The Gunners Claw Back From the Jaws of Defeat

18 goals and counting…

After two victories against West Ham and Brighton, Liverpool offered the Gunners a stern test to prove if they were worthy of the top four finish the fans crave, since buying a player is now out of the question. Elsewhere, Tottenham had a tricky trip to Norwich while Everton hosted West Brom.

Arsene Wenger made wholesale changes to the squad that struggled to assert themselves against Brighton, opting for the exact lineup that decimated West Ham with consummate ease. In defense, the captain and Kieran Gibbs came in, in midfield, Jack Wilshere and Santi Cazorla returned to the starting XI while the red-hot Theo Walcott replaced the Ox in attack.

As early as the fifth minute, the visitors took the lead after more atrocious defending from Arsenal. Luis Suarez mistimed a pass to Glen Johnson but Bacary Sagna slipped without a challenge, allowing the fullback to run into the box. Johnson crossed the ball into the danger area and Vermaelen miscued his clearance, leaving Danny Sturridge a clear cut chance with Wojciech Szczesny.

Sturridge’s shot was parried by the keeper and the ball waltzed past Aaron Ramsey to Jordan Henderson’s path, that laid it on for Suarez and the Uruguayan’s effort deflected off Per Mertesacker to hand Liverpool an early lead.

Jack Wilshere tore open the Liverpool defense with an inch-perfect pass to Walcott but the Englishman blasted his shot straight at Pepe Reina when Olivier Giroud was free on his left hand side.

Liverpool almost went two up when Szczesny tried to become a libero in his attempt to dribble Sturridge from a back pass but Liverpool failed to make the goalie pay.

Arsenal continued to press on for an equalizer and almost got it when Walcott’s sweetly curled shot to the far corner was parried to safety by Reina. Walcott instigated another attack with Ramsey, Cazorla and Lukas Podolski in the thick of things but the German’s cut back but cleared by an onrushing Steven Gerrard.

Arsenal’s defensive frailty was on show again when Mertesacker uncharacteristically passed the ball to Henderson that wasted no time in teeing up Suarez but Sagna recovered on time to block the ball for a corner kick.

There was a major concern for Arsene Wenger when Kieran Gibbs was in some discomfort and he was replaced by the appalling Andre Santos shortly afterwards. Gibbs has been a consistent player and it’s been a long while since he visited Arsenal’s treatment table. It’s really sad to know that he might face a spell on the sidelines, especially when his replacement is Andre Santos.

According to Wenger, Gibbs has a thigh strain and he’ll be out for three weeks, which means that Andre Santos might play against Arjen Robben next month. *gulp*

Late on, Liverpool carved open the Arsenal defense yet again and Henderson was one on one with Szczesny, so he chose to chip the goalie but his effort bounced off the roof of the net.

Like recent times, Arsene Wenger must have given his lads some harsh words in halftime and they came out all guns blazing in the start of the second half. Podolski made a mazy run on the left before swinging a cross that was nodded over the bar by Walcott. Wilshere darted forward to win a free kick on the edge of the area, but Podolski’s dead ball hit the Liverpool wall.

Arsenal’s misery was compounded when Henderson evaded Mertesacker like he wasn’t there before shoving off the challenge of Andre Santos as he crept into Arsenal’s box. His initial shot was blocked by Ramsey but Szczesny was in No Man’s Land, allowing Henderson to guide the ball to an unguarded net to make it 2-0 for the visitors.

Podolski executed a neat one-two with Giroud but he blasted his shot wide off the mark. When it seemed as if this was going to be one of those days for Arsenal, Wilshere swung in a free kick that was headed home by Giroud, to give his team a glimmer of hope.

Giroud makes it 2-1

Two minutes later, Cazorla found Giroud with a pin-point pass but the striker cushioned the ball for Walcott that rifled his shot past Reina to make it 2-2. When it seemed as if Liverpool was going to run away with the game, Arsenal popped up with two quick-fire goals from nowhere. Typical.

Walcott fashioned a chance for himself with his left foot but it missed the goal by a lick of paint. Mertesacker came on the end of a Cazorla corner kick but he nodded the ball over the bar.

