The Mighty Arsenal

R.I.P ROCKY. A TRIBUTE TO THE BIG MAN.

2008-04-03T18:29:00.000+01:00

From The World of Arsenal Blog:

Tomorrow is the 31st of March and it marks the 7th year anniversary of the great man’s passing. For those of you old enough to remember the tricks, skills and flair of such a talented player, it’s a day that you’ll always remember. For those of you too young to know or see Rocky in action, he was a truly naturally gifted player and someone who can only be described as “Arsenal through and through”. His love for the game was immense and played the way that Arsenal have always been affiliated with.

All About David Rocastle

In association with www.rocky7.co.uk

Aron Lazarus and Marc Levy are two Arsenal fans and Rocastle fans who have set up the site, here’s an insight to what the site is all about and a bit of a history about Rocastle.

Who is David Rocastle?

Rocastle, or ‘Rocky’ as he became known, made his Arsenal debut in a goalless draw against Newcastle on 28 September 1985 and soon became a regular member of the first team. In 1987, just before his 20th birthday, he helped Arsenal to a famous League Cup Final victory over Liverpool, and their first trophy in 8 years. This was followed up by another League Cup Final appearance a year later, but this time Arsenal surrendered a 2-1 lead to lose 3-2 to a last minute Luton Town winner. Despite that defeat, Arsenal were on the up and, along with other starlets like Tony Adams, Paul Merson and Michael Thomas, Rocky was part of a young Arsenal team that were destined for greatness.

When did Rocky win his first league medal?

In 1989, Rocky and his teammates tasted major glory, winning the clubs first League Championship since 1971 and in dramatic fashion, with a goal in the last minute of the last game of the season, against their nearest rivals Liverpool. It remains the most exciting finish to a league season ever and will probably never be matched.

This success was followed up 2 years later when Arsenal once again were crowned champions, this time in even more convincing fashion, losing just one game all season. Unfortunately, injury meant that Rocky’s contribution was limited to 18 appearances that season.

Did Rocky have International honors?

By the age of 24, Rocky had been an integral part of a team that had picked up 3 trophies in 4 years. His huge contributions were well documented and on 14th September 1988, Rocky was selected to play for England for the first time, in a 1-0 victory over Denmark, which as provided debuts for England greats Paul Gascoigne and Des Walker.

Then what happened?

Rocky was destined for a long and successful career on both the domestic and international stages. However, in the early 1990s, he suffered a series of injuries which began to hamper his game and in 1992 he was transferred to Leeds, much to the dismay of all Arsenal fans, by whom he was adored.

What happened after Rocky left Arsenal?

After leaving Arsenal, Rocky played for a number of other clubs, including Leeds, Manchester City and Chelsea, however, the fans of these clubs only saw the Rocky magic in fits and starts as his career continued to be blighted by injury. In 1999, after further short term spells at Norwich City, Hull City and Malaysian outfit Sabah, Rocky succumbed to his injuries and was forced to retire.

What did Rocky mean to Arsenal?

In all Rocky made 14 appearances for his country, a staggeringly low total for a man with his talent. Despite leaving Arsenal in 1992, Rocky forever remained a part of the Arsenal family. The fans loved him not only because of his brilliance on the pitch, but because he played the game with a smile on face and his heart on his sleeve, and more than that, he always conducted himself as a gentleman.

Tell us more about Rocky’s illness

In February 2001, Rocky announced that he was suffering from Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma, an aggressive form of cancer that attacks the immune system. He underwent a course of chemotherapy and thousands of fans prayed for his recovery, but this was a battle that was too much, even for David Rocastle. Rocky passed away on 31st March 2001, aged just 33.

What did David Rocastle represent to you?

David Rocastle represented everything that was good about football. Honesty, passion, teamwork, commitment, and of course, sheer brilliance, and we believe that this is why he remains in the hearts and minds of all Gooners who were privileged to see him play and who continue to sing his name, even today.

How did www.rocky7.co.uk come about?

The ongoing love for Rocky amongst Arsenal fans is what inspired us to create this website, so that people could have a place to share their memories and stories about Rocky. However, we also felt that it would be great to create an opportunity for everyone to do something really worthwhile in Rocky’s honour.

Charities have been setup to raise money for cancer. Tell us about ways of raising money?

We are delighted to have teamed up with Arseshirts.com to produce 3 limited edition t-shirts in honour of Rocky. These t-shirts will only be on sale from 25th March to 30th April 2008 and every single penny of profit from their sale will go straight to TreeHouse, a charity that supports children with Autism. Rocky did endless work with children’s charities himself, so we feel that this is the perfect way to honour his memory.

For more info and for details on how to purchase shirts and see tributes to Rocastle from family and friends, visit the site, http://www.rocky7.co.uk

Before I leave you, take a look at this video, some of you might of seen it before, for me, it brings a tear to the eye.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udxBpMt2Y8Y

Spurs 5-1 Arsenal - late, late review...

2008-02-03T01:34:00.000Z

Gooners Was it a tragedy those few weeks ago? No. Downright embarrassing maybe? A little. Sinking ship as many suggested? Someone is having a laugh. The scoreline was surprising but the result was not unexpected for me. It was one of those games where every shot by the opposition would be on target and chances are it will end in the back of the net. I still remember Lee Sharpe’s League Cup exploits against us many moons ago.

This is no different. Only thing is it came against Spurs. Not many Gooners can take it, even if it is the CC. For me, I look at the bigger picture and what is ahead of us.Carling CupPainful as it may seem for some, we have to remember that this is Wenger’s breeding cup, where young and new players get a soft introduction to English football without the risk of dropped points in the Premiership. I see lots of Gooners in various sites and comments saying Wenger should have fielded a stronger squad or maybe even put out the first team. Why? If he did put out his first team, should he stick to the same policy for the final then?

The CL match against AC Milan is on 20/2 whereas the CC final is on 24/2. If we put out the first team for the semi final and use a mixed squad for the final, what difference does it make? I know which match I would rather have my first team.It may still be silverware to some but let us not get over ourselves and clamour for anything that comes our way just because we have not won anything for 2 seasons. The one thing I realise is that if we do play our first team, we would have won it.

Our mix and match team can bring us so far. The first team will bring us all the way. But do we need to exert the first team over this? I would rather we do Newcastle in over the next 2 games. Which brings us to….NewcastleArsenal have a chance to burst Newcastle’s bubble even before it gets pumped up. What is dangerous is the Keegan bandwagon gaining momentum. By beating them in the next 2 meetings, we have the opportunity to uncover the so-called ‘Messiah’ and make him human again.Second string playersWenger must have said something to Diaby. His game has improved slightly.

His is passing more but when the chips are down didn’t trust his team mates enough. His decision making is still suspect as many a time he could have laid an easy ball to the left but opted to shoot. Pretty much says it all why he is not the first choice even with all that talent and hype as the next Paddy.Walcott must learn to take more responsibility.

Confidence is one thing but what worries me is that he looks scared to receive the ball or play the wrong pass. He should go into matches by grabbing it by the scruff of the neck. He was anonymous last night. His game is so English (kick and rush) that it is taking him longer to flourish at Arsenal because the game there is so instinctive. A total change from what he is used to. We know he is a good finisher. But all credit to Wenger for developing his other technical skills. A good player to learn from would be Eduardo. He does not have the pace but he uses his guile and that takes a player’s career further.

Gilberto looks like a player playing out the season and moving on thereafter. He looked lost and disinterested. Would I still use him after this? Maybe. But I would rather use Denilson (assuming he is fit) and Diaby as central pairings for the FA Cup. This would allow Wenger to use Walcott/Randall/Lansbury in one of the wings with Rosicky/Hleb on the other.EndWenger has always insisted this is a youth cup for Arsenal.

When we win, no one screams for the senior players. When we lose, Wenger is a prick for gambling with the cup. Get a grip. We know how the cup would be treated every season. This is not the first time he has done it.Thing is, it was the youth (sprinkled with some experienced but not or no longer first teamers) who got us to where we were. Congratulate them. Take heart they are miles ahead of the majority of the Premiership sides. Look at Manure, their kids got dumped by Coventry.Appreciate what we have.

Man City v Arsenal preview

2008-02-03T01:30:00.000Z

Manchester City away was a far trickier tie towards the start of the season, but come Saturday Arsenal will still have a hell of a game on their hands. As Manchester United found out, the City of Manchester Stadium has been a bit of a fortress for the blue half of Manchester. City are unbeaten at home in the Premier League this season and they have played United and Liverpool there so far.

Sven has done brilliantly with his side and he knew home form would determine what they achieved this season. At the start they won 9 games in a row on their own turf but since then, Blackburn, Liverpool and West Ham have drawn there. In the first two of those games, City were lucky to win and we are playing them at the best time. Their form has dipped an awful lot and the draw at Derby this week highlighted this.

The form of Elano has fallen and they are relying on the quality of Martin Petrov to get goals. Michael Johnson, although so young, has been a big influence on the side and his absence has coincided with the first real hiccup for "Mr Blue Eyes". City have looked a bit more shaky at the back and Micah Richards and Dunne have looked vulnerable at times. Joe Hart has played extremely well between the posts and has become a real player for the future.

After back to back victories and a slow rise back to form, we have a good opportunity to inflict City’s first defeat at home in the League. The squad is unchanged from Tuesday night and I think it could be the same starting line up. Why change it if its not broken? As long as we see none of the silly passing from Senderos, similar to the last 10 minutes in midweek, we should be ok at the back. Daniel Sturridge will be a pest but I feel Gallas’ experience will prevail here.

The best battle will be Martin Petrov vs Bakary Sagna. These two have definitely been two of the best signings this season and it will be a great tussle as they come head to head. Sagna has made our defence a far tighter and secure unit this season, but crucially he has provided a great attacking outlet, fitting right into out style of play. Martin Petrov has been brilliant this season for City, he has pace, skill and one of the best left foots in the business. His crosses are accurate more often than not and his set pieces could trouble us.

Flamini will be confident of doing a job on Elano as he is the other main attacking threat to us. Otherwise we should be able to cope with City and try and dominate the game. If we play the way we did against Newcastle we really should win this game. We have Adebayor in brilliant form and he will want to score for the 8th game running. We are making chances and when you do that, you score goals and I feel it may take more than one to take the three points on Saturday

Wenger could go with Theo for this game in place of Diaby. This would mean Hleb moving to left midfield where he plays better than the right in my opinion. However, Diaby looked better on Tuesday; he passed the ball earlier and used his strength in ways we expect from him. It may take patience and retention of the ball for this game; Theo really can be a loose cannon. Yet his pace could cause trouble to Ball/Garrido.

=============Almunia============
Sagna===Senderos===Gallas===Clichy
Hleb====Fabregas====Flamini===Diaby
========Adebayor===Eduardo=======

We have come through some difficult away ties this season and this will be another one. We are against a team that are good at home as mentioned and we need to keep our focus and the eye on the prize: the Premier League trophy. From here on in, every game counts!

Josh
http://thegoonereye.wordpress.com/

Future Star: Benik Afobe

2008-02-03T01:27:00.000Z

Benik In Action During The Nike Cup [Picture From Nike Photographer]

Article From Young Guns:

An out and out striker, Benik is already top scorer for the Under 16s, despite being only 14 years old, strong, and an excellent finisher he is blessed with blistering pace.

Benik is also full of tricks and posses a high level of technique for such a young player, to complete the list of his qualities, he is a threat in the air, and can handle the physical side of the game, this season as he grows up, his power and upper body straight have significantly developed.

Straight out of the very top draw of the latest crop of Academy talent. Despite being of Congo descent Afobe was born in England and will look to push on next season for a place in the England Youth team’s next season.

Read More About The Young Players In Our Player Profiles Section

Name: Benik Afobe

Age: 14

Nationality: English

Height: 178

Position: Striker

Previous Clubs: –

Contract : Scholarship

Premier League: West Ham v Arsenal - Preview

2007-09-28T21:47:00.001+01:00

There were many reasons why Arsenal failed to mount a significant title bid last season. But surely the most significant factor was the amount of points left behind at places like Upton Park.
A struggling West Ham took all three against Arsène Wenger’s men in a fractious affair on November 5, 2006. A struggling Fulham, Manchester City and Sheffield United did exactly the same thing over the course of the campaign.
It was Arsenal’s Achilles’ heel. Leaving all the other factors aside, that 12 points alone would have put them on the coat-tails of second-place Manchester United in the final reckoning and given them much more say in the destination of the Premiership title.
Arsenal return to the East End of London on Saturday as English football’s free-flowing force. They are top of the table right now and at the top of their game. But although Arsenal have put may wrongs right this season — winning not drawing early on at Emirates, keeping their discipline at places like Blackburn and Sparta — this game represents a different kind of challenge.
“Yes, it is another test for us,” said Wenger at his pre-match press conference. “And don’t forget we have not played many games away yet. We played at Blackburn, we played at Tottenham but this game is another test.
“We can show that we are stronger than last year if we can make a result at West Ham and do it in a more convincing way. For me, we were not convincing at all last year at West Ham.
"I am not surprised we are up there this year. I expected us to do well and fight for the championship. But the games so far were tight and everything went for us. We have won many in the last 10 minutes so we have to keep our feet on the ground and continue to focus on what we do well. And we know we have to fight on Saturday because a huge commitment will be needed at West Ham.”
There was mixed news from the training ground at Friday’s press conference. Alex Hleb came through tests on his knee but Eduardo dropped out with a groin problem. The manager had already ruled out Jens Lehmann (elbow), Alex Song (calf), William Gallas (groin) and Tomas Rosicky (hamstring).
West Ham’s victory over Arsenal last season was pretty much a blip in a difficult early campaign. They rallied under new boss Alan Curbishley and hauled themselves clear of the dropzone in the final few games. The absence of Dean Ashton with a broken ankle was said to be one of the main reasons.
The fit-again 23-year-old has been well-known to Wenger for some time. The Frenchman made concerted attempts to sign the burly frontman early in his career.
"When he was at Crewe, they played against us in the Youth Cup and he was outstanding,” said the Arsenal manager. “I tried to get him here after that but they had an agreement with Liverpool.
"He is an intelligent player and uses his body well and is good in the air. We were looking at the time for someone who could give us something a bit different and help us play slightly more direct if needed. We felt he could develop into that sort of player. After, he went to Norwich and that was a surprise because suddenly he would not join us. My understanding was that there was a gentleman's agreement that Crewe would not sell him to any other Premier League club than Liverpool.
“Yes in my opinion he is good enough for England now. Certainly he will be involved now because you have Owen and Heskey out. And I wouldn’t be surprised to see Steve McClaren in the stand on Saturday.”

Silence of The Rams: Arsenal 5-0 Derby

2007-09-23T16:52:00.000+01:00

10′ [1 - 0] A. Diaby View25′ [2 - 0] E.S. Adebayor View50′ [3 - 0] E.S. Adebayor (pen.) View70′ [4 - 0] C. Fabregas View79′ [5 - 0] E.S. Adebayor View

Last year this match might’ve had a chance of ending up in a 1-1 draw but this year we’ve shown we can put away teams that deserve putting away. A 5-0 manslaughter of Derby County where the class of Fabregas was front and center and Abou Diaby showed why he’s on his way to replace Vieira and Adebayor, well Adebayor deserve a new sentence. He can score goals, nobody’s doubted that, it’s just the goals that he misses really stick with you. After today’s hatrick where he scored from the penalty spot, on a breakaway and made something out of a completely harmless Denilson pass, even the staunchest of Adebayor critics must concede that he looked very close to replacing Thierry Henry. Then again, this is Derby County. But that takes little away from Adebayor’s dazzling performance where it wasn’t just that he scored goals, his dribbling was pristine and his control perfect.

The lineup wasn’t our strongest with RVP, Gallas, Hleb, Rosicky and Eboue all resting or injured:

Adebayor Eduardo
Diaby Flamini Fabregas Walcott
Clichy Senderos Toure Sagna
Almunia
You saw all that is good and bad about Walcott today, his pace is unstoppable and the defender is always at his mercy when he’s streaming down the right side but once he’s in the box either his shot is either lacking quality or the final pass lets the original run down. In his two chances to score today, he was first overpowered by a defender after outpacing two others and then his shot was blocked. He does create half-chances when he’s in the game, by the end of this year he should create real ones.

