Arsenal 2-1 Fulham...
We got off to a winning start with a 2-1 win over Lawrie Sanchez's Fulham, and the game as usual wasn't without controversy. The game got off to a freakish start with Jens Lehmann giving the ball away on 45 seconds, leaving Fran Healy off Travis to pop in the first goal of the season at the Emirates. A tense 83 minutes ensued before RVP buried a penalty, and Alexander Hleb popped up with a winner on 89 minutes...

Lawrie Sanchez after the game accepted defeat as graciously as Martin Jol would accept an undercooked Big Breakfast Baguette - and has accused us of diving already, after just one game, he wrongly thought Kolo Toure had dived for our penalty. "I was at the same Premier League meeting with Arsene Wenger and Keith Hackett last Tuesday, and it was agreed that simulation was going to be a big no-no this year. Yet here there were three simulations that went unpunished. That gives people the impression they can get away with it and it didn't surprise me when the penalty was given. It's a bit harsh, as a small club coming here to a big stadium and not getting those decisions..." Yawn.

Le Boss however, was quick to defend his players: "I am totally against simulation but I don't think this was, you cannot be a coach and encourage these things. I have spoken to players about it in the past and I am for the use of video in any way. But the only way to cut it out is to allow people to receive red cards after the game..."

Le Boss was happy with the result, even if not the circumstances: "We had a horrible start and were playing against a good Fulham side but we were resilient and physically and mentally strong, that's the kind of result that changes a team and a season. You can get momentum from these games, and especially belief. Nobody could ever measure it in terms of psychology, but it is important. Once your team believe, really, that they can do it in a season it helps. To have lost the game today would have been a big blow for the team because everyone would have said it was because Thierry Henry has left. So this is a very positive start..."

Premiership Round Up...
Chelsea got off to a winning start winning 3-2 against Birmingham, and man united got just a point from their home game with Reading. Top Four Tottenham are still well and truly on for cementing their top four finish, finding themselves just 3 points off the lead, only 1 point behind man united, and 3 points behind us with just 37 games left - league table here. As you know, they are already confirmed as top four and Champions League, and with an almost perfect start, an away point, they unfortunately lost against newly promoted Sunderland, sadly in the last seconds of injury time with the last kick of the game.

However, the game served as a good warm up for their Champions League qualifier in just over a years time. Sadly, their brand new £20m+ squad have failed in their attempt to go a full season unbeaten after the defeat, Martin Jol has already set his sights on that particular record next season, so good luck with that...

Ecclestone Still in the Race...
F1 Supremo (whatever that means) Bernie Ecclestone is still in the hunt to takeover Arsenal it was revealed this weekend. Rumours that he could take over are still knocking around, and Ecclestone has said: The only way I might get involved in football is if Arsenal is up for sale at a sensible price and I could take total control..."

Frightening Workload for AW...
Gilles Grimandi has revealed that Le Boss's workload has now become frightening following the departure of David Dein: "Before, Arsene was snowed under with work, now it has become frightening. He is taking on a large part of Dein's work and the situation is getting difficult..." As if he's not got enough to do, Sir Wenger has been charged with finding a replacement for Deino, but GG reckons its proving impossible: "All of us around Arsene are trying to take the strain off him but Dein is irreplaceable..."

Caen We Nick It...?
Sir Wenger is supposedly back in the hunt for Caen striker Yoan Gouffran, the Frenchman apparently about to bid £3m for the Frenchman...

Keeper Rumours...
After Lehmanns howler at the Emirates against Fulham, its a nice easy story to link us with a new keeper, the Sunday People jumping on the bandwagon and linking us to a move for Celtics Artur Boruc as a replacement for Lehmann....