Chelsea preview: break the spell

During Mourinho's first reign at the club, our record against the Blues was, to put it mildly, not very good. Out of eight games we drew four and lost four, including at least one Cup final defeat.

For the better part of three years, during which Mourinho was at the helm, Arsenal wasn't at its best. Only during 2004-2005 the Gunners fought Chelsea as equals, though went 13 (or so) points behind in the league. There was, of course, that famous 2-2 draw, when Henry scored twice, thus getting a chance to humiliate the Portuegese.

However, there was little to cheer about for the next two years. We've got beaten again and again (comprehensively, at times), which fuelled my ever-growing hatred towards the Blues. The way they dispatched of us reminded me heavily of the way United dominated the Gunners.

In 2007 the playing field levelled, as Mourinho was fired. We breathed again, going on to beat Chelsea immediately (3-1, remember?)

There were both good and not-so-good results in the follow-up, but at least we've got some wins under our belts. Last year, for example, we've come out on top 5-3 at Stamford Bridge.

And now we have to deal with the Portugese again. We've already suffered our fifth defeat in nine games, crashing out of the League cup.

Nevertheless, things seem different now. Even Wenger touched on this in his press-conference. The financial strain is lifted and we're definitely better off without it. We're genuine title contenders and not without reason.

Chelsea, on the other hand, seem in disarray. Sure, they are fighting for the top spot, but the overall feeling from their game is that of a disappointment. They're through in the Champions League, but lost to Basel twice. They're out of the League cup, having gone down to Sunderland. And I don't even want to touch on the mess, surrounding Mata and their strikers.

As of recently, we have hit something of a stumbling block. A draw and two defeats inside one week is hardly a result to be proud of. But now we have a chance to put things right and get back on track. Big time.

A win over Chelsea will serve the purpose of shutting up the critics, while also providing us with a handy boost ahead of a busy schedule. Getting through such a tough run of games successfully partially depends on the momentum we build. In other words, it's easier to forget about the tired legs if we win games consistently.

In terms of the squad, we have Koscielny and Wilshere out, but Podolski is back. I've already discussed, where and when the German can come in, while also giving my thoughts on possible stand-ins for Wilshere and Koscielny.

The midfield is the area, that interests me most. I think, our experimental axis of Flamini and Ramsey isn't up to scratch, so I'd pair up Arteta with the Frenchman. We lacked the Spaniard's cool head and metronomic passing against City, while dropping Flamini can prove costly defensively. He went off at 4-2 and our defense basically fell apart. We cannot allow such a dip against Chelsea. They have quality enough to hurt us.

As for the flanks, I'm again hard-pressed to tell, who'll play. I won't even exclude Rosicky. He can set the right tempo to our play, so he's definitely an option.

I think, Walcott will start, following a great performance against City. Besides, he enjoys to score against Chelsea more than anyone else on the team. As he occupies the right flank, it will probably mean a bench-start for Ramsey.

Anyway, all this is a nice problem for Arsene to wrap his head around. Whoever he plays is going to give his all, so no worries here.

Whoever he drops, though, it definitely won't be Ozil. The manager touched on how he will have to rest the German at some point, knowing he's used to a winter break. But he stressed this won't happen against Chelsea.

Anyway, we have enough quality in our side and everything to play for today. The weekend results see us sitting third in the table, a win will see us top the league one more.

So let's get a win

Wilshere out for two games, Podolski is back + Wenger on AVB

Hello everyone.

Preparation for our top-of-league clash with Chelsea is in full swing and some pieces of the puzzle start to fall in place.

Wilshere, for example, will miss both the game against the Blues and the trip to Upton Park. Frankly, I'm not fond of this particular decision by the FA panel (whatever its name is). While Wilshere`s behavior was unprofessional and deserved to be punished it's not like it's worth two-match ban. Maybe the panel is setting a new standard and we're just unlucky to become the first victims, but the worry is, naturally, that it's just a one-off decision.

Luis Suarez did a similar stunt two years ago in a match against Fulham. He was suspended for one game. MacManaman`s foul on Haidara (which forced the FA to create this panel in the first place) was worth a three-match ban. Do you want to say that snapping a man's leg in two is only slightly worse, than showing the away fans the finger?

Anyway, we'll have to live without Jack for now. It's unlikely, he would start on Monday, following his uninspired performance against City, but, you know, the more players we have ahead of a busy schedule, the merrier.

On the bright side, Podolski  will definitely make the squad two days from now. I even think, he may start, cause Cazorla wasn't at his best as of late. Wenger says, the German is more than capable to contribute by bringing goals into this side, so I'm looking forward to watching Giroud flanked by Walcott on the right and Podolski on the left. Two finishers plus the Frenchman is a mouthwatering prospect.

Of course, I won't be too much surprised should Poldi start the game on the bench. He may be that alternative to Giroud, we've been seeking, so the manager might only use him as direct back-up to the Frenchman. Before the German tore his hamstring to pieces, he twice played the lone striker role. Even last year most of the goals he scored came from a central zone, when he drifted inside to find space. But Poldi`s delivery from the left was, at times, invaluable.

