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.
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) ;)
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.
Following our exit from the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday night Arsene Wenger suggested a way which could prevent players from diving so often. Some would say he's a sore loser (maybe, but I'd call him passionate about the team's success) but I think he makes a great point.
His comments on the Arsenal website (opens in new tab) come after Roben was up to his theatricals once again over our two legs against Bayern Munich.
He argues players who are deemed to have dived by the referee should be booked on the first instance. This would result in the player then being cautious about attempting to dive again as they could face being sent off. So should this be trialled in the modern game?
At the moment you do see players fall to the ground looking for a penalty and the referee waves play on and tells the player to get up. If the ref believes they have dived then they need to be more ruthless and actually book them, otherwise this system just won't work.
I think it's a great idea personally (though I'm not sure the likes of Ronaldo and Robben would be so keen) but the referees already have the difficult task of judging what is a dive and there's always a risk they can make the wrong decisions. Players may be wrongfully booked or subsequently sent off when they are truly fouled but a referee may have seen it as a dive.
Would this then be a call for TV replays for referees to use and make a second decision on? Maybe that's something further down the line...
Anyhow life goes on and we now turn attentions back to the Premier League with derby game coming up this weekend against Tottenham. Hopefully the squad can pick themselves up after what was a mammoth task against the present European champions. Ozil will miss this one with a hamsring injury (and the next month at least!) after sustained the injury in the opening minutes of the Bayern match on Tuesday, while Ramsey is said to be struggling to be fit enough to return this weekend as well.
Ronaldo often faces criticism for diving and cheating.
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).
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!
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.
I say 'duo set for' but one's already back in contention, while the other's return may only be a couple of weeks away. Of course I'm talking about the returns to bolster our attacking capabilities in Theo Walcott and Lukas Podolski.
Theo Walcott came on as a second half substitute against his former club Southampton on Saturday, although Giroud was the forward who grabbed the goals to secure our 2-0 win (albeit with a little help from Artur Boruc!)
Arsenal are currently leading at home to Marseille thanks to Jack Wilshere's brilliant goal after 28 seconds, with our group looking as tough as expected and a win tonight is crucial. We need to make sure we do the business in both matches remaining to be sure of qualifying!
Walcott is on the bench tonight as Wenger slowly reintroduces our pacey winger who will be itching to get on and improve for both club and country bosses. Walcott had been sidelined because of an abdominal injury picked up in September so I can see why Wenger may rest him for most, if not all of tonight. Other good news this week however is the potential return of Lukas Podolski in the coming weeks. Wenger has announced the German attacker has been back in training though isn't ready just yet. Giroud is tiring and Podolski will be a welcomed return when fit, after having been out since August with a hamstring problem.
Back in training: Podolski (far right) back in training with the rest of the squad.
Giroud has stated he is tired, and at this level we can't rely on calling upon Bendtner or Park who will both surely be shifted on one way or another at the end of the season (though preferably in the January window). Walcott's pace offers something different and there aren't many who can keep up with him and Podolski isn't afraid to have a go and is a proven goalscorer. With these two back we'll have the attacking force to keep our momentum and see us go strong into the new year.
Speaking of Bendtner, and Henry's been back training with us now the MLS season has finished and yet I'd still rather see him up at the age of 36 up front than that Danish numpty.
Though tonight's game is too soon for Podolski (Everton next month may be a potential return date) who needs more time in training, Walcott may make another substitute's appearance as we look to secure a win in Group F, and do the double over their French visitor's, who we beat 2-1 on match-day 1 back in September.
Oh and Ozil missed a penalty...and it was poorly taken. Questions are being asked if Ramsey was fouled inside or outside the box which is very much up for discussion as is, I feel, whether he goes down too softly.
It's half time at the Emirates with Arsenal leading 1-0. Enjoy the rest of the game and let's hope we keep or extend our lead and take the points!
Like the old days...Henry and Pires work on their fitness as they train at Arsenal's
London Colney training ground.
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).
It was a good weekend results-wise for Arsenal, not only beating second placed Liverpool 2-0 themselves, but Chelsea lost unexpectedly against Newcastle, while Spurs could only draw with Everton.
Highlights (foreign commentary) from Saturday's win.
In doing so it's a wonderful sight to see us edge just that little more out in front of Chelsea and Liverpool who sit second and third respectively. Beating Rodgers' side on Saturday shows Arsenal are up to the challenge this year by beating the bigger clubs when we have a full strength side out.
