Tag Archives: Arsene Wenger

Chelsea weren’t meant to lose this FA Cup final. Everything was pointing towards the Blues sweeping an injury-riddled Arsenal aside having been able to rest after securing the title. Antonio Conte was going to notch the club’s second double and Arsene Wenger would be left in a muddle once again.

From the off Arsenal were far the better side. Chelsea were dominated centrally, as N’golo Kante and Nemanja Matic could not handle the quartet of Granit Xhaka, Aaron Ramsey, Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez. Conte could have seen his side fall behind by several goals and, in truth, the Blues were fortunate not be humiliated.

Whether we want to buy the ‘complacent’ narrative or see this as a renaissance for an Arsenal side that have recently embarked on a rare tactical adaptation, it was a reminder that this Chelsea incarnation are far from invincible. Impressive at their best, sure, the Blues have been flawed all too often and comparatively limped over the line this season. Defeats to Crystal Palace and Manchester United are hauntingly familiar memories, while the 93 point total still represents a remarkable achievement.

Chelsea’s squad appeared weak in August. Those weaknesses have been masked by a lack of injuries and superb management from the ever-likeable Italian manager. Those holes remain, however, and cannot be simply papered over this summer.

After other title wins, Chelsea have floundered and faffed in the transfer market. Cutting corners or pinching pennies, the Blues have left themselves in too weak a position the next season to reach their objectives or been forced to splash excessively in January.

As a Manchester arms race begins, Liverpool are linked with half the Bundesliga and Spurs’ young squad will improve, Chelsea cannot afford to lean on a roster that’s flaws have gradually reached greater prominence. It does not need to be brash, flash or brutally expensive like the spending from the northwest will be, but Chelsea’s summer is as definitive as anyone’s.

Bad team performances like Saturday’s will happen, but the club will not compete domestically or in Europe without significant additions, even if the financial burden can be lessened by the return of Andreas Christensen and Bertrand Traore from loan spells at Borussia Monchengladbach and Ajax respectively.

Tiemoue Bakayoko or Romelu Lukaku would not have avoided defeat at Wembley, but the defeat and relative indifference in 2017 should serve as a stark wake up call for a club that must be ruthless in this window.

Chelsea and Arsenal have not met in an FA Cup final since 2002. The Gunners were victorious that day, with each club having enjoyed numerous Wembley successes since. Didier Drogba has dominated this fixture in the 2000s, but the Ivorian is now no more than a nightmare for Arsenal.

Antonio Conte’s Chelsea are Premier League champions and are shooting for a double on Saturday. Arsenal, meanwhile, remain a club on the cusp of turmoil. Stan Kroenke is a man criticised frequently, Arsene Wenger’s future is unknown and key players are yet to sign on the dotted line.

With defenders missing and off the back of an underwhelming campaign, Arsenal are underdogs. Strong underdogs at that, too, with Wenger a man splitting opinion. Everything can change under the arch, and Arsenal have a good recent record at Wembley, but Chelsea are a fearsome unit led by a manager a driven as anyone in the game.

The man-to-man duels could decide this encounter. We don’t want controversy, we don’t want it to be decided on a foolish red card, we want a classic final showdown. These three matchups will be crucial if that is to happen…

Arsenal enter tomorrow’s FA Cup final in a bit of a mess, as it’s not clear what Gunners side we’re set to witness at the start of next season.

Whilst it’s more than likely Arsene Wenger will extend his contract, the general consensus from the fans is that it’s not what they want and the wealth of uncertainty hovers above North London this summer- with Wenger, key players and the board potentially set for exits.

The Gunners endured a sub-par Premier League campaign, finishing outside of the top-four for the first time in over two decades, and were on the receiving end of a drubbing from Bayern Munich in the Champions League- losing 10-2 on aggregate.

Tomorrow’s FA Cup final won’t heal those wounds but winning the trophy is a crucial step for Arsenal’s rejuvenation, whereas defeat could make their difficult task this summer all the more daunting.

Should Arsenal win tomorrow, they can consider the campaign as partly successful and the fact they’re winning honours will help them keep the likes of Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil at the club, as well as helping lure big-names in from elsewhere.

If they were to lose, as many expect, then it could be the final straw for players like Alexis and Ozil, as well as giving the Gunners a battle in their quest to lure potential targets to the Emirates Stadium. Crucially though, it would set-up a poisonous atmosphere around North London.

Failure to win tomorrow would be the latest frustration for Arsenal fans with Arsene Wenger and it would be difficult to spin any sort of positive out of the campaign to justify handing the long-serving Frenchman a fresh deal- so Arsenal are drawing a huge target on their back.

Lift the FA Cup and Wenger maybe, just maybe, be able to save some grace and have some support from the fanbase or, equally, it may allow him to walk away with his head held high after securing yet more success to cap off his fantastic tenure in charge of the Gunners.

Without FA Cup victory and a top-four finish, it would be extremely difficult for Arsenal to justify handing Arsene Wenger a contract extension and the club would be a time bomb, which would be set off at any stage next season when the Gunners endure a blip in form.

Arsenal’s backs are against the walls as they face a huge test to compete with the financial might of the likes of Chelsea, Manchester United and Manchester City and, in truth, it’s going to take the Gunners a long time to ever be considered the favourites for Premier League glory once again.

The glory years of Arsenal are a long way gone and any chance of salvaging a decent future in the coming years hangs in the balance ahead of tomorrow’s clash, as the Gunners will find it extremely difficult to keep key players and attract big names without being able to boast a trophy in their locker.

Gianluca Vialli, Claudio Ranieri, Carlo Ancelotti, Roberto di Matteo and Antonio Conte. Chelsea adore Italians.

Roman Abramovich flitted with Barcelona imitation, but when that fell short, the Italian norm returned. Vialli was widely admired, Ranieri loved as the nicest man in the sport, Ancelotti brought dazzling football and a double, Di Matteo finally delivered that elusive Champions League and now Conte could produce a double of his own.

Chelsea have only won one double in their 112 year history. Ancelotti’s team in 2010 scored more goals than anyone has done in the Premier League era and entertained throughout as they teamed power with exceptional talent. Irrepressible at times, that team is one of the best in recent memory. It was a joy to watch as stalwarts Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard were accompanied by a magnificent Florent Malouda, graceful Nicolas Anelka and destructive Michael Ballack. They wrapped up their title with an 8-0 final day destruction of Wigan. Fitting.

Saturday evening brings Conte’s chance to emulate his journeyman compatriot in completing a debut season double. Conte’s would be all the more remarkable.

Chelsea finished 10^th last season, they were abysmal despite being reigning champions and were a club in turmoil once again. Players were almost universally unrecognisable, controversy rumbled and they were once again being led by a caretaker manager. When Jose Mourinho joined Manchester United, Pep Guardiola joined Manchester City and Conte signed at Stamford Bridge, even a top four finish would have been deemed a stellar campaign.

Fans split over Mourinho’s departure, fans bickered over the role of the players in the sacking of their greatest ever manager. Everything looked bleak.

Then followed a summer transfer window dominated by the pursuit of Kalidou Koulibaly. Left-back was still an issue, and no one knew whether Eden Hazard and Diego Costa in particular would return to their dominant form of 2014/15. The window ended with Michy Batshuayi, Marcos Alonso, N’golo Kante and David Luiz arriving at Stamford Bridge.

