Not A One Man Team

It wasn't until the result of the game was a foregone conclusion that Robin van Persie scored his customary goal. That is a good thing for the Gunners.

Robin van Persie has been the main man for Arsenal so far this season and one has to wonder where the Gunners would be if the Dutchman was not in his current fantastic run of form.

Van Persie's golden touch in front of the goal has been the main reason Arsenal has put together a very strong run in recent weeks and it has brought about questions of whether Arsenal is becoming extremely reliant on the forward.

After a tepid performance against Fulham last weekend and an unfortunate loss to Manchester City in the Carling cup on Tuesday, the lack of depth in the forward line was questioned.

With Marouane Chamakh doing his best to make some fans even miss Nicklas Bendtner and Chu Young Park seemingly not yet ready, the increasing worry has been that were Van Persie to be unavailable for any long period of time, Arsenal would be in trouble.

If the Wigan game is anything to go by, that will not be the case. It is just one game, to be fair, but in it were some very positive signs for the Gunners.

Mikel Arteta's goal had a bit of luck about it as Wigan goalkeeper Ali Al-Habsi fluffed what should have been a savable shot. Van Persie's movement helped create the space for that moment. Thomas Vermaelen's goal was a result of a corner kick produced by the Dutchman's left foot.

For the third goal, van Persie's exquisite piece of skill and subsequent shot left everyone watching and gave Gervinho the time to simply slot the ball into the net. Van Persie finally got in on the act after an assist by Theo Walcott.

While van Persie was important in every goal that Arsenal scored, the team did not struggle to find the back of the net throughout the game. It may just have been the opposition, but I would rather think that it was a sign of things beginning to click just a little bit more for the team.

At the end of the day, other team members stepped up to do the most important thing by putting the ball in the back of the net. It was nice that van Persie capped it all off with another goal, but life was made that much easier with the contributions of others.

Both Mikel Arteta and Aaron Ramsey have the ability to really test keepers from outside the box and if they continue to take the chances when they are presented and players like Gervinho can become a little more calm in front of goal, the Gunners will have a well-rounded attack for any team to contend with. The occasional set-piece goal would be nice too.

Arsenal are in a good position right now and every week something positive comes to the foreground. While I would love to see van Persie continue to bulge the old onion bag, I would love it even more to see goals come from other positions, too.

Goal Line Technology?

FIFA General Secretary Jerome Valcke said Friday that a decision to introduce goal-line technology for soccer matches could be made within the next 12 months.

Debate has raged for some time about the use of technology in soccer, and events at the World Cup in South Africa have prompted FIFA, the sport's governing body, to examine the subject once again.

England's Frank Lampard was denied a legitimate goal against Germany when his shot came down off the crossbar and bounced over the line, only for officials to wave play on as goalkeeper Manuel Neuer gathered the ball.

Valcke told Sky Sports that he recognized such mistakes cannot be allowed to happen again and said FIFA was considering changes for future World Cups.

A possible alternative to goal-line technology is to station additional assistant referees behind each goal line -- a system trialed in last season's Europa League competition.

The International Football Association Board (IFAB) will make a final decision on the use of extra officials in 2012, but goal-line technology could be given the go-ahead sooner.

Asked whether there would be changes to the refereeing system before the next World Cup in 2014, Valcke said, "There is a real chance. For the additional assistant referees, the final decision will be at the IFAB in 2012, for the goal-line technology, any time."

Valcke added that while he would support goal-line technology, his own personal view was that video replays should not be used for other decisions, such as offsides.

"The goal-line technology I am fine with, but the video replays I don't like. I think it would kill the game," Valcke said. "Sure it would help the referees but it will kill the game."

The Dreaded Exam Week

Monday started with a sea change in people's expressions. Mid-sems were just a week away. People were pushing themselves harder, late nights turned from 12 am to 2 am. Groggy faces became groggier in class. The usually ignored library became a camping spot with people turning up with everything short of an extra pair of clothes.

The week passed by in a flurry, and suddenly I found myself in the middle of exams. Err, we have a problem!

See you on the flipside.

Arsenal through to last 16 of UCL

Thierry Henry and Roger Federer were among the spectators at the Emirates Stadium on an evening when Arsenal fused some of the steel and style that has been the trademark of two of sport’s smoothest operators.

Robin van Persie was again the name of everyone’s lips, scoring twice – once excellently with his head and another guided in with that trusty left peg – as he fizzed with athletic menace in a manner reminiscent of Henry’s peak years.

‘Who needs Batman when you’ve got Robin?’ read one droll Arsenal banner of the fans’ very own superhero.

In the face of increasing competition, Arsenal no longer reach for the stars. The aim is Champions League qualification, a good draw in the knockout stages and a domestic pot to end the trophy drought. All the while, praying that Van Persie stays in one piece and keeps producing miracles.

But blue sky has emerged following the low mist that hung over the club when their prize assets were pilfered and the team looked lost and kept losing.

Thoughts Of The Day

"It's hard to wait around for something you know might never happen; but its even harder to give up when you know it's everything you want."

"If someone wants to be apart of your life, they'll be there. So don't bother saving a spot for someone who won't make an effort to stay."

"If it is important to you, you will find a way. If not, you'll find an excuse."

The Game That Changed The Game

In every sport, there is always one game that changes your view of the game. Fortunately, I had two such games, the final of the SPT soccer tournament and the final of the Adidas Youth League.  What’s better? I won both of the matches.

Here are the medals and certificates.

'Lost' Steve Jobs interview to screen at theaters

Apple fan boys and Steve Jobs aficionados will want to set reminders on their iPhones for Wednesday and Thursday November 16 and 17.

Those are the days when a recently unearthed interview with Jobs is scheduled to be shown at Landmark Theaters in several cities throughout the United States.

"Steve Jobs: The Lost Interview," as the approximately 70-minute program is being called, consists of a Q&A conducted with Jobs in 1995, after he'd been ousted from the company he'd co-founded (and before he'd pulled off his now legendary iPod, iPhone, and ipad-powered comeback).

The interview was conducted by writer and producer Robert Cringely for his 1996 PBS miniseries "Triumph of the Nerds: The Rise of Accidental Empires," a look at the advent of the PC and the rise of Silicon Valley.

Cringely explained to The Los Angeles Times that only 10 minutes of the original conversation wound up in "Triumph," and that when he went looking for the rest of the footage for possible use in a sequel, it was nowhere to be found.

Fortunately, however, "Triumph" director Paul Sen had made a VHS dupe and tossed it into his U.K. garage. After Jobs' death from cancer last month, Sen contacted Cringely, who subsequently got in touch with Landmark.

Remembering his talk with Jobs, which took place at Next headquarters in Redwood City, Calif., Cringely told the LA Times that the Mac mastermind was "great that day." Cringely said the talk puts Jobs' various facets on display, including his humor and a certain crabbiness. During the discussion, Jobs tears into Microsoft and expresses his displeasure at his ouster from Apple. "He was a cranky guy," Cringely told the Times. "I think we see that."

The film is scheduled to screen in 19 cities in the U.S.:

•                Atlanta

•                Baltimore

•                Berkeley, Calif.

•                Boston

•                Chicago

•                Dallas

•                Denver

•                Houston

•                Indianapolis

•                Los Angeles

•                Milwaukee

•                Minneapolis

•                New York

•                Palo Alto, Calif.

•                Philadelphia

•                San Diego

•                San Francisco

•                Seattle

•                Washington, D.C.

In Palo Alto, where Jobs lived, the film will screen through November 22.