Every point counts

Rewind the clocks to Tuesday morning, on the back of tame draws against Birmingham and Aston Villa, and the horrific injury to Eduardo, Arsenal are predicted to get nothing from the San Siro, Manchester United were breathing down their necks and would have been top if Bendtner hadn't scored a crucial last gasp goal for Arsenal. Chelsea were striking teams out of the way with ease and were also becoming a major force in the title race.
Wednesday morning, headlines of a stunning Arsenal performance at the San Siro, one of the best European away victories ever, first English team to win at the San Siro, Flamini and Fabregas show their awesome quality against 'the big boys' of Europe.
Saturday morning, Manchester United are expected to pass the test of Portsmouth and Chelsea, well surely nothing can go wrong for the Blues, can it?
19.35, Saturday evening, Chelsea and Manchester United dumped out of the FA Cup, Manchester United unlucky to lose but shocked at home, and Chelsea...two unexpected cup defeats (credit to Barnsley for a monumental performance) leaving their players in a probable state of numb disbelief.

Tonight I feel that the momentum for the title race has shifted somewhat. Before the match against Milan I felt that Arsenal were clutching onto a rope laced with oil and though I was confident of a return to form, the prospect of Milan away did not leave me brimming with confidence. Manchester United and Chelsea are still very close behind the Gunners but before today, I believe that they were chasing like raging animals, being a few points behind did not matter because of the momentum they carried. Now a door has been slammed in their faces, shock cup exits (Chelsea's would be horrific for their players/fans) and suddenly the pressure is on Chelsea and United to show that they can bounce back but certainly, they have slipped in the race. I am not denying that Arsenal are under no pressure, in fact I believe that the match against Wigan tomorrow is huge, but I feel that United and Chelsea have psychologically let an advantage go here. They are no longer fighting on three fronts. If Arsenal win tomorrow they go 4 points clear, a lead United can't make up in the space of one game...which takes us back to the Bendtner goal. Important, wasn't it?

Robinho apparently almost moved to Arsenal

Whether it's rumour-mongering or not, the agent of Brazilian star Robinho has said that the striker almost moved to the Emirates in the summer.

Citing bad man management from former Real coach Fabio Capello, Wagner Ribeiro held talks with Pedja Mijatovic [Real Madrid's sporting director] and said that the Brazilian was unhappy and wanted to move, and that Arsenal were willing suitors.

Mijatovic said: "In the summer of 2007, I spoke with Pedja (Mijatovic, sports director of Real) and told him that Robinho was not happy because Fabio Capello had put him on the bench and would not play him.

"Robinho had a proposal from Arsenal and I told him that if things continued as they were, he would leave for London.

"But Pedja said: 'Do not let him leave, Robinho will be the best in the world and I want that he remains in Madrid.'"

Would we have pursued Eduardo, if Robinho had indeed arrived at the Emirates?

Wenger is Mourinho's latest target

Jose Mourinho has taken an almighty pop at Arsene Wenger, claiming the Frenchman has it easy at Arsenal.

"Arsenal is a unique team," Mourinho told Gazzetta Dello Sport. "Their coach hasn't won anything for years and is still an idol. There is no pressure at Arsenal.

"But do not say he is growing young players into talents. What he does is take young players who are jewels and polishes them. It's different. He has time to work in a serene atmosphere and get results."

While the accusation is not new, the previous diatribes occurred when the two mangers were in direct competition and thus interpreted as a 'mindgame' ploy by the Special One to ratchet up pressure on Wenger.

That Mourinho felt compelled to put Wenger back in his sights even at a time when he is out of the game indicates that the antipathy between the pair - who fell out spectacularly three years ago when the then Chelsea boss branded Wenger a "voyeur" - still lingers.

Either that or Mourinho genuinely believes the Arsenal manager lives in a comfort zone at the Emirates Stadium.

Bentley advice for Walcott

Rovers winger urges Gunners star to follow his lead

David Bentley has warned Theo Walcott against settling for a place on the fringes of the Arsenal first-team.

The Blackburn winger graduated from the Gunners academy in 2003, but was eventually forced to look elsewhere for regular football after finding his opportunities limited under Arsene Wenger.

