Magical Mesut: Everton vs Arsenal

Sunday 22 October 2017

Everton 2 Arsenal 5

Rooney 12', Niasse 90+3', Monreal 40', Ozil 53', Lacazette 74', Ramsey 90', Sanchez 90+5'

Arsenal finally recorded their first away win of the season with a comprehensive display at Goodison Park against an Everton team battling their own demons. Ronald Koeman's side have not enjoyed the greatest of starts and now find themselves in the relegation zone. When people give Arsenal grief about their start to the season, looking at a club like Everton helps put things in perspective.

Despite going 1-0 down to a Wayne Rooney wonder goal, Arsenal dominated the first half and deservedly drew level just before half time thanks to an opportunistic Nacho Monreal finish. In the second half Arsenal made no mistake of putting Everton to the sword, when Mesut Ozil headed home from a fine Alexis Sanchez cross to make it 2-1 after 53 minutes. Things got worse for the home side when they were reduced to ten men after Idrissa Gueye picked up his second yellow card. Arsenal took advantage of the extra space and proceeded to tear Everton apart, with Alexandre Lazazette and Aaron Ramsey finding the back of the net. However Petr Cech made a stupid mistake in injury time, gifting Oumar Niasse the easiest goal he'll ever score. It wouldn't be an Arsenal game without at least one comical error! There was still time for Arsenal to add one more, when Sanchez willed the ball into the back of the net, with a fine strike across goal to put Arsenal ahead 5-2. Overall the boss with be pleased with such a fantastic result, especially on his 68th birthday.

Here are my player ratings for the game:

Petr Cech (GK) - 6/10

The veteran was rarely troubled by Everton. He could do nothing about Rooney's superb strike but will be disappointed with how cheaply he gave away Everton's second to Niasse. To be fair to the Czech keeper, Monreal's back pass wasn't the best but Cech had time to deal with it and failed to do so. A poor effort and a blemish on an otherwise solid performance.

Per Mertesacker (CB) - 7/10

A fine display from the captain and he brought real confidence to the back line. As a unit they were rarely troubled by the experienced Rooney and youngster Dominic Calvert-Lewin. Mertesacker's pass to Xhaka that led to Everton's opening goal could have been avoided but the Swiss midfielder did have the option to knock it back to Per or Koscielny; I find it hard to blame the BFG for that one.

Laurent Koscielny (CB) - 7/10

Found himself in a forward position more often than he might be used to, and put one or two dangerous crosses in. Combined well with Mertesacker and Bellerin to snuff out Everton's attacks.

Nacho Monreal (CB) - 9/10

Two goals now in his last three Premier League games and his strike today was an important one. Arsenal should have been two or three goals to the good before Rooney put the Toffees ahead so it was vital Arsenal replied before half time. After a long range effort by Granit Xhaka troubled Everton keeper Jordan Pickford, it was Monreal who pounced on the rebound first and struck the ball cleanly to draw Arsenal level. A vital goal at a vital time. Defensively he was nearly perfect, although his pass to Cech for Everton's late consolation could have been better.

Hector Bellerin (RWB) - 7/10

Bellerin's movement down the right wing is always dangerous and he regularly gets into good positions but stills struggles with his delivery from time to time. He did pick out Sanchez with a great cross that the Chilean could only head wide. Otherwise he was his dependable self and Arsenal are lucky to have him in their toolbox.

Sead Kolasinac (LWB) - 7/10

Nothing too noteworthy for the beast from Bosnia today but still a quality, albeit quiet performance. Combined well with Sanchez on the left flank and never looked rattled.

Granit Xhaka (CM) - 6/10

It only takes one mistake to spoil an afternoon and fortunately for Xhaka, his blunder did not end up costing Arsenal the points. He felt he was fouled in the build-up to Rooney's opening goal but replays show that he was dispossessed by Gueye cleanly. He had the option to pass the ball away with his first touch but can only blame himself for what followed. In his defence he didn't make another mistake the rest of the game and recovered well to set up Monreal's equaliser, and then stung the crossbar late in the game. It's probably still rattling even now.

Aaron Ramsey (CM) - 8/10

Constantly finds himself in fantastic positions thanks to his brilliant movement and awareness off the ball. Sadly he doesn't regularly capitalise on this but justly earned his reward today with a well taken goal. His first touch to open up his body to lift the ball past Pickford reminded me of the Ramsey from 2013/14. Hopefully there are more goals to come from the Welshman.

Alexis Sanchez (AM) - 9/10

Arsene Wenger opted to deploy all three of his top men in attack and it was Sanchez who really benefited from having the mobile Lacazette and Ozil to link up with. The Chilean was instrumental in every attack and was rewarded for his industriousness. His assist for Ozil's goal that broke the deadlock was a carbon copy of a goal against Watford last season. For 90 minutes Sanchez did everything but find the net and when he received the ball with seconds left, you knew he was never going to pass up the opportunity to have one final attempt. He had the chance to offload the ball two or three times and as Everton pushed him wider and wider you thought, surely he's missed his chance to get a shot away. Sanchez delights in surprising us though and flashed an effort back across goal that Pickford was helpless to reach. It was a deserved goal for Alexis, the cherry on top of a great day's work and his best performance of the season so far.

