Arsenal's Title Rivals Beaten In Two Shockers

Arsenal's two title rivals were both beaten in the FA Cup today in what turned out to be a shocking day of results.

Manchester United, who sit one point behind Arsenal in the Premier League, fell to Portsmouth after losing both of their goalkeepers. Edwin van der Sar was substituted out with an injury after halftime and his replacement, Tomasz Kuszczak was sent off after bringing down Milan Baros in the box. Rio Ferdinand took up the gloves between the United sticks, but was unable to stop Sulley Muntari's free-kick.

It was a huge loss for United who dominated in terms of possession and shots, but were wasteful in front of goal. To be fair, United should have been awarded a penalty of their own when Cristiano Ronaldo was taken down by Sylvain Distin in the first half.

Even more incredibly, Chelsea fell 1-0 to Championship side Barnsley. Barnsley, who are only four points above the relegation zone in England's second league, have proven to be the shock of the FA Cup after making Chelsea their second 'big four' conquest of the tournament (the Tykes also beat Liverpool in the same competition).

The normally lethal Nicolas Anelka missed chance after chance for Chelsea, and the Premiership boys seemed to have a difficult time playing on Barnsley's rough pitch. Goalscorer Kayode Odejayi jumped over Carlo Cudicini in the 66th minute to head home the only goal of the match.

Portsmouth and Middlesbrough are the only Premiership teams left in the FA Cup, with West Brom, Bristol Rovers, Cardiff, and of course Barnsley, the other competitors.

The losses will not be conductive to strong morale amongst the Premier League's second- and third-placed teams, and with Arsenal playing Wigan tomorrow the Gunners trophy aspirations look like they could be coming to fruition. United and Chelsea cannot slip up if Arsenal, as is to be expected, take three points from Wigan.

Manchester United vs. Arsenal: Match Review

Manchester United routed their title rivals Arsenal at Old Trafford to knock the Gunners out of the FA Cup in the fifth round proper. The Luis Nani-inspired drubbing was only Arsenal's fourth defeat in all competitions this season, and manager Arsene Wenger will be hoping that his team can bounce back before an important midweek Champions League clash with AC Milan.

United, on the other hand, will be going into their Champions League match against Lyon full of confidence after annihilating their nearest rivals. Wayne Rooney scored the opener after just 15 minutes, and Darren Fletcher added his first of two four minutes later. Luis Nani scored the other goal, which, in addition to his two assists pinned him as the man-of-the-match.

Lineups: Manchester United: Edwin van der Sar; Wes Brown, Rio Ferdinand, Nemanja Vidic, Patrice Evra; Luis Nani, Oliveira Anderson, Michael Carrick, Darren Fletcher; Wayne Rooney, Ji-Sung Park

Arsenal: Jens Lehman; Justin Hoyte, William Gallas, Kolo Toure, Armand Traore; Emmanuel Eboue, Cesc Fabregas, Gilberto Silva, Alex Hleb; Eduardo, Nicklas Bendtner

Both managers made five changes to the squads that played in the Premier League last week, with Arsene Wenger choosing to blood some of his younger players while Alex Ferguson rested his big guns Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez ahead of this weeks Champions League matches.

This game seemed to suggest that Manchester United have greater strength in depth than the Gunners, as they got off to a blistering start with the help of Portuguese winger Luis Nani. United scored their first after a corner from the young star was flicked on by countryman Oliveira Anderson. Wayne Rooney was on hand to head the ball past Jens Lehman as United grabbed the lead.

It was 2-0 only three minutes later after Darren Fletcher met a cross from the brilliant Nani. The midfielder headed the ball home off of Arsenal defender William Gallas to double United's lead.

Rooney could have scored a third and a fourth for the home side around the half-hour mark but he twice failed to test Lehman after some good work by his teammates set him up inside the penalty box.

Manchester United made it 3-0 not too long later without Rooney's help, when Nani latched onto a long pass from Michael Carrick. The Portuguese playmaker side-stepped Justin Hoyte before notching a deserved goal with a low drive into the corner.

