All season long we've been playing the injury hokey-cokey - you put your left back in, your right back out,  - however it has been more of an 'in -out-out-out' hokey cokey to be fair, the type you play after the 15th pint and you forget what the difference between arms and legs, and left/right has become an alien concept.  This week, we see what therefore must be our version of the reverse Hokey-Cokey, with three players in, in, in and absolutely none out.

Almunia, Djourou (let me hear your sighs of relief), and Adebayor are all in line for a return on Sunday. (VP will be out until at least the Porstmouth game, but as he was already out, so he doesn't count in the hokey-cokey).

Meanwhile Wenger is bemoaning our fixture list.  Playing on Sunday rather than Saturday gives us one more day to recover from Liverpool, but one less to prepare for Man U.  I'd say Liverpool would need more recovering from physically and mentally than Middlesbrough will, and an extra day to practise defending is never a bad thing. Keep. The. Ball. Out. Of. The. Net.  Clear. It. On. The. Edge. Of. The. Box. NO BACKHEELS NEAR OUR PENALTY AREA.  You can see how it could take a bit of time to get the message through. 

From Man U on Wednesday, we play Portsmouth on the Saturday before the second leg against Man U on the Tuesday.  So it's Tuesday - Sunday - Wednesday - Saturday - Tuesday.

Man U, meanwhile, play like this - Wednesday - Saturday - Wednesday - Saturday - Tuesday - they have an extra day before our first Champions League match, but hopefully a tougher match than us at the weekend (though we've haven't managed to beat 'Boro once in five attempts since Southgate became manager).  I can't see the big deal to be honest.  We'll rest players on Sunday who'll be important for the Man U game, apart from the defence which we can't do cause we don't have one.  There are more important things to be worrying about.  Like whether Butternut will keep his place for one.

It seems that Flamini is finding life away from Arsenal is not all it might be, joining the long list of ex-Gunners who probably wish they'd never left.  I do love his comment about Beckham though, that's the sign of a Gooner that is.  I think we might see him back at the Emirates in a year or two, who knows, maybe in the summer.  I know Wenger doesn't buy back players, but for Flamini I think he might make an exception.  We miss you too Mattie (who can blame a guy for leaving to join the team he supported as a boy, especially when we had tried to offload him to Birmingham the year before?).

Speaking of ex-Arsenal players, Nicolas Anelka has been yammering on about how Chelsea are a bigger club than Arsenal The Russian's billions have obviously wiped from his memory all the times he said he wished he'd never left Arsenal.  Bigger than Arsenal?  Maybe in the debt column. And the Chav Stakes.

Elsewhere, we've been linked with Joe Hart.  Would he want to go from sitting on the bench at Man City to being third choice at Arsenal?  And why would we buy a keeper if Wenger has so much faith in Fabianski? Not much to this one I reckon. Though you never know, healthy competition is, well, healthy, but would he get the opportunities he wants/needs to force himself into the World Cup Squad next year?

That's your lot for today, as we don't play til Sunday, I'm rationing it out. 

Have a Happy Friday...I know I will, I'm off :)

4 points today....

When we signed him Dick Advocaat said we had no idea what a bargain we were getting. At £15/16/20million and the most protracted transfer-saga in history, I wondered just exactly we would be getting from a player who have existed in obscurity up until fairly recently.  We got glimpses almost immediately.  His first goal for us sublime, what he produced on Tuesday was simply sensational. 

How pissed off must you be if you're a Liverpool fan?  I know I would be, they battered us, and then battered us some more, but we kept coming back.  Like Rocky.  We were on the ropes but we refused to accept we were beaten.  So did they, but then they're going for the title, at home, against a severely depleted team.

OK, so you can focus on the fact that we threw away a lead three times, but is that really what matters from Tuesday night?  People have been comparing it with the 4-4 against the Spuds, but there is no comparison to be made.  Against the Spuds, we had our first choice defence, a two goal lead, and the advantage of being at home.  The match against the Spuds was a total capitulation.  Tuesday night was anything but.

Did you really think that we could withstand the inevitable onslaught from Liverpool with what we had in front of a fragile (but on the night excellent) Fabianski?  With our first choice defence at times we have been inept in that area, why should more be expected of this rag-tag bunch of defenders who change week-on-week?

Arsene says that fatigue is causing our defensive problems.  Well, I suppose it is, alongside the fact that we have hardly been able to play the same back four for I don't know how many weeks.  As good as Gibbs is, it's still slightly too early for him (though the sink or swim philosophy at Arsenal sometimes works - think Cesc), Sagna was only back from illness, Eboue has been up and down that right side so many times that I'm sure he doesn't know where he is, Butternut has less ability than a butternut, Gallas is out, as is Djourou, and Clichy has struggled all season.  Add to that they have gotten used to playing in front of Mr. Dependable, they are bound to be affected by Fabianski's lack of confidence. 

