Any player who has had the opportunity to raise a Premier League trophy high above their heads as their supporters chant their names from the stands will tell you that it is no small feat. Not only does a team have to have a solid defence who are willing to put themselves in the line of fire, a creative, yet disciplined midfield who can provide killer balls and protect their defenders all at once and a number of goalscoring threats who make opposing fans hold their breath whenever they receive the ball, they also need good a healthy dose of luck along the way.

It’s a combination Arsenal have sorely missed since they won the title last in 2004. However, slowly but surely, Arsene Wenger has been rebuilding the squad to try and match the success the Gunners had in the early 2000s, and judging by the back-to-back FA cup wins the team secured in the 2013-2014 and 2014-2015, it looks like the team is finally on there way to glory.

However, despite Wenger fixing the imbalance in the team by scrapping his normal transfer policy of buying young, cheap players with an abundance of raw talent and purchasing more seasoned players who have proven themselves at the top level already, there’s still something missing.

With the purchases of Gabriel Paulista and Petr Cech in 2015, the Arsenal defence look better than they have in nearly a decade, the competition for places in the midfield is simply staggering yet it’s up front which is leaving something to be desired.

Of course, Alexis Sanchez showed how much of a wonderful player he is in his debut season for the Gunners, bagging 25 goals, plus a number of assists to boot. Sadly for Arsenal fans, Sanchez was really the only forward hitting such lofty heights.

Both Giroud and Walcott were out for large parts of the season and although their contributions to a relatively successful season were certainly appreciated, with Giroud getting a healthy haul of 19 goals last season and Walcott scoring in the FA cup final, the squad still missed a true killer striker up front. Enter Karim Benzema.

Reports from Spain suggest the 27-year-old Frenchman could be on his way out of Real Madrid after six goal-laden seasons, and apparently his next club could be on the red side of North London. And what a purchase Benzema would be for the Gunners. In fact, it’s the type of player fans have been craving for some time now.

At 27, he’s coming into those prime years as a player where he’s at his physical peak and he understands the game fully and is an explosive player who is not only fast but strong too.

His combination of strength and great pace not only allows him to be able to shrug off tackles but burst away from them too, something Giroud is incapable of. Giroud is not a bad player, but he’s not enough. He lacks pace and is so one-footed that if the ball goes onto his right side he’ll try to strike it with his left regardless of how awkward the angle.

To give the Benzema’s France teammate some credit, he has shown improvement each season, but unless he somehow even gained a modicum of speed over the summer he still probably wouldn’t beat a good defender in a foot race.

Walcott’s absence through injury means the jury is still out on whether or not he will become the top striker Arsenal fans prayed he would be. Is it worth the risk putting trust in him when he’s only shown patches of greatness?

While he gave fans a wonderful moment when he scored the winner again Manchester United in the FA cup this year, Danny Welbeck looked wholly unconvincing in his first season as an Arsenal player. Alexis Sanchez could probably be a wonderful striker, but taking him off the wing and not allowing him to use his energy up and down the pitch would be a significant miss.

Benzema offers Arsenal pace, power and precision, all the qualities the Gunners’ forward line needs. Let’s face it, if you can score over 100 goals for Real Madrid, when Cristiano Ronaldo is a goalscoring king and the sole focus is on him, you’re probably a pretty damn good striker.

If Wenger truly wants to break his Premier League curse and prove his numerous critics and doubters wrong he has to sign someone like Benzema, otherwise next season could be more of the same for Arsenal fans. How disappointing would that be?

An exciting draw to welcome us back into the Premier League season was much needed after a what seemed like a very long international break. Both teams were looking to prove themselves after some shuffling on both team’s line-ups and less than stellar starts for the defending Champions and the hungry Arsenal side. Between injuries and new strikers, one point a piece will likely suit both teams nicely but we rated the players on both teams to see how they stacked up.

Arsenal

Wojciech Szczesny – 6
Made some solid saves throughout the game but probably should have done better with Demichelis’ header for the second goal.

Mathieu Debuchy – 6
The Frenchman looked pretty good throughout the game, defending well and attacking down the right successfully. Sadly for him he picked up what could be quite a bad injury late into the second half.

Laurent Koscielny – 6
Koscielny didn’t have the worst of games but you’d expect him to have done a little bit better in the centre of defence alongside Mertesacker. Aguero had his and Mertesacker’s number while he was on the pitch.

Per Mertesacker – 6
His lack of pace meant that the big German was left standing by Aguero numerous times throughout the game. Despite that, he passed the ball well to other players and as the game went on he started to become more of a force on the pitch.

Nacho Monreal – 6
Monreal was run ragged by Jesus Navas and simply couldn’t keep up with his pace. While his defending left something to be desired, he ran down the left wing well and put in some decent crosses.

Mathieu Flamini – 6
A no frills performance from Flamini, who was the anchorman in midfield today ahead of Arteta. He gave Arsenal fans an energetic, hard-tackling performance yet he just lacks that extra bit of pace and size.

Aaron Ramsey – 7
Ramsey might be still feeling effects from the ankle injury he obtained while playing for Wales against Andorra earlier on in the week as he wasn’t quite as energetic as he usually is. However, his mind was sharp as he picked out a lovely ball for Wilshere’s goal.

Jack Wilshere – 8 (Man of the Match)
If anyone had any doubts as to whether Jack Wilshere can perform in the big games, then they don’t have now. This is arguably the best game he’s had since Arsenal played Barcelona in the Champions League a few years ago. He was tenacious, passed the ball well, didn’t stop running and he topped it off with an exquisite goal.

Mesut Ozil – 4
Maybe it’s because he’s still feeling the ankle injury that kept him out of the international games recently or maybe he’s still getting used to this intriguing forward line that Arsenal have at the minute. Regardless, Ozil still had a poor, poor game today against Manchester City.

His passing was woeful, he failed to track back at all and the shots he did take almost looked Yaya Sanogo-esque. Probably a bit too harsh but he needs to buck up his ideas otherwise he’ll find himself on the bench.

