Basic errors cost us the derby

Spuds 2-1 Arsenal
3 Mar 2012.

Few thoughts on defensive errors:

1. 2 vs 2: When you look at Spurs team sheet, it's clear that Adebayor is their main striker with Bale playing off him. In other words, Spurs were playing with two forwards which ideally should require 3 defenders at the back. But why were we playing only with Mertesacker and Vermaelen on the two Spuds forwards? If Monreal was occupied with the winger, some one from the midfield should have provided an extra body at the back. This is a basic tactical mistake which I would blame Arsene for or whoever comes up with defensive tactics.

2. Football defending 101: In my opinion, Vermaelen was at major fault for both the goals yesterday. For the first goal, Adebayor was in front of Vermaelen and he could also see Mertesacker marking the Togolese striker. As it was clear that Spuds were playing with two forwards, Vermaelen's main worry should have been to look for Bale, and in this case, behind his back. Instead, he was caught unaware and Bale made a simple run behind him to score the first.

Now for the pressing game:

1. In initial phase of the match (first 25-30 minutes), we pressed the Spuds midfield with lot of energy and extracted many fouls and misplaced passes. But when you don't play with same energy in every game, it's natural that after some time you will get tired. Since, our team doesn't have the habit of turning up for every mixture, we soon ran out of steam and handed the advantage to Spuds. The goals resulted from mistakes in the midfield when our team was caught high up the pitch. I would once again blame the manager for not instilling the necessary discipline in the team which is required to win football matches.

Mystery of Podolski:

1. For the life of me, I can't understand not starting Podolski in such a crucial game. To some extent, we can justify that decision by our starting shape/formation. But I still can't understand not bringing him on early like 60 mins for an utterly ineffective Giroud. Apart from Theo, there was not a single Arsenal player who was running directly, from wide areas, at Spuds defence and causing some panic. When we know that Monreal can't cross and nobody will be there for Jenko's cross, running at their defence was the only viable option.

I didn't make these observations in the comfort of my couch. These thoughts were popping in my mind during the game. I'm in no way disrespecting Arsene's intelligent but when I (who can't even play Football Manager properly) can find faults and suggest improvements in our play, Arsene should be doing better. Before the game, I half-expected the derby result mainly due to our defence. Hence, I'm not terribly upset. But what drives me insane is the sheer obviousness of the problems and fixes in our game.

In the coming matches, I don't expect any wins against Bayern Munich or Everton or Swansea. I think we will drift for the rest of the season, just as we have for the most part of it.

The Kingdom of Joy: Henry is back

Arsenal suffered a disappointing loss in the dying minutes of the match in their last game at Craven Cottage. Our team lacked the cutting edge and a paid a heavy price for their Christmas exertions. With the dearth of goals and lack of creativity in the midfield, Arsenal was down but not out. We're buoyed by the imminent return of the King, Thierry Henry. After a lot of  yo-yoing, Titi's loan deal was completed in a typical Arsenal fashion. Most importantly, Arsene had ensured that his "best" son was eligible to start against Leeds United for a 3rd round FA cup tie.

Before the game, the excitement was palpable. There was abnormal Twitter activity and every Gooner wanted Titi to make a winning return and begin another glorious chapter in Arsenal's history. He started on the bench and for once I hoped that we don't leave the job for him. But it was as if written in the script. Arsenal produced a dominant midfield performance albeit with few half chances. Leeds defended deep and were happy to take the tie to Elland Road. Our players huffed and puffed, one got injured  but to no avail. It was as if the stars were aligning for the King to make his comeback in the most grand manner. Only 20 minutes left in the game, Arsene introduced Titi. When he came on the pitch, Titi looked very focused and determined to not let his comeback game become a dour affair. After 10 minutes, Titi scored with the side of his foot beating the keeper and curl the ball at the far post. It was a classic Thierry Henry goal and it led to celebrations at the Emirates which I've never witnessed before (not even when we beat Barca). It was a historic moment which will add to the legend of our new stadium. Titi was buzzing with adrenaline after the goal and the whole Goonerverse was chanting the name of one and only Thierry Henry.

It was one of the moments I will never forget in my life, it was something very special. The goal shows that Titi's still got that touch in him and Arsene was not wrong to sign him up for a short-term deal while he searches for a long-term solution. In his post-match interview, Titi appreciated the performance of young gunners Yennaris and Miquel who put a decent shift last night. He also mentioned about behind-the-doors Arsenal legends Tony Colbert and Paul Johnson, people who make the backbone of this glorious club. Last evening's result and the manner of the win will lift the morale of the team and strengthen our self-belief. With Gervinho away at ACN, next few run of matches along side Thierry could possibly do wonders for Arshavin.

It was one heluva night for me where I could manage only for 4 hours of sleep but it was worth it. I witnessed something magical, something which only happens in the movies. I had witnessed the Return of the King. We love you Titi and we welcome you back.

Arsenal slips at Craven Cottage, waits for the King's return

Fulham (Sidwell 85', Zamora 90') 2-1 Arsenal (Koscielny 25')

After signing off 2011 in winning style, it was time for Arsenal to begin 2012 in the most terrible way. We traveled to Craven Cottage yesterday looking for 3 sweet points only to be punched in the nuts in the dying minutes of the game. It should be noted that Arsenal had a rest of only one full day after a hard fought victory at the Emirates against a resolute QPR side. But premier league table is not very forgiving especially when it comes to the Arsenal. Our second game in 3 days meant our starting lineup was already jaded from their NYE efforts. What it lead to was a match of two halves, one which showed promise and spirit and the other where we had our back against the wall.

Despite the recent shortage of fit fullbacks, we were able to field a reasonable eleven who on paper were good enough to claim at least one away point. We hit the ground running immediately and Gervinho was presented with an opportunity at the edge of Fulham box in the first minute. Our Ivorian roadrunner had ample time to aim his shot but his strike was wayward and half-hearted. It frustrates me to see how many half chances we miss, an area where we really need to work on. It was not a clear cut goal scoring opportunity but Gervinho should have at least tested the keeper. Fulham fielded an attacking team and tried to score on counter attack. But misdirected crosses and slow pace meant they never provided a real threat to Chesney. We settled well in the game and had our first real chance when Gervinho made his typical run at Senderos. The former Arsenal defender was beaten by Gerv's trickery and bungled him over in the box. In any other league or for any other team in the premier league, it would have been a penalty. But Lee Probert, who I've never liked because he's average, once again showed why I don't like him. An incident which was a stonewalled penalty was ignored by the referee and it left Arsene fuming on the sideline. We were robbed once again of a penalty in last three games. Ramsey was our creative midfielder last evening and he didn't disappoint with his distribution. He could improve the accuracy of his passes but he showed real desire to make an impact in the game.On one of his deflected cross, Koscielny found himself in the Fulham box. The resultant header saw Frenchman scored his first goal in 2012 and his fourth goal for Arsenal. Fulham looked to equalize immediately but Koscielny made some great interceptions and one-on-one challenges which left Zamora look like some stupid muck. As the first half tailed off, Fulham grew in the game and looked to create chances through Bryan Ruiz. He almost scored after a mazy run in our box but Song made a superb sliding tackle to nip the ball off his feet. We finished the first half one goal up but the late Fulham surge meant that it was always going to be difficult to defend the most slender of the leads.

