Mikel Arteta has done a fantastic job at Arsenal since his appointment in December 2019. The football has improved, the relationship with the fans is better than ever, the stadium is louder than ever, we even have a club anthem and not forgetting last season’s title race. However, one thing has eluded him so far: a Premier League win over his mentor. The title run last season has raised expectations. Every point dropped is greeted with a wave of disappointment across the fan base. The loss against Lens in the Champions League was a sobering reality check that Arsenal haven’t been great so far this season. Bukayo Saka’s injury dampened the mood even more heading into a crucial game against the champions. The celebrations against Manchester City in the Community Shield were of a team that believed they had conquered a mental battle. A belief that this was the season that would end a 20- year- old league title draught. Since then, the team has hardly put out a ‘ we’re ready ‘ performance ...

South Sudan stunned the Harambee stars 1-0 in a friendly played at Moi International Sports Centre Kasarani. Tito Okello scored the lone goal of the game in the second minute. The Kenya Police FC striker did what we locally call ' alichoma shule' by scoring in familiar grounds much to the annoyance of local football fans.  Football fans had thronged the stadium bursting with expectation after the national team pulled off an impressive 2-1 victory away to Qatar. As easy as 12pm fans started trickling down singing and dancing the isukuti. The was a sense of patriotism. A belief that maybe this team would rejuvenate the love for local football. That the pride of putting on the national team jersey would be felt again. But typical of the Harambee stars they let us down again.  The goal coming in so early in the game momentarily dampened the ardour around the ground. Kenya started extremely nervous. Joseph Okumu's horribly executed back pass in the second minute mirrored how Ken...

 Arsenal and Liverpool face off this weekend in a mouthwatering clash at the Emirates. It's a fixture that doesn't disappoint with only two nil-nil scorelines throughout the history of this league fixture. In recent times, Arsenal fans have dreaded this fixture. Whether it's Luis Suarez or Roberto Firmino, Liverpool's attackers have certainly enjoyed this fixture but is that era of dominance over the gunners coming to an end? Liverpool come into this game 11 points behind the league leaders despite being only eight games into the season. Their midweek win against Rangers gave them a huge boost ahead of a crucial game. The groans were getting louder, previously flawless Trent Alexander- Arnold and Virgil Van Dijk are now heavily under the microscope. Rival fans can't wait for the next Trent mistake while the media are drawing their knives out already. Jurgen Klopp has built his success at Liverpool around pressing. They were famed for chocking teams under their press...

 It's that time again. Club football is on a lull and we get the international break that no one asked for. Depending on where your team is on the Premier League table , you were either begging for the break to come sooner or you were dreading it. Arsenal fans fall into the latter. That said the prospect of gloating over Arsenal's league position to rival fans for fourteen days is mouthwatering. This break also gives us a chance to reflect on how Arsenal has started the season. Seven games is big enough of a sample size to tell us where a team is in it's development. Are Arsenal actually a better side or have they just had a good start to a season?  The arrivals of Gabriel Jesus and Zinchenko in the summer transfer window spoke of a club putting the final touches on their project. It was no longer time for patience, it was time for lift off. Arsenal realized that they were actually not far off the top four sides in the league. They needed the star quality to compliment what...

 It's the 92nd minute and Jesse Marsch is frantically beckoning Illan Meslier to go forward and add more numbers in the box for a free kick. Only minutes earlier Nicholas Pepe was almost through on goal after Meslier was left higher up the pitch but a crucial tackle by Dan James spared his blushes. Jesse Marsch clearly wanted the young goalkeeper to atone for his earlier mistake. Arsenal fans meanwhile couldn't understand how a dominant display could end so nervously. In the end none of Leeds' last minute efforts mattered as Arsenal were 2-1 winners at the Emirates. The win leaves us on sixty six points four ahead of Tottenham. A win at Tottenham would ensure Champions League football for the first time since the 16/17 season. There's a realization that we can actually do this. The stakes for the North London Derby couldn't be any higher.  Mikel when asked about the Tottenham game, "We know how decisive the game is going to be. The plan is to go there and win...

 Granit Xhaka ran towards the corner flag, hit a knee slide and then blew a kiss to the Arsenal fans. Crazy I know! He had just hit a rocket of a shot past De Gea from outside the box giving us a 3-1 lead against Manchester United. The Emirates was bouncing, fans and legends present started to dream again, chants of ," Arsenal" reverberated throughout the stadium. Arsenal have breezed through Chelsea and United in a week.  The match itself was a nervy but drama filled affair. Both sides looked unsure of themselves defensively. So it was not a surprise to see a goal within the first three minutes. Xhaka's pass to the box was badly misjudged by Varane giving Saka the chance to shoot from the right. De Gea made the save but Nuno Tavares reacted quickest to score his first goal for the club. We could not have wished for a better start. United were jolted into life after that opener. Ronaldo with a nice through ball to Elanga but his shot was too close to Ramsdale who made the...

