Fourth time lucky or it's thank you and goodbye Arsene Wenger

The look of Arsene Wenger as he headed down the touchline at full time, before re-emerging to celebrate, says he knows just how lucky he is to have this current Arsenal side in an FA Cup Final and probably how close he is to knowing that his time is up.

With eight minutes to go in the game on Saturday I was out of hope and feeling tense. Per's clumsy tackle resulted in an obvious penalty earlier in the second half and we all felt (well three of us Arsenal fans in the pub) that our endless trophy run looked set to continue for another year.

Per's header in the last ten minutes however made us see the light; a glimmer of hope.

Yes Arsenal had looked more up for it since conceding and we hit the post and bar twice I think (maybe three times?) with a chance also cleared off the line. But scoring when we should just isn't our forte and it is so frustrating game in, game out when other sides such as Manchester City or Liverpool you know would be four or five up if they were playing our opposition with our amount of chances.

Sanogo looked bright but but there was a lack of attacking movement in supporting him, and his lack of experience and play time maybe added to his misfortune but he looks an exciting young promise with strength, power and his tall physique. He also possess some pace too unlike the incompetent Giroud.

The players you need for a big game like this, and against Championship opposition though no offence to Wigan who are a tough team on their day, just didn't show up. Andy Townsend said probably the only thing right in his commentating career so far that Lukas Podolski needs to attack more and go at defences. Cazorla also did little for me, Vermaelen just looks nowhere near the decent defender he once was and you wonder what kind of player you'd have seen out of Ozil if he had been fit to play. Ramsey is obviously still not match fit and I think we always miss Flamini in midfield who was suspended.

Steve Bruce has already opened his mouth ahead of the cup final but is right in saying the pressure is on us. It has been nine years since we won a trophy and of course that was the FA Cup and I think fans feel we will mess up this chance of winning it; after all we ballsed up our cup finals in the UEFA Champions League of 2006, and the 2007 and 2011 League Cup finals. Will then this be fourth time lucky?

As for whether we win it or not, something went horribly wrong this season. For sure injuries have played their part as they have again struck us hard. Every year we ask ourselves WHY THE SAME EVERY TIME? It's incredibly frustrating.

Following the 3-1 opening day defeat to Villa we had a pretty solid start to the league season bar defeats to United and City and were top again in January. However we now  look set to be out of the Champions League next season. Our European fate lies in the hands of Everton who are two points above us, but we still have to win all our remanding games to have a chance too. Perhaps Everton do have the tougher run in in terms of opposition but if we don't get out of this slump, then I can see us struggling in our own final five fixtures.

Will Wenger still believe in his side if we don't make the competition next year? PSG or the French national side are bookie's favourites for his next destination if he leaves Arsenal. But who do you you A) replace him with, and B) who's available? He has said a 'top four finish is vital for him' - maybe because it will influence his decision on signing a new contract in the summer.

Arsenal's focus turns back to the Premier League tonight where we host West Ham, which kicks off at 7:45pm GMT, and is live on Sky Sports 1. Come on you Gooners! A win is a must for a team that still believe.

Arsene Wenger is losing the love of his supporters.

Everton v Arsenal will be a test of character

So I think we are very much out of the title race and now in the fight for fourth place yet again. How the season has changed!

Everton sit four points behind us with an important game in hand and so our clash with them this Sunday is a BIG one. A draw isn't particularly great as we need some daylight between us, therefore a win is a must.

We gained a draw last weekend against Manchester City, and after our performances against the big sides this season, and the strength of Manchester City, I thought we'd get torn apart. Credit to the players who put in a great show during this difficult time of the year however.

Flamini did particularly well and often looked to get forward when others wouldn't. I like how he takes things into his own matter and had a good game with one goal ruled out for offside, before grabbing our eventual equaliser which earned the point. I've said before on the blog he is a certain starter in the central midfield position, and I look forward to seeing him and Aaron Ramsey sit alongside each other when the Welshman is fully fit. Ramsey may start against the Toffees on Sunday as it happens though I don't expect to see him mirror the player we saw earlier in the season just yet.

On Thursday I read an interesting report from The Sport Review, and the article generally makes good points ahead of this weekend's fourth v fifth clash. They are in favour of a Toffee's win on Sunday and I don't anticipate an easy fixture at all from a Gunner's perspective.

As they state, Everton are over achieving this season and Roberto Martinez has done wonders, they are in-form, possess an extra incentive to finish in UEFA Champions League spot, and they face an Arsenal side headed by an under-pressure Wenger.

Wenger is under pressure in some regards, certainly to prove that he isn't just satisfied by a fourth spot place, and a lot of fans are again getting on his back. There will be even more calls for his resignation if we fail to win the FA Cup as well, as we head into the semi-finals as favourites.

I have a gut feeling we'll lose on Sunday with Lukaku playing a vital role. Something's say 2-0 but I do hope I'm wrong! Still we haven't lost to them in our previous two fixtures this season, and we eventually eased passed them in the FA Cup. But Goodison Park will be a tough place to go to, and the players really now need to prove themselves as a tough bunch if we are to get anything up there, and as the season draws to a close, with a UEFA Champions League up for contention!

Here's the full article from The Sport Review (opens in new tab).

Ramsey against his former side Cardiff City in 2013.

Securing fourth is the challenge for Arsenal now

The critics were well and truly back out after the Swansea result in midweek. A 2-2 draw is useless to our chances of contending for the title. These are the games you don't drop points in if you're a side who really believe.

This season, like usual, we have missed several key figures currently Walcott, Koscielny, Wilshere, Ramsey and we no real recognised striker to back up Giroud, with Podolski playing on the wing.