His career has blossomed since leaving London, becoming a full England international and receiving widespread acclaim after a number of impressive displays.

Understandably he feels that he made the right decision for the sake of his career, and he has now urged Walcott not to rule out the possibility of moving to a supposedly smaller club in the future to help further his development.

Flourish

"Sometimes you need football, you need games to become better, to put your skills out on the football pitch," Bentley told talkSPORT.
"If he is not getting the minutes at Arsenal, he's going to have to look elsewhere.
"Your career doesn't start and end at Arsenal. It can flourish somewhere else.
"At the end of the day you want to make a career for yourself.

Comfortable

"You want to play football for a start and you want to make money as well.
"It's your job. If you want to make a career for yourself you can't afford to stay at a club where you might be 24 or 25 with 30 games under your belt.
"It was hard to for me to leave," he admitted.
"I was there from when I was 12 years old and I had a lot of friends.
"It becomes like a home. It became comfortable. But I didn't want to accept not playing and thinking 'these players are better than me'. Every week I wanted a game."

Fabregas is the key to Arsenal’s title bid

Everybody seems to be falling over themselves to laud the performances of Emmanuel Adebayor at Arsenal this season as the striker continues to be the media’s focal point of their push for the title but, for all his effect on the club this season following the departure of Thierry Henry, he is not the reason that the Gunners are where they currently sit in the Premier League table. Arsenal are a team who are always likely to score goals as their creativity is often far too great for average teams in the league. Such is their ability to maintain possession and run the opposition into submission that the need for a physically dominant centre-forward is nothing like as vital as Chelsea’s needs. That is why Chelsea look a shadow of themselves in attacking areas when Didier Drogba is not on the field. Yet the reason why Robin van Persie, Eduardo and a host of other Arsenal strikers over the past few years have always been able to get goals is because the midfield can put chances on a plate for them. Over recent seasons, Adebayor, Van Persie and Henry have all missed large chunks of the season without it derailing Arsenal’s bid for silverware. The only time things have fallen apart for them is when Cesc Fabregas has been unable to rule the centre of the park. The evidence can be no clearer than in Arsenal’s two most recent embarrassments and latest success. Fabregas was a flustered and anonymous spectator as first Tottenham, then Manchester United ran riot against Arsenal’s mythical young and inexperienced team. His force going forwards as well as back was non-existent in either of those games and those displays only serve to show his impact on Arsene Wenger’s team. At the San Siro, Fabregas was at his inspirational best and Arsenal bossed the game and won at a canter. If Arsenal are to win anything this season then they will have to keep Fabregas fit and get him playing at a level which made him one of the most sought after midfielders in the game. The Mathieu Flamini’s and Gilberto’s of this world are not a patch on the talismanic young Spaniard while the performances of Arsenal’s over-hyped second-string have been returned to an inadequate level in the games in which he has not played or failed to perform. No wonder Arsene Wenger is keen to tie him to the Emirates stadium for the rest of his career.

Flamini kept Kaka in his pocket

Wow, what on earth am I supposed to say to that? I have so much to say that I just do not know how to get it out of my head and onto paper computer.

Firstly, congratulations to the one and only Arsene Wenger, his boys were under massive pressure after two mediocre performances in the Premier League and it would have been down to him to tell each and every player how good they are and make them believe that we can go to Milan and simply outplay them on their own pitch. It is clear that Wenger has done his job right and now the players must be so high right now. In normal circumstances confidence is something that takes a while to build up but a game and performance like this will allow the players to leap frog the usual steps of self belief.

Picking out individuals in a game like that could well be unfair as it was a fantastic team performance but I wouldn't feel right not mentioning the immense display from Mathieu Flamini (Just writing that made the hairs on my back stand up) I cannot count the amount of times I shouted "WELL IN FLAM!" or "WELL PLAYED FLAMINI" during the match. He bossed the game from the first minute to the last. Flamini covered the most amount of ground out of the 22 players on the pitch. Kaka had a handful of touches of the ball and that was largely down to the Frenchman. Cesc Fabregas also had a wonderful defensive display and they both mopped up superbly when we were not in possession.