We certainly made the most of Liverpool's three at the back system in the first half and it certainly helped us gain momentum. We played the game our way and attacked really well. Cazorla's goal was well taken, albeit through a little luck with his initial header rebounding off the post, but you need that sometimes.
Arteta was in for the instrumental Flamini in the holding midfield role again and he deserved much praise for his display on Saturday. While many questioned Flamini's return to the Emirates, he has helped to boost Arsenal's defensive qualities and organisational play. We've certainly missed him over the last couple of weeks but Arteta was on top form on Saturday in his stead which is promising for a side who lack a lot of strength in depth.
The ever impressive Aaron Ramsey grabbed his tenth goal of the season and potentially another goal of the season contender at the same time. As great as it is for us and for Ramsey, our attackers aren't the ones scoring the goals. Giroud, as much as he has grown more confident in England, still needs chance after chance after chance to put the ball in the back of the net.
The French striker has eight goals to his name but this isn't the kind of stat seen by top class out-and-out forwards. And we can't call upon Bendtner or Park who are far from showing the qualities needed to even play football if I'm being totally honest! Other than Thierry Henry and what Van Persie showed during his time here (when he was fit at least), we haven't had a top class striker who has lit the Premier League alight in recent years. Having said that, he holds the ball up well and brings in others to join attacks but we would be much more ruthless if he didn't need X amount of shots before converting one to a goal himself.
I agree with most others that Wenger still needs to spend on another striker. With Podolski and Walcott still sidelined (and Walcott again needs chances after chances to find the net), Wenger needs to spend big on a household name up front. Of course we had our chances over the summer but then the signing of Ozil wasn't too bad I suppose. But other big names which circulated round the media and in an area we lack in disappeared in Higuain, Rooney and Suarez. Chelsea were reluctant to loan out Demba Ba to us but then Wenger wasn't prepared to match their £3m offer for the move.
I've always liked Javier Hernandez at Manchester United and he's not exactly been a starting choice for them over the years. He's even doubting his future at the club (Telegraph.co.uk - opens in new tab). He's still experienced and is a great striker, often finding goals when he gets chances. I'm surprised there wasn't a Van Persie for Hernandez offer when we sold RVP to the Red Devils, and if the latest news is true, Wenger needs to listen and make a move for the Mexican!
Arsenal travel to Borussia Dortmund for tomorrow night's Champions League encounter. Hopefully we'll be the team to come away with something this time. At the Emirates last month we were robbed by one-counter attack move and we were much the dominant side, particularly in the second half. Hopefully we can take our momentum and confidence to Germany and have our revenge.
Still, Dortmund won't be make things easy at their place but we've an undefeated-away streak to maintain!
It was clear by the starting line-ups who was taking this more seriously, as Chelsea deservedly went on to progress to the next round of the Capital Once Cup with a 2-0 win over the Gunners.
Not for the first time this season, Arsenal were undone by a counter attacking goal that proved enough to knock them out of the Capital One Cup.
Chelsea were by far the superior side on Tuesday night, in what was a wasted evening up the local! Mata scored a well struck shot on the edge of the area in the second half as they sealed their spot in the quarter-finals of the League Cup.
But it was Wenger's usual approach to this competition that helped Jose Mourinho's side get the win and make it three defeats for Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium this season, with Wenger still without a win against a Chelsea-managed Mourinho.
I am more than with Wenger for his attitude on giving younger players who aren't on loan, a run out if we are against teams further down the football league. But we have all too often seen his thinking in putting out a weakened side against top teams, and it shoots us in the foot. We don't have as much strength in depth as Chelsea and it showed last night, and the likes of Bendtner and Park will surely move on in January or next summer.
Replacing Szczesny, Fabianski had little to do in between the sticks other than pick the ball out the net (twice) while reported want-out Vermaelen started at the back with Jenkinson to the right. An Ozil-less midfield still looked strong however with the likes of Wilshere, Ramsey, Cazorla and Rosicky. Ryo Miyaichi started out on the right wing but he lacked the desire and ability to break past the resilient Blues defence, and Bendtner, try as he might, was his typical self.
The fans cried for Giroud who eventually made way for the Dane but it came too late as Arsenal were already 2-0 down and looking all but out. Even Park made an appearance and that sums up Arsene's lack of passion for the competition. For a side who haven't won a trophy since 2005, and when up against a top side, can Wenger still be so nonchalant?
