Wigan vs. Arsenal: Match Preview

Arsenal travel to the JJB Stadium this Sunday to face off against relegation-threatened Wigan. Steve Bruce's Latics, who are currently 14th in the Premier League, would consider any point(s) taken from their clash against the league leaders a good haul, but will face an uphill battle against the impressive Gunners. Arsenal currently sit at the top of the Premier League table, one point ahead of last season's champions, Manchester United.

Wigan are on a run of decent home form, having won their last two home games against West Ham and whipping boys Derby, after losing 2-1 to Everton and Chelsea. The Latics also held Manchester City to a goalless draw last week, although they lost to Sunderland last month.

Arsenal's recent league form is nothing spectacular, with draws against Aston Villa and Birmingham narrowing the Gunners' buffer at the top of the table to a solitary point. The Gunners have won only one of their last five games, defeating AC Milan midweek after drawing with Birmingham, Villa, and Milan, and losing to Manchester United in the FA Cup.

The Gunners will be high on morale after defeating European champions Milan in the Champions League, becoming the first English side to defeat the Italian giants at the San Siro in European competition. An impressive showing from all of Arsenal's young stars in Italy was capped by a superb solo goal from Cesc Fabregas and a stoppage-time second from Emmanuel Adebayor.

The Arsenal squad will also be boosted by the returns of Robin van Persie, Tomas Rosicky, and Kolo Toure; all of whom could feature against Wigan. Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger will still be without Johan Djourou, Alex Song, and Eduardo.

Only two Wigan players, Ryan Taylor and Erik Hagen, are injury doubts, although both could feature against the mighty Gunners.

Manuel Almunia will start in goal for the Gunners behind a fairly solid back four of Bacary Sagna, William Gallas, Philippe Senderos, and Gael Clichy. Although Kolo Toure may be fit in time for the clash, Wenger is unlikely to risk starting the Ivorian against team with as little goalscoring threat as Wigan.

Mathieu Flamini, Cesc Fabregas, and Alex Hleb are all likely to start in midfield although the final spot (or two spots, depending on Wenger's formation) is less easy to decide. Emmanuel Eboue or Theo Walcott could be played on the right or left wings respectively, with Alex Hleb playing as a second striker behind Emmanuel Adebayor. Alternatively, Tomas Rosicky, if fully fit, could feature in place of either Walcott or Eboue.

If Robin van Persie is fit, Arsene Wenger will likely play his team in a 4-4-2 leaving out either Eboue or Walcott and moving Hleb out to one of the wings. Van Persie is unlikely to start, though, as he is most likely not yet match fit. Emmanuel Adebayor is a sure starter up front, and Wenger may even play him alongside Nicklas Bendtner against a Wigan squad which lacks in firepower.

Arsenal defeated Wigan 2-0 earlier in the season, and should do even better this time around. Full of confidence, the Gunners will be expected to rout the Latics. I predict a 3-0 win for the visitors.

Arsenal vs. AC Milan: Match Preview

UEFA Champions League Champions AC Milan travel to the Emirates this Wednesday to face Premier League leaders Arsenal in a clash of giants. Arsenal will be looking to leverage their home advantage before a tough second leg at the San Siro while Milan will be searching for a few crucial away goals.

Both teams suffered disappointing results over the weekend, with Arsenal on the receiving end of a 4-0 drubbing at the hands of Manchester United, while AC Milan failed to score in a boring 0-0 draw with lowly Parma. Carlo Ancelotti and Arsene Wenger will both be hoping to bounce back from their poor showings over the weekend.

Injuries to both teams will hamper their playing ability though, with Arsenal missing Robin van Persie, Johan Djourou, Denilson, and possibly Manuel Almunia, Abou Diaby, and Tomas Rosicky. Milan will be without Ronaldo, Dida and Serginho, while Pato and Zeljko Kalac are injury doubts.

Arsenal are likely to line up with Manuel Almunia in goal if he is fit, although Arsene Wenger has an able goalkeeping replacement in Jens Lehman.

Gael Clichy, Bacary Sagna, William Gallas, and Kolo Toure will make up the Gunners defensive lineup. The defense will have their hands full with last season's player of the year Kaka and important strikers Pato and Filippo Inzaghi keeping them busy.

The Gunners strength will come from their midfield, an area of the field where Cesc Fabregas and Alex Hleb will attempt to get past Gennaro Gattuso while Mathieu Flamini will try to keep Kaka and Clarence Seedorf quiet. Either Gilberto Silva or Emmanuel Eboue is likely to grab the fourth and final starting berth in midfield.

