Bayern: No Expectations

You could scour London looking for a sane man to support the notion that Arsenal will progress beyond the second round of the Champions League; it would be a forlorn search.

There is no reason to expect anything other than a clear defeat over two legs.

This is Wenger's worst Arsenal team by a distance.

The Blackburn defeat may well have been the result of complacency, and the Gunners may well raise their game for Bayern.

But after years of steady decline, the line between success and failure is no longer defined only by mentality and motivation, it is now a question too of quality.

Arsenal, though far from completely lacking in it, have far less than they did in the recent past.

If they weren't good enough then, they certainly aren't now. Because if not superior quality, what else do they have in their favour?

To beat better opposition, you need a plan, and you need a backbone.

But Wenger doesn't do tactics, and Arsenal are so often spineless on the big occasion.

This last point is a particularly painful one, because for so long youth and callowness could be used as a convenient and indeed convincing excuse.

Now, the squad and the first team boasts several experienced heads, but the old problems of complacency (against the poor teams) and a lack of belief (against the good ones) continue to surface.

Bayern are the should-be-holders after Chelsea's flukey win last season, runaway leaders of the Bundesliga and among the favourites to triumph in Europe. For them, the Emirates will hold no fear. They may be vulnerable to wily, resourceful opponents who will sit deep and disciplined and wait for a chance to strike on the break. But for Arsenal, there are no precedents for such a performance. If it comes, it will come from nowhere. They have had it done to them so many times, by the great and the good and even by Championship Blackburn, but they've never done it themselves

If today affords no optimism, we can search for it in memories. In 2006, Arsenal were enduring what was, at the time, a shockingly bad domestic season, struggling to win on the road and struggling to fill the Vieira-shaped void in central midfield. Fourth place would be secured eventually, on the last day, after Spurs had led the way for most of the season. When the Gunners were drawn against Real Madrid in the first knockout round of the Champions League, most expected a drubbing.

Arsenal plundered a memorable win at the Bernebeau, via Henry's classic individual goal, and then progressed after a bonkers, unbelievably goalless slugfest at Highbury.

Unfortunately, it's hard to envisage a similar outcome this time around. That was bloated, late Galactico era Madrid, still boasting legends like Zidane, Raul and an ever-inflating Ronaldo and celebrities like Beckham. They were lacking in hunger, lacking in organisation, and Arsenal took sweet advantage, to kickstart a run that brought them to the very brink of that elusive European success.

And Arsenal themselves, while in something of a transitional phase (one that's arguably continued ever since!)     still boasted their own attacking riches. Henry was enjoying his last season of true greatness. Players like Pires and Ljungberg were now plainly saving their best for Europe. Gilberto Silva was a selfless World Cup winner who shielded the defence and left the fancy stuff to the others. Fabregas alongside him was busy announcing himself as one of Europe's great young talents.

That said, there were reasons to be very surprised by that European run. In league games, Arsenal's defending was often shambolic. Senderos sometimes appeared a liability, embarrassingly vulnerable to fleet footed attackers. Because both Cole and Clichy were injured, Flamini was playing at left back. And with Lauren also struggling for fitness and form, a lunatic called Eboue was marshalling the right side of the defence, in front of the similarly insane but sometimes brilliant Lehmann.

Somehow, this motley crew, along with the then still reliable Kolo Toure, conjured clean sheet after clean sheet. Arsenal, basically, need something that weird to happen again. Starting tomorrow night.

Arsenal 0-2 Liverpool first impressions

If it takes a nightmarish August to wake Arsene Wenger up, maybe it will be worth it.

But listening to the man talk about Arsenal's defeat afterwards, you would wonder if he is beyond waking up.

"I believe the goal was offside today. And that is absolutely scandalous, that every single decision in the last three or four months...."

He trails off here, perhaps at last losing belief in his own narrative of self-pity.

Suarez was, marginally, offside just before Miquel unluckily knocked the ball off Ramsey, over Szczesny and into the net. But this idea that "every decision" is going against Arsenal? First of all, why is he even dwelling on last season? Secondly, if he wants to dwell on last season, surely it would be more constructive to acknowledge Arsenal's tendency towards self-destruction, rather than blaming it all on some imagined official bias.

Maybe when Wenger talks of decisions in the last few months, he should talk about his own decisions in the transfer market. Spending substantial amounts on players of potential, players who cannot make an immediate difference, and ignoring the widely acknowledged need for experience, and for players who can make a difference now.

In some senses, Arsenal suffered bad luck today. They were missing players. Fabregas has departed. Song and Wilshere usually form a stronger base in midfield- both were missing. With Djourou and Gibbs out, losing Koscielny early on was harsh luck. It left Arsenal with three very inexperienced players on the pitch- Jenkinson at right back, Miquel alongside Vermaelen, Frimpong in central midfield. Sagna was out of position at left back, and Nasri was playing for a team that he wants to leave. None of this is ideal, and some of it is bad luck.

But "luck" is an overused word in football. Arsene Wenger had a long summer in which to get the Arsenal house in order, and he has failed to do so. That is what I personally find scandalous, over and above the fact that the linesman failed to spot Suarez a few inches offside.

He was surely aware of the likelihood of Fabregas's eventual departure. And of Nasri's desire to leave. Yet Arsenal have done no business as yet that will ease those losses.

Apparently, Arsenal missed out on signing Juan Mata because they allowed a deadline to pass and a buy-out clause to go out of date. That, too, is scandalous. If the club knows they are practically certain to receive sizable sums for two departing players, why are they still acting like they don't have money to spend?

Except, of course, on players that are young, have no experience of top-level football, and are unlikely to make much of a difference this season.

They may be stars of the future, but Arsenal need to start thinking of the short term, because make no mistake, there is a scrap on for 4th place this season.

Also on the subject of bad luck, it is not bad luck that got Alex Song suspended, it was stupidity. Likewise Gervinho.

And Frimpong's second yellow today was not remotely unlucky- it could have been a straight red. He is naive, enthusiastic. If you keep inviting a reliance on young and naive players, that's the kind of "luck" you get.

In summation, it was not a totally unexpected result, considering the shape Arsenal are in at the moment. That Arsenal are in such a mess is, in my view, solely down to the manager, and he deserves little sympathy. There is a bad atmosphere around the club at the moment, and booing at the end of the season's first home game, played in such difficult circumstances, is disappointing; but it's also understandable.

The players did not fall short in terms of effort and I think it should be understood that the jeers are not really directed at them but at their manager. The bad atmosphere was present at the end of last season, but the arrogant Wenger has allowed it to grow and grow over a summer of inaction and that, more than injuries or misfortune, is the reason Arsenal are in a sorry state at the moment.

Only three points were lost today, on the face of it, but it does not bode well for the rest of the season, or indeed for the next few days. The squad is already decimated, confidence is low, and Udinese will scent blood in their efforts to overturn a narrow deficit in that vital Champions League qualifier. Then, next weekend, it'e very hard to see how Arsenal can get a result at Old Trafford.

The manager's downbeat demeanour is also a bad sign so early in the season. As is the constant flipping and flopping over Nasri. Should he stay or should he go? Is there any plan at all?

If August continues in such a miserable vein, it becomes more likely that Wenger will abandon his trademark caution and make the kind of signings we should have had tied up weeks ago. But even with some worthy additions, it's already shaping up to be a very difficult season.

Fabregas 2003-2011

Any reasonable man could only be happy for Cesc Fabregas. He has gotten his wish- a move back home, to play for the best team in the world, the best team many of us have ever seen.

As an Arsenal fan, however, his departure is a sad moment. It sums up Arsenal's current status as a selling club- developing talent, then feeding it to the big boys.

Before, Arsene Wenger got the best out of his big players before they moved on. Overmars, Petit, Vieira, Henry. Their best years were at Arsenal.

Cesc Fabregas is only 24. At Arsenal, the total reward for his endeavours, in trophy terms, is a solitary FA Cup, won in flukey fashion against Manchester United in 2005.

