Last week's UEFA Champions League match against Bayern Munich was a game of what ifs. What if Szczesny wasn't sent off? What if Ozil had scored our early penalty? We responded well following the 2-0 defeat, albeit against a weak looking Sunderland, but one player who sat out for the league game, Ozil, becomes centre of attention for my latest blog post.
I think the criticism of the midfielder is a fair one, especially as you know the quality he has. I wrote about the media's criticism of him only last month and so it seems not much has changed. Wenger said he missed last weekend's Premier League action due to injury but perhaps some time out to consider his performances and all the abilities needed in English football would be a good thing for Mesut.
We know he settled in immediately following his £42.5m summer transfer deadline day move from Real Madrid but he is a shadow of the player we saw at the beginning of the season, and he certainly looks missing when he features in the big games.
Today Arsene Wenger has revealed Ozil is struggling to stay settled at the Emirates Stadium according to the London Evening Standard. However Wenger quite rightly will not allow Ozil to 'shoulder the burden' of our Premier League title drive.
The players were given a two-day break at the start of this week which they are fully deserving following all the football they have played over the previous two weeks. Ozil is fit to play against Stoke tomorrow but I think the 25-year-old might need a little more than a couple of days rest to evaluate himself.
He needs to work a lot harder on his defensive game which is something he was less accustomed to doing in Spanish football. This is a good argument as to why the Premier League is much harder, and a player who fits Ozil's price tag must be equipped for all areas of play. Perhaps though he is missing the lack of really big names ahead and around him. When you consider his time at Madrid he had the likes of Benzema and Ronaldo to play with and set-up for fun. Going forward is his forte but with us his only option is often Giroud.
Ozil is recognised globally as one of the best playmakers in the world and so he should be in with a shout of a place in Germany's World Cup squad, but poor his form speaks a lot. Draxler, Kroos and Muller can play his position and they aren't bad names to call upon as replacements.
If I was in Wenger's position, I would sit Ozil out for a week or two and take it from there. What he doesn't need is the fans getting on his back. The Ozil we knew is lost but he will be found.
Arsenal play Stoke City at the Britannia Stadium tomorrow at 3pm GMT.
Ozil: going through a difficult time (courtesy of London Evening Standard).
Since my last post a couple of weeks ago (and where has the time gone?) Arsenal have continued their good form with wins in the Premier League against Hull and Cardiff, and most recently earned a 1-1 draw against Everton as we sit five points clear at the top of the table.
Tonight is all about the Champions League however, and we will qualify so long as we don't lose by three goals or more against Napoli. They looked pretty average against us earlier this season, but proved a tough side in our pre-season friendly all the way back in August.
Pre-season is never much to go by however and current form will certainly prove a vital factor. Rafa Benitez's side are third in Serie A with a number of wins, aided by their earlier seven match unbeaten run at the start of the season. They will enjoy playing in-front of their home crowd tonight and so I wouldn't expect us to find it easy. But we've been scoring for fun this season and we are going their with a mentality to get a win and qualify as top of our group.
That said so are Napoli, who have have scored eight in their last three games and they will have former Arsenal target Gonzalo Higuain ready to pounce on any opportunity tonight.
Walcott has returned, and was slowly being reintroduced back into the first team originally around the time of my last post. His pace has obviously given us more in terms of attacking and Bendtner has also featured with Giroud needing a much earned rest.
Fair credit to the Dane too for scoring against Hull. It was clear what the goal meant to him, as he was handed his first Premier League start for Arsenal in 1,005 days!
In our last match however, a draw was probably the fairest result with Everton putting in a wonderful performance against us (somewhat frustratingly), but Ross Barkley will certainly be trying to stake his claim in the England side for next year's World Cup in Brazil. Ozil opened the scoring late on before Everton equalised just two minutes later. They way our defence has been this year though Napoli will do well to break through us tonight.
It will be a great match tonight I am sure, and I fully believe we will progress as group winners. It could be tight but the result will help our momentum and morale as we head into a difficult fixture period.
Ozil scores a brilliant goal to open his Arsenal goal-scoring campaign
in our 2-0 vicotry over Napoli at Emirates Stadium.
At time of writing Liverpool and Everton have just drawn 3-3 in an exciting Merseyside derby, with Liverpool twice having taken the lead in today's lunchtime kick off! This gives us a chance to gain an extra two points on the Reds if we beat Southampton later. I love listening to BBC Radio 5 Live's football commentaries and I'm more than excited for coverage of Southampton's trip up to London. It's Saturday. It's matchday. It's the return of the Premier League!
