Arsenal vs Everton: Match Preview

The deathrun begins, and it begins with the most important match of the season so far.

Needless to say, we must win. Yes, we are crippled by injuries (Wenger's fault), we lost our lead in the Premier League (Wenger's fault) and now we only have the FA Cup to salvage this season. However, with a squad so thin and a manager so deluded, we have done well to get us a fair chance to win the cup.

Everton are a tough team, mostly because they are tactically miles ahead of us. Roberto Martinez outsmarted Arsene Wenger by pressing the team into submission, dominating the first half when we faced them in December. Of course, Arsenal took over later due to Everton fading away after jading, but we cannot afford to run that risk now.

Martinez's team scared me when they last played at the Emirates. They're constant pressing on the ball reminded me of Borussia Dortmund. We all know that Arsene's Arsenal do not react well to being closed down quickly upon, so Wenger has to find a solution for that.

I can recall only one time when we won a match even though not given space - that 1-0 victory at the Westfalenstadion. Yes, the win was far from lucky, but it was the result of a rock-solid defence, one that seems to be falling apart after the Liverpool annihilation. Drastic improvement is needed if we are serious about winning this trophy.

It's hard to know the team Wenger will pick. I think that his backline, for starters, will consist of Fabianski, Jenkinson, Mertesacker, Vermaelen and Monreal. I would love Wenger to play more competent defenders like Sagna or Gibbs, but I have a nasty feeling that he doesn't take this game seriously, like he does to almost all FA Cup games.

Kallstrom and Ramsey will not be available, which means that in all likelihood we'll be seeing Flamini and Arteta in the middle of the park. Considering Everton's tendency to press us high up the pitch and Arteta (in particular) buckle to that pressure, I'd start Oxlade-Chamberlain there. I'm not sure that Flamini and Arteta would be a disastrous decision, but I just feel Chamberlain would be much better.

Ozil will start as central attacking midfielder, with Podolski occupying the left flank. If the Flamenta baseline does appear in midfield, then I expect Chamberlain to play on the right. If not, then Serge Gnabry is always an option. Players like Santi Cazorla and Tomas Rosicky on the bench would only strengthen us further.

Who would I take up front? In all honesty, neither of the three options are good enough. Giroud is good but is regressing under Wenger, because Arsene is overplaying him, heaping pressure on him and demanding him to score van Persie-esque goals, something he cannot do. Yaya Sanogo seems a decent lad who certainly would put in a hardworking shift, but he is just plain rusty. As for Nicklas Bendtner, while he might put in a surprising performance if started, I don't want to pin hopes on a moody Arsenal reject.

There is a huge chance that Arsenal will be eliminated from the FA Cup in this round. I've prepared myself for it - on the contrary, I've already gathered positive thoughts if we lose. If we win, a team deserving of winning a trophy will be going one step closer to winning it. However, if we lose, Arsene Wenger will be closer to the exit door.

I find myself constantly questioning, well, myself. Which scenario would I prefer? Winning the FA Cup (which would mean a new contract for Wenger), or losing the FA Cup and Wenger getting sacked? In all honesty, I don't know the answer. All I can say is that I'd be perfectly satisfied with either scenario, and that in the long-term Wenger leaving the club would be for the best anyway.

However, losing the FA Cup does not mean that Wenger is certain to leave. Even us finishing outside the top four would not guarantee that. In the end, it all comes down to the board members to make their decisions. The board members' unpredictable nature means that keeping faith in them to do the right thing is a bit foolish. However, if I were Wenger I'd be embarrassed to sign a new contract, after so many years of abject failure.

I'll be watching the game with impassioned indifference. Putting so much emotion into such a crucial and difficult match seems a risky exercise to me, Blackburn and Bradford encounters proved that. The thing about Arsenal is that it's such an unpredictable club that I don't want to put too much emotion, for fear of feeling heartbroken if we suffer a negative result. Maybe I'm just too afraid to make myself vulnerable to disappointments.

Just... come on Arsenal. The stakes are high. Really high.

