Arsenal 2 Steaua 1 - Bring on the big Guns!

From the moment Robin Van Persie split the Steaua defence to release Theo Walcott, we knew the dutchman was back. And at just the right time. In recent games we have missed the creativity of our no.11, even more so with Hleb and Fabregas out. His vision and skill surpasses most in our squad and with him in our team we are a far larger threat going forward. He peels off into the role just off a main striker and is brilliant at it. This was vindicated in his pass to Bendtner for the second goal. The way he showed for the ball and in a quick flurry of movement had played in his strike partner. It took time for him to recover but the fact he started last night is surely an indication he will be fit for Sunday - great news!

I was not able to get to the match last night but having watched the highlights a few things impressed me. I can only go on what they show but certain aspects were clear. First of all Abou Diaby played very well. He is a very direct and strong player with good technique for such a tall and lanky player. His finish was excellent an he seemed to cause problems when driving from midfield. The way he glided past players with seeming ease really encourages me that Diaby wants to push on and push for a regular place. He might be worth a role alongside Flamini (if fit) come Sunday afternoon.

The second thing I noticed almost immediately is that Theo Walcott showed the new toughness and positivity he has mentioned recently. He was much stronger on the ball than he has been and seems to have learnt how to use his brain more; that is when to beat players with pace, when to pass and when to use a bit of trickery. The only thing missing was the finish. His pace is electric and I would prefer him over Eboue for Sunday. He is comitted and never gives up, his defensive work was solid and he was a real menace when running at the opposition's goal.

Lastly - Nicklas Bendtner showed once again what a talent he is. His hold up play was excellent and the finish for his goal was so assured. He took his time, picked his spot and placed it with great accuracy. Many would have snatched at the chance; with two players around him he could have taken it early but waited for the perfect moment. It was his first chance of the night, that is the mark of a clinical striker. I know we all want Theo to succeed up front, but right now Bendtner is way out ahead of him. Walcott was good on the wing and for now should ply his trade there as he develops his game. Bendtner is playing very well and I am sure will be a first team regular before too long.

It was annoying to concede a goal, especially such an easy one. The defending wasnt the best throughout the second half, but with half the back four rested and progression already assured, it is understandable. The most important thing is that the fluidity going forward was back last night. Some of the passing was fantastic and everyone played their part. It will not be as easy to play the ball around against Chelsea, but if we can play to the levels these players can, with a bit of luck, maybe a player or two coming back into the side, there is no reason why we cannot win that game.

We will be drawn against either of these teams in the first knockout round:

Barcelona, AC Milan, Inter Milan, Real Madrid or Porto.

I had a gut feeling we would play Barca at some point in this year's Champion's league, it seems destiny it will be early on. All these games are going to be tough, but we did it on the run to the final two years ago. Many will say Porto is the best draw. Of course they are the least strong team here BUT look what happened last year with PSV. Many claimed we had the best tie out of the English sides - we were the only ones to go out. This team is confident and on our day can beat almost anyone, bring 'em on I say!!!

Arsenal vs Steaua - Also - some very good news

Finally, at the end of a tough week that started with a draw away to Newcastle, some good news has arrived. Robin Van Persie returns to the first team squad for the visit of Steaua. He has returned after a layout that has seen him out since October. The "2-3 weeks out" envisaged by Mr Wenger was very wrong and it is great to have Van Persie back for this busy part of the season. Abou Diaby is also back to bolster the squad.

The other great news is Flamini looks likely to be offered a new 5-year contract after his brilliant start to this season. He has transformed our midfield and played in such a style that means Arsenal can no longer be bullied. In his two games out, Arsenal have been out fought and looked shaky in the centre of the park. There was a worry we could lose this "new" player come the end of the season, with him free to talk to other clubs come January. He is also likely to be fit for Sunday which could be crucial.

Some bad news is that Cesc Fabregas and Alex Hleb are no nearer to a return for Sunday. This is very bad news as they really are crucial to our team. We are getting back 2/4 of our players we really need, but all four really would be a boost for the team and for the fans before Sunday's crucial game. What does amaze me though is the length of time Arsenal players seem to take to recover. Last season, William Gallas was supposed to return after a short lay off - this soon became two months. Tomas Rosicky seemed to miss games all the time through injury.

This leads me to look at Arsenal's injury policy. It seems to me that Wenger will only let his players return if they are 100% fit. This is a fair enough decision with the level so high at the top level. Wenger, I think, trusts natural healing over aided recovery. However I would like to think certain players who were near enough to the top level, would be allowed to take some sort of injection to play in big games. I would only encourage this if the player was not at risk of worsening an injury by taking this injection. I have seen Gerrard and Terry take these without having any lasting problems. If Cesc and Hleb are ok to take one, I really think they should. It has become clear this week as to the importance of them to our team.