I know Podolski was injured earlier in the season but now he is back and fit Wenger needs to have him as a starting player. Likewise I say the same for Flamini. Phil Thompson on Soccer Saturday this afternoon emphasised this point, with Flamini being our only midfielder who gets stuck in, breaks up play and can build from midfield. He is the kind of player we need more of, and for me, should be in contention for team captain over Vermaelen or Arteta.

I hold the view, sorry Arsene, that we are out of the title race. Will we get lucky and see the others drop points over the next couple of weeks? I can't see it at the moment; they are the sides who don't drop points when it matters. We are out of the title race and even chasing for fourth could be difficult with Everton playing well. It will be a huge game when we play them soon.

It's been a topsy turvy season when you consider the style of football we were playing, winning dirty too against sides, and being top at Christmas.

We really need more players in the summer and Wenger has to be much more tougher in his approach to getting big players.

But if we aren't going to bring in a new attacker (rumoured to be interested in Mandzukic though he'll probably prefer joining Chelsea) then we need another winger maybe as well as defensive midfielder (Bender maybe?) and right back, if not another decent centre back! Not too much to ask for.

If we are going to win anything now it's the FA Cup, but I don't even hold much confidence of beating Wigan in the semis now. If you're going to the games though don't boo the players. Things have turned on its head but they need support of the fans to keep going. And they will need all the help they can get against rampant City this evening.

Arsenal's season looks ready to crash and burn

So game number 1000 turned out to be one that Arsene Wenger will never forget - but for all the wrong reasons!

For us it was another thumping by a big side which pretty much says clear as daylight that we aren't exactly one of those.

It reminded me of the Liverpool game as we quickly saw ourselves fall behind by more than one goal, in fact finding ourselves 3-0 down by the seventeenth minute. Wenger had been adamant pre-match that his team were ready for this battle against Chelsea, but losing at Stamford Bridge leaves me no confidence in winning the war of the title.

A big talking point was the sending off of Kieran Gibbs in the build up to Hazard's penalty and Chelsea's third goal. Oxlade-Chamberlain tried heading a shot away from goal but flung an arm out in the process, and the ball, heading wide anyway, brushed his hand. Andre Marriner, the game's referee, sent off Gibbs instead of Chamberlain who protested he was the culprit. Gibbs' suspension has now been overturned while both he and Oxlade-Chamberlain are clear to play against Swansea. It was deemed, quite rightly, that Oxlade-Chamberlain's handball was not preventing a goal-scoring opportunity as Hazard's shot was going wide of goal.

Kieran Gibbs.

I've said it before, and that's Flamini needs to start in the defensive / deep midfield position. He is a certain starter who has helped our defensive game out greatly and has provided exceptional cover. He gets the job done, much better than Arteta! I'd also like to see more of Serge Gnabry, and if the Ox had been suspended it would have gifted a wonderful opportunity for the young German midfielder to continue proving himself. After being named on the subs bench against Chelsea, I would hope he starts or features at some against Swansea, the side he scored our class second against in our 2-1 win earlier in the season.

So what does Saturday's loss do to our title chasing credentials (or what was left of them anyway)? As I said, this win sets us back in the chase for the Premier League title, and just securing a top four finish could even be a difficult task. Everton, in fifth, are by no manner a bad team at all especially under Roberto Martinez this season.

The players need to get it going against Swansea who never prove to be an easy side when we play them and a win against the Swans will get the players up for the Man City match next weekend. Needless to say it won't be an easy fixture and nobody can help but think that if we are slow out the blocks, we could see repeats of Liverpool and Chelsea all over again.

Our FA Cup semi final match against Wigan isn't far away either. Somehow we are the favourites to win the competition, but if we carry on the way we're going, Wigan might do the business over us like they did City. They aren't a bad side on their day at all, and I get the feeling we're not in for a comfortable finish to the season.

How we looked high and mighty fine earlier on in the season, but how quickly does football change over the course of that season. If we end up struggling for fourth, and trophy less, we have well and truly crashed and burned in style. If you have any faith for sale, I might need some.

I am one disgruntled Gooner, so I'll join the queue.

Chelsea v Arsenal (FA Cup 2009).

A must win game for Arsenal tomorrow but can Wenger celebrate incredible milestone with his first win over Mourinho?

It is a well known fact that Arsene Wenger has never beaten a Jose Mourinho Chelsea side, and what it would mean if that curse is broken tomorrow.

Chelsea top the table by four points, ahead of both us and Liverpool who have 62 points each. It feels as though, for the optimistic Arsenal supporter maybe, that there is no better time than ever for Wenger to finally get one over Mourinho, in order to keep our title chasing campaign alive. 

We also have a game in hand so winning tomorrow really will set us up well. Of course Liverpool look incredibly strong and Man City have two games in hand over us (and they're only two points behind!) Every game now is a must win if we are to keep our title hopes alive, though perhaps more realistically ensuring we don't slip out of the top four.

With Wenger celebrating his 1000th game in charge of Arsenal tomorrow, a win over Mourinho would be some way to celebrate.

The game starts at 12:45pm (GMT) tomorrow, in the day's only lunchtime kick off.

Arsene Wenger's best XI - Celebrating 1000 games in charge of Arsenal

With this Saturday's match against Chelsea being Arsene Wenger's 1000th game in charge of Arsenal (and not many manager's can boast that kind of reign in the modern era), I thought I'd take a stab at the greatest eleven he could put out, from those he has had the pleasure of managing while at Arsenal.

Thinking over his eighteen years in charge of our club, he wonders where the time has gone in an exclusive interview with Arsenal Media. Of course a lot has happened over those years with its ups and downs. One of his greatest moments he says is the 2-1 win at the Emirates against Barcelona in 2011, but what about the double winning seasons of 1998 and 2002 - and claiming the Premier League on different occasions at Old Trafford and White Hart Lane? The invincibles! 

