Liverpool combat to decide Arsenal's fate

      What a match!! Arsenal’s league match against Liverpool at the Emirates turned out to be a real see-saw battle. It was one of the most open games in a long while in the League, and both teams will feel that they could be won it. With both teams showing off their attacking flairs, and it was a dazzling display by the strikers from both sides. Luis Suarez has developed into one of the most potent and complete strikers of the Premier league, and he stretched our already fragile defence to the limits. It looked like whenever he asked questions, our defence was falling woefully short in their reply. But the Gunners faithful can take heart; for both Olivier Giroud and Theo Walcott in full throttle is a sight to behold. I am starting to realize why Arsène Wenger had asked us to be patient; as only a stubborn Liverpool defence, with Pepe Reina in full stretch limited the number of goals.

Courtesy: Thesun.co.uk

Slow start has become pseudonymous with the Gunners’ play lately, and they started this match in the same vein. Much has been said about the Gunners defensive frailties, and they lived up to it completely. Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge had our defence in sixes and sevens, and it looked like they will score every time they raided our 18-yard box. I had my heart in my mouth when Andre Santos came in for Kieran Gibbs, who limped out after 37 minutes; which is now revealed that he will be out for at least 6 weeks because of a thigh injury. Special marks should be given to Arsène Wenger’s courage; he substituted Gibbs with Andre Santos, despite the horror show by the Brazilian against Chelsea. He looked so unsure of his position, and whenever he combined with the forwards, he passed the ball backwards instead of forward. But to be fair to him, Mertesacker, Vermaelen, Sagna also contributed handsomely towards the Liverpool goals. Now that the January window is close, nothing can be done and I hope there is some base for the faith that Wenger has on this guys. I honestly do not have much, but then I am not the Arsenal manager. Though I want to see Gibbs on the field as soon as possible, but his injury ensured the signing of Nacho Monreal, who comes as a breath of fresh air; and after Santi Cazorla I have developed a blind faith on Malaga based players. Also the fact the guy has represented Spain, who have Jordi Alba playing in the same position. I feel he is already a huge upgrade from Andre Santos and hope to see him play very soon, probably starting with the game against Stoke. As it is, he will be cup-tied for the Champions League matches.

      But the most heartening part for the Gunners faithful is that our midfield is finally starting to gel and show what they are capable of. After Liverpool scored the first goal, we nearly scored the equalizer in the very next minute, after a great play from Jack Wilshere and Theo Walcott; the only folly was Walcott tried to score the goal himself, instead should has passed the ball to Giroud who was in a great position to score. Cazorla was not much involved in the first half, but the second half saw him combine brilliantly with both Wilshere and Podolski. Aaron Ramsey also played his heart out in his unfamiliar role of DM, though I felt he could have done better when Henderson scored the second Liverpool goal. Theo Walcott should learn that scoring goals is not the only skill of a CF, but at times it is important to ensure that the goals come, irrespective of who scores. However that was the only blemish in Walcott’s game, and the way he scored Arsenal’s second goal shows that his finishing now as good as any world class CF. The assist by Olivier Giroud for Walcott goal speaks volumes of the growth that Giroud has made in the limited time that he is here, and I have a feeling that as his confidence grows, this guy will be a gem in times to come. His goal started it all, and I started to believe that we can win the game, though we were still down by 1 goal. I would have loved to have David Villa join us in this window, but seeing the form of Podolski, Giroud and Theo Walcott, I feel that the goals will come; we just need to be a little patient. With Mikel Arteta back to full training, and both Tomáš Rosický and Diaby also ‘match fit’, I am filled with optimism for the coming games.

      Hence I have a strong feeling that the match against Liverpool would have far reaching implication on our 2012/2013 season. It is already responsible for the new signing, and I am hopeful that not only will he be a great asset, but Nacho Monreal will be a catalyst for Kieran Gibbs to graduate to the next level. Also now that it is confirmed that there will be no addition to the defensive strength, he might inject a new life to the fledging morale of the Gunners’ defence. With Giroud scoring in three consecutive matches, he is already looking like a new man, or as Arsène Wenger likes to put it as ‘a new signing’; and I expect him find the net at least once against Stoke. Walcott is also in red hot form and so is  Podolski. Gooner till I die!!

