Time to give Jack Wilshere a chance?

A lot has been written about Jack Wilshere since he burst onto the scene during the pre-season tour of Austria last July.

Calls for him to be put into the team from the moment he tormented Michel Salgado and Christophe Metzelder during the Amsterdam tournament, were in truth, rather far-fetched.

We have all been excited by his rapid rise to the first-team squad, but he has not been ready to play a big part.

His match-winning performance against Stoke reserves, in which he scored another wonder goal; a curling effort from the edge of the area with the outside of his left-boot; and notched up another in the second half has shown that he needs to be used more by Mr Wenger.

With Theo Walcott out injured, the timing is perfect for him to make an impact. He came on against Cardiff at the weekend for a 10 minute stint in place of Abou Diaby, but he hardly had a touch of the ball.

With a number of home games looming, Wilshere could be given more opportunities and I would not be surprised to see him a cement a permenant place in the matchday squad.

Comment: Nasri and Van Persie are vital to our success

Wenger builds great teams. The 'Invincibles' were arguably the most entertaining team in Arsenal's history. Robert Pires and Thierry Henry were almost telepathic in their understanding and Dennis Bergkamp and Freddie Ljungberg also had a chemistry on the pitch which helped to propel us to the heights which may never be seen again.

There is, however, a new double-act on the scene. Samir Nasri and Robin Van Persie have started to create an understanding shown to devestating effect against Hull at the weekend. Van Persie made three assists, including one to set up Nasri to put Arsenal in the lead in the 81st minute.

Van Persie seems to be in the run of form all Arsenal fans knew he could reach. The Dutchman has shown glimpses in the past, but injuries have always stopped him in his tracks. This season though, he has got better and better.

Samir Nasri, bought in the summer to replace Alex Hleb, has added a class and directness Arsenal were previously lacking. He is small, but difficult to knock-off the ball, and although he has been deployed on the left, he, like Pires, cuts in on his favoured right.

Nasri seems to be moving inside more than usual in Cesc Fabregas' absence which has so far produced good results.

More encouraging is the link up with Van Persie, which shows signs of being similar to that of Pires and Henry and Bergkamp and Ljungberg. If we can get Theo Walcott and Emmanuel Adebayor linking up to a similar effect, we could be onto a winner.

With rumours of Arshavin arriving, maybe Nasri will be moved inside until Fabregas is fit. With Walcott returning, a midfield of Arshavin, Nasri, Denilson and Walcott looks very interesting indeed.

Arsenal Youth 3-1 Wolves Youth, Tuesday 13 January 2009

Gilles Sunu continued his good form with a neatly-taken hat-trick at Underhill on Tuesday night to put the young gunners into the next round of the FA Youth Cup.

With the youth team on top of the league, there was much optimism surrounding the fourth round tie.

Arsenal started brightly and could have gone into the lead on a number of occasions, Henri Lansbury, Emmanuel Frimpong and Jay Emmanuel-Thomas all could have put Arsenal infont in the first half.

Wolves were being over-run in midfield, presumably as they often had two markers on Jack Wilshere. Frimpong and Coquelin provided the cover for Wilshere, Lansbury and Emmanuel-Thomas to attack.

Rhys Murphy had been in top form coming into the game and could have scored early on, but then disaster struck; a committed challenge on Murphy left the England youth international in agony. It took almost 10 minutes before he was stretchered off the field of play.

Soon after his introduction, Sunu reminded us of his instinctive finishing. Lansbury floated in a corner and Sunu applied the finish to make it one nil.

Wolves' front-two looked dangerous but they were being looked after well by Luke Ayling and Kyle Bartley in the heart of the defence. Thomas Cruise and Craig Eastmond also looked comfortable in the full-back positions surgung forward in support of the midfield when needed.

Lansbury then supplied Sunu for his second, Jack Wilshere relaeased Lansbury and crossed to Sunu who controlled the ball with his right-foot, and turned onto his left, to dispatch a neat finish in the bottom-left corner.

Sunu really should have had a hat-trik soon afterwards but the goalkeeper denied him in a one-on-one position, but the Frenchamn soon made up for it, he latched onto a through ball and put the ball past the Wolves 'keeper.

Wolves pulled back a consolation near the end, but the young Gunners are through to the next round where they will face Sunderland.

Arsenal 1-0 Bolton, Saturday 10 January 2009

Thankfully football won today, but only just. It took Arsenal 85 minutes to break through Bolton's stubborn defence. Bolton never make it easy for Arsenal and today was no exception, the game was heading for a dull 0-0 until substitute Nicklas Bendtner nipped in at the far post to give the Gunners a much-needed win.

It was a bitterly cold day and the game kicked off in a flurry of snow, and gradually the game warmed up even if the conditions didn't.

Arsenal welcomed back Kolo Toure who had been flirting with an Arsenal exit, Diaby partnered Denilson in midfield and Eboue took up the right-wing position.

Bolton were without their dominant captain Kevin Nolan due to suspension, but Kevin Davies, a constant thorn in Arsenal's side over the years started on the right.