Alexis Sanchez – 7.5
The Chilean is quickly becoming a bit of an Arsenal hero with these recent performances. Firstly, his goal was absolutely spectacular and well-worthy of being a game winner. Besides that, his passing was good, he showed fantastic individual skill throughout the game and he tracked back whenever he lost the ball.

Danny Welbeck – 6.5
‘Welbz’ had a decent debut for Arsenal today and showed how enthusiastic he was by chasing down the ball at every opportunity and troubling defenders during his time on the pitch. He nearly scored an audacious chip over Joe Hart early in the first half but it wasn’t to be. If he wasn’t playing against arguably the best centre back in the world he probably would’ve got himself a goal today.

SUBS

David Ospina

Kieran Gibbs

Mikel Arteta – 5
Didn’t have enough time to really get into the game.

Lukasz Podolski

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain – 5
The Ox came on for Welbeck late in the second half but wasn’t able to make much of an impact.

Santi Cazorla

Calum Chambers – 6
Was given the task of stopping Kolarov during the last few moments and was just about able to handle him.

Manchester City

Joe Hart – 6
Besides from picking the ball out of the net a couple of times, Hart didn’t really have much to do today. He made a couple of early saves but they weren’t even close to making the England number one work too hard.

Pablo Zabaleta – 7
The Argentinian showed why he’s not only the best right back in the Premier League, but why he’s keeping Bacary Sagna on the bench. He made Alexis and Ozil work for everything down the right hand side and was decent going forward too.

Vincent Kompany – 7.5
Kompany played fantastic today and showed why, in my opinion, he’s the best centre back in the world. Strong in the air, aggressive in the tackle and brilliant positioning allowed him to block off many of Arsenal’s offensive threats.

Martin Demichelis – 7
Despite many thinking he’s the weak-link in the Manchester City defence, the Argentinian didn’t look too shabby today. He had a bit of trouble dealing with Welbeck’s pace and power, but he did just enough to put the English man off. He also managed to score a very good header to earn his team a point.

Gael Clichy – 7
A fitting performance from the former Arsenal man today. He’s still a bit weak defensively, but he makes up for it with great attacking play. He nearly scored a lovely goal after robbing it from Mesut Ozil – who failed to track back – before just chipping it wide of the goal.

Fernandinho – 7.5
Fernandinho was an absolute unit in midfield and was probably the team’s best player. His dogged determination to breakdown every Arsenal attack is probably what kept Manchester City in it today, as he charged down the likes of Welbeck, Wilshere and Ramsey continuously until he was taken off.

Frank Lampard – 5
Lampard looked old and out of sorts during this game. He couldn’t keep up with Wilshere or Ramsey and simply couldn’t boss the midfield like he used too.

Jesus Navas – 7
Energetic down the right wing and caused Nacho Monreal countless amounts of pain with his pace and crossing ability. Played a lovely ball to Aguero for the first goal and was a constant threat.

David Silva – 7
Lovely performance from the Spaniard as he showed off magnificent passing to try and unlock Arsenal’s defence. Could’ve linked up a little bit better with Aguero during the first half but he was able to spray the ball to others around him regardless.

James Milner – 6
Had a great duel with Mathieu Debuchy during the first half as the two went tit-for-tat, but besides that and a few decent crosses, he didn’t have much of an impact on the game.

Sergio Aguero – 7
Aguero showed why he’s considered one of the best strikers in the Premier League today. His runs were stupendous and his killer instinct in front of goal is what led to City’s first goal today. He doesn’t quite seem fully fit yet but when he is he’ll be a handful.

SUBS

Willy Caballero

Alexsandar Kolarov – 7
Kolarov came on and made all the difference today, causing absolute havoc with his passing and shooting. Nearly scored a sensational goal that struck the post.

Bacary Sagna

Eliaquim Mangala

Samir Nasri – 6
Despite quite clearly trying to get a foothold on the game, Nasri was pretty poor today. His passing and shooting was a bit off and he seemed as if he was trying too hard. Nearly scored a late winner but was offside.

Scott Sinclair

Edin Dzeko – 6
Used his power to try and disrupt the Arsenal defence and nearly caused Laurent Koscielny to score an own goal late in the second half but didn’t really get a shot off of his own.

After a hard fought equal match, Leicester City earned another point with a 1-1 draw against Arsenal at home. Alexis Sanchez scored his Arsenal goal in the 20th minute but Leicester’s Leonardo Ulloa quickly equalized in the 22nd minute. Injuries continue to effect Arsenal, as Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain injured his calf later in the game and Mesut Ozil sustained an ankle injury as well.

Arsenal

Wojciech Szczesny – 6
Szczesny had a solid game for Arsenal today. Despite not having much to do, when he was called upon and commanded the box well. He also made a great save from a Jamie Vardy shot in the second half that probably earned Arsenal a point.

Mathieu Debuchy – 6
The Frenchman has impressed Arsenal fans with his great defensive work and attacking prowess, however he looked a little subdued today. Maybe it was the quality of Leicester City’s left back and left winger or maybe he just wasn’t connecting with those in front of him very well but he wasn’t as effective as he has been.

Mertesacker – 6
Mertesacker is an important presence in the Arsenal back four, as he reads the ball very well which makes up for his lack of pace. While most of the time he swept up the ball well he made some mistakes today, especially when Koscielny came off. It’s difficult for Mertesacker to do what Laurent does because he hasn’t got the pace to get there and often gets found out because of it, which was the case in today’s game.

Koscielny – 6
Although he looked good at the start of the game, Koscielny didn’t really get a chance to put his stamp on the game as he was subbed in the first half.. He suffered a head injury when he butted skulls with Leicester City’s Schlupp and wasn’t the since that moment. He must’ve suffered a concussion as he was at direct fault for the goal that got Leicester the point.

Monreal – 6
Decent showing from Monreal today. He completed his defensive without too much fuss and even got up the pitch on occasion. However, when he did get the opportunity to cross the ball into the box it wasn’t very good.

Flamini – 7
Flamini might not be the defensive midfielder Arsenal fans are crying out for but he’s the one they have and in this game he showed that he can still boss a game in midfield. The Frenchman was a constant pain for Leicester players as the scurried around, nipping at the heels of the boys in blue. He certainly has his flaws but he’s got enough bite to make up for it.

