Bring on Blackpool?

Results

Date	Time	C	Opponent	F	A	R	S
21 Aug	3:00 PM	P	Blackpool (H)	6	0	Win

The general consensus was that we were lucky to come away with a point after the Liverpool game. Having played most of the match against ten men, and at one point 9, the Gunners failed to take advantage of their numerical advantage.

Whether we would have made more of a game out of it if Joe Cole hadn't been sent off, or if David N'Gog hadn't scored right after the restart; those are questions we will never know the answer too. But the fact remains that our defence still looks a little shaky and our goalkeeper suspect.

Make no mistake, keeping goal is all about confidence, and with every mistake that our goalkeepers make, our defenders will find doubt creeping into their minds and the rot will set in. Given that both our goalkeeping options have been roundly criticised since the end of last season, it wasn't surprising to see Manuel Almunia flap at the first few corners that Liverpool lifted into the box at Anfield. It appears that while Roberto Mancini over at Man City has the happy conundrum of which top rate goalkeeper to play, Arsène Wenger has the same problem, just that our two options are instead bereft of confidence at the moment. The sooner Wenger brings in a new goalkeeper, be it Shay Given or Mark Schwarzer or some other player we haven't heard of, the better. Who knows, real competition might just get the best out of either Almunia or Lukasz Fabianski.

Still on the topic of our defence, new boy Laurent Koscielny looked tidy at the back, and was in the thick of the action, being scythed down by one Joe Cole at the halftime break, and then getting a red card on his debut towards the end. His sending off might have been a little harsh, but one moment of interest was when Fernando Torres went past him in the second half. Instead of losing his head and tugging the Spaniard to the floor, Koscielny somehow managed to find the strength and speed to chase and firmly win the ball back. Granted Torres isn't in tip top shape at the moment, but it was an encouraging sign. Koscielny's suspension means Thomas Vermaelen will have a new partner in defence when Blackpool visit this weekend, but reports have indicated we may see the return of Johan Djourou after a season's absence. It will be interesting if he gives a good showing and comes out unscathed, for it will mean that Arsenal has three quality centrebacks to call on, unlike most of last season. If we get Sevilla's Sebastian Squillaci too as reported, our defence might just be a tough nut to crack.

In midfield, we saw the strange sight of Abou Diaby being deployed in an unfamiliar defensive midfield role. While he has Patrick Vieira's legs, he just doesn't have the same ability at the moment and I personally cannot wait for Alex Song to return. Jack Wilshere showed some signs that he may be here to stay in the Arsenal first team, but remains a little lightweight in the centre of midfield. When more bruising teams visit, Wenger might be loathe to play his little wunderkind until he bulks up some. Samir Nasri's injury was worrying, but with Cesc Fabregas set to return, it is not really much of an issue for now. Tomas Rosicky showed encouraging signs too, with one twist and dribble into the box particularly eye-catching, even if the end product was not there. Andrei Arshavin meanwhile, had little impact on the left wing but one hopes it is a one-off and he hasn't gone off the boil permanently.

Speaking of which, we saw plenty of the ball on the wings as Arshavin, Gaël Clichy and Bacary Sagna found space time and again. However, nothing much came of it as Arsenal once again showed an inability to play crosses. Whenever they lost the ball, Liverpool pulled most of their men back, packing the box and inviting Arsenal on to their wings. The invitation was duly accepted, but the crossing was once again woeful. Which led to the Gunners trying again and again to thread the ball through the middle with little effect. Samir Nasri is not Arsenal's usual corner taker too, and his delivery from the corner flags was woeful, with every single weak ball being cleared away at the near post.

Up forward, new signing Marouane Chamakh did not have much chance to run at defenders, and had minimal effect till his challenge led Pepe Reina to fumble the ball into his own goal. However, that challenge was important and the very fact he was still giving it his all towards the end of the game surely endeared him to the Arsenal support. The Arsenal of late has shown the ability to steal games on the stroke of fulltime, especially with one Nicklas Bendtner. Once Robin van Persie comes back to full fitness, perhaps Chamakh would be more damaging supporting him in attack. Theo Walcott was given the chance to prove himself up front midway through the match, but had absolutely no effect. I still think that his pace is best utilised on the wing, especially given his decision making has still not shown much sign of improvement. Up front with little space to manoeuvre, thinking on the fly is necessary, and Walcott just does not have that ability at the moment. His pace on the wing however is the ultimate impact weapon for even if he does not produce the best of crosses, his speed alone is enough to frighten opposition fullbacks into making mistakes.

Against Blackpool, Arsenal meet a team that is high on confidence after they blew Wigan away at the DW Stadium. Marlon Harewood is the main threat, and his first strike against Wigan showed that unlike the Arsenal team, he is definitely not afraid to shoot from outside the box, and accurately at that. Gary Taylor-Fletcher too is in hot form, and terrorised a Wigan defence missing Titus Bramble with the opening goal. He might even have added a quick second, if it wasn't for the linesman flagging for offside.

The main thing is, Blackpool are a team with little to lose, and even with their chairman stepping down, they will be a side to contend with this early in the season. The Tangerines will be looking for a shock upset against Arsenal and the Gunners will have little excuse after this match. The fans might be forgiving for a draw at Anfield, but a loss on the day that Arsenal welcome the return of the Clock End in their first home match of the season – now that would certainly take some explaining.

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