Some of the slumps which come to mind are the 2-1 FA Cup loss to Liverpool in 2001, the Champions League cup final defeat of 2006, and League Cup final defeats to Birmingham and Chelsea. Obviously not winning anything in the last nine seasons is pretty disheartening and the game has changed a lot since the 'good days'. 

However we still have the same manager who has guided us to past glories, and we probably wouldn't be doing much better if a man with his control was replaced any time soon. 

So, here's my starting XI (oh and in a 4-4-2 formation like it should be) ;)

GK: David Seaman

LB: Ashley Cole

CB: Tony Adams

CB: Sol Campbell

RB: Lee Dixon

LM: Robert Pires

CM: Patrick Vieira

CM: Emmanuel Petit

RM: Freddie Ljungberg

ST: Dennis Bergkamp

ST: Thierry Henry

Subs: Keown, Lauren, Bould, Overmars, Petit, Wright, Bergkamp.

Arsene Wenger.

To be honest there are a number of players who should make the list i.e. Cesc Fabregas, Robin Van Persie, Gilberto Silva...maybe even Aaron Ramsey if he keeps up the kind of form and football he was playing before his injury earlier this season. 

Speaking of which, Ramsey and Santi Cazorla have extended their contracts with us, following the recent contract renewals of Metesacker and Rosicky. I don't think Sagna's contract will be renewed with the other big one being Wenger's own contract which also expires this summer. As the Metro put it, he's 1000 not out, but how many more games will he go on to manage Arsenal for?

The title challenging clash between Chelsea and Arsenal kicks off at 12:45pm (GMT) on Saturday.

Torres hassles Vermaelen in a previous fixture between the two sides.

Both Nicklas Bendtner and Bacary Sagna potentially to leave Arsenal in the summer

For consecutive years we had lost our top players in the summer (notably Vieira, Henry, Fabregas, Nasri, Clichy, Van Persie) but last year was different in the fact we held on to our best players and added a couple of extra faces too in Sanogo (who shows promise), Flamini and Ozil.

The rumours have already started though as to a couple of players particularly who may be on their way out of the Emirates this summer. For me I wouldn't be disappointed if both of them left the club, and they are Nicklas Bendtner and Bacary Sagna.

I'll start with the Dane by picking up on last week's reports that Bendtner travelled to Copenhagen without informing Arsene Wenger.

And he appears to have had the last straw with the Danish striker, who recently started for his country against England in an international friendly. In relation to his comments in the media, all the gaffer has done is reinstate that the striker's contract is up in the summer but that says it all and I think he's had enough of him, as have the fans.

This in turn though means we will be even more desperate for a recognised striker. We simply haven't been scoring enough goals, especially from our main strikers, and this summer we need to start actually doing more to bring in big names to get us those goals. Giroud may get a few but he is inconsistent and slow. Walcott is again inconsistent, he can't always finish, and Podolski is always preferred out on the wing but we know what he can do when he sight of the goal.

Nicky B back in the days before the excessive hair.

Sagna is rumoured to be off too as his latest reported wage demands are higher than what the board are willing to pay out. I'd be happy to see a replacement for Sagna, not that he's the worst player in the world at all, but we need someone fresher and younger (maybe someone who can cross a ball a bit better, and look more natural on the ball; I don't think his fair share of leg injuries have helped though). Carl Jenkinson can be a fairly good back-up but he's no way ready to be starting choice in my defence I'm afraid.

So who would be good enough to fill the void left by the French right-back who has interest shown in him by Inter Milan and Galatasary?

Nathaniel Clyne of Southampton is one potential target (he was certainly one of mine on FIFA...not that that means anything!) The 22-year-old has become an established member of the Saints' defence and he has bags of pace and good awareness.

Borussia Dortmund's Lukasz Piszczek is another rumoured target and I can see Wenger going for the Polish defender who would sit in front of either his Polish internationals of Fabianski or Szczesny. We've also been linked with him in the past so he should certainly be a name us fans keep an ear out for.

Following our knock-out of the UEFA Champions League last week we now give complete attention to the Premier League and FA Cup. Our narrow 1-0 victory over Spurs yesterday (thanks to Rocicky's wonderful early strike and some good defending) keeps us up with the top four. Thank goodness we don't have to play Liverpool again this season who look likely to storm through the final stretch. Our title chances are looking slimmer, however we aren't 100% out of it, while we have a great opportunity to go all the way in the FA Cup and lift a trophy for the first time in nine seasons.

Sagna signed for the club from Auxerre back in 2007.

A familair time of year for Arsenal fans

We are still just about hanging in there. It's the same every year though come February / March when we need the players to really dig in, our trophy chances collapse around us. Wenger denies that his teams dip in form around this time of the year but I guess this is the stubbornness of the man.

I sense something isn't quite there as it has been in past times this season and it always seems to be the same around this time of the year with Arsenal. Our 5-1 thumping by Liverpool and a poor result at Stoke have contributed to a dodgy looking spell in the Barclays Premier League. Our UEFA Champions League hopes look a little lost too after Bayern Munich outclassed us in the first leg, and if we don't pick our game up tomorrow against Everton in the FA Cup (kick off 12:45pm GMT), I fear our season is well and truly over.

Going out of the FA Cup would be terrible for the team's morale that's for sure as it seems even the title race will go down to either Chelsea or Manchester City if we're being realistic. Mathematically it's still possible for us to win it of course but a cup win seems a little more likely (if only a little).

Our squad has been rocked by injuries, as per, with Jack Wilshere the latest to be side lined yet again in his short career, this time following a tackle by Daniel Agger in England's Wednesday night 1-0 friendly win against Denmark. He'll be out for six weeks though some what encouraging is the return of Aaron Ramsey which could happen next weekend.