Few would deny that he is moving on to better things, even if he might have to sit on the bench for a while. In fact, considering his recent injury-plagued seasons, some bench time may be the very best thing for Cesc at the moment.

He goes from being Arsenal's top dog to another mega-talented cog in the well-oiled Barca machine.

Fabregas may well, in the final analysis, be seen as the greatest player who ever played for Arsenal. The lack of success at the club during his time there is not down to Fabregas. In a cruel twist of fate, his best years at Arsenal came at a time when the club could not afford to spend substantial amounts of money.

Arsenal's other recent midfield great, Vieira, left weighed down with medals. But he played with Bergkamp, Petit, Overmars, Henry, the old back four, Seaman, Ljungberg, Pires, Gilberto, Campbell... throughout his Arsenal career, Vieira was a big character in a team of big characters.

Fabregas was blooded alongside Gilberto and Vieira in the 04/05 season. After that season, Vieira left, and from then on, experienced players were sold, and not brought in. By 07/08, Fabregas was the team's de facto leader, despite his youth. The squad was now so light on leaders that the mentally fragile William Gallas was given the armband. This ended in well-documented disaster, and Fabregas was made captain in 08/09.

For the last three seasons, Fabregas has been asked to carry some fairly mediocre players. Patrick Vieira never had to do that. He fought admirably for the cause, but you can't help feeling depressed over the last few years. One of the finest midfielders in the world, but without a team worthy of his talent. The last good partner he had was Flamini (07/08). Maybe Diarra could have complimented him well, but Wenger ditched him, even in the knowledge that Flamini was likely to leave on a free that summer. And when Xabi Alonso wanted to join Arsenal at the start of 08/09, the move collapsed because of some trademark Arsenal penny-pinching. Missed opportunities abound. Fabregas has had some very kind words for Wenger, but I think the manager let his best player down.

It has been an extended period of transition- one still ongoing- and whatever Wenger's public proclamations, the club's main priority has been to qualify every year for the Champions League.

They have done so. Without Fabregas, this would not have been the case. Will it continue to be the case, now that he's gone?

More Summertime Ramblings

Arsenal are being heavily linked with a couple of pricey moves- for Everton's Phil Jagielka and Valencia's Juan Mata.

The news suggests that a Fabregas move is only a matter of time. There is no way Wenger would spend 15 million on Jagielka and 20 on Mata, on top of the 10 on Gervinho, if there was not a substantial amount coming in.

If I may speculate, the plan is probably this: push through those two moves and, if Barcelona offer around 40 million, send Cesc home.

It's hard to see Fabregas staying any longer even if Arsenal have to compromise and accept a bit less. Wenger wants to get what the player is worth, but he has never been a man to hold onto an unhappy player and Fabregas clearly doesn't want to hang around anymore.

It's a strange situation. He's by far Arsenal's best and most important player, and he would walk into any team in the world- except Barcelona. Barcelona are being asked to spend 40 million on player who would in all likelihood warm the bench for much of the next season or two. You can understand their reluctance to pay big bucks, but they have engineered this situation. They could have waited a year or two to make their move, and then Xavi would be at an age where he would probably welcome some bench time himself. Instead, they have waged a relentless campaign to unsettle a player they want but don't really need. Fabregas's desire to go home and win some medals is palpable, but I'd love it if he realised that Barcelona are being disrespectful to both him and Arsenal, and decided to hang about for one last tilt at the title with the Gunners. I'd certainly rather Fabregas stay one more year and leave for 40 million than Nasri stay one more year and leave for nothing. Sadly, it seems the latter is much more likely.

Jagielka- a good player. He has Premiership experience and that, more than anything, is what Arsenal need at the back. Again, it seems Wenger has decided against bringing in a more physically imposing centre back. Samba and Cahill may be bigger men but Jagielka is a better player and his name alongside those of Vermaelen, Djourou and Koscielny makes up, on paper at least, a very strong quartet of central defenders.

But don't be surprised if both of these mooted deals fall through. This is Arsene's Arsenal after all.

Cesc: Liberation Theory

[CLUTCHING AT STRAWS]

It looks like the captain is set to finally get his move. His feelings are clear, and few would have any ill will towards him.

Barcelona stil refuse to pay the money they should. Arsenal apparently want 40 million, and in fairness, considering some of the prices we have seen paid in the last few years, and indeed this summer, for lesser players, 40 million should be a minimum asking price.

He is probably the best midfielder in the world outside of the Barcelona team. The irony being, he is going to the one place where he will not be guaranteed a starting place.

Of course, the last time Arsenal lost their "captain and best player" was with the departure of Thierry Henry in 2007, also to Barcelona. Despite the apparent enormity of this loss, and the lack of a marquee replacement (Eduardo da Silva was brought in), Arsenal were much better in 07/08 than in 06/07. They led the league table for much of the season, only to suffer the now-familiar implosion in the run-in. Throughout the season, there was a sense that players who had been happy playing second fiddle to the "star" of the team were now taking on more responsibility, and thriving.

Numerous individuals, and the team as a whole, showed massive improvement on the previous season.

So does this memory offer cause for cautious optimism in the face of Fabregas's impending flight?

It is certainly likely that some players have looked to Fabregas to win games for Arsenal, and been happy with their own smaller share of the responsibility. Fabregas is a ceaselessly creative player and the onus was always on him to make the chances, despite the fact that Arsenal have plenty more players who would call themselves "creative midfielders".

In the space Henry left up front in 2007, Adebayor came into his own, transforming himself from an often frustrating, clumsy forward into a strong, pacey goal machine a la Drogba. Could one of Arsenal's remaining midfielders step up in similar fashion after Fabregas leaves? There will certainly be high hopes for Wilshere and Ramsey, and this may make Wenger reluctant to splash cash on an obvious, direct replacement for the Spaniard.

But overall, the expectation has to be that Arsenal will struggle without their skipper. The nucleus of players at the Emirates now is not as strong as it was in 2007. And let's not forget that Fabregas himself was already an outstanding player despite his youth. He made huge strides at the time, adding goals to his trademark vision. He was helped by the fact that Mathieu Flamini made amazing progress, from a squad player to a midfield lynchpin. Much will depend now on whether one of our current "squad players" can show the kind of desire to improve that Flamini did. Diaby? Denilson? I don't think so. Perhaps Alex Song will continue his steady progress, but the suspicion is that Arsenal need an injection of true grit in the centre of the pitch.

Fundamental to this debate is the difference in personality between Henry and Fabregas. Neither could be called natural leaders, but Henry was often an unpleasant, overbearing character and this certainly affected team mates at times. Just ask Jose Reyes.

Fabregas is just as talismanic a figure as Henry was, but he does not have the rampaging ego, and was never seen berating or staring down team mates. You could say that oftentimes, the team played for Henry, but Fabregas always played for the team. His vision and passing ability invite comparison to Dennis Bergkamp- they share a status as the kind of players who make lesser team mates look better.

In other words, while some players may have been secretly pleased with Henry's departure, it is hard to imagine anyone waving good riddance to Cesc Fabregas. Will they choose to wallow, as they so often do, or will be the catalyst for a revival in some stagnating careers? Over to you, Arshavin, Diaby, Denilson etc.

Neverending Transition

Arsene Wenger's utopian project was supposed to conjure progress and stability.

Instead, his team is in a constant state of change. This summer, its captain and only truly world class player looks certain to depart. That means that in season 11/12, the Arsenal team will again have a very different look to it.

A team that was built around Fabregas, and often looked rudderless without him, will have to find yet another new image.

Serious questions remain over the mercurial talent that is Samir Nasri, and many other players besides, meaning that Wenger may be forced into more rebuilding than he has ever had to undertake in the course of one summer.

