Awful defending by the three Arsenal players though, who seemed to feel the need to tig each other before setting about the task in hand.

tig each other

Was it kiss chase or something?

A tale of two full-backs. Cole looked class. Clichy didn't.

Why did Tyler and Gray keep making reference to Ancelotti's observation of counter-attacking being Arsenal's undoing? Thanks. It was a strain on my mind to recollect events from an entire week ago.

It's very much men versus boys with us still.

To say we've improved much this season, no, I argued it with other Gooners on here before and the evidence is there. We simply can't defend and just look weak all over the pitch. We have matured a lot season over season but still we lack that power and strength to fight. Liverpool beat Everton yesterday plainly by expressing that part of their game, something we just haven't got. Compare the spine of our team to the Campbell-Vieira-Henry era and it says a lot. Now that Cesc has taken a new role as a CF as such this season, we have lost a lot of control in the middle of the park, you can see how we are trying to open up defences on the edge of their box and there's no space to develop play. How many times do we constantly walk it forward to the edge of their box then pass it sideways until Sagna or Clichy disastrously try to cross it to nobody?

In saying that, at 2-0 down today we had every reason to show a lack of spirit and let Chelsea really embarrass us. That's the one glimmer of hope I have from the past couple of weeks. Whilst our weaknesses have been exposed so badly we have shown some kind of spirit in that it didn't all fall apart. It's no crisis, we've lost two games in a row that isn't really surprising considering the quality and form of the opposition.

I'm also looking at the optimistic way of these 'lessons' in that they were such an embarrassment and so exposed that we MUST address it immediately or at the very least in the Summer. We have had those 'lessons' in previous seasons gone by but the fact that we put a foot in the title race again for a while this season and were then sent back down to Earth again in such a way might lead us to rally together, maybe it'll finally call for some proper leadership and a couple of proper signings. And trying my best to steer away from any negative rants again, it was good (for me) to see Bendtner and Eboué coming back into the side as they're two players who can add something different, and different qualities that we've badly lacked recently.

On to Liverpool now, and I fear for that too as we've not shown any progress lately whilst Liverpool have. And as I said above, Liverpool have that power and fighting ability that could be a battle too much for us. We were very lucky at Anfield and arguably we had the better form going into that game considering Liverpool's mini-crisis.

I don't think we can create enough chances to cause problems for Arsenal. Saying that I hope Maxi play's on the right with Reira on the left and Kuyt up top but I expect to see Ngog, Kuyt and Maxi on the left as against Everton.

Arsenal will be a bit short of confidence after being beaten by Man United and Chelsea so I think our best bet will be to go to Arsenal and have a real go at them.

I think Rafa will go in with Lucas Mascherano and Gerrard and hope to bully the Arsenal midfield as much as possible. Fancy Arsenal for the win more than us but think a draw is more likely.

I'd start Babel up top in this game. He has the strength Ngog doesn't and his pace may trouble them. Let's face it he is just a better player than Ngog will ever be so we may as well give him a go now he is staying and Torres is out.

We may well face a backlash and we will need to be strong in midfield so agree there may be a case for Lucas to continue over Aquilani as he is better defensively and has payed more games. Riera over Maxi for me, Maxi has looked a bit lost so far

Can see the logic in your thinking.

Pecking order of our forwards imo,

Torres,
Kuyt,
Babel,
Ngog.

You can't blame Maxi for looking a bit lost in Merseyside Derby yesterday but he hasn't done a lot since his move. No doubt he's a decent player but he's not going to adapt or prove himself sat on the bench as we've seen with Aquilani. Could be an ideal game for Maxi to do something and also Aquilani to make his first real impact.

Main problem with Arsenal there missing a top striker the little fellas are good against the lesser sides but once you come face to face with the big shots in the league you come unstuck and its not being wise after the event said it weeks before this "Important month".
What do you reckon to the Arsenal only having a plan A? thats what the people on sky have been suggesting the past couple of weeks Souness seems to make this point a lot about Arsenal heard him plenty of times before..

I'd play me before Babel.

On this point Dan we disagree. I think Babel has talent and needs a run in the side whatever problems I have with his attitude. We have too few players who can win us a game by doing something special and I make him one of them. he has more ability than any attacking player we have fit ATM apart from Gerrard. It is true he doesn't always show it but he is yet to start three consecutive games for us. Badly managed IMO and with an arm around his shoulder could still emerge as a big player, as he was doing in his first season with us.

What makes me wonder is Babel thinks he can play uptop yet Rafa plays the French kid up there ahead of him.

Down to Babel's Attitude or does Rafa not thik he can cut the mustard like he seems to think. He must have plans for him though otherwise they coul have offloaded to Brum for what £9m decent offer for a player who not proven himself since moving to the prem

i will not comment as i was so f**ked with the way they tore us apart on the counter, when most of the game was in their half, i just switched off.

f**king hell thats as bad as the Reading fans f**king off whenwe went 1nil up at their place in the play offs second leg

And that Eduardo guy today, terrible.

Say that once more OZ and your banned

Say it !

I thought we played well today. Yes, we defended poorly for the second goal in particular - where Clichy was going God only knows..... I'd go back to Traore at the moment at least he's only exposed on the outside - Clichy is getting exposed everywhere.

But they only really had 2 chances and a free kick and we had 2 chances and a free kick. Arshavin should score a great chance, Nasri dithers when he should shoot in on goal in the second half and Cesc's free kick forced a decent save from Cech. Our season realistically ended on the day that Van Persie was ruled out. Had he played today we'd have got a result from this game. Without him we are blunt in attack when it really matters against the top sides. He scored from 2 half chances to win us the game there last season, we don't have anyone else capable of that.

If some people turn on Wenger in the summer over his failure to sign a striker in January I think they'll have every right. We'dgot ourselves into a challenging position. But if you cannot score against the top sides you won't win the league. It's ok saying Chamakh will be coming next season, but United and Chelsea might have improved by then as well. This season was a massive chance. And by not replacing Van Persie, we've blown it.

Chamakh's goalscoing record is shit, wouldnt be the answer to what Arsenal are looking for imo. Whats his best season league goals wise. 14 i think it was when they won the league. Forget about him and look elsewhere. The bigman at Wolfsberg would be a far better option. Will be OK to play alongside RVP but ouldnt want to depend on him if the Dutch kid gets injured again. I'd still go for the lad from the German side though

21 in all comps last season. But it's not just his goalscoring, he's quick goes in behind, can hold it up can win it in the air. I personally think the guy would be top class in the Premiership. I'd not seen a lot of him before we were linked in the summer, but I have watched a lot of him since then, and he's been top draw, even in the CL against good opposition sch as Juve and Bayern.

Dzeko is class don't get me wrong and more of a goalscorer.... but he doesn't move as well as Chamakh and he is £25million worth of footballer, whereas come the summer Chamakh is free.

EDIT: Just to point out as well, that he played wide right in his early years, was only last season that he moved to playing up front regularly.

We'll see but for me wont be the answer if RVP gets injured. Seen him play loads times awell and many of them live on setanta sports. Better options out there but is more of a Wenger type player than the big fella

You also have to remember Staks that Henry, Van Persie, Adebayor.... none of them had great goalscoring records before Wenger took them.

Anyway.... it's beside the point who we get in the summer. The point is we should have bought in January.

Yes i know giving my opinion now rather than a year or two after you get him.

Once again we agree on something too regarding where he should have added to the side

I 100% agree with you Prof about Wengers refusal to bring in a striker. He's been dithering with an age and he left the window pass without making a single move. As big a mistake as he's ever made IMO.

... and for the record, I think Chamakh would be a great signing for Arsenal.