4-1 TO THE ARSENAL!

It promised to be an interesting fixture and it was. Five goals in total and three of these could have easily cemented Gervinho's hat-trick had he been less charitable in front of goal. Who'd a thunk it?

The Ivorian was in a league of his own today. Scoring the first and unselfishly creating two others. His only criticism being that he could have had a lot more but a slight lack of confidence hindered the scoreline.
Lets hope his dominant displays at AFCON weren't just a fluke and he really can deliver in the Premier League. It's about time these players with this latent potential start to finally gain some consistency and turn this team around.

Wenger sung Gervinho's praise after the final whistle:

"He is what you want from a striker, dangerous, he scored and gave assists, always lively and created many dangerous situations. I’m sorry because in the game he had an assist, he scored but he had more chances. He lacked a bit of confidence in front of goal. We played with good collective spirit, technical quality and always went forward."

Gervinho's 11th minute goal was poached off Santi Cazorla's shot across the six-yard box. We went into the second half in a very dominant position, Cazorla made it 2-0 three minutes after half-time with a beautiful curler, before Olivier Giroud bagged the third after a quick break from Gervinho.

Hal Robson-Kanu’s header was to be the only consolation for Reading to make it 3-1 but Arteta’s penalty in the 77th restored the three-goal cushion.

That puts us two points behind fourth-place Chelsea who lost 2-1 today at Southampton. The Spuds 2-1 victory over Swansea saw them overtake for the third spot creating a 4 point gap, but we still sit with a game in hand over Tottenham with an 11 point goal-difference advantage.

Next is West Brom away, Chelsea host Man Utd and Spuds take on Everton.

We have the pick of the bunch but every game now is the World Cup Final. COYG!

DIABY'S 'ACL' DILEMA

With Abu Diaby crocked once again, it's now decision time for both player and manager...

To draw a positive from this negative - Arsene Wenger must now spend accordingly to replace Diaby, a panic-buy situation we're becoming more accustom to (Arteta, Monreal etc).

I know that Arsene Wenger had considered Diaby in his long-term squad plans, even if we all knew that Diaby would last as long as a 'Kardashian wedding'.

Now that Diaby is unfortunately out for up to 9 months with a torn anterior cruciate ligament, we're again left in a predicament...

... How much do we offer Celtic for Wanyama?
He's rated at £10 million which is a pretty fair price for the sought-after 21 year-old defensive midfielder. And also a massive coup for Celtic as they bought the Kenyan for a mere £900,000.

At 26 years-young, Abu Diaby has to now make some serious decisions regarding his footballing future.
Surely Wenger cannot be entertaining the idea of keeping the lanky Frenchman? He's like a 2004 Range Rover - he's amazing when he's actually running but spends most of his time in the shop and costs you a bloody fortune.
Diaby is a f@#kin lemon!

I feel so sorry for him but he has to be considering retirement at this stage, this is a player who had never achieved more than 34 consecutive starts in his entire career. In 9 years as a professional player he's archived a total of 132 league appearances. That's an average of 13.5 games a season.

I hope that Diaby can overcome this new hurdle but I think his time as an Arsenal player is truly over.

JOVETIC HAS AGREED TERMS WITH ARSENAL

According to reputable Metro columnist Jamie Sanderson, Stevan Jovetic has already agreed terms to join Arsenal this summer.

Sanderson's source Giudo Di Comenico, is one of Italy's most respected FIFA agents who has strong ties with Fiorentina, Roma and Juventus. Juve and Man City were also thought to be among frontrunners to land the sought-after strikers signature.

FIFA Agent Di Comenico

Jovet... Wait a minute

Di Comenico had this to say of the current situation:

"Jovetic was among the possible options for Juventus, but my information is that the boy has already given the go ahead to move to Arsenal. He seems fascinated by their project."

Fact or fallacy?

Everything seems to be pointing in the direction of North London. Jamie Sanderson is what you may call a respectable 'IDK', and if this Guido fella's connection to both Jovetic's club (Fiorentina) and one of his potential suitors (Juventus) is deemed legitimate, then it's looks very possitive for Arsenal at this stage.

£12 MILLION FOR AFC STRIKER - YOU'RE HAVING A LAUGH!

Reports are suggesting that Turkish giants Galatasaray are prepping a £12 million bid for Gervinho.

Are they mad?

