For the first time in five years we have now lost three Premiership matches in a row.

I am starting this story now Tuesday evening the 17th where the thoughts of last nights radio conversation on Talksports Drivetime between Adrian Durham and Ray Parlour are still fresh in my mind.

Arsenal vice-captain Thomas Vermaelen has returned to fitness in time for this evening's massive home fixture against Manchester United while there were also another two surprises in the Gunners' starting line-up against the reigning champions.

The 18-year old summer signing Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain makes a memorable debut while Tomas Rosicky also starts over Andrei Arshavin and Yossi Benayoun, who have previously been preferred to him this season.

Morning all,

and let's start with some good news, for a change. Word is Thomas Vermaelen could be in line to play against United later on. He trained with the first team yesterday and assuming all went well it means he'll start the game at left back. It'll certainly add some solidity to a back four which could really do with it at the moment, but we ought not to forget that our defensive issues aren't simply the domain of that group of players.

Old head's experience to lead is crucial to the cause

The papers are going crazy with this fixture and all the focus is on Arsenal and how the mighty have fallen. How this is no longer the plum tie of the Premier League season (somehow, I think the numbers tells a different story), why there's no pizza or pastries being thrown at each other and why there's no more fights between the two sets of players.

The only one with the ball will be the one missing

Ahead of this Sunday's game against Manchester United, the latest injury news update does not help to reassure any nerves. We are already going through a bad run of 2 consecutive league losses at the moment ahead of the imminent arrival of the team that gave us a beating in August.

Written by Double98

Robin van Persie, the balon d'or snubbed, true king of world football, has been reeling in the plaudits for his exceptional scoring feats in 2011. By eclipsing Thierry Henry's mark of 34 goals in a calendar year, and particularly by playing in a less competitive and more transitional team, he has booked himself a seat in the waiting room of the Pantheon of Arsenal Greats.

Lots of websites are going 'black' today, Wikipedia for example, to protest against proposed new laws in the USA which will make everyone have to connect to the internet through AOL with all their family filters turned on.

I was considering going black to bemoan our transfer policy, general crapness, toilet queues at the stadium and 'The Wonder of You'.

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.

Yearning to get back in the middle of things

Football returns today amidst the festivities but for Arsenal the game will not be on Boxing Day as tube strike prevented the game from going ahead today. Of the teams ahead of us, 3 of them play later today. Chelsea are up against Fulham, United at home to Wigan and City away to WBA.

Yearning to get back in the middle of things

Football returns today amidst the festivities but for Arsenal the game will not be on Boxing Day as tube strike prevented the game from going ahead today. Of the teams ahead of us, 3 of them play later today. Chelsea are up against Fulham, United at home to Wigan and City away to WBA.

Yearning to get back in the middle of things

Football returns today amidst the festivities but for Arsenal the game will not be on Boxing Day as tube strike prevented the game from going ahead today. Of the teams ahead of us, 3 of them play later today. Chelsea are up against Fulham, United at home to Wigan and City away to WBA.

WEEKEND WRAP : CHRISTMAS EDITION

Nothing warms our heart (and stockings) more than futbolitos who are committed to charity work and give back to their communities! To be fair, every club in world football makes an attempt do this but special mention must go out to Tottenham, whose efforts are equally impressive (na na, don't be hatin' this Christmas!

When was the last time you heard the words "Wenger must buy" followed by any of the following: Jagielka, Cahill, Samba, Hangeland?

It seems only weeks ago that were as many headlines linking us with other clubs' defenders as there are stars in the sky or skeletons in John Terry's closet.

Now.

That feeling of joy

Another 3 points in the bag that puts us level on points with Chelsea and just 2 points behind Tottenham, until their match tonight at least. Not the most accomplished of performance you will ever see from Arsene Wenger's Arsenal side but don't let anyone tell you that we didn't deserve to get all 3 points from this game.

To lose all four of our first team fullbacks at once to long-term injuries really is unfortunate.

As an example of serious bad luck it's right up there with Wayne Rooney finding himself at Grab-a-Granny night in the local nightclub with both arms in plaster; or Harry Redknapp taking a wrong turn into an auction house and accidentally winning 53 bids on account of his twitch.

Subdued Song turned the game

We came, we fought and we came away with zero. Yet there's still much to admire about this Arsenal side. We did not get thrashed by the team supposedly to be champions elect. Neither were we outplayed and hung on by the skin of our teeth.

Arsene Wenger fielded the same line-up as the one that took to the field on our 125th anniversary celebrations.

Match report (with goal clips)

I think that's what you'd call back on track. A solid, unspectacular performance, not aided and abetted by a ridiculous, bought sending off early in the game, and a display that showed lessons have been learned from away days at Wigan before.

The team was as expected and although the home began very brightly – and probably should have scored but for the magic heel of Santos – it didn't take long for us to assert ourselves and boss the game.

That Locomotive called Arsenal was back on track today charging once again towards the top of the table. After frustratingly slowing down at Fulham last weekend it was full steam ahead up north to Wigan to pick up what turned out to be an easy three points.

The players exuded superiority from the moment they stepped onto the pitch.

That Locomotive called Arsenal was back on track today charging once again towards the top of the table. After frustratingly slowing down at Fulham last weekend it was full steam ahead up north to Wigan to pick up what turned out to be an easy three points.

The players exuded superiority from the moment they stepped onto the pitch.

Even Gervinho can't miss this one

December is here but Arsenal continued where they left off. Four goals victory at the DW Stadium. Four different players added goals to their statistics for the season and we're now up to just one place behind fourth spot (until Liverpool's match against Fulham tonight at least).

