Angel Gabriel sends Gunners top

Goals from Gabriel and Mesut Ozil saw Arsenal bounce back to winning ways and move to the top of the Premier League table with a 2-0 win over Bournemouth.

This really could've been another potential festive banana skin for the Gunners as not only were they coming into the game on the back of a 4-0 hammering at Southampton, but Bournemouth looked set to be tough opponents. The Cherries were unbeaten in six games prior to this match, including victories over Manchester United and Chelsea, so it was obvious that they shouldn't be underestimated and had the ability to pile more misery on us. Instead, we equipped ourselves well and the king of assists Ozil once again proved to be the hero for Arsenal.

Although Ozil deserves a lot of the credit, a special mention should also be given to Arsenal goalkeeper Petr Cech, who broke the Premier League clean-sheet record with the 170th of his career in England's top flight.

It was a positive evening for the hosts but it doesn't fully make up for the horror show they produced at Southampton on Boxing Day and there is still plenty of work to be done if we are to lift the Premier League trophy in May. But for now at least we can enjoy being top of the table! Arsenal's lead at the top may only be temporary as if Leicester beat Manchester City the Foxes will take over at the summit. But should Claudio Ranieri's men fail to win then the Gunners will hold onto top spot at the end of 2015.

Bournemouth tested Cech via Josh King's curling effort but it was Arsenal who opened the scoring when Gabriel headed home Ozil's pinpoint corner after 27 minutes.

Ozil continued to pull the strings and soon picked out Theo Walcott with an excellent pass, only for the England forward's effort to be deflected wide for a corner. From the resulting set-piece Gabriel's header hit a post before the rebound hit Per Mertesacker in the face and somehow bounced just wide.

Walcott came close to doubling the Gunners' advantage before the break when he latched onto another fine Ozil pass, but Bournemouth goalkeeper Artur Boruc reacted well to block the shot.

Bournemouth had a chance to level the scores in the early stages of the second half as substitute Junior Stanislas beat the offside trap and raced through on goal. The Bournemouth forward took slightly too long on the ball, allowing Gabriel time to slide in to block any potential shot from coming in.

That ended up proving costly for the Cherries as Arsenal doubled their lead through Ozil after 63 minutes. The German played a neat one-two with Olivier Giroud before controlling the ball with his chest and coolly slotting the ball under Boruc.

Walcott came close to adding a third goal for Arsenal but his shot went across the face of goal and agonisingly wide. Walcott had an even better chance soon after when Boruc failed to keep hold of Giroud's effort, but the England man scuffed the rebound wide. Luckily for Walcott his blushes were spared as the flag had already been raised for offside.

At the other end, Cech didn't have too much to do to ensure he broke David James' clean sheet record, although he was forced into a routine save from Matt Ritchie's long-range strike.

Arsenal really should have added the icing on the cake with a third goal but Giroud scuffed an effort wide before Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain's shot hit a post.

Cech got his fingers to Glenn Murray's effort in stoppage time to ensure a record breaking night for himself and a clean sheet for the new league leaders Arsenal.

There was still time for Arsenal to try and get another goal and it looked like they might get it when Ozil picked out Walcott with another sublime pass, but Boruc spread himself well to block the shot.

OPPOSITION VIEW
Regardless of the defeat for Bournemouth, their story is nothing short of remarkable. To come from nearly losing their place in the Football League to being in England's top flight is a tremendous achievement and their manager, Eddie Howe, has done one hell of a job. I once interviewed Howe and must say he is such a top bloke and he really has done the Cherries proud during his time at the club.

Bournemouth fan Ella Jennings is proud of her side despite the result and hopes they can prolong their stay in the Premier League.

"The first Premier League season has been a tough one for Bournemouth, having been plagued by injuries," said Jennings. "Despite this, they have performed fantastically to date, and we hope to at least see a mid-table finish!

"A win over Arsenal would have been a big ask so the result was expected, but congratulations to The Gunners on a great game.

"After some other great results this season, I really hope that The Cherries can continue in a successful second Premier League season next year!"

MY FINAL THOUGHTS
Although it depends on one other result we could remain top of the league going into 2016 and, considering some of the low points we have had, that would actually be a decent achievement.

To lose to the likes of West Ham and West Brom and get hammered by Southampton, yet still be top of the pile, gives us hope of lifting the league title. Some of the other Premier League results this season also show that the top sides have not been at their best but to be top at this stage is better than I had expected so, for the moment at least, I am happy.

That doesn't change the fact I feel we need to enter the January transfer market even more so this season. We need a top quality defensive midfielder to fill the void left by the injured Francis Coquelin. Mathieu Flamini has impressed at times but is more of a back-up player and not one to be starting every single game. Whilst Giroud and Walcott have done well at times, I still feel we need a top quality striker to enable us to make more of the sheer amount of chances Ozil is creating.

January is also set to be a tough month, including a trip to Anfield and the visit of Chelsea, not to mention the always incredibly difficult away game at Stoke. Adding more depth to the squad would give us a better chance of getting through this tough run of games and I think our league standing at the end of January could go a long way to deciding our fate - it really is a key month for us.

The visit of Newcastle to the Emirates is next on the agenda so let's try and make sure we start 2016 with a bang!

COME ON YOU GUNNERS

Saints punish Gunners sinful defence

As the goals flooded in, I kept wondering to myself, 'How on earth is this the same team?'

Going from a well-deserved 2-1 win over Manchester City to an utter capitulation in a 4-0 defeat at Southampton left me stunned. I always knew it would be a tough game but I certainly didn't expect that!

Going into the game we had conceded the joint-fewest number of goals in the league this season but that certainly wasn't evident at St Mary's where our defence fell apart, especially in the second half.

The manner of the performance was very disappointing and there can be no excuses from our players, who should have shown a lot more fight and hunger to win. After Leicester's defeat by Liverpool we knew that victory would've put us top of the table and surely that should have been enough motivation for the players to go out there and produce a strong performance. But instead we were truly awful and Southampton were the better side on the day. In my opinion the second goal shouldn't have been given due to a foul in the build up but, in truth, that didn't have too much impact on the game and Southampton were more than worthy winners.

We didn't actually start the game too badly as Olivier Giroud headed over from a Mesut Ozil cross in the opening few minutes. Neither side was playing particularly well and it took a wonder goal from Cuco Martina to break the deadlock. Per Mertesacker's clearance fell to Martina and the 26-year-old connected with the ball with a sublime first-time strike, giving Petr Cech no chance.

Southampton could've been further ahead before the break but Shane Long saw his effort ruled out for a foul on Mertesacker, much to Arsenal's relief.

At the other end Nacho Monreal saw his shot saved by Maarten Stekelenburg, while Theo Walcott twice failed to hit the target as the Gunners struggled to find a way through.

Southampton almost doubled their advantage within five minutes of the restart but Virgil van Dijk's header was ruled out for offside. But the hosts made no mistake five minutes later as Long scored the first of his two goals. The Irish forward latched onto Sadio Mane's pass to score from close range, although some sections of the crowd felt the goal should've been ruled out. In my opinion Laurent Koscielny was fouled in the build up to the goal, but I also genuinely believe that had it been ruled out we still wouldn't have got anything from the game as the performance really was that poor.

Birthday boy Aaron Ramsey was unable to reduce the deficit as a deflection stopped his shot from causing any real danger and things went from bad to worse for Arsenal as Jose Fonte headed home Ryan Bertrand's corner to make it 3-0.

Dusan Tadic forced Cech into an excellent save before Long's shot hit a post as Arsenal's defence continued to look all over the place.

Ozil came close in the latter stages with a shot that rolled across the goal line, but Arsenal really didn't do enough to test Stekelenburg on the night. The Gunners will certainly have to do far better, in both attack and defence, in their upcoming games if they are to turn their season back around.

Arsenal's shaky defence conceded a fourth in stoppage time as Tadic set up Long to calmly slot the ball under Cech and into the net to complete a miserable night for the Gunners.

OPPOSITION VIEW
Southampton fan Mavis John was delighted to see her side return to winning ways but admitted that the referee did make some mistakes on the day.

"After what was becoming a worrying slump, it was great to see Saints playing the kind of football we know they're capable of," said John.

"It was a bit of surprise to see Martina on the team sheet but his wonder strike showed that he's worthy of a start every week.

"It's fair to say that some of the refereeing decisions were questionable but in the end the two disallowed goals were probably evened out by the two that were given. We march on!"

MY FINAL THOUGHTS
It was a truly abysmal display at St Mary's but at least we kept hold of second place, although the result allowed Manchester City to cut the gap on us to just a point. But still being second isn't too much consolation and doesn't disguise the fact we were appalling.

If we can bounce back and beat Bournemouth, with Leicester and Manchester City hopefully drawing, we could yet be top before the end of the year. That seems such a crazy thought after the horror show against Southampton, but we must make sure we move on from that quickly.

Bournemouth have already beaten Manchester United and Chelsea this month so certainly shouldn't be underestimated and we will need a far better performance against the Cherries if we are to get our season back on track.

COME ON YOU GUNNERS

Walcott in a Winter Wonderland

Before the game some people were saying this was a game that could define Arsenal's season and say a lot about their title credentials.

Fast forward 90 minutes and the Gunners have just beaten Manchester City 2-1 and, although they had to endure a tense final 10 minutes, the win was fully deserved.

Arsenal had barely mustered a shot on goal before Theo Walcott's wonder strike but Olivier Giroud's effort gave the hosts some breathing space.

Manchester City, who have been really struggling on their travels this season, pulled one back eight minutes from time to ensure a first away goal in nearly three months and a tense finish at the Emirates.

Arsene Wenger's men managed to hold on for a huge three points to give them a lot of reasons to be cheerful in their final game before Christmas. I certainly won't be getting carried away and know how quickly things can change in the Premier League, but that is definitely a win I'm going to enjoy.

