Warning Shots

A visibly pumped up Jack Wilshere celebrates his stylish equaliser against City

The tables were turned on Arsenal this weekend as the Gunners conceded a late goal to deny them victory against Manchester City in a thrilling 2-2 draw at the Emirates

A second win for the Gunners was snatched away in the 83rd minute of a highly entertaining encounter when City defender Demichelis found himself unmarked at a corner, powering a late header into the net.

Arsenal showed fantastic resolve to battle back from 1-0 down in what will surely be one of the most high-paced, all-action matches of the season.

Arsenal lined up as follows: Szczesny, Mertesacker, Debuchy, Monreal, Koscielny, Flamini, Sánchez, Özil, Ramsey, Wilshere, Welbeck 

A debut for new boy Danny Welbeck (or 'Dat guy Welbz' as the players and social media has taken to calling the striker) and an impressive one at that. Welbeck played the no.9 position beautifully winning headers when required and making incisive runs in behind.

Welbz hit the post in an early effort after some superb pressure from the midfield forced an error. A poor back pass played the striker clean through where he showed composure to deftly flick a lob over an onrushing shampoo model turned goalkeeper Joe Hart, but had to watch as the ball turned off the inside of the post and back into the arms of the England No.1

Welbeck and 60,000 Arsenal fans share a moment of disbelief as the Arsenal striker's chipped effort hits the post

The Gunners were made to a pay for a host of missed chances when in the 28th minute City launched a blistering counter-attack, neatly finished by their talismanic striker Sergio Aguero, who looks to be over the injury problems that plagued his world cup and early season form

The sides went into halftime with the score still at 0-1 to last season's champions, however Arsenal looked the more likely to score throughout the half, the City goal coming against the run of play.

Not to be disheartened by the blow, Arsenal pressed on in the second half picking up where they left off, pressuring the City defense with plenty of neat one-touch possession in the final third.

Jack Wilshere and Alexis Sanchez both had their best games in an Arsenal shirt doing everything right. They chased back possession, broke through tackles and looked hungry for a victory. The physicality they brought to the match is something we haven't seen for a long time; check out this from Wilshere on Samir Nasri.

The equaliser eventually came in the 63rd minute when Wilshere was released on the edge of the box, beating a defender with a feigned shot and drag on his left foot leaving him face-to-face with Hart on the near post. Cue one of the finishes of the season so far in a chip that left the City keeper bamboozled, flapping his arms like a toddler trying to catch a ball.

After that the pendulum had definitely swung in the reds favour and Arsenal had attack after attack, whilst defending well. Nasri replaced Lampard at halftime who looked for all the world like a spent force, his major contribution in his 45 minutes on the pitch was receiving a yellow card for a tactical foul on Ramsey.

Lampard struggled to match the pace of the game in his debut for City

Sanchez got the goal to take Arsenal into the lead on 74 minutes, Arsenal's second of the afternoon and the Chilean's third in as many games for his new club. Wilshere got the assist with a speculative header back into the box which looped over the City defense finding Alexis unmarked at the back post. His first time side-footed volley was a thing of beauty, powering past Hart and into the roof of the net.

For all their effort to get back into the match, Arsenal's intensity dropped off after taking the lead. As is so often the case with Arsenal sides there is a resolve to fight back but worryingly the same defensive frailties which have cost us league titles in the past are creeping back in.

City fought to get back into the game. After winning a corner with 10 minutes to go, a good cross found Demichelis completely unmarked on the penalty spot, the Argentine taking the chance well, guiding the ball into the top right corner. It looked as though Szczesny and Flamini got in each other's way a bit and perhaps the Frenchman may have been able to head the ball off the line had the keeper not got a hand to it.

I thought Arsenal had shaken the tag of poor defensive side after last years dominant display by Koscielny, Mertesacker and Szczesny where the Gunners kept the most clean sheets in the league. Four matches played and Arsenal have already conceded 6 goals, scoring 7.

Chambers came on as a late substitution after Debuchy had to be stretchered off. The Frenchman appeared to over stretch himself chasing a ball and landed awkwardly, rolling his ankle. Debuchy injury reports vary between 2 to 3 months out, but knowing our luck don't hold out for a speedy recovery. This means that Chambers will start right-back with Bellerin promoted to the bench, leaving us with no outright cover at centre back.

Arsenal's injury misfortune has followed them into the 2014/15 campaign despite appointment of new fitness coach Shad Forsythe

There were moments in Saturday's premier league clash with City where I thought this side could be the best Wenger has put together in over half a decade.

The team had pace, power and skill throughout and although a relatively small signing, Danny Welbeck already looks like the missing piece in a handsome jigsaw puzzle of awesomeness.

There were, however, also moments where I thought this team is still missing something to make us true championship contenders, particularly in defense.

A very interesting and worrying statistic is that Arsenal have conceded a headed goal in all four of their matches so far this season. I think this is because of the changes to our fullbacks, compared to last year.

In my opinion Debuchy offers so much more going forward than Bacary Sagna. We saw on the weekend how the Frenchman drew a foul after he skipped past Milner with a clever dummy. That is something Sagna would never do, always looking to cut back inside, slowing the attack down.