The major concern for Wilshere is however, will he be fit enough for the World Cup in June? I should think he will be, there are about nine weeks left of the season and he'll be able to carry out fitness training prior to the start of the World Cup. He may even be able to feature for us before the final whistle of the season. With all the other England players likely to be playing every game  between now and the end of the campaign, I can't see how there will be too much difference in separating them; Wilshere won't be half as tired as the other guys.

Anyway we shall see how quickly the physios can get him back to full fitness. Wenger is backing the tenacious midfielder and wants him ready for Brazil.

Tomorrow's FA Cup tie will be tricky. I like Everton but playing at home should give s the advantage. I wonder if Wenger will have some resting to do though ahead of the UEFA Champions League tie against Bayern Munich on Tuesday night?

He said earlier in the week that he would love to win the FA Cup again. For sure I would love us to lift the trophy, but is it more a need to win a cup for Wenger's sake? Apparently he's stalling over signing a new contract.

It would be something to make it through to the semi-finals of the FA Cup, with the Premier League looking likely to be us trying to keep a top four spot once more, and it being a tough ask to go to Bayern and win at the Allianz Arena again. Maybe a win tomorrow could give us that little boost we need, when we need it. Maybe.

Stoke 1-0 Arsenal: Reaction to this afternoon's Premier League result

On my way back from work I was constantly refreshing my phone to get this afternoon's live Premier League score updates, more importantly hoping to see us bag a goal or two at Stoke.

It was nervy seeing the words 'Penalty to Stoke' and a little heart wrenching seeing 'Stoke Goal: Walters 76' (pen)' a minute later. Of course we were unable to muster an equaliser or even a shot on target in the second half.

I haven't seen the game and so look forward (sort of) to seeing the highlights on Match of the Day tonight. But I flicked on BBC Radio 5 Live's Sports Report to hear we "did not look like title contenders", while Alan Hansen called it a "lethargic performance".

Reports give me the impression we were sloppy, lacking in creativity, and allowed Stoke every opportunity to get stuck in. Stoke City are a side who you know what to expect with players like Charlie Adam and Ryan Shawcross who love to get stuck in.

Flamini was benched today but for me he is a certain starter while Arteta and Wilshere sat in the holding midfield roles. I have argued before that Podolski needs playing up front but he was again out on the left and later subbed for Yaya Sanogo. The young French forward might have potential but he is not who you bring on when you desperately need a goal at the Britannia. Having said that, Giroud hadn't found the back of the net and Bendtner is our only other 'safest' option up front. This could well be something which contributes to a potentially disappointing end to the season.

I'm hearing Charlie Adam should have received his marching orders for standing on Giroud but a losing side will always look for excuses. I guess we will have to see it on Match of the Day for those who haven't seen today's match, but we didn't play this week and should have been all up for this one. I would be furious if I were Wenger!

We're not out of the title race but every defeat now puts a damper on our title chasing chances. When you consider Chelsea played in the week in the UEFA Champions League, they had won today's game against Fulham in a fifteen minute brace; something we couldn't do, or even look like doing apparently.

It really is frustrating news seeing the result as we lose ground on the title race. Liverpool have a chance to overtake us if they win at Southampton which is under way being this afternoon's late kick off (Suarez has put them 1-0 up as I write this), while Manchester City, who are two points behind us in third, have two games in hand.

Oldie: Stoke v Arsenal in the 2009-10 season.

Making our defensive game even better: Flamini and Arteta

For the majority of this season, our defence has received much praise by Wenger and the media and quite rightly so. This is no doubt to the hard work of of Steve Bould behind the scenes and we have seen Koscielny and Mertesacker form a pretty solid partnership. The German has improved a lot since his arrival to the Emirates and looks to have adjusted to the pace of English football.

Of course there was one surprise transfer that happened last summer and that was the return of Flamini. I was actually quite happy Wenger decided to bring back the defensive midfielder, though our boss was a little reluctant. You can't however deny the impact he has had sitting in front of the the back four.

Okay, so we have had a couple of slip ups this year when you consider the number of goals conceded against Manchester City and more recently Liverpool, but Flamini's return from suspension for Sunday's FA Cup match certainly helped us to avenge the 5-1 defeat the week before.

Rightly so, though no offence to the Spaniard, but Flamini is often the preferred choice in the defensive midfield position, ahead of Mikel Arteta. Wenger made Arteta play in a more defensive position when he brought him in from Everton while at Goodison Park, he had a more attacking role that I think probably suits him better.

On Sunday however, the stats do not lie, and the duo combination of both Flamini and Arteta helped us on our way to helping the back four deal with Liverpool's threats going forward.

Mathieu Flamini (Zimbio.com).

In his BBC Sport column Robbie Savage notes Arsenal had much more of a defensive resilience against Liverpool in the FA Cup which helped us on our way to progressing to the next round. We played much deeper too compared to the 5-1 league defeat eight days previously as we learned from our mistakes. But having both Flamini and Arteta on form only boosted our defensive play this time around.

And like I said the stats don't lie. In Savage's report the statistics (source: Opta Stats) show with the pairing in games across the Premier League this year, we have won just about as many games with them together as we have without, while we've lost just one match when they have played together.

What is interesting is that, with them as defensive players, we have actually scored more goals (26) than when they haven't played together, and we've conceded far less too - probably the most important stat - conceding just nine goals as opposed to the 17 when they haven't featured together.

Against Liverpool on Sunday particularly Arteta's tackles were all successful while Flamini completed more passes in the opposition half with a high completion passing rate of 75%.

Their partnership has certainly helped us this year for sure but I'm still not sure Arteta is the man for the defensive midfield job when Flamini is either injured or suspended. I wonder if the 31-year-old may be looking to move on soon perhaps though with Wenger not so keen on keeping players over 30.

Mikel Arteta.

Personally I prefer Ramsey to Arteta and we've had much success with the pairing of Flamini and Ramsey too; it's a real shame the Welshman is still sidelined, considering his inspired form this season.

