Crucual 3 Days for Arsenal F.C

Arsenal FC is one. By two Games and In three Days, its faith may change dramatically and/or drastically. Udinese and Manchester United results could be a determining factor to what happens to Arsenal FC. Brace yourself, the Gunners could become the Goners!

     In its 115 years of existence, it undoubtedly has gone through some difficult periods which may have seemed destructive. It has mounted those challenges to arrive to the status they have today. For the last 15 years, a century after its existence, Arsenal employed a French man who worked in Japan. Unknown to the vast majority of fans- Arsene Who?. Arsene Wenger took up this responsibility and hit the ground running. A match made in heaven: “Arsene” – “ Arsenal”. It was meant to be. He managed Arsenal through the most successful period of its history and brought so much excitement alongside. Read more in Soccer « Five Reasons WHY It Will be an ALL Spanish Final in THE Champions LeagueGlory Glory Man United » Pretty football. Wonderful to watch. Pleasing to the eye. Great spectacles and memorable moments! Brilliant players and breathtaking goals Young hidden potentials flourishing into magnificent footballers. The rivalry with Man United. The tension with Tottenham Spurs. The invincible season. Even in the past 6 (six) years of no trophies- there have been thrilling close-shaves – Champions league finals, FA cup & Carling cup finals, good premier league attempts.     This is 2011/ 2012 premiership season and it seems Arsenal and Arsene Wenger have come to a cross road. A point of major decision or change. Like never before in his Arsenal Career, Arsene Wenger’s position has come under scrutiny. This was a man we said – In Arsene we trust. We have doubted his decisions in the past but he proved them right. This time it is different! It must be. Surely we can see how the team disintegrates in our very own eyes. Loosing matches from good starts (Tottenham 2-3), dropping points (Newcastle 4-4), defensive blunders (Carling Cup final with Birmingham, injury time with Liverpool and present season too in the Emirates). What has gone wrong? What Catastrophe has besieged this our beloved club? Is it a who or a what? We all have our own individual opinions and many are common and similar. Some will say – “Arsene has lost it all together” – “Obstinate. Weirdly discreet. Inflexible philosophy” Football enterprise has changed and is very much financial oriented. Money talks. This is evident by the Man Citys of this world. Good players are drawn like magnets. Honour, passion and devotion are slipping away from this great industry. The fans are left on their own. Arsenal has been excellently prudent and successful running the club. Is this at the expense of the squad?   Arsene Wenger or Arsenal Board or both? We could have a fill day going on and on but the bottom-line is here. The day of reckoning is here.   From the 24th of August, 2011, I believe Arsenal stands on cross roads. There are 3 days, 2games to make or break. Champion league qualifiers with Udinese and Man. United match in Old Trafford 3 days later will decide the path this club will take.   Win. Win – wonderful, why worry   Don’t qualify. Lose – disastrous, damning. A turn needs to be taken and I fear for the club, thenceforth … For now lets trust Arsene.  

Wenger – We need to respond, and I’m confident

enger is preparing to face his old rival Alex Ferguson at Old Trafford today, and whoever wins between Arsenal and Man United are certain to be favourites to lift the trophy at the end of the season.

The Gunners have endured a bad patch recently, having lost the Carling Cup Final and been knocked out of the Champions League by Barcelona, but Man Utd have also lost their last two games, against Liverpool and Chelsea, so they are also looking to regain their confidence.

Wenger is aware that the winners of this game will have the advantage in confidence in the final weeks of the Premiership campaign as well. “We need the result, I must say, because we need help,” he said.

“We have been touched severely recently and we are, of course, chasing after a big win.

“I share the disappointment of the last two weeks, but we cannot miss two very big targets because of that. It is very exciting.

“We are in the quarter-final of the FA Cup and in a good position in the league. It is down to us to respond to the disappointment. Our future lies in the way we respond, and I’m confident.

“I think at the moment the two teams have had a little disappointment from recent results. So it’s still the one who deals the best with that, who can come out on top of that.

“Manchester United lost two games, we just lost two as well, so it is how well we deal with that which will be certainly vital.”

Of course Man Utd will have the advantage of not having played in midweek, but Alex Ferguson will have to have an eye on Tuesdays game against Marseille as well.

This game will certainly be the highlight of the weekend, that’s for sure

Are the signs pointing to us throwing United tie?

