Leo Ulloa once again proved his worth as his goal earned Premier League new-boys Leicester their second point of the season with a 1-1 draw against Arsenal.
Much of the post-match talk is likely to surround it being a disappointing result for the Gunners and also whether or not Arsene Wenger will bring in a new striker at Arsenal before the transfer window slams shut.
Despite Arsenal's failings in the match at the King Power Stadium, it would be unfair for all the focus to be on Wenger's men. Leicester deserve huge credit for their approach to the game and how they really took the game to Arsenal.
Considering the fixture list given to them meant opening the new season with games against Everton, Chelsea and Arsenal, a two-point return isn't all that bad. Sides coming up from the Championship are often expected to go straight back down but as years have passed, the so-called smaller sides have begun coping better with life in the top flight. Leicester boss Nigel Pearson would obviously have preferred victories but two-points from three games against sides from last season's top five is a decent achievement.
Leicester's approach to the game indicates to me that they will be fine in the Premier League and should be able to avoid relegation, although it is still early days.
As for Arsenal, this really is a game they should have been winning, without being too disrespectful to Leicester. Although the performances up until now have been far from convincing, the results haven't actually been too bad. Four points out of six against Crystal Palace and Everton isn't too bad a return. But failing to beat a newly promoted side, something we didn't find a problem at all last season, is not the sign of a side who wants to be seriously competing for the league title.
There are no easy games in the league as was proven by Stoke's surprise 1-0 win at Manchester City but I really expected Arsenal to come away with nothing other than a victory against the Foxes.
There were worrying signs for Arsenal inside the first quarter of the game when Laurent Koscielny and Jeff Schlupp's heads collided, leaving the French defender on the floor requiring treatment. Arsenal's key centre-back went off for further treatment before returning to the field sporting a blue bandage resembling a swimming cap.
It wasn't too long before Koscielny was eventually forced off, although not before the games' two goals were scored. Summer signing Alexis Sanchez, whose goal helped the Gunners qualify for the Champions League group stages in midweek, scored his first league for his new club after 20 minutes. Santi Cazorla sent a lovely chip over the top over the Leicester defence for Yaya Sanogo, who could only poorly shoot across goal, but the Chilean was on hand to smash home the loose ball.
Arsenal would've then been expected to take control of the game but the hosts hit back just two minutes later. Record signing Ulloa, who joined for £8million from Brighton in the summer, ghosted past Koscielny to power home a header from Schlupp's cross for his second goal in three games.
Koscielny was replaced by Calum Chambers soon after and Gunners' fans will be hoping their star defender isn't out for too long.
Arsenal were great at times but really lacked a killer instinct in front of goal in the first half. The ratio of shots to shots on target was poor, again highlighting the need for a new striker, especially with Olivier Giroud out for several months. Lukas Podolski deserves more game time and keeping him on the bench is only going to knock his confidence. As for Sanogo, some of the criticism aimed at him is unfair but he still isn't the answer. He is a young player and still developing, and maybe needs a spell out on loan. He impressed in a few appearances last season but has frustrated Gunners' fans so far in this campaign.
He could become a decent player but thrusting him into the attack, expecting him to become the main striker, is piling far too much pressure on the lad. Admittedly he isn't the best of players but putting so much expectation on his shoulders can't be helping either. We really need to add a top class striker to the ranks. We have a talented squad and adding a top class striker to the mix would make a dramatic difference, while failing to do that will make a serious title challenge difficult. Usually I always back Wenger, but he really must act now! Come on Wenger! Go buy us a striker now before the window shuts!
Sanchez at least gave us some attacking positives from the game, as not only did he take his goal well but his work-rate was exceptional and he worked his socks off and he'll only get better if we add another top class forward to support him. We really need to start converting more chances and a new striker is the answer. Otherwise we could find ourselves, as we have seen before, controlling games but then not winning because we haven't been clinical enough.
Lack of killer instinct in front of goal almost cost us dear with a heart in mouth moment early in the second half. I genuinely thought we were about to fall behind when Ulloa controlled a high ball, played a neat one-two and got the better of Chambers - all excellent from the Argentine forward up until that point. Luckily the end product wasn't so spectacular and Ulloa shot high into the side-netting.
At the other end, Aaron Ramsey beat the offside trap and had plenty of space but sent his header straight at Kasper Schmeichel before the Dane later reacted quickly to deny Sanogo. The game was crying out for Podolski or the Ox, or maybe Joel Campbell, to come on to add some variety in attack but further changes didn't occur until the 77th minute. I would've loved to have seen Podolski and Ox come on a lot earlier to give them more time to make an impact.
Wojciech Szczesny spared Arsenal's blushes seven minutes from time when he produced a fine save at full stretch to deny Leicester substitute Jamie Vardy before Danny Drinkwater shot wide in injury time.
A point is not the end of the world but we should've done far better. We are still unbeaten and can take positives, but performances must improve as we have not been good enough so far this season, with the exception of the display against Manchester City in the Community Shield. We have to improve quickly as champions City are next on the horizon at the Emirates. We have a few weeks before the next game but with City and Chelsea looming in September we have to step things up a gear. City will be smarting from their defeat to Stoke and are likely to come out all guns blazing so we have to be 100% ready to make sure we avoid a disaster. We have the potential to win the game but also the potential to be on the end of a hiding, so it will certainly have to be one hell of a big performance.
Usually I am known for being among the most positive football fans my friends know but when I can see that the solution is so clear it is becoming increasingly frustrating. Wenger is fine to back the players at his disposal but if we buy a top class striker we can challenge seriously for the title. If we don't, we can't. It really is that simple!
Hopefully after the international break we will have an exciting new striker, Theo Walcott will be close to returning, Laurent Koscielny will definitely be okay and Mesut Ozil will suddenly remember he used to be among the world's best. I know we can do this, but whether we can is another story. One thing is for sure - no matter what happens I'm still Arsenal til I die!
COME ON YOU GUNNERS
Sunday, 31 August 2014
Wednesday, 27 August 2014
Alex-is Champions League hero
Alexis Sanchez scored his first goal for his new club as Arsenal secured their place in the Champions League group stages for a 17th consecutive season.
The summer signing from Barcelona scored in first-half stoppage time as the 10-man Gunners secured a 1-0 aggregate win over Besiktas in their Champions League play-off at the Emirates.
Sanchez will now be an even more vital member of Arsenal's front-line following the news that Olivier Giroud is set to be sidelined with an ankle injury until January.
The news comes as a huge blow to Gunners' boss Arsene Wenger and speculation will now increase on whether or not he will make any moves in the market before the transfer window closes next week.
Arsenal still arguably need a defensive midfielder but, more crucially, a striker is even higher up on the wish list now with Giroud now unlikely to play again in 2014. Lukas Podolski has yet to feature this season and Yaya Sanogo is still developing his game, while Sanchez is better utilised when used on the wing as opposed to up front. Although the Gunners squad is full of great talent it is still lacking a top class striker. Not only do we need cover for Giroud but a world class striker could be the difference between another fourth-placed finish and a serious title challenge. Like many Gooners, I am hoping Wenger acts quickly and signs someone before the window slams shut next week.
Back to the game and there wasn't much to choose between the sides in the Champions League play-off tie. Although Besiktas didn't create too many clear-cut chances, the Turkish outfit still managed to have the home fans on the edge of their seats for the majority of the game.
