Rambo To The Rescue

Arsenal left it late last night to record a win in Marseille, an Aaron Ramsey goal in the 92nd minute making the difference and taking the Gunners to the top of Group F in the Champions League. With time almost up I was content with a 0-0 draw; a clean sheet and a point away from home would have been a good result, especially against the team who currently sat top of the group. However our Welsh midfielder Mr Ramsey didn't want to settle for a draw and so he popped up unmarked on the edge of the box and delivered Arsenal all 3 crucial points and well-deserved victory in the south of France.

To be honest there's not a great deal to write about. We were never seriously troubled in defence all game. There was the odd panic moment but Szczesny didn't have any miracle saves to make all evening. Altogether we looked unusually steady and secure at the back, a sentence I didn't expect to utter after Marseille had beaten Dortmund so convincingly only a couple of weeks ago. Going forward we lacked that cutting edge, Walcott squandering our best chance in the second half, firing an off-balance shot which Marseille keeper Mandanda parried away with his outstretched leg. It really did seem like Marseille's clean sheet would remain intact. But Arsenal wouldn't relent. Djourou swung a hopeful cross into the box from the right which fell to Gervinho who couldn't quite get control of the ball; intentionally or not the Ivory Coast winger knocked the ball out to Ramsey who had cut in from the left and was completely free and unmarked. The Welshman calmly controlled the ball, switched it onto his right foot and rifled a shot past Mandanda and into the corner of the net. 1-0 to the Arsenal and game over, gotta love those last minute winners! The win puts us top of the group and in a very good position to progress to the knockout stages; just have to keep grinding out results like this one. 

Altogether a satisfactory night. Not a classic by any means but an away win in the Champions League is still a fantastic result.

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Ramsey Rocks United

I haven't really got the time for a full match report or review, and I didn't even get to watch the game live as I was at work. But I did just want to pitch in with how happy I am that we finally got one over Fergie and his boys, after what seemed a long time since we last beat them. It was fantastic to see Aaron Ramsey score the winning goal and he took it so well too. I know its an extremely simplistic view but it is nice to wonder if we have seen signs of life 'after Fabregas', if the Spaniard were to leave for sunnier pastures this summer. I'd like to think with Ramsey and Wilshere in midfield, and maybe another strong/tall midfielder in the squad as well, that we could cope without Cesc if he did in fact leave us. Its interesting to think about at least.

Anyway, I hope Gooners all over the world celebrated yesterday's May Day victory; I doubt very much that this puts us back in the title race, as I don't expect Chelsea and Man United to lose two more matches again this season, or at least drop enough points for us to catch up with them. However our 1-0 win certainly makes the Premier League title race more exciting, and the United - Chelsea game next week should be fantastic.

Thanks for reading, lets finish the season in style.

Chance To Close The Gap

Today's game against Sunderland is a huge turning point in Arsenal's Premier League season. Win today and Arsene Wenger's men crawl to within 1 measly point of league leaders Man United. Steve Bruce's Sunderland are all that stand in the way...

I haven't posted for a while because I've still been mourning from the events that occurred last weekend. I don't begrudge Birmingham the win, I think they deserved it to be honest, but I am still so annoyed at how we threw that game away. The game could have gone either way at 1-1 and I think if we went into extra time we would have emerged victorious. But to lose like that makes me sick, especially when its a cup final. The 5-0 win over Leyton Orient on Wednesday cheered me up a bit, setting up a tasty battle against United at Old Trafford. I think if we have our guys healthy, we can beat them.

Anyway, attention must first turn to the game at 3 o'clock this afternoon. Sunderland have been pretty awful of late, losing their last 4 league games so they are there for the taking and we must ensure we get the win today, because anything less will be considered as a disaster especially in the wake of United's loss at Chelsea; this is a glorious chance to put our mark on this title race and keep the pressure on Fergie and his boys.

The big news is that Aaron Ramsey has returned from his latest loan spell at Cardiff and is in the squad for today's game. Its exciting to think he could make a big impact today and I hope he gets some game time this afternoon, it would be brilliant to see the Welsh wonder run out at the Emirates. I'll be at work so will miss the game as per usual but I'll be keeping a close eye on the scoreline once 3 o'clock rolls around. Massive day for the Arsenal, just gotta hope they can deliver when it matters...

