Hull vs Arsenal: Match Preview

Preview | Pre-match conference | Team news

With Chelsea sealing the Barclays Premier League crown, at least all of our hopes can be pinned on something more realistic i.e. second. It's a job made much easier after Manchester United (heh) fell prey to West Brom. And for obvious reasons, it would be an important step toward challenging for the title next season.

I feel that we really need to curb on injuries if we want to win the league, though. Obviously variables like Wenger's relatively one-dimensional tactical approach won't change, but his rotational policy has shown signs of progressing. Not enough of course, seeing that the likes of Theo Walcott and Tomas Rosicky don't play even though the season approaches its formality stages.

Mesut Ozil was overplayed whilst carrying an injury against Bayern Munich and Chelsea and missed the subsequent two months or so. Alexis Sanchez burned out around the January-March phase because he played straight 90s for around a dozen games. Look at Chelsea - despite their superior training regime and relatively relaxed style of play, everyone minus Hazard ran out of steam in the second half of the season.

Giroud was on an enforced quarterly break and came back a lot stronger, partly because he was augmented by Danny Welbeck, who played in the FA Cup to take some of the burden from him. Now compare that to the Giroud of last season who seemed like running through cement because he was knackered toward the tail end of 2013/14. No prizes for guessing which policy is better.

We don't need Ozil nor Sanchez to intimidate or overrun a Hull City as good as immune from relegation. In fact, the only two games needing a full-strength squad are against Manchester United and the FA Cup Final. Bringing in a few fresh legs at this point would not only take the heat of our more prominent personalities, but would also make squad players relatively positive about their Arsenal futures. Making certain that our top players don't get long term injuries now is also part of preparation for next season title assault.

Hull caused us plenty of problems in recent times with the 2-2 at the Emirates and the FA Cup last year, but we weren't in the best of places back then, and a marginally better Arsenal easily saw them away 2-0 a couple of months later. If we manage to make hard work of this then that's on us but I suspect we won't. Won't we?

Right, till then happy St. Totteringham's in advance (I'm that confident!) and take it easy. Later.

-Santi [Follow me on Twitter @ArsenalBlogz ]

Arsenal 3-2 Hull (aet): Hands down, best moment of my life

Finally, it’s come to an end.

Eight years, eleven months and 25 days. Filled with misery, compounded with false hopes. At a time when millions had stopped daring to dream, only to perk up their hopes again when we went to Wembley on the 17^th, it seemed like the cycle was set to continue. 10 minutes in, Arsenal were trailing 2-0 to Hull City, fortunate to not be three down but for some fantastic work by Gibbs.

Disaster awaited, but was delayed by a superb Cazorla free-kick. He may have had a disappointing season, but that goal would undoubtedly be a high-point of his professional footballing career. It brought us back into the game, and more importantly, provided the fanbase with what they had craved for all these nine years – genuine optimism and belief.

The half wore on, then ended. The second half began, yet we didn’t look like getting the leveller. Familiar frustrations creeped up – Ozil wasn’t up to the mark, Podolski was anonymous, Giroud frustrating millions around the globe, Wenger facepalming on the touchline.

I won’t lie, at that point, everything seemed lost to me. I didn’t believe anything could happen unless we brought on Rosicky or Wilshere from the bench.

And then Yaya Sanogo, a guy who has never scored a goal for the club, came on for our third top goalscorer of the season, Lukas Podolski. Arsene, desperate to restore parity in a monumental encounter, reverted to a 4-4-2 of ten years ago, one that had proven effectual against Wigan. And then, incredibly, we saw change.

My heart went out to Yaya Sanogo. The guy has never scored a goal for the club, but I like him because he tries. I have never shown any hatred towards the guy, I just felt that it was unfair of Wenger to heap so much pressure on him by making him second choice to Giroud. Be that as it may, Sanogo put in a remarkable shift and swung the pendulum of momentum in our favour.

Koscielny bundled in a corner at the 60^th minute mark, reminiscent of his goals on the last three St. Totteringham Day’s. At last parity was restored, tensions were cooled, and Gooners around the globe began to believe.

