Perhaps I should call this post guesses about the tactics and starting eleven against Swansea! After the recent overhaul of the squad it is hard to figure out exactly who is going to play or the tactical approach that will be used.

By and large, I don't expect a big change in the style of play.

Oh God! What does one say after a game like that. Great fighting spirit and a gritty display for a well-earned away point at a difficult venue? Terrible performance that shows the Gunners just aren't good enough anymore? I guess it depends on one's mentality and the spin that suits it. As mentioned in the preview, I wasn't expecting a win but a more assured performance would have been encouraging for the future.

How many teams can miss that many first choice players and eke out a fairly comfortable win in the Champions League? I think that is the big question and one that many might have missed when entangled in observations pertaining to Arsenal's defence, which undoubtedly needs a lot more work.

As expected, Wenger rested a number of key players.

Three points more than welcome but a great deal of work remains to be done.

Arsene picked the expected line-up, handing debuts to Mertesacker and Arteta. It was a strong looking side and almost everyone expected a win for the Gunners.

The Spaniard had an early chance to make his mark as he won a free-kick just outside the box in a central area.

Ok, before getting into the match analysis I just want to congratulate Blackburn Rovers and Steve Kean. They worked hard, took whatever came their way, and fully deserve to move up from the bottom of the table.

Now let's get on with Arsenal. What does one say after a performance like that?

Strong start. Eased off. Conceded a sloppy goal and some chances. Regrouped. Equalized. Pushed on and closed the game out by adding a couple more. Entertaining. Encouraging. Much needed.

It was a youthful line-up and an even younger bench. Le Boss also started with a fluid 4-4-2 giving Park and Chamakh having a great deal of freedom to move.

This will be a battle between teams placed 17th and 19th with the two leakiest defences in the League. Bolton have shipped just one less goal than Arsenal's 14. Neither team is on a particularly good run either and both have a Cup result to blame, at least partially. Arsenal have been unrecognizable since the Carling Cup loss while Bolton haven't been able to recover from the 5-0 hammering they got from Stoke in the FA Cup semi-final.

Three games of the season have been played and the clubs have completed their transfer business till the winter at least. This seems like a good time to make predictions but this year I am finding it hard to develop any sort of conviction regarding the hopes of most of the top teams. There have been significant changes at almost all the clubs, the results of which will only be known in due course.

Arsenal visit Dortmund, the self-professed football capital of the world, to open a Champions League group phase that promises to be the toughest one in recent years. BVB are by far the best team from the fourth pot and could quite possible provide a sterner challenge than the other two teams in the group.

It'd be hard to find many teams that have had a more difficult start to the season than the Gunners. But few will argue that the next club to host Arsenal isn't facing desperate times.

As a Gooner one can sympathize with another club that is looking to do things the right way. The new owners don't seem to be very popular amongst the Ewood Park faithful but won my approval when they sacked Fat Sam.

When it was first announced, not many would have thought an Arsenal V Shrewsbury tie in the third round of the Carling Cup will take on such significance. I shudder at the thought of elimination but given the recent form, and with the team finding new ways of gifting goals, it's not too hard to imagine.

Three goals. Three Points. Three Cheers.

Well, I am sitting here in a cabin at the smoky mountains and everyone with me is keen to move out into the forest so I will keep this short.

I thought both teams started brightly. Bolton came with a plan to press Arsenal all over the pitch, a plan that has worked for many teams, and a high-ball strategy (let me not call it long ball) that almost reaped instant dividends.

Arsenal vs Olympiakos 2-1 Highlights 2011 Goals Video Champions League Oxlade-Chamberlain is a post from Soccer Blogger. Follow Soccer Blogger on Twitter

Arsenal vs Olympiakos 2-1 Highlights 2011 Goals Video Champions League Oxlade-Chamberlain is a post from Soccer Blogger. Follow Soccer Blogger on Twitter Arsenal vs Olympiakos 2011 ( Arsenal FC vs Olympiacos 2011) Score and result:- Arsenal vs Olympiakos 2-1 ( Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Andre Santos/ David Fuster) Emirates Stadium, London- 28 September, 2011- 19.

When it rains, it pours, eh!

Most parched Gooner hearts will welcome the flash flood of signings we've seen in the last two days. A striker, two creative players, a centre-back, and a left-back cover almost all requirements that have been floating around in fan conversations. Or one could say two international captains, a club captain, and a couple of seasoned pros tick some of the experience and leadership boxes that have been vacant.

The summer verdict must be one of failure, late flourish or not. It was all left far too late, the boss and indeed the board too had the chance to get our house in order well before the start of the season after a shambolic late winter and spring. Look back over 2011 and there have been a handful, literally, of victories.