Gunners' fans felt a huge sense of relief when the visitors were denied two penalties in the first half. As biased as it may sound, I don't think either were penalties and think the referee got it spot on. In fact, for Jack Wilshere's challenge I thought he'd missed both the man and the ball and connected with neither until I later heard on Sky Sports news that the midfielder had apparently admitted to making contact. Also thought Mathieu Debuchy's challenge was fair, although I'd have to see the replay of that one again to be sure!
But Besiktas definitely can't just blame the referee; they should have been more clinical with their chances, with Demba Ba missing a great chance in the closing stages of the match. The Turks had at least looked like holding the scores goalless in the first half, until Wilshere played a neat one-two with Mesut Ozil before finding Sanchez to coolly slot home after 46 minutes.
Ba wasted a great chance in the second half when his shot hit the side-netting before Arsenal really should have doubled their advantage. Besiktas piled on the pressure and the tension increased when Arsenal were reduced to 10 men after Debuchy was booked for a second bookable offence. Some may say it was slightly harsh, but two red cards over two legs is not a good statistic and the discipline needs to be improved at the Emirates.
Luckily for Arsenal, the visitors failed to make their extra man count and when Ba failed to get on the end of a dangerous cross, the Gunners were able to breathe a huge sigh of relief. Reaching the group stages of the Champions League for a 17th successive season is a superb achievement and one to be proud of but we need to be aiming much higher than that.
On a tense night at the Emirates there were a lot of positives, even if the game itself proved far tenser than expected. Sanchez's work-rate was top class. He worked tirelessly throughout the game and thoroughly deserved his goal. Laurent Koscielny was a superb rock at the back and Debuchy looked decent...well until his dismissal that is! Wilshere also impressed, especially in the second half. The only big negatives for me were Giroud's injury and Ozil, who again looked a shadow of the player who produced an array of assists in his first few games at the club and now looks void of ideas despite being a World Cup winner.
Calum Chambers booking was also ridiculous. All he did was come on to the field as a substitute a fraction too early and before the referee had officially given him permission to. It was worthy of a swift telling off but not a yellow card.
It is important to focus on the positives and not get complacent when we travel to Leicester on Sunday, a game we really should be winning. We may not have put in the performances many fans had been hoping for but if someone had said to me before the start of the season we'd take four points from the opening two games and win the two-legged Champions League play-off I think I'd have taken that.
In other news, the draw for the third round of the League Cup took place on the same evening we secured Champions League progression. The Gunners will host Ronald Koeman's Southampton next month and I think home advantage will prove key to see us through, so long as we can find our top form and not underestimate Southampton. They have lost some key players over the summer but are still a tough nut to crack.
We definitely need to up our game as the performances haven't been ideal, but we started the season with silverware and are still unbeaten and long may it continue. If we can improve the performances and maintain a high level of consistency maybe we can mount more of a serious title challenge.
I just hope there is at least one new face in our squad, ideally a striker, before the transfer window closes until January, so let's wait and see what happens.
COME ON YOU GUNNERS
The summer signing from Barcelona scored in first-half stoppage time as the 10-man Gunners secured a 1-0 aggregate win over Besiktas in their Champions League play-off at the Emirates.
Sanchez will now be an even more vital member of Arsenal's front-line following the news that Olivier Giroud is set to be sidelined with an ankle injury until January.
The news comes as a huge blow to Gunners' boss Arsene Wenger and speculation will now increase on whether or not he will make any moves in the market before the transfer window closes next week.
Arsenal still arguably need a defensive midfielder but, more crucially, a striker is even higher up on the wish list now with Giroud now unlikely to play again in 2014. Lukas Podolski has yet to feature this season and Yaya Sanogo is still developing his game, while Sanchez is better utilised when used on the wing as opposed to up front. Although the Gunners squad is full of great talent it is still lacking a top class striker. Not only do we need cover for Giroud but a world class striker could be the difference between another fourth-placed finish and a serious title challenge. Like many Gooners, I am hoping Wenger acts quickly and signs someone before the window slams shut next week.
Back to the game and there wasn't much to choose between the sides in the Champions League play-off tie. Although Besiktas didn't create too many clear-cut chances, the Turkish outfit still managed to have the home fans on the edge of their seats for the majority of the game.
Gunners' fans felt a huge sense of relief when the visitors were denied two penalties in the first half. As biased as it may sound, I don't think either were penalties and think the referee got it spot on. In fact, for Jack Wilshere's challenge I thought he'd missed both the man and the ball and connected with neither until I later heard on Sky Sports news that the midfielder had apparently admitted to making contact. Also thought Mathieu Debuchy's challenge was fair, although I'd have to see the replay of that one again to be sure!
But Besiktas definitely can't just blame the referee; they should have been more clinical with their chances, with Demba Ba missing a great chance in the closing stages of the match. The Turks had at least looked like holding the scores goalless in the first half, until Wilshere played a neat one-two with Mesut Ozil before finding Sanchez to coolly slot home after 46 minutes.
Ba wasted a great chance in the second half when his shot hit the side-netting before Arsenal really should have doubled their advantage. Besiktas piled on the pressure and the tension increased when Arsenal were reduced to 10 men after Debuchy was booked for a second bookable offence. Some may say it was slightly harsh, but two red cards over two legs is not a good statistic and the discipline needs to be improved at the Emirates.
Luckily for Arsenal, the visitors failed to make their extra man count and when Ba failed to get on the end of a dangerous cross, the Gunners were able to breathe a huge sigh of relief. Reaching the group stages of the Champions League for a 17th successive season is a superb achievement and one to be proud of but we need to be aiming much higher than that.
On a tense night at the Emirates there were a lot of positives, even if the game itself proved far tenser than expected. Sanchez's work-rate was top class. He worked tirelessly throughout the game and thoroughly deserved his goal. Laurent Koscielny was a superb rock at the back and Debuchy looked decent...well until his dismissal that is! Wilshere also impressed, especially in the second half. The only big negatives for me were Giroud's injury and Ozil, who again looked a shadow of the player who produced an array of assists in his first few games at the club and now looks void of ideas despite being a World Cup winner.
Calum Chambers booking was also ridiculous. All he did was come on to the field as a substitute a fraction too early and before the referee had officially given him permission to. It was worthy of a swift telling off but not a yellow card.
It is important to focus on the positives and not get complacent when we travel to Leicester on Sunday, a game we really should be winning. We may not have put in the performances many fans had been hoping for but if someone had said to me before the start of the season we'd take four points from the opening two games and win the two-legged Champions League play-off I think I'd have taken that.
In other news, the draw for the third round of the League Cup took place on the same evening we secured Champions League progression. The Gunners will host Ronald Koeman's Southampton next month and I think home advantage will prove key to see us through, so long as we can find our top form and not underestimate Southampton. They have lost some key players over the summer but are still a tough nut to crack.
We definitely need to up our game as the performances haven't been ideal, but we started the season with silverware and are still unbeaten and long may it continue. If we can improve the performances and maintain a high level of consistency maybe we can mount more of a serious title challenge.
I just hope there is at least one new face in our squad, ideally a striker, before the transfer window closes until January, so let's wait and see what happens.
COME ON YOU GUNNERS
Sunday, 24 August 2014
Toffees unstuck by late Gunners double
Olivier Giroud’s last-gasp header helped Arsenal recover from two goals down to claim a 2-2 draw at Everton.
When the two sides met at Goodison Park last season the Gunners were well beaten 3-0 and at half-time many fans, including myself, would probably have been thinking ‘oh no not again!’. Thankfully two goals in seven minutes rescued us from what could have been an embarrassing defeat.