Watching Fabregas operate in the midfield is like watching John Stockton play the point guard. Now everybody who reads this blog will completely miss that reference but for those who get it they know it speaks of high praise for Arsenal’s general. When he laced in the fourth goal - another blistering long-range strike - I was just thinking, “Man, is this guy in the zone”. His sense of when to pick off Eduardo and Adebayor and when to lay it off on the right for Sagna or Walcott never seems to be wrong. Billy Davies, the Derby County boss alluded to him being the best midfielder in Europe, he might not be wrong.

Looking at Eduardo’s play you get the sense that he’s still finding his place on the team. The glimpses of skill that he displays are right now being offset by him getting tangled in the box and not finding the space he needs (and was used to in Zagreb) but he’s already looking more comfortable than he did earlier in the season and as things progress, so will he. Like Walcott, he has no problem beating the defender on the wing, it’s just when you get past that he’s still figuring out what his options are. Perfectly natural. Time will fix that.
Liverpool was frustrated into a scoreless draw by Birmingham and Chelsea/Man Utd play today at Old Trafford. On a completely different note, I thought it was somewhat classless of Benitez to not even say a word or two about Mourinho. I’m pretty sure I hate Benitez more than I ever did Mourinho.

Arsenal v Derby - The Preview

2007-09-22T11:51:00.000+01:00

Sorry the blog hasn't been updated recently. We were planning to move to wordpress but i have decided that it would be better to stay at Blogger. So here we are!!!

Alexander Hleb has joined Arsenal's growing injury list, which also includes Tomas Rosicky, William Gallas, Jens Lehmann and Emmanuel Eboue.

Hleb has a knee injury, but on a more positive note the Gunners can call on Philippe Senderos after a hip problem.

Derby are set to be unchanged from the team that notched their first win of the campaign against Newcastle.

Kenny Miler's hamstring held up to the test, and while Darren Moore and Giles Barnes are fit, the match is too soon.

Arsenal will look to strengthen their position at the top of the table as they face a Derby side fresh from their first win of the season.
Though they were always going to challenge for a UEFA Champions League spot, The Gunners could be considered one of the Premier League's surprise packages for the way they have flourished since Thierry Henry's departure in the summer.
They are unbeaten in all competitions this season and appear to be going from strength to strength after following up their victory over Tottenham with an impressive 3-0 win against Sevilla in midweek.

The Mighty Arsenal's verdict:

We reckon this will be a comfortbale win for Arsenal but we need to watch out for Derby who could take advantage of a tired Arsenal side.

Prediction: Arsenal 3-1 Derby

Arsenal go top of the League!

2007-09-15T16:39:00.000+01:00

Cesc: The Wonder Boy gets a Wonder Goal!

I can sing it now... We are top of the league, say we are top of the league! Man, that felt good!

Although Monkey boy, Bale scored a free kick - against a wall which looked as if Titus Bramble organised it - after 16 minutes. Arsenal kept plugging away, the highlight being Diaby hitting the bar from a tight angle but on another day, he would of scored. It stayed goalless until the 65th minute when Adebayor took advantage of Paul Robinsons' 11th...(or is it 12th?) blunder of the season by flicking on a free header into the empty net.

The game went on and it really seemed that the Gunners were going to win it and in the 81st minute, Rosicky laid it off to Fabregas, to hit a screamer from 25 yards into the top left hand corner of the net. Although, England's number 2 (Could still drop if things don't change) got a touch on it, he could only help it on into the goal. It was one of those goals where once he hit it, you knew it was in!

For the last 10 minutes of the game, it was all Arsenal - well, apart from the desperate HOOFS into the box which Almunia and his rock-like defence had all day. There was however a chance for Spurs to get back into the game when Darren 'The Gooner' Bent was put through with a one-on-one with Almunia. Judging by his effort, which has to be featured on Soccer AM this weekend as a 'Taxi!', proved that he is Gooner. I mean, my great grandma could of scored that - And she's dead... Yes, it was that bad!

Then things got EVEN better when Denilson played the ball up to Adebayor to flick it up for himself and volley it past Robinson and make it 3 - 1 to the Arsenal. I hate to say it but it was like 'The Dog'ba's goal at Everton last season - Unstoppable!

Then Denilson had the chance to make it 4 but maybe a lack in confidence, made him put it strait at the keeper. Seconds later, referee Mark Clattenburg - who had a good game - blew his whistle and confirmed that Arsenal went top of the league, but more importantly, beat the Scum - with a far from First Team squad!

Next Games: Sevilla - Champions League Group Stage (Wednesday 18th September)

Derby - Premiership (This Saturday: 22nd September)

The Scum vs Arsenal - Preview

2007-09-13T00:02:00.000+01:00

I can't believe it I mean have you seen Spuds' predictions,some of them have us getting beaten 3-0, bloody hell every season, EVERY F****** year its the same thing, don't they ever f****** learn? Every bloody year its the same thing about how 'this year it will be Tottenham's year', 'this year we'll beat Arsenal'. I expect that the Spuds will get soundly beaten, no way they can beat our full 11. Last year had it not been for the woodwork THREE times the tossers would have been smashed in their backyard.

Come on Arsenal, F**k Tottenham.

Arsenal in Europe

2007-09-09T12:11:00.000+01:00

Dudu got 2

6 of the Arsenal squad played last night in the EURO 2008 Qualifying matches. Jens Lehmann, Lassana Diarra, Alex Hleb, Tomas Rosicky, Eduardo & Robin Van Persie all played for their countries. Rosicky continued his goalscoring spree by getting 1 during his 3- 0 win over the mighty San Marino. Meanwhile, Eduardo Da Silva scored both of the goals as Croatia beat Estonia 2 - 0. Both of them being rather spectacular.

So I can say an Englishman played for us, I have to mention the Under 21's beat Montenegro 2- 0. Although young Theo did not score, he did start and play the majority of the game - before being replaced by former Gunner, Fabrice Muamba after 63 minutes.

Surprisingly, not one Gunner picked up an injury so we should have a full squad for when we play the much anticipated North London Derby this coming Saturday lunchtime against Spurs.

Wenger signs new deal

2007-09-06T11:23:00.000+01:00

Yes! Finally the news the Gooners have been looking for. I am elated, now all the distraction is finished and this will help the focus of the team in a big way. We NEEDED Wenger with us, after Henry we couldn't afford to lose him. Thank You Arsene. In you we trust.

Why Arsenal Should be Happy to Stay Out of the Limelight

2007-09-05T20:23:00.000+01:00

While the Gunners are currently second in the table, level on points with leaders Liverpool albeit with an inferior goal difference, nearly no one apart from their fans have even mentioned their names with regards to who will be competing for the title come May 2008. Liverpool will finally do it is the cry, or that Manchester United and Chelsea will both recover from their shaky starts to reclaim their places at the top. The young Arsenal side is written off as being too youthful, too experienced- how can they do it when the average age of their first team is so low?

Although many Arsenal fans may be irritated with this, the reality is they should be happy- the Arsenal team always thrives as the underdog. This was best shown in the run to the Champions League final during the 2005/06 season- the Gunners outclassed and outplayed all opponents that neutrals and football pundits alike thought would destroy them; first relying on a magnificent Thierry Henry goal and some brilliant defending to beat Spanish giants Real Madrid, then running rings around an ageing Juventus side. In fact, in the first knockout round that Arsenal were expected to comfortably dispatch their opponents they had problems- while they won the first leg by a single goal against Villareal, the second leg was a tense, nervous affair that could have gone either way. However, luck stayed with the Gunners as Riquelme missed his penalty, and although they were thwarted in the final by a star studded Barcelona side, they were arguably the better team for large spells of the game- despite having a man less for all but the first eighteen minutes.

So, why exactly should the Arsenal side be happy to stay out of the limelight? Well, being in the limelight means all eyes are on you, and although that is great when you are winning games, it provides unwanted pressure when you are not doing as well. Expectations will rise, as they are for Liverpool- a team that has not won the title for the last seventeen years is expected to lead the title race, just because of their large win over a side bound for relegation. All I ask for is this, fellow Gooners; don’t have any expectations of the title at this moment in time, just hope for an improvement on last season. With ten points in four games (we had half the amount at this stage last season) we have certainly started off better, and for that all those that sport red and white around the world can rejoice.

Jason Pereira
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I am a new contributer for this site- this piece and more can be found on my blog site, A View of the Arse.

Mourinho predicts ''open title race''

2007-09-03T19:53:00.000+01:00

Being a tad being unrealistic Maureen. All right it can be said the other teams outside the Top 4 have some quality players but they lack sufficient depth and consistency but then again we all know Maureen and Chelski anyway, this is just his way of taking attention away from the sh*t performances of the Chelsea team and making excuses.

Another thing riling and pi*sing me off is the way Arsenal are STILL being written off. All the pundits seem to be glossing and drooling over Liverpoo while forgetting we have the same points as them and had it not been due to a Lehmann blunder we would have been on top. We took 11/18 points off the other 3 rivals last year compared to Chelsea's 7, Man Ure's 8 and Liverpoo's 6 so with a bit more consistency SURELY we can win the title.

Come on Arsenal.

p.s. I am also writing the same stuff on my other blog (Shakeel) just so if I am accused of leaching.

http://themightyarsenal.feedbeat.net/

I Had To Leave Chelsea - Diarra

2007-09-03T10:35:00.000+01:00

New Arsenal signing Lassana Diarra says he joined the Gunners because he could not force his way past the big names in Chelsea’s midfield.

Frenchman Lassana Diarra, 22, completed a £5 million move to Arsenal from Chelsea just 10 minutes before the transfer window closed on Friday.

And he admitted: “I needed to play and get more time on the pitch and I don’t think it would be possible at Chelsea. That’s the main reason why I left.

“At Chelsea, we had Michael Ballack, Frank Lampard, Claude Makelele and Michael Essien in midfield.
“I know it will be tough to make it at Arsenal as well.
"I have no guarantee from Arsene Wenger I will play all the time but I am sure that it will be OK.
“I know I will play big matches in the league and even in the Champions League.”

Diarra would have been out of contract at Stamford Bridge next summer. He had already turned down possible moves to Tottenham Hotspur, Portsmouth, Newcastle United and AS Monaco.

He added: “I knew for some time Mr Wenger was interested in me.
"He watched me with Chelsea and the France national team. They were my first choice and my first priority.
“I also spoke to William Gallas, a former Chelsea player who left in the same way last season.”

Southampton to land Gibbs on Loan

2007-09-02T19:24:00.000+01:00

Southampton are plotting to land Arsenal youngster Kieran Gibbs on loan in order to fast-track the winger's development.

The 16-year-old wide player has already earned rave reviews at reserve team level b, triggering interest from several clubs.

But Southampton boss George Burley, who blooded both Tom Huddlestone and Giles Barnes at Derby, is confident of landing the teenager until January.

The loan market becomes active again in a week's time and Gibbs has become Southampton's number one target.

Arsenal 3-1 Portsmouth

2007-09-02T15:34:00.000+01:00

Emmanuel Adebayor, Cesc Fabregas and Tomas Rosicky all scored as Arsenal trumphed 3-1 over Portsmouth.

The Gunners started brightly and were ahead after eight minutes when Emmanuel Adebayor netted his first of the season from the penalty spot after David James had floored the fleet-footed Robin van Persie.

And they doubled their lead on 35 minutes when Pompey made hard work of clearing a corner and Cesc Fabregas reacted fastest to turn a loose ball in the six-yard box past James.

Philippe Senderos was shown a straight red card four minutes into the second half for a clumsy challenge on Kanu.

But Arsenal extended their lead when Fabregas rolled a quickly-taken free-kick into Tomas Rosicky's path and he drilled in a low shot.

Kanu netted a fortunate consolation soon after but The Mighty Arsenal looked comfotable with even 10 men on the pitch.

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Higlights:

http://www.arsenalist.com/

Next up.....Tottenham at Shi*e Hart Lane! That will be a gooden

Diarra signs for the Gunners - we told you so...

2007-09-01T17:58:00.000+01:00

Well, as AW said he would not go out and buy anyone Diarra's move was a bit of a suprise to most Gooners. The versatile French international is only 22 and his move from the Blues to the Reds will surely mean the end for our other versatile French Midfielder Mathieu Flamini. I have seen Diarra play before for his old team Le Havre and he was a very good player.

Chelsea spotted his talent and here is now at the best club for him. I would love to see Diarra play further up the pitch in a midfield spot. He has great offensive passing and is good on the ball. If people had watched his performances for France you would be much more convinced of his talent and potential further forward if you hadn't seen it from his play at Chelsea.

A lot of matches for Chelsea he came on as a substitute and played for 15-20 minutes. He was very impressive when came on and added more bite and urgency to Chelsea's play.

So overall i believe Diarra's signing could prove to be a bargain for Arsenal.

This guy is Arsenal's new Mini Gilberto.

We will soon see anyway...

Unknown Russian buys Dein's Arsenal stake

2007-08-30T18:09:00.000+01:00

Ex-Arsenal vice-chairman David Dein has sold his 14.5% stake in the club to a firm co-owned by a Russian billionare.

The involvement of Alisher Usmanov, who paid £75m for the holding, adds to pressure on the club's board to give in to a takeover.

Mr Dein has been named chairman of the firm, Red & White Holdings, allowing him a way back into Arsenal.

He left the board after it failed to back his plan for the club to be taken over by American Stanley Kroenke.

Red & White said it felt it crucial that manager Arsene Wenger stayed at Arsenal as he was "vital to the future success of the club".
Mr Dein, a close ally of Mr Wenger, said the club needed people or consortia "prepared to invest previously unimaginable sums aimed at winning the game's biggest prizes".
He added was "delighted" to have found investors who shared his vision for the club.
"I have always had the best interests of Arsenal at heart. I've had a love affair with the club since I was six," he said.

WHO IS FARHAD MOSHIRI?

*Majority shareholder in Metalloinvest, a Russian mining and metallurgy firm

*Share portfolio includes holdings in Russian business newspaper Kommersant and mobile phone firm Megafon

*General Director of Gazprominvestholding, investment arm of Gazprom

*Heads the Russian and European Fencing Federations

So a rich russian wants to take over Arsenal with David Dein.

Good idea or bad idea - im still undecided?

Arsenal to play Steaua, Slavia Prague and Sevilla or AEK

2007-08-30T17:59:00.000+01:00

Another fairly easy draw. The only team that should be a threat is Sevilla, Other than that i'm quite happy with the draw.

Champions League draw:

Group A: Liverpool, FC Porto, Marseille, Besiktas

Group B: Chelsea, Valencia, Schalke, Rosenborg

Group C: Real Madrid, Werder Bremen, Lazio, Olympiacos

Group D: AC Milan, Benfica, Celtic, Shakhtar Donetsk

Group E: Barcelona, Lyon, VfB Stuttgart, Rangers

Group F: Manchester United, AS Roma, Sporting Lisbon, Dynamo Kyiv

Group G: Internazionale, PSV Eindhoven, CSKA Moscow, Fenerbahçe

Group H: Arsenal, Sevilla/AEK Athens, Steaua Bucharest, Slavia Prague

Arsenal 3-0 Sparta Prague (5-0 on Aggregate)

2007-08-30T10:23:00.000+01:00

JUST because last night was incredibly dull at times, it doesn’t make a 5-0 aggregate beating of Sparta Prague a bad result.

We were calm and measured in the face of hostility in the first leg and always in control in the second leg. Last night’s ease of victory, and the early opening goal in particular, may have been completely out of keeping with the new norm of dramatic late comebacks, but the fact is you can’t have it both ways.

The team selection at least made interesting reading. Hoyte came in at right-back, Senderos was fit to partner Kolo, allowing Gilberto and Diaby to replace Cesc and Flamini in midfield. Walcott came in for Hleb and Eduardo for Adebayor.