Any real sense of continuity or stability is being lost. Consider the centre backs that Arsenal used last season- Vermaelen had only one year of PL experience. Squillaci and Koscielny had the sum total of none. Djourou had been around quite a while but never played many games. And people wondered why Arsenal lacked defensive nous.

Alex Song will probably be the senior member of Arsenal's first choice midfield next season- and he remains a young player whose game is speckled with naivety.

While Robin Van Persie is a player of immense talent, and impressed many with the way he reportedly confronted the idiotic Abou Diaby at half time of the Blackpool away game last season, the extent to which he can lead the team is compromised by his constant vulnerability to injury.

Many young, inexperienced, or just plain stupid players leads to many mistakes. And many mistakes leads to no trophies. Players like Fabregas and Nasri will always want to win trophies.

The mooted replacements and new signings do not suggest an easy consolidation of Arsenal's top four ranking. Arsenal have been heavily linked with centre backs from Bolton, Blackburn and Everton. Gervinho has performed well for Lille, but the French league is an unreliable barmometer of quality. Juan Mata would be a rare exciting signing but Arsenal are unlikely to stump up the necessary cash, particularly if other Premiership clubs show an interest.

Arsenal might well spend this summer replacing very good players with merely good ones, and clearly, that is not a recipe for great improvement, especially under a manager who has little interest in the tactical or defensive sides of the game.

The transition continues. 2004-????

Fabregas Leaves and Nasri Stays?

It has been suggested in some quarters that Arsene Wenger would reluctantly accept one of Barca's borderline-insulting bids for our wantaway captain if Samir Nasri would finally commit to a new deal.

It's generally believed that Nasri's best position is the one that Fabregas has been playing in. He would definitely prefer it to playing out wide, and so there is even a possibility that the loss of Fabregas would help persuade the Frenchman to stay.

That said, he has surely sullied his relationship with the Arsenal fans through his behaviour this summer. Fabregas has remained dignified throughout the last year or so. We all know he wants to go. I think he deserves to go. It makes me sad to say it, but he's too good for Arsenal. He deserves to win the kind of trophies that he is unlikely to win at Arsenal.

Despite all that, he has not rocked the boat, and he has not handed in a transfer request.

Nasri, off the back of a season which was one half brilliant and one near-anonymous, is apparently looking for more money, and also flirting with the affections of a very bitter rival in Manchester United. He has been fairly brash about the whole affair, and some might say this is indicative of a petulant character.

People enjoyed his fued with William Gallas, because Gallas is viewed with disdain by most Arsenal fans, but Nasri does seem overly cocky for someone who, like practically all of his Arsenal team mates, has achieved nothing.

In the summer of 2008, after a superb goalscoring season, Emmanuel Adebayor indulged in some self-promotion on the transfer market, and although he did stay for one more year, he was often booed mercilessly by his own unforgiving fans. Although Nasri has not been quite as shameless in touting himself to other clubs, it will be interesting to see how the fans treat him should he still be at the Emirates in August.

Will he play out the final year, as Flamini did? He surely won't be allowed to. Wenger will want the situation resolved soon. He would hate to lose a player that he bought for more than 10 million and not even receive a transfer fee.

But to lose Fabregas and Nasri in one summer, and without much chance, considering Wenger's usual spending policy, of bringing in replacements of equal calibre, will raise yet more questions as to where exactly the club is going.

One last note: the idea that Nasri could replace Fabregas is very contentious. If creativity is measured by the ability to create chances for team mates, statistics show that Fabregas is the most creative player across the top leagues of Europe. Outside of the team he wants to join, he is arguably the world's best midfield player, certainly one of the very best passers.

Nasri is a very different player. He is a better dribbler than Fabregas but has nothing like the Spaniard's vision or passing ability. If Arsene Wenger hopesto replace Fabregas from within- and it is a viable, if risky, option- there are a number of possibilities, but all would entail a slight change of emphasis and style.

Arshavin, Nasri, Ramsey, the near-forgotten Rosicky and even Wilshere would enjoy playing in the role that the captain fills in the current formation. None of them are close to Fabregas, however, in terms of consistently incisive passing.

Nasri is more of a tricky, individual player. Arshavin is a direct dribbler, and also a goal threat, but Wenger has never given him a chance in a central role, and with his apparent decline over the last season, it's unlikely to happen now. Ramsey might play off the front in a style more similar to Steven Gerrard than Fabregas. Wilshere may be the closest thing Arsenal have to another Fabregas but his performances in a more withdrawn role have been so convincing that Wenger is unlikely to upset his development with a positional shift.

There is also the possibility that Wenger could switch back to some sort of 4-4-2. It's easy to forget that Wenger used to be a 4-4-2 disciple. Robin Van Persie would relish the chance to play a role similar to the one Rooney adopted behind Hernandez for much of last season- and the one his fellow Dutchman, the great Dennis Bergkamp, played with such distinction in his years at Arsenal.

Alternatively, and this is one I'd like to see tried, Van Persie could play up top with Arshavin floating around behind him. But the fact is, with so many players who prefer to play as the central creative force in a midfield three, and the lingering question over whether we have the players to play wide in a 4-4-2, Wenger is unlikely to deviate from the formation used last season.

Penny-Pinching a Problem

United have spent 16 million pounds to bring in Phil Jones from Blackburn- a player Arsenal might have had an interest in, but certainly not at that price.

Liverpool have spent an initial 13 million, and also given the much-maligned David Ngog to Sunderland in part-exchange, to sign Jordan Henderson.

Jones is just 19, Henderson 20.

It is an understatement to say that they have paid over the odds for the two players. Henderson in particular comes to Anfield off the back of a largely unimpressive season. He broke briefly into the England squad early last campaign but has since struggled to replicate the form that got him there.

Both of the deals represent gambles on potential. They also point to the expensiveness of young English players. Arsenal fans can only hope that these deals do not set the tone for a summer of exorbitant transfer fees, because Arsene Wenger is renowned for refusing to pay a cent more than the value he places on a player.

There is almost always better value in signing foreign players, but I for one have come around to the viewpoint that Arsenal need more English blood. Not all English players, in fact very few, have the talent of Jack Wilshere, but the blatant complacency and lack of commitment from some of Arsenal's Frenchmen has grown tiresome.

And the fact is that most of the time, when an Arsenal player starts to deliver on heir potential, they start to dream of a move to a bigger club. After a season that was one half outstanding and one half borderline-anonymous, Samir Nasri is already looking for a hefty pay rise that he will otherwise get elsewhere.

In the George Graham days, Arsenal had players loyal to the club. In the successful Wenger days, the players were loyal to him. Now, I'm not sure either is the case. Fabregas has already shown some loyalty to the club and the manager who helped make him a star, and Van Persie shows an admirably idealistic commitment to the manager and his vision of the game, but too many of Arsenal's foreign players invite the term "mercenary".

Some English players could help give the squad more character and help mend the bitter relationship that has lately developed between fans and players, but when Bolton are said to be asking 17 million pounds for Gary Cahill, a player with a single year left on his contract, you can't really blame Wenger for looking elsewhere.

One other thing should be said. If Jordan Henderson is worth 20 million or so, Barcelona should double the money they have apparently been bidding for Cesc Fabregas.

Goodbye Dignity, Hello Champions League Qualifying Round

Spurs 3-3 Arsenal

Chelsea are into second after the latest in a growing line of collapses.

3-1 up not long before half time, but there was never much point celebrating.

Spurs came back to win a point, and nobody was too surprised. It would have been more surprising to see Arsenal negotiate the rest of the game with a bit of authority.

THINGS STARTED WELL when Walcott burst through onto a vintage Fabregas pass. Corluka had no chance of catching Walcott and he slipped a tidy finish, Henry-style, into the bottom corner.

As against Liverpool, Arsenal showed that they could not hold it together even for a couple of minutes. After the whirlwind start, one might have hoped that Arsenal had turned a corner, but instead they immediately served notice that anarchy still reigned.