On the one hand, it was a poor performance. The defending was sloppy and we seemed to lack ideas in large spells of the game and this needs to improve. On reflection, a point at Goodison is a good result. If someone had said to me at the start of the season we would get four points from the opening two games against Crystal Palace and Everton I wouldn’t have been too disheartened.
In terms of results it is a fairly decent start, but Arsene Wenger’s men really need to up their game in the coming weeks if they are to prove real title contenders.
Last season the Gunners won more games on the road than any other side in the Premier League but you wouldn’t have guessed that from this performance as once again they came unstuck against another side from the top five. This is the main factor that needs to change. The Gunners were only seven points off champions Manchester City at the end of last season, but heavy defeats to City, Chelsea, Liverpool and Everton proved their downfall.
We have the potential to do better this season and have made some shrewd signings, but we really must do better against the other big sides. Do that and we might have a chance!
The season is still in its very early stages so there is still plenty of time for Wenger’s men to take their game up another notch.
Back to the match, and give credit where credit is due, Everton are a hard nut to crack and for most of the match were excellent. Some focused on our deficiencies but Everton deserved their lead before we snatched a point.
There were question marks over the defending for the opening goal when Gareth Barry crossed the ball in and Romelu Lukaku was left totally unmarked. Lukaku unselfishly left the ball for Seamus Coleman to head home after 19 minutes.
It went from bad to worse for Arsenal when the hosts doubled their advantage on the stroke of half-time. The usually reliable Per Mertesacker was outmuscled by Lukaku before the former Chelsea man powered past Calum Chambers and slid the ball through to Steven Naismith, who calmly slotted the ball beyond Wojciech Szczęsny. Naismith’s effort looked offside but the Toffees were more than deserving of their two-goal advantage.
Arsenal improved after the break and Giroud, who replaced Alexis Sanchez for the second half, looked lively and almost made an instant impact but his volley went over the bar.
It is hard to really assess Sanchez so far. He still looks a bit off the pace but I think he should be given a few more games before we can really tell how he is adapting to life in England’s top flight. As for Giroud, he continued to try and get us back into the game and forced Tim Howard into a save before the American shot-stopper was beaten by two late goals.
Substitute Santi Cazorla’s low cross was tapped home by the ever-reliable goal hero Aaron Ramsey seven minutes from time.
The Gunners’ were poor for large spells but showed excellent resilience in the second half and completed their comeback right at the death, instead of falling apart as they had done in some losing positions last season.
It looked like Ramsey had overhit his cross but Nacho Monreal managed to keep it in play and he crossed the ball back into the box for Giroud to head in to seal a valuable point for the visitors.
Arsenal will need to show vast improvement when they host Besiktas in the second leg of their Champions League play-off at the Emirates next week. With home games against Manchester City and bitter rivals Tottenham looming next month, this will be a testing time and the Gunners will need to make sure they hit the top of their game to get positive results.
COME ON YOU GUNNERS!
When the two sides met at Goodison Park last season the Gunners were well beaten 3-0 and at half-time many fans, including myself, would probably have been thinking ‘oh no not again!’. Thankfully two goals in seven minutes rescued us from what could have been an embarrassing defeat.
On the one hand, it was a poor performance. The defending was sloppy and we seemed to lack ideas in large spells of the game and this needs to improve. On reflection, a point at Goodison is a good result. If someone had said to me at the start of the season we would get four points from the opening two games against Crystal Palace and Everton I wouldn’t have been too disheartened.
In terms of results it is a fairly decent start, but Arsene Wenger’s men really need to up their game in the coming weeks if they are to prove real title contenders.
Last season the Gunners won more games on the road than any other side in the Premier League but you wouldn’t have guessed that from this performance as once again they came unstuck against another side from the top five. This is the main factor that needs to change. The Gunners were only seven points off champions Manchester City at the end of last season, but heavy defeats to City, Chelsea, Liverpool and Everton proved their downfall.
We have the potential to do better this season and have made some shrewd signings, but we really must do better against the other big sides. Do that and we might have a chance!
The season is still in its very early stages so there is still plenty of time for Wenger’s men to take their game up another notch.
Back to the match, and give credit where credit is due, Everton are a hard nut to crack and for most of the match were excellent. Some focused on our deficiencies but Everton deserved their lead before we snatched a point.
There were question marks over the defending for the opening goal when Gareth Barry crossed the ball in and Romelu Lukaku was left totally unmarked. Lukaku unselfishly left the ball for Seamus Coleman to head home after 19 minutes.
It went from bad to worse for Arsenal when the hosts doubled their advantage on the stroke of half-time. The usually reliable Per Mertesacker was outmuscled by Lukaku before the former Chelsea man powered past Calum Chambers and slid the ball through to Steven Naismith, who calmly slotted the ball beyond Wojciech Szczęsny. Naismith’s effort looked offside but the Toffees were more than deserving of their two-goal advantage.
Arsenal improved after the break and Giroud, who replaced Alexis Sanchez for the second half, looked lively and almost made an instant impact but his volley went over the bar.
It is hard to really assess Sanchez so far. He still looks a bit off the pace but I think he should be given a few more games before we can really tell how he is adapting to life in England’s top flight. As for Giroud, he continued to try and get us back into the game and forced Tim Howard into a save before the American shot-stopper was beaten by two late goals.
Substitute Santi Cazorla’s low cross was tapped home by the ever-reliable goal hero Aaron Ramsey seven minutes from time.
The Gunners’ were poor for large spells but showed excellent resilience in the second half and completed their comeback right at the death, instead of falling apart as they had done in some losing positions last season.
It looked like Ramsey had overhit his cross but Nacho Monreal managed to keep it in play and he crossed the ball back into the box for Giroud to head in to seal a valuable point for the visitors.
Arsenal will need to show vast improvement when they host Besiktas in the second leg of their Champions League play-off at the Emirates next week. With home games against Manchester City and bitter rivals Tottenham looming next month, this will be a testing time and the Gunners will need to make sure they hit the top of their game to get positive results.
COME ON YOU GUNNERS!
Tuesday, 19 August 2014
Rambo sees red for goalless Gunners
Aaron Ramsey was sent off as Arsenal were unable to find an away goal in a frustrating stalemate at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium.
The Gunners failed to create too many chances in Turkey, lacked an away goal and saw their key man Ramsey dismissed for two bookable offences, both for shirt pulling. Personally I still think the English club will win the home leg next week and progress into the group stages of the Champions League for the 17th consecutive season.
It wasn't all negative for Arsene Wenger's men either with Calum Chambers, who was making his European debut, producing another top class performance for the visitors. I keep forgetting Chambers is only 19 when he plays with such professionalism and maturity. It is still early days but he is slotting in very well.
Fellow new-boy Mathieu Debuchy looked lively at times. The foundations are there and Arsenal have a very good squad, but I still feel another two or three signings are needed. Although Chambers is making great progress we still need more back-up in defence and it looks like Kostas Manolas will be joining us from Olympiacos. A defensive midfielder such as Sami Khedira, or another big-name player in that position, would be of big benefit to the Gunners, but whether there is still a possibility of that deal is anybody's guess...who knows what will happen there!? The final, and arguably most important, signing would be a striker. Olivier Giroud is capable of brilliance but also has frustrating performances like against Besiktas, too hit and miss to be our main option. We need another forward to take the pressure off Giroud's shoulders - as a second striker I'm confident he'd do the job, but he can't do it alone that's for sure!