Although Arsenal controlled large spells of the game it was in fact City who had the better of the early chances. David Silva and Fernandinho both sent efforts over the bar inside the opening 10 minutes.

Kevin De Bruyne then twice wasted the chance to open the scoring for City. The Belgian saw his driven strike parried behind for a corner by Cech before spurning another effort later in the half when he raced into the box and dragged a shot wide.

Arsenal took the lead with their first meaningful shot on goal after 33 minutes. Mesut Ozil set up Walcott, who turned on the edge of the box before curling a delightful shot beyond Joe Hart and into the bottom corner.

The Gunners doubled their advantage on the stroke of half-time after capitalising on a poor back-pass from Eliaquim Mangala. Arsenal stole possession and pushed forward before Ozil set up Giroud, who worked tirelessly and performed excellently throughout, to score with a low finish.

Arsenal were in dreamland but I was still fully aware that there was still a long way to go and not to get too over excited, despite the amazing scoreline. But the Gunners didn't disappoint and continued to grow in confidence in the second half and the defensive work-rate on show was second to none, with Per Mertesacker particularly impressing me at the back.

Arsenal maybe should've put the game beyond doubt in the second half but Hart spread himself well to block shots from both Joel Campbell and Aaron Ramsey.

At the other end, Sergio Aguero's header was straight at Cech, while substitutes Raheem Sterling and Wilfried Bony failed to trouble the Arsenal shot-stopper with their efforts.

City really should have reduced the deficit 11 minutes from time when Navas raced clear on goal. But instead of shooting the Spaniard opted to cut the ball back to Bony, allowing Mertsacker time to get back and clear the danger. But the visitors made no mistake three minutes later as Toure's goal gave them hope. The midfielder played a one-two on the edge of the box before bending a wonderful shot into the top corner.

Arsenal went from being in control to now having to face a nervy end to the game. I was genuinely nervous that our hard work might get undone late on and the goal really did seem to galvanise City, who now had the bit between their teeth. Bony sent a shot off target before Toure very nearly grabbed his second of the game but, fortunately for Arsenal, he poked the ball wide after having got behind the Gunners' defence.

There was a brief worry for Arsenal in the final minutes as Giroud went down injured but fortunately the French striker was able to continue and the Gunners held on for a huge three points.

OPPOSITION VIEW
Manchester City fan Joe Barnes admitted Arsenal were worthy winners, but he doesn't believe either side has what it takes to win the Premier League title this season.

"Arsenal were clinical," said Barnes. "City were wasteful and carrying a player who goes from a Lada to Rolls Royce far too infrequently in Toure

"It's Leicester's to lose because neither team look good enough to get over the line!"

MY FINAL THOUGHTS
That was certainly the perfect Christmas present for Arsenal fans but what we need to make sure now is that we maintain the same level of performance in other games as well. To make all this hard work count we need to make sure we get another three points against Southampton on Boxing Day and there are certainly enough positive signs at the moment to suggest we can do just that, providing we don't get complacent.

I still think no matter what happens we need to buy in January to add some extra depth to the squad but, after beating the likes of the two Manchester clubs already this season, we have proved we may just have what it takes this time around.

There's a long way to go but things are certainly looking up for us!

COME ON YOU GUNNERS

Rambo sends Gunners top

Aaron Ramsey produced a goalscoring man of the match performance as Arsenal moved to the top of the table with a routine 2-0 win at struggling Aston Villa.

Ramsey was superb in midfield and when he added to Olivier Giroud's earlier penalty the Gunners looked in control for most of the game.

Villa are struggling at the bottom of the table and currently have just six points from 16 games but, before the game, I was slightly nervous about the game.

We have done well in difficult situations but then struggled in some of the so-called easier games prior to this one and, with former Gunner Remi Garde in charge of our opponents, I sensed a potential banana skin game.

Getting an early goal definitely helped to settle the nerves. Theo Walcott burst into the box before being pulled back by Alan Hutton and referee Kevin Friend awarded a penalty. Giroud, who scored a crucial Champions League hat-trick in midweek, clinically dispatched his 50th league goal for Arsenal with the resulting spot-kick. Giroud could've added to his tally in the first half, only to see his effort cleared off the line.

At the other end, Villa created few chances and were not able to make much of the ones they did have as Leandro Bacuna blazed a shot over the bar.

That miss proved costly as Arsenal doubled their advantage through Ramsey after 38 minutes. In-form Mesut Ozil, who has been at the heart of a large portion of the Gunners' goals of late, was at it again to set up the second goal. Ramsey started the move by finding Ozil, who in turn exchanged passes Theo Walcott before racing clear through on goal. Ozil hesitated for a moment before squaring the ball across to Ramsey for the Welsh midfielder to slot home.

Aston Villa improved after the break and wasted the chance to reduce the deficit when Scott Sinclair headed over Hutton's cross. That was a big let off for Arsenal but, in truth, Villa didn't really do too much to threaten the visitors' defence other than a few wayward shots.

Although Villa didn't trouble the defence too much, it didn't stop the clean sheet from being a big plus point, especially for goalkeeper Petr Cech who levelled David James' record of most clean sheets kept in the Premier League.

Arsenal had a chance to add further gloss to the scoreline before the end but Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain's effort was well saved by Brad Guzan in the Villa goal.

Three points, a clean sheet and moving top of the league - I couldn't ask for much more but will certainly not be getting carried away just yet.

OPPOSITION VIEW
Villa fan Cole Demetriades was left frustrated by his side's performance and had no complaints over the penalty which gave Arsenal the lead.

"When I saw the team I thought if Clark was fit he should be playing and I really think one of Gil and Grealish should be in the team for home games, because otherwise we have no creativity," said Demetriades.

"The first half was typical of Villa for the whole of 2015 not just this season. It was definitely a penalty no complaints there. Does Hutton need to make a challenge? Walcott had a lot to do from that position and he is not a left-footed player.

"The second goal was a classic away team counter attack with the exception of the fact you were playing like the home team, with great possession. Our players don't make enough effort to sprint backwards to stop Arsenal and it's a great move from their perspective.

"Villa were better in the second half, particularly when Gil came on, and Bacuna was unlucky with our best effort. But ultimately it was a routine three points for Arsenal and we can hope for more luck over a festive period with some far easier fixtures. 0-2 was a more than fair result."

Demetriades was also critical of Villa striker Rudy Gestede, who joined the club from Blackburn this summer.

"In terms of general play I really can't understand why we have Rudy Gestede," added Demetriades. "All he offers is an aerial threat, which is fine, but we don't have any width and our wide players prefer cutting inside and shooting rather than crossing to him.

"Therefore it's like having ten men if we don't use him. I thought it was an odd signing at the time because of this very reason."

MY FINAL THOUGHTS
I really do feel for Villa and Garde and part of me hopes they beat the drop. They have looked doomed in previous seasons and somehow survived and I think they can again but they also can't complain if they do get relegated as they just aren't causing enough of a threat to their opponents this year. I want Garde to do well there, but it's a difficult job for anyone to take on and only time will tell if he can succeed...but early signs indicate it is going to be a big struggle.

We deserved to beat them though and, with the visit of Manchester City looming just before Christmas, this is just the result we needed. The match against City, who are rated by many as favourites to lift the Premier League trophy in May, could go a long way to deciding our title fate so we needed to keep up the pace and we did just that by beating Villa.

In some ways I think we are more than capable of beating Manchester City but in other ways I worry about this game as we have shown signs of weakness at other points this season. Whatever the result, we must make sure we put in a performance to be proud of.

Many people are saying this is our best chance of winning the title in years, especially with Chelsea's season fading fast and Manchester City not looking as unstoppable as normal. But, if we really are to lift the title, we need to avoid any further injuries and not allow any complacency to creep into our game.

I am normally a super optimistic fan but even I think City will do it but let's just hope the players can prove me wrong with a big performance and win against Manuel Pellegrini's men.

COME ON YOU GUNNERS

Athens miracle puts Gunners through

Olivier Giroud's first hat-trick for the club saw Arsenal defy the odds and qualify for the knock-out stages of the Champions League with a 3-0 win over Olympiakos in Athens.

There was a big worry for Gunners' fans when Giroud went down injured at 1-0. Even when he came back on I, at the time, thought it was a big risk especially with the spate of injuries we have picked up lately. But by god am I glad he came back on to add two further goals to secure runners-up spot for us in Group F.

Arsenal went into the game knowing they had to win to move level on points with the Greek side, and then win by a two-goal margin or any victory scoring three or more, to ensure they came out on top of the head-to-head battle to progress.

Normally before a game I have some sort of gut feeling but this time I really did feel split over how we would do. Part of me thought we could do it, while another bit of me thought we would come close but not close enough...so the eventual outcome made me even more delighted. Arsenal have now reached the knock-out stages of the Champions League for a 16th year in a row.

Arsenal controlled large spells of the game but it was Olympiakos, who had previously won 12 domestic league games on the bounce, that wasted the chance to open the scoring when Seba sent a volley off target.

The Gunners also came close to breaking the deadlock when Mathieu Flamini's deflected strike hit the crossbar. This seemed to spark Arsenal into life and the visitors soon took the lead as Giroud latched onto Aaron Ramsey to head the ball in off goalkeeper Roberto shortly before the half hour mark.

But things looked to have taken a turn for the worse for Arsenal when Giroud turned his ankle and required medical attention early in the second half. It not only looked like the end of his evening but, with not many attacking options on the bench, I briefly wondered where the next goal would come from. But just as I was saying 'Wenger please sub him off! We can't risk any more big injuries', the French striker was back on the field to score a well-taken second within four minutes of the restart. Joel Campbell, who produced arguably his best performance in an Arsenal shirt, picked out Giroud with a sublime pass before the striker calmly slotted the ball beyond Roberto.