Nine lives: Mourinho has never lost any of the nine ties against Arsenal in his two
managerial campaigns with Chelsea.
I'm surprised Jenkinson played the full 90 minutes too. It was partially his error that led to Chelsea's opening goal. From our corner, they cleared and Eto'o brought the ball forward. The ball looped up in the air and Wilshere and Jenkinson both backed off the high ball, before the Finnish right back headed a woeful ball back to Fabianski, who was unable to get to the ball before Chelsea's own right back Azpilicueta.
He often needs a run of games under his belt, and simply returning last night against a strong Chelsea side showed he wasn't ready for that kind of match, looking a shadow of the improved player we saw last season.
Wenger will surely take the blame though for the side he chose to put out last night. Having said that, Liverpool are next up in the Premier League on Saturday evening (17:30pm k/o) so you can understand his reasoning for maybe wanting to rest some players. They currently sit two points behind in third (joint second with Chelsea though the Blues have a better goal difference by one), and Brendan Rodgers' side will again not make things easy for us.
However, after the losses against Borussia Dortmund and Chelsea, and a less emphatic display against Crystal Palace in-between, fans will be hoping a general dip in form among the who club isn't on the verge of culminating.
Mata (left), once an Arsenal target, proves his point to Mourinho
as the Spaniard sinks us.
Arsenal succumbed to their first defeat in 13 matches as Borussia Dortmund proved to be no walk in the park on match-day three of the Champions League Group Stage.
I felt this could prove to be their toughest fixture yet but they grew in confidence and perhaps, on the night, should have ended up winning the game. Dortmund took the lead, somewhat annoyingly due to poor marking at the back, when Henrikh Mkhitaryan received the ball in space and drilled the ball past Szczesny.
They came with a game plan and succeeded in pressurising Arsenal well, allowing us to have very little time on the ball. Perhaps Arsenal wanted too much time; Ramsey was often found caught in possession which is annoying to watch for someone who is filled to brim with confidence.
Ozil was quiet in the first half and it took me some time to realise he was on the pitch. Arsenal were not up to the standards they have set themselves in recent weeks, while Dortmund were on top of everything.
Still Arsenal drew level thanks to Giroud minutes before half time. Sagna's cross was somewhat flapped by Roman Weidenfeller in Dortmund's goal, and Giroud smashed the loose ball into the goal. Fair play to the French striker for not giving up on the chance, and he got his reward.
Dortmund, for all their abilities in pressurising Arsenal and possession building, looked a little lacklustre when it came to the final ball or troubling the goal. Then again, Arsenal weren't creating too much in the way of clear-cut opportunities either and tiredness, as shown against Norwich, started to creep in.
Thus came the change in Arsenal's momentum as Santi Cazorla came on to replace Wilshere in the second half, and his impact suggested Arsenal would grab a deserved goal and victory. The Spaniard nearly scored himself, with only the upright denying him with a fierce shot from outside the area. But for all their new-found attacking flair, they were caught by a counter-attack sucker-punch inside the final ten minutes. Gündoğan, whose final ball had been poor all game, saw his deep cross volleyed powerfully by Robert Lewandowsi past his Polish counter-part Szczesny in Arsenal's goal.
In what was a very German affair with all of Dortmund's own, plus Ozil and Mertesacker for us, Wenger, who celebrated his 64th birthday today, brought on young Serge Gnabry late on but he had little time to show us his potential. Bendtner also came on as a late substitute as Arsenal hoped to get players forward and find that second goal.
It didn't come however as Arsenal will now feel a little more pressure on them. Napoli secured a 2-1 win against Marseille which now sees Dortmund, Arsenal and the Italian side all on six points in Group F at the half-way stage.
So Wenger would have wished for a better birthday present tonight, but he now begins life as a 64-year-old with thoughts of Crystal Palace, who are up next to face The Gunners on Saturday (26/10 12:45pm k/o BST).
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.
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 fans will be in anticipation tonight (I'm less interested in Saturdays when we aren't playing!) as they look forward to seeing an in-form Arsenal side return to the Hawthorns tomorrow (6/10/2013, 4:00pm k/o BST).
The Gunners knocked West Brom out of the Capital One Cup at the Hawthorns only a couple of weeks ago (1-1; Arsenal won 4-3 on penalties), and I am sure Steve Clarke will be looking for his side to flip the result in the Baggies favour this time round.
League points are up for grabs this time, rather than a place in the next round of a cup, but we have seen Arsenal play this season as though every game is a cup final.
