Wenger throws the FA Cup

So we're out of the FA Cup, probably our only realistic chance of winning a trophy this season.

A few thoughts about today's game, I was surprised to see Fabregas start as I expected Wenger to give him a rest before our up coming league fixtures. It appeared to be a stronger line up than I had previously expected. What was more intriguing was the fact that Ramsey was on the bench, I was under the impression that he was out for another few weeks so for once it's nice to see someone return earlier than expected from injury. To lose a goal so early on set the tone for the rest of the game, once again our inability to defend high balls into the area was exposed and Fabianski failed to cut out the ball and we faced an uphill battle from there. It seemed that the players just weren't up for the battle and our lack of inexperience was telling, especially in the first half. Fabregas was isolated and the young players just couldn't impose their authority on the game, we were very lucky to go in level at the break. Francis Coquelin was awful in the first 20 minutes and from what I understand he definitely is not a right back by trade and that was fully evident.

Ironically enough I felt that as the second half went on I actually thought we would win it but the three substitutions actually had a negative effect on the team - the fact is that we created barely anything in the whole match and that just isn't good enough regardless of the team we put out. In all honesty it's not surprising that we lost, Stoke clearly wanted it more than us and they deserved their victory. I just fail to see the point of Denilson, he is such a weak link in our team and we will not win anything with him in midfield. Traore is a complete liability, his defending for the third goal was just a disgrace - he just stopped and let the player get away, it's a real shame that Gibbs is out for the season and we have to rely on him as a back up to Clichy.

On a positive note I thought Sol Campbell had a very good game, for someone that hadn't played a competitive game for 7 months he was one of the bright spots of a poor performance. Jay Emmanuel Thomas put in a good shift especially considering the lack of support given to him, he's tall but has good technique. We also need to remember that we had a reserve defence out there and ultimately this defeat might be a blessing in disguise. If we do not win anything this season then we might just look back at this day as where it all went wrong.

Next up is Villa and the run of matches that will define our season, let's hope the defeat today will spur us on to take crucial points off our opponents and take those all important steps towards the title.

Arsenal do it the hard way

Things are never easy with Arsenal!

You would have thought that last night would have been a routine victory to put us top of the table but Bolton definitely had other ideas. We started the game quite poorly, we didn't get into our rhythm in the first ten minutes and found ourselves a goal down thanks to some awful defending from Clichy. Bolton's game plan was clear, restrict the ball getting to Fabregas and I can't even remember him having a touch of the ball in the opening twenty minutes of the game. Denilson then gave away a cheap penalty and we were two down, once again Denilson had an ineffective game. I do not rate the Brazilian, he constantly gave the ball away and always looked lightweight in the tackle. Even when were two nil down I always felt that we would go on to win the game, there's something about this Arsenal team that makes me believe. Much in the same way with the great Arsenal team in the late 90s and early part of the decade you get the feeling that it doesn't matter how much the opposition team scores we are always likely to outscore them. The crucial goal in the match was the Rosicky goal just before half time, it was the perfect time to score and had the first half gone on an extra five minutes I'm fairly confident that we would have gone in all square at the break.

At half time I told those around me at the Emirates that we would go on to win 5-2, it was almost the perfect prediction! A lot has already been said about the Gallas tackle, I have to admit that in Wenger fashion I didn't see it at the time but upon looking at the replays it was a bad challenge and could have resulted in a red card even though I don't think the intent was there. Once again the little genius popped up at a vital time to score the equaliser. To all those Arsenal fans who cheered when the Bolton player was carried off on a stretcher - Shame on you, the guy clearly had a bad injury and I feel ashamed that you represent our great club.

It had been a while since Vermaelen scored for us and I was delighted that he scored the all important third, it was also nice to see Arshavin score the goal that took us to the top of the table. The Russian hasn't scored for a while so it will do his confidence the world of good, we should have also had a fifth goal after a sensational turn by Arshavin that took him through but instead of squaring the ball to an unmarked Walcott he took the shot on himself and it was well saved.

So all in all a great comeback that showed a lot of spirit and desire, not at our best we still managed to take all three points and showed that we have the necessary elements within this team to have a successful season. I still feel we need a striker, having the big Dane back will be vital and will give us that different option in attack but we are still looking short in options. It's also a concern that Diaby went off with an injury as we are running out of midfielders and we can't afford to lose him at this crucial stage of the season. It's fair to say that the next 4 games will define our season, if we are still there or thereabouts by the end of them then we are definitely in with a shout of winning the title. Next up is the FA Cup, I wouldn't be surprised if Wenger fields a carling cup team at Stoke, he might have little choice.