Alonso suffered from the Premier League centric thinking that costs English football, Luiz’s harsh reputation went before him, Batshuayi’s price tag sat heavily on his shoulders and Kante’s brilliance at Leicester was yet to be truly accepted. Alonso, Luiz and Kante set about becoming crucial players in a Chelsea team that equalled the league’s consecutive wins record and notched 93 points. Batshuayi was a threat when called upon, but remained on the bench for the most part as Costa’s lack of injuries surprised us all.

Conte glued together a fractured squad, he showed tactical adaptability and reinvigorated careers. It should not be a surprise after a quick glance at his glorious CV, but the Italian picked up a club from the doldrums and charged to an emphatic title.

We may never know quite what happened at Chelsea in 2015/16. Conte, though, found a way to make sure it was a freak blip rather than a startling regression towards upper mid-table suffering. Chelsea could have gone the way of Liverpool and post-Ferguson Manchester United, it was down to Conte that they did not.

Their league dominance makes them clear favourites on Saturday. Fairly so, but it also takes the pressure off. Whatever happens under the arch, Chelsea have had a season far beyond the most optimistic of predictions.

Abramovich craved Chelsea recreating Guardiola’s Barcelona, but the Italian way has so often been the way for the Blues.

Being a backup goalkeeper is a strange life. Some players build an entire career on being happy to be second fiddle. Up and down the footballing world there are players who accept that they will never be first choice at their club. At the top level, they are usually treated to a few cup outings throughout the season so they remember how to stop the ball if they are ever needed on a regular basis.

Those outings extend if the club continues to succeed; at least they do most of the time. Some managers revert to their ‘number one’ once the latter rounds appear, but it seems increasingly common that managers continue to twist with their backup rather than the supposedly safer alternative.

David Ospina is in line to start for Arsenal in the FA Cup final in the same week Sergio Romero was preferred to David de Gea in the Europa League final. Both of the South American goalkeepers are exceptional backups, though neither have the slightest of chances of superseding de Gea or Petr Cech. Reputation holds for a long time as a goalkeeper.

Ospina will leave Arsenal this summer, while Romero remains firmly in de Gea’s shadow with Manchester United destined to sign another goalkeeper should the Spaniard finally return to Madrid. Their careers are unorthodox, and unlike any other position in football. Ospina has 77 caps for Chile, Romero has 87 caps for Argentina, yet they had a combined four Premier League appearances this season.

They each enjoyed their cup berths, with Romero collecting 12 matches in the Europa League and Ospina playing eight in the Champions League. The role as second choice is not as clear cut as it is at other clubs, but is this really what these two talented, experienced internationals envisaged their career to be?

They are superb assets for Arsene Wenger and Jose Mourinho. Both are unruffled by tense situations and have proven themselves to be up to more than an acceptable standard. Neither, though, can truly fill fulfilled by a campaign of being so obviously a secondary option as this, however much professionalism they show.

In a summer when Asmir Begovic is set to leave Chelsea and Willy Caballero has left Manchester City, goalkeepers may just be realising their own value. Caballero, Begovic, Romero and Ospina would walk into the majority of European teams, maybe contributing on the pitch will take priority over fledgling cup outings.

Arsenal seem to be on the rise again, having sealed their place in next month’s FA Cup final following a 2-1 victory over Manchester City at Wembley.

Goals from Nacho Monreal and Alexis Sanchez saw the Gunners come from behind to take the win, having conceded the opening goal to Sergio Aguero, but the positives of that performance could be overshadowed by continued concerns regarding the futures of Arsenal’s star-players.

Match-winner Alexis Sanchez is one of many players who face an uncertain future at Arsenal, as the Chilean is rapidly approaching the final 12 months of his contract and is attracting vast interest from across Europe.

Whilst many feel Alexis will move on this summer, Arsene Wenger has a different view and has issued a huge statement following yesterday’s victory- claiming the former Barcelona man is going nowhere.

What was said?

Quoted by The Sun, Wenger said after yesterday’s win:

“Alexis Sanchez was like the team, he had problems to start with and became stronger and stronger. He is an animal, always ready to kill the opponent. He will never give up.”

“He will be here next year because he has a contract with us and hopefully we will manage to extend it.”

What does this mean?

Wenger’s comments are a major statement of intent from Arsenal, as a sale of Alexis Sanchez now would see a target drawn on the back of the French boss as fans would see him as either going back on a previous promise or simply lying.

However, it’s a risky move from Arsenal as it opens up the possibility of their star-man leaving on a free transfer next summer and the Gunners would be powerless to stop him joining a Premier League rival, whereas they could force a move abroad at the end of this season.

The most crucial comment is therefore Wenger’s hope of extending Alexis’ deal, which suggests that negotiations are not dead in the water and an agreement could still be reached- although Arsenal will have to prove their competitiveness.

Arsenal will be looking to invest heavily this summer and must show Alexis they can build a title-winning side, especially if they fail to secure a position in the top four of the Premier League, which would see Arsenal not feature in the Champions League for the first time under Wenger.

Arsene Wenger has suggested that the best players in the world are coming from France, with that in mind, if he is still the manager of Arsenal in the summer, who should he sign?

We take a look at 5 internationals that Arsenal should be in the market for…

1 - Kingsley Coman

The 20-year-old has had a fantastic start to his career and is widely regarded as one of the best young wide players in the world. He’s a fantastic talent but he is only being used sparingly by Carlo Ancelotti, leading many to believe he could be available this summer, despite Bayern having an option to buy. Coman has the right to refuse a move to Bayern, even if they activate the clause. According to Telefoot in France, Arsenal have made an enquiry. Coman would more than likely come in and play on the left wing, possibly as a replacement for Alexis Sanchez.

Arsenal slipped to sixth in the Premier League before the international break and now face a huge test to battle their way back into the top-four. If they’re to turn their season around, they’ll need to do these five things.

End the woeful run

It’s a well documented fact that Arsenal’s form in recent months has been abysmal, with the Gunners remarkably losing six of their last nine games in all competitions. Not only that but two of their three wins during that period have come against non-league opponents in the FA Cup.

It’s pretty simple; if Arsenal are to finish in the top-four, this awful run needs to end immediately- starting this weekend against top-four rivals Manchester City. A defeat there would see the Gunners fall ten points behind the Citizens and potentially nine points behind the top-four, which would not be good at all.

Arsenal have been severely underperforming in recent months, and there’s several players that Arsene Wenger is failing to get the best out of. Here’s five that are particularly struggling under the Frenchman’s guidance.

1 - Mesut Ozil

Wenger built the formation around Mesut Ozil, giving him the number 10 role he knows and loves, but the Arsenal manager has not supplemented Ozil with the right teammates in order to get the best out of him. Ozil is often frozen out of games, and that is not due to the German playing poorly, it is often due to players like Coquelin being selected in central midfield, this stops Ozil from getting on the ball and restricts his influence.

It was the elephant in the room. Having more or less consigned themselves to UEFA Champions League elimination after losing 5-1 to Bayern Munich this Wednesday, many expected Arsène Wenger to utilise his pre-match press conference ahead of their FA Cup tie with Sutton United to lay down the official word on his Arsenal future.