Mesut Ozil (AM) - 9/10 (Man of the Match)

It was evident from the first minute that Ozil took his A-game to Merseyside. He had magic in his boots from the first whistle, and every pass he played was so deft and precise. The German playmaker combined with his teammates constantly and was the driving force behind everything positive with Arsenal's display. When he headed the Gunners into the lead early in the second half, his celebration told the full story; this was Ozil with a point to prove. Many of us, myself included, wrote him off after the Watford game last week. When he missed that chance to put the result beyond Watford's reach, he disappeared for the rest of the game. Today he stood up and put in one of his finest performances in an Arsenal shirt. He expertly picked out Lacazette to make it 3-1 and when he was substituted after 82 minutes, he was absolutely spent. Today he deserved the man of the match award and was the best player on the park.

Alexandre Lacazette (ST) - 8/10

With Everton down to ten men, Arsenal had to make sure the game was put to bed and Lacazette was on hand to do just that. On a swift break down the right flank, Ozil pulled it back to the Frenchman who made no mistake and buried it past Pickford to seal the result, and pick up his 5th Premier League goal. After having a superb chance blocked within the first ten minutes to put Arsenal ahead, Lacazette bided his time and never looked like missing when his next chance came.

Substitutes:

Jack Wilshere - 7/10

After his seriously good outings in the Europa League, Wilshere was rewarded today with some Premier League gametime and took his opportunity. With Everton a man down and reeling, Wilshere came on in the 77th minute and pulled the strings instantly. He collected an assist after picking out Ramsey for his late goal, and it begs the question; after all these years, could a Wilshere-Ramsey midfield partnership be successful after all?

Francis Coquelin - N/A

Not enough time to impose himself on the game.

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Despite going 1-0 down, this was the first time in a while I had so much fun watching Arsenal. The Gunners had 30 shots on goal, 14 of them on target and 67% possession in a dominant win. Everton were dreadful and looked totally absent tactics-wise but it was still so satisfying to put 5 goals past them, and it could have been a lot more if Pickford didn't have such a great first half. Arsenal must take confidence from this result and Wenger must continue to put faith in Ozil, Sanchez and Lacazette. Even if Ozil and Sanchez leave the club, be it in January or the summer, we must milk every goal and assist out of them whilst they're still on Arsenal's books.

Thanks for reading.

Euro 2016 - Arsenal Group Stage Grades

The group stages at Euro 2016 have concluded and we now have a small break until the knockout rounds begin on Saturday. There's been a number of Arsenal players in action for their nations since the tournament began on 10 June so I thought I'd review how each of them have gotten on. Let's start with the local boys:

Laurent Koscielny

The 30 year-old central defender has been the core of the French defence, forming a solid, occasionally shaky partnership with Adil Rami. Many fans and critics were skeptical of the French back-four ahead of the competition but they've been remarkably stingy, keeping 2 clean sheets and allowing just the 1 goal, against Romania in the first game. Koscielny has been their rock, like he is every week for Arsenal. He's started every game for France and played all 90 minutes in each match. The home nation are still struggling to find their best form and setup, but Koscielny is one of the first names on the team-sheet and the best defender France have.

Pro's: His usual reliable self, getting key interceptions.

Con's: Isn't getting forward much, still has the odd shaky moment with Rami.

Grade: 7/10

Olivier Giroud

French manager Didier Deschamps put all of his eggs in the Giroud basket by leaving Karim Benzema and Alexander Lacazette at home, much to the dismay of French fans who wanted as much firepower up front as possible. But Giroud rewarded the manager's faith in him by scoring the opening goal of the tournament, racing in front of Romanian goalkeeper Ciprian Tătăruşanu to glance in a header to give France the lead before a late Dimitri Payet thunderbolt rescued the hosts late on. However, Giroud has been wasteful in front of goal since that opening match, missing a host of chances against Albania, frustrating his manager and the fans alike. He was rested/dropped for France's final group game against Switzerland, which they drew 0-0, but to Giroud's relief his replacement André-Pierre Gignac was largely anonymous against the Swiss. I would expect our man to be back in the lineup for their knockout game on Sunday against the Republic of Ireland. If he does start, he'll need to get off the mark quickly as I can't see him lasting the 90 minutes unless he can net a goal before the hour mark. Best of luck to him.

Pro's: Has the backing of the manager, still has a good scoring record in his last few French games.

Con's: Far too profligate in front of goal.

Grade: 6/10

Granit Xhaka

The Arsenal new boy has been a revelation and has quietly been one of the best players at the tournament. He's officially been awarded the Man of the Match prize twice, against Albania and Romania, and BBC voted him as their Man of the Match in Switzerland's final group game against the hosts France (UEFA thought his teammate Yann Sommer deserved the honour.) His playmaking abilities from the centre of midfield have been astonishing; the guy knows how to pick a pass, he's got incredible range. Xhaka routinely drops deep to collect the ball from his defence before spreading the ball forwards like a quarterback, with remarkable efficiency too. He's played every minute of every game and routinely ends each match as having the most touches on the ball. He's at the centre of everything positive in this Swiss side. Xhaka has probably been my favourite Arsenal player to watch at Euro 2016 so far and I'm eagerly awaiting his first game in the Arsenal red and white. He looks like he'll bring some real quality to the Gunner's midfield. I can't wait.

Pro's: Deep-lying playmaking ability, influential leadership.