Do not disappoint.

-Santi (Follow me on twitter: @ArsenalBlogz )

Contract ramblings, Jack's injury and thoughts on Kallstrom, Ozil and Bendtner

It's an eventful week for an Arsenal supporter.

New juicy deals for Mertesacker and Rosicky have been agreed, and Ramsey and Cazorla could be the next. Sagna and Bendtner are edging closer to the exit door, Wenger's situation remains uncertain, Wilshere has cracked his left foot, and most importantly, one of the most exciting deals of the transfer window could be in action against Everton.

I kid, of course. Signing Kim Kallstrom is hardly a deal that would send shivers even down his own cracked spine. However, I doubt that any Arsenal supporter would positively dread watching him take to the field. Yes, he symbolizes everything wrong with Wenger's transfer policy, but I'll still look forward to what he could possibly offer to the team.

Anyway, here are my takes on the recent flurry of activities:

On Mertesacker's and Rosicky's deals...
I'm delighted. Merty, for one, has signed his last long-term contract with Arsenal, which means that his best years are secure at this club. You'd be a fool if it took you this long to understand that he's been a terrific player this season. Under the influence of Steve Bould, Per has become an expert at reading the game and intercepting dangerous passes.

I hardly need to emphasize his partnership with Laurent Koscielny as well - all I can say is that they've been superb in forming one of the most stable Arsenal backlines since the Invincibles.

However, confidence has made Mertesacker much more than just a competent defender. He's become a leader, a vocal presence and one of Arsenal's nicest guys. Although a player like Bacary Sagna, for instance, has been one of our most consistent and reliable defenders for years altogether, his silent and sombre nature has meant that Gooners have almost taken him for granted. Mertesacker's forceful and vocal nature, however, has meant that he is considered indispensable to the team.

Tomas Rosicky's signing is also a fantastic piece of business. Word has it that he has signed a 2 year contract, which means that he is almost certain to retire at Arsenal. I love the guy, his never-say-die attitude and an obsession to pass the ball forward makes him an important part of the team. He is clearly desperate to make up for lost time. His tendency to press the ball high up and put in astounding workrate game after game is a rare sight from a 33 year old.

He celebrated his new contract in fine fashion too, scoring a good goal against Norway. It goes without saying that if he can replicate this goalscoring trait in the coming three months and stay clear of injuries, he'll be one of our players of the season.

On Ramsey's and Cazorla's rumoured deals...
Arsenal are rightly tying up their key players to new deals with a hope to keep them for the foreseeable future. While Sagna's, Podolski's and Vermaelen's futures remain uncertain, players like Mertesacker, Rosicky, Koscielny, Wilshere, Gibbs, Ozil, Walcott and Chamberlain are set to stay for the next season and the one after it in all likelihood. It's delightful to add Santi and Rambo to that list.

Cazorla is awesome. While I know that he's not had much influence on our team this season due to injury (and Wenger stupidly shunning him out wide), he's just a joy to watch when in the mood. There are only so many players in the world who possess qualities like dribbling, finishing, shot power, pace and two-footedness. In a twist of cruel fate, the only other person I know with these traits is Julian Draxler.

To think that we've tied down our own Ronaldinho for our future plans leaves me salivating.

If that leaves me salivating, the news of Ramsey signing a new contract (IF the reports are accurate) would leave me choking for breath. Even though I was surprised in finding myself to be pretty much the only one unnerved by his rumoured 100K per week, I'm happy with Wenger letting go of his 'socialist' wage structure.

For the first time in a long time, players at Arsenal are not leaving the club due to money issues. The ghosts of Ashley Cole and Samir Nasri are finally disappearing.

I agree that Ramsey has undergone a transformational season. However, I'm still not sure that his superb run is one that has permanently made him a much better footballer. Seeing that he had already signed a long-term deal in December 2013, it's a bit of a financial gamble from Arsene to dish out a much juicier deal to the same player based on 6 months of form. I don't know if Ozil's high wages are forcing Wenger to give others a pay rise or that he's simply fearful of losing his key men, but either way, things are panning out positively. Oh, speaking of Ozil...

