2 November 2014

Arsenal 3 - 0 Burnley: Alexis the main man again in improved performance

#AFCvBFC


Arsenal line-up: Szczesny; Chambers, Mertesacker, Monreal, Gibbs; Arteta, Flamini; Oxlade-Chamberlain, Alexis, Cazorla; Welbeck

That's now three good results on the bounce, and it was nice to see a half-decent performance for a change. Our last two performances against Anderlecht and Sunderland have been very poor, but this demonstrates that it is getting the three points that is the most important thing. Despite poor performances, good results give the team confidence, which then leads to better performances, hopefully allowing us to build further upon this sequence.


22 October 2014

Anderlecht 1-2 Arsenal: Alexis wasn't celebrating after that shambolic performance!

#ANDvAFC


Arsenal line-up: Martinez; Chambers, Mertesacker, Monreal, Gibbs; Flamini; Alexis, Ramsey, Wilshere, Cazorla; Welbeck

This game was in contrast to both of the last two games against Hull and Chelsea. This was the worst performance of the three, and yet the best outcome, putting us in a strong position to at least qualify for the next round of the Champions League. Wenger considers it important to win your home games, and then pick up one or two results away from home too. So far we are on track to do this, although at the moment it's impossible to see us getting a result against Dortmund, even at home.


5 October 2014

Spurs (H), Gala (H) and now Chelsea (A). 4-2-3-1 or 4-1-4-1? Predicted line-up.

#CFCvAFC #COYG

Chelsea away is arguably the toughest Premier League game we will face this season, and follows a draw and a win in our last two games against Spurs and Galatasaray. This is a massive opportunity to show that we've improved compared to last season, particularly away from home against the big teams, and put to bed the demons still lingering from the equivalent fixture last season. It is also, however, a chance to go 9 points behing the leaders after just 7 games, effectively waving goodbye to our title aspirations already. There is a lot at stake here, to say the least.


23 September 2014

From despair to renewed hope and back, but what would constitute success for Arsenal in 2014-15?


Before sinking into the despair brought by being knocked out of the Carling Cup by Southampton, let's pause to remember just how good the weekend just gone was. Things suddenly started looking very bright again, with Özil looking like the player we hoped we'd signed, a spectacular (Arsenal-style?!) collapse of Man U, Lampard scoring against Chelsea to cost them two points, Liverpool losing, Spuds losing, Everton losing and Man City dropping points. This demonstrates just how quickly things change in football, with it difficult to see any positives for the season ahead after our defeat to Dortmund last Tuesday night.


20 September 2014

Finances looking good ahead of Villa game - predicted line-up

#AVFCvAFC

We've just announced profits of £4.7m for the year ending 31 May 2014, with turnover increasing to over £300m. I'm intrigued that, while profits are just £4.7m, our cash reserves have increased from £119.6m to £173.3m. In delving deeper, this seems to be because we received payments for transfers that had previously been agreed, so this increase in cash didn't count as profit. Also, we have credit arrangements on some player purchases, meaning that some of this cash is already spent, and therefore misleading.


14 September 2014

Arsenal 2 - 2 Man City: Thoughts on Özil, defenders and 4-1-4-1

#AFCvMCFC


So the six first team defenders we had, to cover the back four positions, has now become five, following a nasty looking sprained ankle for Debuchy. We don't yet know how long he'll be out, but Chambers is an able deputy for Debuchy, which actually makes us better prepared for an injury at right back this season than we were last. However, a further injury at right back, or any injury at centre back, will force us to call upon the 19 year-old Bellerin to play at right back. Having recently broken Walcott's club record for sprinting 40m, Bellerin certainly doesn't lack pace, and is effective going forward, but he has next to no Premier League experience.

13 September 2014

Predicted starting eleven against Man City

#AFCvMCFC #COYG


I can't wait for this game! After an international break it always feels like it's been way too long since the last Arsenal game, and what a game to come back to. We've had tests and chances to show that we've improved this season, but this is the biggest yet. Beating Man City 3-0 in the Community Shield was really satisfying, and yet there still remained some doubts. Yes, we played well, but the impression I was left with was that Man City either weren't quite ready yet, or didn't really take the game very seriously. That will not be the case this time.


7 September 2014

Transfer Review: Ins > outs in best transfer window for a while

#WelcomeWelbeck


It's times like these that I become so much more aware of how my Arsenal bias, and hatred for anything to do with Man Utd, affects my views and opinions. I've spent the last few years trying to justify the viewpoint that Welbeck isn't any good, and then he goes and signs for us, forcing me to rethink my opinions in a more objective (or pro-Arsenal) way! While Danny isn't the high-profile striker of the calibre of Cavani or, dare I say it, Falcao, he does have some qualities that will add to our striking options and will provide genuine competition and cover for Giroud.


1 September 2014

Post-Leicester thoughts on formation and transfer jealousy

#LCFCvAFC

 So, after a disappointing result away to Leicester, it's transfer deadline day, and calls for Wenger to sign a striker have reached fever-pitch.

Firstly, some thoughts on yesterday's game:

Starting line-up: Szczesny; Debuchy, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Monreal; Flamini; Alexis, Ramsey, Cazorla, Özil; Sanogo

So it seems that 4-1-4-1 is here to stay, and Özil remained on the left side, despite revealing in a recent interview with the Telegraph that he feels strongly that his best position is the 'number 10' playmaker role, through the middle. He also mentions that he prefers the right, where he has played for Real Madrid, to the left, where he was positioned for Germany in the World Cup. This makes Wenger's insistence on Özil playing on the left all the more strange. Some possible explanations are that Özil is just positioned there while he is regaining full match fitness, that Wenger wants to make space for both Wilshere and Ramsey to play in the two central midfield positions, or that Özil is positioned on the left as this allows Arsenal to break more quickly when we regain possession of the ball in our own half.