But The Saints have almost certainly been the surprise package this year. No-one believed we would be top of the table at any stage, and nobody certainly would have expected to see Southampton flying high in third! But they deserve to be where they are with some very good displays this year, having lost just the one league game against Norwich at the end of August.
They're a side currently on an eight-game unbeaten league run with points gained against the likes of teams considered bigger than them in Liverpool, Manchester United and Swansea. They'll come to the Emirates Stadium with mental belief because of more international players breaking through (Adam Lallana, Rickie Lambert, Vincent Wanyama, Gastron Ramirez), of course their form, and with ourselves coming off the back of a disappointing loss against Manchester United last weekend.
I think we'll need to pick ourselves up following what happened at Old Trafford. Theo Walcott is finally back and refreshed having not played for England in the recent friendlies and could face the side where he learned the ropes. His pace will certainly give us something though I still doubt a lot of his end product.
A lot is being made of Ozil against Lallana but based on their playing history you'd feel the German would be laughing at the opponent's talent in comparison. But Southampton simply aren't a side to not do your homework on, and I still feel Ozil is adapting to the English game. Thankfully he was rested for Germany's matches and will be fully fit for this afternoon's clash which could prove the difference, although as I said, Lallana will be buoyed by his recent England call up, and midfield battles can prove who determines the points.
Mertesacker missed the Manchester United game last time and so be a big difference to our back four as he has proved this season. Of course he scored the goal which beat England in mid-week with Lambert not exactly causing him problems and so we'll hope for the same again today.
It makes for an interesting match up but Arsenal will need to find composure in front of their own fans quickly and eradicate the disappointment of Old Trafford as we look to gain extra points out in front ahead of Liverpool, the Saints, and Chelsea. Of course United, Everton, Spurs and City aren't all that far away either as the Premier League looks to be as close a run thing as ever. Unexpected and surprising things are happening, and none-more so than Southampton.
Arsenal v Southampton is due to have kicked off as I write this (just gone 3pm) but due to issues on the Piccadilly underground line in London, the kick off has been pushed back 15 minutes.
Ahead of the game: Mertesacker will need to be solid again against high flying Saints
Are Arsenal showing the signs of title contenders? We may
have been sunk by a single Van Persie goal at Old Trafford Sunday before last,
ending our unbeaten league run and undefeated away streak, but we should come
back from the international friendlies full of the confidence we have shown throughout
the majority of the season.
Jack Wilshere may have been talking about his own performances on the club website, but the expectations of Arsenal as a whole are now high themselves, as they've set a standard to be carried on.
Overall there is no doubting the unexpected start to the
2013/14 football season that Arsenal have had. I think I speak for all
supporters who are feeling more confident than in recent years of a solid
campaign. Whispers had been circulating of
invincibility in the league, a feat they conquered exactly ten seasons ago.
They might not be able to do that this year, but having lost only two league games,
and four for the season so far, it makes for something interesting when these
international friendlies are done with. We sit top of the Premier League table,
are oozing in confidence, and playing styles of football not seen in an Arsenal
side for some time.
In contention with Gareth Bale’s move to Madrid, Mesut Ozil’s
transfer to Arsenal was considered the signing of the summer. His quality has
certainly helped to bring out the best in the likes of Ramsey, Cazorla,
Wilshere, and even Giroud has proved a little more deadly with help of the
German assist-master. Club legend and one of our former invincibles, Robert
Pires, revealed on Tribal Football
that Ozil’s “quality” and “experience” at Madrid give Arsenal are shot at the
title race this year.
The Mirror Online were
quick to make us title contenders further after Ozil’s debut against
Sunderland. Steve Simmons and Matt Law write the club even then “served notice
that they deserve acclaim as potential champions”, adding of the improved
performances of Ramsey seeking a place in what has proven to be a rather
exciting looking midfield.
Eurosport believe
this is the Gunners’ year too, showing an example of the side’s ability against
Swansea where “their big players
stepped up and bang, bang, bang, the game was over. Any team who have the
ability to do that consistently will always be title contenders”.
On the other
hand, former Liverpool defender Alan Hansen has made it no secret that he
doesn’t feel our club will be champions come May. Writing in The Telegraph he says, “They will not
end the season as champions” with still work needed on their defensive play.