Our start was crisp and professional. Everyone seemed to know their roles and everyone looked comfortable in them. And our early dominance was rewarded with a fine goal on seven minutes. Hoyte showed just how much he has improved on the ball in the last year. He linked up with Walcott, who sped to the byline and then pulled across a ball that was both pacey and accurate.

It was met by Tom Rosicky who swept it home in top David Platt style.
The rest of the half was fairly dull truth be told, but at least we were doing the simple things right. Diaby was on the whole putting himself about, Senderos looked assured, Walcott was clearing at least some of the mental cob-webs that seem to have built up and Eduardo was full of running. A rare error came from the slightly below par Gael Clichy, who allowed his man to get completely the wrong side of him.

The resulting shot flew inches wide.
It was no more interesting after the break, except Sparta began to have more of the play and we started to muck around.

I haven’t read Arsene’s quotes but I imagine when asked about the start of the second half he said something like:

“I feel that physically and mentally our levels dropped a bit. But still, we were professional.”
And that pretty much sums it up. You never felt as if Sparta were about to spring an upset but you still got frustrated with frequent dawdling all round the pitch.
Besides being a fairly decent player, Cesc Fabregas is an exceptional substitute so it was no surprise that when he replaced the (understandably) tiring Diaby, things picked up. The other change was Adebayor for RVP. Now Adebayor is an interesting one. I know he was poor on Saturday but I was still shocked by the number of people who seem to have suddenly turned against him.

From being a deserving cult-hero, some are now seeing him like they did Kevin Campbell in 1994 and I think that’s rather unfair frankly.
Anyway, the last ten minutes came and once again Arsenal made a mockery of those who insist on leaving early. It’s funny, because so often you can’t see these goals coming in the sense of turning to your mate and saying: “We’re going to score in a minute”, but at the same time they seem to arrive with such regularity that not even Fergie could feign surprise if we did what we did to them last season this season.

It was the lively Eduardo who burst down the left, beat his man and pulled the ball back for Cesc. He took a touch and then hit it early from around 16 yards, Frank Lampard stylee. And sure enough, if flew in Lampard style - a thumping finish but had it been your own keeper you might have asked a few questions. The value of taking it early I guess.
Then the crowd were sent home happy when Denilson (who had replaced Rosicky) dilly-dallied in true Arsenal style with Adebayor before eventually sending in a cross that Eduardo kind of skewered home with an outstretched foot. There looked a hint of offside about it a la Rosicky against Wigan last season (except without the chip factory on shoulder Paul Jewell standing on the touchline), but it was deserved reward for Eduardo’s industrious performance.

He and RVP (or any of our forward pairings for that matter), still look a million miles away from Henry and Bergkamp at their best. But the point is that in Henry and Bergkamp you had two of the most sublime touches ever to grace these shores. Neither RVP or Eduardo or any of our strikers will ever be better at being Henry and Bergkamp than Henry and Bergkamp were.

But that does not mean you can’t be just as effective.

Some of you will be annoyed I’ve given so many 7s in the playa ratings. I’m afraid it is deliberate. This was a solid, professional performance where almost everyone did their job well without being spectacular.

To say anything else would be to over analyse.

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Thanks for reading. Please don't hesitate to pop a comment.

The Mighty Arsenal TV will only be avaliable for Match Day's.

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Cheers.

R.I.P Antonio Puerta

2007-08-28T21:58:00.000+01:00

This is shocking news and terrible for the game, UEFA have postponed Tuesday night's Champions League qualifier between AEK Athens and Sevilla after the death on Tuesday of the Spanish club's defender Antonio Puerta. The 22-year-old Spain international collapsed on the pitch during the weekend game against Getafe and, though he was able to walk off, suffered a relapse in the dressing room and required cardiac resuscitation. It is believed the first-team squad is currently flying back to Spain from Greece.

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Puerta has been a member of the Sevilla first team for three seasons and spent 14 years in total with the Andalusian club he joined as a boy. Earlier in the day, doctors confirmed Puerta's condition had deteriorated. Dr Francisco Murillo, head of the intensive care unit at the hospital, said: "The condition of patient Antonio Puerta is not favourable due to the progression of the postanoxic brain injury and the multiple organic dysfunction caused by the prolonged cardiac arrest that led to his admission to hospital."

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Puerta, whose girlfriend is pregnant, had been a member of the Sevilla first team for three seasons and spent 14 years in total with the Andalusian club he joined as a boy. A later statement from Dr Murillo confirmed the death. It read: "We regret to announce that the patient Antonio Puerta died at 14.30 (local time) as a consequence of postpanoxic encephalopathy and multiorganic dysfunction provoked by the cardiac arrest."

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ANTONIO PUERTA FACTFILE:

1984: November 26 - Born Seville, Spain.

2002: Joins Sevilla 'B' team.

2004: September 19 - Makes his Primera Liga debut as a substitute in 3-0 win over Levante. November - Starts his first match for Sevilla senior side and scores opening goal in 2-1 defeat to Numancia.

2006: Became a regular in Sevilla side, playing over 25 games in all competitions. April - Scores extra-time winning goal in UEFA Cup semi-final victory over Schalke. May - Picks up UEFA Cup winner's medal despite missing out on 4-0 final win over Middlesbrough.

2007: May - Plays full 120 minutes as club clinch second consecutive UEFA Cup with win on penalties in final against Espanyol. June - Helps Sevilla finish third in La Liga, making 46 appearances during season. August 25 - Collapses on pitch 35 minutes into first match of 2007/08 campaign against Getafe. Though able to walk off, he suffers a relapse in the dressing room and requires cardiac resuscitation after being rushed to hospital. August 28 - After three days in intensive care, passes away aged 22.

Our Champions League Hopes

2007-08-27T22:05:00.000+01:00

Can we do it again?

So as we approach our game against Sparta Prague - In a game where we could but more so, should go through to the Group Stage of the Champions League - the media are already questioning our hopes of progressing to the knockout stage, let alone winning the competition. They must have a memory of a fish if they can't remember our inspirational European run in the 2005/06 campaign where we reached the final in Paris and on a another day, we would of won that game at the Stade De France - If it hadn't been down to a crazy German, a shattered Frenchman, a dodgy Spaniard and a Graham Poll-esque referee to cap it all off. But now I can safely say that we are over it and now we will look to go one step further this year.

As you are aware, most if not, all the media is very much anti-Arsenal and will slag off the team at any opportunity they can get so I'd thought that I should write my thoughts on our Champions League ambitions without the anti-Arsenal crap and tell you like it is from a fans point of view.

I'm going to take it that we will win, or at least progress on Wednesday and I will look further ahead to the group stage and beyond because unless we have a big shock on the cards - which I hope we don't - then I could probably put my life on that we will go proceed and be in the draw come Friday.

I believe the main thing to do well in this competition is luck. I know we deserved to get to Paris and our performances were truly breathtaking but to be honest, in 2006 we were a tad fortunate along the way: The group stage draw, who you get in the knockout stage, your ability to avoid injuries and how your players play on the day are just to name a few things we were fortunate in and will need to happen again this year. The other important factor you need to suceed in is a large squad size with alot of depth - how many positions you have experienced cover in. Take a look at the other 'big' teams in the competition: Real Madrid, Barcelona, AC Milan, Inter, Chelsea and Man United. They all each have huge squads and have spent millions this summer to try and add depth to their squad and it has seemed to of worked but only time will tell whether their money has been well spent or not. We now have to compete with these teams and I for one, think we can handle it - Assuming that we have a defence by then. By this rate, we'll be lucky if we have 2 natural defenders playing at the back.

Although we have only added to our squad with the likes of Eduardo, Sagna and I suppose Bendtner counts as another. That is nothing compared to what the other teams have done - Well mostly Real Madrid - Robben, Heinze, Emerson, Henry, Drenthe, Sneijder. But now we know what we are up against and need to get ready for one of the biggest challenges for us in years - Compete with the teams with the best squads with the best players from around the globe and compete in the most protegious competition is Europe.

In my unbiased, but none the less honest opinion, our squad is good enough to win it. Although we have lost the likes of Henry, Campbell, Pires and Bergkamp since Paris '06, players like Toure, van Persie, Eboue, Clichy, Fabregas, Hleb and Adebayor have all improved dramatically and with the likes of Sagna, Rosicky and Eduardo coming in since then, we have a real chance of impressing in this competition and shutting up all the Mark Lawrenson's in the world and proving our critics wrong. We just need to keep that 'togetherness' in the team and get a tad luckier with the injuries - especially in our defence.

So, I ask all Arsenal fans to keep the support going, keep the faith up and cheer on the team all the way on our long journey where we should end in Moscow come the end of May.

Arsenal 1-0 Svenchester City

2007-08-27T13:59:00.000+01:00

It's funny how a goal and a win can change the perception of a match. For 80 minutes yesterday, Arsenal built pressure and had shots on goals without scoring and flattered to deceive. A 0-0, perhaps worse, seemed on the cards.

And then the little Catalan steps up, works his magic, and a game we might have drawn last year is three points. A win is a win, but its games like these that we should be winning more comfortably, and the team still seems to lack a little coherency and balance.

Credit where it's due though: City have improved massively.

Richards and Dunne are as good a centre-back partnership that exists in the premiership, and with better players in front of him, Elano would have had an assist. One thing does need to be cleared up: Schmeichel did not have a good game.

He was protected by a superb defence, and when he was tested he flapped and parried. His penalty save was illegal (he was about five metres off his line when it was taken) and not very difficult (RvP hit it straight at him). Just because his dad was good doesn't mean he was 'impressive'; he wasn't.

A few things in particular need to be said about our performance. Firstly, the Djourou loan is increasingly looking like madness.

We have, at current, one fit centre-back at the club. Gilberto is not a centre-back and looked uncomfortable there.Secondly, while he can 'do-a-job' there, Flamini is not a right-back. He was particularly guilty of allowing Petrov acres of space which a better played would have punished.Hleb was our man of the match. Cesc may have scored, but Hleb won a penalty, got an assist., and caused all sorts of trouble.

Finally, I think, people are starting to give him some credit, and he's been outstanding so far this year. Yes, Hleb can lose the ball; but at times he looks like the only one of our players who wants to make something happen. His continued unwillingness to shoot remains my major criticism of him, but this seems to be gradually changing.

Almunia was solid, yet only had two real saves to make. The jury remains out, but he didn't put a foot wrong yesterday.Rosicky is becoming a worry. He's not scoring, even though he's been afforded chances.

Personally, I don't think a right-footed central midfielder should be playing on the left. We so clearly need a left-winger, I would almost see it as wilfully negligent of Arsene not to go for broke and try to sign one in the next few days.Bendtner should have come on after an hour. Adebayor didn't look fit and struggled badly at times.

Bendtner looks like a player who can change a game from the bench, and Arsene needs to make this substitution earlier in future.van Persie was effectively nullified by the City centre-backs and started acting petulantly.

He had a visible fall out with Rosicky, and also was unhappy at a final ball from Eduardo. Lets hope he can keep these primadonna tendencies in check.

Overall, 3 games, 2 wins, 1 draw. I can't help but feel that last year, we would have drawn this match, and possibly that against Fulham. When Mark Lawrenson even begins to visibly hedge his bets regarding us and a title challenge, perhaps our status as dark-horse contenders is not wholly unjustified.

Arsenal v Man City - The Preview

2007-08-25T10:16:00.000+01:00

I haven't had time to do a preview so Courtesy of Arsenal.com here is Richard Clarke's preview of today's game.

Arsène Wenger has paid tribute to Sven-Goran Eriksson’s survival instincts ahead of Manchester City’s trip to Emirates Stadium on Saturday.

The Swede was left battered and bruised by his five years in charge of England so eyebrows were raised after he took over at Eastlands in the summer. Most expected that resilience would be needed early in the campaign as Eriksson’s numerous new arrivals attempted to pull the Citizens away from their perennial flirtation with the Premier League drop zone.

However, in the words of Wenger, Manchester City have ‘super-clicked, super-quickly’. They arrive in North London as League leaders and only the 11th team in the history of the English top-flight to win their first three games without conceding a goal.

“When you buy more than three players I feel you take a technical risk to destabilise the unity,” said the Arsenal manager at his pre-match press conference on Thursday. “It can take six months to click. But they have super clicked, super quickly. They are top of the league with three wins from three games. You cannot do better than that. It could last, it could not but we will know after a few more games.”

Saturday’s match will mean Eriksson has managed five different teams against Arsenal during his career — Gothenburg, Sampdoria, Lazio, Benfica and Manchester City — surely some kind of record.

“There is no secret there,” said Wenger. “Those who survive are the good ones. Consistency is always linked with quality.
“Maybe he wants to show people how good he is. For me, he is a very good manager and his record with England was very good.

Arsenal have Jens Lehmann sidelined for at least two weeks with an Achilles injury so Manuel Almunia takes the keeper’s gloves. William Gallas is out with a groin problem picked up at Blackburn last weekend so Kolo Toure takes the captaincy. Emmanuel Eboue (ankle) is still absent but Gilberto (fatigue) and Emmanuel Adebayor (groin) are available for the first time this season.

The Manchester City side is a shadow of last term’s version. In the summer the following players went out: Joey Barton (Newcastle); Sylvain Distin (Portsmouth); Nicky Weaver (Charlton); Trevor Sinclair (released), Stephen Jordan (released) and Hatem Trabelsi (released). While these came in: Rolando Bianchi (Reggina), Gelson Fernandes (FC Sion), Geovanni (Cruzeiro), Elano (Shakhtar Donetsk), Javi Garrido (Real Socidedad), Vedran Corluka (Dinamo Zagreb) and Valeri Bojinov (Fiorentina).

The arrivals were unknowns to most but not Wenger. "I knew all the ones who came in,” he said. “Corluka, Elano and Petrov are all good talents in my opinion. And yes they did very well but don't forget the players that have done extremely well this season are Michael Johnson, Micah Richards and Richard Dunne. They've been outstanding. Of course you talk about the players they bought but these three players were outstanding on the reports I got.”
Of those three, Richards is the one who had caught Wenger’s eye. “He can be a great player,” he said. I'm convinced of that when you look at how he plays at his age. He has no inhibitions and such power too. Certainly he has the potential.”

Despite having moved on from the national side, the emergance of Richards and Johnson this season could well mean Eriksson's spell in this country still leaves a positive legacy for English football.

My Prediction: 2-1 Arsenal, Ade to get back on the score sheet with a brace.

C'MON YOU GUNNERS!

Oh no! Not Again!

2007-08-19T17:20:00.000+01:00

NOT AGAIN!!!!

Arsenal were left to rue a moment of carelessness by goalkeeper Jens Lehmann which gifted Blackburn a 1-1 draw at Ewood Park.

He allowed Blackburn to secure a point when he flapped at a shot from David Dunn and watched in disbelief as it nestled in the net.

It was the second time this season the German has been punished for a lack of concentration. On the opening day of the season he allowed Fulham's David Healy to score from close range.

Arsenal went on to secure a victory against their London neighbours but were not so fortunate in Lancashire after Robin van Persie had given them the lead.

The only sour note for Blackburn was the dismissal of skipper Ryan Nelsen for two yellow cards.
Arsenal took the lead in the 18th minute when Van Persie took advantage of some sloppy defending to score.

Goalkeeper Brad Friedel failed to deal with Eduardo Da Silva's shot after Theo Walcott had headed the ball on.

Nelsen and David Dunn both had chances to clear but failed to do so and Van Persie took advantage his second goal of the season

It was just the start Arsenal wanted after their Champions League victory against Sparta Prague in midweek.

However manager Arsene Wenger was forced to make a change in the 25th minute with William Gallas limping off and replaced by Philippe Senderos.

Blackburn almost drew level in the 34th minute following a free-kick from David Bentley.

He picked out Christopher Samba at the back post and the towering defender headed the ball back across the area.

Nelsen was the first to react and powered the ball forward only to see his effort come back off the post.

Blackburn, though, were still looking vulnerable at the back and a mistake by Stephen Warnock let in Walcott with Nelsen dragged out of position.

