RvP to start!! Abidal and Correia in defence for Barca

As expected, RvP has come through to start against Barca. I hope he's fit. We really don't need him getting crocked tonight.

An interesting selection from Guardiola in playing Busquets at centre-back with Abidal. However it does mean Mascherano is in midfield which will make it a tough game.

Fabregas, Diaby and Wilshire complete our central midfield tonight with Rosicky out on the right and Nasri on the left with the licence to interchange with Rosicky. Rosicky's understanding with Cesc, Nasri and Wilshire will be absolutely critical tonight and he's a player who is very experienced at this level. I hope he'll continue to prove doubters wrong.

As for Wilshire, its his chance to make old Guardiola realise that our "B" team boy is well up for showing up a certain partnership of Xavi and Iniesta...he will just need Diaby to work his socks off and keep onto possession, something that has escaped him so far in his return from injury.

I'm nervous and excited. Time for a beer.

COME ON YOU GOONERS!!

WG

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Arsenal 17/2 to beat Barca? Are you kidding me?!

I hopped on that faster than I could blink. I wouldn't normally shout about it but I got it on with Betfair.

If anyone else finds better odds post them in the comments...

We are more than capable of getting a result in the Camp Nou, they are without their first choice defensive pairing of Puyol and Pique, relying on the partnership of Abidal and Busquets to repel any Arsenal attacks.

If ever there was a time that we needed a pacy attack it would be tonight, with a rather untested defensive pairing to have a go at.

Still waiting on news on RvP. If he's not fit I'd quite like to see Chamakh start, I think he links up better than Bendtner. Lets hope for good news on Robin though, we're stronger with him than without.

WG.

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"We've got many players like him in our second team"

The war of words begin. Suspicions of gamesmanship and trickery by Arsene over the injuries to Cesc and RvP are being mooted in the media. The above quote is from Pep Guardiola regarding young Jack, though perhaps its worth mentioning that if Pep actually watched the game at the Emirates, Jack tore Iniesta and Xavi a new one. More than once too.

Arsene's response to the criticism's and mooted suggestions was simple, "The whole truth is what I have given you here. We'll see tomorrow morning. The medical team will assess him and I would like him to play. But I will only play him if he is 100 per cent fit. OK, I will consider 99.5."

"For me these are two problems," he said. "Cesc had a muscle problem. Robin has a ligament problem. There is more risk for a muscle problem. So it is just whether he feels he is fit to play. There is not the same risk of recurrence like there is with a muscular problem."

Personally, in preference to Bendtner I'd play RvP if we had to wheel him around the pitch. Thats not to say that I don't value Bendtner's input I just think RvP is sharper and he's got the ability to nick a goal more than Bendtner can Nik a goal...(see what I did there?)

I'm holding my breath until after lunch when we hear the results of the fitness tests etc..

Til later Gooners, COME ON LETS DO IT.

WG

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Form is temporary, Class is permanent.

Without wanting to go overboard in what was merely 90 minutes of out 180, it was an awesome performance when at times it looked like we were being swamped. Every player came out with credit and lets not be fooled into thinking that Barca lost the game rather than us taking it from them.

There were times in the early stages of the second half I was pleading for Nasri to come off to ensure his tired legs don't cause a reoccurance of his hammy injury, but as soon as we began to take control I knew we needed him.

Barca tried to play keep ball in the second half and we wouldn't let them. In terms of spirit and mentality we wanted it more than them. What this will do for our confidence is almost incomprehensible, I feel that we had belief before the game, but to have it affirmed by an excellent performance can't hurt at all.

In summary, it was an awesome fight-back and an awesome couple of finishes. RvP's shot at the near post was an excellent power-shot and Arshavin's shot was extremely well hit and placed to perfection. More proof that form is temporary, class is permanent.

We should use this confidence to fuel our focus for the match against Orient. Last nights game was an awesome spectacle and a great result but its gone now and now we need to focus on little Leyton Orient in the FA Cup. A professional performance is required.