So, back to the game, and there really isn't too much to talk about. Demba Ba tried his luck straight from kick-off and only the woodwork prevented him from scoring one of the quickest goals in Champions League history. Incidentally, the Gunners once held the record for the fastest ever Champions League record when Gilberto Silva scored against PSV in under 21 seconds in September 2002.
Although both sides created some chances there was not too much else of noteworthy of mentioning from the first half in a largely forgettable contest.
Arsenal's hopes of getting a result were dealt a cruel blow when Ramsey was sent off for a second bookable offence with 10 minutes remaining. Some might say he was unlucky, others may say he was a silly boy! Either way, we are without a key player for the second leg, but we shouldn't blame him for the lack of victory. He's only human after all, we all make mistakes and he is still a top class player.
Despite being a man down the Gunners almost won it in the dying stages when substitute Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain ran through the Besiktas defence, getting the better of a few of his opponents before firing a shot towards goal, only for Tolga Zengin to turn his effort onto a post.
The Gunners were unable to find that all important away goal and were forced to settle for a draw. A draw is frustrating but 12 wins and one draw from 13 Champions League play-off ties is a very decent record so we shouldn't be too disheartened. Just three goals conceded in that time too, so we have proved we are a tough nut to crack.
I fully expect home advantage to prove decisive next week so let's hope I'm right.
Roll on the second leg
Come on you Gunners
The Gunners failed to create too many chances in Turkey, lacked an away goal and saw their key man Ramsey dismissed for two bookable offences, both for shirt pulling. Personally I still think the English club will win the home leg next week and progress into the group stages of the Champions League for the 17th consecutive season.
It wasn't all negative for Arsene Wenger's men either with Calum Chambers, who was making his European debut, producing another top class performance for the visitors. I keep forgetting Chambers is only 19 when he plays with such professionalism and maturity. It is still early days but he is slotting in very well.
Fellow new-boy Mathieu Debuchy looked lively at times. The foundations are there and Arsenal have a very good squad, but I still feel another two or three signings are needed. Although Chambers is making great progress we still need more back-up in defence and it looks like Kostas Manolas will be joining us from Olympiacos. A defensive midfielder such as Sami Khedira, or another big-name player in that position, would be of big benefit to the Gunners, but whether there is still a possibility of that deal is anybody's guess...who knows what will happen there!? The final, and arguably most important, signing would be a striker. Olivier Giroud is capable of brilliance but also has frustrating performances like against Besiktas, too hit and miss to be our main option. We need another forward to take the pressure off Giroud's shoulders - as a second striker I'm confident he'd do the job, but he can't do it alone that's for sure!
So, back to the game, and there really isn't too much to talk about. Demba Ba tried his luck straight from kick-off and only the woodwork prevented him from scoring one of the quickest goals in Champions League history. Incidentally, the Gunners once held the record for the fastest ever Champions League record when Gilberto Silva scored against PSV in under 21 seconds in September 2002.
Although both sides created some chances there was not too much else of noteworthy of mentioning from the first half in a largely forgettable contest.
Arsenal's hopes of getting a result were dealt a cruel blow when Ramsey was sent off for a second bookable offence with 10 minutes remaining. Some might say he was unlucky, others may say he was a silly boy! Either way, we are without a key player for the second leg, but we shouldn't blame him for the lack of victory. He's only human after all, we all make mistakes and he is still a top class player.
Despite being a man down the Gunners almost won it in the dying stages when substitute Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain ran through the Besiktas defence, getting the better of a few of his opponents before firing a shot towards goal, only for Tolga Zengin to turn his effort onto a post.
The Gunners were unable to find that all important away goal and were forced to settle for a draw. A draw is frustrating but 12 wins and one draw from 13 Champions League play-off ties is a very decent record so we shouldn't be too disheartened. Just three goals conceded in that time too, so we have proved we are a tough nut to crack.
I fully expect home advantage to prove decisive next week so let's hope I'm right.
Roll on the second leg
Come on you Gunners
Monday, 18 August 2014
Opening Weekend Premier League Round-Up
Following the return of Monday Night Football and Chelsea's routine victory over Burnley, here is a round-up of the rest of the action from the opening day of the new 2014/15 Premier League season.
Costa Bravo
Burnley 1 Chelsea 3
Diego Costa proved his worth with a debut goal as Chelsea moved top of the table with a comfortable victory at Turf Moor.
It was the Premier League new-boys who opened the scoring after 14 minutes when Scott Arfield controlled the ball expertly and unleashed a stunning strike beyond Thibaut Courtois. Costa, who joined the Blues for over £30million over the summer, had been in fine form during pre-season and added to his tally with his first competitive goal as he tapped in from close range just three minutes later. Fellow new signing Cesc Fabregas produced a sublime first-time pass to set up Andre Schurrle as the visitors took the lead soon after. Title favourites Chelsea ensured there would be no comeback from their opponents when they added a third through Branislav Ivanovic’s close-range effort.
Sterling Effort
Southampton 1 Liverpool 2
Raheem Sterling and Daniel Sturridge ensured Liverpool began life without star striker Luis Suarez in victorious fashion.
Suarez made a big-money switch to Barcelona over the summer but his former side were able to include two new acquisitions from their opponents in their squad. Dejan Lovren started in defence and Rickie Lambert made an appearance from the bench.
Southampton had been expected to struggle following key name departures but the players seemed to do new boss Ronald Koeman proud despite the result.
Liverpool opened the scoring when a sublime through ball from Jordan Henderson found Sterling, who slotted the ball beyond debutant Fraser Forster after 23 minutes. Koeman’s men stunned the visitors by levelling the scores within 11 minutes of the restart. Nathaniel Clyne played a neat one-two with Dusan Tadic before latching onto the Serbian’s back-heel to fire home.
Sterling turned provider to set up Sturridge to tap home after 79 minutes, although the Saints really should have taken a share of the spoils. Morgan Scheiderlin saw his late effort superbly tipped onto the bar by Simon Mignolet and new-boy Shane Long looked odds on to score, only to head the rebound wide.
Ki victory for Swans
Manchester United 1 Swansea 2
Koeman’s fellow Dutchman Louis Van Gaal also had an unsuccessful Premier League debut. The majority of the pre-match talk focused on Van Gaal, but it was his Swansea counterpart Garry Monk who had the last laugh.
David Moyes replaced the legendary Sir Alex Ferguson in the dug-out last season and things looked promising after an opening-day 4-1 victory at Swansea but his nightmare tenure ended after just 10 months. Van Gaal also started his reign against Swansea , who claimed their first league win at Old Trafford.
Swansea's win was even more impressive when you consider the departures of key players Michu, Chico Flores and Ben Davies over the summer.
Ki Sung-Yueng finished off a well-worked 29-pass move as he was left free by some questionable defending to slot home Nathan Dyer's pass after 28 minutes. The hosts hit back after 53 minutes when Wayne Rooney scored his first goal since being named Manchester United's new captain with an over-head kick. Gylfi Sigurdsson, in his second spell with the Swans following a summer move from Tottenham, had the final say as he latched onto Wayne Routledge's mis-hit volley to score from close range.
Precious Silva shines for City
Newcastle 0 Manchester City 2
David Silva was among the goal-scorers as Manchester City began their defence of the Premier League title with a routine victory.
Manchester City looked out of sorts in the Community Shield defeat by Arsenal, but it was business as usual as they beat the Magpies on the opening day for the second successive season.
