From a contractual point of view, next summer will be an important one for Arsenal, with plenty of deals expiring or entering their last 12 months. The closest scrutiny will be, of course, on the future of Arsene Wenger, who is out of contract and, potentially, looking to secure another extension. The contracts of Mesut … Continue reading Experience alone makes Per Mertesacker worthy of a new Arsenal deal
A fifth consecutive Premier League win at Burnley saw Arsenal into the international break with spirits soaring and belief reinvigorated after a sluggish start – but how are they shaping up compared to the opening seven games of last season? As with this season, Arsenal opened their 2015 campaign with a moral-sapping defeat, as West … Continue reading Stats shed some light on Arsenal’s improving start to Premier League campaign
Alex Oxlade Chamberlain says the decision to drop him from the England setup served as a “kick up the backside”. The young midfielder was briefly set aside during Sam Allardyce’s tenure as manager of the England side, missing out on the win over Slovakia in the opening qualifying match for the 2018 World Cup. And, … Continue reading Has Alex Oxlade Chamberlain’s England recall come at the wrong time?
While Laurent Koscielny and Alex Oxlade Chamberlain took most of the plaudits in the wake of Arsenal’s late win at Burnley, a closer look at the numbers revealed a hidden hero among the Gunners’ ranks. In a game that will largely be remembered for Arsenal’s efforts in attack, spare a thought for the excellent defensive … Continue reading Why ‘Silent Shkodran’ was standout performer in bruising win at Burnley
The proverb ‘fortune favours the bold’ has never seemed a more apt description of a game as when applied to Arsenal’s last-gasp victory over Burnley on Sunday. It was a victory that was so good, and that arrived in such dramatic fashion, that its value and importance far exceeds the same victory secured in comfortable … Continue reading Why Arsenal’s late winner was more about bloody-minded persistence than luck
Alexis Sanchez’s deployment as a lone striker in the Arsenal setup has started to prove something of a success in recent weeks, particularly after what was a rocky start to the season. Pretty ineffectual performances against Liverpool, Leicester and Paris Saint Germain saw calls for the Chilean to be returned to the wing, where he … Continue reading The Alexis experiment: Sheer good fortune or a stroke of genius?
There is a wise old adage that says you should never change a winning team, and it’s difficult to disagree. When a team is on a roll, playing some of its best football in years, it would seem foolish to then switch things around and risk bringing all the hard-earned momentum to a juddering halt. … Continue reading Is it worth Arsene ringing the changes for Burnley trip?
At what point as a football team do you become too good for your own good? Frankly, I’m not convinced it’s entirely possible but last night’s Champions League showing from Arsenal certainly had me thinking. From an attacking point of view, it was among the best displays of football I have seen from an Arsenal … Continue reading Basel stroll throws up a few questions for fiendishly good Arsenal side
Arsene Wenger’s pre-match press conferences are nearly always good for a soundbite or two but there was one especially interesting vignette that emerged when the boss spoke to the media ahead of the Gunners’ Champions League clash with FC Basel. When asked about his side’s win over Chelsea, and the style in which it was … Continue reading Why Arsene Wenger’s ‘style and steel’ is music to so many ears
The improvement between the Arsenal that destroyed Chelsea on Saturday and the team that slumped to defeat against Liverpool on the opening day of the season was stark. In a relatively short space of time, the team has progressed from porous and befuddled, to resolute and organised. So what was it about Saturday’s Arsenal that … Continue reading The quiet revolution that allowed Arsenal to overcome Chelsea at last
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