Up front top scorer Emmanuel Adebayor will be looking to score yet again. The Togo striker has already scored 19 goals in the Premier League this season, and will be looking to add to his tally against Milan. Croatian striker Eduardo is likely to join Adebayor up front, although Nicklas Bendtner may make a substitute appearance if Arsenal need more firepower against the second best defense in Italy.

Arsenal have only lost a single game at home since moving to the Emirates Stadium last season, and Milan will have a tough time breaking a record. I predict that Arsenal will win 2-0, granting the young Gunners a lead ahead of the second leg in Milan.

**Note: I will be out of town until February 26th, so this will be my last post for a little over a week**

Arsenal vs. Tottenham: Match Review

Arsenal completed the double over arch-rivals Tottenham Hotspur as they escaped from a nervy encounter with three points. The Gunners, who were heavy favorites to win the match despite Tottenham's recent resurgence, went a goal up just after halftime when Emmanuel Adebayor scored his tenth league goal of the season, but Dimitar Berbatov levelled in the 66th. Robbie Keane then saw a penalty fabulously saved by Manuel Almunia before substitute Nicklas Bendtner headed in with his first touch of the match to give Arsenal a 2-1 victory.

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

Tottenham: Paul Robinson; Young-Pyo Lee, Younes Kaboul, Pascal Chimbonda, Teemu Tainio; Kevin-Prince Boateng, Jamie O'Hara, Steed Malbranque, Aaron Lennon; Robbie Keane, Dimitar Berbatov

Arsenal rushed out of the gates, with Mathieu Flamini hooking a volley just off target in the second minute.

Spurs were trying their best to contain Arsenal and play on the break, but Kolo Toure still managed to get onto a Cesc Fabregas free kick, but the ball fell tamely to Paul Robinson.

Tottenham were playing their game well though, and chances were hard to come by for both sides.

Robinson finally made his first real save in the 33rd minute when Emmanuel Eboue took a shot at the England stopper's right goalpost.

The game began to liven up as half time approached with Almunia saving a free kick from Dimitar Berbatov and Kevin-Prince Boateng curling an effort just over the Spaniard's crossbar.

Toure once again got on the end of a Fabregas free kick just before half time, but Paul Robinson was equal to his effort again, and the half time whistle sounded with the teams level.

The second half was much more lively.

Cesc Fabregas' cheeky backheel met Emmanuel Adebayor in the penalty area only minutes after the second half started, and the tall Togo striker finished well, curling the ball past Robinson, putting him on top of the Premier League's scoring chart this season.

Robbie Keane volleyed into the crossbar after meeting a cross from Aaron Lennon in the 65th minute, as Tottenham looked to equalize.

The equalizer came only a minute later after Keane backheeled to Berbatov who finished neatly past Mathieu Flamini and Kolo Toure at the near post.

Berbatov was involved again when Kolo Toure brought the Bulgarian down in the penalty area. Keane stepped up, but Almunia dove the right way to brilliantly deny Tottenham a second goal.

Arsene Wenger then sent Nicklas Bendtner on for Emmanuel Eboue and Arsenal were immediately rewarded.

In the 74th minute Nicklas Bendtner rose unmarked in the box to head past Paul Robinson with his first touch in the game. There could be no better way to endear oneself to Arsenal fans than scoring the winner in the North London derby, and the 19 year-old Dane seems like he may have himself quite a future at the Emirates.

Bendtner nearly set up Adebayor for a third, but the striker was muscled off of the ball.

Adel Taraabt then had a penalty shout dismissed by referee Rob Styles who blew the final whistle soon after.

Arsenal vs. Tottenham: Match Preview

League leaders Arsenal take on 12th place Tottenham in the second North London derby of the season as the Gunners try to stay clear of Manchester United.

Arsenal beat Spurs 3-1 at White Heart Lane after coming back from a goal deficit. Tottenham will be trying to get revenge this time around at the Emirates, but will have a tough time, with the Gunners on a fine run of form.

Arsene Wenger's team beat Chelsea last weekend and Blackburn midweek, capping off a remarkable run of games after having initially struggled following a loss to Sevilla. The Gunners, who are still undefeated at home, are also sporting a virtually clean bill of health, with Theo Walcott the only doubt.

Tottenham have also been playing well though, defeating Manchester City twice and Portsmouth once in their past three games. It seems that Juande Ramos' appointment may finally be having the correct effect.