Liverpool got a corner kick and were on the end of a swift counter attack from Arsenal. Walcott used his blistering pace to cover some ground before finding Podolski on his left. The German supplied a quick pass to Cazorla but the Spaniard’s drilling drive at goal was too much for Giroud.

Within minutes, Arsenal launched another counter attack from another Liverpool corner with Cazorla and Walcott involved this time. The English forward found Giroud with a tame pass but the Frenchman did well to bring the ball ahead of him before blasting a shot that was saved by Reina.

Arsenal almost went ahead when Giroud and Podolski combined superbly on the left. The German’s drilled pass came off Daniel Agger so it was miscued by Giroud with a gaping goal in his sight. Right at the death, but teams pushed on for a sucker punch and Liverpool almost got it when Andre Santos chose to pass the ball to the opposition but Suarez’ shot was parried by Szczesny.

At the end, a draw seemed like a fair result but the impact on the table showed that Everton turned out to be the big winners with their victory over West Brom that has given them some breathing space from Arsenal below them. Tottenham dropped points against Norwich, making the battle for fourth place more intense than ever.

At the end, getting a draw from a superb fightback showed great spirit but the sooner Arsenal learns to kill off games, the better for everyone.

Stoke visits the Emirates on Saturday and they’ll offer a different preposition.

Sayonara.

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Liverpool Preview and the Curious Case of David Beckham

When it seemed as if my dear ol’ Nigeria was going to get another unfortunate draw that would knock them out of the African Cup of Nations, it took Chelsea’s Victor Moses to come up with the goods twice from two spot kicks he created…and scored, unlike his Chelsea teammate and compatriot, John Mikel Obi.

Nigeria’s victory coupled with Zambia’s stalemate against Burkina Faso ensured that the defending African champions followed the same route with Chelsea in this season’s Champions League. But unlike Chelsea that had the luxury of going to the Europa League, Zambia will take a short trip back home.

For failing to win the group, Nigeria will play Cote d’Ivoire in the quarterfinals. *gulp*

****

With all the upsets of the FA Cup taking center stage during the weekend, Premier League football returned to our TV screens last night with the defending champions, Manchester City, going to London to take on the struggling QPR. Twitchy Ol’ ‘Arry Red Nakpin literally “parked the bus” and Roberto Mancini’s goons dropped points yet again.

This also means that a Manchester United victory tonight will extend their lead at the top to seven points.

Alan Pardew and his French Army also went to Villa Park to break the appalling record of being the only Premier League team without an away victory this season and he had his French contingent to thank, as newbie, Moussa Sissoko provided the ammunition for Papiss Cisse’s opener. Shortly afterwards, Yohan Cabaye’s sweetly struck effort turned out to be the match winner with a goal worthy of settling any contest.

Tonight, Arsenal will hope to continue their good run of form against a Liverpool side fresh from an FA Cup embarrassment in the hands of Oldham. Liverpool boss, Brendan Rodgers, is confident that his team will bounce back (via Sporting Life) and former Liverpool star, John Aldridge, believes that his team can get all three points against a vulnerable Arsenal (via Fox Sports).

Despite their recent misfortunes, Liverpool is just three points below Arsenal in the league and will hope to secure a priceless victory against their illustrious London rivals. Their last visit to the Emirates was fruitful with Luis Suarez and Raul Meireles scoring the goals that put the game beyond doubt.

Despite the fact that Arsenal has lost two of their last five matches, they will be more than a match for a Liverpool side that have struggled on the road this season. The Gunners have lost just once in their last 11 meetings with today’s opponents, but six of those games have ended as draws.

In 11 games at the Emirates so far, the Gunners have amassed six wins and three defeats while Liverpool has won only three away games, conceding 18 goals in the process.

To team news, the Gunners are set to welcome back the likes of Santi Cazorla, Jack Wilshere and Theo Walcott to the first team. Arsenal’s skipper, Thomas Vermaelen, is also back in contention for a possible start, but the game will be too soon for Mikel Arteta and Francis Coquelin, that are still a bit short.

