Wojciech Szczęsny: The next Casillas

Wojciech Szczęsny. Dont let that name throw you off even for  a few seconds, as behind a difficult to pronounce name, there is a world class keeper in the making. I know its a little too early in Szczesny's career to be making such a claim but I feel after watching him grow in the past season that he definitely has what it takes to be the best. Anyone who watched the match between Arsenal and Manchester City on the weekend would agree that some of the saves that Wojciech pulled off were simply stunning. He kept out Aguero's powerful shots not once or twice or thrice but at least 6 times(all of which looked to be heading in).His frame also seems to be helping him in the Premier League where most strikers tower beyond 6' 4".
But there is one thing which distinguishes Wojciech from the rest and that is complete control over the ball and a thorough understanding of the game. He is never shy to take a striker on with the ball at his feet and most of the time manages to leave the striker behind in a twisted heap. He is a good reader of movements and understands and forsees developements in a move. He is also very optimistic and has a good approach to games. It looks like Arsenal have finally landed their hands on a world class keeper, produced in their own academy and surely in the years to come, Sczczesny's heroics will win the Gunners some silverware.

The Tale of Two Cities

I am pretty sure a lot of you, after reading the title were wondering how a classic by Charles Dickens has any connection with soccer. Well, here I am am not talking about Paris but actually Man City FC.
Its strange how a football club that is doing so well in the Premier League this season can be on the brink of elimination in the group stages of the Champions League. Having beaten Manchester United 6-1 and stringing up 11 wins in 12 games, it is only natural to assume that Manchester City would get past the first stage of the Champions League but it seems that such assumptions cannot be made. City are no longer the masters of their fate as if Napoli wins against Villareal, City are heading home even if they beat Bayern (which at the moment is highly unlikely).
Another very puzzling factor is that Man City have in their ranks a reasonably experienced Champions League side and it seems as if their struggle is because they are not gelling well enough. This deepens the quandary with Manchester City as even with a superstar roster, they are still not good enough. We will have to wait and see whether City continue in the Champions League but while a match with City can produce a very interesting encounter, I am sure that I will see a smug look on all the Chelsea, Arsenal and United fans faces if City are knocked out.

What is Derby Day coming to?

In an amazing turn of events only possible in the Premier League, Arsenal ended up beating Chelsea 5 goals to 3. But what is even more amazing is that these kind of scorelines are becoming common in the Premier League heavyweight clashes, so much so that now people expect goalfests on every derby. Just last month, Manchester United beat Arsenal 8-2, after which they lost to City 6-1 at Old Trafford and now Arsenal have scored 5 goals at the Bridge. The main reason for this crazy roller coaster of a season I feel is the shoddy defensive performances that are on display by even the best in the League. Chelsea and United both known for their rock solid defenses conceded 5 and 6 goals respectively at home and that is something never heard of before. Another factor is the influx of attacking footballers into the Premier League. Whether its Aguero ,Dzeko,Gervinho or Mata, they all have that characteristic flair while going front which is making the League very interesting.

Whether its worth compromising defense for a flowing attack is a different matter but at the moment it looks like the strikers are ruling the roost in the League and I myself would not be surprised if more than one team hits the 100 goal mark.

The 350 Million Pound Derby

The Manchester Derby has suddenly become one of the most anticipated derbys; probably one of the main reason and most obvious reason for this is the fact that over 350 millions pounds worth of talent will be seen on the Old Trafford pitch tomorrow. The exciting array of players might have got people to expect a goal festival but this expectation would have been deflated quickly when Sir Alex came out and told the fans not to expect a goal fest.
Eventhough Sir Alex may said this, my personal feeling is that with Rooney, Aguero, Young, Dzeko and Silva on the same pitch, there will be some spectacular goals.

Apart from the expensive array of players, another reason for the sudden interest in the Manchester derby is probably the fact that all of the sudden its no longer a one sided game. For a long time Manchester City languished in United's shadow but now they are challenging their supremacy. This one game could finally show us how far Manchester City has come on the bank notes of their wealthy owner. Could this game be a test of their title credentials? I feel one game does not decide that but certainly this is one of the stand out fixtures in City's calender and it will be one that they would love to win.

Is Arsenal back on track?

Surely some may say that a 2-1 victory over Sunderland is not enough to claim Arsenal are really back on track but during the game I saw glimpses that Arsenal may finally have risen from their slump. One of the major differences between today's game and others was that Arsenal's passing has really improved and it is almost reaching that exquisite passing from previous seasons. Another good sign is  Arshavin's performance which has been incredible today; his control and dribbling was far better than what it used to be and for a player under immense criticism he has really played well. Eventhough Arsenal's midfield finally looks like it has gelled, a major disappointment was the defense. Towards the end of the first half, Arsenal's defending was a horror show and it was only due to Szczesny's fantastic stops that Arsenal was able to limit the number of goals conceded.
The victory was well needed and well deserved and Wenger looked visibly relieved after the game. To ensure that the Gunners continue their ascent up the table, they need to keep this momentum going for at least the next two months in the Premier League and the Champions League. With enough wins stacked up, Arsenal may well find themselves in a very favourable position by March.

Why Manchester City are still not amongst Europe's elite

Tuesday's result in the Champions League was of no surprise. The scoreline that day read Bayern Munich 2 Manchester City 0. This was not a surprising result as even after the billion pound investment by City's wealthy owners, City are still not one of Europe's best. I feel that one of the reasons for this is their manner of recruitment. The fact that they  hand out 190,000 pounds a week salary to just about anyone is actually affecting them negatively. This mega salary is starting to make a few players egoistic and that is a quality which is not seen in any top side. The most recent example of this was the Tevez case where he refused to take to the pitch and help City salvage something from the game. This was a disgrace not only to the club but also to football as a whole. Players no longer play for passion but rather for money, Etoo being the best example for this case. This mercenary attitude is what is restraining City from becoming a top side and its not like only a few players are exhibiting this as players like Dzeko and Balotelli are now getting into the act. In a game overshadowed  by the Tevez controversy, even a player like Dzeko was seen arguing with Mancini over his decision for the former to be withdrawn.
The astronomical wages also affect City in the transfer market. Players who they want to get rid off can't be cleared because no club is willing to pay their wages. This creates a situation where City either have to fund some of the wages or they have to deal with a million pound ego. If City really want to achieve as a club on Europe's biggest stage, they have change their mindset that everything can be bought, including silverware. 

Same old Arsenal?

Same old Arsenal. That was the phrase on everyone's lips after the Blackburn game, but even though Arsenal have been known to give away leads, this is becoming ridiculous. I feel 'same old Arsenal' is the wrong phrase to use as I would prefer the Arsenal of last season well over the present one. Certainly at the moment, Arsenal are playing their worst football in their prestigious 125 year history. Conceding 14 goals in the opening 5 games is no joke and at the moment they are sitting at 16th on the table. But the problem is not with the quality of players but the spirit of the team. Eventhough Wenger switched from buying embros to fully developed players, what is actually needed at the moment is that enthusiasm and spirit on the pitch which is lacking. But inspite of this humiliating defeat, one thing that angers me more is that Wenger is saying that Arsenal are at the start of a new cycle. The reason why this angers me is that this was the exact same statement he made in 2006 and in 2010 he said that the cycle was complete and Arsenal were ready to challenge for honours. That cycle produced zero results and the fact that he is saying that Arsenal are starting a new cycle means that it may be awhile before the gunners lift that elusive trophy.
At the moment the only thing that Gooners can do is hope and pray that Arsenal's fortunes will turn but if things remain as they are, Arsenal is in for a rough season.