Arsenal Need To Avoid Coming Unstuck Against The Toffees

Arsenal travel to Everton on the back of Wednesday’s win knowing that victory must be repeated with Chelsea’s contest with Sunderland, surely adding three more points to their total. The squad has frequently talked of winning to ensure they can capitalise on any slips by rivals. Manchester United almost handed them that yesterday, recovering to take a point at Villa Park but still enabling Arsenal to leapfrog them into second with victory at Goodison Park.

Ahead of this fixture, Arsene has no new injury worries but will still tinker with the winning side. Not that he has much room for manoeuvre in defence with Laurent Koscielny serving the final match of his ban. It means the continuance of the Djourou / Squillaci partnership in the centre and whilst Keiran Gibbs has recovered and is included in the squad which travels, he surely will not be in the starting line-up for this fixture.

Any changes today are most likely in midfield. Tomas Rosicky rarely plays two games in a row these days but having been influential on Wednesday has put forward a good case for that to change. On this occasion though, I believe Nasri will be restored to the starting XI. His inclusion may well come at the expense of Jack Wilshere as Wenger seeks to rotate and also protect the precocity which has seen calls for him to be given a free role in next week’s friendly for England against France. Expectations at club level but when the weight of a nation devoid of consistently skilful midfielders for several decades, begins to be heaped on his shoulders, it’s time to think about pulling him out of the spotlight for a game.

Not that such things will overly influence Wenger. He will be more concerned with form and Wilshere dropped below the standards that he has set for himself on Wednesday night. Wenger may believe that a rest is due on that basis, and that basis alone.

Others though are more concerned with the form of the captain. The petulance displayed against Newcastle and manifested in a poor challenge at Wolves, signals that the player is frustrated by his own performance, hampered by an injury which had not entirely cleared up, restricting his mobility.

This was the focus of Arsene’s comments,

Stamina-wise, Cesc is there now. He has lost his restriction in his head and the fear of injury in his hamstring. He still lacks a little bit of zip in the decision-making and his acceleration in the final third. He is at 95 per cent.

But from game to game you will see the real Cesc. Maybe in the next game on Sunday…I felt we saw a different Cesc at Wolves – focused, motivated, wanted to give everything, no restriction. He was already a completely different player. That means in the next game he should be alright.

Wenger praised Fabregas for his professionalism, acknowledging that the Spaniard was frustrated in the failure of Barcelona to secure his signature. Fabregas reciprocated, noting Wenger is as motivated as he ever has been, an Arsenal love-in.

Today’s hosts are in better form than they had been earlier in the season, unbeaten since Newcastle won by a single goal at Goodison Park in September. Even so, they have drawn half of their games beating Liverpool and Stoke at home whilst recovering a two-goal deficit against Manchester United to salvage a point.

Arsenal has the style of play to breakdown the obdurate Everton defence. United and Blackpool are the only sides to score more than once against them, both matches resulting in a draw, a key reason for Chamakh and Arshavin to play. The former has broken his duck away from home and will draw confidence from that and his manager’s praise. The latter had a good game on Wednesday, providing a spark to the attack. With Walcott on the right, there is enough supply for Chamakh to feed from.

I would expect a starting line-up of:

Fabianksi; Sagna, Djourou, Squillaci, Clichy; Fabregas, Song, Nasri; Arshavin, Chamakh, Walcott

There is nothing to suggest that this will not be a tough encounter; recent seasons have meant Goodison Park has been a happy hunting ground with two wins and a draw in the last three seasons. A win today is required to keep the gap to Chelsea to a maximum of five points. Anything less is a bonus but winning needs to happen to ensure the rewards are reaped.

Enjoy the match wherever you are watching it. ’til Tomorrow.

Bendtner Has A Point & Injuries Clearing Slowly

Arsene is starting to get headaches, some of the good kind, others are those which he could do without. His biggest is the injury suffered by Thomas Vermaelen. It seems the Belgian’s absence is of sufficient mystery that to bemuse and baffle the best medical brains the club has at its’ disposal,

He has seen specialist after specialist and the scans are OK. We have to be patient. We know a lot medically nowadays but there are some mysteries that we do not know about. At the moment we have no rational explanation for his pain.

That means there is no reason to have surgery and there is no logical explanation for his pain. We have to be patient and just hope it will go.

If the prescribed rest does not work, might I suggest a seance and contact Arthur Conan Doyle to see if he might resurrect Sherlock Holmes for one last case?