OZIL wasn't booed, Joachim Lowe was...
It's shameful to see the media relentlessly piling on Ozil's bad times by suggesting that he was the one being jeered when taken off. Ozil, on the contrary, had assisted Mario Goetze's goal and received an award before the match, why would he be booed by his own supporters then?

In an attempt to clear out another myth, I want to point out that his assist doesn't mean Arsenal are going to see inspired performances from him. Maybe Lowe's indication that Ozil might miss out on the World Cup's squad could instigate him, but I wouldn't put my money on it. Not when he's surrounded by slowcoaches like Giroud and a tactical blockhead for a manager. Still, I'll play the waiting game on this one.

Jack Wilshere won't be sorely missed...
With all due respect to Jack, I feel that his unexpected lengthy layoff won't affect Arsenal that badly. For one, we have Aaron Ramsey who is returning, not to mention Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain who can be half-decent in that role. Flamini and Arteta are options as well, not to forget Abou Diaby who might return later in March.

Kim Kallstrom, dare I add, is an option as well. I know that he isn't what fans wanted (me neither), but the fact remains that his return from injury literally makes him a "new signing", and I'm instinctively excited to see how he plays. I know that I'm sounding incredibly far-fetched and optimistic, but should he put in some Flamini-esque shifts and contribute to some silverware, it'd be a fairytale story and Wenger would be held as a messiah.

Bendtner confirms, Sagna to leave as well?
After (would you believe it) a decade at Arsenal, Nicklas Bendtner has declared that he won't be extending his contract (assuming we offered him one). In one of many frank statements, Bendy said:

"I’m not going to stay at Arsenal – first team football is what I’m after. The plan is for me to move on. I’m ready for a new challenge. To keep my spot I need to play regularly."

Honestly? I'm sad to see him go. Not because I think he has a future at Arsenal, or because I consider him as apt backup to Giroud. However, ever since he scored against Cardiff, I've subconsciously extracted him out of my mind's categories of 'deadwoods' and placed him in 'memories'. I know it's a bit weird to miss an egoistical, deluded and annoying footballer, but it's just how I feel. All I can hope is that Wenger (presuming he stays) buys a much better replacement in the summer.

Elsewhere, Bacary Sagna has remained defiantly quiet. I still staunchly believe that his future depends on Arsenal winning a trophy or not, so it's kind of unpredictable to deduce if he's staying or not. While the league is dead, the FA Cup is very much on, and I'm not ruling it out. On the contrary, I'm pinning all of my hopes on it.

Fabianski, Viviano, Bendtner; three departures have been confirmed. If we don't win anything, I believe Sagna, Vermaelen and Podolski will be added to that list. With the prospect of buying 7 players in one window looking very much possible, I don't want Wenger overseeing such a busy transfer window. He fell short of 2 players in the last summer and 2 players the summer before - there's almost a guarantee we'll witness the same dithering and indecision in the next transfer window with him at the helm.

Wenger still hasn't signed a new contract; that gives me hope. However, I'm not going to pin all my hopes on that, because factors like an unpredictable board and a stubborn manager come into play. Instead, I'll put my hopes on something much more tangible - the FA Cup tie against Everton.

There's no denying that winning the FA Cup will save our season. Lose the game tomorrow, and our season finishes just like that. Win it, and we get closer to a trophy and closer to stemming an exodus.

It's time to get serious.

-Santi (Follow me on twitter: @ArsenalBlogz )

Arsene Wenger: The Professor who lost the race against time

"If you don’t believe you can do it, you have no chance at all”

These words by Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger are still fresh in the memories of the Arsenal fans, who have maintained a lot of patience in the last 10 years but have started to feel the heat of the trophyless years that are eclipsing the shadow of the Emirates. It would be quite fair to say now that after Le Professeur himself has admitted it would be difficult to chase leaders Chelsea after a defeat against Stoke City, that he is contradicting his own statement a bit.