Tonight sees the return of the UEFA Champions League and we're in action against Bayern Munich tomorrow night (not that any of you will need reminding). For sure we go into the game as the underdogs but having Flamini available gives us a major boost. I should think Arteta or Wilshere will sit alongside him but after the duo's display against Liverpool, I suppose I'd have no qualms in seeing both Flamini and Arteta covering our defence.

I hope that Arteta though will be ready for the pace and sheer quality of Bayern's players. There is no room for error against the current champions!

For Robbie Savage's report on how Arsenal saw off Liverpool in the FA Cup, click here (opens in new tab) to be directed to the BBC page.

Arsenal v Bayern Munich during the 2012/13 season (Flickr.com).

Will Arsene Wenger bid for Mario Balotelli in the summer?

However much truth may or may not be in this, I can certainly say either way that I didn't see this one coming. Various sources have been linking us with the former Manchester City striker / thug that is Mario Balotelli.

The 23-year-old currently plays for Italian outfit AC Milan but is rumoured to be wanting a move potentially back to England after suffering racist abuse in Italy.

Despite the arrogance and aggressive nature that he possesses, the striker is exactly the type of player we need to lead the line. I would much rather see him grabbing goals for Arsenal which is what Giroud has been lacking. Football fans will remember Balotelli's eye for goal and his physical strength which makes him a great striker; he certainly proved this at Manchester City.

The negative aspects of his character however is something I would hope Wenger could stamp out of the Italian forward which would make his overall game much better. If there is truth in a deal looking likely between Arsenal and AC Milan, the disappointment is that a deal for Balotelli would come too late considering we need a decent forward right now!

Wenger is surely ruing the missed opportunity to sign Schalke's attacking midfielder Julian Draxler in January but a deal for the 20-year-old German could also still be on the cards.

Schalke have revealed he may not be considered in next season's plans considering he wants a move away to further his career; £37m is the asking price that will activate his buy-out clause, and allow us to enter negotiations with the highly rated Draxler.

Arsenal to return for want-away Draxler?

And our new deal with Puma will certainly help us to bid and negotiate for more high rated players in the summer. Of course, last summer we supposedly missed out on the likes of Rooney, Suarez and Benzema so we may have a little more luck this time around.

For now let us focus on what we do know and that's our opportunity to progress in the F.A Cup tomorrow. After last week's thrashing at the hands of tomorrow's opponent's, I am a little wary of facing Liverpool again. As much I do believe it was just a one-off I can't help but think we are on a downward spiral and be about to wave our season goodbye. It wouldn't be the first time we've done that around this time of the year!

Still I hope to be proven wrong. We're in front of our own fans tomorrow which should help, but I think the squad need a major boost and a kick up the backside if they are to prevent another disappointing fate against Brendan Rodgers' side tomorrow.

The game is live on BT Sport tomorrow, kicking off at 4pm GMT.

Mario Balotelli - Italy v England, Euro 2012

Arsenal v Manchester United: Opportunity to prove Liverpool result a one-off

Has it sunk in yet?

I was unable to get out a post after the Anfield demolishing, though I think I'd have struggled to find the words following that game.

It's a result the players need to quickly put behind them and I am sure it is simply a one-off. As much as we were far from a decent team on Saturday we did at least do a little better in the second half which in itself ended 1-1.

Looking at the month, the Liverpool match was seen as the start of a difficult period and the way in which we fell at their feet does not bode well for the forthcoming fixtures, but with Manchester United rocking this season, we have a great opportunity tonight to respond.

We have been playing good football on the whole this season and have done well to be in with a real chance of winning the Premier League for the first time in a while. Saturday lunchtime however showed why we may end up behind the likes of Manchester City and Chelsea though as collectively we just never looked up for it.

With Flamini missing through suspension there was no cover or communication at the back while our back four were unable to cope with Liverpool's attacking threat. The midfield were undone and closed down at every opportunity by the hosts, Ozil looked particularly poor, and Giroud had no service to do any potential danger in their half.

For me Arteta proved exactly why he should not be a defensive midfielder but as I said, it was not an individual performance that let us down here - apart from Wilshere and Oxlade Chamberlain, nobody looked up for this and even with the lack of service for Giroud, as a Premier League forward he still isn't good enough to be a leading striker for our club. Ozil has continued recently to show he isn't worthy of the £42m price tag - is he missing the winter break he became accustomed to Spain? He looked to have settled in straight away when he moved to Arsenal on transfer deadline day but we've seen nothing of the player as we did then.

Fortunately, Flamini is set for his return against United tonight where our defence will be up against Rooney and Van Persie; no easy task after being undone against the attacking force of Liverpool just days before! Still, I believe that was a one-off, as for however good Liverpool were, we certainly played a part in their demolition job.

Still we have the chance to prove this as a one-off when Brendan Rodgers' side travel down to the Emirates Stadium for the F.A Cup on Sunday. But before then we have the big match tonight and a chance to gear ourselves up, and make the Emirates a real fortress this month!

Sturridge was one of the scorers in Liverpool's 5-1 win at Anfield.

All eyes on Manchester City tonight as we enter our crucial month

Tonight hosts a massive game in the Premier League with Manchester City playing Chelsea; a game coined as the most expensive in English football. Manchester City are contesting with us at the moment for top spot, while Chelsea are only five points behind us, so a draw will certainly be Arsenal's best bet.

We returned to top the table with our 2-0 home win against Crystal Palace yesterday, as our slip up a couple of weeks ago against Southampton meant we would finally give up top spot with Manchester City breathing down our necks. Oxlade-Chamberlain was on form to grab two well taken goals yesterday and it's great to see him return to the squad in such good form following the months he spent injured.

So now with City just two behind us, a draw will maintain our oh so sight advantage.