An impressive first half performance from United looked to have set the result of the match beyond doubt, but Alex Ferguson's stars wanted more, coming out strong in the second half.

Lehman was forced into two saves before Emmanuel Eboue was sent off in the 49th minute after a bad challenge on Patrice Evra. The sending-off only furthered Arsenal's problems as victory began to look impossible.

Lehman saved another shot from Nani after some good work by Evra, before Rooney wasted yet another chance to test the German keeper.

Eduardo had Arsenal's first real chance of the game after the Gunners launched a counter-attack in the 64th minute. A cross from Cesc Fabregas met the Croatian striker in the center of the penalty box, but the striker was uncharacteristically wasteful in front of goal, heading over the top.

Anderson then poked an effort wide of goal before Darren Fletcher scored his second of the night after a cross from Nani.

United could have scored more goals, but a superb showing from last season's Premier League champions was enough to prove to any doubters that they are still very much in the chase for the Premier League title.

Manchester United vs. Arsenal: FA Cup Match Preview

Arsenal travel to Old Trafford this Saturday to face off against Manchester United in a highly anticipated FA Cup clash. The top two goalscoring teams of the Premier League will be sure to entertain in a free-flowing 90 minutes of football.

Alex Ferguson's Manchester United will be looking to prove themselves after taking only one of the last six available Premier League points. A draw away to Tottenham and a loss at home city rivals Manchester City put the Red Devils five points adrift of a young Arsenal side. Having already forced a 2-2 away draw against the Gunners, Ferguson will be hoping to assert his team's efforts with a win in this fifth round FA Cup tie.

Arsene Wenger's squad has gone on a run of four straight wins since embarrassingly losing 5-1 against Tottenham. With Kolo Toure and Emmanuel Eboue back from the African Cup of Nations, the Gunners will provide a tough challenge for Ferguson's United. Unfortunately, a large list of absentees means that Wenger maybe forced to field an under-strength side in an attempt to save key players for Wednesday's Champions League clash against Italian giants AC Milan.

Robin van Persie, Abou Diaby, Manuel Almunia, Neves Denilson, Johan Djourou, Tomas Rosicky, and Theo Walcott are all set to sit out yet another match after missing the clash against Blackburn on Monday due to injury. Gael Clichy and Philippe Senderos are new additions to the injury list with hamstring and knee injuries respectively. Bacary Sagna is another doubt for "personal reasons."

Manuel Almunia is currently suffering from a virus, ensuring that Jens Lehman will feature in goal for the Gunners for a third consecutive game after being Arsenal's second choice goalkeeper for much of the season.

A makeshift defense is likely to consist of experienced center-backs Kolo Toure and William Gallas alongside young full-backs Armand Traore and Justin Hoyte. Traore and Hoyte will have their hands full with Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney, and Carlos Tevez knocking at the door.

Arsenal's strength will come from the midfield where Cesc Fabregas, Mathieu Flamini, Alex Hleb, and Gilberto Silva are likely to start. Arsene Wenger would have liked to have fielded a younger midfield including Abou Diaby and Neves Denilson, but due to a large number of injuries the manager will be forced to risk injury to his big names.

It will be interesting to see whether Wenger is willing to risk Emmanuel Adebayor up front. The striker has been prolific for his club recently, scoring twelve goals in his last nine appearances, and has become a key player at Arsenal. However, with the capable pair of Nicklas Bendtner and Eduardo da Silva match-fit, Wenger may want to rest his star striker ahead of a tough Champions League tie.

No matter what teams are fielded, Manchester United v. Arsenal is always a huge game. With a promise of frenetic pace and a healthy injection of skill, this cream-of-the-crop tie should not disappoint. I predict that Arsenal will force Manchester United into a replay with another 2-2 draw.