Listen, I hope I’m wrong but hearing Arsene talking about Cesc being out and his past behaviour points towards that.

I’d put your house on the line and say that I’m pretty certain Cesc will be available for West Brom the week after. If Wenger throws this match and we don’t win the league, what have we achieved this year? How can we keep taking solace from the tiniest improvements? How can we tolerate a manager who doesn’t have that killer instinct anymore?

My faith is paper thin, the only thing keeping me going is the fact that somehow, we’re still in with a massive shout in the league. Such a good shout, it feels almost impossible that we won’t pull something together until the end of the year.

Question is, if Wenger wins the league this year, will it satisfy the critics? It’s a bizarre situation to be in, but I’d hazard a guess it probably wouldn’t.

Has there ever been a more unsatisfied crowd considering our position? Have you ever taken such a ribbing from oppo fans about a title contending season?

I haven’t.

We’re in with a shout when we shouldn’t be. We’re contending the league and 75% of the fans think the team are a bunch of chokers…

So what is the answer?

It’s to sort out this shambolic mess and play the best team this weekend.

I don’t want to read about how dignified a 40k a week keeper has been. I really couldn’t care a crap about what Almunia has been through. The reason he’s been dignified is because he knows he won the lottery when he joined. Being dignified would have been leaving in January.

One other gripe from me Arsene…

‘We can take confidence and belief from the Barcelona tie’

… Have you ever heard such tripe?

Being trounced at the Camp Nou should give us no belief. If players are taking belief from losing games, they should be ashamed.

The difference between Barcelona and Arsenal is firstly, they are better technically. Secondly and for me, more importantly, everyone of their players has an incredible intensity to their game and a superb work ethic. Second best isn’t tolerated there, poor performances are not passed off as the folly of youth, if you don’t have it, you don’t play.

Arsene, you need to take a lesson from Pep. Stop flogging poor players to death. If a player isn’t good enough after 150 games, who cares a crap if they are after 200…we’ve just blown three seasons waiting for that moment.

Arsenal fans have waited long enough, if this team bottles it now, there should be a squad overhaul in the summer. This is top level sport, top level wages are being taken, but top performances are not being given in exchange.

Let’s get the culture right starting on Saturday. I want to see the spirit of Jack, Robin and Vermaelen out there. I want to see people playing like they mean it, I want to see blood, guts and thunder on the Old Trafford pitch.

This is the Arsenal, if you’re not proud to wear the shirt, f*ck off to another club whoever you are…we don’t need you.

I still believe we can do something this year, but my gut feeling says a lot of it rests on Saturday evening. Don’t mess it up Arsene… prove to us you ‘know’ because the growing consensus is you don’t anymore.

P.S. This post was brought to you in association with Iphone…. honestly, your praise in the comments will be entirely welcome.

Arsene Wenger: I will play the strongest team against Manchester United

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger confirmed that he will use his strongest team tomorrow afternoon against Manchester United in the F.A. Cup.

Speaking in his pre-match press conference, the Frenchman started by explaining that the players are disappointed for crashing out of the Champions League but also that they are now ready to shift their focus on their two remaining targets, starting tomorrow in the the F.A. Cup and then of course the English Premier League.

Full of praise for his side after the two games against Barcelona, the Arsenal boss was very determined when asked if he will use his strongest team tomorrow as he again insisted that the Club’s objective this season is to go as far as possible in all competitions.

According to Wenger, Arsenal were unlucky to lose the League Cup Final in the last minute of the game and to face the favourites in Europe’s most prestigious competition as he described last Tuesday’s exit as one coming “under suspicious circumstances”.

On Thursday, he said:

We are disappointed [after the Champions League exit] but we want to focus on our next targets, we have big targets in front of us and part of our job is to deal with that kind of problems.

People said we had no shots on goal in the second game but we had more than Barcelona in the first game and we would have had shots on goal had he stayed 11 against 11. Overall the players can gain a lot of confidence because the attitude and quality showed in the two games was outstanding in different departments, offensively and defensively.

Yes, [I will play my strongest side against Manchester United]. We will try to win [because] as I said at the start of the season we want to go for all competitions and we have two left, we lost one in the last minute, we played against certainly the super favourites of the Champions League and lost under suspicious circumstances so we want to keep the right attitude to turn the luck on our side.