Olympiakos came close to pulling a goal back but Kostas Fortounis's effort was well saved by Petr Cech. That was about as good as it got for the hosts and it wasn't too long before Arsenal scored their third to wrap up the victory and a memorable night in Greece. Nacho Monreal's shot was blocked by the hand of Omar Elabdellaoui. Giroud stepped up and scored the resulting penalty to complete his hat-trick 24 minutes from time.

GROUP F
If someone had said to me when the groups were drawn that we would secure second spot in Group F, I would've been delighted. Finishing above Bayern Munich was always going to be tough and we did manage to beat them in the clash at the Emirates. The performance away to Olympiakos was also of a very high quality.

For all the positives, there were also negatives. Without disrespecting Dinamo Zagreb and Olympiakos too much, how did we end up needing a final-game miracle to progress? A huge effort and one I am proud of the manager and players for, but such a dramatic turnaround shouldn't have been needed.

The defeats to Dinamo Zagreb and Olympiakos in the opening two games were very poor and we can't repeat them again but the miracle in Athens could yet prove a huge result, not just for our Champions League campaign but for our overall season. Elimination would have been hard for the players to take, but the turnaround to qualify can give us a big boost going into the rest of the season, so let's wait and see what happens.

Finishing runners-up in Group F does mean we are likely to get a much tougher last-16 draw than if we had topped the group. But being in the Champions League is all about pitting your wits against the best so if we are serious about this competition we need to prove we can beat the big guns.

Obviously I'd prefer Wolfsburg or Zenit in the next round but I'll accept whoever we get. No matter what team we draw we must ensure we play more like we did in Athens than how we did in some of the other Group F games.

MY FINAL THOUGHTS
Finally we can relax that we have progressed through to the knock-out stages but we must be ready to go again quickly and turn our attentions back to the Premier League. Two points behind leaders Leicester going into the next match and we travel to Aston Villa on the back of an excellent European performance. Surely that was the perfect tonic to prepare us for Villa but there is no room for complacency and we need to make sure we are at our best to get maximum points and keep our season moving on an upward curve.....but I'll certainly take nothing for granted and there is still a hell of a long way to go.

We also found out recently that our FA Cup defence will begin with a third round clash against Sunderland but it's all about the league for the rest of December and we need to make sure we stay focused and don't suffer any blips. Things are now looking good again but it is impossible to predict how things are going to turn out, so let's just wait and see.

COME ON YOU GUNNERS

Gunners revive league campaign

Olivier Giroud scored at both ends as Arsenal returned to winning ways and moved up to second in the Premier League table.

The Gunners had taken just two points out of a possible nine from their previous three league games but goals from Giroud, Joel Campbell and Aaron Ramsey ensured it would be a happy day for the hosts.

Arsenal were able to take advantage of Manchester City's surprise 2-0 loss at Stoke and are now just two points behind leaders Leicester. It was a much-needed result, especially after the recent injury blows to key duo Alexis Sanchez and Santi Cazorla.

Sunderland had a chance to open the scoring after just five minutes but Fabio Borini's strike was comfortably saved by Petr Cech in the Arsenal goal.

Duncan Watmore sent his header off target as Sunderland continued to create chances, while Cech had to be alert to keep out a shot that had come off Mathieu Flamini on its way to goal.

But it was Arsenal who broke the deadlock after a perfectly-weighted through ball from the in-form Mesut Ozil found Campbell in the box, and the Costa Rican calmly slotted the ball beyond Costel Pantilimon.

Sunderland levelled matters on the stroke of half-time when Yann M'Vila's free-kick was sliced into his own net by Giroud. But Arsenal could've restored their lead soon after, only for Aaron Ramsey's shot to hit the side netting. At that point I did wonder whether it was going to be one of those days but fortunately we were able to see the game off in the second half.

The visitors almost took the lead shortly before the hour mark but Cech was on hand to turn Steven Fletcher's drive round a post. From the resulting corner, Cech made a fine point-blank save to keep Fletcher out from close range.

Those saves proved crucial as Arsenal weathered the storm before taking the lead through Giroud after 64 minutes. The French striker made amends for his earlier own goal by getting on the end of Ramsey's curling cross to head the ball home.

Arsenal tried to extend their advantage but substitute Theo Walcott sent his shot off target, Hector Bellerin's effort was blocked and Giroud's header was cleared off the line by DeAndre Yedlin.

Ramsey's acrobatic effort was comfortably saved by Pantilimon and those wasted chances almost came back to bite Arsenal two minutes from time. Jack Rodwell's fine through ball found Patrick van Aanholt but, fortunately for Arsenal, the defender fired his shot over the bar.

As the game entered injury time, Ramsey shot straight at Pantilimon but the Welsh midfielder had better luck next time, bundling home from close range after Calum Chambers' initial effort had been blocked.

OPPOSITION VIEW
Sunderland fan Shaun Clewes admitted that poor finishing cost his side in a game he felt could have gone the other way.

"I thought we were very unlucky to leave without a point," said Clewes. "We have been much more organised at the back in recent weeks.

"Yedlin was caught napping for the first goal but we produced a number of chances. But our finishing let us down."

MY FINAL THOUGHTS
Considering the way our league results had gone with no wins in three before this one, I was delighted to see us take all three points from a potential banana-skin game against Sunderland.

Whether or not we are serious title challengers remains to be seen as there is still plenty of the season left to go. There have been some great signs and some poor signs this season so it is hard to call and I think it will come down to how well we cope with our recent spate of injuries, and how Arsene Wenger uses the January transfer window.

Being just two points behind the leaders at this stage of the season is still decent though so let's wait and see how the next few weeks unfold.

Focus must now immediately turn to the Champions League and our make or break clash in Greece against Olympiakos, which will decide whether or not we progress or exit this year's competition. Here's to a miracle in Athens!

COME ON YOU GUNNERS

Grabban frustrates Gunners

Lewis Grabban's equaliser left Arsenal forced to settle for a 1-1 draw at Norwich and also denied the visitors the chance to move level on points with leaders Manchester City.

Arsenal are in fourth position and two points behind Manchester City but what was arguably more frustrating than the result was the Gunners picking up yet more injuries at Carrow Road. Laurent Koscielny lasted just 11 minutes before leaving the field with a hip problem, while Alexis Sanchez and Santi Cazorla also sustained injuries. Hopefully they are all only minor injury setbacks and not much game time will be missed but the trio will need assessed before the extent of any damage is known for sure.

What is for sure is that Arsenal cannot afford to pick up any more injuries. The squad is already being tested to the limit with injuries previously sustained and there isn't too much depth to call upon so we need to hope that the trio are all back in time for the next league match against Sunderland.

Arsenal started the game in dominant mood and early signs looked encouraging, with Mesut Ozil seeing his effort cleared off the line. The visitors continued to push forward and only an excellent save from Norwich goalkeeper Ruddy prevented Sanchez from opening the scoring.

The Gunners did finally break the deadlock on the half hour mark when Sanchez took advantage of a poor clearance from Ruddy to set up Ozil, who beat Norwich's number one with a precise chip.

Norwich hit back to level the scores two minutes before the break when Grabban latched onto Robbie Brady's fine pass to score from close range. The Canaries almost added a second goal soon after but Wes Hoolahan sent his effort over the bar.

Petr Cech came to Arsenal's rescue with a fine stop in the second half to keep the scores level. A header deflected off substitute Gabriel on its way to goal but Cech made a superb save down to his left to tip the ball wide at full stretch.

Both sides tried to find a winner with Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud and Norwich's Jonny Howson both wasting opportunities to score.

Norwich will undoubtedly be delighted with a hard-earned point but it definitely feels like another case of two points dropped by the Gunners.

OPPOSITION VIEW
Norwich fan Adam Edwards was pleased with the efforts shown by his side and felt a draw was a fair result.

"It was an end to end match with both teams squandering good chances with poor last minute decisions," said Edwards. "Arsenal may have expected to perform better but a draw was a fair result based on the game.

"Norwich definitely gave Arsenal a game when they could have played for a draw. With a little luck Norwich could have won."

MY FINAL THOUGHTS
Realistically our chances of winning the title are slim and this result is another example of why. Although at times this season we have been brilliant, we haven't take advantage enough on other occasions. After Manchester City's slip-up against Liverpool the other week we failed to win and couldn't capitalise. Manchester City beat Southampton recently and had we beaten Norwich we would have moved level on points with them. Instead, it was another missed opportunity. Obviously we are still well and truly in the title race mathematically but we need to be mentally up for it as well if we are to have a chance. Manchester City aren't going to slip up too many times so we need to make sure we focus on ourselves and stop dropping silly points.

Manchester City face a tough trip to Stoke next time out and, although we can't guarantee a slip-up from them, we need to make sure we do better in front of goal and make sure we get nothing less than maximum points from the visit of Sunderland. Without being disrespectful to West Brom, Norwich and Sunderland we should really have been looking at getting nine points, or at worst seven, from those three games. Instead we have only one point from two of the games, which isn't good enough.

On the plus side, Ozil again showed glimpses of the top class player that he is but we need more options up front to take the pressure off Giroud. But before we start worrying about the transfer window, as it's not even open yet, let's focus our attention on making sure there are no slip-ups and that we beat Sunderland....and beat them well!

COME ON YOU GUNNERS

Sanchez Revives Gunners European Dream

Alexis Sanchez struck twice as Arsenal kept up their hopes of qualifying out of the group stages in the Champions League with a 3-0 win over Dinamo Zagreb.

Man of the match Mesut Ozil capped a superb performance with a goal, meaning the third-placed Gunners face a make or break clash away at Olympiakos in their bid to progress from Group F.

Arsenal not only need to beat Olympiakos but also have to better the 3-2 scoreline by which they lost to the Greeks earlier on in the competition. It is certainly going to be a tough ask from the Gunners but, in truth, we are lucky to even still be in with a chance after winning only two of are opening five games. So I am delighted that we still have a chance, no matter how slim, of progressing so we are not out of it just yet.

