Because Vermaelen was brought in to replace him upfront while Wenger wanted Adebayor to play in defence to improve his workrate and standing with the fans.

What a cracking goal by Vermaelen - at this rate he might even outscore Adebayor this season! Now what a story that would be.

Great timing by Van Persie. Right after Eduardo managed to clear his name (in a legal sense) over the diving brouhaha, Van Persie is now reported to have said he doesn't think twice about diving (or exaggerated simulation) in order to emphasise any moment he gets fouled in the penalty box, all to get a penalty. Properly misquoted but if I were him, wouldn't have said anything in response to questions that are clearly crafted to bait footballers. Still, what's done's done and Wenger already knew that his side will never ever be given the benefit of the doubt now for incidents inside the box, or at least for the foreseeable future. Might not be too much of a problem as long as the players make sure to be more direct and not play for penalties.

A couple more hours before the game starts at the Cottage and it was quite a nightmare last season but the players look much better against teams like Fulham this season. Even against Utd and City (which we lost), they did look the better side for a significant portion of both games and only really looked vulnerable once the cause looked lost. Against City we were still pressing late in the game although that was also the point when we abandoned all notion of defending. Some of them got to put up their legs during the week so the team should be rather fresh. Fulham also benefited from a bigger squad this time round or at least Roy Hodgson is clearly prioritising the Premiership which is not surprising. The rotation does not appear to be paying off just yet since they lost last weekend but touch wood they will wait one more week before playing the way they did last season. Hopefully we get the win to make it two in a row. At this point I have to say poor old Portsmouth - header cleared off the line - can't seem to score, can't even get a point. To make things even worse they even sold the club to a Middle Eastern owner that does not have the money to spend, who would have thought that. 

Another season, another Carling Cup and probably more stars in the making for the Gunners. Arsene Wenger has revealed in a latest video on the club's site that it will be status quo for his methods in the much maligned competition as he will once again field the younger and less experienced players in his squad.

"Some experienced players will guide the team like Senderos and Silvestre. But overall it will be a very, very young team as usual."

The young players will include the debut of Polish keeper Wojciech Szczesny (still don't know how to pronounce that properly) and it is good news to hear that Vela will also turn out for the team for the first time this season. The wee guy is a fantastic prospect and many fans will agree that he should be given more opportunities in the first team. Perhaps a lack of consistency has hurt him but certainly the boy has all the makings of a fine modern Gunner!

The lineup does look quite exciting - Ramsey, Gibbs and Wilshere will all start as well and they are already making strong claims for the first team. Ramsey in particular has looked strong each time he has come on this season. Maybe he has beefed up his play and that is not a bad thing considering that many of the rest could follow his example. While it might have been forgotten now, I do feel that much of Arsenal's early success under Wenger owed much to the physical threat that players like Viera, Petit and even Bergkamp posed and flourished under pressure. The current class just doesn't yet cut it in that sense with most of them. What happened to the days when there would be one Arsenal player sent off every other game, and they would still win? Of course I exaggerate a little but that is the kind of steel I hope Wenger can rediscover.

The only problem that might be present in Tuesday's lineup is the return of.... Senderos. Quite lucky to be given a second chance at the club considering he did sound like he didn't want to return when at AC Milan, even though he hardly got played once they found out his limitations. However, there will be no 'Adebayor' here since he did try his best when played. It's just that he is really too slow for the football we play here. Anyone who has seen him turn out for Switzerland will wonder if they saw a different player but the pace is just a tad slower on the international stage.

West Brom will be up for it that much I'm sure. They will figure they have a chance once they see the lineup. But our young boys have always made a mockery of all the Championship teams in the past, and a few of them on Tuesday have already some Premiership experience under their belts. Would make for an interesting game and probably some fantastic goals from the likes of Vela. Might be a little tight if West Brom adopt their usual defensive style but that would only play right into our hands. 

A bit of old news now with Adebayor being handed a three match ban by the FA but the bigwigs should have dealt him a bigger one considering how he has shown little to no remorse. First of all it was obvious during the whole game he thought it was a kickabout for kids in the schoolyard where you could always get back at the guys you hated by kicking them instead of the ball. The Adebayor statement afterwards that apologised for his disfigurement of Van Persie was also calculated and he knew what he was doing, what trouble he was going to be in, and issued an apology to get off lightly. The statement was clearly worded to show that he was not sorry for what he had done.