Fulham vs. Arsenal: Match Preview

Arsenal will try to produce an impressive performance at the Craven Cottage this Saturday to make up for a poor show against Birmingham last weekend. The Gunners fell to second place on goal differential last week after Manchester United routed a manager-less Newcastle side 6-0. Arsenal, who drew 1-1 with relegation-threatened Birmingham at the Emirates, will be looking for a full three points at Fulham and hoping that United slip up at Reading.

Fulham could be the perfect rebound team for the Gunners, as the Cottagers are winless in 10 Premier League games. Although new Fulham manager Roy Hodgson will be desperately hoping to take home his first Premier League point since taking over, even a draw may be elusive against what should be a fully fit Arsenal team.

The Cottagers, who will be missing American internationals Kasey Keller and Brian McBride, could find themselves overwhelmed by the returns of Tomas Rosicky and Robin van Persie to the Arsenal side. Low morale, coupled with additional injuries to Hameur Bouzza and Ian Pearce could mean that Hodgson will be facing an exercise in damage reduction.

On the other hand, Arsenal players hoping to prove themselves after the disappointing show against Birmingham will be looking to display some of the fine flowing football that placed them at the top of the table. The possible return of the prolific van Persie will also boost the Gunners confidence ahead of the clash.

Arsene Wenger will likely start with a similar lineup to the one that faced Birmingham, although Theo Walcott and Eduardo could see themselves ousted in favor of Czech Republic captain Tomas Rosicky and injury-prone striker Robin van Persie.

This means that Manuel Almunia will start in goal behind Bacary Sagna, William Gallas, Gael Clichy, and the vastly improved Philippe Senderos. Senderos, standing in for Kolo Toure who is away at the African Cup of Nations, played what may have been his best game in the red and white of Arsenal against Birmingham. Normally error-prone and out of position, this time the Swiss defender managed to use his height to get onto a few headers, and even came close to scoring a winner for the Gunners.

The Arsenal midfield was complacent against Birmingham, but hopeful the return of Rosicky will add some creativity to the already ingenious lineup of Cesc Fabregas, Alex Hleb, and holding midfielder Mathieu Flamini. Rosicky should register a performance far better than last week's woeful appearance from Theo Walcott.

Up front Robin van Persie may finally link up with the squad after falling victim to bone and muscle injuries as well as a recent virus. Emmanuel Adebayor, the second highest scorer in the Premier League, will be looking to bag a few goals to inch closer to United's Cristiano Ronaldo in the race for the Golden Boot.

We learned last season that no game can be taken for granted. Arsene Wenger learned that lesson a second time against Birmingham last week, and his entire squad will be looking to rebound from the draw with an emphatic win at Fulham. I predict a 3-0 victory.

Faltering Arsenal Need van Persie To Shine Against Chelsea

Arsenal went 21 games unbeaten this season before finally losing 3-1 to Sevilla at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan. The Gunners’ fine run of form included draws with both Manchester United and Liverpool, and victories over Sevilla and arch-rivals Tottenham Hotspur.

However, Arsene Wenger’s young squad have only managed to pick up four points in their last three Premier League matches since losing top spot in Group H of the Champions League to the Sevillistas.

The loss to Middlesbrough has dampened the Gunners early-season hopes of winning the title and brought the depth of the Arsenal squad into question. It seems that Arsenal will need some impetus to get back to their winning ways.

That impetus could be the return of Robin van Persie.

The news of his return has rejuvenated Arsenal fans, who believe that the Dutch striker could be what Arsenal need to get back to the top of their game.

Although Emmanuel Adebayor is the Premier League’s joint top scorer this season, along with Manchester United’s Cristiano Ronaldo, the big Togolese striker has, at times, looked separated from the team as a lone striker.

Van Persie and Adebayor had been forming a special bond prior to the Dutchman’s injury on international duty, and the lanky African has often stated his desire to play alongside him since the injury.

While Arsenal aren’t exactly short in the goals department having scored more goals than any other team so far this season, Van Persie can bring a lot to the table when Arsenal face Chelsea on Sunday.