The performance against Zagreb was much more like the way we should've been playing throughout the competition. Whilst it was a really impressive performance it was also hard not to feel a sense of frustration as to where on earth this performance had been in some of the other group games.

A fine passing move released Alexis Sanchez down the left and the Chilean's cross was met by the diving header of Ozil for Arsenal's opener after 29 minutes.

Arsenal made their dominance count by doubling their advantage just four minutes later. Nacho Monreal intercepted the ball before racing into the box and teeing up Sanchez to fire home from close range.

Zagreb goalkeeper Eduardo denied Ozil to keep the score down to 2-0 going in at the break.

Arsenal continued to pile on the pressure in the second half with Eduardo again being called into action to keep out Santi Cazorla and Olivier Giroud.

Another positive for us Arsenal fans was the introduction off the bench of Aaron Ramsey. With all the injuries we have, it is a big relief to see the Welsh midfielder back in action and hopefully he will get back to his best over the next few weeks.

Arsene Wenger's men put the result beyond doubt as Sanchez added his second and Arsenal's third 21 minutes from time. Joel Campbell set up Sanchez with a fine reverse pass and the Chilean kept his composure, going round Eduardo and calmly stroking the ball into the empty net.

Ozil and Sanchez especially were superb. If we had done this in the away game against Zagreb then our Champions League campaign would not be facing the same tension as it now does, but we have to accept the situation and make sure we put in one hell of a performance to stay in it.

GROUP F
In some ways the task of qualifying out of Group F look completely manageable, but in other ways they seem very nerve-racking. Of course, we are more than capable of beating Olympiakos, even comfortably, if we can hit top form in Greece. But we are also capable, as we have seen in the past, of imploding and not getting the job done, so it will depend which Arsenal side turns up on the day. It will certainly been tense and exciting that is for sure...we just need to make sure we win, and win by enough goals, to stay in the competition. I love the Champions League and really hope we can do a number on our Greek opponents in the final round of group matches.

Arsenal are three points behind Olympiakos ahead of the showdown in Athens. The Gunners' goal difference is better but, if we finish level on points it is the head-to-head record that will be decisive. With Olympiakos winnning 3-2 at the Emirates earlier on in the Group F campaign, Arsenal need to win by two goals (or by one if we score three) if we are to make it through to the last 16.

Although we know exactly what we've got to do to progress, so do Olympiakos. They know even a draw is enough and may set up tactically with that in mind. We need to attack but cannot go to gung-ho and risk leaving ourselves too open at the back. We need to get it tactically perfect in Greece but the main thing is that, going into the final group game, the dream is at least still alive.

MY FINAL THOUGHTS
Our chances of being in the last 16 of the Champions League really could go either way. It is so tough to call and I feel 50-50 about it. But, following the victory over Zagreb, we must now, temporarily, put the Champions League out of our minds and once again focus on the Premier League.

In our last league match we suffered a frustrating 2-1 loss at West Brom and, if we are serious about a Premier League title challenge this season we really can't afford too many more slip-ups.

We travel to Norwich in our next league game and, despite losing to West Brom and dropping to fourth, we are only two points behind surprise leaders Leicester.

It was disappointing that we couldn't take advantage of Manchester City's slip-up last weekend and we must ensure we don't do this again. Without being too disrespectful to Norwich, this is a game that would be absolutely inexcusable not to win. We need to prove we can challenge for the title and that we are not once again going to end up finishing third or fourth...so let's try and start to prove this against Norwich with a top performance and convincing win.

COME ON YOU GUNNERS

Gunners pay the penalty at Hawthorns

A wasted opportunity. A missed penalty, frustration and more injuries. The 2-1 defeat at West Brom did little to lift the mood for the Arsenal players and fans.

Arsenal could have gone top with a win and Manchester City's shock 4-1 home defeat by Liverpool would've been an added bonus, but we couldn't do our own job properly and that was frustrating.

When Olivier Giroud opened the scoring before the half hour mark I thought it would be our day but, despite dominating for decent spells of the game, two goals in five minutes turned the game on its head. Santi Cazorla also missed a penalty as the Gunners slumped to an away defeat.

Losing Francis Coquelin to a knee injury after just 14 minutes was very frustrating, not just because he is a key member of the side but also we don't exactly have top class cover in the defensive midfield position. Mathieu Flamini doesn't often fill me with much confidence and Mikel Arteta sustained a calf injury against the Baggies. It leaves us in a difficult position but at least City's defeat meant we didn't lose any extra ground in the title race.

Arsenal started the game on top with Alexis Sanchez seeing his free-kick well saved by Boaz Myhill before the Chilean sent another effort harmlessly wide.

The Gunners eventually broke the deadlock after 28 minutes when Giroud latched onto Mesut Ozil's excellent cross to flick a header beyond Myhill.

Arsenal wasted the chance to double their advantage when Gibbs fired a shot over the bar and that miss proved costly as West Brom went on to take the lead with a quick-fire double. James Morrison got on the end of Chris Brunt's free-kick to loop the ball over Petr Cech in the Arsenal goal to level the scores. West Brom then moved in front soon after as James McLean's cross went in off Arteta.

Arsenal went agonisingly close to levelling the scores within two minutes of the restart as Ozil's first-time shot hit a post. The visitors continued to push forward and Gibbs' effort was well blocked by Morrison as Arsenal failed to find that all-important equaliser.

The Gunners refused to give up and when Ozil's perfectly-weighted pass found Flamini, it looked like it could end in a goal until Jonny Evans came in to stop the attack with a superb last-ditch tackle.

Arsenal really should have levelled the scores through substitute Joel Campbell and it is still baffling as to how on earth he didn't score. Cazorla lofted the ball into the box for Campbell but the Costa Rican sliced his effort off target when it looked easier to score.

As the visitors continued to push forward in search of a goal they were almost caught out by their opponents but, fortunately, Jonas Olsson's header hit the bar.

Arsenal were given the perfect opportunity to level the scores after being awarded a penalty seven minutes from time following Brunt's foul on Sanchez. But Cazorla slipped as he went to take the penalty and ended up slicing his effort over the bar.

Arsenal were rapidly running out of time and, after Laurent Koscielny's deflected effort was saved by Myhill, the defeat was confirmed.

OPPOSITION VIEW
West Brom fan Mike Beddoes was pleasantly surprised to see his side take all three points from the Gunners.

"It was a complete surprise to beat Arsenal in all honesty," said Beddoes. "When the first goal went in I began to think it was going to open the floodgates for Arsenal.

"We'd held on for so long once we went ahead that my heart sank when the penalty was awarded. Luckily he (Cazorla) slipped when taking it, so good fortune was on our side for once."

MY FINAL THOUGHTS
Without being too disrespectful to West Brom, losing this game was inexcusable and I am truly gutted by the result. We seemed to show a lot of attacking intent but we just didn't make our chances count enough and this is becoming the case too often. Giroud took his goal superbly but we need someone to be banging in the goals more regularly.

We must now temporarily forget about the league and turn our attention to the Champions League. The visit of Dinamo Zagreb is a huge game and we can't afford any more European slip-ups. We have to make sure we start strong and claim all three points, whilst also hoping Bayern Munich make no mistakes and beat Olympiakos. Do that and we will keep our Champions League dream alive going into the crunch final group game against Olympiakos. Fail to do so and we are out, it really is that simple, so we must produce a huge performance against Zagreb and get our season back on track.

As for the league we travel to Norwich next. We must make sure produce two big performances in the coming weeks to get our season back up and running and to avoid the campaign simply fizzling out. There is no reason for us not to be fired up for these two games so let's go make it count.

COME ON YOU GUNNERS

Super Sub Gibbs Rescues Gunners

Arsenal missed the opportunity to go top of the Premier League but Kieran Gibbs came off the bench to at least rescue a point for the Gunners in a 1-1 draw against bitter rivals Tottenham.

The left-back hasn't enjoyed as much game time as he would've liked in recent seasons, but he looked really lively after coming off the bench and took just three minutes to make his mark on the game.

Although the equaliser seemed to awaken Arsenal in the closing stages of the game it could be argued that the Gunners had a lucky escape, with Petr Cech having made a string of key saves during a tight encounter at the Emirates.

Cech and his opposite number Hugo Lloris both made vital saves but both side's attacks will feel they should've done better, with only four shots on target apiece.

Mousa Dembele and Erik Dier wasted chances for Spurs in the first half before the visitors eventually took the lead after 32 minutes. Harry Kane latched onto Danny Rose's through ball before beating Cech with a composed finish.

Arsenal started the second half brightly and came close to levelling through Joel Campbell, but the Costa Rican's effort was superbly parried by Hugo Lloris.

The Gunners wasted another chance to draw level when Olivier Giroud's header hit the crossbar before the striker and his fellow Frenchman Laurent Koscielny both missed with further headers later in the second half. Those misses almost proved costly for the hosts but Cech denied Christian Eriksen before producing an instinctive top class save to palm away Toby Alderweireld's close-range header.

Arsenal finally levelled matters 13 minutes from time when Gibbs latched onto Mesut Ozil's floating cross and got just enough on it to prod the ball beyond Lloris. Ozil's cross for the goal saw him become the first player to assist 10 goals in his opening 11 games of a Premier League season. The German international also became the first ever player to contribute an assist in six consecutive Premier League games in the same season. This is a hugely impressive statistic but with the amount of chances he is creating we really should be putting more of them away.

Ozil nearly assisted a dramatic late winner for Arsenal after Giroud latched onto his corner, but the French striker's header was well kept out by Lloris to ensure the derby ended level.

OPPOSITION VIEW
Tottenham fan Anthony Rayment was delighted with his side's performance and paid particular tribute to the defence.

"People keep saying it was a mature Tottenham performance and I would have to agree," said Rayment. "A Spurs side a year ago would have lost that game after Arsenal made it 1-1.