Both the teams who started the game looked completely different in the second half. Fulham attacked with more purpose and looked threatening going forward whereas Arsenal looked knackered and completely off pace. Theo who was anonymous in the first half was once again sloppy in his decision making. At times I wonder what goes on in his funny little brain whenever he gets the ball. As Fulham grew in confidence, Theo's misplaced crosses and wayward shooting only added to the pressure. There was an omen of the impending doom when Chesney came off his line needlessly on a Murphy free kick. He has had a brilliant start to this season and looked flushed after that mistake. As our work rate dropped Dembele and Ruiz grew more and more influential in the midfield. Djourou and Coquelin were made to work very hard by Fulham wingers in the second half. The intense defensive workout got the better of Djourou when he seemed to clutch his thigh, apparently due to a groin strain. He decided to play through the pain but the mild injury definitely slowed his reflexes. It immediately drew a foul out of him when he slammed into a Fulham player from the back. If only our team had an omen reader, he could have heard the alarm bells ringing. All hell eventually broke lose when Per came off the defensive line to make an interception. He was beaten off the ball and Dempsey tried to send Zamora clear who was then slightly held by Djourou. It was a definite yellow card and second for Djourou which meant that we were left with only 10 men.

The already tired players were forced to defend out of their skin and our resistance gave away eventually when Chesney, once again left his line early and flapped Alminia-esquely on a Fulham corner. The loose ball was duly buried in our goal by Sidwell and it only looked a matter of time when we would concede the second. As if to hasten that process, Arsene replaced Ramsey with Squillaci, a player so below par that no other team is willing to sign him. In the dying minutes, Squillaci with his only touch of the game, headed into the path of an unmarked Zamora who duly obliged by scoring past our hapless defense. It was the final blow of the game which brought an end to the miserable evening for Arsenal.

We not only lost the game and slipped to fifth place in the league table, we also lost another fullback which means we will be scraping at the bottom of the pan of our defensive resources, read Squillaci. But then I don't blame the player for being average or below average. It's Arsene's fault who keeps giving him chances to make our life more painful. Squillaci has never impressed with his performances and if we start him in the next game, it could only bring more misery to the team. Coquelin was impressive playing out of position at left back but was at fault for not marking Zamora for Fulham's second goal. Per Mertesacker generally looks convincing but his adventure to leave the defensive line did cost Djourou his second yellow. Per should realize that he's slow in his movements and can't attack the ball as a defender. I'm sure Chesney would be unfazed by his goalkeeping blunder but he needs to learn from the mistakes. The more worrying signs for me is in our attacking department where once again we lacked the cutting edge. Gervinho has been with us now for six months and someone should ask him to work on his shooting. Theo continues to play Jekyll and Hyde. He should also spend less time on the golf course and work on his crosses or soon The Ox will take over his position. Our attack is crying out for help, it needs a messiah. We can't call Dennis but Arsene has called back the King. Let's hope he can bring back the good times to the Arsenal. Over to you Titi.

Arsenal celebrates New Year's Eve with 3 points

It was our last game of 2011, the year where we have endured many heartbreaks with a few highs. But the lows were deeper than the highs were high. 2011 was a bittersweet year for us. We capitulated quite dramatically in the Carling Cup final, Cesc and Nasri left the club acrimoniously, our horrendous start to the season with an 8-2 drubbing at Old Trafford are just few incidents which left a bad taste in our mouth in the year 2011. But it was not all doom and gloom in the poo-filled season. There were swift summer signings of experienced internationals: Per, Arteta, Benayoun and our new  Brazilian Santos to plug the holes created by the summer departures. The new guys have now settled well and have formed a good understanding. The team looks solid and oozes mental toughness which bodes well for the second half of the season in 2012.

The recovery after initial poor results was also made easy by Robin's form. He has now gone on to score 35 goals in 2011 which is the second best in an year after Shearer's record of 36 goals in 1996. On Tuesday, Wolves gave us a tough time at the Emirates so winning the game against QPR was very important. We started the game in a circumspect way, trying to find that killer pass. But that killer pass never came in the first half and QPR created better chances. Chesney made couple of crucial saves in the first half which kept us in the game. With the absence of fullbacks, our game was narrow and the wingers were almost anonymous in the first half.

When the game resumed, QPR again looked dangerous and keen on ruining our New Year party. They played with more vigour and were running at us in numbers. But against the run of play, from one of their corner, Ramsey laid a perfect pass for Theo and sent him clear. Theo was chased by a lone QPR defender and should have rounded the keeper or chipped the ball to score. Instead he chose to shoot wide. It was a terrible miss and it shows why Arsene doesn't play him as a central striker. The team looked frustrated and our problems were exacerbated when Vermaelen started limping. He was promptly replaced by Coquelin at left back. The substitution was in fact a blessing in disguise and had an immediate impact on the game. Coquelin was able to make forward moves, overlap with Arshavin and stretch the game. Ramsey also found more space in the midfield and our distribution improved considerably. We started to create more pressure on the QPR defence and it looked like the goal was coming.

Arshavin, who started in place of Gervinho, in a typical Arsenal move, passed the ball for Robin to latch on to. The pace on the ball was just enough, thanks to the hesitation showed by QPR defender, and Robin scored at the near post. It was a beautiful goal one which will help Arshavin to exorcise the ghost of his past performances. I hope he can find back his confidence and rhythm because when he's in the groove, he's ruthless (ask any Pool fan). Theo was subsequently replaced by Gervinho who wrecked havoc in QPR's half. There were few missed chances and if Gerv can improve his shooting skills, he could be the next Drogba of premier league or even better because he doesn't dive.

We held on to our one goal lead and leapfrogged Chelsea to finish 2011 sitting fourth in the table. The players would hardly be able to enjoy the victory as they will be on the pitch again on Monday at Craven Cottage. We were not ruthless as Arteta had urged our team to be but we never lost the belief in our ability. The determination of players to win the game was laudable. I'm sure the Gooners who were at the Emirates for the game must have partied all night. Hope 2012 brings better things for Arsenal and with the return of Thierry, it certainly looks to be the case. Wish you a Happy New Year. UTA.

The Return of the King

This morning when I pored over my Twitter timeline, bleary-eyed, I couldn't believe what I read. I had a feeling that this could happen but the reality of it was still surprising. For the past week there has been tremendous uproar over the possible return of the King of Highbury, to once again rule the hearts of his fans at the Emirates. So Titi's apparent approval to the loan deal was a happy shock. In fact it's the best New Year gift a Gooner could ask for. Esteemed bloggers and journalists have analyzed the pros and cons of Henry's return to the Arsenal first team, with most of them accepting his return with a rider, an extra signing. But Henry's loan deal in itself reflects the intent of Le Boss to sign any extra striker in January transfer window. I think he is reluctant to pit his wits mid-season against the cunning agents who like to milk the most of a situation and drive up the price of their employer. So when Arsene must have observed his current charges affinity towards the ever like-able Titi, he would warmed to the idea of offering the Gooner legend a short-term loan deal.

But the signoff on any kind of deal had to be done by Thierry. We could theorize that Henry wouldn't want to attach a badly assorted addendum to the glorious 8 years of his previous Arsenal career. But as Titi said himself that when it comes to Arsenal his heart speaks first. He could see that Arsenal's form is sagging and he could make significant contribution towards the success of the team. As we have seen before that Sol and Jens didn't disappoint on their return, so we would not be mad to expect some thing substantial out of Titi. I hope the final terms of the loan deal are agreed so that we can once again see our most successful player in the red and white jersey we love. We welcome back Titi, it's The Return of the King.

He scores when he wants, gift from Robin on Arsenal's 125th anniversary

A long Friday night of drunken revelries and a subsequent all-nighter set a red-eyed stage for me before the Arsenal's 125th anniversary celebration game against Everton. A cat nap right before the KO was not a good idea as I was left at the mercy of online Gooners to provide me a working stream (damn you ESPNStar). And with the help of the ever resourceful Gooner community, I was able to find a lovely streaming link in time to catch the players coming out of the tunnel. The Emirates looked beautiful and had a festive touch to it. Gooners present in the stadium were chanting at the peak of their voices and it did raise some goosebumps. The Arsenal team was as strong as we could have fielded with Djourou playing on the right, allowing Koscielny to partner BFG in the center. Vermaelen marshaled the left flank and did a wonderful job. He never let Shameless Coleman to deliver a single cross. Last year's Arsenal team needed players who would always give their 100 percent on the pitch, irrespective of the position they play in and Vermaelen is such a player. He stuck to the task and didn't allow any opening from the left. Although some of his back passes were dodgy but Koscielny managed to tidy them up every time. When Sagna comes back, I would  love to see the four of our best defensive players operating in front of our goal. Even with Djourou's nervous play, our defense looked formidable.