Injuries have become leitmotif in recent seasons, exacerbated on occasion by international football. Not so long ago, Arsene observed that the Dutch were being “surreal” in calling up Robin van Persie for next week’s friendlies. Some suggestions were made that this influenced Wenger into bringing the player on as a substitute against Newcastle – denied by the manager, obviously.

No matter how much one may repine friendlies at this stage of the season, in this instance there is an obvious benefit to the club, something not lost on the manager,

if he can get 45 minutes and we can find an agreement on that it would be good for him to get some competition. We have to see how he gets through the weekend and after we will decide that.

Perhaps Arsene might have been more judicious in his earlier comments; he must have known at that time that his Dutch striker was going to be there or thereabouts for these weeks.

van Marwijk was always going to call van Persie into the squad in those circumstances, such are the perversity of his dealings with clubs highlighted by the ongoing argument with Bayern Munich over van Bommel. An unnecessary row could have been avoided and the friendly used in the same way that the Czech’s assisted in Rosicky’s recovery process.

Nicklas Bendtner’s comments as reported by a Danish newspaper were given some credibility by Arsene yesterday, choosing to answer them rather debunk as he has done in the past with Cesc and Szczesny. Essentially, he’s fit, he wants to play, he wants to play for Arsenal but if he can’t get regular football then he might have to consider elsewhere.

In other words, all the things you would expect from an international footballer, especially one who is his country’s star striker (some might say only) and the newspaper from where the story has originated is based in the same country, feeding that audience.

Dare I say it, you want these comments as well. You want players who have the desire to play first team football at Arsenal; you want them to be discontented sitting on the bench. If they are comfortable sitting behind Arsene on matchdays, either they are inexperienced or something is very wrong.

Some might argue that the Dane’s fealty should be more prominent, the club having nutured him from youth levels and through the obligatory injury. Bendtner has great self-belief and started to justify that last season. He would do well to bear in mind the examples of those before him in this situation. Rosicky came back from injury, albeit significantly longer term, and was wracked with niggles and strains. Many others – van Persie and Fabregas amongst them – suffer muscular pulls through too much too soon.

Had Bendtner not participated in the World Cup during the summer, he would surely have played more games so far this season. In short, he contributed to his own situation in no small way. His cause has not been helped by the speed with which Marouane Chamakh has settled and the eight goals to boot thus far, including a match winning brace in midweek.

The Dane should aspire to be the player Chamakh is; they are that similar and therein is the problem. Interchanging the two means less disruption to the team on paper and the one in form is going to be first choice. Having a talented player of similar style is going to be motivating to continue that form but it will be cyclical. There will times when Bendtner is ahead in the pecking order and those times like now, where he is not. It is a fact of footballing life that unless you are a genius, establishing yourself as first choice takes time.

His goalscoring ratio is good – about 1 in 3 – but not spectacular. Were it to improve, there might well be a different story. As it is, I’m not sure why this is a story; too often we are spoonfed platitudes which tell us how nice the people at Arsenal are, how great they are, how hard they work. Bendtner has given us his honest opinion and refreshingly, it is not motivated by the rasping greed of those who reside further north in England.

The brew in the teacup is slopping over the edge but this weekend’s fixtures will mean it is quickly forgotten.

’til Tomorrow.

Lack Of Discipline Is Good & New Deal, New Era?

No Darius this morning, too busy saving the Wales. Not quite sure what it needed saving from or indeed why anyone would bother, but each to his own. He would have been better served by saving Arsenal’s disciplinary record which has, according to the tables, gone to pot. No more Mr Nice Guys, propping up the rest of the Premier League and giving hacks great delight as it means that they can turn on Arsene and delight in the hypocrisy of his complaints about bad tackles.

That the logic in such arguments is spurious even by journalistic standards, an unfathomable leap being made that requires the observer to believe that all fouls, cautions and sendings-off are as a result of bad tackles. Obviously this ignores the dissent, professional fouls, etc. which are part of the Premier League. Whilst this was an inevitable storm waiting to happen, Wenger’s chastisment ignores the fact that he is critical of his own players for indiscretions that he berates others for committing.

Whilst his peers – and I use that word in the loosest possible sense – such as Pulis, Coyle, McLeish and Allardyce take great pleasure is reiterating this guff, they miss one salient point. None of their players has sufffered a career threatening injury from a tackle made by an Arsenal player. For all McLeish’s recent comments about Wilshere’s foul on Zigic, his player is not on the sidelines for a year. That in no way defends Wilshere or Fabregas; it offers a different perspective to their complaints.

