Arsenal (1) – (1) Everton
Özil 81′
The Emirates Stadium, London
Barclays Premier League

Arsenal and Everton went toe-to-toe and in the end the game finished 1-1.

Everton have proved to be a really excellent side this season, and they completely deserved their win at Old Trafford on Wednesday night. With Roberto Martinez, they play an attacking style of football – not unlike Arsenal do. Their philosophy is now to control the ball, pass it well and have positive intentions when on the ball. They are well-organised and gave us a real game today.

There will be obvious frustration at not extending our lead at the top of the Premier League table to 7 points, but in a weekend where Manchester United, Chelsea and Manchester City all dropped points, a 5 point lead is hardly something to be ashamed about.

This Premier League season more than most has shown that any team is capable of beating another, so after beating Hull City Tigers, Cardiff City, Southampton, Borussia Dortmund, Marseille and Liverpool in the last few weeks, a draw against a confident and excellent Everton side isn’t the end of the world. Obviously, all 3 points would have been the perfect way to finish the weekend, but I see this as a point gained.

I know some of you will be frustrated with only a point but in a season where Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea have all dropped points against “lesser” sides, Arsenal have been remarkably consistent and complete deserve to be 5 points clear at the top of the table.

And it means that when we do face Chelsea and Manchester City later this month, we can play for a draw. There is no pressure whatsoever to win those games.

Arsenal played well in patches but this new Everton side were confident on the ball and we found it hard to find our rhythm. From an attacking viewpoint, Everton were probably the best side we’ve played this season, and at times the game was open and both sides threatened to score. Both teams struggled to find that clinical final ball, and even the opening goal from Özil when it did come was a bit scrappy.

Tomas Rosicky clipped in a ball to the far post, and Theo headed the ball across the 6 yard area. Giroud tried to tap in but missed under pressure from Distin, and Ozil was hand to score into the roof of the net.

The disappointing thing will be the fact that we scored the opening goal and couldn’t hold on to the lead. We scored in the 81st minute but conceded the equaliser only 4 minutes later.

Barcelona-boy Gerard Deulofeu scored a well-taken goal, but some will be disappointed with the defending. Gibbs closed him down but wasn’t close enough, and he lashed a stunning strike passed the seemingly invincible Szczesny.

For me, it is unreasonable to expect Arsenal to defend perfectly all of the time, and for the last 7 or 8 months we’ve been impeccable at the back. Sure, Gibbs probably should have been closer to the Everton striker but in the end it was a rasping shot.

The positives were that with just over 20 minutes to go and with the game at 0-0, Arsene Wenger wasn’t happy with the draw and went all out for all 3 points by making a triple substitution. He brought on Theo, Tomas and Flamini in a hugely positive move. It was also good (in a way) to see Wilshere, Cazorla and Ramsey taken off – it shows that no-one is undroppable and we have the strength and depth to try and chance a game if needed.

We have a massive December coming up and we need to make sure we’re still top of the table when New Year comes around. Maybe this draw will give us that extra kick up the backside we need and let is kick on going into 2014.

Arsenal (2) – (0) Marseille
Wilshere 1′, 65′
The Emirates Stadium, London
Champions League Group Stage

Although Arsenal would have hoped for a draw or Napoli win in Germany tonight to guarantee their place in the knockout stages, the 3-1 win for Borussia Dortmund effectively means that for Arsenal to not make the “Round of 16” they would need to lose 3-0 in Naples in two weeks time.

And barring a massive disaster, then that should not happen.

So we can feel pretty confident with our Champions League campaign so far, having amassed an impressive 12 points with one game to go in a group with Dortmund, Napoli and Marseille. You do wonder about Chelsea, who lost twice against Basel in their group, collected 9 points and still managed to qualify already.

Out of all the English sides, we had the toughest group by a country mile and I have no doubt that if Chelsea, Manchester United or Manchester City were in our group, they would have been knocked out by now. We have been excellent in the league and also in Europe, and deserve our place at the top of each table.