Corluka saw Van der Vaart make a clever run off the typically dopey Diaby, played a good pass infield, and the Dutchman was in behind the Arsenal defence. Diaby could not even bother throwing his lazy arse in front of the shot, which flew past Szczesny and in at his near post. 1-1.

Arsenal got their noses in front again. Tippy tappy tippy tappy BANG. A bout of short passing around the Spurs area ended with Nasri taking a potshot, which clipped off Dawson and scipped past an unsighted Gomes.

Close to the interval, a mistake by Gallas from a right wing cross saw the ball break to Walcott. He stood up a lovely cross for Van Persie, whose initial header was brilliantly clawed away by Gomes. The rebound dropped for Van Persie again, and he lashed it into the roof of the net.

Of course, for the team that can blow a 4-0 lead, 3-1 is a narrow advantage.

Minutes later, Szczesny rushed out to stop Bale, who was injured in the collision. This could perhaps have signalled that Arsenal's luck was turning, only for the fact that, moments later, Tom Huddlestone found the net with a left-footed piledriver from long range. Half time: 3-2.

Throughout the second half, there was never a sense that Spurs were thumping on the door, but they didn't need to. Arsenal's attacking was less convincing, and the first decent spell they had in the half ended with Spurs equalising.

Lennon was sent racing in behind Sagna, and Szczesny rushed out rashly, and clearly fouled the winger. Van der Vaart buried the penalty, and for the second time this season, and the third in three seasons, Arsenal had blown a two-goal lead against their local rivals.

Although Fabregas drove a decent effort straight at Gomes, if anyone deserved to win the game, it was Tottenham. Szczesny made a couple of decent stops and, for the most part, Arsenal were hanging on. When Wenger made changes, he was fairly cautious, keeping three central midfielders on the pitch. Despite that emphasis on possession, Arsenal's passing game went to pieces, and they spent a lot of the second half launching hopeful, ineffective long balls.

Chelsea won at home to Birmingham and they are now 2nd. The crumbliest, flakiest team in the world continues its slow, sad decline of 2011. Since the Carling Cup collapse, they have beaten two teams- Leyton Orient and Blackpool.

Wenger's Faith is Shaken

Arsene Wenger is sometimes ridiculed for his faith in young talent. Tonight he showed a lack of faith in some of his players.

How else do you explain the starting line up? Minus Alex Song, Denilson was left on the bench despite being the only other "holding player" in the squad. Fabregas started despite his clear lack of fitness. Van Persie started despite a similar problem, and both Chamakh and Bendtner were left on the bench. Wenger professes his belief in his squad, but tonight his faith only extended to his star men. Taking chances with the fitness of players has become a familiar ploy and this is not the first time we have seen it backfire. Last season, Fabregas played in the first leg of the tie against Barcelona and missed the rest of the season as a result. This time out, he was carrying an injury, I have heard, from the fifteenth minute on. Who is to say what damage had been done by the time his ineffective performance was finally brought to an end by second half substitution.

I know it meant a lot to the guy to play at the Nou Camp. But what about the team? What about the rest of the season? If he is playing a game when he's not ready, it is stupid of him and stupid of Wenger. It hinders Arsenal on the night and, possibly, for the rest of the season. The same goes for the Van Persie gamble. For Wenger to take these risks seems defeatist- like saying, "we cannot beat Barca without these players. Even if Fabregas is half-fit, he's better than a fully fit Denilson". Not the case, especially when playing Barcelona involves having to run yourself into the ground, constantly closing them down. It seems ludicrous to me that, with Arsenal down to ten men and trying desperately to hold onto that 3-2
aggregate lead, an already injured, immobile midfielder was left on, while a fit, defensively-minded one was left sitting pitchside. Fabregas was only withdrawn after Barca had turned the tie around.

After the red card, Barca commenced to batter at Arsenal's door with incessant pressure, and they had been cutting through at will for a long period before Xavi eventually found the net. Wenger failed to act, as if paralysed by his own rage at the injustice of Van Persie's sending off. Arsenal limped on with Nasri as the nominal out ball up front, and with Fabregas, Diaby and Wilshere forming a shield of foam in front of an overworked back four. A more proactive manager would surely have thrown on Bendtner or Chamakh, and Denilson. Admittedly, the enforced change of goalkeeper in the first half did not help, as without that, Wenger probably would have used Denilson at 1-1, knowing that he could still put on Arshavin and one of the forwards if needed.

Still, it seems amazing to me that Wenger seemed to wait for disaster, and then try and change things from a losing position. It's not like Arsenal were comfortably holding out, or even playing well, at 1-1. It was an incessant tide and the manager sat back and watched it grow instead of making changes to try to stem it.

What does all of this say about the likes of Bendtner, Chamakh, Denilson? It disgusts the manager when the fans show a lack of patience with still-developing players. What of his own lack of faith? If he really felt so daunted by Barcelona that he didn't feel he could cope without his main men, he should have considered the bigger picture, and how Arsenal would fare for the rest of the season without them. Because make no mistake, he risked their seasons by playing them in tonight's game. Whatever the manager's outward rhetoric, what kind of self-belief will Bendtner, Chamakh and Denilson carry into the rest of the season? The latter in particular must wonder how on earth he could be deemed an inferior option to the stuttering, choking Diaby, who seemed to lose the ball every time he had it tonight.

Arsenal 0-0 Sunderland...

A disappointment, but a familiar disappointment. For Arsenal to drop points at home to Sunderland ought to be shocking, but it's not a completely unexpected result. Three big reasons for that.
1- Arsenal don't play well under pressure
2- Arsenal don't recover quickly from setbacks
3- Arsenal don't cope well without Cesc Fabregas
With the absences of Song, Walcott and Van Persie added to that list, it was never likely to be as straightforward a game as some assumed.

Bad luck played a part. Their keeper made a couple of great saves. Chamakh crashed a header against the bar. Arshavin sliced wide with Bramble falling all over himself and the Russian. And very late on, the same man was played through by Bendtner, danced around the keeper and rolled the ball in, only to be wrongly flagged offside.

But overall, it was the kind of Arsenal performance the Emirates has seen too many times- a slow start, turning into a frantic siege late on as Arsenal strive to secure a result. Since the move from Highbury easy home wins have never become a regular habit, and if you want another obvious contrast with the team that's going to win the league this season, there you have it. United have, if I'm not mistaken, only dropped home points once all season long. Arsenal have, by way of example, lost at home to West Brom and Newcastle.

The team needs more urgency at the start of games, but perhaps when the midfield features Denilson and Diaby, a lack of fluency is to be expected. The Brazilian has fallen out of favour this season, while the "new Patrick Vieira", as some idiots used to call him, is really a YouTube player who does a couple of amazing things during a game (that usually don't lead to a goal) and otherwise spends his time taking too many touches on the ball, slowing every move down and exhibiting a complete lack of footballing intelligence.

Arsenal created chances, particularly toward game's end, but without Fabregas the chances are never as frequent or as clear. We only really appreciate when he's gone the effortless creativity of the guy. I read recently that, statistically, he makes more chances on average than any other player in Europe. For all Arsenal's attacking midfield players, they find it difficult to replace that surgical precision. And for all the huff and puff of Bendtner and Chamakh, neither can blow houses down like Van Persie. A word even for Walcott, whose raw pace is a rare and precious commodity in the Arsenal squad.

Arsenal's injury problems have surely relaxed Barcelona ahead of the second leg on Tuesday. The man most likely to exploit the open spaces they leave behind them is out. And so is Arsenal's primary source of goals. The stalemate today increases the likelihood that Wenger will risk Fabregas and/or Song, and the way things are going, you wouldn't be surprised if that led to more injury problems. Remember that Fabregas played the first leg last season when clearly not ready, and as a result, wasn't seen for the rest of the season.

It all seems painfully familiar. A promising campaign falling apart in the space of a fortnight. The first two chapters of disaster are complete- the loss of the Carling Cup final, and the loss of vital points in the title race. Getting knocked out of Europe by Barca and of the FA Cup by United would complete a familiar picture.

