Three Things: Arsenal Dumped Out of UCL

I don't think it comes as much of a surprise to anyone that Arsenal have been booted out of the UCL yesterday and that City followed today. Arsenal put up a decent fight for stretches of the game, but were often overrun by a rampant Bayern attack. The first finished 0-0 and the game 1-1, after Podolski equalized Bastian Schweinsteiger's opener (54') three minutes later (57'). Three quick thoughts as Arsenal turn their attention to the league and a very winnable FA Cup.

1.  Ozil: Ozil had a comeback of sorts in the FA Cup last weekend, contributing an assist and goal and helping Arsenal move close to their first trophy in nearly a decade. But in the first half yesterday he looked downright awful, completing only 58 percent of his passes, having only 21 touches and looking lost and below average against many of his compatriots. He left at halftime with a hamstring injury and will now be out for at least 3 weeks. Is this good or bad news? With Ramsey back, Ox playing better than anyone else on the team and Rosicky having a decent year, it might be the case that he is not, though I still think the team will miss him in this run of season-deciding fixtures.

2.  Ox: Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain will be upset that he missed the first half of the season, but one wonders if the break won't do him good in the end. He has been playing at an incredibly high level since his return and now looks like one of the better dribblers in the world. He almost created two goals in the first half and was unlucky to end the game empty handed. It is hard to believe he is so young, but is clearly a big part of Arsenal's future. As noted above, the Ozil temporary absence should give him the opportunity to shine against the best in England over the next few weeks.

3. Injury Record: I'd like to repeat a point I have made in the past, backed up by Dutch fitness coach Raymond Verheijen (http://www.givemesport.com/441803-arsenal-injury-crisis-down-to-outdated-training-methods), that Wenger's training methods are clearly not ideal for keeping players on the field. Just this year, Ox, Podolski, Wilshere, Rosicky, Sagna, Gibbs, Arteta, Walcott, Bendtner, Vermaelen, Sanogo, and now Ozil have all spent time on the sideline (and I think I'm missing a few more). Many of these injuries, like Wilshere's two years ago seem to last substantially longer than first predicted. Something is wrong here and one wonders if anyone can convince Wenger to do something differently (or hire new fitness trainers, at minimum).

In the end, I do think it's good news, as Arsenal can now focus on the league and FA Cup and had little to no chance to win the Champions League this year, but one hopes they can finally get through to at least the quarters next year!