Memories

We have seen proof tonight that football is not about predictable outcomes. It is about the unexpected. The excitement comes from a flash of brilliance, a goal made out of nothing, a result that nobody expected. It is about amazing feats. Football is about memories.

There is no doubting the heart of Cesc Fabregas. By extension, that big throbbing muscle that pumps life throughout his body does the same for millions of Arsenal fans. We will all remember this match but nobody will remember it better than our captain.

"Until the penalty, I was feeling quite good. It has been an amazing experience and I will remember it for the rest of my life." Cesc Fabregas

Whether he plays for us again or not this season (or in his career, for that matter), Cesc has become an Arsenal legend tonight. I don't use that word loosely. The man is a legend. End of!

Let's be clear, Barcelona can be beaten. And I say that knowing full well that our last line of defence (I refuse to call that man by his given name) is dodgier than dodgy. The belief in this team will take them far. I'm convinced of that.

Football has a way of defying the odds. Its unpredictable nature is second to none. I've seen some very dramatic and emotional matches over the years - France vs. West Germany (1982), and England vs Cameroun (1990) for example. This Arsenal vs Barcelona game now ranks amongst those matches.

No matter what happens going forward, I thank Arsene and the boys for providing the entertainment and the diversion from my daily routine that they've done this season. Beaten soundly by Chelsea and United. Embarrassed in the F.A. Cup by Stoke. Injury after injury, let down after let down yet they've kept the faith and battled on.

Some prefer less drama with their football but I wouldn't deny myself the joy I've felt watching us come back from down 2-0 against a Barcelona side that sometimes looked like they had 12 players. Our dogged persistence may ultimately not be enough to win us a trophy but that is the last thing on my mind tonight I'm so proud. If you are an Arsenal fan, you must be proud.

From the heights of relief and joy after seeing Cesc bury that penalty, I've read that he might be out for the season. Am I upset? Have I thrown glasses against the wall? Have I cursed at my neighbor's dog? No! No! No!

I have even more belief.

From William Gallas finally reuniting with Thomas Vermaelen just to see him stretchered off - season over. From exploding with joy at seeing us claw back into the tie to reading that Andrei Arshavin has done his calf and could miss up to three weeks. Am I upset? Have I thrown glasses against the wall? Have I cursed at my neighbor's dog? No! No! No!

I am overflowing with belief.

We weren't supposed to be left with a chance to further embarrass the La Liga, European, and World Champions, but by this time next week, we could be just 180 minutes away from a trip to Madrid. What a funny game football is! But first let's remember to batter Wolves and Coward McCarthy Saturday and then off to Camp Nou.

Keep the faith.

Glamour Tie

- The pre-match talk has focused on how both teams play an attractive style of football. What is annoying is when journalists call us Barcelona "lite". Despite adopting the 4-3-3 permanently this year, we're not merely a replica of Barcelona nor do we attempt to mimic their style of play. If they're talking about success, any team would have been Barcelona "lite" after what they accomplished in the past twelve months.

- Guus Hiddink's tactical master plan caused Guardiola to change his positioning of Messi for the Champions League final and the next season in La Liga. Hiddink deployed a right footed Bosingwa on the left flank. That cut out Messi's tendencies to drift inside, as opposite foot wingers are in vogue nowadays. If Messi got by Bosingwa, Essien was there to snuff him out. Chelsea did a good job on him last year, but an Iniesta thunderbolt prevented Chelsea from advancing to the final for the second straight year. The bottom line is, if you decide to take out Messi, it will leave others with more space and opportunities to bust you open. For that reason, Wenger has already announced that he will not man-mark Messi. I personally would have, but that means that Alex Song must be deployed in midfield to help zonally mark Messi. He is a supreme threat.

- Messi's elevation this year is due to the fact that he's playing more centrally this year. While operating on the right flank, your job as a defender should be to push him closer to the edge, so as not to let him pass the ball with his left foot or square up his body to take a shot. Now that he's operating in the middle, he has an extra option which makes it that much harder to defend. With Daniel Alves patrolling the right side, he has enough energy and threat to defend and attack with vigor. For that reason, Arshavin needs to be at his best tomorrow. He needs to provide real menace to Alves to prevent him from becoming an offensive force. Frankly, it's time for Arshavin to step it up. He plays better in the big matches, and his miss at Birmingham was the first time his error has led to dropped points. He'll be aware of that, and on his best day, when he's dribbling at a defender, Arshavin can scare people as much as Messi can.

- Zlatan was brought in as an attempt to provide a Plan B and variety to the attack. He was on a prolonged slump, but he has scored in the last two matches. He is the definition of a mercurial talent. He has all the skill, but I feel he lacks something that Eto'o provided to the team. That being said, he scored against Real Madrid and he's capable of hurting us in a real way. But a part of me would fear this Barcelona team more if Eto'o was still on it.

- Messi was rested last weekend. Cesc was banged up last weekend.

- Iniesta is out for the first leg. A lot of Barcelona fans have been complaining about Iniesta's form, and both Guardiola and Cruyff have launched attacks on him. He hasn't been at his best, but removing him from Barcelona's midfield takes away creativity from their team. They will probably field Keita along with Busquets and Xavi. That's more like a Premier League midfield, but they still possess the ball better than most.

- Abou Diaby must play in this match. He picked up a "knock" (of course he did), but he's come through training. Diaby is a player that Barcelona will not be prepared for. The way Diaby uses his body to shield players from the ball and retain possession, the way he quickly turns and swiftly dodges defenders, both things bring a smile to my face. He's direct, but he has a lot of skill people don't necessarily pick up on until you see him play. He's made one huge error this year (the OG against United), but he's been one of our finer players when he's played. He provides something different, and in a team, you need that.

- Samir Nasri was great against Birmingham until he decided to square the ball for Arshavin instead of chipping Joe Hart. We need to be ruthless. That's what the Champions League is really about, finishing the one chance you get. Still, I think he's coming on strong, and he'll be yet another threat on the right wing.

- We must defend like lions. If Sol is ready, we have no choice but to field him. Everybody needs to concentrate at all times. Maybe if Manuel is busier, he'll play better. That's all we can pray for at the moment.

- The tie will come down to who controls the ball better. Both teams rely on heavy possession to wear the opposition down. Naturally, whoever is playing at home will probably enjoy more possession. I expect us to shade them 55-45 in the first leg, and them to outpossess us 60-40 in the second leg. Can we maintain our composure, avoid mistakes, and strike some killer blows at the Emirates? Can we withstand a surge at the Nou Camp, one that will undoubtedly come? We shall see.

- For Cesc, this tie means everything. When we played them in the Champions League final, it was Thierry's team. Barcelona was also Ronaldinho's team. Now, with his peers in direct view, he has to show that he is one of the best players in the world too. I don't think the result has any impact on what he'll do after the season ends. They'll come for Cesc, but I have the feeling he's going to stay. And if we show the world that we can compete with Barcelona, why would he want to leave?

- The final note is about Thierry Henry. I don't know how much he'll play, but he can be a useful weapon for Barcelona. Pedro scores in big games, and that's his main asset; he's a goal scorer, but Henry would provide creativity that Pedro cannot give. For that reason, I'm glad Thierry is so beat up about playing us. It will affect his form. If I was Pep, I don't think I could play him, but I'm sure we'll give him a warm welcome. But after the referee blows the whistle, he's just another Barcelona player.

Time to Concentrate on Wednesday

The last minute equalizer by Birmingham was like watching the woman of your world being shagged by a dog and realizing that she's enjoying it. Heartbreaking!

It's hard to shake off a result like this, especially when Nasri and Arshavin should have killed the game off by the time Birmingham had scored. But then the calamity of errors that resulted in Birmingham's equalizer was a lot worse.

It's injury time and the Birmingham keeper punts the ball from inside his penalty area to the edge of Arsenal's. Diaby - who had another great game - poorly positions himself and fails to head the ball away. The ball then bounces and causes panic resulting in pinball style football. Sagna is left marking three players. The other defenders are ball watching and no one picks up Phillips who is harassing Arsenal like a dog chasing a cat. The end product of this moment of nervousness is Sagna blasting the ball at Phillips face and the ball looping into the goal. It was a fluke goal and route one football at its purest.