Con's: His Puma shirts are awful (he needed 3 during the France game)

Grade: 8/10

Jack Wilshere

England's sole representative for Arsenal at Euro 2016 hasn't had the best of times, despite a great opportunity to prove his worth in England's final game. Jack made his first appearance in the tournament when he came on for the last 12 minutes against Russia and impressed in his brief time but he didn't see any action during England's 2-1 victory over Wales. Manager Roy Hodgson took a risk for England's final group game against Slovakia by shaking things up and Wilshere was handed a starting place but was largely ineffective in their disappointing 0-0 draw. The Arsenal man was only given 56 minutes and you could see he was trying to push, trying to dictate, but it just didn't click for him (or his useless teammates.) He was far too sloppy in possession but judging by the British media's reaction, who love to paint him as a villain, he was the worst player to ever wear an England shirt. I thought Jordan Henderson was just as poor in midfield and equally wasteful, yet he somehow escaped all criticism. England face Iceland in the knockout stages and are heavy favourites, yet it's almost a certainty the game will end 0-0 and go to penalties, and England will exit the tournament in typical fashion. I don't expect we'll see much of Wilshere again, given the backlash he received after the Slovakia game, but he could feature again off the bench if England need a spark.

Pro's: Still the best passer of the ball England have.

Con's: Too wasteful and ponderous in possession.

Grade: 5/10

Aaron Ramsey

Unlike Wilshere, Arsenal's other British midfielder is having a great time in France. Ramsey has been a driving force in the Welsh midfield and was a big factor in his nation's topping of Group B. Gareth Bale has rightfully stolen the spotlight but Ramsey has been just as crucial to Wales' success with his unrelenting work rate and passing ability. He dominated Russia in Wales' final group game, intricately threading passes through the Russian defence and scoring a beautifully chipped goal to give his country the lead in what was a 3-0 demolition. He was rightfully awarded the UEFA Man of the Match award for his performance and seems to be growing in strength as the competition progresses. He was very quiet and contained during Wales's defeat to England but he looks to have put that behind him now. Wales have confidence and momentum and could cause another upset as Ramsey and co. will aim to stay in France for as long as possible.

Pro's: Tireless engine, passing ability unmatched in his team.

Con's: Still over-complicates what should be simple moves. That hairstyle.

Grade: 7/10

Mesut Özil

Arsenal's Player of the Season for 2015/16, the German playmaker has continued his fine form at Euro 2016. He got off to a somewhat subdued start against Ukraine but still picked up an assist in Germany's 2-0 win. Against Poland he forced a good save from former Arsenal keeper Łukasz Fabiański in a hard-fought 0-0 draw but he really found top gear against Northern Ireland, putting in a vintage performance. Özil pulled the strings in the star-studded German midfield and according to Opta stats, had a 98.5% passing accuracy, the highest in a European Championship game since 1980. He barely put a foot wrong in Germany's 1-0 win and looked the superstar we all know he can be, deservedly taking home UEFA's Man of the Match award. Partnered with the sublime Toni Kroos in midfield, Özil and his compatriots are definitely a team you don't want to face in the knockout stages (good luck to Slovakia then!).

Pro's: The best playmaker in international football, passing ability unmatched.

Con's: Consistently poor at making good contact when shooting.

Grade: 8/10

Petr Čech

The Arsenal goalkeeper could not keep his country from exiting Euro 2016 at the group stage as the Czech Republic finished bottom of Group D with a solitary point, earned in an exciting 2-2 draw with Croatia. There are reports Čech is considering international retirement and at the age of 34 you can't really blame him. He showed great resilience to deny a spirited Spain team in the Czech Republic's first game but was eventually undone by a late Gerard Pique header in a 1-0 loss. Čech also picked up an unwanted European Championship record, conceding 21 goals during his years competing at the Euro's, more than any other goalkeeper according to Opta. A disappointing end to what was a largely successful first season in North London, Čech will be looking to put Euro 2016 behind him as soon as possible and focus on Arsenal ahead of the new campaign.

Pro's: A class act and leader of men.

Con's: At the end of his international career with a lacklustre Czech team.

Grade: 4/10

Tomáš Rosický

The Czech Republic captain, soon to be an ex-Arsenal player but for Euro 2016 still very much one of us, had a disappointing tournament as injury rose it's ugly head yet again. Rosický lasted the entire 90 minutes in their 2-2 draw with Croatia but he suffered a thigh injury that would rule him out for the rest of the competition. A very sad finish to what is likely the end of the 35 year-old's international career.

Pro's: Such great hair.

Con's: Cannot catch a break with injuries.

Grade: 4/10

Héctor Bellerín

The Spanish speedster had a terrific 2015/16 season and earned a spot in the Spain squad for Euro 2016 as a reward. He hasn't seen a minute of action so far so I bet he's wishing he was on holiday instead. Juanfran is keeping Bellerin out of the starting lineup right now but it's clear the 31 year-old Atlético Madrid right-back is just keeping Hector's seat warm. Bellerin should be Spain's right-back for the next decade at least so there's no rush, and a little tournament experience never hurts.

Pro's: The fastest player in the Spain squad, maybe even the tournament.

Con's: Unlikely to see any minutes.