However on the flip side Sagna is a better backs-to-the-wall defender than Debuchy, with a greater aerial athleticism that meant he was more adept at dealing with high balls late in the game, even scoring a couple of headed chances last season.

On the other flank Monreal is by no means the quality of Kieran Gibbs, who really has followed in a proud tradition of Arsenal left-backs, a position Wenger unquestionably knows how to scout for.

Although Monreal is of a high pedigree, having been plucked during the mass clearance sale at Malaga along with Cazorla, he always looks a little out of sorts and frantic and was definitely targeted by City.

Combine this with a license for the full backs to get forward and Arsenal have been left exposed countless times already this season. A moment's carelessness in possession, a misplaced pass when we are committed to attacking and the opposing team only have to beat three players en route to the Arsenal goal.

To leave you on a positive note, Arsenal have now scored 5 goals in two matches against City (3 in the Community Shield) suggesting that as an attacking force we are right up there capable of dissecting one of the best defences in the league.

Let's hope we can balance the side a little more and rack up those clean sheets, starting with Dortmund tonight and Villa on the weekend.

Thanks for reading!

Leicester v Arsenal Review

Even the Welsh Jesus couldn't find the winning goal against Leicester

Arsenal lacked bite upfront in a disappointing 1-1 draw against Leicester at the King Power Stadium.

Arsenal missed an opportunity to go into third place by giving away a 1- 0 lead after Alexis Sanchez found the net midway through the first half.

The Chilean scored his first premier league goal for the Gunners, making it two goals in as many games having already scored in Arsenal's 1-0 win against Besiktas in the Champions League qualifiers.

Arsenal lined up as follows: Szczesny, Monreal, Koscielny, Mertesacker, Debuchy, Flamini, Ramsey, Ozil, Cazorla, Sanchez and Sanogo

A surprise inclusion for Yaya after many, myself included, predicted Wenger would go for the same side that played against Besiktas.

Instead Wilshere and Oxlade-chamberlain dropped to the bench and Cazorla and Sanogo started.

The game began brightly for both sides and the game slipped comfortably into an end-to-end affair we are used to seeing when Arsenal are involved.

As we predicted Leicester stuck to the approach that saw them earn a draw against Everton and give Chelsea a tough time at Stamford Bridge.

The crucial moment in the game came when Koscielny and Schlupp were involved in a clash of heads towards the far touchline.

Both players stayed down for some time, however Koscielny looked the more injured and returned to the field wearing what looked like a swimming cap.

The Frenchman appeared to have overcome the incident however he would later find that he hadn't much to Arsenal's cost.

The Gunners took the lead not long after the clash of heads through a great bit of link up play. Santi Cazorla played a crisp lofted through-ball to Sanogo who made a smart, well-timed run finding himself through on goal with only Casper Schmeichel to beat.

Yaya's effort was soft but caught Schmeichel by surprise as he was expecting a lob, the Dane only able to parry the ball across his own goal where Sanchez pounced to slot the ball home.

Arsenal were only in the lead for two minutes however as Leicester immediately struck back.

Arsenal's defence looked sluggish and out-of position when Leicester broke on the counter attack. Leicetser's Ulloa was tracked by Koscielny who then completely lost his man and misread the flight of the ball allowing the Argentine a clear header which, although not the best placed had enough power to go past Szczesny.

Koscielny immediately signalled his intention to leave the pitch, clearly still suffering and even in the minutes leading up to both goals had looked unassured in 50/50 challenges where he would usually clean up.

Although both sides had good chances (the majority of Leicester's coming through Mahrez who looks sharp) Arsenal could have snatched a late goal, as they so often have this season.

Late substitutions for Arsenal saw Oxlade-Chamberlain and Podolski take to the field with about 15 minutes remaining.

This looked to be too little too late as both players struggled to get up to match speed with such little time remaining.

So far this season Wenger has been quick to make substitutions and those he does make go on to have an impact. Perhaps Wilshere needed a rest but I would have brought on the young Englishman in place of Sanogo and moved Sanchez up top and replaced Ozil with either Campbell or the Ox.

The match ended 1-1 but the sense was that this was another game which Arsenal wasted opportunities in front of goal, a clear sign that Wenger must bring in a marquee striker. Let's hope for some assured activity on deadline day!

Leicester v Arsenal Preview

Alexis Sanchez celebrates his first Arsenal goal in a 1- 0 victory against Besiktas

Sanchez will lead the line for Arsenal against Leicester City in the last round of premier league fixtures before the international break.

Arsenal currently sit in 5th place after an opening day victory to Crystal Palace and a hard-fought draw against Everton.

The Gunners are expected to line up as follows: Szczesny, Koscielny, Mertesacker, Monreal, Debuchy, Flamini, Wilshere, Ozil, Ramsey, Oxlade-Chamberlain and Sanchez

Oxlade-Chamberlain should see another start after his impressive performance against Besiktas in the Champions League Qualifiers. Alex offers more natural width and a desire to look for the long ball down the line.

Debuchy and the Ox showed a strong understanding midweek and this is something I believe Wenger will look to develop.

I expect Wenger to stick with a similar formation and approach as we saw against Besiktas, where had it not been for some wasted chances we would've won the game far more comfortably.