We could have been spared extra-time tortures had Gibbs not blasted a sitter over the bar. Had all not ended well, the guy’s confidence could have presently been in tatters. Yet one more incentive to take the trophy home was created. Pressure mounted.

And it mounted even more when the ref blew the final whistle, signaling the beginning of thirty added minutes. If people were shitting their pants over extra-time against Wigan, there’s no imagining their state then.

Honestly, we ought to have wrapped up the game early. Ramsey was clearly motivated to be the hero of the occasion, but was finding difficulty in getting his shooting across. A fine ball by him was nodded onto the crossbar by Giroud. Considering his height, Giroud really should do better in the air.

The moment did arrive, though. It took its sweet time, and that’s probably what made the moment sweeter. Seven minutes away from penalties, Giroud backheeled the ball to the onrushing Rambo, and the Welshman capped off a dramatic season by almost deflecting the ball into the net. That’s two screamers in the space of two games for him. 

When you need a goal, you need Aaron Ramsey.

When the final whistle blew, not before some Almunia antics from Fabianski, along with it brought tears of joy and intense relief. The wait was over, the monkey was lifted, and the team were, for the first time in a good part of a decade, winners. At last, since spaghetti knows when, belief was repaid.

THIS is what football is all about, I can't believe I have to point it out. It’s not about passing off bank balances, stadiums and Champions League qualifications as trophies. It’s about actually going out there and winning silverware, triumphing in the face of adversity and ridicule and returning something to the fans. I genuinely loathe people who think ‘practically’ in football, asserting that there are more important things than trophies. I think the wildness of the celebrations on the 17^th proved them wrong. As long as you win trophies, nothing else matters, really.

Hands down, seeing my beloved Arsenal of eight years win their first trophy ever under my gaze, was the best moment of my life. My personal, non-Arsenal life has been on a high for the past year, so seeing them top my present state by first buying Ozil, and then, winning the cup, has brought my life to its ultimate peak.

Amidst all this, I am a bit puzzled. While winning the FA Cup was undoubtedly the best moment of my life, a small part of me felt that it would feel better. I don’t know why, but I didn’t feel the joy that I thought I would. Maybe because it’s tainted by the fact that it seals Wenger’s future at Arsenal, or because I know that the summer to follow is going to be an embarrassment, but I really felt that winning the cup would have signaled greater euphoria from me.

However, even though my opinions on Wenger will not dwindle, I felt happy to see him lift the trophy. I wouldn’t say he deserved it, given all the rash decisions he made during the past decade. However, even though my mind hates him, my heart loves him. It felt great watching him lift the trophy and end the wait. And let’s face it, the day we won the FA Cup was a day for the heart.

I’m an emotionless, stone faced guy, but football is a place where my emotions tend to leak out. No, I don’t believe that winning the cup will be the beginning of our glory days, nor do I believe that it will transform Wenger for the better. However, for once, I’m not worrying about the future and instead, focusing on the present.

And the present, as Freddy Ljungberg would call it, is fucking excellent.

We won the cup. Lap it up.

P.S. Apologies for the late review, internet was down for the last four days. Time to see what other surprises Brangled Minds, Twitter and Sky sources have in store for me.

Whew, what a week.

-Santi (Follow me on twitter: @ArsenalBlogz )

The drought is over

Eight years, eleven months, twenty five-ish days of struggle, emotion, anger, disappointment and ridicule.

But it's over. After what feels like a decade (and in hindsight, almost is one) Arsenal are the FA Cup Champions.

 

A myriad of apologies, as the full report won't be available today. It's just like family to ruin such a special moment and drag me to anniversaries and whatnot.

Savour the moment, though. The wait is over. A new chapter begins.

Proud to be Arsenal indeed :,)

-Santi (Follow me on twitter: @ArsenalBlogz )

FA Cup Final Preview

This is it. And I really mean it when I say it.

One game away from ending a shameful run 8 years, 11 months and 24 days, and the game's against Hull City, minus their two strikers. This really is as easy as it gets, and for the sake of my nerves, I pray we don't make hot water of it.

