A very good result for Arsenal in the first game of this years Champions League group stage.

The performance was reasonably good, considering the stuttering preparations the team has been able to manage since the season started.

This season is relatively new territory for me.

I don't think I can remember a season where the squad has has so little time together even though six games have been played.

Football seasons are usually like soap operas, the same thing happens every year, except with different/new characters/players.

Not this season though. The stupid fixture list, which has drawn a lot of criticism, might just have upset the usual pattern.

Saying that though, wednesday nights game was pretty much according to script.

A European side thinking that attacking Arsenal is a good Idea, and then getting completely opened up as soon as they do.

Hardly any premiership side do that any more.

Escpecially the weaker teams.

Middlesbrough got a good result at the Emirates by sticking 11 players behind the ball, so other premiership sides will more than likely use the same gameplan until Arsenal figure out a way to beat it.

Not so European sides such as Hamburg on Wednesday.

In the end a Gilberto penalty and a Rosicky screamer were enough to reward Arsenals overall dominance of the game with 3 points.

As for van Persie... It wasn't a dive as far as I'm concerned.

Nor as far as he's concerned either:

"At first it was on my mind to shoot straight away. I just had a first touch and passed the keeper.

There was a little bit of contact, but it was never my intention to dive.

I am not like that and I think it is bad for the game."

Rosicky's goal wasn't a Typical Arsenal goal by any means.

Rosicky is the antithesis of Hleb.

He shoots on sight.

Not so Hleb, who might look for a pass if he was on the six yard line with an open goal.

As far as I'm concerned, Hleb has become the most error prone mamber of the team since Reyes has left, so until he starts shooting, I'd be happy to see Baptista keep him out of the side.

Anyway, just as I'm about to post this, I see that Arsenal have released a statement denying having any talks about a possible take over.

Which doen't suprise me one bit.


Arsenal Holdings plc has noted the speculation in the media that it has received an approach or has been in talks which may lead to an offer for the Company.

The Board of Directors confirms that it is not and has not been in any such talks and has not received any such approach.


Thats the end of that story then....

...yeah right.

I'm almost lost for words at exactly how childish Ashley Cole really is.

His feeble excuses for wanting to leave the club such as...

"The club made Thierry feel wanted and special, wooing him... ...But me? I didn't have one dinner, one meeting or one phone call from anyone."

...and...

"Thierry and I sat in the centre circle after the final whistle, his name was sung from the rooftops while my contribution was recognised by a deafening silence."

...are so far past pathetic, that they border on ludicrous.

Why would anyone waste their breath singing his name??

What did he do for the club in the whole season that was so special??

Did he score loads of goals??

No... but Thierry did.

Did he make loads of assists??

No... but Thierry did.

Did he play in almost every game, even when he wasn't fit??

No... but Thierry did.

I suppose this is what happens when a person joins a football club from the age of 9.

Living in a fantasy world a lot of people only ever dream of, some of them clearly don't seem to see the need to actually grow up.

Honestly! It's like a younger sibling wanting to run away from home because his big brother got more jelly and ice cream for pudding!

oooooohhh.... they don't love me like they should..... 'whimper', 'whimper'...

What!? Even after you went off and met Mourinho, then faked injury for the rest of the season??

Ah... the faked injury...

Yes, Ashley has something to say about that too (showing what a 'tough guy' he is in the process, oh yes! ) after being asked if he really was injured:

"'That was it. I blew my lid. `What!' I shouted, barely able to keep a lid on it,[oh Ashley, you're so hard!] `I need to play for Arsenal to go to the World Cup, so why would I hold back? The more I hold back, the less chance I've got of going to Germany! And you are insulting me'.'"

Prat.

Yes Ashley, why on earth would anyone doubt your commitment to the club? It's not like you went off trying to get a contract with another... Oh, wait a minute!

Anyway, it's a known fact that Eriksson had 'un-droppables', of which you were one. As long as you were fit, you were in the England squad. That was obvious.


Anyway enough about the invisible man.

So it's another 2 points dropped after totally dominating the game.

Not too much to worry about so far, though IMO.

As Thierry said, it's not like the team played badly or didn't look like winning.

Gallas played very well, and Rosicky provided the shock of the match by shooting from outside the box.

I wasn't even expecting such a dominant performance after an international break to be honest, so it does look like there's plenty to be positive about right now.

However, it would be nice to have an answer to teams who play with 11 men behind the ball.

Anyway I'm way too bored of talking about plan b's, so I'll leave it at that.

Next up, Hamburg SV.

How pathetic can you get??

It seems that Mourinho and his fake mafia "family" are desperate to show to the world just how childish they can REALLY get.

Quite how they continue to defend their actions and present a laughable image of good character is way beyond me.

One of the most staggering things about the comedy statement, which calls Gallas some sort of twisted money hungry Chelsea hater, (even though he was consistently one of their best players for 5 years) is that they seem to be under the impression that people would sympathise with them and their claims.

But they're the ones who've just bought a player who turned his back on his boyhood club over £5000 a week.

Have they not done enough??

Have they not been criticised from all quarters enough? Fined enough? Officially warned by the FA enough? Officially warned by UEFA enough?

They lie, force referees into retirement, openly tap up players, break the rules, ruin young players' careers, spoil the game with ridiculous wages and transfer fees for squad players, then even after all of that, they want to convince everyone that they have a good image.

Gallas isn't the only one who wanted to leave Chelsea in the summer.

Their problem is that if they let all of their unhappy players leave, they'd probably have to buy a new team every season.

Come on Chelsea, show some class.