However, the goal should have been ruled out for offside. Christian Benitez was a yard offside when the ball hit Phillips in the face. But the assistant referee must have deemed Benitez not to be interfering with play or that his position was not gaining an advantage. It was officiating at it's worst. A joke decision that has caused millions of people around the world serious depression.

Then we have Manuel Almunia.

Let's start with positives regarding this man.

His penalty save against West Ham last week was a huge factor in Arsenal winning that game. No doubt, Almunia is very good at saving penalties, but he's also very poor at punching and commanding his penalty box.

Lesbians have more presence in a box than Almunia.

At the end of the first half Almunia came to punch a high ball, but the lightweight didn't punch, instead he fucking jabbed. The ball landed 10 meters out at the feet of a Birmingham player who skied it. He got away with it this time but on Wednesday if he does another "jab" then Henry or Messi will be waiting to punish him.

There's nothing we can do about our goalkeeping problem. The back-ups are also prone to errors and the transfer window is closed. Right now Arsenal fans are like the poor citizen who can't afford a lawyer so has to make do with the overworked and sub-par state provided attorney. Facing life in prison, fighting for the title or facing the World Champions on Wednesday, Almunia will have to do and we will have to pray.

So let's get positive.

We like football because its unpredictable. Leeds knocked out Man United in the FA Cup. A French team will be in the Champions League semi-finals and Portsmouth are in the FA Cup semi-finals. It's a strange season.

Man United face Chelsea on Saturday. Hopefully, Chelsea will win. They will drop points after they play at Old Twatford. Man United look less likely. Chelsea have a week off. Man United face Bayern Munich in Germany. They have been lucky this season. I hope it runs out. The law of averages says it will.

When Arsenal won the title in 1989, they won it with a keeper similar to Almunia - John Luckic. During the run-in that season Arsenal played away to Man United. Tony Adams put Arsenal 1-0 ahead with a diving header. The win was on the cards until late on in the game a Man United cross hit Adams on the head and looped into the Arsenal goal just like it did at St Andrews on Saturday. The own goal by Adams earned him the nickname "Donkey" by The Mirror and was cruelly chanted by opposition fans.

Now opposition fans chant "There's Only One Ryan Shawcross or Martin Taylor" eulogizing players who've broken the legs of Arsenal players.

Winning a trophy this season would cause serious depression to these mindless inbreds in the same way that Obama winning the Presidential election has caused massive despair on cunts like Rush Limbaugh.

Keep it Arsenal

Post Match View - Birmingham City F.C.

We began the game with a one touch clinic. And yes, it was effective, not just pretty but unproductive. Abou Diaby and Tomas Rosicky were particularly effective throughout. They combined well at the near post but Diaby's shot from close was deflected wide for an early corner in the 2nd minute.

Diaby was highlighted recently on our site for his improvement this season. Rightly so! His display yesterday showed increased strength, fine technique, and the kind of presence that allows Cesc to play farther up the pitch. Rosicky was involved in this game more than he has been since his injury nightmare. His touches, his vision, and his runs reminded us that he used to be a top, top player.

I was pleased with their contributions overall. Sadly though, neither could find a way passed Joe Hart. Hart kept his team in the game.

We've had chances to score more goals. Birmingham did as well but it's fair to say that Arsenal were the more dominant side over the 90 minutes. Theo Walcott started on the right and could have benefitted from a defensive mistake on 18 but for the intervention of the alert Joe Hart. Hart played a pretty good game.

I can't help but feel that maybe Arsene rested Eboue for the Barcelona match. Liam Ridgewell clattered into Theo on his first touch the last time we played Birmingham. I need convincing that Theo wasn't playing with that incident in his mind yesterday. He looked tentative. On 5 and on 7, he could have shown more strength if not more determination to keep the ball. He did have a penalty shout on 10 but the ref didn't see a need to point to the spot.

Sol headed high from a corner on 24. Clichy received a yellow for being named Geal on 29 - I couldn't see any other reason for the card. Pat Rice even got involved with a heated few words for the fourth official, such was the absurdity of the warning. Theo got behind the Birmingham back line on 29 but was thwarted again by the impressive Blues keeper. Hart's focus throughout the game was at times exemplary.

James McFadden and Cameron Jerome threatened at the other end on 31 and 32. We were equal to their efforts but not as comfortably as I would have wanted. Birmingham were determined to make a fight of it. For all the good Diaby provided, it was his hospital ball that got Cesc a knock on 35. Arsene has complained that the tackle was high, which perhaps it was, but I would remind Abou to leave that kind of pass out of his game.

Jerome turned Sol on 37 but as they entered the Arsenal 18, it was Sol who made the last touch on the goal-bound effort. I was beginning to see too much of Birmingham at our end. On 39, Theo got off a fairly tame shot after good work by Rosicky. It wasn't the kind of effort that would trouble Joe Hart. The Blues keeper was almost always there when needed in this game.

Howard Webb does not impress me. In fact, no English ref does. I ran into a guy after the game who reminded me that we've had our share of bad experiences with that bald fuck. On 42, it looked like Stephen Carr brought down Nik Bendtner but Webb didn't see it as worthy of pointing to the spot.

Clichy put in a good, deep cross on 43 but it amounted to nothing. Meanwhile, Chelsea were doing useless Villa up the wrong 'un. By the way, have I mentioned that Aston Villa and their manager are as useful as an automobile with no steering wheel? Martin O'Neill is just a bag of foul air. We can thank him when Scum finish fourth and start chirping about how they're going to conquer Europe.

0-0 HT

Business as usual to start the 2nd Half. Rosicky shot saved on 46. Vintage Diaby turn and shot saved on 55. We were definitely in a tussle though. Needing all three points, I wondered if Nik or Cesc would provide that much needed moment of inspiration. The latter surprisingly was allowed to return rather than taking the rest of the day off with Barcelona in sight. That knock to his knee concerned me and will do until I've heard that he is fine.

Theo wasted a good opportunity on 59 with a weak cross. Even with numbers back, Birmingham would have struggled to deal with the ball if it were better placed. Disaster nearly happened three minutes later. Clichy was beaten by Roger Johnson to a Barry Ferguson free kick. The shot struck against the post. We were spared.

Nasri and Arshavin came on for Rosicky and Walcott on 69. Bendtner headed wide on 70 from a Diaby effort. What was actually a deflected ball for a corner a few minutes later was not spotted by Webb or his assiatant. Instead, Nik was made to look foolish - the guy next to me calling him a donkey - as the ball looked quite playable. It first seemed like he was not anticipating its arrival but a better view showed that a man in a blue shirt did make contact.

Nasri had a chance from close on 73. Hart was equal to it. To be fair, it was straight at him. Nevertheless, Joe Hart was there again for his team when called upon.

A potentially season-shaping whistle was blown on 76. I am convinced that Cesc's challenge to win the ball that Abou Diaby shot into the Birmingham goal was not a foul. I am convinced that if an English player had won that ball in the same manner, for a team other than Arsenal, the goal would have stood. I am convinced that the challenge is nothing more than what the English manager calls a robust challenge.

IT MAKES NO DIFFERENCE TO ME IF YOU AGREE OR NOT. I DON'T CARE IF YOU FEEL THAT I AM ON MY ANTI-ENGLISH HORSE. THAT WAS NOT A FOUL AS FOULS GO IN THE EPL.

I wish the people who judge these tackles as fouls or not would make up their minds. Are they robust, good old English challenges or are they fouls? Just be consistent, PLEASE.

Regardless, we got our goal and really should have been ahead comfortably by the time it came. In fairness, we also had further chances in the latter stages of the match to bury them but wasted every one. It was a brilliant goal. That must be said. It came after the kind of run that we'd like to see from Theo on a regular basis. Samir Nasri cut in from the right. He entered the Blues 18 with determination, purpose, and power before unleashing a low drive that even the excellent Joe Hart could not deal with.

0-1 AFC

The celebration behind Birmingham's goal showed what that goal meant to the boys. All the hard work and effort was finally rewarded with nine minutes of regular time to go. Surely we'd done enough to make it seven league wins in a row and stay apace with Chelsea and Manchester United.