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Manchester United and Arsenal - two great clubs, five classic FA Cup clashes

Competition's two most successful teams have met in 13 previous ties

Manchester United and Arsenal lock horns in Fa cup action for the 14th time on Saturday, but the first time in a quarter-final. Of the previous 13 meetings between the two great rivals, there have been three fourth round and four fifth round ties, plus four semi-finals (including one replay) and two finals.

United are unbeaten in semi-finals against the Gunners, who themselves are unbeaten in finals involving the Red Devils. Overall, United have won six times and Arsenal five, with two matches drawn. But the Gunners won a penalty shoot-out against United, triggered when the 2005 final ended all-square after extra-time.

With the two clubs battling one another again for Premier League supremacy this season - and with both having something to prove after humbling 3-1 defeats in their respective last outings - interest ahead of the weekend's Old Trafford showdown is particularly acute.

To whet the appetite further, We look back at five of the most memorable FA Cup meetings between two clubs whose 21 final triumphs (United 11 wins, Arsenal 10) make them the two most successful clubs in the history of the competition.

5. May 21 2005 (Final), Millennium Stadium
- Arsenal 0-0 Manchester United (aet, Arsenal won 5-4 on pens)

It's one of football's tiredest cliches that Arsenal haven't won a trophy since... well, this one six years ago. And they were outplayed for 120 minutes by Cup holders United, who saw Rio Ferdinand's 'goal' correctly disallowed, Wayne Rooney hit the post and Ruud van Nistelrooy's goal-bound effort kept out by Freddie Ljungberg on the line.

Arsenal, forced to play Dennis Bergkamp as a lone striker without the injured Thierry Henry, only managed their first shot on target in the seventh minute of extra-time. The goalless draw was the first in an FA Cup final since 1912, and forced the fixture's first penalty shoot-out. Jens Lehmann saved from Paul Scholes, while all the other spot-kicks were converted - including the decisive 10th, despatched by Gunners skipper Patrick Vieira.

4. April 3, 2004 (semi-final), Villa Park
- Manchester Utd 1-0 Arsenal

Arsenal's unbeaten league record was maintained six days earlier in a 1-1 draw at Highbury, but at Villa Park United inflicted on the Gunners their first FA Cup defeat since May 2001. A typically tense and dramatic semi-final saw Arsenal twice strike the woodwork, have a penalty appeal for handball against future Gunner Mikael Silvestre rejected and dominate possession for lengthy spells, but fail to capitalise on their chances.

They paid the price when Scholes struck on 32 minutes, rifling a Ryan Giggs pass beyond Lehmann from 15 yards. With Wes Brown outstanding, United defended resolutely to deny Arsenal a fourth successive final, going on to beat Millwall and lift their 11th (and last) FA Cup.

3. February 15, 2003 (5th round), Old Trafford
- Manchester Utd 0-2 Arsenal

The intense rivalry between the teams was at its most bitter in 2003. United had won 2-0 at home two months earlier, but Arsenal still led the Premier League. A physical battle saw fouls galore, with referee Jeff Winter having almost every decision challenged by angry players.

Giggs uncharacteristically blazed over an open goal before Edu gave the visitors a 34th minute lead. Sylvain Wiltord added a decisive second seven minutes after the break, leaving Sir Alex Ferguson so incensed with the defeat that in the dressing room afterwards he kicked out a stray boot, unintentionally but infamously cutting David Beckham’s eyebrow.


2. April 14, 1999 (semi-final replay), Villa Park
- Manchester Utd 2-1 Arsenal

Arsenal had won the Double the previous year; now United would complete the Treble, pipping the Gunners by a point in the league and beating them in the last FA Cup semi-final replay ever staged. Three days earlier the sides had drawn 0-0 in a game not without controversy. But for drama and excitement, the replay left it standing.

Beckham beat David Seaman from 20 yards on 17 minutes but Bergkamp equalised with a deflected shot on 68. The tie was tilting towards Arsenal as Nicolas Anelka had a goal disallowed, Roy Keane was sent off and Phil Neville tripped Ray Parlour to concede a penalty in stoppage time. But Peter Schmeichel saved Bergkamp's spot-kick superbly, refuelling United with fresh momentum for extra-time. Giggs intercepted Vieira's misplaced pass and ran on (and on), beating defender after defender before lashing a wondrous winning goal into the roof of Seaman's net.