Agreed, the faith that he has shown in some of his players is commendable, especially when they were going through difficult times. The dressing room still echoes the words "In Arsene we trust" and so do most of the Arsenal fans around the world. The players have reciprocated by putting their faith solely on the manager, standing by him with all his decisions, fighting the critics and believing that the trophyless era will soon be over. Some fans have even gone to the extent of hating on Arsenal legends Tony Adams and Ian Wright for their comments against Wenger’s managerial decisions. So much loyalty and faith can only be dreamed about.

However, amid all this, there seems to be a vibe that is slowly chiming in the minds of Gooners, a vibe that is steadily fading the trust out of their hearts and arousing questions in their minds. A vibe which very much is justified now that Arsenal seem close to completing a decade of EPL title-less and 9 years of barren trophies. This vibe was recently sped up after the mastermind Chelsea manager dubbed Arsene Wenger as a "specialist in failure", although many football pundits predicted it way earlier when Wenger decided not to buy an acclaimed striker in the January transfer window.

Frustration among fans has boiled to a level where disrespectful banners against the manager have been put up during Arsenal matches. One example of it is of ‘Buy Buy Wenger – Or Bye Bye Wenger’, which was showcased in the last few days of January transfer window. To be honest, the love that Arsenal fans have shown for their manager is unmatched, but there is always a limit to everything. We can load the camel with lots of straw, but finally it will be too much and the camel's back will break. And it is only a single last straw that does the complete damage.

So what’s the problem? Does Arsene Wenger not see what the world sees? Did he not know in January that the present attack of Arsenal is mediocre compared to those of the other top teams in EPL, or is it the trust that he puts in players that has backfired?

The answer to all the above questions is a ‘Yes’. The problem is that Wenger is still stuck up in his world of ‘creating talent and not buying it’, so much so that he was not ready to replace Giroud, who we all know looks average compared to the likes of Suarez, Rooney, Aguero and van Persie. A better striker, even though costing the club a lot in transfer fees as well as wages, would provide Arsenal with an attack that has been leashed since 2 years.

The tactics that are played by the Arsenal men during transfer windows are sharp but they are starting to grow roots. The transfer saga of Luis Suarez was one example of a failed attempt by Arsene Wenger and his men. The very fact that he bid '£40 million and 1' for him showed that not only is he disrespecting Liverpool, but he is also not taking Suarez seriously.

At a time when Arsenal were desperate to sign a striker (especially when Suarez was ready to join and Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers had clearly stated that only a good sum of money for Suarez would be acknowledged), Wenger should have tied his boots to land in a situation of negotiations over the deal rather than having a word-feud with Brendan Rodgers. He didn't, and we all know the result.

The same thing happened in January with Draxler, where Schalke's owner Horst Heldt clearly stated that Arsenal did not meet the asking price. Arsene Wenger managed to calm the supporters down by convincing them that a deal for the Schalke star could be done in summer, but now it is almost probable that he is heading to Bayern Munich.

With Arsenal, it’s the same story every year. It would be fair to say that the stubbornness of Arsene Wenger in the transfer windows has cost them a well-deserved title this season. With probably the best midfield in England even a decent attacking front could charge the team to the title, but clearly the recent performances of Olivier Giroud have proved that it will take him a long time to match the level of Robin van Persie.

Change is the only thing that’s constant. With the revolution in European football and the advancements in the game of the English Premier League, it has become a must for managers to not only perform well in training grounds, but also in the transfer windows. Arsene Wenger must realize that the Financial Fair Play he wishes for the FA to adopt is only a possibility, and until it is enforced (IF it is enforced) – market activities have to be kept moving. Besides, there is no guarantee that the rules of the FFP would be in sync to Wenger's wishes.

The very fact that the last hour panic buy of Mesut Ozil was only a result of anti-Wenger rallies and criticisms proves that Arsene Wenger is not a man who likes to spend. However, it is high time he realized that his frugal game will not go on for too long as the public is starting to get frustrated. It is time Wenger accepts the fact that creating talent is important only when one has the time for it.

