Arsenal captain Robin van Persie has urged his teammates to keep their head up and stay positive, as the Gunners have struggled out of the gate so far this season. The Dutch international frontman asked for his team mates to focus on the positives from last weekend’s disappointing loss at Ewood Park, and build towards success.

“It is important that we stay positive – that can be hard because everyone is frustrated and we realise that this is our worst start in the league for a while, but we have to stay together, be strong and make sure not to hide or become introverted,” said Van Persie.

“Games like Saturday’s happen, but we must not go into our shell. We should be proud of who we are and aware that we are only five games in with so much still to play for.”

I sincerely hope that Robin can turn motivator for this Arsenal side, because games like the Blackburn defeat can really weigh on a teams mind. For a squad that seemed to finally be starting to gain momentum, a loss like that can put you back to square one. There is something about beating yourself, rather than being bested by an opponent, that is particularly upsetting.

Hopefully our new captain has enough influence to make these players believe in themselves. Difficult as it may be, the Blackburn defeat needs to be archived and forgotten. I’ve always found it to be a bit of a contradiction that, as an athlete, your supposed to learn from your mistakes, but at the same time, banish any thought of them from your memory.

That is exactly what our squad must do against Bolton, because they will look to capitalize on our mistakes, and if we dwell on them, we will fail in exactly the same fashion as we did last weekend.

One man from Bolton who everyone will be discussing this weekend will be Gary Cahill. Cahill, of course, is the English centerback who was a reported target by Arsene Wenger this summer, and the man that many Arsenal fans pipped as the “perfect signing” for our back four.

Cahill has had a very so-so start to the Premier League campaign. While he has enjoyed some good personal performances, Bolton has been woeful, and the defense (of which Cahill has is a member) has been exposed in several matches.

Cahill seemed almost certain to leave this last summer, and despite Bolton retaining his services, Wanderers boss Owen Coyle says he expects a fresh round of bids for his player when the transfer window reopens in January.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if they came back,” said Coyle.

“Arsene has always said he is an admirer of Gary Cahill. But the clubs never agreed a fee. Gary has nothing to prove. He is a top performer, who is set for a glittering career.”

I for one, am fairly skeptical of Cahill signing for Arsenal in January, but who knows?

He is in the final year of his contract, and will be available on a Bosman (free transfer) this summer. Knowing the way Arsenal works, waiting for a his contract to run out seems like it will be the way this plays out, with Cahill being a new addition for next season.

There are a few ways that I see him joining in January, however. Firstly, if one of the other teams who was in for Cahill at the end, most notably Tottenham, seem keen to sign him in January, that may force the Gunners into action. The other possibility would be if injuries are taking a heavy toll on the back four. This one is much more of a longshot, because as we have seen in the past, Arsenal really don’t like to pay for something they think they can get for free in a couple months.

I honestly think there is a very good chance that Gary Cahill will NEVER join Arsenal. If Arsenal’s poor form continues, he could decide to head for greener pasture. If Tottenham or another club are keen on making a move in January, Arsenal could decide to look for cheaper options (very likely scenario if you ask me).

Either way, I don’t think he would be the perfect fit that many of you see to think he is. As I have said for some time now, Arsenal’s biggest problems defensively come from a broken team philosophy towards defending, but that is another story for another time.