Another thing I must ask is why they are out for so long. I have racked my brains as to why Cesc has a fitness test for Villa, two weeks before the Chelsea game, yet he is now more than likely to miss out. Surely he has made the final steps to recovery within two weeks. Unless he got injured in the fitness test, now that would be unbelievable! The same happened with Alex Hleb. Having returned for Villa, he got a knock to his calf but had a fitness test ahead of the Newcastle game. Suddenly he was out of the Boro game with no chance of a comeback - now the Chelsea game looks a distant hope aswell. What's going on here? Either the medical staff are taking too long to get these players fit, or Wenger is wrapping them up in cotton wool so they are at their peak fitness levels.

I know its hard with the Chelsea game approaching, but lets look at tomorrow's match. My feeling is that whatever we do tomorrow, we will be coming 2nd in the group as Sevilla will beat Slavia more than likely For me it is destiny to meet Barca in the knockout rounds; this way it could happen very early on. 3 points would be a welcome boost for those likely to fill in on Sunday, and a perfect chance for certain players to gain fitness before Sunday. As I said Van Persie will return to play some part, Diaby the same and Jens Lehmann will play in goal.

It is such a long time since the mad German was in goal for us, this is mainly down to Almunia's brilliant form. I doubt Lehmann has a chance to play on Sunday, considering Almunia has not done much to be dropped. However it is a chance for him to show why he has been shooting his mouth off. He better take it. Wenger will rotate his squad again but certain players will get a chance tomorrow to try and get a place in Sunday's team.
Across the back four I would like Sagna and Clichy rested, along with Toure and/or Gallas. If all of them are rested it gives a chance for Hoyte, Senderos, Song and Traore to try and show Wenger why they might push for a place in the team more regularly. If Song is not chosen for Cameroon he can push Senderos for the slot alongside Gallas when Toure leaves for Africa. That is, unless Wenger buys a centre back as he has hinted (my wish)

Eboue needs to be benched; both tomorrow and for the Chelsea game. How he did not get sent off, ON TWO OCCASIONS on Sunday, baffled me. They guy is petulant and as I have said countless times, when our backs are against the wall, Eboue runs away. He gets lost in games and it infuraites me as he has talent but only shows this on rare occasions. Diarra has played well recently, Boro excluded and he has done ok in the Flamini role. He tackles hard, hassles players and breaks things up. Gilberto seems to have become a very average player over night. Last season he was brilliant; this season he has been very very poor. He gives the ball away far too often and does not seem to help either defence or attack. This season Wenger has played a hard tackling centre midfielder alongside a more attacking player. Gilberto no longer fits into this. He will play tomorrow though, I think, but please not against Chelsea. I would like to see Diaby or Denilson play in the middle with Diarra, with a re-think regarding Sunday once we know fitness levels.

Rosicky should also be rested as we need him for Sunday. He was the main creative spark, however faint, on Sunday and may have a big job at the weekend, especially if Hleb and Cesc are out. This leaves two spaces on the wings for tomorrow's game. I want Theo to start on the right with Kieran Gibbs on the left. He impressed in his two first team games and it is a perfect opportunity for him to make the step up once again. However I think Diaby will fill in on the left. Walcott has asked for more games, and claims to have a new found positive and "aggresive" approach, now let him show this.

If Van Persie starts then i would like to see him start alongside Bendtner. The Dane is similar to Adebayor (rested) and Van Persie works well with this type of player. Bendtner did ok on Sunday and has looked good this season when he has came on in games. Eduardo was very bad on Sunday, he did not link with Adebayor and his decision making was poor and slow. He does seem to have a lot more settling in to do and is not yet ready for big games yet. If RVP cannot start tomorrow then Eduardo may get another chance. If Van Persie is not fit for Sunday, or cant last 90 minutes, then, if Bendtner can set his stall out tomorrow, he is a good bet for Sunday.

The team I would like to see is this (along with definite starters).

============Lehmann===========
Hoyte====Senderos====Song====Traore
Walcott===Diarra====Denilson====Diaby
=====Bendtner====RVP(Eduardo)=====

We need to get our season back on track and we can start this tomorrow.

Boro 2 Arsenal 1 - Absolutely Awful Performance

I write this match report before the game is over. Why is this? Ill tell you; as soon as the second Boro goal went in, the game was over. From the first minute we were awful. Almunia made a mistake coming to meet Aliadiere with Toure in close company. Toure did not need to make a challenge but may have been confused by the rashenss of the keeper. Downing swept home the penalty and we were on the back foot from then on. One would have thought this would kick us into action but it didnt. Just like midweek we failed to create any chances of note and Boro went and got the killer goal on 74 minutes.