Grade: N/A

Wojciech Szczęsny

Szczęsny, who had an impressive loan spell with Roma in 2015/16, could be set to return to Arsenal but before that happens, his Poland side are impressing in France this summer. However, his Euro 2016 campaign hasn't been what he'd have hoped for. Szczęsny suffered a nasty thigh injury whilst keeping a clean sheet in a 1-0 opening win against Northern Ireland, and it was severe enough to rule him out of Poland's remaining group games. In his absence Łukasz Fabiański has been impressive (2 clean sheets) and I don't imagine Szczęsny can win back his place now, even if his injury has healed. Szczęsny won't give up his spot easily but I can't see Poland manager Adam Nawałka tinkering with a winning side now the knockout stages have begun.

Pro's: Fantastic shot-stopper and world class wind-up merchant.

Con's: Doesn't have much luck when it comes to European Championships. Remember?

Grade: 5/10

Thanks for reading.

Wilshere Makes England Euro 2016 Squad

This afternoon Roy Hodgson named his final 23-man squad for England ahead of Euro 2016 and our own Jack Wilshere, out of action for nearly the entire 2015/16 season, has made the team and will be on the plane to France.

As an Arsenal fan I am very pleased to hear he'll be representing the club. After Danny Welbeck's late season injury ruling out what was a guaranteed place in the squad, and Theo Walcott's unfortunate but not unsurprising exclusion, Jack will be the sole representative for Gunners fans in this England squad dominated by players from teams I absolutely despise.

Don't get me wrong, as an Englishman I am desperate for my national team to succeed on the international stage. However it is sometimes difficult to cheer and actively support players like Harry Kane and Wayne Rooney when for the majority of the year I don't like them very much at all (to put it mildly.) This England squad in particular is very Tottenham-heavy, making it even more difficult to fully embrace these guys. I will of course cheer and celebrate whoever puts the ball in the net wearing an England shirt, but if it's an Arsenal player it makes the celebration that little bit sweeter. So for Wilshere to be included in the team and to get this opportunity, lets just say I'm very happy with Roy Hodgson's decision to take him.

There has been quite an uproar on social media (what else is new?) over Danny Drinkwater's absence from the squad. Many fans feel aggrieved that the likes of Wilshere and Jordan Henderson, both with doubts about their fitness, have made the team instead of Drinkwater. Wilshere in particular is receiving a great deal of abuse, mainly because he only started 1 game during the 2015/16 season.

The 26 year-old Leicester City midfielder can certainly feel aggrieved at Hodgson's decision to leave him at home. A player who made 35 appearances this season for the League champions, Drinkwater definitely merited serious consideration ahead of Euro 2016.

However, he has a few factors working against him. One of which being Roy Hodgson is a very loyal manager; it's safe to say he has "his boys" and Wilshere and Henderson have long been part of that exclusive club. They've both contributed meaningfully on the international stage, they are known quantities and Hodgson feels comfortable with them. Drinkwater is a relative newcomer to the current England setup, whereas Wilshere has been established in Hodgson's squad for many years now.

Also, whilst Drinkwater is a very talented player, at the international level he's still somewhat unproven. He and Leicester City have had a tremendous season but the level of quality at Euro 2016 may be a step above what Drinkwater is used to. If England make the knockout stages, Drinkwater would be up against some of the very best players in the world, not the scrubs he's used to seeing fielded by the Aston Villa's and Norwich's of the Premier League. Whereas Wilshere has faced the world's best for over half a decade, playing regularly in the Champions League and for England.

Perhaps the biggest factor in Wilshere's favour over Drinkwater is his style of play. Drinkwater, a very capable and workmanlike midfielder, cannot pick a pass or make a turn and drive forward like Wilshere, in fact there are very few who can, hence why Hodgson is so insistent on having him in the squad, regardless of his fitness. I am positive Drinkwater has areas in his game that Wilshere cannot match but the Leicester man does not yet possess the skills that mark him out as "world class." It is a phrase I hate using as it's so unspecific and handed out far too often, yet Jack has exhibited this level of play in the past and been lauded for it.

So I can understand fans feeling Drinkwater has been wronged by Roy Hodgson. But this youthful and dynamic England side is a talented one, and should Drinkwater have made the squad, how many minutes would he have seen anyway? In a very strong midfield, which is likely to see Wayne Rooney crammed in there also, I don't think Drinkwater will have had much of a look in over Henderson, Eric Dier, Dele Alli, James Milner and Ross Barkley, all players who can operate successfully in the centre of the park. Will Jack Wilshere see many minutes either? Perhaps not. However, if that is the case, I would argue that Jack can bring a spark off the bench Drinkwater cannot yet manage, a different option and a vastly different technique to his peers that could prove useful.

England face Portugal in 2 days time in their final warm-up match before taking on Russia in their first Euro 2016 game on 11 June. I expect to see the England manager select a strong lineup against the Portuguese with many indicators on who is first eleven may be ahead of England's first group game against the Russians. Here's hoping Wilshere features prominently and puts in a performance to silence his critics. Lord knows he has plenty of them.

Thanks for reading.

Eliminated But Proud

Arsenal beat Bayern Munich 2-0 tonight at the Allianz Arena but it wasn't enough to overcome the 1-3 first leg result and have exited the Champions League. Arsenal needed three clear goals to go through to the quarter finals, a ridiculously tough task against a Bayern side who are having one of the best seasons in their history as well as Arsenal being without some key players like Wilshere, Podolski, Sagna and Szczesny. A goal from Giroud three minutes in got the ball rolling but it took until the 85th minute for Arsenal to score again, from a Koscielny header. The third goal never came and the Gunners exited the competition in the first round yet again.