It seems cruel that while Arsenal fall short of being a very good team, they are also a long way off being a lucky one. On Tuesday night they will need a whole pile of luck. Barca can step up as they like to, and Arsenal without Walcott will likely fail to break behind their high line effectively. And we can hardly expect Messi to be as profligate as in the last game, although you'd also expect Arsenal to defend much better than they did on their last visit to the Nou Camp. If Barca have a huge amount of possession- and there's no reason to expect otherwise- they will make chances. I think they will score a few and go through. Arsenal are unable to play the kind of disciplined game they need to.

It's a pity that the next week has become even more important than it should have been, as a result of that cataclysmic cup final. Because they messed up a relatively simple task, now the success of the season rests on two very difficult ones. If Arsenal cannot beat Birmingham, or Sunderland for that matter, why would the players believe they can win in Barcelona or Manchester? And if those games go badly, will the players have the heart or the energy to keep up with United in the league?

Sometimes it seems this Arsenal team are destined to fail, and that the only thing to be decided is how they do it. So let's sit back and find out.

WEAKNESS: if the mental don't get 'em...

... the physical will











Should Arsenal win the Carling Cup this weekend, the club's harshest critics will rain on their parade, dismiss the competition as an irrelevance, and deny that Arsenal have taken a meaningful step back towards the power and poise they exhibited seven years ago. I disagree. I think that Sunday is a huge day for the club, even if the League Cup in itself is the least important trophy they are fighting for. The first taste of genuine success could be the making of this team; defeat, on the other hand, could mean desolation in this campaign and many more.

Of course, this being Arsenal, injuries have taken hold at the very time the campaign is reaching its highest level of intensity. Fabregas is now, sadly, one of the many Arsenal players who can be called injury-prone. His absence, and that of Walcott, will be felt on Sunday, adding to the pressure on the shoulders of players who have, sometimes, buckled. Vermaelen's continued stint on the treatment table is far from ideal, but Arsenal have been living with that for most of the season. More worrying is the prospect of Van Persie missing out, if he cannot recover in time.

Birmingham are pretty far from formidable, but they will not feel as much pressure as Arsenal will on Sunday. Not much is expected of them. They have a dogged, defensive work ethic throughout the team, and the kind of physicality that can ruffle the feathers of those of a more artistic temperament. Up front, they have Zigic, a towering, immobile lump, the kind of player recent Arsenal defences have struggled to deal with. He opened the scoring at the Emirates this season, and back then, he was acclimatising to the English game. Now we can expect him to play a more substantial role and Arsenal will hope he is not to be a central figure in the final.

Djourou is the man who will be expected to quell whatever sporadic aerial threat Birmingham pose. He and Sczcesny, along with the ever-dependable Sagna, have been instrumental in making Arsenal look a little less brittle in recent months. That the Polish keeper was under threat at times from Stoke's grenades will not have escaped the attentions of Alex McLeish, however. As much as Arsenal will try to win the match on the floor, Birmingham will try to do it in the air. Still, the Gunners defence ought to be confident of producing an effective enough performance and providing a platform for the attackers to go and win the game. Gael Clichy has rediscovered some consistency, and Koscielny, assuming he is able to start, has improved immensely since finding a semi-regular partner in Djourou.

Can Arsenal produce when it matters, and without their talismanic captain? Much may be expected of Nasri, but although many believe that the position of central playmaker is his most natural, he is not yet a player who can shape a game, or indeed provide habitually incisive passes, like Fabregas does. An interesting subplot will be whether Nasri actually plays centrally at all; with Walcott's injury, the Frenchman may prove a more natural right-sided attacker than Bendtner, the other obvious option.

Tomas Rosicky could perhaps step into Fabregas's boots, although, after a promising start, his season has lapsed into inconsistency. Perhaps his goal against Leyton Orient will provide a spark. One man who has found one is Arshavin- the jeers of a few weeks ago no longer ring in the Russian's ears and the goal against Barcelona cemented his rehabilitation- and he is no stranger to shaping the outcome of big games.

Wenger could even, if he chooses, bring Denilson in alongside Song, and allow Wilshere the liberty to roam that his talent probably deserves. But would Birmingham be obvious opposition for the sideways passing and general conservatism of Denilson? Probably not.

After the unfortunate picking off of some of the physically brittle members of the Arsenal squad, those who still stand need to cast away the clouds of mental fragility that have hung over them in recent years. Wenger has constantly praised what he sees as a growing maturity: if Arsenal play in a mature manner, focussed and professional, without compromising the freedom that marks their game at its best, they should end the trophy drought on Sunday. If they fail to play to their abilities and crumble against a mediocre side, some serious, soul-searching questions will need to be asked. NO PRESSURE THEN!

Arsenal 1 Stoke 0 Injuries 2

If I had been told before this game that it would be won by a goal from a set piece, I'd have been worried.

As it turns out, I have to apologise for my typically rash assessment of Squillaci, who did not cost Arsenal any goals on this occasion, and scored the winner.

Eight minutes in, a corner reached the back post, where Bendtner chested down and knocked the ball into the goalmouth, and the French defender headed in his first league goal. Big credit goes to Bendtner who showed good composure and actually picked a player out where many would just smash the ball and hope for the best.

Before that, Walcott had threatened on three occasions. Very early on, Fabregas released him on the right of the area with a trademark slide rule pass, and the youngster beat Begovic with his cross shot but saw it rebound off the inside of the post and into the keeper's arms. He then volleyed well wide from Bendtner's knockdown, and then almost went through but snatched at his shot under pressure from both Huth and Pugh.

Arsenal had started very well but were then greeted with the now all-too-familiar sight of Cesc Fabregas trudging off to be substituted. It remains to be seen whether he has a chance of playing in Sunday's Carling Cup final. His removal here saw Arshavin come on to play in his usual position on the left of the front three, and Nasri drop back as chief playmaker. Arsenal lost momentum but Stoke offered little, other than a Carew effort from range which Sczcesny parried well, until the second half.

After the break there was more menace about Stoke. Delap wound up for a long through, instead sent it down the line to Pennant, and his cross found Shawcross, but the header deflected just wide for a corner. What an unpopular goal that would have been. Then another throw, this time from the left. Delap did go long. Sczcesny came out, but he and his defenders were beaten all ends up by Huth. His leap effectively gave him an open goal, but he couldn't direct the header downwards, and Arsenal escaped.

The best bit of play from Arsenal came when Nasri released Arshavin down the left. Shawcross came hurtling across in typically reckless fashion, and was left for dead by the Russian, who dinked it over the challenge, then squared across the area for Walcott, who fluffed his lines.

The Englishman's night got even worse when he twisted his ankle badly under a clumsy but innocent challenge by Whitehead. Walcott will miss the Carling Cup final and, even worse, probably the Barcelona game, where you feel Arsenal would have needed the benefit of his pace and directness.

As I predicted, injuries are biting as the games pile up. But here Arsenal were solid enough to see the game out. Pennant's free kick late on was as close as Stoke came, but the winger could only find the side netting with a shot that Sczcesny looked to have covered.

Overall, Arsenal were relatively poor, but it can only be a good sign that they can win in such circumstances. The early goal was, clearly, vital, more so than it seemed at the time, because after Fabregas's departure, the home side struggled to open Stoke up. Had the game remained 0-0 Stoke would have kept even more bodies back and Arsenal's search for a goal may have grown desperate. Instead, they could keep possession in the late stages, less nervous than they've been in the past with the new assurance Djourou's presence seems to have bred in the back line. One point now the gap to United, who have a game in hand, but now face three away games: Wigan, Chelsea and Liverpool... Maybe this season will see a title race after all.