Everton played with only Louis Saha up front and defended deep. They packed their midfield but left the flanks weaker which allowed Gervinho and Theo to make constant attacks during the game. There were many missed opportunities in the first half, some which could even be labelled as stupid mistakes. Gervinho needs to work on his shooting skill which has let him down in last many matches. In 1-on-1 situation he always look short of ideas and such callousness in front of the goal could be costly at the business end of the season. Right now is the time to improve on this aspect of our game. When Robin seemed to be having an off day, it was the duty of our other offensive players to step up their game. Theo had other ideas though. It appears that he relishes his role of a provider so much that he's ready to give up entirely on shooting. He should realize that if he wants to emulate Henry, he will have to shoot when in 1-on-1 situations. We wasted many simple chances in the first half and I began to worry if it would bite us back in the arse. But gladly, the first half finished without a goal.

In the second half Everton looked more assured and even started to fancy their chances against an Arsenal side which couldn't score. Ramsey looked off the mark again with his overhit through balls. With Arteta settling in well along side Song, I believe Ramsey could be in direct competition with Jack after his return. The player who has massively impressed me this season is Alexandre Dimitri Song Billong. He has become an integral part of our defense as well as our attack. Along with Arteta, he's the most hard-working player on the pitch, huffing and puffing from box to box. His over the defender pass for Robin's goal was a thing of beauty. And what can you say about the strike which followed from the left of the maestro, Robin van Persie. It was majestic, sublime and a strike from a genius. It reminded us of Robin's full blooded long range volley against Charlton Athletic. But last evening's strike had more nous, more artistic touch to it, it was like music. The goal was a perfect gift to the club on it's 125th anniversary from one of it's greatest players. The game will be remembered for the goal, the goal when Robin struck the most beautiful of volleys from his left foot.

We have come of age as a squad and our first team is among the best in the continent. When this team faced the challenge of Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, they came out on top. The next major challenge will be provided by the trip away to Manchester City on the next Sunday. After their recent exit from Champions League, Manchester City will have their mind set on winning the maiden Premier League title. Currently the only team who can throw a spanner in their works is Arsenal. If we can come back with a point from the game next Sunday, it will be the continuation of The Arsenal's 125th anniversary celebrations.

This is the new Arsenal: we're back on track

The curse of Wigan away has been broken. The series of 4 games without victory has stopped. On a very wet day, when the going was tough, our team came up with the goods and emerged with a brilliant result. We have now taken 19 points from the last 21 available, the two being dropped against Fulham at home. We started the game with our strongest line-up and as expected Roberto Martinez packed Wigan's midfield. The first 15 minutes saw the Latics' pressing hard for the ball. Their 'smash and grab' game produced a great chance which was wasted by Jordi Gomez. But as their initial enthusiasm diminished, Arsenal found it's footing and started to dominate the proceedings. Arteta was the key figure in the midfield as Ramsey was given the licence to make forward runs. He stretched the play with his accurate passing and bossed the midfield. It appears that Mikel has finally found his rhythm and has developed a good understanding with the team. His confidence must have received a further boost when Al Habsi was not able to spot his long range strike which gave Arsenal the first goal of the game. Due to Theo and Gervinho's pace, Wigan was forced to defend deep which provided ample space for Arteta to run into and tee up for the long range shot. The first goal also calmed Arsenal's nerves if any. The team only grew in confidence and immediately struck again with the second goal via Vermaelen from a corner. It was a perfect delivery from Robin for Vermaelen who did well to beat his markers for the header. One could argue that his goal was a result of bad defending from Wigan but then every goal from a set piece is like that. When the talk of Arsenal being a one man team was rife, the first two goals was the perfect way to silence the critics, something which this Arsenal team is becoming very good at.

Arsenal continued their dominance when the game resumed. Gervinho who was average in the first half finally found some luck when he scored on a rebound. He was disappointing in the first half with his positioning and passing and looked set to continue his recent dismal form. But he was once again saved the criticism when he found the ball in his path after Robin's shot was parried by Al Habsi. He scoffed at the ball but then it was impossible to not score from couple of yards out. Gervinho's game has been visibly on the down after a spirited start to the Premier League campaign. He doesn't have to look far for inspiration as his teammate Theo has gradually set himself on the path of becoming a legendary wide player. Theo's work ethic, his positional sense, his passing and crosses have improved remarkably. He now has a matured air about him and oozes confidence. He has become Robin to Robin's Batman. They have formed a deadly strike partnership and were once again at it for Arsenal's fourth goal. Theo could have scored the goal himself but he rather set it up for Robin who actually did quite well to score from the wobbly pass. Robin's racing towards Alan Shearer's record of maximum league goals in a calendar year and we just need to see by how many is the record improved.

At the back, Mertesacker and Vermaelen looked comfortable and confident in their approach. Our BFG has settled well to the life in Premier League and barring his goof up at Carrow Road, his defensive performance in the last few games has been top class. Similarly Verminator has found back his form after making a return from a long injury layoff. He likes to go forward and as the season progresses, we will see many more goals from him. The left back department still remains a concern. Santos could be amazing going forward but his foremost duty is as a defender. He seems to be working on getting his position right but he's too slow to turn. He frequently gets caught flat-footed and even an average winger could give him a run for his money. Song has adjusted his game well to cover for Santos whenever he goes forward. But Song's move to the back four creates a hole in the midfield which is not filled fast enough by the backtracking Santos. Until now, we haven't been in trouble because of this specific handicap but a quality opposition will surely take advantage of the situation.

Overall it was a great performance from our boys on a very wet afternoon. We're not able to impose ourselves from the beginning but gradually we tightened our stranglehold over the Wigan side. Let's hope we can continue our juggernaut and keep climbing up the league table. 

Minor blip: Arsenal drop points to Fulham's bald army

Well we didn't expect that. Last evening's performance was an aberration, a departure from the norm, a game to be forgotten and hopefully in the big scheme of things, the dropped two points will average out. Arsenal looked lethargic at the start and overall showed little desire to take the game to Fulham in the first half. To cut the supply line to Robin, Martin Jol resorted to a packed midfield. With Ramsey having one of those days, it meant that we spent a lot of time passing the ball around in our half of the pitch. Any tempo whatsoever in the game was due to Santos' and Theo's runs on either flank. Arshavin remained anonymous and his profligacy on the pitch was exasperating. He has bundles of talent and nobody has ever doubted that. But whenever he's on the pitch, we can see that his heart is not in it. Yesterday when Shava was about to take a corner, he remembered that now Arteta is the assigned guy and very reluctantly put the ball at the spot for him. I feel for Shava who is clearly unhappy over his drop in the Arsenal ranks. I'm a big fan of him, he's an awesome guy off the pitch too but I think he needs few good one-on-one sessions with Arsene where he can open up and discuss his issues. If there's a guy who can revive him, Arsene is that guy.