That's £2 million more than what we paid for him! An absolute bargain for the World's most frustrating player.
This is a once in a life-time opportunity to rid ourselves of the ex-Lille winger/striker. And if not - then Arsene Wenger will no doubt squeeze every ounce of life-less talent from the player and refuse to demote him - kind of like what he's doing with Aaron Ramsey...

With the immenant depature of Arshavin, Sagna and possibly Rosicky to Dortmund, this potential addition of £12 million for Gervinho would really bolster our options for some big-name signings this summer.

Sad to see him go-ish...

Despite the erratic, failed-dribbles and fluffed, bobbling shots,  I desperately wanted the Ivorian to be 'that' player we'd all been pining for! But his lack of consistency and wastefulness is just too much for the blood pressure to handle.

Lets face it, despite the exquisite potential he 'sometimes' shows - Arsenal can do way better than Gervais Lombe Yao Kouassi can offer, even as a back-up attacking option. We're better that this.

MOREAL - THE BEACON OF POSITIVITY

'Not all hope is lost' - despite our most trying season in nearly 17 years under the 'Wenger Administration', these promising words seems to be a common mantra among the Arsenal faithful.

Arsenal new-boy Nacho Monreal, is the newest rallying force behind our resurgence for the fourth spot.

The Spanish defender spoke exclusively in this months official Arsenal magazine:

NM - "We still have matches left to fix the situation and to try to meet our objectives. It is logical that people talk because the situation has not been as it should be, but the players and club in general have to ensure that doesn't affect us".

A positive attitude

"We have to use our energy for the matches. If you are thinking of what people are saying, you are wasting that energy. You have to concentrate on the next match. Every fixture now is a final we have to win. That has to be our mentality. I am sure we will put it right."

Arsenal should go in to every match thinking they're 3-1 down to Bayern!

Monreal's Malaga team-mate, Santi Cazorla spoke of his friends acclimatization to the English game:

SC - "He is a very good signing, and is proving it. I think Arsenal have really got it right with the transfer. I am very happy because he is a great mate. He has adapted to the Premier League very well."

JOVETIC CONTINUED...

In relation to our previous post regarding the Brian May lookalike, he's muttered our beloved 'Arsenal' once again:

SJ - "I’ve heard about Arsenal’s interest, it’s a big pleasure for me to be on the radar of such a big club. I am happy about that.

AFC all the way?

SJ - "I've always had an affinity with Arsenal. It’s a major club with a big tradition, one of the biggest in Europe. It’s not easy to replace Van Persie, who scored a lot of goals. Arsenal have plenty of players who don’t score like Van Persie, but are also very good. They are still very strong. I often watch Premier League games on TV. It’s one of the best leagues in the world and looks tempting for me".

Come and get me...?

SJ - "Maybe one day I will play there but I have a contract with Fiorentina and battling for a Champions League place in Serie A is the only thing I’m thinking about now".

PODOLSKI - "IM STAYING!"

Lukas Podolski has dismissed any rumor that he's on his way out. 'The Sun' had originally penned the story which the German recently refuted while speaking to Bild Magazine.

Firstly, he quashed The Sun's reports that he and Arsene Wenger had an acrimonious relationship.

LP - “[It is] absolutely good and professional. We talk a lot – also in German. He also asks me ‘how is the family'".

The tabloid newspaper also cited Juventus as Podolski's next destination...

LP - "I want to say two things. First I cannot help it that clubs are interested in me. And there are always people behind who want to launch something in this business. I am busy and this subject has never come up. And secondly any interest makes me proud because it is recognition of my performance.”

Upon asked if he would leave Arsenal after his contract expires in 2016 - he replied:

“This is unlikely. Because it really feels comfortable at the club and in the town. Here, as a player, you have peace and quiet. I appreciate that very much. Therefore, I can honestly say: I am preparing for no change.”

It looks like Lukas will be getting that 'Arsenal tattoo' after all!

Podolski/Arsenal - 1 The Sun - 0

IS THIS MAN THE FIRST OF THE SUMMER SIGNINGS...

It looks like Godfrey Oboabona could be the first of the summer signings...

"Bona-who?" You say.

- The 22 year-old Nigerian International center back is excited to be awarded a set of trials with Arsenal, a club he's been a fan of since a child.