1. May 12 1979 (Final), Wembley
- Arsenal 3-2 Manchester Utd

The 'five-minute final' subjected fans of Terry Neill's Arsenal and Dave Sexton's United to an emotional roller-coaster in the stifling Wembley sun. Brian Talbot (a winner with Ipswich against Arsenal the previous year) put the Gunners ahead early on, and Frank Stapleton - later to join United - added a second before half-time with a trademark header from Liam Brady's cross.

Arsenal were coasting comfortably towards victory until the 86th minute, when Gordon McQueen pulled one back - and then, in the 88th, Sammy McIlroy sensationally jinked his way past two defenders and fired United level. With extra-time suddenly seeming inevitable and the force now indisputably with United, the inspirational Brady took the ball into enemy territory and fed Graham Rix, whose deep cross from the left was met by Alan Sunderland's run almost on the goal-line to restore Arsenal's lead and win the Cup in the last minute.

Arsenal vs Manchester United.....Mother Of all Battles

Match Schedule:
Match Between: Manchester United vs Arsenal
Tournament: English FA Cup Football
Date: Saturday, March 12, 2011
Time: 17:15 GMT
Venue: Old Trafford

Manchester United (Possible, 4-4-2): Lindergaard; Rafael, Smalling, Brown, Evra; Obertan, Gibson, Scholes, Giggs; Berbatov, Rooney.

Arsenal (Possible, 4-2-3-1): Almunia; Clichy, Kosclielny, Djourou; Denilson, Wilshere; Nasri, Diaby, Arshavin; Chamakh.
Referee: Chris Foy. Matches: 25. R1 Y55.

Two down, two to go. After losing the Carling Cup final, Arsenal are now out of the Champions League – but they can still win the coveted league and FA Cup double. Arsène Wenger was shattered by the Tuesday night defeat in Spain where they lost Robin van Persie to a red card – the 83rd during his managerial reign – and lost 3-1 in Nou Camp and 4-3 on aggregate to Barcelona.

Arsenal travel to Old Trafford after winning just two games in their last six in all competitions. Those victories came against Stoke, in the Barclays Premier League, and Leyton orient, in the FA Cup.

Getting to the quarter-finals has not been simple for Wenger and his season; they needed a replay against Leeds and Leyton Orient. And against Huddersfield they needed an own goal and late penalty to beat the League One side.

United, though, have had an easier passage, winning all three ties at the first attempt and conceding just one goal. After beating Liverpool, with an early Ryan Giggs penalty, they won 2-1 at Southampton and then rode a small storm before overcoming non-league Crawley Town.

United will be without Nani, who suffered a gashed leg in the 3-1 defeat at Liverpool, while Michael Owen, Ji-Sung Park, Owen Hargreaves, Jonny Evans and Antonio Valencia are missing while Rio Ferdinand (calf) remains a doubt.

Arsenal, meanwhile, will be without Alex Song, Theo Walcott, Lukasz Fabianski, Thomas Vermaelen and Emmanuel Frimpong while goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny damaged his hand in Barcelona and would have been rested anyway.

And Cesc Fabregas has also been ruled out after suffering a recurrence of his hamstring injury.

Previous FA Cup Meetings

• 1906, Rd 4: Man Utd 2 Arsenal 3
• 1937, Rd 4: Arsenal 5 Man Utd 0
• 1951, Rd 5: Man Utd 1 Arsenal 0
• 1962, Rd 4: Man Utd 1 Arsenal 0
• 1979, Final: Arsenal 3 Man Utd 2
• 1983, Semi-Final: Man Utd 2 Arsenal 1
• 1988, Rd 5: Arsenal 2 Man Utd 1
• 1999, Semi-Final: Arsenal 0 Man Utd 0 aet
• 1999, Semi-Final Replay: Arsenal 1 Man Utd 2 aet
• 2003, Rd 5: Man Utd 0 Arsenal 2
• 2004, Semi-Final: Arsenal 0 Man Utd 1
• 2005, Final: Arsenal 0 Man Utd 0 aet. Arsenal won on pens.
• 2008, Rd 5: Man Utd 0 Arsenal 4

Routes To Quarter-Final

United

• Rd 3: Liverpool (h) W 1-0
• Rd 4: Southampton (a) W 2-1
• Rd 5: Crawley (h) W 1-0

Arsenal

• Rd 3: Leeds (h) D 1-1
• Rd 3 Replay: Leeds (a) W 3-1
• Rd 4: Huddersfield (h) W 2-1
• Rd 5: L Orient (a) D 1-1
• Rd 5 Replay: L Orient (h) W 5-0

Stat of the game: United have won five and drawn one of the last six against Arsenal and last lost at home to their close rivals in September 2006, in the Barclays Premier League.