Despite our lack of zeal, we created decent chances and Ramsey should have done better when Theo laid a perfect ball only for him to shoot skyward. By this time, that uneasy feeling crept up inside but it was difficult to spot the channel from where Fulham could score a goal. Sticking to our principle of making our life difficult, a defensive mixup led to a Vermaelen own goal. Theo could be blamed for not tracking the run of Riise who led to the confusion in the area. But even in that case, our defence should have dealt with it. Vermaelen had an average game until the time he surged forward to place his face at the end of another brilliant Theo cross which resulted in the equaliser. From villain to hero. The goal came about only after the much needed substitutions: Gervinho, Diaby and yes, Chamakh. The tempo of the game was instantly raised and passing was crisper. Gervinho and Theo made numerous forays in the Fulham area and we were rewarded for our effort with Vermaelen's goal.

The last 10 minutes saw us pushing for the winner but Fulham's time wasting tactics, throughout the match, made it difficult to come by. They were helped by Mike Dean who paid no notice to Mark Schwarzer's multiple delayed goal kicks. He deserved at least a yellow. But in a game where Dean ignored any foul on a Arsenal player you wouldn't expect him to notice anything wrong in deliberate time wasting. It's now 10 games on the trot when we have dropped points with Mike Dean as the referee. And what's with Fulham's hairline, starting from Jol to Bobby Zamora, there are bald galore, they're a disgusting team to watch (I like Gerv's hairdo).

Coming back to football, Arsene needs to find the right combination for his team B because there will be frequent personnel rotations running till New Year. Carling Cup QF will allow him another evening of experiment and I hope that our players prove Le Boss right the next time.

Everything remains the same, Robin scores, Arsenal wins

I must admit that it was the most hellish Interlull I've endured in recent times. It almost felt like the summer break. But as they say, patience is always rewarded and it was indeed by Arsenal. After being away for two weeks, it was expected that there will be lack of coordination in the team but there was no dearth of attacking intent. Robin could have scored as early as the first minute when he scoffed a chance from Theo's cross. Norwich City has been lauded by critics for their desire to play football and it was evident on the pitch yesterday. The game was open from the word go and before Norwich scored, Arsenal was murdering them. If it wasn't for Russell Martin's positional sense, Arsenal would have been 2-3 goals up in the first quarter of the match. His acrobatic clearance off the line from Theo's shot was some top class defending. But when Gervinho missed a one-on-one with Ruddy, I started to get a bad feeling that all the missed chances would come back to bite us in the arse. Steve Morison confirmed it when he caught our "big friendly German" (too friendly this time) off guard and muscled him off the ball to score Norwich's only goal of the game.

But given the form Robin is in, there was no doubt that we'll soon equalize. It was once again Theo-Robin combination which provided the much needed relief for Arsenal. Norwich's left-back had a torrid time against Theo and when Theo went past him the nth time, he produced a peach of a cross which Robin coolly tapped in. He saved Gervinho the blushes after the Ivorian had tried and missed with a fancy back heel on that cross. After the goal we dropped our game which made Arsene give his steely eyed stare at the HT. In the second half, it was more the same but with a much more composed central defense. Vermalean and Mertesacker were confident in their clearance whenever Norwich tried the aerial trickery. Except for Santos, our defense looked calm and solid. Song and Arteta who kept giving away the ball in the first half, also checked their enthusiasm and provided a better second half performance. Santos should be thankful to Song because he always covered him whenever he forgot to track back from his sorties. Our second goal came courtesy of a half-foul on Ramsey when Song collected the spillover and sprayed the ball for Robin who controlled it delightfully and chipped it past the onrushing goalkeeper. The goal could be used a lesson in the finishing school of the strikers. In a desperate attempt to come back on level terms, Norwich deployed Grant Holt. The "forward" used his shambolic free-kick winning skills to rob us off two points, but our solid defense kept him in control till the end.

Theo produced a consistent performance which will silence his critics. He was a constant thorn in Norwich's left side, out-sprinted their fullback many times and produced quality crosses. He deserved a goal but was denied twice, first by Martin and the other time by the crossbar. Gervinho had an off day at the office and if he had worn his scoring boots, the scoreline would have looked different. Robin now has 31 goals and need just 6 more to break Shearer's record of the most premier league goals in a calendar year. It's all good when Robin is scoring for us, but right now we're over-reliant on him and others should step-up to share the scoring responsibilities. Unbeaten in last five premier league games, we're carrying some serious momentum. If we can continue this form till New Year, we will be there in the top three. Let's keep it rolling and keep cheering for the Gunners. 

Spirit, mental strength and the handbrake

Yesterday was unbelievable, it was the most memorable victory in recent Arsenal history. Chelsea has been a thorn in our side for last few seasons but the last afternoon's thrashing has compensated for many of those painful memories. We're by far the better team but unlike the most of other times we were on the winning side. The game was all the more special because we came back from a goal down twice and went on to win the game in a comprehensive manner. It was a team performance of the highest order, the resolution and self-belief of the players was evident. There were brilliant individual performances which provided the platform for the team to excel together.

Chelsea's classless chairman provided extra motivation before the match when he asked his charges "to beat the crap of Arsenal." I guess Bruce Buck hasn't been following football lately otherwise he wouldn't have made such a comment looking at Robin's red hot form. Right from the word go, it was clear that it will be an open match and none of the team was too concerned about proper defending. But when it comes to attacking relentlessly, Arsenal had the better firepower in the form of Robin, Gervinho, Theo and resurgent Ramsey. After initial scare of first 5 minutes, Arsenal tightened the noose only for Gervinho and Robin to loosen the grip. The relief had an immediate impact as Chelsea scored via Fat Frank's fat head after some poopy defending combo of Santos and Mertesacker. The oil money has resulted in such hubris that Chelsea believed they could shut up shop against free flowing, coming back-to-terms Arsenal side. Ramsey's brilliant slit open the Chavscum defense allowing Gervinho to cross for our captain to score the simplest of goals. Again the defensive lapses resulted in a clear goal scoring opportunity, only for JT's BFF Sturridge to spurn it wide. May be he got intimidated by the big Pole in front of our goal. Escaping another close offside call, we were not so lucky when Mertesacker's lack of decision making provided a glimmer of hope for Terry to salvage some pride. He beat Per on a corner kick for the ball to roll into our goal and made the scoreline a glum 2-1 at HT.

But looking at our players disappearing in the tunnel, the determination and their hunger to win was palpable. We immediately pounced on them after the restart. Santos who had a shocker in the first half equalized through a well worked goal. It was enough to send the Gunners flying and Theo gave the advantage when his strike beat Cech on the near post. There was a flurry of chances on either end and parity was restored only after a brilliant strike from Mata. Santos lost the ball but then was blocked by Lukaku when he tried to get it back which allowed Mata enough space and time to drill a long range effort. Given the nature of the game, a scoreline of 3-3 was not enough for Arsenal who pushed forward in search of a winner. It arrived when Terry slipped to cover a poor back pass from Malouda. Robin was at hand to deliver the deadly blow when he rounded Cech to slot the ball coolly in an open goal. Our captain completed his hat-trick when we caught Chelsea on counter-attack. Van Persie's strike was so vicious that in spite of Cech's effort the ball flew in taking a deflection off his palm.

The win couldn't have come at a better time. Arsenal is back in the mix and Arsene's critics have been silenced. It was a brilliant team performance, a hard-fought victory which make us believe that our team has finally turned the corner. The players have been criticized both by the fans and the media but yesterday's performance should help the fans unite and get behind our team without any bias. It was Robin's sheer class when he asked his teammates to celebrate with the traveling fans. It was a brilliant gesture by our captain who is leading the team by example. Next up is Olympique Marseille and irrespective of the task at hand, I'll get behind our team and support them to play without any handbrake on. 

When the going gets tough, we stop going

Spuds 2-1 The Arsenal

A friend once asked me why do I watch football when it makes me miserable and I told him that's the whole point. Easier said, it was another heartbreak in the North London Derby, another defensive nightmare at Shite Fart Lane. We had feared our inability to defend as a team and lack of understanding at the back, ultimately both together cost us the game. I was extremely nervous before the start and wanted Arsenal to avoid defeat at any cost because the vitriol from fans after a loss would be unbearable. I had hoped that in the wake of the battle of bragging rights, our players would step up their game and grind out a positive result but instead they rolled over.

