Inadvertently this morning’s playlist might have been titled with yesterday’s Brazil2014 draw, Roy Hodgson might indeed be the Blue Boy. Still he could cheer himself up by listening using Spotify in the right hand sidebar or clicking here.

Whilst England works itself into a lather over Greg Dyke’s apparently humorous cut-throat gesture, – was he signalling a group of death or Hodgson’s future if he doesn’t win the tournament – Premier League football takes centre stage once more. Arsenal face a resurgent Everton tomorrow, their victory at Old Trafford perhaps waking some from their slumber long enough to realise that this might be tougher than was being originally credited. Having won for the first time in two decades at United, they will be looking to end their equally dismal run at Arsenal, their last victory in this fixture coming when Bruce Rioch was in charge. Indeed, it is worse for them at this time of year, their solitary December win over Arsenal came thirty-five years ago; the remaining fourteen games have seen them lose nine times, including a 3 – 1 defeat at Highbury on this day in 1968 with goals from Radford, Court and Graham doing the damage.

Arsène is not worried about such things, concerned more that players integrity is questioned by the current restriction of not facing their parent club whilst on loan. He recalls letting Francis Jeffers score whilst on loan and to be honest, if the football authorities are concerned about that then the only solution is to ban loans within the same division. It is genuinely that simple, it avoids any accusations and stops the preening Mourinho prancing around proclaiming his satisfaction that Lukaku can only help Chelsea’s title bid. The knock-on effect will be to make players question their careers more; after all, had the Belgian known he was going to spend three years on loan, would he have signed for Chelsea in the first place? Perhaps more thought will go into their moves instead of being seduced by the riches on offer? There is no point in complaining about the system and how inherently unfair it appears to be; it is nothing new and Arsenal’s so far sturdy defence will find itself tested in keeping him quiet.

And as we all know, a strong defence is the base upon which title bids are built. Theo Walcott believes the maturity of the squad is the reason for the current confidence and belief,

There is more squad bonding now. Anything that creates a good vibe about the place — we are just doing that a bit more and that is great to see because we haven’t really had that in the past. It is not just Mathieu. Per Mertesacker at the back has got so many caps for Germany, too. I think we have always had the leaders but people are coming out of their shell more this year and not just talking but also showing something on the pitch that lifts the crowd and the other players.

Having been through the Project Youth era, the England international is perhaps best placed to notice the changes over the years. Interestingly, the last time there was a genuine title challenge, there appeared to be a similar vibe away from the pitch with pre-meltdown William Gallas trying to instil the same camaraderie among the players. It is often forgotten that the Frenchman had a positive impact before that afternoon at St Andrews.

Whilst they dare not to mention the ‘t’ word, hope is building,

Everyone wants to see their achievements and records when they’v e finished football. It’ll come for me. The vibe we have got in this team at the moment is probably the best it has ever been since I have been here. The players have got stronger and it is probably the best squad, too. The manager always says that to us, and that belief has come onto the players. I hope this year could be it.

In Walcott’s view, Mesut Özil‘s arrival is key to that. The German international was no doubt helped in settling into a new club by the presence of Podolski and Mertesacker. The contrast between the environments at Real Madrid and Arsenal are marked according to the club’s record signing,

I have played for Real Madrid, which is such a big club and where the pressure is so huge because you have to go and, really, win absolutely every games. There is no game where people don’t expect you to win. So, having played there for three years, pressure is nothing that would scare me. That’s why I don’t really feel the pressure.

The pressure is the same at Arsenal but in a league which is a two-horse race no matter how well others do, it is not hard to see why some players fail with that weight of expectations. It is different here in the sense that Özil is the club’s first foray into the ‘superstar’ market, spending well over double what they had previously on one player. There is a period of adjustment, not just for the player but also for supporters. What can he achieve, what will he do? Probably not what some were expecting. At his fee, I am sure some thought he was going to dazzle every time he is on the pitch, beat a dozen players and score virtuoso goals. He isn’t that kind of player but surely everyone is won over by the passes being picked with regularity. I was going to use the word ‘monotonous’ before that sentence’s end but it hints at a robotic repetition; Özil is anything but that.

That Spanish experience has stood him in good stead, making him a better judge of what it takes to become champions,

I think this really has been the perfect step for me to come and join this club. We have some very talented players here and this is why I think we can achieve something great.

We have to develop further to achieve this, but we can do it.

Özil’s view of development mirrors what many think. On the cusp of something, this season may go south in the months to come; it could equally go on delivering. The tests that irk so many come more from the squad putting pressure on themselves than any media usage of the word. When the players begin to think about winning trophies, of what they can achieve, they place demands upon themselves and delivery of the silverware depends on their ability to handle them, something they aren’t doing too badly at the moment.

