Welcome back lads, now it's time to concentrate for the title

So the international break is finally over and we can get back to the familiar grind of the Premiership title race. It has been a while since we last saw our beloved Gunners in action. March was a totally disappointing month for us, with elimination in all the Cup competitions leaving only the Premiership title available as our sole remaining challenge.

It is not going to be easy to win the title this time around with 6 of our last 10 matches are away from home. It is never going to be easy travelling to the White Hart Lane, Britannia or the Reebok but we absolutely have to gain maximum points from these matches if we harbour any hope of winning the title. Man United is 5 points in front of us but have a slightly easy run in barring the consecutive matches against us and Chelsea. However they do have the advantage of playing 5 out of their last 9 matches at home. Nonetheless, if we win all our matches from now until the end of the season, I am sure we will be crowned champions.

A lot of our hopes will depend on the injury situation with the players. I don’t think we lost any players during the international break although there was a scare when Van Persie hobbled of in the Netherlands vs Hungary match. Luckily it was not a major injury and the striker should be available for us against Blackburn. We should also welcome back the trio of Cesc Fabregas, Theo Walcott and Alex Song to the team for the home match this Saturday. We badly need the trio back in the squad as we are short of able replacements in their positions.

Wishere and Ramsey will be great for Arsenal's future

I just finished watching the England vs Wales match and there is no doubt that both Wilshere and Ramsey will be great for Arsenal in the near future. While the match was a bore especially in the first half where England just steam-rolled their way past a very listless and nervous Welsh side. It was not any better in the second half but at least Wales did try to make a match out of it.

I only watch the match because I wanted to see how Wilshere and Ramsey performed basically against each other. Of course, Jack was brilliant and his potetial is practically boundless. I am sure from this match forward he will be a first team regular in Capello's side. It is amazing how he has just seamless moved into the English first team this season. I think Capello will have a hard time to decide if he is going to drop Lampard or Gerrard in the next match because there is no dislodging young Jack.

As for Ramsey, I still think he is not back to his full potential yet, although he played quite well in the match. You could see that he tried to do his best to galvanise the squad but there were glimpses of rustiness in his play. His first touch was poor at times and he faded towards the end of the match as his stamina gave way.

As I see it, both Wilshere and Ramsey will carry Arsenal's fortunes moving forward. Forget about the Diaby's and Denilson's, we have two British players who are miles ahead of the rest. When Frimpong comes back, I am sure we will have a midfield trio that will dominated the Premiership midfield battles for years to come. Don't forget, Jack and Frimpong are only 19 and Ramsey only 20.

In the midst of all the gloom and doom of Arsenal's form going into the international break, let's share in the dream of this exciting trio conquering everything that is in front of them.

There is a reason why Almunia went from No 1 to No 3

It is unbelievable how little faith some fans have in the Arsenal team after the match yesterday. Yes we dropped two valuable points and is now 5 points from leaders Man United. This match was always going to be difficult as the Baggies are quite a resilient side at the Hawthorns. Since Roy Hodgson took over, they have tighten up their ship and is on a good run, being unbeaten in their last four matches. So it is quite commendable that we managed to return with a point. The lads did not play their best but the way they fought back shows that we still have what it takes to become league champions.

There are still nine more matches to go and it is this month that the leaders will face their most demanding schedule. If they successful navigate the month without dropping any points, they deserve to win the title. Personally I am sure they will drop some more points before they arrive at the Emirates in the beginning of May. It is the job of Arsene and the Gunners to make sure that we still within touching distance by the end of April.

We have many difficult games as well so it will be interesting to see how we are going to take advantage of the situation. This next international break is welcomed for the club as it gives the injured players a long time to recuperate. Ideally when we play our next match against Blackburn, we will welcome the return of Cesc, Theo and Song to the first team. Without the trio, we have loss a little spark and it is not a coincidence that we have not managed get full points from the last two league matches.

The only thing that worries me is Almunia. He is really a disaster and there is a reason why he went from No 1 choice at the start of the season to No 3 by the turn of the New Year. Our goalkeeping situation was very much in control with Wojciech between the sticks. Now we only hope a 41 year old keeper can take over from this walking time bomb.