Like most fans, and quite probably Arsene Wenger himself, I wanted to see decisive action from the Gunners in the transfer market. Sort out the situation with those who want to leave, sign replacements in time, have a good pre-season, and start the season with confidence and stability. I will be surprised if anyone, irrespective of their feelings towards the manager or the board, disagrees with that.

International weeks are never welcome however, this international break has come at a rather helpful time for Arsenal. If Arsene can pull himself away from his commentary duties on French TV and get back on the training ground trying to sort out his new-look squad, we could emerge from an international break a much more formidable team for once.

I know I am not the only fan that is narked off with this little ego trip by Ivan Gazidis and Tom Fox in a summer which we have made a big profit on players, we are also having to pay more for the privilage of watching them on the pitch. The price of an Arsenal membership also grew to incorporate the new 'Arsenal Player' it looks like they are trying to make the membership more of a package that will interest more than just the fans who go to games.

Jack Wilshere has twice attempted to return to training, both times he has broken down. His next attempt at a return will be in three months time.

Thomas Vermaelen has had a tendon removed and will be absent for at least a month.

It seems that as soon as things start to look more positive for Arsenal, something else comes along to counter it, there is only one thing we can do and that is just to get on with it and come out the other side.

Jack Wilshere has twice attempted to return to training, both times he has broken down. His next attempt at a return will be in three months time.

Thomas Vermaelen has had a tendon removed and will be absent for at least a month.

It seems that as soon as things start to look more positive for Arsenal, something else comes along to counter it, there is only one thing we can do and that is just to get on with it and come out the other side.

Arsenal only won 1-0 against Swansea. You wouldn't say Arsenal only got three points against Swansea though, would you?

'Rome wasn't built in a day', that much is true, teams aren't built over a two week period and a handful of training sessions either. That is what this Arsenal team is, it a new team with a modified style and approach mentally, it is a new team too.

AC Milan got the new season off to a dramatic start with a thrilling draw at Barcelona but there were opening victories for Marseille, Chelsea, Porto and APOEL.

Pato struck for AC Milan inside 25 seconds at Camp Nou, the fifth fastest in Champions League history and the earliest on any matchday one.

Thiago Silva scored Milan's crucial equalizer in Barcelona on Tuesday

Concerns over FC Barcelona's defence continued after the first of this season's UEFA Champions League matches were played throughout Europe last night.

The defending Spanish and European champions had home advantage in their Group H encounter against AC Milan but were behind after just 25 seconds with Alexandre Pato scoring the fastest goal ever scored in the competition.

Another game and another defeat, a common running theme running from February/March time.

Over the past few years we have endured many peaks and troughs, this one though is very worrying indeed. There have been questions asked of Wenger from sections of the support for a couple of years now, longer in some cases, but right now they are being asked genuinely and seriously his sacking is being touted as one of the main cures for this horrible run we are currently on.

These days I have limited blogging to the pre-match and post game pieces. There are a number of reasons for but the most important one has been the shortage of actual talking points. An agitated mental state due to some mind-boggling bloopers didn't help as it prevented me from delving into stats and chalkboards.

DANIEL PAREJO is a young 22 year old SPANISH FOOTBALL player, already an International in the junior categories & considered a big future promise. Raised at Real Madrid the youngster had to leave to find "playing time" at Getafe & now at VALENCIA CF. However, Parejo is not getting all the time wished to develop further his talents & some Clubs are "smelling" the opportunity to talk to the

The men aren't doing so well but you've gotta love the spirit of Arsenal's Futbolitas - winners of the FA WSL Continental Cup Final! /via Daylife

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Arsene says there are no easy games. We have heard that often enough. But I am not sure the manager is very concerned about this game. Despite his statements to the contrary, I think Wenger uses his key players in big games as much as possible, not always but more often than not, even at the risk of aggravating an injury.

Image: REUTERS/Eddie Keogh.

Last Saturday, Robin van Persie scored two of his club's three goals vs. Bolton to take his tally for Arsenal FC to one hundred. Congratualtions on an awesome effort, RvP.

We feel that this, coupled with the life skills a player can gain while playing for Arsenal - laughing at small children with head injuries, how to cope when threatened with with bad poetry and papping for the enemy should eliminate any doubt as to whether you should sign up for another five years.

In our never-ending search for truth, we have consulted a preeminent French cultural expert on a stunning phenomenon: American celebrities professing love to a UK-based soccer club which has not won anything for over 6 years. Who? What? Where? When? Why? How? These are the questions that will not be resolved.