’til Tomorrow.

Watching Arsenal is apparently the best thing since sliced bread. Or not slicing the bread, a legal action which strikes me as so ridiculous on many levels, that it is unmissable. You would have thought that the catering in the boxes would have been a lot better given the amounts of money involved…

A return to the good old days, of sniping from other managers swiped away by some urbane wit from Arsène. That is what used to happen before Arsenal were not considered a title threat. This week saw Chelsea pricked by the failure of their north London rivals to cede leadership of the Premier League. Eden Hazard thinks that come January that will have happened. His manager is not so cocksure.

At the time, Mourinho was contemptuous of Arsenal’s 5 – 4 victory at White Hart Lane, proclaiming it a hockey score and nothing anyone in football should be proud of. Was he, I wonder, convinced by his own side’s credentials following their win at The Stadium Of Light earlier this week? He certainly isn’t noted for his attention to detail – the hallmark of his first reign at Chelsea – and perhaps that reflects in the slack-jawed defending his side is currently serving up. Perhaps he just isn’t convinced and feels the need to boost his own confidence. Whatever the case, his inference that Arsenal have had consecutive home games is wrong. I know Cardiff felt like home in the early part of this century. It was a distraction this morning, nothing out of the ordinary beyond the first sign that the Portugeezer is beginning to take Arsenal at the top, seriously. Someone ought to whisper that in Alan Shearer’s ear.

Yes, a bits and pieces morning ahead of the visit of Everton to The Emirates this weekend. Moyes version of the club eschewed the The School of Science moniker, frequently preferring a more pragmatic approach to football which involved a bricklaying apprenticeship for his players when they visited Arsenal. Roberto Martinez, if their recent away form is anything to go by, has inflected an attacking aspect to that solidity as Manchester United found out to their cost; Everton were not content to sit back and soak up the pressure and as much as Mancunians may like to bemoan their ill-fortune, the visitors also struck the woodwork.

For Mikel Arteta, I am sure the match carries an extra meaning from the norm. He was certainly bullish post-Hull,

The difference is that we are top of the league, while normally by now we are 10 to 12 points behind whoever is first. That is the big difference. Obviously the confidence and atmosphere is different and we want to maintain that. As long as you have that quality, the ambition and the togetherness that we have, I think we are in a good position to do it. That is where we are and I think the Christmas period now is going to be massively important.

There are a lot of fixtures once the nine-day gap between City and Chelsea is over, rotation is a theme Arteta returns to later in the interview and at this time of year, it is important. That situation is beginning to ease with Arsène reporting that Lukas Podolski is ready to return to training, albeit a couple of weeks away from the first team. It would be no surprise, however, if he makes the bench against Manchester City but the timescales indicate a worst-case scenario of Chelsea. Popular opinion seems to be that the German will be Olivier Giroud’s replacement which begs the question of Nicklas Bendtner’s future. Will the manager release the Dane at the earliest opportunity or retain his services until the summer? If wage demands can be satisfied, there seem to be a number of Premier League clubs interested in his services but will they meet his notions of stature? Compromise may be necessary on his part, the maxim of taking a step back to take two forward may well be true.

After the Hull game, he was rightly bouyant and pleased. His perception that it is easy to drop in and out of the side is interesting, especially as he tends to be starting when wholesale changes have been made. He did well when he came on against Norwich when the side was back in control of the game, it was no different on Wednesday night with the quick goal settling the players into a rhythm. The opening twenty minutes or so was as good as the team have played all season in my view and Bendtner contributed to that. It doesn’t alter the long-term future, nor opinions overall but he deserves the credit he is being given. Steve Bruce noted that if he amended his attitude, Bendtner would have a good career. Perhaps he has done so?

Tradition reared its head yesterday with the honouring of Peter Hill-Wood, recognition of his service to the club. Having for so long sat alone in the Marble Halls, Herbert has now got company as Hill-Wood’s bust was revealed. Yes, I know, you have the same Sid James cackle running through your head. Unless of course you don’t know who Sid James was in which case by now you are either scratching your head or searching the interweb for enlightenment. Meanwhile, Stan Kroenke took his thumb out of Alisher Usmanov’s nose for long enough to appoint his son Josh to the board. Junior graduated from the University of Missouri. It brings to mind Grandma’s observation from The Outlaw Josey Wales, “Never heard of nice things from Missouri coming West“. Perhaps Junior will prove that wrong as he has come East. Meanwhile, calculators furiously computed that the average age of the board is now below the age at which state pensions are paid. George Osborn took a giant step toward helping the Arsenal board achieve that aim with his autumn statement; who says that Arsenal aren’t The Establishment club…

’til Tomorrow.