With his Gunners contract up at the end of the season, the under-fire manager prolonged the anticipation until “March or April,” but the Frenchman did allude to a differing scenario from what many had envisioned.

Common predictions pointed towards Wenger’s retirement after what’s so far been a 21-year-reign at Arsenal, potentially moving into the club’s hierarchy to carry out different functions in the same way Sir Alex Ferguson has done at Manchester United, but, staying true to his managerial abilities, the 67-year-old has stated he will continue to be a manager after this season, “with or without Arsenal.”

This had us thinking, just where will we find Mr. Wenger next season?

1. AS Monaco

The first muse of Arsène after joining from penniless Nancy, the Arsenal boss went on to win the Ligue 1 title and the Coupe de France during seven hotly-contested seasons up against Olympique Marseille and Paris Saint-Germain. His time in the principality came to a bitter end, however.

Allegations of bribery around the league tarnished its integrity, as Monaco suffered at the hands of the alleged cheats, and having been eliminated in the Champions League semi-finals to eventual winners AC Milan in 1994, Wenger was given the axe months later after leaving the Monégasque outfit 17th in the league table.

But times are different back in his homeland. Monaco have gone down and returned back to the upper echelons Ligue 1 football, this time led by Russian billionaire Dmitry Rybolovlev and his ever-impressive coach Leonardo Jardim, currently flying high in first place.

Such has been the success this season that the ex-Sporting and Olympiakos boss is sure to be one of the many names touted at other big clubs this summer, perhaps even at Arsenal as Wenger’s successor, which would open up the prospect for an intriguing switch.

Monaco’s project is unique, dedicated to developing young players with a means to be successful, which could be right up Wenger’s alley in territory he knows so well. Could a return be on the cards?

Well, it could be, except for the French club currently holds close ties with super-agent Jorge Mendes, famous for farming large quantities of his footballing clients (good or bad) to associated clubs, which probably won’t fly under Wenger, whereas it’s also reported that there’s bad blood between the two due to the move that saw Cristiano Ronaldo sign for Manchester United, as opposed to Arsenal, back in 2003.

2. Paris Saint-Germain

From one Ligue 1 title hopeful to another, the Paris Saint-Germain suggestion might sound alien to you given their recent 4-0 demolition of Barcelona on Tuesday, but it’s not impossible.

The Parisians turned to former Sevilla boss and three-time Europa League winner, Unai Emery, to take over Laurent Blanc and steer the PSG project to desired heights. Tuesday’s win takes an important step towards their goal, but the Spaniard’s start to life in France hasn’t quite been as smooth as intended, which won’t be forgotten in times of renewed pressure.

PSG have come unstuck against the likes of EA Guingamp, Toulouse and Montpellier this season, as they trail league leaders Monaco by three points in a title race they were overwhelmingly favourites for to start with.

The use of summer flops, such as Hatem Ben Arfa and Jesé Rodríguez, has been another stick to beat the Basque manager with, but the arrival of Julian Draxler has gone a long way into amending that.

PSG’s form has also improved over the past couple of months, setting them up for a potentially strong finish, but should they falter, let Blanc’s departure after a treble-winning-season serves as a warning to Emery.

In that case, would Wenger, so often associated with move to the French champions in an alternative life, finally make the jump to the capital?

3. Barcelona

There’s always been something about Luis Enrique and the quality of his Barcelona side that hasn’t quite sat right with many Culés.

An ex-player for the Catalans, as well as for bitter rivals Real Madrid, Enrique created waves with Barcelona B when earning promotion to the second tier of Spanish football in 2011, subsequently landing himself a gig with AS Roma the following season.

His time in Italy was far from spectacular, however, and before he knew it, Enrique was back on Spanish shores in command of Celta Vigo, who finished midtable under him in 2014.

It’s this that took him to the Barcelona job, but the 46-year-old silenced fears with a treble in his first season at the Camp Nou, followed by the league and cup double a year later.

All those critics have come flooding right back again, as Barcelona stare in the face of Champions League elimination and battle hard behind Real Madrid for this season’s La Liga title. Could it be that the magic of Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez were the only driving force in Enrique’s reign after all?

Here, Wenger might well be a nice fit. The Frenchman has an eye for developing talent, of which Barcelona pride themselves on, whereas expansive football also coexists within both parties’ DNA. Although he’s not a favourite for the job, I wouldn’t overlook a man who’s elevated the careers of players who’ve gone on to fail to replicate such form when pinched by the Catalan giants.

Press the navigation below to view the rest of this article, and 4 more potential destinations for Arsene

Everyone knew Chelsea’s reception of the Gunners would be a tricky one for Arsenal to come out victorious from at Stamford Bridge, a ground the north Londoners had tasted success just once since 2011.

Arsène Wenger’s conundrum began to find its form when Granit Xhaka was shown a red card in the hard-earned 2-1 victory at home to Burnley, a dismissal reciprocated by a then furious Arsenal boss en route to the pair grabbing themselves four-game bans.

That might not have meant a great deal with a cup-tie versus Southampton and a supposedly low-risk clash at home to an off-tune Watford side awaiting the title hopefuls, but it did leave Arsenal at a clear disadvantage against Chelsea in the following fixture.

The trip to the St. Mary’s Stadium proved to be a success, as the Saints also chopped and changed in the fourth round of the FA Cup, but the Gunners’ incompatibilities in midfield were clear versus Watford.

Xhaka-less, whereas Mohamed Elneny was representing his country in the Africa Cup of Nations, Wenger turned to an Aaron Ramsey and Francis Coquelin pairing against the Hornets, a duo that was bypassed with ease and dismembered within 20 minutes via the former’s injury, enough time to leave Arsenal 2-0 down already.

This all conditioned the Gunners’ hand at Stamford Bridge, without key components in midfield, now including Ramsey, and with the added woe of apparent knocks being carried by Alex-Oxlade Chamberlain and Coquelin, the pivot that would be backed against the West London outfit.

With a deep-seated crisis in the middle of the park, Arsenal were tasked with defeating the title favourites, of which the luck with injuries has seen the Blues necessitate to extend their starting XI to no more than 13 players – Quite the contrast.

But even under less than favourable circumstances, the Gunners might well have managed to worsen their chances of withholding success against Antonio Conte’s side.

Wenger opted for a relatively untried Chamberlain – Coquelin pivot, both, as mentioned, reportedly carrying knocks, to set up a two vs. two against Nemanja Matic and the ever-impressive N’Golo Kanté.

The results proved to be obvious, as the Chelsea pair, subsidised by the club’s wing backs, took control in the moments before Marcos Alonso’s opener and, later, took advantage of Arsenal’s middlemen’s physical limitations through counter-attacks.

All facts considered, domination by Kanté and co. was predictable, but the north Londoners might well have made their own bed when fielding just the two central midfielders.

With both Chamberlain and Coquelin failing to transport the ball to the likes of Mesut Özil, the midfield pair were contrarily left to fend for themselves defensively due to the German’s tendencies to not track back.

The same scenario has repeated from time-to-time with a tried and tested side, making Arsenal’s 4-2-3-1 look more like a 4-2-4 and highly-susceptible to counter-attacks - a dangerous set-up versus a team of Chelsea’s ilk.