Spurs are missing Gareth Bale, their goalscorer in the 3-1 loss at White Heart Lane, as well as Benoit Essou-Ekotto, but Anthony Gardner should be fit in time for Saturday. Ledley King could also see his first action in the Premier League after a long injury layoff.

Arsenal will field their full-strength lineup for the first time in quite a while this Saturday, and the team picks itself.

Manuel Almunia will start in goal, high on confidence after an impressive performance against Chelsea last week.

In front of him Bacary Sagna, Kolo Toure, William Gallas, and Gael Clichy will try to stop the likes of Robbie Keane and Dimitar Berbatov.

The Arsenal midfield, which should boss around Spurs in the center of the park, will include Tomas Rosicky, Cesc Fabregas, Mathieu Flamini, and Alex Hleb.

Up front lanky Togo striker Emmanuel Adebayor will be joined by his preferred strike partner Robin van Persie for the first time since the Dutchman picked up an injury on international duty with the Netherlands. The pair were prolific before van Persie's injury, and will be hoping to reach their prior form again on Saturday.

Although the return of Ledley King could plug a leaky Tottenham defense, a full-strength Arsenal side will be tough to deal with at home, and I can't see Spurs going home with any points. I say 2-0 to Arsenal.

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.

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.

Arsenal vs. Slavia Prague: Match Preview

Match Review

Group H leaders Arsenal take on third-placed Slavia Prague at the Emirates this coming Tuesday. Arsenal will be confident coming into this match, having won eleven straight games in all competitions. A 2-0 win over Bolton Wanderers this past Saturday will do nothing to ruin their morale.

Arsenal would do well not to underestimate the Czech team though. Slavia currently top the table in the Czech league, having collected 25 points out of a possible 30 this season. Slavia are 9 points ahead of Sparta Prague, the team that Arsenal defeated 3-0 to qualify for the Champions League group stage. While they may have lost their last Champions League game (a 4-2 defeat at Sevilla) Slavia do have a bit of pedigree as giant-killers. The Prague team defeated Dutch giants Ajax Amsterdam home and away to qualify for the tournament.

However, the Czechs will have to play very well to defeat a nearly full-strength Arsenal squad. Arsenal's only missing players will be Phillipe Senderos and Robin van Persie, and while the loss of the Dutch striker will be lamented, Senderos was unlikely to start anyways, due to the return of William Gallas.

Arsene Wenger's lineup is likely to be nearly the same as that which played Bolton, with only one switch likely - Tomas Rosicky may start over Emmanuel Eboue.

That means that Manuel Almunia will probably start in goal, with the benched goalie being either Jens Lehmann or Lukasz Fabianski.

In front of Almunia will be Arsenal's starting backline of Bacary Sagna, Kolo Toure, William Gallas, and Gael Clichy. I can't foresee our defense having any difficulty in keeping the Slavia strikers at bay, and if Kolo Toure can strike a free kick against Slavia the same way he did against Bolton, we may not even miss Robin van Persie.

The most likely midfield lineup (and the best in my opinion) would be Cesc Fabregas and Mathieu Flamini in the middle, with Tomas Rosicky and Alex Hleb on the flanks. The Czech national team captain is likely to start over Emmanuel Eboue who struggled to have an impact on Saturday and seems to be losing his place in the Arsenal side. Other options in the midfield include Abou Diaby, Gilberto, and Lassana Diarra; but while Diaby and Gilberto may get some time as substitutes I don't see either of them starting.

Arsenal's impressive midfield lineup should boss around Slavia's midfielders, and I wouldn't be surprised to see some goals coming from the midfield. More likely to score though, would be our front line.

Up front Arsene Wenger still has many options despite the loss of Robin van Persie due to injury. Emmanuel Adebayor and Eduardo started against Bolton on Saturday, and are the most likely candidates to start on Tuesday as well. However, Arsenal's young starlet Theo Walcott has been pushing for a starting berth as a striker, and Nicklas Bendtner will be looking for some action up front as well. No matter who plays, if Sevilla was able to put four past them, we should be able to score a few of our own...

While I urge Arsenal fans not to be too overconfident in this fixture, I do feel that we are heavy favorites both to win this game, and head the group in qualifying for the knockout stages. I'd guess we win this one 2-0.

Arsenal vs. Sunderland: Match Preview

Match Review

Arsenal will look to extend their 9 game winning streak even further this Sunday as they take on newly-promoted Sunderland at the Emirates. Roy Keane's fifteenth place team will be lucky to get any points out of this game, and will likely play with many men behind the ball.

