A horrible week and a horrible injury to Dudu. Only now when I see that he’s mentally calm and has shown great strength and courage in his words that I am a bit calmer and am able to think clearer with regards to Arsenal’s season. Get well soon Dudu!! BTW if you haven’t noticed (impossible) you can Email Dudu from the Arsenal.com site.

The Birmingham game was ours for the taking but for a Clichy boob and a Mike Dean gaffe where he couldn’t wait to blow the whistle and help his good friends from ManU with yet another non-existent penalty. Is he friends with Mike Riley?? Anyway we’re still 3 points clear and out of the two cups so the FA can’t screw us anymore.

The Villa game is a must win game though specially since we’re playing at home as well before we make the trip to the San Siro. What kind of a challenge can we expect from the Midland side?

Villa usually play a 4-3-3 or a 4-5-1 if you like; though its hardly defensive by any stretch. Its more a 4-3-3 like ManU rather than a 4-5-1 at say Wigan or Bolton or Newcastle. The wingers are primarily 2nd and 3rd forwards who cut in at every opportunity and score goals. The quality of Ashley Young on the left wing has been excellent all season and his consistency is quite remarkable. Sagna needs to have a good game against him. At Villa park where IMO Sagna had his worst game of the season; Ashley Young repeatedly sent in cross after cross and gave the iron man right back a torrid time. So what is it about Young that makes him dangerous? He’s quick..good with the ball at his feet,has great delivery and hits a decent shot as well if he comes inside. Hence the right back has to worry about both things…the run down the wing and the inside forward position. That makes it hugely difficult…which is the main reason why Ronaldo is successful as he can go both ways. Agbonlahor is much more direct and more of a goal scorer than Young and Senderos will need to be up for this one lest he gets beat for pace by a very very quick nippy forward line. I read on Arsenal.com that Villa were better at set pieces this year; the big reason is the mountain that they play around — and my mind always goes back to that Valencia game. John Carew — Valencia 2 – Arsenal 1. His size and aerial prowess mean any defender will have it bad against him and while not particularly quick he’s extremely physical and it gives the Arsenal CB’s yet another problem to deal with. So a pacy 3 pronged attack with 1 physical focal point and two lightning quick inside forwards is not something we can be too complacent about. Gareth Barry is very reliable and has bad games very rarely. The back four of the fat Bouma, Knight, Laursen and Mellber are not the greatest around though Laursen has scored numerous set piece goals this season. They can be beaten though.

Now for us…the biggest question is? How many of them want to do it for Dudu? Of course they want it themselves..does Dudu’s injury give them fresh legs or will they drown in the deep end? Gallas will have been hurt big time by last week’s incident and to see a teammate crippled, the team fight back and for Clichy to fuck up in the last minute was all too much to take for the moody Frenchman. You can talk all you like about petulance but this time while Gallas hasn’t been our best defender around this year…(he flicked a header to their left back at Villa Park IMO) I can 100% relate to where he’s coming from. His experience is vital in the run-in ..we have such few players who have won things that its important he stays calm and manages to guide the team through a torrid time. Senderos has to be one of our best players of the last 2 months or so and better than Gallas — I dare you to say NO and show me the facts. Its an open challenge. Clichy needs to cut out these concentration lapses as thats the only part of his game which he has a problem with. I’m sure he’ll improve though — if he and Sagna can bomb forward all the time and force Young and Agbonlahor back all the time we’ve won 80% of the battle. I’m sure they can do it.

The Cesc-Flamini partnership has been the key this season and there’s little I can add that hasn’t already been said about Hleb who will start wide left again and roam. Once again ..how much can Hleb drag the midfield around so that Villa’s wingers do not get enough defensive cover and are forced to drop deep to defend? Since Eboue’s still out Theo will start on the right again even though he scored two goals. The Ade-Bendtner saga is getting ridiculous now and I hope AW has had a quiet word with Ade about him not passing to NB(haven’t yet seen it though). Is NB fitting into the Arsenal system? Will he make it here? Is he really that good over a period? I guess only time will tell…there can never be a better time for him to prove himself though. SO here’s hoping the big Dane gets a few goals. If its not happening for Ade I’d actually move Cesc right, bring Diaby on and put Theo up front with NB. He actually works better with Eduardo than Ade though there could be other reasons for that. Phew — long preview. Sachin has raised the bar..blame him. Congrats on the kid BTW. Hope you bought him Arsenal diapers and stuck Dennis Bergkamp pictures all over his cradle . The kids will be pumped and we will win it.

Arsenal 2 – Villa 0