The Hype Around Wilshere, More From Giroud and Sagna Plays Down PSG Link

I’m not going anywhere

Have you seen the latest website redesign from Arsenal.com?

The navigation is perfect, it’s really engaging and you can link the content inside easily with different social networking platforms.

As we all know, the Gunners are set to travel to every corner of the globe to represent their respective nations, and all eyes fixed on two fixtures – England vs. Brazil and France vs. Germany.

A large contingent of Arsene Wenger’s men have left the shores of England to their various nations and we can only hope that they return unscathed.

In the all-European affair, Lukas Podolski and Per Mertesacker will be on the white corner, while Olivier Giroud, Laurent Koscielny and Bacary Sagna will be on the blue corner.

The French will be keen on hoping for Giroud to continue his purple patch of form against Germany tonight. The striker has promised that there’s more to come from him as he settles in life at Arsenal (via ESPN),

There are many good things. It’s positive in terms of numbers with 14 goals and ten assists in all competitions. But I know I can do better. I’ve matured.

“I’m also learning a lot in terms of how to play, particularly with my back to goal, my touch and the information I take in before I get the ball. I was under pressure when I came here, but I’m rather satisfied.”

Giroud came under some stick from the Arsenal faithful when he kept shooting blanks but everybody sings his songs and his performances have been hugely encouraging to say the least. The way he links up with his teammates has been a major highlight of his fledgling Arsenal career and he already has 10 assists to show for it.

According to EPL Index, Giroud has competed in 159 aerial duels thus far and he has won more than half of them. He offers Arsenal a focal point in attack and his partnership with Theo Walcott has become reminiscent of the RvP-Walcott link up last season. He has integrated himself well into Arsenal’s attack and the best part is that he’s willing to learn more, so he can only get better.

Giroud is six goals short of hitting the 20-goal mark this season and that will be an awesome return for a striker that was brought in to replace the red-hot Flying Dutchman, Robin van Persie.

Bacary Sagna on the other hand, has been a source of constant speculation following his discontent with the way Arsenal sold key players like RvP and Alex Song this season. When it seemed as if Theo Walcott was odds on to follow suit, he turned the screw by signing a long term deal with the club, making him the highest earner as well.

With the next transfer window coming up this summer, the media Vultures have linked the fullback with a potential move to the oil-rich Paris St. Germain but the defender has played down the speculation (via Sky Sports),

“The transfer rumours regarding PSG? I am 100 per cent devoted to my club, I am only thinking about defending the colours of Arsenal until the end of my contract.

“The fans are angry with me because they heard about PSG’s interest, but I am not responsible for that. I have never had any contact.”

Sagna’s deal expires in 2014 and Arsene Wenger will be keen on keeping his talismanic fullback till his twilight years at least. The French star is 29-years-old and he’ll be hoping to get one final pay rise before probably retiring back to a club in his homeland. I’ll keep you posted as the days go by.

The other friendly that will be on the spotlight will be the match between England and the 2014 World Cup hosts, Brazil. From an Arsenal perspective, Jack Wilshere, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Theo Walcott have been invited by Wily Ol’ Woy Hodgson and two of the three aforementioned players are likely to start tonight.

The Ox, as he’s affectionately known in these parts of the world, has featured sparingly for the Gunners this season after his breakthrough campaign last year. Anytime he’s summoned on the pitch, he tends to try too hard to impress the crowd and he messes things up at times.

The winger has stated that he’s willing to bide his time (via Sports Campus) to wait for his chance at Arsenal. Unfortunately for the Ox, Walcott and Podolski are in blistering form and it will take some stuffing to displace them from the squad this season.

Theo Walcott is having his best goalscoring return for Arsenal this season and he has staked a claim for the center forward role as well. However, Walcott wants to strike for the national team as well (via Daily Star) but with the likes of Shrek, Danny Welbeck and Jermaine Defoe in England’s ranks, that might not be possible for speedy Theo.

During the European Championships, he lost his place on the right wing to James Milner, that failed to impress though.

Arsenal’s midfield maestro, Jack Wilshere, will be on the spotlight tonight and the media Vultures have waxed lyrical about the young lad. Arsenal legend, Liam Brady, also believes that there’s much more to come from Jackie Boy (via Footy Mad) but we can only hope that Jack’s level-headed nature will come in handy yet again.