Despite going out of the Champions League there are plenty of positives to take away from tonight's game. I'll make this quick, so let's run through some of the things I liked this evening:

Fabianski

When I heard Wenger had decided to "rest" Szczesny for tonight's game I was surprised to say the least. Goalkeepers hardly have the hardest job on the pitch stamina-wise so it's not like Szczesny needed the rest on a physical level. But Fabianski came in, his first game of this 2012/13 season, and put in possibly his finest performance in an Arsenal shirt. He was solid for the entire 90 minutes and dealt with everything Bayern threw at him. The Pole was constantly peppered with long range shots by Bayern and he kept it all out. Fabianski looked composed and marshalled the back four effectively too. Yesterday I would have told you his Arsenal career was clearly over. But now? Should we give him another look? Based on tonight's game I think he's earned another chance with us. He looked like a totally different goalkeeper to the Fabianski of old.

The defensive effort

I realise that Bayern had plenty of attempts on goal but I felt overall the entire team defended very well on the whole. The midfield bought into the gameplan tonight and really chipped in with helping out the back four. Considering what we've witnessed the majority of the time this season I thought the defence were outstanding tonight. The only criticism I have is we could have cleared our lines better and were a bit sloppy giving the ball back to Bayern after we'd just won it from them. But I thought the back four of Jenkinson, Mertesacker, Koscielny and Gibbs were brilliant. They deserve a lot of praise in blunting that Bayern squad's attack. Coming away from the Allianz with a clean sheet is a feat not accomplished by most teams. I think now is the time Wenger needs to seriously consider leaving Vermaelen out of the first XI for a bit. Koscielny was head and shoulders better than Vermaelen has been all year and I'm sorry, captain or no captain, but the Belgian has not been up to scratch this season. Just give Arteta the armband for the rest of the campaign and let Vermaelen earn his place back in the side. It's such a shame because I adored him not so long ago but he's been so inconsistent since he was handed the captaincy. I think Koscielny and Mertesacker are the way forward from now on, until Thomas can get some form back.

Rosicky

With the news that our midfield engine Jack Wilshere will miss at least three weeks with an ankle problem, I have to admit my head dropped a bit. He's been so incredible since his return from injury that I struggled to see us winning much without Jack in the side, driving the team forward. But the door has opened now for Rosicky to get meaningful minutes and play in his favourite position, to show us what he can do when healthy. The Czech midfielder came back into the team around this time last year and provided that extra spark to push us home at the end of last season. Based on tonight's performance it looks like he's trying to repeat that effort. He didn't do anything too notable tonight but I loved his effort out there. He repeatedly harried the Bayern defenders when they had the ball, chasing them down and pressuring constantly. It kept the German side from settling and I appreciated his hard work for the team. Hopefully Rosicky can build on this performance and steer the team to victory over the next couple of months.

So all in all it's incredibly sad and disappointing to exit the Champions League again but I think every Gooner out there can feel proud with the team and the effort they gave tonight. It wasn't enough overall but a 2-0 win away in Munich is nothing to frown about and should be celebrated.

Thanks for reading.

Jack Of Hearts

It nearly took all night but Arsenal finally dispatched Swansea yesterday, beating them 1-0 in the 3rd round replay of the FA Cup, setting up a 4th round matchup against Brighton on the 26th January. The man responsible for Arsenal's victory is the young Englishman Jack Wilshere, whose drive and effort shone throughout the entire match and was finally rewarded in the 86th minute with a blistering shot that Swansea keeper Michel Vorm had no chance of stopping. 

The Gunners really should have held on to their 2-1 lead at Swansea on the 6th January but it wasn't to be, as a Danny Graham goal in the final minutes tied the game and forced last night's unwanted replay. Arsene Wenger knows the squad is tired enough as it is and an FA Cup replay was the last thing he would have wanted during this busy fixture period. However I'm sure he was grateful that the team were at least still in the competition and had another chance to progress. That being said, last night's game was possibly the most important of this season to date; a loss would have seen us exit the FA Cup and almost certainly put to bed any thoughts of this Gunners side winning any silverware this season (Champions League excluded... but come on...)

I felt the manager picked probably the strongest side he could field at the moment but, as we have seen far too often recently, the team never really got going in the first half. For much of the opening 45 minutes Swansea kept control of the possession and were unlucky not to take the lead from a header hitting the bar, courtesy of ex-Arsenal man Kyle Bartley. At least that seemed to wake Arsenal up a bit as they started to play a lot better towards the end of the first half. In fact I'm sure the players were probably disappointed to hear the half time whistle, as the home side were beginning to finally take hold of the game.

Thankfully Arsenal carried that momentum and energy into the second half and really put this Swansea City team to the sword. The Gunners had chance after chance and it started to look like we'd never score and the game would go into extra-time. Twice Arsenal had the ball cleared off the Swansea goal-line and the pressure kept mounting, with Vorm making save after save. Wilshere, Theo Walcott and Olivier Giroud all had efforts blocked by the Dutch keeper. Swansea looked quite content to soak up the pressure and hold on for extra-time, maybe fancying their chances at a penalty shoot-out.