Hansen adds, “their critical is that they are just not good enough when they do
not have the ball.”
So what’s it like in the camp itself? As much as confidence
is high, Mikel Arteta played down talk of comparisons to that of the 2003/04
side. He told Sky Sports, “I don't think we are at
that level yet, but competition makes everyone work harder so it is a great
thing because it raises the level” but feels firmly about Ozil’s arrival as a
“great message from the club.”
We do look good, but for how long they can maintain their class is anyone’s guess
as we head into Arsenal’s dreaded winter period - if history tells you much.
They were unfortunate in their losses to Borussia Dortmund and Manchester
United while a weakened side saw them go out of the Capital One Cup to Chelsea.
But we proved to be too much for Liverpool who, if they can keep things going,
will certainly be in contention as well next May. If we can keep the quality,
get the likes of Podolski, Ox and Walcott back from injury and defeat the
lesser sides who we’ve struggled to get results against in previous years, then
we’ll have the points to prove the big club we know we are. The league returns on Saturday (23/11) with Arsenal at home to high flying Southampton at the Emirates (3pm kick off).
No Arsenal fan will need reminding of tomorrow's big Premier League clash against the 'mighty' Manchester United.
I use the word mighty very loosely based on David Moyes' side's season so far. They currently lie in eighth position in the Barclay Premier League, eight points behind us who are enjoying life at the top.
Wenger has called things weird without Sir Alex Ferguson in charge of Manchester United but the Red Devils will need to give David Moyes some time to take control of a club of such stature. To be fair to the Scot, he's been doing okay of late - some kind of revival perhaps?
There is still plenty of football to be played and so likewise, Arsenal haven't won the title yet. That would be ridiculous to claim with Liverpool only two points behind at the moment. Chelsea's 2-2 with West Brom this afternoon however helps us to see off other competition for another couple of weeks, but we have to start off by going back five points clear of Liverpool, and then extending the points difference.
We'll take confidence from having been resilient against Borussia Dortmund in the week and gaining our revenge over the German side, following the unfortunate 2-1 loss last month, and our 2-0 win over second-placed Liverpool last weekend.
Javier Hernandez, who Wenger has pretty much denied interest in, may start tomorrow against us with Welbeck sidelined through injury. I'm sure he'll feature at the very least, with Rooney and Van Persie however the likely pairing, and I'm sure I speak for all Gooners who will hope our defence give the Dutchman a torrid time. Flamini could be back tomorrow which will certainly be helpful against United's attacking force.
I'll be keeping up with the Hernandez talk. As I've said before he would be a great asset up-front, particularly with Walcott, Podolski and Sanogo (though is he as useless as Bendtner and Park?) injured. He's hinted at his intentions of leaving Old Trafford but is yet to speak about the issue in the media.
In other news BT Sport have announced their winning bid in providing all Champions League TV coverage for at least three years from the start of the 2015/16 season. As if there wasn't enough money in football, they are taking away the free-to-air coverage of the Champions League meaning there will be only international matches available on ITV, while if you are a sky customer, you'll be losing all Champions League coverage too. It's frustrating as football should be free for all to view but money rules I guess which is the sorry state of the industry. You'd hope Sky would consider lowering their sports package by then due to the competition but I very much doubt that will happen!
With that off my chest,the game tomorrow kicks off at 4:10pm GMT, and is live on Sky Sports...although some of us have the unfortunate reality of being at work which sort of sucks! I'm sure I'll enjoy the result either way though. 2-1 Arsenal win!
Arsenal have pushed on from their early good form and proved the critics wrong, by establishing themselves as a side ready to fight to keep their place at the top of the table.
Only one game has been drawn since my last review and the side continue to look more and more like the great sides of the past.
Norwich proved to be the next team to be swept aside by our in-form Arsenal, albeit a little lethargic Arsenal side. Looking a little tired, perhaps understandably with players only just returning from injury or international fixtures respectively, they mustered four goals against the Canaries, with some pure class football on display I'm sure Barcelona would be proud of.
We are now eight games into the league (with only one draw and loss), on match-day three of the Champions League Group Stages (already taken six points from six), and are through to the next round of the League Cup. It certainly hasn't been a bad couple of months since the season started.
So since that opening day horror, Arsenal haven't lost a match and, well, we are flying. Liverpool remain our closest threat in second place in the Premier League but with Mesut Ozil's influence on this side, there doesn't appear to be a team who can really match us at the moment.
