Chelsea vs. Arsenal: Match Preview

The Premier League's second and third placed sides will face off on Sunday as a day of giant battles concludes. North London rivals Arsenal and Chelsea are separated by only two points after a recent slump in the Gunners form, and the Blues could leapfrog the Gunners if they win on Sunday. Manchester United, who sit one place and three points ahead of Arsenal, play Liverpool at Old Trafford earlier the same day.

Arsenal have drawn their last four league games, falling from five points ahead of United to three points behind in four weeks, and would be seen as very long shots to win the title if they fall a further three points behind on Sunday. Although they are short on confidence, the Gunners have proven their worth in big games, beating holders AC Milan in the Champions League in between draws with Aston Villa and Wigan.

Chelsea have won three of their last four games, defeating West Ham, Derby, and Sunderland. The Blues will be gutted after failing to draw level with Arsenal on points against Tottenham midweek, though. Despite leading the game three times (once by a two goal margin) Avram Grant's side was denied three points by a late goal from Robbie Keane. Chelsea will also remember that Arsenal came out 1-0 winners in the reverse fixture at the Emirates this season, and that Arsenal were the last side to defeat the Blues at the fortress that is Stamford Bridge.

Neither team has too many injuries to worry about. Arsenal will be missing Abou Diaby, Tomas Rosicky, and Eduardo da Silva. Chelsea are likely to be without number one goalkeeper Petr Cech, but have a strong replacement in Carlo Cudicini. Former Gunners striker Nicolas Anelka is also a slight doubt with a minor hamstring injury.

The Arsenal squad is likely to remain unchanged from the side that drew 1-1 with Middlesbrough last week.

Manuel Almunia will remain in goal, behind a defensive line of Bacary Sagna, Kolo Toure, William Gallas, and Gael Clichy. The back line will have a busy day against the likes of Joe Cole, Didier Drogba, and maybe even Nicolas Anelka. The defenders will also have to be strong in defense against set pieces with Frank Lampard a threat in dead-ball situations.

In the midfield Mathieu Flamini will be the invisible wall in front of the back four while Cesc Fabregas and Alex Hleb try to break through the Chelsea defense with their deft passing. Emmanuel Eboue is likely to feature on the right, although he could be replaced by Theo Walcott after an ineffective performance against Boro. The midfield holds the key to victory in this game, and if our midfielders can hold their own against Lampard, Ballack, and Cole, we should be able to win the game.

Emmanuel Adebayor and Robin van Persie will start up front again, with the Dutchman finally approaching match-fitness. Hopefully both strikers will regain their form in this game, as a stalwart Chelsea defense which includes former Gunner (C)ashley Cole, Ricardo Carvalho, and John Terry is unlikely to gift many goals.

Sunday's games could be hugely influential in deciding this season's title-winners. If Arsenal can overcome their lack of confidence against the Blues, I believe that they can end Chelsea's unbeaten home record this season. I predict that the Gunners will come out 1-0 victors in a tight game.

Champions League Draw: Arsenal Draw Liverpool

Arsenal failed to avoid Premier League opposition by drawing last year's finalists Liverpool in the Champions League Quarterfinal Draw. The mouthwatering all-English tie is the most competitive of the quarterfinals.

The draw means that Arsenal face a tough three weeks, their next six fixtures looking particularly daunting. In addition to facing Liverpool three times in one week, Arsenal will face off against Chelsea and Manchester United in the next three weeks. The Gunners next six games look like this: at Chelsea, at Bolton, Liverpool, Liverpool, at Liverpool, at Manchester United.

Even with the returns of Kolo Toure and Robin van Persie, Arsenal will have a tough time keeping their squad fit during such an important series of games, and Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger may even resort to rotating some of his key players.

Nonetheless, Wenger believes that his team have what it takes to knock Liverpool out of the Champions League, citing the fact that they have already knocked out holders AC Milan.

"Let's give our best," said the manager, "We showed against Milan that when we are at our best we can beat anyone. We just knocked Milan out, who were the holders. That was a big hurdle.

"Now we have the finalists on our route - so why can't we do it again?"

Arsenal fans will be happy to have avoided Premier League title rivals Manchester United and Chelsea, but disappointed not to have drawn foreign opposition. The Gunners are likely to face Chelsea in the next round, as the Blues drew Fenerbahce in the same half of the draw as Arsenal. If Manchester United can beat Roma and the winners of Barcelona and Schalke 04, Arsenal may play English teams for the remaining rounds of the competition.