You have probably noticed that I haven't mentioned Eduardo or revenge or anything associated with that infamous day from two seasons ago. As happy as I am that the man has returned from that horrible experience, I feel that the matter at hand - winning the title - is far more relevant at the moment. We've come very far. Even Old Red Nose is starting to chirp a bit. He's definitely concerned that another red-shirted team could place its ribbons on the trophy in May.

We have to take our chances for that to happen. We cannot expect to get away with missed opportunities like Arshavin has done on 90. We cannot make poor decisions like Nasri has done on 91, passing when he could have had a go. All this occurred after Cesc peppered Hart's hands on 89. I suppose the knee is ok. Let's hope.

You might have read here that we are all in agreement at 1886 - our goalkeeper situation is a disaster waiting to happen. We have not failed to give credit when it is due. That saved penalty against West Ham was tremendous. However, the overall impression of the neutral is that Arsenal are a flawed team with little chance of winning the title because the last line of defence will ultimately let them down.

I am not sure how much blame to apportion to our goalkeeper for Kevin Phillips's late equalizer. It was something of a freakish nature but he did get his hands on the ball. It was freakish but he did make it more difficult than it had to be. I was not a goalie so it's hard for me to think like one. I'm afraid that maybe it's equally difficult for our no. 1 to do so as well.

All is not lost. Let's hope United and Chelsea kick lumps out of each other next week. Let's hope there are multiple red cards on both sides. Let's hope they draw 0-0.

Most of all, let's hope we sort out our keeper situation next summer, no matter what we do this season. We are at a point where our manager's legacy could be damaged severely by the failure to address this undeniably damaging situation. It is dire. Just look at how Joe Hart has done, creating a platform for them to stand on and mount a late rally. He hasn't let anybody down.

Keep the faith.

Foreign Managers

- It's been nearly two years since we've been to St. Andrews, the place where Eduardo had his leg destroyed by Martin Taylor. Revenge is not in the cards. Like Cesc says, a victory is more important because it'll help us win the title. We have to put the past behind us, as nothing has changed outside of the club. Teams still aggressively have a go at us, as they feel it's their best course to try to stop our football. However, our team has firmed up, as noticed by McLeish himself in his press conference.

- We threw the title away against Birmingham, but not for the reasons that are oft cited. Many Arsenal bloggers love bringing up the William Gallas incident, but I side with Wenger on this one. While you do not want a professional doing that, we didn't lose the title because of that and it showed that Gallas cared. I've said that before, and I'll say it again. The reason why Birmingham cost us the title is because we dropped four points against them while in a winning position. They were a relegated team, so we dropped points we definitely should not have. We lost the title by four points. Do the math.

- Alex McLeish suggested that foreign managers like to pressure referees into calling the games in their favor. The managers he cited were Arsene Wenger and Rafa Benitez. Doesn't Alex Ferguson badger referees every week? Essentially, McLeish is saying the same cliched "they don't like it rough" crap that everybody likes to throw around when teams face us. He said we have nothing to worry about from Birmingham, because he sees them sometimes as "too soft." Well, if that's not a sneaky way to fire up his team for today's match, nothing is. So essentially after one of his players crippled Eduardo, he's suggested that they should go in hard once again. Good job McLeish.

- McLeish also suggested that Howard Webb was strong enough to ignore the outside influence and call a fair game. It's too bad Webb is one of the worst English refs.

- Meanwhile, Ferguson had a go at the FA for not adding another game to Vermaelen's ban after his failed appeal. He was talking about the fact that Rio had a game added on. The difference? Rio's ban was based on violent conduct with clear video proof. Vermaelen's was for a professional foul that many have deemed as harsh. Seems fair to me. What I like about Taggart's complaint is that he's worried about us again. I like that. I like that a lot. I crave the days where Taggart and Arsene are ripping each other to shreds.

- Martin Taylor is now at Watford. I would not be surprised to hear Martin Taylor chants tomorrow. Meanwhile, for Eduardo, sure he's walking (and let's be thankful for that). But is he close to being the same player he was when he got crippled? The answer sadly is no. That's not to say he can't get that form back, but there are noticeable differences. He shies away from challenges, and that prevents him from being clinical. I don't know if he'll ever be a top class striker again (even if he has scored great goals for us in his return). That damage still lingers. We were robbed of his services when we needed him. That affected our title chances as well that year.

- If this was any other mid-table team we were facing, we may take our eye off the ball and prime ourselves to play Barcelona. With the Eduardo incident, that is almost guaranteed not to happen. The players will want to win this game and put the events of the past completely behind them. They will show up to play.

- Birmingham had a good early season spell, but with their dependence on older players, they were naturally going to fade. They do have very energetic strikers though and good crosses from Arsenal reject Sebastian Larsson. Their centre-back duo is amongst the most reliable in the League. This will not be a stroll in the park, but the momentum must be kept.

- Aston Villa play Chelsea and Bolton play Manchester United. The sooner we get in front of these guys, the better. I don't want to rely on results much longer.

- Tony Pulis moaned about having Mike Dean ref their game. He drafted a letter citing incidents where he felt Dean was too harsh on his team. He told the head of the refs, Mike Riley, about it. What the hell does he expect? To avoid Mike Dean all year? If Arsene Wenger had done this, he'd be murdered by the English press. What a cowardly complaint by Tony Pulis.

- I don't know if he'll even get in the game, but if Eduardo scores a goal tomorrow, I'm going crazy.

The Title May Come Down To Goal Difference

Portsmouth 0-5 Chelsea. Not the scoreline I wanted but one I expected. The result has boosted Chelsea's confidence and goal difference. Now Arsenal are seven goals behind both Manchester United and Chelsea, but at this stage of the season winning the next game is all that is important.

This Saturday Chelsea host Aston Villa - their opponents in the FA Cup semi-final - a team four points from the last Champions League spot. It's not an easy game for Chelsea and one they have to win. Villa will be content with a draw knowing that the other teams fighting for 4th place are inconsistent and will continue to drop points.

The race for 4th place will affect the race for the title with Manchester City and Spurs in pole position. Arsenal and Manchester United both play Man City next month. While all three title challengers also having to face Spurs.

The Birmingham game and the matches against Manchester City and Spurs are Arsenal's hardest games out of the seven that they have left.

However, Chelsea have the hardest run-in. They face Aston Villa at home, Manchester United away, Spurs away and Liverpool away.

United face Chelsea at home, City away and Spurs at home with a potential banana skin away to Cuntburn Rovers four days after their second leg Champions League quarter-final.

The Champions League could be a disadvantage to both Arsenal and Manchester United. Teams are always weaker having played a tough midweek encounter against top European opposition.

The advantage that Arsenal have in their title challenge is that no one expects them to win the title or beat Barcelona. It's a game by game approach. Beat Birmingham City and Arsenal are still in the hunt like a rat surviving the New York sewers.

April 3rd is the key date: Manchester United v Chelsea.

Someone will drop points.

Let's hope it's not Arsenal.

Keep It Arsenal

Spare Me the Sappy Stuff, We have Matches To Win

Much has been written and speculated about the outcome of the Champions League tie against Barcelona. I like Cesc’s approach best. He’s very calm about it. It’s just another game.

But is it, really? Thierry Henry has stated that he ‘doesn’t want to play Arsenal’. That is a testament to his bond with The World’s Greatest Club and the affection he shares with Gooners all over the world.

But on closer analysis, was that a good thing to say so categorically and so publically? The little man inside my head who always seems to have a theory (or two) on why things are what they are, has got me wondering if Henry hasn’t purposely planted a seed in Pep’s head. He certainly hasn’t been in top form this season. Granted he did set up Lio Messi brilliantly on a couple occasions recently but Guardiola’s first choice he has not been.

What ever the reason he hasn’t been in the manager’s good graces, saying that he doesn’t want to play against Arsenal can’t help his chances for selection. Ok, maybe it should be taken in the context of who is saying it and why he has said it. I get that. And maybe he really would be a professional and score a hat-trick if it presented itself. That’s a sick thought but not an impossible feat. What I’ve been swirling around in my head is if he has purposely made the statement in order to cause doubt in Guardiola’s mind about his commitment.