The media Vultures have a way making their plaudits get into players’ heads and that almost put the early part of  Walcott’s career in jeopardy. The same can be said for the Ox that was labelled as the next best thing and as we can see, he has failed to live up to the expectations bestowed on him this season.

England captain, Steven Gerrard, is wary of the heavy expectations burdened on Wilshere’s shoulders (via Fox Sports) and his manager, Woy Hodgson has followed suit (via Sky Sports).

While England seems to label Wilshere as some Superman from Krypton, his primary affiliation remains with Arsenal and we can only hope that he doesn’t suffer any injury tonight because his influence will be badly needed against Bayern Munich in two weeks time.

Best of luck to Nigeria as they take on Mali in today’s African Cup of Nations semifinals.

Sayonara.

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More on Giroud and Ramsey Relishes New Role

OG12: The new talk of the town

With the FA Cup fixture against Brighton a done and dusted affair, the rewards of the battle has turned out to be a fifth round clash with npower Championship side, Blackburn Rovers. All attention will be switched to the Premier League with the world keeping half an eye on the newly-found French Revolution in Newcastle.

Arsenal will host Liverpool in what will be a feisty encounter as all Arsenal-Liverpool clashes are. Last season, it took a late Robin van Persie strike to settle the tie right at the death, but with the Dutchman now part of Arsenal’s history, all focus will be firmly fixed on the man on form, Olivier Giroud.

The French forward had a very slow start to his Arsenal career and the comparison with van Persie didn’t help his cause either. After that chipped effort against Coventry in September, he waited for two games before his smart toe poke against West Ham in Upton Park. Shortly afterwards, he came off the bench to score a header in that unbelievable 7-5 win over Reading.

He went through a purple patch in November, scoring five goals in four games for both club and country. Then the goals dried up a bit before his brace against Newcastle. In Giroud’s last two games, he has smashed in four goals and has taken his tally of the season to 13.

The forward has stated that he chose to come to England because of the intensity and determination has been key to his newly-found success in front of goal. Giroud’s recent exploits in goal haven’t gone unnoticed, as his manager has come out to say that he offers the club something different.

When Arsenal hosts Liverpool tomorrow, Giroud will be under the spotlight to continue his recent goalscoring form but his attack partner, Theo Walcott, has acknowledged that the game is going to be intense. The club may be languishing in mid-table but on their day they’re a force to be reckoned with.

Let’s not forget that they have the dangerous Luis Suarez in their ranks and he has been a constant thorn in the flesh of several defenses this season. Per Mertesacker wasn’t too impressive against Brighton and with Thomas Vermaelen not deemed fit enough just yet, the Gunners will have to stick with the Mertesielny combo again.

While Giroud has been getting the plaudits for his ever-increasing goal count, Aaron Ramsey has been a joy to watch in recent times, unlike the disappointing Ramsey we have become used to. Against West Ham and of course, Brighton, Ramsey was deployed in an unfamiliar holding midfield role, where he has excelled admirably, much to the player’s delight,

“I think I’ve played well in the last two games. That’s pleasing for me and hopefully I can keep myself in the team and carry on. Hopefully I get picked for the next game. I had a meeting with the boss the other week and he explained to me what’s required for this role. I think I’ve done that in the last couple of games and I feel good in myself. 

“[I’ve been] getting stuck in and winning the ball back, been involved a lot more and got a lot of touches of the ball so hopefully I can continue the form I’m in at the moment. You always have to be wary of the hole you’re leaving behind you, but there are occasions when I can get into the box and one of the other midfielders sits.”

Rambo: The new Arteta?

Against West Ham, Ramsey’s distribution was inch-perfect and he earned his week’s wages when he raced back to block the ball off the line to keep the scoreline intact. Against Brighton, Ramsey was efficient, didn’t roam around much and was always available for a pass.

While many fans cry for a holding midfielder in the mold of Alex Song, Arsenal has proven that technique and positional discipline is also as important as tackling and breaking up play. Mikel Arteta has manned the holding position as season long and his stats have been pretty much encouraging to say the least.

With the Spaniard still out injured, and of course, Arsene Wenger’s reluctance to buy a new holding midfielder, the club will have to make do with what it has in the forms of Aaron Ramsey, Abou Diaby and Francis Coquelin. In all fairness, Ramsey hasn’t put a foot wrong in his last two games.