While Didier Drogba was last season’s top scorer in the Premier League, his goals-to-games ratio was slightly lower than that of the injury-prone van Persie, who managed to score 11 goals despite starting in only 17 league games. His form continued into the current campaign, seeing him score five times in only seven games before injury struck.

All know about his goal-scoring abilities though. What people often forget is that Van Persie is more of a Dennis Bergkamp-esque player than an out-and-out striker.

The 24 year-old forward follows in the steps of his countryman and former team-mate, adding assists to goals, making him the complete forward. Last season van Persie tallied up seven assists in his 17 Premier League starts, an impressive number.

If you think Arsenal have been in top gear lately, just wait until you see them with a fully fit squad.

Van Persie is the man to watch as Arsenal prepare to face a Drogba-less Chelsea team (the Ivorian underwent knee surgery earlier this week), and could quite possibly be Arsenal’s top scorer this season even in spite of his injury troubles.

Arsenal Can Be Champions Despite Middlesbrough Defeat

Talk of invincibility has been thrown out the window. Gareth Southgate's lowly Middlesbrough have inflicted a first league defeat on Arsene Wenger's Arsenal side.

And so the naysayers once again begin to doubt the young Gunners. Eleven wins, four draws and one defeat place Arsenal a point ahead of last season's champions Manchester United, deservedly at the top of the Premier League table. Why, then, do the so-called pundits, players and fans alike, begin to question the squad?

An Arsenal side missing four of their best players in Cesc Fabregas, Alex Hleb, Robin van Persie and Mathieu Flamini did indeed fall to a team hovering too close to the relegation zone. But look at any of the top four teams and imagine how they would do without four of their best players.

Chelsea would be nothing without Didier Drogba, Frank Lampard, Joe Cole and Michael Essien. Manchester United are far less potent without Wayne Rooney, Cristiano Ronaldo, Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes. Even Rafa Benitez's crazy rotation policies couldn't save a Liverpool side without Steven Gerrard, Fernando Torres, Xabi Alonso and Javier Mascherano.

Those who claim that Arsenal's loss to Middlesbrough is a portent of bad times to come would do well to remember some of the bad results the Gunners' rivals have been through this season. Only a day before Arsenal lost to Boro, a nearly full-strength Liverpool were defeated 3-1 by struggling Reading, and a Rooney and Ronaldo-less Manchester United were beaten by second-from-bottom Bolton at the Reebok only a few weeks ago.

Although Chelsea's two league defeats have come at the hands of United and Aston Villa, one need only look as far as a 1-1 draw with minnows Rosenborg to see that even Roman Abramovich's money cannot buy safety from injuries.

The Premier League is long and arduous. Just as critics warned Arsenal fans that the first 16 games do not decide the winners, I would like to remind the opposition that while a game may prove to be a turning point in a team's fortunes, it takes a full 38 games to crown the champions.

Arsenal are at the top of the table, and anything could happen over the next 22 games, but I see the Gunners as favourites to lift the Premier League crown when the dust settles. Don't write them off just yet.

Arsenal vs. Manchester United: Match Review

Match Preview

Arsenal came from behind twice to secure a vital point at home to Manchester United in one of the most dramatic finishes of this Premier League season.

A Wayne Rooney goal in first half added-time (deflected in by William Gallas) gave United the lead going into half time, but Cesc Fabregas equalized after only three minutes in the forty-eighth. Cristiano Ronaldo then put the Reds ahead for the second time of the night in the 82nd minute, but just as United looked to have secured a win William Gallas scored Arsenal's second to keep the Gunners unbeaten record intact.

Arsene Wenger's squad maintains its position at the top of the Premiership by only the narrowest of margins, tied with United on points and goal differential. Only goals scored separates the two sides, although Arsenal have a game in hand.

Lineups:
Arsenal: Manuel Almunia; Bacary Sagna, William Gallas, Kolo Toure, Gael Clichy; Emmanuel Eboue, Cesc Fabregas, Mathieu Flamini, Tomas Rosicky; Alex Hleb; Emmanuel Adebayor

Manchester United: Edwin van der Sar; Wes Brown, Patrice Evra, Rio Ferdinand, Nemanja Vidic; Oliveira Anderson, Ryan Giggs, Owen Hargreaves, Cristiano Ronaldo; Carlos Tevez, Wayne Rooney

Despite a first half nearly devoid of shots on target, the match started brightly (as is to be expected in a top-of-the-table clash).