A change many ‘Gooners’ have called for is a transition to a 4-3-3 set-up, pushing Özil into a forward role instead, and it’s a formation that could have been debuted against the Premier League leaders even with limited options.

On the bench sat Ainsley Maitland-Niles, a wide man by trade, but one that has excelled in a central role on more than one occasion. Could the energetic youngster not have added something this Saturday? With Chamberlain and Coquelin supposedly not in peak condition, how could you not turn to an extra body for help?

Today will go down as a missed opportunity for Wenger and his men to have closed the gap on their title rivals, and in Maitland-Niles’ addition they may have discarded their only hope of being disciplined enough to do so.

With little time left in the market, Arsenal fans are growing frustrated at the clubs lack of activity, particularly when it comes to signing attacking players. The club are looking to add but Wenger’s latest comments could indicate that he will stick with what he’s got rather than look for external solutions.

Speaking before Saturday evenings game against Leicester City where Alexis is expected to spearhead Arsenal’s attack, Wenger said: “I think it is worth it to try (Alexis at ST) as he has the quality to go behind.”

Although it didn’t work well against Liverpool, Alexis does appear to have the attributes of a good striker and he has shown that for Chile previously, albeit in a two striker formation. Wenger continued: ‘He has similar qualities (to Luis Suarez) It is interesting to see how well he copes. He is technically top.’

A big claim from Arsene, but a true one - to an extent. Alexis is of a similar build to Suarez, what he lacks is that killer instinct you can only develop when playing as a striker consistently. He needs to play regularly and gain confidence in a central role if he is to succeed there. Many will question his lack of height, but Alexis can hold his own in the air and some of the best strikers in the world, Suarez and Sergio Aguero for example, do not have much in terms of height to offer. In a match where Arsenal may require more of a target, they will be able to put Olivier Giroud through the middle, potentially alongside Alexis.

I think Alexis will look better as a number 9 when more established, top quality midfielders are in support of him. Last week we saw an unfit Aaron Ramsey, out of shape Theo Walcott and Alex Iwobi behind Alexis - not the best trio by any means. Mesut Ozil will return soon and so often we have seen the two record Arsenal signings link up brilliantly, perhaps as a number 10 and number 9 that duo could be the most influential when both are in central areas?

The immediate reaction from some fans may be that Alexis struggled against Liverpool up front, but he had several bad games playing as a winger last season. He just needs to get into a rhythm and I think he is more than capable of doing that up top. He is probably the most deadly finisher in the Arsenal squad right now.

The Chilean’s work ethic means that Arsenal can apply pressure from the front and force mistakes from oppponents defenders, we saw this in spells against Liverpool and I think if this were to be well-drilled and practicsed, it could give Arsenal an alternative attacking identity.

Arsene may need to search for an internal solution like this one due to the fact that there is a serious shortage of attacking quality in the market right now. The lack of central strikers of top quality on the market is making it seriously hard. Gonzalo Higuain, who turns 29 later this year moved for nearly £80million. Alexandre Lacazette, a striker who cannot get into the France squad ahead of Andre-Pierre Gignac and Olivier Giroud, will reportedly cost any suitors around £50million. The market is crazy for strikers right now, so perhaps it is a good idea to think of a different solution.

It may be the case that Arsene is still looking to sign a striker, but these comments could simply come as a way of supporting Alexis who is expected to start the next couple of games at least as the clubs main striker. Wenger may be saying stuff like this to try and appease the fans incase his efforts to bring in a new forward do not happen.

In fact Wenger has changed the tone somewhat in terms of who he may or may not be signing recently. He has hinted that he could move for a player in any position, not just a striker. Arsene said he will shop via quality and not position. This, combined with the fact that he has spoken about using Alexis as a striker leads me to believe that the club may be looking to bring in a top quality midfielder instead of a new frontman. Perhaps a wide player like Julian Draxler or even James Rodriguez? With Mesut Ozil and perhaps another big name midfielder supporting the Chilean, maybe the Gunners could finally line up with an exciting front four.

Arsenal often bring plenty of talking points to the table and today was no exception, as the Gunners were defeated 4-3 at home to Liverpool in their first Premier League game of the season.

In light of Per Mertesacker and Gabriel Paulista’s absence through injury, the worry over a Calum Chambers and Rob Holding pairing was visible, as Arsène Wenger opted for protection in Francis Coquelin’s presence ahead of handing new boy Granit Xhaka his debut.

Despite a promising first half in which Philippe Coutinho’s free-kick denied the north Londoners the lead going into half time, the second period brought forward familiar grumbles from the home crowd as Liverpool racked up three more goals.

Stat of the Game: Despite playing just 24 minutes, Arsenal’s Granit Xhaka committed more fouls (4) than any other Premier League player this weekend.

Whereas the £4.2 million spent on Augsburg’s Ragnar Klavan gained a few appreciators, the Reds’ work at the other end versus a depleted Arsenal defence was just as eye-catching. Liverpool’s fluidity in attack tortured the Gunners’ youthful centre half duo, and there was one name deemed responsible for it all - Arsène Wenger.

Arsenal utlimately lacked defensive experience. You cannot score 3 goals at home and not win the game, let alone lose it. Despite a spirited fightback, at the end of the day Arsenal didn’t get the job done, not even close. The last couple of goals purely acted as a consolation. Arsenal fans blamed Wenger for the defeat and now hope he makes a response in the transfer market before it is too late. The Gunners are already 3 points of the pace of Liverpool and both Manchester clubs and with a game against Champions Leicester City up next, it doesn’t look great for the Gunners.

Wenger has blamed a lack of ‘defesnive experience’ for losing the game. Whose fault is that? …. himself. Arsenal fans are not happy.

Nothing new. Arsenal been drifting for some time under Wenger. Club lacks leadership. Nobody in club holds Wenger properly to account. #afc

— Henry Winter (@henrywinter) August 14, 2016

Could have been avoided. Why not sign a experienced CB in July? Now clubs will know Wenger is looking for reinforcements & will raise price.

— Yousef Teclab (@yousef738) August 14, 2016

Arsene Wenger to blame. Known about the Per injury for weeks and penny pinching has already cost us 3 points. That was so winnable.

— Oli Price-Bates (@OliPriceBates) August 14, 2016

this is no ones fault but Wenger. whether you're an AKB/WOB, it's a fact. He's left us short again when he and 3 months to prepare us.

— Naż (@NabardWaissi) August 14, 2016

Nothing like an opening day loss and Wenger then saying in his presser "If the quality is there, then we will buy" to start the season.

— Jubz (@TheWengerWay) August 14, 2016

The once revolutionary, Arsene Wenger, is now a yesterday's man. He has been for some time.

Outdated principles in a modern game.

— Adam Sweeney (@AdamWSweeney) August 14, 2016

Not the start the Frenchman had hoped for, who has more than just the club’s fans to win over. Key men Alexis Sánchez and Mesut Özil have just two years left on their contract, so this season could really be do or die for Arsenal in many aspects. Luckily, there’s still a couple more weeks of the transfer window left to reassure some heads.

Arsenal are no strangers to a defensive crisis or two, so it’s perhaps no surprise that they find themselves embroiled in another just a week before their first game of the Premier League season versus Liverpool.

