What an excellent day of football we all had yesterday, starting with the controversial Manchester United, Liverpool match at Old Trafford , and a result that went our way with Liverpool losing 2-1.

I am not so sure about all the Suarez, Evra hype though as it is obvious that there is bad blood between the two of them, but to the credit of Evra he was willing to shake Suarez's hand before the match, but Suarez refused.

Match Report Video By the numbers

Despite the fact this was Thierry Henry's final Premier League appearance for the club, despite the fact he capped it with an injury time winner, and despite the fact he goes back to New York after our Champions League game against Milan in midweek, it's hard to think that the Henry Arsenal story is completely written.

This January's Arsenal transfer news was relatively quiet at the Emirates Stadium, with Thierry Henry returning to the club on loan from New York Red Bulls and German teenager Thomas Eisfeld arriving from Borussia Dortmund for a modest fee.

However, activity has not always been this sedate at Arsenal, with Arsene Wenger making some surprising and at times, blockbuster signings in January.

This January's Arsenal transfer news was relatively quiet at the Emirates Stadium, with Thierry Henry returning to the club on loan from New York Red Bulls and German teenager Thomas Eisfeld arriving from Borussia Dortmund for a modest fee.

However, activity has not always been this sedate at Arsenal, with Arsene Wenger making some surprising and at times, blockbuster signings in January.

It's difficult to know where to start this week's column. On the face of it, a compelling comeback from two goals down to keep our FA Cup hopes alive, followed by a point and a clean sheet away from home should constitute a reasonably good week. Yet it doesn't feel like that at all. For a start, we've put ourselves in a position now where, effectively, any draw represents two points dropped.

Former Manchester United defender Gary Neville has publicly slammed Arsenal midfielder Andrei Arshavin following Sunday's match at the Emirates.

Neville, now in his role as a Sky Sports pundit, was critical of Arsene Wenger's decision to sub the effervescent Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, especially as the struggling Arshavin replaced him.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has made it clear that he wants to follow up his impressive Premier League debut against Manchester United by starting regularly for the Gunners.

Oxlade-Chamberlain was preferred to the likes of Andrei Arshavin and Yossi Benayoun as he was surprisingly named a started for the visit of the defending champions.

Andrei Arshavin has been supported by manager Arsene Wenger after his lazy man-marking and tackling against Luis Antonio Valencia created Danny Welbeck's match-winning goal in Manchester United's 2-1 win at Arsenal last night.

Arshavin, who infamously replaced Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain to a negative reaction throughout the Emirates Stadium, has been on the receiving end of tremendous flak for lacking energy in such a massive fixture.

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has rubbished suggestions that substituting Andrei Arshavin for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain led to the club's 2-1 defeat at home to Manchester United and insists that he owes the doubters no explanation.

With the Gunners tied 1-1 after Chamberlain had assisted Robin van Persie second-half equalizer to Luis Antonio Valencia's first-half opener, Wenger brought Arshavin on to a negative reaction throughout the Emirates Stadium.

In a toughly contested match at the Emirates Stadium, Manchester United emerged 2-1 winners over Arsenal to move within three points of the Barclays Premier League summit.

Earlier in the day, league leaders Manchester City went six points clear at the top thanks to a late penalty kick converted by Mario Balotelli.

What is UP, Arshavin! According to Spanish newspaper, Sport, occasionally loco striker Andrei was seen on Monday in Barcelona, ??where he went to shoot a sports commercial (just like Neymar did last week) in the city. And you can officially put the 'Arshavin to Barcelona?

Morning all.

There's little point reflecting too much on the City game at this stage. It's done and dusted and we've got to refocus ourselves on the games ahead. It might be a strange thing to say but perhaps the team will take some measure of confidence from the defeat. The last trip to Manchester was traumatic, this time only the odd goal separated us from the most expensively assembled team in football.