In goal, I’d expect Wojciech Szczesny to be the custodian between the sticks. The goalie came under the spotlight for the wrong reasons last weekend when he failed to deal with a set piece that went into his net. To be fair to the big Pole, the defense was ball watching as well and Szczesny has come out to say that Arsenal’s defense is not to blame for the club’s recent woes at the back (via Fox Sports).

Not to blame huh? YOUDUNMEANIT

In Szczesny’s words,

Over a long time I’ve honestly had enough of people saying Arsenal’s defence is not good enough. People judge defence on the back of goals conceded but you have to have a look at the defending in general. If my back four are completely exposed against Chelsea – most of the time in the first half there it was four of my defenders against six Chelsea players – they were disadvantaged all the time.

With this game coming too soon for Vermaelen, I expect Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny to keep their places in the squad. Many Gooners will be happy to see Kieran Gibbs back in the side after Andre Santos’ torrid outing last time out, while Bacary Sagna will come in Carl Jenkinson’s stead.

In midfield, Arsene Wenger will be odds on to deploy Santi Cazorla and Jack Wilshere back to the starting lineup but judging from Abou Diaby’s performance against Liverpool in Anfield as well as Wenger’s undying faith in the Frenchman, he might get the nod ahead of Aaron Ramsey for the final midfield slot.

In attack, Wenger will unleash the devastating trio of Lukas Podolski, Olivier Giroud and Theo Walcott on Liverpool’s rearguard. While many have sang Giroud’s praises in recent times, some skeptics feel that he hasn’t stamped his authority in the big games and a stellar performance tonight will go a long way in making those folks eat their words.

Elsewhere, the world famous David Beckham has been training with the Gunners to keep fit in his bid to take a final bow from football with probably one more football club. Beckham, 37, has enjoyed a glittering career that has seen him play in the upper echelons of world football in the form of football juggernauts like Manchester United, Real Madrid, AC Milan and Los Angeles Galaxy.

He also served his nation from 1996 to 2009 making 115 appearances, scoring 17 goals for the Three Lions.

After seeing out his contract with the MLS side last season, Beckham has been a subject of constant speculation and the media Vultures did their bit to link the superstar with a host of clubs with QPR and West Ham heavily linked with a short term move for the midfielder. At some point, PSG were also linked with Beckham but nothing came into fruition.

With the star attraction keeping himself fit with the Gunners, many feel that Wenger could go a la Henry on the lad but the manager has cleared the air, stating that he’s only training at Arsenal and there are no plans to sign the player (via Arsenal.com).

Wenger also commended Beckham’s influence, stating that he comes very early for training, unlike that Brazilian bloke that was speeding like a Grand Theft Auto driver because he was late for training.

Beckham will probably be on the stands when the Gunners take on Liverpool tonight and I’m sure that he’ll have a smile or two when the Gunners score, despite the fact that he has Manchester United written all over him.

Here’s to a great game of football tonight.

Sayonara.

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Liverpool Aftermath: Spirits High at the Emirates Camp

After enduring another summer of transfer sagas involving Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri, Arsenal fans looked forward to the new campaign (last season) with optimism as Gervinho showed his glimpses of quality during the preseason. His debut against Newcastle is one that he’ll forget quickly was he was instrumental in Arsenal’s two-legged Champions League play-off success over Udinese.

Shortly after the goalless stalemate in the Sports Direct Arena, Liverpool visited the Emirates on the back of a pretty woeful record in Arsenal’s backyard. However, two strikes from Luis Suarez (one was offside!) left Arsenal for dead.

Then Old Trafford happened. -____-

With just three games gone, Arsenal had shipped in 10 goals. The type of form a relegation-threatened side would have been used to.

Twelve months later, Arsenal has successful kept three clean sheets in their opening games. A feat last achieved when Arthur Pendragon ruled Camelot.

The clean sheets against Sunderland and Stoke were taken with a pinch of salt from Arsenal’s insatiable critics, as it was stated that both sides lacked attacking verve against the Gunners. However, the clean sheet (and victory, of course) against an attacking side like Liverpool is a testament of the new-look Arsenal that has undergone some Bouldination.

Seeing those 10 players don the Purple and Black hoops gave me a great sense of pride, and the goalie in Yellow was superb despite not commanding his area the way he was expected to.