Gunners’ fans will recall a similar shift at the heart of their defence last season that saw Arsène Wenger forced to couple Calum Chambers with Gabriel Paulista for the first time against Liverpool, whereas it was Mathieu Debuchy who deputised at centre back against the Reds back in December 2014.

Following injuries to Per Mertesacker and now Gabriel, Liverpool have once again found themselves as the recipient of Arsenal’s woes. Koscielny will have little less than a week’s training and remains an unlikely to feature, leaving Wenger, barring the arrival of a new centre back in the coming days, with Chambers, new boy Rob Holding, Krystian Bielik and an adapted Nacho Monreal to choose from.

Wenger remains hopeful that a scan will say otherwise, but Arsenal fans can’t hold much optimism after Gabriel was stretchered off in tears in the final moments of their 3-2 win against Manchester City on Sunday.
Whereas the Gunners were already looking to bolster their defence in light of Mertesacker’s four-month lay-off, finding a new centre back has now become paramount. Here are three options Arsenal could look towards:

1 - Shkodran Mustafi

Age: 24
Club: Valencia
Nation: Germany

Shkodran Mustafi has collated his fair share of experience throughout his career, despite being just 24-years-old. The German centre back experienced life as a Premier League player, despite failing to make a single appearance for Everton since 2009.

As a 20-year-old, Mustafi was moved on to Serie A club Sampdoria in 2012, later impressing in his 50 league appearances in Italy before Valencia snapped up the Germany international two summers later.

The 2014 World Cup winner, with 77 appearances to his name since joining ‘Los Che’, now finds himself with a viable route out of the Mestalla, as Arsenal, potentially, line up to take him. As much as Valencia would like to refuse the prospect of his sale, receiving a fee in the region of €30 million (£25.5 million) would go a long way into solving their Financial Fair Play commitments.

Valencia, with no UEFA Champions League football this season after an underwheliming campaign, may have even already identified a replacement for Mustafi in ex-player Raúl Albiol, associated numerous times with a comeback to La Liga. Deportivo de La Coruña’s Sidnei is also referenced as a transfer target, holding strong ties with notorious agent Jorge Mendes, whereas Valencia will also look to offload Aymen Abdennour, Lucas Orbán and Aderlan Santos.

Of those to have played more than 25 times in La Liga this season, only Weligton (Malaga), Germán Pezzella (Real Betis) and Aythami Artiles (Las Palmas) won more aerial duels per 90 minutes than Mustafi’s 2.90%. Translating to 73%, Mustafi still has some way to go in surpassing his compatriot, Mertesacker, who registered a 78% success rate, but in turn the Valencia defender offers Arsenal versatility, superior physical attributes more befitting of the Premier League’s fast-paced nature and, more importantly, availability in the final weeks of the transfer window.

If you’re wondering if you’ve read this piece, or something not too dissimilar before, it’s probably because you have. Last year, the season before that and, most likely, the other two seasons that followed since Robin van Persie’s controversial move to Manchester United in 2012.

Arsenal’s hunt for a top striker has entered its fourth year and with the lack of genuine high quality candidates available being coupled with the fact that some of the more popular names to be associated with Arsenal in the off-season have already found new clubs, you wouldn’t bet against the Gunners eventually looking to fill the void left by Van Persie with, well, the man himself.

There are a still a few candidates out there for Arsenal to look at, however, before the thought of a comeback begins to creep into one’s mind definitively. Here are three strikers that could calm the fans’ cravings for an elite goal-getter:

1 - Alexandre Lacazette

Club: Olympique Lyonnais
Nation: France
Age: 25




Lately, not a day goes by where the potential link-up between Arsenal and Alexandre Lacazette isn’t talked about in the papers. With the rumours comes Olympique Lyonnais’ president Jean-Michel Aulas, a seasoned professional when it comes to the transfer market. If reports in France are to be trusted, even the “irreplaceable” Lacazette has a price to his name and he’s there for the taking should Arsenal believe he’s good enough.

Despite toning down his appetite for goal in this past year, 54 goals and 12 assists in his last 84 appearances might suggest that he is, at the very least, worthy of the north Londoners’ attention. In the past two seasons, that’s 12 goals more than the often-maligned Olivier Giroud, who’s appeared 90 times for the Gunners in the past two seasons.

Averaging just over 0.6 goals a game, only the then Paris Saint-Germain striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic had a better ratio in Ligue 1 last season than a “below-par” Lacazette, who initially felt the full effects of Nabil Fekir’s injury, his Lyon strike partner, when scoring just six league goals from August to December.

Of those in Ligue 1 to have started consistently as a striker, only Paris Saint-Germain’s Edinson Cavani and Diego Rolan from Girondins Bordeaux managed to top Lacazette’s passing accuracy (78%), averaging 30.15 passes per game.

Closer to home, despite doubling Lacazette’s number of assists amassed during last season, Giroud trails his compatriot in both passing accuracy and the number of successful passes – 569 to 792 – pointing towards a greater involvement from Arsenal’s centre forward position should Lacazette arrive at the Emirates Stadium.

Acquiring the 25-year-old is sure to leave its mark on Arsenal’s transfer kitty, but with the Lyon man visibly quicker and more likely to fashion his own chances in comparison the Gunners’ number 12, Lacazette would at least offer Wenger a potentially decisive alternative to what’s often been Giroud’s one-man show over the past four years. With the stakes being as high as they are in the Premier League this season, providing answers and alternative methods through squad depth and differing player profiles becomes paramount to those vying for success.

A third party has approached Jose Mourinho about potentially taking over Arsene Wenger as manager at Arsenal, according to American TV channel One World Sports. If true, having recently stated his intention to begin a new job before the start of next season, the 53-year-old could remain in London and take charge for the start of the 2016/17 campaign.

After being sacked by Chelsea in December, the Portuguese manager has reportedly confirmed he will be taking on a new managerial role in the summer. In an off-the-camera conversation, Matt Smith (The Independent) revealed Mourinho “will be joining his new club in July”. With increasing pressure on Arsene Wenger as Arsenal’s season looks to be ending trophy-less, Jose Mourinho could be the man to provide the club with the success the club and fans so desperately crave.

However, the appointment of Mourinho to vacate the potentially open managerial position left by Arsene Wenger is unlikely to sit comfortably with the majority of Arsenal fans. Since coming to the Premier League in 2005 with Chelsea, Mourinho and Wenger have not exactly seen eye to eye. The pair have constantly made verbal remarks towards one another, with the Portuguese manager famously calling Arsene Wenger a “specialist in failure”. Not to mention, Mourinho’s much more tactical and, to an extent, defensive approach to football is much different to the legacy built by Wenger in terms of the ‘beautiful game’.

Nevertheless, despite being sacked by Chelsea for the second time, ‘the special one’ has an undeniably impressive Premier League record; he has delivered 3 Premier League trophies in 5 seasons, winning 140 matches out of 212, a Premier League win percentage of 66%. To compare, Arsene Wenger has won 3 Premier League trophies in 20 seasons, with a Premier League win percentage of 57%. Mourinho has also won the Champions League, something Wenger has failed to do after several attempts. However it is also important to consider the circumstances and financial constraints endured by Wenger during his reign.