Wenger's Gunners displayed some of their excellent one-touch football while Ferguson's United gave them little space.

United had the first good chance of the half on eight minutes when Cristiano Ronaldo saw a header come off the post. The goal would have been disallowed either way though, as referee Howard Webb called him for a push on Tomas Rosicky.

Arsenal's Emmanuel Adebayor then had a chance from a similar position in the other half of the field, but completely mistimed his jump after a perfectly timed run met a cross from Gael Clichy. His disappointing header soared well over van der Sar's crossbar.

Ryan Giggs had a great chance following a fast break in the sixteenth minute, but the veteran midfielder could only stab the ball wide from a yard out, keeping the game level.

With ten minutes to go until half time, Arsenal finally tested Edwin van der Sar for the first time. A well taken free kick from Cesc Fabregas was headed downward by William Gallas only to be impressively saved by the trailing legs of the Manchester United goalie.

It was United who managed to grab the first goal though, when Wayne Rooney's shot deflected of of William Gallas into the goal from a few yards out after a low cross from Cristiano Ronaldo.

United were not ahead for long. Only three minutes into the second half, Fabregas grabbed his sixth league goal of the season to bring Arsenal level. A volley from Adebayor was saved by Edwin van der Sar, but the loose ball fell to Bacary Sagna who teed up the Spaniard who fired home from twelve yards.

The goal gave Arsenal some impetus, and for the first time in the game a team was able to sustain pressure for a fairly long period of time. However, the Gunners were only able to test van der Sar once before a United counterattack, as Cesc Fabregas hit a free kick under the wall, only for the United goalie to make a comfortable save.

Ryan Giggs then found Rooney in the box, but the forward's powered header went well off target.

Alex Hleb was the next man to miss the target. Emmanuel Eboue fed the Belarus international, but the Arsenal midfielder took one too many touches before sending the ball wide with his left foot.

Ronaldo then scored United's second, following some poor decision making from Manuel Almunia. The keeper came out to dispossess Patrice Evra on the side of the eighteen yard box, only for the French defender to unsurprisingly cut the ball back to the center. Cristiano Ronaldo easily swept the ball up into the empty net, leaving the Arsenal players dejected.

The fans got behind their team though, and their patience almost paid off when Evra botched a clearance, hitting his own post before nervously laughing off his mistake with Edwin van der Sar.
The Gunner's spirit prevailed though, and Arsenal were able to bring one back during stoppage time to stay undefeated league leaders. William Gallas shot at a congested goal, and Edwin van der Sar palmed the ball away - from behind the goal line. The ball was correctly ruled a goal as Arsenal made a dramatic comeback.

If this game doesn't prove that Arsenal have a title chance, I don't know what could.

Arsenal vs. Manchester United: Match Preview

Match Review

The Premier League's top two title challengers are set to battle it out at the Emirates this Saturday in what is sure to be one of the most exciting fixtures of the season. Arsene Wenger's first-placed Arsenal team is even on points and goal differential with Alex Ferguson's Manchester United, and both teams are in fine veins of form.

The winner of this game (if there is one) will go clear at the top of the Premier League, and this game could be one of the biggest factors in Arsenal's title aspirations. The title is, of course, not purely dependent on top four games, as Arsenal completed the double against last season's champions.

Both teams will be confident coming into the match. Arsenal are unbeaten this season, having drawn their last Premiership game 1-1 at Anfield in an impressive performance. Arsenal have yet to drop points at the Emirates and a 3-0 midweek win over Sheffield United in the Carling Cup will also bring confidence to any Arsenal youngsters who may play on Saturday.

