SoccerBlogs

It's that time of year when everyone reflects on the somewhat tumultuous journey we've been on this past season. Today we give you all the opportunity to vote for those players you believe were the most influential in the campaign.

I have added a supplementary poll at the end to stimulate discussion for the day.

Wenger Praises Arsenal Players

Arsene Wenger commended his Arsenal players after they maintained their top-four status for the 17th consecutive season by defeating Newcastle United 1-0 on the final day of the season.

The Gunners boss was elated with his team's outstanding end-of-the-season form which saw them win nine of their final 11 games, including Sunday's all-important fixture against the Magpies.

Photo by ISIPhotos.com/Greig Cowie

By JUSTIN FERGUSON

Three of the top clubs in Europe will be back in the Champions League next season after Arsenal, AC Milan and Schalke pulled out close wins on the final day of their respective seasons.

Arsenal denied North London rival Tottenham the final Champions League spot in the Premier League by holding onto a 1-0 win at Newcastle United.

That was a very, very nervous experience made all the more intense by the fact that we were expected to win. Some how being the underdog in crucial games makes it just that little more bearable when a loss is inevitably considered before and during the game. But win we did and by doing so we secured the chance to play Champions League football next season which I believe makes it sixteen seasons on the trot, no mean feat when you consider just how desperate and disappointed those around us were at missing out again.

That was a very, very nervous experience made all the more intense by the fact that we were expected to win. Some how being the underdog in crucial games makes it just that little more bearable when a loss is inevitably considered before and during the game. But win we did and by doing so we secured the chance to play Champions League football next season which I believe makes it sixteen seasons on the trot, no mean feat when you consider just how desperate and disappointed those around us were at missing out again.

Arsenal's 1-0 Premier League victory over Newcastle ensured that the Gunners will be playing the Champions League next season at the expense of North London rivals Tottenham, despite their 1-0 win at home against Sunderland courtesy of another late blockbuster from Gareth Bale.

With the title already secured by Manchester United and relegation matters settled in midweek, the only piece of intrigue left to be settled was who will be playing in Europe next season.

I want to fly like a bird.

Just one more to go then.

The last home game of the season ended on a very positive note and any win is a good way to repay the fans for providing the support throughout the entire 10 months. The win left us holding on to 4th spot as the battle for the Champions League goes down to the wire.

Last night was the next in a long line of must win matches, must win if staying ahead of that lot down the road is important, which it is.

This will be a slightly more sketchy report than I usually do because:

a) I was there so did not have benefit of copious replays
b) I'd met other AAers in the Tavern prematch.

Last night was the next in a long line of must win matches, must win if staying ahead of that lot down the road is important, which it is.

This will be a slightly more sketchy report than I usually do because:

a) I was there so did not have benefit of copious replays
b) I'd met other AAers in the Tavern prematch.

FA Cup Champions Wigan Athletic will travel to London on Tuesday to take on Arsenal in a crucial match for two teams needing a win.

Coming off an amazing 1-0 win over Manchester City in the FA Cup final this past weekend, Wigan's focus now turns to getting out of the relegation zone. Currently sitting in 18th place with 35 points, Wigan must win their remaining two matches and hope that one of the five teams ahead of them stumble through the finish line.

Defensive unit working as a team

If you take a look at the goals conceded column in the league table, you will be able to see that we third best in the league in that regard. Only 5 goals separates us from Manchester City, who have the tightest defence in the entire league thus far. Compare that to 2011/12 season in which we had the 8th best defensive record.

This was on paper always going to be the most tricky game of our run in and chase for a Champions League spot. Added to the normal nerves of entertaining United was the return of Brave Sir Robin, and the indignity of having to give said Dutchman and his new teammates a guard of honour on to the pitch after winning the title last Monday.

This was on paper always going to be the most tricky game of our run in and chase for a Champions League spot. Added to the normal nerves of entertaining United was the return of Brave Sir Robin, and the indignity of having to give said Dutchman and his new teammates a guard of honour on to the pitch after winning the title last Monday.

Laurent Koscielny has played an interesting role in Arsenal's season this year, having to fight for his place in a back line that features captain Thomas Vermaelen and German international Per Mertasacker. The French international has had to fight several little injuries and has done well to solidify his spot in an Arsenal team that has secured 16 out of 18 points out of their last six matches.

Wenger Calls for Strong Start against Canaries

Arsene Wenger has urged his Arsenal charges to fire on all cylinders from the very beginning when they take on Norwich City at Emirates Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

The Frenchman believes that when his men take an early lead, it draws their opponents out and makes the game even more favourable for the Gunners.

Arsenal got some good news this week when it was announced that Theo Walcott and Jack Wilshere should be able to return from injury soon. However, that means the team will have to do without them again on Saturday April 6 when they travel to Birmingham to take on West Brom. The points are crucial as usual as the race for third and fourth place is still pretty hot and heavy.

