I don’t know why I bother with Manchester United v Arsenal matches. Afterwards I end up feeling utterly shite.

Alex Ferguson has used the exact same game-plan for the last 5 seasons now and it works. While the “experts” at Sky were “stunned” that Berbatov wasn’t playing, I, like a lot of Arsenal fans I suspect, wasn’t at all surprised.

It’s the same old story, and Arsene Wenger either hasn’t realised it or doesn’t have the tactical knowledge how to deal with it.

It’s always Rooney up top, and two quick players either side to hit us on the break. These days it’s Nani and Park, and several years ago it was Ronaldo and Park.

If we know what United are going to do, then shouldn’t Arsene?

The sad thing was that Manchester United were there for the taking. Don’t get me wrong, they deserved to win tonight, but a big part of that was because we didn’t perform. We had glimpses here and there but there was no belief at all. I haven’t seen a team that was top of the league play with such a lack of confidence.

Is it the stadium? It is the team? Or was it the game-plan?

Whatever it was, Arsenal ran out of ideas, and lacked any kind of urgency.

Throughout the game and even at the end I had the belief that we could nick a goal so it was a shame that the players didn’t. Words to describe the performance are lethargic, tired and uninspired. And from a side that should be full of confidence it is frustrating and depressing.

This Manchester United side is the weakest for a long time. Yet we gifted them the victory and they didn’t find it very hard. I’d like to see what kind of spin Arsene puts on this performance.

The goal when it came was fortunate, or genius, depending on how you look at it. Apart from that, and the ridiculous penalty decision, United never really put Chesney Hawkes under any kind of pressure. Unfortunately, Van Der Sar have virtually nothing to do as well.

United sat deep and soaked up all the pressure with consummate ease. We never got in behind and while we had good spells of possession it was tame and it was almost playing at The Emirates.

Clichy was badly exposed time and time again and did well to cope with Nani on his own. As I’ve already mentioned, the penalty decision was farcical and for the linesman to gesture that he moved his arm towards the ball was completely ridiculous! Replays clearly showed that Clichy was on the floor and Nani poked the ball onto his arm. Clichy’s face wasn’t even looking where the ball was at the time.

As the second half went on you just hoped that someone in an Arsenal shirt could create that special moment but it never came.

People compare Arsenal to Barcelona but everything they do is incisive and dangerous. They ripped apart Real Madrid a couple of weeks ago and we are light-years away from that. We need to be far more clinical against the top teams and so far against Liverpool, Chelsea, Tottenham and now Manchester United we haven’t been.

Maybe we can do what Manchester United did a couple of seasons ago and win the title against the other teams in the league, and almost write off the games against the Top Four. They managed to hammer everyone else in the league and lift the title, so I guess that’s our biggest chance.

Player Ratings:

Wojciech Szczesny: 7/10
Bacary Sagna: 7/10
Laurent Koscielny: 6/10
Sebastien Squillaci: 6/10
Gael Clichy: 7/10
Alex Song: 7/10
Jack Wilshire: 6/10
Tomas Rosicky: 6/10
Andrei Arshavin: 5/10
Samir Nasri: 6/10
Marouane Chamakh: 8/10

Substitutes:

Cesc Fabregas: 5/10
Robin Van Persie: 5/10
Theo Walcott: 6/10

Manager Ratings:

Arsene Wenger: 5/10

Well in footballing terms, that was pretty much a perfect weekend.

Chelsea dropped yet more points, this time at home against Everton, and the Manchester United game against Blackpool was called off. Now we are top of the Premier League table, 2 points above Chelsea and 1 point above United, although they of course have a game in hand.

That is ideal because while it’s a cliché it is always better to have the points on the board. And psychologically this Arsenal team need the confidence of sitting at the top of the table.

But Chelsea’s form is truly staggering at the moment.

They had an unbelievable start to the season, winning their first 5 games and scoring bucketfuls of goals. Now they lie 16th in the form table, having lost 3 and drawn 2 of their last 6 games. I am baffled to why they are struggling so much at the moment.

Has Ancelotti lost the dressing room? Was Ray Wilkins the real mastermind? I thought John Terry’s absence was one of the major factors but he returned yesterday and they still dropped points at home. I never thought I would agree with something Alan Shearer said but last night on Match of the Day he picked up on the fact they looked slow and lethargic. The one thing you could always say about Chelsea was that they are big, strong and direct. Is age catching up with them or is it something else? Who knows.

So with yet another blip Arsenal took advantage. Only just mind.

Arsenal versus Fulham. Before the game, Arsenal were 3rd in the Premier League and 2nd in the form table. Fulham however sat just above the relegation zone and were bottom (yes, bottom) of the form table, failing to win any of their last 6 games. The draw specialists had only won one of their last 12 games.