The increasing dissatisfaction amongst Arsenal fans, who recently displayed an anti-Wenger banner after their 2-0 away win to Everton, means it is not unlikely that Wenger could leave the club this summer. It is also not unlikely that Mourinho has been considered by the club as a potential replacement given his impressive record and managerial qualities, and the claims from One World Sports that Arsenal have approached ‘the special one’ could well be true. However, with the history between Wenger and Mourinho, as well as the obvious differences between Arsenal’s philosophies laid out by Arsene Wenger and the Portuguese manager, it is unlikely the Frenchman will allow the club to appoint Jose Mourinho as his successor.

What is more likely, however, is for Jose Mourinho to become the new manager of Manchester United. The former Chelsea manager has been heavily linked with the job at Old Trafford since being dismissed from Stamford Bridge. It is believed the 53-year-old is keen on replacing Louis van Gaal, who has failed to impress since taking over David Moyes. With Pep Guardiola joining their Manchester rivals, Jose Mourinho would be the obvious choice to help lead Manchester United to challenge for success.

Arsenal are in talks to sign Granit Xhaka from Borussia Mochengladbach at the end of the season, according to BILD.

Xhaka is very highly rated in Germany and it was thought that Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp wanted to bring him to their new English projects, having experienced his quality first hand in the Bundesliga.

But this latest report from BILD makes it seem as if the Gunners have the upper hand in negotiations. The report says Arsene Wenger has already met with the players agent and a €50million package has been put aside for the deal: €43million transfer fee, €5million to the player and €2million for the agent. This seems feasible - but how would BILD have access to all that information? Who knows, but they claim it as an exclusive in today’s papers.

Standing at 6ft 1 and aged just 23, Xhaka has managed an impressive 39 caps for Switzerland, scoring 6 goals in the process.

Analysis Focus

So how does Xhaka compare to Arsenal’s current crop of central midfielders? With Mathieu Flamini and Mikel Arteta set to leave, would Xhaka offer an improvement on the likes of Aaron Ramsey, Santi Cazorla and Francis Coquelin? We take a look at the stats sourced from Squawka.

A stat that really jumps out at me is Xhaka’s 3.38 aerial duels won per game, that is significantly more than any other midfielder we have. An aerial presence in the heart of the Arsenal midfield has been missing since Patrick Vieira left. Xhaka’s defensive stats are all impressive, as he can also be a goal scoring threat.

These statistics highlight that Xhaka is a defensive minded midfielder that is not as limited offensively as Coquelin. I think he would replace the Frenchman in the midfield, but could play alongside him if Arsene wished to take a more defensive approach to a game. If Xhaka is to play in the deepest role, then he may have to perfect his passing a little and try and get to the level of Cazorla (90%) - but this could come naturally in an Arsenal team that passes the ball more often than Mochengladbach.

If Arsenal wish to snap up Xhaka they’ll have to move fast with Manchester City and Liverpool just two of a number of clubs interested in signing the Swiss International.

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Over the last couple of years, we have heard the same things from Arsenal fans. It is clear that some fans are wanting Arsene Wenger out. The manager that made Arsenal invincible for 49 games in 2004, and they want him out.

Under Wenger’s management over the last few seasons, we have seen the North Londoners fall to some crushing defeats to sides in the top five or six, however, this has never stopped Arsenal holding on to their famous fourth position at the end of the Premier League season.

Falling to last sixteen defeats in the Champions League has left many fans disappointed over the last few years, and many feel the teams drawn out the hat to play Arsenal have been too strong for the Gunners in the first leg, despite coming back in the away leg, chasing that one goal that would see Arsene Wenger’s side into the last eight of Europe’s elite.

However, things have changed at Arsenal a little this season. Inevitably, the Wenger Out movement has gathered momentum, but many have forgotten that this could be one of Arsenal’s best seasons since they gained invincibility in 2004.

Arsenal have now won eight games in a row in the Premier League, and are traditionally finishing the season off strongly. Sitting in second position behind leaders Chelsea, we could see the Gunners make a late title push should they beat Chelsea and should Mourinho’s side slip up on a few occasions between now and the end of the season.

This season has seen Arsenal perform a little better against the big teams. For example, they have not been beaten by more than two goals against teams in the top six. A 2-0 win at the Etihad may stand out as one of the games of the season for Arsenal fans, and the Gunners have taken four points from games against City. Four points have also been taken from Liverpool after beating them convincingly 4-1.

Regardless of whether they win the title or not, this can be considered as a very good season from Arsene Wenger at Arsenal, and even if they do not win the league, there is still a good chance of silverware as Arsenal come up against Reading at Wembley in the FA Cup semi-final.

Arsene Wenger has certainly kept the ‘Wenger Out’ boys away for now, but silverware and a second place finish will be considered a huge step forward for Arsenal considering where they have finished in the last few years, and could keep him in the job for now.

Despite Arsene Wenger insisting that tonight’s Champions League clash with Monaco will not be an easy game, some Arsenal fans disagree and are predicting a comfortable progression into the quarter-finals of the competition.

The Gunners are aiming to reach the final eight of the competition for the first time since 2010 and have a great chance, as they managed to avoid the likes of Barcelona, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich in the Round of 16.

Despite Monaco conceding just one goal in the group stages and losing just one of their last ten league games, Arsenal fans are extremely confident ahead of the fixture and are targeting a routine victory for the North London outfit.

Monaco today…Expecting an easy 5-0 win tbh, Giroud, Giroud, Welbz, Alexis, Mesut.

— #` {AFC} DSwan. (@JGDSwan) February 25, 2015

Arsenal - Monaco today,, it will probably be an easy game for the Gunners! #UCL

— Areej (@Areea2) February 25, 2015

Not gonna be as easy as most of us think the game will be. Monaco have conceded just 1 goal in the group stages. But #COYG

— Ashwin Widge (@ashwin_widge) February 25, 2015

Monaco won’t be easy,they already know how it feels to win at the Emirates!! #afc #Coyg

— Hicase Silva (@HicaseAfc) February 25, 2015

How are Monaco still in the cl? Arsenal are going to find it very easy

— Headless Chicken (@perilladerafa) February 25, 2015

It’s finally UCL Matchday again and we must get passed Wenger’s old side Monaco which won’t be easy. #COYG #AFC #RoadtoBerlin

— DatGuyRoss (@RossBain3) February 25, 2015

People are being very optimistic about tomorrow, Monaco are solid and will probably sit back. Certainly won’t be easy.

— GoonerFootball (@GoonerFootball) February 24, 2015

Monaco tomorrow…..Easy for Arsenal #ish

— chris leonard (@chrisleonard666) February 24, 2015

Arsenal must treat Monaco like they are playing Barcelona, i say this because it won’t be an easy game

— Angry Naija Wenger (@Gunners4naija) February 24, 2015

Arsenal fans on Twitter have been discussing their latest arrival today, as the club officially announced the signing of 17-year-old Krystian Bielik from Legia Warsaw for an undisclosed fee. Dubbed as the ‘new Patrick Vieiera’, there’s a lot of optimism in the air.

The majority of tweets have been welcoming the young Polish midfielder to North London, whilst a number of people have pushed on for more deals to be completed. Naturally, there was the standard jokes about Arsenal signing a teenager- as well as a number of fans touting him to be the next Nemanja Matic.

