Cast your vote for Team of the Season

In the coming days and weeks, we at One Club on Boylston are going to be conducting a review of the season, as well as looking ahead to the World Cup and next season.

For our first ever Boston Gooners end of season awards, we'd like our loyal members to cast votes for their Barclays Premier League Team of the Season. To do this, just follow the link at the end of this post and fill out the Google Doc form. Votes will be tallied late next week and announced before the FA Cup Final. Remember, this is for the Premier League as whole, not just your Arsenal team of the season; which, if we're honest, is pretty much the first XI that's started the last two matches, and wouldn't really cause much space for debate.

Cast your votes here and make sure to come back soon to find out who makes the inaugural Boston Gooners Team of the Season.

Match Preview: Arsenal v. West Bromwich Albion, Emirates Stadium, May 4 8.30am (EST)

Will Poldi be celebrating again on Sunday?
(CC Licence / Wikimedia)

Arsenal's final home match of the 2013/14 season comes hot on the heels of St Totteringham's Day, and could provide more reason for Gooners to celebrate as a win will guarantee Arsenal fourth position in the League, and a spot in next season's Champions League qualifying rounds. Depending on the result of the Everton-Man City match on Saturday, the match may not have anything riding on it for the Gunners, but the Club's mindset should be on giving the home fans a proper send off. Arsenal have been on a good run of form since the FA Cup semi-final, winning each of their last three league matches, also scoring 3 goals in each. This upturn in form has coincided with the returns from injury of Aaron Ramsey and Mesut Özil, both of whom have looked to pick up where they left off before their injuries. The form of both has raised questions about what could have been, but in this space we want to look forward. No use crying over spilt milk. With just two games remaining before the Wembley trip, Arsène Wenger and his players will want to keep up their good form and carry some high morale in to the national stadium on May 17.

Thursday Throwdown: Happy St Totteringham's Day!

Sam: It's happened again, it's happened agaaaain, Tottenham Hostpur, it's happened again!

Celebrate well, Gooners, it's St Totts again!
(CC Licence / Wikimedia)

Thanks to an easy 3-0 home win over a lifeless Newcastle United, Gooners everywhere are celebrating St Totteringham's day for the 19th consecutive season. For me, this one feels a little more special than usual, especially after Sp*rs invested £100m, leading to even louder proclamations from their fan base that this was finally their year to mount a title challenge. So, Andy, how did you celebrate? And was there anything you felt you could take from Monday's game?

Andrew: I have to admit, this one was more of a muted celebration for me. Though you are right that it is a fun new type of failure for Spurs, they haven't mattered in any significant race since about halfway through the season and most of my delight at their uselessness was expended after we beat them for a third straight time this year. I enjoyed this St. Totteringham's Day as I enjoy each and every one, but it's somehow more fun when they think they can do it until the very end.

Thursday Throwdown: Renewed Optimism

Mesut Ozil's return adds to the optimism around
Emirates Stadium
(CC Licence / Ronnie Macdonald)

Sam: After (technically) 3 wins in 8 days, Gooners have a bit more of a spring in their steps heading in to the season's final stretch. Those results, combined with Everton's shock home defeat at the hands of Tony "Redemption Story" Pulis' Crystal Palace, has left Arsenal in command of the final Champions League spot. So, Andy, what has you feeling most optimistic?

Andrew: Easily the return of two of our most important players (all respect due to Per Mertesacker). Aaron Ramsey and Mesut Ozil have been sorely missed from the Arsenal lineup, Ramsey for his ability to push the team forward and Ozil for his creative genius on the ball. In a vacuum Ozil is the better player but Ramsey is perhaps more important to this squad because of the role he plays. No other midfielder is a good match for the box-to-box midfielder position and it shows whenever Ramsey is missing. Jack Wilshere is defensively lax (and hurt himself, currently), Mathieu Flamini doesn't have the timing for forward runs, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is still too raw and unused to the position, Tomas Rosicky is better suited further up the pitch, etc.