Topping the League

As this is the FA Cup we’re talking about, we have to start by mentioning the EPL. If you’ve been hiding under a rock you might not know that the English Premier League is now a two horse race and the horses in question are Manchester United and Arsenal.

At present there are three points and three goals separating the two sides, but the London club have a game in hand. This means that this FA Cup round will have greater relevance than the semi-final place on offer. Bet on a hard game with plenty of action, decided by the thinnest of margins. There’s a great rivalry between Arsenal and Manchester United and (as it was forLiverpool) a victory over such a rival could be the high point of the season, especially if you knock them out of a Cup.

For a meeting between two of the biggest clubs in the EPL, it should all be about the football and the playing of the beautiful game, but you can bet that most of the column inches on Sunday will be about the rivalry between the two clubs, which is something akin to Godzilla V Hedorah.

Questioning the Officials

Both clubs feel let down by referees this season: Man Utd have been typically forward in their condemnation of the perceived lack of fairness they have received from match officials; and Arsenal can claim that it was a referee who knocked them out of the Champions' League after Robin Van Persie was sent off shortly after half-time in the last 16, second-leg defeat (his second bookable offence was a shot at goal after being ruled offside).

At the time of Van Persie's departure from the pitch, the score was 1-1, and had it stayed that way Arsenal would have gone through 3-2 on aggregate. But down to ten men, the Gunners struggled and finally went out 4-3 on aggregate. Even before that, on March 5th, Arsene Wenger openly felt “let down” when two decisions by referee Anthony Taylor and his officials went against Arsenal (resulting in a draw with Sunderland, and the loss of two vital premiership points).

As for Man Utd, they seem to be on the brink of declaring all-out war with the FA and its officials. Following a “questionable” decision at Stamford Bridge Man Utd and their manager Alex Ferguson have frozen relations with all referees and the British media, resulting in a news “blackout” following their last match against Liverpool. Any decisions that don’t go the Red Devils’ way will only chill this cold war further.

Both clubs looking to improve on recent results

Arsenal may have a bad run to halt (having been knocked out of both the Carling Cup final and the last 16 of the Champions League) but United are suffering their own dip in form and will be looking to bounce back from two consecutive league defeats (by the aforementioned Chelsea and Liverpool). Even the supremely self-assured Alex Ferguson, seems less confident these days of his team's chances, speaking of their London rivals in more cautious terms than usual, “Last season they faded around the February to March period to leave Chelsea and ourselves in a two-horse race that saw us pipped at the post by a point, but Arsene Wenger and his players have rearranged the pecking order somewhat to come storming through to lie in second place.” He seems to expect a tight match, so check out bets on a draw or a close run game.

On Saturday, United will again be missing the injured Rio “follow me on Twitter” Ferdinand, but Nemanja Vidic (sorely missed when United faced Liverpool) returns to the centre of their defence after the suspension he incurred against Chelsea.

Arsenal have now gone six years without a trophy (their last piece of silverware was the 2005 FA Cup), so they will be throwing plenty at the Red Devils. That, together with the fact that they are now out of the Champions League and no longer in the running for the League Cup could even spur the Gunners on to a momentous victory). However Arsenal will have to do it the hard way as they will be without their talisman in the middle, Cesc Fabregas. This should make Manchester United the favorites in the soccer odds, but I can see the Gunners getting the better of the Red Devils.

All-in-all, bet on a cracking and vicious game, bookings aplenty, and a few goals.

Prediction: Arsenal are due a win but it’s going to be tough, 3-2.

Premier League Rankings: Arsenal back to their rightfull place.Manchester United Fall Following Liverpool Defeat

Go Gunnners

Another crazy weekend, all throughout the Premier League, culminates in Chelsea, possibly, maybe, rejoining the title race, Arsenal blowing a chance to really make their mark and Manchester United suddenly looking more shaky than they have all season.

And don't even get us started on the foot of the table ... that's getting really interesting.

The 2010-11 season always had the potential to be one of the most memorable in EPL history and, with a couple of months to go, it does not look as though it is going to disappoint.

