Liverpool vs Arsenal: The Preview

PHOTO: Kopsource

Premier League leaders Arsenal will take on fourth placed Liverpool in Saturday’s early afternoon kick-off at Anfield, and we could be in for a real cracker!

The Gunners, still on course for the title, are about to enter into a veritable gauntlet run of difficult matches against the Premier League’s top sides. 

A trip to Liverpool is up first, and Arsene Wenger will know the potential of the likes of Daniel Sturridge and Luis Suarez up top for Brendan Rodgers’ side.

This Arsenal squad has answered every question asked of it this season, as despite the club’s almost yearly injury crisis appearing once more, the Gunners’ strength in numbers has really shown in recent weeks.

Click here to read my full match preview!

Arsenal Player Ratings vs. Chelsea - Ozil poor once more

Soccerlens.com

Wojciech Szczesny: 6/10

Rarely called into action, but made short work of the attempts made on the Arsenal goal.

Bacary Sagna: 7/10

Shackled Eden Hazard well in the first half, and fought tooth and nail to stop the Chelsea attackers from gaining any momentum. 

Per Mertesacker: 7/10

Dominated Fernando Torres from start to finish, Mertesacker had quite a comfortable evening really.

Thomas Vermaelen: 5/10

Thrust into the side in the absence of Laurent Koscielny, the Belgian looked rusty in the first half, but gained confidence as the game wore on. 

Kieran Gibbs: 6/10

Good probing runs in the second half; the England left-back provided the cross that almost led to the winning goal for the Gunners. 

Mikel Arteta: 5/10

Charged with sitting just in front of the back four, the Spaniard was oddly off form. Played some awful long balls, and couldn't make his mark on the midfield. 

Aaron Ramsey: 5/10

Couldn't get into the game, and almost let Chelsea in to score with a shocking pass in the second half. Was a shadow of his normal swashbuckling self.

Tomas Rosicky: 7/10

Passionate and committed throughout, Rosicky bustled about in midfield, keeping things ticking over nicely. 

Mesut Ozil: 5/10

Bar the bust-up with Ivanovic right at the end, the German was barely seen. Seemed unable to adapt to the trying conditions, and yet again, couldn't assert himself in a big game. 

Theo Walcott: 6/10

Tried hard, and was a constant threat; but could not turn his energy into an end product.

Olivier Giroud: 5/10

Missed a glorious chance right at the end, but battled well in the terrible conditions at the Emirates. Was visibly distraught at the end of the match.

What do you reckon? Agree with my ratings? Let me know in the comments!

Arsenal: Wenger must help Giroud before it’s too late

jamiiforums.com

Arsenal are flying high at the top of the league, indeed now seven points clear of the chasing pack; but a troubling issue, one which has been bubbling under ever since the summer, is starting to creep into the spotlight.

The Gunners may have snapped up a truly world class midfielder in Mesut Ozil in the transfer window; but with no real reinforcements arriving in the striking department, Olivier Giroud, Arsenal’s revitalised striker, has recently started to show signs of fatigue.

What do you think? Click here to read the full feature on Soccerlens.com and let me know!

Arsenal Player Ratings vs Cardiff – Ramsey and Ozil clinical

goal.com

Arsenal overcame a stubborn Cardiff side on Saturday in the Welsh capital; coming out 3-0 winners, with Aaron Ramsey returning to haunt his former side with a devastating double.

Click here to check out my player ratings - on Soccerlens.com

Arsenal 0-2 Chelsea: The Blues’ bench-boys turn on the style at the Emirates

BBC Sport

When Jose Mourinho bemoaned Chelsea’s fixture pileup on Monday, with his side making the short but sharp trip to Arsenal just days after hosting Man City at the Bridge, few would have taken his words at face value.

“If they want a big game, we cannot give the big game. If they want the players that were playing [on Sunday], we cannot give them that,” Mourinho told reporters,

The trademarked mind-games incorporated by the feisty Portuguese have become something of an acquired novelty for fans and pundits in the EPL, and his latest outburst did little other than set the stage for his second-string to come out and provide the spectacle that their manager cryptically doubted.

Click here to read my full report on Chelsea's dramatic win at Arsenal on Tuesday, on Soccerlens.com

Gareth Bale enters a familiar warzone at Madrid following Ozil’s Arsenal move

 

Mesut Ozil's departure has brought intense resentment from all corners at Madrid, with a plethora of stars such as Ronaldo, Sergio Ramos, Khedira, Arbeloa, Isco, and even Barcelona midfielder Cesc Fabregas piping up to voice their astonishment at the German playmaker’s exit.

National team coach, Joachim Löw cannot himself fathom the logic behind the transfer,

“For me, it’s incomprehensible that Real would sell one of their top scorers,” Löw said.
“Many Real players like Sami Khedira or Cristiano Ronaldo are sad about the transfer.”

With echoes of the seismic Claude Makelele transfer ten years ago to be heard amidst the anguished cries of the 'New Galacticos', it is certainly not the comforting welcome Gareth Bale would have hoped for after his spectacular move abroad.

Click here to read the article, on soccerlens.com

Pic: e2.365dm.com

Olivier Giroud under pressure at Arsenal after Mesut Ozil’s dramatic transfer

Arsenal’s record-breaking capture of German attacking midfielder, Mesut Ozil, has lifted spirits and anticipation in and around the Emirates Stadium to unfamiliar heights.

Gunners fans are just itching to see their new £42.5m signing from Real Madrid strut his stuff, and they can envision a bright future with the 24-year-old in their midst.

Ozil’s presence could spell the beginning of a return to prominence for the club, but much rests on the striking abilities of one Olivier Giroud.

Click here to view the article, on soccerlens.com

Pic:i.dailymail.co.uk