City opened the scoring after 38 minutes when Yaya Toure’s long ball found Edin Dzeko, who’s back-heel set up Silva to calmly stroke the ball beyond Tim Krul. Newcastle almost levelled through debutant Ayoze Perez, but the substitute’s effort took a crucial deflection off Feranando, who had a superb debut for the visitors, to take it agonisingly wide of a post.
Sergio Aguero had only been on the field for seven minutes when he beat Krul at the second time of asking. The substitute’s initial effort was parried by Krul but the Dutch shot-stopper could do nothing about the rebound as Aguero calmly hit the last-gasp winner.
Wood outfoxes Toffees
Leicester 2 Everton 2
Chris Wood came off the bench to score a late goal to give Premier League new boys Leicester a share of the spoils at the King Power Stadium.
Aiden McGeady scored one of the goals of the day with a sublime curling effort to give Everton the lead after 20 minutes. New signing Leonardo Ulloa scored from close range just two minutes later as he started to justify his £8million price tag. Everton regained the lead on the stroke of half-time when Leighton Baines and Steven Pienaar combined to set up Steven Naismith and the Scots lofted finish went in off the crossbar. But Leicester secured a point when Riyad Mahrez's effort deflected into the path of Wood who calmly slotted home.
Hammers pay the penalty
West Ham 0 Tottenham 1
Mark Noble missed a penalty as West Ham were undone by a last-gasp strike from Eric Dier in a dramatic clash at Upton Park.
The usually reliable Noble had scored his last 10 Premier League penalties so Hammers' fans must have felt confident when the hosts were awarded a spot-kick following Kyle Naughton's handball. The Spurs defender was sent off but the visitors were given a let off when Noble sent his penalty wide. It went from bad to worse for the Hammers when James Collins was sent off for a second bookable offence. The Hammers had created 18 chances but their failure to convert proved costly as Dier delivered the knock-out blow in stoppage time. The defender, who joined from Sporting Lisbon this summer, took the ball beyond goalkeeper Adrian before scoring the winning goal.
Chester pounces for Tigers
QPR 0 Hull 1
James Chester scored the only goal of the game as Hull overcame their FA Cup heartache to win 1-0 at Loftus Road.
The Tigers lost a two-goal lead before losing to Arsenal in the FA Cup Final back in May but they started the new season with a hard-fought win. Rio Ferdinand and Steven Caulker looked the better defensive partnership on paper, but it was Chester grabbing all the headlines. The former Manchester United man put in a fine defensive display and capped it with the winning goal as he got the better of Ferdinand to head the ball beyond Robert Green. Chester almost went from hero to villain when he was adjudged to have handled in the box, although the ball appeared to hit him in the chest in the closing stages of the match. A penalty was awarded but luckily for Hull, Allan McGregor was on hand to keep out Charlie Austin's effort.
Super Saido
West Brom 2 Sunderland 2
Saido Berahino struck twice as West Brom claimed a share of the spoils in Alan Irvine's first competitive game in charge at The Hawthorns.
The visitors took the lead when Lee Cattermole's wonder-strike found the top corner of the net after only five minutes, but the Baggies levelled matters three minutes before the break. Valentin Roberge was adjudged to have pulled down Victor Anichebe in the box, although the award of the penalty did seem harsh. Berahino made no mistake from the spot before grabbing his second 16 minutes from time.
Both sides had a goal disallowed before former Sunderland midfielder Craig Gardner crossed for Berahino to volley home. But there was still time for Sebastian Larsson to level the scores after he latched onto Patrick Van Aanholt's cutback to score from close range.
Villa Victorious
Stoke 0 Aston Villa 1
Andreas Weimann scored the only goal of the game as Aston Villa won on the opening day for the second successive season.
Ron Vlaar and Philippe Senderos impressed at the back to deservedly keep a clean sheet, while Weimann tried to prove he can fill the void until Christian Benteke returns from injury by scoring the winning goal. Weimann's initial touch took the ball away from him, but it fell back kindly to the Austrian who made no mistake to score from a tight angle after 50 minutes.
The first round of fixtures is not yet finished in the Premier League and it is already great to see its return. Here's hoping for another exciting season and maybe, just maybe, Arsenal can get even closer to the title.
Roll on the next round of matches
Costa Bravo
Burnley 1 Chelsea 3
Diego Costa proved his worth with a debut goal as Chelsea moved top of the table with a comfortable victory at Turf Moor.
It was the Premier League new-boys who opened the scoring after 14 minutes when Scott Arfield controlled the ball expertly and unleashed a stunning strike beyond Thibaut Courtois. Costa, who joined the Blues for over £30million over the summer, had been in fine form during pre-season and added to his tally with his first competitive goal as he tapped in from close range just three minutes later. Fellow new signing Cesc Fabregas produced a sublime first-time pass to set up Andre Schurrle as the visitors took the lead soon after. Title favourites Chelsea ensured there would be no comeback from their opponents when they added a third through Branislav Ivanovic’s close-range effort.
Sterling Effort
Southampton 1 Liverpool 2
Raheem Sterling and Daniel Sturridge ensured Liverpool began life without star striker Luis Suarez in victorious fashion.
Suarez made a big-money switch to Barcelona over the summer but his former side were able to include two new acquisitions from their opponents in their squad. Dejan Lovren started in defence and Rickie Lambert made an appearance from the bench.
Southampton had been expected to struggle following key name departures but the players seemed to do new boss Ronald Koeman proud despite the result.
Liverpool opened the scoring when a sublime through ball from Jordan Henderson found Sterling, who slotted the ball beyond debutant Fraser Forster after 23 minutes. Koeman’s men stunned the visitors by levelling the scores within 11 minutes of the restart. Nathaniel Clyne played a neat one-two with Dusan Tadic before latching onto the Serbian’s back-heel to fire home.
Sterling turned provider to set up Sturridge to tap home after 79 minutes, although the Saints really should have taken a share of the spoils. Morgan Scheiderlin saw his late effort superbly tipped onto the bar by Simon Mignolet and new-boy Shane Long looked odds on to score, only to head the rebound wide.
Ki victory for Swans
Manchester United 1 Swansea 2
Koeman’s fellow Dutchman Louis Van Gaal also had an unsuccessful Premier League debut. The majority of the pre-match talk focused on Van Gaal, but it was his Swansea counterpart Garry Monk who had the last laugh.
David Moyes replaced the legendary Sir Alex Ferguson in the dug-out last season and things looked promising after an opening-day 4-1 victory at Swansea but his nightmare tenure ended after just 10 months. Van Gaal also started his reign against Swansea , who claimed their first league win at Old Trafford.
Swansea's win was even more impressive when you consider the departures of key players Michu, Chico Flores and Ben Davies over the summer.
Ki Sung-Yueng finished off a well-worked 29-pass move as he was left free by some questionable defending to slot home Nathan Dyer's pass after 28 minutes. The hosts hit back after 53 minutes when Wayne Rooney scored his first goal since being named Manchester United's new captain with an over-head kick. Gylfi Sigurdsson, in his second spell with the Swans following a summer move from Tottenham, had the final say as he latched onto Wayne Routledge's mis-hit volley to score from close range.
Precious Silva shines for City
Newcastle 0 Manchester City 2
David Silva was among the goal-scorers as Manchester City began their defence of the Premier League title with a routine victory.
Manchester City looked out of sorts in the Community Shield defeat by Arsenal, but it was business as usual as they beat the Magpies on the opening day for the second successive season.