Walcott was in two minds whether to shoot or cross and failed to trouble Friedel in the home goal.

The Arsenal youngster sent a harmless ball across the face of the area and Van Persie was unable to get a touch.

Then Senderos delivered a goal-bound header a minute before the break only to see Samba make the clearance.

Bentley then tried to curl a free-kick beyond Lehmann in the 53rd minute but his effort fail to trouble the goalkeeper.

This was a good spell by Blackburn and Roque Santa Cruz sent a header narrowly wide of the post in the 57th minute following a free-kick from Bentley.

Derbyshire then almost equalised three minutes later when he got on the end of a cross from

Bentley but Toure made a vital interception.

There was controversy in the 62nd minute when Cesc Fabregas handled Samba's effort on the line but referee Alan Wiley awarded Arsenal a free-kick for an infringement.

Lehmann had to look lively in the 66th minute to push away an inswinging free-kick driven at pace from Morten Gamst Pedersen.

Then came his howler which allowed Dunn to score his first goal in his second spell for the club.
Blackburn were growing in confidence and Pedersen made space down the left only to find the side-netting with his shot.

However they were reduced to 10 men in the 83rd minute when Nelsen picked up his second yellow card of the game for a challenge on Van Persie.
Blackburn, though, kept their shape to take a point and continue their good start to the season whereas The Gunners will feel they lost 2 points thanks to their German keeper.

Next up: Manchester City at the Emirates next Saturday

The Mighty Arsenal Preview: Blackburn v Arsenal

2007-08-18T15:45:00.000+01:00

Tomorrow's game may not be entirely dissimilar to that on Wednesday night. When Arsene says, "Teams reflect the character of their managers and yes, of course, Blackburn have the aggression of Mark Hughes" you hardly have to work at Bletchley Park to decode the meaning. In our two visits to Ewood Park last year, Blackburn tried to outmuscle us, and not without a degree of success. I particularly remember Tuguay putting in several vicious challenges before being withdrawn in our ill-fated FA Cup replay.

But in the league match in Blackburn, Arsenal triumphed against the odds. We did so, after Gilberto was sent off, through superb passing and possession football from a midfield triumvirate of Cesc, Hleb and Rosicky. However, it also took a wonder goal from the Barca Boy to secure the win and another Arsenal player will need to conjure something up tomorrow if we want anything from the game.

Blackburn haven't a great deal to them, but they have enough to force a combative victory if, as predicted, conditions are difficult. They have possibly the biggest player in the Premier League in the form of the centre-back Samba who has impressed me with his sheer power on the occasions I've seen him. Striker Matt Derbyshire is a real prospect and should be knocking on the doors of the top four and the England squad soon. Friedel is a very decent keeper, and, regardless of his personality, David Bentley could cause us troubles if Gael isn't careful.

As for us, the wafer-thin nature of our squad is already apparent, with both our starting 'wingers' - Eboue and Rosicky - ruled out. What that means for the flanks is anyone's guess. Hleb on the left? Flamini on the right? Will Walcott be thrown his first start so early? Will Diaby be forced to play on the left yet again? All the injuries have shown is that we desperately need a new left winger if we are to have any depth to our squad, especially if Rosciky keeps on picking these niggling injuries.

Eduardo may be given his first start, but I would hope to see Bendtner feature: we could use his power. RvP has a very decent goalscoring record against Blackburn and there's no reason why it shouldn't continue. Despite the recent form of Hleb, it would be a shame to waste Robin by continually isolating him as we seem to be doing at present, so maybe a more traditional 442 would be an idea.

The game is a good early test in the season for the team. The North-West 'graveyard', a physical team, and bad weather should give an indication of what the squad is made of. If we're serious about the title we should win the game; a draw would be a fair result but it's imperative that we maintain a good start to the season.

Champions League Qualifier: Sparta Prague 0-2 Arsenal

2007-08-16T14:24:00.000+01:00

Arsène Wenger had remarked in the countdown to this Champions League final qualifying round first-leg fixture that he did not anticipate a red carpet to be rolled out for his Arsenal players. There would be no elegant stroll into the lucrative group phase of the competition, not against a club of Sparta Prague's pedigree.

If the tightness of the tussle that followed did not, therefore, surprise him, the fractious nature of it did. For spells in the first half matters threatened to boil over. At the heart of the brouhaha was Cesc Fábregas, the Arsenal playmaker. He clashed with Sparta's captain, Tomas Repka, and became a villain in the eyes of the crowd. But Fábregas was able to enjoy the last laugh.

Gaël Clichy, the Arsenal left-back, seized upon a loose crossfield pass in the 72nd minute and embarked upon a swashbuckling run. His momentum took him past one challenge, his fleetness of foot another and when he rolled square for Fábregas the young Spaniard finished in style with his right foot from 15 yards. The temporary silence of the home crowd was golden. Despite a disjointed performance, there was more to come. Bacary Sagna released Alexander Hleb in injury-time and his finish effectively moved the tie beyond Sparta.

Arsenal also had Jens Lehmann, their goalkeeper, to thank for their advantage. Pilloried on Sunday for his aberration against Fulham, which handed them an early goal, he put his boots to better use in the first half here with a fine save from Jan Rezek. Late on, he reacted smartly to palm clear a header from Martin Abraham. Arsenal could not have wished for a more perfect scoreline. The £25m wind-fall that comes with qualification beckons.

"Possibly 1-0 would have been fairer but we took our chances and defended well," Wenger said. "It was a very physical game, we needed to be patient and we had to be lucky as well. The second goal was a mental blow for them."

Sparta's full-blooded approach was reflected in the yellow cards for Lubos Husek and Marek Kulic while Repka, a familiar face to Premier League supporters from his time at West Ham United, snarled at centre-half. He clattered Robin Van Persie in the second minute but was not booked and the resentment lingered.

Arsenal's players were also unhappy that Repka had told Czech television he would dish out some rough stuff and when he squared up to Hleb midway through the first half, Fábregas had seen enough. Turning enforcer, he clattered into Repka, leaving him in a heap. Sparta were furious. Repka battled on, then stopped for treatment and when he came back on, the insults flew. Fábregas was seen to mimmick his limp. Repka could not continue and thereafter, Fábregas heard his every touch jeered. Battle lines had been drawn. Arsenal are clearly determined to shake off their image as soft touches.

The tie had opened at pace and only Lehmann and his far post had stopped Arsenal from falling behind on nine minutes. Pavel Horvath floated a ball across from the left for Rezek at the far post. He caught his volley sweetly but before it could fly into the corner of the net, Lehmann instinctively thrust out a boot to divert the ball on to the post and away.

Wenger persisted with the team that had fought back to beat Fulham, although with five men out injured, most notably Gilberto in midfield and the strikers Eduardo Da Silva and Emmanuel Adebayor, it could be argued that he had little other option. Hleb was asked to break forward to support Van Persie but until the 70th minute the Dutch striker was too often isolated.

William Gallas, Arsenal's new captain, excelled but his team seemed strangely content to contain. It wasn't until the 54th minute that Tomas Postulka, the Sparta goalkeeper, was called into action, to save from Van Persie's turn and shot. His reflexes were not dulled by his inactivity. Fábregas, though, added gloss to a tenacious performance when he found a way past him. Sparta had penalty appeals turned down, after Fábregas halted Abraham. And when Hleb struck in the second minute of injury-time, Sparta were on their knees.

Next up: Blackburn away at Ewood Park on Sunday afternoon

MIGHTY ARSENAL!!!!

Arsenal 2-1 Sanchez's Northern Ireland

2007-08-13T09:25:00.000+01:00

This game brought back some painful and familiar memories.

It looked like all the optimism of the preseason was about to get two-flushed down the toilet up until the 83 minute mark. Now it might appear like Tony Warner had an unbelievable game but we’re Arsenal and we’re in the business of making average goalies look great, so we did that again. We created 36584 chances in this game and probably should’ve scored on 12587 of them, but it’s good for us we managed two.

Lehmann had a brainfart that reverberated the entire stadium, instead of just clearing the ball, the fucker decided to be cute and cuddly and play it back to Clichy while doing a sort of fucked up German dance, it didn’t work and the 65,000 at the Emirates plus the 100,000 watching on Sopcast were in shock disbelief. How could he fuck this up so early in the season? We had barely gotten underway.

We can’t finish worth shit but we can create chances, that’s been our story the last two years and it looks like that disease hasn’t been cured yet. Rosicky, Fabregas, RVP all failed in their early goal-scoring opportunities, at times denied by Warner who at one point actually thought that he might win this game for Fulham. Although we were down 1-0, this still looked like a 3-1 result for us from the beginning, it’s just when the clock struck 80 that fear crept into me.

Our defense looked suspect just like it did in preseason and we should all thank God for Toure. The man saved at least a couple goals - make him captain already before it’s too late. If Fulham had their wits about them they probably could’ve scored at least another goal but we got bailed out by the Gods. We were playing a very high line at times which almost cost us. The Eboue experiment as a midfielder is officially over, he was taken out for Walcott who still appears raw as hell.

Eboue is NOT a midfielder, he’s a foward-thinking back, let’s all accept that and never speak of this game again. Fabregas was brilliant in the second half after a so-so first where he was being tackled a little too easily. Rosicky for the better part of the game was in goal-hunting mode which is what he was hired for.

Hleb should’ve had a penalty awarded when he was brought down in the box but the referee made up for it later by making a 50-50 call our way. RVP nailed the penalty. So let’s get to the man of the hour, Alex Hleb, he says he can score 10 goals and he’s on his way. Excellent game overall by Hleb although at times both him and Rosicky were shooting without looking for other options but I’ll welcome that anyday over too many passes. Hleb isn’t the quickest of cats but he’s crafty and worked the ball around well on the left side all day. I know Fulham is a shit team but Hleb looked really good today, maybe some of you fuckers who hate him should ease up.

Next up, Sparta Prague away in the Champ League qualifiers. Sorry that i couldn't put a stream up for yesterday's match. I was feeling a little ill.

C'MON YOU GUNNERS!!!!

Fulham Preview - Eduardo in line for Arsenal debut?

2007-08-10T11:12:00.000+01:00

Arsenal and Fulham meet at Emirates Stadium with both sides looking to prove the doubters wrong on Sunday.

A young Arsenal side will be keen to show they have what it takes to make a serious impact in the Premier League title race, while Fulham will be looking for a new dawn under manager Lawrie Sanchez.

Season openers do not tend to have a great deal of impact on the remainder of the campaign, but supporters will be hoping for a signal of intent.

Arsene Wenger has only seen his side lose one Premier League game at their new home, 1-0 to West Ham in April, and this is unlikely to change.

The Arsenal boss could hand debuts to summer signings Eduardo da Silva and Bacary Sagna.
Emmanuel Adebayor, though, is struggling for fitness as he continues his recovery from a pre-season groin injury.

The Gunners will also be without midfielder Gilberto Silva after the Brazilian was given an extended break following his participation in the Copa America.

C'MON U GUNNERS!!!

The Mighty Arsenal Blog Fantasy Premier League

2007-08-09T15:38:00.000+01:00

Battle it out with other Mighty Arsenal Blog readers

Just a quick post about the The Mighty Arsenal Fantasy Premier League:

*First you need to register Premier League Fantasy League

*Pick your team of players - not all of them can be Gooners though.

* You have £100m to spend on 15 players

* When you have done that and picked your Starting XI, then Join the League using the following link: Premier League Fantasy League

* Type in this Code to join the league: 818313-141646 ...Now you are finished. I'm not sure what the prize will be yet....

P.S GALLAS HAS BEEN NAMED CAPTAIN, GILBERTO AND TOURE VICE CAPTAINS

Arsenal 2007/2008 Season Preview (Part One)

2007-08-09T15:27:00.000+01:00

Out with the old, in with the new

It is no secret that off the field, Arsenal’s build-up to the 2007/2008 season has been far from perfect. There was the loss of a certain Arsenal legend, the resignation/sacking of one of its most influential board members as well as the constant speculation that the club was in crisis thanks to a media barrage from just about every newspaper from an English-speaking country. But I am a realistic supporter and an optimist at heart, so instead of harping on the problems the club may have at this point in time, I would much rather focus on what the club does have at its disposal to achieve some success this season.

The club has lost two truly great players of the modern era in Thierry Henry and Fredrik Ljungberg, as well as Jose Antonio Reyes, Julio Baptista and Jeremie Aliadiere, but it has also signed the likes of Croatian striker Eduardo da Silva, French defender Bacary Sagna and Polish goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski to compliment a young and talented first team squad. There was a little bit of an outcry from a select group of Arsenal supporters about the supposed lack of big names being brought in, but the fact is that manager Arsene Wenger has never had much success with bringing in big name players and has proved to be far more adept at purchasing unknown gems and integrating them into his preferred style of play.

The new players have already shown signs in pre-season that they are more than up to the task. Fabianski looks set to challenge Jens Lehmann and Manuel Almunia as the team’s first-choice goalkeeper, and will no doubt be given chances in the Carling Cup if not the Premiership. Sagna has slotted neatly into the starting team on the right side of defence and looks set to maintain that position throughout the course of the season. Eduardo has also fit in well with various attacking partners and looks an exciting prospect up front. If his scoring record in Croatia is anything to go by then once settled, he is likely to be a reliable source of goals for the club - especially in games where Arsenal’s champagne football is not reaping the rewards.

The Arsenal Squad (Goalkeepers & Defence)

As for the rest of the squad, they are a year older and wiser and should prosper with the more individualistic senior players like Henry and Ljungberg now plying their trade away from Emirates Stadium. William Gallas and Kolo Toure struggled at times last season - mainly due to persistent injuries to the Frenchman - but the signs are there that the two are beginning to form the defensive partnership that will be crucial to the club’s success in the new season. Both players are athletic and composed on the ball and natural leaders on the pitch. If the pair can click then the Arsenal defence will be a much tougher nut to crack than it has been for the past three seasons. In the case of any injury Swiss duo Phillipe Senderos and Johan Djourou will be first-choice cover. Senderos has looked sharper than I have ever seen him in pre-season and Djourou remains an outstanding prospect. Both players will need guidance on the pitch from their more experienced teammates but can be relied upon to do the job when called upon.

The aforementioned Sagna will slot in on the right side of defence with Justin Hoyte and Emmanuel Eboue providing cover whilst the exciting Gael Clichy is a certain starter on the left. I have previously mentioned the importance of Clichy’s role to this side, but it is worth reemphasising. With a lack of width on the left wing the onus will be on the Frenchman to use his remarkable engine to motor up and down the left flank in a manner similar to ex-Real Madrid wing-back Roberto Carlos. Clichy has looked outstanding in pre-season and all the signs are there that this could be a very special year for a vastly underrated player. If the unthinkable does occur and Clichy takes a knock then fellow Frenchman Armand Traore will slot into his place. The 17-year-old is a raw prospect; strong, lighting quick and bursting with enthusiasm, and like Senderos and Djourou I have no doubt that he is a reliable enough defender to cover for Clichy when required.

What do you think?

Gallas - Young pretenders? We're challengers

2007-08-08T12:38:00.000+01:00

William Gallas insists Arsenal are ready to prove they are genuine title contenders and not just young pretenders.

The French international has seen a change in attitude among the Club’s younger players since returning to pre-season training and says they are determined to demonstrate their title credentials.

“They are professionals and they have had one more year's experience behind them,” said Gallas, speaking at the London launch of the Premier League’s Creating Chances campaign. “As far as I'm concerned they will be ready this season. I realised that during pre-season. What I saw during the tournaments - against Paris St-Germain, Inter, Ajax and Lazio - it was different.
“The spirit was different. Everybody fought for his team-mate and when you see that you realise.
I don't know why it's changed but something clearly has. I can't call them 'the kids' - they're not kids any more - but the young players really want to win a trophy. They won't be bullied this season. They don't want people to keep saying Arsenal are just young kids. When I train with them I don't see them as young kids any more. I see only players who are ready to fight this season.”

