabry`s expense.

The first forty minutes were unlike anything I've seen this season. The Toffes dominated possession by approximately 70:30 and broke down all our moves early. They failed to create anything of real danger, though, with Lukaku completely invisible due to hard work from Mertescielny.

Five minutes from the whistle Arsenal sparked into life. Giroud saw one of his attempts flagged offside and another blocked by Howard. Ramsey suffered a similar fate from a clever return pass by the Frenchman.

The break seemed the least welcome thing at that point, as we were, for the first time in this game, completely on top, with the home fans roaring the team on.

After the break, however, we picked up from where we left off and had opportunities to score. First Howard saved from a tame header by Cazorla, then Ramsey`s brilliant volley was palmed away.

Everton responded by a great Mirallas shot, which Szczesny got a big hand to and then Barkley blasted the ball under the bar, only for the Pole to intervene again. The game was now at full swing, with chances being created at both ends in rapid succession.

Sensing lack of freshness in the side, Wenger (for the first time in my memory) made a triple change. Flamini, Rosicky and Walcott came on for Ramsey, Wilshere and Cazorla.

This breathed a new life into us and Flamini nearly broke the deadlock, only for his shot to drift just wide of the far post. And then we scored.

Rosicky produced an absolutely gorgeous diagonal pass on Walcott and the Englishman nodded the ball across the goal. Onrushing Giroud was held back, but Ozil was on hand to smash it home from close range.

As the goal came in the 80th minute and I was getting increasingly desperate, I think even my neighbors a couple of floors up heard me expressing my delight. It wasn't to last, sadly.

Four minutes later, Everton broke and their cross from the left was only barely missed by Lukaku`s overhead kick. This kick, however, got in the way of Koscielny`s clearance, so a substitute, Deulofeu, seized control of the ball, rounded off Gibbs and smashed his shot high into the net.

Everton smelled blood and could have gone ahead twice in the next five minutes, courtesy of Lukaku. The Belgian first robbed Arteta of possession, only to fire wide and then was kept out by a brilliant sliding tackle from Szczesny.

Arsenal conjured up a response of their own. Flamini swung his leg wide, when he could have done better (though the circumstances were far from ideal) and then a clever interplay saw us win a corner. A clearance followed, but Giroud picked the ball up outside the box and let fly from approximately 25 yards. With the keeper stranded, he only needed to hit the target, but his effort hit the angle of the post and the bar and rebounded off into play. The final whistle came seconds after that.

Overall, a point apiece seemed about right. Both teams could have won it, so I'll take the point and move on.

I didn't much like individual performances, though. The fighting spirit is there all right, so we managed to get a draw and could even have won it, but some players need to step it up.

Ramsey is tired, but we need to find other outlets, when he's not in bang form. Arteta was a bit under the weather, Wilshere was fleeting in and out, but it's Cazorla, who gets me worried. His passing was once again off, his clever flicks and tricks didn't come off and I think he needs to shoot more often. Luckily, he now have Ozil to share this creative burden.

So overall, an entertaining match, not the worst result and hey, we've even increased our lead to five points. Not bad at all.

Napoli up next

Everton preview: make it seven

Evening everyone.

In a few hours time, Everton comes to town to try and take points from a big club fro the second time inside four days. Which, I hope, they'll be unable to accomplish.

Both City and Chelsea dropped points yesterday (ha!) so a win will elevate us seven points above the second place. Which means even if we lose to BOTH Chelsea and City in upcoming games, we'll stay top. Not that I think we have any intention of dropping points in these matches. It's merely to demonstrate, how good the start of our season is.

In terms of team news, we are without Sagna and will be without him for at least one more game. Far from ideal, but either way we cannot expect him to play every single minute in every single game. The fact, that his contract situation is not getting any better, is not helping too. It looks like the Frenchman's last season with us (which is both sad and wrong), but the reality is, we need to learn to cope without him. I still think, Jenks isn't ready for such a weight of responsibility, but I've heard some talk of us being interested in Johnson. Don't know, how much truth there is to this rumour. The way Sagna has been playing this season needs to be rewarded with a new deal, in my opinion, but the manager may have a different opinion, based on his own observations. Still, I'll hope for the better. For the Frenchman staying, that is.

Apart from Sagna, everyone else is available. Giroud should come back into the side after his midweek rest and Arsene has a pretty good dilemma, choosing between Monreal and Gibbs at left-back. Apart from that, I fancy an Arteta-Flamini partnership in central midfield to counter the threat of Lukaku and Co. This way, the Spaniard will provide cover for Mertesacker and Koscielny, while Mathieu will patrol the flanks to help our full-backs.

The manager has once again warned the players of the dangers, this Everton side poses, but I don't think the players need that. There seems to be a maturity to this group of footballers I have already talked about, so we won't take anyone lightly. Everton may have a good recent record (five clean sheets in six games), but we've already showed, what we can do to teams with low good defences. Let's pull this trick off once again.

Elsewhere, Arsene seems to be on the brink of signing a tree-year contract extension, which can see him become second-highest manager in the Premier League. The sum is rumoured to be around £8 million a year. What is interesting, is that the man himself doesn't want to sign until next year. I remember him saying, he will first see Arsenal through to the knockout stages of the Champions League, so, should everything go well, Arsene will put his signature on the dotted line in four days time. Fingers crossed.

Not much else happening, but you can have a read on how Ozil has adapted to his life in London and also, what the manager thinks about Bendtner. It's well worth your time.

Here's for the (seventh straight home) win later and I'll be back tomorrow with a review

Until then