If he starts against Liverpool, it will be a real test for the lad as he’s odds on to lock horns with Steven Gerrard, his countryman, Joe Allen, and the rest of the lot in the Liverpool midfield.

A Liverpool preview will come up in tomorrow’s post.

Bonus Reading: My latest post in WhatCulture tagged, Premier League: 10 Most Important January Transfers So Far.

Let’s see how Newcastle’s French contingent will fare tonight.

Sayonara.

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Thoughts on Walcott Playing Through the Middle, in Contrast to Giroud

Walcott makes it 5 against Reading

Arsenal’s much-renowned attacking play had been questioned in recent weeks. A few months back, it took 93 minutes of regulation time for the Gunners to get an attempt on goal against Schalke 04 at the Emirates. In Old Trafford, Santi Cazorla’s consolation goal came as late as the 94th minute and it seemed as if it was the first real attacking threat the Gunners posed.

More recently, Arsenal’s attack was toothless against Aston Villa, Everton, Swansea and Olympiakos. It took two Mikel Arteta penalties to see out West Brom and the Gunners were wasteful against Bradford, which proved to be their undoing as they lost on penalties.

When the Gunners visited a struggling Reading side at the Madejski Stadium, Arsene Wenger made a bold move by handing Theo Walcott a start ahead of Olivier Giroud and of course, Gervinho. The English speedster blended into Arsenal’s flamboyant attacking play and worked in tandem with his supporting forwards, Lukas Podolski and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

After Podolski had opened the scoring for the visitors, the imperious Santi Cazorla dinked a sumptuous through ball that sent Walcott on the clear in behind the Reading back line, but the forward failed to convert the chance. However, he put the icing on a well-baked cake with a placed finish late on that settled Arsenal nerves as Reading seemed to be on the ascendancy after scoring two goals in quick succession.

With Walcott spearheading the attack, Arsenal’s play was very fluid and the off-the-ball movement was top-notch, reminiscent of the Wenger boys of the yesteryear. Despite being deployed as the primary center forward, Walcott drifted into the flanks allowing Santi Cazorla more freedom to express himself in attack, which earned him the match ball after a marvelous hat-trick.

In a very long time, I saw Arsenal’s players wanting the ball – and doing something with it. There was always an available pocket of space to send a pass to and the five goals scored wasn’t a true reflection of how the game could have panned out. Reading’s goalie, Adam Federici, made his fair share of saves, but he was beaten by Walcott early on, only for Adrian Mariappa to spare his blushes with a last-ditch goal-saving interception.

Theo Walcott is undoubtedly an important player for Arsenal and the fact that he hasn’t signed a new deal yet is a major cause for concern, as it has been reported that the British quintet of Jack Wilshere, Aaron Ramsey, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Kieran Gibbs and Carl Jenkinson have all signed long-term deals with the club.

New Deals for the British quintet…

With 11 goals already to his name, Walcott is odds to hit the 20-goal mark this season for Arsenal, if he manages to survive not being sold in January. With his contract situation still shrouded in mystery, Arsenal might be forced to what they do best but I really hope that they could cling to him this time.

There are other targets out there, as Santi Cazorla has urged his manager to sign Fernando Llorente. The Lion, as he’s fondly called in Basque, is a proven goalscorer, but the similarities between him and Olivier Giroud are too glaring. Despite being good on their feet, both players thrive on aerial balls, which offers Arsenal a good plan B, something we already have in Giroud.

I’ll give my take on the Frenchman as this post progresses.

Then there’s Demba Ba, the Senegalese star set to face a fine because he professed his love for the Red and White. Ba has a much talked-about buyout clause of £7.5m and he knows how to find the back of the net with clinical ease. This season, he has netted 11 goals in 17 games from a Newcastle side not renowned for their creative prowess.

Take out Hatem Ben Arfa and probably, Yohan Cabaye and it will be difficult for Ba to find what to feed on; yet he has been banging in goals with consummate ease. Feed him the service from Arsenal’s vast array of creative talent, and you’ll have a goalscoring predator in your midst.

The best part is that Senegal has been woeful in recent times, so Demba Ba won’t be going to the African Cup of Nations, a tournament that has robbed football clubs off their African talent in this crucial winter period.

There has also been talk of the goalscoring Hunter, Klass-Jan Huntelaar that is reaching the climax of his current deal in Schalke 04. Arsenal got a first-hand demonstration of Huntelaar’s goalscoring prowess in the Champions League group stages and there have been rumors that he favors a move to Inter Milan, ahead of Arsenal and Liverpool.