It has caused some consternation amongst supporters to see the vilification going on; ignore it. Let the press have their moment and we’ll worry about the team itself. A good by-product of this is that the players are losing the tag of southern softies and can no longer be presumed to go North, have their tummies tickled and give over the three points. This Arsenal is not like that. We just do it at home instead.

Happier news emerged from the club last night. Woijech Szczesny signed a new give year deal which puts the goalkeeper pecking order under scrutiny a little, touched upon by myself and Arseblogger in his latest Arsecast. Whilst Fabianski does well, he is still one mistake away from lambasting as the aftermath of the Newcastle game showed. Should he become resolutely inconsistent, I wonder where Wenger turns? Szczesny has a lot of backing amongst the support and after a nervous start at St James’ Park, he performed well. However, this presumes that the younger Pole is ahead of Almunia.

And what of the Spaniard? Would he be happy being Number 2 or 3 in the pecking order? He had done little wrong until the West Bromwich game, arguably as consistent as he had ever been in season’s past. Would he be happy with an apparent relegation. He had a difficult summer, his reputation left in tatters by insinuation and a public-inspired chasing of Schwarzer and others. He came back and performed well enough to ensure he remained first choice. Injury struck at he is sidelined, apparently still recovering but whether this is real or convenient remains to be seen.

No-one could have any complaints if he left in search of first team football on a regular basis under such circumstances, even if it left Arsene in the lurch. Not that I am suggesting he would for he has previously shown a willingness to fight for his place and no indication that this has changed.

Anyway, that’s it for today. ’til Tomorrow.

Fabianski Shines As Chamakh Double Gives Arsenal Victory

Wolverhampton Wanderers 0 – 2 Arsenal

0 – 1 Chamakh (1)
0 – 2 Chamakh (90)

Two Marouane Chamakh goals, a minute into the game and a minute before the end, gave Arsenal victory but it was an outstanding goalkeeping display by Lukasz Fabianski which provided the foundation. The much-maligned Pole shook off the criticism from the weekend to continue his improved form this season but the headlines have been stolen by a poorly-timed Cesc Fabregas tackle late in the second half.

The Spaniard and Arsene Wenger apologised to Stephen Ward post-match whilst Mick McCarthy showed the bizarre nature of his personal life, commenting,

Today was like a throwback to when your mate broke your nose and then bought you a pint

It is indeed, grim up North.

The victory was much-needed to close the gap on second place but more importantly give self-belief following defeats and poor displays against Shakhtar and Newcastle. The match could have gone either way; for all that Arsenal might have extended their lead in the opening thirty minutes, for the remainder of the match Wolves provided evidence that with some luck, they might well haul themselves clear of the relegation battle.

Before the match Arsene would have told his men to weather the early storm and nick something on the counter-attack. Instead, they put Wolves onto the back foot for the rest of this encounter. Thomas Rosicky, recalled ahead of Theo Walcott, picked the ball up midway in his own half and skated gracefully across the turf deep into the home side’s territory, feeding Alex Song on the right. The Cameroon international sent in the perfect cross, eliciting the deserved response from the head of Chamakh, leaving Hahnemann no chance. Forty seconds on the clock, advantage Arsenal.

Five minutes later and the American gained some redemption. Arshavin having robbed Macienne, raced into the Wolves penalty area, Hahnemann raced to meet him and created a large enough barrier to win this duel. Rosicky went close as Arsenal pressed forward and the American goalkeeper once more came to his side’s rescue as Fabregas shot through a forest of legs, the ball rebounding to safety off the goalkeeper.

Arsenal began to cede their early initiative. Wolves began fighting for the ball in midfield, the first warning of the swing in fortunes came when Doyle narrowly headed over the bar from Hunt’s free kick. The hosts would come even closer just before the interval. Squillaci deflected a cross and it seemed the looped end-product would find Hunt lurking at the far post; the hand of Fabianski clawed the ball to safety before the equaliser could be claimed.

If Arsene hoped to regroup his charges at half-time, they were immediately on the defensive following the restart. Jack Wilshere had a largely ineffective game, slipped in the area as he sought to clear the ball, the cross seemed destined to find one of two Wolverhampton predators in the area before Bacary Sagna put in a goalsaving and technically outstanding tackle to block.