Arsenal vs Liverpool - Match prediction

      Arsenal faces Liverpool in a crunch match today at the Emirates, knowing that they need to win their remaining league matches for a guaranteed top four finish and a spot in the Champions League. While the Gooners are waiting with bated breath for Arsène Wenger to give us some good news from the ‘transfer market’; the team faces a wounded Liverpool side, which lost to Oldham Athletic in the FA Cup on Sunday. Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has sounded a war cry and asked the team to pull up their socks after their terrible show at the FA Cup. Liverpool has not been doing well against the teams in the top half of the table, which they would like to change today at the Emirates. The last time these two teams met at Anfield on 2 September 2012, Liverpool lost 2 nil, with Santi Cazorla, Lucas Podolski and Abou Diaby combining to wreak havoc.

      Liverpool will be boosted with the return of Pepe Reina, Jose Enrique and Glen Johnson from their respective injuries for this trip. Also with the signing of Daniel Sturridge in the January transfer window, they have added a striker to share the workload of Luis Suarez, who has been in brilliant form for the Reds this season. Stats reveal that Luis Suárez has been the creator of the maximum goal scoring chances from open play; so now the Reds have Daniel Sturridge to take advantage of these chances. A win in this match will see the Reds level on points with Arsenal, and within touching distance of the Champions League spot, which would be an added incentive.

Courtesy: bleacherreport.com

 Arsenal on the other side is making more news off the pitch with their transfer rumors, without any addition on papers. Arsène Wenger is also up to his old tricks of playing with words and keeping the Gooners on tenterhooks as to whether there will be any new addition to the squad. That we need reinforcements is a forgone conclusion, especially with our defence - a disaster waiting to happen. We conceded 2 goals against Albion in our FA Cup clash, and nearly giving away a penalty in the dying minutes of the game. Per Mertesacker,  who was the main pillar of defence in the initial games, is faltering with Thomas Vermaelen and Laurent Koscielny also contributing to the hollers. Much was said about the requirement of a DM, especially with Mikel Arteta and Francis Coquelin out with injuries; however Ramsey has used as the new ‘signing’ in this role. Against West Ham, he did a commendable job, however against Albion he was found short at times. The good news is that Thomas Vermaelen will be back from his ankle knock, and Tomáš Rosický showed some form against Albion; our midfield looks nearly complete with Wilshere roaring in the middle. It is a sheer pleasure watching Wilshere orchestrate the moves and play his heart out throughout the full match. But the best news for the Gonners is the form of Podolski, Walcott and Giroud; with the big French scoring a brace in the last two matches. Podolski also has been in fantastic touch in the last two matches with Walcott tearing apart the West Ham and Albion defence with his sheer pace.

But these are all in the past and when the teams take the field, it'll be all about in what state the team is in. I am hoping for a 2 nil repeat again, but have a feeling that Suárez will score, so will go with a 2-1 in favor of my dear Gunners. I would like to see both Walcott and Giroud figure in the score sheet. I hope by the end we all can say ‘Wenger knows the best’ not ‘Arsène Wenger go back’.

Is Marouane Fellaini the much needed steel in our midfield

      Thank god for January and the winter transfer window, finally a chance to redeem ourselves and salvage our reputation. The year did not have an auspicious start, as our first match of the New Year on the first day did not play out as I expected. We were suppose to beat Southampton, basis our performance against Newcastle and the result of the previous match. But I have still not given up my hope for this year, though we have entered the 9th day of the January transfer window and our only activity has been in sending our players on loan to others. Moreover I still feel that Arsène Wenger still has some pride left with him; not sure about our board though. Wenger is going ‘gung-ho’ over the impending signings during this transfer window and has declared that he is in the market for the ‘right person’. I just hope that we find and sign the ‘Mr. Right’ before the window closes.

Courtesy: Guardian.co.uk/Filip Singer/EPA

There are reports linking Arsenal with the 25-year-old big Belgian midfielder Marouane Fellaini who turns out for Everton in the Premier League. The Belgian had signed a new five-year contract with the Toffees in 2011; however the contract also included a buyout clause of £22 million, which can be triggered by clubs who competing in the Champions League. This has apparently put the Gunners along with Chelsea and Zenit Saint Petersburg on a mad scramble to sign the player. Though the Blues seems to be a front runner in this race, however with Barcelona President, Sandro Rosell insisting that David Villa will not leave the Cataluña club in the January transfer window, Arsène Wenger has money to burn. While Chelsea is looking at Fellaini as a potential replacement for Frank Lampard, Arsenal desperately needs to add steel in their midfield in the absence of Abou Diaby and 6ft 4inch Belgian will be the ideal alternative. He has been in superb form, netting nine times in 18 appearances for his club this season, plus the fact that his versatility allows the manager to use him as defensive midfielder as well as a centre forward.