Within the first 10 minutes the diminutive Samir Nasri started to pull the strings in midfield, and the in-form Robin Van Persie looked lively upfront.

Van Persie shot just over after controlling a loose ball, and then headed straight at Bolton 'keeper Jussi Jaaskalainen. He then volleyed a ball into row Z, but the Arsenal faithful were confident of the breakthrough.

Bolton offered little of attacking threat, and Arsenal continued to have most of the possession. The visitors continued to stifle the Gunners putting most of their players behind the ball and Kevin Davies became the scapegoat with a few niggly fouls.

The half-ended 0-0, which provided everyone time for a couple of cups of tea to stave off the Arctic conditions.

Arsenal started the second-half brightly but were just finding it difficult to break down the Bolton defence.

Johan Elmander, the Bolton striker, limped down the tunnel and was replaced by Mustafa Riga.

After some quick passing with Adebayor, Van Persie again seemed to make a chance out of nothing as he held off a couple of defenders to toe-poke an effort onto the post.

Wenger sensed he needed to do something, and he brought on Carlos Vela for Abou Diaby who despite playing well in recent games, had had a fairly ineffectual game today.

The crowd, who have warmed to the young Mexican, were suddenly expectant, hoping his pace and directness could give the team something it had been lacking up until now.

They were right, with Nasri now in the centre pulling the strings and Vela and Clichy on the left, Arsenal were suddenly finding more space.

Nasri's exquisite pass let in Adebayor who almost had too much time. Just as he shot a defender lunged in and blocked the ball.

It seemed only a matter of time, but time was running out.

Nicklas Bendtner was brought on in place of Emmanuel Eboue who had one of his better games, to add some height and an extra attacking threat.

He could have scored with his first touch. Nasri floated in a corner and the Dane connected with the ball but not well enough to trouble Jaaskalainen.

Arsenal had Bolton pinned in their box and the pressure finally told. Clichy slipped Van Perise in with a fantastic ball, the Dutchman chipped a cross to the back post and Bendtner slid in to half-colley the ball past Jaaskalainen.

The Dane, who has not had the best of times recently, could not hide his delight.

After all the hard work, Arsenal almost let it slip. Bolton went straight up the other end and created a guilt-edged chance. Chris Basham raced down the right and pulled the ball back to Kevin Davies; unmarked he had time to place the ball, but luckily for Arsenal fans shot stright at Manuel Almunia.

Aaron Ramsey was brough on to replace Eboue, as Arsenal looked to tie things up. Carlos Vela almost made it two, but decided to shoot as he ran into the box, when he should really have passed to the unmarked Van Persie.

But it did not matter, at the final whistle the sense of relief so often felt in home games this year filled the ground, and Arsenal had won another must-win game .

Magpies to lose their feathers?

With Newcastle, Portsmouth and West Ham stating recently that they are strapped for cash and need to sell players, who would be good for the Gunners?

Newcastle:

Shay Given would have been a perfect replacement for Jens Lehmann a few years ago, but with Manuel Almunia in top form and Lukasz Fabianski growing in stature, spending £8 million on a 31 year-old goalkeeper would seem a bit excessive.

Steven Taylor, the Geordie skipper would hate to leave his hometown club, but with Newcastle struggling, a move to the capitol would be appealing. He has all the attributes Arsenal have lacked in central defence this year including aerial ability and strength. He may not come cheap but could solve Arsenal's defensive problems.

Charles N'Zogbia has been on the Arsenal radar for a few years, with Arsene Wenger being a keen admirer of the Frenchman. He has pace and power which Wenger loves and could be a useful wide player when injuries hit.

Michael Owen is reported to be stalling on a new deal and could be brought relatively cheaply. A proven goalscorer, he would be an able replacement in attack when needed.


West Ham:

Robert Green has been linked to Arsenal, but less experienced than Given and arguably less talented, this will probably be a no-go.

Matthew Upson was sold by Wenger after being on the fringes of the team for a few years. Now with experience and maturity, Upson would slot into the Arsenal defence with ease providing much-needed strength, power and technique.

Mark Noble is another West Ham youth graduate making it in the big time. A hard-working and technically-gifted young player, he would be an attractive prospect for Wenger either to replace Fabregas or to be moulded into the new Flamini.

Scott Parker did enough to gain a move to Chelsea, but his first-team chances were restricted. His time at West Ham has seen him become an accomplished holding midfielder, something Arsenal have severly lacked this season. A good passer, he could team up with Fabregas upon his return to create a deadly combination.

Dean Ashton was coveted by Wenger while he was at Crewe as a 17 year-old. A target man who scores goals, he could be an able replacement for the misfiring Niklas Bendtner if he is sold. The only concern would be his poor injury record.


Portsmouth:

Already depleated, it is hard to see who Wenger could buy apart from the skillful Croat, Niko Kranjcar. Struggling to get into the Pompey team in recent months, the ex-Zagreb player could be useful back-up for Arsenal but not much more.