Word on the street is that he will join Arsenal if we can agree to give him a £100,000 per week deal.

The media Vultures will always do their bit to feed football fans with rumors and speculations but Arsenal will have to make do with its current crop of forwards – Walcott, Giroud, Podolski, the Ox, Gervinho and Chamakh.

I have no plans writing about Gervinho and Chamakh because the mere thought of them is no different from seeing Freddy Krueger in your dreams. Despite having a good run of form early in the season, Gervinho has been appalling in recent times and I don’t want to see him wear the Red and White again, except when Arsenal is leading with three to four goals and they want to rest a player.

I have a few thoughts on Olivier Giroud though.

The French forward was the cream of the crop in North London when he went on that amazing run of form that saw him score five goals in six games or so. Out of his seven goals scored this season, four have come from his head, which shows off his outstanding aerial ability.

Arsenal isn’t renowned as being a team that is setup to play with a traditional target man, but it’s a side that thrives on the fluidity of its attack which is built around intricate passing play, quick tempo, intelligent off-the-ball movement, teamwork and technique.

Giroud hasn’t been on the goals lately, but his work rate cannot be faulted. However, I must express my disappointment on his actions in the buildup to Mikel Arteta’s second goal against West Brom. The Frenchman is a very good team player and using him or Walcott offers Arsenal different options in attack, which is a good thing.

A pretty familiar gesture

Arsenal fans must accept that either Giroud or Walcott aren’t not Robin van Persie, and must give these guys the chance to prove their worth to the team.

Giroud is a striker eager to show what he’s made of, and there’s always an air of disappointment for every spurned chance as he looks to the Heavens to reflect on what might have been. Theo Walcott on the other hand, has used his lethal pace to great effect this season and has really matured as a player each passing season.

Theo Walcott is renowned for his pace, composure in front of goal and a clinical finishing ability. He’s in the mold of Tottenham’s Jermaine Defoe, that doesn’t have the height to challenge the big defenders of this world, but when he’s in your box, you’ll be very sorry.

Giroud has settled well from a different footballing culture, but his linkup play and high work rate is complimented with his aerial prowess and good finishing ability as well. For those that don’t know, out of Giroud’s 21 Ligue 1 goals for Montpellier last season, only one was scored with his head.

With a joint goalscoring count of 18 goals this season, Walcott and Giroud are undoubtedly indispensable player to Arsenal. Well that’s what we said about Cesc Fabregas, Samir Nasri and more recently, Robin van Persie.

Sayonara.

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Reading Aftermath, Theo Walcott and the Confused Giroud

Epic

Entertaining, enthralling and epic – these were the words I used to describe one of the most nerve-raking matches I’ve watched in all my years as an Arsenal fan. As I reiterated in yesterday’s post, Arsenal was successful in fucking up my mind, giving me several emotional states in one single friggin game.

As expected, the quarterfinal draws have been made and Arsenal will travel to npower League Two outfit, Bradford, that ousted Wigan Athletic on penalties. After winning the pulsating encounter against Manchester United, Chelsea has been rewarded with an away fixture against potential giant killers, Leeds United. Norwich defeated those Spuds to lock horns with Aston Villa while Swansea vs. Middlesbrough completes the quarterfinal round.

Judging from the last eight teams in the Capital One cup, Arsenal has a realistic chance of breaking its trophy drought with an early appetizer in the form of the Capital One cup which serves as the first trophy any English team can win in the course of a season. The Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League are usually decided in the climax of the season.

Arsenal’s fixture against Reading showcased the Gunners amazing mental strength, but it didn’t hide the fact that our defense had an absolutely torrid time, which is certainly a cause for concern. Despite shipping in five goals, Damian Martinez had his fare share of saves and howlers, and if I’ve been complaining about Mannone, I might as well get a chainsaw like Thomas Hewitt and tear Martinez with my words.

Ignasi Miquel struggled at left back and I was very surprised with Laurent Koscielny’s performance. He failed to connect with his defensive partner, Johan Djourou, and that own goal must have made his confidence to plunge downhill. However, Koscielny was unfazed by that error and went on to score a vital third goal for his team. He was also lucky to stay on the pitch because he made a few eye-raising tackles, even after been brandished with a yellow card.