Ozil and Ramsey have been mesmerising, as a team we have been organised and defended really well, and Giroud is providing more for the team as well as getting goals himself.
Of course the likes of those we'd expect in Arsene Wenger's starting XI didn't feature in the cup fixture last month, so this game is bound to be very different from the last. However, I'd expect Arsenal to continue their fine form tomorrow and return to the top of the Premier League, following Liverpool's 3-1 win over Crystal Palace today which has put them currently a point clear.
After all the transfer talk and media attention it received, I feel I should comment comment on the return of Luis Suarez. The Uruguayan has fulfilled his match suspensions, following his bite on Ivanovich last season, and has returned to Brendan Rodgers' first team.
He's been described as one of the top class strikers around and is on-par with Van Persie and on his day, I wouldn't disagree. He opened the scoring today and I know will be a big asset to Liverpool (yet again) this season.
However, I don't feel we have missed out. Arsene's £40,000,001 offer in the summer was rejected, but then he didn't exactly follow up with another offer. As a result, we have since seen Giroud be more consistent in front of goal and other players showing more attacking qualities (Ramsey springs to mind!) Yes Arsenal could do with another striker with injuries to Podolski and Walcott but Liverpool can stick with their number 7.
Bendtner played in the cup game and has since found a place on the bench, but should we really welcome someone back who said they would never want to put on an Arsenal shirt again? The there's Park...but I'm not even sure he's an actual footballer. Who else would make a decent back-up to Giroud?
Other injury news wise, Sagna will be out of action for a few weeks following an injury he picked up against Napoli last Tuesday. I have been impressed with the form of the French defender who has developed well to playing at centre-back when needed. Having come under some criticism, he has been excellent for us, like so many others, this year. Jenkinson will get another chance to prove himself in the right back position, starting with the trip at West Brom tomorrow and Arsenal will be looking to both extend their incredible away, and undefeated runs.
Target man: Giroud has impressed this season. Dare he get injured!
Arsenal extended their consecutive away wins to 12 games this evening, and went back to the top of the Premier League, with a well deserved 2-1 win at The Liberty Stadium.
The two sides are well known for their similar styles and I personally had this down as Arsenal's toughest test this season so far, but the Gunners proved they are much harder to break through this year.
A lovely, we'll worked move was finished off by the impressive Serge Gnabry, minutes before Aaron Ramsey (who else?) doubled the lead with a shot into the roof of the net. The defence were undone however as full time approached when The Swans Davies snuck in behind Mertesacker.
It was a tense game from start to finish and though there were few clear cut chances, this was a game where two attacking sides were bound to score. Giroud came closest in the opening half, right at the end of it actually, but he dragged his shot wide of Worm's goal.
Swansea looked impressive, particularly when playing through Shelvey but their final ball lacked and Arsenal were tough in the tackle and applying excellent pressure. Perhaps the travelling fans were initimidating the home support, who could often be heard above the Swansea faithful. I only really heard them make noise through booing whenever Ramsey touched the ball!
Wenger knew a win would put Arsenal in a nice place this weekend with Spurs and Chelsea drawing against each other, Manchester City losing, and Manchester United continuing their sluggish start to the league losing to West Brom (now their worst start to a league season in some time!)
Szczesny had an up-and-down game with his touches and decision making questionable, among making a couple of good saves. In the first half notably, having seen the ball marginally cross the line for a goal kick, had a Swansea player attempt to keep the ball in-play and put the ball inches wide of an open goal. Fortunately the officials made the right call, having seen the ball cross the line but on another day, the confident Szczesny might not have been smiling afterwards.
Ramsey was awarded the Man of the Match award by Sky Sports however Gnabry was an outstanding performer in this game, especially for someone with little experience. Like his fellow teammates, who have played a lot more at this level, he showed the desire and skill needed in a game like this which is very promising. The German finished off a fine move to open the scoring and he was fully deserving of his excellent goal. Let's hope he continues in a similar fashion as Walcott and Chamberlain remain sidelined.
I don't feel Ozil had his greatest game with passes failing more often than we have become accustomed to. He could also have scored his first Arsenal goal but when 1v1 with Worm, the Dutch keeper stuck out a firm hand to deny the German. Ramsey however continued to excel in the midfield and like I mentioned, continued his fine goal scoring form this year to make it four in the league already.
Morale is high and the team are playing excellently from defence to attack. It's the return of the Champions League on Tuesday and Arsenal host Napoli (7.45pm k/o) in their second group stage match.