That hasn’t gone down well with Chelsea fans, but nothing ever does, and there’s a mixed atmosphere in the air about the signing- with a lot of people waiting to give their verdict on the newest man at the Emirates.

Imagine how the mood would have been if we’d lost to City and then announced the Bielik signing 😀

— TN (@TinniVee) January 21, 2015

So I see Arsenal signed the future Man City player, Krystian Bielik today. #feederclub

— Brett P (@btp34) January 21, 2015

Bielik looks straight out of Superbad but I’ll be damned if he’s not the next Matic

— Nooh (@Nabdi28) January 21, 2015

Imagine being in Bielik’s shoes, 17 and he just signed for the mighty Arsenal.

— Talal Jassim (@afckoscielnytj6) January 21, 2015

Get ready to see Arsenal fans make Matic/Bielik comparisons. Because they have nothing better to do.

— ️ ️️ ️️Simon (@CaptainThorgan) January 21, 2015

Don’t start touting young Krystian Bielik as ‘the new Patrick Vieira’ before he’s kicked a bloody ball in an Arsenal shirt for christ sake!

— Vic Akers (@VicAkersOBE) January 21, 2015

This Bielik yute very much in the Matic mould

— Andre (@Iron_Yute) January 21, 2015

I’m guessing Arsenal fans have seen loads of that Bielik.

— Wesley (@WesleyBwfc) January 21, 2015

The possibility of Bielik becoming a flop is greater than him becoming a star player for Arsenal. Hopefully he will become the latter.

— Home of Fußball (@ExcitableExpert) January 21, 2015

We had d asia ronaldinho (rio miyachi) so 4 give me if am not excited about d next matic(Bielik)

— IAM_CHUCK (@Iamchuck7) January 21, 2015

Arsenal fans have voiced concerns ahead of Loic Perrin’s proposed move to Arsenal, with the supporters not convinced he would be a worthwhile signing.

The 29-year-old confirmed that Arsenal had contacted him regarding a transfer but their had been no approach to his club St. Etienne. With the Gunners needing defensive additions, it’s expected that an approach will be made and Arsenal are said to be confident of a deal.

However, with reports stating the likes of Fabian Schar, Mats Hummels, Winston Reid and Raphael Varane could be available in January, many fans are bemused as to why Wenger is targeting the relatively unknown French defender.

Varane could move to United or Chelsea for £20m while Arsene Wenger steps up his interest in St Etienne centre-back Loic Perrin! #NuffSaid

— ChrisC (@lonewolf153) January 5, 2015

Raphael Varane is available but have no fear, Wenger is after the world class talent of Loic Perrin.

— Al (@AlTheGunner) January 5, 2015

We will get nowhere with wenger I’m dreading having a CB pairing of Mertesacker and Perrin against a pacey team

— El Niño Maravilla (@MiaSanAlexis) January 5, 2015

Loic Perrin is average at best ffs we should be going for elite defenders not 5 foot 11 french league centre backs

— El Niño Maravilla (@MiaSanAlexis) January 5, 2015

However, if AFC move for him rather than Perrin(who is excellent imo), then we could move for Schar(also a free agent)& perhaps a better fit

— SHДRKY (@Belgian_Hotspur) January 5, 2015

Perrin. An unknown French league midget CB nobody, who is coming to the end of his career. Sounds legit @Arsenal

— First Class Gooner (@Sanjay_AFC) January 5, 2015

“Loic Perrin from Saint-Etienne” To be honest I don’t know anything about him… is he good? Is he better than Mertesacker?

— Nevena Nena (@NevenaNena14) January 5, 2015

Guess I’m on the fence regarding Reid/Perrin in terms of what I think could happen.

— ChristmArse (@ArsendWenger) January 5, 2015

It was another disappointing weekend for Arsenal fans as their club suffered their third Premier League defeat in the last five games, with a 3-2 loss away at Stoke City.

However, things soon went from bad to worse on Saturday evening as a video emerged of some fans staying late at Stoke to abuse manager Arsene Wenger as he boarded the train back to London. The clip soon went viral and has made many of Monday morning’s newspapers, portraying a negative image of Arsenal fans.

Whilst this is a vast minority of the supporters, the damage from the video is damning and the majority of supporters took to social media to condemn those guilty of this inexcusable action.

Lots of Arsenal fans who respect Wenger want change and would embrace a new manager but don’t need to abuse or boo him in public. Not good.

— Shabs (@Redbutdred) December 7, 2014

I make NO apologies! All u Fans that booed #Wenger in his face & insulted him are shallow & pathetic! http://t.co/VqL8feyZpQ

— S Samuel (@Arsenalman2011) December 7, 2014

I know it’s frustrating for fans but to boo mr wenger while he is getting on the coach is bad for our club our players and our fans

— jack stephenson (@jacktruthafc) December 7, 2014

Booing at Emirates after loss is one thing, away fans should never boo IMO. Its so sickening. Then booing Wenger on the face! DISGRACE! #AFC

— Saikat (@saikat817) December 7, 2014

Very embarrassing to see a video of #arsenal fans staying late at Stoke station just to boo Wenger. Not doing well but doesn’t deserve that!

— sam kerslake (@samkerslake29) December 7, 2014

To see a vine showing Arsene Wenger getting boo’d has made me feel sick. Fickle fickle fans #AFC #Arsenal

— pasquale intrieri (@pasquale_21) December 7, 2014

I wouldn’t boo wenger myself, I have to much respect for him but I see where those fans who booed him are coming from.

— The Arsenal (@TheNo7Role) December 7, 2014

Imagine booing Wenger. No one would boo Henry. Some fans are so fickle. Arsene made the club what it is today.

— Stale Milk (@Fraudini) December 7, 2014

Whatever your stance on Wenger, you don’t boo and abuse a man that old in a train station, ashamed of some of our fans.

— Sanchez’s Dink (@_OPM4) December 7, 2014

Disgraceful. Wenger has built the club up to where it is today and still fans think it’s right to boo him personally when he is five ft away

— Arun (@Garcha_1) December 7, 2014

Arsenal fans suffered another blow to their season with a second-succesive defeat in a row, this time at the hands of Louis Van Gaal’s Manchester United.

It seemed this was the best chance for Arsenal to break their hoodoo against the Red Devils, and it was, but despite dominating throughout the game they couldn’t find the breakthrough. In the end, it resulted in United’s first away victory in seven months and the first under Dutch manager Louis Van Gaal.

As for Arsenal, well fans were understandable furious and immediately called for Wenger’s head. The question now seems to be, who should be his replacement- rather than should he stay or go.

Wenger cannot beat big teams any more. He’s finished at this level.

— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) November 22, 2014

How can you defend Wenger when he sent Jenkinson on loan, sold Verma and didn’t sign a DM?

— Wilsherinho (@YoannArsenal) November 23, 2014

The longer Wenger is still in charge will mean the longer it takes the next manager to clean up the mess ?

— SheWoreAYellowRibbon (@SheWore) November 23, 2014

Wenger’s record v City Utd and Chelsea in the last 3 years - P15 W0 L6 D9. What does that tell us?

