Arsenal traveled north to face a Sunderland club that has seen a resurgence since installing Martin O'Neil as their manager and it took a two late goal by impact substitutes to come away with the three points. Keep reading for all the glorious heart-stopping action.

Arsene Wenger chose to start the same squad that demolished Blackburn last week with the exception of Francis Coquelin as Bacary Sagna was drafted in for his 2nd start since his broken leg.

As Arsenal head towards the business end of the season, their manager Arsene Wenger has said that the Gunners should be optimistic about their chances.

The North Londoners will face Sunderland on Saturday at the Stadium of Light, with their aim being to keep pace with their city rivals Chelsea.

Arsenal have definitely missed Kieran Gibbs. He isn't Arsenal's best Left-Back, personally I believe Santos is, but what a refreshing idea to actually have a LB in the LB position! However there are still some problems with the guy that needs to be sorted out... Gibbs has a lot of potential. Wenger wouldn't have him [.

Arsenal have definitely missed Kieran Gibbs. He isn't Arsenal's best Left-Back, personally I believe Santos is, but what a refreshing idea to actually have a LB in the LB position! However there are still some problems with the guy that needs to be sorted out... Gibbs has a lot of potential. Wenger wouldn't have him [.

Last time we see all 3 on the pitch at the same time?

Haven't written in a while, therefore this will be more of a short summation on things that have happened in the past week. No place better to start than with the players.

Emmanuel Frimpong will be out for the rest of the season with a cruciate ligament injury.

Last time we see all 3 on the pitch at the same time?

Haven't written in a while, therefore this will be more of a short summation on things that have happened in the past week. No place better to start than with the players.

Emmanuel Frimpong will be out for the rest of the season with a cruciate ligament injury.

Right then, after a week which has been dominated by two craggy faced managers (so much so that Fabio Capello was in my post-apocalyptic dream last night wearing a gigantic gold hooped earring), it's time to turn our attention to the stuff that really matters.

Arsenal play Sunderland tomorrow and under Martin O'Neill they've been about 61 times better than they were under Mrs Doubtfire.

Real Madrid wants Robin Van Persie. Look at my face: I am not happy right now.

Rather than just writing one opinion piece, I typically try to gather as much information from around the World Wide Web and condense it with my own commentary added. This week we've got Real Madrid pursuing Van Persie, Mourinho gunning for Arsene's job, Kieran Gibbs returns from a long layoff to strengthen the defense, and a hobbled Jack Wilshere all torn up about England's national team losing its coach just months before the Euro 2012.

Real Madrid wants Robin Van Persie. Look at my face: I am not happy right now.

Rather than just writing one opinion piece, I typically try to gather as much information from around the World Wide Web and condense it with my own commentary added. This week we've got Real Madrid pursuing Van Persie, Mourinho gunning for Arsene's job, Kieran Gibbs returns from a long layoff to strengthen the defense, and a hobbled Jack Wilshere all torn up about England's national team losing its coach just months before the Euro 2012.

Slowly some of those long standing absences are working their way back into the Arsenal squad and not a moment too soon. The latest update has Kieran Gibbs ready and available for next week's Arsenal Champions League first leg against AC Milan if Wenger so desires. Thomas Vermaelen stuck at left back might finally get some relief and relocate to his more familiar centre back role with Laurent Koscielny.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has alleviated concerns about Arsenal's perennially high injury list, stating that it is about to shorten in the coming days.

Goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski made a long-awaited return in the goal during yesterday evening's 3-2 FA Cup win at home to Aston Villa and Wenger believes that midfielders Abou Diaby and Jack Wilshere are also recovering better than expected.

It seems that things are looking a bit brighter for Arsene Wenger with news that a few Arsenal players are back in contention after recovering from injury. Kieran Gibbs is not back yet, but Wenger is very happy to know that Bacary Sagna's return will mean that the Gunners have at least one true full-back [.

There are a number of indications from the Arsenal camp that there won't be any major signings arriving at the Emirates Stadium for the remainder of the winder transfer window.

For starters, manager Arsene Wenger has made it clear that the return of Bacary Sagna and Kieran Gibbs to full training diminishes the need to seek a new full-back.

