As could be expected, lots of Gunners in action over the weekend in World Cup Qualifiers, mostly in the UEFA region. As promised, a brief look at each player and his role (if any):

Alexandre Song Billong
Started and played 90 minutes for Cameroon in their 2-1 win over Cape Verde Islands.

French National team
Samir Nasri started and played 71 minutes, Gallas and Sagna started and played the full 90 min, and Gael Clichy rode the bench for the whole match as France fell in a laugher to Austria, 3-1. Shame on your Domenech.

Cesc Fabregas
Cesc started and played 65 min for Spain in a 1-0 win against Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Lukasz Fabianski
Started and played the whole match against Slovenia in Poland’s 1-1 draw.

Theo Walcott
Started and went the distance in England’s 2-0 win over Andorra. Didn’t catch the match, but heard that he was the long bright spot on a rather dreary English side.

Johan Djourou
Started and played the entire match in Switzerland’s 2-2 draw with Israel. Curious that Philippe Senderos wasn’t in the squad; I guess he sort of counts as a loaned Arsenal player.

Nicklas Bendtner
Started and played 87 minutes in a boring 0-0 draw between Denmark and Hungary. Watched a bit of it. Not exciting stuff.

Carlos Vela
The young striker started and played 87 min for Mexico in their 3-1 win over Jamaica. Perhaps the Jamaicans could have used Usain Bolt up front as a striker. I’d give him a look.

Cote d’Ivoire
Eboue and Toure both started and played the whole match in their 1-1 draw with Mozambique. I don’t know that much about African soccer, but that looks like a bit of an upset in my eyes.

Robin Van Persie played a half against Australia in a friendly that took place in London. He emerged unscathed and isn’t schedule to miss anytime. Adebayor’s Togo game was suspended and he’ll play on Wednesday. Aaron Ramsey hasn’t got his first cap for Wales yet either, and he’ll probably have to wait awhile. Lots more action to take place on Wednesday, with a full recap to come after yet.

Carlos Salcido no jugará este Miércoles ante Canadá por acumular 2 tarjetas amarillas en la eliminatoria, una ante Belice y otra ayer contra Jamaica. Y de acuerdo con el reglamento de la FIFA, el jugador queda suspendido un partido. Por otro lado, Pável Pardo recibió un fuerte golpe en el juego contra Jamaica y tuvo que salir del encuentro. Se ha confirmado que sufrió una distensión en los ligamentos de la rodilla derecha, por lo cual queda fuera para jugar al fútbol 3 semanas. Pável viajará a Alemania para iniciar trabajo de rehabilitación con el Stuttgart. Mañana se nombrará a su sustituto.

In its 104 year existence, FIFA has had 8 presidents. The last two, Joao Havelange and Sepp Blatter have ruled for 34 years. Yes, since the year Richard Nixon resigned. FIFA now has the biggest conglomeration of countries, bigger than the IOC or the UN. It is also highly corporatized as well as despotic and capricious. And it seems to create its own reality. Its present president in delusions of grandeur, proclaims players live in modern slavery. When such incoherent statements are made, it is high time that FIFA consider imposing term limits to the presidency.

Every now and then I read an article that catches me off guard and this is one such piece.

I turns out that the big soccer fashion trend in Cape Town, South Africa, these days is to wear condoms on your feet to keep your socks up.

The need for such an innovated way of using these prophylactics is the result of a lack of proper soccer gear, such as socks with elastic to hold them in place. Since condoms are distributed for free in order to help curb the spreading of HIV, it all makes sense.

Sivuyile Nqawe of the Lingelethu Football Association in Khayelitsha said it was to "ease matters for those who cannot afford expensive brands of football kit on their mission to sharpen their skills to become future soccer stars".

"It is just a creative method and it works to alleviate the situation. You just break a condom packet, grab and stretch it. Then you put it on your leg," Nqawe said.

"You will find that in most instances players bring a box of condoms to a match and share them among teammates for the same purpose."

Another example of necessity being the mother of invention.

Thx            Zohaib