First Chelsea and now Arsenal. The second of the three teams we need to be taking points off if we are to compete for the title - and I say that with little belief or conviction, especially after another poor showing at home. Granted an improvement but not good enough by a long way.

There will be those of you who say Arsenal are firing, putting seven in during the week in Europe, tearing sides apart. But so what? That should be a concern for lesser sides, should it not? If we cannot stand toe to toe with the likes of Arsenal, then we are clearly not good enough to challenge for the league title and we should put that to bed right now.

When it matters, we aren’t good enough. Before, it was two points off the top with a game in hand. We hadn’t conceded from open play when that went. Before Arsenal, it was a win and we'd be three points off the summit, and now what is it? Still unbeaten? Barely. Let’s not fool ourselves, we got lucky again for the second league game in a row - but this luck will not last.

'Don’t be fooled, winning away to Aston Villa on the opening day before blowing two points at home to Chelsea was not a good start'


Truth be told, Arsenal were worthy of the three points, barring the odd shot we had here and there. They hit the woodwork twice, missed a wide open goal twice. Emmanuel Adebayor should have done far better when one-on-one with Pepe Reina but credit to the keeper.

Where does the problem lie? With the manager, I'm afraid. He identified wingers and cover at centre-half as our problem areas almost two years ago, as well as a top-class striker, and in Fernando Torres we have that. Since then, we have had the American money. So where are the wingers and that centre-half?

Jermaine Pennant? Not good enough, we saw enough last year to know that. He has not been replaced. Yossi Benayoun is a good man off the bench but not good enough to turn a game on his own against top opposition. Ryan Babel may be good in time but he’s not good enough now to be that man, either. Sami Hyypia is a long-time servant of the club but he’s past it - he's too slow and it has cost us recently.

Steven Gerrard seems to be coming out of yet another slump in form. But these slumps come along far too frequently for my liking. They are as guaranteed  as our slow starts. Don’t be fooled, winning away to Aston Villa on the opening day before blowing two points at home to Chelsea was not a good start.

Now it seems we have lost Torres and Xabi Alonso again but let’s not cry about that. With the funds Rafa Benitez was given in the summer it should not be an issue - or at least not one where we fall off the pace. Peter Crouch is our second-best striker at the club and that was clear when he came on against Arsenal. Continuing to play the ineffective Dirk Kuyt and Andriy Voronin is not working and let’s hope the big man gets his chance. His treatment been shocking.

As for John Arne Riise, I’m not even going to start. The sooner Villa come and take this disinterested and cowardly player off us, the better.

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