Gambling cannot be done in football; there needs to be a full-fledged master plan. For a club to be ambitious, it is very important for the manager to be the same. The complacency that Wenger has shown in the past years (being satisfied with top four) is clearly weakening the team. Wenger must change himself before he gets changed.

While Arsene Wenger has been quick to boast that although Arsenal have not won a title in the last 8 years, they have always been able to play Champions League Football, Chelsea have been qualifying for CL consecutively in the last 10 years, not to mention winning it once and the Premier League title thrice along with other cups. In these relatively better 10 years, Chelsea have changed their manager 8 times.

Fans might argue that the money has been holding us back. "What can we do to counter Russian billionaires when we are crippled with stadium debts?", they'd cry. However, a glance suggests that Arsenal weren't as debt ridden as the club made it out to be.

In addition to the article linked above, the fact of the matter also remains that Wenger has rashly spent the money that he did have. It's frightening to phantom how much money was thrown down the drain over duds like Aliadiere, Bentley, Stack, Stepanovs, Jeffers, Wright, Inamoto, Hoyte, Cygan, Shaaban, Awusu-Abeyie, Senderos, Lupoli, Traore, Almunia, Poom, Mannone, Denilson, Diaby, Nordtveit, Bartley, Merida, Bischoff, Silvestre, Squillaci, Wellington Silva, Arshavin, Chamakh, Gervinho, Andre Santos, Park Chu Young, Bendtner, etc. Couldn't one argue that had these players been off the books much earlier and replaced by genuine quality, we would have been in a much better position to win titles?

Wenger's selfish socialist wage structure clogged up the wage budget, which meant that overpaid deadwood were difficult to be sold once it was clear that they weren't Arsenal material. His wage structure was questioned in 2009 as well, to which Wenger replied:

"If we do not deliver in one or two years I will be responsible. We are going in the right track and everyone at the club is convinced we are doing the right thing. If we do not get there next year or the year after then I will be responsible and stand up for it, don’t worry."

It's been five years now and the club is only going backwards, yet Wenger seems to have conveniently forgotten his promise. He instead chose to deliver another at the start of this season, saying:

"I've said many times I want to do well with this club and, in the end [of this season], I will sit down and think how well have I done with the team I have had. That has to be sufficient for me to decide yes or no."

The point is moot whether this season will be a success or not, because the fact remains that Arsene Wenger has been pretty lucky with Arsenal.

-Vib_H (Follow me on Twitter @Vib_Hafc)

Stoke 1-0 Arsenal: Proof that the title is lost

A loss at the Britannia wasn't far from inconceivable. We, along with many top teams were always susceptible to defeat, even though one wouldn't be completely wrong to suggest that it was one of those games that could go either way. However, it was the manner of the defeat that shocked me.

Facts: We registered 2 shots on target against a team fighting against relegation. We were outclassed in possession and tactics by Mark Hughes. A team with Walters and Crouch defeated a team with Cazorla, Podolski, Ozil and Rosicky. And it wasn't a one-off; anyone watching the game knows that. The loss was deserved.

Just let that sink in.

I refuse to believe that we lost because the players weren't and aren't committed to the club. Apart from Arteta (arguably), every other player has earned their corn in the first half of the season by giving their heart and soul for the club. They've somehow got a fairly decent side to the top of the table, and I applaud them for that. So why the lifeless performance?

They ran out of steam, it's as simple as that. What we're set to witness in the coming league fixtures won't be a collapse, let me tell you. A collapse was when the club chickened out after Eduardo's injury, or our W3 D6 L5 record after losing the Carling Cup Final. This isn't a collapse - it's the result of tired legs who are demoralized after not getting the resources that they wanted in January.

I wrote the following back in December, and I think that it still holds true:

"While I do agree that we have the strongest Arsenal side in years, I'm still not certain that it is strong enough to be there with the best. Yes, we have many players who are performing above their expectations, but I genuinely doubt whether they'll be able to match that form throughout the course of the campaign. I think that I've mentioned earlier that while we do have a bunch of currently overperforming players, the bitter truth is that they won't be able to maintain the same world class form that they're in so far."