"Tottenham's young players are on form and and as long as they can keep it up they will continue that unbeaten run. Most importantly though they are strong in defence, something that has not been said for a very long time.

"Arsenal had moments, but seem to fail in the same areas, most notably in defence. Ozil was great and they did have a lot of injures.

"Neither will win the league but both should hopefully make the top four. Gibbs goal was lucky to beat Lloris but Giroud should have had two."

MY FINAL THOUGHTS
So was it a missed opportunity or a decent derby point? With Manchester City being forced to settle for a goalless draw at Aston Villa, Arsene Wenger's men had the chance to take over at the top of the table if they could beat Spurs. Drawing the game was clearly two points dropped by the Gunners in their race for the league title. But, considering the impressive form Spurs are in, maybe a point isn't so bad after all and we are only behind leaders Manchester City on goal difference.

We should've been looking to get nothing other than a win from this game to prove our title credentials. We will find out in the coming months whether this will be a valuable point or a costly two points dropped but one thing is for sure - for once I am actually glad it is time for the international break. I am not the biggest fan of international breaks during the league season but, with the likes of Theo Walcott and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain currently out injured, it will give players more time to recover and get fit for the next league game at West Brom.

COME ON YOU GUNNERS

Gunners outclassed by Bayern

Arsenal looked a shadow of the side that had beaten Bayern Munich in October as they were outclassed in a 5-1 thrashing in Germany.

Bayern were already 4-0 to the good before Olivier Giroud's 69th-minute consolation in a match that, for large parts, Arsenal were very below par. To go from being one of the sides with the best defensive records in the Premier League this season to shipping in five goals in Europe really was poor.

Francis Coquelin and Mesut Ozil were individually excellent but the overall team performance was very sub-standard and simply not good enough. There is no denying the sheer quality of Bayern's performance and they deserve huge credit for that but the lack of fight we showed at times was rather worrying, especially given the importance of the game as we attempted to keep our Champions League dream alive.

The defeat, coupled with Olympiakos' late 2-1 win over Dinamo Zagreb, has left the Gunners' Champions League hopes hanging by a thread. It is somewhat remarkable that, after three defeats from the opening four games, Arsenal still actually have a chance of qualifying out of the group.

If Arsenal beat Dinamo Zagreb and Olympiakos lose to Bayern, Arsenal will be just three points behind the Greeks going into the final round of games. If Arsene Wenger's men manage this then they would have to go to Greece and get a better result than a 3-2 victory. Remarkably this still seems possible but rather than focus on what may be in the future, we cannot ignore just how disappointing the last performance was.

The first chance of the game fell to Giroud but the Frenchman's curling effort went wide. That early miss proved costly as in-form striker Robert Lewandowski put Bayern in front after 10 minutes. The defence gave Lewandowski far too much space, so much so that my initial reaction was he must be offside as the back four were almost static almost as if they were expecting the whistle to go. That wasn't the case and they really had given Lewandowski that much space to head home from close range.

Arsenal thought they had levelled the game two minutes later after Mesut Ozil appeared to score, only for his effort to be ruled out for handball. I thought it had hit Ozil's shoulder rather than his hand but, either way, it can't be used as an excuse as regardless of this Bayern were by far the better side on the night.

In truth, Bayern could've scored more before their second goal but fortunately Petr Cech was on hand to deny Lewandowski with two fine saves. But Cech could do nothing to prevent the hosts from doubling their advantage just before the half hour mark. Philipp Lahm's cross fell to Kingsley Coman, whose scuffed shot fell to Muller to score via a deflection off Per Mertesacker.

Cech again came to Arsenal's rescue when he denied Muller, but he was soon picking the ball out of his net for a third time following an unstoppable long-range strike from David Alaba just before half-time.

Arsenal's nightmare continued as Bayern added a fourth goal within 10 minutes of the restart as substitute Arjen Robben made an instant impact with a first-time finish.

Santi Cazorla wasted a decent chance as the Gunners attempted to salvage something from the game before Giroud finally gave the visiting faithful something to cheer about with a well-taken consolation goal 21 minutes from time. Giroud controlled Alexis Sanchez's pass with his chest before beating Manuel Neuer with a delightful scissor kick. It really was a truly great goal.

The goal appeared to wake Arsenal up and the Gunners finally began to show a bit more hunger and desire in the final 20 minutes. Wenger's men could've even added a second before the end, but Cazorla shot over when it looked easier to score following a great cut-back from Coquelin.

Arsenal couldn't find a second and instead it was Bayern who scored next as Muller netted his second in the final minute of normal time. Douglas Costa burst through the middle before setting up Muller to score to complete the rout for a very dominant Bayern side.

GROUP F
Arsenal are six points behind Bayern and Olympiakos with two games left to play. It has been a Champions League nightmare for the Gunners and the only crumb of comfort is the fact that somehow we aren't out of it yet.

If we beat Dinamo Zagreb and Bayern get a likely victory over Olympiakos then it will actually be in our own hands. We don't really deserve to qualify out of the group yet we still have a chance.

MY FINAL THOUGHTS
It is frustrating how we can go from brilliant one week, with excellent performances against the likes of Bayern and Manchester United at home, to performing very poorly in other games.

Bayern are a hard side to beat for anyone, especially away from home, but, if I had been told before the group stages started that we would take three points out of six from them I would have been fairly happy. Although we have achieved that I am far from happy as other results, and the manner of the performances at home against Olympiakos and away to Dinamo Zagreb and Bayern, were simply not good enough.

Our next game sees us return to league action with a London derby against Tottenham at the Emirates. Is this the best or worst game to have after such a poor result? If we lose it will be a nightmare week but maybe, just maybe, the poor display against Bayern can spur us on (no pun intended!) to put in the performance of our lives to get a victory against our local rivals.

If we are serious about our Premier League title challenge then this is a game we cannot afford to lose so let's make sure we go and give Spurs a hiding.

COME ON YOU GUNNERS

Gunners brush Swans aside

The Liberty Stadium is never an easy place for any Premier League team to go so for us to come away with a 3-0 victory is a superb result.

Before the game I said that outside the top four Swansea is among the toughest away trips in my opinion, so to get such a positive result will stand us in good stead, especially with such a big week looming.

A crucial Champions League trip to Bayern Munich followed by a home clash with rivals Tottenham are vital and we will need to win both if we are to maintain our decent run of form and avoid the season fizzling out.

With Swansea having done the league double over us last season, I was very wary of the threats posed by this fixture, especially after such a poor showing in the recent cup defeat to Sheffield Wednesday, and some fans will undoubtedly have expected us to slip up.

Three goals and all three points...I couldn't ask for much more. Also, with Theo Walcott out injured it was important to see both Giroud and Joel Campbell scoring as we will need our forward players to be in decent form if this season is to prove to be a success.

Nacho Monreal and Campbell both sent efforts off target in the opening quarter of the match but it was Swansea who came closest to breaking the deadlock before the break. Jonjo Shelvey set up Bafetimbi Gomis with a perfectly-weighted through ball but the striker hesitated on the ball as he took it past Petr Cech, allowing Arsenal defender Hector Bellerin time to get back and clear the danger.

Gomis was denied against soon after when his header was saved by Cech while, at the other end, Giroud fired over from inside the box and Campbell shot straight at former Gunners' goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski.

Arsenal opened the scoring within four minutes of the restart as an unmarked Giroud headed home from Mesut Ozil's corner for visitors' 2,000th goal under Arsene Wenger.

It could've perhaps been a different story had Cech not come to the rescue to parry Gylfi Sigurdsson's effort from just outside the box soon after. That miss proved costly as Arsenal doubled their advantage after 68 minutes in circumstances that some deemed to be controversial.

Fabianski came to claim Ozil's cross but dropped the ball under pressure from Giroud and Laurent Koscielny before the latter controlled the ball and tapped it into the empty net. There seems to be mixed opinion as to whether or not there was an infringement on the Swans' shot-stopper but referee Kevin Friend deemed that the goal should stand.

However, it was Arsenal who doubled their lead in controversial circumstances with 69 minutes on the clock.
After a cross from the right took a huge deflection, Lukasz Fabianski came to claim the looping ball under pressure from two Arsenal players and as the ball dropped Laurent Koscielny tapped it into an empty net with referee Kevin Friend insisting that there had been no infringement on the goalkeeper.

Campbell completed the scoring when he scored his first ever Premier League goal 16 minutes from time. The Costa Rican latched onto Ozil's cross and was given too much time to control the ball before firing a shot beyond Fabianski and into the bottom corner.

Swansea tried to find a way back into the game and were almost rewarded through their captain Ashley Williams, but the defender's effort was well saved by Cech.

Arsenal nearly added a fourth in stoppage time but Fabianski produced a double save to deny Ozil and Alexis Sanchez.

OPPOSITION VIEW
Swansea fan Rob Wood felt it was a typical game of two halves, with his side controlling the opening 45 minutes and Arsenal having the better of the rest of the match.

"First half I thought we were on top, but Arsenal were obviously dangerous when they countered," said Wood.

"Gomis should have scored when clean through and we should have had a penalty from Sigurdsson's free-kick when Mertesacker handled.

"The second half belonged to Arsenal. It was a sloppy first goal on our part leaving Giroud free. This gave Arsenal the confidence to dominate the rest of the game and we didn't really get going at all in the second half."

MY FINAL THOUGHTS
The importance of this win cannot be underestimated. It is still impossible to gauge whether or not we are going to sustain our league form over the next few months and I feel 50-50 as to if this will be a superb season or the same old story. But one thing is for sure, we are playing very well in the league at the moment which is reflected by our recent results. There is still a long way to go but there is plenty of reason to be positive at the moment. I will probably be able to form more of an opinion after the upcoming Bayern Munich and Tottenham games. Staying in the Champions League will likely have a big knock-on effect on our season so we have to make sure we get at least a point in Germany. As for the visit of Spurs, it may still be early in the season but this is an absolutely must win game, not just for local pride but also for ensuring we continue to keep up the pace with Manchester City. Only goal difference separates us from leaders City at the moment, so let's hope we can sustain our title challenge.