Ramsey – 5
Not a great game from the Welshman as he was unable to impose his onto the game. Arsenal fans have become so used to seeing him make his fantastic runs into the box and scoring goals however he simply didn’t have it in him today.

Cazorla – 6
Cazorla played very well today, passing the ball accurately, creating chances, but most importantly, doing his defensive duties. Although some of them could be considered to be ‘heart in mouth’ moments, he was able to wriggle away from challenges outside of his box and pass it onto a player in a good position. That deserves kudos.

Ozil – 5
Another poor game for Ozil today. I’m not sure if it’s a loss of form, whether or not he can handle the Premier League or simply because Arsene Wenger is not playing in the right position because Arsenal fans have yet to see the real Mesut Ozil play for them and it’s starting to become an enigma as to why.

His passing was poor, he wasn’t making the right runs to receive the ball and his first touch was barely there. I still believe that if you give him a world class striker (more on that in a minute) to work with then he can be dangerous. Until then, he’s wasting away.

Alexis – 7
Despite looking tired after an exhausting game against Besiktas on Wednesday night, Alexis managed to add to his goal tally for the season with the opening goal of the game after tapping in a cross-shot from Yaya Sanogo.

He drove towards the box was conviction and he battled for the ball well relentlessly. It would’ve been nice if he managed to score another goal, but it’s hard to blame him when the service was poor in the first place.

Sanogo – 4
This was supposed to be the game where Yaya Sanogo proved to the Arsenal management and the fans that they don’t need to go out and buy a striker. Sadly, he failed miserably.

His striking was mindbogglingly terrible, he could barely bring in any of the players around him in and when he did manage to do it and assist the Alexis goal, it was because he wasn’t sure if he should or pass the ball – it was a mistake and he made runs that probably made Ozil want to clock his eye balls out.

With Giroud sidelined until the end of the year and Theo Walcott injury about as injury prone as Kieran Gibbs, Arsenal need another striker. And that’s not Sanogo.

SUBS

Martinez
Chambers – 6
Did good to replace Koscielny. Rushed in a bit sometimes but played well most of the time.

Rosicky
Campbell
Wilshere
Oxlade-Chamberlain – 6
Made some decent runs, but he didn’t have enough time to make a real impact.

Podolski – 6
Probably deserved more time on the pitch than he got and he wasn’t able to make an impact with the amount of time that he had

Leicester City

Kasper Schmeichel – 6
Schmeichel probably should’ve done better with the goal but otherwise Arsenal’s lack of real threatening attempts on goal and his defender’s solid work made it a quiet night for the Dane.

Ritchie De Laet – 7
De Laet had a impressive game tonight, subduing anyone who drifted onto the right wing but also providing a threat of his own with some lovely runs and 1,2’s Riyad Mahrez and David Nugent.

Wes Morgan – 8
The Leicester City captain was an absolute rock at the heart of the defence today. He dealt with Sanogo almost effortlessly and was willing to throw himself in front of the ball at all times. An inspiring performance from the Jamaican centre back.

Liam Moore – 7
Moore seems to have created a good understanding with Morgan as he’s able to read the game well and cover him if he’s ever left standing. Although he didn’t have to do that too much tonight, he did do his job without too much fuss and good defensive awareness and that was important to see for Leicester fans.

Paul Konchesky – 6
You know what you’re going to get from Paul Konchesky at this point, no-nonense, textbook defending and the odd run into the opponent’s box. He did that tonight and was very good at it but he didn’t do anything too special.

Riyad Mahrez – 7
The pace and power of Mahrez provided and interesting threat to the right flank of Leicester’s attack. He linked up well with Ritchie De Laet and really kept Nacho Monreal on his toes throughout the game.

Andy King – 6
King wasn’t very noticeable in the midfield tonight. With the likes of Ozil, Ramsey and Cazorla hanging around the middle of the park, he had to do a lot of chasing around and trying to get the ball back.

Dean Hammond – 6
Much like his midfield partner Hammond’s main focus was trying to win the ball back in the midfield and he didn’t do too bad of a job tonight in doing that. Could’ve been a little more adventurous but showed good discipline in staying tonight to Arsenal’s central players.

Jeff Schlupp – 7
One of the reason’s for Debuchy’s subdued performance was this man, Jeff Schlupp. He had brilliant pace and strength and he whipped in a lovely ball for the goal. His end-product could certainly do with a little bit of work but he’s got the raw skills to become a tricky player and he showed that today.

David Nugent – 6
Didn’t quite get into the game as much as he hoped he was but Nugent was able to make some very good passes to teammates when it most counted. He’d probably wanted to make more of an impact with shots though.

Leonardo Ulloa – 8 (Man of the Match)
Leonardo Ulloa really gave the Arsenal back four some trouble today. He’s great in the air as we saw with his goal and he’s got good feet for a big man too. He could’ve made it two goals and if he wasn’t absolutely shattered he probably would’ve.

Subs
Ben Hamer
Danny Drinkwater – 6
Decent showing from Drinkwater as he managed to crack off a decent shot that Szczesny comfortably saved.

Jamie Vardy – 6
Good introduction to the Premier League from Vardy. Nearly snatched the winner with a nice shot but Szczesny made a good save to stop it from going in.

Marc Albrighton – 6
Came on in the second half and looked to get into the game but wasn’t able to make much of an impact.

Esteban Cambiasso
Marcin Wasilewski
Chris Wood

Arsenal started off the 2014/2015 Premier League game with a late win against a very defensively sturdy Crystal Palace side. Hangeland opened the scoring with a good header in the first half, yet a good header from Laurent Koscielny and a tap-in from Aaron Ramsey earned Arsenal their first three points of the season. We look at the key points to take from this game.

1. Aaron Ramsey is no one season wonder

One of the biggest questions coming into the start of the Premier League season was whether or Aaron Ramsey could continue the goalscoring form he had last season. It seems as if that question was answered with his performance against Palace, constantly making runs into the box before he scored the late equalizer. If he’s able to stay fit and keep his levels consistent, then the Welshman could have a hell of a season.

