So the final weekend arrives and we’re no nearer to knowing whether we will be playing Champions League football next season.

We all know the equation by now: a win means third and automatic qualification. Anything less and we are at the mercy of Spurs and Newcastle. Finish fourth and we rely on Bayern Munich to beat Chelsea in the Champions League final. Finish fifth and it’s Europa League for the first time in Arsene Wenger’s tenure.

If all of that isn’t enough to scare you I should add that we’re yet to win a game without Mikel Arteta in the starting line-up and haven’t won in the past three games. We’re not in good form and we absolutely need to change that because we have everything to play for.

In complete contrast West Brom have nothing to play for. It is a situation that can just as easily provoke an uncharacteristically creative performance (such as Norwich last weekend) as a disjointed, unmotivated one.

In saying all of this I expect our Arsenal boys to take care of business today.

In terms of squad news only Bacary Sagna has been added to the injury list — a broken leg last week means he will miss Euro 2012 — while Theo Walcott may return. Meanwhile West Brom are missing three of their best attacking players: Peter Odemwingie, Jerome Thomas and captain Chris Brunt.

Given the prize at stake (and the punishment for failure) today’s game is likely to be a tense affair. Goals may be at a premium, particularly if the first half is as scrappy as I foresee, and mental strength is likely to be the deciding factor.

Hopefully Wenger has a word to Alex Song and tells him to curb his attacking intentions. He may have assisted Robin van Persie’s first goal against Norwich but the Cameroonian’s sloppy positional play was a key factor in our poor defensive performance last weekend.

The likes of Szczesny and Vermaelen will be hoping for better games while further forward in Gervinho, Rosicky and Benayoun we have a creative trio that should cause West Brom lots of trouble.

There’s only so much analysing and predicting on a day like this. In the end it comes down to the team getting the job done, getting the result they require to finish the season on an extremely positive note.

Hopefully we’ll all be celebrating a comfortable victory, qualification to the Champions League and the latest (but perhaps sweetest, given the topsy-turvy nature of the season) St Totteringham’s Day in recent memory.

What do you think?

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Arsenal travel to the Hawthorns for the final game of the season and are 1.67 shots to beat West Brom and give Arsene Wenger a win on what is his 600th Premier League game in charge.

The Gunners need three points to secure third position and come into the match having gone four games without a victory.

They let in three against Norwich last week, and the defence will need to be much tighter if they are to prevail as West Brom are in decent form having last just one of their last six games.

It will also be the last game in charge for their gaffer Roy Hodgson, and both he and the players will want to end his brief era on a high.

However as far as the head-to-head stats are concerned the Baggies have won just two and lost seven of the 11 Premier League games against Arsenal and won just won and lost three played on their own patch.

That suggests that Arsenal are worthy favourites at 1.67 with bet365, Betfred and Paddy Power.

However there also looks to be some value to be had in the goal scorer markets involving a certain Robin van Persie.

The flying Dutchman has scored 37 this season, including 3 in the last two games, and scored first when these sides met in November.

That makes the 4.2 on offer with Paddy Power about him bagging the opener look very attractive.

But given that he has also found the net in three of his four starts against West Brom a safer bet is surely to back him at 1.8 with Boylesports to net anytime.

That looks a big price considering that many firms go just 1.57.

I think that Arsenal will be able to win this and keep up their record of having not lost on the final day since 2005, and backing them to do so 3-1 looks worth a small wager at the 13 on offer with Betfred.

Our last home game of the season ended 3-3 and now our Champions League qualifications hopes have become precarious.

I’ve set up this thread for everyone to discuss the game.

Leave a comment below to let us know what you think.

Stoke away has become a strange spot on our fixture list. Since Shawcross broke Ramsey’s leg two years ago this game has boiled down into a weird little bubble, existing within itself, fuelled by hatred and anger. Yesterday it looked like that atmosphere is not receding at all. Wenger was relentlessly taunted by them, Shawcross got booed by our boys and most perplexing of all, Ramsey was jeered throughout.

We always seem to struggle up there and our previous performances have epitomised the negative side of Arsenal in recent years. Last year we were clutching at a wafer thin chance at the title when we showed up at the Britannia but we were bullied and out played and succumbed meekly to a 3-1 scoreline, at times throwing our toys out of the pram and looking a bit silly while they kept us at arm’s length.