I’m disappointed if he has done that yet I do sympathize, in a way. We all feel a strong sense of kinship with our former striker. When he says things like he’d never play for Scum or that he can’t stomach playing against us, he endears himself even more to our club and supporters.

I salute you Mr. Thierry Henry. Your contributions to Arsenal FC and to football (S. Africa notwithstanding) have been many and you’ve deserved what’s been generally a fantastic ride at Barcelona. Let’s be clear however, step on the pitch against us and all is forgotten for at least 180 minutes.

We have ambitions that sentiment will not derail.

Keep the faith!

Medals Collect Dust

- I was surprised that Arsenal contested Vermaelen's red card against West Ham. Sure, I felt it was harsh, but you can't say there wasn't contact, however slight it was. I was worried that we'd get another game tacked on the original one match ban if we failed in our appeal. Thankfully, that didn't occur, even though the red card stood. Perhaps if you appeal against a violent conduct three match ban, the FA will add another game onto the ban. Anyway, we know now, Vermaelen will be out against Birmingham, but just that game.

- Birmingham seem to be slightly off form, but they have a sturdy defense and are capable of springing a surprise. They are lacking in motivation though, as safety is assured and Europe is probably just out of reach. It is an away fixture, and our minds will be on Barcelona (try as they might to ignore it, but that's just the truth). It will be a difficult match.

- I pay very little attention to articles predicting where the Premier League title will end up, but I read most of them anyway. Lee Dixon predicted Arsenal to finish 2nd behind United. That's a good man, no need in publicly jinxing our team. Most people expect United to run away with it, and while their fixtures are easier than Chelsea's, I see matches that will give them a difficult time. There is very real pressure on all three teams to win every single match. This is a real title race.

- I expect Wenger to rest Sol for Birmingham, draft Silvestre into the side, and play Alex Song at CB. Wenger knows that Sol cannot play two matches a week, and he'll want him ready for Barcelona.

- Sol has made four appearances in the Premier League for us this year. He needs to get to ten in order to get a medal if we win the Premier League. With Gallas due to return (hopefully), the chances of him getting to that number appear slim. Martin Keown famously choked Wenger playfully during the end of the 03-04 season when it seemed as though Wenger was not going to sub him into a game. He knew that those appearances would give him the ten appearances he needed. That year, we had the title in the bag, and such courtesy will not be lent to Sol Campbell. But, who cares about medals? It's lifting the trophy that's the most important thing. Medals are locked away in closet and frequently given away by true winners. If we emerge as Champions, Sol will know he's played a vital part in making that happen. That's far more important than some medal.

- Likewise, Carlos Vela and Armand Traore are stuck on eight appearances each. The latter has regressed to the point where he might not feature again, and Vela has been in and out of the side. Their hopes for a medal should not be considered, unless perhaps we're winning by 8 goals against a side.

- On a short note about Barcelona, Lionel Messi was absolutely incredible against Zaragoza the other night. The second goal was stupendous, and if you watch closely, you'll notice that every dribble was a clean one. He meant every single element of it. He's astonishing. I have some ideas on how to stop him, and English sides have done okay to nullify his threat to a degree. But on current form, he's showing why he's the World Player of the Year, undisputed.

- Despite their position in the league, I believe Portsmouth will give Chelsea a good fight today. We'll see if it'll be enough though for Chelsea to drop points.

I'm Waiting For Abou

The finish line is now in sight. Seven games and 21 points. Nevertheless, like the woman above, there is a distraction - it's called Barcelona. The quarter-final draw last Friday took away the attention of some Arsenal players. Thoughts of the Nou Camp, Messi and a return home for Cesc were obviously on their minds. After going a goal up after five minutes, Arsenal should have really added to their tally and finished off West Ham in the first half.

But they took their foot off the gas and with the referee's assistance, allowed West Ham back into it. With only 10 men and the odds against them, Arsenal actually started playing with more purpose - thoughts of Barcelona had now vanished.

It will be interesting how Arsenal shape up at St. Andrews on Saturday. Birmingham City are a decent mid-table team but their current form is patchy. One week they lose, the next they win or draw. Safe from relegation but out of the cups with only a slim chance of qualifying for the Europa League next - Birmingham seem to be in an end of season slump.

Saturday's game has bad history. Just mention the name Eduardo and every Gooner will be wanting revenge. It was a day where not only did Arsenal lose a striker, who was coming into form, but it was also a day where Birmingham cheated to win a last minute penalty that tied a game Arsenal should have won. It was the beginning of the end for Arsenal's 2008 title challenge and for William Gallas as the captain.

Looming in the background of the Birmingham game will be the Barcelona match the following Wednesday. It will be interesting to see if Cesc plays on Saturday. He will not want to miss playing against his old club. However, resting him will not affect the team as much as resting Vermaelen.

The two positions that Arsenal are weak in - depth wise - is the center-back and center forward.

Lose Vermaelen for the rest of the season and Arsenal are in trouble.

Campbell and Silvestre can only play one game a week. Song can act as cover but will be missed in midfield, while Gallas is injured with no return date.

As for the center-forward position, if Bendtner gets injured we have no target man or beef. His replacement is still a month away from full fitness.

There are big positives, however. Abou Diaby is showing the kind of form that makes you understand why Wenger has offered him a massive pay rise. Clichy is putting in performances of old. On Saturday, he was outstanding. Eboue is now talked of as a player that must start every game, such has been his rise and response from the depths of the Arsenal boo boys.

Abou Diaby, however, is the player that has really grown in stature the most. When he came on as a sub last Saturday, I felt more assured that Arsenal were going to win. His class, just like the woman above, is beginning to show, making me feel more confident in winning difficult games at places like St Andrews.

Keep It Arsenal

Post Match View - West Ham United Football Club

There's a movie out with a plot about time travel. The mode of transportation is unconventional to say the least - a hot tub. Yes, a hot tub.

Let's jump into our own hot tub and go back nine months. What would your reaction have been if I told you then that we'd be playing in a London derby in mid March, with a chance to go top of the table? And what if I added that Alex Song would be the outstanding player in said match, with Eboue being a major headache for the opposition? Here's a last one; that Almunia would be make a HUGE difference in the result.

Chances are that most people would have felt that I'd been out in the sun too long or maybe that I should stop smoking. With the inept Champions League and FA Cup displays behind us, most Gooners were contemplating new signings and demanding a rethink of our transfer policy. The general consensus was that we couldn't improve on fourth place.

I've always felt that we were not far away. My questions about the level of focus and commitment surfaced earlier this season but I believed that we'd have a chance if we solved those two issues. We've seen plenty of focus and commitment lately.

Going top of the league and staying there is what really matters. We've reached the summit after defeating West Ham at the Emirates but Liverpool's defeat at Old Trafford makes that academic. Chelsea have dropped points away to Blackburn however, to add more drama.

With Thomas Vermaelen set to miss matches through suspension, Gooners are fearful that all the good work we've done recently will be wasted. The Gallas/Vermaelen axis has been tremendous this season but we'll just have to cope without them. The combination of Campbell and Song is solid enough but it weakens our midfield when Song has to fill in at center-half. Mickey Silvestre is very experienced but clearly does not provide enough of what we need.

I cannot stress over it. Winning titles is about overcoming obstacles. Nobody will deny that we haven't had obstacles.

Cesc and Alex Song returned to the side after injury and suspension. Denilson was retained in place of Diaby. As early as the second minute, Denilson began to grate the nerves by losing the ball and facilitating a West Ham attack.

On 4, Alex Song took the ball off Guillermo Franco as cleanly as you could. The big striker was left on his backside as the man who has quickly become one of the game's best at his position strode away. It was a slick move that shows how you can be efficient without being a thug about it.

Much has been made of the fact that we don't score many early goals. Well, Denilson has shown his good and bad sides in the space of five minutes. His one-two with Bendtner at the top of West Ham's area ended with a very well placed shot inside Robert Green's left hand post.

1-0 AFC

We would have loved to open the floodgates and put at least few more behind Green but it wasn't meant to be. I look for Aandrei Arshavin to apply his genius in every game but that didn't happen. There were some very slick Arsenal moves that made spectators of West Ham but no goals resulted.

