I suspect there are students of Arsenal statistics out there who may well prove me wrong but I can't remember a start to the season so filled with goals. Another four went past a fairly hapless Portsmouth yesterday, we might even have scored more, and the positive start to the season continues.

The manager made some changes, Abou Diaby coming in for Alex Song, Eduardo started in place of Nicklas Bendtner and Eboue and Gibbs replaced Sagna and Clichy. I'm not exactly sure what formation we played yesterday, it seemed to alternate between the 433 and a traditional 442 but every time I thought I'd got it sussed I'd see Diaby popping up in a different area of the pitch. He seemed to have licence to roam yesterday and that turned out to be a good thing.

He scored our first two goals. The first came on 18 minutes after Eduardo made a chump of the Portsmouth right back, surged into the box and sqauared it for Diaby to sidefoot home with aplomb. The second was another great counter attacking goal. Arshavin picked up the ball in the right back position after a Portsmouth corner, he played it infield to Cesc who picked out Eboue who had bombed forward down the right hand side. Eboue's simple ball across to Diaby saw the Frenchman slide it home for his and Arsenal's second.

Diaby's overall performance had the manager comparing him to Vieira on one hand and suggesting this might well be his breakthrough season on the other. We know he took it upon himself to do extra training this summer and there's never really been any doubt that the boy is a talented footballer. What many said before this season started though is that it was now or never for him and if this kind of form continues then it looks like now.

Of course it's just one performance. We need to see this again and again and again. And I don't just mean the goals. I mean the overall performance he put in which was good as any he's had for the club. It's too early to say he's proved people wrong but he's on the right track and that's good to see.

We might have had at least three or four other goals in that first half. David James made some excellent saves, not least from a Robin van Persie free kick, we dilly-dallied in the box a few times when we might have been more decisive and we dominated the game completely. Which is why it was fairly typical that we conceded one. A Portsmouth corner was cleared to our right back position, we kind of stood off and allowed them cross it in and Kaboul rose higher than Almunia to head home.

It was poor goalkeeping, no question, but nor was there any challenge from a defender and Almunia seemed to think he would be able to claim it unchallenged, perhaps a lack of a shout from a teammate about the arrival of Kaboul (who looks like something Hellboy might fight, doesn't he?). Nevertheless you expect your keeper to dominate that part of his area and the Spaniard won't be happy with his efforts.

The second half began without Cesc who had tweaked his hamstring, the manager choosing to throw on Aaron Ramsey rather than Song. Early in the second half there was a moment of panic when Utaka got in behind Gallas and on the edge of our box went down as if he'd been fouled. I still haven't seen the replay of it but I think we can count ourselves lucky a bit. It's the kind of challenge that generally results in a red card, even if the defender hasn't made any contact with the attacker. There's some suggestion Utaka tripped over his own feet but even then we can count our blessings that both referee and linesman managed to see that and wave play on. The easy decision there was the free kick and red card.

Portsmouth were unhappy with the decision and you can only imagine the expletives on their bench when Gallas scored the crucial third goal. Arshavin played in a free kick from our left, van Persie nodded it on, Vermaelen got to it at the back post, it came across goal, hit Gallas on the foot, then on his goalscoring left nipple and went in. The defender is now our top scorer this season with three in three. What a start to the season he's made. I think he's going to score with his bellybutton (which is an outy) next.

After that it was all over. There were a couple of dangerous moments when Portsmouth got in down our left but thankfully their lack of quality there meant they couldn't take advantage of the rawness of Kieran Gibbs. Aaron Ramsey made it 4-1 with his first league goal for Arsenal when played in by Robin van Persie and that was that. 

Overall not as accomplished a performance as against Everton but then it didn't need to be. We skirted with danger a bit but you always sensed that we had more gears to step up into if needed. On the evidence of yesterday Portsmouth are in real, real trouble this season.

So in our first two league games we have won two, scored ten and gained 6 points, leaving us with a goal difference of +8. I know there are some that will analyse things to death but you cannot possibly ask for more from a start to the season. When you also take into account that of those ten goals only one has been scored by a striker then it augurs well. 