27 August 2014

Predicted starting eleven against Besiktas, with thoughts on Sanogo and Alexis

#AFCvBES #COYG


 So, right on cue for our most important game of the season so far, Giroud breaks his foot and won't play again until the New Year. Alexis started as the central striker in our last game against Everton but was replaced at half-time by Giroud, with the latter proving to be much more effective in the role. It has been clear for well over a year now that we need backup for Giroud in the squad, but it's still unclear what Wenger's plans are. In such a high stakes game, we will see what Wenger considers to be his strongest available eleven, and therefore gain insight into what his plans have been for this eventuality.


25 August 2014

Everton 2 - 2 Arsenal: Match thoughts and a defence of @_OlivierGiroud_

#EFCvAFC


 I went into this game hoping for more than a draw, as this was our first real chance to demonstrate that we've improved from last season, away from home against a top-five team. Having watched the match, however, I feel that this is a point gained rather than two points lost. I'm not sure that our performance demonstrated much improvement, but in the same fixture last season we got thoroughly beaten. We certainly demonstrated some heart and desire to get anything from this game, and I'm left wondering whether we had one eye on the more important Besiktas fixture on Wednesday.

Starting line-up: Szczesny; Debuchy, Chambers, Mertesacker, Monreal; Flamini; Oxlade-Chamberlain, Ramsey, Wilshere, Ozil; Alexis


16 August 2014

New signings provide positives in tough game against Palace. 3 points gained

#AFCvCPFC


 A 2-1 win at home to Crystal Palace means that we are now 3 points better off than we were at the same stage last season. We had plenty of possession throughout, but made really hard work of forcing a win. Going forward we really struggled to create any clear chances, partly due to Crystal Palace's organisation, but also because we lack match sharpness.

Team line-up: Szczesny; Debuchy, Chambers, Koscielny, Gibbs; Arteta; Sanchez, Ramsey, Wilshere, Cazorla; Sanogo


13 August 2014

Prospect of centre-half pairing of Chambers & Monreal giving me nightmares

#VermaelenFCB


 Firstly, let me wish our former captain, Thomas Vermaelen, the very best of luck for his future at Barcelona. It's very hard to hold anything against him when he gave 100% in every game, took lower wages to avoid going to a rival Premier League club, and didn't involve himself in any media speculation. He really is a true professional; he has shown the utmost respect to Arsenal and will be remembered fondly. While causing us some problems in defensive cover, the deal also represents good value for Arsenal. In comparison to our £30m spend on a 25 year old Alexis Sanchez, receiving £15m for a 28 year old Thomas Vermaelen, with just 1 year remaining on his contract and unable to get into our first team, seems remarkable.


12 August 2014

Change to 4-1-4-1 offers new solidity in Man City victory

#CommunityShield #AFCvMCFC


 How good does it feel to come away with a 3-0 win against a top Premier League team?! The main thing that we need to improve from last season is our results against the top teams, having been on the wrong end of some severe drubbings last season. On that front, this latest result is undoubtedly a step in the right direction and that, for me, is more important than the fact that we picked up our second piece of silverware in 3 months.

While beating any Man City team is no mean feat, there is no doubt that they were missing several top players, including Aguero, Kompany and Fernandinho, among others. What had a bigger impact though, was that Man City didn't look at all interested! It's difficult to tell if this was due to Toure and Fernando being overrun in the middle of the park (us playing well), or City not being ready.


6 August 2014

First our hopes are raised. Quickly followed by questions!

#EmiratesCup #Sanogoal


So it's difficult to read too much into friendly games, but it's always nice to get a taster of how the new players might fit into the team, and how existing players might change their roles for the season ahead. It's also our first chance to see us against first-class opposition.

On seeing the team-sheet for the Benfica game, I was excited about seeing how the new players would perform - Chambers, Campbell, but also Sanogo, Bellerin and, to a lesser extent, Martinez in goal. However, the main things that struck me were that Monreal was playing centre back, we were lined up in 4141, without the double-pivot of 4231, and that Oxlade-Chamberlain was positioned on the left. It seems to me that in our first 11, Ozil will start in the CAM role, with either Giroud or Sanchez up front, and the right will be taken by Walcott or Sanchez. Our left-sided forward position is up for grabs with neither Podolski or Cazorla entirely convincing in the role last season. So the main question for me, going into this game, was whether the Ox could make this position his own.


29 July 2014

Wenger becoming blasé about letting slip transfers before Arsenal.com

#WelcomeChambers


Hot on the heels of the Ospina transfer comes confirmation that Chambers has joined Arsenal from Southampton, for a fee of £11m, rising to £16m.

I must admit that I was surprised to learn that we were to sign another right-back, having already signed Debuchy, but the transfer makes more sense in the light of recent comments suggesting that he could be used at centre back, or defensive midfield, as well as at right back. After all, Chambers is tall and athletic, has Premier League experience, is British and, at just 19 years old, has the time and talent to become a major star of the future. The transfer does, however, raise serious questions about the future of Carl Jenkinson.


28 July 2014

Ospina and Sanchez signings signal a change in demographic

#WelcomeOspina


I'm delighted with the news that Arsenal.com have officially confirmed the signing of Ospina from Nice. While Fabianski had worked hard to finally overcome a reputation of being prone to making mistakes, I believe that replacing him with Ospina represents an improvement in the squad. It remains to be seen how Ospina will respond to playing second fiddle (initially at least) to Szczesny, but he is three years younger than Fabianski and performed admirably for Colombia in the World Cup.