WG

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A clash of two footballing titans

I find it difficult to find words to describe the football euphoria that is taking over me today. Work is going to take so long when all I want to do is be sat ready to watch the game with beer in hand. A match where I'd kill to be at the Emirates and none of my friends are flogging me a ticket!

So onto the football, tonight sees us take on Barca in an epic game that will decide the season for many fans. Its a watershed game, if we play well and perhaps even get a result then fans will begin to believe that we are capable of winning the Champions League, the Premier league and to a lesser extent the Carling Cup to hit a fantastic treble.

A poor performance will bring down the doom and gloom and certain areas of the fanbase will be questioning Arsene, the playing squad, tactics, our style of play. The fickle nature of our fans irks me somewhat, try being a Toffees fan, or a Latics fan...

For me, whatever the result I'm looking forward to the football, if we can compete (and I believe we can) then it will be a great spectacle and we have a great chance of getting a result. What I'd give to be in the north bank when we score....we will score tonight, Barca are great going forwards, but defensively they aren't a rock, far from it and Pique is struggling without his perennial partner, Puyol. If we can keep Alves back and keep pressing at the central defensive partnership of Pique and Puyol I think we will get a result.

Come on you gunners, stand up, stand tall, fight with all your might and the winner will take home the spoils.

WG

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Domination that would put Mubarak to shame, a day for heroes

I'm hitting Political Satire too now.... anyhoo.... So we welcomed Wolves to the Grove with an ounce of trepidation considering their win against ManYoo. However that trepidation was unfounded with a performance that put down a marker for the rest of our season.

Arsene went against form by picking the likes of Cesc, RvP, Song and Djourou to ensure we had a solid team and the result made the decision worthwhile with a great game that the scoreline barely flattered.

Wayne Hennessey, Wolves goalkeeper will have done his stock a world of good with a all action performance that saw him tip, flick and scramble his way through 90 minutes but saved Wolves a real battering.

In terms of us however, it was an assured performance and just what the doctor ordered before the Barca game. It really could have been a battering so I'm glad we were able to get the result and then take off the likes of RvP to rest them for Wednesday.

Theo is really looking good at the moment and Cesc's ball for RvP's first time volley was as sublime as you will see this season, as was the volley that finished it off. Its fair to say, International Man of Cheese, Robin Van Persie is in great form and we will need to keep him fit for the rest of the season to win silverware.

I was explaining to 'er indoors last night about how massive the game on Wednesday is, how the performance will tell us how far we have moved on since last year, about how Barcelona is the benchmark at the moment. Yes Inter won the Champions League last year, but Football fans wanted Barcelona to win, Mourinho's anti-football got the cup but Barca will always hold the glory with this current crop of players.

I'm stupidly optimistic for Wednesday, I think we have a good chance. I honestly think if we get the ball down and settle we have the game to cause them problems too. I'd prefer to have the likes of the Verminator and Super Samir fit and playing but fortune favors the brave and I cannot wait to see our boys have a go.

Its a day for heroes lads, make your fans proud.

WG

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Why Wenger will never spend 20million on a defender, or a keeper

This post is really born from some comments on my posts so I thought I'd create a whole post from my responses to it.

Fans are getting frustrated because they don't see us competing in the transfer market with the likes of Madrid, Barcelona, Inter Milan, Man Citeh. They want a marquee signing and I can understand why. People look at the signings of Squillaci and Koscielny in the summer and pound their fists together and ask why didn't we spend real hard cash and replace Gallas, Senderos and Toure?

Wenger doesn't buy ready-made players, with a few rare exceptions he wants to make them.

I don't think Squillaci and Koscielny are bad defenders. Its their first season in the premier league and its only Koscielny's 2nd season in top flight football. Koscielny wasn't bought to start every game, he and Squillaci were bought to supplement Vermaelen and Djourou and both be brought into the Premier League slowly, circumstances however have seen them play a lot more than expected. I can tell you now, Wenger never meant for them to be the first choice pairing for this season.

Koscielny is one of the best 1v1 defenders in the premiership, yes their partnership is vulnerable but it is still young in terms of games.

