Gooners Getting Ahead

So here we at the end of the crucial month of January, where many a season is either made or destined to fade! Fortunately for us Gooners it would appear that it is the former, as the Gunners have successfully managed to cement their title charge, and are best placed to push Utd all the way into May!

The Gunners stats for the month of Jan give the clearest indication to date that they are finally coming of age. In all competitions they have managed to score 16 and conceded a miserly 3 in 8 games played. Compare this to the Jan Stats a year ago, where a total of 7 games were played, resulting in 12 scored and 11 conceded.

In the league the Gunners are joint leaders with Utd in the form table based on the last 6, with a points tally of 14 from a possible 18. Where they have significantly outperformed Utd has been with their away form, boasting the best away record in league having accumulated 7 points more than Utd on the road.

There is really a good feeling building in the Gooners camp. With a final berth secured in the league Cup, any hardened Gooner would be forgiven for wondering, sensing, thinking, fantasizing, dreaming and hoping that the lure of Wembley will be the watershed moment in this teams development that brings a flood of trophies starting with a record breaking *whisper* quadruble!

Okay so I get ahead of myself!

Next Up Huddersfield in the FA Cup 4th round. Surely the Gunners (B team) wont let this one slip like they did against Leeds & Ipswich, I mean, it does look like Arshavin & Bendtner are finally finding some form!

Exciting times ahead!

Safe, Goonermanic

Preview: Wigan v Arsenal - Burying the Wigan hatchet

Tonight sees Arsenal traveling to the DW stadium, where they take on Wigan Athletic on the back of an emphatic home victory over Chelsea. Despite the convincing nature of the Gunners victory, there still remains unanswered questions on their ability to go the distance with the likes of the trophy-laden Manchester Utd. And rightfully so one could argue, since despite their current league position of 2nd, we have already seen the similar inconsistencies to their previous campaign, with the surprising home defeats to West Brom, Newcastle and Spurs.

Tonight's match provides the Gunners with an opportunity to bury the hatchet which effectively killed off their 2009/2010 title challenge. The Gunners lost this fixture last year 3-2, and they will recall with painful memory the fact that with 10 minutes of the 90 left, the Arsenal were cruising 2 nil, and some how they contrived to concede 3 goals to surrender the 3 points which would at the time have taken them to within 3 points of the eventual champions Chelsea.

Fabianski (often referred to as Flapianski) particularly will feel the need to banish the memory of his league debut for Arsenal at the DW, as he gifted Titus Bramble the equaliser when he dropped what appeared to be a routine corner.

Eight months have passed, and the Pole has established himself as the #1 in the poles. By all accounts he has dealt with the psychological damage of the previous encounter at the DW, but he still has some convincing to do before the Arsenal faithful start singing his name from the rooftops!

We never know what to expect from this Wigan side, but then neither do we know what to expect from the Gunners? The one thing I do expect from this fixture is goals, if the Gunners can win by 5 they will go top on goal difference ... right now all I am hoping for is the 3 points!

Come on you Gooners, bury the hatchet!

Arsenal Sweep Blackburn Aside 0-4

Arsenal have managed to cruise past Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park, with a surprising amount of ease and finesse as Adebayor opened his account for the season with a hat trick of goals. Van Persie was once again on the scoresheet with the match opener, when he was played through by the man of the moment Theo Walcott.

Arsenal fans would have been forgiven for feeling a bit anxious for the trip up to Lancashire with their indifferent record in the North West, the international break and the looming CL trip to Kyiv. The gunners faithful, however, were not to be disappointed as Arsenal managed to brush aside Paul Ince's side with the free passing football that we have come to expect from Arsene Wengers side.

Surprisingly it was the efficiency of the Arsenal performance which caught the eye most. Wenger has mentioned before that he felt the gunners were becoming a more efficient unit, and while there remains room for improvement in the Arsenal display, the effectiveness of the Arsenal style cannot be denied.

The gunners have passed the first of 3 tough away matches, next up is Dynam Kyiv away then Bolton away. With Silvestre entering the fray, the gunners will be looking for more cleansheets, and more clinical finishing - Efficiency!

Cheers
Charlie