I'd agree with those who say van Persie could do with a goal, he's still obviously learning that lone striker role, but as long as the goals are going in and we're winning the games it doesn't really matter who scores. If you're a team that is dependent for the most part on your strikers for goals then you're in trouble when they don't score. We have a team that, at the moment, can bang them in from all over the pitch. To me that's a positive.

Afterwards Arsene Wenger said:

The first week was very successful with two difficult away games. Now we have another week, a second week, it is another test with Celtic and Manchester United. It looks to be exciting and interesting.

On the potential injury to Cesc he said:

If it is a little pull, he will be out for three weeks, if it is just tightness, maybe he can get away for Wednesday. In 48 hours we will have a better view.

Fingers crossed it's not that serious but whatever happens I think it'd be mad to play him against Celtic. Having him fit for United away is far more important and with the greatest of respect to Celtic we should be able to cope better without him for that game. Let's see how it goes.

Rounding up the Sunday news now and Andrei Arshavin talks to the Sunday Times. He's certainly not one of those boring 'Yeah, I just hit and it's gone in the back of the net' footballers when interviewed. He talks about how he'd have earned more money by staying at Zenit but joined Arsenal for the sporting challenge, saying:

I wanted to see what the game is like when you play for a world-class team and play only on world-class surfaces and meet only star players every week — as opposed to having to travel to play at half-demolished stadiums, sometimes with artificial pitches, where the result of your game can depend on what the referee is feeling like that particular day.

I like that. He also believes we need to make new signings, re-iterating what he said some months ago about bringing in players who have experience and quality. I don't suppose there are too many fans who would disagree with him, as such. The start the season has been fantastic and wonderfully positive but if you asked me if I'd feel more confident with a couple of additions to the squad then of course I would. When pressed about where he'd like those signings to be made he said:

I’d rather not comment. I don’t think that would be appropriate. Arsène understands where improvement needs to be done.

You wonder quite how comments like that will sit with AW but then he knew what kind of man he was signing when he brought him to the club. He's honest and straightforward and says what he says because it's what he thinks. All the same we know Arsene will do what he wants to do, not what any players wants him to do. 

AS in Spain are linking us strongly with a move for Dutchman Rafael van der Vaart while claiming there's still interest from Atletico Madrid for Emmanuel Eboue.

And beyond that there's little else happening. As it stands right now we're top of the league. I like that.

Till tomorrow. 

ps - You might notice things have changed a little bit in terms of fonts/menu bars etc. Things may get a little more weird over the course of the day, please ignore. It's just me tinkering with the engine, so to speak.

You know, the distressing fact that one's daughter has left school and is now almost 18 and can then stay out as long as she wants without having to listen to her somewhat strict father saying "Make sure you're home by this time or you're in big trouble" and hang around with boys and other reprobates like that, is somewhat tempered by the fact I no longer have to get up really early to give her a lift to school.

Another 9 minute snooze there? Don't mind if I do. How about yet another 9 minute snooze? Sure, why not? Will I get up or will I snooze for another 9 minutes? I shall snooze.

Who was it that decided the snooze on the alarm clock should last 9 minutes and why 9 minutes and not 10 or 6? 9 seems awfully random. I'm not that curious really. 

Anyway, onto matters Arsenal, such as they are. While most of our players are away indulging themselves in orgies and debauched parties, possibly involving goats, one of our lot has shunned the traditional footballer's summer to work on getting fitter and stronger for next season.

Abou Diaby, of all people, is working with a French fitness coach during his holidays. According to Renaud Longuevre, for that is the fitness coach:

He is motivated and wants to reach the next stage on the physical level. The English league is very demanding; as a consequence his objective is to improve physically in order to be stronger and more resistant. He wants to be stronger in challenges. That is why he needs more muscle power.

Whatever you think about Diaby as a player I think his efforts have to be applauded. It shows that he's aware he's got to step it up next season. Not just one gear but a whole lot. He's capable of some fantastic moments, the goal last season against Villa was absolutely top class, but moments are all we get from him.