Regardless of the result in the FA Cup Final, I'm convinced Arsene Wenger will stay. I genuinely reckon he would have left had we lost the penalty shoot-out to Wigan, hence a part of me wanted us to lose. However, with his next two year apparently sealed at Arsenal FC, what the heck, let's pick up trophies under him while we can.

We really should be winning this, but I think we've seen enough of Arsenal to know it isn't a given we will. It's almost definite we'll make hot water out of it, yet I don't care. As long as the final result is in our favour, I don't CARE.

Tomorrow won't be a day of performances, it will be one of results. Yes, a good performance invariably leads to a good result, which is why having Ramsey, Ozil, Gibbs and (maybe) Oxlade-Chamberlain for this game is a huge boost. However, in the end, it all boils down to the final result.

I feel the nerves creeping upon me like snakes as I type this, 24 hours away from kickoff. Imagine my state when I wake up, considering I also have a touch of the seasonal cough on me. I, like every Gooner, will be as excited as terrified of what is to come.

Confession? I have never seen Arsenal pick up a trophy. The first Arsenal match I saw was back in 2006, the Champions League Final. I don't really remember much of it, except that Ashley Cole had dived to win the free-kick that led to Sol's opener. Of course, I remember losing, but it never hurt me like it would have today.

I missed out on watching the 2008 League Cup Final, and was unable to watch the 2011 League Cup Final as well. A close Gooner (who, incidentally, has written a piece on this blog) texted me the updates. I still remember the last SMS he sent me, I still haven't deleted it from my phone as well as my memory:

"Birmingham score, commit suicide Arsenal fans."

Considering it was Birmingham, that was heartbreak. And it will be the same if Arsenal fail to defeat Hull.

Contrary to other opinions, I'm certain that winning the FA Cup will not be a platform to replicate the glory days. Regardless of what happens tomorrow, it is only the future of Arsene Wenger that will signal progress or regress at Arsenal. Maybe winning the FA Cup will give him a taste of success, and make him more ruthless in the transfer market for a start, but I don't think it will happen. Increasingly, I think that winning the FA Cup will cement Wenger's belief that his deluded ideology is accurate.

Why do I want Arsenal to win the FA Cup? The answer is simple, for these guys.

Mesut Ozil: "It’s normal to be tense before a game. You want to give your all and that’s exactly the same case with a final. But the most important thing is that everyone is aware that we can win trophies now and can repay the fans. They have been excellent for the whole season and that’s also why I think we deserve to win this trophy."


Mathieu Flamini: "We have not won a trophy for a while so it is very important for the club and it is important for the players. When you play such good football and have so much quality, it is important to win trophies. We [also] want to win it for the fans. They have been behind us, even when we have not been winning trophies, so that will be a motivation for us.”


Mikel Arteta: "I think when you get to that line and you win, it creates a lot of confidence and builds something special. It will be something special between the players, the fans, the staff. Then suddenly you have the Community Shield to play for, which is another trophy and the ball is rolling. In my opinion this is something else than just a final and a trophy.”

Santi Cazorla: "It is the first ever cup final that I am going to play in, I have just played in the finals of the European Championship with the national side and I have never played any other final with any club. So it is something new for me and something that I want to experience, hopefully it is the first of many with Arsenal."

Olivier Giroud: "We feel really excited because the final is a special moment for a player and especially for the club and for the fans as well. We have been waiting for a trophy for nine years now so we really want to win it for all the Gunners."

Kieran Gibbs: "I just feel like the boys have given everything that they've had this season and we want to finish it off strongly. We finished higher than we did last year in terms of points and a trophy would add an extra positive feel to our season."

I love the players. I love the fans. In fact, apart from Arsene Wenger and a few frightened board members, I love everything connected to this football club. And for the sake of the club, I hope they win this.