Last week, this column rather took on the personality of a stranger hugging, gurning young gadabout; imploring all fellow dance floor dwellers to "let the beat take you higher, man." With two rather lukewarm results since that mini era of jaw flapping euphoria, it's fair to say this week has been something of a comedown.

Morning all,

no doubt you've seen yesterday's announcement but to answer a number of questions that have cropped up since:

1 Yes, it will be available to purchase online, via this very website.

2 Yes, I will ship it to [insert your country name here]

3 Yes, there will be an eBook version

4 Yes, it's 99% certain there will be a wider-release paperback edition in the new year because of the fact this first print run is very limited and therefore a bit of a collector's item.

Can Arshavin step up to fill vacant Arsenal boots? - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

Andrei Arshavin has looked a shell of the former player that he looked in his debut season for Arsene Wenger's Arsenal. Since the start of last season, however, his form has taken a downturn and rapidly.

Video highlights and reaction Match Report

So, a 0-0 draw with Marseille means there's still work to do in the Champions League. Expectations were high after Chelsea but if football has taught us anything down the years it's that highs such as the one Stamford Bridge mean things can feel a little flat afterwards.

Video highlights and reaction

I can't say a great deal about last night as I haven't seen anything bar the goals but when you look at the team we had out, and the strength of the Bolton side, that was a very decent win. All the goals came in the second half, Frimpong was well and truly robbed by former Arsenal man Fabrice Muamba who went on to open the scoring, but two goals in a couple of minutes ended up sealing the game for Arsenal.

Maybe this isn't the Andrei Arshavin you'd like to see in the mornings... / (Credit : Ana Maletski!)

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‘We cannot allow ourselves to indulge in sadness and melancholy'

Andrey Arshavin, December 2010 (after MU away game)

With the departure of Cesc Fabregas and the long-term injury to Jack Wilshere, Arsenal is left with a hole, in more ways than one.

Good to see Olaf Mellberg again, it's been a while. In case you hadn't guessed, I am watching Arsenal vs. Olympiokos on DVR as I write this column. I figured I'd better watch because I need to catch up on all the midweek excitement that I started missing out on yesterday while I was on the road for work.

Andrei Arshavin's fortunate 40th minute goal against Swansea at the Emirates was enough to claim all 3 points for the Gunners and take a bit of the pressure off manager Arsene Wenger. But watch how Swansea keeper makes a mess of it!

Arshavin was his usual outspoken self when he commented on the departure of midfielders Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri. He has said that the Gunners will have to change their playing style in the wake of the loss of the two players. Arsenal's start to the season has been poor, with the 8-2 loss against [.

Russian midfielder Andrei Arshavin has moved quickly to end the rumors linking him with a move away from Arsenal. There have been a plethora of rumors about departing Arsenal players this summer, and with Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri heading out the exit door Arshavin is adamant that he will be staying.

If Arsenal somehow end up leading 4-0 against Newcastle at half-time in their league opener Saturday evening, they will think twice before taking their minds even slightly away from the St. James' Park pitch.

A stunning second-half collapse proved costly last season as the Gunners lost a hefty four-goal advantage to a Joey Barton brace from the penalty spot as well as a goal each from Leon Best and Cheik Tiote to end the match in a famous 4-4 draw.

Morning from quite rainy indeed Dublin.

Some interesting developments regarding Juan Mata to kick us off. According to The Mirror his 'entourage' flew in to London yesterday to discuss a move (is his agent called Ari D'Oro?), while The Mail says we've agreed a fee with Valencia. If true it probably opens the door a little further to Cesc's departure, dependent as it always has been on Barcelona paying the money required.

Huge disappointment this morning as Robin van Persie has 'clarified' the comments he made about Chelsea and Spain.

Crossing his fingers and trying not to break his hole laughing, he said:

I respect my colleagues of Spain and Chelsea and look forward to playing against them for many years to come.

Morning all,

it's a very quiet one this morning, which is surprising. I mean in the sense that it's taken this long for there to be a quiet one. A couple of pieces of transfer gossip to tide us over though.

