Site Articles

Walcott fanboys would have had reservations over whether he would be able to perform in this unfamiliar role. Lacking both the physical presence and the hold up play that a lone striker would ordinarily require, one would be forgiven for expressing some concern that we might struggle in attack. Walcott would also be up against Vlad Chiriches who was coming off the back of a man of the match dfensive performance at Old Trafford which is still no mean feat for any defender. Thankfully, that accolade for the Sp*rs man proved something to be a one off and any fears Arsenal fans had were quelled as Walcott

Having spent the entire campaign fielding Olivier Giroud as lone striker, it seemed inevitable that, sooner or later, the Frenchmen would pick up an injury, and so it transpired against Newcastle at the weekend. Bendtner, the only other striker in the squad, already not an entirely convincing option to step in, has now been sidelined too. The need for suitable reinforcements in this department could not be more desperate at this point - especially given the rather ineffectual performance of Lukas Podolski as a makeshift centre forward against Cardiff.

Almost as much as Giroud's goal, Arsenal's resolute, if at times desperate, defensive display was a key factor in securing those three precious points. Returning to the starting line-up after two games on the sideline was Laurent Koscielny who seamlessly slotted back in alongside Per Mertesacker at central back. In the second half, as the defence around them seemed to morph and change shape constantly, the two held their nerve, reorganised and ultimately stood firm to deny the Magpies a would-be equaliser, managing a combined 29 clearances between them. Another stat flying round after the game was that Arsenal haven't lost a league game when the two have been paired (Per-ed?) together for 23 months. Admittedly, I don't know how many matches that actually