Happy Saturday to you all, it's a bit of a rainy, miserable one here in Dublin.

So, all eyes on tomorrow's game against the Mugsmashers. We know just how important it is. A win keeps us in the title race, lose and we're probably too far behind to even havevague notions about closing the gap, and a draw is ... well ... a draw.

Whatever happens Arsenal cannot lose this game. Not only do we not want to fall behind the leaders we have to look at the table a bit more realistically, we don't want to fall any further behind Aston Villa. That's really where we should be looking at the moment.

The mood in the camp seems bullish though. Some choice quotes from Arsene Wenger:

Some people say it is a three-horse race but let them talk all they want. Let us show they are wrong.

Then Bacary Sagna:

It is a must-win game for us and, from now on, we must keep taking maximum points. But we’ve beaten Manchester United and Chelsea, so we know we can do it.

And Robin van Persie, who is using last season's Champions League exit as motivation:

I know how their team are playing and what they did against us before and how they hurt us. I always take that with me. Our only chance of winning the title is to win the big games. If we beat Liverpool it becomes five points and anything can happen.

So confidence appears to be high, which is a good thing. Our record in the 'big' games this season is good, it's what's keeping us alive, and we need another one of those days tomorrow. That said the smashers have beaten both Chelsea and United this season too so it's not going to be easy by any means.

We have to hope Nasri is back and fit because he, at least, offers us some width and craft in midfield. What he plans to do for the right hand side remains to be seen but I wouldn't be surprised to see Eboue play tomorrow. That leaves him with a choice of Diaby, Song and Denilson to partner Cesc which is like being asked to pick one from Curly, Moe or Larry.

Amy Lawrence writes in the Guardian about how Arsene must be regretting not spending the extra couple of million on Xabi Alonso in the summer. He's having a fine season and while he wasn't everyone's choice I don't think anyone can deny he would have added experience and quality to our midfield, attributes which are in short supply for us at the moment.

It's an impossible game to predict. We have been so inconsistent that the only consistent thing about us is our inconsistency. We could play out of our skins and win the game, we could have another tepid off day, it's just impossible. From what's being said though the players know just how vital this game is, especially when the next fixture sees us travel to Villa Park.  

Away from Liverpool and the boss says the boardroom goings-on won't affect the players in any way. I've always wondered about how what happens at that level can possibly affect players at a football club, unless it has something to do with them not being paid. As long as that's not an issue nothing that happens up there should affect players. He also spoke about possible spending, saying:

They let me do what I want to do. I know how much money I can spend and I will try to do it in a wise way.

He then outlines his opposition to the transfer window, which makes sense to me, and then talks about how clubs should be made live within their own natural resources. Again that makes sense to a certain extent but the sugar-daddy owner has always existed, it's just gone to the next level now. Well, it's gone to a level none of us can even really comprehend. 

There's a definite difference between somebody like Jack Walker who made a fortune and ploughed millions into the club he loved, and the likes of Abramovich and the new owners of Man City who see football clubs as toys.

Still, I don't know what you can do about it. If the man who owns your club is willing to spend his money on it then who is anyone to stop him? 

Arsene also talks about how he wants to win the Champions League. The draw yesterday wasn't too bad and leaving aside the fantastic trip back to my old hometown Barcelona wasn't necessarily as kind in a footballing sense as Roma. We beat them back in 2002-3 I think it was - an Henry hat-trick in one of the ugliest Arsenal kits I have ever seen. That horrible blue away shirt, I think we had to play in white shorts that night too because of Roma's dark shorts, and white socks. Fashion nightmare!

They're struggling a bit at the moment in Serie A, they had a woeful start to the season but seem to be getting themselves back on track with 5 league wins in a row. By February/March who knows where they'll be. For that matter who knows where we'll be or how our squad might have been improved.

Danny Fiszman has reiterated that there's money for Arsene to spend in January as well as his own commitment to the club. I don't think we've heard the last of the Lady Nina stuff either. I've been sitting here this morning wondering where I saw an article which had some new info but I've just remembered I dreamt it. Pfff, stupid brain.

Right, that's about that. More tomorrow. 

It's very quiet this morning.

Perhaps it's the calm before the storm. I actually typed that as 'clam' before the storm about three times. Imagine that though.

'Reckon there's gonna be a big storm tonight'.

'Why's that?'

'Spotted a giant clam over yonder'.

'Yup'.

Although how the clam would survive out of water to act as a portent of inclement weather is another question, but not one we'll ponder too long. No doubt it would simply descend into a superabundance of fish puns or jokes about chowder and nobody wants that.