Player ratings:

Almunia 6 - Should have saved the penalty, an accident waiting to happen.

Sagna 7 - Solid as ever.

Vermalaen 8 - Drove us forward from the back and scored a vital goal.

Gallas 7 - Good performance but a little lucky not to see red.

Clichy 5 - Looked very rusty and was at fault for the first goal, needs match sharpness.

Denilson 5 - Gave away a silly penalty and offered nothing throughout the game.

Diaby 7 - Was subdued tonight but still put in a good shift.

Fabregas 8 - Not his best game but still crucial to everything we did.

Arshavin 8 - Played well and scored a good goal.

Rosicky 7 - Started the game poorly but played better as the game went on, scored a vital goal.

Eduardo 7 - Could and should have scored in the first half and worked tirelessly for the team.

Subs:

Vela & Walcott - Weren't on long enough to make an impact.

A few observations from the Manchester derby last night

It was actually a very good game, great excitement and as always a very good atmosphere. I thought United were unlucky to lose, they were the better team and City rode their luck for most of the match. Whenever I watch City I automatically support the other team (with the exception of Tottenham), they are a club I despise – whatever one thinks of Utd, they are a club with history unlike their neighbours. I liken it to trying to build a new democracy, you can’t build a fully functioning one over night.

Wayne Rooney is such a magnificent footballer, last night he was sensational – if he was to get injured for any sustained period of time then Utd would crumble. With a fit Rooney leading the line at the World Cup, England actually has a chance. Ryan Giggs just oozes class, I love watching him play and at 36 he still remains one of Utd’s most consistent performers.

I’m getting very frustrated by the media’s drooling over Tevez, he’s had a good season but I have never rated him. Ferguson was right not to sign him, he hasn’t scored enough goals in previous years and although he’s having a good spell now I don’t think it will last. Once a better striker becomes available, City will have no problem selling him on.

One final point: Bellamy’s a little piece of shit.

Anyway, more important things going on tonight like Arsenal hopefully going top of the table.

Come on you gunners.

So what has changed this season?

It’s fair to say that this Arsenal team is a different ‘beast’ this year, last season was probably one of the poorest I have seen under Wenger and I did fear for the club over the summer. These fears were unfounded as we are now within touching distance of the top of the Premiership and interestingly we have virtually the same squad of players as last season. I have been asking myself in the last few days, what has changed? Why are we so much stronger this time around? I think there are a number of factors:

Replacing Kolo Toure with Thomas Vermaelen

The simple truth is that Kolo Toure was never the same player once Sol Campbell left Arsenal, Kolo was a great defender in his day and always gave 100%. I believe that Sol made Toure look a much better player than he actually was, both part of the invincibles it is easy to forget that they both had the buffer of Gilberto and Vieira to protect them. Whilst no one can doubt the defensive qualities of Campbell who performed at the very highest international level, Toure really struggled in the past few season and often caused panic in the Arsenal defence. One also has to consider that Toure did not get on with Gallas, this was evident and did affect their on-field relationship. Wenger was right to sell Kolo and his replacement has been nothing short of magnificent in his first season with the club. Vermaelen is a powerhouse, a fighter and more importantly he is an excellent defender with superb technique. Both him and Gallas have been ever present this season and they have forged an excellent partnership which has improved the backbone of the team.

The emergence of Alex Song

We have been craving a good defensive midfielder since Flamini up and left for Milan and now we finally have one. As some of my friends will testify, I have always believed that Song was the long-term solution in midfield. For most of last season I was crying out for Wenger to play him over Denilson and eventually he managed to get in the team and has been one of the stars of the season so far. Song works tirelessly, has good technique and more importantly gives Fabregas the freedom he needs to attack. Even in the games we have lost this season, most notably Sunderland away Song was the man driving the team forward in search of an equaliser – he is our midfield engine and has been crucial to our play this season. With Song away at the ACN, we have already seen how important he is to the team and once again Wenger has found a gem and it’s nice to see the fans and media have begun to take notice.