With many of Arsenal’s rivals spending record amounts this summer, Gallas believes the battle for the Premiership will no longer be restricted to the ‘Big Four’. With Arsenal themselves buoyed by the signings of Eduardo and Bacary Sagna, the defender has warned Chelsea and Manchester United there are more teams than ever vying to end their duopoly over the league crown.

“People talk only about [Manchester] United or Chelsea winning the league, though this season will be different,” he said. “A lot of clubs will be ready for the title race, like Tottenham, like Portsmouth, like us. So the Premier League will be very exciting.“This pre-season hasn't gone too badly. The Ajax game was a bit tough but, in the end, we did a good job. That has helped our confidence going into the season.
“I don't think a team can beat us by being more physical than us this season. I think we can give a good answer. There are teams that just want to play the long ball and you have to be ready. You have to be physical and to fight and I think we will be physical enough to cope with that this time.
“There are other clubs, like Arsenal, who will also be challenging and no-one can say who is definitely going to win the title.”

Gallas looks a decent captain; van Persie looks sensational; a perfect pre-season?

2007-08-06T11:16:00.000+01:00

An interesting pre-season, it has to be said.

Aside from the games in Austria, we've been involved in two reasonably big tournaments and come out triumphant in both.

Whether pre-season friendlies actually mean anything is, of course, a matter for debate, but it's always nice to win trophies.

The main highlights for me have been the performances of certain players and the new sense of unity in the team.

The first, and most obvious, player who's starred has been Robin van Persie.

His goal against Inter was so good, you almost wished he'd saved it up for a more important occasion.

His persistence and even his abrasive attitude were also good to see in the Ajax game.

It's never a bad thing to have a few spiky characters on the pitch.Gael Clichy has been outstanding.

His run against Ajax which led to the goal was little more than sensational.

For a long time it may have been wishful thinking to say this, but we may actually have the best left-back in the premiership.

Alex Hleb has looked a lot better in a more central position, even if it's one he probably won't get to occupy come the beginning of the season.

It was great to see him score against Inter, and his overall range of creativity is a joy to watch.

The way he carries himself on the field, and his desire to find defence-splitting balls, makes him the player in our current squad who has the greatest potential to really replace Dennis.

Nicklas Bendtner has proved intriguing, scoring twice, providing an assist and missing a penalty.

He clearly thinks a lot of himself but, to be frank, so what if he's performing.

There's something to him, I'll say that: when I was watching the PSG game you could sense he might be a really big player for us, and not just in terms of his height.

He gives us options, if nothing else.

Eboue is a winger.

I'm glad we've sorted that out.

He could be a real handful this year, even if I implore him to cut out the diving.

Sagna has looked good and has proved that we needed a right-back of proven quality.

He also seems capable of putting in tasty challenges, which we've needed.

Gallas looks like captain material.

Gilberto could, and has, done the job very well hitherto, yet I wonder if Gallas has that aggressive attitude that captains need?

I think the first team is in good hands under his stewardship.

The defence as a unit continues to worry me.

It has looked reasonably solid but we're still leaking goals.

The individual players look fine - it's the inability to co-ordinate which is costing us.

A decent defensive coach is needed.

Overall, the team looks more like a team again, rather than 10 players and Thierry.

I don't think it's unfair to say that we have the whiff of a dark horse team this year.

And Gallas is right: if we concentrate on getting fourth place, we'll become a fourth place team.

The title should be our goal for this year and the fans shouldn't forget that.

The squad as it stands is still a little thin for my liking but we're only a few steps away from something really quite exciting.

And, while I don't normally do this, I shall make the following transfer predictions for the next twenty-five days: we will sign someone; it won't be Diarra from Chelsea; it may well be Quaresma.

Arsenal to sign Quaresma: there, I've said it.

It's based on nothing more than a gut-feeling; one which may, in fact, be nothing more than the beer from last night awkwardly swilling around inside me.

Gallas for captain?

Hleb the new Bergkamp?

Quaresma to Arsenal?

I've either lost it or triumphant vindication is around the corner.

LG Amsterdam Tournament Winners 2007 - Ajax 0-1 Arsenal

2007-08-05T10:36:00.000+01:00

Robin van Persie's late goal earned Arsenal the Amsterdam Tournament honours after a 1-0 win over Ajax.

In a tetchy game against the hosts, the Holland international's deflected strike three minutes from time ensured The Gunners finished top of the four-team table.

The tackles flew in from both sides during the 90 minutes, although Ajax were perhaps the most culpable of the two teams.

Arsenal were on top in the early stages and Ajax keeper Maarten Stekelenburg produced a superb reflex save to keep out Kolo Toure's close-range effort from Van Persie's clipped free-kick.

At the opposite end, substitute Dennis Rommedahl almost had an immediate impact as the winger cut in and fizzed a shot just off target.

Hedwiges Maduro's long-range drive dipped narrowly over, while Jens Lehmann was stretched to push out Wesley Sneijder's free-kick.

Deflected winner:

In the second half, Clichy was denied at the near post by Stekelenburg, while another Sneijder free-kick rocketed past the goal.

On 74 minutes, Van Persie should have given Arsenal the lead after showing quick feet in the box before being denied by Stekelenburg.

The Ajax keeper then denied substitute Eduardo da Silva from close range before Lehmann tipped over Klaas Jan Huntelaar's header.

With three minutes to go, Arsenal made the breakthrough as Clichy set up Van Persie after a barnstorming run and the striker dispatched his shot past Stekelenburg via the aid of a deflection.

There was a scare before the final whistle when Van Persie was stretchered off after another robust tackle, although he was soon back on the field to be part of the trophy presentation.

Video's:
Ajax - Dennis Rommedhal's Reaction
Ajax v Arsenal - Toure
Ajax v Arsenal - Wenger
Build up and Robin van Persie's goal
Sky Sports News Report - Ajax 0-1 Arsenal

Champions League Draw: Gunners get Prague

2007-08-03T11:25:00.000+01:00

FH Hafnarfjördur or FC BATE Borisov v Zaglebie Lubin or Steaua Bucharest

Tampere United or Levski Sofia v Astana or Rosenborg

Spartak Moscow v CELTIC

Werder Bremen v NK Domzale or Dinamo Zagreb

FK Ventspils or FC Salzburg v Pyunik or Shakhtar Donetsk

Ajax v MSK Zilina or SK Slavia Prague

Valencia v Debreceni or IF Elfsborg

Genk or FK Sarajevo v Dynamo Kiev

Fenerbahce v Anderlecht

RANGERS or FK Zeta v FK Crvena Zvezda or Levadia Tallinn

Toulouse v LIVERPOOL

Benfica v FC Copenhagen or Beitar Jerusalem

Lazio v Dinamo Bucuresti

Sparta Prague v ARSENAL

FC Zurich v Sheriff or Besiktas

Sevilla v AEK Athens

LG Amsterdam Tournament: Lazio 1-2 Arsenal

2007-08-02T20:23:00.000+01:00

Eduardo celebrated the granting of his work permit by scoring the winning goal as Arsenal beat Lazio 2-1 in the opening game of the Amsterdam Tournament on Thursday evening.

Just a matter of hours after the 24-year-old striker's move from Dinamo Zagreb had been rubber stamped in London by the Home Office, he was scoring a straightforward header against the Roman side in the Dutch capital.

Nicklas Bendtner put Arsène Wenger's side ahead in the 19th minute but Lazio were level just before the break Goran Pandev pounced onto a slip from, ironically, Eduardo.

However soon after the restart the Croatian, who also completed 90 minutes for his new club, was left unmarked when Tomas Rosicky's corner found him at the far post. The result was inevitable.

This victory gave Arsenal five points. Like at the Emirates Cup at the weekend, each goal scored adds one point to your tally.

Wenger's side now have a great chance of securing their second Tournament title in the space of a week.

It was a clammy summer evening in Amsterdam. In truth the ArenA was barely a quarter full at kick-off.

Arsenal v Lazio was not top of the bill today and the hosts would be on later.

Just before the game, the good news had filtered through about Eduardo.

The official seal made this game feel like his debut and it was not the only 'first' on the night.
Arsenal were wearing their red and blue third kit and Philippe Senderos was captaining a first-team game.

Both had not happened before.

At 22, the Swiss centre back was one of the oldest outfield players on show for Arsenal - only Eduardo and Justin Hoyte were more senior.

In fact this could have been one of the youngest XIs put out by Wenger if you omitted keeper Manual Almunia, 30.

The manager had played with his formation again.

Armand Traore was behind Gael Clichy on the left flank while Alex Song was moved into his more familiar role in central midfield.

The Cameroonian had been employed at centre back for much of the pre-season campaign so far.

As for Lazio, they were shorn of the household names of old but they had finished a creditable third in Serie A last season and started this game with purpose.

In the opening minutes, Christian Ledesma hammered a long-range shot into the midriff of Almunia and then Stefano Mauri bulldozered his way to the byline but his dangerous cross came to nothing.

Arsenal's best attacking outlet in the opening quarter was Traore. The second of the full back's curling crosses was the more dangerous, fizzing through the area before Luciano Zauri turned the ball behind for a corner.

But gradually the London side found their feet.

Walcott's right wing cross narrowly evaded Bendtner and Hoyte when either could have put Arsenal ahead.

The ball flew to the other end immediately.

Goran Pandev fed the ball in from the right and Tomasso Rocchi skipped around the onrushing Almunia to give himself a clear sight of goal.

However in doing so he pushed the ball too far and Senderos intervened.

Still, Arsenal now had a measure of control and, in the 19th minute, they took the lead. Clichy cut in from the left and tapped a square ball to Fabregas just outside the area.

He let fly and the ball ricocheted off Gugleilmo Stendardo into the path of Bendtner.

The Dane still had something to do.

However he pulled it off with aplomb, dancing past keeper Marco Ballotta and hammering home a low shot past the covering defenders on the line.

The goal inspired the Romans and they pressed forward for the remainder of the half. But they did not create that much and you sensed it would take a brilliant moment or a mistake to get them on level terms.

It turned out to be the latter.

Five minutes from the break, Lazio threw a hopeful corner into the area.

The ball ran loose for a second but the alarm seemed over when Eduardo shaped to clear.

Unfortunately he slipped and Pandev swivelled to send a low shot past Alumina at the near post.

On the whistle, Zauri sent over a hanging cross from the left and Mauri met it with a firm header.

Almunia clutched the ball on the line.

Wenger made two changes at the break - Rosicky for Clichy and Mathieu Flamini for Fabregas.

However Lazio continued in the same dominant vein after the restart.

Pandev burst through but stumbled at the crucial moment.

However it would be Arsenal who took the lead once more in the 55th minute, Rosicky floated a corner to the far post and Eduardo was left unmarked to steer home the simplest of headers.

Lazio's response was swift.

Rocchi fired over a low cross from the left that troubled Djourou at the near post. Ledesma then had a goal-bound shot blocked.

After that Mauri steered a header wide and the sliding Rocchi spooned the ball over the bar.

A stream of substitutions on both sides did little to help the game build momentum.

Lazio had enjoyed many opportunities but you always felt Arsenal had another gear in which to move to if they were to lose their lead once more.

However they would have hit cruise control had they converted a simple chance 15 minutes from time.

Substitute Robin van Persie fooled the keeper on the corner of the six-yard box and then passed to Rosicky, who was central 10 yards out.

He elected to pass to Hoyte rather than shoot and the right back planted his cross shot again the outside of the post.

They were nearly made to pay two minutes later when Gaby Mudingayi cracked an effort again onto the angle of post and bar.

However this day would belong to another striker.

Dein expected to return to Arsenal

2007-07-30T15:18:00.001+01:00

BREAKING NEWS:

Close friends are convinced David Dein will eventually return to Arsenal.

“I know for a fact that he has been given the chance to buy up to five different clubs, both English and foreign, many of which have since been sold,” a rival club chief told the Independent, who is a good friend of Dein and a fellow member of G14, the cartel of 18 all-powerful European clubs which Dein chaired until he was required to give up the role after being ousted at the Emirates.

“I would be very surprised if he doesn’t come back somehow within the Arsenal organisation in the future. It makes sense, with the shares he has, to somehow gain control, or part control.”

Arsenal close in on Diarra

2007-07-30T14:34:00.000+01:00

BREAKING NEWS:

The Mighty Arsenal understands Arsenal are lining up a move for Chelsea's Lassana Diarra.

Diarra has informed Chelsea of his desire to leave Stamford Bridge and Arsenal are ready to offer him a move to Emirates Stadium.

The French international is believed to be unhappy with his lack of first-team action at Chelsea and he is well down the pecking order in Jose Mourinho's plans.

The 22-year-old is entering the final year of his contract and he is believed to have told Chelsea he will not be signing a new deal.

The news has alerted Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger who is a big fan of the young midfielder.

The two London rivals are understood to be in talks over a deal and the player is keen on securing a switch to North London as he searches for regular first-team football.

Emirates Cup: Arsenal 2-1 Inter Milan

2007-07-29T21:45:00.000+01:00

A dazzling late goal from Robin van Persie helped Arsenal beat Inter Milan 2-1 on Sunday afternoon and, as a result, lift the Emirates Cup.

With five minutes to go the Dutchman collected Emmanuel Eboue’s pass on the corner of the six-yard area, weaved inside Danielle Pedrelliez and rifled a rocket-shot high into the far corner of the net.

It was a satisfying end to exhilarating weekend of entertainment at Emirates Stadium and the late drama only added to the spectacle for the home fans.

PSG’s 3-0 victory in the opening game of Day Two had left Arsène Wenger’s side with a simple equation — win the game, win the trophy.

For an hour it looked like a stroll.

Arsenal created numerous chances but, in a throw back to last season at Emirates Stadium, failed to convert.

In the 62nd minute they were stunned when David Suazo nodded home after a rare Inter attack.

However Alex Hleb equalised five minutes later and then, at the death, Van Persie showed all his ability to hand Arsenal the trophy.

Hopefully it won’t be the last this season.

As expected Wenger’s side was heavily changed from the 2-1 win over PSG on Saturday. Only five starters from that match kicked-off today’s encounter.

Jens Lehmann came in for his first appearance of pre-season and Kieran Gibbs, 17, was promoted into the first XI.

He started on the left wing, in front of full back Justin Hoyte with Bacary Sagna continuing his adaptation to English football on the right side.

Eboue was on the right side of midfield.

Hleb once again offered support to Van Persie.

Emirates Stadium was packed and partying for the final game of this exciting two-day event.

In contrast to Saturday, the home side looked very sharp in the opening stages.

Gibbs was involved quickly and Van Persie stung the hands of keeper Julio Cesar on the half-hour.

Inter were second best.

The closest they came was Cristian Chivu’s free-kick high over the bar.

As the half wore on, Arsenal began to take a stranglehold.

Marco Materazzi felled Eboue near the byline and Van Persie whipped in a free-kick to the near post.

It deflected en route and Cesar did well to bat the ball away.

Then, on the half-hour, Hleb fed Gibbs who laid the ball off for Flamini to run on to.

The Frenchman’s right-foot shot was fierce but too close to Julio Cesar.

Arsenal followed up but Eboue’s low cross was cut out the near post.

Nine minutes from the break, Sagna’s angled low drive was only half-saved by Julio Cesar but Materazzi intervened before Gibbs could pounce.

Then, just before the whistle, Walter Samuel illegally halted Eboue’s mazy run just outside the area and Van Persie fizzed a curling free-kick inches over the bar.

For once, Arsenal made no changes at the break.

As a result they continued to dominate.

In the 55th minute, Fabregas sent Van Persie racing into the area with a clever short ball, Chivu appeared to bring him down but referee Mark Halsey waved play on and keeper Francesco Toldo gathered.

To be honest, it seemed a matter of time until Arsenal would score.

However, last season had proved that the home crowd can never afford to assume anything at Emirates Stadium.

In the 62nd minute, Cesar sent a hopeful ball into the area from the right and Suazo stole in front of William Gallas to send a header past Lehmann and in off the upright. It was totally against the ball of play.

Arsenal almost equalised immediately. Van Persie danced into the area and it took a bevy of Inter defenders to stop him.