In short, there may be fatigue, but the main problem is injury, the inability to play a consistent back four, and severe lack of depth.

But despite all that, I am really proud of the team, not just Arshavin.  Sure we let in four, but it should have been more.  Liverpool were on fire and when they went 2-1 up who amongst you didn't wonder how many it would end up? We can pick over the failings, but we know what they are.  They can't be fixed until the summer so we make do with what we've got.  If we have to play the rest of our matches scoring more than we concede (or the same number against the top teams) then so be it (and let's not forget that we also had the ball in the net on another two occasions, one of which was extremely borderline).

We matched a title-chasing team stride for stride in their own back yard.  They had a weeks rest, while we played on the smush that is Wembley only a few days ago.  All in all, 4-4 was a bloody brilliant result.  Passion, pride, determination, desire.  No ability to defend, but passion, pride, determination and desire...

And what's Liverpool's excuse for conceding four with a full-strength defence?

Away from the madness that is our defence, and on to an ex-Arsenal player trying to temp away a current one.  If somebody is willing to give us £20million+ for Adebayor, I say take it it and ship him off. Flamini has a bit of a cheek, and if it was anyone else but Adebayor I might be annoyed.  I've fallen out with Emmanuel at the minute in case you hadn't noticed.

Finally, Fabianski has said that he was at fault for our defeat to Chelsea.  While he didn't exactly cover himself in glory, others do need to take responsibility for that defeat, namely Mr. Wenger.

Chin up Fab, we're growing to love you in some sick sort of masochistic way.

Til tomorrow....

Hands up if you want 4 points?

So it was off to Anfield we trotted last night, without the likes of Alan Smith, Michael Thomas, VP, or Adebayor.  Or Almunia, Clichy, Gallas, or Djourou.  But we still had Toure, Cesc, Theo, Nasri, Arshavin, Eduardo, and Song (can you believe I'm including Song in that list?  But he deserves it).  Surely that would be enough?  We all hoped that we would play against Liverpool they way we were supposed to play against Chelsea - attack, attack, attack.  The usual squad permeatations were bandied about before the match, but in the end we started with:

Fabianski, Sagna, Toure, Silvestre, Gibbs, Denilson, Fabregas, Song, Nasri, Arshavin, Bendtner.  No Theo, I thought he would have had a cracking game, but he was due a rest.

Our bench was the strongest I've seem it looking in a long while (though obviously not defensively) with Eduardo, Diaby, Vela, Walcott, and Eboue amongst the subs.

I think we would have all preferred to see Eduardo start ahead of Bendtner, but at least we knew he was gonna hassle the hell out of the Liverpool back four more than some.  And this system gave us the flexibility of playing 4-3-3 or 4-5-1. While Denilson didn't have the best game on Saturday, I think this team had a nice balance, and while it would have been great to see Theo torture Hypia for ninety minutes, we knew he could always come on near then end when they were knackered.

I fancied 5-4 to us.  Or 0-0.

While we always want to win, it was nice to be heading in to this match with all the pressure piled firmly on Liverpool.  Ever since the Man City defeat, every match we have played has been crucial.  While defeat tonight might have affected confidence, we knew that it wasn't the end of the world or our Champion's League hopes.  I hoped the absence of that pressure to free up the team to play the way we know they can.

It didn't quite work out like that in the first half.  And definately not in the second.

We didn't start off the best, which was a sign of things to come, Liverpool were getting through with too much ease and Fabianski was called on to make two pretty straightforward saves in the first five minutes.  Our sloppy passing was leading to a lot of Liverpool's chances.  Then Fabianski came bombing out, oh shit I thought, not once but twice, but he got to the ball brilliantly.  Maybe it was the pitch's fault on Saturday.  If you ignore that he's done it before.  But he went on to have what was probably his best half for Arsenal.

I twittered this had 1-0 to Arsenal written all over it.  With us only having one chance in the whole match. 

Let's make no mistake, they absolutely battered us in the first half.  Somehow, we managed to go in at half-time 1-0 up. Arshavin scored with what could only have been his second touch of the match. Fabianski kept us in it, and Nasri was a revelation, popping up everywhere.

You can view my first half twitter here, it's quite prophetic...and only a little bit insane.

Then came the second half.  Only five minutes in and the most god-awful clearance from Sagna gifted the ball to Kuyt for him to cross at the second attempt right on to Torres head. 1-1 and we were wobbling. 