COME ON YOU GUNNERS

Owls tame young Gunners

Was it a defining result in our season or merely a blip in a one-off knockout game? Either way, Arsenal's 3-0 defeat by Sheffield Wednesday in the Capital One Cup was simply embarrassing.

It wasn't so much the result that hurts, as we all know shocks can happen in cup football, but more the manner of the performance. Some blame manager Arsene Wenger for his team selection saying he should have picked a stronger team. But then, if we had picked a much stronger team and won comfortably, some fans would have undoubtedly moaned saying 'why didn't Wenger rest players in this smaller game?'. I think blaming the team selection is a poor excuse as, whilst not as experienced, the starting XI at Hillsborough should still have been good enough to produce a far better performance than the one us Gunners' fans were given.

Losing Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and substitute Theo Walcott to injury inside the opening 20 minutes didn't exactly help, but we shouldn't hide behind that excuse either. Without disrespecting Sheffield Wednesday, the side we put out really should have been more than capable of getting a victory.

We just need to simply hold our hands up and admit we were beaten by the better side on the day. Although, it is really frustrating to admit that as we should have done much better, Wednesday were more than worthy of their win and their place in the next round of the tournament.

What is most important now is that we put this down as a bad day at the office and quickly move on from it. We are already out of the Capital One Cup and our Champions League adventure is hanging by a thread. But we are actually performing well in the league and only trail leaders Manchester City on goal difference. What we don't want is for the cup exit to dent the confidence and affect the league form or we risk the season spiralling away from us in an all too familiar fashion. But it shouldn't come down to that and it is in our own control. If we can get maximum points at Swansea in our next game we can get things back on track and maybe, just maybe, still have a decent season.

Arsenal's night started as it ended - in frustration. Oxlade-Chamberlain lasted just five minutes before having to leave the field injured and his replacement, Walcott, lasted less than 15 minutes. But at that point in the game neither side was really creating many chances or stamping their authority on the game.

With neither goalkeeper having had much to do Wednesday suddenly took the lead through Ross Wallace after 27 minutes. Daniel Pudil pulled the ball back for Wallace to score from the edge of the area.

Although Arsenal had some youth in their side, the experienced players who did play should have made their presence count more but they didn't and the Gunners midfield, especially, was really lacking in ideas.

Alex Iwobi, who was making his first-team debut for Arsenal, sent a shot just off target for the visitors but, in truth, Arsenal didn't test young Wednesday goalkeeper Joe Wildsmith enough.

Wednesday doubled their advantage five minutes before the break. Petr Cech managed to save Jeremy Helan's effort but was unable to prevent Lucas Joao from heading home the resulting corner.

At half-time I knew defeat was looking likely but I at least expected some kind of response in the second half. We had already been forced into using two of our three substitutions in the first half but I still thought we would provide an attacking response in the second half. Instead we still looked void of ideas and, other than one great save from Wildsmith, we didn't really look close to scoring.

So rather than playing attractive attacking football in an attempt to get back into the game, we ended up conceding a third goal within six minutes of the restart. Tom Lees latched onto Barry Bannan's free-kick before knocking the ball across for Sam Hutchinson to score from close range.

I had previously been a bit excited about the prospect of Polish youngster Krystian Bielik coming off the bench to make his debut as I had heard very positive things about him. But by the time he entered the field on the hour mark the game was already over and, although he showed one or two nice touches, it was difficult to really analyse his performance as the team performance had been poor.

As the game entered its final quarter Arsenal finally appeared to wake up and nearly grabbed a consolation goal, but Wildsmith produced an excellent save to keep out Per Mertesacker's header. That was as near as Arsenal came to a response in a day that belonged solely to their Yorkshire opponents. Wednesday were more than worthy of the victory, while the Gunners need a huge improvement if they are to get their season back on track.

OPPOSITION VIEW
Owls' fan Jim Capel was delighted by the result and is hoping his side get to pit their wits against the likes of Arsenal again in the not too distant future.

"Ordinarily, I would look at this fixture with a sense of impending doom and would be lumping my hard-earned cash on a cricket score in favour of the boys from North London," said Capel. "Recently however, I have found a new sense of optimism.

"Being a Wednesdayite hasn’t been the best for your mental health over the last 15 years, since relegation from the Premier League, with only the odd glimmer of hope amongst the endless frustration and misery. But now, enter Carlos Carvalhal and his “dream” (according to our chant). 15 new players, strength in depth and a genuinely competitive side in the Championship, just could signal light at the end of the tunnel."

"And so to the game, and how true does that statement ring! From minute one, we looked comfortable. We weren’t overawed by our more illustrious opponents. We had come to do a job and my god did we do it! Yes we got a bit of good fortune with “the Ox” and Walcott having to go off injured, but in truth you can’t take anything away from this performance.

"If you’d told me at the start of tonight that we would win this, I’d have said you were mad. If you’d said we would win this comfortably, I’d have told you to seek professional help!

"With this team, and this philosophy, could we be crossing swords with the likes of this calibre of opposition again on a regular basis next season…….the way things are going, you just never know!"

Fellow Wednesdayite Bob Timmons also felt his side were worthy winners, adding: "A weakened arsenal team struggled to break down an inform Wednesday.

"The game desperately needed a goal as the first 20 minutes was arsenal passing the ball between the defence without carving any real openings.

"The Owls worked hard and scored with their first real chance with a quality finish. I felt Arsenal then struggled to break the Owls down and a spirited performance, as well as two more good goals combined with some decent football, allowed them to cruise to the quarter finals.

"I think the two arsenal injuries to the Ox and Walcott early on set the tone for the Gunners, who had little pace left on the pitch to carve open the defence. Certainly a memorable one where you can say 'I was there'. Looking for another home tie in the next round. Up the Owls."

MY FINAL THOUGHTS
We got what we deserved at Hillsborough with a defeat but we must make sure we don't do that again. Whether it was due to us seemingly not taking the Capital One Cup seriously or simply just a bad day at the office it can't be repeated. With a huge game at Swansea, who did the double over us last season, looming we can't afford any more slip-ups if we are to have a decent season. That is easier said than done with the Liberty Stadium, among the toughest away trips outside the top four. I don't just say this because we have them next as I genuinely feel the Swans are a very tough nut to crack on their own turf for any side in the league.

Although some will expect us to fail at Swansea again, there is also no reason why we can't actually get a positive result against the Welsh outfit. If we can hit top form and attack as well as we did against Manchester United, whilst defending resiliently as we have in the league in recent weeks, we could yet get our season back on track.

One thing is for sure, we are going to need one hell of a good display to get maximum points at Swansea so the players need to make sure they stand up to be counted, wear the Arsenal shirt with pride, and give us a performance to be proud of.

COME ON YOU GUNNERS

Toffees unstuck by Gunners

Whether or not Arsenal can maintain their challenge for the whole season remains to be seen, but the Gunners completed a great week and stayed firmly in the title race with a 2-1 win over 10-man Everton.

The Gunners, who recorded a surprise 2-0 victory over former European champions Bayern Munich earlier in the week, moved temporarily top of the Premier League thanks to headed goals from Olivier Giroud and Laurent Koscielny. Manchester City's goalless draw at Manchester United moved them above the Gunners on goal difference, but Arsenal's season still seems to be heading in the right direction...as things stand!

I say as things stand because we all know how quickly things can change in football. If we can keep up the level of performances we have been producing in recent weeks then this could be a great season for us. But it is 50-50, in my opinion, whether or not we will actually do this. We certainly have the potential to and I hope the run we are on is the beginning of something special. This relies on us not getting any further injuries and it is important that we also add to the squad in the January transfer window to make sure we maintain what is looking like a decent title challenge.

I am hoping that the fact that only goal difference separates us from City should be a huge confidence boost for the players going into the upcoming games but we mustn't get complacent. The recent victories over Manchester United, Bayern Munich and also Everton, prove we have what it takes to compete for silverware but we must make sure we continue this form on a consistent basis throughout the rest of the season.

Arsenal's patient approach against the Toffees was crucial to getting the result. It wasn't the same free-flowing attacking game that had been seen in other recent league games but it was still a professional performance and defensive duo Koscielny and Gabriel were excellent at the back. Petr Cech also proved his worth with some vital saves to ensure it was the Gunners taking maximum points from a close encounter.

Giroud and Gabriel were both off target with headers but it was Everton who came closest to scoring inside the opening half an hour. Aaron Lennon's effort was pushed away by Cech before John Stones sliced the rebound harmlessly off target.

Two headed goals in as many minutes then put Arsenal firmly in control. Giroud, who also scored against Munich, rose highest to head home Mesut Ozil's perfectly-weighted cross after 36 minutes. Before Everton had chance to respond Arsenal were at it again as Santi Cazorla whipped in a free-kick for Koscielny to head beyond a helpless Tim Howard.

Everton gave themselves renewed hope and reduced the deficit when Barkley's shot from the edge of the box deflected off Gabriel and into the net two minutes before the break.

Arsenal started the second half with attacking intent and nearly increased their advantage within two minutes of the restart, but Howard was on hand to deny Alexis Sanchez. Howard was called into action again soon after as the American shot-stopper pushed Giroud's acrobatic effort away for a corner.

Giroud did get the better of Howard soon after but this time the woodwork came to Everton's rescue as the Frenchman's curling effort hit the crossbar. That miss almost proved costly as Everton came agonisingly close to levelling the scores 12 minutes from time. Gareth Barry's cross was met by the head of Romelu Lukaku, but the Belgian's effort clipped the crossbar and went over.