Let's talk Arsenal. What little there is. Bacary Clamna says the team are focussed on winning trophies this season. He says:

This season, we will try to be wiser. We will show everyone we are still the Gunners and that we can win the title. We play to win everything and we will try to do it.

You can't really fault that kind of attitude, can you? Obviously we missed him after his injury against Chelsea and perhaps the disruption to the back four caused us some defensive problems. With him and Clichy though I think we have the best full back combination in the league. Yes, even better than Ian Harte and Nyron Nosworthy.

Speaking of full backs Aston Villa have got their beady little eyes on a right back and one name on their list is Justin Hoyte. Let's be realistic, if Sagna stays fit then Hoyte has no chance of making the first team bar the Carling Cup and perhaps the FA Cup. But, if he's content with that then I don't see any problem in us hanging onto him. I know he's an Arsenal lad through and through but if he really wants first team football you have to think a move is his best option.

According to reports in Spain we're about to sign a young goalkeeper from Real Madrid called Felipe Ramos. Madrid want to loan him out but we're apparently willing to pay a transfer fee and Madrid will let him go to provide competition primarily for Fabianski. He's 20 years old and that's about as much as I can tell you. Given that we already have Almuni, Fabianski and Mannone as the goalkeeping threesome it would be a strange signing but I'm just telling you what the papers say.

There's nothing new on the Ruben de la Red link other than a story in the Catalan press about how Madrid never give their squad players a chance and that they'd happily take €12m from us for de la Red. It seems to be based on little more than the Guardian article yesterday though.

There's a game tonight against Huddersfield but it's a very young squad travelling North. We've got the Amsterdam Tournament this weekend which the boss obviously sees as better preparation. With a couple of the senior squad carrying knocks from the weekend's games I suppose it's a case of better safe than sorry, especially with a Champions League qualifier next week.

Right then, that's enough. More tomorrow.

Not too long ago a prominent Arsenal blogger said about Hleb's move to Barcelona:

As for Barcelona there has hardly been a word about him in the Spanish press for ages and given the money Barcelona have already spent this summer I'd say there's no chance of him going there now.

Now it seems that he is on his way to Catalunya and that old cunt at Arseblog has egg all over his Paddy face this morning ... oh.

Strange one really, I didn't think there was any prospect of him going there. Sport runs with a headline saying HLEB: SIGNED while El Mundo has even put a 'Best of Hleb' YouTube video on their homepage. The Spanish press reckon we've been paid €15m which could possibly rise to €18m if Hleb scores more than 3 goals a season so €15m it is.

I can't say I'm too unhappy. Hleb has always seemed like a fairly nice bloke and he is undoubtedly one of the most skillful players I've seen at Arsenal. His close control and ability to make space was truly outstanding at times. Ultimately though, a grand total of 11 10 goals in 3 seasons for a player who played wide and as a support striker is simply not good enough. He didn't make too many assists either. When he was good he was very good but too often he was just mediocre. His unwillingness to shoot was massively frustrating too.

The hints from his agent this summer that he would find it hard to maintain a level of performance at Arsenal should he not be allowed leave were out of order in my opinion and the player himself said:

I feel I can't keep squeezing enough out of myself to satisfy a team like Arsenal. As a professional I honestly told Wenger that at our two recent meetings.

Too much like hard work, it seems. But if he thinks there's pressure at Arsenal wait until he gets to Barcelona with the press and the fans who, this season in particular, are going to be so demanding that even Prince would be shocked.

For those that suggest the squad is weakened by his departure I give you Samir Nasri, a player with more of an eye for goal and from wide positions goals can win you trophies, as we've seen with Ronaldo and from our own point of view with Pires and Overmars down the years. €15m represents good business from a financial point of view as well.

It does leave Adebayor's potential transfer to Spain a bit up in the air though. Which probably won't suit him but then maybe he's about to learn that sometimes it's best just to keep your mouth firmly shut so you don't make yourself look like a cunt and make life rather awkward for yourself.

Another player who could be on the way out is Gilberto. The press have picked up a story that started on an Arsenal blog about him moving to Panathanaikos so credit this time to Arsenal Analysis who have been running it for the last couple of days. It'd probably be a good move for Gilberto, he'd get a longer contract and more Brazilian weather. Still, I'll be sad to see him go, he's always been a top class professional and a good example to some of today's more impatient and live-in-the-moment players. You just hope that if he is leaving then we've got somebody lined up to replace him because central-midfield will start looking a bit light otherwise.

The Sun uses a Bacary Sagna interview from a French newspaper to spread more doom and gloom. Can't see too much wrong with what he says myself.