Well, wobblying more than we were in the first half.  Our back four was like something out of 'Carry On Defending'. And it lead to Liverpool being gifted a 2-1 lead, despite Fabianski's efforts.  The ball was about a yard over the line.  We were shocking and Arsene needed to change it.  Arshavin was totally ineffective (how that would change) and Theo was sitting on the bench.  Try as he might, it just wasn't working for Bendter, Eduardo would be a whole different proposition.

With 25 minutes to go, Arsene brought on Theo for Denilson who had been sloppy for most of the match.  

Somehow Arshavin managed to get a second and then by the time he'd had four touches,  he'd scored three goals.  They were all great goals, but the second and fourth which was still to come were something else.  Five touches, four shots, four goals.  Arshavin and Arsenal's total for this match.

Then poor defending/keeping left Torres equalise.  3-3.  I know I shouldn't have found it funny, but with our defence, I was just glad we weren't 11-0 down. Farcical was the word that sprung to mind.  But it was somehow endearing.  I actually didn't mind how this result went because, as shocking as we were at the back, they gave it everything.  Clearances were bouncing against team mates when we did try and hoof it, or being sliced, it was desperate dan stuff.  But they were trying and somehow that mattered more.

With his fifth touch Arshavin made it four after a run from the edge of his box from Theo and I was wetting myself.

With three minutes to go shocking defending gave them the chance to equalise again.  4-4 bloody hell. Could we hold on?

We could.

The boys done good all things considered. 4-4 with that defence, no corners, and no shots apart from the goals which Arshavin managed with only five touches.  Did I mention that?

This really is a crazy league.  Imagine what we're going to be like when we have defence!

3 points for today... - 20 for every 'shit' reference...

Yes, I've calmed down, moved on (sort off) and I'm fully-focused on a Gerrardless-Liverpool this evening. I'm ready for it.  Sort of.

Team news is the same as always, in-out...a player returns from injury so we lose a few more. 

Sagna is back from his illness, but Adebayor is 'injured' which is peculiar.  I'm pretty sure Arsene 'injures' players rather than dropping them, but Adebayor certainly deserves to be dropped.  I'm not implying that Wenger kicks them or spikes their cornflakes or anything like that, but it's funny how there is a history of under-performing players being 'injured' when they should rightly be dropped. Gallas and Toure instantly spring to mind.

You can say what you like about Adebayor being a 'world-class' player but I'd rather have the work rate of Bendtner at the minute than Adebayor's goal-return.  At least Bendtner gets into the positions, runs at defenders (and can beat them at times), and generally causes a nuisance.  You know he's on the pitch, even if his finishing is woeful.

Adebayor just lumbers about hoping that he's managed to dander somewhere were the ball might come off him and go in the net.  Call me crazy, but that's just where I am at the minute with Adebayor.  I'm sure I'm not the only one.  And before you go on about his wonder-goal at Villareal, remember Bentley's wonder-goal at the Emirates.  One wonder-goal does not a player make.  You need effort, passion, commitment and desire.  Adebayor has displayed none of these since his return from injury.  None.

VP is also injured.  Shocker.  Eduardo is back woohooo. Clichy could be out for the rest of the season as he has an apparent stress-fracture of a vertebrae.  Djourou is out, and with no clarification on his injury which was suspected to be cartilages, I doubt we'll see him again this season.  Rosicky has disappeared off the face of the planet once again and the rumour I heard about the truth regarding his injury gains more credibility.  Why can't we have 'ordinary' injuries? 

Some good news is that Almunia has declared himself fit, though he feels he is short for tonight, he will be back on Sunday.

There's there's quite a few records at stake tonight.  Liverpool are unbeaten in 28 league games at home while we are unbeaten in 18 home and away in the league.  Liverpool are trying to stop Man U equalling their record of top-flight championship wins and this is our chance to end Liverpool's hopes of achieving that. 

Then there's what happened at Anfield last season in the Champions League.  No doubt the officials (and commentators) will be so far up Liverpool's arse that they'll only be able to see one side, but we have to make sure that we don't let that get in our way.

It's also a chance for some players to set the record straight after their performances on Saturday and I really hope the team that starts is this:

Fabianksi, Sagna, Toure, Silvestre, Gibbs, Theo, Cesc, Song, Nasri, Arshavin, Eduardo.

But we're more likely to see:

Fabianksi, Sagna, Toure, Silvestre, Gibbs, Theo, Cesc, Song, Diaby, Arshavin, Bendtner.

Don't know why, but I'll happily be wrong in this if Eduardo starts.

I reckon Cesc and Theo will be rested against Boro at the weekend, but there's a lot that can happen between now and then.

But the biggest 'record' at stake is that of Wenger's commitment to playing attacking football when it is needed.  I believe I'm right in saying we are owed one hell of a performance after Saturday.

