If there is one player at Arsenal who has never divided opinion, it is 32-year-old Tomas Rosicky. Signed from a then-financially crippled Borussia Dortmund back in the summer of 2006, the Czech Republic international has been a vital part of Arsenal ever since.
Arsenal has four victories and one draw from their last five matches, which should have Gunners fans happy. Their mid-week draw against Everton at the Emirates will not be the worst of results, but Arsene Wenger's side knows they can not afford to drop more points at Craven Cottage.
Meetings against Fulham tend to offer up a lot of goals, making Saturday's match likely to be a very entertaining match. Both sides have earned two victories in this fixture from the last five matches, with a draw in between.
Staying on track against Martin Jol's side, which does not have much to play for will not be easy, as we all saw in their first meeting this season.
Arsenal face Bayern Munich in the second leg of the UEFA Champions League round of 16, the London side already have a himalayan of a task to accomplish being 3-1 down to the Bavarians , and will now have to do it without their star man Jack Wilshere.
Jack Wilshere and Santi Cazorla have both had their moments of brilliance for Arsenal this season. They have both also shared some difficult moments, due to Arsenal's lack of consistency.
Both players have their own brilliance and shining star when they are on the pitch, but both have come out publicly to state how wonderful and important the other is to Arsenal Football Club. Is Santi Cazorla more important to Arsenal's style of play, or is Jack's tackling and drive in the midfield a must for Arsene Wenger's side?
When you take a look at the stats, Santi Cazorla will take the prize, but that does not always mean that a player is the most important. The Spanish international has quickly become a fan favorite at Arsenal, and his trickery along with his ability to shoot with both feet have caused problems for opponents.
The morning after a defeat is always a good time to sit and think about what contributed to the loss. For Arsenal fans, they woke up to pictures of Arsene Wenger and Jack Wilshere plastered all over the newspapers and sports websites. Not surprising, but, now more than ever, fans and neutrals are calling for Wenger to leave.
One important question to ask is whether or not Arsene Wenger is the main problem, let alone the only problem.
Responsible for putting out the best options, Wenger is in charge of that, but he is not able to dictate what decisions the players make while on the pitch.
Gooners are desperate to see the club resurrect from its on-going troubles and become what it was a decade ago: a genuine title contender.
In between 2006 and 2009, Bastian Schweinsteiger came under a fair bit of criticism. The wing just did not seem to be the appropriate place for him. Louis Van Gaal in 2009 came up with an idea that not only benefited Bayern but also benefited the German national side. He decided to move the German international into defensive midfield, next to the then captain Mark Van Bommel.
Another match at the Emirates, and yet another elimination from a competition for Arsenal. The Gunners struggled to break down Blackburn Rovers on Saturday, and a fortunate goal from Kazim-Richards was enough to see of Arsene Wenger's side.
Arsenal will now have to turn their attention to Tuesday night's match against Bayern Munich. The German's are a much stronger side than Blackburn, so Arsene Wenger really needs to sort things out before his side gets humiliated on the European Stage.
1) James Rodriguez
England in particular will take this tie seriously ahead of their World Cup qualifiers in March. Both the teams bolster some amazing attacking talents but the match may be ultimately decided on which team dominates the midfield.
Following injury to Manchester united man Michael Carrick his fellow teammate Tom Cleverly is expected to replace him in the starting lineup, with Arsenal prodigy Jack Wilshere and captain Steven Gerrard likely to partner him in the middle of the park.
The best thing about this trio is the flexibility they offer, all three players are capable of playing the holding as well as the advanced roles. This gives Roy Hodgson the option of using a 4-3-3 formation.
Ahead of Arsenal's match against Brighton for the FA Cup, Arsenal fans were ecstatic with the thought of Jack Wilshere leading the London side out onto the pitch.
He had already captained the side mid-week against West Ham, but that was only due to the fact that Thomas Vermaelen was substituted in the second half.
On Saturday, the England International only came on in the 68th minute to replace Tomas Rosicky, not giving him the chance to lead his team out, just yet.
Since Wilshere got the chance to wear the armband against West Ham, many fans and football analysts have been questioning if the midfielder should be the primary captain.
Jack Wilshere has been highly regarded at Arsenal for quite some time now. Since his time in the lower ranks of the club, Wilshere has been a stand out player in the center of the park.
A loan spell at Bolton appears to have been just what the 21 year-old needed. Since returning to Arsene Wenger's side, Wilshere was beginning to stand out, but a long list of consecutive injuries kept him out for a significant amount of time.
Back in the first team at the Emirates, Wilshere has slowly started to show that old Arsenal mentality. A very young player who shows in his body language how much he wants to win. His anger with every bad pass or every bad decision is more than evident in every match he takes part in.
With the Canaries in desperate need of a victory, manager Chris Hughton will be under a lot of pressure.
When Capello heard that John Terry had been stripped by the FA from his England captaincy due to the on-going race row involving Anton Ferdinand, he told Rai1:
Earlier in the week, Arsenal fans and management found out that Jack Wilshere, one of their standout players from the previous season will not be available until late January. With the signing of Mikel Arteta, the Arsenal midfield looks more lively. The midfield also has a stronger feel to it thanks to Emmanuel Frimpong.
Manchester City supporters are delighted to have added Samir Nasri to their collection of superstars as the 2011/12 season promises to be big for the Sky Blues. Like Arsenal, they are in the UEFA Champions League. But unlike Arsenal, they top the English Premier League table on goal difference thanks to their perfect run after 2 Match-days.
Still on the domestic front, Manchester City are gearing up to defend their 2011 FA Cup title whereas clinching the Carling Cup is also on their to-do list. Meanwhile, things are looking fragile at the Emirates Stadium right now.
Without Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri, Arsene Wenger is under greater pressure to spend money and make big signings before the end of the summer transfer window. Gunners fans fear their team will experience a miserable campaign although belief and hopes remain.
Arsenal fans must look to Anfield with an envious eye. Currently, Liverpool are a club with a fresh optimism, and are watching a batch of exciting new signings make a splash. Further to that, they are achieving positive results and there is an air of excitement around the terraces.
Danny Welbeck is set to be given a shot at regular football with Manchester United this season after Sir Alex Ferguson confirmed that he will not be looking to loan out the England U-21 International. Welbeck spent last season on-loan with Sunderland and was impressive, with Steve Bruce apparently eyeing him as a permanent signing.
Arsenal’s Jack Wilshere apparently still carries the wound of the Gunners’ Champions League exit at the expense of Barcelona. Now despite the rivalry that exists between Arsenal and Manchester United, the young midfielder is backing Ferguson’s side to do what Arsenal couldn’t do against Barca--which is to triumph.
“The thing with Barca is, ‘three passes, bang, bang, bang’ and they are through. So you have to get in their faces,” Wilshere told The Sun.
“You have to stop players like Xavi, Lionel Messi and Andres Iniesta who can just kill you. But if you can get in their faces, they ease off in the second half and you r.eally have to go for them.”
For Fabio Capello, England vs Ghana appeared as a perfect opportunity for the Three Lions’ fringe players to acquire some experience points at the international level. So considering the crucial agenda of Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea and Manchester United, there was no need for the Italian manager to risk the likes of Wayne Rooney, John Terry or Michael Dawson.