2. Solid debuts all around

Three of the four Arsenal new boys made their debut today and all three looked good. Most eyes were on Sanchez and he showed some glimpses as to why he and some Barcelona fans referred to him as ‘jugadoraso’ during his time with the Catalan giants, making Ward look foolish with some of his exquisite tricks and flicks. He was also frustrating though, sending passes astray and launching bad crosses into the box. His crowning moment was setting up Arsenal’s first goal.

A lot was made about 19-year old Calum Chambers starting at centre back for the Gunners but he seemed to slot in perfectly in the back four and showed maturity beyond his years. His ability to read the play kept the likes of Campbell and Chamakh at bay for the entire game.

Lastly, Debuchy played well at right back, defending well and attacking even better. He looks like a fantastic buy after the loss of Sagna to Manchester City

3. Arsenal really needs another striker

Every time Yaya Sanogo starts a game, it becomes increasingly more clear that Arsenal really do need another striker. Even though he works hard and is a physical presence among the centre backs, Sanogo clearly isn’t ready for the Premier League quite yet. Giroud has proven that he’s a good striker who could potentially bang in 20 goals a season but he’s not mobile enough to score them against the big teams.

Edinson Cavani is the latest name to be linked to the Gunners and if he’s available for a fair enough price, Wenger would be foolish not to snatch him up.

4. Set piece woes

I’m not 100% sure what it is about zonal marking that Arsenal players didn’t quite understand today but they need to quickly get a grasp of it otherwise they may not be so lucky in their next game. We all know that the idea is attack the ball if it lands in the zone the player is covering. However, there needs to be a little more common sense between the players when Alexis, one of the smallest players on the pitch, has to deal with a behemoth like Brede Hangeland.

If someone like Szczesny or Mikel Arteta told one of the bigger players to swap with Alexis and go into his area, then Arsenal may not have conceded a goal in the first half.

5. Wilshere answered the critics

A lot of eyes were on the young English man today after he was scrutinized over the summer for smoking while on holiday in Las Vegas and seemingly not reaching the heights many believed he could during the beginning of his career.

While he didn’t quite light up the stage like his midfield partner Aaron Ramsey, Wilshere did look solid in midfield, passing the ball well and drawing a lot of free kicks from the Crystal Palace players. If he continues to take it step-by-step, then he could have the season many are hoping he will.

Arsenal snatched a victory out of the hands of defeat with a 2-1 victory against London rivals Crystal Palace in their first Premier League match of the 2014/15 season.

Despite the turmoil going on inside of the club due to Tony Pulis leaving his position as manager on Thursday night, Palace put up a solid effort, with new centre back Brede Hangeland scoring from a good header. However, the Eagles was ultimately undone by goals from Laurent Koscielny and last year’s Arsenal Player of the Year Aaron Ramsey.

ARSENAL

Wojciech Szczesny – 6
Szczesny had a relatively quiet game except for a mistake in the first half where a bad clearance nearly led to a goal. Besides that, he was rarely troubled by the Crystal Palace attack.

Mathieu Debuchy – 7
A good, solid Premier League debut for the French international. He was both solid in defense and attack. He caused Ward endless amounts of trouble with his pace. Was also involved in the late goal, nearly putting it past Speroni before Ramsey scored the follow-up.

Calum Chambers – 7
Calum Chambers seems to be living up to the hype as he put in a decent shift at centre back. Very good covering and all-round defensive work, with his only mishap being getting a yellow card after dragging Fraizer Campbell down in the first half.

Laurent Koscielney – 7
He made a mistake for Hangeland’s goal, but scored a goal to make up for it. It was a Jekyll and Hyde performance from Laurent Koscielny. He allowed Hangeland to get the better of him for Crystal Palace’s goal, but scored a lovely header to put Arsenal level. He was a lot more solid in the second half, making some decent interceptions.

Kieran Gibbs – 6
Didn’t have much trouble down the right and made some good runs down the line and into Palace’s box. However, he was able to build on his performance after he came off with an injury in the second half.

Jack Wilshere – 6
Wilshere had a decent game in the midfield today. He tackled well, linked up with the forwards and his other midfielders too.

Mikel Arteta – 7
In his first game as Arsenal captain, Mikel Arteta looked solid as a defensive playmaker, protecting the back four relatively well and quickly passing the ball onto the more creative players.

Alexis Sanchez – 7
Alexis showed glimpses of quality during the game, unleashing some magnificent passes. However, he a few misplaced passes along the way. His set piece led to Koscielny’s goal.

Aaron Ramsey – 8 (Man of the Match)
The Welshman buzzed around the pitch the entire game, making good runs into the box and linking up well with all the creative players around him, especially Alexis. His knack for goal-scoring continues as he put one past Speroni in extra time.

Santi Cazorla – 4
Terrible performance from Cazorla. His passing wasn’t accurate, his set pieces were all over the place and he didn’t really do much in front of goal either. He lacked the pace to really threaten the Crystal Palace defense.

Yaya Sanogo – 5
More of the same from Sanogo as the Frenchman worked hard, yet was unable to really do anything substantial. He didn’t make the right runs and his shooting was non-existent.

SUBS


Olivier Giroud – 6
Giroud was a definite step-up from Sanogo and nearly scored a goal himself.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain – 6
The Ox looked out of sorts when he came on with some of his passes going all over the place. However, he did put in a lovely cross that led to the late winner.

Nacho Monreal – 6
Came on for Gibbs and played pretty much like him too. Solid defensive work mixed in with good attacking runs.

CRYSTAL PALACE

Julian Speroni – 6
Speroni commanded his back four commendably, but was unable to stop Koscielny and Ramsey putting two past him. Was also quite prone to time wasting during the game.

Martin Kelly – 7
Despite not starting an entire game last season and having a ton of injuries, Kelly looked good at right back, defending solidly and blocking off Cazorla well.

Scott Dann – 7
Solid game from Dann as he was one of the main reasons why Crystal Palace was able to hold on for as long as they did. His presence on the field was missed when he had to come off in the second half.

Brede Hangeland – 7
Decent debut from the former Fulham man. He defended well and stopped a number of Arsenal chances. Scored a great header to open up the scoring.