One thing which worries me though, with the season's end coming into sight, is the number of midfielders we have at Wenger's command. Wilshere, Ramsey, an now new signing Kim Kallstrom are all sidelined (not forgetting Abou Diaby I suppose?) and Flamini is serving a suspension. Flamini and Diaby disregarded, we are looking at around six weeks (seven to nine for full match fitness) for our other injured players to return; players we really need at this time of the season.    

Chambo in action last season.

The January transfer window is a great opportunity for managers to bring in extra numbers for the crucial final third of the season and Wenger recruited the injured Kallstrom from Spartak Moscow on loan. Since his arrival on Friday, Wenger has been forced to explain his decision in bringing the player in, who injured himself while falling on his back just days before his agreed move.

Wenger has now said the Swedish international may never feature for Arsenal will questions certainly why this deal went ahead. Wenger states if he knew the extent of his injury (Kallstrom could be sidelined for six weeks) then he would have looked elsewhere, though there was no time for that. Again, Wenger leaves things to the last minute so he can only blame himself for this one, especially after we had a great opportunity to sign Julian Draxler.

As I've said before, and as we all know all too well, this is a big month for us - probably season-defining. Liverpool are our next opponents in the Premier League up at Anfield, before we play four home matches in a row against Manchester United, Liverpool again (F.A Cup), Bayern Munich (UEFA Champions League) and Sunderland.

This month will prove whether we have the mental attitude and skill to continue maintaining our form against big sides, Bayern Munich particularly, and prove whether or not Wenger should have acted sooner when he had the chance in January.

Back to live football though, City v Chelsea tonight (20:00 k/o GMT) should be a great one and all eyes at the Emirates will be firmly locked on that one!

Kim Kallstrom on international duty for Sweden.

Wenger sticking to his guns with any January transfers unlikely

With no done deals for Arsenal so far this January, it appears Arsene Wenger is happy to carry out the remainder of the season with the current squad, regardless of injury concerns.

Ahead of our F.A Cup fourth round tie against Coventry City tomorrow night (7:45pm k/o GMT), Wenger told journalists at his press conference, "I feel a bit guilty always going to a press conference during the transfer market and having nobody to announce, but I don't want to lie.

"It looks very unlikely. At the moment we are not close to doing anything. Overall we have a very strong squad. If something exceptional turns up we will do it, but not everyone will strengthen - they buy, but that does not always mean strengthen" (BBC Sport).

I've said it before though and that is, with Arsene Wenger, you really can't ever be sure about what he says. He often appears to frustrate fans, before unveiling a new face. But in some ways, maybe he has learned from his past mistakes as I'll come onto shortly.

Arsene Wenger

Former Arsenal target Juan Mata is due to sign for Man Utd later today, upon completing his medical this afternoon for a fee believed to be around £37m. This will be a major boost to Moyes' title hopes as the Red Devils have looked a little out of place this season, not that any of us need reminding. We've been having a right laugh at them all season. Still Mata's signature is exactly what Wenger is talking about. There is no denying that this is an example of an exceptional player becoming available and so United are strengthening. All too often Wenger has dipped his toes in the water and fished out players like Park or Chamakh and look how that turned out for us.

I am a great admirer of Mata's talents and, as much as I wish to see United continue falling in dramatic decline this year, I wish Mata all the best at his new club in this World Cup year.

In terms of keeping players however, Wenger will talk to Thomas Vermaelen about extending his contract in the summer. I think he lost his way a little last season and it is hard separating the pairing of Laurent Koscielny and Per Mertesacker this year. They have been exceptional, solid rocks at the back, in what is a much tougher and more hard working back-four. Vermalen was rumoured to be wanting a move away which you can understand knowing his defensive skills and with the World Cup approaching, he won't want to be missing a place in the Belgium defence. It would be a sad miss to see him leave however as he is still a very good defender to have, particularly with the injuries our defences have seen in seasons gone by. We'll keep track of this one as the summer approaches. 

I would still love to see United's Hernandez, who scored last night to take Manchester United to penalties against Sunderland, step in up front at Arsenal as we need a proven goalscorer from the Premier League. Maybe with Mata's attacking force, and considering when Van Persie, Rooney and Welbeck are all in the side, Hernandez may be that exceptional player Wenger might need.

Hernandez in action for Man Utd.

Abou Diaby: Where next for the injury struck midfielder?

Yes that's right. Abou Diaby. Remember him?

You'd be forgiven not to include him in your Arsenal midfield considering his last Arsenal performance came in March of last year. The French midfielder suffered another injury in his career after damaging his crucial knee ligaments. There had been talk of his return by this coming March but Wenger has now suggested he may not feature for us at all this season.

This begs the question...will her ever put on an Arsenal shirt again? And what does this mean for the 27-year-old?

His physique had him described as our next Patrick Vieira. There was certainly no denying the pace and strength Diaby possessed and he always looked a threat against sides when in midfield and pushing forward in attacks.

Diaby in action.

But I don't think he will make it in the first team squad when he does eventually return to full fitness again (whenever that may be), considering the current crop of talent Wenger has at his disposal. It is a shame for a player who is as good a footballer as Diaby is, but I don't think Wenger will be able to back him any further when his contract expires in summer 2015.

Will he try to move on then perhaps? However even if he wants to try elsewhere after signing for us from Auxerre in 2006, who would want to risk signing a player as injury prone as Diaby? It's a sorry state for a player who, on his day, can grace any side's midfield but will not even be in contention for France's World Cup team in Brazil later this year.

I am sure however, that I write and speak on behalf of all Arsenal fans in wishing Abou Diaby as fast a recovery as possible, and that he suffers no more setbacks.

Yep, that's Gael Clichy in the background!

Lukas Podolski: winger or striker?