Ozil is incredibly important because of his ability to move the ball around, retain possession, and find a killer pass. Ramsey is essential because he plays his position better than anyone else on the team could and his aggression drives the players around him on to do more. Having him back makes me feel as if the team is complete even though we are still missing several important players. Is it all Ramsey or am I making too much out of one player?

Week in Review: Boring, Boring Arsenal

Mertesacker redeemed his earlier mistake with
the equalizing goal.
(CC Licence / Wikimedia)

At least we can say we're going to Wembley! After an incredibly dull match, Arsenal needed penalties to beat Wigan and book their place in the 2014 FA Cup Final. The game started with a bang, as Yaya Sanogo was unlucky to have an early header saved by Scott Carson, before the tempo slowed waaaaaay down after around 10 minutes or so, leading to your humble writer declaring every 5 minutes or so that we were watching a very boring match. Then, of course, the nerves kicked in, as in the 59th Per Mertesacker brought down Calum McManaman in the box for a penalty, which Jordi Gomez converted almost 4 minutes later due to an injury picked up by Nacho Monreal in the build-up to the goal. For the next twenty minutes, it looked like the Gods of Football were conspiring against the Gunners, as several chances went begging, before the Big F***ing German saved Gooners everywhere from months of 'banter' and negative media coverage, by nodding in from close range.

Match Preview: Wigan Athletic v. Arsenal, Wembley, April 12 12.07 (EST)

Rambo makes his long-anticipated return to
the starting line-up.
(CC Licence / Wikimedia)

Arsenal make the trip across North London to Wembley on Saturday for an FA Cup semi-final that will play a huge part in defining the Gunners' season. After suffering a dismal defeat to a surging Everton side at Goodison Park, Arsenal remain in fourth place in the league, though the Toffees have a game in hand and sit just one point behind. Really, the FA Cup has looked like Arsenal's saving grace for a while now, especially once the Gunners beat Everton in the quarter-finals, creating a favorable-looking final four which also features Wigan Athletic, Hull City and Sheffield United. Despite struggling recently, the Gunners remain the favorites to win the Cup, and doing so would put an end to a 9-year wait for a trophy and the media's obsession with that statistic.

Arsenal enter this match with a squad depleted by injuries; Wilshere, Koscielny, Walcott, Özil and Diaby are definitely out, and there are questions over the fitness of youngsters Gnabry and Miyaichi. Arsenal will also be without Mathieu Flamini, who is suspended for this fixture, but Arsène Wenger has confirmed that Aaron Ramsey will make his first start for the Club for nearly four months, which is music to the ears of Arsenal fans everywhere. Lukasz Fabianski's role as FA Cup keeper will continue, as Wenger has confirmed that he, too, will start at Wembley. Oxlade-Chamberlain, Rosicky and Gibbs will all undergo late fitness tests to determine their availability.

Thursday Throwdown: The Sticky Toffees Match

Can Arteta return to form against his
former club?
(CC Licence / Wikimedia)

Sam: After a week which saw Arsenal take just 2 points from 9 - though which finished with a strong 45 minutes against potential league champions Manchester City - the Gunners could be facing the strongest competition to their Champions League streak in the form of a surging Everton, who have won five on the bounce and find themselves 4 points behind Arsenal with a game in hand. Anything but an Arsenal win at Goodison will leave the race for fourth in the Toffees' own hands. So, Andy, what are the keys to what will be one of the Club's most important games of the season?

Andrew: I think first and foremost the emphasis must be on defensive discipline. The back line was the driving force behind last season's surge to fourth place, but while the Gunners are still fourth in Goals Against in 2013-2014 (and that number is skewed by several lopsided losses) there has been an element of panic in the last couple matches. The Chelsea loss was an unmitigated disaster of course while the draw with Swansea was inexplicably open at times. Arsenal needs to get back to that fortress defense they can rely on and take the game to Everton without getting out of sorts at the back.

The pairing of Mikel Arteta and Mathieu Flamini has come under some fire this year but I suspect that will be the makeup of central midfield come Sunday. Arsenal cannot sit back and try to absorb pressure for ninety minutes because they need the points and Everton is too good to allow them the run of the field, but this might be one of those matches where Arsenal tries to stonewall the opposition and then slowly come into the game on the attack.