Now that is what I am talking about. You have to love wins like this one. Domination, for the most part, and a healthy mix of goals. I’ll be honest, it is a bit hard to write when things are going so swimmingly well for our Gunners right now. There isn’t a whole lot to keep tabs on, complain about, etc. etc. Now, that being said, we are still catching some difficulties in the injury department but first let’s chat about the game.

I’ll admit, I wasn’t much impressed with the lineup. I didn’t think we had enough firepower out there to do more than our usual passing around the box that has plagued us in seasons past. The big change came when Flamini went down and we ratcheted up the response. Have to admit, I was surprised Flamini wasn’t immediately carted off. When that boy was hit you could tell from the way he fell it was not good. Coming from an American Football society you get used to nasty hits like that but my instant reaction was he was knocked out on impact (a concussion to be sure). Glad to hear that the news has him on a 5 day rest but we’ll have wait and see how he recovers. Concussions are serious shit here in the States right now and while I’m not sure how they are viewed across the pond there are a plethora of examples here in the States where the injury lingers on and on (particularly in baseball and American football where the boys even don helmets!).

Right, getting down off my horse, I was yet again impressed with the manner in which Arsenal took control and just dominated the match after we lost Flamini. I think we are witnessing a very dialed in team that knows just when to put foot to accelerator and you have to credit Ramsey and Ozil for that. Those boys just look absolutely fantastic and I am sure their recent form has put just about everyone on notice that Arsenal is not to be taken lightly this year.

Lots has been made over Ramsey in the years past but it is a joy to watch him play right now. I understand that the pressure is there with him but maybe my American upbringing and familiarity with sports teams utilizing drafts to farm talent doesn’t have me overly concerned with him or any other “prodigal” player. Here in the States we watch countless “can’t miss” projects do just that. Hell, call up a Raiders fan and ask them how they have enjoyed watching the owner spend millions with nothing to show for it (seriously, just google Jamarcus Russell and enjoy). I guarantee you the agony is much, much greater than with any project Arsenal has developed. Patience is a virtue and Arsene’s patience has Ramsey playing like a beast right now. He is pulling the kind of video game moves that had me out of my seat multiple times cheering and scaring my child with giddy screams of joy. All my wife, who spent the afternoon upstairs away from me, got that day was muffled giggle sounds and grunts as I watched with kid like joy. The cut backs in front of goal followed by the clinical finish was fantastic; a real cheer worthy sequence. Hell, I loved that he wasn’t afraid to pull the trigger throughout the entire match and was calling for the ball multiple times. For a guy who seem goal adverse he is sure as hell preparing a worthy batch of crow.

And then there was maud. I mean Ozil. First off, Giroud chipped in two assists. The guy is paying off big right now with the way he is playing in front of goal. And now comes in our golden boy signing and he adds the much needed level of class and play that Wenger must be having wet dreams about right now. Another solid effort from our record breaking signing saw him contributing two (2) beautiful goals. But alas, neither were quite as pretty as Ramsey’s video game moves or Jack’s ticky tack heel flick boomer in traffic. I had to watch the replay twice just to make sure I saw that nifty little back heel move. Just flat out classy. If that is the Jack I am supposed to expect well… yeah… I get why people see him as England’s next white hype. Just pretty.

What a really fun game to watch. This is the kind of result and play I feel like history has drilled in me to expect. Great link up play, beautiful football and a wonderful result to boot. We’re by far the greatest team the world has ever seen indeed.

Now, there is still much to worry about when it comes to our attacking depth. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy watching our mids bang the back of the net. But we lose Giroud to any injury and who the hell do we put there. Poldi is still on the mend. Now we  have Theo being pushed back a few weeks. AOX is a ways off. Diaby just can’t catch a break (poor choice of words). We are T H I N in striking options and I really hope that come January we sign someone, anyone, to add some depth to the striking options. Now don’t get me wrong, we have Bendtner. Greatest Striker Ever. Yeah, yeah. I get he has issues. But I think most would appreciate that lay off he played leading to the late goal. Really a solid move on his part. Maybe he isn’t quite the douche everyone makes him out to be? Meh, let’s hope a winter signing sees him off into the sunset…

Oakland Raiders quarterback JaMarcus Russell on the sidelines during a home game against the Atlanta Falcons. The Falcons won 24-0. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Seriously… we could have this guy rocking our bench… Not even Bendtner is this bad… (sorry Raiders fans).