Arsenal had to up their game yesterday against Fulham and they grabbed two second half goals, thanks to Santi Cazorla's strikes, to maintain their slender lead at the top of the Premier League table.

It's great to know we have the attacking force in the likes of Cazorla, but as I have mentioned before, it is our options actually up-front that lack the quality to put teams behind. Lukas Podolski came on in the second half yesterday and his presence on the field instantly gave us a new dimension going forward.

The German international has only recently come back into the team following a four-and-a-half-month injury lay off so I can understand Wenger easing him back into the first team, but he openly revealed he sees Podolski more of a left winger.

There aren't many players who can boast as strong a left foot as Podolski and he is a proven goalscorer, with 120 club career goals for Cologne, Bayern Munich and Arsenal (www.soccerbase.com).

And following our 2-0 win at Emirates Stadium, Wenger, speaking to the media in his post match press conference, said: "Lukas has a fantastic spirit and attitude and he showed that when he came on. When he comes in he gives us something...if he is in front of goal and you give him once chance, you score with him. He doesn't hit it into the stand" (www.arsenal.com). Surely he is describing the attitude and abilities of a striker!

Our number 9 looked fit, sharp and strong, and proved he knows where the goal is, forcing Maarten Stekelenburg into a fine save, before hitting the post with a fierce strike. Giroud who started on the other hand, continues to show his incompetence as a leading striker.

Should Giroud's place be up for grabs?

A tall player who likes to use his head yes, but he's all too often unable to hit the target. He had one opportunity yesterday which lingers in my memory when attempting a curling effort into the corner of the goal - the type of shot graced by the likes of Bergkamp, Henry and Van Persie - definitely not Giroud. He can score, but being inconsistent and frustrating is not the requirements of a striker in the Premier League.

I wish Wenger would consider Podolski for the central striker role from now on in. Giroud has lost the kind of form he had at the start of the season, though even then he still needed chance after chance. Podolski will take his chance with both feet knowing Walcott is out for the season, and with Bendtner sidelined too. There are no words for Park who occasionally warms up the bench and Yaya Sanogo appears to be sidelined still and definitely not ready for the ability of the Premier League.

Of course we are still in the January transfer window and rumours are circulating of a bid for Schalke's wonder-kid Julian Draxler, who can play both as an attacking midfielder and striker. Wenger continues to keep his lips sealed on any move in the transfer market so we'll just have to wait and see what happens there. 

Podolski will be keen to add to his goals tally for the remainder of the current campaign.

Mesut Ozil: A player seeking form

Mesut Ozil's somewhat dip in performance rate of late has been picked up in the Metro newspaper, something which I have noted in the last few weeks.

Reading Gavin Brown's article on the train this morning, he isn't particularly downgrading or calling Ozil a bad player (that would be absurd) but he is maybe missing the winter break he became accustomed to back in Spain. He is 'missing in action', as Brown puts it.

As I said in a previous post, perhaps he is feeling the pressure of his high price tag, while his slight injury picked up in the last couple of months will have hindered him after his fine start since joining from Read Madrid in August.

But yes I agree with Brown's point regarding the winter break also, and he suggests Ozil is perhaps in a winter-break mindset. If that is the case, let's hope he picks up form shortly. In contrast however, Ozil recently revealed how he is enjoying playing in England without the winter break he has become accustomed to. He revealed he wants to continue improving, which he may have to based on his recent form, and puts a lot of that down to playing more regular games which happens during the winter period. Maybe he is putting too much pressure on himself?

I think a lot of fans are choosing to ignore Ozil's dip in form, perhaps not wanting to come to terms with our expensive talisman being in need of finding his way again.  Of course there is no doubting his talents; he has proven himself in English football as he showed to us all when joining on transfer deadline day.

We take on Fulham tomorrow afternoon (3pm GMT kick off) in what should be a relatively straight forward task. René Meulensteen's side are battling to stay in the Barclays Premier League, with only two points separating them and the drop, with all three teams in the relegation zone sharing seventeen points.

Rosicky and Monreal are expected to return for tomorrow's game. Rosicky could feature with a mask after braking his nose against Aston Villa which forced him to be a substituted sub. Monreal meanwhile should be available despite a twisted ligament in his foot.

Despite Olivier Giroud's well taken and somewhat fortuitous goal last Monday, he still needs to do a lot more upfront to prove he is our main man up-front. Arsene believes in him to prove why we won't be delving into the January transfer market for a striker, but I think I still need persuading.

Enjoy the game tomorrow. For the Metro's feature on Mesut Ozil, click here.

Ozil: the centre of attention after signing from Real Madrid in August

Aston Villa 1-2 Arsenal: Arsenal hold on in a tale of two halves

So Arsenal have gone back to top the Premier League once more following their 2-1 win against Aston Villa tonight, but they certainly made it a difficult task.

We cruised the first half, looking in total control with Villa unable to muster much other than a Fabian Delph effort that went agonisingly wide. Other than that, I can't recall Szczesny having anything else to do.

We looked good and created a couple of early half chances but Giroud, being Giroud, was unable to give us an early lead. Podolski was on the bench for this one, and remained an unused sub, but he should have come on in the second half with Giroud putting in yet another frustrating performance.

The Frenchman did score however in a blink-and-you'd-miss it scenario. Both goals came back to back of each other with our second goal coming only around 15 seconds of the restart. I was still celebrating the first in fact.

Nacho Monreal darted down the left following Mesut Ozil's fine through ball, and the left back's cross went behind Matt Lowton with Jack Wilshere arriving. His first touch was superb as he set himself up for the shot, with his effort a little scuffed as it rolled past a diving Brad Guzan.

Arsenal had been pressing Villa all game and credit to the hosts for once we got the ball back, we faced a well organised Villa defence. But just after the restart Giroud's pressing won the ball back and we darted forward. Wilshere turned provider this time with his pass to the striker who struck his shot into the ground as it blasted past Guzan, who had only just picked the ball out of his net.

