Cometh the hour cometh the men.

Henry's celebration after the injury time winner.

Another bright Monday and another busy week to look up to. We are already on a high having reached the top four and the importance of persisting there cannot be stressed enough. If a 34 year old can have the fire in him to take the team he loves to the top, there should be no reason why others shouldn't. I know football has become more of a profession than it was 15 years ago, maybe loyalty isn't a virtue any more, but the passion and desire to see your club succeed, no matter where you play is what makes a player a fan favorite. The general tendency of footballers has been like "I work for money, if you want loyalty, hire a dog". Arsenal fans have had some bitter departures from their clubs for more money, despite what those players might say.

TH14 himself said after starting his loan spell, at the start of January, that he became an Arsenal fan when he joined again. He had an extended celebration after his injury time winner against Sunderland, he explains,

I stayed a bit longer with the Arsenal fans because I knew it was my last game in the Premier League so I wanted to say ‘Thanks, that’s it’

 His influence has spurred on this Arsenal side in their wins, winning it late in the game. Though he was signed for a loan spell mainly to add depth to the squad, he has had some major influence off the pitch. Arsene says,

We must say that he was on fantastic on the pitch and off the pitch in the dressing room, he said. He has given us a big boost at Sunderland and against Leeds as well, so let's hope we can continue like that.

It was his last Premier League game for Arsenal, but he is there in the squad for the Wednesday night Champions League clash against A.C. Milan. There isn't much time to celebrate our win against Sunderland, we got to have our focus on this game. Realistically speaking, we are out of the PL title contention, but we still have two cup competitions in our hand. I know we have a tough opponent in Milan, even if their current form is not so good. As with Arsenal, even they have their injury problems, but they have received a boost with the return of some of their top players, Nesta, Pato, Boateng etc. One thing that we can see from the current team is that they are not fazed by big names. The point is that, we don't need to play against names, it's the player you have to play against on the pitch. RVP has had a terrific season, even The Ox in recent matches, but Sunderland managed to keep them quiet and the reason behind that was the discipline and organization which is the key for any team's success.

We will have Gervinho back in the squad for the game, which is a definite boost, and just who Arsene chooses to play against Milan is a puzzle he will enjoy solving. Frankly speaking, given the way he protects his players, especially younger ones, I don't think he'll throw in Ox in the starting XI. He might be called upon only if the need absolutely arises, which I hope it doesn't. Gervinho had a tough final against Zambia last night, missing out a penalty in the shoot out. Yes there is a chance he might be a bit down after that, but then, he is back to his club and there is different picture and different situation here. As long as he shrugs off any guilt he might have, there is no problem. But you can always trust Arsene to shower his karmic words upon him. Besides we still have Henry to do that!

The Belgian press had an interview with TV and was reportedly frustrated by his left back role. There is every chance that the media might have spiced things up, given they have job to do and a reputation to stick to. However, knowing the kind of attitude TV has, there's nothing to worry about. The report quoted him,

I do my job but seldom feel content after matches. If the team wins I am happy, but it remains frustrating.

I can understand that, given that he is a centre back and has played there for most of his career, he will definitely be itching to play in his normal role. The circumstances and the injuries that we have had, left no choice but to play him there, and after having bought a German international defender for a decent amount, you don't expect a club like Arsenal to put him on the bench, this is not Chelsea! Some might ask, what about Park, he is an international footballer, and the captain of his country? Believe me, I have been scratching my head for the same thing and its a surprise nobody has put this question to Arsene. Point is, TV would be best suited at a more central role in the defense and I still think that Kos+TV is our best defensive partnership. Per will definitely be out against Milan with injury(its a surprise that the clubs official site has no news on him), that will mean TV back to his central role, with Gibbs already back in the side.

Hope is all we can do, and play is all Arsenal can do. But the attitude and the consistency(the word keeps us haunting), is for everyone to choose. I wish everyone selects the positive one. The going has definitely gone tough, will the tough get going?

-Henry on his farewell plans.
-Ramsey on his equaliser against Sunderland.
-Kos on the Sunderland win.