The two sides drew 2-2 in the Emirates Cup match in the summer but I expect a very different game this time around.
The former Cardiff kid secures the points against the Swans
The season may only have recently started but assessing early progress, albeit with five games played, is worth it.
Looking back on the club over the last eight years is hard. But with the difficulties faced, for Wenger and the side any apparent progress being made now should be taken little by little.
By this I feel the club's aims and goals should be short-term and assessments made in short intervals. We have seen sides go up and down in form, and despite fans being hopeful the side can keep things going the way they currently are, nobody would be foolish for thinking a dip could occur at any moment.
At least for now, the side appear to know each other and this comes from Wenger being able to maintain his starting players for the first time in years. Not that we need reminding but in the past top players in the likes of Vieira, Henry, Clichy, Nasri, Fabregas, and Van Perise have all left, questioning the sides abilities to challenge with the best.
A poor start against Villa seems a long, long time ago
So in assessment of this early milestone, what has happened at Arsenal so far?
It began with the usual; fans (including myself) demanding for Wenger to spend what is demanded on world-class players. Nothing happened among all the media talk of Higuain, Suarez and Rooney and I saw the team struggle in their pre-season tournament against Napoli (2-2), before losing against Didier Drogba's Galatasary (1-2) at the Emirates Stadium.
Two players were brought in ahead of deadline day in unknown young striker Yaya Sanogo, and there was a welcome return for midfielder Mathieu Flamini. He's been a solid establishment in the Arsenal midfield behind Ramsey, and our attacking force while Arteta has been sidelined through injury.
Speaking of the midfield, Ramsey has been exceptional and few would have expected this of the 22-year-old Welshman following a disappointing season last time round. He has relished in his starting opportunities with goals spread out across the Champions League and Premier league. He currently has six goals to his name this season with three in the league - one behind Giroud, who leads the Premier League's top scorers alongside Aston Villa's Benteke - and there appears to be no stopping the former Cardiff player.
I mentioned Arsenal's poor displays in their pre-season tournament hosting Napoli and Galatasary and they certainly weren't up the opening game of the campaign at home to Aston Villa. They lost 3-1 that day, with some calling it probably the worst league display from Arsenal for some time. Of course the first game of the season is difficult for all teams, who go into the new football year fresh and on level terms, but that afternoon appears to have given Wenger's side the kick up the backside that they needed. Would we be on the high we are now if not?
And then Transfer Deadline Day happened.
Arsenal's capture of Ozil has been compared to that of Dennis Bergkamp's.
He's become an instant hit, nicknamed the Wizard of Oz.
The capture of Mesut Ozil has been praised continuously. I mean, everyone knew of his abilities and world-class status, but he looks as though he has been playing in this Arsenal side for three years, yet along a few weeks. Lacking in muscle perhaps, but he has all the attributes of a real world-class playmaker and is doing what he does best, with three assists in two games already.
Former Gunner now-turned-coach, Steve Bould, took to helping the defence at the start of the 2012-13 season but I don't think it really clicked (and not that the media talk of a rift between Wenger and Bould would have helped). Something seems different this year however, despite there still being some vulnerabilities, but they are a much more organised side while defending more solidly as a team and this is encouraging.
The first of the two North London derby's is out of the way, with a win for Arsenal, assisting them in the current four game unbeaten run in the league. Add to that their Champions League wins over Fenerbache and Marseille bringing their total unbeaten streak to seven from a possible eight. The Gunners have also won their last ten away games on the bounce; a run which dates back to their 2-0 win against Bayern Munich in Germany in March.
We're five games in and Arsenal begin their League Cup campaign away to West Bromwich Albion (WBA) tomorrow night (25/09 - 8pm k/o GMT) before they travel to the South of Wales to play Swansea on Saturday night (5:30pm k/o GMT), enabling them to increase their unbeaten and away streaks.
All the players are doing well but I still wonder how they will fair against Manchester City or Chelsea. Manchester United have been iffy, but they are the might comeback kings, right? They always turn things around. Still, we shall see what happens when the fixtures come round and as the season progresses.
Whatever may be around the corner, the fans and the players are jubilant with the form they find themselves in. Long may it continue, but let's assess that at the 10-match milestone.
The BBC's Premier League table can be viewed here.
Arsenal finally did enough to see off Marseille in their opening Champions League encounter last night thanks to two second half goals by Theo Walcott and Aaron Ramsey.