There was still time for Everton to steal a share of the spoils but Cech came to Arsenal's rescue with a crucial save late on. With four minutes remaining Lukaku's pass had been cleared by the defence, but the loose ball fell straight to Gerard Delofeu. The Spain Under-21 forward tried his luck inside the box but Cech reacted quickly to block the youngster's shot. It was a crucial save to ensure the hosts didn't drop any points.

Arsenal very nearly added a third late on but Ozil's shot from outside the box clipped a post. Everton's woes were complete when Barry was sent off for a second bookable offence following a careless challenge on substitute Kieran Gibbs.

OPPOSITION VIEW
Everton fan Paul O'Neill was critical of his side's display and is expecting a much better performance at the return game at Goodison Park in March.

"Coming into this game I was pretty much expecting defeat of a similar score to that of the Manchester United game (3-0) but Everton certainly made a bit more of a fight of this one, although in truth Arsenal were worthy winners.

"(Ross) Barkley's goal certainly came at the right time for us but not enough to change the course of the game.

"From the game there were many frustrations - the sight of Howard flapping is getting boring, as is Gareth Barry's ability to pick up more cards over the course of the season than I get Christmas cards. It was a shame Lukaku didn't manage to steal us a point.

"Finally I am hoping the Everton fans got home okay, who were rudely jeered by the prawn sandwich Londoner brigade as the last train to Liverpool was cancelled (it turns out some noise can be made at the Emirates)!

"It was a fair scoreline, we must do better and I feel both teams have more to give. Certainly I am hoping Arsenal will find it a lot tougher at Goodison."

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE REACTION
It was a truly great result against Bayern Munich, especially given the fact that the German giants had scored eight goals and were yet to concede in this season's Champions League prior to the game.

After defeats to Dinamo Zagreb and Olympiakos our Champions League campaign hung in the balance and many no doubt expected us to fail against Munich. The German outfit have one of the world's best goalkeepers, Manuel Neuer, in their ranks yet we managed to beat him twice. It really was a hugely impressively result but we shouldn't get carried away just yet, despite our impressive run of form.

At the halfway stage in the Champions League, Arsenal remain bottom of Group F and will require another positive result in the return game in Germany if they are to well and truly revive their 2015-16 European adventure. Let's wait and see what happens.

MY FINAL THOUGHTS
We are unbeaten in October with just one game left to play this month and second in league, behind leaders City on just goal difference, so there is every reason to be positive. Things are heading in the right direction and at the moment I am one happy Arsenal fan. I am fully aware in another few weeks it could all change again but for now I am just focussing on one game at the time and will wait and see how this season's adventure continues to unfold.

We must now turn our attention to the Capital One Cup tie at Sheffield Wednesday. Although it is the competition I value the least, it is still important to take it seriously and try and bring home the silverware. I know Arsene Wenger is likely to make changes and give some youngsters or fringe players a chance against the Championship side, but it is important that we keep our good run of form going so another positive performance is needed and hopefully we can get another important victory.

COME ON YOU GUNNERS

Hornets stung by ruthless Gunners

Arsenal kept themselves in the title race with an accomplished 3-0 win over Watford at Vicarage Road.

Alexis Sanchez, Olivier Giroud and Aaron Ramsey all netted in the second half as the Gunners moved up into second place and just two points behind leaders Manchester City.

Realistically the Gunners title aspirations are still uncertain and City are understandably firm favourites to lift the Premier League crown, but Arsene Wenger's men at least got a positive result to keep themselves in contention.

Arsenal produced a superb display to beat Manchester United in their previous game so all eyes were on them to see whether or not they could produce the same again. Although the Gunners didn't play with the same fluency against the Hornets they still did what mattered most to get all three points.

Former Tottenham goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes was called into action in the first half to deny Theo Walcott and Sanchez. Ramsey also sent a volley over the bar while, at the other end, Troy Deeney forced Petr Cech into a decent save.

Arsenal finally broke the deadlock shortly after the hour mark when Sanchez pounced on a loose ball to fire home.

The visitors soon doubled their advantage after 68 minutes when Mesut Ozil cut the ball back for Giroud to fire a shot beyond Gomes and into the roof of the net.

Wenger's men completed the scoring 16 minutes from time when Ramsey scored from close range following an excellent run from Hector Bellerin.

Arsenal tried to add further gloss to the scoreline but Gomes came to the rescue to deny Giroud, but that didn't stop the visitors from being good value for the win.

OPPOSITION'S VIEW
Watford fan Phil Benson was full of praise for Arsenal but still found reason to be upbeat despite the home defeat.

"I am gutted about the result," said Benson. "Arsenal's passing was out of this world.

"Even when we looked comfortable, we knew that one pass could unlock all our good work. As it happened it was a real sucker punch to lose the game by such a scoreline.

"Having seen it again I do think (Etienne) Capoue was fouled before the opening goal- not a penalty - but chances are it would be a free-kick elsewhere on the pitch, so we have a little right to feel aggrieved.

"Having said that I was really pleased with Watford's performance up until that first goal. We were compact and managed to carve a few good chances. But, as I commented to a friend, as soon as we were required to chase the game it was likely we would concede more.

"So a tale of missed chances, a little rough luck, and Arsenal's supreme quality won the day - but there is no shame in losing to a much better team."

MY FINAL THOUGHTS
Before the match I was confident that we would win this match, but at the same time I knew it could also be a potential banana skin so I am delighted that we came away with all three points.

In terms of the title race it is still too early to say whether or not we have a chance. Mathematically we are only two points off the leaders Manchester City so, yes, we do have a chance. But we have also been so near, and yet so far, in previous seasons, so I am not about to get carried away. Let's just wait and see what happens.

But before we can even begin to think about our next league game against Everton we must turn our attentions to the Champions League. After disappointing defeats to Dinamo Zagreb and Olympiakos, the game against European giants Bayern Munich has become even bigger. Before our European campaign began, it seemed likely that this clash would determine who would finish first and second in the group. As it stands, this has actually become a must win game to even stay in the competition. Bayern Munich are going to be by far the hardest opposition we have faced so far this season, so we must make sure we are on top form if we are to have any chance of getting all three points. Here's hoping we reproduce the first-half performance from the game against Manchester United earlier this month.

COME ON YOU GUNNERS

Dominant Gunners brush United aside

Arsenal produced one of their best performances in recent years as they returned to winning ways in sensational style with a comprehensive 3-0 win over Manchester United.

The Gunners played some breathtaking football in what was a superb first-half performance and, although the second 45 minutes didn't quite match up to the first, the hosts were very worthy of the win.

Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil scored the goals and will undoubtedly take most of the plaudits but the clean sheet and a solid defensive display was equally as pleasing. In fact, the only really negative from the game was Sanchez picking up a minor groin injury but it doesn't look like he will miss any games.

Arsenal have previously been criticised for not getting enough positive results against the other big sides in the league, but the Gunners well and truly stamped their mark on the game inside the opening 10 minutes at the Emirates. Sanchez latched onto Ozil's low cross with a sublime back-heel to give the hosts the perfect start, and barely a minute later Arsenal were at it again. Walcott raced into the box before picking out Ozil to score from close range.

Arsenal were playing at a blistering pace in attack, whilst keeping things solid at the back, and their day got even better with a third goal after 19 minutes. Sanchez shrugged off Matteo Darmian smashing in an unstoppable shot from just inside the box, giving Manchester United goalkeeper David De Gea no chance.

It really was a one-sided first half and I've got to admit I was pleasantly surprised at the impressive manner with which we were brushing the opposition aside. United are a team we haven't typically done too well against and before this weekend Louis Van Gaal's men had been top of the table. So to see us return to winning ways in such sensational fashion really was a joy to watch.

After such a poor result against Olympiakos in the Champions League and the season in danger of fizzling out already, we needed one hell of a huge performance against United to start to turn things around and boy did we deliver. The defence weren't given United a look in and we looked so comfortable on the ball.

I don't want to get carried away as I am fully aware we could return from the international break in completely different form. However, maybe, just maybe, this can be the start of something special for us. If we can keep performing like this who knows what will happen but it is still early days yet.

It really could have been more than three goals in the first half and Aaron Ramsey was unlucky not to add further gloss to the scoreline when he sent a volley wide.

Although Arsenal were dominant, United came close to pulling a goal back before half-time when Martial turned inside the area. Petr Cech, who returning to the side having been rested against Olympiakos, pulled off an excellent save to deny the youngster from point-blank range.

Arsenal were not quite as fluid in the second half but in some ways it could be considered to be a more sensible approach. We have lost leads in the past and if we had continued to keep attacking we could have left ourselves vulnerable at the back. We were patient in the second half and defence held firm to ensure the clean sheet an all three points to push us up to second in the table.

United threatened the Arsenal goal more in the second half, with the hosts not seeing as much of the ball after the restart. When United did manage to get the better of the Gunners' defence Petr Cech was on hand to frustrate the visitors. The former Chelsea goalkeeper had to be at his best to keep out Ashley Young's long-range strike before later come out bravely to close down Bastian Schweinsteiger.

Arsenal could have added a fourth in the closing stages of the game but substitute Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain's chipped effort hit the crossbar. We couldn't add to the scoreline but the result and the manner of the performance was very impressive.


OPPOSITION'S VIEW
Manchester United fan Mark Hainsworth conceded that they had lost to the better team on the day and was left worried by the performance of his side.

"There was a time when Manchester United did to other teams what Arsenal did to them today with fast incisive, entertaining football and eventually the only surprise was that it didn’t finish 6-0," said Hainsworth.

"Despite being top of the league before the weekend, there are mutterings from United fans about the quality of the fare served up by LVG and this performance will do nothing to quieten them, though congratulations should be extended to an Arsenal team who played magnificently.

"Sadly LVG will point to possession stats etc to deflect attention from his tactics but that was just poor football from a Manchester United team.

"We have the players but the way he sets up the team just doesn't scare the opposition or inspire confidence in the fans. Dire stuff!"