All of which, of course, means the FanHouse Rankings have been as manic as ever.

FanHouse UK has used the latest, most in-depth objective statistical data, balanced with the purely subjective views of our expert staff, to bring you an alternative Premier League table.

• 1. Arsenal | Previous: 1 | Form: W-W-D-W-W-D
  Points: 57 | Goals For: 57 | Goals Against: 27
  It was a tough call to make this week, whether or not the Gunners were worthy of holding onto top spot. After all, on the face of it, a goalless home draw with out-of-touch Sunderland is hardly the sort of stuff to be shouting about. But ... and you knew there was a "but" ... Arsenal were denied a perfectly good offside "goal" and they did manage to close Manchester United's lead at the top by a solitary point. We're taking the glass-half-full approach, therefore, and allowing them to remain first. And, let's remember, exit from the Champions League is one less thing to distract them from chasing United in the league.
• 2. Chelsea | Previous: 3 | Form: W-W-L-D-W-W
  Points: 51 | Goals For: 51 | Goals Against: 24
  Manchester United's staggering loss of form coincides with the defending champions possibly, and at long last, re-discovering theirs. Carlo Ancelotti certainly thinks the blip is behind them although he refuses to accept the Blues are back in the hunt for the title. Normally, we would agree with him but in this most unpredictable of all Premier League seasons, we're not prepared to put our money there quite yet. Nine points behind United with a game in hand and a game with the leaders to come ... interesting ... very interesting.
• 3. Manchester City | Previous: 4 | Form: L-D-W-L-D-W
  Points: 53 | Goals For: 45 | Goals Against: 25
  City rise one place in our Rankings but we do so grudgingly. When Sheikh Mansour invested £1 billion of his hard-earned money (okay, somebody's hard-earned money) in City, he probably wasn't dreaming of scraping a home win by a solitary goal against the worst team in the division ... and that thanks only to the keeper throwing one in. Still, it keeps City on course for a Champions League finish and that, apparently, is all that matters this season.
• 4. Manchester United | Previous: 2 | Form: W-L-W-W-L-L
  Points: 60 | Goals For: 63 | Goals Against: 30
  The slide continues and, let's be honest, the manner in which United were downed at the old enemy Liverpool was fairly spectacular. There is an argument that the Reds are not playing that much worse than they have been for large chunks of the season but that their luck has finally run out for them. There is possibly an element of truth in that but what Anfield showed is what happens to this team if both Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic are taken out of its heart. United fans can only hope that one or either of them - preferably both - is in their defence for the remainder of the season.
• 5. Liverpool | Previous: 6 | Form: W-W-W-D-L-W
  Points: 42 | Goals For: 39 | Goals Against: 36
  Had it not been for that shoddy outings at home to Wigan and at West Ham immediately prior, the home humbling of Manchester United would have had Liverpool pressing for top spot in our Rankings. As it is, they edge up one place after the most enjoyable victory for home fans in many a month, maybe year. Of course, the question still remains as to how largely the same group of players could have been so awful under Roy Hodgson but the Kenny Dalglish love-in is so overwhelming and unconditional that nobody even remembers his name any more. A club heading in only one direction between now and season's end.
• 6. Fulham | Previous: 7 | Form: L-W-D-D-D-W
  Points: 35 | Goals For: 32 | Goals Against: 31
  The league table says that, technically, the Cottagers still need have some degree of concern about relegation but we're not quite so certain. A win over Blackburn, controversial as it may have been, was the proverbial six-pointer - lifted Fulham up the table while dropping Rovers deeper than ever into it. Five games without defeat, but a run that includes a couple of wins, hints at the sort of season Mark Hughes might have delivered if he had enjoyed more luck with injuries.
• 7. Tottenham Hotspur | Previous: 5 | Form: D-W-W-W-L-D
  Points: 48 | Goals For: 41 | Goals Against: 34
  A loss at Blackpool is followed by a 3-3 draw at Wolves which further dents Spurs' hopes of a fourth placed finish. A sum total of one point from visits to two clubs who may well be kicking off next season in the Championship is hardly what Harry Redknapp would have been looking for and, as we feared all along, maybe the Champions League is a distraction with which his team can't cope. Spurs are the anti-Man City - incredibly gung-ho and entertaining, but nowhere as efficient as the Manchester club. That's why we demote them two places in the standings and expect them to end the season in fifth.
• 8. Bolton Wanderers | Previous: 11 | Form: L-W-L-W-D-W
  Points: 40 | Goals For: 42 | Goals Against: 40
  A season in which Bolton have struggled for consistency for long periods - who hasn't? - but one in which they are still on course for a possible place in the Europa League. All of that has to be considered a positive as does their current involvement in the FA Cup, although cups are not factored into our League Rankings. A 3-2 home win over Villa was edgy but saw them come from behind twice - always the sign of a good team. Whatever the final few weeks of the season hold for the Trotters, this has been a good campaign.
• 9. West Ham United | Previous: 13 | Form: D-W-L-D-W-W
  Points: 31 | Goals For: 36 | Goals Against: 49
  And so West Ham's thoroughly bizarre season continues. This time, in the form of a 3-0 thrashing of Stoke which has people now looking at the Potters as potential relegation candidates. This may be hard to believe but a run of 11 points from the last six games is bettered only by three clubs currently - Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool - which tells you everything about the vein of form the Hammers are in. Still, they remain hovering dangerously near last place and it will take more of the same to keep them up. The return of fit-again Thomas Hitzlsperger may yet prove to have been the turning point in their season.
• 10. Newcastle United | Previous: 8 | Form: L-D-D-W-D-L
  Points: 36 | Goals For: 44 | Goals Against: 41
