Against Ipswich, Arshavin picked up two assists. Here is what he said of his own performance,

It wasn't a supermatch for me. But I'm satisfied with the result. I'm glad that I was useful to the squad.

I don't think he could have said it any better even with the help of the best PR agents in the world.

I just glanced at the upcoming fixtures list and was pleasantly surprised by the remaining games in January. I knew there were Cup ties with Leeds and Ipswich followed by a game against West Ham but hadn't realized the next two games after that were at home against Wigan and Ipswich.

In effect, out of the next five games, three are against Championship sides and two against relegation candidates.

Much like the game against Leeds, I'm in the dark about the football prowess of Arsenal's opponents in the Carling Cup semi-finals. Add the fact that I haven't had much time in the last couple of days to even search for highlights involving their games and you get an apologetically ignorant blogger attempting a match preview based on some general observations.

It's been about a week since I did an article saying the present set of fixtures offers the perfect opportunity to build some momentum. That one blew up in my face. Arsenal have found momentum but in the wrong direction.

Now there are two ways of looking at this. One way would be to say it's going downhill and will continue to do so.

Ryan Babel signed for Liverpool from Ajax and immediately made an explosive impact in his first season. His 10 goals in 49 appearances for the Reds earned him the adulation of the Liverpool fans. He was named the Liverpool Young Player of The Season in 2007-08.
He had a bit of everything as do all Dutch players.

This evening I saw a spate of headlines after England coach Fabio Capello shared a meal with some journalists. It seems most of the talk was about England's future i.e. Jack Wilshere.

Interestingly, Capello wants to play young Jack in front of his back four.

I want to put him in this position in front of the back four.

Arsene Wenger has talked a lot about tackling. Invariably the discussion gets hijacked by clueless hacks and pundits who convert that into an Arsenal V Rest of the League debate and take pride in highlighting one or two poor tackles by Arsenal players.

According to a number of morons who have the privilege of influencing public opinion, Arsenal are just as bad as any other team when it comes to tackling.

History is on Arsenal's side for the encounter against Manchester City. Including the League Cup, City have lost 21 of their last 28 visits to Arsenal, failing to score in 18 of those games.

I haven't checked the details but I think West Brom had a similar record. Add the wealth Citeh have been able to splash out and it's not difficult to see history will have little bearing on the outcome of this particular match.

With the ridiculously priced £3million accepted, Steven Pienaar's signature confirmed and enhanced Harry Redknapp's reputation as the premier wheeler dealer manager of the Barclays Premier League. Once again, Harry Redknapp effortlessly adds established stars to his Spurs squad. 'Arry just cannot resist a deal, can he?

Liverpool and Arsenal are confirmed challengers in the race to sign Daniel Opare.
The Ghanaian international defender has been linked with a number of Barclays Premier League clubs in recent months, and the player's agent has confirmed interest from Liverpool, Arsenal and a number of top English sides.

If that game is anything to go by, I guess I should miss more matches! In fact, the Mrs. did cheekily make such a suggestion but it was stared down.

More importantly, it's three big points at a very difficult venue as Arsenal continue to make light work of really tough games. If the reverse phenomenon can be stemmed the title will certainly end up at the Emirates.

The noose around Roy Hodgson's neck was tightening last Saturday as soon as Bolton's Kevin Davies scored a simple goal just before halftime at Anfield. Luckily for him, Steven Gerrard would not let Liverpool suffer a third successive defeat.
The Liverpool captain turned in his best performance this season and literally pulled Liverpool across the winning line.

Roy Hodgson has survived many low points in his short spell as Liverpool manager but Wednesday night's 3-1 defeat at Blackburn would seem to be one disaster too far and could hasten his exit from Anfield.
Even before Saturday's injury-time winner against Bolton the suggestion was club owners New England Sports Ventures were actively looking for a replacement.

A short while back I bumped into an interview given by Cesc Fabregas just before the Man City game. I'm not sure if others have shared this or not or if people have already seen it on TV or some other site. Since the youtube views count was only 1455, which seems quite low for such an interview, I thought it's worth sharing.

This piece is a difficult one for me. I like to write these articles based on what I've seen. In the case of Premiership and most Champions League teams I can watch some of their games or at least decent quality highlights. That makes it easier to visualize how a game might pan out.

In the present case of Leeds United I know very little.

Not quite the game I wanted to see and certainly not the result.

Leeds United came with a plan and stuck to it. In some ways it was similar to what Newcastle did at the Emirates. The visitors went tight on each man and reduced the passing options. They pressed well and in coordination. The Arsenal players were able to move the ball at the back but weren't able to penetrate the lines with any sort of consistency.

Well I guess that settles one argument. Picking a strong side does not guarantee a result.

This game also proved Arshavin's First Law of Football – If you do not score, you'll concede!

But for large parts this was a tale of a woefully disjointed performance by Arsenal and some determined textbook defending by the hosts.

A lot of people were frustrated and riled (choose your favourite adjectives) over the result at Ipswich. I can understand it because that's just how I felt. Even though I try to ensure I don't have unrealistic expectations there are times when it's difficult to accept a performance. Wednesday night was a classic example.