Fabregas

Cesc Fabregas was injured for a large part of last season after damaging his leg in a tackle with Xabi Alonso and in the time he was out we went 5 games on the trot without scoring a single goal. Had Fabregas been on the field we may have turned some of those draws into victory and finished much closer to the top of the table than we actually did. This time round Fabregas has become a man, always an influential player, this season has seen him go to the next level. Every great team has a talisman – Bergkamp in 98, Henry in 2002 & 2004 and we can now add Fabregas to that list. We are very fortunate to have one of the top 3 midfield players in World football as captain of our football club (Iniesta and Xabi the other 2 incidentally). Fabregas has contributed 13 goals and 15 assists – a quite astonishing figure and there is still half a season left. The little genius has relished the captaincy and it’s frightening to consider that he’s still only 22 years of age! Easily the best midfielder in the league and one of the main reasons for our improvement this year.

Changing the formation

Part of the reason that Fabregas has been so effective this season is because of the change to a 5-4-1 formation as opposed to the 4-4-2 Wenger had deployed since he joined the club in 1996. As I said a few days earlier Wenger made the bold decision to build his team around the Spaniard and it has worked, admittedly we are a bit lightweight upfront because of the injuries to RVP and Bendtner but it hasn’t hampered our ability to score goals. Few thought RVP could play the lone front man but he proved everyone wrong up until his injury, I may sound like a broken record but I genuinely believe that had he stayed fit we would almost certainly be champions come May.

Experience

This current crop of young players have been around a long time and it is quite right that this season they need to deliver. The fact is that these players are hungry for success, they are some of the best young players in the game and they want to win trophies. Whilst last season’s defeat against Manchester United was tough to take at the time, I am sure that it has helped the players, from adversity to triumph so to speak. Having tasted a defeat like that, why would anybody want to have that feeling again? I believe it has spurred on the squad. The players are one year older, they are experienced in the Champions League and most now play for their international teams – they know there are no longer any excuses.

Team Spirit

The atmosphere in the dressing room has been much better this season, there is a solidarity that has not existed in the last few years. You can see the players fighting for the cause which is nice to see. Getting rid of negative forces within the dressing room has been key to this spirit, selling Adebayor has had a big impact within the team. It is clear that he was not very popular and his behaviour at Manchester City has proved what a nasty stupid person he is and I for one am glad that he is no longer representing our great club.

So there you have it, things are on the up, we have plenty to look forward to in the coming months as the season reaches its climax. Let’s just go top of the League on Wednesday and worry about the rest later!

The wonder of Wenger

I have never doubted the genius of Arsene Wenger, even when things haven’t gone for us in the past few seasons I have always felt that his managerial skills were second to none. The article I wrote about Wenger a few months ago stated that Wenger was a man coming to terms with the fact his youth policy (i.e. his reliance on youth over experience) was not working. I said at the time that Wenger was not as stubborn as many would consider him to be. The defeat at home to Chelsea represented a crossroads for Wenger, does he continue to rely on youth or does he go for some experience? I’d stated that the great Wenger experiment was coming to an end and that he knew it but would he be big enough to admit it? The answer is an emphatic ‘YES’, re-signing Sol Campbell is a big statement. The Frenchman has never re-signed a single player for the club, so many ex-players have been rumoured to be returning in the last few years and had he gone for someone like Flamini or Hleb it would be understandable – they are still young. Instead, Wenger has gone for a 35 year old whose last competitive game was 7 months ago! I happen to think it’s an excellent signing, someone with the experience and fight needed to take us over the finishing line. Sol Campbell proves that Wenger has accepted the flaws in his plan and that is an encouraging sign for all of us.

The title of this article relates to the fact that we are currently sitting in third place with the possibility of being top of the Premiership on Wednesday night. That in itself is an achievement but let’s consider the many injury problems Wenger has faced this season, the fact we are still fighting for the title in January speaks volumes for the great man. I can only think of one game where we have had a more or less full strength team and that was when we beat Blackburn 6-2 in a thrilling game at the Emirates in which our attacking display was simply sensational. Unfortunately the injury situation is like a conveyor belt – one gets injured another returns. Obviously RVP is the biggest miss for us, we are essentially playing without a proper striker and yet we still have no problem scoring. Let’s consider for a minute that Wayne Rooney injured himself on the weekend and was out for the rest of season. I’ve watched United many times this season and he is their talisman, without him I think United would be vying for 4^th place. That’s one player, now consider injuries to Carrick, Giggs, Scholes at the same time and they would be in serious trouble.

