The Best Starting XI vs Bayern Munich

Arsenal face Bayern Munich tonight in an exciting Champions League encounter. One of the two best sides in their respective leagues meet in the Emirates for the first leg of this encounter. Bayern Munich had eliminated Arsenal in this same round last year after beating them 3-1 in the Emirates but that near glorious comeback in the Allianz Arena will keep Pep Guardiola wary and not take Arsenal for granted.

With many key injuries for both sides, notably Ribery and Shaqiri for Bayern and the long absentee of Ramsey and the suspended Arteta, this match will prove a very tactical in the aspect of team selection. I took the liberty of making the most suitable XI I see fit for Arsene Wenger. Here it is:

The XI is very similar to that of the one that faced Liverpool with a couple of key changes. The inclusion of true wingers is one of the most vital inclusions for the sole reason that Bayern is a defensive shield and if you attempt to walk the ball into the back of their net, you will fall face-first as did Barcelona in the Champions League Semi-finals last years. The one way to attack them is with athleticism, speed, face pace football which only true wingers can provide.

Now lets dissect each player and their importance in the first leg, home fixture:

1-Szczesny: the polish goalkeeper has been in fine form for Arsenal and will be expected to return to the starting line-up. His dropping from the Liverpool game was merely a "give him a rest" move and not one of a below-the-par performances.

4-Mertesacker: the influential defender has also been in fine form but the advantage he will bring is not that one in particular but rather his familiarity of the Bundesliga and German sides in general. Prior to his move to Arsenal, he had been playing in the Bundesliga for his entire career there and it is this knowledge that will help the team in curbing any of Bayern's attack. He will also be tasked with keeping the towering Mario Mandzukic at bay as his aerial threat is one to keep in mind.

6-Koscielny: the other partner it the somewhat rock solid duo will be tasked, as usual, with sniffing other attacking threats before they come to materialize. He will be in charge of keeping any player that Mertesacker will not be able to keep up with in tack. With Robben and Rafinha (if Lahm plays in midfield) most likely to be attacking down on flank, don't be surprised to see him aid Gibbs in defending Arsenal's goal.

28-Gibbs: with the absence of Ribery and Shaqiri, Bayern will look to Robben for their winger magic. Gibbs will tasked with the daunting mission of keeping Robben at bay. His speed, majestic dribbling and lethal finishing is what should worry Gibbs but expect to see him up to that challenge.

3-Sagna: now this is the right-back I am worried about not because he isn't good enough, he clearly is, but with Gotze, or even Robben if played down this wing as he was vs BVB, and Alaba attacking and overlapping each other, it might prove too strong. Sagna can handle on but two and he will need help. This is another reason for the inclusion of true wingers who can track back and defend alongside the full-backs.

20-Flamini: with Arteta's suspension, he might prove to be the most important figure. With Wilshere most likely to play alongside him, he would be in charge of keeping the attacking midfielders from attacking. Whether Thiago and Kroos or Thiago and Muller play down the middle, Flamini might be left single handedly with that task as I cannot see Wilshere offering much in the defensive role any longer.

10-Wilshere: as I have previously stated, I cannot see Jack offering much in the defensive role as he once used to. He always seems to running after players rather than hunt them down. His role will be in the counter-attacks and the speedy transitions from midfield into Bayern's final third. His bursts up the field will definitely help Arsenal's attack.

15-Chamberlain: after a man-of-the-match performance vs Liverpool, he was always expected to start this game but there are more reason behind this. Firstly, as previously stated, Alaba and Gotze/Robben will bombard Sagna on the flank and as a fast-paced, true winger, he can aid Sagna in the defense and still offer the quick transitions into an attack. He will look to take advantage of Alaba's attacking side and look to catch him higher up the field. He will offer a lot in any counter-attack Arsenal will aim at attempting.

9-Podolski: the Arsenal player who you know if an opportunity shows itself he will convert it, he is the most clinical player in Arsenal's ranks. Will look to attack Rafinha down the wing as he presumes to be the weak-link in the Bayern team and Podolski will look to capitulate on that. He could link well with Giroud by offering the crosses and cutting in the middle to release some of his rockets of a shot.