Joel Ward – 5
Playing at left back, Ward struggled with the combined forces of Alexis and Debuchy who mostly kept him on his weaker left side.

Jason Puncheon – 4
Puncheon didn’t have much of an impact on this game until he was sent off for a second yellow card. Gibbs and Monreal kept him quiet all game.

Mile Jedinak – 7.5
Brilliant performance from Jedinak. His protection of the back four was fantastic. He broke down a number of Arsenal attacks and was energetic in the middle of the park. If the game had been a draw, then he would’ve clearly been the man of the match.

Joe Ledley – 6.5
Put a lot of pressure on Mikel Arteta during the first half before they got the goal but as Crystal Palace sat deeper and tried to gain a point, his influence on the game lessened.

Yannick Bolasie – 5
There’s not much to say about Bolasie during this game. It seems as if he barely got a touch of the ball and was more involved in defending then attacking.

Marouane Chamakh – 7
Strong aerial presence, but didn’t cause much trouble otherwise. Despite getting a yellow card for persistent fouling, Chamakh was a nuisance for Arsenal. He was very physical in the air and defended set pieces well too.

Frazier Campbell – 6
Campbell looked energetic on his debut,using his pace to buzz around the box. However, he didn’t do much to trouble Szczesny in terms of shots.

SUBS

Stuart O’Keefe – 5
Came on as a substitute and didn’t have much impact.

Dwight Gayle – 5
The former Arsenal youth player didn’t have much time to get the draw for Palace.

Damien Delaney – 5
Came on for an injured Scott Dann but wasn’t able to defend as well as him.

Former Arsenal captain Thomas Vermaelen has finally left the Gunners after making 150 appearances and scoring 15 goals. However, the writing has been on the wall for a very long time when it comes to the Belgian leaving and no-one is really surprised.

Despite the loss that comes with it, Wenger has admitted that signing another center back before the end of the transfer window is a priority for the Gunners. Even Arsenal legend and central defense supremo Tony Adams believes that the Gunners need to strengthen their back four.

“Defensively, I think it’s going to be a huge loss. I put them [Arsenal] down as third before Thomas went. Thomas goes, you’re struggling to get in the top four.” Adams explained BBC Radio 5 Live.

Not that arguing with ‘Mr Arsenal’ himself is something many would suggest, but I’m sure some may say that selling Vermaelen was a good bit of business. £15 million for a injury prone, 28-year old centre back who is in last year of contract and doesn’t have a chance of dislodging either Per Mertesacker or Laurent Koscielny from the middle of the defense sounds like a bargain.

With Arsenal now flexing their financial muscle this summer, plus an extra £15 million in the bank, we take a look at who ‘Le Professeur’ might bring into the squad to challenge for places.

KOSTAS MANOLAS

If Kostas Manolas sounds familiar then it’s probably because you remember him from last year’s Champions League. The 23 year old Greece international has slowly but surely made a name for himself in the Greek league while playing for AEK Athens, and more recently, Olympiakos.

The first thing many people will notice about Manolas is that he has an absolutely incredible leap on him. When it comes to attacking and defending set pieces he would definitely be an asset for any team. He also reads the game quite well and he’s got enough pace to keep up with  Robin Van Persie, and although RVP is far from a speed merchant, he’s still outpaced quite a few defenders in his time.

EDER ALVAREZ BALANTA

This Colombian powerhouse is well-known to those who spend hours playing Football Manager. However he’s no Freddy Adu or Darijo Srna. He looks to be the complete package. At 5’11½, he’s shorter than both Koscielny and Mertesacker, but what he lacks in height he makes up for in speed and athleticism.

Balanta has an outstanding leap, is very strong so is unlikely to be muscled off the ball and can also read the game well. He’s ability to play at left back and his ball playing abilities are similar to that of Thomas Vermaelen, but he’s got less big game experience than the Belgian. He can certainly fill in for Mertesacker or Koscielny in the smaller games and with enough experience he could turn into something more.

DANIEL AGGER

Purchasing Daniel Agger from Liverpool may sound like a good move to some fans, however there are a lot of variables that hinge on how good a move it actually would be. We all know what the Dane brings to the table. He’s a solid defender who has Champions League experience, has won trophies in his career and, on the odd occasion, can turn up with an absolute cracker of a goal.

It really depends on how much Liverpool want for him and if he has a clean bill of health. He can be an asset but what’s the point in getting rid of one injury prone player just to bring in another?

NEVEN SUBOTIC

If you’re a fan of the Bundesliga, then you’ve seen plenty of Neven Subotic. The Serbian has really made Borussia Dortmund’s defense his own over the last few years and, while others have left, he has stayed and helped the club stay as close to the top of the division as possible.

He’s not the fastest of players, but like Mertesacker, he reads the game exceptionally well and seems to be almost a step ahead of his opponents. Despite being 25-years old he’s got a ton of experience as he’s won the Bundesliga twice and has played in a Champions League final. He’s a winner, a leader and would give some added quality to the team.

INIGO MARTINEZ

Arsene Wenger and Spanish prospects seem to go together like peanut butter and jam these days. The Frenchman always seems to be the on the lookout for talent in La Liga and there’s no doubt that he’s cast his on the 23 year old Spain international at some point.

Sure Spain didn’t exactly light up the World Cup, but there’s no doubt that they’ve still got quality players with the likes of Inigo Martinez in their back four. He’s a persistent centre back who pressures attackers closely, much like Koscielny does for Arsenal now. He’s also quite a technically gifted centre back who has an eye for goal. It would be an interesting purchase for Wenger and might cost him a bit of money too, but that doesn’t seem to stop him these days.

Of course, it would also be interesting if he took a centre back from the Arsenal youth team and bled them into the team. Ignasi Miguel has looked quite good whenever he’s got a chance in the first team and looks to be quite a threat on set-plays, while there have been some rumblings regarding the potential of Isaac Hayden too. Regardless of what he chooses to do, Arsenal cannot hope to win anything with just two trustworthy centre halves so a decision must be made and made swiftly.

For more Gunners news, visit the Arsenal team page.