King Kenny: new manager, same woeful results

They say it's never too late to hash out your New Year's resolutions, but let's face it, I'm two weeks late on this one. That said, I can't help but feeling a sense of familiarity surrounding the early days of 2011. We kicked things off with another stunning FA Cup third round Leeds United result (this time at Arsenal), much in the same manner as 2010.

More than two thirds of the possession, 21 shots, 11 on target, 3 excellent goals, 3 well deserved points, and a clean sheet to boot.

Arsenal made a strong start and dominated the game from kick-off. The first few minutes were a repeat of the Ipswich game with the ball getting to the opposition penalty box but the final pass lacking.

Even though full-back Rafael was sent off but 10-man Manchester United still kept their unbeaten record as they went back to the top of the Barclays Premier League on goal difference after a 0-0 draw against Spurs.

Wayne Rooney brought a couple of smart saves from Tottenham goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes and Rafael van der Vaart also went close on two occasions for Tottenham.

At £27 million, he is not the most expensive player in the Premier League. However for Manchester City, Edin Dzeko can only be seen as the possible final piece of the Citizen's objective to dominate the Barclays Premier League. And why not, Dzeko is the complete forward that City lacked.

Ever since the Denilson interview came in the public domain a lot has been said about the leadership issue at Arsenal. In all the talk, I didn't notice many people talking about the role of a leader in a football team.

Lack of leadership at Arsenal is not a new topic. It's been around for a while and crops up every now and then when the team seems to put a flat performance.

Barclays Premier League game between Arsenal and Wigan Athletic held on January 22, 2011.

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Barclays Premier League game between Manchester United and Birmingham City held on January 22, 2011.

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Arsene Wenger had a lot of nice things to say about the second goal against Wigan. And I've no doubt even the worst critics of Arsenal will enjoy that goal and can watch it over and over again. The pass from Cesc was incredible and the finish was a piece of art.

I was thrilled by that goal but fell in love with the first one.

One big performance can earn Arsenal the ticket to Wembley for yet another final appearance that might be more cherished than previous ones due to the events of the past few years.

Ipswich Town bring a 1 – 0 lead to the Emirates. We can be sure the Tractor will be well anchored in front of their goal.

After seeing off Championship side Ipswich Town in the League Cup Arsenal next face Huddersfield Town from League One in the FA Cup.

To be honest, Arsene Wenger must have been really pleased with this draw. I know I am really happy Arsenal are facing a team two divisions or 44 places below them, and that too at home.

There are many ways of looking at this game.

Some people will be frustrated. They're likely to call this a horror show. They'll say the Gunners were extremely lucky to go through. It's not a completely wrong opinion but I won't call it fair either.

Others will say it needed some ability to win despite playing with 10 men for so long.

LIVERPOOL, England Joe Cole may have earned under-pressure Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson some breathing space with a last gasp winner against Bolton at Anfield. With the club's owners reportedly seeking a replacement, the summer signing's first league goal and Fernando Torres' equaliser came at just the right time for the former Fulham boss.

Wayne Rooney and Javier Hernandez scored to keep Manchester United at the top of the Barclays Premier League on goal difference with a 2-1 win at West Brom. Rooney opened the scoring when he headed in Patrice Evra's cross on three minutes but James Morrison equalised with a long-range shot.

Wayne Rooney and Javier Hernandez scored to keep Manchester United at the top of the Barclays Premier League on goal difference with a 2-1 win at West Brom. Rooney opened the scoring when he headed in Patrice Evra's cross on three minutes but James Morrison equalised with a long-range shot.

Barclays Premier League game between Liverpool and Bolton Wanderers on January 1, 2011.

See the full highlights:
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Goaa | Myspace Video

Barclays Premier League game between Birmingham and Arsenal held on January 1, 2011.

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Goaa | Myspace Video

Howard Webb on his OBE from Hi-Vision Sports on Vimeo.

Barclays Premier League game between Chelsea and Aston Villa held on January 2, 2011.

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Goaa | Myspace Video

Ever since Arsenal were drawn against FC Barcelona in the Champions League people have said that we are on a hiding to nothing and that it will be like men against boys.
Pretty much everyone on this Earth, and their dog, believes that it is simply a formality that Barcelona will crush us. We will be destroyed, or if you like, Barcered.

This is the second guest column by Preston Petri

Gerard Houllier, contemplating changes in front of the mesh at Villa Park...while higher-ups likely contemplate his...

Recently, Aston Villa of the Barclays Premier League have followed in the footsteps of the old Fullhamerica teams by integrating former and current USMNT players into their first team fold.

Ever since the start of this 2010/2011 season, I have been in awe of Spurs' quicksilver winger, Gareth Bale. Gareth Bale has been the leading light for Tottenham Hotspurs this season. It has been breathtaking watching the young Welsh wizard in full flight up to this point in the season. Those who were enjoying the holiday matches (or what was left of it) would have seen Bale at his best.

What a fantastic performance. What rotten luck. One stupid moment!

I must say this game turned out to be the reverse of what I'd expected. The first ten minutes were the most exciting and Arsenal had City on the ropes for that period. After that the visitors found their defensive shape and made it much more difficult for Arsenal to open them up.