11-Özil: Özil has been scrutinized for his performance of late but expect him to do well today. His positive performance against Liverpool led me to believe one thing; Özil plays better in Santi's absence. It may be a horrible thought cause we love them both but lets think about it, Özil demise does weirdly coincide with Santi's return from injury and the first game Santi was rested from in a while happened to be Özil's best in a while as well. It might be premature but I believe he will perform better as the only AM on the field. His eye for an opportunity can be lethal and since Bayern are not an English side, I wouldn't expect much of a physical approach on Özil which just might be in his favor.  

12-Giroud: eyes will be on Giroud to see how he will react to the cheating scandal. Will it affect him? Likely. Will it affect Arsene Wenger including him? Likely, too but with no other option, don't be surprised to see him in the line-up. Sanogo may have had a promising game vs Liverpool but the call for his selection against Bayern is way to early. Bendtner will probably make the bench but I don't expect him to start. Giroud will, as usual, look to bully the defense with his body strength and aerial threat. He might be nullified in the on-the-ground movement by Dante but you can never count him out.    

The match will prove an exciting one. This Arsenal side are a different one from the one tht played Bayern Munich in the Emirates. Arsenal's home-record shows that they are a tougher side to beat in London and this is something they will look to carry on into tonight. I expect Bayern to take the attack to Arsenal but with Arsenal's stern defense and the injuries of key Bayern players, I expect a result in favor of the Arsenal.

Prediction: Arsenal 2-1 Bayern
                          Giroud           
                                                  Muller
                          Podolski

Should We Get Back Together With RvP?

Robin Van Persie, the former Arsenal skipper and talisman, had left Arsenal in one of the most hard-to-see break-ups ever. Him and Arsenal were on the level of a love relationship. He was our most loved player. There were the other hard break-ups in our lifetime, Cesc and Nasri left the previous year, but Cesc's reasons were understandable and Nasri was just a jerk. RvP, however, was a whole new level. It still affects us to this day and many gooners still obsess about it. All those years of Arsene's nurturing, through the injuries, that scandal and much more, he decides not to renew his contract. So much for loyalty. He then goes and joins our rivals, Man United. He cites our lack of ambition as a reason for leaving us and Man United's rich history, foundation and it's then coach, Sir Alex Ferguson, as the reasons he chose them, or at least the "Child inside him" did.

We had ended the season on a good note that year. We pipped Tottenham to the CL spot, again. We entered into the summer transfer window with great hopes. We had already signed Podolski and we were getting closer to Santi, a much needed creative reinforcement in midfield that we were in dire need  of then. And with Wilshere coming back from the season long injury, our squad was looking good but it was never meant to be. RvP left us and set our team back two steps.

Things got even harder for us to bare when we watched him score day in, day out for Man United. He had left us in shambles as we had attacking issues with Giroud, who hadn't settled in the EPL as we liked. There were moments of magic but they were usually followed by the not so magical ones. Man United flourished while we faded away. There were the two goals he scored against us and then, the worst of them all, him lifting up the EPL trophy. We all wanted him to be proven wrong, we wished he didn't win. He had enjoyed in Manchester United what he couldn't enjoy in all his years at Arsenal. It sort of proved his point. He was at the better team and we were the sinking ship.


But oh how the tables have turned. Sir Alex Ferguson had retired at the end of the year and Moyes was brought in to replace him and their season has been a nightmare since then. They are having their worst EPL season ever. Meanwhile, Arsenal are having one of their best. Though their were the big losses to Man C and Liverpool, it doesn't take away from the season Arsenal has been having. We have been one of the best, most consistent teams in the EPL and that is why we held the top spot for a huge portion of it and the still currently rank at a healthy spot of 2nd. Arsenal's business in the transfer market, though lack luster until the final day, proved more ambitious than Man United as they put the money where their mouth is and cut a big, fat 42m cheque to buy one of the best playmakers in the world, Mesut Özil. Man United, on the other hand, had failed in signing numerous players from Cesc to Thiago to even Herrera  They eventually bought Fellaini but that left many pundits puzzled as to why.

Now we have seen the all the funny memes and pictures about RvP wanting back. The jokes, the teaser, the Arsene Wenger getting 29 miss calls from RvP. We had our fun, we poked at the Man United fans and we laughed along the way, but now as things are getting real, it isn't all jokes anymore.

There have been many, recent reports from reliable sources that a possible return is on the tables. BBC Sports have even gone as far as reporting on Saturday that RvP's agent reportedly met with Arsene Wenger and that a "dramatic return" is possible. Now that it is serious and could be real, we should raise the question, should we get back together with RvP?