Arsenal countered and should have sealed the match with a sucker punch. Capitalising on a defensive slip, Rosicky fed Fabregas on the edge of the area. The Spaniard’s effort skewed wide as his frustration with himself grew. Wenger noted post-match that the Arsenal captain is still not back to full fitness, a target which needs to be achieved sooner or later before an enforced rest occurs, his testiness on Sunday continued into this fixture.

Having threatened in the first half, Wolves began to exert more pressure. As the hour approached, Doyle span on the edge of the area, his effort bound for the top corner before Fabianski turned the ball to safety. From the resultant corner, Stearman found space but could only nudge the ball towards the goal, Rosicky clearing the ball off the line to prevent the equaliser. Within minutes, Foley would guide a header onto the roof of the net from a free kick, the Arsenal defence on the ropes but refusing to buckle.

When pressing so much, the gaps appear for counter-attacks. Arshavin brought memories of that night at Anfield as he sprinted towards the goal, twisting the defenders on a mazy run before unleashing an effort that hit the foot of the post before careering to safety. This warning for the hosts was ultimately unheeded.

As the game entered the final quarter, Arsenal reassumed some control. Djourou perservered from a corner kick and found Squillaci, who got into a tangle and flicked the ball to his central defensive partner. The Swiss fired his effort goalwards only a Wolves defensive knee to send it to safety.

As the final whistle beckoned, Berra struck a shot from the edge of the area into Fabianski’s arms. Everyone waited for him to kill time; the Pole had other ideas, swiftly releasing the ball which eventually found Fabregas. His pass sent Chamakh clear, this time the Moroccan succeeded in beating Hahnemann.

The win puts Arsenal in good stead before the trip to Goodison Park on Sunday. Fabianski had a good match, answering his critics and providing more evidence that he can be the replacement for Almunia whilst apparently keeping the shirt warm for Szczesny, whom has apparently signed a new contract although this has yet to be officially confirmed. Sagna and Clichy dealt with Wolves flanks more confidently than they have in other recent fixtures whilst Djourou and Squillaci had rocky moments but found Doyle dropping deeper than they would normally expect, having to pick up midfield runners instead.

Equally Arshavin was livelier than he has been for a while and justified his manager’s comments about being dangerous having drifted out of the game for a spell. Rosicky had a similar impact on the game although he was more involved in closing Wolves down than the Russian. Chamakh will have drawn confidence from his first goals for Arsenal away from home in the Premier League.

’til Tomorrow.

Wolves Preview: Time To Show Arsenal’s Fangs

Wolves provide the opposition tonight with Arsenal seeking to continue their good run of form at Molineux, not having lost any of the last fifteen encounters between the two sides, drawing only two of them. Indeed, Arsenal has not lost in Wolverhampton since 1978 although a 5 – 2 drubbing on this day in 1956 dampens that cheers somewhat. Just as well this one is not on 1st December so I don’t have to mention the 7 – 0 in the host’s favour in 1934…

Of more immediate concern is recovering form. Stuttering performances in recent times have suggested confidence is faltering within the squad although as this is an away game, Wolves will not be able to sit back and defend – well, they can but they won’t be very popular with  their own fans – as they have been in the two recent clashes with the rest of the top three.

Arsene noted that there were no new casualties, the walking wounded have recovered whilst Robin van Persie appears not to have suffered any long-term ill-effects even though the manager admits he was not ready for Sunday. Which begs the question as to why he was included but we’ll save that for another day.

More worringly is the news that Thomas Vermaelen is going back to the medics, a setback in his recovery giving cause for concern that the usually optimistic Wenger was reticient or unwilling to put any timescales on when the Belgian would be back marshalling the defence. Koscielny lost his appeal unsurprisingly and his place at the back will go to Johan Djourou who should be fresh following his excellent display in Donetsk, a rare plaudit from that particular match.

Elsewhere, the quandry for the manager is whether he rings changes or simply looks at the rest and says, “You screwed up on Sunday, go out and show everyone they were wrong to chastise“. I doubt that will happen though as tonight would be ideal of the pace of Theo Walcott, especially as Wolves will through everything at Arsenal in first twenty minutes, kitchen sink included. The England international will be a useful outlet in this phase of the game.

