The five-match milestone: Arsenal move on from season opener in style

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.

...And he may well be smiling once again

Marseille 1 - 2 Arsenal

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

Ozil and Ramsey dream team?

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

Seriously, who's a fan of the international break?

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

Ozil is the business

A couple of days late I may be but first off, welcome to Arsenal Mesut Ozil.

To say Arsene has pulled off a great bit of work here is an understatement. Ozil has proven himself at the highest level and I can't wait to see him start playing for us.

On Monday I fully expected Demba Ba and Angel Di Maria to sign but when I heard Ozil was undergoing a medial (which seemed to drag on) I was still more than happy. I still hoped Wenger would bring in another striker and I am a fan of Ba, but Giroud is in good form so let's hope that continues!

Is the reported fee of £42.4m a bit too much? I'd say so for one player but then I think I've heard of some other players going for more...

Add to the fact Wenger hasn't spent the millions compared to other clubs in recent years, and not even a penny this summer, to spend this amount of money on a world class player doesn't sound too bad.

Ozil becomes the third German over the last couple of years to sign for the Gunners, and he will be welcomed by his fellow international team-mates Per Mertesacker and Lukas Podolski. I can't wait to see Podolski and Ozil link up together, as well as see our new number 11 play alongside other creative talent in Santi Cazrola and Jack Wilshere.

Nobody would have thought Arsenal would've been able to bring in an established player considering their apparently deteriorating status as a footballing force.

Morale will be high at the Emirates however with Arsenal on a good run, and having made one of the best signings possible. It seems, Mesut Ozil is already a fan favourite, and he hasn't even kicked a ball in Arsenal colours! I'm more than tempted to buy a shirt with his name on.

Podolski celebrates with Ozil, as the new signing looks ahead to joining up
with the Arsenal team after the international break

Arsenal also brought in Emiliano Viviano on loan from Palermo on transfer deadline day. The Italian keeper will be in contention with Szczesny and Fabianki for the number 1 jersey, but Szczesny is in top form and it would be difficult to drop him.

Arsene has finally done business that fans have been shouting out for. He surprised us, like he said, and he's acquired one of the best players in the world. These could be exciting times for the club.

New loanee Emiliano Viviano 

The Champions League challenge

The draw for the Champions League Group Stages has been concluded placing Arsenal (seeded 1st) in Group F alongside Marseille, Borussia Dortmund and Napoli.

This will prove a stern test for the Gunners who have often had little trouble in qualifying to the knockout rounds of the competition. Of course I don't think there are many fans who believe the club have the capabilities to win the Champions League just yet, but I am concerned, looking at Group F, that Arsenal will even be able to go on past the groups.

Arsenal struggled against Napoli in the Emirates Cup earlier in the summer, as both sides battled to a 2-2 draw (which included a Giroud overhead kick). Of course that was pre-season and Arsenal didn't look ready for the new season at that point, as proved two weeks later in their opening day disaster against Aston Villa.

Higuain featured that afternoon; the striker reportedly linked with a move to the Emirates Stadium, before moving to the Italian side. He was booed, and I am sure he will be again when the sides meet in the Champions League. They looked good on the attack, showing the vulnerabilities in Arsenal's lacklustre defence.

Dortmund meanwhile have the likes of Subotic, Hummels, Bender, Blasczczykowski, and Lewandowski and German teams, as we are seeing, are making names for themselves in modern football. They finished second in the Bundesliga last year and were runners up against Bayern Munich in last year's Champions League final which they lost 2-1. Of course the last time we came close to the cup was the final of 2006, but let's not linger our thoughts there.

Flamini re-signs on a three-year deal

In other news, Flamini has signed for the club, making his second spell with Arsenal. He had been training in pre-season after completing his contract with AC Milan, who he signed for in 2008. The 29-year-old is a versatile midfielder who can also play at either left or right back, and I think all Arsenal fans will be pleased to have him back.

Of course supporters still want money to be spent, but time continues to be against Arsene, who has reiterated he is still looking to spend big before Monday's deadline.

2013/14 Champions League Group Draw:

Group A - Manchester United; Shakhtar Donetsk; Bayer Leverkusen; Real Sociedad.

Group B - Real Madrid; Juventus; Galatasary; Copenhagen.

Group C - Benfica; PSG; Olympiakos; Anderlecht.

Group D - Bayern Munich; CSKA Moscow; Manchester City; Viktoria Plzen.

Group E - Chelsea; Schalke; Basel; Steaua Bucharest.

Group F - Arsenal; Marseille; Borussia Dortmund; Napoli.

Group G - Porto; Atletico Madrid; Zenit St. Petersburg; Austria Vienna.

Group H - Barcelona; AC Milan; Ajax; Celtic.  

The draw is made in Monaco

Arsenal through to Champions League group stage

As expected, Arsenal have cruised into the group stages of the Champions League at the expense of Fenerbache, as Ramsey was on hand to score a double in their 2-0 win last night (5-0 aggregate).

Goals in either half by the Welshman, including a well taken placed volley from a Gibbs cross, showed levels of confidence in the midfielder, as he followed on from his display against Fulham.

The 5-0 aggregate scoreline ensures Arsenal have qualified for the Champions League for the sixteenth time under Wenger's reign, making it twelve wins out twelve via the qualifier play-offs.

The draw for the group stage will take place in Monaco tomorrow (Thursday) at 5:45pm local time (4:45pm GMT).

After the match, Wenger refused to discuss new signings but is aware playing in the Champions League is a defining factor in players decisions to join new clubs. But it is whether players believe they can win trophies, and not just simply participate with Europe's top teams, that will make them join a new club.

Arsenal remain linked with Angel Di Maria but Galatasary are being reported by Turkish media that a transfer fee for the winger has been agreed, and so Wenger will have to react quickly if he wants to make signatures, with only five days left before the window slams shut. The media have also linked Arsenal to Mesut Ozil who didn't appear happy with being substituted in Madrid's last match, but then that isn't a great reason to simply want a move. A world-class signing he would be nonetheless.

Furthermore, Juan Mata's father was in the stands last night against Fenerbache. The Chelsea midfielder is another reported unsettled player who may not feature in Jose Mourinho's plans at Stamford Bridge. Arsenal were interested in his signature in the summer Chelsea signed him, with Wenger refusing to offer a few more million pounds for him. Transfer talk is fun, so it will be interesting to see what, if anything, materialises over the coming days.

As for now, Arsenal look ahead to Sunday's clash in the North London derby against Tottenham who have won both of their Premier League games so far. Arsenal go into the match with three successive wins in their League and Play-off ties which makes for a great meeting. However, the inform Ramsey left the pitch slightly early last night, while Podolski appears to have pulled a hamstring and could be out for three weeks Wenger confirmed. Wilshere played all of the 90 minutes last night despite taking a knock to his ankle late on, and Wenger has already said he doesn't want to over-use the young English midfielder.

Arsenal v Spurs kicks off at 4pm (GMT) at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday September 1.

Ramsey celebrates with Sanogo, after scoring his second
goal in last night's match against Fenerbache (5-0 agg)