After the charges were issued there was Adebayor going that he 'reluctantly' accepts the charges as he felt he had done nothing wrong and it was all in the heat of the moment. Emotions. I guess if people wanted to get away with violence they could all do it on the football pitch and attribute it to emotions. Obviously the plan was not to appeal since based on evidence he could not get away with it and would have been slapped with an additional ban if the appeal failed.

A couple of games banned does nothing to Adebayor. He still gets paid. And that's all he wants - lots of money without having to work. Look at him making light of everything in training just 2 days after being charged by the FA. Man City had better get all they can out of him for the first season because that's all he'll be good for before hankering for a move to Barcelona next.

And finally these interviews show why everyone hates Adebayor:

Nice work with the videos :)

In the end, it was inevitable that Eduardo would finish the ordeal of being accused, charged and then cleared of diving in the headlines. And it was in a positive manner that he achieved it. Finishing off our tremendous comeback with the winner just 9 minutes from time, even the goal had an element of goodwill or luck to it, bouncing off his knee into goal. But take away nothing from Eduardo and Arsenal - they might have rode their luck, but as the cliche goes, you only make your own. There were several things positive to bring home from the result - Eduardo's clear ability to finish well (not something all our strikers are capable of - preferring more to walk them in), the stirring comeback by the team and Bendtner's improving form and understanding with the rest. The Danish striker has long been criticised for his attitude and lack of a first touch but he does look a better player this season. He'll be important, considering the old injury problems returning to haunt Arsenal.

Many would say that we wouldn't have gotten the win if not for Eduardo, and that the Croatian marksman should not even have been on the pitch. (His diving ban was overturned just a couple of days before the game) Whether it was a dive or not and whether he deserved it, the Gunners deserve some luck. Our fine start was always going to be an illusion of sorts, but the quality in undeniably there and fingers crossed the injuries will not continue to rip a thin squad up.

More good news on the Rosicky front. Tomas was nothing short of brilliant. Together with Fabregas he must surely form the core of the team now. The only problem is when will he get injured again? Hopefully not anytime soon, or never again. Could be one of the best ever if not for the time spent in treatment.

Still saw some worrying evidence that our defence is just terrible. Individually we have some of the best in Gallas, Vermaelen and Glichy but the boys need to work on their understanding. It's really great and heart stopping to see goals flying in at both ends, but I'd rather see much less of that on ours! Wenger has spoilt us with all the goals upfront but now it's time to really really work on getting the ship right at the back again. We never won anything without some of the best back four in the past. 

After last season's exit from the Carling Cup at the hands of Spurs, where the scoreline was more painful than the actual result, expect a fierce response from the players when they welcome the same team to the Emirates Stadium. With Berbatov and Keane no longer at the White Hart Lane club, the Gunners should really just thump Spurs and make them eat humble pie. Even the appointment of the maverick Harry Redknapp should not be enough to prevent another loss on the cards for the clown act of the English football season.

Perhaps Adebayor and Bendtner can continue to put aside their reported differences and put on another double act on the pitch. The big guy came on on Sunday and changed the course of the game at Upton Park, a nice win for a change and credit must go to him. He took some stick for not scoring earlier this season but things are starting to look up for Ade again. If he can contain his growing ego and work even harder for the team, playing with either Bendtner or Van Persie will provide different but just as deadly options for us.

And either combination should also be enough to rip Spurs apart at the Emirates today. Wenger bless the guy will not probably bring up last season's humiliation, but he should. Gee up the boys and let them loose on the sorry troops from White Hart Lane. Smother the threat of Modric in the 'hole' and show Bentley that he was wrong to defect, even though he left us a long time ago. Champions League football with Spurs? Could have been better sitting on the bench with us. But credit to him for doing what he wanted to further his career.

The fans will be out in full force for the game. Hopefully some of the guys working late tonight can catch some live football online with Arsenal meeting Spurs. Staying in touch with Liverpool and Chelsea will be important, but with the former you know it will not be too tough as the season wears on. They seldom last more than half the season with a run before crumbling again under the weight of expectations. Arsenal might not have done much better but at least we might be much closer again this season.

Another week, more of the same. This time, it was "10 men behind the ball" Sunderland that frustrated us and left Arsene Wenger feeling more than a little hard done by. There were the usual "goal that should have been" complaints, and our old failings have been exposed again. It was obvious that they never really did go away, despite claims by Wenger that the kids were now physically tougher to balance their footballing talent.

Many of the players are simply not good enough to win anything, other than a trophy for eye catching football. Wenger must do more than getting his players to stick to a beautiful game philosophy, that having the mentality to kill off games would also be required if they wanted to end years of frustration and trophy-less woe.