The performance was out there to be witnessed by everyone. We bossed the possession (I hate to write this after every single game) but created fewer chances than Lillywhite scum. They were dangerous whenever they moved forward thanks to our hapless defense. But then one can't blame Song for the situation because he didn't cause injury to four of our center-backs. He played out of position and was better going forward when he created our goal for Ramsey. I was worried about Sagna after his midweek performance. Against Olympiacos he looked lethargic and a player in dire need of rest. With Spuds' pacey baboon-faced winger he found it difficult and paid a heavy price when he landed awkwardly in an aerial duel. One can't survive with a makeshift, out of sorts defense against top teams in the league. We were repeatedly exposed at the back and were saved an 8-2 proportion scoreline thanks to Chesney's terrific goalkeeping.

Ramsey cut a confused figure in our midfield where he was in an early Christmasy mood and gifted the ball uncountable times. He has had an up and down start to the season and whenever it has come to a crunch, Aaron has crumbled. His philosophy of running the ball in the goal will not work until there are 5 Barca-esque players in our team or when Wilshere is back. A more direct approach in front of the goal will do wonders for him. Like him, Gervinho had a game to forget where for majority of the first half he remained uninvolved. I agree it was more due to Tottenham's formation but real effort is always clearly visible. After the first half, it was heartening to see Arsene bring him in the center which helped us equalize. But soon after we lost the initiative. There was a period when Van der Twat was just ambling on the pitch and it was a real opportunity for us to pressurize the opposition and look for a winner. Instead we relaxed and let them come back into the game with Sandro. It would be overly ambitious to say that we deserved a point from the game but young Coquelin certainly didn't deserve to be on the losing side. He played spiritedly but was let down by his teammates. Similarly Robin wandered around the pitch aimlessly with little to no supply to him. The excitement of starting a season with Arsenal will now gradually transform into apprehension.

Nigel Winterburn on ESPN reaffirmed the knowledge that Arsene is the sole in-charge of training and drills. He mentioned that Pat Rice has very little to do with the playing methods or defensive homeworks so berating him for the amateurish defensive performances is unreasonable. The buck stops with Arsene and he has to take some concrete steps to bring life to this Arsenal defense. Chronic injuries (even Miquel was injured) and mediocre quality hasn't helped his cause but at this moment we need to build our game starting from the back. After what feels like a long time we have a world class goalkeeper but now his colleagues are letting him down. Our next game is with Sunderland at the Emirates and with a defense like ours, Bendtner would be looking forward to stick the knife in a little bit more. With players away on international duty, Arsene will have little time to work with them and so the break is not really beneficial. The only solution I can think of is to play defensively, stop the passing football and resort to long balls for scoring goals. It will never happen with Arsene but then nothing else is working. Things need to be shaken up at the club otherwise it will be curtains very soon for our season.

"Little by little by hook or by crook"

Finally the dawn is upon us

Arsenal 2-1 Olympiacos 

Olympiacos is supposedly the weakest team in our Champions League group and before the game it was a popular notion that we will comfortably get past them. With raft of changes across the team, it was always going to be difficult for us to find rhythm in our passing. Song partnered BFG (Big Friendly German via Mr. Blogs) in our defence with the potato boy, Santos and Sagna on the side. Our new Brazilian had a game to forget against Blackburn and once again I was not particularly impressed with his defensive skills last night.

We started the game trying to find our footing but were easily broken down when tried to burst into the Greek side's defense. The first touch on the ball from Olympiacos resulted in a move from the left where we were lucky to not concede. It was not a pretty game in the first half much to the chagrin of Rosicky who looked completely out of sorts in the midfield. He was slow on the ball and made clumsy challenges all over the pitch. Arshavin was nowhere to be seen in the first half and most of the movement came via Oxman. His direct approach to the game is a whiff of fresh air for us fans who are frustrated with the overworked approach of Rosickys and Chamakhs to create or score goals. A peach of a pass from forward/midfielder/defender Song was deftly controlled by the youngster to lash past the goalkeeper for a fine finish and a European debut goal for Arsenal.

Olympiacos tried to open up the game immediately but were further punished in a counterattacking move when Chamakh was unable to put his boot at the end of a rolling Santos cross. Santos was on hand for the spillover and finished from a tight angle at the near post. It was the high point of the game for him as he misplaced his passes and was found short many a times for the remainder of the game. He looks more like a Brazilian winger currently deployed as a left back. Hope with time he can fine tune his radar and deliver on his defensive duties. Chamakh provided good link up play up front but was found wanting when he could have shot past the goalkeeper to make the scoreline 3-0.

We were made to pay for our naive defending when a short corner caught our defense flatfooted and Fuster was able to head the ball in from almost at the edge of the box. It was yet again an example of the lack of defensive understanding in the team. None of the player tried to prevent a short corner and Arshavin onlooked when Fuster was running in front of him to head the ball.

We were fortunate enough to not concede any more goals mainly due to our last ditch defending when Arteta cleared the ball off the line or due to Olympiacos' bad luck when Torosidis long range curling effort was denied by the woodwork. We looked short in our performance in the second half and barring a 10 minute renaissance period of Arshavin, we didn't have much to offer. The passing game didn't click yesterday which was understandable given the number of changes but few signs of complacency were visible. Sagna surprisingly looked off color and I'm worried about him for the upcoming game at WHL. He looked like a man desperately in need of rest. I hope he spends more time in the oxygen bubble until our trip to shiteland. It was a tricky game which didn't tell us anything new although it did showcase the attacking talent of Alex Oxlade Chamberlain. Song once again had a massive game playing out of position and now I begin to wonder how he would fare when played as a striker. I'm sure Songinho will fare well in that position too.

Our performance lacked solidity and discipline which will be required against an outfit much better than we have faced over the last three matches since Blackburn. The game on Sunday will feature Arsene on the touchline and hopefully he will be able to cajole our players to put in a good defensive shift. With Robin in flying form, we will be able to score goals against the Yids but it's our defense which still gives me nightmares. But until Sunday, I can enjoy our third win on the trot. I can see the sun rising on the horizon and it's about time for a bright Arsenal morning.

WDL or WWW

I thought I knew the feeling of pain well but last evening it turned out otherwise. The emotional trauma of last evening will not be forgotten for a long time. I was among the unlucky few who were not able to watch Arsenal beat Bolton 3-0. I missed Chesney's brilliant save early on. I missed Robin completing his magnificent century of goals for us and I missed Arsene celebrating with joy Song's wondrous goal. I missed the rousing chants of One Arsene Wenger from the "vocal majority" at the Emirates, I missed watching the men in Red and White play. I hope yesterday's painful experience will not be repeated in future.

As I didn't see the game live but only Match of the Day, it looked like Ramsey also had a cracker of a game and Theo is still 50-50 in 1-on-1. The point to note was that Bolton didn't have any threat up ahead on the pitch after David Wheater was sent off for pulling back Theo. It's understandable that Owen Coyle couldn't afford to be ambitious after his team was reduced to 10 men but the lack of urgency to snatch even a point was surprising. It was different from the Blackburn game where Junior Hoilett and Yakubu created problems for us with minimal attacking. Our defense was not really tested yesterday but another theory could be that we have worked on our defensive issues and have improved. I would like to believe the second hypothesis and it will be tested over the next week when we play Olympiacos and Spuds. I hope we can keep the winning momentum and make it WWW and WDL

Déjà vu all over again

Blackburn 4-3 Arsenal

Opinion

Last time I wrote about our team was after the Swansea win. We were not utterly convincing in that match but we were solid enough to grind out a decent result. That conclusion was partially vindicated when we were able to come back with a point from our European adventure away at Borussia Dortmund. It appeared that Arsenal was finally on the rise after a disappointing start to the season on the back of an equally disappointing summer. But in the aftermath of our calamitous defeat at Ewood Park, one is forced to re-analyse the Champions League game and accept that we're just plain lucky in that fixture. We were spared the blushes by some poor finishing from the current Bundesliga champion. Yesterday we notched it up a level and displayed a shambolic defensive performance.