I know that you'd call me an "I told you so" kind of guy, and you'd probably be right. However, my point of bringing this extract about wasn't to prove that I was accurate all along, it was to point out that the flaws were apparent in the squad back in DECEMBER, before the transfer window. A vast majority of supporters already knew that we needed reinforcements in January; a striker and a center back for good measure. We didn't get one, despite Wenger having £35m REMAINING from his £80m summer warchest.

It's apparent that I'm not blaming the players. I am blaming Arsene Wenger.

For heavens sake, he bought a Ligue 2 striker on a free when the world knew that we needed world-class talent. Giroud is tired, he clearly does not fit into Arsenal's attack and he's drying up Ozil's assists as well. Once it was obvious that Stoke had caught up with our one-dimensional tactics, players like Cazorla, Rosicky and Podolski could only do so much to counter it.

Wenger did nothing to rectify it. He had no other tactical plan, no other method to unlock their defence. He only threw on Yaya Sanogo (who does not deserve blame) and a center back into the attack in the vacant hope of forcing an equalizer. Talk about beautiful football, right?

It's bordering on madness now, seeing Wenger try the same thing over and over expecting different results. There are so many flaws in the person that I'm astounded people haven't noticed it. After the match, in context to our title race Wenger said:

"It is not slightly worrying, it's a big worry for us to lose a game like that."

And on lifting his side after the defeat:

"In a game like that we didn't produce the performance that we wanted, but I am not worried."

He contradicts himself within five minutes of the post-match conference, and a majority of fans lap it up. It's insanity, that's what it is. Wenger has completely lost all touch with reality and is inept in man management, tactics, transfer dealings and clearly does not have the motivation to win anymore.

Ivan Gazidis has given £100m+ for Wenger to spend in the coming summer, around the same amount that Manchester City spent last summer. Yet I'm confident that he won't spend it until the last days of the window, that's just how complacent and cheap Wenger has become. He's destroying the careers of Ozil, Podolski and Giroud by heaping pressure on them and overplaying them, just like he did to Vermaelen and Arshavin. The club is in a downward spiral, and Wenger is almost completely responsible for it, the facts support that.

But I still have faith. Not in Arsene Wenger of course; I lost total faith in him last year and him winning the FA Cup won't change that. However, I still believe that the players we have in this team can somehow achieve something this season. We still have the FA Cup to fight for - the next match is the FA Cup quarterfinals itself. The day I saw an Arsenal substitute team defeat Liverpool was the day I realized that the players do want Arsenal to win, and that they see the FA Cup as a realistic chance for a trophy.

Wenger has lost the plot, but the players clearly haven't. They're eager to give the fans something to cheer about at the end of the season, and I'm sure that they'll try to do just that against Everton. In my opinion, the potential FA Cup ties carry a lot more significance than the Manchester City, Chelsea and Tottenham matches.

Our Premier League season was over on February 1st when our only signing was Kim Kallstrom. Beating Bayern Munich was a long shot even if we had Luis Suarez in our team, that's how good they are. However, winning the FA Cup is realistic, and is something that we're capable of pulling off. It's time to face facts, play for pride in every league game and treat every cup game like a... er... cup final.

I have long since known that Arsene Wenger will not be leaving Arsenal until he decides to, which will probably be 10 more years down the line. I also know that under him, we will always struggle for trophies, irrespective of whether we win them or not. I have made my peace with this fact, yet I support this club purely because I can't let it go. Arsenal is my life, and even though I know that stopping to watch football and Arsenal entirely would save me torrents of pain, I love Arsenal too much to make that rash a decision.

Arsenal under Wenger will always be a 'top four' club, unless something fundamentally changes in the man (unlikely). If I know already that Wenger is certain to stay at the club for at least a decade more, is it wrong to hope that the club can win a trophy despite him? God knows that everyone connected to Arsenal (except Wenger and partly Gazidis) want the players to win a trophy, even more so this season.