I have cried only three times while being an Arsenal fan, all in recent times:

1) When Arsenal lost the Carling Cup Final to Birmingham

2) When Thierry scored against Leeds

3) When, amazingly, Wigan defeat Manchester City 2-1 in the quarters

I don't know what will happen tomorrow, but I know there will be tears at the end of it. Whether it's tears of joy or of sorrow, that's up to Arsenal to decide.

Geez. What's left to say? Come on Arsenal.

-Santi (Follow me on twitter: @ArsenalBlogz )

The fight for fourth, Moyes' sacking, Newcastle preview and CL thoughts

It's been a busy week of football, one I regret missing out on.

A lot has happened in terms of football in general, so please forgive me for turning my attention away from Arsenal in this post. Without further ado, let's get right into the thick of it.

Hull was the performance of the old...
...and by old, i mean six months ago. The 3-0 win against Hull displayed football by Arsenal that we had gotten used to around the September-December period. And there was one man who was at the centre of it, just like he was in the thick of it half a year ago.

Aaron Ramsey was simply... well, Ramsey. I didn't expect much from him because he had just returned from injury, and one assist against West Ham didn't exactly mean he was 'back', as such. Indeed, I tried to downplay his importance to every Gooner I knew, for I didn't want to increase the burden on his tired shoulders.

How wrong was I? Ramsey bossed it. His direct, purposeful running was an acceptable surrogate for Theo Walcott's absence. His all-action midfield play is irreplaceable, really. He immediately got back in his groove with a goal and an assist, not to mention being significantly involved in the third. I had genuinely forgotten how good he was, and didn't want to hype his earlier season form for fear of setting unfair expectations on him.

However, I didn't need to. Ramsey's performance leaked of efficiency and enthusiasm. It's getting impossible to raise the bar on his expectations. Had Wenger not overplayed him and rashly attempted to bring him back to action, we could have been a lot better off than we currently are.

Podolski deserves mention too. Even though I'm increasingly of the opinion that deploying him on the left flank in a 4-3-3 isn't the best idea, I want Podolski to do well at Arsenal. His second goal was one only Aaron Ramsey could have scored in this present Arsenal team, which highlights how much we need him.

Podolski is a rarity at Arsenal. He gives us that cutting edge, the final product and covers his defensive deficiencies by smashing the ball into the net. Goals win football matches, to use the redundant footballing cliche, and Podolski offers that. Which is why, in the absence of Theo, the guy is becoming indispensable.

Work out the math. How many players currently at Arsenal would have scored the goal that Podolski did against Hull, or even West Ham? Aaron Ramsey, Theo Walcott and maybe Santi Cazorla and Tomas Rosicky. With the latter two not exactly in their prime currently, Walcott injured and Ramsey only being one guy, Podolski continues to deliver the goods. And that's why Arsenal need him.

Moyes had to go...
I'm not saying this from an Arsenal perspective. As a Gooner, I think what he was doing was hilarious. Bringing a title winning side to practically mid-table unwittingly is beyond remarkable. United were hopeless and hapless under him.

However, hearing United supporters protesting to Moyes' sacking and trotting out "#InMoyesWeTrust" was almost stupid. Moyes was given time to gel with the players and build on a foundation set by Ferguson, and he failed miserably. He lost the dressing room, pampered Rooney, never found a stable backline and mismanaged van Persie and Kagawa.

However, the reason why he had to go was because of what he did back in last summer. By firing a backroom staff full of winners, he was drilling a box of nails into his grave.

As a football fan, I believe that modern day managers can be successful by living off the information from their backroom staff. By piecing together knowledge from your medical staff, your transfer negotiator, your scouts, your first team coaches, etc., you could make informed decisions and take the club forward. By being a figurehead to experts working behind the scenes, the manager can mould that information to take calculated risks.

Maybe that's what Ferguson saw in Moyes. Maybe Ferguson believed that Moyes could act as a nominal leader, take advice from United's superb backroom staff and carry on business as usual. It is a lesser known fact that Ferguson was an awful tactician, so instead of going around with his own tactics (like Wenger does), he took advice from his coaching staff.