There are a number of indications from the Arsenal camp that there won't be any major signings arriving at the Emirates Stadium for the remainder of the winder transfer window.

For starters, manager Arsene Wenger has made it clear that the return of Bacary Sagna and Kieran Gibbs to full training diminishes the need to seek a new full-back.

Arsenal goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny has refused to get carried away with suggestions that the club won't qualify for the Champions League next season, pointing to the forthcoming return of midfielder Jack Wilshere and right-back Bacary Sagna as a major boost.

The Gunners trail fourth-place Chelsea by five points and third-place Tottenham Hotspur by another five, leaving Arsene Wenger's side with much work to do in the four months ahead.

With both Euro 2012 and the Olympics getting underway this summer, it is perhaps no surprise that speculation has been rife over who will make it into Fabio Capello's final squad for Poland and Ukraine, and who is in line for a call up for Stuart Pearce's Olympic Team GB squad and the Euro 2012 betting odds for one youngster in particular have just dramatically shortened.

Morning all, the dust has begun to settle a bit after Sunday's game against Swansea. We now have a week to take stock, regroup and prepare ourselves for the game against United on Sunday.

A lot has been said about the litany of injuries we've suffered, meaning players are being played out of position which affects our normal game and so on.

The Arsenal left-back Kieran Gibbs is close to recovering from his latest injury problem, and he is hoping to back in the squad in just ten days time, which would be just in time for the crucial game against Man United. He feels that he is fully recovered but is now just waiting for some [...]

The Arsenal left-back Kieran Gibbs is close to recovering from his latest injury problem, and he is hoping to back in the squad in just ten days time, which would be just in time for the crucial game against Man United. He feels that he is fully recovered but is now just waiting for some [...]

We all knew that things were bad regarding the injuries to the Arsenal defence, but I'm not sure that everybody knows exactly how bad it is right now. We all knew that Thomas Vermaelen, Bacary Sagna, Kieran Gibbs, Andre Santos and Carl Jenkinson were definitely not going to be in the team, but now it's [.

Looks like the 23 year old Argentinian striker/ winger has committed himself to remaining at Anderlecht to help them win the Jupiter League. He has been strongly linked with Arsenal with Wenger tracking him for months since the Europa Cup began. Suarez has scored 14 goals for the Belgian first division side.

Losing to Fulham to start 2012 hurt but it has hopefully served as a wakeup call for Arsene Wenger that his side cannot continue to challenge for the top four without recognised fullbacks. The regulars are out injured and have been for a considerable time. Kieran Gibbs, Andre Santos and Carl Jenkinson are on the treatment table for the foreseeable future so now the January transfer window is open, Wenger must invest.

The second half of this player review now, looking at our players who were decent, but not great this season so far, for several reason. We also look at our younger players who made their debuts this term.

Santos' 2nd most meaningful contribution this season (after his goal at Chelsea, of course.

John Terry's BFF, Wayne Bridge rumoured to be on Wenger's radar

A bridge to nowhere. With Thomas Vermaelen out with a calf strain, there is officially no left back specialist left on the Arsenal senior roster. In the match Wenger subbed off Vermaelen replacing him with Francis Coquelin who looked a bit suspect when tracking back but looked in his element pushing up the channel.

A Belgian welcomed back?

Big news just one and a half day before the transfer window reopens. According to Matt Law of the Daily Express, Thierry Henry has agreed to a 2 month loan deal with Arsenal. The number 12 is on the offing and the record club goalscorer will once again put on the famous read and white jersey.

A Belgian welcomed back?

Big news just one and a half day before the transfer window reopens. According to Matt Law of the Daily Express, Thierry Henry has agreed to a 2 month loan deal with Arsenal. The number 12 is on the offing and the record club goalscorer will once again put on the famous read and white jersey.

A Belgian welcomed back?

Big news just one and a half day before the transfer window reopens. According to Matt Law of the Daily Express, Thierry Henry has agreed to a 2 month loan deal with Arsenal. The number 12 is on the offing and the record club goalscorer will once again put on the famous read and white jersey.

A Belgian welcomed back?