Cazorla Wants to Be More Prolific

Santi Cazorla says that he wants to go on a scoring spree for Arsenal as the Barclays Premier League enters the final phase of the 2012/13 season.

The Spanish playmaker has become an instant hit for the Gunners since joining them last summer from Malaga, and while a total of 11 goals in his debut PL campaign is healthy enough, he wants to increase that tally significantly before the end of the season.

Arsenal crept closer to Chelsea and Tottenham with a solid 2-0 win at Swansea on Saturday and kept their second away clean sheet in a row. The game lacked drama though as the Gunners were more or less in control of the proceedings right from the opening kickoff and very rarely seemed to be in trouble in their own end of the pitch.

Plenty of heart in that performance, epitomised by Koscielny

That we are now out of the Champions League is no surprise. The manner in which we exited, was however surprising. I would hold my hand up and admit that I did not have any expectation that we would we able to win at Munich, let alone managing to level the score.

You can't criticize a team that went into Munich and beat the Bundesliga leaders 2-0 in their own backyard. However, it was still a case of too little too late for Arsenal as they needed a third goal to secure a spot in the European Champions League quarterfinals and lost on the away-goals rule after leveling the aggregate at 3-3.

Arsenal simply wasn't prepared for Man City at the Emirates on Sunday Jan. 13 and paid for it with a 2-0 defeat. Manager Arsene Wenger said his players were too timid at the start of the match and allowed City to dictate the pace. However, defender Laurent Koscielny was far from timid when he placed both of his arms around City's Bosnian striker Edin Dzeko and pulled him down in the six-yard box in the eighth minute

Koscielny's tackle was ridiculous and he deservedly earned a red card while City was awarded a penalty.

Aaron Ramsey of Arsenal is tackled by Edin Dzeko of Manchester City (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)

Manchester City entered the game having mustered no goals and only four shots on target total in their previous three league trips to Emirates. City was missing star midfielder Yaya Toure, who was off on African Nations Cup duty, in addition to Samir Nasri (suspension), and Sergio Aguero (injury).

Match report By the numbers Player ratings Video

Anyone who tells you they enjoyed any moment of yesterday that came before the final whistle in our game is either a liar or just not very well in the head.

I felt unwell throughout the game, stomach churningly unwell.

Morning all,

it's Sunderland in the Premier League today, a game which we need to take three points from, and one that has proved difficult in seasons past.

The team news is mixed. Arsene Wenger is hopeful that Laurent Koscielny will be fit after limping out of France's midweek game against Germany, but with Thomas Vermaelen definitely ruled out with an ankle problem then it highlights how we're living on the edge a bit in terms of central defenders.

Morning all,

we're heading towards the final day of this Premier League season, and it really seems to have flown by. There's no reason it should have, in fairness. Some of it has been excruciatingly awful and there were Interlulls galore, but here we are. Times flies when you're having ...

Arsenal battled it out to the very end in grinding out a hard-earned 1-0 win at Sunderland on Saturday Feb. 9 even though they were down to 10 men after 62 minutes. They controlled the match in the first half, but started to lose the plot a little after the break as Carl Jenkinson received his second yellow card of the game just after the hour mark.

Match report By the numbers Player ratings Video

In the 11+ years I've been writing Arseblog, and about Arsenal, I don't think I've ever experienced such an outpouring of anger ... after a win. Yes, there have been days when people's frustration has gotten the better of them, but usually it's when we drop points, lose cup finals or important games, or find our season over midway through November.

Match report Player ratings Video

I have to say I rather enjoyed that in the end. Some pride was restored, confidence really ought to be have been boosted, and we beat Bayern Munich 2-0, coming so close in the end to completing the job.

As I admitted yesterday, I was fearful of this game.

Morning all, it's still very quiet as we prepare for Sunderland tomorrow.

I suppose that's because the players who were away came back yesterday in dribs and drabs, and after medical assessments the only real training session will be this morning. At that point the manager will have a better idea of who he's got available for the trip to Roker Park.

Welcome to a brand new week after what was some day of football yesterday.

Any hopes that Man City might do us a favour and beat Sp*rs were laid to rest by the fact that Man City are a group of players with nothing left to play for and who, frankly, didn't give a toss one way or the other. When the introduction of Tom Huddlestone changes a game you can tell there's a serious lack of desire, and when your only option to try and save it, as the richest club in the world, is Scott Sinclair then there's something really wrong.

So, while I was working yesterday evening, I had England v Brazil on and it was fantastic to see Jack Wilshere show his stuff against such exalted opponents.

Although I only saw 60 minutes he was clearly the star of the show, and having received the man of the match award for his performance over 90 he kept it up right until the end.