On 8, Campbell fouled Franco. Diamanti came close with the free kick. One minute later, Song picked up a loose ball from deep and poked it to feed Eboue. After a speedy run down the right side, he lofted a nice ball to Bendtner. Nik nodded it down for Cesc who had moved into a central position inside the D atop West Ham's area. He touched it back to Denilson who exchanged passes with Nasri before hitting a weak shot.

Shame! That would have been as good a goal as you will see anywhere. The move deserved better.

On 16, Clichy pressured the ball high but failed to get back in position. Diamanti's excellent pass gave Stanislas space and time where Clichy would normally be. Fortunately the resulting cross was beyond Mido at the far post.

Cesc was hauled down from behind on 18. The captain has been targeted for a little more than his fair share of attention lately. Kovacs and Behrami continued the trend.

Song was at it again on 20. This time Mido lost out. Again, the ball was taken cleanly, efficiently, with the opponent left on his backside, and without any thuggery. He even won a free kick and a hand slap from the vanquished striker.

On 21, Song picked up another stray pass and played it to Cesc. The captain fed Eboue who used Song as a decoy to get himself a free shot on goal. The shot was free but on goal it was not. The move deserved better.

Another good move came on 22. A 13 pass build up resulted in a poor layoff by Bendtner to Cesc. It was a terribly lazy pass. The move deserved better.

Nevertheless it was good to watch. Clichy, Cesc, Denilson, Song, Eboue, Nasri, Arshavin, and Bendtner were all involved. It reminded me of when a West Ham supporter said that he doesn't like all the short passing we do because the football is not direct enough. The man is entitled to feel that way I suppose but when a move involves 8 of the 11 players and ends in the opposition's penalty area, it is well worth the price of admission. Bendtner made a mess of the final ball but the movement and quick passing was superb.

We were reminded on 23 that our keeper can still have communication problems with his back four. Sol thumped a ball into touch when there was no immediate pressure. The look on his face after a brief discussion with the keeper was noteworthy.

Behrami kicked Cesc on 26. West Ham beat the off-side trap on 28 but failed to punish us. Song cleaned up (again) with ease on 29 to close the first half hour.

Jonathan Spector was not being abused by Arshavin the way I would expect him to be. The gulf in class of the two players is frightening. Nothing less than a demoralizing experience for the West Ham RB will do when those two are matched up.

The remaining 15 minutes saw Eboue cross dangerously but Arshavin was late arriving. Sol got away with a two-footed tackle at the top of our area but then got a yellow at the other end for a rough challenge on Stanislas. The same West Ham man was later allowed to shoot from distance but it caused Almunia little trouble. Song started a move that ended with Cesc crossing dangerously but nobody arrived to finish. The captain had an uncharacteristically bad first touch on a precise and very well weighted ball from Arshavin on 42.

The next significant action happened three minutes later. Alex Song lost the ball in midfield. West Ham played a couple of quick passes before Diamanti sent it long over the top to Franco. Vermaelen raced back with him. As the ball landed, the two crossed the Arsenal 18. Vermaelen's arm made contact with the striker but it was the contact their legs made that caused Franco to go down. Martin Atkinson pointed to the spot and pulled out a red card.

No arguments from Vermaelen as he walked off. The history of matches played with ten men under Wenger is positive. I don't have the numbers but I did not feel we would suffer being down a man.

The 2nd Half started with a spell of pressure from West Ham as a steadier rain began to fall. The referee's assistant flagged Franco offsides on 54. He was not. Sol played him on. After initially winning the ball near the midfield stripe, Denilson received a pass back from Cesc. He shot from distance to win a deflected corner. The crowd began to make themselves heard.

I felt confident that we could prevent West Ham from scoring. I also felt confident that we could score ourselves. That wouldn't be helped however by the kind of sloppy, possession gifting kicks Almunia has made in the past and here on 55.

Substitutions were bound to happen. Zola swapped Franco for Cole on 57. Wenger swapped Nik for Abou Diaby. Another good Eboue run was ended by Upson's foul on 62. Cesc wasted the free kick shooting wide. There was a good spell of pressure from Arsenal. You could see that being down a man hadn't made them less an attacking force.

Stanislas and Diamanti threatened on 68 and 69 but Sol and Song were equal to their efforts. Sol would threaten Green with a header on 74 but it wasn't very well struck to be honest. Sagna was introduced for Nasri on 75. A trademark Diaby turn on 77 set him off on a run. His layoff to Arshavin ended with a deflected shot. Carlton Cole could have leveled for West Ham shortly after. His left foot shot beat Almunia but failed to beat the post.

Clichy made a good run on 79 to win a free kick deep in West Ham territory. Would this be the chance? No! Cesc wasted the free kick. On 82, Diamanti played a dangerous square ball to Jonathan Spector with Cesc lurking. The RB failed to control the pass. It got away from him. Cesc beat him to the loose ball and poked it to Eboue. He dribbled forward, changed direction and then squared to the onrushing captain. Cesc's first touch was handled by Matthew Upson Penalty!

Francesc Fabregas stepped up to send Green the wrong way and score his 18th goal of the season (15th in the league).

2-0 AFC

A third for Arsenal looked more likely than West Ham getting a consolation goal in the remaining minutes. That makes a run of six league victories since losing to Chelsea. There's no telling how we'll do the rest of the way but the belief is strong and continues to get stronger.

Keep the faith.

A Dream

- Drawing Barcelona in the Champions League is a dream come true. I am not one of those supporters who wants an easy route. If we were handed an easy one, I wouldn't have minded, but I don't fear any team, especially in a European cup tie.

- Despite what people think, Barcelona are not an all-conquering side this year. They certainly were last year, and even that team had difficulties against the brute strength of Chelsea. By swapping Eto'o for the mercurial Ibrahimovic, they've downgraded. The reason why they've maintained consistent form is the more centrally-inclined Messi and his form. Zlatan was signed to give Barcelona a fall back option when they can't break down defensive minded teams. That shouldn't be a factor against us, but he'll start against us regardless.

- As impressive as Messi was against Stuttgart, it was only Stuttgart. You could say the same about our impressive show in Europe; it was only Porto. Regardless, both clubs have done what they had to do. I've also seen Messi have stinkers this year, so while he is a supreme threat, nothing is impossible in this tie.

- I don't want to go heavily into this tie just yet (there are other matters at hand), but I'll point out a few more things. We wanted to draw Barcelona now. If we beat them, it'll give us the confidence to know that we can beat any team in Europe. With the way the draw is arranged, we'll face United (our bogey team in Europe I suppose) in a one-off game. Lose the tie and we'll re-focus our attention in the Premier League. The game directly following the second leg of the Barcelona clash is at White Hart Lane against Sp*rs. So, while we would be deflated after a loss, we would have instant motivation for getting our groove back. To that end, it pains me to say that it's preferable that Sp*rs beat Fulham in the FA Cup so that our match against them is pushed to a midweek fixture. That'll give us a full week to recover from both travel and heavy fatigue (we're going to give it our all, I guarantee you that). I'd rather have a full week to prepare for Sp*rs (who are increasingly getting crocked) than for Wigan. Coincidentally, I believe Barcelona play Real Madrid at the Bernabeu after the second leg. Some things are just meant to be.

- For Thierry Henry, his nightmare has come true. He is gaining some form, and he does provide a different option for Barcelona. Will he play against us? I think so. Will he play well against us? I certainly hope not.

- This matchup is a football purists' dream. Barcelona are probably heavily favored, but I promise you, this is a 50-50 tie. Ask Wenger.

- Now, for West Ham. Earlier in the season, we squandered a 2-0 lead and threw away two points. I remember kicking the side of a wall when this happened. It was the beginning of the end of Vito Mannone's spell in the team, and it was definitely one of the lows of the season. That's something we have to remember, especially if we end up losing the Premier League crown by one point.

- West Ham will be determined and will battle for their pride today, but they have bigger plans in mind. Scott Parker is absent. Carlton Cole is not 100%. They're playing at the Emirates (despite their sterling record at the Emirates, they'd be mad to think they're some sort of bogey side). And most importantly, they have a six-pointer against Wolves at Upton Park on Tuesday. Honestly, that's a much more important fixture for them, but they won't pull a Coward McCarthy by fielding a weakened side. They'll still give us a fight.