We also cannot expect teams like Sunderland to allow us to play our football, or even try matching us on the field by passing it around instead of putting 10 men across their goalmouth to protect it. Some of the complaints and frustrations voiced by Wenger have bordered on the immature and naive, and he must be really losing it if he were to believe teams with limited resources and playing ability would try to beat us at our own game. Their priority is to survive and hang on in the English Premiership, not to please students of the game.

There are reasons to be optimistic about the result though, disappointing to say the least. At least the lads did not give up and managed to secure a point. But honestly, there isn't anyone, apart from Wenger, who seriously believes that we can still win the league this season. He could adopt a softer approach and just praise the players for their efforts after a good game, and not blow it out of proportion each time when that situation comes along, by telling every reporter in the room that we can still win the league. Or is Wenger trying to do a Mourinho now and deflect attention off his underperforming players?

All talk of trouble within the Gunners camp was premature, and even Arsene Wenger was left purring with delight as his players responded to their Hull City defeat with a scintillating display of attacking football. There was hardly a single player who did not perform well, bar the occasional lapse in concentration (again), and Robin Van Persie showed why HE is the leading striker at the club, clinically despatching the chances that came his way, and playing a part in striker partner's Ade's first goal.

Strangely enough, Wenger did not carry out his threat to make sweeping changes after Saturday's debacle, as he only brought in Nasri in place of Eboue. Not a bad change considering how ineffective the latter usually is, sometimes I wonder what Wenger sees in him apart from being a workhorse, which we already have in others who are actually skillful workhorses unlike Eboue. Nasri came in and did a wonderful job, showing that he fitted right in with the team in Europe. Once he settles down in the Premiership after his injury problems, it just tickles the imagination thinking how he and Fabregas will run the midfield.

It was the response I expected," Wenger said. "I am pleased we did not concede a goal. We could have scored a few more but it was important to win.

While we indeed could have scored more, it was just as good that we did not let in any goals this time. Can't imagine the number of times I've been frustrated by Gallas and Toure losing focus during games. This time, with Porto lacking any creativity and imagination, and especially desire, it was left to Almunia making a grand total of two to three saves, from what I could remember. A commanding performance throughout, and hopefully the lads can carry it on to the next game on the weekend.

Despite suffering a shock defeat to Hull City at home on Saturday, Arsene Wenger's young Gunners look set to go top of their group in the Champions League after Tuesday's round of matches. Arsenal will be up against Porto, the current Portuguese champions, and although they trail the Portuguese by two points after the first round, home advantage at the Emirates Stadium will be key to their hopes. And the blip against Hull City should be regarded as such - just a blip. Arsenal have usually flourished in the Champions League group stages, and Tuesday should be no different.

The good news is that there does not seem to be fresh injury doubts for Tuesday's clas against Porto. If everyone stays healthy, Wenger should be able to field a rather strong team, with the likes of Theo Walcott, Van Persie and Fabregas ready to lead the line once again. We will keep up with the latest news prior to matchday, and determine if the Gunners can indeed win the game and continue to do well in the Champions League.

Just when you thought that the team had indeed matured, especially with Arsene Wenger throwing plaudits to his young proteges every few seconds, Arsenal conspired to turn in another toothless display at the Emirates Stadium. While their efforts could not be faulted, they really tried to throw everything including the kitchen sink at Hull City, but it was clear during the game that some of the Gunners fans could not stomach any more live English Premiership football until a real cutting edge could be found. Or in more accurate terms, a permanent cutting edge.

So often players like Adebayor have flattered to deceive, and the striker that Wenger tried so hard to keep during the summer hardly made his presence felt. Being marked out of the game by a team of supposed no hopers should lower his market value further, and keeping him might be a mistake in the end. But Van Persie was one bright spark in the game, as was Fabregas who worked tirelessly as usual. The only letdown, again, were their lack of finishing. This is now a problem that should rank as the most important for Wenger to solve, if he is really serious about adding further titles to his resume.

It was a typical letdown by the Gunners though, especially after their reserves hammered Sheffield United in the Carling Cup. The seniors failed to live up to their place in the squad. It might be time to take a look again at replacing Gallas, for he was at fault with the winning goal and is clearly a player in decline. The call to spend again in January will gather pace if such weaknesses continue to be exist. There is no doubt that Arsenal have a great chance to win the English Premiership this season, but players with killing instincts must be employed, instead of just focusing on playing attractive football. Perhaps when Eduardo is back, we might see more improvement in that area, but the Croatian will need a few months to get his sharpness back as well.

Well, at least now it's on to the Champions League, where we usually do well in the group stages.