City opened the scoring after 38 minutes when Yaya Toure’s long ball found Edin Dzeko, who’s back-heel set up Silva to calmly stroke the ball beyond Tim Krul. Newcastle almost levelled through debutant Ayoze Perez, but the substitute’s effort took a crucial deflection off Feranando, who had a superb debut for the visitors, to take it agonisingly wide of a post.
Sergio Aguero had only been on the field for seven minutes when he beat Krul at the second time of asking. The substitute’s initial effort was parried by Krul but the Dutch shot-stopper could do nothing about the rebound as Aguero calmly hit the last-gasp winner.
Wood outfoxes Toffees
Leicester 2 Everton 2
Chris Wood came off the bench to score a late goal to give Premier League new boys Leicester a share of the spoils at the King Power Stadium.
Aiden McGeady scored one of the goals of the day with a sublime curling effort to give Everton the lead after 20 minutes. New signing Leonardo Ulloa scored from close range just two minutes later as he started to justify his £8million price tag. Everton regained the lead on the stroke of half-time when Leighton Baines and Steven Pienaar combined to set up Steven Naismith and the Scots lofted finish went in off the crossbar. But Leicester secured a point when Riyad Mahrez's effort deflected into the path of Wood who calmly slotted home.
Hammers pay the penalty
West Ham 0 Tottenham 1
Mark Noble missed a penalty as West Ham were undone by a last-gasp strike from Eric Dier in a dramatic clash at Upton Park.
The usually reliable Noble had scored his last 10 Premier League penalties so Hammers' fans must have felt confident when the hosts were awarded a spot-kick following Kyle Naughton's handball. The Spurs defender was sent off but the visitors were given a let off when Noble sent his penalty wide. It went from bad to worse for the Hammers when James Collins was sent off for a second bookable offence. The Hammers had created 18 chances but their failure to convert proved costly as Dier delivered the knock-out blow in stoppage time. The defender, who joined from Sporting Lisbon this summer, took the ball beyond goalkeeper Adrian before scoring the winning goal.
Chester pounces for Tigers
QPR 0 Hull 1
James Chester scored the only goal of the game as Hull overcame their FA Cup heartache to win 1-0 at Loftus Road.
The Tigers lost a two-goal lead before losing to Arsenal in the FA Cup Final back in May but they started the new season with a hard-fought win. Rio Ferdinand and Steven Caulker looked the better defensive partnership on paper, but it was Chester grabbing all the headlines. The former Manchester United man put in a fine defensive display and capped it with the winning goal as he got the better of Ferdinand to head the ball beyond Robert Green. Chester almost went from hero to villain when he was adjudged to have handled in the box, although the ball appeared to hit him in the chest in the closing stages of the match. A penalty was awarded but luckily for Hull, Allan McGregor was on hand to keep out Charlie Austin's effort.
Super Saido
West Brom 2 Sunderland 2
Saido Berahino struck twice as West Brom claimed a share of the spoils in Alan Irvine's first competitive game in charge at The Hawthorns.
The visitors took the lead when Lee Cattermole's wonder-strike found the top corner of the net after only five minutes, but the Baggies levelled matters three minutes before the break. Valentin Roberge was adjudged to have pulled down Victor Anichebe in the box, although the award of the penalty did seem harsh. Berahino made no mistake from the spot before grabbing his second 16 minutes from time.
Both sides had a goal disallowed before former Sunderland midfielder Craig Gardner crossed for Berahino to volley home. But there was still time for Sebastian Larsson to level the scores after he latched onto Patrick Van Aanholt's cutback to score from close range.
Villa Victorious
Stoke 0 Aston Villa 1
Andreas Weimann scored the only goal of the game as Aston Villa won on the opening day for the second successive season.
Ron Vlaar and Philippe Senderos impressed at the back to deservedly keep a clean sheet, while Weimann tried to prove he can fill the void until Christian Benteke returns from injury by scoring the winning goal. Weimann's initial touch took the ball away from him, but it fell back kindly to the Austrian who made no mistake to score from a tight angle after 50 minutes.
The first round of fixtures is not yet finished in the Premier League and it is already great to see its return. Here's hoping for another exciting season and maybe, just maybe, Arsenal can get even closer to the title.
Roll on the next round of matches
Sunday, 17 August 2014
Rambo First Blood
Aaron Ramsey proved to be Arsenal's hero once again as his late strike guided the Gunners to their first points of the season with a 2-1 win over managerless Crystal Palace.
It was hard to believe this was the same starting XI who had comfortably beaten Manchester City 3-0 with a fine performance to lift the Community Shield just a week before. It was a far from convincing performance from the home side but it is often said that it is a sign of a top side when they are still able to win games even when not at their best.
Despite the far from convincing performance, Wenger guided his side to the all-important three points and that's what matters most. There were also some positives on show at the Emirates as Arsenal dominated possession, with Laurent Koscielny and new-boy Calum Chambers, who was playing in the absence of World Cup winner Per Mertesacker, keeping things tight at the back. Fellow new-signing Alexis Sanchez also impressed on his league debut, but Gunners' fans will be expecting a lot more from the Chilean as he tries to prove his worth at the Emirates.
Palace deserve huge credit for limiting the hosts for so long, especially with caretaker boss Keith Millen having less than 48 hours to prepare for the match following the shock departure of Tony Pulis. Palace fans and neutrals alike are still shocked by the departure of Pulis - going from manager of the year to not being in the dugout for the start of the new Premier League season really does beggar belief. It made preparation harder for Palace, while it was hard to gauge whether or not it would make the game easier for Arsenal. Personally, I thought it would make the game trickier and Palace seemed up for the task.
With last season's opening-day defeat to Aston Villa fresh in the minds of many fans, there was a feeling of 'oh no, not again' when debutant Brede Hangeland headed the Eagles in front after 35 minutes.
Although Arsenal had dominated possession before the visitors surprise opener, Arsene Wenger's men hadn't created too many clear-cut chances. So it came as a huge relief when Arsenal levelled matters just 10 minutes later as Koscielny headed home from Sanchez's free-kick.
The Gunners looked destined to have to settle for a draw but were given further hope of a better result when the visitors were reduced to 10 men as Jason Puncheon was dismissed for a second bookable offence.
Wenger's men took advantage of the extra man as Ramsey scored his second goal in as many games with a simple tap in after Julian Speroni could only parry the initial effort from new signing Mathieu Debuchy. The stoppage-time strike came as huge relief from the Gunners in a game that, at times, they didn't look like winning and Wenger's men know they will have to up their game next week with trips to Besiktas and Everton on the horizon. But whatever fans thought of the performance, the Gunners still won the game and were the only home side to collect all three points on the opening Saturday of the 2014/15 Premier League campaign.
It is hard to think too much into the performance against Palace as it usually takes a few games for teams to hit the ground running. Wenger's men were only seven points behind champions Manchester City at the end of last season and, if the Gunners can improve their displays against their fellow title challengers, maybe it can be different this time around. But there is a hell of a long way to go and the most important thing is that Arsenal maintain a high level of consistency this season without having daft spells of madness.
If we can match the performance of the Community Shield win over Manchester City again we will definitely be a force to be reckoned with, but we certainly need to create more chances. With World Cup winning trio Mertesacker, Lukas Podolski and Mesut Ozil to return in the near future and Theo Walcott not too far of his injury comeback, the future is looking bright for Arsenal. But whether we have a chance of adding the Premier League title to the 2014 FA Cup and Community Shield is another story. We certainly have the potential to do so, but Chelsea and Manchester City are the clear favourites so we will have to take points off them to stand a chance!