GO - "Arsenal are my favourite club from childhood. It is the club I want to play for. I already have offers from the top five leagues in the world. But like you know the transfer window had closed by the time the Nations Cup ended. If I want to make any move now then it would be to an African country, and I don’t want such a move when I have offers from Europe.”

Biding his time

GO - “So, I would rather wait until the summer and make the right choice instead of rushing into any move.”

Basically he's saying that if Wenger approves he'll sign on the dotted line.

The £1 million rated youngster already has 18 caps to his name and was a detrimental part of Nigeria's triumph in the Africa Cup of Nations.

JOVETIC TALKS ABOUT ARSENAL LINK

The Daily Star are reporting that Arsenal target Stevan Jovetic has spoken out regarding a summer move to the Premier League:

SJ - "It sure is nice when you are interesting big clubs like Arsenal and Manchester City. It feels good because the English game currently has probably the strongest league in the world".

The 23 year-old Fiorentina man has a £25million buy-out clause in his contract and is expected to command a salary of about £150,000 per month.
With ourselves and Man City now interested, the transfer fee could be in the region of around £30-35 million.

Speaking if his time in Italy:

“I’m very comfortable in Italy but the Premier League is at the top of the football world – and perhaps the best. We will see what happens in the future.”

Is he good enough?

Personally I'm skeptical, partly because it's the Daily Star reporting these comments with no indication of a concrete source. I highly doubt Jovetic or his agent spoke directly to the tabloid news paper.

However, our interest in the Montenigren striker is very apparent. One thing that's starting to worry me a little is whether Jovetic is slightly overrated?

He's young and talented, but like Shakira once sung - "the stats don't lie", and Jovetic's 12 goals in 23 games so far this season are mediocre at best. His career high was last season with 14 in 29.
Don't get me wrong - that isn't bad, but I'm fearful we'll buy another Giroud (who obviously needs more time) instead of buying someone like Cavani with the potential of making an immediate RVP-type impact to our score-sheet.

Jovetic could be a massive gamble for us, especially at around £30 million and with a whopping salary to boot.
And I can guarantee you - Wenger plays it safe when in Vegas!

We need either a world-class striker 'a la' - Falcao, Cavani or Ibrahimovic. Or a EPL established forward like Suarez, Tevez or Michu who can just carry on from where they took off.

Whatever happens, we'll get a closer view of Jovetic when England play Montenegro this Tuesday.

RAMSEY SCORES!

Blasphemy!

Aaron Ramsey converted a penalty in the 73 minute after Gunter was caught late by Snodgrass in the box.

Aaron struck the ball straight down the middle and off the under-side of the bar to put Wales 2-1 up against fierce rivals Scotland.

GIROUD SCORES!

Olivier Giroud has scored the first goal so far in the France vs Georgia game on the brink of half-time.

Mathieu Valbuena crossed in from a set piece, Giroud's trademark header placed it into the bottom left corner from the center of the box.

Note to Arsene: We need to get that boy more crosses!

OXLADE-CHAMBERLAIN SCORES!

Alex the Ox just scored in the 28th minute against San Marino. England are currently 2-0 up with Della Valle scoring an own-gaol in the 12th minute.

Chamberlain plaid a quick one-two with Rooney before looping it past the keeper.

Will keep you posted...

AFC INTERNATIONAL WATCH

Lets take a look at our squad players on international duty:

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (England).
Aaron Ramsey (Wales).
Santi Cazorla (Spain).
Olivier Giroud (France).
Thomas Vermaelen (Belgium).

Substitutes: Laurent Koscielny (France) & Nacho Monreal (Spain).



GOAL! (28th min).

GOAL! (73rd min).

GOAL! (45th min).

ENGLAND - STARTING 11

Here is the line-up according to Sky Sports:

UPDATE - OXLADE-CHAMBERLAIN TO GET ENGLAND START

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is set to replace injured Theo Walcott tonight against San Marino.

The Ox has been 'on fire' recently and this extra confidence boost will do wonders for the 19 year-old's game.

Just don't get injured - please!

WALCOTT INJURED AT THE ENGLAND TRAINING CAMP!

The Daily Mirror are reporting that Theo Walcott has flown back to the UK after he suffered a groin injury training with the national squad.

Walcott will miss the World Cup qualifiers with San Marino and Montenegro and possibly our tie with Reading on Saturday 30th.

The Montenego game would have been a chance for Walcott to see 'potential' Arsenal signing Stevan Jovetic in action. A game that a lot of Gooner's will be paying close attention to.