I can't remember him dominating a game, he's careless, sloppy in possession and he really isn't dynamic enough. For a man of his size and build he should be a lot more imposing. Hopefully this will go some way to addressing that. Perhaps he's realised, as the man from East Lower points out, that he's pretty much in the last chance saloon when it comes to his Arsenal career. We can't keep carrying him, both as a player who is injured a lot and one who simply doesn't produce most of the time.

He's seen Alex Song and Denilson go ahead of him in the midfield pecking order while the manager seems to have no idea how to use him best. He clearly doesn't trust him in central midfield, instead he gets picked on the left wing, when he's clearly not a left winger, or at times behind the striker.

And I'm quite sure he knows he's fighting for his Arsenal career when he reads the captain talking about how the boss will be bringing in players this summer, with a focus on central midfield. Whether it's enough to save him remains to be seen but at least he's shown a willingness to fight for it, which is most definitely an improvement.

One of the players rumoured to be coming in is Brazilian Felipe Melo and he says he's flattered by the interest shown in him by Arsenal but plays the game well by saying he's happy at Fiorentina and has a good relationship with the fans. All setting it up nicely so he can say "I never said I wanted to leave" as he pulls on an Arsenal jersey with the number 17 on it. 

Marouane Chamakh, strongly linked with us, is hopeful that Bordeaux will let him go should the right offer arrive. You know, that could possibly be the most boring piece of football news I've ever seen in the 7+ years I've been doing Arseblog. 

And that's about that. Things are pretty quiet, as you would expect. This is the quietest time of the quiet time. 

Till tomorrow.

Morning.

A 3-2 win over Ajax last night. That's good, eh? Oh wait. It's not good. Or something. I must confess I've only seen highlights but from what I've read it seems Adebayor missed 76 chances in the first half, we still can't defend, our midfield is light and we're all going to die. Distressing times.

The goals (from 101 Great Goals) are interesting viewing on their own. The first Ajax goal was an incredible strike but you could ask why William Gallas didn't close him down with any kind of urgency. The second was also a fine hit but you could ask where the hell William Gallas was.

Our first came from a fine cross by Eboue (who has, with that one cross, now cemented his position as first choice right midfielder until 2013) and a very good header by Adebayor. The second from Bendtner came after good work from Adebayor to incercept a back pass and just about keep it in play then Denilson laid one on a plate for Adebayor to win the game.

Obviously there are things for the manager to work on. If we can see the flaws then so can he. The defensive errors are worrying though, especially coming from the player many fans consider to be our best central defender. Afterwards the manager said:

In the whole game we were always dangerous going forward, but they took advantage of two lapses of concentration and scored two fantastic goals. Some players are still a bit short physically, but I am not really concerned. We were much better defensively in the second half.

We're not always going to score 3 goals when we concede 2 though. That was the Ardiles philosophy when he was manager of that lot down the road. Still, it's pre-season and this is time to make those mistakes and ensure they don't happen again. At the end of the day we won the game.

Tonight's game against Sevilla is likely to feature a much changed side. I'd play Kolo again, get some playing time under his belt before next week's game against Twente. Anyway, that kicks off around 5pm I think.

Some transfer news yesterday with the agent of Udinese's Swiss international Gokhan Inler admitting he'd been in talks with Arsenal. He said:

It is true that I met with Arsene Wenger. There were very positive talks.

No question we need a midfielder. If this is the signing then fine. But let's do it and not procrastinate too much. The boss can lament the absence of Diaby all he wants but the fact is Diaby is a player who is rarely fit for long enough. We keep hearing about how he was all set to be given his chance alongside Cesc in last year's Emirates Cup but injury cost him that chance. This pre-season would have been the perfect opportunity to stake his claim, injured again. We can't count on him and once you lose him you've got Denilson (who is a Cesc, not a Flamini) and then you're into the kids like Ramsey or Wilshere (with Song bizarrely being considered a central defender).