Arsenal's physio room had a nice day on Wednesday as nobody was injured in the 1-0 win over Steau Bucharest, and only the long term injury sufferers are still out. Alex Hleb and Emmanuel Eboue returned in the midweek, and Jens Lehmann, William Gallas, Tomas Rosicky, and Alex Song have all returned to training, although none of them are match-fit yet, and they are therefore unlikely to feature on Sunday. Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has only one injured player this match. Eduardo, who is out with an ankle injury, would have been unlikely to feature anyways thanks to the fine form of Emmanuel Adebayor and Robin van Persie.

The back line will probably be the same that we have seen in the past few games, with Manuel Almunia in goal behind Bacary Sagna, Kolo Toure, Philippe Senderos, and Gael Clichy. I can't see our defenders having any real problems against Kenwyne Jones and Michael Chopra, although they will have to watch out for Sunderland's promising young attacking midfielder, Grant Leadbitter.

In the center of the field, Wenger will likely opt to play Cesc Fabregas and Mathieu Flamini in the central midfield positions, despite Gilberto fighting for a place. The in-form midfielders will probably be assisted by Alex Hleb, although the last spot is more contested. Wenger may choose Emmanuel Eboue as he did against Steaua Bucharest, but he might also opt to play Abou Diaby or Theo Walcott. Even against the likes of Leadbitter, I expect our midfield to boss around the Black Cats, and we are likely to see most of the possession.

Up front, Wenger will not want to tamper with his fine striking pair of Emmanuel Adebayor and Robin van Persie. The Togo and Netherlands internationals will be expected to find the back of the net in what may end up being a high scoring game for Arsenal.

I have been predicting high scorelines recently (and I was wrong about West Ham and Steaua) but I'm going to have to go high again and say that we will win this game 3-0. Down with Roy Keane, up with Arsenal!

West Ham vs. Arsenal: Match Preview

Arsenal are set to play an exciting match on Saturday as they take on West Ham, the only team ever to beat Arsenal at the Emirates. West Ham are something of a bogey team for the Gunners, having won their last 4 Premiership meetings, and Arsenal will not be happy if they lose to recently departed Freddy Ljungberb. However, Arsene Wenger's boys will be heavy favorites to win this match, especially considering form that sees them undefeated in 17 games (since the loss to West Ham last season). Both teams have been performing well recently though, as Arsenal are in first, and West Ham not too far behind in seventh.

Arsene Wenger has told Arsenal.com that Alex Hleb may or may not be ready in time for Saturday. In other injury news, Emmanuel Eboue returned from injury against Newcastle, but probably won't feature on Saturday, as he is not match fit. Alex Song has also been added to the injury list, although he probably wouldn't have featured anyway. The other injured players are all still out, although Wenger did put something of a time frame on their returns.

Edit: Hleb is now fit but Eduardo is injured and Theo Walcott is set to be rested

“William Gallas is maybe a week or 10 days away,” said Wenger. “But I would not like to set a time on it really. As for Rosicky you can probably fix the date for Sunderland [next Sunday]. Jens Lehmann will be another week.”

Arsenal come off of the 5-0 defeat of Derby County last weekend and a 2-0 win over Newcastle in the Carling Cup on Tuesday. They will therefore be high in confidence - especially Emmanuel Adebayor and Cesc Fabregas, who have each scored 6 goals this season. Fabregas has scored a goal in each of his last 4 Premier League games and Adebayor recorded a hat-trick in the win over Derby.

Other starters will most likely include Bacary Sagna, Philippe Senderos, Kolo Toure, and Gael Clichy in the back line. It will be interesting to see who Wenger opts to play in the midfield, although Fabregas, Gilberto, Flamini, and Diaby are the most likely candidates if Hleb doesn't manage to return in time. Up front Arsene will most likely start Adebayor and van Persie, although Eduardo and Theo Walcott are also possibilities. Maybe we'll even see Nicklas Bendtner come off the bench.

Whoever we start, we should certainly be playing for a win, even against a bogey team. Craig Bellamy and Dean Ashton have been on decent form for the Hammers this season, but our defense shouldn't have too much trouble handling them if there are no errors from Senderos. We should get another clean sheet, and I expect a few goals from our side as well. I don't want to be too optimistic by predicting 3-0, so I'll go ahead and say that we should win 2-0, to stay at the top of the table.

