Just Arsenal News

Arsenal VS Liverpool Match Preview by AH

On Wednesday night Arsenal will face Liverpool at the Emirates, in which both teams will be looking to snatch all 3 points and improve their respective league positions. Despite both teams having extremely poor seasons, it may surprise you that a Liverpool win will bring them on level points with 6th place Arsenal, who are currently on 37 points. .......Read the full article here

Arsene Wenger was hoping that he would be able to select at least one out of Mikel Arteta and Francis Coquelin for Arsenal tomorrow. Liverpool come to the Emirates and the Gunners are well aware that Brendan Rodgers’ team have plenty of attacking threats. Suarez, Sturridge and Sterling have lots of creativity and movement and Arsenal have not been at their best defensively this season, not by a long way. .......Read the full article here

Aaron Ramsey has got a new lease of life at Arsenal, and seems to have finally won over many of his doubters and started to find the form that Arsenal fans feared he had lost forever following his horror injury. The 22-year old Welsh international has had his fair share of problems, but he has shown admirable determination and resilience to overcome them.

Ramsey had already put in a few good performances in his usual role as an attacking box to box midfielder when he was called on by Arsene Wenger to play the holding role. Injury to Arteta and then to Coquelin gave Ramsey the opportunity, and most would agree he has done really well. It adds another string to his bow, and makes him an important and versatile member of Wenger’s squad. .......Read the full article here

Does Arteta return or do we go on without him? by KJ

Arteta has been injured for about two weeks now missing crucial games against the likes of Manchester City and Chelsea (which we both lost). However, we’ve also won games against our bogey team, Swansea as well as thrashing West Ham. But has the absence of Arteta really affected any of those results?

We had to deal with a Diaby who just returned from 3 months of injury and Wenger was forced to play him against Manchester City. Unfortunately, a rash act by Koscielny forced the majority of the performance to be redundant. However, in the second half, our midfield was a lot more energetic and penetrative when Ramsey came on to partner Wilshere (both generally attacking players from the central midfield role). .......Read the full article here

Arsenal have not added any players to the squad, but Arsene Wenger has now allowed Emmanuel Frimpong to become the third Gunner to go on loan. The 21-year old midfielder is going to Fulham for the rest of the season after recently completing another six week spell with Charlton Athletic in the championship.

With Mikel Arteta and Francis Coquelin currently injured, it may have seemed a chance for Frimpong to play in the problem defensive midfield role, but it seems as if Wenger thinks he needs more experience of regular football in the Premier league before he is ready to play more for Arsenal. He is still only 21 and needs to play, so it might be the best thing for him. .......Read the full article here

Arsenal vs West Ham preview, predicted line up and score line prediction by Kj

This has become a must win game for the Gunners. It’s been a terrible January in the Premier league with Arsenal already losing 2 games and drawing with relegation strugglers Southampton. Tottenham are now 7 points ahead of us. We must win this game against the Hammers to turn the tables around as our next league game is hardly easy (an inform Liverpool). .......Read the full article here

Arsene Wenger has a selection problem for Arsenal with the visit of West Ham to the Emirates tomorrow. It is vital that the Gunners make the most of this game in hand to keep right up with Everton and Tottenham in the race for a top four finish. With Mikel Arteta injured, Wenger has used Francis Coquelin and Abou Diaby behind Jack Wilshere in the midfield. Both of those players look likely to miss tomorrow’s match and Arteta has not recovered, so Wenger has got to reshuffle his pack. .......Read the full article here

Is it the end for Arteta by Twig

It is difficult to find a single Arsenal fan who doesn’t like Arteta. However, his performances this season and our urgent need for new midfielders, makes his position in the team look precarious.

Arteta is perhaps the most tactically aware Arsenal player. He is loyal too and has slotted into defensive midfield without any complaint. Last season, it was common to say “Arteta kept things ticking for Arsenal”, this season however, it seems that that calm, unhurried manner of play has come at a cost of impetus and aggression in our midfield. Additionally, like the pairing of Vermalaen and Koscielny, his pairing with Wilshere at the base of our midfield has looked far from convincing. .......Read the full article here

Arsenal follow the rule that if it isn’t broke it doesn’t need to be fixed, by starting with the same eleven players that gave Swansea such a torrid time in the FA cup replay on Wednesday. That means that Coquelin and Diaby will be the deepest lying midfield players and Wilshere will play further forward behind the strikers. Cazorla and Walcott will be on either side of the central striker Olivier Giroud. Koscielny is available but will start on the bench. Podolski and Oxlade-Chamberlain are out of the squad with injury, so the starting eleven need to do the business for us. .......Read the full article here

Tomorrow’s game against Chelsea is a game, either side will need to win. Chelsea will still believe they have a chance at winning the title and would want to quickly put the 2-2 draw against Southampton behind them. Unless something truly remarkable happens, Arsenal are completely out of the title equation, however, they would want a big result after their disappointing 2-nil loss to Man City. So what does Wenger need to do to secure a victory? .......Read the full article here

Le Coq’s Qualities by AH

Francis Coquelin has featured infrequently for Arsenal this season, but when he has he’s been a real top quality prospect that has made the fans want to see more. His most recent appearance was against Swansea in the FA Cup reply on Wednesday and he put in a solid performance, linking in well with Diaby and Wilshere.

Coquelin has both the attacking and defensive side to his game; however he seems like a real defensive midfield with his defending duties dominating in his performance on the pitch. In recent years we have seen arguably more attacking minded players play in the holding midfield roles. Arteta has converted well to his position, however Diaby still likes to get up the pitch as does Wilshere. .......Read the full article here

Should Wilshere continue behind the striker? by Twig

Against Arsenal’s bogey team – Swansea – Wenger played Wilshere just behind Olivier Giroud as Arsenal’s main playmaker. Behind him, Wenger played Diaby and Coquelin while the ambidexterous Cazorla shifted to wide left, where he didn’t do too badly. It must be said, that tactical change probably gave us our most balanced midfield this season. Diaby and Coquelin did the dirty work in the midfield while Wilshere was free to be at his creative best. It was really a joy watching Wilshere’s driving runs in the final third! .......Read the full article here