      Marouane Fellaini-Bakkioui was born on November 22nd, 1987 in Etterbeek, Brussels and his initiation into football was at Anderlecht's academy. He started his professional career at Standard Liège and was noticed almost immediately with several premier clubs like Manchester United approaching for his signature. Resisting the lure of these big clubs, he signed for Everton in September 2008 on a five-year deal, and since then has been a permanent member of the Toffees’ first team.

      There are however concerns regarding his temperament, as there have been several instances of indiscipline on the pitch, starting from his very first season; the most recent being the head-butt on Stoke’s Ryan Shawcross. Reports suggest that Arsène Wenger is no longer interested in Yann M’Vila, despite his pedigree and the dramatic fall in his asking price, specifically because of the instances of indiscipline. Will Wenger take a gamble on his temperament and go for a club record signing? Guess we will have to just wait and watch. That he will fit perfectly in our midfield is unquestionable, and currently he seems to have hit the purple patch. I seriously feel that he fits the bill of Arsène Wenger ‘Mr. Right’ perfectly; we just need to tell him that we are the ‘right’ club for him.

Argentine Lucas Biglia to enforce Gunners' midfield strength

      Arsenal will host the current Premier League champions Manchester City on Sunday. Their last meeting ended in a tame 1-1 draw, with Lescott scoring for City, while Laurent Koscielny scored a late equalizer for the Gunners. That the Gunners require a strong enforcer in the middle to screen their already fragile defence is for everyone to see. After the departure of Alex Song in the summer, the Gunners have been found wanting in that area; while Mikel Arteta is doing a commendable job, he is not a natural defensive midfielder and Abou Diaby will always be just moments away from the medical bed.

      Several names like Yann M’Vila, Étienne Capoue and Mohamed Diamé have been associated with the Gunners recently and with the opening of the January transfer window, these reports have gained momentum. The favorite is Yann M’Vila, given his talents and age; also being French, he would have fitted the bill perfectly. However M’Vila has had a very patchy season, and given his temperamental issues and recent fitness concerns, has fallen a little lower in the wish list. Mohamed Diamé seems to be the next best option, being Premiership ready and his skill is there for all to see. Also West Ham’s defensive record in this season has caught everyone’s eye, which goes on to show the form that he is in.

Courtesy: Talksport.co.uk

The latest player to be linked to the Gunners' wish-list is Anderlecht’s Argentina international Lucas Biglia. The 26-year-old has been keenly followed by Arsène Wenger for some time now and there were reports linking him with us for the past two seasons. Lucas Rodrigo Biglia was born on January 30th, 1986 in Mercedes, Argentina and started his football career at Argentinos Juniors. He then moved to Independiente in 2005, and after one and a half-season, joined Belgian champion side Anderlecht. Though just 5ft 10in, he is very highly regarded and has broken into his national team despite the presence of established stars like Javier Mascherano and Esteban Cambiasso. He is a excellent reader of the game and his passing skill, both short and long, is at par with the best.

      Valued at around £8million by Anderlecht, he fits Wenger’s bill completely, and with just two years left on his contract, this might come down further considering his willingness to leave. And we all know Arsène Wenger’s negotiation skills in this regard. Also he would be free to represent us in the Champions League, given the fact that Anderlecht finished last in their group and are out of European competition; thus entitling him to join as new player in the matches for the last 16 in this year’s Champions League. There is news from the Gunners’ camp that Abou Diaby is fit to join training. While this is great news, but even then, having Biglia join us will always provide a good cover for Diaby, who is just a match away from injury.

      However the player himself is keen on a move to Italy, and considering that his idol is Andrea Pirlo, Milan seems to be his preferred destination. He has told tuttomercatoweb.com,

"I know there was contact with a German agent but let's see. My dream is to play in Italy as I have Italian origins.

It could be a platform and then maybe I'd go to a team that I really like, such as Inter or AC Milan. My idol is Andrea Pirlo."

      Also Milan is interested in him and calciomercato.com has quoted Anderlecht’s director general, Herman Van Holsbeek on this. However, the latest reports emerging is that Arsène Wenger has apparently turned down Yann M'Vila despite his price falling to £8million, which is less than half of what was originally quoted. While this might also signal bad news, in the wake of Diaby's impending return, I for one hope that is only because he has already made up his mind on whom to sign.