The rumour about Babel coming to Arsenal has made it into the Guardian, so that adds another dimension to this already intriguing tie. £8 million?  Seriously?  Just wait a few months, and the way Liverpool handle transfers, they'll pay us that amount to take him!

With only three points up for grabs, you couldn't possibly get a match with so much at stake.

Time to see if Wenger is right about his players.  Time to see if the players have got what it takes.  And time to see just how serious Liverpool are about actually winning the league. 

Feck it's gonna be a rough night.

Come on you Gunnerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrsssssssssssssssssss!

6 for today:

Two days on from 'that' game, and I actually think I'm angrier than I was at the final whistle.  Perhaps I was in shock on Saturday.  Now I'm indignant. And angry, angry, angry (I think you might be able to sense it in the rest of this blog - yes it might be knee-jerk, but I'm entitled).

How dare they do that to us, the fans, who have been so patient and understanding (well, most of us have most of the time).  How dare Arsene.  Before you start, I think Arsene is the closest thing to god anyone is ever likely to know.  But even the biblical 'god' got it wrong sometimes (like allowing free will, seriously, if you're gonna be god, all powerful and creator of everything, at least take some control), but he was WRONG on Saturday. 

People will say 'move on, let it go, let's concentrate on Tuesday' but fuck it I won't.  I have moved on too many times (and yes, I know, should we get to the Champions League final it all goes out the window blah fucking blah blah) 

The FA Cup is only bottom of the pile if you are going for the title and champions league, not fourth place.  Yes I know that failing to qualify for the CL next year would be blah blah blah, but Villa only drew on Saturday.  OK, so Wenger wasn't to know that when he announced his team, but given the fact that we were eight points clear of fifth on Saturday, we could afford to take the risk at Anfield.  You NEVER take the risk at Wembley (unless it's the Carling Cup).  You just don't do it.

Thankfully, most of the Sunday papers seemed so joyful at Chelsea getting to the final that they didn't tear us apart anywhere near as much as I was expecting (well, perhaps they did, I just read the headlines, not daring to delve any deeper).

I'll move on now, but I reserve the right to return to this when I see fit as I know it will irk me until we either a. hammer Liverpool or b. make the Champions League Final.  If we do neither, it will have to go down as one of Wenger's biggest mistakes in his time at Arsenal.  It still might.  Fourth place will not be enough to right this wrong I'm afraid, especially not when you know Chelsea were there for the taking.

Anyhoo...

20 years on, we find ourselves heading to Anfield needing to win for a whole host of different reasons.  Where we were going for the title in 1989, this time we are trying to stop our season from imploding.  Again. (yes, I get how far we've come since that defeat at City and all the doom and gloom that surrounded the club then, and yes I know what I should be grateful for blah blah blah).  2009 and we need those three points perhaps even more, but a draw wouldn't be the end of the world.  What price us to win by two clear goals on Tuesday?  Depends if Wenger thinks we need to rest a few players ahead of April 29th against Man U or not I suppose.  As it stands, we need eight points from six games to guarantee fourth place. And not to lose to stop us descending into a Villa-like slump.

On the injury front, VP is suffering from his groin again.  Sagna should have recovered from his illness, but there's no guarantees.  Silvetsre took a knock before half-time on Saturday, but there's no further word on that.  If I was Liverpool, I would just drop balls over our back four all night and watch Nervianski do the rest for you. Does anyone know when Almunia will be back? What about Djourou's scan?  Clichy's mysterious rest before recuperation?  Will Adebayor get dropped as his attitude and performances so rightly deserve?  I don't give a shit if he scores every game he plays in, his attitude stinks and having him in the team at the minute is the equivalent of playing with 10 men and getting an own goal every other game. A bit harsh? No, not really.

Elsewhere, we are being tentatively linked with Ryan Babel of Liverpool.  I'm sure he's not happy only being a bit-part player, and he does link up well for VP for the Dutch team.  It's an interesting and unexpected rumour.  Who knows where it will go, but it would be a typical Wenger signing, fast, slim, and completely in the wrong area of the team from what's needed.  I think he might be too old though. And well known.

I'll finish by just saying that I know what a fantastic team this young Arsenal side CAN be.  I still love both them and Wenger, but it's always hurts when the ones closest to you let you down and that's what I feel Arsenal and in particular Wenger have done this weekend.  I'm not calling for his head, or anything ridiculous like that, simply venting my frustration.  No doubt some of you reading this will think that I have been slightly over the top, perhaps I have, but that's what happens when someone you love disappoints you in such a big way.  It will pass, we will reign supreme.  It's just not likely to be this season.  Once again.

(well done to Everton on making it to the FA Cup final...make sure you complete the job and win it)

Get your teeth into this one for five kudos points: