West Brom, Money and Poles

So West Brom arrive at the Emirates tomorrow and three points will be expected, but they should not be underestimated, they have pulled off a few decent results already this season. Team wise Gibbs is out, the good news is that he may be back soonish, Diaby may return and faces a fitness test, Song returns from suspension, Squillaci will return to partner Koscielny at the back. Vermaelen and Cesc are both out of the next two games. The team largely picks itself given the absentees, I'd go fo Almunia; Sagna, Kos, Squillaci, Clichy; Song, Wilshere, Denilson; Nasri, Chamakh, Arshavin. Some of you may be surprised to see me putting Denilson's name down, I think he has been pretty good in our last two games and deserves the slot.

There has been a fair bit of banter about our Poles between the sticks. I know it's harsh to criticise Arsene after a 4-1 win away at the lane, but his faith in Fabianski does appear to be rather misplaced. Fabianski is a great keeper if one ignores his regular costly errors but that's the point really, how long must we watch him palm the ball into the net before he is sent packing? Arsene should have played Wojciech Szczesny in my opinion, he is the best of our backup crop and deserved the chance to impress. I can feel his frustration and he has a right to speak out in my eyes. Szczesny should be our no2 and if we lose him because of all this I will be extremely angry.

Finally the club's finances are looking rather peachy indeed, the money is pouring in, the debt is falling away nicely and the profits are flowing, all this when the financial climate is not at its warmest. One certainly cannot grumble at this figures:

· The completion of sale of 362 (2009 – 208) private apartments at Highbury Square and the social housing site at Queensland Road generated £156.9 million of revenue from property (2009 - £88.3 million) and allowed the Group to repay £129.6 million of bank loans.

· The Group’s property business is now debt free and generating surplus cash for the Group. The overall level of Group net debt had been reduced to £135.6 million (2009 - £297.7 million) at the balance sheet date.

· Group turnover increased to £379.9 million (2009 - £313.3 million) boosted by the income generated from property sales.

· Operating profit (before depreciation and player trading) in the football business was £56.8 million (2009 - £62.7 million) after increased wage costs.

· Operating profit in the property business was £15.2 million (2009 - £7.8 million) reflecting the sales activity at Highbury Square.

· Profit from player trading of £13.6 million (2009 - £2.9 million).

· Group profit before tax was £56.0 million (2009 - £45.5 million) and profit after tax was £61.0 million (2009 - £35.2 million).