- Blackburn play Chelsea at Ewood Park. They have won their last four home games. Wayne Rooney has not scored against Liverpool in 16 hours. I hate looking at other team's fixtures and hoping for dropped points, but that is the position that we're in. We need a positive result (other than us beating West Ham) this weekend from one of those two games. I want to be in a position where if we win, we'll win the league. I hope that comes sooner than later.

- Cesc Fabregas and Alex Song will return. They are pivotal players and automatic first choice for us.

- Again, I don't want to jinx us, but a rout would be most welcome.

Don't Piss Yourself...

Many Gooners will be wanking over the Champions League 1/4 final draw. No doubt it's big but my attention is on West Ham.

Non-Arsenal fans have pissed themselves laughing at the thought of Arsenal winning the Premiership. The idea of Arsenal being champions was a joke after they had lost to Manchester United at home and Chelsea away. But life is weird. There's always spontaneous friends who show up and shake your world upside down. Ex-girlfriends who try to rekindle that flame. But Arsenal is different. After all we have Alex Song, Cesc Fabregas and Rosicky back. No old flames or friends just pure muscle that will annihilate relegation threatened West Ham.

Relegation: that's seems to be the theme. Sunderland, Stoke, Burnley, Hull and now West Ham. Teams desperate for a points against a team challenging for the title.

Who will the media take more seriously? A shell shocked Chelsea face relegation threatened Blackburn. While Manchester United host a rejuvenated Liverpool.

Points will dropped.

Let's hope it's not Arsenal.

Keep It Arsenal

We Get It Now

“If the game is not finished we know we can score at anytime. I was like a crazy man,” he [Alex Song] said. “I jumped everywhere. I was watching it with my son and he did not know what was happening. But when Nicklas scored I just said ‘yeeeeeessssssss’. The mentality has changed for us. Everyone has in their head that we need to do something this year. It is very important for us.”

Regular readers of my posts – all 6,000,000,000 of you – will recall that at various points this season I’ve asked if the players get it. I’ve wondered if they were really up for the fight. We haven’t won anything (yet) but I’ve got my answer.

Losing to United and Chelsea would have been knock-out blows for lesser teams. Arsene’s talk of spirit has become cliché (as opposed to Clichy (pronounced klee-shee), but you couldn’t tell by the way some English announcers butcher our no. 22’s surname, which grates my nerves like you wouldn’t understand). We’ve responded with six victories from seven matches – the lone defeat was redeemed resoundingly by a 5-0 thumping of Porto. And having won without our proper spine has not been the most impressive part of the recent run, for me it’s been how exciting and brave the matches have been.

I’d bet that the majority of fans who still complain about the way we’re winning are probably cynical beyond repair and it wouldn’t matter to them if we scored 6 goals in the first half and then cruised to victory. They’d still call Bendtner a cunt or say that Diaby and Song are not good enough. Some fans claim that scoring late goals only means that we still cannot take control of matches. Some say we lack a killer instinct and that’s why we leave it so late. I’ve even read that the reason it happens is because we’re just riding a wave of good fortune. Whatever the reason, I have no problem with winning late.

Football is about excitement. It is not about predictable outcomes. Hasn’t that been one of the selling points for the FA Cup? Giant-killing is one of the main reasons that competition is so alluring. Of course I’d like to score two goals in each half of a dominant performance but reality is like gravity, there’s no practical way around it.

Some say their hearts suffer from the excitement of our recent run of late drama. I know the manager has mentioned that notion in his post-match interviews but we all know that he delights in seeing his side fight to the end, get their goal, and prove the critics wrong. Moreover, how can Arsenal fans complain or criticize the team for late victories when they are the perfect feel good scenario? If there’s anybody out there who walked away from the Stoke or Hull matches or even the Everton 2-2 draw at the Emirates with a frown on his/her face, your face should have worse than a frown placed on it.

Alex Song’s quote above is more evidence that the players get it. The importance of winning something this season cannot be over-stated. Some (as mentioned last summer) must surely feel that their Arsenal careers depend on it. Every Gooner has a wish-list of players they’d like Arsene to sign. I imagine every player has a wish-list of clubs they’d like to join or mangers they’d like to work with. At some point, Arsene will dip into that reported ₤80m and buy a couple ready-made players. Our current squad know that – no matter how much a family unit we have.

At the end of the day, business is business. If the resources are there, they will be used. It might take more challenging moments than we’ve experienced but let’s be clear, from next season on, money will have to be spent to either reinforce a successful squad or to replace dead weight.

For now, let’s enjoy the moment. This has been an exciting season if not an unpredictable one. I believe that those two elements are vital to a good football experience. I know people who’d rather be completely dominant, crushing all opponents. I get that. Some feel victory has to be comprehensive every time. I get that too. To complain when your team is on a good run because the goals are coming late in matches, I don’t get.

What’s more exciting than an injury time Arsenal victory?

Another injury time Arsenal victory.

Keep the faith.

No Sense

- What was George Boateng thinking? Once a decent squad player for Middlesbrough, he's now the captain of a team that will most probably be relegated. All that being said, when the ref handed out yellow cards to both Boateng and Bendtner for their heated exchange, one Arsenal "fan" at the pub said, "He deserves a card for being a cunt." He was referring to Bendtner. Some things don't change.

- All of England (and admittedly most of the world) believes that Inter is going to be rolled over today by Chelsea. There's some evidence to suggest that may be possible. But consider this. Mourinho is returning to a ground where he's enjoyed great success. He nullified Drogba in the first leg with an expert game plan. Lucio is one of the best defenders in the world. Inter has not lost two games in a row under Mourinho (they lost last Friday in a pathetic performance against Catania); he can deliver a team talk as well as anybody can. Everybody may be right, perhaps Chelsea will romp, but I have a sneaky suspicion that they may not.

- Meanwhile, in the English media, nearly all the pundits suggested that Beckham's loss was no big deal for England. While that may or may not be true, there's no doubt that Capello wanted him in the squad, even so far as to ask Beckham to be a virtual mascot for the squad regardless of his injury. I'm no fan of Beckham, but perhaps there's a reason why Capello picked him consistently. Do you remember how England played after Beckham retired after the last World Cup? Like shit.

- The mounting injuries suggest that this England team may be cursed. Everything seemed to be going smoothly. Capello was praised by everybody. Then, the bottom fell out. Scandal after scandal, injury after injury. The first thing I read about Beckham's injury was this: "At least it wasn't Wayne Rooney." Just wait for it.

- There are rumors that Liverpool are considering sacking Rafa Benitez and hiring Alex McLeish or Martin O'Neill. I would love to see that. I would love to see McLeish or O'Neill run Liverpool into the ground and turn them into an even more boring side. There is an elite manager out there who doesn't manage in Spain, Italy, or England. His name is Laurent Blanc.

- Not having an FA Cup match and having our Champions League game early has allowed us to get a crucial week of rest this week. Cesc will probably return for the next fixture, and he'll be primed to go. We're well positioned to finish strongly.

- I do not fear anybody in Friday's Champions League draw.

Bye Bye Mr. Cunt

As cunts go, Phil Brown is up there with the worst of them.

Today, the egocentric, fake tanned mother fucker got fired - and how happy I am. What is sweet about Phil Brown's dismissal is that it was Arsenal that put the final nail in his coffin. The 2-1 injury time win was Hull's fourth successive defeat and leaves them deep in relegation trouble. It was the final straw for Hull chairman Adam Pearson who said relegation would cost his club 100 million pounds.

Arsenal is the team Mr. Brown hates the most. It's the club that he has accused of having "no class" or "grace" due to Arsene Wenger never shaking his hand and because Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas spat at his assistant. Such claims were proved to be untrue.

Teams like Hull City, Stoke City, Blackburn Rovers, Bolton Wanderers, Burnley, Wolves and Aston Villa are managed by former players who played in England during the 1980's, where the culture of the long ball was king. All of them are British and all of them adopt a physical approach to beat Arsenal.

