West Ham 0 - Arsenal 3

RVP 13, Walcott 41, RVP (pen) 77

Well done Arsenal. Aggressive, confident, and energetic from front to back. The Hammers may be a team in free fall but they can never be underestimated.


Despite Avram Grants troubles and the corresponding rumors of Martin "long ball, what long ball?" O'Neill's imminent arrival, the Arsenal squad were the ones playing as if they had a manager to impress. Hustling from the opening whistle the Gunners looked hungry and they dominated. Always threatening and pressing, playing like a team on a mission.


Tomorrow has Spurs hosting Man U and while a draw would be sweet, the wife would like to see Man U suffer their first loss of the season. A pin prick to the bubble bringing them down to earth. We shall see.


Victoria Concordia Crescit

I'm Back, But What of Arsenal?

So much good work by Arsenal undone by two horrendous performances in Cup games. The victory over Chelsea, and to a lesser extent the draw with Man City, relegated to "blip" status - short-lived glimmers of hope that this team has arrived ready to challenge for the title.


Arsene must be the most disappointed, having conceded to the demands of fans to pursue any and all trophies available, only to be let down by starting squads clearly superior to the opposition.


Focus must now be on West Ham. They are a team that cannot be taken lightly. With nothing to lose and everything to gain they will provide Arsenal a stiff test and each and every Gunner must play with desire and intensity. Leadership on the field has been sorely lacking, and Cesc must step up and provide the inspiration.


C'mon Gunners, let's get back to our winning ways!




Victoria Concordia Crescit

Delirious Song

Arsenal 1 West Ham 0


Quick notes:


Not a great game by our captain, but Nasri comfortably took over in midfield.


Walcott on the right makes space for those in the middle.


Chamakh needs a rest.


Bendtner is a hungry player.


Song is the new Verminator.




One of those games where the play was good but luck against us, particularly with our shots on goal, the near misses made Robert Green look very good. It may have been the West Ham game plan, or just a typical Scott Parker-inspired effort, but the match was tinkering on the brink of a foul-fest. How he finished the game without at least a yellow card is beyond belief.


Hopefully the victory will further boost the Gunners confidence, particularly in light of the Man City loss to Wolves. Onward Arsenal.




Victoria Concordia Crescit

Focus

The Arsenal find themselves in a familiar position tomorrow. Big wins, plenty of goals, progress up the league table as our closest competitors show weakness, and returning home to face a team battling at the bottom to avoid the relegation zone. This is a test which may provide us with the most accurate assessment of the evolution underway.

The criticism directed at Wenger and his youth-centric squad has often centered around our supposed inability to deal with the "physical"side of English football. The result against Man City provided proof that the Gunners are not intimidated by size or force. Teams who hope to bully Arsenal find they are up against a tenacious and determined opponent more than willing to mix it up, and critics are left searching.

For those of us who follow Arsenal, perhaps our biggest disappointments have come with poor efforts against inferior teams just as hopes have risen. Often described as "let downs" or "over-confidence", the beautiful football we expect doesn't materialize. The focus required is missing and critics are quick to proclaim the young Gunners lacking "maturity and/or mental toughness". A victory over West Ham will be seen as expected and probably not warrant more than a scoreline by the press, but to those who know this club it will signal an inspiring change of attitude. An emergence of the Champions within.

Victoria Concordia Crescit