Match Review

Arsenal vs. Derby: Match Review

Well, I thought that I was perhaps being too harsh on Derby by predicting a 4-0 Arsenal win, but the young guns proved me wrong, emphatically winning the game 5-0. Arsenal remain at the top of the table thanks to a hat-trick from Emmanuel Adebayor and goals from Cesc Fabregas and Abou Diaby.

Lineups:
Arsenal: Manuel Almunia; Bacary Sagna, Kolo Toure, Philippe Senderos, Gael Clichy; Abou Diaby, Cesc Fabregas, Mathieu Flamini; Theo Walcott, Eduardo da Silva, Emmanuel Adebayor

Derby: Stephen Bywater; Claude Davis, Andy Griffin, Dean Leacock, Tyrone Mears; Eddie Lewis, Matt Oakley, Stephen Pearson, Gary Teale; Steve Howard, Kenny Miller

Arsenal started strongly and should have been ahead in the 4th minute after an interception from Gael Clichy in the attacking third was followed up by an immaculate pass to Emmanuel Adebayor who failed to make contact with the ball, allowing the danger to pass.

The chance was a warning to the Derby defense, and it wasn't too long before it was followed up by a goal. Abou Diaby (who had a brilliant match today) ran past two challenges before unleashing a rising shot into the top right corner of the net. Diaby's 10th minute goal was a reminder of Arsenal's potent goalscoring midfielders, and all but doomed Derby right from the beginning.

Diaby almost netted a second only minutes later from a similar position, but this time his low shot was pushed away by Bywater. Adebayor also had a great chance on 23 minutes, but the Togolese striker once again failed to make significant contact with a pass (this time from Kolo Toure) and the ball was picked up by Bywater.

The lanky forward couldn't be held off for too long though, as he finally latched on to a fabulous pass from Cesc Fabregas and rounded Bywater to slot home in the 25th minute. At 2-0, and with Arsenal still pressuring Derby, the last 65 minutes of the game seemed a mere formality - but Arsenal continued to play attacking football.

Around the half hour mark, Theo Walcott tried a shot from 20 yards out, but missed well wide. Walcott wasted a chance when Fabregas threaded a ball through to him in the 32nd. The shot went straight at Bywater who picked it up after fumbling. Walcott made some dazzling runs throughout the game, but his final ball (and his shot) left something to desire. Still, he's quite a talent, and I can't wait for him to live up to his potential.

Arsenal nearly went into the second half 3-0, but a 44th minute header from Eduardo was equaled by a brilliant save from Stephen Bywater who had otherwise looked fairly average so far.

A 2-0 lead was enough to give Arsenal some confidence coming into the second half though, and in the 50th minute Eduardo was pulled by Matt Oakley in the 18 yard box, resulting in an Arsenal penalty. Bywater guessed right, but could do nothing to stop Adebayor from slotting home his second of the match.

6 minutes later Kolo Toure nearly netted his first of the season after he headed a cross from Fabregas just wide.

Derby then countered with their first real chance of the game, as Steve Howard shot just right of Almunia's upright.

A few minutes later a nice run from Theo Walcott saw him speed past two defenders only to once again lack the final touch, seeing his shot blocked. Arsenal looked sure to score a fourth though, and it came when Fabregas once again unleashed a fierce drive from 20 yards. Bywater got a hand to the ball, but couldn't prevent it from reaching the net, making it 6 goals in as many games for the midfield maestro.

Adebayor added another fabulous goal in the 80th minute to finish the rout, as he showed amazing control in chesting down a ball before slotting home from about 8 yards.

Arsenal have secured their spot at the top of the table, and Thierry Henry must be ruing his decision to move to Barca. Could this be another invincible year?

Tottenham vs. Arsenal: Match Review

Match Preview

Two stunning goals from Cesc Fabregas and Emanuel Adebayor helped Arsenal to overcome a 1-0 deficit and beat Tottenham 3-1 at White Heart Lane.

Arsene Wenger opted for a different lineup than I expected, opting to play Abou Diaby and Mathieu Flamini in the midfield alongside Fabregas and Alex Hleb. The defense was as expected, Kolo Toure and Gilberto at centre-back, with Gael Clichy on the left, Sagna on the right, and Almunia in goal. Up front Wenger opted to play Adebayor alongside Robin van Persie.

Arsenal started well, with Adebayor forcing a save out of England's number 1, Paul Robinson, in a Thierry Henry-like volley.