Expect a high pressing game without the ball and plenty of width with it, with the focus of our attacks coming down the right flank, where the Ox and Sanchez like to position themselves before cutting in.

Looking at the side however what immediately springs to mind is lack of height. Set pieces and defending crosses in open play has been our weakness so far this season (think Hangelaand v Palace and Coleman v Everton).

Leicester aren't the biggest side themselves and under manager Nigel Pearson like to play the ball on the ground, which should suit Arsenal, however it is hugely important that our wide players track back to prevent the opposition from overloading our flanks.

For many Arsenal fans, thinking about Leicester evokes memories of the final match of the Invincibles '04 campaign where the Gunners came back from a goal down to seal their unbeaten season.

Leicester have won just one of 16 Premier League games against Arsenal (W1, D5, L10). Their sole victory was 2-1 at Filbert Street on 23 November 1994.

However the Foxes have begun the season well, earning a 2-2 draw against Everton on the opening day, before losing 2-0 against Chelsea, a respectable scoreline nonetheless against Mourinho's machine.

A bit of excitement on the transfer front for both sides as Leicester have signed former Inter midfielder Esteban Cambiasso on a one year deal. The 34 year old has joined the Foxes after being released by Inter over the summer,  but may be ineligible for today's match due to international clearance proceedings.

There has been a huge amount of twitter activity linking Arsenal with QPR's Loic Remy and Sporting Lisbon's William Carvalho: I would love both to sign.

We need a striker who has proven experience in the premier league. Welbeck would've been a stronger signing as indeed would Edison Cavani but it would seem as though both strikers are destined elsewhere. 

As for Carvalho although he failed to impress in Rio, there is enough potential there for him to become a very useful player. He could be eased into the ranks this season and given full license next year having learnt under two of the best in Arteta and Flamini.

Everton v Arsenal Match Review

Two goals in the final ten minutes saw Arsenal enjoy a thrilling comeback against Everton at Goodison Park yesterday to keep their unbeaten record in the league intact.

The Gunners managed to recover from an abysmal start to the game where they were outplayed for most of the first half.

Arsenal lined up as follows: Szczesny, Mertesacker, Chambers, Debuchy, Monreal, Ramsey, Wilshere, Oxlade-chamberlain, Flamini, Özil, Sanchez


Surprise inclusions for Chambers and Oxlade-Chamberlain were surely huge votes of confidence in Arsenal's young English talent. Many expected the centre-back pairing of Koscielny and Mertesacker after its effectiveness last season.


Cazorla and Giroud's demotion to the bench came as something of a shock, particularly considering the pair's fine scoring form of late and wealth of experience against top sides compared to Chambers and the Ox.


The first Everton goal came as the result of slack defending at the far post as Ozil, in his first appearance since returning from a summer break, allowed the Everton fullback to nip in front and get to the well-placed cross first.

Everton should have had a second soon after when striker Mirallas was through on goal, but under pressure from an onrushing Szczesny he screwed the effort wide. A let off for Wenger's men.

The second goal came somewhat fortuitously for the Toffees just before the stroke of halftime. Lukaku appeared to have pushed Mertesacker from behind to gain possession before playing in Naismith who was about half a yard offside. Nonetheless Naismith controlled well and tucked the ball between the legs of our Pole in the Goal.

At 2-0 Naismith's effort looked as though it would be the crippling blow in yet another defeat to a top 6 side, the classic failings of this team looked to have followed them into the 2014/15 campaign.

However yet again this season, Wenger was quick and decisive in changing his side around. At halftime he brought off Alexis Sanchez in order to rest the Chilean who is clearly taking some time to accustom to the league's relentless pace. In his place he brought on Giroud who has been so effective in the number 9 role.

The second half began far more promisingly as Arsenal dominated possession 60% to 40% peppering the Everton goal (we had 13 shots in total). The old adage goes that a 2-0 lead is often the hardest to defend tactically and from the 45th minute Everton looked to sit deep and defend. This allowed Arsenal to gain in confidence and eventually it paid off.

Cazorla and Campbell were both introduced on the 75th minute and suddenly the missing pieces of the jigsaw slotted into place. Campbell brought pace and sharp movement, whilst Cazorla is peerless in looking after the ball in the opposition's final third.

Ramsey, Cazorla and Ozil began linking up well, evidently picking up where they left off and this drew Everton even more central freeing up space for Arsenal's wide players.

The Welsh Jesus finally got the scoring underway in the 83rd minute and suddenly Everton began to look panicked. A great development in this Arsenal side and what I believe is a direct result of their FA Cup final comeback is a real resolve to keep fighting until the final minute.

Our reward came in the 89th minute when Monreal caught up with an overhit cross before sending in a beautifully weighted effort of his own that found the newly highlighted hair of Olivier Giroud who did superbly well to hold off Distin and send the ball whizzing into the net.

In his post match interview Arsene Wenger said: "We had a mountain to climb but we did it well. We came back with togetherness, with calmness and we didn't panic. we came back late but it is a strong point for us."

5 More Things We've Learnt So Far

1. Sanchez still needs plenty of time to adjust

Some players just land with their feet running. Look at Torres for Liverpool, Ba for Newcastle, Tevez for West Ham. I don't think Sanchez is one of those players but strongly believe that when he adjusts to the league's brutal pace and improves his fitness he'll be devastating to the opposition.

