Can Arsenal and Tottenham go through to the next round of the Champions League?

On the morning of Thursday March 10th 2011, football fans across London will be hoping their club have made it into the Quarter Finals of the Champions League: the greatest prize in the European game.

Arsenal play Barcelona at the Nou Camp while Spurs take on AC Milan at White Hart Lane.

Two great teams, one goal.

Both clubs hold a one goal advantage heading into the second leg- Arsenal came from behind to defeat Barca 2-1 while Tottenham left it late to earn a deserved 1-0 victory through Peter Crouch after sterling play by Aaron Lennon.

Come Thursday afternoon though, will both be through to the next round?

Well to put it bluntly, no. I don't think both will.

Tottenham, with their away goal already have a foot in the next round. I can see them at least drawing with AC, if not, putting in the required performance to take the win against the aging Italian side.

I am one of these people who just doesn't see "it" in Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Sure, he is a good player, but I don't see him as a 'great' player- I struggle to put him in the top echelon of world players.

AC are also without Renato Gattuso, their leader, talisman and thug which will be a huge loss for them and with Spurs scoring freely, (they scored 3 at the weekend), coupled with a rousing home support, I just can't look past them for this one.

Arsenal, on the other hand will be in the cauldron of noise that is the Nou Camp. The stage where they choked last year, although they were not quite in as good a position as they are now.

Barcelona also have an away goal, and it would be unthinkable that they will not score at home, and against a suspect Arsenal defense.

The Gunner's attack has also left much to the imagination in recent games and they really must pray Fabregas is fit if they are to have a chance of walking away still in the competition.

I find it hard when thinking about this game, to not see Messi and company stepping it up a gear and cruising past the English side.

Their football is just too fluid and too attacking to roll over and go out of the competition at this stage. I think the last game may well come as a wake up call to them.

Despite this, Arsenal are not without a chance.

They are in the superior position at this point and only need a draw to go through.

With players like Fabregas too, you should never rule out the Arsenal.

All in all though, I think Tottenham will go through and Arsenal will crash out, valiant losers once more.

I will be a close call though, and I've been wrong before.

What do you think?

Let me know.

Does United's loss open a window for Arsenal?

Sunday 1st May 2011

Put that date in your diary because that is the day, more than likely, that the 10/11 Premier League title will be settled.

After United threw away a 1-0 lead on Tuesday night against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, the title race has been blown wide open, and providing Arsenal win their game in hand, they will be just one point behind the Manchester side.

With Arsenal having arguably the easier run in too, the wind is behind the Gunners, although their loss at the weekend did not help- it could well provide them with an incentive to dig deep and snatch an unlikely championship.

Given, as there is likely to be, there will be two or less point between the two sides by May 1st, a winner would only have three games to go before the end of the season. It would be like a golden goal almost.

The window is certainly open for Arsenal although United are guarding the door since they are still four points ahead, and will be one point to the good provided Arsenal win their game in hand.

It certainly looks to be an exciting end to the season and the neutral should be salivating at the prospect.

Let me know who you think has the upper hand now.

Do Arsenal really have the momentum? After all, they too are coming off the back of a loss.

Or can you see someone else sneaking it? Perhaps City will pinch it?

Let me know and thanks for reading.

Final minute Arsenal defensive disaster gives Birmingham deserved victory.

It was a mix up between center back and goalkeeper which provided Birmingham with the League Cup this afternoon at Wembley, but nobody can claim it was not deserved.

Birmingham had the better of the chances throughout. Before Zigic's opening goal, Lee Bowyer was through on goal and was taken out by the young Polish keeper Szczesny  which would have been a clear penalty and sending off had it not for the linesman ruling for a non-existent offside.

Zigic scored a smart header not long after before Robin Van Persie finished with a typical volley on the turn past a hapless Ben Foster.

Birmingham still had the best of the chances though and they hit the woodwork in the second half.

Arsenal grew into the game and as it wore on, Ben Foster showed why he was once talked about as the natural successor to David James as England number one.

With one minute to go in normal time though, a mix up between Szczesny and Koscielny handed the substitute Obafemi Martins with a simple tap in to win it for the midlands outfit.

From a neutral standpoint, it was a satisfying sight.

All the talk throughout the week had been about how Arsenal would end their six year trophy-less wait.

There was no talk of Birmingham having a chance and you couldn't help but detect a hint of arrogance from the London outfit.

It was with great surprise and joy then that I watched Stephen Carr lifted the cup high above the young Arsenal player's heads.

Perhaps they need to earn their stripes the same as the likes of Carr and Lee Bowyer have (who despite having a career spanning around twenty years, was participating in his first ever final).

This will be invaluable experience for the talented gunners who will now learn that success isn't based on ability alone but on grit and determination along with tactical prowess.

Well done Birmingham, all good stories end with the underdog pulling through.

But don't think this will be the last you see of this young Arsenal side in a final. I see many more on the horizon yet.