We have to make a signing in the centre. No team can afford to lose 3 players with the quality of Gilberto, Flamini and Diarra and not replace them. Arsene's job is not to provide a platform for Diaby to thrive, it's Diaby's job to thrive when given the chance to do so. Something he has pretty much failed to do. Get someone in. It's critical now. 

It looks like we're about to sell another player. This time Justin Hoyte to Middlesboro for £3.5m. I think at 24 years of age Hoyte really has to make a decision about his career. I think this is probably a good move for him, he'll play more regularly and as much as it'll hurt him to leave (he really is a proper Gooner) it's probably the best thing for his career. 

Right, that's about it. Have a good Saturday. Raining here again. Boooo. 

Firstly sorry for the technical issues this morning. Thanks for your patience. If you are having issues with the page redirecting to the home page still please make sure you're using the new URL:

http://oleole.com/blogs/arseblog 

So what does a 10-2 win over Burgerland tell us? Firstly it tells us that the opposition were pretty much rubbish. Secondly, it tells us that despite that Bendtner (4), Vela (3) and Wilshere (2, including a very cool penalty) all know where the goal is. The result is not in the slightest bit important but the goals and the performance won't have done anyone any harm.

These games are a good chance to give some young players a bit of spotlight and to build fitness. That's about it. The real stuff begins on Wednesday when we play Stuttgart, meeting our old pal Jens again perhaps. There will be more first teamers involved and from there it's home again for the Emirates Cup for games against Juventus and Real Madrid.

Speaking of Real Madrid, I'm sure Ramon Calderon, if he travels, will received a lovely warm welcome. After the story in Marca yesterday quoting Cesc, the young man was quick to set the record straight, saying:

I have not spoken to any media so it's frustrating to read quotes that I have supposedly said about my future. I think that some people are just trying to make mischief but my intentions are very clear. I am happy here at Arsenal, my future is with Arsenal and the priority is to achieve success and win trophies at Arsenal.

Splendid stuff from the young man and that is how to kill a story stone dead. I still believe what I said yesterday, that we need to bring in a quality player to play alongside him, but there are others in the squad whose images have been tarnished by these kinds of stories and the way Cesc has dealt with it simply highlights that. So that's good news.

There was some slightly disappointing news when William Gallas claimed he was going to be a different captain this season. So that'd be a good captain then? It's the strongest indication yet that the boss isn't going to take the armband away from Gallas and I have to say I find it disappointing. He had his chance last season and he blew it, spectacularly.

We haven't seen anything like the best of Gallas as a player and I don't think it's unreasonable to suggest combining the two roles proved too much for him. Let him concentrate on his football and while you have to give him some credit for holding up his hands and admitting his mistakes it doesn't alter the fact he made a complete botch of the job last season. When the chips were down, and when the team needed someone to lead them, he went missing. You're either a leader or you're not and Gallas, to my mind, clearly is not.

I would still give it to Cesc. He's a player that the others, despite his young age, can look up to. Someone who sets the right example, has the right attitude and whose focus is far more team than self-orientated.

Abou Diaby reckons he could be the man to partner Cesc in central midfield next season. He's won the backing of former Gunner Stewart Robson and former Gunner Tomas Rosicky in the last few weeks but I remain a bit unconvinced. He's just a bit too laconic for central-midfield for me and his habit of picking up niggly injuries all the time means you can't really plan for him to play the whole season. On the other hand if he were to do a Flamini and fulfill the potential that so many say he has then I don't think we'd be complaining too much.

The boss says Kolo will be ready for the start of the new season and plays down the malaria scare completely. And that's about it.

I'm pretty sure the football world is still reeling from seeing Liverpool pay £19m for Robbie Keane. Fucking hell, it's truly gone mad now. Keane's a decent player but £19m and £80,000 a week?? Mugsmashermadness. Then you have Fulham paying somewhere like £13m for Andy Johnson. I'm not sure I understand it anymore. Seriously.

Right so, that's about the size of it. More tomorrow.