Three players we MUST sell this summer

In my last post, I mentioned the youth players I would like to see in the first team next season. To accommodate them, we need to get rid of certain first team players. There have been many players who have underperformed this year but these three on my list have been given ample opportunities to impress but they have not done anything to stake their claim to continue wearing the arsenal jersey

Abou Diaby

Of all the players I dislike in the Arsenal team, this guy takes the top prize. No doubt he is talented and has shown that he is a pretty decent player but he just doesn't come through for the team often enough. The times when we trusted him to do the job he fails. He is also the reason why we fail go score many goals if he is in the team. He just slows down the attack. Just watch him play and you will know what I mean

Denilson

Well he came with so much promise but after the FA Cup defeat, I think it is time for him to leave. There is no passion or commitment at all from this guy. How can you explain him being bossed out by the da silva twins. Also him allowing the opponents to move faster than him like what Valencia did for the second Man United goal was unforgivable. It's not the first time as well. Remember how Rooney scored in the defeat at the Emirates last year.

Nicklas Bendtner

Earlier this season the Dane was making all sort of noises about how he is the best striker in the club. Well nothing of that quality has come from this guy from what I see. He first touch is atrocious. If he is a good striker and possess a decent first touch, we would have been in the champions league quarterfinals this year. If as the report says that he is worth 15 million pounds, please do the deal immediately

Three youth players I want to see in the first team next year

As we approach the last 10 games of the season, talks have begun to surface on the new arrivals that are needed for next season. Even though the season has not ended, we already can assume that there are some who will not be around for next season. I will touch of the few whom I seriously do not want to see in an Arsenal jersey after May but for now, let's see who we can expect to be in the first team next season.

Besides Jack Wilshere and to a certain extent Kieran Gibbs, we have not had many players coming out for the academy and having a prolonged run in the first team. Of course we might see Miquel get his chance in the later part of this season but there are three others currently out on loan or injured which I feel must be included into the first team consideration for next year. These three players are:

Jay Emmanuel Thomas



Henri Lansbury



Emmanuel Frimpong




All three players have been on the fringes of the first team and out on loan for the past two seasons. Looking at the depth of the team and the players we have currently like Diaby, Denilson and Bendtner, I am sure the three players above have more desire and talent to play and make it big with the Arsenal first team

Injuries derailing our season yet again

It seems like a sense of deja vu how this season and the last has panned out so far. Last year we were well into a three team chase for the Premiership title when injuries to key personnel struck us down. Out of nowhere we lost Cesc, Gallas, Vermaelen,Arshavin, Clichy, Song to join the long term absentees RVP, Rosicky, and Walcott as we entered the critical phase of the season. No prizes for remembering what happened next as the team could not compensate for the missing players.

This year, once again we are approaching the final stretch with a chance of regaining the Premiership title and the injury curse seems to be rearing its head again. In recent weeks, we have lost Walcott, Wojciech, Song and now Djourou. Bearing in mind we are already missing Vermaelen and Fabianski, taking the total of key players out to 6. We have seen this year that any team missing its key players will not be able to survive without dropping points. Chelsea's slump towards the end of 2010 was attributed to the loss of players like Lampard, Drogba and Alex while we have seen the Man United is certainly vulnerable without Ferdinand and Vidic as proven by the Liverpool defeat. The same goes for the Gunners, if we cannot get some of the players back for the final stretch, we might be in serious trouble.

The only positive thing about this season is that we are getting the players back faster than they normally would. RVP was supposed to be out for 6 weeks but he came back in 2, while Cesc's hamstring should not keep him out for more than 2 weeks. We don't know when Song and Walcott can be back but let's hope we can take advantage of the international break and see them back in action for April. That's the other positive thing this year. We have an international break coming up so that will give the players another week to get well and be ready for the final run in. This year we face a straight fight with Man United for the title so we need all hands on deck to see us through.

Where is the heart?

I know I said that I didn't mind us losing this match but certainly not in the manner that we did. We put out a strong squad whereas the opposition played with 7 defenders on their line-up. Looking at the line-up, I seriously expected for the team to go on and beat the Mancs. It was a line-up with next week's Champions League encounter in mind and yet we couldn't beat them.

However, what irked me most about this defeat is the lack of heart among the Arsenal players in the game. The lads were playing at pedestrian pace and not showing any passion for the match at all. It was like they were being forced at gunpoint to participate in the game. Of all the players, the only one who really tried was Jack Wilshere and this is a boy of 18 years. The rest of the seniors players especially Denilson, Diaby and Arshavin were not even trying. Both goals came as a result of the lackidaisical attitude of the holding midfielders. For the first, we saw Fabio having lost of space to receive the ball when Diaby was still strolling back to the penalty box while for the second, Denilson allowed Valencia to carry the ball over 60 metres up till the penalty box without even getting close to the player. He was again just strolling along with Valencia. The other guy who dissapointed was Kieran Gibbs. Here is a the England left back of the future but he was so poor as Rafael just breeze past him to set up the second goal.