But it wasn't to be. With less than 5 minutes to go and the home crowd growing more frustrated and anxious as the seconds ticked by, they were rewarded with as good a goal as you are likely to see. Kieran Gibbs drove the ball into Swansea's half and played it to Santi Cazorla, whose expert pass found the feet of Giroud just outside the penalty area. The French striker played a cute first-time ball off the outside of his boot into the path of Wilshere, who smashed it on the half-volley and straight into the back of the net. It was a real peach of a goal, a shot that flashed past Vorm so quickly it could have burst through the goalkeeper's net. Arsenal's pressure was finally rewarded and there were no repeats of Swansea's late heroics in the first game on the 6th January. This time Arsenal held on for the clean sheet and the win, guaranteeing us a trip to Brighton in the 4th round.

Arsenal owe this win to just one man in particular, the heart of our midfield, Jack Wilshere. For me, he played his finest game in an Arsenal shirt since that memorable night against Barcelona a couple of years ago. He was everywhere last night, literally dragging this jaded and tired Arsenal side into attacking Swansea's stubborn defence. The Englishman wouldn't give in and his zig-zagging runs at the opposition were a sight to behold; this small bulldog terrier-like player fending off defenders as he consistently tried to create goal scoring chances for his team-mates. Finally he'd had enough of their wastefulness and took it upon himself to break the deadlock. His goal would be the envy of most strikers in the Premier League, a really fine hit. Last night definitely proved young Jack is worthy of wearing that number 10 shirt. It is obvious for all to see the immense pride he has in possessing the iconic number and he has certainly earned it. 

Let's hope there are many more Wilshere goals to come in Arsenal's future. I'm a big fan of that celebration he does, the knee slider with the badge-thump. I feel that for once we have a player who really means it when he says he loves the club. Long may that continue, I think he'd make a fine captain one day.

Thanks for reading.

Podolski Stunner Dispatches Montpellier

Arsenal have secured their place in the knockout rounds of the Champions League for the 13th successive year thanks to their 2-0 win over Montpellier at the Emirates last night. With Schalke beating Olympiakos 1-0, Arsenal have guaranteed their participation in the knockout stage with a game to spare. They can travel to Greece on the 4th December safe in the knowledge that progress has already been assured.

This was a game Arsenal should have won as the reigning French champions have had a difficult season so far. The first half was a rather forgettable affair with neither side troubling the other's goalkeeper. In the 10th minute Koscielny saw his powerful header cannon off the crossbar, narrowly missing out on giving the home side the lead. Podolski had a couple of half chances that were snatched at, both falling wide of the target. Arsenal just couldn't get into their rhythm, with misplaced passes occurring more often than we fans are used to.

Thankfully Arsenal came out all guns blazing in the second half and quickly took the lead. 3 minutes into the second half, some good work by Podolski and Vermaelen down the left flank saw the captain swing a cross into the box which found the head of Giroud, who knocked it down into the path of Wilshere. The young Englishman finished with a lovely flick off the outside of his left boot to score his first goal in nearly two years and give Arsenal the lead. You could see the goal meant a lot to Jack, the little scamp celebrating with his tongue out, pounding the badge on his chest. He was loving it.

It wasn't long before Arsenal scored again and effectively put the game to bed. Oxlade-Chamberlain, making his first start in quite some time, robbed the ball in midfield and used his pace to drive at goal. He laid if off to Podolski just outside the penalty box, where the German striker played a delightful one-two with Giroud, whose lobbed ball over the defence fell beautifully to Podolski who laced an unstoppable shot past the helpless Montpellier keeper to make it 2-0. You won't see many goals better than that. Podolski absolutely destroyed the ball, making contact right on the sweet spot. It was a magnificent finish that took the remaining fight out of the French side.

And that was pretty much that. Giroud narrowly missed out on scoring against his old club, Geoffrey Jourdren making a good save, and Cazorla tested the keeper with a volley, although he sliced it a bit which took a lot of the power out of it. Deep into injury time Montpellier's Emanuel Herrera narrowly missed the target with a long range shot that Szczesny's dive would have probably stopped. A minute later the final whistle was blown and the game was over, 3 points and progress into the next round secured.

Overall it was a good team performance and the type of win we needed to build on the victory at the weekend against Spurs. There were a couple of moments in the first half where our defence looked typically suspect, carved open on a Montpellier counter-attack in the 12th minute for example, but they tightened things up in the second half. I felt Vermaelen looked much better than he has done recently, a bit more like the Vermaelen of old. Koscielny, apart from one blunder on the edge of our own box in the first half, combined well with Mertesacker in the centre of defence and Sagna was his usual reliable self at right back. One of the things that impresses me most about the Frenchman is his ability to control the ball so well when his heels are practically on the sideline; he does exceptionally well to keep possession with such limited space. In attack I felt Giroud had a great game despite not scoring. His control and first touch are brilliant for a big man and his cushioned header to set up Wilshere's goal was perfect, exactly how he should be utilised in attack. Use that height and strength to our advantage. His assist for Podolski's goal was sublime too.

So now we can travel to Olympiakos in a couple of weeks with the pressure off and use that game to maybe blood one or two youngsters in the competition. I don't think we should field a team with too little experience, we still want to win and top the group after all. But the Olympiakos game provides a perfect opportunity to start players like Arshavin, Ramsey and Gervinho, maybe even Chamakh or give Walcott a chance to shine up front in that centre forward position he so covets. Whichever team Wenger decides to choose, fans can relax a little bit. Well, as much as Arsenal fans can relax these days...

Thanks for reading.