The full quarterfinal draw:
AS Roma vs. Manchester United
Schalke 04 vs. Barcelona
Arsenal vs. Liverpool
Fenerbahce vs. Chelsea

Semifinals:
Roma/Manchester United vs. Schalke/Barcelona
Arsenal/Liverpool vs. Fenerbahce/Chelsea

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.

Results Go The Right Way, But Can Arsenal Run Away?

All of the results went the right way for Arsenal this weekend. Manchester City defeated Arsenal's nearest title rivals in a 2-1 victory at Old Trafford, while Liverpool held Chelsea to a goalless draw at the Stamford Bridge.

The results leave Arsenal two points ahead of United and five points ahead of Chelsea with a game in hand against both. A victory tomorrow against Blackburn would leave the league leaders a massive five points ahead of their nearest competition, with Chelsea eight points off the pace.

If Arsenal can seize this opportunity, Arsene Wenger's squad could be running away with the Premier League title this season.

One of the team's strongest assets is the maturity of its young players. Wenger was particularly complementary of Cesc Fabregas, who at the tender age of 20 is the linchpin in Arsenal's dominating midfield.

"They are all more mature now," said the Arsenal boss. "Cesc is committed and you always like your players to have a winning attitude.

"Sometimes it can go a little bit over the top, but Cesc has behaved remarkably well this season - I cannot remember one incident.

"There was maybe a stage, for about six months, where he went a bit the wrong way - but he corrected that very well, without any special management from me.

"If I feel that the players aren't managing to do it themselves then I will help them to do it. But in his case, there was no need. He apologized and from then on there have been no problems with him.

"He is so intelligent that he realized that is not the way he wanted to go."

Let's hope that Cesc's maturity can inspire our injury-ravaged team to a win at Blackburn tomorrow!

FA Cup Draw: Manchester United To Host Arsenal

Arsenal will travel to Old Trafford in February to face their title-rivals Manchester United in the fifth round of the FA Cup. The draw was as tough as it could get for the two sides, who sit at the top of the Premier League with only goal differential separating Alex Ferguson's squad from Arsene Wenger's.

Only six Premier League sides are left in the last sixteen of the FA Cup, and the other four managed to avoid drawing each other, with Chelsea facing Huddersfield Town and Liverpool clashing with Barnsley. Portsmouth and Middlesbrough will travel to Preston North End and Sheffield United respectively.

Arsene Wenger will no doubt be disappointed to have drawn the toughest team in the competition but neutrals' mouths will be watering with the prospect of another clash between this season's top Premier League title challengers.

Unfortunately for Arsenal, the clash comes only four days before the Gunners host Italian giants AC Milan in the Champions League, meaning that Arsene Wenger may face some tough player decisions or risk having fatigue lessen the effectiveness of his players.

Nevertheless, the game should be one of the highlights of the season.


The FA Cup Fifth Round Draw

Bristol Rovers vs. Southampton
Cardiff City vs. Wolverhampton Wanderers
Sheffield United vs. Middlesbrough
Liverpool vs. Barnsley
Manchester United vs. Arsenal
Preston North End vs. Portsmouth
Coventry City vs. West Bromwich Albion
Chelsea vs. Huddersfield Town

FA Cup Draw: Arsenal To Play Newcastle

Arsenal avoided an FA Cup meeting with one of the big four, but will still face a Premier League side in the form of 11th placed Newcastle United, if the Magpies manage to beat Stoke City in their third round replay.

The Gunners have already faced Newcastle twice this season, drawing in the league and winning in the Carling Cup. If the Magpies defeat Stoke City on the 16th, it means that they will have to travel to the Emirates twice in one week, as the FA Cup fourth round is meant to be played on the 26th, and Arsenal are to face Newcastle in the Premier League on the 29th.

The draw is fairly favorable for Arsenal as they won't have to face any of the big four, although Newcastle are one of the better sides still in the competition.

The FA Cup draw:
Arsenal v Stoke City/Newcastle
Coventry v Walsall/Millwall
Oldham v Huddersfield Town
Swindon/Barnet v Fulham/Bristol Rovers
Wigan v Chelsea
Luton/Liverpool v Swansea/Havant & Waterlooville
Southend v Barnsley
Southampton v Norwich/Bury
Man Utd v Tottenham/Reading
Portsmouth v Plymouth
Derby/Sheff Wed v Preston
Watford v Wolves
Peterborough v Charlton/West Brom
Sheff Utd v West Ham/Man City
Mansfield v Middlesbrough
Tranmere/Hereford v Cardiff

Arsenal To Face Tottenham In Carling Cup Semifinals

Arsenal will face North London rivals Tottenham Hotspur in the semifinals of the Carling Cup for the second season running. The other semifinal will be a tough contest between Everton and Chelsea.