I saw my wingers and the midfield trio protecting the rearguard like their lives depended on it. Despite having a frame no different from a hobbit and being the focal point of the midfield, Santi Cazorla dropped deep to link up play with the forward line. Mikel Arteta was a beast at the middle of the park, making perfectly-timed challenges all game long, and there was a moment he became an emergency left fullback, when Kieran Gibbs was nowhere to be found.

Then there was Per Mertesacker, the Big Friggin’ Giant that everybody wanted Laurent Koscielny to replace because the fans were skeptical about the pace of the Liverpool attack. The experienced German worked in tandem with his captain, and they bossed the defense together. Of course, he had his shaky moments, like his yellow card and the penalty claims Liverpool had. On another day, a different referee might have pointed to the spot.

Mertesacker has stated that Arsenal’s self-belief will make the team great and he’s looking forward to other fixtures this month. The injury he suffered last season halted his debut campaign prematurely but it also paved the way for Koscielny to win Arsenal hearts with his stellar performances.

Many Gooners have complained about the squad’s lack of depth but such claims can’t be uttered this season. Arsene Wenger can be proud that he can call upon Koscielny to deliver if need be and there’s still a Johan Djourou somewhere in the mix.

Going back to Anfield, there was a certain Lukas Podolski that played like a left back all game long, providing great support to Gibbs. There was still a moment where the German won the ball in defense, sent a pass to Cazorla, ran the length of the field to add numbers to the attack, received an inch-perfect pass from Cazorla then finished the move he started.

Seeing that goal left butterflies in my tummy for more reasons than one. Arsenal had finally broken its Premier League goalscoring duck and it made more sense to know that it was scored by one of van Persie’s “replacements”. The other replacement, Olivier Giroud, had a below-par game and he had his chances to put his name on the score sheet as well.

Diaby was a joy to watch all game long but seeing the lanky Frenchman glide through the opposition before supplying the inch-perfect pass to his compatriot was hugely encouraging. Had Giroud converted that chance, it would had been a favorite for Assist of the Season.

No wonder Gibbs was very livid when Giroud blasted the ball to the stands. Arsene Wenger has come out to defend his misfiring center forward, stating that he’s confident that Giroud will be a success at the club.

Food for thought, great Arsenal center forwards like Thierry Henry and Robin van Persie opened their Arsenal goalscoring accounts against Southampton.

Guess who we’re playing next?

You can’t expect me to write about the Anfield game without shifting some focus to the Man of the Match, Abou Diaby. To be honest, I was very perplexed seeing Diaby do what he did on Sunday. He knew when to pass the ball, when to make a dribble, showed great movement and did his defensive jobs perfectly.

The look on my face was no different from Johnny Bravo when he sees a very hot babe. My jaw actually dropped for Diaby.

The midfielder has thanked his manager and the club for keeping faith in him through the dark times and he declared that he wants to emulate Yaya Toure….not Alex Song. Wenger on the other hand, has expressed his concerns over Diaby’s selection for the French squad, and he hopes that his fragile midfielder will return in one piece.

On injuries, Wenger said that Jack Wilshere is one month away from full fitness and he has no plans to rush the lad. With Tomas Rosicky returning to fitness as well, the boss will be faced with one hell of a selection headache. Let’s not forget that there’s a certain Welsh captain in Arsenal’s ranks as well, and he gave a good account of himself at Anfield when he came in for the Ox.

Wenger has stated that the Ox and the Verm are “ok” as well.

This was a vintage display at Anfield and it’s one that the Arsenal faithful will relish for a long while.

To wrap things up, Mikael Silvestre is “training with Arsenal” after his contract with Werder Bremen expired. That’s not funny -____-

You know what Wenger does with old folks that “train” with the club.

Sayonara

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Liverpool 0 Arsenal 2: The New Boys Finally Arrive at the Party

A goal and an assist for each other. And they said that we lacked cohesion in attack

‘Expecting anything more than a draw is pretty ambitious. There have been defensive mistakes in the past two games that have led to Liverpool FC giving up goals, but the only way Giroud or Podolski are scoring is on a blunder because neither look capable of scoring more than 10 goals this season right now.