Woo! Arsenal 2-1 Barcelona

No one has ever questioned the ability of this Arsenal team. But I've often questioned its character. Against Barcelona, however, they showed a lot of fight. And, despite the common complaints about a lack of experience, Arsenal's three best players were Sczcesny, Wilshere and Koscielny, none of whom had seen much top-level football before this season.

To get a win, Arsenal rode their luck, but that was expected against what is a superior side. Messi had one of his mortal nights; despite laying on Villa's opener, he missed a couple of gilt-edged chances, one in each half. At times he miscontrolled the ball (!) and at times he was too selfish when he could have played in a team mate. Bottom line, Arsenal did not shackle him, and will need to improve in this regard in order to stand a chance of progressing.

It was a fantastic game. In its almost constant stream of action, it echoed Real Madrid's visit to Highbury in 2006. As on that occasion, the scoreline does not really reflect the amount of goalmouth action. Barca will certainly feel they were worth more than one goal. As well as his two surprising misses, Messi had a goal wrongly disallowed at 1-0. Arsenal went to pieces for a spell after Villa's strike, and during this time Sczcesny had to pull off a point blank save from Pedro's flick. The Barca winger was through on goal in the second half but hesitated and allowed Koscielny to get back. Overall, Arsenal's offside trap malfunctioned too often and Djourou and Koscielny failed to strike the right balance between stepping up and tracking back. But Arsenal were never going to learn to defend brilliantly in such a short time and the players deserve a lot of credit for great work rate and, by their standards, great organisation. They are not used to playing for such long stretches without the ball; on this occasion, in contrast to the corresponding fixture last year, they looked ready for the challenge.

It is no secret that Arsenal aspire to emulating Barca's style of play. At the moment, they are no match for them in the possession stakes, but at the Emirates they showed that they can play in more than one way. Again, the contrast with last season was pronounced. Back then, Arsenal looked like they didn't know what to do on the rare occasions when they got the ball back. This time, not only did they press better, they also counter attacked in dangerous fashion. Despite the general acclaim of Barca's performance, Arsenal executed the plan pretty well throughout the game, not just late on. I've read from a few different sources that Barca were in control throughout; in possession terms, they usually were, and looked dangerous most of the time, but their control of the game was tenuous because Arsenal were often ripping them apart on the break. Total control it was not.

Arsenal had their chances too. Early on, Barca looked jittery and the home side seized on their uncertainty pretty well, without always showing the surest touch themselves in the final third. Fabregas was guilty of a few poor passes early on but he created the game's first chance. After Walcott jinked into the box, he squared to the captain, and Fabregas chipped a beautiful pass over Alves and Puyol. Van Persie blasted the bouncing ball goalwards from a tight angle but Valdes stood up well. This came after Walcott had broke and tried to set Van Persie through, slightly overhitting his pass. Just before Barca's opener, another break, instigated by the excellent Wilshere, saw Walcott play in Fabregas to the right of the area. The ball was again slightly overhit, and forced Fabregas wide. As Valdes advanced, the captain flipped the ball across towards the head of RVP, only for Abidal to make a goal-saving intervention. Soon after Villa's goal, Wilshere was at the heart of another counter attack, running beyond Barca's midfield, then playing in Van Persie. The Dutchman dithered a little, getting the ball stuck under his feet, and finally shanked his shot horribly wide.

Make no mistake, there has been some revisionism about the balance of the game. Second half, Arsenal were the better side early doors. They struggled to make a clear cut opportunity but Barca looked less authorative and were under pressure at times. Van Persie almost diverted in Nasri's low cross from the left. Pique was booked for a panicky tackle and will miss the second leg.

Then (between 65 and 70 minutes or so) there was a spell which seems to have defined most peoples' opinions of the game overall. Arsenal lost their way, looked a bit disheartened. Messi ran to the edge of the box, shot selfishly, blocked. Eboue gave the loose ball straight to Iniesta, who played a lovely slide rule pass to the Argentine. Sczcesny made himself big, and Messi could only find the side of the net. Replays suggested he could have squared for one of two team mates. Immediately, with Barca looking as dominant as they had at any point in the second half, Guardiola sent Keita on for Villa. Negative. Simultaneously, Wenger sent Arshavin on for Song. Positive.

There was no immediate effect. The game degenerated into its first real quiet spell. But, as I saw written elsewhere, you have to wonder if Iniesta would have benefitted from the removal of Alex Song, Arsenal's holding player, had the Barca prompter not been moved into the front three to accommodate Keita.

Walcott had a run at Maxwell, tried to cross, the ball rebounded out for a goal kick. This seemed to sum up the winger's night, and he was soon replaced by Bendtner. At one point Gael Clichy knocked a free kick aimlessly through to Valdes from the Arsenal half, and one wondered if the Gunners had anything left.

Then, it happened. The full back who can't buy a final ball conjured his second decent right-footed chip of the season (after his cross for Song's winner against West Ham). Van Persie had a chance out of nowhere, but was fast approaching the byeline. Bendtner made himself available for the expected cross, and Valdes shifted position slightly, moving away from his near post. Van Persie blasted the ball, cutting across it so that it zipped into the space between the post and the flummoxed goalkeeper. It was an audacious effort from a player who was having a poor night to that point. A goalkeeping mistake, too, but how many players would be good enough to take advantage of it? A ridiculous shot- never has selfishness been rewarded so handsomely.

The goal changed the atmosphere completely. Barca were not so cocky, Arsenal's tails were up, and the noise was deafening again. Arsenal had a strong few minutes, but then Djourou gave the ball away needlessly, and Barca outnumbered Arsenal in the home side's final third. Twice more, Messi messed up. First he miscontrolled, then gave the ball away. Koscielny found Bendtner, who passed inside to Wilshere. The Englishman, having the match of his young career, spotted Fabregas in space and found him with a first time pass. Fabregas took it on the turn and then, with the outside of his right foot, sent Nasri steaming down the right and into the Barca area.

First, you were sad it wasn't Walcott. Then, you were glad it wasn't Walcott. Nasri was not quite quick enough to go it alone, and Keita got back. Nasri worked his way in onto his left, and then, displaying the kind of vision poor Theo couldn't dream of, rolled a perceptive ball back and across the area for Arshavin, rushing in from the left. This was exactly the kind of chance the Russian had been spooning into row Z lately, but the Emirates pitch does not present many bobbles, and a lightning move of great passes ended with another, Arshavin cooly dispatching past Valdes and the two covering defenders. The Emirates erupted.

Predictably, with seven minutes remaining, there were moments of panic. A couple of minutes from the 90, Arsenal were opened up with horrific ease, and yet again Messi was haring at the backline. This time he played in Alves, in acres to his right, but the shot was fired straight at Sczcesny. Then in stoppage time, Arshavin bungled a header back to his keeper from Busquets' diagonal. Alves kept the ball in, squared to Messi, but the little man was crowded out, the ball was booted away, and moments later the final whistle sounded.

It was a memorable comeback but the performance was far from perfect. Maybe it's about as close as Arsenal can be to perfect at this moment in time. They hassled the opposition, they were fairly incisive and pacey, and, in the end, they took a couple of chances. You'd expect Messi to be more clinical but, to a lesser extent, Van Persie suffered from the same problem. Both sides had a lot of chances; Barca's were the clearer ones because Arsenal's high line invited passes through it. Sczcesny was confronted by Messi twice, Pedro twice, Villa and Alves; only once was the Pole beaten.

Arsenal will need to defend better, because there is no chance that Barcelona will be as wasteful again. Despite the often flowing football, a lot of the chances stemmed from Arsenal sloppiness. For the goal, Djourou and Koscielny stepped up while Clichy played Villa on. Throughout the first half, Alves was given the run of the right flank, as if Nasri was not even aware of the danger. Arsenal gave the ball away in dangerous areas aswell.