Arsenal made it through to the semifinals after a thrilling 3-2 victory over Blackburn Rovers, while Tottenham barely had to fight to defeat Manchester City, despite playing 70 minutes with 10 men after the sending off of Didier Zokora.

The Gunners defeated their bitter rivals 5-3 on aggregate last season, drawing the away leg 2-2 before defeating Spurs 3-1 at the Emirates after two extra time goals from Jeremie Aliadiere and Tomas Rosicky. They crashed out of the cup in the finals after losing to Jose Mourinho's Chelsea.

Arsenal have already defeated Tottenham once this season, and face them again in only three days.

The last Premier League fixture between the two sides was an emphatic Arsenal victory at White Heart Lane. The Gunners were trailing early after a Gareth Bale free kick, but pulled back to take home three points thanks to a double from Emmanuel Adebayor and a goal from Cesc Fabregas.

The home and away fixtures mean that Arsenal will be playing Tottenham three times over the span of the month.

Blackburn vs. Arsenal: Match Review

Ten-man Arsenal defeated Blackburn 3-2 in extra time, after a tense 120 minutes at Ewood Park. The Gunners gained an early lead thanks to Abou Diaby and Eduardo, but Blackburn came back through a Roque Santa Cruz brace. Neves Denilson was sent off during second half stoppage time, but Arsenal's youngsters showed great character as Eduardo bagged his second during the first half of extra time to propel the Gunners to victory after a titanic clash.

Arsenal will now have to face either Tottenham, Everton, or the winner of Chelsea and Liverpool as Arsene Wenger's fringe players try to reach the finals of the competition for the second year running.

Lineups:
Blackburn: Brad Friedel; Ryan Nelsen, Christopher Samba, Steven Warnock, Steven Reid; David Bentley, David Dunn, Morten Gamst Pederson, Robbie Savage; Matt Derbyshire, Roque Santa Cruz

Arsenal: Lukasz Fabianski; Justin Hoyte, Alex Song, Philippe Senderos, Armand Traore; Neves Denilson, Lassana Diarra, Abou Diaby, Mark Randall ;Nicklas Bendtner, Eduardo

The away team looked like a full senior squad, rather than a group of youngsters. A brilliant interplay of passes saw Arsenal on top after only 6 minutes when Abou Diaby's first-touch shot beat Brad Friedel at close range.

The traveling fans almost had more to cheer for only 3 minutes later when Nicklas Bendtner, who made a good case for his inclusion in Arsenal's senior side today, saw a shot rattle off the crossbar after a neat one-two with Diaby.

After a long period of Arsenal domination, Blackburn rallied back and twice tested 22 year-old Lukasz Fabianski in goal. The Pole made two good looking saves before Arsenal doubled their lead in the 29th minute.

Christopher Samba should have cleared away Neves Denilson's smart pass, but completely missed the ball instead. The Blackburn defender could only watch on in horror as Eduardo latched on to the pass and calmly slotted home to give Arsenal a two goal lead.

Blackburn rallied back though, giving Arsenal a tough time towards the end of the first half, and grabbed their first goal through Roque Santa Cruz in the 42nd minute, when the Paraguayan striker met Matt Derbyshire's cross in the penalty box.

The strike set the tone for the second half, which saw some desperate Arsenal defending.

With Blackburn on the ascendancy, it looked to be only a matter of time before the Rovers came up with an equalizer.

Mark Randall was booked for a tackle on Stephen Warnock around the hour mark, as David Bentley set up a free kick. The former Arsenal boy's ball was once again met by Santa Cruz who scored his second of the night with his head.

With half an hour left to play, the game could have gone either way, but despite a large number of chances on both sides, neither could break the deadlock, and to the pleasure of the onlookers the game looked destined for extra time.

Neves Denilson was sent off on the stroke of full time after a two-footed tackle on David Dunn, leaving a dejected Arsenal squad happy to hear the whistle.