Arsenal 2 – 0 Hull City

1 – 0 Bendtner (1)
2 – 0 Özil (47)

The winner takes it all, the loser has to fall

Football management is a sometimes thankless task. Organising scouts who report on the propensity of your next opponents to chase a quick goal, making sure the players are well looked after and properly prepared. And then the players concede an early goal, every plan of the last week goes out of the window. I’d like to offer some sympathy to Steve Bruce but this is football and Arsenal needed the win.

In the programme Arsene noted that more than three changes can have a negative impact. So he made five. It was the obvious match this month to break that rule and his theory was undermined by the performance; it was not apparent that almost half the side had been changed and that underlines the confidence oozing through the squad.

The early goal settled any nerves or sense that this might be a disjointed night, Bendtner finished well from Jenkinson’s outstanding cross. Two players who would have benefited most from an early good touch fed their self-belief with exactly that. Wenger was quick to ensure that the former’s balloon was not entirely burst post-match, observing that he believed in the player’s abilities. Not enough to offer him an extended stay at the club though. And to be honest, the Dane is at the point in his career where he needs to move on, a new club that will offer him the chance to fulfil his potential. Steve Bruce observed that salary demands were prohibitive in the summer but having twice used Bendtner on loan, you wonder if a move to Humberside might be on the cards.

Wenger was pleased with the clean sheet, changes in both full back positions might have unsettled but Hull lacked adventure and for large passages of play, any ambition to reduce the lead. In part that was down to Arsenal’s control of the match. Snappy tackles, clever interceptions and hard work when pressing meant the visitors enjoyed precious little possession; it is hard to score when the opposition are that dominant. Equally, they would have been mindful of not wanting to concede a second goal on the counter-attack. Those key factors led to an inertia building and when the midfield contains the impish virtuosity of Rosicky, trouble looms. The Czech was pivotal in the opening goal and much of the good play came about as a result of Flamini and Ramsey’s waspish harrying of their opposite numbers, the creative trio feeding off the possession which fell his way.

It was a night where the technical abilities of the squad flourished. Afforded time and space, Cazorla and Özil’s ingenuity created numerous chances for most notably, Bendtner and Koscielny. That was when they were not trying to add to their season’s tallies themselves. Chances came quickly in the opening half an hour, Hull never threatened the Arsenal goal in that period. And by the time they did offer a threat, Mesut Özil had doubled Arsenal’s advantage, a well-taken finish following a neat exchange of passes completed with Ramsey’s assist.

The procession continued and Arsène noted that the only disappointment being just two goals scored. It was the same against Marseilles but I am sure it is a problem. More concerns would surely be raised if not enough chances were being created? Matches against the top four or five sides share little in common with last night; chances in those games are at a premium and a different mentality exists, the pressure more telling. The outcome in those fixtures tend to depend more on mistakes than moments of genius.

As it is, the manager will have been pleased with the win ahead of a busy fortnight. Yes, the City match is close to the Napoli game and at odds with the visit of Chelsea but let us not forget that the only reason there is a nine day gap between those Premier League fixtures is Arsenal’s exit from the League Cup. Were they still in that competition, matches would be coming thick and fast into the New Year.

And as it was in the beginning, so shall it be the end

Being football, you dare to dream. Sunderland lead, draw level, reduce the deficit. In the end, all Arsenal can do is win their game; relying on others is soul-destroying, an admission your own efforts are not enough and Arsenal are not yet in that position. So far, their efforts have been good enough and last night saw nothing different.

If Bruce felt he’d taken a powerful jab in the first minute, that is nothing to the uppercut delivered by Oviedo at Old Trafford. All those years Moyes tried to win as Everton manager and having moved to Manchester, he still can’t emerge victorious in that fixture. That underlines the fragility of football. It was not so long ago that United beat Arsenal to close the gap to five points between the two sides, a gap that has widened to twelve a short space of time. Arsène may not have ruled them out of the title race but it is not the same as when the Premier League was a two-horse race; now there are two other sides to overhaul and inducing a collective failure to win points is very hard indeed. To put it into perspective, they are as many points from the top of the table as the bottom three.

Which is a satisfying enough thought upon which to finish today.

’til Tomorrow.

Hopefully Hull will arrive at The Emirates tonight and not be captured running loose in Regent’s Park, leading an insurrection among the other denizens of London Zoo. I am sure Dr Allam is looking to discard the name City for the best of reasons – and I chuckled as he denigrated the likes of Leicester and Manchester as common; non-UK residents may not realise how near to the mark he was with that observation. Not only is Hull Tigers a touch too Sunday League cricket for my personal tastes but with their history of financial problems in the past thirty years, is linking the club with an endangered species somewhat insensitive? Some supporters are vociferous in their opposition to the owner’s plans and certainly spurious observations such as those of Rob Shepherd that the club’s name until 1904 are irrelevant as Hull City AFC was formed in that year.