Same Old Story For Sorry Gunners

In typical Arsenal fashion of late, the Gunners slumped to another defeat this evening, this time in the F.A Cup, losing 2-0 to Man United at Old Trafford, crashing out of yet another competition in disappointing circumstances (familiar eh?). It was a game we really should have won - there won't be another chance to catch a United side this weak for a while.

Despite Wenger putting out a strong team nothing went Arsenal's way tonight. Van der Sar rolled back the years and had a fantastic game in the United goal, turning every Arsenal effort away with ease. We had 11 shots on target tonight and just couldn't get one past the Dutch master. He deserved his man of the match award, no doubt. The thing that annoys me about Man United is they somehow, despite what I believe is a pretty shit and one-dimensional team, manage to grind out wins every year and take home trophy after trophy. This season has seen Ferguson's weakest and poorest United squad in a long, long time (in my opinion - they haven't been the same since Ronaldo left). I know they still have Giggs and Scholes etc. but they aren't the same players they once were. Speaking of Scholes, he should have at least been booked, if not sent off for two reckless and classic Scholes tackles late on in the game. That guy will never learn... Anyway, it just astounds me this Arsenal side could not beat a team tonight with the likes of Darron Gibson and John O'Shea out there patrolling the midfield. We are unlikely to have a much better chance at beating the old enemy for a while.

So that's Arsenal out of the F.A Cup, the Carling Cup, and the Champions League, all within the space of two weeks. It feels like these systematic collapses occur every year now, and its getting depressing to watch us limp out of competitions that we could realistically go on and win. Tonight, it looked like Wilshere and Nasri were the only guys really pushing it, the only guys who cared. I love that Jack is out there, every game going 100% trying to win the ball, trying to push forwards. When Cesc eventually leaves us for sunnier pastures (I don't want this, but come on, its probably just a matter of time), I'd love to see Wilshere as captain - he'd be ideal, he just embodies all that is good at Arsenal. But Wilshere's determination and effort is somewhat lacking from other members of the squad (don't get me started on Diaby, I've had just about enough of his lackadaisical play). To rub salt into the wounds, Johan Djourou had to be stretchered off towards the end of match, with a dislocated shoulder that will rule him out for the rest of the season. This means we all get to enjoy the Koscielny - Squillaci partnership once again - YAY!!! At least there was one bright spot from tonight; seeing Aaron Ramsey make his return to the first team was brilliant, and I thought he looked good for the 20 or so minutes he was on the pitch. A class act that guy, I hope he can perform well for the rest of the season.

I'm not gonna run through a play-by-play of the game, you no doubt already know the story by now. We completely dominated possession but we typically switched off when they counter-attacked and that was the difference tonight. I still think we have a better team, and probably deserved a lot more, but you have to give credit where its due and United were absolutely clinical, making the most of their chances. It was disheartening to see us camp outside their penalty area and fail time and again to break them down - it's the same old story now, and I don't know what's going on, in defence and attack, but something is not working. The sad thing is its been this time of year the last few seasons where we've completely collapsed, and its been the same old story in 2011.

Next up is a trip to West Brom in a weeks time, a crucial league game on the 19th March. Since we spectacularly lost to them at home earlier in the season I'd like a really convincing win at the Hawthorns and three important points for the Gunners. Given recent events, I'll take a smash-and-grab 1-0 and no new injuries... got to hope for the best!

Thanks for reading.

Sayonara Shakhtar

Arsenal cruised to another Champions League victory last night at the Emirates, where they easily dispatched the Ukrainian side Shakhtar Donetsk. The Gunners strolled to a 5-1 win, with former Arsenal man Eduardo grabbing a late consolation for his new team.

It was an assured performance from Wenger's men on the night. I was expecting the match to be a bit closer but Arsenal soon put any fears I had to rest. The opening few minutes were cagey, as both sides appeared to be testing each other out but it wasn't long before Arsenal capitalised and took the lead. After the Shakhtar keeper spilled a corner (doing his best Fabianski impression), Djourou pounced on the loose ball and poked it into the path of Alex Song, who ambitiously attempted a Cristiano Ronaldo-like 'Rabona' shot, which deflected off the defender and bounced kindly into the back of the net to give us a 1-0 lead after 19 minutes. It was pretty funny to see Song attempt such a move but he got the result he wanted, a good goal in the end. I think Song had a decent night, he made no mistakes that I could see, but I do worry that with his increase in confidence over the last 18 months or so, he maybe thinks he's a bit better than he really is, especially going forward in attack. I just have concerns that his constant need to join in on the attack will some day hurt him, as the back four becomes instantly vulnerable when Song leaves his position. But hey, I have no complaints about him until he makes that mistake; Song is a quality player for us. Speaking of the defence, I was very impressed with our pair of centre backs last night, especially Djourou. I know the guy has had injury problems over the last few years, but I have always been a fan of Johan and it has irritated me in the past when Wenger would go with Silvestre over Djourou, for one example; beyond frustrating. He performed well last night with Squillaci, as Shakhtar looked pretty toothless in attack overall. They even made Fabianski look good, who to be fair to him made a very good save in the early minutes of the second half. More games like that in the near future please.

Arsenal continued to press after the first goal and doubled their lead just before half time with a beautiful goal from Samir Nasri. An Alex Song cross was expertly controlled by our young Frenchman, who calmly got the ball down and lashed a shot past the helpless Shakhtar keeper for a two goal lead. Nasri has impressed many fans so far this season, as he continues to carry over his form from last season. The guy can't put a foot wrong. Leading 2-0 at the half, we were cruising and the game was pretty much done and dusted.