Wenger has built a team that plays for each other, a team spirit I have not seen since the days of the invincibles – this team has a long way to go before we can match them but we are heading in the right direction. Considering all the constraints Wenger has to work to, I would argue that he is a better manager now than he has ever been. We might not win the league but I feel only injuries will be our undoing – I genuinely believe that if RVP was fit we would be champions come May. We should celebrate the fact that on the small resources Wenger has at his disposal he continues to create a team and a club that we should be genuinely proud of. When I read about all the debt in football and the trouble the likes of Liverpool and Utd are in, it really does bring home the belief that Wenger is a visionary – the best thing to happen to Arsenal Football Club. A well run club will bring us success on and off the pitch and I’m backing Wenger to deliver.

Fabregas provides the spark

Worlds fail me when I watch Cesc Fabregas play football, it's very difficult to sum up exactly how good a football player he is. Out for the last few games with a hamstring injury, he came back today and showed exactly why he is the best midfielder playing in the Premiership. Wenger has been very clever this season, for the first time he has decided to build his team around the Spaniard and allow him the freedom that a player of his quality deserves. Every great player manages to find that extra few seconds on the ball and Fabregas is no exception. What has impressed me most is the amount of goals he has scored this season, he is our match winner and improves our teams performance by 20% in every game he plays. Many would compare him to the likes of Gerrard because of the goals he is scoring but I think he is a much better player than Gerrard was in his prime and Fabregas is years off reaching his peak. The little genius was magnificent today, he scored a great goal and should have had two penalties - his awareness of all around him is just sensational.

Today was an important victory, firstly it puts us seven points clear of fourth place and secondly it keeps us right on the heels of Chelsea and Manchester United. I was surprised that Eastmond was given a start but needs must, he is young and looked composed on the ball. He looked like a player that needs to adjust to the pace of top flight football however the early signs are promising. Bolton were physical as expected but we dealt well with most of what they threw at us. These are precisely the sort of games that we need to win if we are to win the title this season, there is definitely an added maturity about this team and we managed to close the game out comfortably.

I am a little concerned to hear that Nasri and Ramsey have been ruled out for 3 weeks - that leaves us very short in midfield and injuries could once again be are undoing. Thankfully one player that returned today was Clichy who came on midway through the second half. Traore is fast becoming a liability, he was run ragged for the second game running, he gave the ball away too many times and his positioning at times was woeful. We can sometimes forget how good a defender Sagna is, everything of threat came down Traore's side whereas Sagna was solid and defended well. I can't see Traore having a career at Arsenal beyond this season, the fact is that he is our third choice left back and it showed - the sooner we get Gibbs back the better.

Wednesday night sees us come up against Bolton again, the game will not be easy but we should have enough to come away with all three points - it's very possible that come the end of the game we might be sitting top of the Premiership and let's hope we can stay there.

Ratings:

Almunia 5 - No major mistakes today but kicking was woeful and is an accident waiting to happen.

Sagna 7 - Solid as ever.

Vermaelen 8 - Coped with the long ball bombardment superbly.

Gallas 8 - Strong game today.

Traore 4 - Awful today, caught out time and time again it almost makes me long for Silvestre.

Eastmond 6 - Not a bad performance but was caught in possession a few times in dangerous areas - will get better.

Diaby 7 - Disciplined game, strong in the tackle and used the ball well.

Fabregas 9 - Pure class.

Rosicky 7 - A good performance but we need him injury free in the next few matches and Wenger was right to take him off and give him a breather.

Arshavin 6 - Not in the game enough and some of his passing was suspect today although he is always a threat.

Eduardo 7 - Kept the Bolton defence busy all afternoon, great pass for both goals.

Merida 8 - Great goal and did well when he came on.

Clichy 7 - Provided the support Traore badly needed, nullified the threat down our left hand side.

Vela 6 - Not on long enough to make an impact.

A legend returns

So it's finally happened (well almost), it looks like Sol Campbell is rejoining the Arsenal. I'm not going to deny that I was very sceptical when the news broke last week that Wenger might bring him back to the club but I've been thinking and maybe it's another masterstroke. There are a few reasons why the move makes sense, firstly he's a better alternative than Silvestre - in fact he's in another league. Secondly he brings some much needed experience to the club, he's played 73 times for England and won countless trophy's for Arsenal and therefore knows how to get over the finishing line. Thirdly, although a radical idea, could Wenger be considering slotting Campbell alongside Gallas and moving Thomas Vermaelen into the holding role in midfield just whilst Song is at the ACN? I don't think it's such a silly idea, the Belgium whilst an excellent centre half definitely has a bit of the Emmanuel Petit style going on. Vermaelen has excellent technique and is a real fighter, I believe playing him in the holding role could be an option. This of course all depends on whether Sol is up to the standard of the premier league and Arsenal - only time will tell.

