Arsenal's New Good Looking Number 8

Last minute signing, Mikel Arteta trained with the team yesterday at Colney and finally had his pictures in red and white taken. Needless to say, he looks awesome. =D

There you go, 8 pictures of Arsenal's new number 8, Mikel Arteta. Hmm...... It feels like it has been a long time ago since the number 8 of Arsenal's red and white was followed by this name - Na$ri. Lol!

And by the way, Thomas Vermaelen is injured again. Achilles injury once more and apparently, he even had a surgery in Sweden and will not be sidelined for about a month or 2. Thank God we have Arsenal's new number 4 to step in. Per Mertesacker!!!

The August Five!!!!

So it takes a terribly humiliating defeat at Old Trafford to see Arsene Wenger taking the transfer windows seriously. In the past, he is known for not buying ready made BPL players and also players above the age of, I would say, 20? Lol. But after that 8-2 defeat, even he knows it is time for a change. And indeed came the anticipated change!

After losing the likes of Gael Clichy and Samir Nasri who only wanted bigger cheques as well as Cesc Fabregas who was also the other idiot who paid his way to his boyhood club, Barcelona, Arsenal seemed depleted. Although, we managed to qualify for the UEFA's Champions League, our BPL start was the worse I've ever seen. From 3 games, we only managed one point. Laying just one place above the relegation zone at 17th, we have a deficit of negative 8 goals to make up too. Many would say we are the Liverpool of last season now (no ill intention directed).

But this is where I would differ.

While Liverpool did surge back up last season, they never made it into Europe this season. However, they are indeed a force to be reckoned with this season and they till now, remained to be seen as a threat to Arsenal's place in the top four. But with only 3 games into the season, a lot more can happen. And did I mention the change that came to Arsenal recently?

If you missed it, let me say it again.

ARSENAL'S AUGUST FIVE

30th August 2011 - Park Chu Young, South Korean national team's captain, cousin of Manchester United's Park Ji Sung

31st August 2011 - Andre Santos, huge left back from Fenerbache, a typical Brazilian with good footwork and an eye for goal

Per Mertesacker, German's pole standing at 1.98 cm, a defender with really low number of fouls

Yossi Benayoun, captain of the Israel national team, BPL proven, a Samir Nasri replacement

and Mikel Arteta, like for like Fabregas replacement, BPL proven talent

Together, they are the August Five of Arsenal

And believe me that come 21st January, we will be seeing a VERY DIFFERENT side with renew energy and skills taking on Manchester United. The players and fans would have long forgotten the defeat at Old Trafford by then.