Should we be rational about this or emotional? Lets try rational first. RvP is still a very lethal strikers. His goal scoring would be a lot much higher if it wasn't for his injury. But how long will this last. He is 30 and will be turning 31 this year. He isn't in his best years. They are slowly escaping him. Arsenal is a club with a strong youth policy. There is a reason why Sagna's contract extension is stalling. This clearly goes against their belief. Their is a whole, wide sea of eye-catching, young attackers who have yet to reach their peak. Diego Costa, Jackson Martinez, Balloteli (over-looking his personnel issues), Arsene take your pick. RvP, at his most, has two, maybe three good seasons left in him. From then on, expect the downhill tumble.

Then there is the even bigger issue, his injury. RvP, though a relative unknown when he arrived, was still a good striker for a huge portion of the time he was with us. Even from the beginning he showed potential, he was just unfortunate to be competing with Henry and Bergkamp for a sarting berth. However, he was always hindered by the same occurrence, time and time again, injuries. RvP had never seemed to complete one full season and the only time he did, was the last season he played for. Constant injuries and setbacks, absence from key fixtures which always hurt our team. The Barcelona CL match was a perfect example. Imagine had RvP been playing, instead of Bendtner, and he had gotten that late opportunity to put us through. Would he have missed that? I don't think so, but because he was injured, we were out. Even though it seemed to be in his past during his last seasons with us, especially the last one, it has returned to haunt him this season. Now we don't really know, maybe it is Moyes's training technique and regimes or maybe it is just his age getting to him, but it is a decisive factor, one that Arsene should stop and think about clearly before making any decisions.

Imagine if we were to resign him. It would seem an attractive idea. We would have RvP, leading our attack, as the great striker he is, and there would be Giroud, a good competition and an even better back-up option. Whether Podolski would be there to stay isn't clear, but there are some young academy guys who I believe could get some break throughs next season such as Akpom. If Arsenal were to have that attack, I'm sure he would be pleased with it and who wouldn't. There would be no need to get another, good striker. At the most, another safe, not so great option to warm the bench so we have the numbers. Another "Park" if you would like. But now imagine if RvP were to get injured. It isn't something unheard of nor far fetched. What would that mean for our games and possibly, our season. We would just end up with the same attack we have now. It would be the same hold RvP had on our attack all over again. He could either make our attack beautiful or left in pieces in his absence. We can't afford that happening, not again.


Now lets get personnel. RvP isn't a fan or club favorite. Though he still is close with many of the team staff and players alike, he is not liked by a substantial amount of them. This would be a situation so awkward for players and fans alike. They loved him, then they despised him from another team. What would him coming back do to the harmony? Would they still hate him even from the inside? I have a feeling some will. I mean, look at that death look.

And how would the fans react? Would they still boo him? I expect so. The wounds will not simply heal. His character is also one to think about. I can see him already walking into the dress room, expecting the same amount of respect as before, as if nothing had happened. It would put a strain on the players, their attitude and the team's harmony.

I have this bad feeling that Arsene is really pondering doing it. 15m for a class striker who already knows his way around the EPl and the club. Arsene has always shown affection for players who left and resigned them before. His feelings for RvP is still there. You could feel this in his eyes when he said "RvP is still an Arsenal player." They way they greeted one another in the first Man United encounter after his departure. It was one of great affection and affinity. I wouldn't be surprised if the thought came true come next summer window.

The RvP issue is one that strikes many too close to the heart. We have put him in the past and lets leave him there. He was clearly OK with forgetting about us so we should so no problem in doing the same. RvP should stay in our past and I am not only doing to save my Twitter identity. We have moved forward and for the sake of Arsenal, we should never look back.

The Reasons Behind Özil's Demise

Mesut Özil, our record-breaking signing, is one of the biggest coup signing in the history of the EPL.  You can say what you like, whether he was forced out or he joined us because no other clubs pushed for him, you know it is true. A great, creative talent. It took him only 11 minutes to do what he does best for Arsenal and that is assist. He is the  undisputed assist king. The best attacking midfielder in the world and to all of you who are thinking "Iniesta is the best", stats don't lie. He has rejuvenated our season, one that started on a bad note with the opening day, home defeat at the hands of Aston Villa. You could say anything about Arsenal and all we would respond with was a simple, four letter name, "Özil!" It was all we needed. Our savior, our biggest player, his effect was felt and it had lifted us up with great force. Even when he wasn't assisting or scoring, you could feel that the fact that Özil was playing alongside the rest of our players made them up their A-game. His magic poured over into every aspect of our game and we were profiting from it greatly.