Blackburn has already been labelled relegation fodder by the English media and for a change, they're spot on. Before the match, Blackburn had been sitting right at the bottom of the league table with just one point from their game against Fulham. Their manager, Steve Kean was facing the wrath of the fans and the players for not doing enough to build the team for the season and the resulting poor results. To give the whole situation an ironic backdrop, there were even protests against him before the game. I'm quite sure that Steve Kean would have already cleared his desk because a defeat against Arsenal was a sure eventuality. Similarly, Arsenal too would have fancied their chances against an opposition whose back was against the wall. But somehow we managed to screw it up and handed Steve Kean a lifeline.

We had Gervinho and Arshavin starting for us. The Russian has gradually started to look like the player we had signed 3 years back. There was Robin who had scored 8 goals in 10 games against Blackburn, a thorn in their side. Ramsey and Artea were in the midfield backed up by Song. It was very much a full strength frontline for us. As we always play, we bossed the possession, created many chances. Gervinho opened his account for Arsenal and so did Arteta. But then we wasted a lot many chances too. Gervinho was at fault for a blatant non-goal when he was too selfish to lay the ball for Van Persie. But still there were no signs in the first half of the upcoming doom. Blackburn started the second half brighter than us and we buckled under minimal pressure. Koscielny and Song who had an amazing game against Dortmund might want to forget their errors yesterday. Both of them gave the ball cheaply far too many times. One could argue that the balance was disturbed because of Andre Santos who was making his debut. I'm very much with that argument but then he alone didn't cost us the game. Yes he played Yakubu onside for his first goal and then created a 50-50 situation with his positioning for Yak's second but it was a collective capitulation at the back which led to the result. We were frivolous and abysmal in our defending.

Arsene argued in his press conference later that the team is missing the defensive confidence after the Old Trafford defeat but I beg to differ. We made basic defensive errors. The own goal which came off Song from Blackburn's corner, we were zonal defending! What was that all about, I thought that it went out of the league with Rafa Benitez. And then in the leadup of the second goal, Djourou commited himself on the byline when there was no need of it. Our other players were tracking back and Djourou should have just stuck himself to the Blackburn runner. The performance will not help Santos' confidence who looks promising while attacking. It was his debut game and his initial nervousness was visible. His lack of awareness could be attributed to these facts but others should have done better. Mertesacker, it appears will take more time to form a partnership with Koscielny but then he let's his man go too easy for my liking.

The game once again revealed that we have compromised on the basics. If Arsene keeps addressing the wrong question, we will never find the correct answer. We need to go back to the whiteboard/training ground and learn the basics of defending again. The most worrying outcome of the game was that we played with almost our full team and were still overcome by a lowly Blackburn unit. The few positives which one could draw are the maiden goals for Gervinho and Arteta and a sublime header from the shy Moroccan. Hope the goal can bring some much required confidence to Chamakh. But in the end it was a pathetic performance from Arsenal and probably a harbinger of the things to come this season.

Funny takeaway

Two Arsenal own goals.

Slow start of a chain reaction: finally an Arsenal win

Arsenal 1-0 Swansea

Report

Okay it wasn't a glorious win but it was three points indeed, I would take that. We have had an abysmal start to our season, bagging just half the points as Swansea in our first three games. After our Champions League qualification, we needed something to kick-start our domestic season and there is no better way to do it than to go out and win. With Vermaelen out injured, Per made his Arsenal debut. Arteta was slotted in the midfield alongside Ramsey, Frimmers deputed for suspended Song and Kieran Gibbs made a much welcome return to the left wing. Other than that it was a regular starting line-up.

Arsenal came surging out of the blocks and Ramsey came very close to scoring when he shot high from a delectable Arteta pass. It was good to see a more flexible formation where Arshavin was also able to play centrally. In one of his moves, he set up the ball for Theo who outsprinted his marker and nudged the ball towards the goal in his run only to be cleared by a sliding Swansea defender. Arsenal was composed in the first half and as usual dominated possession. But as the game progressed, Arsenal started to look more and more labored. Swansea defended resolutely and denied space around the box. Our situation was not helped by gradually fading Arteta and clueless Ramsey who couldn't find any channel to pass. Historically there has been an unacceptable trend of away goalkeeper's having a field day at the Emirates and it looked like one of those days. But then it's natural that God start to repay us for all the pain that has been caused by Almunia's shite goalkeeping. The first payment arrived when Vorm collected Theo's miscued pass and tried to roll it to one of his players only to hit the heel of a fellow Swansea defender. Arshavin, cheeky little Russian that he is, was at hand to graciously accept the candy and shoot it right back into the goal. I was happy to see the Russian getting his due and hope that it helps him to regain his confidence and enthusiasm playing for Arsenal.

Swansea started the second half better than us, Scott Sinclair especially providing them some spark. Apart from Robin hitting the post with his curling effort, Arsenal couldn't make any notable move. It turned into a scrappy affair and I resorted to praying for Arsenal to finish the game with three points. Robin was substituted for Chamakh who had a good header denied by Vorm. Benayoun, who came on for Arshavin, spent most of his time running around the pitch aimlessly. In the end it was more comfortable than it looked and Arsenal hung to a much needed win.

Opinion

Formation: What looked like 4-5-1 was a more malleable formation. Gibbs and Sagna were allowed to run as fullbacks which helped Theo and Arshavin to play more directly towards the goal. Gervinho would have caused havoc against Swansea and was missed in our attack. Arteta was disappointing with his positioning in the second half when he played too far ahead and Ramsey was made to do most of the passing. It's still early days for him and surely he will improve over the course of the season.

Defence: Thank God for Chesney. Since the start of this season, the merits of a world class goalkeeper have become quite evident. Chesney has provided a solid base for our defence which neither Fabianski nor Almunia could provide during their term as Numero Uno. Koscielny had a fantastic game at the back and appeared to possess all the qualities of an Arsenal legend. He has climbed a hill in his learning after the Carling Cup debacle and looks a matured player. Per had a patchy game but it is understandable being it was his debut. There is some way to go before he comes to term with the physicality of the English league. Gibbs appeared more confident and top quality when going forward but he is still unclear of his positioning while defending. He made some good sliding tackles and had a decent game but it's expected better from him. If he can manage to remain fit, he will face stiff competition from Santos.

Funny takeaway

Swansea player, Stephen Dobbie (14)

Arsenal, Arsenal All the Way

When your critics poke you with little stick, it's always good to give them back in the nuts. Arsenal just did that last evening. Lately, Arsene and Arsenal have been slagged off in all corners of the media. The haters, up to some extent, have been successful in turning Gooners against their club. But the manner of our win against Udinese, and the eventual $$$ league qualification has reunited the fans again. Our traveling contingent of supporters had a night to remember at Stadio Fruili and I'm sure the story will be passed onto the forthcoming generations of Gooners.

For a big club like ours, there really shouldn't be such joy and jubilation over a measly qualification match for Champion's League. After all we have been playing in the competition for last 14 years. When Arsene was asked about the importance of last night's game, he said that it was not crucial. Obviously the man knows. But we have been struck by so much bad luck that even the most optimistic Gooners had their apprehensions going into the game. But Arsenal delivered and did that under some testing conditions. With Gibbs injured and Traore not fit enough to start, Sagna was drafted in the LB position and Jenkinson started on the right. Djourou recovered from his injuries to play alongside Vermaelen. As we're one goal up after the first leg, it made sense for Arsene to start with Frimpong and Song in the midfield to provide cushion for Ramsey. With Gerinvho and Walcott on the wings and Robin at the front, we had enough quality on the pitch to get past Udinese.