However, Spurs started better, with a goal from a Gareth Bale free kick after Gilberto made a clumsy tackle from behind on Dimitar Berbatov. This was not Gilberto's only error, as looked off color for most of the game, making several sloppy passes and making many positioning mistakes. The Brazilian captain had flown in from an international in Mexico just days earlier, so hopefully we can blame his performance on jet lag.

Adebayor nearly pulled one back straight away, again forcing Robinson (who made several great saves over the course of the game) to turn the ball around the post. Arsenal clearly wanted an equalizer, and with the lion's share of possession we had quite a few chances.

In the 25th minute a fabulous pass from Fabregas reached Alex Hleb on the edge of the penalty box. He looked sure to score, but the onrushing Robinson once again managed to save the shot.

Hleb made up for his weak shot with a moment of brilliance in which he dribbled through the Tottenham defense and laid the ball off to Abou Diaby, who's resulting shot hit the crossbar after having beaten Paul Robinson.

Towards the end of the second half, possession started to go more in Tottenham's favor, but there was always a feeling that Arsenal were dangerous, that we would convert one of our chances. However, the second half ended with Arsenal in a familiar position at 1-0 down.

The second half started with what looked to be a sure goal for Tottenham's Berbatov, but the Bulgarian striker had the ball torn off of his feet at the last minute by a game-saving tackle from Kolo Toure. Steed Malbranque had slipped the ball through to the feet of Tottenham's top scorer last season, and Manuel Almunia made a terrible mistake in coming out, but Toure saved his blushes with a perfectly timed tackle.

Adebayor then missed two golden opportunities at the other end. The first came after great work from Bacary Sagna, who cut a pass back only for Adebayor to fire over an almost open net. A few minutes later the Togolese striker was unable to win a one-on-one with Robinson as a perfectly timed dive once again stopped an equalizer.

He was not to be denied forever, though, and finally found the back of the net with a header off a Fabregas free kick.

Berbatov almost pulled out a winner off of a corner, with Gael Clichy blocking the ball on the line. The rebound once again fell to the Bulgarian, only for him to uncharacteristically head wide from only a few meters away.

It was Fabregas who pulled out the winner instead, powering the ball around Paul Robinson from a good 30 yards away after receiving a pass from Tomas Rosicky.

Darren Bent nearly canceled out the young Spaniard's strike, but shot horribly wide in a one-on-one with Almunia.

To compound the Spurs misery, Arsenal scored another in stoppage time. Adebayor, not to be outdone by Cesc Fabregas, whipped a superb volley past Paul Robinson in the 94th minute to seal the game.

A win against our arch-rivals to put us at the top of the table is enough to put any Arsenal fan in a good mood.

Tottenham vs Arsenal: Match Preview

Arsenal's return from an international break will begin this Saturday, September 15, as the gunners face Tottenham at White Heart Lane in the North London derby. The derby between these fierce rivals should be a good game, despite the Spurs abysmal start to the 2007/08 season.

Arsenal have begun the season well, coming into our 5th match tied on points with leaders Liverpool, despite having played a game less than Tottenham, Chelsea, and last years Barclay's Premier League champions, Manchester United. The only 2 points that Arsenal have dropped were due to an error from Jens Lehmann against Blackburn, and otherwise Arsenal have beaten Fulham, high-flying Manchester City, and Portsmouth.

Tottenham, who were supposedly going to challenge an Henry-less Arsenal for a Champions League spot this year, find themselves in 14th place, with only 4 points from 5 games. Arsenal should have an easy time defeating a team which has already lost to Sunderland, Everton, Manchester United, and drawn against Fulham. The only team that the Spurs have managed to beat is arguably the worst team ever to ply their trade in the Premiership, Derby.

Speaking of Derby, this is the first derby of the season for Arsene Wenger's boys, and the outcome here will be important in silencing critics of the young Arsenal squad. It could also be an important game for Martin Jol, as rumor has it that the Tottenham manager will be fired if he fails to win at White Heart Lane on Saturday. Justin Hoyte spoke out on how the players love this game, and the fans do as well, as a drubbing of the Spurs always cheers up an Arsenal fan.

Arsenal will be able to field a fairly complete squad on Saturday, with the only doubts being William Gallas, Emanuel Eboue, and Jens Lehmann. Philippe Senderos will also miss the match due to suspension after his red card in the game against Portsmouth. However, with Gilberto likely to start in a central defensive position and Bacary Sagna returning from injury at right-back, Arsenal shouldn't have too much defensive trouble.