Just like last season, I expect Arsenal to start slow and give away points early but finish strong and give teams a serious run for a top four spot. Losing your top goalscorer that did all of the heavy lifting up front is not something to take lightly, and just because you brought in two guys you “expect” to replace him does not mean it will be instantaneous. Cazorla was a fantastic signing, he will be a very good Arsenal player and is your biggest threat right now.

If I was a gambling man I’d go Liverpool 2-1 with one of your defenders scoring on a set piece and Suarez and Borini to get on the score sheet. Best of luck to you guys, we will find out soon enough! - Derek Mountford, an ardent Liverpool supporter that dropped a comment on my match preview.

Steve Bould and his defensive crew have been lauded for the team’s defensive performances against Sunderland and Stoke but they were to face a stern test in the form of Liverpool and their pacy attack. On his day, Luis Suarez is a world beater and he was to be supported by Rahim Sterling and Fabio Borini, that have large reserves of pace as well. Their midfield had an intimidating outlook, with the legendary Steven Gerrard supported by Joe Allen and the kid Arsenal sought, Nuri Sahin.

Arsene Wenger starting XI was a close match to the XI I predicted in yesterday’s post with the only exception being, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain taking Walcott’s proposed slot. Arsenal had to keep their concentration levels in check against a Liverpool team that was pretty impressive against the defending champions last week, bar the atrocious defending of course.

As expected, the Reds came at Arsenal like a raging bull with Borini lashing his shot over the bar. Suarez was touted to be a huge threat all game long, and he had a chance to put his side ahead from a dead ball, but he launched the ball into orbit. There was a delightful move where Liverpool’s attacking trio almost tore Arsenal’s defense apart with Sterling connecting well with Suarez but Borini’s final ball was poor to say the least.

Arsenal came out of their shells with Santo Cazorla firing a tame shot straight at Reina, but it was easy pickings for the goalie with more hair than Howard Webb. Liverpool had a golden chance to draw first blood when Daniel Agger was unmarked from a Gerrard corner but he failed to connect with his header.

After over three and a half hours without conceding and scoring as well, Arsenal broke its Premier League goalscoring duck when Lukas Podolski launched a counter attack with a direct pass to Cazorla while he forayed forward. The diminutive Spanish magician dallied on the ball before slotting in a peach of a pass to Podolski, and the rest was history.

Podolski celebrates his maiden Arsenal goal

Liverpool started an attack from the right flank with a cross lofted into Arsenal’s danger area. Vito Mannone failed to deal the ball, allowing Gerrard to link up Sterling that slammed his shot into the post. Arsenal responded with a brilliant piece of individual display from the much-maligned Abou Diaby.

The lanky Frenchman started a slalom run that saw him leave his markers for dead before sending a diagonal ball to Olivier Giroud. However, a rush of blood went into Giroud’s head and he fired his first-timed shot wide. Kieran Gibbs was absolutely livid as he felt that he was in a better position to score. Gibbs was to get his chance later on from a cushioned Podolski pass but Reina was equal to that challenge.

Liverpool brought on Stewart Downing to add some verve to their attack and later on, he executed a perfectly-timed back heeled pass to Suarez, but the Uruguayan blasted his shot straight at Mannone to make another chance go begging. Carl Jenkinson was very adept with his defensive duties but he made an unusual foray forward and fired a good shot with his weaker left foot that was saved by Reina.

Diaby continued his impressive performance in the box-to-box role, letting Arteta do the “dirty work” in the middle. He did really well to find Cazorla that blasted an effort wide off the mark.

Cazorla wasn’t going to be denied a second time when he exchanged some intricate passes with Podolski before showing off his ambidexterity by blasting a left footed shot straight at Reina’s near post. Fortunately for Arsenal, Reina picked the perfect moment to invoke the spirit of Manuel Almunia, which ensured that the Gunners were two goals to the good.

Santi letting one “fly”

Arsenal had a chance to make the scoreline embarrassing when an over-the-top through ball was fed into Giroud’s path with Luis Enrique being the only threat for the forward. However, Giroud was very sluggish in his approach allowing the defender to nick the ball away to safety.