  That wasn't pretty. The Geordies have enough points in the bag from their early season purple patch for relegation not to be a concern this season but losing at home to an Everton side on a barren run was not awe-inspring. It would be nice for Alan Pardew to be able to go into what will surely be a crucial summer of personnel decisions on a rich vein of form, but there is no evidence here that he will be able to do so.
• 11. Wolverhampton | Previous: 12 | Form: L-W-L-D-W-D
  Points: 29 | Goals For: 34 | Goals Against: 49
  Wolves might actually deserve to be higher in our standings - after all, they have the same number of points (eight) over the last half dozen games as Manchester City whom we rank third! Yet, for all those efforts, Wanderers are still one place off the foot of the table as none of the relegation contenders - not even Wigan - look completely doomed yet. This is the season when a couple of more than half-decent teams might go down and there is a real chance that Wolves will be one of them. For now, they showed in the 3-3 draw with Spurs that whatever qualities are missing at Molineux, spirit is not one of them.
• 12. Aston Villa | Previous: 9 | Form: W-L-D-D-W-L
  Points: 33 | Goals For: 37 | Goals Against: 50
  The great Gerard Houllier debate continues. Misunderstood genius or bloke whose time has past him by and doesn't really know what he's doing any more? Here's exhibit A for the latter camp. Having sent out his reserves at Man City in the FA Cup - on the grounds Villa had no chance of beating the blue billionaires and that the weekend trip to Bolton was more important than a quarter-final place - Villa duly lost at the Reebok, having led twice and having missed a penalty through Ashley Young. Not impressive - they are lucky we only demote them three places in our table.
• 13. Sunderland | Previous: 15 | Form: W-L-L-L-L-D
  Points: 38 | Goals For: 33 | Goals Against: 35
  A run of four consecutive defeats ended with a visit to Arsenal - hardly the ideal venue in the circumstances - and Steve Bruce got just the response he was looking for. The Black Cats enjoyed their share of luck, via a disallowed Gunners goal, but they defended with great spirit. In this unpredictable season, that run of four games without a point has still only left Sunderland four points off sixth place. Still a lot to play for, then, which is one of the reasons we're promoting the Wearsiders a couple of spots.
• 14. Everton | Previous: 16 | Form: L-W-L-W-W-D
  Points: 37 | Goals For: 38 | Goals Against: 38
  Four points from the last two games is probably about par for the course, even if Evertonians might have expected a draw at Newcastle, followed by a home win over Birmingham. In fact, the converse was true as the Toffees played superbly in winning in the north-east and had to come from behind to salvage a point against struggling Birmingham. Tag on another victory in the preceding game against Sunderland and it does appear that a miserable Goodison season might have taken a change for the better.
• 15. Stoke City | Previous: 10 | Form: L-W-L-L-D-L
  Points: 34 | Goals For: 32 | Goals Against: 38
  You know how there is a team every year that appears from nowhere to make a last-ditch bid to get themselves relegated? ... Meet Stoke City. A run of four straight games without a win, featuring one point, now includes a 3-0 defeat at West Ham that breathed new life into the Hammers' belief that they can rise out of trouble and leaves the Potters really staring into the abyss. They still have a four-point cushion to the relegation places and they still have the fact that the Britannia Stadium is a place that most clubs will dread playing. But this is going to be a nervy final few weeks of the campaign.
• 16. Birmingham | Previous: 14 | Form: D-W-W-L-L-D
  Points: 31 | Goals For: 27 | Goals Against: 39
  That Carling Cup Final glory seems a long way off now, and even longer after they were humbled 3-1 at home by neighbours West Brom at the weekend. In the light of that result, a 1-1 draw at Everton was a solid response and enough to lift the Blues out of the bottom three. But there is still a lot of work to be done and if the season does end with relegation - to go along with that first trophy in nearly half a century - that West Brom defeat will have proved hugely costly.
• 17. West Brom | Previous: 20 | Form: D-L-D-D-D-W
  Points: 32 | Goals For: 39 | Goals Against: 54
  That's more like it - and that is worth a rise of three places from the foot of our table in this week's Rankings. A 3-1 victory at Birmingham may well prove to be one of those games that is a turning point in the season. Roy Hodgson had made the Baggies a lot harder to beat without recording a win since taking over the hot seat and ending a sequence of six games without a victory can be no bad thing. Big win.
• 18. Wigan Athletic | Previous: 17 | Form: L-D-W-D-L-L
  Points: 27 | Goals For: 27 | Goals Against: 50
  The loss to Man United was followed by a trip across Greater Manchester to take on City, a thoroughly creditable performance but no points after keeper Ali Al-Habsi gifted the hosts the only goal of the game. There is a doomed and resigned air about the Latics and their play. They have not been horrible of late but a chronic lack of goals looks likely to cost them their Premier League status.
• 19. Blackburn Rovers | Previous: 18 | Form: W-L-L-D-L-L
  Points: 32 | Goals For: 37 | Goals Against: 49
  Now things are looking really desperate. Defeat by the odd goal in five at Fulham was mildly controversial but took Rovers' tally to one point from the last available 15. It seems only a couple of weeks since Blackburn were seventh; now they're everybody's favourites to be that team that clinches a relegation place from nowhere. Rumours about the security of manager Steve Kean - rumours hotly denied by the club, it should be said - have just added to the gloom around Ewood.
• 20. Blackpool | Previous: 19 | Form: L-L-D-W-L-L
  Points: 32 | Goals For: 43 | Goals Against: 58
  No team has a worse record, in terms of points return, over the last half dozen games than the Seasiders although it is fair to point out that Stoke, Sunderland and Blackburn have an equally miserable four from 24 to their name, the same as Blackpool. The win over Spurs two outings ago might have been the swansong in their gallant efforts to stay in the top flight although, that said, it would not be out of character for them to bounce back and scrape survival. For now, we think they look a good bet for relegation.