One thing I can say is that it's always nice to see a legend of the club return, in his day he was the best centre half in England and one of the best in the world. Spurs fans must feel like they're in the twilight zone, they are likely to see Campbell their ex hero signing for Arsenal twice!

For now, I'm prepared to stick with the mantra - 'Wenger knows...'

A point gained rather than 2 points lost

Yesterday was quite literally the coldest I have ever felt at a football match, it's very rare you go to a game in London and it snows more or less from the first minute to the last.

As the title suggests, I see this as very much a point gained rather than a point lost and the match brutally exposed our lack of midfield and attacking options. As suspected, the loss of Alex Song is a huge one - the fact is that Denilson is lightweight and as I have always maintained I do not think he has the class or ability to play for a team like Arsenal. I'm not sure what Denilson offers to the team, he can't tackle, gets brushed off the ball too easily and his passing is woeful at times. Diaby didn't really get into the game mainly because he had to defend a lot more to cover up the inadequacies of Denilson. Credit must go to Everton, I thought they played superbly albeit it was helped by Arsenal who probably gave their worst performance of the season. What I find frustrating is that had we played like we did when we went 2-1 down for the previous 88 minutes then we probably would have won the game. I felt we lacked fight yesterday, I know the conditions were terrible but it was the same for both sides and the fact is that the only way to keep warm yesterday was to run about as much as possible!

Although we missed Song, the lack of creativity was was worrying and hopefully we'll have Fabregas back for the Bolton game as we clearly need our talisman as I feel he riases our performance level as a team by 10 or 15%. I don't think anyone played particularly well yesterday, Arshavin is completely wasted as a lone front man and the quicker we get the big Dane back up front the better.

Should Wenger buy in the transfer window?

The answer is a resounding YES! We do need someone big up front even though Bendtner should be back in a few weeks the jury is still out on him and he has been out for a good few months which will mean he will take time to get match fit. If we didn't have so many problems in midfield I would definitely consider playing Diaby up top as he is big, strong and did start out as a striker. The problem is that there just might not be anybody in the mould available, I agree with Wenger when he says that there's no point in buying a player for the sake of it - they have to improve the side. I think we also need another defensive midfielder, we don't know how bad Denilson's injury is and I don't think he's good enough anyway. We also need cover at centre half, if either Gallas or the Verminator get injured then we're in serious trouble. I still think Senderos should be given a chance as he is a much better defender than Silvestre but he is clearly out of favour. I'm really not convinced about re-signing Sol, I just don't think he'll be able to cut it at the top level any longer. I think Wenger's comments about the possibility of signing Sol works 2 ways, firstly it's a favour to Sol to help generate some interest from other clubs and also as a smokescreen for who he really wants to sign - I could be wrong but time will tell. We also need a goalkeeper as a matter of urgency, Almunia's performance yesterday summed up what the guy is, an absolute liability - the worst keeper I have ever seen in an Arsenal shirt and what makes me even more angry is that he's given the arm band when Cesc isn't playing.

So all in all the point gained might be very important come the end of the season, a word to Arsene, the league is a real possibility this season and amazingly we have a chance so please don't be stubborn, sign the players we need that could make this a very special league campaign. The fact is that with the emergence of Manchester City we might never get a chance like this for a very long time.

Player ratings:

Almunia 3 - Can't kick, can't claim crosses and causes panic in the defence - what a terrible goalkeeper.

Sagna 7 - Solid.

Gallas 5 - Thought he had a poor game yesterday.

Vermaelen 7 - Usual solid self and almost scored.

Traore 5 - Just as he was looking comfortable in the team he puts in an awful performance, was run ragged by Landon Donavan all game.

Denilson 4 - lightweight, can't tackle, can't pass.

Diaby 7 - Best of the midfielders but had to compensate for Denilson's poor showing, did well for the equaliser.

Nasri 5 - Forgot he was still on the field in the second half.

Ramsey 5 - There is no doubting his ability but he still lacks consistency, not the finished article yet.