However this setback may actually be a blessing in disguise as Walcott's health is detrimental to our bid for the fourth-spot. Let's just hope it isn't too serious.

RVP IN TROUBLE

Maybe the frustrating loss of form has caused turrets?

Robin 'used to score when he want's' Van Persie, is in hot-water after an outburst at UEFA regarding Nani's sending off for the 'high-boot' against Real Madrid's Alvaro Arbeloa.

Van Persie slammed UEFA as "cowards" regarding the incident with referee Cuneyt Cakir and the eventual dismissal of United's Champions League Campaign.

Van Persie whined: "The worst thing is that UEFA supports him. That's cowardly, because I really don't understand it. Why don't they just be honest and say: 'He hasn't seen it'?"

Robin's unwanted opinion was blurted 'tears n all' to Dutch website Ad.nl.

Once reviewed, the said statement will land the Dutchman with a hefty fine, a ban and possibly even castration...

Quit crying Robin, it's not gonna bring 'round 16' of the Champions League back. Just concentrate on the 11 goals you need to score to match last season's tally of 30. It's ok, you got 9 games left Robin.

LEAKED HOME KIT - DEJA VU!

This leaked image of our 'supposed' 2014 home kit looks very similar to the 1986 classic.

The preview of what 'could possibly be' is obviously sponsored by Adidas and not our current manufacturer Nike. Adidas are reported to be reinstated when the Nike deal expires at the end of the 2013/14 season.
It's been 20 years since the 'three stripes' graced the Arsenal shirt, and at a reported £25 million it's significant jump from the £13 million that Nike currently pay.

Retro style

If the above image is actually legitimate, then I definitely approve of this revival of a vintage Arsenal gem. 

(1986) - Adidas haven't sponsored AFC since the 93/94 season.

There is a an absolute monstrosity doing the 'leaked image' rounds too...

I hope it isn't so!

The previous two season's home and away kits by Nike have been amazing in my opinion and this...  It's putrid - it's reminicent of the 'O2 days'.

What do you think of our possible new threads?

LEO MESSI GETS A LEG TATTOO

He's probably the only player who hasn't been linked with Arsenal this week. Leo Messi got his son's name and hands inked on his left calf.

Messi is arguably the most supreme footballing specimen to date, and as a tribute to  his 4 month-old 'Thiago', he had the future-Gunner's name scribed across his leg.

Lionel also wanted to pay homage to the best team in the world...

Yeah ok it's mine - Leo can have one too but only after he signs for us. It's in the contract!

IN THE NEWS...

Some notable AFC articles:

- Giroud is 'not' a flop!

- Vermaelen - I have made mistakes 

- Wenger is to blame says Szczesney's father 

- Oi Roy! - Treat Wilshire with care

A slow news day in terms of what's worth a shout.

Although, there are a ton of 'Blog Shitters' out there to keep that mind spinning -  if you dare to believe...

BARCA YOUNGSTER URGED TO PURSUE ARSENAL CAREER

Udinese's sporting director, Fabrizio Larini has spoken out on Alexis Sanchez's struggle since joining Barcelona.

After the Catalan giants prized-away Udinese's starlet for a staggering €26 million (£22 million) back in the summer of 2011, the Chilean forward has been marred by first team competition and a string of injuries to boot.
An undeniable talent, the most coveted player of the 2011 transfer market is said to be close to the Barcelona exit and a school of hungry super-clubs are circling with intent.

Man City, Juventus, Inter Milan, Liverpool and now Arsenal are regarded best suitors for the 24 year-olds future.

Fabrizio Larini spoke regarding Sanchez's transfer situation:

"Sanchez needs to play the ball on the ground, just like Arsenal," he is quoted on Goal.com. "That would be his ideal game."

When questioned as to whether Sanchez could also play for Juventus or Inter, Larini was open-minded. "I don't see why not," he added. "He has all the qualities to do well."

"I do not know his current situation at the Spanish club. But his fitness problems have definitely limited his performances. The only thing that these teams will have to consider is that he is a player who needs freedom to play his way. In teams that have particularly rigid patterns of play he might have a few problems."

A Dynamic player

Sanchez can play all across the attack and even has defensive qualities which will definitely interest Wenger.
His versatility, age and experience in the top flight, are all contributers that make Alexis Sanchez an awesome target to for Arsenal to pursue.