A leaky Tottenham defense which is still missing Ledley King should prove to be Martin Jol's downfall, especially considering the recent scoring spree of Arsenal's midfielders. Jol may be forced to play a not-yet-fit Aaron Lennon in an attempt to score more goals, but I still doubt that Tottenham will score more than 1 goal. Classy Bulgarian Dimitar Berbatov will be the Spurs' greatest threat, but even he will have trouble scoring against an Arsenal defense that has let in only 2 goals in all competitions this season (both coming from Jens Lehmann blunders.)

I would like to see Eduardo start in his first North London derby, but even after scoring 3 international goals for Croatia during the break, I fear that Arsene Wenger may start the hard-working but inconsistent Emanuel Adebayor alongside Robin van Persie instead.

Gael Clichy and Kolo Toure will make up the rest of the defensive line (alongside Gilberto and Sagna). In the midfield, the fabulous Cesc Fabregas will start along with Alex Hleb and Tomas Rosicky. If Gilberto is played as a central defender, I would like to see how Lassana Diarra does in his holding midfield role, and I think it is likely that Wenger will opt to play him over Flamini or Denilson.

Our makeshift back line shouldn't cause any problems if our midfielders and strikers continue to score, and the return of Bacary Sagna will strengthen our defense. The atmosphere of the North London derby will spur on the Spurs though, so while I would like to predict a clean sheet, I would have to guess that the game will end 3-1 in the favor of Arsenal.

Edit: The game did indeed end 3-1. Click here for the Match Review

Arsenal's Internationals: Who will be in action this week

William Gallas, Bacary Sagna, Lassana Diarra, Abou Diaby - Gallas and Sagna have both been called up for Raymond Domenech's France squad for this week's European Qualifiers against Scotland and Wold Cup winners Italy. However, with Gallas suffering from a groin injury and Sagna from a back injury, it is unlikely that either will see playing time. Lassana Diarra is likely to play at least some part of both games. Abou Diaby has been called up for France's U21 games against Malta and Wales and is likely to feature in both fixtures.

Kolo Toure, Emanuel Eboue - Toure and Eboue were selected for the Ivory Coast's African Cup of Nations qualifiers against Gabon which is to be played later today.

Robin van Persie - The Dutch striker (and Holland's top scorer in Euro Qualifying) was called up for the Netherlands' qualifying games against Bulgaria and Albania this week.

Tomas Rosicky - The Czech captain has been called up to represent the Czech's in their qualifying matches against San Marino and the Republic of Ireland.

Alex Hleb - The pacy midfielder is likely to start for Belarus in their tricky tie against Romania as well as the game with Slovenia. He will likely be a big factor in his side's Euro 2008 qualifying hopes.

Jens Lehmann - The error prone German 'keeper has been assured by Germany coach Joachim Low that he will maintain his starting spot over Oliver Kahn for Germany's Qualifier against Wales and friendly against Romania.

Eduardo da Silva - Eduardo will most likely be started in both of Croatia's games, facing Estonia and Andorra in Euro 2008 qualifiers.

Philippe Senderos - Since the Swiss are co-hosting Euro 2008 they don't have to go through qualifying rounds, but Philippe Senderos has been called up to play an international friendly against Japan on September 11.

Nicklas Bendtner - Bendtner is set to feature for Denmark against Sweden and Lichtenstein this week, although he will most likely start both games on the bench.

Theo Walcott - Walcott has been selected for England's U21 games against Montenegro and Bulgaria, and the young forward will be hoping to play some part in helping England to qualify for the U21 European Cup in 2009.

Be sure to watch some of these intriguing fixtures and follow your favorite Arsenal players!

Arsenal vs Portsmouth - Match Preview

Coming up this Sunday, Arsenal face 8th-place Portsmouth at Ashburton Grove. We will be looking to keep up the pace of league leaders Chelsea by recording their 3rd home win of the new season. Arsenal have been in fine form recently, coming off of a 3-0 home victory against Sparta Prague - a victory which secured their place in the Champions League. That match was preceded by a 1-0 win over the then league leaders Manchester City, so Arsenal will certainly not be lacking in confidence. Many of Arsenal's important players were also rested for the midweek clash against Sparta, including Cesc Fabregas and Alex Hleb (although Hleb needs to face a late fitness test after feeling ill Friday morning). We will also probably see Lassana Diarra's debut at right back in place of the injured Bacary Sagna and Emmanuel Eboue.