David Villa to Arsenal - A match made in Heaven

      The start of the New Year brings in new hope; I for one am hoping that the Gunners will prove that we are still a football club and a profit making company. The winter transfer window is open and the other clubs have already brought in reinforcements to show that silverware is the way to go and not how much profit the club has earned. It seems the people who make decisions in our club take endless time to sign a player or renew a contract but take a moment’s time in deciding to buy a ranch. When Demba Ba turned out for Chelsea yesterday in the FA cup match against Southampton, he scored a brace as Chelsea romped to an emphatic 5-1 victory; and we had struggled to score a single goal against the same team. Is this not proof enough that the gulf between us and the ‘ambitious clubs’ have widened; might be our board needs some more rude shocks. Also we were rumored to be among the clubs to sign Demba Ba in the January window, given his Arsenesque transfer fee, before the ambitious club beat us to it. That we need a world class striker is without doubt, but are we seriously working towards it? I cannot still fathom why we have not signed a single player, though today is the 7th day after the transfer window has opened.

Courtesy: Guardian.co.uk

We are now creating headlines with our rumored chase for Spanish international David Villa, given his unhappiness at Barcelona. David Villa Sánchez was born on 3 December 1981, in Tuilla, a small village in northern Spain and started his professional career with Sporting de Gijón. After two seasons with Sporting de Gijón, he moved to Real Zaragoza, where he made his La Liga debut and then to Valencia CF in 2005. Nicknamed El Guaje, he was integral member of the Spain teams that won Euro 2008 and the 2010 World Cup, in fact was the top scorer at Euro 2008. In 2010 he moved to FC Barcelona to win the La Liga and UEFA Champions League titles with them. He has several distinctions to his credit - Spain's all time leading goalscorer; has scored maximum World Cup goals for Spain and his goals-to-games ratio is only bettered by the great Alfredo Di Stéfano. In short, he will be the perfect answer to all our problems in the strike zone.

      But will Arsene Wenger and the board be ready to shell out the £16 million that the Cataluña club is asking, and most important, meet his £110,000-a-week wages. According to the Mail, the Cataluña club still owes the Gunners money from the Cesc Fabregas and Alex Song transfer, so time to cash it! However Barcelona has also confirmed to Arsenal that Villa will not leave until the summer and we require an immediate reinforcement. Also he is 31-year-old, is just back from a broken leg and can he cope with the rigors of the English league.

      However given everything, I still feel he still has a lot to give to the game and will be a great guide to both Theo Walcott and Olivier Giroud. Wenger can completely sense this and is understood to have had a private conversation with Villa, to explain how he plays an important part in Arsenal’s future. Arsene Wenger is already getting rid of the deadwood from the wage bill in the current transfer window, with Marouane Chamakh and Johan Djourou being loaned until the end of the season; while Sebastian Squillaci and Andrey Arshavin are also expected to leave the club. Also this personal touch by Wenger shows how much Villa means to his scheme of things and he can build a great team around him. The biggest advantage is Villa’s versatility, and we can use him to swap positions with either Walcott or Podolski, thus changing formation to throw our opponents off-guard. Moreover signing a marquee player like Villa would also show the rest, how serious we are about winning the League. Sign him I say, before we are beaten to it by another ‘ambitious club’. Common Gunners, time to win back some pride!!

Arsenal 1 - 1 Southampton

      Arsenal traveled to St. Mary's to take on Southampton in their opening match of 2013 at the back of their impressive 4 consecutive wins. The last time these two teams met, the Gunners hammered the Saints 6-1 at the Emirates Stadium in September 2013. Arsenal broke their goalless streak with that match and on the first day of 2013 we saw the Gunners become totally toothless against the same team, drawing 1-1. We completely lacked creativity and it was the Saints who looked the better team on field. Southampton dominated the match and we should be thankful to Guly Do Prado’s own goal which gave us the much needed points.

      Though we started well, Santi Cazorla testing Artur Boruc with a long-range strike in the fifth minute, however it was the only bright moment. As the match progressed, the Saints gradually started asserting their domination and our famous midfield came a cropper. 18 year old Luke Shaw showed why Arsene Wenger is a big fan as he completely dominated our bright future, Alex Chamberlain. Podolski had an off day and so did Bacary Sagna, who has lately made inconsistency his second name, focusing on his “more fortunate” colleagues’ careers then his game. 