So what is wrong all of a sudden? Is it the fact we are in December? The bogey month? Maybe. We have only played one half of real football in this month (away at Villa) and right now we look in trouble. The defence that has been so solid suddenly looks nervous and shaky. For some reason the defence has become stretched and mistakes seem to be happening all across the back 5. We lack creativity in midfield and decision making up front is poor. It reminds me of the period after we lost the 49-unbeaten run; we went and battered Villa senseless with our football and then after that struggled - ring a bell?

With Hleb, Cesc and Flamini out, the midfield has been very poor. Once again Eboue went missing and left Rosicky as the only creative spark in the whole team. He had a few good moments but nothing worked for him. Diarra worked hard but for me Gilberto has lost it. He strolls through games and is off the pace. He does nothing to aid the defence, nothing to help the attack. He gives away sloppy free-kicks and is not the same player. Flamini added bite to the team this year and when he has been out we have lacked something; teams are now able to bully us once again.

I interrupt here - we have scored, 2-1 but still all over as the final whistle goes. It had to be Rosicky - the only guy that looked like he could do something today.

Hleb and Fabregas are our main playmakers and the difference they make is now clearer than ever. As soon as Hleb went off away at Villa the downfall began. We did not concede but had nothing going forward. Then, as soon as Flamini was ruled out of first team action, goals and chances against us came a plenty. This is no coincidence, these players are simply so important. Add Cesc to these two and we are missing our three most crucial players this season. We need them back asap, next sunday is a must return for them.

I worry about Eduardo, I really do. He was played in his position today and was awful. His decisions were slow and his passing sloppy. It made no difference playing up front. He does not seem to fit into the system at all and needs plenty more adapting before he is ready to start big games. Even David Pleat - not the most enthralling of commentators - saw that Edaurdo and Adebayor were not working together. There was no cohesion and they were too far apart. I feel the Togo man does not like playing with the Croat. Adebayor worked hard and was off it today but we know what he can do, Eduardo I am still waiting on to answer some questions. Bendtner came on and seemed to make a slight difference in that I saw him on the ball. Even Theo showed more urgency. Something needs to change if our injured players are not back for Sunday.

Yes, credit does go to Boro, but we were shocking. They closed us down but we did not string passes together. I lost count of how many long punts forward either went out of play or straight to a red shirt. The leaders of this team need to get together with the manager and sort out what is going on. Our season is under threat right now in the next month, players need to stand up and be counted.

Eboue, Gilberto, Eduardo all need to be dropped NOW, even if Hleb, Cesc, Flamini and Van Persie are not back.

Aresnal vs Boro (away) preview

Tomorrow we finish our 3 part Northern round trip that has taken us to Villa Park, St James' Park and now the Riverside. We won brilliantly away at Villa when many were hoping for a draw. We slipped up a little against a rejuvinated Newcastle side ut there was no shame in a 1-1 draw away there. If we can beat Boro tomorrow we will have 7 points from 9 in one week of 3 very tricky away games; all this without Fabregas and Van Persie for all 3, Hleb and Flamini for the other two.

We are without these players again and I envisage a line up similar if not exactly the same as in the last game. The back four and keeper will be the same and all we need from them is consistency once again. They defended brilliantly in the last two games, especially seeing as they were bombarded for 45 minutes and then for 70 minutes. Almunia was brilliant in both and he is showing why he has the no.1 jersey right now.

In midfield I feel Wenger will persist with Eboue on the right; this surely must be the final chance before he is moved to the bench. I have stated my opinion on Eboue many times and once again I will tell you that Eboue is a fantastic player when things are going well and we are playing good Football. Just look at the involvement he had during our last three goals; all 3 came from moves involving him whether it be a pinpoint cross or slick passing. However when the going gets tough and backs are against the wall, he goes missing far too many times. I didn't see him touch the ball in the second half against Newcastle and at least others made some sort of attempt to get on the ball.

Lassana Diarra impressed me hugely with his no nonsense tackling and work rate. His passing was decent at times but he is no playmaker. He needs a creative player alongside him. Gilberto is not this and right now doesn't seem to do a job in the side. He makes interceptions and keeps play simple but Diarra can do this aswell as adding a fighting edge to the midfield in Flamini's absence. I have called for Rosicky to be given the other central midfield role and it showed midweek we missed this creative edge through the middle. This would leave a space on the left for Walcott to show us what he can do. He was brilliant for the U21s and he had an interview where he mentioned a new direct, positive manner to his game - time to show it Theo!

Up front I am all for Eduardo being given another chance, but this time up front and NOT on the wing. The guy is still adapting to our play but playing him out wide will not help. His position is alongside Adebayor so let him play there. Wenger could go with Bendtner and either way I do not mind. We need goals from our forwards more than anyone with Cesc and Hleb out, chances might be more scarce and two strikers have more chance of scoring than just Ade up top.