Yet all of these reasons are why the bump he has hit of lately is so scrutinized and talked about. It has been felt in our performance, deeply. From such a high to where he is now. We have been trying to defend him but his performances of late have not helped, let alone the badgering he has gotten from our rival team's fans. The number of times I have heard "Özil is good at disappearing" are countless. Even the Sun called him a "42m flop." That performance against Liverpool was his rock bottom. It is becoming hard for us to defend him and though I believe he will be at his best soon in the Arsenal way, we really need him to hit his heights immediately, if we want to push for the title.

Özil still possesses great midfield stats. For example, the AFC vs MUFC game on Wednesday night, Özil had made more key passes than the Manchester team COMBINED! Manchester didn't create much and they were clearly happy with a point but for a team that possesses the ranks of Mata, Rooney and RvP, it is a number that speaks great volumes. But for anyone who watched that match, they will know that all those passes where not much effective. Meaningless back and forth, and whenever a chance was created, though few they were, it wasn't converted. It was not what we came to know of him but lets ask ourselves this, does this make any sense? You create that number of key passes, hold passing stats of that number and you are still an ineffective midfielder?

The problem is not with him but rather our attack in general. Arsenal's search for a world-class attacker in the summer was for just causes, and even though we didn't get anyone in the January transfer window, it was not due to us solving our attacking issues. BELIEVE ME Bendtner and Sanogo returning from injury is NOT a solution to any team's problem whatsoever, especially one of our pedigree. Olivier Giroud has picked up his game but I believe it has to do more with his mentality than his talents. I think now he is believing more that he is a capable striker. The performance can change and given his mentality, it is a great improvement and he can get even better, but for me, currently, he is still not doing the job properly. I know when he scores, we will all shout his name and love him, and when he misses, not so much, but he is not leading our attack as I wished our attack would have been led. I still love him, as of all our players,  but the negative aspects to his game is what is bringing down our attack, and in return, Özil.

When Özil was at Real Madrid, which were clearly his best days, he played along some of the fastest, smartest and sneakiest attackers in the game. Ronaldo could beat anyone in a sprint and even if he wasn't in a position to, he didn't have to. His dribbling skills alone could scare the best of defender. Benzema, the type of striker who mixes great positioning, great hold-up play and a fairly good brute force, knows how to combine them all to a deadly combination. Higuin, whom I was referring to when I said sneakiest, is a very lethal striker. He is known for his positioning, conversion rate in the box and, being sneaky and getting pass defenders while not noticing. That was what Özil had to work with. Now lets be fair, Giroud is FAR from mobile. His speed, for a league known for its physicality and speed, is not great. His positioning isn't great as I have not frequently seen him get behind the defensive lines and score. He doesn't maneuver pass defenders as often as I would like. He uses his strength well and has improved his hold-up play but he occasionally throws his body recklessly at defenders. All these attributes have always been existent but whenever Theo played alongside him, they blended well with each other and complemented one another, similar to that of the defensive pair of Mertesacker and Koscielny. Every negative was cancelled out by the other's positive. Giroud being strong and a strong aerial presence would compliment Theo, the fast, quick thinking attacker, who could catch a defender sleeping any time. But Theo isn't here and wont be for a long time to come, and with Arsene's unwillingness to play Podolski, our attack has felt very ineffective and much too slow. Counter-attacks are so unfruitful when you have one slow attacker and three midfielders attempting it. The lack of true wingers has hurt us/ This was something noticed on Wednesday's game as many times Özil attempted the fast counter-attack and since he isn't very fast nor much of a dribbler, he was forced to pull wide and with the lack of fast strikers running down the middle to aid his attack, he would either be forced off the ball or to slow down and pass back. How I DESPISE those pass backs.