Carl Jenkinson continued his fledgling performance for the Gunners and I must say that the technique he used in killing off Walcott’s goal that had crossed the line was lovely. If there were concerns over the ball crossing the line or not, Jenko’s slammed effort sent every Gooner into raptures as Arsenal actually scored four goals despite being 4 – 0 down in the first 38 minutes.

Marouane Chamakh also deserves a mention in today’s post. Despite being frozen out the team and clearly out-of-favor, the Moroccan has refused to let all get in his way and he put up a great performance for the Gunners as he actually scored two goals, a feat he hadn’t achieved since that 2 – 0 win over Wolves in November 2010 – a game fondly remembered for Lukasz Fabianski’s heroics.

Get  well soon lad.

You can’t actually utter a word about the Reading – Arsenal game without mentioning the undisputed Man of the Match, Theo Walcott. Walcott was a phenom on the pitch and in my honest opinion, this is definitely his best outing in Arsenal colors. The winger hopes for his team to carry this newly-found blistering form to the Premier League, starting with the crunch encounter against Manchester United.

Theo Walcott’s teammates have ran out of superlatives for him, and the most vocal Gunner has been Andrey Arshavin. The diminutive Russian has also stated that God played a role in the epic victory as well,

 “I did not think about when we had to equalise, I just felt that if we had the chance and God will help us, we will make a draw!”

“He helped us and that’s why we scored in the last minute.

“I have lost twice 7-1, once I lost 8-3 and once I won 9-3 and now 7-5. But this game was one I will remember always because it was from 4-0 down.

“I don’t think anyone here believed that we could come back, but we did it and we deserved to win.

“We showed spirit because you cannot come back from 4-0 down if you don’t have spirit.”

Arshavin went on to say that this is a game that he’ll never forget. of course Andrey, I don’t believe that this game will leave any sane Gooner’s memory in a long time, and if you didn’t watch this game, you’re on a very long thing. For the benefit of those that missed the game, here are the highlights of the 12-goal thriller.

Still sticking with Walcott, Arsene Wenger has hailed Walcott’s commitment and has finally stated that the winger is ready to lead the line for Arsenal but skeptics believe that Theo Walcott’s worrying contract situation hinges on regular first-team football, rather than the greens.

Judging from Walcott’s form this season, Arsenal fans will go haywire if he leaves the club on a Bosman, and everyone, including Jamie Redknapp, has urged the Arsenal hierarchy to make Walcott sign da ting.

The Reading – Arsenal game had everything; goals (obviously), improved performances, howlers, saves…you name it. However, there was a very hilarious moment when the French duo of Olivier Giroud and Francis Coquelin pelted their jerseys at the direction of the euphoric Arsenal fans celebrating Walcott’s dramatic equalizer.

After the game, some journos caught up with the hunky Giroud and he had this to say,

I thought that in cup games when you drew, there was a replay. Someone told me that!

“Luckily, I was able to get the shirt back OK – the fan gave it back to me quickly so I could start the game again.

“But after the game, I threw the shirt back into the crowd again after that.”

That someone must have told Giroud about the FA Cup, were you earn a replay after a draw but Giroud’s confusion is nothing, compared to Queens Park Ranger’s Stephane Mbia, that thought that QPR was a club based in Scotland.

We all get confused from time to time, I guess.

I can’t wait to watch Skyfall in the Palms today.

Sayonara.

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Latest Updates on Sagna’s Return, Walcott’s Contract and Cazorla

Up for a right fight against Jenkinson…or is he?

I don’t know if its just me, but there’s something about these international breaks in the course of a season. Time seems to go as fast as Per Mertesacker and the prospect of the interlull is never fun. It’s actually a good thing to see Gunners in action but there’s also an outside chance of the players picking up a knock or two for their nations.

I’m certainly not praying for that though.

The victory against West Ham still leaves a sweet taste in my mouth for more reasons than one. For starters, it was against one of Arsene Wenger’s nemesis, Big Sam Allardyce. The win also allowed Arsenal to keep pace with the leading pack as the Gunners are currently in seventh place, and are also seven points off the mark.

The game also allowed Arsenal fans to actually see Olivier Giroud score a goal because the last time I checked, he scores when no one is watching. As his celebration showcased, Giroud is delighted and relieved to score his first Premier League goal and he has stated that his adventure starts now,

“I’m very happy to have scored and that we won, It was a difficult game against a very good team, who play well at home.