2. Trophy success last season has already had an effect on the mentality of the players

The boys in red are winners, with two trophies in quick succession they now know how to get over the line. The way Arsenal fought back from a 2-0 deficit in the FA Cup final showed amazing resolve and I believe this same attitude is already carrying through to their league performances after Ramsey's last minute winner against Palace and the amazing comeback against Everton.

3. Carl Jenkinson looks likely to have another frustrating season on the periphery of the club

Poor Carl. A gunner through and through it looks as though this could be another season without the breakthrough he sorely craves. Loaned out to the Hammers, Carl suffered an injury setback meaning that he will struggle to get much playing time and make the improvements Wenger was looking to see. Debuchy's outstanding performances so far, combined with the promise of Chambers and Bellerin could spell the end of Jenkisnon's time at his boyhood club.

4. Jack Wilshere is in for another tough season from the press

The latest golden child of the England national team, Jack has always been billed as the next Gazza, Wazza, and every other 'azza' going. His bad luck with injury has kept Jack from fulfilling his potential and the media has jumped on every chance to picture the young man out with a cigarette or drinking a beer. If he doesn't put in some dazzling performances this season expect greater emphasis to be placed on his personal life.

5. Giroud has to start. 

Two games now Arsenal have struggled without the talismanic Frenchman leading the line. Not only does he bring goals but he also creates space for others to run in behind as he occupies two defenders at a time. It also looks as though he's added some more technique and close control to his game and after 2 seasons in the premier league this could be season where he shines.

Thanks to Giacomo Detomaso for help with this one! Italian Gunners and fans of Serie A, NBA & NFL follow Giacomo's brilliant blog

ildetonatore.wordpress.com

Twitter: @gdetomaso

Everton v Arsenal Preview

Arsenal take on Everton at Goodison Park this afternoon at 5.30 in the second weekend of Premier League fixtures.

Last season the two sides were embroiled in an intriguing race for fourth place which ultimately saw Arsenal take the final Champions League spot.

Everton had a fantastic season by all accounts and worryingly put in an outstanding performance against the Gunners in this same fixture last year cruising to a 3-0 victory.

However at the Emirates Arsenal were unlucky not to win 1-0 and would have done so were it not for a late equaliser from Barcelona loanee Gerard Deulofeu who produced a sublime finish from 10 yards.

The two sides also faced each in the FA Cup quarter final. The match was played at the Emirates and Arsenal won comfortably by a margin of 4-1. The first half was relatively cagey however once Arsenal scored their second the floodgates opened and the match ended in emphatic style with a brace of goals from Olivier Giroud.

The Arsenal team for today is likely to be as follows:

Arsenal: Szczesny, Monreal, Koscielny, Mertesacker, Debuchy, Arteta, Ramsey, Ozil, Sanchez, Wilshere and Giroud

Arsenal's performance last week against Crystal Palace will give the Gunners plenty of confidence as they were able to win ugly. Their slick passing game was by no means at its best, however second half substitutions to bring on Oxlade-Chamberlain and Giroud proved crucial in keeping the pressure on Palace allowing Ramsey to score a late winner.

Although Aaron Ramsey is ineligible for Arsenals Champions League second round tie with Besiktas he is expected to start today and Arsenal will need the Welsh Jesus firing on all cylinders to beat a strong Toffees side.

Everton had a less inspiring start to their 2014/15 Premier League campaign, drawing 2-2 against Leicester. The Toffees lead for most of the second half until an 86th minute equaliser from Leicester's Chris Wood.

Everton twice held the lead but were unable to see the game out against a plucky Leicester side which bodes well for an Arsenal who have plenty of attacking options.

The Gunner's prospects will also be boosted by the return of their German World Cup winners per Mertesacker, Mesut Ozil and Lukasz Podolski who could all feature in today's match.

5 Things We've Learnt So Far

The premier league season is up and running. Arsenal have played one, won one after a hard-fought match against an organised Crystal Palace side.

Arsenal have also played in the first leg of their Champions League qualifier against Besiktas, drawing the game 0 - 0 in less than favourable conditions.

The Lovely Reds along with Italian journalist Giacomo Detomaso take a look at what we can learn from these early matches..

1. Maybe letting Fabregas go to Chelsea wasn't such a smart idea after all

With Ramsey out of the second qualifying leg and Ozil still not match sharp after a lengthy world Cup campaign, Fabregas would have been the perfect man to come in and lead our midfield.

As it stands he now looks like a member of a drug cartel playing under the tutelage of a man who bayed for his blood whilst at Arsenal.

2. Who needs Bacary Sagna when you've got Debuchy making the right back position his own

Many Gunners were sad to see Sagna go after many standout performances but Debuchy has come in and taken to Wenger's system like a duck to water. He looks calm, composed and potent going forward, everything Sagna had but younger, and with a much better haircut.

3. Calum Chambers has all the potential to be a future Arsenal and England stalwart

At £16m Chambers looks already to be one of the signings of the season. His performances belie his age and he has already worked out a good relationship with Koscielny. His ability to play right-back and his height (6ft 2) mean he could be a potential option at CDM if required. A modern versatile player.