But everyone knows about Arsenal's flaws. The great significance of this game to European football overall may be to remind everyone of Barcelona's weaknesses. They have been rightly lauded ever since the tonking of Mourinho's Real Madrid, but their defence is far from impregnable and their style of play leaves them open to quick, direct counter attacks. Other sides will have taken much encouragement from the way Arsenal opened Barca up on a few occasions. Those teams may not muster the same panache that marked Arsenal's magnificent winning goal, but they may not need to- remember the way Chelsea's fast, physical forward line almost battered Barca into submission two seasons ago at Stamford Bridge. If there is anything that will scare Barca more than the pace and skill of Arsenal, it's pace and power. And how many teams in the Champions League can play better on the back foot than Arsenal? Quite a few.

As it stands, Arsenal can still hope to progress. I don't expect them to do so because of their discomfort with the defensive side of the game, which is likely to be tested even more severely at the Nou Camp. But whatever happens, Wednesday was a night to remember, a great game of football, and it was nice to take the pompous bastards down a peg or two, for now.

Leeds 1-3 Arsenal: the Quadruple Dream Lives On

Wenger put out a strong team. Sagna back, looking fresh, demolished the Leeds left.

Nasri's well-taken goal settled any early nerves. Set up by Arshavin- busy early on, faded later. Maybe the lesson of the night overall was: if Fabregas does not play, Nasri must. He looks as important this season as the captain was last.

Chances came and went. Then Sagna got a deserved goal. He won the ball in his own half, bombed on. Bendtner miscontrolled in the box (!) and the hurried clearance fell to the Frenchman, whose shot had too much power for the otherwise excellent Schmeichel.

If that looked spectacular, better was to follow. At the wrong end.

Leeds had inconsequntial-looking possession in midfield when the ball was shuffled sideways to Bradley Johnson. His left-foot strike was as good as you'll see, rocketed right into the top corner of the net, and suddenly, without ever making a real chance, Leeds were back in the game.

The end of the first half and the start of the second held some hairy moments for Arsenal. After the break, Leeds started to press very high and disrupt Arsenal's passing. But by the time they had tired it was still 2-1. Sub David Somma missed their best chance, with his first touch.

Van Persie and Fabregas came on. The former killed the game with a back post header from Bendtner's measured cross. The latter annoyed the Leeds players by tippy-tappying around midfield and generally taking the piss. Took a few kicks for his troubles.

The fact that this win, which ought to be expected, has been so well-received shows the level of mistrust that goes with supporting Arsenal these days. But it bodes pretty well nonetheless, because as much as I obsess over the perceived inability to beat major rivals, what has threatened to derail Arsenal's season is the tendency to underestimate lesser sides.

The attitude against Leeds was right. So was the result. For talented teams, one usually follows the other.

"Ipswich Beat Us By Playing Rugby"

I prefer the Cesc who has a go at Denilson, to the one who makes excuses for inexcusable results.

Ipswich are a struggling Championship side and are not going to take Arsenal on in an open way.

This pomposity, this air of superiority, has got to end. Arsenal try to play good football, ok, but it looks ineffective a lot of the time and if it's inadequate against lower division sides- as it has been in the last two games- then Arsenal need to look INWARD.

Fabregas's whinging probably derives from frustration with his own uncharacteristically sloppy performance, but it's embarrassing. Arsenal need to concentrate on saving face in the second leg.

There remains a complete lack of grand narrative about the season. Arsenal looked to have turned the corner against Chelsea, and provided themselves a blueprint for success. But they've failed miserably to kick on. With most of the squad fit, they seemed well placed to mount a charge for success, but so many of the players still don't look up to the task.

3-1: What a Relief

The first time Arsenal have beaten either of Man United or Chelsea in two years, and despite Chelsea's grim run of form, it was the home side's most accomplished performance since they went to the San Siro and outpassed another Ancelotti-managed team in 2008.

The key was tempo and pressing. At last, Arsenal worked as hard without the ball as they did in possession. They hounded the Blues high up the pitch and when this happens, there is less onus on Arsenal to score the "perfect goal". Arsenal looked most dangerous when Chelsea had the ball in their own half.

This, and the criticism Song has attracted for his apparently over-adventurous style this season, made the nature of the first goal ironic. It was the result of a short passing move, the type that Chelsea usually repel with ease, but this time the weight of Arsenal's numbers undid them.

I worried in the build-up about Arsenal's tendency to overcommit in attack, leaving gaps behind them, and their attendant inability to attack any other way. This time it paid off as the red shirts swamped Chelsea- everyone but the back four ended up in or at the edge of the box. Song passed to Wilshere and continued into the box. The younster flicked it back his way, and Fabregas took over only to be tripped by Ferreira. Both Van Persie and Song were on hand, and the latter provided the finish with his lesser-used left foot.

Coming close to half-time, the goal was thoroughly deserved. Arsenal were comfortably the better side, without creating many clear opportunities. Chelsea looked deflated after their recent travails, didn't deal well with the pressure Arsenal exerted, and only really looked threatening from Cech's kick-outs.

Lampard looked rusty after his lay off. Drogba was matched by Djourou, who was at last allowed to replace the unconvincing Squillaci. The Ivorian had his moments early on. When Koscielny ventured too far into midfield and gave the ball away, one Chelsea pass exposed Arsenal's often fatal flaw, and Drogba was running at a back-pedalling Djourou. His shot was angled just wide. Then he attacked a cross well but was tracked by the Swiss defender who managed to deflect the header wide.

Michael Essien was a shadow of his usual ubiquitous self, and Florent Malouda seems to have gone off the boil completely after being one of the players of 2010. But despite Chelsea's problems, Arsenal deserve praise for exploiting them and, hopefully, banishing that debilitating inferiority complex.

Arsenal's half time lead seemed to raise as many questions as it answered. The memory of the North London derby debacle was fresh and painful.

Within minutes of the restart, the Emirates exploded into the greatest scenes of euphoria seen there in quite a while. Van Persie was crowded out by blue shirts, but Essien only nicked the ball inadvertently behind Ashley Cole and into the path of the onrushing Walcott. He advanced on Cech and slipped the ball sideways for his captain to slide the ball into the unguarded net.

Less than two minutes later, Fabregas returned the compliment. Again, Walcott's anticipation was crucial. Malouda accepted the ball from Terry but was immediately robbed by the Englishman. Fabregas took the ball on, and dinked it over Terry's challenge. Cesc's pass was weighted so that Walcott needn't take a touch before shooting. He again exhibited his finishing prowess, blasting across Cech and into the bottom corner.

The worry remained that Arsenal could blow any kind of lead, and nerves were set to jangling just four minutes later. Drogba's free-kick was flighted superbly, so that Fabianski was left in no man's land when Ivanovic rose above Koscielny to head in. There was a period of uncertainty- at one point Ivanovic broke a couple of tackles and surged into the Arsenal area, but Drogba dithered and the chance was gone- but it soon became apparent that Chelsea lacked the confidence to put anything together in open play, and Arsenal played the game out with only a couple of scares from set plays, and once when Ramires shot wide.

Nasri and Diaby fluffed chances to finish Chelsea off, but overall one could have little complaint about the way Arsenal played. Deficiencies remain- there was almost comical panic at a stoppage time set piece, the ball eventually rebounding off Fabianski into his own net, only for the "goal" to be disallowed- but the high-energy pressing that Arsenal put into action gave them a much better chance of overcoming those flaws.

Song and Djourou probably merit special mention. Walcott and Fabregas were the match winners despite both suffering nervous starts in differing ways. Nasri was always dangerous, especially when delivering a clever chip at 0-0 that Cech had to tip over. Clichy, though not hugely tested by Kalou, hounded and harrassed. Sagna was typically steady, and Koscielny, despite having a few uncertain moments, looked far more assured in the absence of Squillaci. Wilshere was the perfect mix of graft and craft, his growth continues. Van Persie's movement bothered Chelsea and he is still not at his sharpest.

Still, the result should be viewed as more a challenge than an accomplishment. Arsenal must now match this level of performance for the rest of the season. Wenger picked the right team, they played the right way, and the whole club should be re-energised.