Alongside Ozil, Ramsey has continued to be one of our best players and he scored yet another well taken goal n Saturday, cutting inside defenders before calmly drilling past Ruddy in the Norwich goal. He now has nine goals in the last 12 matches and there appears to be no stopping him.
Target man Giroud with the in form duo of Ozil and Ramsey.
The Champions League continues tomorrow, and Arsenal are already looking set to progress to the knock-out stages in style. Comfortable wins in Marseille and against Napoli have given us maximum points but last year's finalists Borussia Dortmund are up next tomorrow night (22/10 7:45pm k/o BST). They could be our toughest fixture yet, being a side who reflect Germany's position as a footballing force.
We all thought he was an assist magician rather than a goalscorer, but our own fantastic German Ozil has proved he knows where the net is at the Emirates. He opened his Arsenal account with a wonderful strike against Napoli and grabbed two at the weekend against Norwich. His talents are phenomenal and I'm sure even the stubborn Wenger will be pleased to see paying £42.5m has begun to pay off.
There has been negativity in the media though surrounding Jack Wilshere particularly, who was spotted smoking outside a club following our 2-1 win away to Swansea. Though he might not do his image any good to people who look up to him, he hasn't let this attention get to him as he helped lead England to the World Cup Finals, and has seen his overall form rise in an Arsenal shirt too!
After finding the next for the first time in around three years, he levelled against West Brom prior to the international fixtures and then I think we may have seen goal of the season on Saturday. Wilshere began the move from deep. As we burst forward Cazorla...well see for yourself!
Simply Sublime.
Since my last look at the season so far, Bendtner has slowly been reintroduced to the side - and I don't think many would have expected to see his face any time soon. He first played in the League Cup fixture against West Brom (of which he took and scored the first penalty in the shootout!) and he since featured on the bench a little before coming on as a sub against Norwich. He's in with a chance of establishing himself and, with a little more match experience to build his fitness, needs to prove himself. There will be no third chance.
Outside of Arsenal, England found the ability to raise their game and see off Poland in their final World Cup qualifier to finish top of the table and secure a place at next year's World Cup in Brazil. Gibbs got called up to stand in for (c)Ashley Cole but remained an unused sub with Leighton Baines starting at left back. Kept him fresh for us at least! Anyhow, it will be nice to see if Walcott, Wilshere, Gibbs, and/or Oxlade-Chambrlain get called up to go to Brazil but next year's tournament, regardless, will make for some exciting games to watch.
Arsenal will now play six games over the next three weeks with two against Borussia Dortmund, a League Cup fixture against Chelsea, and Premier League matches against Liverpool and a trip to Old Trafford, plus next weekend's trip away to Crystal Palace.
This period could prove a mammoth task for anyone, but we've continued our exceptional form and don't look like letting go of our focus. And as long as there are no more injuries, particularly up front, there is every chance we can take on all of these sides and take maximum points. There is certainly belief again, from both those involved at the club, and the fans.
We are considered to be title contenders after our great start, certainly alongside Liverpool, Man City and Chelsea (can eighth placed Manchester United close the gap?) Yet could we witness the return of the invincibles? 7/49 games to level the record so far...and counting!
As the Premier League returned this weekend, so did Arsenal's winning mentality as they brushed Norwich aside 4-1 at the Emirates.
Wilshere scored his second goal of the season, before Ozil grabbed a double with Ramsey, on as a substitute, adding a late fourth, and his ninth of the season.
Despite picking up a knee injury midweek, Ozil was declared fit enough to start on Saturday, which also saw the return of Cazorla and Sagna, and Bendtner featured as he replaced Giroud late on.
Congratulations go out to England, after they succeeded in topping their group in the World Cup qualifiers. In what was a tense, but enthralling encounter, seeing off Poland 2-0 ensured their place at next year's major tournament in Brazil. Of course nobody will expect them to go on and compete against the likes of Germany or Spain say, but I think we're seeing more young talent inject something a little more exciting and I can't wait to see the likes of Oxlade-Chamberlain, Wacott and Wilshere featuring more, alongside the country's new hero in Andros Townsend (This is no credit to Spurs!)
Having said that, few would have thought Arsenal would have been playing the football and be in the form they are, so who's to say England can't surprise a few.
So Arsenal returned to Premier League action with a good win over the Canaries; a win they knew which would see them go ahead Liverpool on points after they drew with Newcastle in the lunchtime kick off. And Manchester United ey? Who are they I hear you ask.