4. Ramsey has picked up where he left off last season but he can't do it all on his own

The Welsh Jesus has scored in his last three competitive games in England (FA Cup final, Community Shield and Crystal Palace) bringing that electric form with him into the 2014/15 season. However he looks as though he desperately needs someone on his level alongside, hopefully the return of Ozil will bring just that.

5.  Sanchez still needs plenty of time to adjust

Some players just land with their feet running. Look at Torres for Liverpool, Ba for Newcastle, Tevez for West Ham. I don't think Sanchez is one of those players but strongly believe that when he adjusts to the league's brutal pace and improves his fitness he'll be devastating to the opposition.

Thanks to Giacomo Detomaso for help with this one! Italian Gunners and fans of Serie A, NBA & NFL follow Giacomo's brilliant blog

ildetonatore.wordpress.com

Twitter: @gdetomaso

Praise be to the Welsh Jesus

Aaron Ramsey's injury time winner helped Arsenal take 3 points from their premier league opener against a resolute and organised Crystal Palace side.

It was a match fought between two of the most sharply dressed sides in the league and I have to admit I'm feeling Palace's away kit this season.

Ramsey is fast securing his place as one of Arsenal's modern heroes after his incredible performances last season propelled the Gunners to the top of the league, whilst his extra time winner against Hull secured Arsenal their first silverware for 9 years.

He seems to have picked up where he left off, making incisive and well-timed runs into the box. He has the ability of former greats like Robert Pires and Freddie Ljungberg of being in the right place at the right time and his goals are sorely needed if we are to succeed in this campaign.

Rambo's winner helped alleviate the worries after a somewhat nervy opening performance from Wenger's men. The old adage that preseason doesn't count for much was proved partly true yesterday.

Arsenal, with an impressive preseason behind them, including a 5-1 thrashing of Benfica and a 3-0 victory against Manchester City to take the Community Shield, struggled for large parts of their match against Palace.

The space and time on the ball afforded to the Gunners at Wembley is now a thing of memory and the boys in red had a rude awakening when their passing game could not find results in the Palace final third.

The Arsenal squad lined up as expected. A defence of Szczesny, Gibbs, Koscielny, Chambers and Debuchy. A midfield of Cazorla, Ramsey, Arteta, Sanchez, Wilshere and a strike force consisting of Yaya Sanogo charged with leading the line on his own.

Looking at the squad the only real surprise was that Sanogo started up front. Wenger has used the young Frenchman to start throughout preseason, bringing on the experienced and proven Olivier Giroud for the second half or even the final 30 minutes.

At first this seemed as though it was a way to give Giroud more time to get match ready whilst affording Sanogo chances to prove to Arsenal fans what Wenger seems to already know, that Yaya has the potential to be a very effective striker.

However many fans, including myself, expected Giroud to start. Perhaps he is not quite fit, but judging by this screamer against City and the impact he made after coming on against Palace, he simply has to start from now on.

A debut performance in the premier league for Alexis Sanchez saw the Chilean struggle somewhat with the league's physicality and pace. I strongly believe that Sanchez will prove to be a hugely influential player for us this season and am over the moon that he is at the club, however he still has some work to do to acclimatise to a league that is consistenly faster and tougher than La Liga.

To the match. Arsenal had plenty of early possession, passing the ball around crisply but struggling to penetrate a Palace side that from the off had 10 or 11 men behind their own halfway line. Arsenal players and fans alike have come to expect this sort of performance from away sides and this won't be the last time we are frustrated for large periods of the game by sides that play for a draw and attempt to steal victory via set pieces.

After some early pressure from the Gunners, bouyed by the home support who were in rapturous voice, the game settled into a slow and uninspring rythym. Arsenal had the majority of the ball but lacked movement and accuracy with their passing where it really matters, playing down the middle in a congested area just before the Palace box.

With the knowledge that Palace were to come to the Emirates with a defensive, deep-lying game plan it seemed counter-productive to play into their hands by going down the middle and we struggled to invent anything.

Arsenal nerves were tested when, on 35 minutes, Brede Hangeland, on his debut for Palace found himself untested from a corner. His well-placed header sailed past Szczesny into the Arsenal net and suddenly that inability to break the visitors down in open play looked telling.

The Norwegian's aerial ability proved too great for Koscielny and Chambers, however you have to think that with Per Mertesacker in the side, Hangeland's attempt wouldn't have been as easy.

Like last season's FA Cup final, the Arsenal showed their ability to fight back and Koscielny's headed goal on the stroke of halftime allowed the reds to go into the tunnel level.

In this instance, Palace's goal hero Hangeland turned villain as he was caught napping to allow the Frenchman to sneak in behind and put a superbly placed header past Speroni.

Koscielny is beginning to make a name for himself as a goal-scoring centre back....c'est bon, c'est magnifique.

The second half began in much the same vein as the first ended, with plenty of possession for Arsenal without a great deal of chances at goal. During the course of the half Giroud replaced Sanogo, whilst Gibbs came off with a slight injury niggle and Wilshere (who got his customary thumping around the park) was replaced by Oxlade-Chamberlain.

The reason I've put all the substitutions together is because of the speed with which Wenger made his changes. This is unlike the Wenger we have come to expect and although his hand was forced somewhat by Gibb's injury this was a refreshing turn of events as Wenger realised he needed to change things earlier rather than later.

