Author: Staff Writer

Anyone who caught their somewhat stilted performances in the Emirates Cup on ESPN at the start of August may already have had suspicions that all was not well in Camp Wenger, but they surely couldn’t have anticipated the depths to which Arsenal’s season has so rapidly sunk.

Arsenal’s season couldn’t really have started any worse. The protracted transfer sagas of Fabregas and Nasri finally came to a close in the manner that just about everyone had expected without many players being bought in by way of replacement. Then, an unfortunate home defeat at Liverpool was followed by the most comprehensive defeat suffered by an Arsenal team since the 19^th century.

Yet, any team was going to struggle with the loss of its two finest performers, and Arsenal will, inevitably pull it around sooner or later. Even in the depths of the gloom, there are reasons to be cheerful.

First of all, Arsenal are, without a debt, the best run team financially in the league, whilst this might not be of much consolation for the fans, it should be. With an enormous new stadium, excellent youth facilities, and consistently running a surplus, Arsenal are what a top football team should look like, it’s just that they’re ahead of their time.

Manchester United, Real Madrid and Barcelona – the three finest teams in Europe – are carrying debts that would collapse a small country, whilst Manchester City and Chelsea, Arsenal’s two main rivals in the league, would be in a similar state were it not for the wealth of their respective owners. If UEFA’s Financial Fair Play rulings have any teeth, Arsenal will benefit immediately, even if not, as the world economy has recently shown, bubbles collapse, and the sort of levels of spending going on around the Premier League and Europe’s top clubs cannot be sustained.

Further, Arsenal have a generation of young talent coming through that is promising (as they always are) and Wenger is showing signs of looking to address the major flaws in the team. What has to be remembered is that 1) the club has just lost its captain 2) nearly all the players are top class, just low on confidence 3) having players who don’t want to be at a club is impossible 4) out gunning the likes of Chelsea, Manchester City, Manchester United and Liverpool when it comes to spending power isn’t easy 5) the club have some of the best facilities in the world and 6) regardless of all else, Wenger is the second most successful manager in the Premier League era.

After a start to the season that has brought disappointment, frustration and more questions than answers, Arsenal kick off their Carling Cup campaign against Shrewsbury Town this evening, looking to banish some demons.

The competition has always been seen as a second class by Arsène Wenger, but he swapped his long running youthful principles for a more committed offensive last term, leading to a final against Birmingham City. The scars of that last minute defeat are still there for all to see, as Wenger prepares to show his hand for this years Cup run.

In terms of team selection, the Frenchman has cooked up a mixture between last years experience driven side, and his favoured policy of young prospects. Łukasz Fabiański, Johan Djourou and Kieran Gibbs all need 90 minutes and all start, as does Marouane Chamakh, who will partner Park Chu-Young in a potential return to the 4-4-2.

Elsewhere, Carl Jenkinson and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain both impressed for the Reserves last week, and will offer a dangerous attacking threat on the right. On the left, Ryo Miyaichi’s lack of fitness means another chance for the experienced Yossi Benayoun. Francis Coquelin and Emmanuel Frimpong will anchor the midfield.

The bench is packed full of Reserve team talent. Second string skipper Ignasi Miquel starts the game, but with Sébastien Squillaci still missing, Daniel Boateng is included. Miyaichi, Nico Yennaris, Chuks Aneke, Oğuzhan Özyakup, Sanchez Watt and goalkeeper Emi Martínez make up a list of exciting replacements.

The action gets underway at 7.45pm.

Neil Banfield will be able to call upon some notable first-team experience this evening, after Arsène Wenger allowed four players to drop into the second string for tonight’s Premier Reserve League clash with Bolton.

Wenger has given permission for summer signings Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Carl Jenkinson to feature, after they were both left out of the squad for games against Swansea and Borussia Dortmund. The pair are joined by Francis Coquelin and Ryo Miyaichi, both of whom are short of fitness.

Coquelin is yet to play 90 minutes since returning to Arsenal from a loan spell with Lorient, but started the 8-2 defeat to Manchester United and was a late substitute against Swansea at the weekend.

Francis is joined by 18-year-old Miyaichi, who injured his groin on Reserve team duty at Wigan last time out. He was expected to return to training last week, but suffered a set back and only re-joined the squad yesterday. The lineup is as follows:

ARSENAL: Martínez; Jenkinson, Miquel, Boateng, Meade; Coquelin, Aneke; Oxlade-Chamberlain, Özyakup, Miyaichi; Watt.

A selection of scouts are expected, as Arsenal seek to move out a selection of youngsters, now the loan window has opened.

Due to popular demand, I’m back hosting another live web chat this evening, answering all your Arsenal-related questions from 7pm GMT.

To get involved, simply have a read of the house rules below, then click here.

House Rules:
You can put your questions to me from 7pm UK time in an hour long chat. I will try to answer them all, as long as they haven’t already been asked, and as long as they’re submitted inside the deadline.

The web chat lasts 60 minutes, but due to the heavy number of questions submitted, all of them must be sent to me within 30 minutes of the start time. So if the chat starts at 7pm, all questions must be submitted by 7.30pm.

Arsène Wenger has put a selection of fringe youngsters on stand by ahead of Arsenal’s clash with Manchester United, as the Frenchman’s selection headache continues, Young Guns understands.

The Gunners will give fitness tests to Thomas Vermaelen, Johan Djourou and Bacary Sagna this morning, with the latter complaining of illness on Saturday. Ignasi Miquel and the fit again Armand Traoré are both ready to step in if they all fail.

Elsewhere, the suspensions to Alexandre Song and Emmanuel Frimpong mean Francis Coquelin is in line to start at Old Trafford. He only returned from international duty with France Under-20’s on Thursday, but trained with the first-team on Friday, and is thought to be preferred to Henri Lansbury.

Like Coquelin, fellow countryman Gilles Sunu also returned on Thursday, and should be named on the bench, due to injuries to Ryo Miyaichi and Benik Afobe. Both of whom have been ruled out for around 10 days.

Joining Lansbury, Miquel, Traoré, Coquelin and Sunu in travelling to Manchester, is Dutchman Oğuzhan Özyakup, who has been promised further first-team involvement after signing a new contract this summer.

You can follow the progress of the youngsters involved on our Twitter feed.

Joel Campbell is expecting an answer on his work permit application in the next 24 hours.

The 19-year-old agreed terms on a £930,000 switch from Deportivo Saprissa two weeks ago, but despite Arsenal getting the majority of his paperwork verified, the club are still awaiting the final piece of the puzzle – a visa. The decision was due earlier this week, but has now been delayed until Saturday.

Meanwhile, Campbell has been training with Arsène Wenger’s first-team squad, whilst settling into life in London. Joel knows it could all be for nothing should he fail to win a work permit, something made even more frustrating by the lack of indication either way.

“Richard Law told me that I’ll know tomorrow on my work permit. I have no idea if I’ll get it. It’s 50:50.”

A negative response means a lengthy spell on loan is likely.