Let's continue that belief with a win against Everton, where the stakes are so high it's reaching breaking point.

-Santi (Follow me on twitter: @ArsenalBlogz )

Stoke vs Arsenal: Match Preview + Sagna stuff

I hate Stoke City.

I know that Ryan Shawcross has mellowed a lot since that tackle on Aaron Ramsey. I know that the anti-football cap-wearing dimwit Tony Pulis isn't the manager of Stoke City anymore. I know that after Rory Delap retired, Stoke seldom adopt throw-ins as a method to cross the ball into the box.  I also know that under Mark Hughes, they don't employ dirty, rugby long-ball tactics to an extent.

However, I still find their fans (what is the word for...?) evil. And that's not to say I don't have good reason. How dare they plan to boo Ramsey after what their player did to him? I can't believe that a section of supporters could be so deluded, so heartless and so moronic that they plan to abuse a player who did no harm to them, only to find out that he isn't going to be taking any part in the match due to injury.

As an Arsenal supporter, I have almost been taught to hate the Spuds. (I would have anyway, what kind of club do you have to be to spend £100m and fight for fifth place?) However, if I wasn't an Arsenal supporter and watched the EPL as a neutral viewer, I'd have probably hated Chelsea, Manchester City and Stoke City much, much more.

The reasons to hate Chelsea and City are blindingly obvious. Abramovich and Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed al Nahyan have corrupted the finances of the game and won their teams accolades purely because of money. The clubs have leaned on the bottomless pits of cash to be competitive, and shamelessly bragged about that. Most of their supporters are plastic as well; I know very few Manchester City or Chelsea supporters who actually had heard of these clubs before the money rolled in.

However, hating Stoke City is entirely different; it's primarily because I don't know any other side that is so anti-Arsenal. While we play beautiful football, they keep booting the ball to their ex-Spud target man. While we have decent individuals who have a limit to their aggression (bar Flamini!), they are raw apes who thrive on Shawcrossing everyone like it's their privilege to do so.

I'm not saying that playing with aggression in football is wrong. On the contrary it's how the game is supposed to be played, because football is a contact sport. However, Stoke tend to overdo it a lot and set no limits (or indeed, technique) to their sliding challenges. While it's notable that they have cut down on that factor this season, I simply can't stop hating them. Not because of the Aaron Ramsey thing, but because of the reaction from their 'fans' later.

I'm not going to tell this team to win the match for Aaron Ramsey, that's frankly too outdated and cliched. Instead, I'm going to be as level-headed and logical as possible and hope that the team wins, simply because the next games are far from winnable. After Stoke, we face the Spuds, City, Chelsea and Everton in the league (3 away games), all of which are matches where points can and will be dropped. Oh yeah, and a crucial FA Cup tie along with a trip to Munich as well.

I know that going to the Britannia stadium and winning is a difficult task. The last time we won there was when Ramsey broke his leg. However, compared to the gauntlet we're set to go through, this is a game we should win anyhow, seeing that we're title challengers.

In team news, we have a bit of a left back crisis, with Kieran Gibbs definitely out and Nacho Monreal a doubt. If Monreal fails to make it, then Wenger should have some curious options to try out. Should he deploy a match unfit Thomas Vermaelen at left back who's crying out for game time? Or should he field Mathieu Flamini there and partner Jack Wilshere along with Mikel Arteta? Of course, there's also the possibility of Sagna covering left back and Carl Jenkinson going onto the right.

It's a tough call, but I think that Monreal would be fit and will start on the left for this game. In hindsight, it wouldn't be the worst thing. While I understand that he's not the most reliable defender in our back line, pitting Monreal against Robben is very different than against Odemwingie. I'm sure that if he starts today he'll do a good job.

If he can't start then I'd want Vermaelen on the left, mostly because I don't want to disposition Flamini or Sagna for a game in which their aggression and physicality are vital. And before you attempt to remind me that Vermaelen is being mispositioned himself, let me point out that Tommy played as a left-back for Ajax before Arsenal came calling, so that position won't be a mystery to him.