However, Moyes blew it. Inspite of Ferguson's pleas, Moyes made what was his worst decision as Manchester United manager, in my opinion, by hiring Everton's staff and firing Ferguson's staff. Is it really a surprise that their negotiating staff failed to lure Coentrao, Alcantra and Ozil to their team?

As their dog turd of a season wore on, he eventually lost the players, the support and the plot. He panicked into giving Rooney a megadeal, and overpaid for Juan Mata. He made insane decisions like playing Januzaj as central attacking midfield and Valencia at right back. Some legacy.

If the replacement, touted to be Louis van Gaal, does come in, he'll have to sort out the backroom staff. Otherwise, if the new manager's pedigree is modest, I'd expect to see more of the same.

Perhaps this should be a lesson for Wenger. While Moyes took the advice of incompetent ex-Evertonians in the backroom, it is widely known that Wenger acts as a one-man army. He does not heed the advice of his backroom staff at all, a result of his egocentric and dictatorial mindset. Would any medical staff sanction playing Ramsey for 112 minutes, only after two days of full training?

Wenger has to learn. Ferguson took the advice of his coaching staff and became a footballing legend. Moyes ignored it and became a laughing stock. Wenger, for a good decade, is ignoring the advice of behind-the-scenes men and is watching his Arsenal regressing.

For me, the writing is on the wall.

Real Madrid have exposed Bayern's weaknesses...
While I think Bayern are currently the best footballing side in the world, that doesn't mean they're flawless. There were glaring errors in their matches against Arsenal, errors that a better manager would have taken advantage of. Ancelloti did.

After our 1-1 draw at the Allianz Arena, I had said:

"I still fancy Bayern to win the Champions League. However, I say that because I don't find any other team that can match their prowess. Real Madrid, maybe, but I'm not so sure."

I didn't see the match, so I don't know the tactics Real employed. I did hear people say that Real should have had a bigger lead going into the second leg, so it seems like Carlo got his tactics right. Either way, the second leg at the Allianz promises to be a cracker. I wouldn't miss it for the world.

Anyone but Chelsea...
Since the season began, I had predicted Chelsea to win the Premier League. It wasn't a pleasant thought, and I wasn't supporting them in any way. And even though Jose somehow managed to get his buses past Anfield, it's unlikely they'll win the title.

However, I have this nagging feeling that they are going to win the Champions League. I don't know why, because they certainly are underdogs against the might of Real and Bayern. They may even be too weak to get past Atletico.

Looking at Mourinho thumping his Chelsea badge against the sea of Anfield incensed me a bit. It was then, when I realized that I want Chelsea to suffer as much hurt as possible this season. I hate the club, the plastic fans, the mafia owner and the anti-football manager. Why the fuck do you spend billions and then play like Stoke City?

I think I hate Chelsea more than Tottenham Hotspur, which really is saying something. And that is why I find the nagging feeling, that they might win the CL uncomfortable. Should they perform that feat, the niggling thought might eat me up.

Anyone but Chelsea.

Everton did us a massive favour...
I didn't expect them to lose against Southampton, be it at St. Mary's. However, to lose like they did - by scoring two own goals - was as surprising as it was delighting. Needless to say, fourth is well and truly in our hands now, and looking at City's win over Crystal Palace, we're forced to be happy with what we have.

Today could be St. Totteringham's day...
With Newcastle United coming up in a few hours, three points would seal Arsenal's superiority over Tottenham for the 19th season running. Remarkable, really.

On comparison to the previous two seasons, where we had to wait till the last game of the season to establish North London superiority, it shows how much we have progressed and how much Tottenham have regressed. St. Totteringham's Day has almost gone under the radar due to the prospect of going four clear of Everton.

I find it surprising how little I care over St. Totteringham's. I barely even care about top four, really. Bar the FA Cup, this season is over for me. All I care about is Wenger's possible departure and decisive additions in the summer.

Until then, it's just getting through another Matchday.

-Santi (Follow me on twitter: @ArsenalBlogz )

Arsenal 2-0 Hull: The Greatest Striker has finally scored!