Taylor or Upson could solve Arsenal's defensive problems and Parker or Noble could slot into the midfield, with N'Zogbia providing extra width. With quite afe strikers already Wenger would be reluctant to sign Owen or Ashton unless he sells one, Bendtner being the most likely to go.

Do we really need Arshavin at £20 million?

Andrei Arshavin is undoubtedly a class-act, he helped Zenit St.Petersburg in their victorius UEFA Cup campaign and has proved to be a star turn for Russia.

The Russian has been linked from here to Timbuktu with a move to the Gunners during January. So if we do actually sign the Russian would it be a good move?

Firstly with Wenger saying we have little money to spend, the touted figure of £20 million, or even £14 million as some have suggested seems a bit excessive.

Secondly, Arshavin is 27, and is therefore not a typical Wenger signing, £20 million for a 27 year-old is a bit much for a club with the transfer policy of a team of Scrooges.

Thirdly, Wenger has time and again said he doesn't want to stunt the development of the young players growing at Arsenal. Bringing in Arshavin, who at the very least should have 4 or 5 years left in him, would undoubtedly hinder the chances of Theo Walcott, Samir Nasri, Carlos Vela and Jack Wilshere from getting into the team, as I'm assuming he will be deployed in a wide position.

On the other hand, Arsenal have seemed to be lacking an experienced figure in midfield at times this season, and Arshavin would add this to the side.

There has also been a lack of pace on the wings while Walcott has been out injured. Denilson, Diaby or Ramsey have been deployed on the wings, none of them are natural wingers and none have blistering pace. Eboue has at times filled in well, but is obviuosly lacking in confidence at the moment.

Arshavin would be a good signing for Arsenal, but is he really worth the prices being banded about?

Would it not be better to spend the money on a defensive midfielder or a centre-back?

What do you think?

Arsenal 3-1 Plymouth, Saturday 3 January 2009

Arsenal kicked-off the new year in the same way that they ended 2008 with a home win in a less than convincing style, beating Championship side Plymouth Argyle 3-1.

Robin Van Persie, captain for the day in the absence of Cesc Fabregas and Manuel Almunia, proved to be the hero with two goals.

Van Persie stuck just after half-time as Samir Nasri floated in a corner, and all the unmarked Dutchman had to do was to head past Roman Larrieu in the Pilgrims' goal. An own goal by David Gray three minutes later and then another Van Persie strike with six minutes left completed the scoring for the hosts. Plymouth had pulled a goal back through Karl Duguid to make it 2-1 after some good work by Gray.

There was a rather subdued start to the afternoon with Arsenal probing around the visitors in their usual unhurried style, with no openings appearing in the visitors' defence. The Plymouth players wanted to make their presence felt with a few strong challenges in the first few minutes.

Van Persie had a double-effort saved by Larrieu and then up the other end Jamie Mackie had a shot blocked. Aaron Ramsey sped through the defence and set up Emmanuel Eboue who's shot was saved by Larrieu.

Arsenal were dominating but Plymouth looked dangerous from set pieces and also on the break capitalising on a few loose passes from Arsenal's midfield.

Mikael Silvestre, who had replaced Gael Clichy for this game at left-back, was himself replaced after 30 minutes with Kieron Gibbs coming on in his place, while William Gallas rushed down the tunnel with a head injury but re-appeared a few minutes later.

Arsenal almost went into half-time one nil down when Paul Gallagher picked up a pass from Eboue and tried to chip Lukasz Fabianski in goal, but the Polish 'keeper tipped the cheeky lob over the bar.

The Arsenal faithful had been quiet for much of the first half, but less than three minutes after the restart Van Persie had them singing. Samir Nasri played a delightful corner into the danger area and Van Persie arrived unmarked to power a header past Larrieu. Suddenly the Gunners sprung into life and five minutes later made it two-nil, Van Persie turned inside the box and crossed towards the onrushing Niklas Bendtner, but Gray beat him to the ball and put it into his own net. The 9,000 Plymouth fans must have been fearing the worst, Arsenal had upped the pace and were playing with some of their usual vigour.

It was the visitors who scored the next goal, however, Gray collected the ball from a corner and ran down the right-hand side of Arsenal's box, he crossed and Duguid arrived late to slide the ball past Fabianski, the Plymouth fans seemed to enjoy this moment and went delirious, hoping for an upset.

It wasn't to be however, despite a few scares Arsenal continued to dominate, and as the game went on, exploited the ever-growing spaces in the Plymouth defence. Samir Nasri continued to be a thorn in the side of the visitors and on 84 minutes he chipped a ball through to Van Persie, who lobbed the onrushing Larrieu who got a hand to it, but Van Persie was on hand to coolly slot in off the bar.

The impressive Kieron Gibbs and Carlos Vela continued to rattle the home defence down the left-hand side and the some neat link up play let Gallas in, but he couldn't slot past his former French Army colleague Larrieu.

It ended 3-1 and both sets of fans couldn't be disappointed as they left the Emirates, Plymouth had put up a good fight but had been in the trenches too long and in the end the pressure paid and the Gunners artillery was just too strong.