The ball ran loose to Eboue who thumped a rising left-foot shot past the angle of post and bar.

As it turned out, the equaliser would come from the next attack.

Eboue fed the overlapping Sagna, who cut the ball back from the right-hand byline. Hleb timed his run perfectly and lashed a shot goalwards.

Toldo saved brilliantly but the ball rebounded to the Belarus international who trickled a shot into the far corner.

Suddenly Arsenal had the glint of silverware in their eyes once more. Hleb has been outstanding and started to make merry down the right flank.

With 14 minutes left he crossed low for Van Persie to stab a shot straight at Toldo.

Seconds later he found Toure in the area but the centre back dribbled a shot wide.

In the 79th minute, Gibbs was replaced by Bendtner.

He got a standing ovation from the crowd and hearty round of applause from his manager.

It has been an impressive debut.

Arsenal continued to strive for the winner but as the seconds ticked were away they became anxious.

However they kept to their footballing principle and — via Van Persie’s cracker- it more than paid off.

Emirates Cup: Arsenal 2-1 Paris Saint Germain

2007-07-28T18:20:00.000+01:00

Arsenal lacked fluency but nonetheless beat Paris St Germain to win their opening game of the Emirates Cup at the London club's home ground.

Mathieu Flamini put the Gunners ahead with a neat right-foot finish shortly before the break and Nicklas Bendtner added a second from close range.

Peguy Luyindula pulled a goal back with a near-post finish, while Mickael Landreau saved a Bendtner penalty.

In the tournament's earlier match, Valencia defeated Inter Milan 2-0.

Jamie Gavilan put the Spanish side ahead after 13 minutes, collecting a deep cross from Ruben Baraja before shooting under Francesco Toldo from a tight angle.

Inter wore a strip that resembled the St George cross and almost equalised through Maxwell but his strike hit the post.

David Villa's 20-yard free-kick took a slight deflection as it defeated Toldo for Valencia's second goal.

Flamini's strike for Arsenal came after Bendtner had chested a cross from Gael Clincy into his path.

The ball dropped perfectly for Flamini, although how much Bendtner knew about the cross remains open to question.

Arsenal's second goal came after Bendtner jumped with PSG keeper Landreau as they both tried to reach a corner.

Neither player made a clean contact with the ball and Bendtner reacted quickly to tap home the knock down and score his first goal at the Emirates Stadium.

But his low penalty was saved close to full-time after Alexander Hleb was tripped in the area.
Luyindula dragged a shot wide for PSG in the first half, while Pauleta sent a poor shot wide and was twice denied by the impressive Manuel Almunia.

The Invincibles are dead. Let's move on.

2007-07-27T12:45:00.000+01:00

So, after 9 years loyal service, Mr Frederik Ljungberg was finally shown the door this week.

And shown the door he was.

His bleatings of 'broken promises' and a 'lack of investment' are exactly the type of spiel you hear from players who've just been dumped.

Essentially, 'well, I would have left anyway, because you're rubbish now'.

No Freddie, if Arsene hadn't let you go, you would have stayed, quietly cashed your enormous wages, and rolled on the floor feigning injury for another two years.

And Arsene was absolutely right to sell him. £3million in the bank and £60k of the wage cap is no small chunk of change.

Moreover, Freddie has been, on average, rubbish for the last two seasons.Ok, we had the battling champions league performances as he marauded between the midfield and attack; ok, we had the wonderful goal against Bolton last season.

And Ok, don't get me wrong Freddie is a complete legend.

His goals against Liverpool away in 2001-2 and in the cup final against Chelsea are two of the most thrilling moments of my Arsenal watching career, instances which make fans believe that a team is on the cusp of greatness and silverware.

But, the simple facts don't lie.

He didn't score in the league last season; he mustered less than 5 goals in the previous season.

With Dennis gone, and his pace waning, Freddie was a spent force.

A Giggs-esque revival was most definitely not on the cards.

It was his time to go; the glue-factory awaited.Much of the analysis regarding Freddie's transfer has,wrongly or rightly, focused on the end of The Invincibles.

And whilst of that glorious 2004 side, only Kolo, Jens, Clichy and Gilberto remain, Arsene has been right to dismantle it.

Vieira and Henry had peaked at the club.

They were either coasting or had already given their best years to us. Arsene was right to cash in.

Edu and Cole might have been kept if contracts had been better dealt with. However, this was not Arsene's fault, and, especially in Cole's case, he was presented with a near fait accompli regarding their departure.Dennis retired; Bobby and Lauren were past it; Sol had mentally lost his way.

Arsene has been right to let these players leave.

The invincibles of 2004 are dead. Let's move on.Yet whilst Arsene can't be faulted for purging this collection of players from the club, he needs to strengthen the squad. At present, we have an exciting crop of talent.

Yet more bodies are needed.

One, if not two wingers need to come in.

Players over the age of 23 need to bring their experience to the team.

Our squad, as it stands, is one of the thinnest I can remember, positively anorexic in appearance.

It's one or two injuries away from a crisis, especially given the propensity of some of our players to pick up niggles or worse.

So the departure of Freddie continues the destruction of the greatest Arsenal team ever constructed thusfar.

Arsene has been correct to remove the deadweight; but he needs to add some new Invincibles.

Fast.

Red Bull Salzburg 1-0 Arsenal

2007-07-27T09:00:00.000+01:00

Arsenal ended their Austrian training camp with a disappointing 1-0 defeat at Red Bull Salzburg on Wednesday night.

The only goal came 15 minutes from time when Vladimir Janocko latched onto a loose ball and fired home from just outside the area.

It was perhaps harsh on Arsenal who did not deserve to lose this lively game. But then the result is never the most important element in a pre-season friendly and there were pluses for the visitors this evening.

Eduardo completed his first 90 minutes in an Arsenal shirt and again looked threatening. Emmanuel Eboue contributed well when he was pushed up into midfield following an injury to Tomas Rosicky.

Meanwhile Alex Hleb was at heart of the most incisive Arsenal attacks.
It was another solid work-out for Arsène Wenger's side.

Even if the result was not welcome.

Tonight's game celebrated the official opening of the Bulls Arena.

It was a not a new stadium just a re-development of the existing one. A extra tier had been built around this compact ground putting the capacity up to 31,000 ahead of next year's European Championships.

With that tournament in mind, Salzburg had also put a grass pitch over their usual synthetic one especially for this game. All in all this game would be a novel experience for both teams and both sets of supporters.

For Arsenal, Johan Djourou's late withdrawl saw Kolo Toure step up from the bench. William Gallas was captain.

The opening exchanges were spirited. In the third minute Sasa Ilic prodded a shot past Jens Lehmann's post.

Arsenal replied immediately when Rosicky spotted Eduardo racing through and keeper Timo Ochs kicked away his drive.

The Croatian looked a live-wire in the opening stages and fired into the chest of the Salzburg No 1 from distance a few minutes later.

By this point, Arsenal were starting to take control, though they were creating precious few chances.

Midway through the half Diaby strode forward, hurdled a couple of challenges and broke into the area.

However Ochs cuts out his cross at the near post.

But, backed by the noisy home support, Salzburg were always in the game.

Alexander Zickler gave them something to cheer about when he hammered an effort wide on the half hour.

Two minutes later, a wincing Rosicky made way for Sagna.

The Frenchman slotted in at full back with Eboue pushed forward in the right side of midfield.
The Czech had enjoyed an influential game until that point.

After the change, the game lost its way before the half-time whistle.

Wenger made a further four changes at the break.

One of them, Nicklas Bendtner, played a part as Arsenal nearly took the lead in the 57th minute.

Hleb breezed past marker and cut the ball back from the ball.

Bendtner helped the ball on to Eduardo who stabbed a shot past the near post when should have hit the target at least.

Five minutes later Lukasz Fabianski came to collect a high swirling cross at the edge of his area.

Although the young Pole let the ball go hastily referee Bernhard Brugger ruled that he had handled outside the box. Fabianski was booked but, fortunately for Arsenal the free-kick came to nothing.

Both sides were starting to chance their arm a little more now. With 20 minutes left, Eduardo tricked himself into a yard of space on the edge of the six-yard box but saw Ramazan Ozcan pull off a sharp save.

Bendtner's follow up was blocked.
Five minutes later, Salzburg got the goal.

The Austrian side broke forward and, somewhat surprisingly, right back Milan Dudic found himself in space eight yards out.

He seemed startled by the opportunity and crossed when it seemed more sensible to shoot.

The ball deflected out to Janocko just outside the area who rammed his shot home past the stranded Fabianski.

Eboue responded with a dip from distance.

At the other end Christoph Leitgeb went close from similar range.

Arsenal gambled in the latter stages as Flamini and Eduardo sent headers wide.

But, in the end, it was not enough.

Arsenal 3-0 Genclerbirgigi

2007-07-20T18:12:00.001+01:00

An easy 3-0 win over Genclerbirligi (who?) where the Turkish side managed to hold Arsenal for the first 30 minutes or so but after that the expected domination began.

Can’t read too much into a 3-0 win against an unheard of side but at least the preseason’s off on the right foot.

You could literally see the rust wearing off the players as the game went on, especially RVP who looked sluggish at the start but began to settle down and had some nice cracks at goal. Bacary

Sagna and Eduardo Da Silva (I will never call him Dudu) made their debuts, Sagna seemed pretty shot-happy letting it go from quite far out a couple times, he’ll learn thats not how things are done soon.

EDS is an exciting player to watch, he’ll do the unnecessary step-overs thing but it’s also evident the man has the talent to attack the goal - something he did a few times only to find nobody at the end of his crosses.

Gunners sign two youngsters

2007-07-19T19:26:00.001+01:00

Arsenal are understood to have struck deals for South American starlets Angel Di Maria and Pedro Silva.

The news has emerged via Spain, as The Gunners have already agreed a deal with Salamanca to take the two teenagers on loan - in a similar move to the one which saw Mexican Carlos Vela move on a temporary basis last season.

Gilles Grimandi, one of Arsene Wenger's most trusted scouts, cast his eye over both and is understood to have given glowing references.

Di Maria is very highly rated in his homeland and is part of the Argentina Under 20 squad which has made the semi-finals at the World Championship in Canada.

'The Little Angel', as he is known, has scored two goals in four games and is one of the stars of the tournament so far.

It is now understood that Arsenal have brokered a deal with his club Rosario Central and the 19-year-old will link up with The Gunners later this month.

However, because he does not meet work-permit criteria - he is ready to spend the season with Salamanca, who are more than happy to take the left winger following Vela's successful stay at the club.

Di Maria will also have company in the shape of Pedro - a 17-year-old forward from Brazil.

Pedro is currently with Figueirense - who Arsenal have had talks with about a co-operation agreement.

Pedro has already made his first-team debut and was first spotted by Arsenal's South American scout Sandro Orlandelli some months ago.

Some reports claim Pedro has already had a trial with The Gunners, and he now seems to have done enough to earn a move to North London - but he is also set to spend the season in Spain.
Salamanca are hopeful of confirming the arrival of both players later this week.

Comfortable Start To The Season

2007-07-14T18:25:00.001+01:00

Goals from Emmanuel Adebayor and Nacer Barazite helped Arsenal to a comfortable 2-0 victory at Barnet on Saturday as Arsène Wenger’s side got their pre-season campaign underway.

The Emirates Stadium side controlled the game virtually from start to finish and were buoyed by goals in each half. Adebayor screwed home a shot in the 18th minute and Barazite completed the scoring just past the hour with a thunderbolt from distance.

Denilson was stretchered off in pain just before the goal but later his injury was reported to be minor.

Otherwise this was the most satisfying - and friendly - of friendlies.

Arsenal named a relatively strong side for this now traditional game against the side who play host to the Club’s Reserve fixtures.
In fact, Wenger’s starting XI would not have looked out of place in the Carling Cup or even FA Cup. Kolo Toure captained the team and the front pairing, fit-again Robin van Persie and Adebayor, may well be employed when Fulham visit Emirates Stadium on August 12. Alex Song was given a run out at centre back and 17-year-old Mark Randall started on the left side of midfield.
New signing Eduardo was present but only in the stands. Debutants Havard Nordveit and Lukasz Fabianksi were named on the bench. There was also a first run-out for the new white away kit.

Barnet included a couple of former Arsenal professionals in their line-up — Nicky Nicolau and Adam Birchall. The Bees also named Dr Richard Evans on the bench. The doctor, in his “late 40s” and from Wembley, had paid £10,000 for the privilege of coming on during that latter stages of the game.

Crowd congestion meant there was a five-minute delay to the kick-off. It did nothing to dampen the party atmosphere however the opening stages were high on intensity yet low on chances.
Jason Puncheon looked dangerous cutting in from the Barnet left and Robin van Persie fired in a couple of pot-shots. Adebayor got the glimpse of an opening only to be denied by Ismail Yakubu. That was the sum result of the first quarter-hour.

The opening goal arrived in the 18th minute. Van Persie surprised the Barnet defence with a low corner to Walcott at the near post. He clipped a cross to the far side where Adebayor hooked home a half-volley through a crowded area. On the balance of play it was hard on the home side.
Barnet had an excellent chance to equalise two minutes later when a cute header from Liam Hatch sent Puncheon clear in the left-hand channel. Almunia was out quickly to smother the shot.

The game was opening up. Van Persie’s right-wing free-kick was nodded on by Barnet striker Liam Hatch and a sliding Adebayor just failed to convert at the far post. Then, in the 25th minute, Walcott’s deep cross was met by the head of Van Persie.

The ball beat the keeper, hit the bar and bounced down but, by then, the referee had blown for offside.

However, perhaps unsurprisingly in the first pre-season friendly, the pace could not be maintained.

Before half time, Denilson let fly from distance and Gael Clichy charged down a clearance from keeper Lee Harrison only for the ball to trickle wide.
Barnet were nearly rewarded for a half of genuine endeavour when Hatch poked a shot goalwards as Song and Almunia dithered. Again the chance came to nothing.

Arsenal made six changes at the break and Barnet made five. Often wholesale changes unsettle a game however in this instance they seemed to improve it.
Walcott made one penetrative run in the opening minutes then Kieron Gibbs flicked wide from Adebayor’s knock back.

In the 53rd minute, Flamini clipped a perceptive ball to the Togolese striker on the edge of the area.
He had plenty of time and the ball was sitting up nicely, however he dragged his shot wide.
A couple of minutes later, Denilson came off worse in a challenge with Puncheon and, after lengthy treatment, was stretchered off. Henri Lansbury replaced him. Later, it was announced over the tannoy that the injury was not serious.
Arsenal were now looking to seal the victory.

Adebayor failed to connect with an inviting cross from Walcott then, in the 66th minute, Barazite doubled the advantage with a rocket shot into the far corner of the net.

There seemed little danger when the former Dutch youth international collected the ball in the right-hand channel.
But his fierce drive flew into the net, leaving Harrison helpless.

The goal killed the game as a contest.
Traore arrowed a shot towards the top corner but substitute keeper Dave Blackmore palmed the ball aside.

In the dying minutes, the dangerous Puncheon whistled a rising drive past the angle of post and bar.

Dr Evans made his appearance late on, much to the amusement of the crowd. He seemed to enjoy his moment - as did the crowd of 5,091.

Bacary At Emirates

2007-07-12T15:56:00.000+01:00

C’est fait. After completing negotiations with Auxerre late last night, Bacary Sagna has been registered as an Arsenal player, and will wear the number three. In order to find out a bit more about our new right-back, I asked the good folk of Aja-Net.com, an Auxerre forum, for their opinions. A few of the most useful(/least difficult to translate) are listed below:
“Bak” (his nickname) is a very good player, who plays on the right (he played a few times on the left, but he’s better on the right). He is strong, a very good defender, and also can sometimes give good crosses.
He is a great “espoir” in France, probably the future Sagnol in the French team.I think he’s better than Chimbonda, but he is quite young, so maybe next year, he’ll be far better.
I think Eboue is better offensively, but Sagna is definitely better defensively.
Maybe Eboue will be Wenger’s first choice, but Arsenal has a lot of matches to play, with the Premier League, the Champions League, the Cup, and the League Cup. With 60 matches or more, Sagna will have to play several.
He knows that in less than one year, there will be the European Championships. He was recently called in French Team, and he is taking a risk by moving to England now.
But he is really strong, and if he adapts to English football style, he may become Wenger’s first choice in November or December.
The general feeling is that Sagna was without doubt their best player, much more accomplished than Tottenham new-boy Kaboul, and that he now has a chance to become France’s regular right-back.