Nothing to Brag About.

Braga 2-0 Arsenal: They Hit Rock Bottom, and Keep on Digging

I said tonight's wasn't a big game- but defeat has made Partizan at home into a massive one.

One of this team's myriad flaws is that they get bogged down in bad runs of form. Some teams come out fighting after a disappointment. Arsenal tend to sulk, whine, wallow. And this ugly characteristic was evident again tonight.

Great man though he is, Arsene Wenger embodies the side of Arsenal that fosters resentment, as well as he does the side that everybody loves. He is a sore loser and his team are sore losers. You could say that his reluctance to ever blame things on his players is a tactic used to protect them; if that is the case, I think it has been backfiring for a while now.

It is true that the officiating was generally poor. Carlos Vela was clearly taken out in the Braga area. It was the kind of decision that even the worst of referees would usually get right. But this one, and his "behind the goal" partner, missed the foul. To compound things, he brandished a yellow card at the luckless Mexican.

Then there was the injury to Eboue. Wenger claimed afterwards that the Ivorian had been kicked out of the game. I remember a couple of bad tackles but Eboue's not averse to dishing out a few of those himself. In fact he's committed some disgusting ones. I'm just being balanced here. He should have been sent off against Barcelona in the Champions League final, almost straight after Lehmann walked the plank, for a knee-high assault. And was dismissed in the '08 0-4 against United for something similar. Maybe Wenger was suggesting that there was systematic rough stuff from Braga but I'm sure I've seen worse.

In any case, he shouldn't hide behind that. The injury to Eboue, which looks bad, meant Arsenal were down to ten men for the remainder. But the remainder was only about seven minutes plus stoppage time. A draw against poor opposition was going to be disappointing in itself, but it would have been enough to ensure progress to the knock-out rounds. Surely even Arsenal could keep it relatively tight for a few minutes against this rabble...

Eboue had barely departed before it happened. What a soft goal. Trademark Arsenal. After a free kick was cleared by Braga, they launched a simple ball right up the middle, and Matheus was through. That simple. He knocked it past Fabianski, and for the FIFTEENTH consecutive away game in the Champions League, Arsenal had conceded.

With the centre halves forward, Denilson had been left to man the fort. He was beaten so easily. Abdication of responsibility has become his calling card.

But think about it for a moment. At 0-0, Arsenal are going through- and with minutes to go they concede a counter-attacking goal of such pathetic simplicity, it takes the breath away. This kind of self-harm has become habitual. You usually only see this kind of goal when a team is madly chasing a goal and has abandoned any sense of caution. But Arsenal can do it at any time. The desperation should have been Braga's. They were on their way out. Instead, Arsenal get caught over-committed. Staggering stupidity.

Having fallen behind, there was an excuse to get caught again on the break, and Arsenal did in the game's final moments, with Matheus again released into the gaping hole in front of Fabianski. Three Arsenal men caught up, but seemed to obstruct each other more than their opponent, who was allowed to check on to his preferred left peg and bury an unerring shot in off the crossbar. A fitting end to a dismal night.

The misery does not stop there, though. Fabregas is set for another lay-off after pulling up with yet another hamstring injury- now both his legs are riddled. This raises more questions. Wenger made seven changes after Tottenham. Surely Fabregas should have been first in line for a rest. I know that hindsight is 20:20, but I was already thinking that it was stupid to play Fabregas before he went off. If Wenger thought that he could navigate this fixture using the full extent of the squad, why not make use of its best-stocked area- creative midfielders? Nasri, Rosicky, Wilshere. All of them can be deployed in the same position as the now-knacked skipper.

Arsenal have now made an absolute meal out of a pisspoor group. Braga, Partizan, Shakhtar: these are not particularly good teams. Arsenal's forte recently has been lording it over the dregs of Europe and England, but even that strength seems to be deserting them. While Braga and Shakhtar were both smashed at the Grove, home form in general has been uncharacteristically poor this season. Three defeats already, and some of the wins unconvincing. The natives will be restless when Arsenal line up against Partizan. The Serbs have not yet collected a single point and the pressure will be on to make a convincing statement. And at the moment this team is not delivering the statements it needs to.

A Question for the Ages

WHAT is the point of Denilson???










Today, he looked even more pointless than Jermaine Jenas. Watch with horror as he repeats his patented party trick, watching attackers overtake him while he jogs towards his own goal.

Cesc Fabregas is one of the best midfield players in the world; I've said it a hundred times before, he shouldn't have to share a midfield with the likes of Denilson. When I first saw the Brazilian play, I actually thought he was a similar player to Fabregas. Either he's regressed, or I was hallucinating: the only thing they share is a lack of pace. Which points to a general problem with the Arsenal midfield that has persisted since the departure of Flamini.


TOO PEDESTRIAN.
When on top form, as he was at times today, Fabregas controls the tempo brilliantly. He can slow it down, speed it up, his passing is exemplary. But without the ball, he can seem a slight presence. He needs a minder. Instead, we have Song and Denilson. Song engages in a bit of midfield scuffling, which is necessary, but he is no flyer himself, he seems to shuffle around the pitch. And Denilson is either ridiculously one-paced or just can't be arsed.

It's no wonder Arsenal concede a lot of goals on the break, with Bale's today indicative of just one of this team's catalogue of flaws.

APPETITE FOR SELF-DESTRUCTION

Arsenal 2-3 Spurs: the Decline reaches its Nadir

I GUESS Tottenham had to win at Arsenal eventually, but the circumstances of this defeat make it very hard to take.

A strange game in many ways. A strange atmosphere- maybe the lunchtime kick-off curse again. Neither side really playing well.

Arsenal built a two-goal lead without hitting anything close to top gear. Nasri- a lovely finish from an acute angle after breaking Gomes' challenge. Chamakh- nicely deflected the ball in after a sweeping counter-attacking move.

Spurs' midfield seemed non-existent at times but Arsenal took no further advantage.


The Worst Second Half Ever.
Complacency rears its ugly head again. It's like Spurs were so bad in the First Half, they convinced Arsenal that the job was done. But this is a team with Van Der Vaart, Bale, Modric and, after the break, Defoe. Three of those four linked up, and Bale flicked the ball beyond Fabianski. Game on.

Arsenal had looked bright first half without being brilliant. But the second half saw no real cutting edge. And things got edgy after Bale's goal. Spurs still not playing amazingly, but the crowd go from subdued to... subdued. There was never any atmosphere, as far as I could tell, even at 2-0.

Song fouled Modric not far outside the box, 67th minute. Fabregas handled blatantly from the free kick. Penalty.

Sometimes you feel sorry for Fabregas because of the immaturity that sometimes seems to surround him and drag him down at Arsenal. But this was so fucking stupid. People say he's too professional to lower his level after his summer disappointment but was that really the action of a fully-committed captain? I'm not saying he's decided not to try, and overall he had a decent game, but subconsciously, the whole Barcelona debacle may have compromised him a little. And he still doesn't look fully fit.

Van Der Vaart stuck the penalty away.

Despite the apparent momentum swing, Spurs didn't really kick on, and Arsenal made some chances. Koscielny headed over from a nice Van Persie cross.

Then Kaboul headed in from Van Der Vaart's free kick and the comeback was complete. Wenger doing his Basil Fawlty routine on the sideline, overcome by impotent rage at his troops.

PEOPLE ARE, or were, saying Arsenal can win the league. As far as I can see, they're plumbing new depths all the time. As against Newcastle, they couldn't even muster a late assault on the opposition goal.

A really horrible game all-around. Gallas colossal at the back, definite man of the match.

The best you can say is that it's a strange result in a generally strange Premiership season, but that lets Arsenal off too easily. If they really are capable of winning the league, this season represents a big opportunity. I restate my belief that they can't do it. They'll always find a way to balls it up. At half-time, Arsenal were heading top. By full-time, they'd capitulated to a Spurs team that didn't even have to be that special.