After Fabianski's save from Adriano just after the restart, Arsenal took control of the game and never relinquished it. With just over half an hour to go in the game, Djourou was brought down in the box and Captain Cesc stepped up to take the penalty, comfortably scoring from the spot to put the game to bed, 3-0. I was glad Wenger took the decision to start Fabregas and he deserved his goal. You could sense he was a bit rusty early on in the match, which is to be expected after a three week break, but Cesc quickly returned to his normal playmaking self. Denilson replaced him after the penalty, where I expect Wenger had an eye on this weekend's game against Man City; we all want the captain to be fit and rested ahead of that crucial clash.

After going ahead by three goals courtesy of Cesc, the floodgates opened up. Jack Wilshere, who played his last game for a couple of weeks ahead of his impending suspension, had a brilliant outing and thoroughly deserved his goal. After some good work with Rosicky, Jack took a rather heavy touch but still maintained enough poise to calmly lob the ball over Shakhtar's keeper to make it 4-0. Probably the best goal of the night, it was so well taken, and the build up was vintage Arsenal. Only minutes later it was 5-0. Nasri chipped the ball over the Shakhtar defence into the path of Chamakh, who after glancing at the linesmen rolled the ball into the corner of the net for a deserved goal. Everybody including Chamakh thought he was offside, but thanks to a great decision by the linesmen the goal stood and the game was over. Nasri's pass was a thing of beauty too.

To cap off the evening, the returning Eduardo entered the fray for Shakhtar and scored an absolute peach with eight minutes to go. An innocuous ball entered the Arsenal box where Squillaci couldn't quite get to it, but Eduardo connected perfectly with a superb effort which flew past Fabianski to make it 5-1. It was a really nice moment for our former number 9, as the fans, Arsenal and Shakhtar, rose to applaud Eduardo for his well taken goal. It really is a shame that we got rid of him this summer, as he obviously still has feelings for the club and many fans still hold him in high regards. I hope he can resume his career in Ukraine and find success there.

All in all it was a good night of football. Arsenal are now 3 from 3 in the group stage, and barring any meltdowns we look sure to make it into the knockout stages for another year. Next up is a tough trip to Manchester to face Mancini's City. I will be at work unfortunately (GRRRRR) but hopefully I can make it to the pub for the second half. Fingers crossed!

Thanks for reading.

Hungary For Success

Tonight the English national football team look to put the memories of their dismal World Cup firmly behind them as they face Hungary in a friendly at Wembley. Fabio Capello will be looking to win back the support of England fans, but I imagine its going to take some effort to achieve the forgiveness he is looking for. The players and staff are expecting hostility from the Wembley faithful tonight, and they certainly deserve it. Steven Gerrard has come out and said he would boo the team this evening if he were a fan. I personally feel it is never appropriate to boo the side you are supposed to be supporting, but in England's case I might make an exception.

For me, it all starts with this apparent "Golden Generation" we have. First of all, I detest almost all of them. John Terry, Ashley Cole, Wayne Rooney, Rio Ferdinand, Frank Lampard, and so on; I can't stand these players for the majority of the football year. Being an Arsenal fan, these guys are my enemies, especially Cashley. So it makes it increasingly hard for me to really attach myself to this England side when, if I'm really honest, I wouldn't give them the time of day. I still try to get behind them though, and I was as disappointed about England's collapse in South Africa as any other English football fan. But I just do not feel the same way about England as I do about Arsenal, and probably never will. Arsenal are "my team" and are unique to me, whereas I was born English and I have to share them with everybody else. So in that respect, I don't feel very close to this England team and find it rather difficult to get passionate or feel concern for this bunch of overpaid football divas.

However I will still tune in to ITV tonight to see how England get on against the Hungarians, for one reason in particular. For the first time in what feels like forever, there are some Arsenal boys in the national side. Jack Wilshere, Kieran Gibbs and Theo Walcott have all been summoned by Fabio Capello and look set to feature at some point or another in tonight's contest. I hope Gibbs will be given the start at left back and Walcott can get a start too. I'd like Wilshere to make an appearance also, coming on at some stage to win his first England cap. I'd be over the moon if he started though! All I really want is for England to play some exciting football for once, and hopefully the Arsenal lads can help achieve this. I always struggle to watch England's friendlies - they tend to feel slow and drag on for a while, and my attention wanes rather quickly. In simple terms, England are boring to watch. But I'll make sure I hang in there and watch tonight, just to see how the Young Guns get on.

This weekend brings the return of proper football, as the Premier League resumes play for another season. Arsenal travel to Anfield to battle Roy Hodgson's Liverpool on Sunday, in a match I am quietly confident about. Looking at Liverpool's squad, even with the acquisition of Joe Cole, they really don't have much in their locker anymore and I reckon they will struggle in the battle for 4th position this year, unless they make some decent signings and get Torres and Gerrard firing on all cylinders. So I will be hoping for a good win from the Gunners, a statement of intent that we may challenge for some silverware this season (but please buy a new goalkeeper soon Arsene). If you are lucky faithful readers, I may even write a match preview closer to the time (may being the key word there - depends if I feel like it haha!).

Thanks for reading.