Arsenal Get More Points Without Ramsey

This morning I was following my usual wake-up routine:

1. Hear alarm

2. Press snooze twice (hoping I'll feel more awake in 5 minutes)

3. Finally get my head off the pillow

4. Check Instagram

5. Drop the kids off at the pool

And this is where I got a good idea for a blog post: see how Ramsey not playing has negatively affected Arsenal's title challenge. I believe that we play better when Ramsey plays, but the stats show otherwise.

Tough Decisions in Midfield

Our plethora of talent in the midfield is well-documented and I'm sure we all agree that this is Arsenal's strongest area. Due to injuries, the midfield has basically chosen itself, until now. According to physioroom.com: Walcott, Cazorla, Ozil and Rosicky will all be available for the match against Norwich this weekend. I'm obviously more concerned about the game against Dortmund on Tuesday and I don't expect anybody to be unnecessarily risked against the Canaries.

Now the debate starts. Who should play in Arsenal's midfield? The official website has 15 players listed in the first team squad that are fighting it out for the 5 midfield positions (wingers obviously included). I don't think anybody (including the players themselves) would expect Frimpong, Zelalem, Miyaichi and Diaby to start. Gnabry will probably be on the bench when Oxlade-Chamberlain and Podolski return but has a chance of playing at the moment.

What is The Ox's Best Position?

The hype around Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has slowly decreased over the past season. Arsenal first bought him from Southampton 2 years ago and after a couple of exciting performances, fans were insisting that he got more game time. The arrival of Podolski and inconsistent performances from The Ox has meant that he has been on the bench more than he would like. He started 12 times in the league last season (13 as a substitute), only completing the 90 minutes once.

He is still young and I’m glad Chamberlain doesn’t have the same pressure that Wilshere had a couple of seasons ago, but if we want him to develop he needs to play more. He’s been playing well for England and according to his dad he is more relaxed, “I can see that he is more relaxed playing for his country than he is playing for Arsenal.” Hopefully he can start relaxing when playing for Arsenal. He’s only 19, and still has a lot of time to fill his potential.

Who Should Replace Arteta Against Newcastle

Mikel Arteta has been one of the most important players for Arsenal this season. He has operated as the deepest-lying midfielder, linking the play between defence and attack. He has played 33 out of Arsenal's 37 Premier League matches, playing 2956 minutes (second highest, after Santi Cazorla, out of all Arsenal players). He played 90 minutes in every game that he has started except against Spurs (he was technically substituted after 90 minutes against Wigan).

As everybody knows, the match against Newcastle on Sunday is enormously important. Wenger was frustrated that Arteta was injured and said in a pre-match interview, "For the weekend, we have the uncertainty over Mikel Arteta, who had to come off just before the end of the Wigan game with a calf strain. Honestly, his chances of being available are minimal. I have to be realistic and prepare for another solution."