We were the better side for the first 20 minutes and created some good chances with Gervinho. Theo should have done better when he had an opportunity in front of an open goal but mysteriously chose to hit straight at the goalkeeper. Robin struck on the rebound but it was again stopped by Udinese' goalie who had a pretty good game which is not uncommon for any GK. Udinese gradually found rhythm and attacked our goal with more purpose. In the tail end of the first half the diminutive striker Di Natale, who was denied earlier by the goalpost, scored with a header. Song was caught up ahead on the pitch and one long pass from the centerline found Pinzi on the edge of our box who dinked the ball for Di Natale to beat Chesney at his near post. Udinese's buildup of the goal was so swift that our players were caught out of position. After that goal, all those half chances missed by Arsenal started to look costly.

I was not sure which Arsenal will turn up in the second half and going by our recent performances, I thought that a brooding set of 11 bodies would take on the pitch. But it was the other way round. Arsene substituted Frimpong for Rosicky and that had an instant impact on the game. We passed the ball more fluidly and our pace looked menacing. Gervinho made a glorious run on the left of Udinese goal. He cut outside his marker close to the goal-line and cut back a ball through the legs of three Udinese defenders for Van Persie to tuck the ball neatly in the back of the net. But the match was far from over when Vermaelen looked to have hit on the hand from an Udinese corner. Di Natale took to the spot but was denied a goal by a wonderful save from Chesney. That was a pivotal moment in the tie and it sucked the life out of Udinese. Shortly thereafter, Sagna counter-attacked and laid the ball in the path of surging Walcott who ran past his marker and beat Udinese goalie at the near post. It was a job well done by our No. 14 especially when he had missed a sitter in the first half. Udinese never seemed to recover from the sucker punch and for the last 10 minutes one could clearly hear Arsenal fans chanting at Stadio Fruili.

It was one of the biggest nights in the history of the club. After the departure of Cesc and Nasri, we needed a real positive sign and the win was the sign. But the shortcomings in our performance didn't go unnoticed. It looks like Djourou hasn't recovered in form post the defeat at Bolton during the last season. We need a better centerback who can share the work load with Vermalen and Koscielny. One real area of concern is the left back position. Almost all of Udinese attacks in the first half came through that wing. If Arsene wants to play Russian roulette with Gibbs' and Traore's minutes on the pitch, then we'll be made to pay dearly for it. As I've said many times before, Ramsey has a very long way to go before he's capable to replace Cesc. But then it's harsh to expect a player who has had a different training than Cesc to play tiki taka like him. I feel that Jack is a better candidate for that role as he's a better learner of the game than Ramsey. Whatever be the case, we need to replace Cesc before the transfer window shuts on us. We need more depth in our squad because the mid-season work load could be overwhelming for the current bunch. I don't hope Arsene to make any signing before the last day of the window but I'm sure there will be additions to the squad. Until then, Up the ARSE!

Curious Case of Unlucky Arsenal

The misery at the Emirates has reached such levels that even my non-football watching friends know that something is wrong with Arsenal. Media has tried really hard to portray that among the big clubs in Premier League, we're the worst. During the game yesterday, some bloody commentator even said that Arsene's last big signing was Jose Antonio Reyes, fricking looney forgetting our Russian. But if we look at the football which was played against Liverpool for the first 70 minutes, Arsenal didn't do bad at all. Liverpool had Carroll, Henderson and Charlie Adam, their latest stellar signings, starting for them. But throughout the ponytailed gobshite's stay on the pitch Vermaelen had him in his pocket . Our vice-captain didn't allow him a single header and won every tackle. Pool's other two starlets in the midfield looked totally out of their depth and didn't have much impact on the game. It was pretty obvious that Charlie Adam is slower than an obese midget, that potato, I just hate him.

Coming back to Arsenal, it was surprising to see Nasri start for us. Only Arsene knows how he has allowed things to come to this. Even though Nasri was rattled after the chants against him at Newcastle, he put in a good shift. He made few good runs and was one of our better players in the midfield, sadly the other one couldn't complete the game. I missed Frimpong's first yellow as I was shifting myself from a dodgy stream to the telly but I know that it was needless. Until his second yellow, he had a good game, won the ball many times only to be squandered later by his teammates. He's a physical player who likes to make tackles and if he wants to finish games in the future, he will have to control his reckless aggression. I think Theo has his heart set on the role once performed by the former No. 14. But he looked short of ideas yesterday and his crosses were baffling. I'm sure Arsene will have a word or two with him after his performance. Adding to our midfield woes, Arshavin had a game to forget. Although he had had many such games last season but an improved performance was expected of him this time. He couldn't thread a single pass and continuously lost possession. Only one time when he managed to pass the ball, Robin shot tamely at it. With Ramsey struggling in the role of our midfield conductor, it was ensured that there's no supply to Robin who wandered all over the pitch just to get the ball to his feet.

After the game, I was not worried about the result. It could have been much worse if SZCZ was not in the goal. He made some amazing saves and in one-on-one situations, I think he's among the best in the league. Although, one could argue that he played a part in Liverpool's second goal by coming off his line too early but in a game already lost due to bad decisions, an error in judgement will only become a part of his learning. In the heavy downpour, Arsene cut a worrisome figure. He has had a difficult summer and if he stalls on further action, it will be a very long season for him and everyone attached to the club. One thing that struck me the most is the number of injuries we have had for past two seasons and this season doesn't seem to be any different. There has to be something fundamentally wrong because this situation couldn't be all due to bad luck. Our already thin squad is made to look thinner because of regular injuries. We should reanalyze our training approach, players' physical regimes and their diet because the continuous flow of crocked players to our infirmary is getting completely out of hand.

Defeat against Liverpool can become a stepping stone for the new season. There were positive takeaways like Vermaelen's supremacy in air and his marshaling skills during set-pieces, Frimpong's hunger for ball-winning tackles in the midfield, Chesney's growing aura between the poles. But the lack of quality and creativity in our midfield was apparent. Cesc's departure has created a void in that department which will not be helped by Nasri's acrimonious adieu. Arsene need to plug that hole or we will continue to struggle to score goals. Also required are a genuinely fit leftback and a good back-up for centerback position. As Le Boss mentioned, that we will have to trust his judgement and we do trust him, but it will be interesting to see if he trusts our demands or not.

Death of tippy tappy, advent of a new Arsenal?

Arsenal, Arsenal, Arsenal, all my life singing...I can't get this awesome Arsenal anthem out of my head. Arsenal, Arsenal, Arsenal...

Ok, so last night was not that bad. Udinese is a decent side with a good last season in Serie A and beating them 1-0 is definitely a better result than beating Swansea 4-0 (cue Nasriism). We were missing our red hot striker Robin due to "that" ludicrous card but Theo put in a good shift. Gervinho once again displayed why he will be the Premier League signing of the season. I understand that he is currently playing on a different frequency than his teammates but once he gets it right, the trap door will be open and the hounds will be released, hounds with massive forehead. We didn't particularly dominated the possession because there were too many misplaced passes and giveaways from Song and Rosicky. But on the other hand, Ramsey was impressive albeit missed the consistency. You can't just create one or two good chances in a game and sit back, one has to try continuously to pry open the defence. Aaron is a hardworking and a down to earth bloke who is still learning the trade, I'm sure he will be a whole lot better with few more games as the artist-in-charge in the midfield. Overall our defence was solid and barring one or two last ditch tackles, there were no hairy situations.