Giroud and Oxlade-Chamberlain made immediate impacts, creating space for others by giving the Palace defense more to think about. The Lovely Reds wrote in an article last week that Giroud's strengths often lie in his ability to hold up two defenders and this is exactly how Ramsey's winner came about as the Frenchman's sizeable presence dragged the Palace defence over to the right, leaving Rambo free at the back post.

Arsenal were helped by Puncheon's 89th minute sending off for a second bookeable offence. I felt that Palace were unlucky in this respect but at the same time it sets a precedent for teams who come to the Emirates looking to stick the boot in. Aston Villa did the same this time last season, setting a season-high number of fouls for any team.

Ramsey took his finish with aplomb as Arsenal showed their ability to capitalise on a 10 man Palace. This is impressive considering they only had around 5 minutes to do so.

3 points in the bag, top of the table, lets hope we can stay there!

Thanks for reading, you can watch all the match highlights here.

Don't forget to follow us on twitter @thelovelyreds 

Wilshere's Defensive Role

Firstly can I just say how great it is that Arsenal have done business early in the transfer window.

For the first time in years Arsenal fans can sit back, relax and discuss the myriad of ways our team will shape up at the start of the season, rather than fretting as to whether the next signing will be an Henry or a Park.

It's nice to be on the other side of the glass for a change as we watch the likes of Manchester United and Liverpool flap limply at each other over the signature of players no body else is too bothered with.

Our own transfer rumours have died down somewhat, in particular our links with Real Madrid's Sami Khedira. This could be another example of Wenger's wileyness, he's got a taste for showmanship after last season's Özil bombshell (who can forget THAT look).

However the biggest indication that the deal to sign Real's central midfielder is unlikely has been the somewhat unexpected admission that Wenger might look to convert Jack Wilshere into a holding midfielder.

This wouldn't be the first time Wenger has transformed a player's career by radically changing their position and somewhat their playing style. Henry, famously, played as a winger before Wenger moved him upfront as did Robin Van Persie.

Going the other way, Kolo Toure started his Arsenal career as a holding midfielder, even playing at right-back for spells before Wenger formed the invincibles partnership with Sol Campbell at centre back.

Now while I personally favour the taller CDM, history shows that some of the best defensive players in the game needn't be particularly impressive in stature. 

Arguably the world cup's stand-out player, Javier Mascherano, stands at a meagre 5 ft 9, whilst Blaise Matuidi and Nigel De Jong 5 ft 9 and 5ft 8 respectively.

Consider also Ballon D'or and world cup winning captain and centre back Fabio Cannavaro who stands 5 ft 10 inches tall, when many argued his height would inhibit his ability to play at the heart of Italy's defense.

The three most important attributes required to play as a holding midfielder are: discipline, stamina and an ability to read the game one step ahead of anyone else on the pitch.

We have been blessed to have Mikel Arteta in the holding role, a player who despite his relative inadequacies truly understands his role in the side. His focus and ability to resist the temptation to push forward ensures that there is generally good cover should the opposition attempt to spring a counterattack.

Similarly Arteta's passing statistics are out of this world. Fair enough he never attempts a hollywood ball, so his assist stats are low, but pass accuracy over an entire season in excess of 90% last season tells you all you need to know about his reliability, playing as the metronome on our halfway line.

In terms of stamina, Jack will need to learn from our other CDM Mathieu Flamini who consistently runs more kilometres during a match than some other players combined. As an example take a look at these stats from after our match against Bayern Munich in the Champions League (ignore the scoreline).

I suppose this is partly due to genetic disposition but is also down to Flamini's desire to cover every blade of grass, leaving everything out on the pitch whenever he plays. That elusive spark of determination is something that Jack already possesses and will serve him well when he needs to find an extra gear.

But most importantly is Jack's ability to read the game in a way that Arteta and Flamini never can or never will. Having played as a number 10 the majority of his career or out-wide, as Wenger so often does with emerging talent, his brain has become honed to thinking that split second quicker.

As Wenger has said in the past, the further up the field you go the less time you have to think. Players operating in and around the opposition's penalty area have under half a second to decide how they will play the ball, they have to visualise their touch and pass before the ball has even left their teammates feet. This degree of quick thinking, if retuned to think like a CDM could enable Wilshere to play like Cannavaro and others who were able to snuff out danger before it developed.

It's an interesting proposition posed by the manager and one that could go some way to addressing an issue The Lovely Reds raised earlier this week in this article. By utilising Wilshere as a CDM and rotating him with the likes of Arteta he will gradually stake a claim as Arsenal's holding midfielder if competition higher up the pitch favours the likes of Özil and Cazorla.

This is not to say that we should settle and make accommodations for a player who might not be suited to playing such a pivotal role, but it could be worth experimenting during pre season. I suppose we'll see what happens in New York this afternoon and during The Emirates Cup in August.

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Ze Germans Aren't Coming

The news has come through this morning that Arsenal's returning heroes and world cup winners Per Mertesacker, Lukas Podolski and Mesut Ozil are to miss the start of the premier league season.