MY FINAL THOUGHTS
It was a hugely impressive performance and one that will live long in the memory. We certainly must not get carried away with one result but it really was a much-needed confidence boost. If there was ever a key moment in a season that could change things for the better then this was it. Whether it will have a decisive impact on the rest of the season remains to be seen but there were definitely plenty of positives that we can take from this performance.

We are just two points behind leaders Manchester City and catching them is doable but we need to make sure we carry on this level of performance after the international break. A trip to Watford is next on the agenda and we need to produce more of the same against the Hornets.

Let's make sure this wasn't a one-off result and let's make this a season to remember! There is a long way to go but dare we dream? Let's wait and see what happens.

COME ON YOU GUNNERS

Greek tragedy for Gunners

Arsenal shipped in three goals as their Champions League nightmare continued with a shock 3-2 home defeat by Olympiacos.

After losing away at Dinamo Zagreb in their opening Group F fixture and, with European giants Bayern Munich also among their opponents, it meant that there was no margin for error against Olympiacos.

That no margin for error turned into one big error and, although it is still early days in this season's Champions League, the Gunners already face a mammoth task to resurrect their European journey. If Arsene Wenger's men are to qualify for the knock-out stages they will need to get something out of the double header against Bayern Munich, who beat Dinamo Zagreb 5-0, which will be easier said than done.

Arsenal can take slight hope from the fact they have got positive results against the German giants before but, equally, they have also had some poor games. The Gunners will have to make sure they hit top form in both games against Bayern to stand any chance of qualifying for the knock-out stages.

Some fans will undoubtedly have had genuine hope that this week could have been a turning point. We had the chance to get our Champions League campaign back on track and, if we beat Manchester United in our next league match, we could move level with the leaders in the Premier League. Well, we have already mucked up half of that so we must pray that the players put in a drastically different and improved performance against United to ensure this doesn't turn into a horror week.

The defeat to Olympiacos really did leave me not knowing what to think. At parts in the game, despite the fact we were poor for large spells, I had the belief that we could turn it around especially after equalising twice. But by the end I was left with an all-too familiar feeling of 'oh no not again'.

The Greek side took a surprise lead after 32 minutes when Felipe Pardo made the most of a loose ball before shooting past David Ospina, via a deflection off Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

Arsenal responded swiftly as Theo Walcott levelled the scores just three minutes later, giving the fans hope that maybe Olympiacos' opener had been merely a blip. The England forward made a great run to connect with Alexis Sanchez's through ball before beating Roberto with a low shot. It was the first time in his career that Walcott had scored in back-to-back Champions League game.

An Ospina howler put Olympiacos back in the driving seat five minutes before the break. The Colombian shot-stopper, who was given some much-needed game time in place of the rested Petr Cech, collected a corner before somehow letting it through his hands to bounce just over the line. Ospina then tried to gather the ball but the official behind the goal deemed it had crossed the line and the goal was given.

Arsenal should've equalised just after the hour mark but substitute Per Mertesacker's effort was saved by Roberto, before Santi Cazorla's follow-up shot was headed clear off the line. Cazorla tried his luck again soon after but Roberto denied the Spanish midfielder with a great save.

The Gunners finally made their pressure count as Alexis Sanchez headed in from Walcott's cross after 67 minutes. But less than a minute later Olympiacos responded with the winning goal to leave the hosts without a point so far in their Champions League campaign. Substitute Alfred Finnbogason got on the end of Pardo's cross to poke home from close range and send the visiting fans into raptures.

Arsenal's performance was very below par by their standards but they still could've stolen something from the game had Roberto not made further key saves. With 14 minutes remaining Mesut Ozil bent a free-kick over the wall but Roberto superbly parried the German's effort before Oxlade-Chamberlain made a mess of the rebound.

Sanchez saw his header deflected wide before Roberto was again called into action to tip Cazorla's curling free-kick over the bar. The chances continued to come and go for Arsenal in the closing stages with Mertesacker's header being comfortably saved by Roberto before Oxlade-Chamberlain shot wide deep into stoppage time.

The Gunners were unable to find that all-important equaliser to leave their Champions League dream hanging by a thread.

THE OPPONENTS
No disrespect to Olympiacos but that is not a game we should be losing, especially with having home advantage, so the result is unacceptable and one that will undoubtedly come in for a lot of criticism.

I thought that the surprise defeat away at Dinamo Zagreb would've acted like a wake up call. We all know that getting points from the double-header against Bayern Munich will be incredibly difficult, so there was no way we could drop more points....yet we did! Why didn't we learn any lessons from the Zagreb defeat? Credit where credits due, I don't want to sound like I'm taking the victory away from the Greek side, they still had to do their bit to get the three points so well done to them. But we are a much better side than them and nine times out of 10 would beat them, so why on earth did we lose?

GROUP F
Bayern Munich beating Zagreb means they are more than likely, which is kind of what we expected anyway, going to top the group. The fight for second is a tough one with Olympiacos and Zagreb both on three points, with us at the bottom without any. It makes the next game against Bayern Munich even more crucial than it already was! As unlikely as it may seem to achieve it, I think we need at least four points from the double header against Bayern to give ourselves realistic hope of qualifying out of Group F.

MY FINAL THOUGHTS
Ospina is already being heavily blamed by many for the defeat, along with Wenger's decision to pick him over Cech. Whilst I believe Cech should have played, I don't think that decision alone cost us the game. In fact, almost all of the players under-performed and they are all equally to blame, along with Wenger, and they all need to take a long hard look at themselves. Wenger will once again come into question and, although I don't believe it is yet time for a change in manager, it is hard to defend him or most of the players after this defeat. There is nothing to hide behind this time, we were simply not good enough!

One thing is for sure - we will have to be a million times better than that if we are to have any hope of beating Manchester United in our next match. A win would certainly improve our Premier League credentials but, whatever happens, it won't mask how poor we have been so far in the Champions League this season.

We must now focus on that Premier League encounter with United and the players need to make sure they give me and the rest of the Gunners' faithful a performance to be truly proud of and not another horror show.

COME ON YOU GUNNERS

Super Sanchez Outfoxes Leicester

Following the Capital One cup victory at Tottenham, I said that I hope the game against Leicester would be the one in which Alexis Sanchez rediscovers his form and properly kick-starts his season...boy did he deliver!

The Chilean, who is in his second season with the Gunners, netted a hat-trick in between goals from Theo Walcott and Olivier Giroud, while Jamie Vardy hit both goals for the opposition as Leicester lost their first league game of the season.

With the visit of leaders Manchester United looming this was the ideal result for Arsene Wenger's men and will hopefully provide the boost of confidence needed to properly kick-start their season. It may not have been the best start to the season but the Gunners are in fact just three points behind United so maybe the season could yet end up being a good one. Don't get me wrong, I am not suddenly saying we will win the title, far from it, but we are certainly in with a better shout of a possible title challenge than we had been a few weeks ago.

However, it wasn't the best of starts for Arsenal in the East Midlands as Vardy put Leicester in front after just 13 minutes. Jeffrey Schlupp forced a decent save from Petr Cech and Vardy had hit a post before the deadlock was broken. The Foxes hit Arsenal on the counter attack with Vardy latching onto Danny Drinkwater's long ball, expertly controlling it with his head before running into the box and finishing from a tight angle.

Vardy almost grabbed his second of the game when his header hit the crossbar and that miss proved costly as straight away Arsenal hit the Foxes on the counter attack. Santi Cazorla's found Walcott with a perfectly-weighted through ball and the England striker calmly rolled a shot beyond Kasper Schmeichel after 18 minutes.

Sanchez put the visitors in front with his first goal of the game after 33 minutes, although the home fans will undoubtedly have been frustrated that it wasn't pulled back for a foul by Mikel Arteta on Shinji Okazaki earlier in the move. Arsenal continued to break and Mesut Ozil set up Hector Bellerin to send in a low cross for Sanchez to fire home from close range. It was Sanchez's first goal of the season and the start of a great afternoon for the 26-year-old.

Arsenal extended their advantage after 57 minutes when Sanchez headed home from Ozil's delightful chipped pass. Sanchez then completed his hat-trick 10 minutes from time, showing a superb first touch to flick it past his man before beating Schemiechel with a fierce drive from the edge of the box.

Leicester pulled a goal back in the final minutes of the match as Vardy netted his second. Riyad Mahrez's cross found Andrej Kramaric and the substitute's effort was well saved by Cech, but Vardy was on hand to score from the rebound.

Arsenal had the final say as substitute Giroud fired home from Nacho Monreal's assist to add further gloss to the scoreline in what was a great afternoon for the Gunners.

OPPOSITION'S VIEW
Leicester fan Jack Kinsey remained upbeat despite the result and is still proud of the effort put in by his club.

"I think we started off really well, which showed in Vardy's several chances to score and near misses," said Kinsey. "Arsenal just did well at what we've been doing this season and took advantage of the counter attack and they finished well.

"I don't think the Leicester boys should be ashamed as it's not as if it was a 5-0 romping.

"They just need to get focussed on the Norwich game and hopefully it will only be Arsenal to get the win over us."

MY FINAL THOUGHTS
It was a truly brilliant win for the Gunners and to score five away to a team who, before kick-off, were the only unbeaten side in the Premier League this season is a great achievement. But we cannot get carried away and must not get complacent. It is clear that the next league match at home to Manchester United will be an entirely different challenge and, with Louis Van Gaal's men at the top of the table, we will have to be at our best to get a result.

Before we can even start thinking about Manchester United, we must turn our attentions to the Champions League clash with Olympiakos. After the horror start to our European campaign - an away defeat to Dinamo Zagreb - there is no margin for error and if we are to give ourselves the best chance of qualifying out of the group stages we must get a victory against our Greek opponents. Nothing other than a win will do! Here's hoping Sanchez can put on another masterclass!

COME ON YOU GUNNERS