Arsenal are picked on because they have a French manager and a mostly non-British first team. Manchester United are not targeted because of the veneer of respect they have for Alex Ferguson - a fellow Brit. Chelsea have a core of English players so they are let off the hook as well. Only Manchester City seem to be the other team targeted by these low level mediocre clubs, whose only ambition is to stay in the Premiership.

The dismissal of Phil Brown is victory for fans who like Arsenal's style of play. Let's hope that his replacement isn't another Sam Cuntadyce or a Boring O'Neill.

The other good news is that David Beckham is injured and will miss the World Cup. The thought of having the media run stories for the next three months on whether Beckham will make an impact in South Africa is enough to make me watch C-SPAN. Beckham is old. His best days are gone. He has no pace or engine. He's just a poster boy with a wife that seems addicted to shopping and starving herself. The man is a show pony. Shame that his show is not going to continue into June.

Beckham's injury and the absence of Aaron Lennon is obviously a boost to Theo Walcott who must be more confident of making the England World Cup squad.

Theo should raise the bar higher. He should be aiming to make the England team. I mean, look at his competition: Shaun Wright-Phillips, Stuart Downing, Alan Johnson and James Milner. Hardly world beaters.

I think Beckham's injury will spur Theo on and this can only be good for Arsenal as we face the start of the run-in.

Keep It Arsenal

Post Match View - Hull A.F.C.

Let's be clear, the remaining matches are NOT easy. The "experts" who keep saying we have an easy run of matches between now and the end of May are setting up a response to what most are probably hoping will end in disappointment for us. I can just see them rubbing their filthy hands, waiting to comment on how we were never really good enough.

The back door is waiting to be swung open for us. We've been beaten convincingly by United and Chelsea so there's no good reason to go on about whether we're a better side than they are. What matters most is that we make every effort to finish above them.

We've beaten a Hull team who are desperate for points and equally difficult to watch. I honestly feel such teams cheapen the league. Yes, all leagues have bottom feeders but I struggle to understand their approach. If kicking and sly fouls are the only way to combat Arsenal's brand of football then it says that Phil Brown is either a moron or his players are just not good enough.

Or maybe both.

Andrei Arshavin did his best to outdo Niklas Bendtner's forgettable display against Burnley last week as he missed chance after chance. He did score the opener but it isn't harsh to have expected a second Arsenal hat-trick in one week. Has that ever happened?

Late heroics are not uncommon to this team. The manager joked about the effects they have on his heart but I'm certain that he'd rather leaving it late than dropping points. "We're always leaving it until late at the moment, maybe it's not good for my heart, but for the championship, it's not bad." Dropped points is simply not an option.

Player ratings:

Almunia - 6.75

Sagna - 6.75

Vermaelen - 6.75

Campbell - 6.75

Clichy - 6.75

Denilson - 6.75

Diaby - 6.75

Nasri - 6.5

Eboue - 6.5

Bendtner - 7.0

Arshavin - 6.5

Walcott - 6.5

Eduardo - 6.5

We haven't played well but took three vital points. That's what (potential) champions do. West Ham next. No games are won on paper. That's why we play them.

Keep the faith.

Balance

- Now that the buzz from the Champions League victory has died down, it's time to observe a couple of things to be aware of when it comes to Arsenal.

- While it was a magnificent display offensively, there were a few things to take note of when it came to our defensive organization. When we were up 2-0, Alex Song would frequently win the ball and dribble it into the opposition's half. He misplaced a couple of passes, but those mistakes led to breaks for Porto. Were Hulk not rusty and if Porto were a better side, something could have came from those attacks.

- That's the thing with this Arsenal side. It's attack, attack, attack. I was standing next to a Barcelona fan that I chat with, and I asked him, would Barcelona do this? When we were up 2-0, Rosicky would look to get the ball, quickly turn towards the opposition's goal, and dribble mercilessly towards it. I love the sight of Rosicky dribbling forward, but we showed no signs of slowing down and creating a sense of calm over the game. That's something both to admire and be concerned about with Arsenal. With the game at 2-0, we needed to take the sting out of Porto and ease our tempo to a pace where we can simply out-pass and out-possess, especially in Europe. Today, against Hull, such a relentless attack will be most welcome, both for our goal difference and adding to Hull's goal differential.

- When Alex Song makes those runs forward, pay attention to what Abou Diaby (or the second central player who is not the main offensive cog) does. Does he look to protect us from a possible counter attack? Does he join in the attack? That balance needs to be maintained. Wenger has tightened things up a bit by using the other two central midfielders in a more protective sense. Not necessarily like the axis that Liverpool had with Xabi Alonso and Mascherano, but it's somewhere near there. Diaby plays a deeper position than he used to for us.

- Sometimes our balance is affected by the fact that our best headers of the ball are our center backs, even Alex Song has a good spring. So, when we have a corner, we have both Vermaelen and Sol/Gallas forward. When that's the case, we need both our full backs, neither whom are very effective at scoring from corners, to play back and play the numbers game. Alex Song or Denilson should also patrol the middle of the park to prevent these counters.

- Once we get this part of our game right, we'll be an incredibly strong team. For Europe, this tactical shrewdness needs to be maintained. Against Hull though, I'd like to see an all out attack and see Hull bleed all over the pitch.

- That being said, it will not be easy. We cannot afford to halt our momentum. Arsenal thrives on momentum, and no doubt Sam Allardyce's disciple Phil Brown will want to derail that. We must make them suffer tomorrow. More improvisation from Nasri will be most welcome.

Time to Send Hull Down

Arsenal fans have to come to terms with the fact that they are still hated. Sympathy over Aaron Ramsey's injury is over. Now we have fans from other teams united in not wanting Arsenal to win anything.

Hull City are part of this group. Fighting a relegation battle again, this northern armpit club is desperate to put a stop to Arsenal's title challenge. Gaining a point will be celebrated like a victory because they will know that they will have succeeded in causing Arsenal major frustration.

But this game is a grudge match. It always will be with Phil Brown in charge. He hates Arsenal and will be pumping his players up in the same way that Tiny Pulis pumped Ryan Shawcunt.

There is one Arsenal player who will be targeted by the Hull players and fans. It's the same player that scored probably the best goal ever to be seen at The Emirates so far - Samir Nasri.

Back in December when Arsenal beat Hull 3-0 at The Emirates, Nasri was involved in an altercation with the Australian Richard Garcia. The Hull defender aggressively refused to give the ball to Nasri after Arsenal had won a free-kick. So Nasri trod on his foot. The cheating Aussie then theatrically fell to the floor and pretended to die. This led ex-Scum player Nick Barmby and a whole host of Hull thugs to grab, punch and push Nasri as if he had raped their mothers.

Two culprits as well as Barmby stand out from that melee: Craig Fagan and Stephen Cunt. Expect these three wankers to target Nasri from the off.

Stephen Cunt missed Hull's 5-1 drubbing by Everton with a foot injury but will play with pain killers for the visit of Arsenal. No doubt he will be doing what he does best: running everywhere and harassing everyone. He will be joined by Jimmy Bullard - Hull's pathetic answer to Cesc Fabregas. For creativity Hull will look to Geovanni but if he doesn't play, then you know that Phil Brown's tactics are to spoil, harass and hit Arsenal with aerial balls. It's a reason why Arsenal need Sol Campbell.

Campbell needs 10 Premiership appearances to claim a winners medal if Arsenal become champions. So far he's only made two appearances. There are nine games left. He will be eager to play against Hull and is ideal for the aerial assault that will hit the Arsenal back four.

Nasri is shining in the role vacated by Cesc. They have similar styles and love to start and finish attacks. Central midfield is where Nasri is most effective as was witnessed on Wednesday night.

But with Song suspended Wenger will have to play Denilson on Saturday as his holding midfield player. The young Brazilian has been poor of late resulting in him losing his place in the side. His chances of making the Brazilian World Cup squad are thin but Saturday will represent a chance to stake a regular spot in the Arsenal first team. Remember it was Denilson's outstanding free-kick just before half-time that gave Arsenal the lead against Hull back in December. That game also saw Hull win a soft penalty after Fagan dramatically fell to the floor. Hull missed it and the chance to equalize, leaving Arsenal to score two more.