Extra time started badly for Arsenal as substitute Nacer Barazite fell awkwardly and had to be taken off in a stretcher with a dislocated shoulder. The Dutchman was replaced by the much-hyped Fran Merida in the 100th minute.

Arsenal's luck got better soon after.

In the 104th minute of extra time a brilliant pass from an unlikely source reached Eduardo in the penalty box. Despite being fatigued, the Croatian striker beat Brad Friedel from 16 yards out, giving Arsenal scapegoat Alex Song an unlikely assist to top off an excellent performance from the center back.

Soon after Eduardo's goal, the former Dinamo Zagreb man was taken off after both of his legs cramped up at once. It was a good move, as he was so tired he could barely celebrate after his goal.

Kieran Gibbs played the last 20 minutes of the match, but nothing mattered any more, as Arsenal once again weathered a flurry of Blackburn attacks before finally hearing the final whistle.

The match was one of the most entertaining games I've seen in quite a while, and bodes well for Arsenal's future. These kids could well beat Chelsea or Liverpool to the Carling Cup title.

Arsenal vs. Chelsea: Match Preview

Avram Grant's Chelsea travel to the Emirates to face cross-town rivals Arsenal this Sunday. The day's fixtures, which also see Manchester United face off against Liverpool, could very well decide which team is at the top of the table at the halfway point of the season.

Arsenal are in a bit of a rough patch of form right now, but a win over Steaua Bucharest in the midweek, in conjunction with the return of Abou Diaby and Robin van Persie, will ensure that the Gunners are confident coming in to this match.

The opposite is true of Chelsea. The Blues have won four of their last five Premier League matches, but an injury to last season's top scorer Didier Drogba, and a poor home draw against Valencia on Tuesday won't be doing much to boost morale over at the Stamford Bridge.

Both teams could see many players return from injury for the big London derby though, with Petr Cech, Florent Malouda, Ricardo Carvalho, and Paulo Ferreira all back in contention for the Blues. Didier Drogba will be sorely missed though, regardless of other players coming back.

Arsenal's van Persie and Diaby both came back into action in the midweek, and the squad could be further boosted by Cesc Fabregas, Alex Hleb, and Mathieu Flamini, all of whom Arsene Wenger could be willing to gamble on.

After resting some key players on Wednesday, Arsene Wenger will field a rejuvenated full-strength squad against Chelsea.

Manuel Almunia is likely to return in goal, after Jens Lehmann had a decent, but not spectacular, game against Steaua Bucharest.

In front of the Spaniard, Bacary Sagna, Kolo Toure, William Gallas, and Gael Clichy look set to deal with the blunted front line of Chelsea. They will still have their hands full in spite of Drogba's absence, as their London rivals can rely on Frank Lampard, Joe Cole, Anriy Shevchenko and many more of their players for goals.

If all three of Arsenal's midfielders are judged to be fit for the match Arsene Wenger's most likely lineup would include Tomas Rosicky, Cesc Fabregas, Mathieu Flamini and Alex Hleb. However, Abou Diaby will most likely feature if Fabregas or Hleb are out, although Neves Denilson could also see some time in the place of Fabregas. Either Gilberto or Lassana Diarra could deputize for Flamini.

Up front Arsenal will see their first-choice strikers in action together for the first time in months. Emmanuel Adebayor, who is currently tied with Cristiano Ronaldo as the Premier League's top scorer, will be especially dangerous in combination with the incredible Robin van Persie.

The two will have trouble breaking down a tough Chelsea defense though, but hopefully some spirited jeering will steer former Gunner Ashley Cole off-course. If Hleb and Fabregas are fit, our strikers should also be able to latch on to a large number of defense splitting passes.

Arsenal are in for a real challenge, but Chelsea are far less potent without Drogba, and I think the Gunners can win this one 2-1 to stay at the top of the Premiership regardless of other results.

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.

Tottenham Eat Veggies To Plug Leaky Defense

Anyone who read the papers over the summer knew the outcome of this Premier League season.

Derby were to be relegated along with two of your choices out of Fulham, Middlesbrough, Wigan, Sunderland or Birmingham. Manchester United were to pip the title with Liverpool and Chelsea fighting for second.

Dishearteningly to Arsenal fans, Tottenham were to take fourth, claiming England's final Champions League spot and relegating the Gunners to the UEFA Cup if they could beat off teams like Newcastle, Aston Villa, and Manchester City.

That tells you how much the pundits know.