Yet another performance of dominance has culminated in yet another routine win for us, with another 2-0 victory in the bag at the Emirates Stadium, courtesy of goals from Mesut Ozil and Nicklas Bendtner (No, it’s NOT a typo error!) . This victory, quite popularly, has maintained our 4 point lead at the top, on the face of crucial upcoming fixtures this Christmas against Everton, City and Chelsea in a row, all three of whom seem set to be Champions League contenders this season.

A win was nothing less than a necessity here, owing to the fact that we have a much higher likelihood of dropping points in the coming weeks (AND the fact that Chelsea clinched a thriller). So, it was heartening to see Nick Bendy get us the lead in the opening 2 minutes through a fine header to settle Le Grove’s nerves almost instantaneously. It’s fair to say that he has been taking a lot of slack from his own ‘supporters’ this season, and while I still think that a better striker needs to be bought in the coming month, it’s good to see the Dane eager to make a mark on the club before his inevitable departure, rather than sulk half-heartedly.  

His goal was well taken too. Some clever passing on the right flank resulted in Ramsey playing a simply gorgeous first time ball to Carl Jenkinson, who found himself in a crossing position. The Englishman once again showcased his crossing ability by whipping in a delightful ball to Bendtner, who perfectly timed his header, slotting home. One nil to the Arsenal.

Bendtner’s celebrations were understandably energetic and insane-ish, for they represented a person who was being known more for his criminal damage arrests and funky hairstyles rather than an Arsenal footballer. While this was surely not an “In your face, you moronic critics, questioning the Lord” moment, it was surely one that reminded us Gooners that there indeed is talent below two layers or ego in this footballer.

It’s time that we admitted that we treated Nick too harshly this season. It is true that he clearly isn’t good enough to be donning an Arsenal jersey at the moment, and it’s also true that neither Wenger nor Bendtner see a future for the latter at this club. But it’s also true that despite all these differences between the manager, the player and the fans, Bendtner is still willing to give his all for the club till the next transfer window. He was still trying as hard as he could to be a suitable backup for Giroud and ease our striker woes a bit. Instead, we use him as a scapegoat to vent out our 8 years of frustration? Not classy, Gooners.

Granted, most of that booing was down to a pretty shite performance from him against Chelsea in the Capital One Cup, but no one really expected a Lionel Messi-ish return rather than a rusty striker finding his feet, right? It's totally unfair for pundits to label Bendtner as one of the worst players in the Premier League, a label I believe that has been created by we Gooners ourselves. People forget that there is a talented footballer under that arrogance and ego, and after showing some signs of deflating his head and a rejuvenated motivation, we really must encourage him to carry on from here.

Anyway, after incredibly huge spells of possession and chances through a Mesut Ozil header, a potential Bendtner brace, some Santi strikes and an Aaron Ramsey piledriver, we finally sealed the deal in the beginning of the second half through a neat Ozil finish after some amazing play. Ramsey's reverse ball to Ozil was simply super, and the German did justice to that by finishing off the move with a composed near post strike. Haha, game over.

Ozil had another great game yesterday, and is continuously showing signs that he is getting to his best. Granted, his last three in-form games were against a disinterested Marseille and newly promoted Cardiff and Hull, but these performances - where he got 1 goal and 3 assists - would surely give him encouragement, going into games where we really need a Mesut Ozil in form. 

Ramsey had yet another eye-catching game at the Emirates (surprise surprise, right?), being actively involved in both goals, but what pleased me the most was that his signs of solo were finally withering away. I don't know if Arsene Wenger had a talk with him, or if he realized that he needed to work for his team and not his personal tally, but yesterday we saw an Aaron who was playing for the logo on the front. He took the decisions that were the most productive for the team, and chose to pass the ball more often, rather than go for glory himself.

Possibly the only worry that I had on my mind on that game was that about Santi Cazorla. The Spaniard had an okayish game last night, which were filled with long-range efforts from a winger seemingly desperate to get back to his mercurial best. In my opinion, his talent is minimized on the left flank, and Arsene must allow him to play centrally more often for him to regain his form. Don't get me wrong, Ozil is definitely a better player than Cazorla in the central attacking role, but Santi's two-footedness would give genuine unpredictability to us in the center and would also add another dimension to the team to a certain extent, not to mention help build the confidence of a player who was oh-so important last season, by giving him his preferred position more often.