But in typical Arsenal fashion, we made things extremely difficult for ourselves.

The game ended 2-1 to Arsenal but the scoreline only tells half the story. Mark Hughes proved that while being a massive twat he had actually done his homework and credit where credit is due, he had a game plan to release Kamara early at every opportunity and on another day (a la West Brom and Newcastle) Fulham could have taken all 3 points.

The fact is that with the defeats to West Brom and Newcastle at home this season we’ve given the opposition a blueprint on how to beat us at The Emirates, very much like how teams are taking the game to Chelsea this season and getting results.

But Arsenal showed, as Arsene would put it, fantastic mental strength. They never gave up and while it’s clear that some players need to get their act together, we have someone who is in the form of his life.

It’s not difficult to pick out one player at the moment and that man is Samir Nasri. His form and performances are nothing short of sensational. He’s got 11 goals already this season (8 in the league) and is the star man. His movement, his composure, his passing, his runs, his pace and his finishing are all world class.

Samir Nasri right now, is on a par with players like Freddie and Bobby from the Invincibles season. He has balls, steel and that confidence to do whatever he wants on the pitch. Along with Fabregas, they are probably the only 2 players from the last 5/6 seasons who wouldn’t look out of place in that squad of 2004.

Nasri is a leader on the pitch with his desire and performances. He gives everything and it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that without him we wouldn’t be top of the league today. I don’t need to go through the beauty of the goals again, you’ve all seen how special they were. He oozes confidence and that’s why we need to pray for him. All to often a player emerges with performances that are vital to the team (think Van Persie last season, and Eduardo a couple before that) and then we lose them to some kind of injury.

And that’s the only thing I fear for Samir Nasri. He is performing that well you just know with our luck something might happen.

I’ll be praying for him every night before I go to sleep.

Everton (1) – (2) Arsenal
Sagna (36′), Fabregas (48′)
Goodison Park, Liverpool

Just managed to get home from travelling back from Goodison Park, and it’s funny how the journey home is a lot better when you’ve secured a decent win.

And today finished off a perfect weekend for Arsenal.

Chelsea lost against Sunderland 3-0 at home, which I couldn’t believe, Manchester United drew against Aston Villa and Manchester City drew against Birmingham.

Which means that Arsenal are second in the league, only 2 points behind Champions Chelsea. You couldn’t have asked for anything better than that.

Strange as it sounds, it’s hard to analyse a game when you’re in the stands but what was clear was that Fabianski had another great game. In the last 20 minutes or so he was called upon to make some top saves which in the end proved to be decisive.

I also have to mention Johan Djourou. He was just immense. Virtually every ball that Everton played up the pitch was won by the Swiss defender and he has that uncanny knack of being in the right place at the right time. It’s no co-incidence that against Wolves and Everton, we’ve looked more solid defensively.

Arshavin looked sharp in the opening half an hour, having a couple of decent efforts from range. Nasri and Sagna linked up really well (with Song helping out on the right side) and most of the attacks were coming from that side of the pitch. So it was no surprise when the goal came.

I think it was Arshavin who coolly pulled the ball back to Sagna who smashed the ball in from close range. Well deserved and Arsenal were dominant in the first half. I was surprised how Arsenal kept Everton relatively subdued, as they are usually quite effective at home.

The home crowd were unusually timid as well – in previous visits to Goodison have always produced a more intimidating atmosphere but today Arsenal kept the home supporters pretty quiet.

Fabregas grabbed the second goal after a well worked move and after that Arsenal had a few chances on the break, with Chamackh missing a sitter from 3 yards out.

As you would expect, Everton went for it in the last 20 minutes and Arsenal did well withstand most of the pressure. Fabianski made some important saves, and the team defended well as a unit. Clichy mainly punted the ball upfield instead of usually “fannying around” with it which was good to see. Most of Everton’s attacks came from Baines on the left and they did have some chances near the end.

But Arsenal were solid and held on for all 3 points.

I know, hardly the most in-depth review of the game you’ll see but I’m happy with the performance and happy with the 3 points. You couldn’t ask for any more really.

Chelsea (2) – (0) Arsenal
Stamford Bridge, London

I am so disappointed with the Chelsea match this afternoon.

Not with the players, not with the performance, not with the line-up or even the manager.

I am just so disappointed with the result.

Arsenal were just fantastic this afternoon and deserved so much more from the game.

As soon as the game kicked off, Arsenal went for it. Chamakh had a headed chance go just wide after 30 seconds and a few minutes later Arshavin cut inside and had a shot saved by Cech.

