Newcastle preview: two wins

Evening everyone.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Come on you Gunners

Diaby, Vermaelen and transfers

Hello everyone.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Until later

Hull 0-3 Arsenal: Rambo's back

Hello everyone.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Until later

Hull City preview: in our hands

Hello everyone.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Arsenal 3-1 West Ham: we're back

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

On the result as a whole:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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