Walcott smashed in a rocket of a shot to open his scoring account for the season, before Ramsey drove through the Marseille half before unleashing a deflected shot past Mandanda, to continue his fine form. In the 90th minute he was then deemed to have caught Andre Ayew in the box (though replays showed he got the ball with Ayew making the most of minimal 'contact') whose brother Jordan scored from the spot.
The home side's goal came too late however as Arsenal ran out winners in this tie, marking their tenth successive away win; a run which dates back to Arsenal's 2-0 win on March 13 against Bayern Munich, and is a new club record.
It also marks Arsenal's sixth successive win on the trot this season as the Gunners haven't lost a game since the opening day of the campaign against Aston Villa.
The Gunners enjoyed periods of control, particularly in the opening twenty minutes, but the hosts looked a little threatening on the attack but their shots were limited and from range, with Arsenal's defence showing significant improvements have been made in this area. Szczesny had little to do but looked assured when needing to make a save.
There was one gasp in the second half however when the keeper and Mertesacker appeared to lack communication, with the tall German looping the ball over the Polishman as he left his line. Fortunately Gibbs read it and headed the ball off the line before a Marseille player could attack.
Walcott had had previous chances and following his recent form, continued to prove his lack of finishing in front of goal, though he smashed in his only goal of the game here. Perhaps he had some anger behind the strike, and quite rightly so for someone who claims to want to be a striker but needs chance after chance to get one goal. However Wenger now believes the Englishman will find his eye for goal and fans will certainly hope so too with Giroud our only other injury-free, recognised forward.
Ramsey was pulling the strings yet again in midfield and being involved in all of Arsenal's movement up and down the pitch. Is there any stopping the Welshman who now has six goals in seven appearances so far this season?
Arsenal will welcome last year's Champions League runner's up Borussia Dortmund, who lost 2-0 away to Napoli last night, to the Emirates in the next European encounter, but despite conceding yet another penalty late on this time around, will be pleased to have their Champions League campaign up and running with three points from the first game.
Arsenal continue to be growing in confidence and this bodes well as attentions now turn back to the Premier League. Dogged Stoke are the visitors to London on Sunday (22/09 - k/o 13:30pm GMT) and may be the next side to feel the wrath of Ramsey and co.
Goals scored:
Walcott (65')
Ramsey (84')
Can anyone stop him? Ramsey drives in Arsenal's second at the Stade Velodrome
Who needs Ozil when you have Ramsey? I'm only joking. You'd want them both.
This goes especially on Ramsey's recent form, who continued his fine season so far with two goals to finish off Sunderland on Saturday.
He's certainly been exceptional in our midfield this season, showing maturity and the qualities he has lacked in seasons gone by. Not many would have thought he would be playing at a level as he is now following his leg break against Stoke all of three years ago.
After Sunderland drew level at 1-1 Arsenal managed to find a spell of possession, and Jenkinson's cross was met by a well low struck volley on the edge of the area by Ramsey. The Welshman later showed a class finish that Walcott could learn from, after an excellent first touch allowed him to calmly slot the ball past Keiren Westwood.
The game gave Ozil his debut in English football and he looked accustomed to it. It took the German only 10 minutes to do what he does best, and assisted Giroud with a well-timed through ball after taking the ball down from a long pass.
The 42.4 million pound signing wasn't initially in Wenger's starting XI, who admitted he would like to have eased him into the side after suffering from illness. However, with Cazorla and Rosicky sidelined, he had little options.
Despite riding their luck with some official decisions, Arsenal showed a lot of attacking class against Sunderland, as we enter the time of year where Arsenal begin to slump in the colder, less Summery conditions.
Following their 3-1 win at the weekend, Arsenal now look ahead to Marseille tomorrow night (18/09 - 7:45pm k/o GMT) where they will hope to continue their fine form and begin their Champions League campaign in style.
Giroud and Ozil may not feature however with the striker picking up and knee injury on Saturday and Ozil is not yet completely over his illness. With Podolski out until around Christmas (is it really nearly that time of year already??), and Sanogo out, Walcott could be the only replacement up front but he's hardly the best of finishers half the time as we have seen time and again.
If Wenger had only upped his offer for Demba Ba by £1m he could have had the striker on loan from Chelsea and we wouldn't be in so much of a striker crisis, but recently the side have found a way and it'll be good to see them up against the finest in Europe once more.
Sign of things to come: Ozil on form against Sunderland
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