After beating Wigan last weekend Arsenal are now three points clear at the top of the Premier League table with a game in hand against their nearest rivals, Manchester United. Chelsea and Liverpool are in fourth and fifth respectively, both behind Manchester City.

And Tottenham?

They've peaked at fourteenth. After spending much of the early season in the relegation zone, new boss Juande Ramos has brought them within one point of Fulham and Reading. It's not quite the season Spurs fans had envisioned.

The poor Tottenham defense has conceded 25 goals in 14 games, more than any other team in the Premiership other than Reading, Wigan, Middlesbrough, and Derby.

In fact, Tottenham have kept only five clean sheets in 20 games this season, holding ground only against the impressive opposition of Derby, Middlesbrough, Wigan, Blackpool, and Hapoel Tel-Aviv.

Perhaps best of all for Arsenal fans, Spurs kept up their losing streak against our brilliant young Gunners with a 1-3 loss to Arsenal at White Heart Lane.

You would think that the solution to Tottenhams problems would be to sell £16.5 million signing Darren Bent and go buy some defenders, a decent midfielder, and spend the rest on anybody they could pick up off the streets to replace Paul Robinson.

Spurs Chairman Daniel Levy didn't hire Juande Ramos to come up with conventional solutions though, and it seems that the board's trust is about to be repaid.

The former Sevilla manager (who has already had the experience of losing to Arsene Wenger's side at his old club) has come up with a brilliant solution to Tottenham's problems: vegetables.

That's right. Spurs will be implementing the newest form of team bonding, the diet.

Antonio Escribano has been hired by Tottenham to help enforce the diet, which is meant to improve the player's fitness levels.

I guess the diet isn't too bad of an idea either. I wouldn't mind seeing Tom Huddlestone take up a little less room on the pitch.

So what do you think, is Tottenham a football club or a cheerleading outfit?

Wenger: Arsenal kept reading in the Premiership

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has suggested that it was the Arsenal youth academy which kept Reading in the Premiership last season.

Reading currently have three former Arsenal youth academy players in their squad, one who is eligible to play against Arsenal tomorrow (James Harper) and two out on loan (Graham Stack and John Halls).

Last season, the Royals were reliant upon Harper and another former Gunner, Steve Sidwell, in the heart of their midfield.

Wenger, who has recently come under fire due to the lack of English players in his squad, has struck back at his detractors, claiming that while Theo Walcott may be the only English player at Arsenal, the club has strengthened the English national team by helping smaller teams along.

"The rule for success," he said, "is just live around Arsenal and pick off the players who do not make it completely and I promise you will have a very good team.

"There are very good players who will not all make it here but when they drop out they will still make a good team.

"Harper and Sidwell did not get in here because they had Petit and Viera and Edu in front of them. I think to force the clubs in England to have only English players in the side would be detrimental to the smaller clubs."He went on to discuss Sidwell personally: "I am happy if they have a good life. Sidwell was an important player for them because he had a good partnership with Harper.

"Sidwell's aim was to become a professional football player at a top team. He is. "If we have just contributed a little bit we are happy with that. We take the criticism, no problem.

"As a manager you want to have a positive influence on the life of your football players."

Personally, I feel like Arsene Wenger's job is to make Arsenal the best team it can be, not to strengthen the English national team. However, it must be noted that Arsenal's academy has brought through some bright young English talents.

Liverpool winger Jermaine Pennant, Blackburn midfielder David Bentley, West Ham defender Matthew Upson and Sunderland striker Anthony Stokes all graduated from the Arsenal youth academy.

Reading vs. Arsenal: Match Preview

Match Review

Arsene Wenger's top of the table Gunners will take on Steve Coppell's 12th placed Royals in the English Premier League this Monday.

Arsenal are unbeaten in 26 games, but their progress has been halted recently thanks to a 1-1 draw at Liverpool, a 2-2 draw with Manchester United, and a 0-0 draw at Slavia Prague. The Gunners will be looking to get back on track with a win at the Madejski.

Last season's Premiership newcomers are not to be taken lightly though, and although Reading is currently placed 12th, they nearly qualified for a UEFA Cup spot last season, and have European aspirations again this year despite the large influx of foreign players amongst their competition. They will be lacking some confidence though, having lost two of their three latest games (Blackburn 4-2 Reading, Reading 2-1 Newcastle, Fulham 3-1 Reading).

However, the Royals should take heart in the fact that Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger may not be fielding a full-strength side.