The trio who featured in Germany's triumphant campaign in Brazil are still on holiday after a long and tiring season, particularly Ozil who played his first full season in the premier league and featured in all of Germany's world cup matches, a season which for the Arsenal playmaker has stretched from August 2013 to July 2014.

The news will not come as a huge surprise but hearing it directly from manager Arsene Wenger is an affirmation that although eligible to play, Arsenal's German players will be rested in order to allow a comprehensive preseason build up.

This is due to a FIFA imposed mandatory four week break for players who feature in the world cup finals, meaning that players involved in the tournament's last game will not return to training until 4 days before the start of the new season on August 16th.

Whilst many Arsenal fans will be disappointed and a little apprehensive at the prospect of going without two of our key players for the season's opener against Crystal Palace, I believe that this is the logical precaution the manager must take to protect our most valuable players from injury.

By Wenger's own admission last season's title was lost due to injury to our key players. At one point Ozil, Ramsey, Walcott and Wilshere were all ineligible to play through injury which ultimately cost us our first title since 2004.

It is, however, very likely that both Mertesacker and Ozil will play in Arsenal's second game of the season against Everton as by then they will have had nearly two weeks to prepare. My only concern is that whilst others will have had a full preseason to get up to match speed and fitness, our German players may take some time to adjust.

I suppose that's the price you pay for having three world cup winners in ya team....get innnnnn!!

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Really the Best League in the World?

Is the Premier League really the best league in the World?

There was a time when this question would have earnt you a clip round the ear, a disparaging sigh or something a little more stern given the wrong company. 'Of course the premier league is the best league in the world you @$^%&!' shouted with bottom of the gut certainty for all to hear.

These days however it's not a given and despite its relative merits has lost considerable ground to leagues from across Europe, particularly in countries such as Spain and Germany who's domestic football is experiencing something of a renaissance.

In and of itself the premier league is still the best as an insular spectacle. Given the ultimatum of being able to watch only one league and one league alone very few would look outside England's offering. But of course this is subjective considering many of our hearts lie tied inextricably to teams represented in the premier league. Ask a Spaniard the same question and they would say La Liga, a German Bundesliga, an Italian and a Frenchman well they'd probably be happy to be included in the argument.

The premier league's strength lies in the depth of quality on offer. It has become something of a cliche now but the fact remains that any team, regardless of league history and position has the capability to cause an upset, there truly are no easy games. The pace at which the premier league is played means that the balance of a game and indeed of an entire season can swing like a maniacal pendulum by the minute. 

Consider the late drama of Manchester City's famous title and how Aguero's goal to win the league came in the last minute of the last game of an entire season. Consider also Liverpool's capitulation this season at Crystal Palace where they lead 3-0 only to draw the game and hand the title to the lesser of two evils in neighbouring Manchester.

There is also greater incentive for teams in mid table to strive for a higher league position as the premier league offers four champions league spots and two Europa league places whilst a more democratic division of television rights than say La Liga truly benefits a 10th place finish over 15th. This ensures that smaller teams keep battling away throughout the season, making it difficult for those higher up.

Similarly the allure of playing in the premier league is such that teams in mid table often sign internationally renowned players. Look at QPR's capture of Brazilian and world cup semi-finalist Julio Cesar, Everton's signing of Barcelona starlet Gerard Deulofeu and Stoke's recent acquisition of striker Bojan.  These sorts of signings don't happen at clubs like Granada or Hoffenheim, meaning that talent percolates down through the league making it more competitive throughout.

However it is undeniable that premier league sides can no longer be considered the 'best' in Europe and one definition of 'the best league' is one that offers the highest standard of football, measured against Europe's other elite leagues.

We need only look as far as the major European competitions to see that this is the case. In last season’s Champions League we saw an all Spain final, Real vs Atletico Madrid, which followed a semi final round including German champions Bayern Munich and a sole representative from the Premier League, Chelsea, who never looked for a moment like progressing. 

In the Europa league, Europe’s second cup, English representatives in the form of Wigan Athletic, Swansea City and Tottenham Hotspur didn’t exactly fair too well either. Wigan failed to make it out of the group stage finishing rock bottom, whilst Swansea were knocked out in the round of 32, Tottenham in the round of 16. Not a single premier league side even made it to the quarter finals of Europe’s second most prestigious competition.

Considering that between 2005 and 2012 the premier league has had a representative in the final of a major European competition every year, then the last two seasons indicate a widening of margins between the best sides.

No wonder then that major broadcasting platforms are currently embroiled in a battle over Europe’s domestic leagues. Viewing figures in the UK for Spanish and German football in particular has nearly trebled in the last 2 seasons alone. And although the Premier League is still the most popular league in the world, owing largely to its following in Asia the scales have more than shifted.

This shift has been recognised by the major broadcasters with Sky Sports set to launch a new channel, Sky Sports 5 on the 12th August which will exclusively show European football from La Liga, Eredivise and the Champions League. BT Sport have been doing the same for over a season now showing Ligue 1, La Liga and Bundesliga matches.

This could explain why in the current preseason more than ever top sides from the premier league are heading further and further afield in an attempt to conscript more fans to the cause. New and unchartered frontier's for the premier league franchise offer a wide-eyed, malleable population, like the younger cousin or godchild who through careful and well considered manipulation can grow into a fully-fledged fanatic and call the premier league their own.