Firstly, The Mail says we've made an £8m bid for Christopher Samba who said earlier this month:

Everybody knows that I am an ambitious player.

Morning all,

it's a very quiet one this morning, which is surprising. I mean in the sense that it's taken this long for there to be a quiet one. A couple of pieces of transfer gossip to tide us over though.

Firstly, The Mail says we've made an £8m bid for Christopher Samba who said earlier this month:

Everybody knows that I am an ambitious player.

Arsenal stud attacking midfielder Samir Nasri, who was excellent in the first half against Manchester United, dribbling around United right back Fabio on more than one occasion, is rated as 50-50 for the Gunners' away match with Stoke this upcoming ... Continue reading →

As I sit here drinking coffee made all the more delicious by my *boilk* mug, I am now utterly tired of the Interlull.

For all the fear and trepidation, the under performing, and the forthcoming and entirely inevitable collapse which sees us somehow finish 6th, I'd rather that than any more international football nonsense.

Currently placed second in EURO 2012 qualifying Group B after five matches played, Russia is expected to qualify for next summer's finals. Led by Arsenal attacker Andrei Arshavin and managed by respected Dutch coach Dick Advocaat, Russia is currently ranked 13th in the world by FIFA and will host the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

I have been away from football and the news for the last few days but yesterday I got the chance to watch the West Brom game once again. I wanted a relook as I'd noticed some moments while watching live that seemed worth analyzing. This article is a quick discussion based on one of these observations.

So we move reluctantly into the deepest recesses of the interlull; our hands tied, blindfolded we are frog marched into its lair with Platini's pointy rifle prodding at the napes of our necks. Hacks and headline writers are awash with panic and confusion, Arsenal.com forlornly fetches the scraper, rolls its sleeves up and dives into the barrel in search of some filler material for the official website.

There's no doubt this Arsenal team can frustrate and exhilarate (not always in equal measure) and when faced with a 'big' game we have a tendency to let it slip.

For every Barcelona or Chelsea there's a Sunderland or a Birmingham cup final or Newcastle away. Yesterday was one of those frustrating days in terms of the performance.

Arsenal's victory over Barcelona yesterday was the stuff that dreams are made of. A bit of a rivalry has been developing between the clubs, and Arsenal has now tipped the scales in their favor. It was an epic performance against an equally brilliant challenger, and Arsenal deserve much more praise than anyone outside the Arsenal blogosphere are giving them.

For years now, soccer experts around the world have marveled at the skill on display every week in the English Premier League from a youthful Arsenal team that exhibited so much potential over the course of several seasons. Their manager, Frenchman Arsene Wenger had always preached skill over power, style over strength, and youth over experience.

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Not content with allowing a mere Serie A league game upstage the matchup of Europe's two most aesthetically pleasing big teams in the world's greatest club tournament, Andrei Arshavin matched his goal-plus-personality combo if we factor in the competition, dramatic timing (late winner and such), and the celebration sums up his child-like personality oh so well.

Currently at the summit of EURO 2012 qualifying Group B after four matches played, Russia is expected to qualify for next summer's finals. Led by Arsenal attacker Andrei Arshavin and managed by respected Dutch coach Dick Advocaat, Russia is currently ranked 12th in the world by FIFA and will host the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

Morning all, another day, another step closer to our next game and one further away from Saturday's madness.

As has been quite typical this season we've been bailed out somewhat by those around us. Chelsea's £75m looked money ill-spent yesterday, at least, as Liverpool beat them 1-0 and United's 2-1 defeat to Wolves means that the damage done much less than it might have been.

You know, we could be sitting here this morning in the midst of a massive, massive argument. Was Saha offside? Does the fact Koscielny take a touch play him onside? Do any of us know the offside rule? What precisely makes anyone think Lee Mason is a referee?

The fact is Arsenal made Saha's goal an irrelevance.