It's a depleted Manc squad; can Arsenal make mincemeat of it?

After going 22 matches without a loss (sorry, League Cup), Arsenal's strong start finally stumbled at Goodison Park. That it was our third match in a week is one asterisk, as is the controversial non-call when Mirallas seemed to upend Alexis in the waning moments. Be those as they may, the sad fact is that we lost an away-match for the first time since March against Barcelona. That's a pretty fine little streak and one that should still inspire confidence ahead of Sunday's trip to the Etihad.

Alexis lowballed, Özil demands Draxler, and Gooners struggle to stave off PTSD...

Arsenal lost at Goodison Park midweek and, despite this being only the second loss of the campaign (with apologies to the League Cup), that's enough bad news to send many otherwise sane, stable, and rational fans into a tailspin of doubt, paranoia, and gloom. In other words, it's the perfectly toxic time for the tabloids to dredge up whatever dregs of semblances of truth they can find to conjure up panicky clickbait and lurid headlines. One would think it was the summer of 2011 or 2012 as we peruse those headlines, some of which are claiming that we're lowballing Alexis to the tune of £80,000 per week or that Özil is insisting that we sign Julian Draxler as a condition of keeping him.

Can Theo do to Stoke what Lucas did to Basel, what Alexis did to West Ham?

Arsenal brushed away any lingering disappointment of losing just our second match of the 2016-17 campaign in stirring style, erupting for nine goals over the following two matches to heap pressure on Chelsea to somehow sustain their form and to win our Champions League group over PSG. Finding that kind of form after sputtering a bit through November should come in handy as an old nemesis pays a visit: Stoke. Of course, the man at the helm these days has put more than a few over Arsène in his day. It's up to our lads to ensure that he can't do the same again on Saturday.

Arsenal win Group A only to face...Real Madrid? Bayern Munich?

Courtesy of a swash-buckling demolition of FC Basel coupled with PSG's craven capitulation to Ludogorets Razgrad, Arsenal have won their Champions League group. Ordinarily, this might earn us a chance at facing a somewhat-weaker opponent. However, Arsenal being Arsenal, the opponent we're most likely to face is Real Madrid, who finished second in their group after drawing at home to Borussia Dortmund. So it goes. Of the other second-place finishers, we might also draw once again to none other than Bayern Munich. Drop down below the fold to assess our odds and rate our chances of advancing past the round of 16 for the first time since 2010...

WE—ARE—TOP—OF—THE—LEAGUE, WEARETOPOFTHELEAGUE!

So. Arsenal have won Group A by virtue of blitzing FC Basel. That the accomplishment might earn us the right to again face Bayern Munich, or to face Real Madrid, Borussia Dortmund, or Juventus is all too Arsenal. Far be it from us to win our group when the second-place finishers might include a fair-few cream-puffs. Then again, there might be something in the fact that we won our group by virtue of someone else slipping on a banana-peel—all PSG had to do was win against the hapless, "we're just happy to be here" Ludogorets Razgrad. PSG failed. We succeeded. What's next? Sizing up our opponents in the knockout phase. There are a few giants who finished second in their groups, and still a bit of uncertainty in Groups G and H. Get down to the poll below the fold and register your opinion—and don't be shy about letting fly in the comment-section as well!