The Arsenal Blog

The Sunderland manager Martin O’Neill believes that his team did enough to earn at least a point off Arsenal this weekend, and warns that the boot will be on the other foot in next weekend’s FA Cup match.

Sunderland had had a gruelling extra-time win over Middlesbrough last Wednesday while Arsenal had a full weeks rest, but this time it is Arsenal’s turn to play in Milan on Wednesday while the Black Cats put their feet up at home, and O’Neill believes it will be a different game next week.  ...........Read more

The Arsenal winger Theo Walcott has been roundly criticised by the Arsenal fans lately for being mostly anonymous as the Gunners lost three League games in a row, and he says he doesn’t need the fans to tell him when the quality of his play drops as he knows it himself.

He said: “I just want to play my game and show people what I can do,”

“I am the best judge of my performance, not anyone else. I wasn’t happy with my last few games but hopefully now I can try to get back to a level I should be at.  ...........Read more

Arsene Wenger has today confirmed that there is nothing wrong with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s calf (although the Arsenal boss still insists that he was suffering from fatigue when he took him off last week) and the 18 year-old will definitely be playing a part in this weekends FA Cup match against Aston Villa.

Wenger said: “He is alright, it was just fatigue. His calf was not gone or anything like that, he just started to tire a little bit. It is normal for a guy who plays a game at that intensity. But health-wise he has no problem. He will be involved on Sunday.”  ...........Read more

Andrei Arshavin must have been devastated by the reaction of the Arsenal fans when he was brought on against Man Utd, which was compounded by the way he let Danny Welbeck walk past him to set up United’s winning goal.

His confidence was low before the incident but what will it be like now? So with the axiom that “If you fall off your bike, you have to get straight back on” then Wenger will surely have to try and restore his confidence by putting him back on the pitch quickly against Aston Villa this weekend.  ...........Read more

Arsene Wenger is very grateful that the FA Cup will give him a chance to give Robin Van Persie a well-earned rest this weekend after it was revealed that the Dutchman played the most minutes of any Arsenal player in 2011.

Last season Arsenal played Leeds at the same stage of the competition and after playing a weakened team the Gunners were only given a lifeline by the substitute Cesc Fabregas equalising with a last minute penalty. It is unlikely that Wenger will be underestimating his opponents this time around.

“I will play a strong side, a normal side,” Wenger said.  ...........Read more