For the first time in a long time, Arsenal has had a productive summer transfer window and fans are ecstatic about what the team can achieve this year. Wenger has brought in Chilean superstar Alexis Sanchez, former Newcastle United right back Mathieu Debuchy and 19 year old Calum Chambers from Southampton. As we saw on Sunday, they’ve all settled in very well as fans witnessed during the Community Shield game.

But are they enough to help Arsenal make a real run at the title and other trophies this season? Despite the positive moves Arsenal has made in transfer market to bolster up the side that won the FA Cup last year, there are still some questions and concerns regarding the squad and how well they can do this season.

1. Is Jack Wilshere The Answer to Defensive Midfield Worries?

One of the main problems Arsenal suffered from last season was being overrun in the middle of the park by players who were much more powerful than them. Players such as Ramires, Javi Garcia and Steven Gerrard were able to push around and bully the likes of Mikel Arteta and Jack Wilshere, helping contribute to the onslaught Arsenal suffered against the other big name teams.

As soon as the season ended, the first thing many Arsenal fans begged for was a powerful anchor man who could break up the play and put a little steel into the midfield, allowing Arsenal’s many creative midfield players to play with more freedom.

So far Arsenal have been rumored to be in for every quality defensive midfielder you can think of. Sami Khedira, William Carvalho, Lars Bender and Morgan Schneiderlin have all been linked with the Gunners this summer, yet it seems as if Wenger has made the interesting decision to try and convert Jack Wilshere into a defensive midfield player. That’s right, Jack Wilshere.

Wilshere is certainly a talented footballer who has had a bad rap due to his antics off the field and the slow progress he’s made in terms of fulfilling the potential many saw in him as a teenager. However, I’ve always seen him as a box-to-box midfielder, never as a defensive anchorman.

There are a number of reasons why I don’t think he fits the role. Much like Paul Scholes – the man who chastised him last season – Wilshere has never had the best timing when it comes to tackling, his temperament during big games has always been questionable, and he’s also not the most physically imposing players on the pitch and is regularly shoved off the ball. It’s not the type of thing you want from a player who you want to protect your back four. I think my main problem with Wilshere being considered to be the answer to Arsenal’s defensive midfield ways is that he lacks the discipline for the role.

As fans witnessed on Sunday against Manchester City, Wilshere is naturally an offensive player, who enjoys breaking forward so he can create and score goals. Wenger needs to either stick with Mikel Arteta and Flamini and pray that they’ve been working on their physical strengths over the summer or bring in someone new who can be a powerhouse in the middle of the park because Jack Wilshere is not the man you’re looking for.

2. Do Arsenal Really Need Another Striker?

I don’t know how everyone else feels after Yaya Sanogo was involved in two goals and Olivier Giroud scored an absolute ripsnorter against Manchester City in the F.A Community Shield, but I’d still like to see another striker at Arsenal. We all know what Giroud brings to the table. He’s a great target man, who combines with Arsenal’s marauding midfielders very well and he’s an underrated finisher too. Sadly, he lacks the type of pace that will put fear in the hearts of defenders.

Sanogo, on the other hand, has pace, power and can also link up with the midfielders and bring them into play. However, his composure in front of goal is still a little bit suspect. The Frenchman will certainly get opportunities this season, but he still looks as if he’s finding his feet in the Premier League.

Some say Sanchez can be converted into a striker but I’d prefer to see him on the wing. If Wenger is ready to put his faith in Theo Walcott then he could be the answer fans are looking for as he’s shown in the past that he can operate through the middle and be a significant threat. Mix that in with the fluid nature of the Arsenal attack and defenders will have a problem on their hands. However, if Wenger would rather keep Walcott on the wing then he’ll need to dip into the transfer market before the end of the summer window.

3. Is Shad Forsythe The Signing Of The Season?

While all eyes have been on Alexis Sanchez since he made his move to Arsenal from Barcelona, Wenger’s most astute piece of business involved bringing highly-rated American fitness coach Shad Forsythe to the Emirates. Forsythe was part of the Germany squad that recently won the World Cup and is believed to have a strong relationship with the German contingent at Arsenal.

His arrival couldn’t have come sooner, as Arsenal’s injury woes last season put the kibosh on the North London based team winning the Premier League title, despite staying on top of the league for an incredible 128 days. Wenger can’t afford to see a repeat of that this year.

Ramsey, Walcott, Wilshere, Podolski and Ozil all spent a considerable amount of time on the sidelines and Arsenal lacked the strength in-depth needed to push on in various competitions. Wenger needed to stop whatever it was that condemned his players to long stints in the medical room and all signs suggest that he’s trying to do exactly that by adding Forsythe to the staff.

4. Can Mesut Ozil prove his doubters wrong?

A lot of people got on Mesut Ozil’s back last season and depending on how you feel about his contributions in his first season, the criticism was either justifiable or not. At the start of the season the German international looked fantastic, passing up a storm while playing just behind Giroud and even joining in with scoring goals,. Yet near the end he looked a bit jaded. Most players who are playing their first year in the English Premier League would probably be let off for slowing down in the later, but most players aren’t bought for an estimated £42.5 million pounds.

I might be in the minority, but I firmly believe that Ozil wasn’t to blame for what many perceived to be a lacklustre first season. Firstly, seven goals and 12 assists isn’t too bad for a player in his first season. Could he have added more to that tally? Of course. However, many seemed to put the sole blame of Arsenal’s lack of offensive flair down to him.

Secondly, for any team to get the best out of Ozil they need to have runners — something Arsenal lacked some times last season. Ozil’s eye for a pass is his key skill and with Alexis Sanchez now in the team, along with Ramsey, Wilshere, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Theo Walcott all hoping to make an impact this season, Ozil should have plenty of options on hand when looking for the killer pass.

5. Which Arsenal Youth Players Are Set To Make The Step-Up This Season?

At the Emirates Cup, Arsenal fans got a good glimpse of some potential future stars. Obviously Calum Chambers looked solid at center back and the 19-year old’s performances are starting to show people why Wenger bought him for £16million in the summer.