I think people expected them to be below the level we have associated the Red Devils as being with the departure of Sir Alex Ferguson at the helm. His successor David Moyes was hoping to have secured his first back-to-back win as manager but a late Southampton goal put an end to that. They are a force though with talent in the likes of De Gea, Rooney, Van Persie but this is the problem; they lack depth and talent throughout the squad. Fergie, for me, held the key to their success and now he has moved down from his managerial role, their bossiness and stature in the league has certainly slumped.
Are they en-route to do 'an Arsenal'? I don't think many will really see it coming (Van Persie certainly won't be hoping for it) but I have an inkling for some reason they face dark times ahead - something they aren't used to. Here's hoping anyway.
Arsenal play Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League on Tuesday (22/10, 7:45 pm k/o BST), in what will be a great fixture against last year's finalists. Our good form will give us a fine chance and I can't wait to see how we do in what could be our biggest test of the season so far.
He's not had a great couple of weeks, media-wise, has Jack Wilshere? While international football has taken over, he's certainly kept Arsenal fans with something to talk about.
Firstly he was publicly ridiculed for smoking a cigarette outside a nightclub following Arsenal's 2-1 win against Swansea, and then criticised for comments made about what makes a footballer eligible to play for England.
Let's get things straight on the smoking front.
I am not a smoker but neither do I judge those who wish to smoke, either casually or regularly. Jack Wilshere is a human being as well as a footballer. Sound obvious, but many people seem to need reminding of this simple fact.
Smoking isn't recommended as a professional footballer, as is drinking, but everyone enjoys a tipple now and again without it doing damage to your health and the same applies to a cigarette. We all know about the build up of tar and such other horrible things, but one cigarette being smoked outside a club...really?
I get he's a public figure in the football world and may have an image to abide by, but in his own personal life (like I said, don't forget footballers have lives off the pitch too), he should be allowed a break.
Having a puff: The father of two is disgraced by the media for his actions
The 'racist' row if we can call it that, has similarly been met by those on both sides of the fence, but perhaps a little too much negativity has been made of his remarks.
He openly denied that his comments were made about Manchester United's rising star Adnan Januzaj, who faces the options of representing either England, his country of birth Belgium, or his parent's respective country of births Turkey or Serbia. He would be able to represent the English national side from 2018, after living in the country for what would make five years.
The midfielder faced a host of backlash from other sporting professionals including cricketer Kevin Pietersen. The south-African born Batsman quizzed our number 10 on the eligibility of non-ngland born sports men and women playing for England in their respected sports.
But what makes a person English? To me nobody belongs to a country. If you believe the research done into the history of civilisation even, we all descend from Africa. Does that make us African instead? I'm not Wilshere's personal family historian but there would have been a point in time where his family crossed over to England.
I don't think he's racist and for the development of young hopefuls already in England, and for the national team to become a strong side, who's to say even restricting the number of recent foreign born players would be a bad thing?
The highly rated youngster is rumoured to have been offered 60k a week at Old Trafford.
German football has been growing and we are seeing, and have seen the talent and capabilities the national team are producing. So Podolski, Kheidera, Gomez and Klose had / have other nationalities but again this backs up nobody really belongs to a country but they chose a national side who have become second to Spain, whereas we remain a little further behind.
Something still needs to change but England are currently top of the group heading into the final World Cup qualifier against Poland tomorrow (15/10/2013 7:45pm k/o BST) night.
Wilshere need not let all the media focus effect him in a bad way, for no matter what he does off the field, on it is what England fans and Arsenal fans alike will judge him by.
Nicklas Bendtner has spoken of how he feels he is a different person now, via the Arsenal website.
Our number 52 featured against West Brom in the League Cup last month, to make his first Arsenal appearance since 2011. For the last two seasons he has been on loan at Sunderland and Juventus respectively, but his attitude to the game clearly has put himself above who he actually is.
I remember seeing him at Euro 2012 and saw a Bendtner I hadn't really seen in an Arsenal shirt. He was playing well for the Denmark national side, suggesting there is some talent within him.
Talking to Arsenal player, he revealed the birth of his son and other experiences away from the pitch have made him a different person.
The perception of him as a footballer has come down to his attitude and performances on the pitch. Arsenal fans have generally taken a dis-likening to him, but the Dane says the wider perception of him is wrong.
