West Brom preview: over the line

Morning everyone.

It's been a rather quiet few days, but with another bout of Premier League games coming up news came flooding back.

Regarding team news, there isn't much. Everyone who played against Newcastle is available, no one is coming back. Oxlade is being rested with a groin inflammation, Wilshere has only just joined the main group. Both face a race against time to make it to the final of the FA Cup. Gibbs was described as "very, very close" to full fitness, but short for tomorrow game, while Gnabry seems forgotten altogether.

The real worry we have, however, is Sagna. Apparently, the Frenchman has injured his knee in training and is a 50/50 for Sunday. As it's very likely Sagna's last home game in an Arsenal shirt, I do hope he makes it. If not, there'll still be the game at Wembley, though it's not exactly the same thing.

Pressed on the matter of a contract for our right-back, Wenger stated it's now down to Bac to decide and that's saying a lot. Earlier there was the frustration from the fans, who thought it was the Club penny-pinching again, but at this point it's safe to assume the Frenchman just doesn't want to renew his contract. There were several (improved) offers from Arsenal, all of them were turned down, so we should accept that sometimes it's not about the money and move on. And find a suitable replacement in the summer.

Back to team selection and I don't think we are likely to see a much-changed side, even if Everton drops points today. It is our last home game and everyone wants a win, regardless of whether our table goals are accomplished or not. The cup game is two weeks away, giving the players plenty of time to recover and the manager will be able to rotate in the last league game, if he so chooses. No one will begrudge him a couple of changes in an away game, should by that time we secure the 4th spot.

But not tomorrow. Field the strongest side, get the win, entertain the crowd, do a lap of honour (with Sagna in the lead), then go relax. That's not to say we should lose to Norwich in a week, but that game is definitely less important.

From West Brom's point of view, they are four points above the relegation zone with a game in hand and have almost assured Premier league football next season. Realistically, the Magpies are safe, mathematically not and as such they may put up a fight.

Can we be robbed of points? We probably can, so no lapse of concentration should be allowed. Just treat it like another league game.

In other news, there's been a lot of talk about transfers, Arsene had said we'll be busy, but, because of the World Cup, things will probably start happening at around mid-June. Considering how much needs to be done, I'd rather we started earlier. Straighten out the paperwork in June and bring everyone in right after the World Cup. There's more than thirty days between now and the tournament, plenty of time to add to our squad.

Among everyone who's been linked with us, Fabregas was mentioned. It's hard to tell, whether there's any truth to that, but if the Spaniard is for sale, I'd love to see him return. Yes, we have plenty of quality in midfield, but as I've said before, Rosicky and Arteta aren't getting any younger, same goes for Kallstrom. Of course, the Swede may (and probably will) leave at the end of his spell, but that also won't do us any good, at least number-wise.

And then, just imagine a trio of Fabregas, Ramsey and Ozil in the middle of the park. Glorious.

Anyway, I think I'm getting carried away. There'll be time enough to discuss all the transfer rumours between mid-May and September 1st. Right now, there's still work on the pitch to do.

Starting tomorrow

Arsenal 3-0 Newcastle: nine in three

Morning everyone.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Until later

Newcastle preview: two wins

Evening everyone.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Come on you Gunners

Diaby, Vermaelen and transfers

Hello everyone.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Until later

Hull 0-3 Arsenal: Rambo's back

Hello everyone.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Until later