“We were better in the second half and [were able] to play through their lines. I think we finished the game better.

“I feel relieved now. It was very important for me to score in the Premier League, to keep going and start my adventure here with Arsenal.”

I must say that I was very elated when Giroud scored that goal. To crown up a great evening, he also supplied an inch-perfect assist for Theo Walcott, whose finish was a peach of a goal. The Frenchman also believes that Arsenal will play a key role in the title race, and I can understand the angle he’s coming from.

With the Manchester clubs and Chelsea labelled as the favorites for the Premier League this season, Arsenal can be the dark horses and the Gunners will have a chance to move further up the table, as Chelsea faces crunch fixtures against Tottenham and Manchester United pretty soon.

As expected, Theo Walcott is still in the news as well. He has taken his goal tally to four this season and one can only marvel at the composure the winger…wannabe forward had in picking his spot before that brilliant finish against West Ham. He has been pushing hard to play in his favored position this campaign, and finishes like that will certainly give Arsene Wenger something to think about.

The manager is keen on keeping Walcott for the long term, and he had better sort out the Englishman’s future quickly because Italian giants, Juventus, are on the prowl as they have placed the winger in their radar. Arsenal’s gaffer also spoke about his big respect for Walcott’s attitude and character.

Unlike Mathieu the Flanimal, $amir Na$ri and Robin van Judas that acted like bitches when they reached the twilight of their contracts with the club, Walcott has handled the situation in a very matured manner and he has to be commended for it. Skeptics believe that Walcott unveiling that playing as a center forward is the reason why he stalls is a ploy to get more cash, but he hasn’t flirted openly with any other club and the little boy inside him hasn’t said “glory glory united”.

I’ll keep you updated with this Walcott contract situation in the coming weeks.

Wenger also took out some time to talk about his diminutive Spanish magician, Santi Cazorla. The boss declared that Saint Santi makes everyone better and he also compared him with the great Glenn Hoodle as he remained bewildered and perplexed by Cazorla’s ambidexterity. The boss was also quick to douse the flames of those folks comparing Cazorla to Cesc Fabregas.

Cazorla on the other hand has revealed that Robert Pires and compatriot, David Silva, played a role in making his choice to move to the Emirates and he hopes to end the club’s trophy drought by contributing immensely to the team’s cause. In nine games for Arsenal, Saint Santi has scored two goals and supplied two assists. However, he has created the most chances at the club and a considerable chunk of those defense-splitting passes haven’t been converted by the forward line.

Finally, Bacary Sagna, Jack Wilshere, Emmanuel Frimpong, Ignasi Miquel, Francis Coquelin and Andre Santos all started for the Arsenal Under-21 side in the club’s 2-0 win over Reading’s Under-21s. Teenage sensation, Serge Gnabry, and Chuba Akpom scored the goals that put Reading to the sword but the major positives of the game was seeing Mr. Consistency return to action after five months out.

Arsenal opened the scoring when Wilshere found Thomas Eisfeld with a good ball and the young German sent a through ball to his countryman, Gnabry. Gnabry made mince meat out the Reading defender before curling a left-footed shot into the far corner. Wilshere was also heavily involved in the second goal, as it was his corner that was headed home by Akpom.

Even after 14 months out of the game, Wilshere’s creative juices still remained intact. The prospect of seeing him in the same midfield with the Spanish matadors, Cazorla and Mikel Arteta makes me drool faster than a canine that has seen its dinner. Goal.com’s cartoonist, Omar Momani, showed off his creativity with a cartoon depicting Arsenal’s win over West Ham.

via Goal.com

With two broken legs in one season, Bacary Sagna deserves to be treated like an egg this campaign and with a player on the rise like Carl Jenkinson deputizing admirably in his absence, Arsenal fans can sleep well at night knowing that the right back position is in safe hands.

Like Wilshere, Sagna needs a run-out of more Under-21 and Reserve games to come up to speed with this gruelling Premier League campaign.

That’s today’s bit but I’ll urge you to check out a couple of good articles I stumbled upon yesterday. Here is the City Sport published two articles giving five reasons why Falcao could sign for Arsenal and five reasons why Falcao won’t sign for Arsenal. While you’re at it, also check out We Are Aresenal Blog’s article on the club’s massive wage bill.

Sayonara.

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