However, if Chambers is going to be playing at centre back (or even central midfield according to some reports) instead of right back this season, then I hope Wenger gives Hector Bellerin a chance at right back. Obviously, Mathieu Debuchy is the deputy right back and so he should be after he ousted Bacary Sagna from the French national team. However, Bellerin looked absolutely superb as he bursted down the right hand side against Benfica. His crossing looked superb, his pace looked stupendous and, most importantly, his defending wasn’t too shabby either.

I know Arsenal have spent some money on David Ospina but his fellow South American Damian Martinez looked pretty decent against Benfica too. I’m not saying he should be the Gunners back-up goalkeeper, but he certainly showed that he’s someone who Wenger can call upon if needed.

The January transfer window was a tough time for Arsenal fans as we saw a number of opportunities to strengthen the team fail miserably. Rumors of Diego Costa, Julian Draxler, Alvaro Morata and Miroslav Klose were all names linked with the Gunners throughout January, yet nothing seemed to pan out except for signing a player on loan who is injured for the next 6 weeks.

The thing Arsenal fans begged and pleaded for the most was for Wenger and the board to go out and purchase another striker to help take the load off of Olivier Giroud who has been consistently great at leading the line for Arsenal this season, yet an injury to the France international could be the last nail in the coffin for Arsenal’s title hopes.

While one may argue that we still have Nicklas Bendtner in case Giroud gets injured, anyone who truly believes the Dane is the replacement striker that we need to help Arsenal in their upcoming fixture run is simply delusional. He’s lacking match practice, his attitude isn’t great and he’s more likely to be on the front pages of the newspapers for his off the pitch shenanigans than being on the back pages for footballing heroics.

So what can the Gunners do? With only one trusted striker left, could it be time to turn to a 4-6-0 formation if Giroud gets injured? For example, look at Euro 2012 when Spain used Cesc Fabregas as a striker. I’ll admit that I didn’t quite understand why he was there at first. However the brilliance of the formation quickly shone through.

It’s a well-known fact that defenders like to keep things simple. They want to know who they’re marking and they want to follow them and keep them quiet throughout the game. However, with the 4-6-0 formation, it’s way more difficult to do that, as the ‘striker’ can constantly change. Does the defender follow the man who he’s been assigned to, leaving space for another midfielder to take up, or does he decide to stay put and let his man drift into spaces to collect the ball and make things happen. It’s a serious conundrum for defenders if they’re playing a good enough team, and with the creative players Arsenal have in their midfield, it could be the Plan B that’ll work.

Let’s list the names. Mesut Ozil, Santi Cazorla, Jack Wilshere, Aaron Ramsey, Tomas Rosicky, Lukasz Podoloski, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and now Kim Kallstrom. All players who have incredible creative flair, an eye for a goal and good positional awareness, the key qualities you need to pull off the formation correctly.

The big problem is that Arsenal need a big man up top these days. Not only is Giroud important for scoring goals, his link-up play is some of the best in the Premier League. His physical presence has allowed the likes of Cazorla, Wilshere, Ramsey and Ozil to get on the score sheet this season. He backs into defenders, tees up the ball for on-rushing midfielders then attempts to get into an advantageous space. His role as the perfect target man is becoming the strongest part of Arsenal’s game.

With a 4-6-0 formation, Arsenal will lose a lot of that physicality. Arsenal’s midfielders are technically gifted football players who can, if given the chance, use a burst of pace to get past their man, but they won’t be bullying anyone any time soon, making it a lot easier for defenders to predict what may happen.

With the risk of injury a constant cloud over Arsenal, Arsenal fans may soon see a line up with six midfielders, and it can either go just right or horribly wrong.

For more Arsenal coverage, visit the Arsenal team page for news, analysis and opinion.

Speculation as to who will be joining the likes of Mesut Ozil and Mathieu Flamini during the January transfer window has been rife. Even though the Gunners have looked very good so far this season, there is still room for improvement and those improvements could come in any position.

World Soccer Talk has taken a look at the players Arsenal has been linked with, what these players could bring to the table and whether or not there’s an actual chance of them coming over to North London.

1. Paul Pogba

Age: 20
Nationality: French
Position: Central Midfielder

If you’ve never seen Paul Pogba play before then I’d say he’s the closest thing France have had to Patrick Vieira in a long, long time. Of course, many believed current Gunner Abou Diaby would take over from Patrick Vieira for both Arsenal and France but injuries have seriously hampered his progress during his young years and there are serious doubts among most fans whether or not he can truly fulfill his potential.

Pogba is a more complete player than Diaby though. Aggressive, technically efficient, incredibly strong, it’s quite scary that he’s only 20 years old. A former Manchester United player, Pogba already knows what it’s like to play in England, although his time at Old Trafford is limited. With Mikel Arteta’s career winding down and Aaron Ramsey finding more success in an advance role, Pogba would be a perfect midfield partner to Flamini.  Not only would he provide extra defensive assurance to our fantastic attack, he can also join in attacks and grab himself a goal too.

Likelihood of player joining Arsenal: With Juventus president Andrea Agnelli admitting that Juventus would have to consider a big offer for a player like Pogba, there’s a chance Arsenal could get him. It truly depends on whether or not Mr Wenger thinks he’s worth the money. 6/10.

2. Ricardo van Rhijn

Age: 22
Nationality: Dutch
Position: Right back/Centre back

Even though Arsenal’s defense have looked very good this season, with the likes of Per Mertesacker, Laurent Koscielny and Kieran Gibbs being particularly impressive, a little bit more depth would do us well. It looks increasingly likely that Bacary Sagna will be leaving at the end of the season, so it would probably be best to get a player now instead of waiting. Carl Jenkinson has looked good this season but it doesn’t feel as if Wenger has full trust in him yet, that’s where a player like Ricardo van Rhijn could come into play.

Firstly, he’s versatile, which is always good to have in your team. Adept at playing right back and centre back his positioning is pretty good. He’s very composed and knows how to defend and attack without difficulty, such is the Dutch way. He also has international experience, and for a player of his age to break into one of the best squads in the world already should speak volumes of what people think of him.