Seriously, where is the heart in playing for Arsenal? This is the FA Cu, for god sake. If the match doesn't excite the players, I am not sure if they are in the right profession. The opposition was certainly no better the us in terms of talent but they just showed more passion. Wayne Rooney for all his criticism as always at the back holding his court in front of the left back and bouncing forward whenever they had a break. That is what we need.PASSION!

I am too sick to the stomach to write anymore about the team. Its best to just leave the dissapointment to rest for the week. I am afraid we will also be losing Djourou for some time with a dislocated shoulder. On the other hand, it's great to see Rambo back in the first team. Pity it didn't come with better circumstances

FA CUP: Manchester United vs Arsenal

I am in two minds for this match tomorrow. While it would be good to beat Man United in their own den and continue to the semi-finals of the FA Cup, I wonder if it would not be better to lose this match and concentrate fully on the Premier League. We obviously do not have the depth to handle so many challenges.

The Premiership is the number target of us this season so any other challenges can be regarded as a distraction. If we were to lose this game, it means adding another game to Man United's already congested fixture. With the Champions League and FA Cup, Man United will have to play a minimum of 8 games in the month of April compared to our 6. You can see how big tomorrow match will be, not because it is the FA Cup quarterfinals but because of the repercussions on the Premiership title chase.

However, we are in now in the quarter-finals and have two matches to go before we reach another Wembley final. I think it would be good for the team to redeem themselves in Wembley after the Carling Cup debacle. Arsene has come out to say that he will be putting up a strong team tomorrow. Whether this is the right decision for the league title chase, it still remains to be seen.

Champions League over, let's concentrate on the Premiership

I can't say that the result was not expected but the way that we lost yesterday's match was so disappointing. True, we would probably have lost the match but we would never know what could have happened had RVP stayed on. We have just equalized and the Barca defense was a bit shaken. We could have easily gone on to score another goal just like how we manage to with Bendtner's last minute opportunity. In the end, it was another bad judgement call by a referee which we are paying dearly for it. How in the hell RVP got the second yellow card is beyond me. The only possible explanation is that UEFA wants to have Barcelona in the semifinals for commercial reasons and the stooge in the middle of the park has to deliver what his paymasters want. Other than that, I can't think of any other reason. Sometimes, I wonder if the footballing powers in England and Europe should ever want to see Arsenal being successful. The number of refereeing decisions that has gone against us this season is mind boggling. Newcastle, Sunderland and now Barcelona have had the good fortune of playing the Gunners with a biased referee in the middle. I wouldn't be surprised at all if this weekend's FA Cup quarterfinal clash with Man United is settled not by the players but by the referee again.

Nonetheless, I am quite happy that we are out of the Champions League. I think it is a distraction to our main aim this season which is the Premiership. Remember last year, Chelsea was knocked out at the same stage and they went on to win the league title. The same thing can happen to the Gunners. We do not need the Champions League matches in midweek to cloud our already congested fixture list. Let Man United, Chelsea and Tottenham to fight it out. If I am not mistaken all these teams have to play at least 8 matches in April should they continue to move on in the Champions League compared to us with only 6 or 7 matches depending on the FA Cup.

So being out of the Champions League is probably the best news for our Premiership title hopes. Well, that's how I see it.

Two points dropped but a precious one gained

While many Arsenal fans are still moaning about the two points dropped on Saturday, it may not have come to our minds that the one point gained is extremely precious especially in the light of Man United's defeat yesterday.

The pundits have all mentioned how nothing has changed after the weekend's result but I beg to differ. There is a major difference and it all comes to the one point gained at the Emirates.

Before the weekend's round of matches, we were four points back from the Red Devils. That is a 2 match result meaning we need 2 matches to go our way before we can overtake Man United. For example, it would mean beating Man United at home AND getting at least a draw in the game in hand versus Spurs at White Hart Lane.

Now that we are only 3 points back, we do not need a result in the extra match. So even if we did lose to Spurs (pray not), we will still be able to overhaul Man United if we beat them at the Emirates.

Therefore, we are just so much better off. Not winning the match against Sunderland turned out to be insignificant because one point behind or three points, it is still the same: a one match chase.

Arsenal three points behind United with a game in hand

All the gloom from yesterday turned much better as Liverpool beat Manchester United 3-1 today at Anfield. A hattrick by Dirk Kuyt condomned United to their third loss in five Premiership games. Surely this is the chance that we have been waiting for.