Now I WISH Wenger would spend twenty million on a Goalkeeper, or a defender, or sod it both!! But he will never do that. He's a coach first and a manager second. He wants to make talent, not buy it.

Thats why Henry was a great player, thats why he helped an aging Arsenal defence play on for year after year.

I certainly feel your frustrations, but we're building a great side and I'd rather be positive than negative, that just leads to the dark side.

Hang on in there gooners, we're on the cusp of greatness.

WG

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Its 2010, shouldn't No really mean No?

"Arsenal will not sit down to negotiate with us," she said. "There is a lack of will...they just don't want to negotiate." - Barcelona board spokeswoman Toni Freixa

I wonder if someone kept pestering her for sex whether she'd be as understanding as Arsenal are being. Clearly we keep politely saying "No, Arsenal are not interested in talking to you about it" and they just do not take it in.

In a time when "No" rightly means "No", why don't Barca go and pull someone else's plonker...I'm so sick of it I'm writing about it.

Its time Barca faced facts, Arsenal have stated they do not want to sell him. They have categorically stated he will be an Arsenal player next season. Arsenal cannot now sell him. They just can't. They would look weak and easily bullied. No player would be able to be kept to the terms of their contracts. Its a situation that has been created by both sides conducting the discussions in the media. If Barca had kept their mouths shut and just talked to Arsenal, a deal might have been struck, should they have met Arsenal's valuation. Now Arsenal can't let it happen.

Its time Barcelona got the hint. It really is. The never-ending statements coming from their management, their secretaries, the manager and the players is merely making them look daft in the eyes of the media. They asked for Fabregas, Arsenal said No and now they're practically begging.

Its sad, hugely unprofessional and demeaning for all Barcelona players and management to behave in this manner.

Post to follow tomorrow after the friendly tonight.

WG.

..my apologies, I hate rehashing the news, but that quote was just too much.

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Shock to Barca's system....not everyone can be bought!!

I can almost imagine it now. I wish I was there to see it. A fly on the wall in that one second when Joan Laporta read the following excerpt from a statement on Arsenal.com;

"We have followed recent speculation linking Cesc with a move away from the Club but as there has never been any official approach for him, only two informal exchanges, in which we made it abundantly clear that we have no interest in transferring Cesc, we have refrained from publicly passing comment. However, yesterday evening we received an offer from Barcelona for Cesc and in response, we immediately and resolutely told them once again that we have no intention of selling our captain.

To be clear, we will not make any kind of counterproposal or enter into any discussion. Barcelona have publicly stated that they will respect our position and we expect that they will keep their word."

I would imagine its something like watching a cartoon character turn red before steam escapes from their ears with much vigor.

The idea of which makes me grin like an idiot. I like it. I like it a whole lot.

Cole-eriffic.....been a while since I thought that ... If rumours be true (and largely they are not) Joe Cole has been talking to us about a Free Transfer. Wenger has said that he's an "interesting target" and I wholeheartedly agree. He fits Wengerball and he has another important characteristic which in the current UEFA climate is critical. He's English. The new home-grown players rules will shape the way all teams do business.

'Home-grown players' are defined by UEFA as players who, regardless of their nationality or age, have been trained by their club or by another club in the national association for at least three years between the age of 15 and 21. The UEFA rule does not contain any nationality conditions. It also applies in the same way to all players and all clubs participating in competitions organised by UEFA

From the start of the 2010/2011 season all teams will have to register a squad of 25 players, with at least 8 'home grown' players registered. A 'home-grown' player is one who has spent three years between the ages of 16-21 registered at a club in England and Wales. Clubs can supplement this squad with a B list of unlimited players under the age of 21.

So, Project Yoof might not be dead and buried, but we might see a change in the make up of the first team squad, with more experienced players being backed up by younger, talented under-21s.

Hmm...not so much different from now I guess, with one exception, Home-Grown talent will become even more expensive. Yes, more clubs will have to rely upon those players so they should get more game-time and the really good ones will be snapped up by the big clubs at a premium. I wonder how much Ramsey would have cost in 5 years time?

Musings worth considering indeed. For now fellow Gooners, Good day!