The sheer fact that Barcelona owe us a 'bloody good deal' should be incentive enough to pull-off this coup.
The ex-Arsenal-talent they've recently acquired (Fabregas, Song) amounts to 'far more' (£52 million) than Alexis's original transfer fee.

Will we get Alexis for cut-price? He won't be cheap - he will however be less than the £22 million paid.

And being very close friends with much-loved Arsenal advocate Cesc Fabregas - this deal could certainly play in our favor...

WORTH A READ - AFC ARTICLE FROM A SPURS PERSPECTIVE!

Here Is The City.com have posted an interesting article about Arsenal and her current winger situation which is in relation to our previous post regarding The Ox.

Nick Harris is a Tottenham supporter which is what makes this read all that more intriguing.

Take a read here...

OXLADE-CHAMBERLAIN UPFRONT?

Why not - he's wasted on the wings, as is Theo. Yes they're both lightning quick but neither players are 'natural' wingers in my opinion.

Walcott can't run at players, he doesn't have the skill to go around people, he only really utilizes his pace when the ball is payed in front of him.

I hate to use him as an example, but Gareth Bale is exceptional when coming face to face with a player, he effortlessly knocks the ball past them and speeds on to his own loose ball. It works time and time again. He rarely uses trickery, he just uses his best asset to his advantage.

'I used to play footie with this one kid (Alan Notley) who pulled the same bloody trick every time to get around people. We would take the piss out of him for it because it's all he would do, but the point is that it worked. Most of the time.'
Not that Theo should take a leaf out of Alan Notley's book, but sometimes keeping it simple and doing what you do best is the most effective solution.

Alex 'Crossbar' Chamberlain on the other hand tries to take on players with pace and trickery. He tends to get double-teamed a lot when he's on the wing which a complement to his assets, but I think he's still lacking the confidence to efficiently utilize his full potential. Although, he does go to the byline more successfully now and his low crosses are looking more and more dangerous.

We saw many examples during the Swansea game of Alex picking up the ball in midfield and running directly at players.

Crossbar number #1.

His stocky build and low center of gravity make him a nightmare for defenders. He can hold his ground unlike Walcott who gets muscled off the ball way to often. Those games where Theo Walcott gets subbed at 70 mins and you're suddenly reminded he's been playing this whole time... That's either because we can't get him the ball down the wing, or he's instantly pushed off it when he does get it.

I personally think Theo should be upfront, I also think the prospect of a 'Walcott & Chamberlain' strike- duo would be sick!

There's been talk of Wenger grooming Alex to become more of a midfield player. What about a striker?

'The Ox looks up at around 20 yards, takes a crack!' - Crossbar #2

He's also got a great turn on him as we saw during the Swanse tie. He cleverly lets the ball run across the front of him leaving him free and open. And the frustrating thing is that he's capable of an awesome shot when he has enough courage to have a go.
I've seen plenty of training videos of Alex scoring absolute belters from 20-30 yards out.

If he was given permission to express these assets upfront I think we'd all be pleasantly surprised.

Just a thought. (Please tell me if I'm nuts)...

WILSHIRE UPDATE

The Daily Mail are reporting that Jack Wilshire may be back to face Reading at home on March 30th.

I hope they're right!

They claim a club spokesperson had commented on reports that Jack would be out for six-plus weeks:

"Nothing has changed in Jack's recovery, there’s no setback or further damage to his ankle and no concern about any long-term problems. Jack was told to rest and we are still on course for him to resume training and be available for selection for the home game against Reading".

WILSHIRE OUT FOR THE REST OF THE SEASON

Jack is sidelined for a 'minimum' of 6 weeks with an inflamed right ankle. The same ankle which saw the midfielder out for 16 months last year.

Jack picked up the injury during the Spurs game and if the 6 week assessment is correct, he would be available for our last 3 games against QPR (away), Wigan (Home) and Newcastle (Away).

Although talking of the Bayern fixtures and Jacks situation Wenger stated:

“Maybe I overplayed him, but only in the last two games. It's difficult to rest him because he's a winner and when I ask how he feels, he says ‘perfect’. We do a regular scan and it showed bone bruising on the heel of his right foot."

The last time Wenger proceeded with Wilshire it progressed to a stress fracture which led to his lengthy absence.

Knowing Wenger he'll play it safe and probably just call it time on Wilshire's season. Thankfully we seem to have found our form again and hopefully this new resurgence will carry through to the final games of the season.