As it stands now, the title is still in our hands. We do not need United to lose or draw their matches if we can match their points until the end of the season. It will all boil down to May 1 when the Red Devils visit the Emirates. Win that games and I am sure we will lift the title. However getting all the points from now until then might be a problem if we keep getting players injured. The latest one to take a knock is Jack Wilshere, although he has come out say that he will definitely be ready for the Barcelona match.

We have failed to take our chances when the league leaders falter throughout the season. It was the same when Chelsea was leading and it is now happening again. The road till the end of the season is worst for us then it is for Man United with away games to Stoke and Spurs to come, while we will need to entertain Liverpool as well. It would not criticised the boys for yesterday's performance except for that of Diaby and Denilson. These two player are seriously not good enough and should be discarded next season, for they will impede the progress of the young players coming through like Frimpong, Lansbury and Ramsey.

The next two games will also have a major bearing on our league aspirations this year. Although I would definitely like to be challenging for all honours, I don't think we have the depth to do it and a defeat in the Cup or Champions League may actually be a blessing in disguise

A Collectors' item: Bendner's hattrick and Clichy's goal

So all the hype about Leyton Orient coming to the Emirates and creating an upset ended with a leisurely win for the Gunners last night. Truth be told, I don't think the lads we out of second gear throughout the match. From their movements and morale, it seems like the defeat on Sunday was still very much in the minds. This is something we need to watch out for this Saturday because Sunderland is definitely no Leyton Orient.

The 5-0 scoreline flattered us a little bit because I don't think we were that good. Leyton tried to play us at our game and lost. Kudos goes to Russell Slade and his men for not taking the all defensive, all robust route to compete with the Gunners. Anyway which way, they would have still lost but in this manner at least they gained some respect from Arsene and the boys.

It was good to see Arsene give both Ignasi Miguel and Connor Henderson their home debuts for the senior team. I thought both of them played well, in particular Miquel. He needs to work on his bulk for next season and should be a great defender in the mould of Gerard Pique. Henderson show some nice touches but he was a bit passive and not willing to take the risk.Probably it was because this being his senior debut, he didn't want to commit any mistakes. I am sure we will see more of him in the future.

As for the goals, it is really a night for the collectors. When will you ever see a game again when Bendtner scores a hattrick and Clichy gets a goal as well. This being only the Frenchman's second goal in all his time with the club, it would probably never happen again ever.

Beating Sunderland on Saturday is a more immediate concern than Barcelona

I don't understand why all the reports on the injured players have focuses on whether they will be back to face Barcelona next week. There is a more important match at the weekend which is of a more immediate concern that next week's match. The result at Stamford Bridge yesterday meant that the Gunners are well within reach of the League title and we need to take every opportunity that the Red Devils present to us.

There have been too many times in the past that we failed to take advantage of the situation when the league leaders stumble at the top. Our home defeats to WBA and Newcastle came at a time when Chelsea dropped some points but we failed to close in on them. Now we have the perfect opportunity to close the gap to only one point. With United having to go to Anfield with only one recognized center back, there will be more opportunities for drop points. However, all this is immaterial unless we are able to take advantage of the situation.

Today's FA Cup replay is a bit of a distraction and I think the boss will field a second string side against the minnows. We should have enough in reserve to beat Leyton Orient but even if we don't I won't be crying over it. The FA Cup is now the least priority and with our injury list growing again, it would be a competition i would sacrifice for the chance of winning the other two.

Are we waiting to end the drought with the League Title

A positive thought crossed my mind after we lost the League Cup on Sunday. Yes it was a great opportunity to end the title drought after six years but may be is it a title worthy of that honour. Of course I am disappointed and this might sound like the ramblings of a sore loser but isn’t it better if we were to win the Premiership title as the first trophy of the Wenger youth project. It will certainly be the crowning glory to his many achievements here at Arsenal. Maybe that’s why it is fated we didn’t win the League Cup.

One thing’s for sure, the League Cup is not the end all for the Gunners. Earlier I wrote that we may suffer major psychological setbacks from a defeat at Wembley. We still could but I am hoping the lads can rise above their misery and carry on to continue the good work they have done so far. There is still much to play for especially in the Premiership and FA Cup. It would do nobody any good for the lads to be brooding over the defeat. The sentiments coming the dressing room is that they have gotten over the defeat so we shall see tomorrow if it is true. A win over Leyton Orient is a must, not only for progress to the FA Cup quarter finals but more so for the improving morale in the team.