Our attack in return has been very 1-dimensional. With no pace, no counter-attacking and no shear strength, we have been over-reliant on "walking the ball" into the net. The low, quick, one-two passes from one player to another. Santi to Giroud, Giroud holds play, Santi moves passes the defense, Giroud either back heels it or taps the ball into Santi's path, Santi in return passes the defenders, he shoots, he SCORES! How many times have we seen this approach, either successfully or not. We seem to attempt it one too many times. It works against weak team with little defensive coherence but against the big teams with defensive minds as strong as steel, we have come up short. Other than Liverpool at home and to a lesser extent, Tottenham, there is a reason we are yet to beat one of the top teams in the league. There needs to be more variety in our approach to attacking.

Remember the Arsenal attack of dare and flare of previous seasons? This Arsenal attack has flare, there is no shortage, but the latter, I am not so sure. Cazorla and Özil are clearly very talented and creative, no doubt about that, and they should make us forget about the beauty of a midfielder Fabregas was, but though they clearly make up for his abilities if not surpass them, they don't have his dare. This is why I still miss Fabregas and it is not because he was a better playmaker than the ones we have now, but for the fact that he would attempt the unbelievable. It wasn't just short passes, one-two's, tiki taka. He would do everything, incorporate other aspects to his approach. He had many different tricks up his sleeves and it was hard to tell which one he would use. This Arsenal attack, midfield specifically, have not. There aren't many tricks and if there are, we aren't using them. We don't attempt, we don't try and pull of amazing passes, no long passes, chips, over the wall balls. None. The usual short, quick passing. We got to attempt more and try different things. Be a lot more creative than we are now. Remember this goal? When was the last time we have seen Arsenal attempt a pass like this?

I am not sure whether these are all down to Arsene Wenger's tactics or not, but they have substantially played in Özil's demise. Özil has always been a guy to feed of his players and their attacking style, but our attacking style has not been one to compliment Özil much. His attitude has played it's part but has proved against Man. U that he can fight, and he did. If we want him to improve we need to step back and take a look at the big picture at hand and fix the problem with out attack. A shake-up, one of same level as of last season, is in need and when one comes, expect Özil to be back at his best.

Why The Man Utd Game Couldn't Have Been Better

Arsenal are to face the defending EPL champions, Man United, in a mouth-watering game on Wednesday night, in the Emirates Stadium. It is one of many tough fixtures Arsenal will face as their next two opponents are going to be Liverpool, in an FA Cup showdown, and then Bayern Munich, in the Champions League. A win for Arsenal can see them either regain the top spot, given Chelsea drop points, or keep up the title push while a draw or a loss can spell bad for Arsenal's title hopes as the league tightens up.

Now many of our fans are worried about this game as it comes right after Arsenal's humiliating defeat at the hands of Liverpool. Can we handle the pressure of the big game after such a huge loss? Will we be be able to find our confidence back in time? Many, I'm sure, believe that the game might prove to soon for us and fear that we will choke-up under the pressure and either lose or draw. And this would prove horrible for us as fourth place Liverpool are only five points behind us and Chelsea would, most probably, increase their lead at the top of the table, and with their number of tough fixtures being little, we simply cannot afford to lose ground on them, not at this point of the race. However, this is not a feeling shared by me. I feel that this match couldn't come at a greater time for us. It may prove to be a blessing in disguise.

Firstly, rivalries is something that always brings the best out of players and the team as well. You can see this every time we play against Tottenham in the North London Derby. A dazzling performance isn't always assured, but a "will leave it all on the pitch" one is. This can be said for the Arsenal vs Man United game. For a long period of time, the Arsenal-Man United encounters have not been much of a competitive one. It always seemed to be a matter of "will Arsenal avoid a loss" if it was Old Trafford, or "will Arsenal be able to beat Man United" if it was the Emirates. The story has changed now and our encounters have started to heat up again. You can notice how a lot of football reporters, editors and commentators were saying "could Arsenal win for the first time in 7 years" in the previous encounter in Old Trafford. Even though we eventually lost the game and didn't put much of a performance, the fact that people thought we could win it was a great feeling. We could actually be competitive and beat Man United. Finally! Something we have been missing since the days of Viera and Keane's fighting and bust-ups in the tunnels and on the pitches. Even though confidence might not be high and the anxiety of possibly losing another big fixture might still exist, I know we will bring the fight to them with full force. The view that we are no longer a team that can be bullied anymore is one that can build the confidence of any broken man. That momentum and belief, I am sure, will be carried into tomorrow's game. The great Arsenal-Man United rivalry is returning. It was witnessed in last seasons encounter in the Emirates and it will be witnessed tomorrow night. We are coming back and we can count on our lads to give everything they got.