Eduardo 5 - Ineffective

Arshavin 5 - Not a lone frontman and struggled to get in the game.

Subs:

Rosicky 7 - A few miss placed passes but scored the vital equaliser - needs games.

Merida - Wasn't on the field long enough.

Vela 5 - Didn't do much when he came on.

Mixed emotions as Vieira doesn't come home

Afternoon all.

Hope everyone is coping well with the arctic conditions, I for one am completely fed up with the ice. I'm hoping the game will go ahead tomorrow otherwise our squad is really going to be up against it in the coming months and may eventually become our undoing. I work in Islington and the ice on the streets is not as bad as it was yesterday so I'm hoping that the area around Highbury is much the same. That being said it's not only the pavements that need to be taken into account, train services working will be vital to the game going ahead.

So... Patrick Vieira has signed for Manchester City. When I heard the news that he might sign I did have mixed emotions as the romantic side of me would love to have seen him back in Arsenal shirt plying his trade at the Emirates. I know there was talk of him coming to us in the summer but I never really believed it would happen as I'm a firm believer of the mantra that a player should 'never go back'. The most upsetting thing for me will be seeing him in a Manchester City shirt, I could take seeing him wearing the colours of Inter and Juventus but not City!

I don't blame Vieira, he had no choice - he needs games if he's going to play at the world cup and with this probably being his final contract he has done well to earn such a vast amount of money. Although I do not watch Italian football (just not the same since it left channel 4!), it's widely believed that Vieira is a shadow of his former self. I am not surprised by this, firstly he is older and secondly a player like him who would sometimes play opposing teams on his own was bound to burn himself out eventually. Therefore I do not think the signing will strengthen City, in fact it could possibly weaken them if he starts as he clearly is not up to the level required for the Premier League.

So what does Vieira bring? Vieira brings experience, he has won everything there is to win in the game (except for the Champions League) and knows how to take a team over the finishing line - something severely lacking in the current City side. Being a winner is a valuable commodity and one which we could do with!

Had Paddy signed for Chelsea, Man Utd or Tottenham then my opinion of him may well have changed for the worse but City are not our fiercest rivals. Vieira is a true Arsenal legend, one of the greatest players I have ever had the fortune to see. His debut will live long in the memory, a warm night at Highbury against Sheffield Wednesday, coming off the bench and inspiring us to a 4-1 win was a sign of things to come. Sometimes you see a player play for the first time and you just get the gut feeling that they are special, I just knew Vieira was different to the rest.

I for one can't wait to see Vieira at the Emirates and let's hope that we give him the reception a true legend of the club deserves.

Arsenal leave it late

Evening fellow true gooners.

Arsenal left it late to come back and stun the hammers 2-1 in the third round of the FA Cup today, a well deserved victory on our second half showing. The first half was a poor one and never really got going, the team looked a bit disjointed and we didn't really create anything of note. I thought we were comfortable as we were heading towards half time and then Diamanti broke the offside trap and put West Ham a goal to the good. Once again Silvestre was at fault, trying to play for an offside that was completely unnecessary. In all fairness I thought Silvestre actually had a good game today and is effective going forward but his defensive side of the game leaves a lot to be desired. That being said, I always felt we would get back into the game and it needed Nasri and Diaby to come off the bench to give us the spark we needed. Merida was ineffective today, he has a lot of talent but I'm not totally convinced by him but he is only young and will get more chances in the first team. Wilshere was also very quiet and almost gave away a goal with a period of poor passing at the edge of the area, an undoubted talent I feel he must go on loan and play regularly so he can return to Arsenal with games under his belt.

We are really going to miss Song this month, he didn't have his best game today but he imposed himself on the game the longer it went on. Ramsey was quite rightly named man of the match, he is a superb talent and once again proved that he has every right to play in the Arsenal first team. With Fabregas injured I'm sure he will keep his place against Bolton on Wednesday - he is going to have a big future at the club. A word on Eduardo, I have been critical of the croatian this season but I think he is slowly returning to form and his performance today was superb - a fantastic header for the winning goal. Stoke away in the next round will be a tricky game but I have no doubt that we will progress further in the FA Cup. With Man Utd now out of the competition we have a real chance of winning it this year and I must say that I thought Leeds were absolutely magnificent today.

Next up is Bolton, a must win fixture against a club currently in a bit of turmoil and one that should we win we only be 1 point behind Chelsea - no extra incentive needed!

Until Wednesday...