— Richard Keys (@richardajkeys) November 23, 2014

New day…same opinion…Jurgen Klopp in….Wenger out #AFC

— Jason The GÖÖNER (@Jas13913) November 23, 2014

Wenger’s past it but I hope the board at Arsenal take much longer than most of us did to realise that.

— Stretty News (@StrettyNews) November 23, 2014

If you’re a Wenger fan surely you would want Wenger to leave to save his legacy? As every game goes by he’s damaging it. Sad to see.

— Flitts (@FlittsTheGooner) November 23, 2014

We should have won by 6. We didn’t. Players take blame for finishing. Players looked mentally fragile again. Wenger takes blame for that IMO

— AFC_Andrew (@PR_WhoRu) November 22, 2014

I keep seeing this ‘But today wasn’t Wenger’s fault’. I hate to say it, but that doesn’t matter. The pattern is damning now.

— Billy Dunmore (@EducatedGooner) November 22, 2014

Arsenal fans have signalled their determination to keep Germany forward Lukas Podolski at the club after reports emerged linking him with a move away from London in January.

The Gunners are said to be willing to let the World Cup winner leave for a fee of around £4m, which is a bargain considering the experience and talent of the player in question. However it’s understandable that he wants to leave as Arsene Wenger has been extremely reluctant to give him game time, despite poor form being displayed by Santi Cazorla.

Arsenal supporters seem to be furious with the news though as the general consensus is that they want Podolski to remain at the Emirates and that letting him go would be a big mistake.

If podolski leaves that will be a bigger mistake than letting vermaelen leave and not signing another cb imo

— Billy Appleyard (@billy_appleyard) November 15, 2014

How can you put Podolski in the “deadwood” category? Will be gutted if he leaves. Simply never given the chance by AW.

— Sadia ‘Gooner’ Akram (@TheGoonerette) November 15, 2014

I will be very disappointed if PODOLSKI leaves the club. I was heavenly happy when he signed for Arsenal.

— Put Ila Anasistia (@putilaanasistia) November 15, 2014

Podolski’s stats vs Gibraltar do warrant a look from Arsene tbf. Stood near goalscorer on 3 of 4 goals

— E.G. Celebrations (@EGCelebrations) November 15, 2014

Podolski you know.. Is he even a footballer? I’m sure all he can do is shoot a ball 100mph..

— JM (@JahedMubin7) November 15, 2014

Like Gervinho, Podolski will join another European club & Score a ton of goals! People wonder why #Wengerout #sack

— Money Trails (@moneytrails) November 15, 2014

Podolski wants to leave in January :(((

— Skepta (@MalcsLDN) November 15, 2014

Podolski lookin to leave Arsenal in January thru lack of chances. Would ya take him at Liverpool??

— Neil Thomas JFT96 (@Neil81Thomas) November 15, 2014

what is going on with Arsenal? Podolski wants to leave, Campbell wants to leave, Ozil keeps popping up… January is scary

— #Arsenal Arenjungla (@xJoeJOzilx) November 15, 2014

Podolski is a great player but the bench be killing him. I’m afraid he’s gonna leave soon too

— Mediocre (@abdullassayid) November 15, 2014

Now Podolski wants to leave Arsenal. Campbell will also want to go. Wenger just doesn’t know how to rotate the squad or win for that matter

— Shazad Shah (@Shazad_S) November 15, 2014

Arsenal suffered another poor result today as they lost 2-1 to Swansea City, despite taking the lead, as a second-half turnaround saw them lose their second game of the season.

The tactics from Arsene Wenger were off yet again and it topped off an awful week for the Gunners, due to their Champions League disaster in midweek. With just four victories this season in the league, all of which have come against sides in the bottom six of the league.

Questions are really beginning to be asked about this Arsenal side, who look destined to have a disappointing season.

His tactics are off, his substitutions are off and his transfer policy is as bad as it’s ever been. Wenger needs to seriously re-evaluate

— Waiting for Kos.. (@ArsenalWorId) November 9, 2014

A mess. The press will go for Wenger but it’s the players who deserve the stick. Letting him and the club down. #afc

— Nigel Brown (@NigelBrown01) November 9, 2014

Strikers win you games, Defenders win you championships. @Arsenal please tell that to Mr Wenger.

— Arsenal News (@__arsenal_news_) November 9, 2014

Wenger watched Chambers get slaughtered for 90 minutes without doing anything. I don’t understand how he can not make changes to aid him.

— Chris (@MoarFootball) November 9, 2014

every week Wenger gets out-coached. today by a 35 year old manager. He had an opportunity to fortify the defence but he chose not to

— NOSA TOPNOTCH (@nosatopnotch) November 9, 2014

Wenger is the modern day Hitler he’s ruining millions of lives

— Rambo (@RamboRants) November 9, 2014

2 - Arsenal’s two lowest points totals after 11 games under Wenger have come in the past three seasons (16 in 2012-13, 17 this season). Fade

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) November 9, 2014

Wenger deserves to go home on the same train as our away support.

— SheWoreARedPoppy (@SheWore) November 9, 2014

Feel sorry for Sanchez doing all the hard work for us and he is not getting rewarded because of Wenger’s clueless tactics!

— Gordon (@Arsenal_Supremo) November 9, 2014

It’s fair to say that the Arsenal fans weren’t best pleased with Per Mertesacker or Nacho Monreal after the teams 3-3 draw with Anderlecht.

The Spaniard was poor for the Gunners, and his error yesterday meant that Arsenal only took one point from a game where they were leading 3-0 with 30 minutes to go. He’s not a centre back, but his decision to haul down Anderlecht’s forward in the final moments was a really really silly one. Mertesacker also missed his header late on to allow Anderlecht to jump in and score the equaliser. It could even cost us qualification altogether if we continue to collapse in the last two games.

Whilst the defenders were poor, the fans were not sure where to place the blame. It is Wenger’s fault Monreal was at centre back in the first place..

Keeping Wenger is a bit like having to stay with your ex girlfriend forever simply because you once shared some good times. Life moves on…

— Fußball Expert (@HeroicGooner) November 5, 2014

A toaster would be as useful as Monreal in central defence

— GoonRambler (@GoonRambler) November 4, 2014

Doesn’t matter how good you are up front if you have Monreal at the heart of your defence. #afc

— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) November 4, 2014

Trying his best to convert Monreal into a cb so we don’t have to sign one in January

— Mia San BFG (@ZineAFC) November 1, 2014

Wenger’s only job in the summer was to strengthen our defence and he went and weakened it. What was he thinking? Has to be asked.

— GoonRambler (@GoonRambler) November 4, 2014

Wenger: “Overall we were poor defensively from first to last minute today.” Maybe we should have replaced Vermaelen, boss. #afc

— Sam (@samuelJayC) November 4, 2014

MONREAL CENTRE BACK WHAT A WORLD CLASS PLAYER SO VERSATILE ITS UNREAL

— Walcott (@FeoWalcutt) November 1, 2014

Punner reminded us that Monreal has actually done quite well at centre back in the scheme of things

Arsenal haven’t conceded in over 3 hours in the league with Monreal at centre-back

— JB (@gunnerpunner) November 1, 2014

Arsene Wenger can blame injuries at the back all he wants but consistently poor defensive performances vs top teams is his fault

— Think Football (@Think_Football) November 5, 2014