Manchester United started the season badly, drawing twice and losing once in their first three games of the Premier League season. However, things have picked up for the Reds, and Alex Ferguson's team have won the eight games since their loss at rivals Manchester City. Although they were dumped out of the Carling Cup, the side won last Saturday's game 4-1 against Middlesbrough.

However, United will have some injuries to deal with. While Arsenal are missing only Robin van Persie and Philippe Senderos, Manchester United will be missing a contingent of six players. Crucially, Paul Scholes, Michael Carrick, and Ji-Sung Park are all injured, meaning that Manchester United will be light in the midfield. Also missing are Louis Saha, Mikael Silvestre, and second goalie Ben Foster.

Arsenal will once again have Manuel Almunia in goal, with Jens Lehmann looking as though his time as Arsenal's number one is over.

In front of him will most likely be the familiar back-four of Bacary Sagna, Kolo Toure, William Gallas, and Gael Clichy.

Our defensive lineup will be quite stretched against United, with Rooney, Tevez, and Ronaldo being the main threats up front for the visiting team. Clichy and Sagna may have to limit their runs into the attacking third on account of Ronaldo's pace, and although our entire back line is fairly pacy, they may have trouble dealing with the Portuguese winger.

The most likely midfield setup (and in my opinion the best) would be Alex Hleb, Mathieu Flamini, Cesc Fabregas, and Tomas Rosicky. However, Arsene Wenger has been favoring Eboue in the midfield, and if we go with a 4-5-1 the Ivorian could play on the right wing, with Hleb being moved into the hole behind a lone Adebayor.

Another possibility is Gilberto's inclusion. Wenger was very complimentary of his performance against Sheffield United in the Carling Cup, and he may play despite Mathieu Flamini's impressive form.

Up front I would like to see Theo Walcott alongside Emmanuel Adebayor. The English teenager registered an incredible performance against Sheffield on Wednesday, making some amazing runs despite not managing a goal. Walcott is a good finisher, and could turn provider for Adebayor or any of the Arsenal midfielders.

Eduardo is another option, and his brace at Bramall Lane on Wednesday will make him a strong contender to start the match as well. The Croatian striker is an excellent finisher and could provide the deadly edge that Adebayor has been lacking in his past few matches.

In any case though, Adebayor is almost certain to start up front, whether it is on his own or alongside Walcott or Eduardo.

This match will be a difficult but entertaining one, with the two sides widely regarded as the best creative attacking teams in the Premiership. Arsenal's one-touch football should dominate the makeshift United midfield, but last year's champions will have dangerous chances on free kicks as many of their players are good in the air.

In the attacking third our forwards will not be winning many headers (due to the impressive presences of Ferdinand and Vidic) so we will have to do the usual ground-based passing that Arsenal is so well known for.

If we can silence Cristiano Ronaldo we should be able to scrape through with a win, so hopefully Flamini's work-rate will combine with the skill of our back four to keep the winger at bay. If we manage to do that, I think we can come out 2-1 winners in this important match.

Poll Results: Fabregas is the best midfielder in the Premiership

Well, poll results are in, and 68% of you Arsenal fans thought that Cesc Fabregas was the best midfielder in the Premiership right now. It's good to see our young Spaniard topping the list over some stiff competitors like last seasons player of the year Cristiano Ronaldo, and England legend Steven Gerrard.

Results:
Cesc Fabregas - 68%
Cristiano Ronaldo - 9%
Frank Lampard - 6%
Steven Gerrard - 14%
Mikel Arteta - 3%

I'm not surprised to see Fabregas winning this one, considering that he has scored four Premier League goals already this season. The midfield maestro has contributed an additional 5 league assists, helping Arsenal to their first place spot.

Unsurprisingly, the 20 year-old also helped himself to a second Player of the Month award over at Arsenal.com, scooping up the honor with 48% of the votes, far ahead of second placed Emmanuel Adebayor with just under 29%.

In his current form, the young Spaniard could be the best player in the world. He is one of the few irreplaceable members of the Arsenal squad, and I look forward to a good game from him on Sunday against Sunderland.