We all remember this reaction to Nistelrooy's penalty miss

The mere arena of the fixture is another reason I feel that tomorrow's game might be one that will end in our favor. The Emirates, our fortress. Our track record this season at home is one to admire. It stands at: G 12  W 9  D 2  L 1. This isn't bad. It is great, actually. Our only home loss was on the opening day encounter against Aston Villa, but that was so long ago that no one really takes that into consideration. Our two draws was against a fierce Everton side and a Chelsea team who clearly parked the bus. We have won every other home fixtures from the beginning of the season. The Emirates is becoming a stadium to fear and the numbers prove that. But stats aside, lets look at the real reason why the Emirates is becoming great. Since Arsenal's move from the wonderful and legendary stadium that was the Highbury, the Emirates never really felt like home. It was hard to look at old pics of the Highbury and watch videos of Henry scoring and not reminisce the good old days. Every game at the Emirates, no matter how filled the stadium was or what the scoreline of the game was, never really matched up to the Highbury's feeling. And for a guy who never had the opportunity to experience the Highbury, the fact that I could even feel it through a TV screen speaks volume. This season though, the Emirates is starting to feel more and more like home. It is still not the same as before, but it is a healthy progress. Chants and songs that haven't been heard in a while can be heard now, ringing across the stands. The small things such as the Arsenal flag bearers who wave the flags in joy whenever we score does a lot. The supporter's spirit has been breath-taking and this, in return, has lifted our player's spirits. Olivier Giroud may be one-on-one with a goalkeeper and smash the ball wide but the fans will still be chanting "Na Na Na Na Na Na Giroud". The support has been taken to new heights and the difference between the way it was at the beginning of the season and the way it is now is huge. It went from booing the players off the stadium pitch in the opening day match to the Arsenal fans singing ARSENAL ARSENAL ARSENAL even though we were 3-0 down in Anfield in the opening 20 minutes. This kind of support has given the players a moral boost and the drive to always give a performance worthy of the thousands of loyal fans sitting in the stands. This can be huge a factor that decides the game tomorrow night.

Lastly, with relation to the first factor I brought up about rivalry, despise or hatred for a team or player can bring a fighting spirit out of even the most cowardly guy. Now I know hatred is a strong word but I bet it is what most gooners, if not all, feel for this man.

RvP celebrating his goal against AFC

Now I know he is not an Arsenal player and he owes us nothing. I am one of those who advocate we stop fussing about him. I was at awe when I saw a lot of people angry at the way he celebrated his goal against us as I believe we really need to move on. However, to say no Arsenal fan wants to see us punish him and show him he was wrong to leave us is a straight out lie. We all want to be able to say we got revenge, we beat him, we showed him we are a club with ambitions. This want, this need for revenge will make the players want to give this to the fans so bad that they will put on a performance like none seen before. I mean, our players always want to make us, the fans, happy, right?

My only fears though are that Man United might park the bus. For a team that tries to walk the ball into the net, every time a team parks the bus, we find it difficult to break them down. We couldn't beat Chelsea at home for the same reason, though they did have some referee decisions go their way. But I don't think Moyes will deploy that tactic. To say his Man United reign has been a train wreck is not so far stretched and I know he sees the Arsenal fixture as a winnable one. What a better way for him to get Man United's season back on track by beating Arsenal at home and salvage some pride. He will go for the kill and in return, we will reap the profits from it. Injuries are also another worrying issue. If Theo and Ramsey were to play, the match would go a whole lot better but with Theo out for the season and Ramsey still not back, we will have to wait and see how it ends up. Theo is a huge loss but we have come to terms with it and Ramsey's absence can be comforted by the presence of Jack Wilshere. With the game so obviously going to be a heated and physically contested one, their is no better midfielder when it comes to getting rough and getting into tussles with than Jack (and yeah I chose Jack over Flamini cause Flamini would most probably see red in situations like that). So the effect will be decreased substantially if not completely over-turned.

Those are many of the reasons why I am positive about the big game tomorrow night and after that loss to Liverpool, the opportunity to beat Man United would prove the best way to overturn that awful match, its effect and reinstate ourselves back as substantial title contenders. With other big games coming, this opportunity to beat Man United might prove vital and a win would be the best way to enter into the up-and-coming fixtures. Man United aren't doing so well, so it will not be that hard to beat them at home, would it?