My team would be:
==================Almunia=================
Sagna========Toure=========Gallas=======Clichy
Eboue========Diarra========Rosicky======Walcott
==========Adebayor========Eduardo===========

Subs: Lehmann, Song, Gilberto, Denilson, Bendtner

Once again Wenger has been blamed for the lack of English players, I have debated on this subject and right now am getting bored of this. I can't wait till Mourinho is named manager to show that foreigners simply are better all through football right now. The FA is the shambles and the acadamies run by it are even worse. Get Wenger in charge as a second job - I mean second - and we might see some improvement. Wait till Henri Lansbury, Mark Randall, Rhys Murphy, Jay Emmanuel Thomas are lighting up the Premiership and then we will see what Wenger IS doing for English football.

Back to tomorrow's match and good luck to the boys. Get the three points and we have done well for a week's work. Many are already looking to Chelsea at home but one game at a time for now.

Newcastle 1 Arsenal 1 - Not such a bad result

There are two ways to view last night's draw against Newcastle. The first is to be disapointed that we drew with a side struggling in mid-table and against a team who had shipped four goals against Portsmouth and three against Liverpool. The other one - the one I choose to take - is that we got a draw away at a side fighting for their place in the team, fighting for their manager and all that with 3/4 of our main midfield out injured, aswell as one of our first choice strikers out.

With Hleb and Flamini added to the injury list already containing Fabregas and Van Persie, last night's game was always going to be a tough match. Rosicky, Diarra, Eboue and Adebayor started from the front six from saturday. Flamini was replaced by Gilberto and Eduardo came in for Hleb. It all began so well as Eboue delivered the perfect cross for Adebayor to score a fantastic goal. After only three minutes we were 1-0 up and many feared the worst for Newcastle. Their defence seemed dodgy a couple of times shortly after but we did not capatalise. It was then that Wenger made a mistake.

Eduardo was moved out to the left and we went into a 4-5-1 formation. For me this was wrong and Wenger has to take some blame here. First of all Eduardo is not a left winger, he is a centre forward and looked out of place out wide - AGAIN. It was supposed to give Rosicky a more central role where he could dictate play but with only one runner ahead of him he did not have much to work with. He only had two real openings: in one Adebayor ran ahead of him leaving Tomas with no option but to try and outpace 4 defenders; the other time he chose to pass when the shot was probably the better option. Going 5 in midfield also gave the initiative to Newcastle; there was no real out-ball and Adebayor was isolated. We had started well with two strikers casusing their shaky defence problems. Our creativity was lost against Villa once Hleb went off and if we were to score more we really needed two up front to compensate his absence.

The defence were left with the job of trying to keep out the Newcastle attack for 75+minutes and although they were capable of achieving this feat against Villa, it was too much last night. They did well to keep it at 1-1 and in particular Almunia was outstanding. He made many crucial saves in both the first and second half. In midfield Gilberto and Diarra had the job of disrupting Newcastle and the Frenchman really impressed me. One particular moment where he held off four challenges with strength and determination really got me off my seat. Had more players taken his example we might have done better last night. The problem was too many players went missing when we most needed them.

Eboue was non-existent in the second half and I barely saw him touch the ball. When it was nescessary for him to get on the ball and buy the defence some time he failed to do it. Eboue is good when we are playing good Football and he is involved in our slick passing game. However, when our backs are against the wall and we need players to stand up and be counted, he goes into his shell far too many times. Eduardo failed to hold up the ball and it was his mistake that led to the goal. The Croat does not seem to fit into our system yet but until he is played in his natural position I refuse to have much of a go at him.

Gilberto showed his experience and how important he can be to the team. Some of his interceptions were first class and his calmness on the ball does help when the going gets tough. However we did miss Flamini in there, aswell as the creativity of Cesc and Hleb. Ade held the ball up well and he needed a better supply from the midfield. One criticism of Adebayor last night was that his decision making was poor at times. When he could have played Eduardo in for a one on one he chose to try and beat his man and ran too wide to do anything other than win a corner. A few times he had an easy pass that would have played a team mate in but he was erratic and his pass was wayward.

This result was not a disaster, far from it, but with the likelihood the 4 players will be out once more for Sunday, we must learn from last night and be far more direct and clinical to get back on track in the League. We are still 4 points ahead in the League and go into a tricky December with players to come back. Bring on the third leg of our Northern round trip.

Newcastle vs Arsenal - This will not be as easy as many think…

A week or two ago many would have described tonight's fixture away at Newcastle as an easy fixture. Newcastle were leaking goals left right and centre; Arsenal on the other hand were scoring goals a plenty matched with a watertight defence. This match however will be far from easy, for a few reasons. Firstly it is Sam Allardyce; whatever we may think of the guy - not good things in my case - he did know how to ruffle our feathers time and time again in previous years. If there was one man that had the 'formula' to beating Arsenal it was him. His job is on the line and he will be determined to re-kindle the tactics that he used so well against Wenger's sides in the past.