SPURS LOOSE! THE RACE IS ON

Isn't irony a bitch.

Ex-Man Utd and Spurs striker Dimitar Berbatov sank Tottenham's hopes in today's 1-0 derby loss to Fulham.

With today's triumph and yesterday's blinding result at Swansea, the race for 4th is gonna get very very tense. I wouldn't expect anything less from the Arsenal.
Being an Arsenal supporter is not good for your blood pressure!

So as we enter week 31 of 39, the standings look much the same in terms of positioning with only Spurs and Chelsea switching positions.

1. Man U
2. Man City
3. Chelsea
4. Spurs
5. Arsenal

Except - Now there's only 5 points between the fifth and third spot.

Chelsea and ourselves sit comfortably with a game in hand (29 in total) leaving 'The Scum down the road' scratching their heads whilst soiling their lilly-whites.
The prospect of being dumped out for the second year running is a big reality check from last weeks bravado.

Yes I may be jumping the gun a little; we've got a hell of a long way to go but it was around this time last season that we started our resurgence and Tottenham began to faultier.

Lets look at the prospective fixtures:

ARSENAL (Final 9):

Reading (Home) - West Brom (Away) - Norwich (Home) - Everton (Home) - Fulham (Away) - Man U (Home) - Wigan (Away) - QPR (Home) - Newcastle (Away).

TOTTENHAM (Final 8):

Swansea (Away) - Everton (Home) - Chelsea (Away) - Man City (Home) - Wigan (Away) - Southampton (Home) - Stoke (Away) - Sunderland (Home).

And to sprinkle a little lethargy into the mix, Spurs also face FC Basel twice in one week in the quarter finals of the "ahem" - Europa League.

I'm feeling a lot more positive about the current standings, and convinced that come Sunday May 19th, the league table will look positively different from today's.

CARL JENKINSON - WHAT LEGENDS ARE MADE OF!

Remeber those silly rumors a week or so ago regarding Carl Jenkinson to Manchester City?
Never gonna happen. Mark my word.

Carl Jenkinson is living the dream. He's a passionate Gooner with strong Arsenal lineage. Did you see the placard for his grandfather he had installed at the Emirates...?
A tear-jerker if I've ever seen one, wow! That shit was on par with Extreme Makeover Home edition and any episode finale of Undercover Boss.


Unfortunately Carl's grandfather never got to see him playing for the team they all support and love, so to commemorate his honor he had this installed at Armory Square...

CJ: "He said: 'I just wanted something for my grandad. It has always been a bit of a regret that he has not been able to come to my games since I’ve been at Arsenal. It's well documented that my dad is a massive Arsenal fan but grandad was just the same, and I was very close to him. I am sure he is looking down at how things are going for me and the fact I’m playing for Arsenal.

"I am a fan of this club and that will never change. I am just lucky enough to have been given the ability and the chance to play for my club.
'I was going to watch Arsenal the same as the fans were and [now] just count myself very lucky to represent them as a fan who has become a player.
'It doesn’t come around very often and I just feel privileged and honoured to be that person."

The boy's living the dream. Can you even imagine the pride he must feel every time he walks out of that tunnel with the canon on his chest. Not only that, Jenkinson is a young lad with an extremely long and promising career in front of him. If he continues to put in performances like the one in Munich and his form continues to ascend off the charts, the once 'nobody' from Charlton Athletic is an Arsenal legend in the making for sure.

The fans already love the unassuming boy from Harlow. From his awkward, gangly and hunched frame to his consistently furrowed Wenger-esque brow, Jenkinson almost looks lost and afraid on the football pitch.

I felt so sorry for him when he first arrived, being thrown in at the deep-end against Udinese in the final qualifying round of the Champions League, and it did show too. He looked completely out of his depth as he replaced the injured Djourou in the second half.

Not only that, nobody had even heard of Carl Jenkinson.
But Wenger obviously had; and I have indelible respect the Frenchman's vision, it's impeccable and something that will never wane from my dilapidated opinion of Le Prof.

Arsene would be an excellent scout. There you go Mr Wenger how do you like that? No need to pay me - I'm happy to give you career advice!

Carl Jenkinson still has a long way to go but he's a perfect successor to Bacary Sagna if he leaves this summer.

Carl Jenkinson. We're proud of you. Gooner till I die!