Then Koscielny had a golden chance to score with a header which he somehow placed over the bar from only a couple of yards.

Arsenal were dominating possession and the game and Cech was by far the busiest goalkeeper in the first hour of the game.

Arshavin had another goal-bound shot well saved by the Chelsea goalkeeper and Arsenal were playing well. We moved the ball around confidently, our movement was excellent and the only thing missing was the cutting edge.

I was shocked at how much Arsenal dominated the game. Arsenal were excellent all over the pitch – Sagna was up and down like a man possessed and made some really vital interceptions in defence. Laurent Koscielny and Sebastien Squillaci were solid at the back, keeping Drogba, Anelka and Malouda all relatively quiet.

In midfield, Wilshire was sublime. He moves the ball so well and his touch and vision are impeccable. He was spraying the ball wide with ease and really got into the heart of the Chelsea defence. Nasri was full of running and ideas and Song was confident at bringing the ball out of midfield and rarely lost the ball.

Abou Diaby was also impressive, playing just off Chamakh but Arshavin was hit and miss. The shots he had showed what the guy is capable of but he did lose the ball at times and things were just not coming off for him.

But for all that possession and play, Chelsea were just impossible to break down and were more clinical. That’s the bottom line.

Drogba’s goal had more than a touch of fortune, when his flick went in off the inside of the post.

Asshole was played in by Ramires and his cross was fizzed into Drogba, who intelligently improvised and Fabianski had no chance with that goal.

Arsenal still played with their free flowing football and Chelsea were happy to play on the break. Arsenal dominated possession and despite Chelsea’s solid defence and 2 holding midfielders Arsenal did make opportunities.

The only thing you could criticise about Arsenal’s performance was that they weren’t clinical enough.

Chamakh had 3 decent headed chances to score, and you just feel that if this game was in January then he would have buried them. He still has to get used to the team and there were a couple of times when he was played in but he just couldn’t read the pass, but that will come in time.

Games like this are decided on key moments and on Chelsea’s first goal, Arsene was particularly upset with the foul on Song (by Ramires) leading up to the goal. For me, I thought it was 50:50 but if Arsenal fan Jamie Redknapp is saying it’s a foul then maybe it was.

Then for me, the foul on Chamakh in the area when Cech needlessly came out was a penalty. The fact of the matter was Chamakh got to the ball first and Cech made contact, and was nowhere near winning the ball. So at 1-0 that’s a big moment in the match.

When Rosicky came, we at least had someone who was willing to shoot and with Arsenal having 13 attempts and only 3 on target (Arshavin twice and Rosicky) then you have to say Arsenal aren’t clinical enough. We made some real opportunities against Chelsea and the best fell to Marouane Chamakh, but it’s hard to be critical of him.

Arsenal were without Van Persie, Fabregas and even Bendtner, so you can excuse today and I’m certain with at least Fabregas or Van Persie, we would have scored this afternoon.

After the disappointing game against West Bromich Albion, all you can ask for is a performance and we got that today.

Player Ratings:

Lukasz Fabianski: 8/10
The spotlight was on Fabianski but had a decent game. Made a decent stop from Drogba in the first half, and had no chance with the first goal. Unlucky on the freekick as the wall literally crumbled in front of him. Although Anelka should have scored, Fabianski did well to force him wide and make his chance to score harder.

Bacary Sagna: 8/10
Fantastic energy and as usual was up and down the touchline throughout the 90 minutes. Made some really vital tackles and interceptions, particularly in the first half but was badly exposed for the first goal. Crossing wasn’t great once again.

Laurent Koscielny: 7/10
Cope with Drogba well for the most part but really should have given Arsenal the lead.

Sebastien Squillaci: 7/10
Played well alongside Koscielny but did make a complete howler to leave Fabianski exposed and give Anelka have a chance to score a killer goal.

Gael Clichy: 8/10
Like Sagna, was up and down the flank but his crossing was poor. Supported Arshavin well and had a couple of speculative shots from distance. Usually finds space to have a pop shot or two, maybe shooting is something he should practice?

Alexander Song: 8/10
Was up against a tough midfield of Mikel, Essien and Ramires but did well. Won the ball and distributed it well for most of the game and rarely lost possession.

Jack Wilshire: 9/10
Simply outstanding. For a man of his age, played with so much composure it was frightening. Never shirked a challenge and knocked the ball around with aplomb, and in the final third his deft touch and quick incisive passing was a joy to watch.

Abou Diaby: 7/10
Put in a performance when most didn’t think it was in him and looked much more comfortable further up the pitch. Linked play well and was unlucky with a deflected shot that could have gone anywhere.