Big news just one and a half day before the transfer window reopens. According to Matt Law of the Daily Express, Thierry Henry has agreed to a 2 month loan deal with Arsenal. The number 12 is on the offing and the record club goalscorer will once again put on the famous read and white jersey.

So, Thierry's return has now gone from possible to probable, the number 12 shirt is set to be handed to him and now we just have to wait and see if he can do the business.

On today's Arsecast, my esteemed colleague from Gunnerblog makes the very good point that there's never been a footballer (Beckham apart, perhaps) quite so conscious of their own image as Thierry Henry.

Injury problems and also the upcoming African Cup most likely will force Arsene Wenger make some activity in the January transfer market especially in covering the full back and striker positions.

Arsenal are set to lose Gervinho along with Marouane Chamakh for the African Cup, while their main full backs such as Bacary Sagna, Kieran Gibbs, Andre Santos and Carl Jenkinson are all injured.

Kieran Gibbs has not featured for Arsenal since October following a hernia operation. "Kieran Gibbs has had surgery on his left groin and he will be out for a month," Arsene Wenger confirmed the grim news. In recent matches, Arsene Wenger has been forced to play a makeshift back four (all central defenders) due to [.

Arsene Wenger's worse fear regarding one of his Arsenal's players health condition turns out to be true after the manager found out that his defender, Kieran Gibbs, will still be out for at least another month after suffering a setback.

Gibbs has actually been sidelined since October due to a hernia removal surgery but the player has started training not long ago and scheduled to return around this Christmas period, but unfortunately there's still a problem with his health condition.

When Arsenal sold Gael Clichy to Manchester City in the summer, many Arsenal fans were very worried that the injury-prone left-back Kieran Gibbs was a dangerous substitute due to his unending visits to the treatment table. These fears proved to be well-founded as the 22 year-old made just 8 starts for the Gunners this season [.

So Kieran Gibbs has had repeated surgery on this troublesome groin and will be out of action for at least another month, realistically a couple of months is likely. He had initial 'hernia' surgery in October and was hoped to be back in action this Christmas, unfortunately he suffered a further setback in training recently, had a repeat scan and then the decision was made to go under the knife

Arsenal travel up to Villa for the first of many games over the traditionally congested Christmas period. We'll unfortunately be doing so without Kieran Gibbs, who has had a setback and was sent to a specialist yesterday. A quick Google revealed to me that Kieran is 22, which came as a bit of a shock [.

Let's start this morning with tonight's game against Aston Villa.

We all know about our injured full back situation (more on that anon) and Djourou's sprangled groin further complicates things. I would suggest we'll see a start for Ignasi Miquel at left back, Laurent Koscielny on the right with Vermesackser in the middle.

Laurent Koscielny has no problem helping ease Arsenal's injury crisis by playing at full-back, claiminghis friends have grown so accustomed to seeing him in the position that they have started calling him the "white Cafu".

Arsenal head to Aston Villa without any recognised full-backs after a spate of injuries denied Arsene Wenger the services of Kieran Gibbs, Andre Santos, Bacary Sagna and Carl Jenkinson.

Laurent Koscielny has no problem helping ease Arsenal's injury crisis by playing at full-back, claiminghis friends have grown so accustomed to seeing him in the position that they have started calling him the "white Cafu".

Arsenal head to Aston Villa without any recognised full-backs after a spate of injuries denied Arsene Wenger the services of Kieran Gibbs, Andre Santos, Bacary Sagna and Carl Jenkinson.

Laurent Koscielny has no problem helping ease Arsenal's injury crisis by playing at full-back, claiminghis friends have grown so accustomed to seeing him in the position that they have started calling him the "white Cafu".

Arsenal head to Aston Villa without any recognised full-backs after a spate of injuries denied Arsene Wenger the services of Kieran Gibbs, Andre Santos, Bacary Sagna and Carl Jenkinson.

Laurent Koscielny has no problem helping ease Arsenal's injury crisis by playing at full-back, claiminghis friends have grown so accustomed to seeing him in the position that they have started calling him the "white Cafu".

Arsenal head to Aston Villa without any recognised full-backs after a spate of injuries denied Arsene Wenger the services of Kieran Gibbs, Andre Santos, Bacary Sagna and Carl Jenkinson.