"I will change things around," said Wenger. "I don’t know by how much though. I left out eight players at Slavia and they are all capable to play again.

"We have just Van Persie injured now. Senderos is back in full training but we will not use him on Monday because he has not played at all. Rosicky is back and Toure is back. They had a good session today."

The team I would most like to see would have Manuel Almunia in goal behind Bacary Sagna, Kolo Toure, William Gallas, and Gael Clichy.

In the midfield Tomas Rosicky (who recently returned from injury) and Alex Hleb would play out on the wings while Cesc Fabregas and Mathieu Flamini would dictate play in the center of the pitch.

Up front Theo Walcott would partner Emmanuel Adebayor in the place of the injured Robin van Persie, making for a tough combination of pace and size.

Depending on the team we field the scoreline could vary greatly. I think that if Manchester United win against Blackburn on Sunday, Arsene Wenger will field a full-strength side, resulting in a 3-1 win. However, a less experienced side could result in a more closed game (like the midweek game in Prague) with Arsenal sneaking a 1-0 win. Either way, I expect Arsenal to win and stay at the top of the Premier League.

Senderos and van Persie boost for Gunners

Arsenal's leading goalscorer last season Robin van Persie should return to fitness in time for the Gunner's match against Wigan on November 24th. Philippe Senderos, an Arsenal center-back, should also be back in time for the match, although he is unlikely to start ahead of the likes of William Gallas and Kolo Toure.

Van Persie's return is a great boost for the Gunners, as we have lacked a confident striker in the past few matches, despite Emmanuel Adebayor's early brilliance this season.

The Togo international was guilty of missing lots of chances against both Liverpool and Manchester United, and could have - but didn't - score the winner in the 0-0 game against Slavia Prague on Wednesday after having been brought on as a substitute.

The lanky African has formed an impressive striking partnership with Robin van Persie though, and the Dutchman's return should spark a return to goalscoring for both of the strikers.

Unfortunately for Theo Walcott, Nicklas Bendtner, and Eduardo, the return of Arsene WEnger's first-choice striker should mean that Arsenal's other strikers will get fewer chances in upcoming months.

They will still have a chance to prove themselves against Reading though, in what should be the last game before van Persie returns. No performance would see one of the players replace van Persie, but if any of the three are able to significantly impact the game they might be in for some playing time coming off the subsitute's bench.

Slavia Prague vs. Arsenal: Match Preview

High-flying Arsenal travel to the capital of the Czech Republic this Wednesday to face the Gambrinus Liga leaders Slavia Prague. Arsenal beat Slavia 7-0 in the home fixture, but the Eastern European side has developed a reputation as one of the most difficult clubs to beat at home.

Arsenal will be looking to clinch a spot in the knockout rounds of the Champions League by coming home with a full three points, but Slavia, who are three points behind second-placed Sevilla, will be looking to deny them.

The Gunners will be confident of a victory following their draws against two of the biggest English teams in the Premier League and their incredible unbeaten record which stretches all the way back to April of 2006. Slavia have also been on a good run of form though, and they will be hoping to slay the British giants.

Arsene Wenger chose a 4-5-1 formation for both this weekend's 2-2 draw with Manchester United and last weekend's 1-1 draw at Liverpool. However, I feel like he will go with a 4-4-2 in Prague on Wednesday.

Almunia will most likely start in goal again, despite his decision making costing Arsenal a goal against United on the weekend.

In front of him will be Bacary Sagna, Kolo Toure, William Gallas, and Gael Clichy, who formed a tough defensive line against United and Liverpool.

Update: Kolo Toure did not travel to Prague, meaning that Gilberto is likely to start in central defense alongside Gallas.

The midfield against Liverpool and Manchester United consisted of Cesc Fabregas and Mathieu Flamini in the center of the pitch with Tomas Rosicky and Emmanuel Eboue on the wings. Alex Hleb was played in his favored position, in the hole between a lone Emmanuel Adebayor and Arsenal's other four midfielders.

Update: Tomas Rosicky, Alex Hleb, and Cesc Fabregas did not travel to Prague

However, Emmanuel Adebayor looked very unstable alone up front, and was once again guilty of missing chances. For that reason, Arsene Wenger may opt to play Theo Walcott or Eduardo da Silva up front alongside the lanky Togo striker, dropping Hleb to one of the wings and taking out either Eboue or Rosicky.