Aston Villa looked a different side in the second half however and we looked a little concerning. Christian Benteke, who hadn't scored in nearly four months, was getting into some good positions and managed to pull one back for the hosts with 15 minutes remaining; only his sixth goal, and his third third against us, this season. Lowton produced a great cross behind our back line and Benteke dived in at the back post with a header to halve the deficit.

I thought we would let Villa back into it completely from then on in and we had to ride the storm a little. We held on however, with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain coming on late in the second half to make his first appearance for us since the opening game of the season.

If I was Wenger however I'd be pretty disappointed with our second half performance. As has been a similar occurrence of late, Ozil hasn't been living up to his £42m price tag, and even Santi Cazorla was at fault for Villa's goal. I will be happy when Aaron Ramsey makes his return from injury, as Rosicky was forced off tonight, and Arteta wasn't named in Wenger's 18-man squad tonight, presumably with an injury.

Serge Gnabry looked lively again tonight and we take the three points that we knew we needed. We remain top of the table once again, and can look forward to our next home match against a lacklustre Fulham on Saturday.

Arsenal v Chelsea - regaining top spot should be Wenger's priority

We take on Chelsea on Monday evening knowing a win will ensure we will be top of the Premier League by Christmas. This would be a great feeling!

Of course, we have been top for most of the season but now to have let Liverpool and Manchester City overtake us as things stand is very disappointing. Only a couple of weeks ago we had the opportunity to go seven points clear but in typical Arsenal fashion, we now find ourselves looking up rather than beaming down with such confidence.

Perhaps the pace and strength of the English game has caught up with Ozil, Giroud is struggling to keep up regular high performances, and we aren't able to call upon top class midfield or attacking back-up. In some ways the January transfer window can't come quickly enough.

I will try to analyse the rumours circulating around the media as to who will may be linked with, and Wenger must surely act when the window opens at the start of the new year. The stubbornness of the man though will mean we are unlikely to go for players in order to have strength-in-depth.

Having said that we do have the quality to beat Chelsea, particularly on home soil, and they didn't exactly outplay us in every department during the 2-0 League Cup game earlier this year. Wenger put out a disappointing side against a very strong Mourinho starting XI which was ridiculous. This time we will go out with a very different side and Chelsea are very much an up and down team this year, unlike Man City.

We need to forget about the result last weekend and hopefully the long break we have had will be beneficial this time around.

After Chelsea we play away against West Ham and Newcastle respectively and, based on how we have played for the majority of this season, these are games we should easily be picking up points in. Of course there is the worry we are about to go on a downward spiral, but let's hope not. Let's get back to winning ways on Monday night and look to regain top spot by the end of the year.

Arsenal must pick themselves up against Manchester City

Wow...so we cut it fine in progressing to the last 16 of the UEFA Champions League, but we're through and now have a mass of tough matches as we look to see in the new year.

Perhaps not helped by Arteta's sending off, the thoughts of playing Manchester City next on Sunday, or knowing simply a draw would have been enough for top spot, we were undone eventually by Gonzalo Higuain and Napoli.

Rumoured as one of our major transfer targets last summer, Higuain gave Napoli the lead in Naples on Wednesday night, before Jose Calejon chipped in a last gasp second, but still we qualified from the group in second place with Napoli looking ahead to Europa League action instead.

Gonzalo Higuain opens the scoring.

Borussia Dortmund beat Marseille 2-1 in the other group match, scoring the winner in the last minutes, which edges them in front of us on goal difference. Of course for us, as runners up, we now have to face the reality of playing either Barcelona, Real Madrid, PSG, Atletico Madrid, or last year's winners Bayern Munich and we shall find out when the draw is made on Monday (16.12.2013).

I've heard Arteta's tackles were "needless" which resulted in his two yellow cards. I feel the Spaniard is not on par with Flamini in the defensive midfield position and I would certainly continue to pick the Frenchman over the Spaniard any day of the week. Having said that I guess Flamini can be a little reckless but he gets more stuck in with a hard but fair mentality which we haven't seen for some years in an Arsenal midfield.

We just had to make sure on Wednesday night that we didn't lose by more than three goals and when the second went in, our hearts both slowed right down and quickened in pace all at the same time. But the referee ended the game to the delight (sort of) of Arsenal fans (perhaps more relief) that we had progressed to the knock-out rounds.

Face of disbelief: Arteta feels the bookings were harsh.

Yes it will be difficult whoever we face but we have done well to be in with a chance of facing those clubs I listed earlier, considering I and a lot others, thought we would struggle in our group as of match-day one. We've proved fans wrong time and time again this season though, so we should take confidence despite Wednesday night's disappointing scoreline.

Of course Wenger has enjoyed reminding us all of the fixture congestion and the trip to Manchester on Saturday will have been in his mind when picking his side to play against Napoli. After City on Saturday we play Chelsea the following Monday (23.12.2013); the first time we have a whole week between fixtures since our loss to Manchester United. 65 hours separate our kick offs from Naples and Manchester and it is certainly going to be tough for us, especially when Manchester City maintain a 100% home record so far this season!

With a trip to Etihad Stadium followed by our home match against Chelsea, we travel to West Ham and Newcastle in the Christmas - New Year week, before hosting Cardiff on New Year's Day. Our F.A Cup campaign will begin against our greatest local rivals Spurs three days later, before we play against Villa; the side against who our season began.

For now let us hope to see our gap at the top of the league increase with a point or three gained against City, and await our fate in the Champions League last 16 draw at he start of next week. The match tomorrow kicks off at 12:45pm, UK time.

Old Boys: Former Gunners Song and Nasri during an Arsenal v Manchester City fixture.