Tonight, Arsenal played within themselves and cruised to a 2-0 victory. Wilshere scored a fantastic goal after only 30 seconds, and after that kept the ball without really threatening. Özil’s tame penalty was saved later on in the game but he somewhat made up for that by setting up Wilshere for his second goal on 65 minutes.

Marseille brought on Thauvin and Valbuena with half an hour remaining to see if they could get anything from the game but the defence was solid as it has been all season and Szczesny was excellent when called upon.

We have a set of winnable games coming up in the league (Cardiff City, Hull City Tigers and Everton) over the next few weeks and while they will all be difficult tests, we should be able to be in a good place mentally before having to travel to Italy.

Wojciech Szczesny: 7/10

Could do nothing about the goal and apart from that had nothing much to do.

Bacary Sagna: 9/10

One of the few players who turned up today. Lively down the right hand side and up and down throughout the 90 minutes. Made two simply stunning crosses which should have been converted – they were gift wrapped goals. Couldn’t have done any more.

Laurent Koscielny: 8/10

Solid at the back and organised the defence well. Was quick to Rooney and Van Persie and made some important tackles and interceptions.

Thomas Vermaelen: 7/10

Only called upon this morning after Per Mertesacker was taken ill but performed well. Kept Van Persie relatively quiet and protected Szczesny well.

Kieran Gibbs: 7/10

Wanted the ball, tried to drive forward and was unlucky not to head in Sagna’s cross in the second half. Coped with the threat of Valencia and Smalling well and limited their influence.

Mikel Arteta: 8/10

Been excellent in the last couple of weeks and was very good again. Always wanted the ball, tried to drive the team forward and really wanted to make things happen. Made some excellent tackles and covered a lot of ground.

Mathieu Flamini: 7/10

Did well and along with Arteta, and was energetic in midfield. Wanted the drive the team forward but was let down by the midfielders in front of him.

Santi Cazorla: 5/10

Struggled to make an impact and just wasn’t in the game. Didn’t cope well with Manchester United’s physical approach and was bullied out of the game for large parts of the match. Couldn’t link up at all with Özil and Ramsey with any real threat.

Aaron Ramsey: 6/10

Wasn’t his game today and struggled to find space in a compact Manchester United midfield and defence. Showed determination and desire but was let down by his fellow attacking midfielders.

Mesut Özil: 5/10

For me, has been cruising for a couple of weeks and was anonymous today. Didn’t really stamp his authority on the games against Liverpool and Dortmund, and the same happened today. Should have been taken off for Gnabry and I still don’t know why he didn’t throw his head at the ball when Ramsey played him in. He is in the team to make chances but couldn’t create anything today.

Olivier Giroud: 7/10

Was up against a physical Manchester United team and was asked to taken on the whole defence on his own. Was unlucky with a lot of decisions (with the referee giving fouls against him when they weren’t) and ended up getting more and more frustrated as the game went on. Bottom line was he didn’t have the service.

Substitutes:

Jack Wilshere: 7/10

Gave Arsenal that extra bit of urgency when he came on but didn’t have much to work with. Couldn’t get through a United team that parked the bus.

Nicklas Bendtner: 5/10

We needed to throw on another forward to give United something else to think about but Bendtner is not the man to call upon. The sooner players like Theo and Podolski come back the better as our forward options are limited.

Serge Gnabry: 7/10

Arsene Wenger should have brought him on sooner and he made an instant impact, getting down the line and showing for the ball. Wanted the ball and showed in the 10 minutes he played that he could provide a real threat.

Going into this game, Arsenal were high on confidence after beating Liverpool and Borussia Dortmund, but today, despite Manchester United not firing on all cylinders not having Alex Ferguson in the dugout, comfortably beat us today because we were far too scared.

The amount of respect we showed Manchester United was pathetic and if we played anywhere near our capabilities we would have won. Sagna crossed two unbelievably good balls but we were far too soft to take advantage. The first Gibbs and Giroud couldn’t connect and for the second, Bendtner, who is a useless lump, couldn’t tap in from 2 yards.

The disappointing thing was not just the limp performance, but the massive confidence boost this has given Manchester United. They have beaten the league leaders and this result could turn their season around. Whichever way to spin in, United will be loving this result.