Arsene is pleased to have finally got his man, saying:
“We are delighted to have signed Bacary Sagna. He is a very capable defender and has played consistently well for Auxerre in recent seasons. He plays mainly at right back, but can also play along the defence or in midfield. He is strong, quick and enjoys defending but also has a good offensive side to his game. He has a fighting spirit and will be a very good addition to our squad.”
Sagna, meanwhile, will be linking up with plenty of old friends:
“It is great to be joining Arsenal and I’m excited to be playing alongside many great players. I know Abou Diaby from our time together at Auxerre and also Gael Clichy and Mathieu Flamini from the French Under-21 team. Also Arsène Wenger is a major reason why I have signed for Arsenal. He is an excellent manager with a fantastic record and I am really looking forward to working with him. I’m also looking forward to playing at Emirates Stadium and winning trophies for the Club and all the supporters.”
The fee, as reported here this morning, could rise to £7.5m.

I’m really pleased. If we add a winger to the additions of Fabianski, Eduardo, and now Sagna, we’ll have strengthened in all the right areas.

The Mighty Arsenal End of Season Awards 2007

2007-07-09T17:19:00.000+01:00

Considering that we play our first pre-season friendly this week, this is probably my last opportunity to look back at the highs and lows of last season. Winners in last years awards, such as the Champions League Final and the last day at Highbury, seem an awful long way away now. Even memories of 06/07 are beginning to drift, so if you think my decisions seem a little odd, that might well be why.

Before we move on to the awards, a brief bit of site news. Firstly, if you’ve been “having fun” this weekend and not sat in front of a computer, you won’t have seen the new look here on Gunnerblog. Don’t forget to get your free wallpaper.
Elsewhere, yesterday’s Sunday Mirror had a piece by the well-connected Steve Stammers saying that a deal for Bakary Sagna would be completed this week. I don’t know too much about him, but arseblogger described him as “Trabelsi with pace”. That’d be nice. Let’s see what happens.

One player we won’t be signing is Florent Malouda, who is set to join Chelsea.
And now, the main course:
Player of the SeasonLast season Thierry Henry’s Football Writers’ Footballer of the Year Award was eclipsed by being named Gunnerblog Player of the Season for the second consecutive year. Well, this season, as you well know, has been entirely different. Henry suffered with injuries and poor form, and just a few weeks ago was sold to Barcelona for £16m.
In his absence, Robin van Persie and Emmanuel Adebayor came to the fore. Until a metatarsal break ended Van Persie’s season, he was on course to be our top scorer, and in all likelihood would’ve notched around twenty goals. Either side of a lean streak in spring, Adebayor scored some vital goals and worked harder for the team than just about anyone in the team. However, the failure of either player to maintain form consistently over the season rules them out of the running.

If the team of 05/06 was built around Henry, the current Arsenal team is built around Cesc Fabregas. And yet in many ways last year was Cesc’s most difficult to date. In a team that lacked the incisive running of Henry, as well as midfielders prepared to go beyond the front two, Cesc’s passing was unduly limited.
Henry’s replacement as Player of the Season is likely to be his replacement as captain: Gilberto Silva. This player has had plenty of ups and downs in his Arsenal career, but last season represented the continuation of an upwards curve that began in January 2006, when his deployment in the holding role of a 4-5-1 helped take Arsenal to the Champions League Final. Last season, he was back in a 4-4-2, and responded with 10 goals in a storming season. If the other midfielders can follow his lead next season, we might be on to a winner.
Young Player of the SeasonIf we’re jealous of other clubs’ established stars, they in turn must be green with envy at the array of wonderkids Arsenal regularly have on display. Gael Clichy improved hugely over the course of the season, whilst Denilson showed a Cesc-like awareness and intelligence, and Abou Diaby’s return from injury was one of the highlights of the season.
But still no-one can surpass Cesc Fabregas. Arsenal.com’s Player of the Year, and a nominee for PFA Player of the Year, he continues to show the potential to become one of the world’s top midfielders. Despite often being limited by his team-mates’ ineptitude, he still managed to produce some of the highlights of the season - a beautiful pass for Emmanuel Adebayor at Old Trafford and a stunning strike at home to Manchester City. It’s fitting that our Player of the Season and Young Player of the Season could be next season’s Captain and Vice respectively.
Worst Player of the SeasonHanding out this one always makes me feel a bit cruel, but oh well. Picking this year’s is actually quite tough (Song was out on loan), but prime targets have to be our attacking gruesome twosome: Jeremie Aliadiere and Julio Baptista. While it’s tempting to award it to Aliadiere on the back of his recent comments about Arsene, I’m afraid in this category The Beast is truly unstoppable.
Even on his magical night at Anfield he managed to miss a penalty. Even when he scored two goals in the comeback at White Hart Lane, he clubbed in an own goal and missed from a yard. For whatever reason, he just didn’t cut it, and his return to Madrid can come as no surprise.
Game of the SeasonWhilst we’re talking about Baptista’s four-goal haul, I might aswell just come out with it and say that the 6-3 win at Anfield was undoubtedly my Game of the Season. To be 4-1 up at half-time was crazy - for it to end 6-3 was the stuff of fantasy. Bizarrely, it was a night on which two of our poorest performers this season, Baptista and Aliadiere, were absolutely outstanding. A true anomaly, but possibly the most fun I’ve ever had watching a Carling Cup game.
Worst game of the SeasonThe most boring was probably our 1-0 win at Wigan, but at least we won. For a terrible performance and a horrible result, I’ve got to plump for Sheffield United 1-0 Arsenal. If we’re serious about challenging next year, we must stop dropping points to sides at the bottom end of the table.
Highlight of the SeasonAlthough watching Cesc, Denilson, Diaby and Walcott outclass Chelsea’s midfield in the first half of the Carling Cup Final had a certain delicious savour, the real highlight of the season had to be doing the double over the old enemy, Manchester United. Adebayor’s winner at Old Trafford made him a cult hero, whilst it’s fitting that Henry’s final major contribution was that stoppage time winner at the Emirates Stadium (a moment of curious symmetry with Patrick Vieira, whose final kick in an Arsenal shirt was an FA Cup Final winning penalty against United).
Disappointment of the SeasonLast season I said “Our domestic form”. This season, I’m going to go for our premature European exit. Seeing Chelsea, United, and Liverpool in the Champions League Semi-Finals was sickening, especially when we had succumbed, with the greatest of respect, to PSV Eindhoven.

Insult To Our History

2007-05-08T17:14:00.000+01:00

No, that's not a photoshop picture. That's the new logo for the Nike advertising campaign, soon to be unleashed upon us.Now, call me a sceptic, but I very much doubt Nike can communicate with the dead. Who knows, maybe they can; maybe Derren Brown is actually, secretly, a Nike employee.
But, apparently, they can tell what Herbert Chapman would want for our club, or at least what he have approved.What's the best way to launch an innovation? Dress it up and package it as tradition.

So when Nike release their new - and I'm pretty sure it must be white - away kit on us in a few weeks time, they have appropriated a legendary figure from our past, on the basis of the fact he also altered the kit and introduced revolutionary measures that pushed the club forward.

So Nike now as much as what's good for the club as Mr Chapman did. But why stop there? Nike obviously care about our club as much as he did.

Why don't they do away with the red and white shirts as well? Why don't they bring out a pink polka-dot away shirt that looks really nice with distressed jeans when you're out with your mates having a pint.

All in the name of progress! All in the name of profit! That's what I say.This was the essential point I made in my protest against the white shirt last week.

Nameless suits working for big corporations who care nothing for the club, aside from the money they can make from it, are trying to milk us for all we're worth, and eroding the few traditions we have left.

And in doing so, they're launching propaganda efforts, such as the one above, to win over the weak-minded.

So, fine. If you think it looks pretty, go out and buy the new white shirt. But I'm sick of these people miking our club for their financial ends, and appropriating figures from our history as they see fit.

I won't by the shirt if its not yellow, and I hope you don't either, because I think the issue is larger than the shirt.

And that's all folks!

C'mon You Gunners!

Chel$ki Report / Ladies Quadruple

2007-05-07T16:33:00.000+01:00

Despite a late burst from ten-man Chelsea, a 1-1 draw with Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium handed the Premiership title to Manchester United for the first time in four seasons.

Sir Alex Ferguson's side will now lift the trophy this Wednesday at Stamford Bridge in what was billed as a championship decider with Chelsea.

Jose Mourinho's men gave it their all in the second half despite being a man short and came close to keeping their championship hopes alive.

It was a game that Chelsea had to win, but with the loss of their main striker, Didier Drogba, as well as the absence of Andriy Shevchenko, Salomon Kalou looked a lonely lightweight figure in attack. Shaun Wright-Phillips looked to be the liveliest of the visiting makeshift attack.

Chelsea's most potent weapon is their heavy artillery in midfield, with Michael Essien and John Obi Mikel restricting the space that Abou Diaby, Cesc Fabregas and Denilson had to work in.

The result was a largely stagnant opening half without any real clear-cut goalscoring opportunities. A defensive error by Chelsea almost allowed Emmanuel Adebayor in on 25 minutes, but the threat was eventually quashed by John Terry and Khalid Boulahrouz.

At the other end ten minutes later, Joe Cole had a shot across goal after the ball was mis-kicked by Gilberto.

The Gunners could have gone ahead though in the 36th minute when Adebayor was through on the right side of the area, but the Togo international didn't quite connect with the ball and in the end the Chelsea keeper made a comfortable save with his legs.

The half ended in controversial fashion though. Julio Baptista bundled his way into the Chelsea box in the 42nd minute but Boulahrouz shoved him in the back to deny a goalscoring opportunity.

Referee Alan Wiley pointed straight to the spot before showing the Dutchman a red card. Arsenal captain Gilberto stepped up to fire into the bottom right corner of the net and sent Petr Cech the wrong way for the Gunners to lead 1-0 at the half-time whistle.

The Gunners began brightly after the re-start with Adebayor firing a half-volley across goal and just wide of the right post on 47 minutes.

With Chelsea down to ten men the gaps in midfield began to open up, especially as Michael Essien was now playing at centre-back in place of Boulahrouz.

The Gunners' tactic was to use the width of the pitch to draw the visitors out and former Chelsea defender William Gallas came closest to doubling Arsenal's tally on 65 minutes when he headed Fabregas corner over the bar.

It was Chelsea who claimed the next goal on 70 minutes. Arsenal had only half-cleared a Frank Lampard corner allowing Wright-Phillips to get a cross into the near post for Essien to connect with a diving header which beat Jens Lehmann.

From then on Chelsea stepped up a gear as Arsenal seemed to sit back. Essien should have made it 2-1 on 82 minutes but blasted his shot high and over the bar.

Lampard seized on some slack play by Fabregas to test Lehmann from 25 yards, but the German keeper turned the ball around his right post.

Lehmann then made a superb save from Kalou in injury time and the game had suddenly been transformed into a match of end-to-end attacking.

As the clock ticked away and Chelsea pushed forward, Arsenal were hitting the visitors on the counter-attack.

In the dying seconds of injury time, Emmanuel Eboue's shot from the right cannoned off the bar with Cech well beaten.

The referee then blew for the final whistle and Chelsea's valiant attempt to retain the championship came to an end.
-------------------------------------------------------

My View:

It was well noted that if the Chavs drew or lost they would hand over the Premiership trophy to Man Utd. It was a good atmosphere but once again the match had to be surrounded by one man - Jose Mourinho. I was in the front row and he hardly sat down complaining at every decision possible. I was behind the goal when Gilberto scored the penalty and the crowd went mad. Essien's goal was poorly conceded in my opinion, Gallas should of got there ahead of Essien but it was overall a good impressive. When the final whistle went the chant 'You're not Champions any more' rung around the ground. Wait for next season... Arsenal will be the best in England.

-------------------------------------------------------

Finally well done to Arsenal Ladies have won the FA Cup thanks to a 4-1 win over Charlton Women. Kelly Smith and Jayne Ludlow scored a brace each respectively with Charlton scoring in the second minute in the first half. Arsenal Ladies have now won the Quadruple and are currently the best Women's Club in Europe.

Well Done to them.
----------------------------

Next Up Pompey. We're 3rd in the table level on points with The Scousers.

Mighty Arsenal!

-------------------------------------
Poll Results:
77% think we will come 3rd
20% think we will come 4th
and finally
2% think we will come 5th
-------------------------------------

Thanks for voting! Please vote in the new poll!

That's All!

Au Revoir!

Chel$ki Preview

2007-05-04T18:35:00.000+01:00

Afternoon, am just settling down to the Manchester derby. I am rooting for United so that if we take something off Chelsea tomorrow we can see Cole/Jose look very upset. United just took the lead through a Ronaldo pen. I am quickly going to mention Ball’s challenge on Ronaldo, if you have not seen it watch match of the day tonight. It is disgraceful - he conceded the pen though so what comes around goes around.
Speaking of Cole, Arsene has spoken about the chances of him actually playing tomorrow -
I don’t think he’ll play on Sunday. In recent weeks Chelsea have alternated Wayne Bridge and Cashley Cole [at left back] in every game. I’ve not seen Cole play in successive games and I’ve heard he has a little ankle problem.
I doubt he will play a part. I want him to but I really do not think he will. Chelsea simply have to win, which I think will work in our favour. Our counter attacking football could certainly punish them but it is also key that we defend solidly. Something we have not done in recent weeks. Jens needs a big performance too but I am confident he can deliver. Speaking of the whole goalkeeper situation, we have been linked with ANOTHER keeper - 22-year-old Poland international keeper Lukasz Fabianski. I know little about him, he is 6ft 3, that is all I can tell you.

Arsene has discussed the issue of winning all four trophies -
It is possible to go for everything. But to win everything is different. Maybe it is not luck but something in your head that says ‘we have to win it, it is going for us’. Maybe the fact that you think you are lucky makes you lucky.
Nice bit of psychology on luck by our manager there. It is clear that to win trophies you need an element of luck, however I am of the belief that you make your own luck. People will point to the countless missed chances this season, we lacked a bit of quality in front of goal, not luck.
Three of our players have given us a little overview of the season. Most point to a slow start at the beginning of the season and a lack of maturity.

Toure chats about how the players are a bit jealous of Chelsea’s success. I can understand that. You play football to win things and it seems like an age since we picked up a trophy. I really believe next season is one that might make or break Arsene’s policy.
Ade talk’s about the issue of motivation and preparation against the ’smaller’ teams. I think we all agree, bar the performance against Liverpool, we have been brilliant against the big three. He makes the excellent point that if we had performed like we did against United against the other teams, we would hammer them.
Clichy has concluded that he and many of his teammate would swap playing with style for winning any day. Our football is wonderful but as mentioned, next season if we do not win something, questions really will be asked.

Right, onto tomorrow's game! A mate has just rang me and said he has a spare ticket for the match! I thought he was joking but it's true and i'm excited about it now! Anyway, i'm hoping we will play our usual 4-4-2 with Ade and Beast upfront - there's no Rosicky or Ljungberg so i'm guessing Hleb and Diaby will play wide.

My prediction is 1-1 with Ade scoring for us and Joe Cole for the Chavs.

Good luck to the boy's tomorrow!

That's all.

C'MON YOU GUNNERS

We Need Our Own Song!

2007-05-03T17:34:00.000+01:00

The title of today's entry says it all. We really do need a new song to get the fans going and the fans motivated. Of course Celtic, Liverpool and many other clubs have over rated but terrific atmosphere's with great chants/songa and that's exactly what we need.
We need a song that is inspirational not only for the players but also for the Mighty Arsenal Supporters.
We need banners and flags and get our fans noticed. We need to create an atmosphere which will intimidate the opposition and their fans.