The rest of the back line picks itself, with Szczesny, Sagna, Koscielny and Mertesacker. A game like Stoke MUST require the services of Flamini, who would presumably partner the equally aggressive Jack Wilshere. A good, aggressive, squad thus far I'd say.

While Giroud seems set to start after the whole model scandal has cooled, the front trio should be a bit of a welcome problem for the manager. The manager has Oxlade-Chamberlain, Gnabry, Ozil, Rosicky, Cazorla and Podolski to choose for three slots, so it'll be interesting to see what lineup he does select.

Personally, I'd go for Chamberlain on the right, Podolski on the left and Rosicky in the center - The Ox and Podolski are players that can match (or come close to matching) Stoke's physical nature, and Rosicky can have a big impact if he replicates his rough housing nature that he earlier performed against Newcastle. I for one wouldn't use this as game for Mesut Ozil's comeback - the physicality at the Britannia might startle him.

However, knowing Wenger, I'd say that Ozil is set to start. With Wenger, I'd predict that Ozil would begin with Chambo and Cazorla on the wings, and Giroud the obvious choice upfront. While I'm not particularly against this decision (Ozil will undoubtedly be raring to shake of criticism), I fear for Ozil's fitness if this does happen.

All in all, we should be having enough to beat Stoke City. With Liverpool facing a tricky away tie to Southampton and Chelsea traveling to Craven Cottage for a London derby (not to mention City not playing at all this weekend), there is a genuine chance of the top four shuffling positions. Let's choose forward today.

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In other news, interesting quotes from Bacary Sagna have come out, where he oh-so clearly stated that he loves Arsenal and wants to continue his future here. However, he also labeled the trophyless streak as "embarrassing", which just shows me how badly he wants to win at this club. However, if we win nothing, "win at this club" could quickly change to "win anywhere". We've seen it happen with Robin before, let's not continue that trend.

After the 5-2 win against the Spuds back in February 2012, van Persie had said:

“I am a true Gunner. I love this club and that’s no secret. We will soon talk about many things. There’s nothing complicated or sinister - the Club and I have both agreed to speak at the end of the season and see how things stand. The boss, Ivan Gazidis and I are all comfortable with it."

I'm sorry, but I still don't doubt that Robin character was close to the present Sagna's. However, the eventual lure for trophies caught up with him and he left the club in search of glory, just like Nasri. And Fabregas. And Clichy. And Adebayor. And Hleb. And Henry, to a certain extent.

Sagna says:

“I love Arsenal, I love playing for Arsenal, I love my team. Arsenal is the most followed team in France and I remember I used to watch them when I was in France so it was a pleasure to play for them, so why leave?"

If we don't win a trophy, I'm certain that his love for Arsenal will evaporate in a trice. And I don't blame him - ambitious footballers want to be surrounded with players that can win them rewards. I don't think that the contract length is a major issue here, Sagna is refusing to sign a new deal because he still isn't convinced that Arsenal is a club that can give him trophies. Come May, we need to turn that around.

I don't understand the concept of not giving Sagna a long term deal now. It's not like we'd make a hefty loss if the gamble of paying him a long-term deal backfires. Players like Almunia, Mannone, Eboue, Squillaci, Djourou, Santos, Denilson, Arshavin, Gervinho, Chamakh and countless others who clogged up our wage bill are long gone, which means that we can now afford a loss on a player who deserves to retire at the club anyway.

I say give Sagna what he needs, it's about time he's given a substantial pay rise on his paltry £60K salary. He's one of the best right backs in the country and one of the most versatile and loyal players at Arsenal. Not giving him a salary rise just because he's 30 is madness.

Let's hope Wenger realizes that.

P.S. Interesting stuff from Theo Walcott as well, read it if you have the time.
And Santi has signed a new deal, yay!

-Santi (Follow me on twitter: @ArsenalBlogz )