Borussia Dortmund is a bigger challenge for this side than it would have been for any Arsenal team since 1998.
That was the year of Arsenal\’s first CL Group.
They drew 1-1 in Lens and lost 1-0 to Lens at Wembley, drew 1-1 luckily with Dynamo Kiev at Wembley, then lost 3-1 in the Ukraine. Beating Panathinaikos twice was not enough to get them out of the Group. At Highbury, they\’d have qualified.
Tuesday night is a massive life-moment for the creative Arteta, a chance to shine on a higher stage.
If Arteta is good, and Arsenal are not, millions will wonder why he went where he did.
It is of course, a great pity that Mertesacker can\’t play his first ten games with Vermaelen alongside him, and Wilshere in front of him. Those two would help him a lot.
Dortmund won the Bundesliga and their first game is Arsenal, who finished fourth in the EPL and are 11th now. Dortmund are off-form so far this season, so that\’s lucky.
As you saw on Saturday, the Swansea keeper did something inexplicable to gift Arshavin the goal that won the game.
The Russian had turned his back because nobody expected Vorm to do what he did and when the keeper threw the ball against the heel of his defender, and the ball popped backwards, Arshavin turned coolly and stroked in a first-time shot with his left foot. He accepted the gift with a shrug and a grin.
In real time, from where we were sitting in the stadium, I reckoned Arshavin was the only player on the pitch who would have scored from that angle. After seeing replays, maybe it was easier than I thought. Szczesny\’s left handed save in 7 minutes had kept Arsenal in the game and prevented another meltdown.
Frimpong had too many sloppy touches in the first half. His ebullient style may become a huge asset but only if he stops kicking opponents. If he continues to be so impetuous, he\’ll hurt someone severely. If only Vieira was with him, or Gilberto.
Swansea could have equalised at the death when Danny Graham turned and hit a shot over the bar from five yards. They have yet to score a goal in the Premier League.
I watched Match of the Day around Sunday lunchtime after some friends came for breakfast. Sunday at 1.30 pm is actually a good time to watch a highlights show and I might do the same again next week.
The revitalised juggernaut of Manchester United devoured Bolton, with young powerhouse Phil Jones leading the rout in an attacking right back role. Jones played a part in the first three goals and United declared at 5-0.
Kun Aguero scored all the goals as Man City beat Wigan 3-0 and I found myself wondering whether Kun plays pool.
The way he rolled those shots in was uncanny. He\’s like Romario. who is not only a master of angles but also able to make time stand still. Where others rush and trip and stumble, Aguero divides moments into nanoseconds and makes it all look easy. He\’s the kind of footballer who can\’t make a bad team good but he can make a good team great.
The first goal move was David Silva-Tevez-Silva-Aguero, who rolled his shot in. Second goal was Silva-Nasri-Aguero, a beautiful sidefoot shot.
Then Silva beat two men and played him through the middle, where he showed composure on a rarified Messi-Maradona level. As Silva\’s subtle pass rolled through to give him a one-on-one, Kun had time to look up and see the keeper in an uncomfortable squatting position, unable to move his left foot. So he rolled his shot sweetly past the keeper’ left foot.
Watching this, I thought : Football is a Latin thing. That\’s why, losing Cesc, Arsenal needed Mata.
Villas- Boas started Mata-Sturridge-Anelka at Sunderland, which surprised me. Chelsea won 2-1 and Raul Meireles supplied a killer long pass to release Sturridge for the second goal, the one that sealed the game. His cheeky backheel dribbled in off the post before Wes Brown could clear.
Full disclosure : I didn\’t think Anelka would get a game for AVB. I thought he’d go to Qatar.
Liverpool lost 1-0 at Stoke and Kenny blamed referee Clattenberg, which was misguided.
Myself, I didn\’t think any of the three big calls were penalties. On the one that was given and scored, Walters ran into Carragher rather than the ball. And I wouldn\’t have given either of the handballs.
Full marks to Jordan Henderson for making a powerful run, shooting, shooting again after Begovic saved, then getting the ball back from the third rebound and making a neat little pass. The kid is raw but he\’ll be a valuable footballer after Xmas. Give him time to learn how Liverpool play.
I thought Wolves would beat Spurs but Adebayor scored from a Scott Parker pass in 67 and then Defoe made it 2-0. Harry said Parker made them more solid in midfield.
Blackburn v Arsenal is next Saturday at 12.45 on Sky.
The Premier League\’s bottom team against visitors who are 11th.
Wenger’s side need to win that one to climb the table and get higher up on the schedule of Match of the Day. Of the seven games shown, Arsenal was the sixth. If your games are always second last on the show, you’ll slip off the radar. You\’ll be invisible.
Clearly, Arsenal must do better. But who will score the goals?
Three in four league games is a poor haul. Even Blackburn have scored three in four.
Tune in tomorrow night for Borussia Dortmund v Arsenal – and spot the hot-shots.
On Saturday, Dortmund also met a newly-promoted team, Hertha Berlin. They were outplayed in a goalless first half and then went 2-0 down but Robert Lewandowski got one back with a header in 88.
Juergen Klopp’s youngish side showed terrific teamwork and penetration to win the title but the champions have not played well so far this season. Looks like Arsenal may be catching them in a form dip.
A 1-1 draw could be on the cards.