The Beginning of the End?

Today, my team, Arsenal, didn't not just lose their important fixture against Liverpool, they were humiliated by them. It was a 5-1 thrashing with four of the goals coming in the first half, the first 20 minutes. This was a scoreline expected by none, I can assure you. I was even anticipating a memorable win that would send waves to our rivals but if it was anything, it was quite the opposite. Though we are still second, thanks to a Man City slip-up, this latest defeat raises questions and brings up some bad memories. Is this the beginning of a spiral that may lose us the EPL?

Arsenal's defense in woes as they were ripped apart by Liverpool's attack

The match started with great expectations. We were one of the best away teams in the league and had one of the best defense, second best to be precise. But two quick fire goals from two set pieces took us aback. With some sloppy play in midfield we lost the ball twice and were counter-attacked, resulting in two more goals. The fifth followed later in the second half though Arsenal were able eventually scored their consolidation goal. However, it was all over in the first 20 minutes as Liverpool were able to just sit back and relax in search of some extra goals. It was a performance as poor as can get. The defense were not concentrating, the midfield weren't shielding the defenders and the attacking midfielders had nothing up their sleeves, other than losing the ball in midfield. Giroud was, as usual, the only man leading the front line and with a player of his immobility, it was not a fruitful situation. This loss has lost us our top spot and with the tough fixtures coming, it may be even worse.

But this match hits a nerve with AFC fans as the memories of the 07/08 season are still fresh in our memories. It was nearing the end of the season and Arsenal were league leaders but due to very unfortunate circumstances, they drew the match they were playing and started a bad run which saw them lose their lead and end up in third spot come end of the season. Could this be the same for Arsenal now? Could this bad result at Anfield derail what has been a great season.

I don't believe so. Firstly, the circumstances are totally different. In 08, the cause of that spiral was the horrendous injury that was set upon our then striker, Eduardo. This incident had a psychological affect on the team. This time, however, it was only their bad performance which brought that awful result. Even though we have a bad issue with injuries, it is not the same kind of injury that occurred back then. The Arsenal team of now is a lot more resilient and mentally strong as well. I have no doubt in my mind that this set back will not have the same psychological effect as the previous season-ending incident. Arsenal have been on top of the league for a major part of the season and they have shown some real character during that time. They were able to bounce back from that 6-3 thrashing at the Etihad and fought back to their winning ways after that hiccup. The season is still far from over and with many important games still left to play, the prize is still up for grabs for Arsenal. The only thing that can stop them is their performance. If they continue like this, it will be another season of Champions League spot, nothing more, but this is definitely not the beginning of the end.

My Blog

Hello blogging world! It feels great to embark on such an exciting and pleasing journey of blogging, I hold an optimistic feeling towards it. I love to write and I love football. You add the two together and you get my blog. The most common writing tip I see is "write about what you love" and so I am finally going to do so. Some may see blogging as settling for second best but I don't see it that way. The experience of sharing your mind, opinion and beliefs with other is a great thing. Interaction, may it be harmonious or quite the opposite, brings a feeling of satisfaction and that is why I choose to blog.

I have loved Arsenal for as long as I can remember. At a mere age, I would see pictures of the dominant Arsenal team and the towering, intimidating figure of Henry. Seeing the O2 sign on their jersey was a sign of dominance. As I grew older, I would see them more often, in matches, and I started to understand what it felt like to be in the Arsenal circle, to be a Gooner. It was more than just the wins, the trophies, the success, but rather the emotions, the journey, the support-hood. It felt like family and it even has its occasional crazy uncles. All this led to me being more enshrined in the Arsenal circle. I met many great fans, down-to-earth people, honest guys you can just relate with. We would conversate, debate, argue, joke, get angry and even blame people and players in our agony and though I have never been to an Arsenal game, I have never felt like I was missing out on the Arsenal experience.

So what can you expect from my blog. Anything and everything. My Gooner's Diary will be exactly what you might expect it to be; opinionated. You may not like it or agree with it but I can assure you, I will post it. Match reviews, game reaction, injuries and even rumors are all on the contents. What will make this blog different is that even with the non-biased, analytic part, you will always get the feeling that it is a piece of writing from an honest fan. A humanly touch that you may not see in other blogs. So I really hope you enjoy and have fun with me on the new expedition I am about to set on. OOH TO OOH TO BE OOH TO BE A....GOONER!