It’s easy to think that this game should be simple, looking at Stoke’s style of play and their league position. Yet without their home form, they’d be fighting a relegation battle and they rise to the occasion when the big boys come to the Brittania. At home they’ve beaten Liverpool and Tottenham and drawn with both Manchester clubs,  Chelsea and now us. Add to that they were so psyched up for us –yesterday they fought like it was some kind of cup final–and I’m happy to settle for a point away (see the top free bets for this match).

Yesterday we showed some guts without losing our nerve. The more Ramsey was booed the more it spurred him on as he got around well. He’s still taking two touches when one will suffice but there’s enough there to see that his first full season since that leg break has gone OK and he’s on my “ones to watch” for next season.

His shooting has been nothing short of atrocious and that’s something he has to work on considering the amount of excellent scoring opportunities he engineers. I remember a few years ago Cesc–after a bout of goals–revealed that Wenger set him the target of getting on the scoresheet more often and adding goals to his game. I’m hoping Le Boss does the same with Aaron next season and that the Welshman responds in kind.

I add my voice to Andy’s suggestion that it’s about balance in the team as the reason why he has been played out wide so often when it clearly doesn’t suit his game. He comes back inside too much in search of the more familiar space of centre field. But I’d also add that this is a much deployed tactic from Wenger with younger players and something that he cites as being a part of their “education.”

This way–so goes the Wenger theory–players learn more about the game and can adapt better in later years. He did it with Vela and Bendtner and he’s doing it with Ramsey. It’s a hit and miss tactic. It worked with players like Henry and RVP who moved from winger to striker and from shadow striker to the sharp point of our three man attack respectively, but as mooted with Vela and Bendtner, it doesn’t always pay off.

You go near my wife, I kill you.

It’s getting late in the season and apart from CL qualification we’ve not got much left to fight for. Wigan did us a huge favour in hammering Newcastle and bar a huge slump on our behalf and a massive resurgence from Tottenham, third place should be ours.

This sets up us nicely for a tedious summer of transfer rumours, but behind the scenes our money men can rummage through the higher shelves of players knowing that we are automatically in the pot for the Champions League.

And so my head’s already being turned toward 2012/13. Of course new signings fill the bulk of that thought and instead of big money signings like the much sounded Hazard my attention is focussed on someone a lot closer to home: Yossi. I really like this guy, he looks as though if enough fans blew at the same time it would knock him off the ball but he shows a lot of steel and has some pinache to boot. Making him a quick, cheap, permanent acquisition from Chelsea would be first on my list. It’s good having him around and he’s a fantastic squad player.

Other than that, I’ve no idea. Who actually does? Apart from Podolski there’s not much else going on so time will tell. At the very  least Yossi is wearing our kit, and while he’s not the answer to all our problems he certainly ticks a few boxes.

On a personal note it’s great to be able to watch the Arsenal again, get back onside with the blog and witness RVP’s phenomenal season; they’ve all been a privilege. Off to enjoy the sun, Berlin is scorching…

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Our victory over Wolves was arguably the most straightforward game this season.

It’s rare that a game of football is over after 11 minutes, but that was exactly the case after two goals and red card to Sebastien Bassong ended the contest.

Robin van Persie’s penalty kick was impudent and arrogant — something deep down inside me didn’t actually like it, sorry Robin — while Walcott’s finish was confident. Two excellent goals scored in contrasting manner and the game was over.

From then on it was always going to be tough for the home side and while Wolves battled hard, forcing Wojciech Szczesny into a superb stop midway through the second half, Yossi Benayoun grabbed a well-deserved goal to seal the result. 3-0, three points and our march towards 3rd continued in style.

Rather than talking about this game too much I’d like to talk about Aaron Ramsey, a player that is dividing opinion at the moment.

Since a strong start to the season it is no secret that the Welshman has gone off the boil a little, a habit of missing relatively simple opportunities in front of goal has frustrated the supporters who expect more.

His deployment on the left-hand side of attack in recent games has also caused people to question Arsene Wenger’s intelligence. Ramsey? A genuine central midfielder on the left side of a front three? With Alex-Oxlade Chamberlain on the bench? You’re having a laugh, Wenger. You’re having a laugh.

Well, no, actually. He’s not.

Anybody who has watched Arsenal play over the last fifteen years knows that Wenger likes balance across the lines of defence, midfield and attack. Whether we are playing 4-5-1, 4-4-2 or 4-3-3, Wenger seeks balance.