But Hull are a different team at home. They've beaten Man City and drawn with Chelsea. But then Hull have also lost to Spurs at home 5-1 and drawn with Portsmouth and Wolves.

There's a reason why Hull have only 24 points after 28 games - it's because they're shit! Remember that even when the commentator tells you that Hull are putting in a "spirited performance."

Keep it Arsenal

They beat

Nasri Spectacular

Let's Make History

- Our colleague yesterday made reference to the fact that the last time we overturned a deficit in Europe was in 1978. Today, Arsenal.com told the larger public the same. We were poised for a majestic night in Europe last year before Kieran Gibbs slipped, Almunia gifted the second goal, and we virtually capitulated against Manchester United. The only positive from that night was watching Darren Fletcher look like death after receiving a red card (rightfully, despite what the pundits say) for a foul on Cesc. The Emirates was poised for a blockbuster, and all we got was a damp squib that blew up in our face. The Emirates is often accused for being soulless and artificial; we need a massive night in Europe to christen the place officially. Today can be that day.

- With Cesc and Gallas ruled out already, Wenger revealed that Andrey Arshavin won't last for a full 90 minutes. Does Wenger bring him off the bench? If that's the case, the only question will be whether Denilson or Rosicky will start. Additionally, I would personally prefer Eboue starting on the right flank rather than Theo (despite his positive show against Burnley).

- Samir Nasri will be the key point in our attack. He has been all over the pitch the past few weeks, and he's elevated his game to another level when we needed him to. He still has a tendency to scuff the ball instead of striking through it when he chooses to shoot, but he's now showing the form he had when he was the leader of Marseille at a young age. Let's not forget, he's only 22.

- 22 is also the same age as Nicklas Bendtner. I am not one of those people who made a definitive judgment on him after his performance against Burnley. To me, it was more important that he got into those positions, rather than rip him for all those blatant misses. He didn't mean to, and it doesn't mean he's "lazy" because he missed. It was just one of those days. It wasn't even the type of thing where he's showing timidness and fear when trying to beat a defense; it was as simple as having an awful day in front of goal. He's buried the chances he's needed to bury in the two weeks previous, and he scored an identikit goal with his head for Denmark as he did for us against Stoke. We want him to do his business against Porto. That will prove that he just had a bad day and that he's still in the ascendency.

- That brings me to another point. A frequent moan I here from the morons at the pub is about Nicklas Bendtner not being in the center when we're attacking the opponent's goal. As the chance he's missed show you, he does get in those positions. It's just that he starts wide left, similar to the way Thierry Henry used to when he played for us. Such an ignorant comment just let's me realize something remarkable. We've actually picked up fans after Henry's departure, even though we haven't won trophies. That's a testimony to Wenger's work. On the other hand, maybe this type of fan was here when Thierry was and he just has no idea what he's watching. Both statements are probably true.

- Porto have rested six players in their last league fixture. They will not be Portuguese champions. They want to win the Champions League very badly. They will play a balanced game. They are beatable.

- The absence of Cesc will impact Porto's game plan. In the first leg, Cesc was kicked systematically and routinely. They rotated the tacklers so they would never pick up two yellow cards. The referee took way too long to produce those cards, so they got away with it and Cesc shrank on the pitch. He did not have a good performance in the first leg. Basically, they decided that they needed to nullify Cesc. Now that he's not playing, what do they choose to do? Do they shift that tactic towards Nasri? I doubt it. Sometimes, an injury can confuse the opposition. That means others have to step up. Abou Diaby has to impose himself on Porto.

- The first goal will be very, very important.

- Let's make some history tonight at the Emirates.

Porto @ The Emirates

The last time Arsenal overturned an away leg deficit was back in 1979, in the European Cup Winners Cup, against Hadjuk Split. Arsenal lost the 1st leg 2-1, but won the 2nd leg 1-0 thanks to a Willie Young header and went through on the away goals rule. Arsenal were then knocked out in the next round by Red Star Belgrade, 3-2 on aggregate.

Cesc is out tomorrow. Nasri should take his place in the attacking midfield role - a role that he will thrive in. It's his natural position. Campbell is back to add to steel and organization to our defence. This is a welcomed boost as Gallas is still out with a calf injury.

Wenger has saved his sharpest garments for tomorrow night: Diaby, Arshavin, Song and Campbell. These four will make Arsenal shine and see them through to the quarter-finals for the third consecutive season.

Porto do not have a good record in London - having lost their last six consecutive matches there. The last one being a 4-0 defeat to Arsenal last season in the group stage.

Arsenal will score tomorrow night. Ignore Bendtner's six misses against Burnley. He had an off day. In any case, I would take Bendtner's six misses against Burnley if it means he scores a crucial goal like the header he scored against Stoke.

Arsenal are on the start of a winning run. Since losing to Porto, the Gunners have won their last three games, albeit against teams fighting relegation. During those three games, Arsenal's opponents amassed 9 yellow cards and one red, whereas Wenger's team only received two yellows.

It's hard to look ahead to a grudge away fixture to Hull City on Saturday. The Tigers lost 5-1 to Everton yesterday - who also missed a penalty. It will be a game similar to that of Stoke. However, Hull are a lot worse. Beating them will add another nail in Hull's relegation coffin and thus eventually see loudmouth Phil Brown get fired. That will be extremely satisfying.

It's going to be an interesting week.

Keep It Arsenal

Ten Performances

- Ten good performances in ten Premier League matches will win us the Premier League title. While being three points behind Chelsea and two points behind United, they will drop points when they play each other. Our run-in is probably preferable, but no game will be easy. Instead, a handful of them will be against clubs fighting to stay alive. That being said, I'd rather be in our shoes.

- When Owen Coyle departed Burnley, they were always going to suffer. Brian Laws has adapted a more functional approach, but Burnley has not done well under his leadership. Losing a manager that was so influential to their club was nearly a deathblow to Burnley. They still fight hard, but their attempts to play football, while admirable, will probably lead to their demise. This year's relegation battle is not necessarily about the fight to stay alive, as much as it will be about teams being worse, it's that ugly.

- Steven Fletcher can score goals for Burnley. Graham Alexander is a key player for Burnley in keeping their defensive stability. The Beast has given big performances when facing us, but can be equally patchy.

- Burnley was well worth their draw against us at Turf Moor. In fact, they were more likely to score than we were in the second half. That being said, Burnley, as well noted, have only gotten one point away from home. You do not win the Premier League by dropping points against Burnley at home.

- We need a rout. We need it to build our goal difference, as that may be a huge factor down the line. We're due.

- One final note about Shawcross's tackle. Note where the tackles on Diaby, Eduardo, and Ramsey were. They were all close to the middle of the pitch. All were unnecessary tackles.

- Cesc and Vermaelen showed great passion at the end of the Stoke match. That fire, that desire indicates to me that this team has turned a corner.

- When we look back at this season, the match against Stoke may be remembered as the fixture where we won the Premier League.

- Remember when the English media was suggesting that Michael Owen was the best signing of the summer? Remember when people suggested that Wenger was signing Sol for sentimental reasons? Yeah, look how both worked out. Sol has been immense.

- The Emirates will be rocking tomorrow. The crowd will let Aaron Ramsey how much he's loved.

Keith Alexander: Rest In Peace

Sometimes a non-celebrity football coach passes away unnoticed. Keith Alexander died of a brain aneurysm aged just 53. As a professional he played for lower league teams such as Barnet, Grimsby, Stockport, Lincoln, and Mansfield. After his playing career ended he went into coaching, where his biggest success was leading Lincoln City to four successive League Two play-off campaigns.

Keith Alexander became the first full-time black manager in the Football League when he was named Lincoln manager in 1993 and thus became a role model to all aspiring black managers.

"There aren't enough black managers who are given a chance when you consider the number of black players," said Notts County youth team coach Michael Johnson.

"Keith was a trailblazer - someone I looked up to. I asked him what I need to do to follow in his footsteps. I could not believe the news when I heard it. It's a massive loss for young black coaches and for football as a whole. We have lost an absolute gentleman."

Keith Alexander 14th November 1956 - 3rd March 2010

Keep It Arsenal