Step one on the road to recovery

Afternoon folks

I don't remember being so disheartened by a result. Thankfully, Chelsea also slipped up and the title race is still very much on. Whether we can win the league or not is another thought, but at least we're in the running.

I hope the players are hurting as much as the fans. They can use this defeat as a turning point. Tonight we will see how this team copes.

We go into tonights Champions League versus Braga needing a point to qualify. Even without Arshavin, Clichy and van Persie we surely have enough in the locker to qualify for the next round tonight.

Bizarrely, van Persie has been ''rested'' Like most of you, I'm a bit confused and annoyed. Our star striker is somewhat knackered from two sub appearances, where he hardly set the world alight. I hate to say this, because I love the guy, but time is fast running out for him to stay at Arsenal. We need to rely on him to stay fit, and it's a shame as his natural talent is right up there with the best of them.

I would love to be proven wrong but until he stays consistently fit, I feel we should look at options elsewhere. I know this isn't Football Manager, and many of you may disagree, but I'm fed up of seeing van Persie regularly on the sidelines instead of in the team.

So, tonight Arsenal you need to repay the fans with a passionate performance. The only way to help us recover from the North London derby is to win the next game, and so on.

Elsewhere, Henri Lansbury has joined Norwich City on an emergency 28 day loan. I hope he gets a good run of games and comes back to us full of confidence. I feel we could do with a player with his passion and bite in our midfield, and I look forward to him being an Arsenal regular for years to come.

That's it for today, hope you enjoy a sterling performance from the Gunners tonight! Bring it on!!