Do you remember a 2-2 draw against Chelsea at Highbury a few years back now? We had injuries to Gilberto and Vieira and it was up to the 17 year old Fabregas and the 19 year old Flamini to battle against the experienced Chelsea midfield. I thought to myself that they did a good job that day and wondered what they would be like as a future partnership, of course you can never properly envisage what it would be like until it happens and I can safely say that it was the best central display since the days of Vieira and Petit.

I don't really want to add anything negative to this post because a display like that does not deserve criticism but I was thinking about it during the match. We basically did not have very much in the way of goalscoring threat during the game. Adebayor ran his socks off upfront on his own and I remember he got into a great position on the right of the penalty area when he dummied a defender and I was waiting for someone to support him but I couldn't see any support arriving.

"Where was the support?!!!" I shouted at my mate who I was watching the game with. He asked me who I would of liked to have been in that position and I looked around the pitch. Hleb? Eboue? Diaby? Fabregas isn't quick enough to get that far forward in that short time. So I was wondering where the goal would come from because Adebayor was finding it hard leading the line, running the channels and linking up the midfield as well as getting in goalscoring positions.

At half time I wondered if we would have a fairy tell ending with Van Persie coming off the bench to grab the winner but in the end we didn't need to make the change because we were in control of the game. We were defending as a team and attacking as a team so maybe Arsene did not want to change the side.

Looking from the television the Milan pitch looked massive, it looked huge. I haven't checked out the pitch dimensions but it looked at least as big as the Emirates. Milan could not get close to our midfield because of the spaces around the pitch. Hleb, Cesc and Adebayor were linking up expertly.

Do not forget the way that Manchester United were torn to shreds last season, yes this Milan team are not inform and are not having a great season but most of last seasons players are still there and they still posses world player of the year Kaka who was kept firmly in Flamini's pocket.

I still cannot believe that Cesc Fabregas' strike went in. Time seem to stand still after his shot went past the keeper, I wasn't sure where the ball ended up until I saw Cesc real away with his arms outstretched. You could see the emotion on his face, he knew he had put Arsenal through. All the adrenaline, frustration and pride came out with that strike.

I was so pleased for Theo Walcott who replaced Eboue on 70 ish minutes. Walcott made an instant impact. You can see that his confidence is back up again now. He had so much space on the right wing and you cannot give someone like Walcott space in behind you because he will destroy 99% of players for pace. The second goal was all about Walcott. His first touch to flick the ball around Kaladze was simply sublime and he had the vision to play the ball across the box to Adebayor who was unmarked at the far post.

I just hope that the players can continue to work for victories against other teams in the same way that they did against Milan. The performance levels against Aston Villa compared to Milan was so vast. The other end of the spectrum. We need to play against Wigan as if they are Ac Milan. It doesn't matter who the opposition is.

So who next? Who would you like to be drawn against?

I think we can outpass any club in Europe on a straight out and out football match so bring on Barcelona I say. I want the boys to get revenge.

Adebayor is full of confidence and says that we can beat anyone in the world.

Arsenal manager over the moon after beating Milan

It might come to be seen as the night when a young Arsenal team came of age. The Gunners were nothing less than sensational in the San Siro on Tuesday night, causing untold problems for holders Milan before finally striking twice in the last ten minutes. The BBC report that manager Arsene Wenger is naturally delighted with how well his team played, while goalscoring hero Cesc Fabregas is promising even better things are around the corner.

Wenger said: “We dominated the game and didn’t make any mistakes and we were creative and not scared to go forward.

“We produced the match we wanted to. I am very proud. It is wonderful for a young team to knock out a team such as AC Milan. It is good for the future.”

“It is a dream come true to beat Milan at the San Siro 2-0,” said Fabregas.

“It is amazing. The guys beforehand just wanted to go out and enjoy themselves. However, this is just the beginning, it is one more step for the season.”

It was excellent to see Arsenal triumph with an entertaining brand of football against a team who are renowned for being rather dull and defensive. Surely the Gunners, along with Barcelona, will be the team that everyone wants to avoid in the quarter finals of the Champions League?