Next: when was the last time we beat Newcastle comfortably at St. James Park? Last year we drew 0-0 there, the year before we lost 1-0, the year before that we scraped a 1-0 victory. Do you see the pattern here? Newcastle have a history of frustrating us and we have not won with a comfortable margin since the night Dennis Bergkamp scored his wonder goal back in the 2001/02 season. Sol Campbell added to the Dutchman's fantastic solo goal and we cruised to victory. That was a long time ago and since then we have struggled.

Our injury list will also play a part this evening; it really is mounting. Add to the list of Van Persie, Diaby and Cesc; Hleb and Flamini and I worry about the creativity we will get tonight. When Hleb went off on Saturday against Villa, all our creative spark seemed to be lost. We failed to create anything after that with a solitary one shot at goal all half. Fabregas and Hleb really are our main playmakers and I worry with both of them out. In midfield Eboue had a good game but his form is always so erratic we cannot rely on him to produce an awful lot game after game. The solitary creative player in midfield is really Tomas Rosicky but he has not been in the best of form. He is key to us this evening.

The team Wenger puts out is largely decided for him. The back 5 will not change after they defended so brilliantly against the Villa onslaught. They really showed the added fight and grit to our game this season and our full backs will need to get forward like they did on the weekend. Moving into midfield; I feel Eboue and Rosicky will take their places again on the wings and will be the key from turning defence into attack. The interesting question however is what Wenger will do in central midfield. I feel he will go with Diarra who had a good game in the centre on Saturday, alongside Glberto who will replace the injured Flamini. Diarra was good at winning the ball strongly and keeping it simple. Gilberto will be there to link defence to midfield and mop up anything on the counter. He could go with Denilson but I feel he will opt for the more solid two in the middle.

If it was me - I know it's not!! - I would play Diarra in there with Rosicky. We need our midfield to create chances and if given a central role I feel we could see the best of Rosicky. With the Frenchman holding for the Czech we could really see something good in the centre of the park. That would leave space for Walcott to fill in on the left. He really has blown hot and cold this year but his pace could give Newcastle's makeshift back four a real tough time. He needs games to develop and this game could really test his character, and build it. As I said though, I doubt this will happen.

I think Eduardo was left out of the squad against Villa as Wenger planned for him to start tonight. Newcastle have looked shaky at the back and could be undone by someone who is a natural finisher. Eduardo has shown at times he is this type of player and playing off Adebayor I can see him getting lots of chances. Adebayor will lead the line and after his performance on Saturday Newcastle will be wary. He will be marked tightly which leaves space for runners off him to exploit. We must not get Ade isolated as when this has happened at times this season we have not looked so potent. Nicklas Bendtner or Theo Walcott may be selected as the other striker in place of Eduardo but there are reasons why this is doubtful:

Theo has not been in the best of form and does not look like a striker with plenty of goals in him, yet! Many think Bendtner and Adebayor are too similar to play together. In some ways this is true but only in certain aspects are they the same. Bendtner is a good finisher and Adebayor is far more hardworking. It is a partnership I would like to see as I think they could compliment each other well against what will be a rugged defence tonight. Wenger though may not think this way.

This is the team I think will play with my team in brackets (my record on Football Manager suggests trust Mr Wenger)

===============Almunia(Almunia)===============
Sagna(Sagna)=Gallas(Gallas)=Toure(Toure)=Clichy(Clichy)
Eboue(Eboue)=Diarra(Diarra)=Gilberto(Rosicky)=Rosicky(Walcott)
=======Adebayor(Adebayor)===Eduardo(Bendtner)=======

If this is the team Wenger opts for it will almost be a 4-2-2-2 formation with the two defensive midfielders sitting back while the wide players push on. It is similar to the way Brazil play and with this game likely to be a tight one Wenger will not want to concede. With the full backs pushing on, Diarra and Gilberto will be there to protect the two centre backs. This game could be decided by a solitary goal, whatever Wenger chooses it must be spot on.

Villa 1 Arsenal 2 - A game of two halves

That was an absolutely brilliant result. 2-1 away at Villa is fantastic. It is one of the toughest away matches of the season and we came through it to get 3 points. A lot of people thought we might get a point - me included - but not this Arsenal side. I worried that with Fabregas out we might struggle but the key to this was who else came back. However this team is at the start of a new era as Wenger said and they put the disappointment of Tuesday night behind them to get the win. The first half was similar to that of 3 years ago away at Villa where we were described as "the Football version of the Harlem Globetrotters" in our 3-1 win.