Hands up: No apology as such but Bendtner says he is a different person now
He also denies his comments suggesting he feels he is bigger than the game. Wenger hasn't been able to shift him on though because of his wage demands, and his performances haven't matched his worth, so how good does he think he is?
So are his comments just a cover? It was circulating in the past that he never wanted to put on an Arsenal shirt again. Now nobody appears to want him, and with an opportunity to break into our side, is he desperate to make amends?
For me, with Bendtner coming back into the side, this is his second chance. He now has to prove he is worth something to the team, who are on such a high following their superb undefeated streak. But should Wenger put him back into the Arsenal side? With Giroud our only recognised, injury free striker left in the side (not including Park, I'm sorry), now is a better time than ever for the 25-year-old to up his game. He certainly has a point to prove.
He says he is ready to make the step up and fight. Is he a different person and player now? I suppose there is only one way to find out.
The article and video can be found here (Arsenal.com).
Beardy man: New look, new player?
In other news, Aaron Ramsey has been awarded Arsenal player of the month for September; the third month in a row he has now won the monthly accolade.
The Welshman is certainly deserving of the achievement, who has maintained his fine display on the pitch, week in week out. He scored five goals last month, bringing his total to eight goals, in eleven matches across all competitions.
Arsenal had to claw a goal back after falling behind to West Brom on Sunday; the first time I felt a little concerned this season for them since the opening couple of weeks.
They did well to draw level (1-1) and take a point in the end though as they continued their undefeated streak.
Jack Wilshere got his first goal in around three years for the club to avoid a disappointing result, in a game that might have swung either way. Both sides had spells and opportunities but nevertheless, Arsenal had to settle for the point that sees them joint top of the league alongside Liverpool.
It's the return of the internationals now with England (bore) up against Montenegro and Poland in the next week as they aim to qualify for the World Cup finals which take place next summer.
Gibbs has been called up, and deservedly so, to England's defence with Ashley Cole injured, though Leighton Baines is most likely to get the nod ahead of our left back.
Wilshere, who is buoyed by the returns of Rooney and Sturridge as the BBC are reporting, will aim to be the play-maker who can help to England qualify from Group H though Theo Walcott remains sidelined through injury.
Could the break deter Arsenal from their fine recent performances? A dip in form could always be around the corner for any good team as I wrote a few weeks ago. Regardless, I hope England will qualify and that all our players do well for their respected countries...and not pick up any more injuries in the process!
Arsenal's players have been away on international duty this week, but I'm pleased, and re-assured, that Premier League football returns this weekend.
The international break frustrates me, and not only because England play dire football, while it makes it feel an age before the last Premier League games, to when they return. Arsenal had some momentum before the break but will hopefully continue to be buoyed with the arrival of Mesut Ozil.
Our £42 million pound signing from Real Madrid scored from the spot and Mertesacker grabbed himself a goal for Germany. Walcott and Wilshere appeared for England in their qualifiers against Moldova and Ukraine, with Walcott looking to have picked an injury following a tough challenge in the game against Ukraine.
Elsewhere Giroud and Sagna got international time for France,who battled from behind to beat Belarus 4-2, and Cazorla and Monreal helped Spain in their 2-2 draw with Chile. Rosicky returns injured however, just for a change, and despite Ramsey's recent run of outstanding performances (which helped him win Arsenal Player for August) Wales succumbed to a 3-0 loss at the hands of Serbia.
San Marino, despite not being considered competition contenders, were Poland's opponents on Tuesday night; a game of which Both Szczesny and Fabianski were unused substitutes for Poland. Southampton's Boruc started in-between the sticks which surprises me considering the form of Szczesny. I'd say our number 1 would be well suited to being number 1 for his country and I feel he would enjoy and succeed with the pressure, which could only boost his performances for he club!
With the Premier League's return on Saturday, Arsenal players will turn their attentions to Sunderland, and I only hope they hit the ground running. Prior to international requirements, Arsenal had won their previous four games in all competitions after the disappointment of their opening day against Villa.
Giroud's class finish and brilliant teamwork (including defending for a change) helped secure a 1-0 win over Spurs where many anticipated a thrashing against our neighbours. Let's hope they pick up where the left off, although there is every chance Paolo Di Canio's Sunderland may well be more refreshed after the international fixtures.
The Black Cats host Arsenal this Saturday at the Stadium of Light (3pm kick off).
The in-form Ramsey, in action against Sunderland last season