One thing is for sure though, it will be an exciting title race!
COME ON YOU GUNNERS!
It was hard to believe this was the same starting XI who had comfortably beaten Manchester City 3-0 with a fine performance to lift the Community Shield just a week before. It was a far from convincing performance from the home side but it is often said that it is a sign of a top side when they are still able to win games even when not at their best.
Despite the far from convincing performance, Wenger guided his side to the all-important three points and that's what matters most. There were also some positives on show at the Emirates as Arsenal dominated possession, with Laurent Koscielny and new-boy Calum Chambers, who was playing in the absence of World Cup winner Per Mertesacker, keeping things tight at the back. Fellow new-signing Alexis Sanchez also impressed on his league debut, but Gunners' fans will be expecting a lot more from the Chilean as he tries to prove his worth at the Emirates.
Palace deserve huge credit for limiting the hosts for so long, especially with caretaker boss Keith Millen having less than 48 hours to prepare for the match following the shock departure of Tony Pulis. Palace fans and neutrals alike are still shocked by the departure of Pulis - going from manager of the year to not being in the dugout for the start of the new Premier League season really does beggar belief. It made preparation harder for Palace, while it was hard to gauge whether or not it would make the game easier for Arsenal. Personally, I thought it would make the game trickier and Palace seemed up for the task.
With last season's opening-day defeat to Aston Villa fresh in the minds of many fans, there was a feeling of 'oh no, not again' when debutant Brede Hangeland headed the Eagles in front after 35 minutes.
Although Arsenal had dominated possession before the visitors surprise opener, Arsene Wenger's men hadn't created too many clear-cut chances. So it came as a huge relief when Arsenal levelled matters just 10 minutes later as Koscielny headed home from Sanchez's free-kick.
The Gunners looked destined to have to settle for a draw but were given further hope of a better result when the visitors were reduced to 10 men as Jason Puncheon was dismissed for a second bookable offence.
Wenger's men took advantage of the extra man as Ramsey scored his second goal in as many games with a simple tap in after Julian Speroni could only parry the initial effort from new signing Mathieu Debuchy. The stoppage-time strike came as huge relief from the Gunners in a game that, at times, they didn't look like winning and Wenger's men know they will have to up their game next week with trips to Besiktas and Everton on the horizon. But whatever fans thought of the performance, the Gunners still won the game and were the only home side to collect all three points on the opening Saturday of the 2014/15 Premier League campaign.
It is hard to think too much into the performance against Palace as it usually takes a few games for teams to hit the ground running. Wenger's men were only seven points behind champions Manchester City at the end of last season and, if the Gunners can improve their displays against their fellow title challengers, maybe it can be different this time around. But there is a hell of a long way to go and the most important thing is that Arsenal maintain a high level of consistency this season without having daft spells of madness.
If we can match the performance of the Community Shield win over Manchester City again we will definitely be a force to be reckoned with, but we certainly need to create more chances. With World Cup winning trio Mertesacker, Lukas Podolski and Mesut Ozil to return in the near future and Theo Walcott not too far of his injury comeback, the future is looking bright for Arsenal. But whether we have a chance of adding the Premier League title to the 2014 FA Cup and Community Shield is another story. We certainly have the potential to do so, but Chelsea and Manchester City are the clear favourites so we will have to take points off them to stand a chance!
One thing is for sure though, it will be an exciting title race!
COME ON YOU GUNNERS!
Friday, 8 August 2014
What's Gunner happen to Arsenal in the 2014/15 season?
In recent seasons it has been the same old story of starting a season talking about whether a long trophy drought will end. Not anymore!
After nine gruelling years without silverware my beloved Gunners finally won another trophy with a 3-2 extra time victory over Hull at Wembley. At 2-0 down, it looked like another frustrating season but Aaron Ramsey completed a fine comeback and the rest is history.
Going into a new season with the trophy-drought monkey off our backs allows me to look ahead with renewed optimism. I think the FA Cup win will have a big effect on the mentality of the players and could see us finally push up to the next level.
In the 2013/14 season we held top spot for long spells only for Manchester City, who were only top for a few weeks in total, to claim the top prize. While Arsenal can take heart from how they led for so long, as well as winning the FA Cup, ultimately the league season was another frustrating one.
Before the season started, some Arsenal fans would have bitten someone's hand off to have ended the trophy drought while also qualifying for the Champions League yet again. But is this really good enough? For all the positives of last season, I think we can do better and we need to improve the consistency of our game and be able to maintain a title challenge for a lot longer.
On the one hand I believe there is no reason why we can't do just that. But at the same time the Premier League is getting more and more competitive by the season and, with the likes of Manchester City, Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea also competing for the title, chances of winning it become increasingly difficult.
The Gunners have given themselves a better chance than normal as not only is the trophy drought over to change the mentality of the squad, but some shrewd additions could allow them to push their opponents all the way.
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger, not often known for his big spending, raised several eyebrows by signing Alexis Sanchez from Barcelona for a fee in the region of £35 million. This adds huge firepower to the Gunners' attack and hopefully several more goals. The attack is also boosted by Mesut Ozil and Lukas Podolski returning to the squad having won the World Cup earlier this summer, while Theo Walcott should return in around a month. There is huge potential in the Arsenal front-line but whether it reaches its potential remains to be seen.
Midfield is an area that hasn't often caused much concern so providing everyone stays injury free we should be okay, although the addition of another defensive midfielder wouldn't hurt. Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny developed a formidable partnership in the centre of defence last season and for most parts were among the best in the top flight. However, blips in a few heavy defeats cost Arsenal dear so consistency will be key if we are to improve this season. Bacary Sagna at right-back is a huge loss and an even bigger blow to see him join rivals Manchester City. But Mathieu Debuchy is more than capable of doing a sterling job and it will be interesting to see just what impact the former Newcastle man has at the Emirates. Wenger has also bolstered the defence with the signing of 19-year-old Calum Chambers from Southampton and, if he can follow in the footsteps of fellow former Saints Theo Walcott and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, he could be a star in the making.
Wojciech Szczesny will again be Arsenal's number one between the sticks but this time will have a more top class back-up to keep him on his toes. No disrespect to Lukasz Fabianski, who joined Swansea over the summer, but having Colombia's David Ospina as our new number two fills me with a lot more confidence about the depth of our squad.
So just how far can we go?
I genuinely believe this question is impossible to answer. I'd put the chances of us winning more silverware or seeing a league campaign drift away in the final months as 50-50, it really is that hard to call. I'd love to say we can produce a better title challenge this year. The foundations are there and we certainly have potential to do so, but whether we do is another matter. I won't be drawn on predictions, partly as I have bad luck in that field, but also I have no idea how things will pan out, so let's just wait and see. There is plenty potential for good cup runs and it is feasible for us to win either or both of the domestic cups, including retaining the FA Cup.
As for European competition, I think we will reach the knock-out stages again but beyond that who knows. When the draw for the qualifiers were done, I was delighted when we drew Besiktas. By no means will they be easy but out of some of the other potential opponents in the draw, I would rather see us against them at this stage. We have an excellent record at the group stage and, should we beat Besiktas, I think we can progress beyond the next stage.
The knock-out stage is always tough to take as we tend to muck up the first leg and then produce a superb second leg away at the likes of Bayern Munich. Consistency is again the word to epitomise us. We need to make sure we hit top form in every game of the Champions League and not just in portions of games. Do that and we could go a long way. Lose our focus and we may well concede quick-fire goals to give us an uphill task before the tie is even at the half-way stage.