Hleb was outstanding tonight. The way he kept the ball under control and had an eye for a killer pass was as good as anyone. He took up great positions and was a problem all night; enough so for Carew to cynically end his game with a horror challenge (go back to McShane (Sunderland) and Noble at West Ham doing the same thing). He was in the withdrawn striker role and glimpses of Bergkamp came to my head. The ease with which he got space and time and then moved the ball on was brilliant. He played 60 mins and one amazing stat was that after this hour his pass success rate was 98%. That is simply brilliant. It was one of the best performances from an Arsenal player in a long time.

However this result came from a brilliant team performance. From back to front the whole team was awesome. Almunia was solid from crosses and his handling very secure. No wonder Wenger has tipped him for a Spanish call up. Our full backs also excelled. Clichy returned from injury to line up on the left and Sagna on the right. Sagna had young in his pocket early on and when he switched to the right Clichy continued this pattern. They were largely untroubled throughout. The most pleasing part of their performance however was their attacking play. Clichy made countless surging runs in the first half and the Villa midfield could not cope. Sagna on the other side delivered the cross for Adebayor's header. He did it against Man Utd, Wigan and now Villa. The cross was sublime and Ade did with it what it deserved.

Toure and Gallas were solid as ever. Carew was a tricky prospect and they dealt well with him. They knew when to drop off and when to get close; only once did he threaten the goal and we got lucky here (Karma for the Hleb challenge?) Agbonlahor became isolated and I hardly noticed him due to their hard work. They made some great interceptions and tackles many times. When Kolo goes off to Africa we are going to miss a real leader of this team.

Wenger started with 2 defensive midfielders in Diarra and Flamini. Flamini was absolutely fantastic in a slightly different role. He was ordered to get forward as Cesc would and duly got his goal after brilliant build up play. He finished with aplomb as the Spaniard has all season and continued to get forward and had 3 good attempts in the first half. He was strong in every tackle and really got us going. Diarra alongside him controlled midfield and dictated tempo for most of the game. He kept things simple and was never beaten in a challenge. He repaid Wenger's faith for starting him.

Rosicky did well at times but got lost a bit in this game. Once Hleb went off we hardly saw him and Wenger took him off soon after. On the other side I was very pleased with Eboue. I thought he should be given one chance to prove he can cut out the antics and let his football do the talking and he did it today. His skill was great at times and the link up with Hleb and Adebayor as sublime at times.

And then we had Emmanuel Adebayor leading the line and in the first half he did as well as anyone could have asked. He held the ball up, linked play and scored a real centre forward's goal. He got up high and beat Knight to the ball to head past Carson. When he scores we do not lose as stats prove; we have never lost when he is on the score sheet. Today was no different.

We showed two aspects to our game today - first we had a half of sublime Football and then a half of gritty defending and hard work. Both are equally satisfying when you win this type of game. We worked for the three points; 6 points ahead of United with same games played, 5 points ahead of Chelsea with a game in hand. On to Newcastle next week in our Northern round-trip.

Aston Villa vs Arsenal Preview - A tough test

Aston Villa have both comprehensively beaten Chelsea and been well beaten by Manchester United. In both of these they burst out of the blocks and took an early lead. In one they held off some pressure from their opposition and in the other they were pegged back soon after and eventually punished heavily. Against Chelsea they were able to soak up the pressure and hit them on the counter late on to seal the points. This was when Chelsea were not at their attacking best. Against United they came up against a team in full attacking flow and Villa simply could not cope with the speed of the counter attack.

This gives me some hope as in games this season - Sevilla apart - we have been able to break teams down and score goals. Manchester United showed this is possible against Villa and hopefully we can do the same. Going a goal down will not be the end of the world but if we get the first goal then it will be a real bonus. If we can hit them on the counter early on then we might be in luck. As they are the home team and playing well, they will fancy their chances. They will no doubt come at us in the opening stages and here we must be patient, solid and use the speed we have to break quickly up field.

Villa's main threat is definitely their pace. They will either line up in a 4-3-3 with Young and Agbonlahor playing off Carew. Should this happen the two pacey englishmen will play wide and attack the full backs. They will try and get past these players and supply Carew with chances. O'Neill may decide to go with a more conventional 4-4-2 with Young on the right, Petrov on the left with Barry and Reo-Coker in the centre of midfield. He will then have Agbonlahor playing off Carew and using his pace to great effect. If Arsenal can stem the supply to Young and Agbonlahor, they will have gone some way to halting Villa. This in turn will hopefully isolate Carew.

So how do Arsenal line-up to deal with this? Assuming Clichy is not fit to play tomorrow I would go for solidity at the back. Traore had major problems against Navas and I would move Sagna across to left full-back. He can deal with Young as well as anyone in the squad while providing pace on the counter. On the other side Diarra should fill in. He is strong in the tackle and can prevent any attacks from that side. After his shocker on Wednesday Senderos must not be on the pitch. I have heard people suggesting Gallas go to the left with Phil filling in. With the pace of Agbonlahor we need both Toure and Gallas playing in the centre to deal with it. Carew may win most aerial balls but if we isolate Agbonlahor and Young then he should not get too much of the ball.