We weren’t at our best but can feel unlucky to lose. Szczesny had nothing to do and apart from the header, United didn’t look too much of a threat. We played better in the second half but they parked the bus, which you expect from a team that weren’t what they used to be.

That first goal was vital and our response was poor. Özil was put through by a great ball by Ramsey but instead of heading in a certain goal, he simply decided not to connect. Cazorla struggled to get into the game, Ramsey found it hard to impose himself and Giroud was so isolated. Even when United lost Vidic at half time, we struggled to make any clear cut chances.

We had a lot of half chances but why on earth didn’t we shoot? There were so many times where the Arsenal players should have just put their foot through the ball but didn’t, trying to play that one pass too many. Özil had a great chance which he blazed into the side netting and Sagna’s killer crosses weren’t taken advantage of.

It’s disappointing to see David De Gea have a relatively easy game.

We gave Manchester United far too much respect and should have learnt lessons from Stoke and West Brom who attacked Manchester United and scored a couple of goals in those games. Manchester United would have been scared of ending up 11 points behind Arsenal but it was the visiting team that looked scared. Against Napoli, Liverpool and Dortmund we were resilient, determined and focused. Today we were off the pace and United took advantage.

Manchester United were how you would expect – they were aggressive, quick and played to their capabilities. There were a lot of long balls as they can’t play through midfield and once they scored, I feared the worst. Once they scored they had something to hold onto and defended in numbers.

We found it hard to break them down and it is a massive opportunity lost. Chelsea, Manchester City and Tottenham all lost points and now, Manchester United are only 5 points behind us.

The bottom line was Manchester United were more desperate for the points and the game mattered more to them. Now they are right back in the mix and even though we’re still top of the league at the end of the weekend, it’s a shame that we couldn’t at least get a draw.

Borussia Dortmund (0) – (1) Arsenal
Ramsey 62′
Westfalenstadion, Dortmund
Champions League

Cometh the hour, cometh the man.

Who else would score the all important goal?

Aaron Ramsey is in absolutely sensational form and tonight, Arsenal showed heart, grit and determination against for me, one of the best sides in Europe.

For large portions of the game, Dortmund were excellent. They pressed high, attacked in numbers and the sheer organisation and way they go forwards is one scary sight. Arsenal however were resilient and excellent at the back.

It was a real team performance and for the first hour, it was Dortmund who had most of the possession. Arsenal sat deep and for all their possession the home side only really made one clear cut chance and a few half chances. Robert Lewandowski was lively and looked a threat every time he got the ball.

If Arsenal were hit by a sucker punch by Dortmund at The Emirates, then Arsenal did one better on the hour mark. After absorbing all of the pressure from the home side, Arsenal broke and with some purpose. Mesut Özil, who was on the periphery, found Olivier Giroud with a chipped cross. The ball dropped to Aaron Ramsey who was fearless and threw himself at the ball (almost getting a kick to the face) and headed in the opening goal.

A huge goal at a huge moment. I was stunned buy was jumping around like a mad man.

So there we were – half an hour left to play and we had a one goal lead. If that wasn’t dramatic enough, what followed was unbelievable.

For the first time in the game, Borussia Dortmund were on the ropes and Arsenal sensed an opportunity and had 3 real chances to double their lead. Giroud found that man Ramsey with a beautifully floated cross and the Welshman, brimming with confidence, coolly chested the ball down and lashed a fizzing shot at goal. Weidenfeller got fortunate as the ball bounced off the inside of his leg and just wide.

From the resulting corner, Giroud had a chance cleared of the line and moments later a great cross from Santi Cazorla almost, almost found Per Mertesacker who was so close to connecting with his head and scoring.

Borussia Dortmund were then throwing men forward and the game opened up. They had a few half chances but the Arsenal defended in numbers and were outstanding.

In the end, Arsenal produced the perfect performance – controlled and attacked at the right times. If we wondered if the team had learnt anything from the first game at The Emirates, then after tonight there was no doubt whatsoever.

What we are witnessing here is a special, special team.