Liverpool went on a late surge with substitute, Jonjo Shelvey, blasting a shot that was parried magnificently by Mannone, but the Italian defender had his captain to thank as Vermaelen arrived on the scene to clear the ball to safety. Gerrard opened the defense with another pass to Suarez but the striker chose to chip the goalie instead of blasting the ball home. With time running out on Liverpool, Shelvey fired another surface-to-goal missile that was saved acrobatically by Mannone.

Howard Webb’s final whistle was like to music to every Gooner’s ears, as the club had successfully kept three consecutive clean sheets in the start of its Premier League campaign, a feat achieved 88 years ago.

Mannone (7.5) put up a stellar performance and has given Wenger something to think about when selecting Wojciech Szczesny’s deputy.

Jenkinson (7.5) was very impressive in his defensive duties and has finally come of age in the absence of Bacary Sagna.

Gibbs (7.0) solidified his status as Arsenal’s primary left back and he did very well to support Podolski on the left.

Mertesacker (7.5) proved his aerial prowess and justified the manager’s reason to start him ahead of Koscielny.

Vermaelen (8.0) was a beast at the back and came to his team’s rescue times without number.

Arteta (7.5) was immense in the middle of the park and showed off his defensive side as well.

Diaby (8.0) put up one of his best performances in an Arsenal shirt. We hope to see more in the near future.

Cazorla (8.5) made a real difference in the game with a sublime assist to Podolski. He also did well to get a goal himself.

The Ox (7.0) made some good runs on the right and worked hard for his team.

Podolski (8.5) was a tireless worker in attack, scored a well-taken goal and provided an assist for his teammate.

Giroud (6.0) really struggled in attack and failed to connect well with his teammates. Spurned a great chance as well.

Ramsey (7.0) was industrious in midfield.

Andre Santos (6.5) was assured with the ball on the left hand side.

Koscielny didn’t play long enough to get a rating.

In Arsene Wenger’s post-match interview, he ran out of superlatives for the new boys and Diaby. He also calmed the storm on players on the injury list as well.

With three games gone, Arsenal has secured five points and have been catapulted to the top half of the table. An international break comes up with different qualifying fixtures on display with Arsenal sending out its fair share of ambassadors to represent their nations. We as Arsenal fans can only hope that the players will return unscathed.

Southampton will visit the Emirates and we can only hope for the run of clean sheets to continue. After three fixtures last season, Arsenal had already conceded 10 goals.

Kudos to Steve Bould and the new boys for finally arriving at the party.

Sayonara.

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Liverpool Preview: Time to Kick-Start the Campaign

A Night to remember at Anfield

This time last year, Arsenal was in shambles, managing to stay afloat relegation waters after an atrocious start to the season that saw Arsene Wenger’s side lose two of their first three games. Swansea visited the Emirates in a nervy encounter, but a Michael Vorm error allowed Andrey Arshavin to score the goal that restored belief back to a team bereft of confidence after that humiliation at Old Trafford.

One year later, a lot has changed but Arsenal isn’t still in a pretty situation in the Premier League. With just two games gone, the Gunners have showed their mettle defensively with two consecutive clean sheets but they are also firing blanks upfront, as Robin van Persie’s replacements haven’t arrived at the party yet.

The transfer window has been slammed shut and no new acquisition was made by the club, but Arsene Wenger has explainedhis decision not to buy,

“Spending in itself is not a quality. Buying better players than we have – that is a quality.

Since the boss is content with his present crop of players, we as fans have to forget about the M’Vilas, Bilgias, Cabayes and holding midfielders from Krypton for the time being (till January) and show the club our full support. Besides, Wenger has also stated that he loves rebuilding his team and he’s unfazed by players that seek greener pastures elsewhere.

Unlike Sunderland and Stoke that defended in depth and numbers, Liverpool offer a different challenge. Brendan Rodgers new-look outfit was torn apart by West Brom but they gave Manchester City a run for their money, even though the Citizens have to be thankful for the gifts offered on a platter.

