Time To Go To Work.

On Sunday, Arsenal need to clock in for work and get a job done, it doesn't matter how, they simply HAVE TO WIN. This is where we can really judge if we are ready to box with the top teams for a domestic championship.


Last season, the players never went to work and were destroyed 4-1 at home, in most instances, such a result should lead to questions on the trainer, especially as the team sucked all season. I called it '11 employees contracted for 90mins', this time round, all 18 members of the matchday squad need to stick together and be ready to bleed, or as Gallas said in 2007 after the Man Utd 2-2 home match where he scored a last minute equaliser, "We had to fight. We said if we had to die we would die together on that field."


The players need to understand, allowing Chelsea to extend their current 8 point lead at our expense is out of the question, as seen by other teams losing 9-1 in the league, we cannot rely on others to do the job for us, if you want something done, do it yourself. This means we need to chase goals, and unlike last season where Wenger elected to use 1 striker and have 2 on the bench, this time, use Vela and Eduardo together from the start, where else do you expect the goals to come from if they don't start?


Tactically, Wenger needs to change some things. This Ancelotti side is very narrow, but they can also change instantly to become a more wider team because Ancelotti has done a lot of tactical work with the players. We need to pressure who ever is at the base of their midfield and stop the ball coming out, and by doing this, we also leave ourselves open for Chelsea to run at our defence or shoot from range. As a keen watcher of Serie A, the way to beat Milan under Ancelotti was not stifle Kaka or Pirlo, but ensure Gattuso and Ambrosini never made the primary pass to them, Wenger needs to do this and whoever does it must be fit and concentrated for 90mins.


Silvestre has been a common denominator when we have lost heavily, and he seriously needs to have a good game, it is matches like this where we need him most, and if he doesn't have a good game, I expect the other 9 out field players to help him out and not leave him in the cold to freeze, if they do, we will lose.


I won't predict a result, but I'm certain we will lose if we don't force the issue and tell Chelsea we are willing to die, Chelsea have nothing to prove, nothing to lose, only everything to win, a loss and they won't lose top spot for another fortnight, a win and they have daylight over an opponent allowing them more room for error. We lose, we have no room for error, and are fighting for nothing for the rest of the season.

This is no TEAM, it's 11 EMPLOYEE'S who are contracted for 90mins.

Gosh, that was a true horror show today. Despite some good moments, even those in a Sunday League game know the basic rules, if you concede, ensure you can outscore the opposition. Thus you either need an awesome striker up front, or numbers that break forwards...Arsenal have neither and decide to only have 1 striker and 4 on the bench.

Arsenal have no defence, those up the pitch don't want to do it, those paid to do it at the back look like it's a foreign job to them. The common denominator when Arsenal have caught a bashing has been Silvestre (4-4 Spurs, 3-0 City, 4-4 Liverpool, 4-1 Chelsea), but the others offer no help. Fabianski needs to calm down or get out.

Wenger yet again is the primary fault though. How many times has his trick of Diaby on the left worked? How many times has his 4-5-1/-4-2-3-1/whatever new formation he employs worked? Until this is sorted out, we may see more results like this.

Ratings:

Fabianski 2: Not good enough, caught starring for the first, bad movement for the second, went walk about for the third, too slow to react for the fourth.

Sagna 3: Bad crosses, outnumbered on the overlap, got an assist though.

Toure 2: Never takes responsibility, had an own goal and argued with Drogba, we need a defensive leader, not a player just who plays.

Silvestre 3: Bad marking, but cleared and cleaned up better than Toure. Bad summer buy.

Gibbs 4: Not outplayed, but with the team so far behind, we needed a converted winger to rampage more to get us back in the game.

Walcott 2: No brain, no left foot, and a new contract! Too predictable, just as Gallas warned him, needs to step up to justify his starting spot and £60 000 contract.

Song 5: Not mobile, but physical and clean passing, a delicious lob to spot Walcott as well. One of the better players unfortunately.

Fabregas 2: Early card and the goal came from his foul, from there, his head dropped, no inventive passing, resign as captain if the job is too big.

Nasri 5: Has not found his role in the team, lots of technical brilliance and knows how to use it, but not finding the route to goal for himself or other team mates.

Diaby 1: How many chances does he want, although on the flank, it should allow him more space to express himself. Bad decision making, a loan spell or a transfer, he is a passenger we do not need unless he lives up to his talent.

Van Persie 3: Not a lone striker, not in the box enough, not a match winner today.

Denilson 4: Not much impact.

Adebayor 3: is he a striker or a link man? Strikers must pass and get into the box, not hang around trying to find a pass. Two shouts for a penalty, looks lazy at times.

Bendtner 6: Scored a good goal, a very direct player, lots of energy, and tries his best. If everyone tried like him, we may be somewhere not losing like this.