The Portsmouth players will also be confident though, after winning midweek against Leeds in the Carling Cup, and nearly holding Chelsea to a draw at Stamford Bridge. Portsmouth have seen a decent run of form after holding last season's champions, Manchester United to a 1-1 draw and beating Bolton 3-1. Arsene Wenger has warned us to look out for Portsmouth's defense.

"They have a very strong spine. Sylvain Distin, Sol Campbell and David James at the back. Kanu and Lauren too. They are very intelligent and I feel those former Arsenal players means when they come to us they are always highly motivated."

Arsenal will have to hold back former gunner Nwankwo Kanu and new signing John Utaka if we are to hold onto a clean sheet. Another key attacking player in Portsmouth's roster is defender Matthew Taylor who scored 7 goals last season. If Senderos and Toure manage to snuff out these players, I don't think that we will have a hard time winning the match.

With Eduardo and Robin van Persie likely to start the game upfront we should see plenty of chances, especially as Portsmouth will crowd the midfield seeking to neutralize the threats of Tomasz Rosicky and Cesc Fabregas. With some fine runs from Gael Clichy (and maybe Diarra) we should be able to create easily, and with Eduardo to kick the balls in, I think that it is unlikely that we won't score.

I say we win the game 2-0.

Match Review

Why Arsene Wenger Loaned out Johan Djourou

I was very unhappy when I heard that Arsene Wenger had loaned Johan Djourou to Birmingham. As an Arsenal fan, I really like to see the Arsenal youth develop at Arsenal, the club which probably has the brightest young prospects in world football. I was not the only one who was shocked and disappointed when Djourou was loaned out. Djourou is one of the most promising young central defenders in the Premiership (alongside Micah Richards of course) and as such I was hoping to see him get some games this season.

However Wenger defended the decision yesterday, saying "I knew when Djourou left that Alex Song can play in there and Gilberto has played in there already,” said Wenger. “I wanted him to be experienced. I know Kolo will go in January [to the African Nations Cup] and I want Johan to play."

It is good to see that Wenger has him in the plans for the time that Kolo Toure is gone, although I suspect that we may see a lot of Gallas and Senderos if neither of them is injured. What worries me is the talk of Song and Gilberto in the central defensive position. Alex Song should be nowhere near the field until he gets some more experience, as he is not at all up to Arsenal's high standards. For some reason Wenger has faith in him, so I feel he deserves a chance, but that chance should not be in the heart of our defense - a defense which gave up more goals by far than any of the other top four last season. Gilberto on the other hand is a hard tackler, and would make a good defender. However, we have nobody who can effectively replace him in the defensive midfield role, where he shields our defenders better than anybody else. For this reason, I think that Djourou should have remained in our squad - not to mention his height: at 6 ft 4 in he would be very useful in defending set pieces and crosses.

While nobody could have foreseen the injury of William Gallas (despite his injury proneness last season), I still think that it was foolish to let Djourou go. He may get more experience at Birmingham, but as he is one of our brightest prospects for the future, I would like to see him fashioning a partnership with Gallas and Toure, and maybe even Senderos.

I just can't wait until I get to see Djourou play in Arsenal colors in January (not that I want Toure to go or anything - he's a quality defender)

Wenger to sign a new defender

I'm not going to lie, I completely made that up, but one can always hope right? I wasn't able to watch today's game as I was dropping my sister off at college, but a 1-0 win against the undefeated league leaders is never bad right? Not exactly. We won the game, but it proved that we have a very thin back line. I was always against Djourou's loan move, and the reason why was shown today.

Our defense at the end of today's game consisted of Kolo Toure, Clichy, Gilberto, and Flamini. Thats right. Half of our defenders were actually midfielders. It's nice that Gilberto is back, and I'm sure that he stood in well for the injured Gallas and Senderos, but he plays best as a defensive midfielder. Flamini, who's inclusion in the first team I already doubted, has no place in the back line.

It's great that we have Sagna the line-up, as he can play at left-back, center-back or, where Wenger has been playing him so far, right back. I also like the inclusion of Senderos (even at Gallas' expense) because his height is helpful in defending set pieces and he seems to form a better pairing with Toure than Gallas does. But with Gallas set to be out for more than a month, our back line looks decidedly thin. We should have kept Djourou, but I think the best move now would be to go for another versatile defender like Sagna. That way we can keep Gilberto and Flamini where they belong, in the midfield and on the bench respectively. - on the bench.