Courtesy: Richard Heathcote/Getty Images

If this is the situation when we have a full strength squad, I fear what will befall us if we are to lose either Cazorla or Arteta to injury; they already look overplayed and weary. Arsene Wenger also has to share the blame for the poor show, bringing in Gervinho and Ramsey for Chamberlain and Cazorla. This was the final nail in the coffin, as the Gunners went from bad to worse. I was just prayed for the full time whistle to blow, because we looked like we will concede a goal every time the Saints raided our half. They even had a winning goal ruled out by the referee for a push on Laurent Koscielny thus saving us another embarrassing loss.

      Not just the fans, even Arsene Wenger looked dejected after the game. He said,

"Considering our performance I don’t think we deserved more today. It is two points dropped if you look at the target we set ourselves over Christmas. It is frustrating and disappointing because we did not create a lot and if you considered we scored five at Reading and seven against Newcastle. When you sum up the goal chances there is not a lot. We lacked purpose, penetration and speed. All qualities we have usually but lacked tonight. 

“It is frustrating. It is nothing to with the physical. Maybe we thought we scored seven against Newcastle and we’d score seven today. It was a game of magnitude today against a highly motivated Southampton side but I thought was more mental than physical.”

      Much has to change if we wish to compete for the top 4 places as both Tottenham and Everton look much superior to us on current form. The title race is over for us; at least let us not become a middle level club. Wenger seriously needs to strengthen the team in January as we face daunting League matches against Manchester City and Chelsea. Lord hear our prayers!!

Arsenal 7 - 3 Newcastle

      What a performance to ring in the New Year as Arsenal edged out Newcastle in a thriller at the Emirates, with the final score reading 7 – 3 in favour of the Gunners. Theo Walcott scored a hat trick and set up two more, while Olivier Giroud also netted a brace. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Lukas Podolski netted one each while for the Magpies Demba Ba and Sylvain Marveaux were both on target, having scored twice and once respectively.

      Till 72 minutes, it looked like we have lost the plot again with the score card reading 3-3, despite leading thrice. The Gunners started with Walcott in the striker’s role and left Giroud in the bench. They made just one change from their match Koscielny coming in for Per Mertesacker. Walcott opened the account with his calm finish in the 19th minute from a lovely pass down the left side by Lukas Podolski and it seemed as though the Gunners will carry this score line into the half time. However Ba had different ideas and scored in the 43th minute from the set piece albeit a little help from the head of Jack Wilshere. As both teams went into the half time 1-1, Arsenal fans would have felt a little let down as the Gunners did not capitalize on the opportunities.

      After the break, the Ox started the goal fest in the 50th minute, Cazorla making the assist. I was hoping that my prediction of 3-1 will hold true, however the Magpies equalize soon after, Marveaux tapped in Obertan’s low cross at the back post and the score read 2-2. Podolski then headed in from close quarters after a goal line melee to top off a fine run from Wilshere. But Ba was again in the thick of things scoring his second after some good work from Marveaux. The score line read 3-3 and was to remain so till the 72nd minute; I was afraid that we might not find the resolve like United to kill the game at the last possible minute.

Courtesy:The Telegraph

But all my fears were put to rest when Walcott calmly slotted the ball from Gibb’s cut back after Podolsk missed tapping the ball. It looked like Walcott will take ages to take the shot but there was a Henryesque calm and assurance about it; the master must have said the right things to him in the training ground. This opened the flood gates and it looked like Arsenal cannot put one wrong foot after that. Giroud came in for Oxlade-Chamberlain in the 74th minute and headed home from a great cross by Walcott. It was a typical center forward goal and then he smashed home his second after a very fine play by Walcott on the right. It looks like the stork is visiting the Giroud household as his celebrations indicate. Walcott soon completed his hat-trick with the best goal of the day from a free kick down the left; he played a quick one-two with Wilshere before dancing his way through a crowd of defenders and lifting it past Krul. The fans in the Emirates were chanting "sign him up" and I hope we give him what he is demanding and get it over with.

      Is he a finished product? I really do not care much, yes some areas of his game might still needs to be worked on; but he’s doing well enough at this moment to be the Gunner centre-forward. At this moment I would rather let him savor his hat-trick while I enjoy the 7-3 score line and wait for the New Year to bring in more happy tidings.