When Ashley Cole broke into the team years ago he was balanced with the less-adventurous Lauren. Freddie Ljungberg or Robert Pires was often balanced with a Ray Parlour. When someone on the right is a more attacking player, usually the player on the left will be asked to play more defensively.

Our current team reflects this. Bacary Sagna has had to alternate between playing a more attacking or defensive role depending on whether it has been Santos, Gibbs or Vermaelen on the other flank. Likewise when Djourou has filled in on the right, Santos et al have been encouraged to run riot down the left.

Across our front line Theo Walcott is constantly asked to play as the most attacking winger, a notion that is completely backed up by the statistic that we attack significantly more down the right than the middle or left.

Anybody who is crying out for Chamberlain to be played on the left while Walcott is on the right seems to miss the point of what Wenger is trying to achieve: balance. If an ultra-attacking player is on the right then he requires a player like Ramsey, or in the case against Wolves, Benayoun, to balance things out.

Chamberlain is an outstanding talent but our run of form and results at the moment — marked by Walcott’s propensity to find the back of the net and assist frequently — shows Wenger is getting it right.

Of course none of this would matter if Ramsey had put away a couple of chances. No matter what people say about the Welshman he cannot be accused of a lack of workrate, nor an unwillingness to put his body on the line and get stuck in defensively.

He could fairly be criticised for taking a split-second longer to release the ball than an Arteta or Rosicky and his finishing has been poor but he shoots from long-range as often as the Spaniard and plays the game with the poise of Michael Ballack.

All Ramsey has to do is score a couple of goals and people will get off his back and remember what a fine talent he is.

Thoughts?

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There are many reasons why Sunday’s victory over Manchester City was such a sweet one. Here’s eight:

It ended City’s title hopes

As the title of this article says, it has virtually blocked Manchester City, the club that has only risen to title-challenging potential off the back of it’s ridiculously disproportionate spending, from winning the title. Manchester United are hardly angels (and neither are we to be fair) but the longer a team like City go without winning the brighter the world will be.

Nasri will not be lifting silverware

In preventing City from winning we also prevented Arsenal bail-boys Gael Clichy, Kolo Toure, Emmanuel Adebayor (yes, he still plays there after all) and most sweetly, Samir Nasri from lifting any silverware.

It showed we are ready for next season

More than stopping Manchester City from winning this was another statement to the rest of the league that (1) we are absolutely back in the top echelon of the Premier League and (2) we are ready to challenge again next season. In the last two months or so we have beaten every single team in the top eight — aside from Chelsea, who we beat 5-3 away and host at home in just over 10 days time, and Manchester United, who sit on top of the table. It’s an impeccable record and for once we have stepped up our game when our season has been on the line.

Arteta scored the winner

Mikel Arteta got his reward for superb season with a well-deserved winner. He has been the quiet achiever of our squad, paving the way for Tomas Rosicky to regain his creativity, Aaron Ramsey to have a break from the spotlight and Alex Song to have the confidence to push forward and become our assist king.

Balotelli got sent off

I don’t hate Mario Balotelli but it was satisfying seeing his melodrama of a performance end with a red card being waved in his direction. His first-half challenge on Song was a terrible one, a red card eight days a week, and it was only fair that he eventually received his marching orders. Interestingly Bacary Sagna resorted to some play-acting to ensure the Italian got his eventual punishment: behaviour you wouldn’t usually associate with our hard-as-nails right back and an indication of the sort of player Balotelli must be.

It shows again that we’re not a one-man team

Another game, another win, another scoreless performance for Robin van Persie. Although to be fair he did hit the post and have a shot unbelievably blocked off the line by Thomas Vermaelen, who otherwise had a superb bounce-back performance after his clumsy effort at QPR. A one-man team we certainly are not.

Third looks nailed on

The aftermath of our victory over City saw Spurs lose to Norwich and Chelsea fail to beat Fulham. Wins over Wolves and Wigan, our next two opponent, would almost guarantee a top-three finish and automatic Champions League qualification, not to mention an improvement over last season’s finish. It would be a remarkable result after the start to the season we had. On a related note, with Newcastle in the best form of the team’s below us it’s looking more and more likely that Spurs could miss out on the Champions League altogether. Wouldn’t that be sweet?

We’re all going to get along for a bit

The comments section on this blog is a heated space for contrasting opinions but after this win, surely every single one of us will be happy. It’s Arsenal, with love!

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