It seems as though at least in Continental Europe some of the glitz of the premier league is starting to fade. 

Consider this summer's transfers where the top marquee signings in the name of Kroos, Rodriguez and Suarez have gone to Spanish sides. Arsenal the only side from the premier league with a comparative signing in Chilean and ex-Barcelona striker Alexis Sanchez. There is a definite sense that the premier league is no longer the pinnacle of a player's career, that true international status and professional greatness can only be achieved by donning the claret and blue of Catalonia or the dazzling white of Madrid.

Even League 1, France's premier division is beginning to carve a position out for itself as one of Europe's more exciting leagues. PSG's summer splurge has seen the signing of Brazil and ex-Chelsea defender David Luiz to accompany a whole host of stars like Thiago Silva and Zlatan Ibrahimovich, whilst rivals Monaco can showcase stars like Falcao, Berbatov and Moutinho.

With the established hegemony of La Liga under threat by last season's winners Atletico Madrid, it is no longer a two-horse race, whilst the eternal battle between Spain's two most successful clubs is more intriguing now than ever. 

I will concede that star signings are only a small part of what makes a league exciting to watch however it is clear to see that when once the world’s best flocked to England and Spain, now the division of talent is more even across Europe. The premier league retains its mantle as the best league only just due to the fact that so little can separate first from fifth place making it a more intriguing league. However I believe that we are at the start of a paradigm shift whereby in a season or two we will be waiting just as anxiously for our late night dose of European football as we do for that Sunday afternoon fix. As sports broadcasters invest more in showing and analysing European games this can only be a good thing for our general knowledge of the sport and it won’t be long before pints are spilled and friends lost over a match between SC Freiburg and Hannover 96.

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Fazed Out

At the official announcement of Mathieu Debuchy's signing Arsene Wenger spent a good proportion of the afternoon defending Carl Jenkinson's position in the Arsenal squad. It seems as though there is concern, at least from outside the club, that Debuchy's signing and interest in Atletico's Javier Manquillo could mean that another season passes by without any decent first team action for the young Englishman. 

However it's not just Jenkinson that we should be concerned for.

I’m all for the fantastic signings Arsene Wenger has made already this transfer window. Alexis Sanchez and Mathieu Debuchy are exactly the types of players required, experienced, international players who have played at top sides throughout their careers. 

However it was little over a year ago when Arsene Wenger gave a press conference defending his decision to field a young side that featured a large proportion of players from the UK.

At one point our match day squad included Gibbs, Jenkinson, Wilshere, Ramsey, Walcott and Oxlade-Chamberlain. The promise at the time was that Arsenal would provide the England squad with its ‘spine’, inferring that the way these players were progressing and likely to regularly feature in Arsenal’s starting 11 they would become integral cogs in the national side.

Looking at the recent world cup it is painfully apparent that Wenger has been proved wrong in this prediction. Gibbs and Jenkinson weren’t even taken to Brazil, which in Gibbs’ case is a travesty and would have likely prevented the mauling England’s left flank received against Italy. Jenkinson perhaps isn’t quite there yet, but with the arrival of Debuchy and our links with Manquilla it would appear that Wenger doesn’t think the young Englishman is ready either.

Of the two players that did make the trip to South America, Wilshere played a bit part, whilst Oxlade-Chamberlain ... Hardly stalwarts of the England side. Hodgson chose to go with a lethal combination of Liverpool players who have absolutely no experience of choking on the big stage, absolutely none.. and Manchester United players who, with the exception of Wellbeck didn’t seem to want the pressure. Perhaps this was an apology to Liverpool for his time as manager and an early application to the Old Trafford job before Van Gaal’s appointment.

Either way Arsenal’s representation at the World’s biggest sporting event was poor from an English perspective. Thankfully we have a few Germans knocking around to make up the balance.

In my opinion this goes some way to explaining Wenger’s gushing appraisal of Jenkinson at the official announcement of Debuchy’s signing. The manager was full of positivity regarding Jenkinson’s prospects at making the first team, which could be a way of saying ‘someone make us an offer, he’s honestly not that bad’ or could be a way of defending his previous statement made a year ago.

Should Arsenal sign another central midfielder where will this leave Wilshere and Oxlade-Chamberlain? In my opinion the two have already been demoted to the bench with the arrival of Sanchez. As explained in this article Wenger cannot afford to leave either Ozil, Sanchez or Ramsey out of our starting line-up and once Arteta, Cazorla and Giroud are added I cannot see a way to bring in either of our two English stars. 

Podolski has been Wenger’s go to impact sub and is arguably the right man to bring on when we need a goal as he can score from range. Rosicky, too, despite his age proved invaluable last season even sparking interest from German giants Bayern Munich.

In Wenger's preferred 4-3-3 formation the starting midfield is likely to be: Arteta, Ramsey, Ozil with a forward three of Walcott, Sanchez and Giroud. 

In Walcott's absence for what is likely to be the first two months of the season, you would expect Wenger to go with Cazorla on the left flank where he has deployed the Spaniard countless times last season.

Let's hope that Wilshere, the Ox and co. can get used to playing a supporting role this season and that it doesn't come back to bite us when no doubt several clubs will be sniffing around our homegrown stars.

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