Three Focal Points: 2015 Matchday 1

This season will open with the academy of football playing at the home of football. Here are three things to notice ahead of tomorrow morning's match.

Opposition player(s) to watch: midfielder Cheikhou Kouyaté. Kouyaté tallied four goals in 31 of the 38 matches in his first season with West Ham. The first of his goals was during the festive period when he found the twine tent for the Irons loss in league play against the Gunners at Upton Park. With a start like that, he just might become one of those players who will enjoy personal success against Arsenal, regardless the end result. In fact, ex-Hammers manager Sam Allardyce had compared him to Gunner great Patrick Vieira after Kouyaté's debut in a home loss to Spurs last August.

Opening day woes: Arsenal have had poor form to start the season with just one victory in the past fourteen seasons. That win came during the invincible season which saw Sol Campbell get sent off in the 2-1 result against the Toffies at Highbury. Everton was reduced to ten men after the two Arsenal goals from Henry and Robert Pirès but brought one back before the Merseyside player's send off.

Another team the Arsenal love: just like Villa, the Gunners have seen success against the Irons. This spurred from not having been beaten since former Hammers' boss Alan Curbishley's tenure in 2007 four years to the day of the opener to the aforementioned Invincibles season.

That's the match ahead, go the Gunners!

-Ricky

The DSA Fantasy Squad

This season, a few supporters in the Western New York area at my local pub (Mes Que) asked me to join in their fantasy league through playtogga.com. A fellow gunner also has a squad full of Gunners called the Halftime Heroes which is preceded by his full name, while (quite ironically) the DSA does not. A United fan named his side at Arsenal's expense (Gunner them Down).

The Ammunitions Factory is built through a 4-3-3 formation for it's opening match:

Whereas Halftime says 4-4-2:

Like I said, mostly Gunners and former Gunners (10/16). Think of it this way, DSA has no Spurs (though I wanted to draft Trippier). I will have periodical press conference transcripts or news articles. Please take them lightly,

The Gunners are Coming!

Ahead of opening weekend, I've put together how I view the season shaping up. These are based on many variable such as the transfer windows and who is playing non home and away games when. I came up with the following table (Placement; notable fixtures):

1. Arsenal (mci, stk, CHE)
2. Chelsea (ARS, LEI, cry)
3. Palace (che, lei, sot)
4. Man City (MUN, EVE, LEI)
5. Saints (WAT, nor)
6. Spurs (sun, lei)
7. Liverpool (AVL,LEI, sun)
8. Everton (NOR, WAT, sun)
9. Man United (NOR, wat)
10. Watford (ARS, CHE, liv, cry)
11. Leicester (CRY, LIV, che)
12. Newcastle (mun, liv)
13. West Ham (avl, mci)
14. Stoke (cry, bou)
15. Swansea (WAT, SUN, che, sot)
16. Norwich (SOT, MCI, mun)
17. Sunderland (TOT, che, mci)
18. West Brom (TOT, BOU)
19. Bournemouth (che, sto)
20. Villa (NEW, WHU, whu, liv)

WIN DRAW LOSS   HOME away

Of the three promoted clubs, I see Watford being a strong side both home and away (as I had thought of Leicester last season). Bournemouth can do something similar to that of what Burnley did last season and Norwich is too close to call but for now I have them just inside the 17. Tony Pulis won't last much longer than the festive period - a mistake by West Brom. Sunderland could very well pull another (Roberto Martinez Wigan style) great escape. Leicester's form from the end of season will carry forward. United losing DeGea heavily factors in their position as one of the weaker home sides. Palace continue to improve under Pardew and may even get a top four spot. As for Arsenal and Chelsea, they'll have games that can go either way, but I have the Gunners by two points thanks to a home draw with the Blues and a Palace win at the Bridge - the only home loss for Chelsea with Arsenal unbeaten at the Emirates. Keep in mind that the entire of the above is perspective and based on several externalizations.

St. Tottie's Day 2015

We'll, we all know that yesterday circa 5 PM US EDT became St. Totteringham's Day. Oh happy day! Well a vignette was featured on Sports Illustrated. And it has a lot of good sources, especially for you newer Gooners who want to brush up on your history like the Evertonians do. As for the match itself, Arsenal cruised again in the magnificent form they have been in. A 3-1 away drubbing of Hull is great. But what's even better is the game in hand over our second place chasers. Happy St. Totteringham's Day!

-Ricky

14-15 Overview: Matchday 12

It was truly just one of those matches where you can dominate in possession but have just one thing go wrong to be the difference. Gibbs has been in the wrong place at the wrong time before, but for the ball to stay as low as it did was fortunate for united as the ball in meant that the whiff was actually better than originally perceived. Pretty Boy's goal on the counter fast break attack I initially thought was a sliver offside and we were fortunate to escape without DiMaria scoring on virtually the same type of play. Martinez has a good presence in net having to have come on for an injured Szczęsny, but the first time, the elevation of the ball's flight pattern narrowly eluded his right glove hand. As for Giroud's substitution, a bit earlier than originally anticipated with good fitness leading up to the match, was rewarded for his return with the goal in the fifth minute of second half stoppage time. But Arsenal couldn't get it done in the remaining four minutes of stoppage.

Danny Welbeck was surely having only eyes for goal against his side and that was eminent especially in the opening quarter of an hour. Kieran Gibbs despite the own goal, really showed that he wanted to do everything in his power to make up for it. Unlike in years past, his role has changed by the Boss and he wouldn't have treid to make it up before - showing his signs of improvement since coming up from development some years ago. The Wilshere injury will certainly hurt, but there are still many central midfield players still at our disposal. As for United, De Gea indubitably must be the reason why Arsenal lost this match. He was in form given that he sprained a finger during the international break. But the player for me that most impacted United's performance was Danny Valencia. He made good decisions when Arsenal were threatening to score, and when he was out of position he was smart as to determining when and where to make challenges or trying to win the ball without the challenge.

Arsenal have no reason to be disappointed with their performance today, though they've lost three points and have posted their worst seasonal performance since the 1982-83 campaign. I did see a "sack Wenger" banner at the Emirates on the television screen, but I think he is actually a Newcastle supporter as well (not really). Speaking of, they won again today, making it five wins in a row for temporary fourth place until the United defeat of the Gunners. And the other big news of the day, Burnley have won their second in a row - this time it is Stoke who lose at the Turf Moor. Coming into the Gunners match today, places four through twelve have very little breathing room between them as Spurs currently sit in that twelfth spot. That is a better sight than where we are currently, but there is still an opportunity to get back into the top four in the near future.

-Ricky