Finally, a word on Manchester United, who were deservedly losers against Everton at Old Trafford. Their loss puts them a mammoth 12 points behind us, which was somewhere around the amount of points we were behind them this time last year, if I recall correctly. While it is amazing what a rejuvenated Aaron Ramsey and one Mesut Ozil can do for your club, it has come as a bit of a shock for me to see Moyes fail so badly at Manchester. I always highly rated him at Everton, and I genuinely thought that they would be the team to beat this season.

No marquee summer signings coupled with an unsettled van Persie and a disastrous Premier League form later, I am as shellshocked as I am giddy with joy. While Moyes' horrible man management with van Persie and Kagawa has led to a factor in their apparent downfall, the United players only have themselves to blame for their current standing. This was the same team - strengthened with Fellaini - that won the Premier League by a huge margin last year, and yet are languishing at 9th after almost half of the season is over. It's just a little too hard to believe that Alex Ferguson's departure has left such a huge hole in Manchester United.

However, I genuinely don't care. While it is a bit baffling to me that the Premier League champions fell so quickly so soon, I'm taking nothing less than pure entertainment from it. After a long, long time, their days seem to be over, and the Arsenal dominance is starting to take hold. 

However, we face Everton next, a team that is still beaming from inflicting more misery on their ex-boss. In our last three Premier League games, we defeated Southampton, Cardiff and Hull, all three of whom were on a high. A similar situation awaits in the next fixture. Will we manage to continue our streak of ending others' streaks?

I guess we'll find out on Sunday.

-Santi (Follow me on twitter: @ArsenalBlogz )

Arsenal vs Hull: Match Preview

The next step to a potential title challenge is against Hull City, a game that we really must take three points out of, particularly owing to the fact that it's at the Emirates. It's a match which allows room for rotation, ahead of a demanding schedule where we face Everton, Napoli, City and Chelsea in a row, not so long after facing Chelsea, Liverpool, Dortmund and United in a row. It's like the whole universe is conspiring against us to mess up our lead at the top of the pile.

Of course, it would be understandable if we fail to win all those challenging matches in a row, but it wouldn't be acceptable if we fail to defeat a team like Hull City. At home. In a team which has Vermaelen, Nacho Monreal, Arteta, Wilshere and Tomas Rosicky on the bench.

I would be very surprised if we fail to find rhythm in this game. This is the kind of match where we can play Park Chu Young as a striker and yet manage to win, and that's saying something. While it is important to not underestimate the opposition, we need to rest our key men (or all the starting XI, if possible) tonight. Granted, we don't exactly have a team with fantastic depth in the striker and the defence area, but players like Mesut Ozil, Santi Cazorla or even Olivier Giroud (who looked particularly jaded at Wales) aren't really a necessity for three points tonight, and should be given a breather to prepare for the daunting fixture list ahead.

I've never really appreciated Arsene Wenger's style of man management over the recent years. I still believe that he was the culprit for Cesc Fabregas', van Persie's and Jack Wilshere's continuous injury worries, due to overplaying them. And when he played a full-strength squad against Crystal Palace back in October, it simply underlined my thoughts about him. However, he has spoken about rotation being crucial in this match, which has led me to believe that he might indeed be resting a few key men.

His hand is forced on Sagna though, with our best full back out with a small hamstring problem, Carl Jenko set to fill in. I would like to see an experimental backline of Szczesny, Jenkinson, Mertesacker, Vermaelen and Nacho Monreal tonight. Arsene has hinted that the club captain might start by emphasizing his importance at this club, and while I don't think that he will start Nacho tonight, he really should, because the rumours of Monreal being unsettled at the club is, well, unsettling me.