Whether we play a 4-4-2 or 4-5-1, Arsenal's midfield will be instrumental in creating goals. Alex Hleb's brilliant close control and laser targeted passing makes him a likely candidate to contribute assists or even goals, and Cesc Fabregas has already scored eleven goals in sixteen games this season. Tomas Rosicky also has a strong shot, and Emmanuel Eboue could provide Arsenal with another dimension by crossing balls across the face of goal for Emmanuel Adebayor.

Slavia will put up a fight and will be very physical, but I don't think they have what it takes to handle Arsenal's free-flowing style of play. Arsenal will boss around the midfield and should retain most of the possession, thereby creating lots of chances.

I predict a 3-0 win and an automatic spot in the knockout rounds.

Liverpool vs. Arsenal: Match Review

Match Preview

Liverpool brought an end to Arsenal's 12 game winning streak today, as the Gunners came back from a 1-0 deficit to draw 1-1. Cesc Fabregas' eightieth minute equalizer was enough to put Arsenal back on top of the Premier League with a game in hand, but next Saturday's fixture with Manchester United could see them fall off the top.

Rafa Benitez started with a rather unorthodox lineup which included three forwards, with the not yet match-fit Fernando Torres in the center and Dirk Kuyt and Andriy Voronin on the wings.

Arsene Wenger also played a different lineup than usual with Emmanuel Adebayor alone up front and Alex Hleb in the hole behind the Togo striker.

Lineups:
Liverpool: Jose Reina; Jamie Carragher, Steve Finnan, Sami Hyypia; Xabi Alonso, Steven Gerrard, Javier Mascherano, John Arne Riise; Dirk Kuyt, Andriy voronin, Fernando Torres

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

The game started with a clash between Cesc Fabregas and Andriy Voronin, resulting in the Ukraine striker picking up a yellow card. Arsenal's free kick was poor though, ending up at the feet of Xabi Alonso who raced towards Arsenal's 18-yard box. Once again, Fabregas was involved, tripping up his fellow Spaniard and resulting in a Steven Gerrard free kick.

The brilliant English midfielder made no mistakes in putting the ball through a hole in the Arsenal wall to put Liverpool ahead in the seventh minute.

Arsene Wenger will not be pleased by the way in which the goal was scored though. Arsenal's wall disintegrated in the face of Gerrard's free kick, leaving Manuel Almunia completely helpless to stop what should have been a blocked shot.

The Arsenal squad showed strength though, and kept fighting, showing great mental strength to muster up a dominating performance which left us unlucky not to have taken away a full three points.

Arsenal pressured Liverpool throughout the first half, with Liverpool lucky to make it into the second still ahead by a goal.

In the seventeenth minute Pepe Reina rushed out to deny Adebayor after a clever move down the right flank.

Liverpool still had their own chances as well, as Steven Gerrard saw a pacy long range shot palmed over the bar spectacularly by Manuel Almunia. The Spanish keeper played wonderfully today making 6 saves, a few of which were of the quality to be expected from a first-choice Arsenal goalkeeper. While I was strongly against using him ahead of Jens Lehmann, I am finally starting to gain some faith.

Arsenal had one more good chance before the end of the first half, as a deflected shot from Emmanuel Adebayor looked as though it would sneak past a wrong-footed Reina. Unfortunately for the Gunners, the keeper recovered just in time to stop the lanky front man from scoring.

Fernando Torres was taken off at the beginning of the second half, as the young striker had looked short of match-fitness all night, following his return from injury. In came Peter Crouch, who, along with Gerrard, seemed like the only one who might be capable of scoring an insurance goal for the Merseysiders.

The tall English striker nearly fired Liverpool further ahead soon after the break, but once again a fine save from Manuel Almunia kept Arsenal in the running.

It was Arsenal who then came close to going ahead. Emmanuel Eboue (who had once again been almost invisible for most of the game) took a shot which ricocheted off Reina's right post. The rebound fell to Fabregas who miraculously fired off target in front of an open goal.

In the sixty-fourth minute Arsenal supporters suffered a scare as a Xabi Alonso header flew goalwards following another Gerrard free kick. Fortunately, the ball had little power behind it, and Kolo Toure managed to clear it off the line.

Liverpool had another chance ten minutes later as Dirk Kuyt saw his dipping volley go just inches above the crossbar.

It was getting late in the game, but Arsenal continued to play passionately, and Cesc Fabregas made up for his earlier miss by netting in the eightieth minute. A picture-perfect pass from Alex Hleb reached the 20 year-old midfielder in the box and he stretched to toe-poke the ball past the onrushing Reina, saving Arsenal a well-deserved point.