In midfield Flamini is back and this is fantastic news. He has been the reason our midfield has improved this season by adding a fighting aspect to our game. He harrasses players and does not give them time to settle. Gilberto was very poor in Spain and is clearly well off the pace. Denilson has filled in for Cesc at times this season but if I was Wenger I would try something new this time around. Although he has great vision and passing I don't think he has the cutting edge needed for this type of fixture. I feel we need someone who will move the ball quickly, get things going while taking opportunities to shoot when they arise. Therefore I would play Tomas Rosicky alongside Flamini.

Whoever plays on the wings must help the full backs. Eboue should be given one more chance on the right of midfield if Hleb is not fit. He can deliver a good cross which could be a good option for tomorrow. On the other flank I would give Walcott a game. He was brilliant for England recently and his pace will trouble Villa as they have been playing with natural centre backs as full backs. Should Hleb make it I would play him on the left and Theo on the right instead of Eboue. Eboue needs something to show him he must pull his socks up after his antics in recent games; being benched might do this. Wenger could go with 4-5-1 and put Denilson in there with Rosicky and Flamini but I think we should go with two up top like Man Utd did. This means Adebayor will not get isolated and we have more options on the counter.

Nicklas Bendtner played very well in midweek and deserves another game but can he play with Adebayor? For me he can but I think Wenger will always go for one or the other, not the both of them together. After his goal I would consider giving Eduardo another game but this time as a striker. He is NOT a winger despite showing some neat touches out wide. His main position is as a striker and his lack of defensive instincts would worry me. He knows where the goal is and with chances likely to be scarce, he is the man to take them. HE is wasted on the wing.

My team would therefore be:

===============Almunia==============
Diarra======Toure======Gallas======Sagna
Eboue/Walcott==Flamini==Rosicky==Walcott/Hleb
======Adebayor=====Eduardo/Bendtner=====

The defeat to Sevilla may have come at a good time. With so many first teamers rested the defeat will not have come as such a blow as one in the League. The pressure of such a long unbeaten run is gone and we are starting a new slate. Most players have not actually lost but as part of he squad will want to put it right. As Toure has said this week - if we want to win then we must move on to the next game and get back on track. This game will be a tricky one, as Chelsea found out, but if we get our tactics right and concentrate for 90 minutes we can come away with something.

Sevilla 3 Arsenal 1 - Lets put it behind us and move on

On reflection this 3-1 defeat has cost us control of the group and affected our chances of a decent draw in the knockout rounds. However there are benefits of this loss. It might not seem it straight away but think about it a little:

With so many first teamers out rested or injured the loss will not affect them so much. The pressure of 28 games unbeaten is now gone and the pressure of this record is off. They can now concentrate on a new run with the first teamers back. Had the loss occured this weekend to Villa, in a few weeks against Chelsea or god forbid against Spurs, it would have had a stronger affect on morale. A defeat was inevitable and I'd rather it was now, with the younger squad players in, than in the League with the first team.

There is one main worry from tonight and this is Phillipe Senderos. When Kolo Toure leaves for the African Cup of Nations we will be left with Gallas, Senderos and Djourou. Djourou has better pace and is decent in the air but hasn't done brilliantly for Birmingham. Alongside Gallas he might do better but I think Senderos will get the nod. The problem is that Senderos is so clumsy and lacklustre, his decision making is slow and most importantly he lacks the pace for the Premiership. He has been punished so many times for this and with the high line we play I am very worried. I would play Djourou there against quick teams or give sagna a game there, even Diarra could fill in. I just think Senderos has never found consistency for 3 years and is still not doing well - could it be time to sell and get in someone more suitable for the pace and speed of the Premiership?

Gilberto is a player that looked like he was missing match practice. That was the worst half of football he has played in a while; he gave the ball away so many times and looked so off the pace. He improved in the second half but his confidence looks battered. Flamini has taken his place and performed ever so well and it has affected Gilberto. He could be on his way come January and he looked like he didnt have his heart in it first half. Diarra has also done ok as another destructive DM and we dont use a Gilberto type player behind Cesc as much anymore. Denilson was ok on the ball but Fabregas was very absent. Hopefully he will be ok for Saturday.

Eboue did have some good moments and showed the skill that made Wenger move him to midfield. He caused major problems for the full back and should have had a penalty in the second half. Eduardo was employed on the other wing and although he showed some good attacking flourishes, he is not a left winger. He did not track back and help the hapless traore when up against alves and navas and clearly wanted to be alongside Bendtner.

Nicklas Bendtner was the only plus point from tonight; he held the ball up very well and was a threat all night. He was unlucky as he had no runners off him and had Eduardo been up top then it might have been a different story.