I have always been consistent with my opinion on Gibbs and it was once again on display that he is not a Premier League level player. A player can possess great talent and sublime skills but if his body can't take the rigor of top level competitive football than he's not cut out for it. I really can't understand how can Arsene jeopardize our team given the knowledge of Gibbs' fragile physique. He has hardly ever played 3 complete games in a row and asking him to be our first choice left-back will put more pressure on him and the team. He could be a good squad player but with his level of fitness, it will be difficult for him to fill in as our first choice. A complete mirror image of him is Bacary Sagna. The man is made of metal. He goes in for tough tackles much more than Gibbs and plays full 90 minutes in every fixture. Either Arsenal staff has missed a trick in building up Gibbs strength or he's not cut out for it. The LB problem is crying out loud to be solved but ignoring it will put unnecessary pressure on other players as we saw last evening when Jenkinson was in the a soup couple of times.

After the game I was not all doom and gloom, in fact I was happy with our performance. I liked the way how Vermaelen calmed the nerves in the last 10 minutes, when we are the most susceptible to committing outlandish mistakes, if only he had been there last season. Also Fabianski can kiss his No.1 dreams goodbye because last evening, SZCZ was a rockstar between the poles. He seem to have matured after the Carling Cup drama and looks confident and calm. As Cesc is gone and there's no imminent replacement in sight, I somehow get the feeling that the days of tippy tappy are over. Arsenal this season could be about defending solidly, fighting in the midfield and counter attacking with blistering pace. If the future beholds that scenario, then I can't wait to see Arsene's new creation to perform in it's full glory.

Goodbye Cesc

Our best player is gone. He is gone and he will never come back (fricking £130million buyout clause, you're shitting me Barca). His departure has left a creative void in our team which will be difficult to fill for anyone currently present in the squad. Some believe that Aaron Ramsey will be the next chief artist in our midfield but I seriously doubt his abilities. Cesc had a different football upbringing and with his super skills, he could only be emulated but not matched.

I have been bitter with Cesc for his behavior towards Arsene and Arsenal. But now when you think about it with a calm head, the protracted transfer saga looks justifiable. He has always wanted to go back to Barcelona and play for his hometown club. And with no silverware with Arsenal that attraction became an obsession. When Cesc was made the captain, he was criticized for not being 'English' enough on the pitch. Whenever he had an off day, the team was slagged off for being only about the possession and no result. He was the captain and the sole provider of the creative spark in our team. Mind you, Arshavin also has a mighty stat for the assists but there was too much pressure on Cesc. That pressure resulted in niggling injuries and a dodgy hamstring. So I think that he had had enough with us and just wanted a leave. If Nasri had signed a new contract with us early in the second half of the season, things would have been different. But his desire or should I say greed to play for a different club, gave Cesc another reason to move on with his career too.

Cesc is a special player and he will go on to have a great career with Barca. The only way he will not finish his career at that whore of a club is if GBP devalues to peso level and some Chinese club nicks him off those cheating Catalans. I will live to see that day, some day.

A team called Arsenal

Beating champion-elect Manchester United one day, turning over against mid-table Stoke City on the other, that's my team Arsenal. This team has had so many off days this season, that an abysmal performance has started to look normal. After that calamitous defeat in the Cup final, we haven't been able to pick ourselves up. The niggling injuries have come back and we could hardly maintain the momentum of an occasional good game.

Yesterday against Stoke, we delivered probably our worst performance of the season. The match started in a familiar fashion with Arsenal dominating the possession in first 10 minutes but hardly created anything. We have started strongly every single game this season and just imagine if we could have actually made use of it, sigh! But as usual, we were lacking in the final third of the pitch, where it matters the most. On the left, Arshavin was the culprit of losing the ball far too many times and with Gibbs in place of Clichy, it was a cakewalk for Pennant. Stoke was playing according to a specific plan and a part of it was to make Arsenal players look bad in their challenges. Gibbs was getting caught up ahead of the pitch and with Arshavin not tracking back, Pennant was a continuous threat. Due to some unscrupulous defending, Arshavin gave away a cheap free kick right next to the corner flag. Pennant's delivery was nothing exceptional but our defense managed to turn it into a pearler. Djourou was supposedly marking Jones and was facing him. I don't know how he thought he could run for the ball from that position. As Pennant crossed the ball, Djourou lost his footing and the ball just hit the unmarked Jones and dawdled in. Everyone knows that we're crap at defending set-pieces but nobody knew that we're this crap.

What ensued thereafter, it was pretty clear that Arsenal just didn't want it. We were frivolous in the midfield and there was no sense of urgency or diligence from the players. Ramsey who had a good game against Manure was seemingly out of this depth in this one. I hate to say it but he was visibly affected playing at that horrible stadium and in front of their booing audience. With our players going forward, he made an uncharacteristic mistake when, I don't know how, he managed to scoop the ball in the path of Pennant. With Koscielny covering Jones, Djourou should have just gone on to close him. But his lackadaisical approach provided Pennant the space and time to shoot and the deflected shot flew past our hapless goalkeeper for Stoke's second. The effort was not undeserving but it was a nothing strike, one which should have been blocked by our defender.

Item that should have been thrown inside dressing room at HT

Possible item which was actually thrown

The second half brought a 4-3-3 approach with Bendtner and  Chamakh replacing Arshavin and Ramsey. As a result our ball play improved but there were still no clear cut scoring opportunities. Bendtner tried to shoot from outside the box but Begovic had it covered. Chamakh scoffed a good chance and Van Persie was denied by some last ditch defending. Apart from that there was no action until we brought Rosicky in place of Song. Whatever you think of Rosa, but he made an immediate impact when he turned away from his marker and setup Robin. Van Persie still had to turn away from the defender which he did and let go a thunderous low shot with his chocolate leg to give Arsenal hope of leveling the game. But apparently no one was interested in it. In the next minute Djourou's crappy clearance gave back the ball to Walters who kept his cool and slotted past the surging Chesney. It was done and dusted after that, with Arsenal showing no comeback spirit, the final whistle remained a mere formality.

We were average all over the pitch. Theo hardly played any role yesterday and looked out of sorts. In the midfield, Song had a decent game and closely marked Jones at times. Jack was in a fiery mood. His tackles were not at all helped by his agitated demeanor and the crowd of 20,000 cavemen baying for his blood. Pennant made too much of his one good challenge on the ball and the Stoke players, sticking to the plan, tried to make it look a red-cardable offence. It led to a scuffle but eventually both the players got away with yellow. I hope the other Stoke players made a note-to-self that you don't mess with Jack.

In the defense, Gibbs was once again poor. His positional sense could be compared to a headless chicken. I doubt his physical ability as well because he is very slow in coming back to his position. If he wants to start in the Arsenal team, he really has to step up his game. Djourou also had a game to forget. He is playing his first season as our first choice defender and coming back from a long term injury, it's always difficult to perform consistently. He has been massive for us in the games he had played but for the last few (starting with Bolton-away) he has been caught off-guard at times. He was a doubt to start against Stoke but cleared his fitness test before the game. With Shittaci on the bench and Vermaelen just returning from his long-term injury, I'm speculating that Djourou was forced to start this one. He has performed so well for us all this season that the only justification I could see for his faltering performance is fatigue. I'm sure that he will come back stronger and fitter after the summer.

At the end of the day you have to judge our team by their effort and yesterday there was none. Even when we went a goal down, we never forced the issue and didn't come up with the goods. It was as if the players have already made their summer plans and just want to go on a break. It would have been nice to see Arsene make some changes up front but then he never does, well he knows better. The season is now really over for us and I just want the players to have some "decency" to avoid defeat in the remaining two fixtures. Now I'm really not asking much of the team, just be a decent bunch and don't lose. Let's see.