The goal gave Arsenal hope, and the Gunners came close to claiming a full three points when Fabregas hit the same post that Eboue had hit earlier in the half. Once again, the rebound fell to an Arsenal player, but this time substitute Nicklas Bendtner made a disgraceful miss.

Liverpool had one final chance to answer, as Peter Crouch sent countryman Steven Gerrard into the box. A last-minute tackle from William Gallas saved what would almost surely have been a goal though, and the game ended in a 1-1 draw.

Arsenal fans will be a bit disappointed that they weren't able to leave Anfield with the full three points after hitting the post twice. However, the way we played was enough to put us back on top of the Premiership and should give our squad some confidence before hosting an injury-stricken Manchester United next weekend.

Liverpool vs. Arsenal: Match Preview

Match Review

Here it is, Arsenal's first real testing match of the Premier League season. We are currently on top of the league following a run of great form. With only two points dropped this season (at home to Blackburn after a Jens Lehmann clanger) we will be going to Anfield with plenty of confidence. Rafa Benitez's Liverpool side will not have the same morale though.

Whereas the Arsenal squad find themselves on a run of twelve straight victories, and come off of a 7-0 midweek win over Slavia Prague, Liverpool come into this match with only one victory in the month of October. The Merseyside team, which is currently in fourth in the Premiership, suffered a humiliating 2-1 defeat at Besiktas on Wednesday, and have also drawn with Tottenham (who Arsenal defeated 3-1) and lost to Marseillie 1-0 this month. Their only win of October came against their arch-rivals Everton, and even that came only after many favorable calls (a doubtable penalty, as well as two penalty shouts for Everton).

In terms of injuries Liverpool are also slightly worse off. Missing out will be Harry Kewell, Daniel Agger, and most importantly new signing Fernando Torres. Liverpool will find it tough to crack a thus far watertight Arsenal defense without the young Spaniard.

Arsenal are also missing their top striker, Robin van Persie, who was injured on international duty with the Netherlands. The only other injury to Arsene Wenger's squad is Philippe Senderos, who was unlikely to start anyway.

Wenger's lineup will almost certainly feature Manuel Almunia in goal again, and I have to say, I am starting to gain some confidence in the man.

In front of Almunia will be Bacary Sagna, Kolo Toure, William Gallas, and Gael Clichy. Our back line has been solid so far this season (conceding only 6 goals in all competitions, with two being Lehmann blunders) so I don't think that we should concede many goals, even against a quality Liverpool side.

The midfield will once again be a bit tough to predict, but I once again suspect that Arsene Wenger may drop Emmanuel Eboue in favor of Tomas Rosicky. On the other wing will be Alex Hleb (who was instrumental in the 7-0 dismantling of Slavia) and in the center will be the effective partnership of Cesc Fabregas and Mathieu Flamini. While Liverpool have an impressive midfield lineup (especially Steven Gerrard) I think that Arsenal should be in control for most of the action in the middle of the pitch. Fabregas and Hleb are masterful passers, and Flamini's tough tackling will keep pressure on the Merseysiders. Fabregas, Hleb, and Rosicky will all be potent goal threats, and Hleb, if he plays again like he did against Slavia, will wreak havoc on the Liverpool defense.

Up front, Emmanuel Adebayor will partner either Theo Walcott or Eduardo. Walcott would be my preferred choice, as he was electrifying on Tuesday. However, Eduardo is also a threat, and with goals hopefully coming from midfield I don't know how much help we'll need up front.

Arsenal's offensive players can run rings around even the likes of Jamie Carragher, Sami Hyypia, and Steven Finnan. For that reason, we should be able to create lots of chances, and if Adebayor manages to take a few of his shots well, he should be able to score at least once. With goals also coming from midfield, I think that we will be able to get two past a tough Liverpool defense.

The Liverpool attack has also looked decidedly blunt without Fernando Torres. I think the Reds will step up against the quality opposition provided by our youngsters though, so we will have to look out for Steven Gerrard, Dirk Kuyt, and Andrei Voronin.

This game (and next weekend's game against Manchester United) will be the defining point of our season, and if we manage to win, we can finally silence the pessimists among football pundits. Liverpool will be a stern test, but I believe we can win this one 2-1, with Liverpool's goal coming from a Steven Gerrard set piece.