Hands off! Arsenal fail in bid for Gary Cahill

It is public knowledge that Arsenal have not been shrouded in good luck as of late. The problems at the Emirates continue to cause unrest amongst Gunners fans; another example of this being Arsene Wenger's failed attempt to sign Bolton's Gary Cahill. 

The departures of Samir Nasri and Cesc Fabregas have recouped around £60m for Arsene Wenger to allegedly be able to 'spend' on players. We all know that this has not happened the way he would have planned. 

Gary Cahill has passed 100 appearances for Bolton, but will leave the club for the right price.

Gary Cahill has now entered the last year of his contract with Bolton, meaning if no deal is put in place this year, he is likely to be able to leave on a free transfer next year (providing he does not sign a new contract). Having made 113 appearances for the club he seems to be more than settled at the Reebok stadium. 

Wenger Paints an Honest Picture as Ancelotti Refuses to Give Up

Half Time at Upton Park yesterday and Arsenal and Chelsea will have been licking their lips at the slight prospect of Man Utd dropping points in the title race. Had Man Utd dropped all three points yesterday and Arsenal had beaten Blackburn, the title would have been out of Man Utd's hands. Instead however, Sir Alex's men find themselves seven points clear at the top of the table following Chelsea and Arsenal's dire displays yesterday.

A picture is worth a thousand words...Arsenal's mustered up 511 successful passes yesterday, but not one goal. Photo: Guardian Chalkboards.

Cracks Continue to Show At Arsenal. What Must Arsene Wenger Do?

Those of you who watched yesterdays Carling Cup Final between Arsenal and Birmingham will have at times been stunned at the state of Arsenal's defensive prowess (or lack of). A lot has been said in the media about the result and how it came about. I would like to initially focus on what Birmingham did well during the match, as I think this has not been recognised as much as it should. The focus however will be on what The Gunners are lacking  at this stage and the effect it may have on the remainder of their season. 

Arsenal players dejected after a catastrophic defensive display. Photo: Tom Jenkins, Guardian

Alex McLeish should be credited for an astute tactical set up against an Arsenal side still yearning for silverware. a 4-5-1 set-up ensured a packed midfield who's tireless work ethic paid dividends. The 6ft7in Nikola Zigic was the lone Striker and was clearly the main target for almost every forward pass that Birmingham played, including almost every kick that Ben Foster put up field.  McLeish will have known that Arsenal's suspect back-four would struggle to cope with Zigic; and so it proved when the Serb headed Birmingham into the lead.