Nevertheless, I, for one, am surprised, that we didn't see the German deployed up front more often during this last season. True, he plays on the left in the national team, but his escapades in Bundesliga proved him a goalscoring machine. It's a mystery to me, why the manager didn't use the German international in his more natural position. Maybe now is the time to reconsider this decision. Chelsea game will shed more light on the matter.

In other team news, we are unlikely to see either Oxlade or Koscielny. The former is probably still finding his form (no word on him from Arsene, anyway), while the latter has received ten stiches as a result of his collision with Negredo. Both the deep gash in the Frenchman`s knee and the number of stiches hinted at a long time on the sidelines but, mercifully, Koscielny will most likely return for our next away against. Which is good to hear. In the meantime, Vermaelen finally has a chance to prove himself. His last two outings were marked with two defeats, let's hope he'll turn it around on Monday night. Not that a result is riding on his performance alone, just an observation.

Meanwhile, the manager had spoken about Andre Villas-Boas sacking. Truth be told, he sounded as surprised as I felt.

The Spurs suffered two heavy defeats, but in-between they've won two away games and drew with United at home. Is it really that bad a result?

I don't even want to think, what's going on in their camp. A lot of words were said about their transfer policy and how not all of the players were hand-picked by the manager and rather by Levi and Baldini. There may something in this, I don't know.

The clear bit, is that the team is going from one extreme to the other in terms of results. Some say all the good results last year came from Bale's presence and this season we see what Tottenham is really worth.

At moments like these, I feel genuinely happy that Wenger is the only guy responsible for choosing, who to buy and who to sell. He has a vision of what he wants to achieve, he has the means to implement this vision without being hampered by the board or the chairman. Two sides to each coin, eh?

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

Manchester City 6-3 Arsenal: not this time

As I was watching the game unfold, I felt strange numbness. Detachment. I cannot recall, when was the last time I felt this way.

Two years ago, we took a beating from United. Our half-baked squad full of youngsters suffered a heavy defeat, which prompted Wenger to buy Mertesacker and Arteta on the last day of the transfer window.

I turned that game off when Arsenal went 3-0 down after approximately 20 minutes. My mind could not take much more. I felt enraged and upset beyond comprehension.

This time around, I ploughed on, though I knew there was no getting back from 3-1. Walcott`s second after a period of heavy pressure sparked some hope in me, but Silva turned the clock back almost immediately. His goal proved to be that turning point, after which the Gunners basically gave up.

Well, not completely. One of the positives we can take from this game is our fighting spirit. We kept going even after conceding the fifth, something that resulted in a good goal.

Our defensive work, coupled with individual errors, however, left us well beaten by a good City side. It's just unbelievable how every our mistake was punished time and again. We knew before the game, City is a threat going forward, but their ruthless efficiency surprised even me. From seven shots on goal, six went in.

We lacked this kind of efficiency. While our defensive display was, frankly, horrendous, our attack made this game very open indeed.

After we've conceded the third, we've thrown a lot of men forward, which resulted in a quite fascinating period of complete control over the situation. The reason it took us ten minutes to score is simple: Giroud.

Now, before I say anything else, I gotta confess I love the Frenchman. He's become integral to how we play and his desire and overall work-rate is fantastic. But he has a couple of, erm, downsides, that weren't that noticeable (or were, at least, forgivable), while he was bagging goals. Those qualities (or, rather, lack of thereof) were thrown into the light at the Etihad.

Firstly, he cannot create opportunities out of nothing. He needs good service, needs someone to create these moments for him, so he could just finish them off.

However, it's his second trait, that everyone became acutely aware of on Saturday. Giroud is not clinical. He needs several chances to score at least once.

Our period of maddening pressure saw the Frenchman spurn at least three moments. Moments a more clinical striker would have put away with his eyes closed. That's why we need an alternative to Giroud, someone who can offer us an outlet of another sort. A technical kind of guy.

A target we should also pursue during the January transfer window is a central defender. One of the numerous things, that went wrong during the match, was Koscielny`s knee. The Frenchman suffered a deep cut, so we now have only two fit centre-backs. Sagna`s possible departure can make things complicated further still, forcing us to look for a right-back, among other things. I've already said I think Jenks isn't ready for regular first-team action. And he probably won't be for the next couple of seasons.

A few more words about individual performances. First, well done Walcott. Easily our best performer on the day, the Englishman scored two great goals after his first start in two months and was on course for a hat-trick, only to be denied by Pantilimon. Hope Theo carries on in that vein from now on.

And the linesman. Well, three offsides, which were actually onside tell you pretty much everything you want to know about this ref. He was either bought or struck with a sudden and acute mental illness. Either way, he should start looking for a new job.

So, what now? We recuperate. The game didn't go our way for several reasons, but it looks much more of a coincidence, than a rule. Another thing I failed to mention, was how exhausted the players looked. At some point, Whilshere lost the ball in midfield, fell in the process and was physically unable to get up.

We now have nine days before the hell breaks loose and we should use this time to maximum benefit. Analyse the mistakes we made, ensure we will never make them again and move on. The result wasn't all good and shiny, but, as I've said, it's more of an occurrence.

And finally for today, we drew Bayern Munich in the last sixteen in the Champions League. Well, well. Payback time. We'll have a chance to discuss it in greater detail as the week progresses. In the meantime, don't feel too down.

We're still top of the league, after all

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?