 Arsenal were 4-2 winners at the Bridge putting to an end our three match losing streak. It was a much needed win for the team and Mikel who was under immense pressure from a section of the fan base. It was no surprise that it was the Hale end boys who stepped up again when it mattered. Nketiah with a brace, Smith Rowe and Saka completing the score. It was a defiant performance from us. We had twice taken the lead only to relinquish it in five minutes or less. Previous Arsenal sides would have folded. The manner in which we conceded both goals was a bit disenchanting. Timo Werner equalized just four minutes after Nketiah's opener, his shot deflecting off Xhaka and past Ramsdale. I felt that Ramsdale could have done better especially with his positioning. The second was again only five minutes after Smith Rowe made it 2-1. Ben White seemed to have been fouled but the ball found it's way to Mason Mount who put in a lovely cross for Azpi who's finish was superb.  Arsenal howe...

Disappointment was the overwhelming feeling among Arsenal fans today as Southampton beat us 1-0. It's not even 18/19 anymore it's worse especially when you look at the remaining fixtures. Less than a fortnight ago even the most pessimistic of fans had started to dream. Now only disillusionment reigns over the fan base.  Jan Bednarek gave Southampton all three points with a sharp finish leaving Ramsdale with no chance. It was a disappointing goal to concede as we did not clear our lines well. Mohammed Elyounoussi reacted  quickest after a poor clearance from Arsenal to square the ball to Bednarek. Scoring before halftime can only boost your confidence especially after a 6-0 thrashing so it was always going to be a difficult afternoon for Arsenal after that goal.  There was growing disenchantment with Arsenal's play in the final third. Lack of creativity had left us playing crosses from the right in hope that someone would get at the end of them. When Cedric becomes your go...

 It's been a difficult week for Arsenal after two defeats in a space of six days has our champions league hopes in tatters. Only a few hours after we had lost to Brighton, we had to witness Spurs completely demolish Aston Villa 4-0. The fans were frustrated. Frustrated at Arteta, the players, spurs, injuries.., it was that feeling again. It's difficult not to draw parallels to the 18/19 season when an Unai Emery led side lost four out of their last eight games missing out on top four . Arsenal finished fifth just a single point behind Tottenham . Ironically enough it was Brighton and Palace that dented our champions league hopes again.   So it's not been a surprise to see the reaction from the fans this week. There's almost like a dark cloud hovering over the fan base. It was made even worse when Unai Emery led his Villareal side into the semifinals of the Champions League.  The Arteta outers are back again while the Arteta loyalists (Artetasexuals apparently) are i...

 In a week where Pep Guardiola was accused of overthinking in the Champions League, his disciple Mikel Arteta might have just been guilty of that today. Arsenal fans were left frustrated as the gunners lost 1-2 to Brighton at home.  Leandro Trossard gave Brighton the lead after a superb cut back from Enock Mwepu . The Belgian smashed it into the top corner giving Ramsdale no chance. Enock Mwepu wrapped up a decent Brighton move with a nicely controlled finish into the bottom corner for 2-0. A deserved goal for the Zambian who was brilliant throughout the game. Martin Ødegaard pulled one back with a deflected shot halfway through Brighton's half but it was not enough as Brighton held on to an important win for them.  Arteta controversially decided to play Granit Xhaka at left back with Nuno Tavares benched after his horrific performance at Palace on Monday. The prospect of Ødegaard, Saka, Smith Rowe and Martinelli all playing at the same time was mouth watering, at lea...

 A defiant Mikel Arteta faced the media after a disappointing 1-1 draw at Turf Moor left his side 10 points off the top six. Brave faced, he declared that one day his Arsenal project was going to bang . In his own words, " I think this project is going to go 'bang' and this is where we are . Sometimes it is difficult to see the moment now, but I'm sure where we are going." That was a year ago and an engrossing summer transfer window later. Arsenal now sit in fourth place on 54 points, 5 behind Chelsea in third with a game in hand. The gunners are staunchly in the top four race. The first time in a long while that Arsenal fans are experiencing the thrill of a top four race again. Since the defeat to Everton on 14th December Arsenal have won 10 out of 14 Premier league games. Only defeats in that period have been to Liverpool and Manchester City. There's still a long way to go but his words ring true. It's not just about the winning run, Arsenal have been p...