But before all of that we have the Community Shield and ahead of the game my thoughts on the competition are mixed.
Community Shield
For many years I have felt that the Community Shield is such a pointless game to start the season with. The match between the previous season's Premier League and FA Cup winners is often the curtain raiser for a new campaign but I just can't always take it seriously. This season is totally different because the Gunners are involved.
It may not be the most important of silverware, in fact it often matters little. But for a club like Arsenal, who ended a nine-year trophy drought as recently as May, it could be crucial.
If we win the match and pick up our second piece of silverware in three months it will be a huge boost to confidence and could potentially have a big impact on how the rest of the season unfolds. It won't define how our season ends but it could effect the mentality we start the Premier League campaign with, so whatever the result is we need a very strong performance and one to make the fans proud.
Although the Premier League opener against Crystal Palace is a totally different match in a totally different competition, I can't help but think going into it with another trophy in the cabinet will be a huge boost and make the players truly believe this can be a special year.
But we will have to be on top form to ensure former players Bacary Sagna, Gael Clichy and Samir Nasri have a day to forget when they come up against us.
Final thoughts
I believe we will be in the top four again at the end of the season, but will avoid any concrete predictions of where exactly we will finish.
The new signings have given fans and players a real feel good factor about the season ahead, so who knows what we might achieve.
We need to be consistently hitting top form to stand a chance of toppling our rivals and can't afford any silly defeats again this time around.
Hopefully we learnt some harsh lessons from the 2013/14 and are ready to start the new season firing on all cylinders. Our destiny is in our own hands and it is up to Wenger and the players to prove they have what it takes to provide a real challenge to the title chasers.
QUE SERA SERA
COME ON YOU GUNNERS
After nine gruelling years without silverware my beloved Gunners finally won another trophy with a 3-2 extra time victory over Hull at Wembley. At 2-0 down, it looked like another frustrating season but Aaron Ramsey completed a fine comeback and the rest is history.
Going into a new season with the trophy-drought monkey off our backs allows me to look ahead with renewed optimism. I think the FA Cup win will have a big effect on the mentality of the players and could see us finally push up to the next level.
In the 2013/14 season we held top spot for long spells only for Manchester City, who were only top for a few weeks in total, to claim the top prize. While Arsenal can take heart from how they led for so long, as well as winning the FA Cup, ultimately the league season was another frustrating one.
Before the season started, some Arsenal fans would have bitten someone's hand off to have ended the trophy drought while also qualifying for the Champions League yet again. But is this really good enough? For all the positives of last season, I think we can do better and we need to improve the consistency of our game and be able to maintain a title challenge for a lot longer.
On the one hand I believe there is no reason why we can't do just that. But at the same time the Premier League is getting more and more competitive by the season and, with the likes of Manchester City, Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea also competing for the title, chances of winning it become increasingly difficult.
The Gunners have given themselves a better chance than normal as not only is the trophy drought over to change the mentality of the squad, but some shrewd additions could allow them to push their opponents all the way.
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger, not often known for his big spending, raised several eyebrows by signing Alexis Sanchez from Barcelona for a fee in the region of £35 million. This adds huge firepower to the Gunners' attack and hopefully several more goals. The attack is also boosted by Mesut Ozil and Lukas Podolski returning to the squad having won the World Cup earlier this summer, while Theo Walcott should return in around a month. There is huge potential in the Arsenal front-line but whether it reaches its potential remains to be seen.
Midfield is an area that hasn't often caused much concern so providing everyone stays injury free we should be okay, although the addition of another defensive midfielder wouldn't hurt. Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny developed a formidable partnership in the centre of defence last season and for most parts were among the best in the top flight. However, blips in a few heavy defeats cost Arsenal dear so consistency will be key if we are to improve this season. Bacary Sagna at right-back is a huge loss and an even bigger blow to see him join rivals Manchester City. But Mathieu Debuchy is more than capable of doing a sterling job and it will be interesting to see just what impact the former Newcastle man has at the Emirates. Wenger has also bolstered the defence with the signing of 19-year-old Calum Chambers from Southampton and, if he can follow in the footsteps of fellow former Saints Theo Walcott and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, he could be a star in the making.
Wojciech Szczesny will again be Arsenal's number one between the sticks but this time will have a more top class back-up to keep him on his toes. No disrespect to Lukasz Fabianski, who joined Swansea over the summer, but having Colombia's David Ospina as our new number two fills me with a lot more confidence about the depth of our squad.
So just how far can we go?
I genuinely believe this question is impossible to answer. I'd put the chances of us winning more silverware or seeing a league campaign drift away in the final months as 50-50, it really is that hard to call. I'd love to say we can produce a better title challenge this year. The foundations are there and we certainly have potential to do so, but whether we do is another matter. I won't be drawn on predictions, partly as I have bad luck in that field, but also I have no idea how things will pan out, so let's just wait and see. There is plenty potential for good cup runs and it is feasible for us to win either or both of the domestic cups, including retaining the FA Cup.
As for European competition, I think we will reach the knock-out stages again but beyond that who knows. When the draw for the qualifiers were done, I was delighted when we drew Besiktas. By no means will they be easy but out of some of the other potential opponents in the draw, I would rather see us against them at this stage. We have an excellent record at the group stage and, should we beat Besiktas, I think we can progress beyond the next stage.
The knock-out stage is always tough to take as we tend to muck up the first leg and then produce a superb second leg away at the likes of Bayern Munich. Consistency is again the word to epitomise us. We need to make sure we hit top form in every game of the Champions League and not just in portions of games. Do that and we could go a long way. Lose our focus and we may well concede quick-fire goals to give us an uphill task before the tie is even at the half-way stage.
But before all of that we have the Community Shield and ahead of the game my thoughts on the competition are mixed.
Community Shield
For many years I have felt that the Community Shield is such a pointless game to start the season with. The match between the previous season's Premier League and FA Cup winners is often the curtain raiser for a new campaign but I just can't always take it seriously. This season is totally different because the Gunners are involved.
It may not be the most important of silverware, in fact it often matters little. But for a club like Arsenal, who ended a nine-year trophy drought as recently as May, it could be crucial.
If we win the match and pick up our second piece of silverware in three months it will be a huge boost to confidence and could potentially have a big impact on how the rest of the season unfolds. It won't define how our season ends but it could effect the mentality we start the Premier League campaign with, so whatever the result is we need a very strong performance and one to make the fans proud.
Although the Premier League opener against Crystal Palace is a totally different match in a totally different competition, I can't help but think going into it with another trophy in the cabinet will be a huge boost and make the players truly believe this can be a special year.
But we will have to be on top form to ensure former players Bacary Sagna, Gael Clichy and Samir Nasri have a day to forget when they come up against us.
Final thoughts
I believe we will be in the top four again at the end of the season, but will avoid any concrete predictions of where exactly we will finish.
The new signings have given fans and players a real feel good factor about the season ahead, so who knows what we might achieve.
We need to be consistently hitting top form to stand a chance of toppling our rivals and can't afford any silly defeats again this time around.
Hopefully we learnt some harsh lessons from the 2013/14 and are ready to start the new season firing on all cylinders. Our destiny is in our own hands and it is up to Wenger and the players to prove they have what it takes to provide a real challenge to the title chasers.
QUE SERA SERA
COME ON YOU GUNNERS
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