The only other change would be to give Samir Nasri a well-earned rest for the majority of the game, although quite how much rest he gets having trained with the squad is debatable. Alternatively, Arshavin could be accommodated in the starting XI by omitting Cesc. It was clear on Sunday that he was carrying his injury still and to remove him from this match might be more useful in the long-term with the likelihood being that the Spaniard will be playing three games next week, two for his club, one for country. There is a limit to the involvement for both he and Nasri and whilst a win is needed tonight, it is no less or more important than the trip to Everton.

However, I do not think Wenger will make any voluntary changes this evening which would mean a starting XI of:

Fabianski; Sagna, Djourou, Squillaci, Clichy; Fabregas, Song, Wilshere; Walcott, Chamakh, Nasri

Chelsea has a relatively straightforward win tonight over Fulham but as well as local rivalry, Manchester City has the requirement to beat Manchester United to close the points gap. Arsenal has to win to ensure any slips are taken advantage of and with tough matches upcoming, go into them with good spirits.

Enjoy the match wherever you are watching it. ’til Tomorrow.

Theo’s Optimism Is Not Misplaced. Yet.

Ahead of the visit to Molineux tomorrow, Arsenal has decided to appeal the red card issued to Laurent Koscielny on Sunday, arguing that there was no clear scoring opportunity as it was too far from goal and that Squillaci was covering the attack parallel with Koscielny but more central.

Should the FA decide it was frivolous, Arsenal may regret not including that Nile Ranger is a 1970s funk star with no certainty of scoring. Supporting evidence could have come from the recent Carling Cup tie along with the fact that he doesn’t hold a candle to James Brown or George Clinton when it comes to dance moves.

Attention turns to the action on the pitch with Koscielny presumably absent, meaning a return for Johan Djourou. Arsene will no doubt be watch his performance along with that of Lukasz Fabianski, making his criticism of the Pole public. Although the error made by the goalkeeper was described as ‘timing’ rather than ‘technical’, definitions which to the layman are not mutually exclusive – probably inclusive – almost as strange as the decision to blood Robin van Persie for 30 minutes on Sunday.

Part of Fabianski’s punishment is to be made to wear a pink top tomorrow, an update on the yellow Reliant Robin favoured by some clubs for the worst trainer.

Much of the recent commentary coming from within the club is that the players know that they cannot afford to lose any more home games and that focus needs to be regained at Wolves. Certainly recent away trips to Stamford Bridge and Old Trafford have been creditable by the Midlanders but being at home is a different matter, especially when most of the top clubs are more than proficient at counter-attacking.

Despite the setback, Theo Walcott is not giving up on winning the title,

I think there are four or five teams come the end of the season that are going for the Championship, it is great for the neutral it is going to be a great last few weeks to the season, everyone is beating each other.

I think Chelsea lost six games last year and won the league, so there could be more defeats and we don’t mind that as long as we concentrate on ourselves and catch up

There is no doubt that Arsenal cannot afford to lose any more at home and are limited to the number of away games where points are dropped. There was some ludicrous discussion following the Newcastle defeat that Koscielny is not good enough, that Arsene needs to sign a world class defender and goalkeeper.

This is despite the fact that those who fall into this category are limited by number and already at top clubs, employers who would be reluctant to release them under any circumstances. It is, quite simply, nowhere near as straightforward as some would have you believe that such signings are possible.

That does not preclude Wenger from trying though. Any manager will be constantly striving to improve his squad but some are too easily dismissive of those players we already possess. Mistakes happen and some are prone to making them more frequently. When your goalkeeper makes a mistake, the punishment is very likely to be a goal.

Fabianski has been better than many expected in his first team outings, Sunday being the first real mistake he has made since covering for Almunia. He now faces a real test in putting the weekend behind him, something he was unable to do last season. Yet we should not overlook the composition of the defence in front of him; this time it is relatively settled. This should breed more confidence in his play and genuinely appears to have done so.

But this is not the only area of the team where erratic form exists, something that is being overlooked. The forwards and midfield were devoid of their usual fluidity at the weekend, stifled by the massed ranks of the Newcastle defence and midfield.

Fabregas carried his injury apparently and despite his protestations to the contrary, it affected him. He was less mobile than usual and his passing was off-key compared to the high standards he has set. What was disappointing was the absence of anyone else to step up and take the mantle of playmaker. Wilshere tried hard but is different in his application whilst Nasri was similarly restricted due to a calf injury, eventually used as the basis for his withdrawal.

The individual deficiencies added up to a bad day at the office. A win tomorrow night will prove that to be the case. Anything less and the concern is that the autumnal lull in form is upon us.

’til Tomorrow.