Likelihood of player joining Arsenal: Arsenal isn’t the only club interested in getting van Rhijn’s signature, with a host of Italian clubs and Premier League rival Chelsea. However with Dennis Bergkamp at Ajax, the former Gunner could convince his fellow Dutchman to come to Arsenal. 6/10.

3. Fernando Llorente

Age: 28
Nationality: Spain
Position: Striker

Even though Olivier Giroud has absolutely played his heart out s far this season and has also had a significant amount of goal support from Aaron Ramsey, Arsenal are in dire need of some support up front. Fernando Llorente has been a name continuously thrown about, even though he’s only just moved to Juventus this season.

With 135 goals in 384 career appearances, Llorente isn’t the most prolific of strikers, but like Giroud his team play is magnificent. He is very much a complete forward, providing balls for the midfielder and troubling defences with his strength in the air.

Likelihood of player joining Arsenal: He’s only just joined Juventus so it’s hard to figure out whether or not a move could be made, but like Paul Pogba, for the right money Juventus could most definitely sell him. 4/10.

4. Julian Draxler

Age: 20
Position: Midfielder
Nationality: German

At 20 years old, Julian Draxler’s potential is still relatively unknown, but what we do know right now is that he’s one of the best attacking talents to come out of Germany in recent times, which is strong praise considering the Germany has been churning out incredible players as of late, including recent Arsenal signee Mesut Ozil.

Both footed and with a sharp eye for the goal, Draxler nearest comparison would be former Gunner Samir Nasri. Like Nasri he also has a quick turn of pace and he also has exquisite passing. One thing about him is that he’d fit in with the Arsenal way of football instantly. He’s incredibly unselfish and is a real team player. If he can continue to grow as a player, we could be looking at someone who could be one of the best players in the world.

Likelihood of player joining Arsenal: Draxler has a number of suitors around Europe and if Arsenal were to make a bid, they would be in for a serious battle. Draxler has mentioned that he dreams of playing for one of Europe’s top clubs, and considering Arsenal currently has a very strong German contingent he could very well be tempted to join the German revolution that is happening right now at Arsenal. 6/10

5. Saido Berahino

Age: 20
Position: Striker
Nationality: English

As mentioned when talking about Fernando Llorente, Arsenal is in desperate need of back up for Olivier Giroud. Llorente could be a significant long shot, but West Brom’s Saido Berahino could very well be a decent alternative.

He’s in the last year of his contract with West Brom, he’s only on £850-per-week and more importantly, he’s completely burst onto the scene out of nowhere and announced himself as a near-certain future star for England.

When he played against Arsenal in the league cup he scored a lovely goal, and when they played Arsenal in the league he and Sessegnon gave the defence fits. He’s strong, very skilful and clearly good in goal. One thing that managers always worry about regarding young players is how they’ll react in big games.

Will they rise to the occasion or simply go into their shell and become ineffectual? Clearly the Gunners wouldn’t need to worry about that with Berahino who has shown the testicular fortitude to take the game to not just Arsenal, but Manchester United too.

Likelihood of player joining Arsenal: Saido Berahino is in the best possible position he could be in as a player. He’s going to be a part of a massive bidding war with some of the biggest teams in the Premier League and he’s got the pick of them. One may believe that he’ll see what Wenger has done with a number of young, British talents recently and think that Arsenal will be the best place for him to grow as a player. The truth is, only Saido knows what he’ll do next and he’s got a hard choice to make. 6/10.

How many Arsenal supporters scratched their heads when Arsene Wenger announced  the re-signing of former gunner Mathieu Flamini after his contract ran out at AC Milan? He wasn’t the big name signing Arsenal fans so desperately wanted. He wasn’t Lars Bender, Sami Khedira or Paul Pogba — names that had been thrown around in the media after the club announced a rather extravagant war chest Wenger was given to spend during the summer transfer window.

The opinion of most Arsenal fans was that Flamini was just a back-up player, someone Arsenal could rotate in and out of the team to keep other players fresh. He’d do a decent job, but he wasn’t going to change games or help the Gunners win a title.

Prior to Flamini re-joining Arsenal, the main thing Arsenal fans remember about him was that Arsenal offered him a new contract but he decided to leave on a free to AC Milan. In the eyes of some Arsenal fans, he didn’t show the club the respect it deserved. In reality, this was a perfect example of short-term memories by English football fans, and their love for revisionist history.

Flamini left because Arsenal didn’t show the faith in him that he deserved. There was a point where he was filling it at left back for Arsenal, doing a solid job and starting games, yet it wasn’t his preferred position. He became restless and wanted to prove he could do a job in the middle.

Once he was given his chance within the engine room at Arsenal alongside Cesc Fabregas, he began to show just how important he was for Arsenal. He wasn’t the tallest, strongest, fastest nor the most technically gifted player on the pitch, but his aggressive approach and unwavering determination in the middle was just what the doctor needed.

Arsenal have always been a club where flamboyant players would hypnotize fans with their beautiful football, but not since Gilberto Silva has the club truly had a midfield general. Arsenal have sorely missed someone who was willing to put in a shift ahead of the defense and break down play. That was Flamini.

When Flamini initially left Arsenal in 2008, it was reportedly because the club was unwilling to increase his wages by a significant amount.

Meanwhile, all the headlines — since the start of the season — have focused on the likes of Mesut Ozil, Aaron Ramsey and Olivier Giroud. They’ve been the creative and goal-scoring forces at Arsenal so far, helping the team begin to play the type of football the fans have become accustomed to over the years.

However, as eye-catching as their play has been, chances are they wouldn’t be able to produce the goods quite as well as they could without Flamini supporting the defense quite like he has.

Would Aaron Ramsey be the box-to-box dynamo he has become if he had to be more disciplined in his defensive duties? Would Ozil be quite as effective as he’s been this season if he had to worry about the trouble one misplaced pass could put the team in? Without the Flamini being the enforcer that he’s been on the pitch, the Gunners wouldn’t be able to play the type of football they’ve been playing.

More offensive players may receive all the plaudits that come with playing the beautiful game, but Flamini will be the player at the end of the season who Arsenal supporters will value the most. His consistency and reliability since he came back into the fold is exactly what Arsenal needed and they’ll continue to need it if they’re going to challenge for any trophies this season.