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Cup Fever & The Return Of Rambo?

Arsenal get their FA Cup campaign under way tomorrow against Leeds United at the Emirates in what's set to be an interesting game. There is no doubt Arsene Wenger will rest some of his key players against the Championship opposition but I'm sure whatever side the boss puts out will be looking to give Leeds a real run for their money.

Despite being the underdogs, it would be unwise to underestimate the Whites in this FA Cup tie. Leeds are currently sat in 5th place in the Championship, which is pretty impressive for a team that only got promoted from League One half a year ago. So it would be a good idea for Arsene to choose a team that isn't too different from what we see most weeks. I expect Nasri and van Persie will be rested, and probably Cesc too; in a match like this, with the quality of players we possess, there is no reason we shouldn't beat Leeds with whatever team the boss picks, but football games aren't won on paper and we recently saw what happened when you play a team of guys who don't get much match-time (at Wigan). Eboue will be filling in for Sagna, who starts his suspension after the clash with Zabaletta in the City game on Wednesday. Kieran Gibbs has returned to fitness so expect him to replace Clichy at left back. Other than that, I don't expect there will be any more drastic changes. Polish keeper Wojciech Szczesny will probably replace Fabianski in goal, as he normally does in the Carling Cup, so it'll be another opportunity to see our potential future number 1 in action again. Up front, players like Bendtner and Rosicky will be given the job of leading the attack against Leeds, players who have more than enough in their locker to win games like these.

The exciting news ahead of tomorrows clash is the return of Aaron Ramsey. The Guardian have reported that the Welshman is set to be included in the squad and possibly make his triumphant return to the Gunner's starting eleven. The 20 year old Wales international, if he plays, will be making his first appearance for the Arsenal since that fateful day against Stoke on the 27th February 2010, where we all know what happened with a certain Ryan Shawcross. Since recovering from his broken leg, Aaron joined Nottingham Forest on a short loan deal but didn't get much playing time thanks to the ridiculous British weather we've had. Anyway, he's back where he belongs now and probably itching to prove he's still got what it takes at the top level. It'll be nice to see Ramsey run out at the Emirates in the red and white again, after such a long time out, even if the boss just gives him 10 minutes towards the end. Let's hope he can recapture the form he was in just before that nasty injury, when Aaron had forced his way into Wenger's team with some fantastic performances. Fingers crossed.

So I'll be looking to watch the Leeds game tomorrow, as luckily I don't have to work and the game is on ITV, so I should be able to watch it live. After Leeds, we have the now manager-less Ipswich to play on Wednesday night in the first leg of the Carling Cup semi-final, and I'll be looking to watch that too. I have officially caught cup fever.

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F@>!?*%$!!!!

Just when you thought things couldn't get any worse. Arsenal slumped to a 2-0 defeat against Braga in Portugal last night, making life just a bit more difficult in the Champions League. A poor loss to a team we should really beat, and more injuries added to our already crippled squad. What at first appeared to be a group we would walk out of with ease, has now come down to a nail-biting match against Belgrade in two weeks time. I still expect us to beat a team like Partizan, especially at home, but it should never really have been this close. The latest news on the injury front is that Eboue has damaged the ligaments in his knee, and Fabregas has got more hamstring problems that will sideline him for a few weeks. Brilliant...

Wenger took a gamble with Cesc last night and obviously it didn't pay off. It's the last thing we need at this time, to lose our captain and star of the team, but that's just the way it goes for Arsenal these days. More walking wounded every season. The Gunners face Aston Villa this weekend, a massive game now in light of recent results. A loss against Villa will be devastating to our title ambitions, so a win is a must right now, but it won't be easy. Some good news is that Aaron Ramsey has stepped up his rehab on the road to recovery, completing 45 minutes unscathed against Wolves reserves yesterday. Finally, something positive! It's still way too early to expect him back in the first team, but hopefully he can return to the squad after Christmas. I've certainly missed Rambo, and with Cesc struggling for fitness all season it would be a welcome relief to have the Welsh Wonder back in action. Fingers crossed anyway.

Thanks for reading.