Of course, we should be seeing a lot of rotation in midfield and in the forward area. If you ask me, the central midfield pairing of Arteta and Ramsey is the way to go, because I wouldn't want to risk Jack Wilshere and Flamini going in the red zone on a game like this. In the attacking midfield role, Ozil seems set to get a rest, with Rosicky likely to slot in. It's telling that even after resting Flamini, Wilshere and Mesut, we're able to field such a strong midfield, capable of beating any Premier League side. It's a midfield that can certainly dominate the middle of the park comfortably and contribute to a comfy win tonight.

The front three should be a problem though. We do have a lot of combinations to try out, but we need to rest our key men too. While I think a forward trio of Walcott, Gnabry and Park (yes, I said Park) might be a decent outlet, I suspect that the manager will go for Theo, Wilshere and Giroud. If that's the case, then I'd like to say good luck to Giroud, because if he won't be rested for a match like this, then he won't be rested for the entirety of the month.

The same goes for Mesut Ozil too. I feel that his recent dip in form had a factor of overplaying, and he simply needs to be benched for a game like this, which in hindsight, isn't as important as made out at all. We have a team that have good players in reserves, and tonight is the time to use those players.

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In other news, those hoping for a striker in January (which should include the entire Arsenal fanbase) will be left utterly crushed, with Wenger categorically denying bids for Alexandre Pato or Alvaro Morata. Regarding the current striker issues, Arsene said:

"I am not concerned about that. We have at the moment Yaya Sanogo who is a striker we brought in during the summer, who is coming back from injury in January. Hopefully he will help us in the second part of the season." 

Oh Jesus. Just when you think that a manager cannot be any blind, Arsene has yet again defied the odds. Even after failing to get a goalkeeper in August 2010, an experienced midfielder in January 2011, a replacement for Fabregas in August 2011, backup for Robin in January 2012, a replacement for Song in August 2012, a replacement for van Persie in January 2013 AND a striker and a center back in August 2013, Wenger is still adamant that the team is complete, instead choosing to focus on Yaya Sanogo (Who? Good question). Even the chief executive has admitted that we need a striker, for crying out loud!

Make no mistake - a striker is an absolute necessity in January. Tonight, as Gunnerblog points out, is exactly the kind of game where another striker could fill in for Ollie (APART from Bendtner, I mean). For people thinking that Lukas Podolski is the person who could be that spare striker, think again. Personally, I feel that he offers us much more on the wing, and that his recent performances as striker haven't been hugely impressive for us, especially the ones near the end of last season.

Maybe I am incorrect about questioning Podolski's ability as a striker. Players tend to perform much better in their second season at a new club, just ask the aforementioned Giroud. There does remain a possibility that Podolski will be back to his prolific self in this season. However, what are the chances that Giroud shall be fit in the reserves then? What if Podolski is fit and Giroud gets injured and we have to rely on Lukas the same way that we are doing with Ollie right now in the future?

The need for another striker couldn't be clearer, really. We only have four proper, out-and-out strikers at the club, three of whom are Nicklas Bendtner, Park Chu Young and Yaya Sanogo. While a world class signing in that area would be a luxury rather than a necessity, I feel that an intelligent signing like Demba Ba, Alvaro Morata or Christian Benteke shall surely seal second spot for us. While Wenger did deny talks with Morata, he had also done the same for Mertesacker and Podolski. And even though he still is denying Morata signing on a six-month loan deal, contradictory reports are yet emerging from reliable sources confirming the deal. Not speculating, mind you. CONFIRMING.

Of course, that won't mean that the deal is finalized at all. However, the confidence in the report has surely set me thinking if Wenger has manage to pull off another productive signing. I can surely confirm this, though: if Arsene does get a striker to the club, he will most definitely arrive in the late hours of the transfer window, or at January 30, at least. In reality, Giroud has two more months to carry the striker burden. Arsene is a procrastinating person, and we just need to live with that now.

Maybe Wenger does have another trick up his sleeve. At least, I hope he does. For now, it's time to focus on the short term and three points at the Emirates. Be back with the match report tomorrow, a little late though.

-Santi (Follow me on twitter: @ArsenalBlogz )