In recent times, Arsenal’s visits to Anfield have been faithful with the Gunners unbeaten in their last five visits. Amazingly, the last four Arsenal-Liverpool league meetings have seen a total of five goals after the 90th minute (van Persie’s winner at Anfield last year, Suarez’s match-clincher at the Emirates, those two penalties in the 1-1 at the Emirates in April of 2011, and Pepe Reina’s own goal equalizer at Anfield in the 2010/11 season opener). Each of the last three meetings at Anfield have seen both sides suffer ignominies of scoring calamitous own goals (Laurent Koscielny and Aaron Ramsey last season; Glen Johnson in December 2009.)

Last season, Liverpool ran the show against the Gunners but there was a certain Robin van Persie that proved to be the difference between both sides. Unfortunately, he and the little boy inside himhave headed north to Old Trafford and he’s now a distant memory.

I miss such volleys

Despite being early in the season, this game is of great significance to Arsene Wenger’s side because the outcome will play a vital role in making or breaking the team’s Premier League campaign. On the bright side, a win at Anfield (amen to that!) would see Arsenal leapfrog into  seventh place with five points to show for it but a loss would put Arsenal in a somewhat similar situation with the start of last season, and that’s a feat the fans have no plans of relishing again.

There’s also an international break before the home tie against Southampton, so a victory in a ground like Anfield will keep the spirits high ahead of the next fixture, where the floodgates are expected to be open. Arsenal’s lack of goal scoring thus far might be attributed to the loss of van Persie and lack of cohesion in the forward line, but Sunderland and Stoke put up dogged defensive performances.

Judging from the comedy defensive show Liverpool put up against Manchester City, I’m tipping the likes of Olivier Giroud and Lukas Podolski to break their ducks.

To team news, both sides have their fair share of injuries but Arsenal’s treatment table list outnumbers Liverpool’s list 3 to 1. The Gunners are still without Tomas Rosicky (Achilles), Bacary Sagna (broken leg), Emmanuel Frimpong (knee), Lukasz Fabianski (outer space) and Jack Wilshere (foot) while the club is sweating over the fitness of Wojciech Szczesny (rib). Liverpool, on the other hand, are without Lucas (thigh) and Joe Cole (hammy)

Szczesny’s deputy, Vito Mannone, kept a clean sheet against Stoke and he’s looking forward to facing the Reds. He looked assured against Stoke and a clean sheet must have done wonders to his confidence.

The Arsenal defense will have to show off Steve Bould’s continuous impressive work when they come up against a very pacy Liverpool attack. Youngsters, Kieran Gibbs and Carl Jenkinson have been very impressive in their respective full back positions and they’ll be odds on to retain their slots.

However, the gaffer will be in a dilemma in making his central defensive pairing as Koscielny has been declared fit to play at Anfield. Skipper Thomas Vermaelen is a sure-fire favorite to start but Per Mertesacker has been outstanding thus far, but I’m a bit concerned with the speed of the Liverpool attack.

Irrespective of the back four Wenger chooses, I’ll want them to pick up where they left off against Sunderland and Stoke.

In midfield, Wenger has a vast array of options to pick from but I have a hunch that he’s going to stick with his present triumvirate, Abou Diaby, Mikel Arteta and Santi Cazorla. With Wenger opting not to purchase any replacement for Alex Song, Diaby will have to give the fans a reason to believe in him, and a stellar performance in Anfield could see the lanky Frenchman win a few hearts (mine included). The Spanish duo of Arteta and Cazorla have been very consistent thus far and there’ll be some pressure on them to deliver yet again.

In attack, the newbies, Olivier Giroud and Lukas Podolski will get a run-out again but they’ll be supported by Gervinho Theo Walcott. The speedster has been in the spotlight recently with his refusal to sign a new deal, but we hope that he’ll let his football do the talking with a goal or two against Liverpool. Based on what I’ve seen in his six-year stint with the club, Walcott doesn’t deserve £100,000 per week and Wenger has stated that he won’t raise his proposed pay.

Here’s my proposed line-up,

Arsene Wenger has insisted that his team can recover from their poor start and Carl Jenkinson reckons that it’d be a huge statement to win at Anfield.

Arsenal, it’s time to kick-start your Premier League campaign.

Enjoy the game wherever you are.

Sayonara.

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