It’s all a sideshow or occupying the outer of the three rings in this circus. What matters is tonight and having tossed aside Liverpool’s challenge on Sunday, Hull will be more confident than they might otherwise have been. Their away form may undermine that, the solitary win at Newcastle should not be disregarded but defeats at the rest of the top five suggest that fortune has not favoured them in their matches against the ‘big’ clubs. They lost at Tottenham as well. Tonight is the ninth league meeting between the two clubs and the visitors solitary win came in their first visit to The Emirates five years ago. The element of surprise may not be so strong this time around but nonetheless, Arsenal’s professionalism will mean that they are not underestimated. On the pitch anyway.

Arsène is more concerned with the pressure and the impact of fatigue. It was a theme he warmed to following the victory over Marseilles when he focussed on the fixtures leading into the trip to Naples. Bacary Sagna’s hamstring ensures that there will be a change at right back with Carl Jenkinson slotting into his place. The youngster has critics, judged harshly considering he has always grown in confidence as the frequency of his starts grows. It is hard for players now; years ago, the Football Combination provided a tougher environment with its mix of first team players and hopefuls. Match preparation was better than sitting on the bench for weeks on end, waiting for injury or form to dictate inclusion. The problem now is that judgement is swift, immediate and that has been passed in some quarters even though evidence before our eyes suggests defenders improve with maturity, regular inclusion in the side. We saw it with Lauren at right back, Koscielny in the defence. It is too soon to take the view that Jenkinson will not be good enough to replace Sagna.

Football is a game of opinions where arbitrary rules apply to judging their worth. It was surprising to hear Arsène takes note of anyone’s opinion before dismissing it, as he rightly should. In most cases, anyway; you would hope that he has fostered an atmosphere where coaching staff are not afraid to voice their view, even if it is at odds with that of the manager. Football has always had pundits and opinions, their number increased with more outlets for those views. The internet is this era’s public bar and media outlets need their advertising revenues. There is a difference in the pundits duty; it is not about the validity of his opinion but the content and the more contentious, the better. Radio, television, print and electronic media; they need viewers, listeners and readers to substantiate their existence in this ratings-mad world, to keep the money coming in. If you are talking about a pundit, his editor will think he is doing a good job although not if you are Michael Owen, obviously. Or Robbie Savage. Or Alan Hansen. Those who dislike opinion, want to suppress others whose viewpoint is different miss the point; that is their opinion and who judges whether it has more merit than others?

It’s a theme I’ll return to in another post for it has no relevance to this evening’s match which thankfully wasn’t yesterday. Wenger’s rotation policy is something the likes of Mourinho is hoping will cause a stumble. Sometimes the Portugeezer hits the nail on the head; four points is not a gap, especially when the two sides meet in a few weeks time. Nine to United, ten to Tottenham as he rightly noted, is a gap. Hands up those who are marking off the Feast of St Totteringham with each passing week? I know I am not alone in working that date out. The pressure, as the manager noted, is always there at a club like Arsenal, shifting from chasing a target to leading the pack where the knowledge of being the prey drives performances, results. Games such as this evening have been the unseen pothole in the past, something which the manager is taking great strides to avoid happening. By the end of the season, who knows, we may look back at the opening day defeat and observe that was it, that was the stupid result. It would be nice to do so but even champions stumble; it is the reaction to those setbacks which sets champions aside from the rest.

The balancing act Wenger has in rotation is not affecting the flow of the side, continuing the momentum which is why it would be surprising if there are wholesale changes each game. Even then, circumstances would be exceptional if those rotated out of the starting line-up, end up anywhere other than the bench. A lot of the pundits opinions are based on the lack of cover for Olivier Giroud and if there was one game this month where the Frenchman could drop to the bench, it is this one.

Rightly or wrongly – and that depends largely on the target of your footballing affections – Hull City are the weakest opponents we face in December. The rest are in European places in either the Premier League or Serie A. The problem is the replacement; Walcott could start in the centre but necessitating a change in the style of play, exploiting his pace but the visitors can quickly negate that by sitting deeper. Home games are not necessarily the best use of Walcott in this position. Akpom or Aneke might come in but if Wenger is going to rotate, Nicklas Bendtner is the likeliest replacement and I am not convinced the manager trusts him enough to deliver the goals required for victory. For that reason, I would expect the line-up to be:

Szczesny; Jenkinson, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Gibbs; Arteta, Flamini; Walcott, Özil, Rosicky; Giroud

Whatever the case, three points is all that is required. Boosting goal difference is nice but points are the first target.

Enjoy the match wherever you are watching it.

’til Tomorrow.