Samir Nasri: 7/10
Tried to make things happen but the majority of his corners and set-pieces were poor. Linked up well with Diaby, Wilshire and Arshavin at times but found it difficult to really penetrate Chelsea.

Andrei Arshavin: 6/10
Glimpses of what he can do with two shots in the first half but lost the ball needlessly at times and was less influential as the game wore on.

Marouane Chamakh: 7/10
Had a tough job up against Alex and Terry and did well for the most part. Even though he failed to score, he managed to win quite a few headers against two of the strongest defenders in the air.

Liverpool (1) – (1) Arsenal
Reina O.G. (89′)
Anfield Stadium, Liverpool

What an absolute farce.

I was hugely optimistic going into the opening game of the new season and I thought that Arsenal would put in a decent performance at Anfield but how wrong I was.

Arsenal have had the best part of 4 months to bring in a competent goalkeeper and they haven’t done so. Arsenal fans haven’t got much confidence in Almunia or Fabianski yet they are the two main keepers we have in the squad.

And today was just ridiculous.

The first half was cagey, and Liverpool give Arsenal a massive lifeline.

Joe Cole flies in on Koscielny in the corner and gets sent off. The tackle was reckless, and you could argue it could have been only a booking but the fact was at the start of the second half, Arsenal had a one man advantage.

So what happens?

Arsenal self-destruct.

Within minutes of the restart some amateurish defending results in half a chance for David Ngog, who is possibly the most unpopular player amongst the Liverpool fans, and from a tight angle he lashes the ball into the net via the near post.

A decent goalkeeper shouldn’t be beaten from that angle!

Manuel Almunia has never been and will never be good enough for Arsenal Football Club.

And for the rest of the half I was hugely frustrated, not just with how the game panned out, but how Arsene Wenger, with his worldwide scouting network cannot find a single goalkeeper who isn’t shit. Honestly, the mind boggles, is it that hard to find a keeper who doesn’t make mistakes in every game?

I honestly believe that Almunia might be Arsene Wenger’s love child from an illegitimate relationship and he is being blackmailed into playing him and keeping him at the club.

How many points does he have to cost us before Arsene says that’s enough?

And literally 3 minutes later, Almunia made another massive blunder to give Liverpool a free header from a set-piece, which should have been taken and we would have been 2-0 down.

Fortunately, that didn’t happen and we only had a single goal to pull back.

But without Fabregas or Van Persie we looked completely lost. We had tonnes of the ball, but nothing to show for it. Reina had nothing to do for the next 40 minutes and Liverpool were extremely comfortable sitting back and soaking up the “pressure”, not that Arsenal were particularly penetrating.

It was the same old story – the game was getting far too narrow and Arsenal refused to get the ball wide and get in behind the Liverpool defence. So essentially Liverpool just had 2 solid banks of four and sat there, which is what you would expect from a team who were down to 10 men.

And the sad thing was, throughout the entire 90 minutes you would never have know it was 10 against 11. Arsenal didn’t make that extra man count and only a handful of players should be happy with their performances.

Sagna and Clichy were energetic as usually, trying to push on at every opportunity and support the attacks, although their crossing was woeful. Vermaelen and Koscielny were solid and seemed to gel well together, and I was pleased at how the débutante performed. Ridiculously though, he was given a second booking for a handball which was nowhere near being deliberate. Torres lashed the ball onto his arm from a yard away and he was given a yellow card. The decision was even more farcical when you consider David Ngog had a clearly deliberate handball unpunished earlier in the second half!

The rest of the team however were a disgrace.

You know how I feel about Almunia, and if Arsene refuses to bring another goalkeeper in before the transfer window closes I might consider giving up on Arsenal. It is completely ridiculous, to be 1 or 2 players away from a real squad challenging for the Premier League. Does Arsene like being “close” to having a title winning squad? I don’t understand the logic!

Unfortunately, Arsenal’s other new signing Marouane Chamakh looked completely lost. His first touch was poor, and his movement was none existent. He really should have been replaced by Van Persie with at least half an hour to go, because he was useless. So it was ironic then, that he contributed to the equaliser which was a Reina howler.

Too many players were on the periphery of the game, and contributed nothing. Arsenal were powder puff, and don’t let Reina’s own goal take anything away from the extremely poor performance. Rosicky and Van Persie had their moments when they came on but overall we didn’t play as a team. The whole game was summed up when Arsenal had 6 men on the break and they managed to waste a golden opportunity to nick all 3 points. It would have been completely criminal and completely undeserved, but the chance was there.

Maybe I’m being over critical as it was the first game of the season, but Liverpool put in more effort and more of a performance today. They had 10 men for over 45 minutes, but because of our deficiencies we gave them the lead.

Things need to change, and fast.