United eye hat-trick of Cup defeats for Arsenal

ONDON: Two weeks ago Arsenal were dreaming of a quadruple but by Saturday evening after theirFA Cup quarterfinal against Manchester United at Old Trafford they could be reduced to chasing just the Premier League title.

Arsenal were surprisingly beaten in the League Cup final by Birmingham City, knocked out of theChampions League by Barcelona and missed a chance to close on United in the Premier League when they drew 0-0 at home with Sunderland.

Manager Arsene Wenger, bristling with fury at the red card for Robin van Persie that he felt contributed to their 3-1 loss in the Nou Camp, must refocus his energy as he seeks his first trophy since winning the FA Cup in 2005.

With United also standing in the way of the Premier League title and the two teams due to meet in the Emirates next month, Saturday's game is a chance to gain a psychological advantage.

Arsenal have not won at Old Trafford since 2006, losing there in the league, Champions League and FA Cup, a 4-0 thrashing in 2008.

They are likely to be without Cesc Fabregas after the captain aggravated a hamstring strain against Barcelona and will definitely miss first-choice goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny after he dislocated a finger.

With Theo Walcott also likely to miss out and Andrey Arshavin struggling for form, it looks a tough task for Arsenal, also beaten 1-0 at Old Trafford in December.

"We've we got to pick ourselves up, we have to go there on Saturday and get a win," midfielder Jack Wilshere said. "We are still in two competitions and we want a trophy."