So things are beginning to start moving in terms of transfer activity. Let's be honest about this, there hasn't been much doing for any club as of yet this summer so I'm not at all worried about our perceived lack of business. A few deals will happen and the rolling stone will start gathering some moss and it'll all be grand.

Right then, 5 pairs of tickets for the London Masters were up for grabs and the question was 'Under Arsene Wenger's reign only two players have scored on their league debuts. Who are they?'

The key word in the question there was 'league'. The vast majority of entrants got Freddie Ljungberg v Man United correct but a lot of people then thought Reyes v Chelsea or Gilberto v Liverpool in the Charity Shield was the right answer. They were wrong. The answer was Adebayor v Birmingham in Feb 2006. So there you go. The Random Number Generator did its thing and the winners of the tickets are:

Dan Merryweather, Mark Maynard, Richard Cain, Alex Williams and John O'Brien.

Well done to you, I'll be in touch this morning to get details from you and don't forget to check out the Masters football website for more information about the tournament - it could be your last chance to see a soon to retire Ray Parlour in an Arsenal shirt.

That'll be that then. More, including an Arsecast, tomorrow.

Transfer madness this morning sees us locked in battle with Man United for Cardiff's wonderkid Aaron Ramsey. Both sides have had bids accepted by the Welsh club and it's now down to the player to decide who he wants to join. Honestly speaking I'm not sure I really care that much about this one. I know some people might say we lack ambition/resources if it doesn't happen but as a club we're chock full of 17 year olds with loads of potential.

The kind of signings we need this summer are men who can grow proper beards and get served in pubs, not lads who need fake ID to get into a late showing of the Exorcist. He may turn out to be a very good player, it may even be for us if he thinks he can learn more at Arsenal and get his chance earlier, but if it doesn't happen I'm not going to worry (until he comes back to haunt us in three seasons time).

Good news regarding Bacary Sagna - he's signed a two year extension to his contract. I suppose to reward his excellent season last time around but also to extend the protected period for another three years.

Alexander Hleb is very close to Barcelona, according one of his plethora of agents. As expected the minute Mourinho took over at Inter then that move was out of the question. Hleb also just got married, apparently. The Spanish press were reporting that the man who would be a Barcelona player within 'hours' had married his TV presenter girlfriend.

I do wonder why exactly Barcelona want Hleb though. He's certainly not better or more productive than Iniesta who plays a very similar role. He's not going to play up front with Henry, Messi and Bojan there, plus I'm sure Barcelona will bring in another striker. Part of the midfield three with Xavi and Iniesta, that's a lot of work for him to get through - certainly not work he ever had to do with us. It's a strange one but if the money's right then I won't be crying over his departure. I just wonder do Barcelona really want him - it's all agent speak at the moment

This article, which features the hideous face of Didier Drogba (sorry!), suggests that Kolo Toure has made himself available as one of the three over 23 players for the Ivory Coast's Olympics squad. I can't imagine the boss would be that happy if it were true. More than most Kolo needs a good rest this summer. We should send them Eboue. Whether they want him or not.

Freddie Ljungberg has lashed out at Arsene Wenger and Arsenal following his sale last summer and suggested he was made play with injuries after receiving painkilling injections. He says:

It's all about my injuries. Wenger simply doesn't like those who show a weakness. With him, you generally feel as if you were in the army - it's only in public that he may appear to be some sort of man of liberal views. In reality, his belief is natural selection. After I recovered, I was given a chance in the typical Wenger way: I was expected to run and intercept and score just the same as before. He just didn't give me enough time to do it properly. I had no time.

Which is strange because for two seasons Freddie's goal return was negligible, he spent more and more time out injured and he looked a long way from the player that was so effective for us. That's plenty of time in the cut throat world of top flight football.

What's most odd of all is that he says he went to West Ham so he could play against Arsenal as often as possible. He wanted to prove that he wasn't finished as player. Two goals all season long for the Hammers still leaves him with it all to do. And I suspect the fact that West Ham were paying serious wages (if Lucas Neill was on £60,000 a week then Freddie would earn more than that) had a lot to do with his decision. I have to say this doesn't really sound like Freddie though. These comments, if true, are surprising and a bit disappointing.

Jens Lehmann has joined Stuttgart. Good luck to him.

David McNally was one of the names mentioned as a possible replacement for Keith Edelman. Speculation will no doubt increase now that he's left Fulham.

Finally for today just a reminder that if you find yourself unable to visit Arseblog due to stern IT departments then you do have a couple of options. Firstly, you can subscribe to the mailing list and have a steaming fresh load of Arse slammed into your box every morning. Secondly you can use the RSS feed and then use a site like Bloglines or Google Reader to view the blog.

Right, that's about that. More tomorrow.