We missed William Gallas - had he played I think we would not have lost. 3 changes at the back caused too much disruption and we lacked organisation. Sagna was also missed as he is a far better defender than hoyte. Traore was a forced change and he didnt do brilliantly, but he was left hugely exposed. Lets put this behind us, get back the first teamers and move onto Villa on Saturday. It was not the best night - even Wenger was sent to the stands!

Arsenal go 3 points clear under Gallas' guidance

William Gallas had his doubters at the start of the season when he was named skipper of the side ahead of Kolo Toure and last season's stand in Gilberto. People questioned his commitment to this club at times and others questioned why such an outspoken player was made captain. People wondered why he was given the armband after one injury ravaged season following his move from rivals Chelsea. For me the fact he was a winner, the desire he showed to win matches last season and the fact he was not afraid to speak his mind made him the ideal captain. Yes, Toure has been a loyal servant to the club and Gilberto filled in admirably last season but Wenger was spot on in my opinion. He knew Gilberto would not nescessarily be first choice and that Toure already had the job of leading a young back four. A captain must be outspoken and tough - look at Adams, Vieira and Keane.

The last few weeks Gallas has shown what a player he is and why he was such a good choice as skipper. Three events in the last few weeks come to mind:

1. Liverpool vs Arsenal (Anfield): With the scores level at 1-1 Steven Gerrard broke through the midfield and hit a goal bound shot that looked destined for the net. Suddenly Gallas came out of nowhere and showed brilliant determination to block the shot and earn us a point.

2. Arsenal vs Man.Utd (Emirates): In injury time Gallas popped up at the back post with a really great finish to level the scores. Gambling, he showed great desire to get in the box and got his just reward.

3. Arsenal vs Wigan (Emirates): With Arsenal struggling to break Wigan down Gallas again ventured forward to get on the end of Sagna's cross.

These 3 moments in matches summed up the desire to win within Gallas and yesterday his goal was as important as anything he has achieved in an Arsenal shirt. With Man Utd losing to Bolton it was important to put some distance - however small - between us and last years Champions. From the moment Marcus Bent fouled Denilson from behind Gallas was even more pumped up. He had a confrontation with Heskey that led to a booking and this spurred him on. In a way it made him determined to inflict pain on those doing the same to his team mates and the best way for him to do this was to get the winner. As soon as he played the ball to Bendtner and continued his run, it almost seemed like an inevitability he would be on the end of Sagna's fantastic cross. Once the first went in, the game was over - Wigan never looked like breaching the defence.

Aswell as playing a part in the first goal, Nicklas Bendtner had an even bigger role in the second goal as he carried the ball out of our half and turned defence into attack within seconds. He timed the pass to Rosicky perfectly as he fed the Czech midfielder to slot home. It was a typical Arsenal counter attack. For me Bendtner is futher along the line of development than Walcott and he seems to have a far larger impact when it comes to goals. Everything Walcott did was lively but it did not always lead to an end product. He made some good passes and linked well with Adebayor and Eboue at times, he just needs a league goal to gain confidence. I just hope his injury is not serious as he looked in pain.

The interesting thing for me is that Eduardo cannot seem to get a start for Arsenal. I thought that after his performance for Croatia Wenger would give him the 90 minutes to try and get some goals in the League at last. The Croat can finish well and has pace to play alongside Adebayor. The thinking on Wenger's behalf might be that Eduardo will feature more in the second half of the season once he has had the proverbial '6 months to settle'. His ability in front of goal can be crucial for us come the run in to this season.

With Hleb and Fabregas out injured and suspended respectively, we did struggle to create chances. Rosicky was his usual busy self and looked to force the issue like he does so well. He showed directness and purpose and got his goal late on. Lassana Diarra showed why Gilberto may soon move on. Flamini has been brilliant in the destructive role this season and Diarra showed he can do the same. If anything Diarra has better ball control and passing than Flamini, as well as the bite in the tackle of his fellow Frenchman. With some work in training (particularly his shooting) Diarra can push Flamini for the supporting role to Cesc. Eboue showed flashes of brilliance and he has the dribbiling ability to beat players and get to the byline. I partcularly like his partnership with Sagna which was working well yesterday. Denilson showed some good moments but had large boots to fill with Fabregas out and did not do enough to put pressure on the Spaniard. I cant wait to see Cesc back in action at Villa.

Alan Shearer summed it up briefly on MOTD: "Last season Arsenal would have drawn this type of game". Once again we ground out a good result and march on into a difficult December with a smll margin between us and United. Well Done Lads!

Almunia - 6
Sagna - 7 - Toure - 7 - Gallas - 8 - Clichy - 6
Eboue - 6.5 (Eduardo - 6) - Diarra - 7 - Denilson - 6 - Rosicky - 7
Adebayor - 6 - Walcott - 7 (Bendtner - 7.5)