From zero to hero. It was a bizarre afternoon for Arsenal defender Thomas Vermaelen on Saturday as he was disappointed after the Fulham game. Speaking to Arsenal Player, the Belgium International admitted that the players desperately ...

Video highlights and reaction match report By the numbers

I guess in the context of recent results and the form we've been in yesterday was something of a disappointment. Dropping two points at home can always be criticised but post-Champions League games against well organised, tough opponents are never easy.

This one's at the right end

The winning run came to an end. It was two points dropped on a day where Manchester United drew with Newcastle, where a win would allowed us to close the gap to these two team at the least. Sluggish is perhaps the best term to describe our performance last night.

Arsene Wenger has more than enough centre-backs this season after suffering with injury after injury in that department last year, but now the extras are being used to cover the wide defenders. When Arsenal played Dortmund on Wednesday Thomas Vermaelen, Laurent Koscielny, Per Mertesacker and Johann Djourou were all used during the 90 minutes.

Cut and paste the post for the Dortmund away fixture .....

Except, Arsenal were in the midst of our terrible run and some of the players who have now bedded in were still struggling. That is not all, our Centre Backs had yet to be formally introduced and with Aaron out, Benayoun started. The stadium was full of fervent and expectant BD fans.

Written by Gooner in Exile

After two weeks of interlull we could once again enjoy proper meaningful football with a trip to the Fine City of Norwich to take on Paul Lambert's promoted Canaries.

The only selection problem facing Wenger was whether to field Koscielny, Djourou or Yennaris at right back.

Denied again

That's our sixth consecutive Premier League win and unbeaten in the last 8 games. The win against Norwich puts us up to 6th position in the table, level on points with both Chelsea and Tottenham, albeit both have games in hand over us. On another day, this could've been a tennis score but it wasn't and ultimately a win was all that matters as we kept our good form going.

Robin van Persie, known fondly as Arsenal's captain 'vantastic', was once again the hero as the Gunners came from behind to win 2-1 against Norwich City at Carrow Road.

Van Persie struck near the half-hour mark to cancel out Steve Morison's 16th minute opening goal and then went on to score the decisive goal for Arsene Wenger's side at the hour-mark.

Arsenal will today face Norwich City hoping to keep their unbeaten run and positive defensive record going. Speaking to Arsenal Player ahead of the game, centre-back Thomas Vermaelen confessed that clean sheets are important for the ...

The criticism of Arsène for trying to force square pegs into round holes has frequently been levelled over recent seasons. Bendtner, Eboue and Arshavin in particular have all been deployed in areas that would not be their first choice let alone the Championship Managers among us. The reason for this has generally been a lack of depth in the squad exacerbated by the perennial injury problems that have depleted us so cruelly at vital times.

After getting the offer of some tickets late Friday, I went to the Emirates expecting a win, confidence in the team is getting stronger, especially with WBA not quite been the attacking enigma that they were last season when we managed to lose 2-3.

Robin "Assists from the lads were Insane"

Pre-match, Robin "One Man Team" Van Persie received his awards for a spectacular October, which was capped off in devastating fashion at the Bridge as Arsenal swept Chelsea aside.

Rare but deserved goal

If every match goes this way, we would all live a very long happy life. However, football and Arsenal in particular are not generally that nice to us or our hearts. Today, Arsenal won without much difficulties and without being overworked. There's one or two moments but hardly constituted as too much of a worry compared to other matches in the past.

Arsenal defender Thomas Vermaelen is ready to play alongside whoever it takes as long as he's on the pitch to help the Gunners. One of the best players for Arsenal against West Bromwich Albion, the Belgium ...

Yes boss, I can run more now

Premier League returns again. West Brom are the opponents for today and it will be the last one before yet another international break. The last break was something that we looked forward too, having only just lost in the local derby. This time however, the break couldn't come at a more inopportune time.

Injuries permitting, these two will be taking a backseat

I had a topic in mind and was going to start writing today's post when a new tweet flashed on my tweetdeck. It was Arseblog and his Friday's post has already been up. The headlines tells me that I've got the same content in mind as what he wrote.

Friday again? How does this keep happening with such regularity? I don't quite know where this last year has gone. I just remembered this morning that it's just over a year since Arseblog came back under my total control, my despotic regime is progressing nicely with Commander Tom readying the technological weapons of war and .

Morning all, it's a bit grey and miserable here in Dublin this morning.

I think this is because the weather knows that after this weekend's game against West Brom there's another Interlull coming. Ostensibly this is because there are play-offs to see who gets the final places in Euro 2012, but in reality it's just UEFA being dicks.

One of the best players on the pitch on Tuesday night, Thomas Vermaelen is finally back after spending months on the sidelines with an injury. Speaking after the goalless draw at the Emirates Stadium, the Belgium ...

Arsene Wenger admits that he is in awe of the terrific form of his captain Robin van Persie and believes that the Dutchman is finally using his class to distinguish himself as one of the finest in the league.

Van Persie's proneness to injuries has prevented him from reaching his highest potential in recent years but after inheriting the armband, he has been simply unstoppable.

Big game expected from these 3

Arsene Wenger talks about this match being the first of two pivotal matches for Arsenal. Today's Chelsea game is the first one with the midweek Marseille game being the second. The first test to see the extend of our league form improvement. 7 wins in 8 games is a more than decent run of results but as much as we want to forget it, the one defeat did come at the hands of our direct rival for a Champions League spot.