William Gallas warns Walcott he must improve

Arsenal captain William Gallas has told Theo Walcott that if he wants to emulate Wayne Rooney he will have to change the way he plays. Gallas, who has come in for recent criticism himself following the childish strop he displayed against Birmingham, believes Walcott is too predictable and needs to work harder in training if he is to realise his potential.

Arsenal are currently preparing for tonight's crucial Champions League second-leg clash against AC Milan at the San Siro, but that hasn't stopped Gallas from voicing his opinion where he feels it matters.

The 30-year-old France international said: "I think Theo Walcott can be the new Wayne Rooney, but he has to change his style of play.

"He must work hard in training because everyone knows where he will run with the ball. He goes on his right foot so he must work to come on the inside on his left foot.

"He must be less predictable and more focussed. He can also take too long on the ball."

Walcott is currently behind Emmanuel Adebayor, Nicklas Bendtner and Robin van Persie in the forward-line pecking order and would be even further down the list had it not been for the season-ending injury to Eduardo.

However, the Croatian international's broken leg means Walcott must not step up and take on more responsibility as Arsenal attempt to wrestle the Premier League title away from Manchester United.

United are now just one point behind Wenger's men, although Gallas believes the "arrogance" running through Sir Alex Ferguson's side will prove their undoing.

He said: "I know that it will be difficult for Manchester United to win because they have to play us and Chelsea again.

"They are a strong team, with lots of experienced players, but sometimes they think they are too good. Too arrogant. It can make you complacent."

Arsenal will be hoping Gallas' views don't come back to haunt them, but one thing is for certain and that is that Wenger clearly rates his centre-back highly and the player's representatives have already had contact with the club over a new four-year contract.

The Frenchman is set to sign a £90,000-a-week deal that will keep him at the Emirates until 2012, and a source is quoted in the Sun as saying: "A new contract for William is something that has been discussed. He'd like nothing more than to stay at Arsenal for the rest of his career."

Wenger set for summer spend

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger will be handed a lucrative £70million summer transfer kitty to reinforce his ranks.

The Gunners have been badly hit by injuries this season and the problems have threatened to hamper their Premier League title tilt.

League leaders Arsenal secured a last-gasp 1-1 draw at home to Aston Villa on Saturday to maintain a narrow one-point lead over Manchester United at the top of the table.

But the Gunners' second string side have also suffered humbling cup defeats to Tottenham and United in the current campaign and Wenger is expected to be offered the opportunity to bring in back-up at the end of the season.

Opportunity

"We have £69millilon in cash, so we have money available," Arsenal managing director Keith Edelman told the News of the World.

"Arsene has got sufficient funds for any signing he wishes to make."

Edelman, though, does not expect Wenger to abandon his policy of investing in the opportunity to develop potential talent.

Last weekend Eduardo da Silva became the latest injury loss for Wenger as the Croatian striker was ruled out for nine months after suffering a broken leg and dislocated ankle following a challenge from Birmingham defender Martin Taylor

Star names

But Edelman does not feel Wenger will seek to bring in star names as replacements and that the Emirates Stadium boss will continue to look to the long-term.

"We do spend quite a lot of money but not in quite the same way as other clubs do," Edelman added.

"Last year, we bought Bakari Sagna and Eduardo. So we do make acquisitions but we don't tend to make the big-splash ones."

Wenger: We are still the most fouled team in the country

Manager Arsène Wenger says that his team are still the most fouled team in the country, despite what the press might portray about the Gunners.

Wenger also claims that Arsenal are the most punished, and the Frenchman has statistics to back up his claim, with the Gunners even winning the Fair Play league, and yet the press harp on about the 72 red cards issued under Wenger's 12-year reign.

Wenger said: "The real basic problem in this league is that, for the past three years, we are the team who is fouled more than any other team, the team who is punished more than any other team.

"I should invite you sometimes to come into the dressing room and look at the legs of Alex Hleb after a game. You would be amazed.

"We want to try to play football and bring the good things out of the game.

"There are a lot of things I love here, the passion, the commitment. I do not want England to lose that, because that is above every other country in the world.

"It is in the hands of the referee to protect, to make the distinction between how far you can go and cannot go."