Arsenal Weather Forecast: Black, White & Gloom All Over

Arsenal 0 – 1 Newcastle United

0 – 1 Carroll (45)

A morning of brumal conditions seems somewhat appropriate following the flaccidity of yesterday’s Arsenal performance. For the second time this season, a newly promoted side has come to The Emirates to frustrate and succeeded in opening the scoring. Like West Bromwich Albion before them, Newcastle left with the three points. In keeping with their nickname, The Magpies stole the points unlike Albion who played enterprisingly to take advantage of their slovenly hosts.

The goal was avoidable, a goalkeeping error compounding the defensive slackness beforehand. Yet whereas previous similar situations had seen an encampment of the opponents penalty areas, a blockade that French lorry drivers would be proud; there was none of this on Sunday. Indeed, Newcastle would have been pleased with the ease that they controlled the final stages even drawing a deserved red card for Koscielny, Squillaci too far across to be able definitively described as the last man.

Several key players were below par, notably Cesc Fabregas who appeared to be struggling with the after-effects of his hamstring injury. Whilst the captain has at times seemed to have talismanic tendencies, like Henry before him rescuing stifled collective performances, his impaired mobility assisted a Newcastle midfield that was intent on pressuring the man on the ball from the outset.

Having been willing trade blows initially, Newcastle were forced back into their own half as Arsenal asserted themselves. The closest to an Arsenal goal in the first half was Fabregas, his thirty yard free kick deflected onto the crossbar by the Newcastle wall, a rarity that the defensive barrier held firm in the modern game.

Fabregas and Koscielny would find their route to goal blocked by defenders as they sought to find the Arsenal shooting boots. Minutes before half-time, Nasri snapped an effort which seemed to be heading into the net, Krul producing a fine save to maintain parity. For all of the deserved criticism for his timewasting antics, the Dutchman proved the match of anything Arsenal threw at him during the ninety minutes. When he was beaten, the woodwork came to his rescue. On such things are wins away from home built.

The deadlock was broken as the interval beckoned. A debatable free kick was awarded when Sagna was determined to have fouled Gutierrez. Barton lofted the set play into the area, Chamakh stopped tracking Carroll and the Newcastle centre forward rose to head the ball into the net as Fabianski came, saw and dithered. Underneath all this Koscielny did not attempt to jump, unsure as to whether or not he would impede his goalkeeper’s attempt to get the ball.

The mistake is being used as evidence that the Pole is back in old ways, too harsh and critical when there was general hesitancy ahead of him. I would suggest that this is the reason he stuttered. Crucially no-one covered him on the line as he came to meet the cross, an error by the defence and in those circumstances, retreating to his line was probably the Pole’s better option, easy to say from the comfort of the stands, comfort which made the support lacrimose for the match.

As the second half commenced, it seemed that the missing urgency was manifesting in the Arsenal attack, culminating in Walcott rattling the crossbar with Krul well beaten. It proved to be a false dawn; the lethargy of the first half returned as the creativity that we expect became noticeable in its absence.

Wenger then made his substitutions which are not entirely understandable. Nasri was withdrawn due to injury and replaced by Arshavin (understandable) whilst the ineffective Chamakh was replaced by van Persie (bemusing). For all the relief / joy that van Persie’s return brings, it was a curious choice with Bendtner a more natural replacement, the only explanation that Wenger felt Arsenal were too predictable and allowing the visitor’s defence too comfortable an afternoon aerially.

Wenger compounded the situation by withdrawing Wilshere for Bendtner, essentially moving to a more orthodox four-pronged attack. The youngster had been arguably the most effective midfielder, removing Fabregas may have been more productive with his temperament brimming with evident frustration. The changes made no difference to the eventual outcome nor threatened to do so save for a Fabregas header following an Arshavin slalom on the left.

With a tough week ahead, Wenger has some mental repair work to shake the cobwebs from Arsenal players minds. Arshavin noted post-match that it had been a bad week and that this happens in football. Chelsea’s failure to take any points from Anfield means that those dropped at home have, at this moment in time, not proved costly, maintaining the gap. However, with Wolves having forced Chelsea and Manchester United in recent weeks to eke out victories rather than sweeping them aside, any complacency at Molineux may be punished.

Those proclaiming an end to the Arsenal title challenge are as premature as shops putting Christmas decorations on display in September. What is apparent though is the necessity to put together a winning run in the Premier League. Wednesday night would be a good time to start.

’til Tomorrow.