Hopefully (a word I use a lot!) the people reading this will be able to get the message around.

Send Your songs in:
Please send your songs to fabre.goon@gmail.com or just leave a comment on here! I will send them into Arsenal and possibly REDaction.

Thanks

The White kit revealed

2007-05-01T17:22:00.000+01:00

You've probably seen this over on Arseblog already, but I thought I'd add my own slice of vitriol to the matter.

Quite simply, this will not do. I'm sick and tired of Nike and the other myriad corporations running modern football disregarding history and the desire of most football fans in the pursuit of a quick buck.

Yes, we hardly kicked up a fuss when 'Fly Emirates/O2/JVC etc' was plastered over the shirt and now stadium, even if I wish they weren't there.

Yes, we may have played a few seasons in a white shirt before (although I would like someone to actually supply me with dates on this).

Yes, from an objective viewpoint, the shirt is aesthetically not awful. And Yes, I did, as I knew it would only be a one-off, buy the redcurrant shirt.

But I want yellow.

I want the colour of Arsenal's truly historic away kit. Ok, for the last few years we've played in Blue (didn't like), Green (no-one liked) and, apparently, white.

But I want the colour Charlie George had on when he scored in 71; the colour Sunderland and Brady wore in '79; the colour Thomas wore at Anfield in '89; the colour Overmars, Wiltord (essentially) and Adey wore in our recent victories up at OT; the colour Thierry wore as he ripped apart the Madrid defence last year.

The real colour of The Arsenal when we're away from home.I would prefer Yellow and Blue, naturally, but Yellow (predominantly) and the recent grey/black has been acceptable. Other colours are not Arsenal colours: they are nike colours.

Do not forget this.There will be many on here who undoubtedly think 'I quite like the kit' or 'it's only a kit' or 'you're living in the past maaan'.

But the colours of the club are its most basic call to arms, the visible, essential means of uniting its fans to its players: they are a massive part of the way a club defines itself.

Arsenal in all white? No thank you. What team is that? I wouldn't recognise them.Remember: our famous green kit failed due to low sales. I urge you, if you care at all about maintaining the few traditions we have left at the club, DO NOT BUY THIS KIT.

That's the only language Nike understand.It's funny really. I was quite up for buying the away kit this year. Oh well, let's hope Nike see sense, or that this isn't actually the kit.

That's all!

C'mon You Gunners!

Fulham Report / Ladies Final Win

2007-04-29T18:39:00.000+01:00

Fulham remain a point above the Premiership relegation zone after losing out to two late Arsenal goals.

We started brightly and were soon ahead when Julio Baptista headed home Emmanuel Adebayor's early cross.

We should have wrapped up victory long before Simon Davies lobbed Fulham level after Jens Lehmann's mistake.

But with six minutes left Adebayor slotted home to make it 2-1 before Gilberto scored from the spot after Alexander Hleb was fouled in the area.

The scoreline was slightly harsh on Fulham but, in truth, they only had themselves to blame for failing to make a game of it until the closing minutes.

There was a minute's applause before the game in honour of the late former Arsenal and England midfielder Alan Ball, as well as well as for Arthur Milton, who had played both football and cricket for England.

And the Gunners were quickly into their stride, taking the lead though Baptista's header after Adebayor had left Carlos Bocanegra trailing in his wake on the right.

Baptista should have wrapped up the win for Arsenal within minutes but he missed two good chances after the visitors' defence had been completely opened up.

Cesc Fabregas was also denied by a superb diving save from Fulham keeper Antti Niemi, who was at his best again soon afterwards to push away Adebayor's header.

It was vintage Arsenal, but they were still without the cutting edge they have lacked all season.
Not that it seemed likely to matter as Fulham were struggling to get near their opponents' penalty area, let alone threaten an equaliser.

The boys took their foot off the gas after the break and it was as if they thought they had already done enough to secure the three points.

Lawrie Sanchez's side did little to suggest anything different until Davies scored a goal out of nothing with 12 minutes left.

Lehmann came out to the edge of the box to punch away a deep cross but was horrified when the ball dropped to Davies who instantly lobbed it over his head and into the corner of the net.

That gave the Cottagers hope and, but for a fine save from Lehmann to deny Michael Brown, they would have taken the lead soon afterwards.

Instead they saw the points slip away as Arsenal belatedly resumed control.

First Adebayor majestically strolled through the Fulham defence before slotting a precise shot past Niemi.

And after Hleb was brought down in the area by Moritz Volz, Gilberto confidently stroked home the Gunners' third goal from the spot.

The win keeps Arsenal's hopes of finishing third alive but Fulham are now without a victory in 10 Premiership games and are in the thick of the relegation dogfight.

-----------------------------------------------------------

My View:

We were super in the first half but in the second half we took our foot off the gas which allowed Fulham to have more attacking opportunties. Ade was impressive and we managed to wrap it up in the last five minutes. Next Up Chelsea.

------------------------------------------------------------

Arsenal Ladies became the first British club to win the Uefa Women's Cup after a tight and tense second-leg stalemate.

The Gunners rode their luck at times, Umea substitute Ramona Bachmann hitting the post and Marta curling a free kick against the bar.

Home keeper Emma Byrne also brilliantly denied Bachmann, while Jayne Ludlow headed Arsenal's best chance just wide.

But, ultimately, Alex Scott's first-leg winner proved the difference as Arsenal were crowned champions of Europe.

It is the third of four titles the London side are attempting to win in their 20th anniversary season, and it was undoubtedly the finest four in the club's history.

The Gunners were underdogs against Europe's only full-time professional women's team, twice winners of the competition in the last four seasons.

But in their first appearance in the final, Arsenal produced gritty performances in both legs to claim the trophy.

In front of a 3,467 crowd at Borehamwood FC's Meadow Park, they were on the offensive for the majority of the first half, although the best scoring effort came at the other end.

Lisa Dahlqvist fired in a 37th-minute drive that forced keeper Byrne into a diving save.

Arsenal began to regain their momentum after the break, with captain Ludlow heading over the bar from Lianne Sanderson's 64th-minute free-kick.

Ludlow was again unfortunate when her header from winger Rachel Yankey's 69th-minute corner was deflected just wide.

But after a spell of pressure, the Gunners had Byrne to thank once again after the keeper made a fine stop to keep out Bachmann's 15-yard shot.

Bachmann and Marta both sent well-struck shots narrowly over the bar as Umea stepped up their search for a goal to bring the scores level on aggregate.

Teenage striker Bachmann, from Switzerland, was desperately unlucky in the 80th minute, her 18-yard drive rebounding into Byrne's face off a post and bouncing behind for a corner.

Two minutes from time there was another scare for Arsenal, with Marta's 20-yard free-kick cannoning back off the bar.

Nerves were frayed in five minutes of added time, but Arsenal held on to produce an historic result.

-------------------------------------------------------------

My View:

A massive well done to the girls on a super win. Our keeper Byrne was unbelievable and Umea's striker Marta showed why she is the best player in the world with that super free kick at the end. Vic Akers is a great manager and hopefully this sucess will continue in the near future.

-------------------------------------------------------------

Just before we go read this article from Thierry Henry. Pure class!:

Arsenal captain Thierry Henry took a cheeky swipe at bitter rivals Tottenham by criticising their exaggerated celebrations whenever they avoid defeat in the north London derby.

Henry was baffled when Tottenham's players and fans wildly celebrated Jermaine Jenas's last minute equaliser during the team's 2-2 draw at White Hart Lane earlier this month.

The France striker insists Martin Jol's team should show more restraint because they have failed to achieve anything significant this season.

"What makes me laugh is the way Tottenham always celebrate whenever they get a draw against us," Henry told the Arsenal programme for their match against Fulham.

"I would like to remind them that once again they have not made the Champions League. So I was amazed to see their reaction at the full-time whistle."

I had to look twice at the score on the TV because I thought they had won it the way they were celebrating."

There is little love lost between two clubs who are seperated by just a few miles and, while Henry is currently sidelined with a back injury, his controversial comments will ensure he remains firmly in the spotlight.

"When I celebrated my equaliser against them at home last season I did so because the goal had a meaning," he said.

"It turned out to be an important goal in the race for fourth place. I wasn't going to celebrate just because we drew against Tottenham.

"It was the same when we won the league there in 2004. They equalised to make it 2-2 that day and when I saw Taricco celebrate so much that he injured himself, I said to him 'you do realise we only needed a point and now we are celebrating the title on your ground."

Great piece!

And that's all.

Cheerio!

Fulham Preview / Ladies

2007-04-28T19:48:00.000+01:00

This game will probably will secure our Champions League place but the match will proably have an end of season feel to it. The team news is that Tomas Rosicky and Freddie Ljungberg are both injured with hamstring injuries so the midfield will most likely be:

-------Hleb--------Gilberto---------Fabregas--------Diaby. Let's just hope we can get the three points and secure that CL qualifaction.

Quote's:

Arsene Wenger:

"It aggravates, but it is very interesting as well.
"Sometimes you have to leave it to others. Others want success as well, that is part of life.
"I feel it has been a season full of tests and I am confident that it will help us to be stronger next year."

Lawrie Sanchez:

"There is pressure but it is for me to try to take that away.
"It goes back to structure, shape and the basics you can hold on to when it is going wrong around you. Then you can pull yourself up and get back into it.
"Ultimately the players have to be responsible for themselves. One, for knowing their job and two, doing it."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In Other News:

Gunnerblog says it all:

Jens Lehmann is staying
Justin Hoyte is staying (contain yourselves)
Tomas Rosicky and Freddie Ljungberg are injured. I am not sure that this qualifies as “news”.
Arsene won’t be telling Julio Baptista’s agents that they represent the clumsiest man in football until next week
Arsenal will appoint a “Director of Football” (or something similar) in the “close season”. I imagine that we’ll pinpoint the man perfect for the job, then be gazumped by Real Madrid or Chelsea.
Peter Hill-wood has sent a letter to shareholders, asking them to boycott all American produce for the forseeable future. Or something similar.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Good Luck to Arsenal Ladies tomorrow when they play the second leg of their UEFA Final against Swedish Giants Umea. The game is live on Eurosport with minute by minute updates on UEFA'S website. Good luck to them and good luck to the first team who are playing 4 hours later.

And that's all!

C'mon You Gunners!

R.I.P - A True Legend

2007-04-26T15:25:00.000+01:00

Yesterday Alan Ball a player who had an illustrious career winning the World Cup wih England in 66' to playing for teams such as Everton, Portsmouth and of course Arsenal sadly died of a heart attack after trying to put out a bonfire.

There will be a minute's applause in all Premiership and Football League games this weekend when the fans will pay their own tribute to the great man.

His funeral will be held at Winchester Cathedral on 3 May.

Some of his old team mates have told Arsenal.com their memories of him:

Alan Smith:

"In my early days at Leicester I remember playing at the Dell one day. Bally was in the latter stages of his career and playing for Southampton in central midfield. What a player!

We couldn't get near him, so good was his first touch and eye for a pass. It was a real eye-opener for a young prospect like me and a real privilege to be on the same pitch. Several years later, Bally formed part of the England coaching staff that went to the European Championships in Sweden in 1992. He'd take me and Merse for a bit of extra fitness work if we weren't involved. His deep knowledge of the game was plain but what came across most was his deep-rooted passion and love for the game. It was infectious. We loved being in his company. By the way, he was a brilliant after-dinner speaker as well. One of the best I've ever heard because he spoke straight from the heart."

Frank McLintock:

"We were in Mauritius just a month ago and he looked so fit and healthy, so it was such a shock when his son called me at five in the morning to tell me his dad had died. He was absolutely the last person from that England squad that you would expect to die, he was full of fun and energy. Bally was so ebullient. He had his lows and he could be disconsolate if he hadn't played well, but he mostly had highs because he had such a successful career. He was a great laugher, you'd see his tonsils half the time! Bally helped the young players when they came through at Arsenal and I actually tried to help him when he arrived from Everton. The style of play didn't suit Bally at all and he was distraught, but I told him to give it time so he could get used to us and we could get used to him because we had played that way for five years. It worked, it calmed him down and he often embarrassed me when he told the story years later. 'Shut up Bally!' I used to say. I'll really miss him; he was an avid lover of football and a great man."

Liam Brady:

"In my opinion he was one of Arsenal's greatest players of all time Although we didn't win many trophies when Alan was here, he was still a fantastic player. From a personal point of view he was such a great help to me early on in my career. He helped me greatly and, with David O'Leary, Frank Stapleton and Graham Rix, I feel he contributed a great deal towards our careers, passing on his experience of the game. Alan was a larger than life character, he enjoyed his life and just loved playing football. I'm just so sad that he has died at such an early age."

David O'Leary:

"I was a Dublin lad coming over to Arsenal and I used to clean his white boots. They were a real pain to clean! I remember thinking that he must have been some player to wear those white boots - and Alan Ball was some player. He was very talkative to all the younger players and that's how I got to know him. I was a young apprentice at Arsenal and I went home to my digs thinking how good it was that the England captain talks to me. He gave me huge confidence as a young player coming into the team. He had a young centre half of 17 behind him but he used to make me feel good. It wasn't an easy time for the club but he was still fantastic."

Terry Neill:

"It goes without saying that he was a great player. We had our differences when he left Arsenal but thankfully that didn't affect us in later life. We got on fine and I was playing golf with him in the Algarve last autumn at a Bobby Robson charity weekend. He seemed fit and well and in great form so it's a real shock. He brought to Arsenal what he brought to all his clubs - knowledge of the game and great enthusiasm. I knew Alan's dad well and he was the same. They had a real love for the game."

John Radford:

"I was very, very shocked to hear the news like everybody else. I was playing golf with him in Dubai in November and he was looking in good form. It is just very tragic. He was a talented midfielder and very competitive. I remember he used to irritate opponents with his constant chatter. He undermined them with his ability on the ball and with his tongue, which could be quite waspish. When someone you have played with dies it is difficult to put into words. It makes you realise how old you are."
Sammy Nelson"He just lived football. It was all he ever talked about. Perhaps the other 20 per cent was horse racing. Also he was England through and through. If you look back at the 1966 Final he never stopped running throughout. When he joined us we did well again. We went through to the FA Cup Final and did well in the League. He was a larger-than-life type and until then we had not been signing that kind of player."

Bob Wilson:

"We became big mates. Bally came to Arsenal just after we won the Double, he was a World Cup hero as everyone knows and had an infectious enthusiasm for the game. He was very much in your face too. He wouldn't think twice about telling you about your faults. He advised me that I made penalty kicks very obvious to the taker and he told me how to change my style. In due course I had a chance to try Bally's method and, of course, I saved the penalty. He loved the game, he was a very charismatic guy and we have been friends since his playing days. He was down to play in a golf day for the Willow Foundation in May and his death is shattering news."

A true legend.

A Fulham preview will be on here tomorrow evening.

MIGHTY ARSENAL!

Spurs Report / Ladies Final Win

2007-04-21T19:14:00.001+01:00

Jermaine Jenas scored a dramatic injury-time equaliser for Tottenham to deny Arsenal victory in the north London derby.

Spurs looked to be heading for defeat after Arsenal, inspired by substitute Cesc Fabregas, came from 1-0 down to lead 2-1 with just minutes to go at White Hart Lane.

But Jenas earned Tottenham an undeserved point when he fired a superb 25-yard effort past Jens Lehmann with referee Mike Dean poised to blow for full-time.

It was harsh on Arsenal who totally dominated the second half and recovered from Robbie Keane's 30th minute opener to lead through goals from Kolo Toure and Emmanuel Adebayor.

But Tottenham will be celebrating long and hard after their late, late show.

They started the game strongly and almost opened the scoring after three minutes when Dimitar Berbatov hassled William Gallas into a mistake and the Frenchman's header fell for Keane, who couldn't quite find the net.

And, after Arsenal had an Adebayor effort disallowed for offside, the home side took the lead after half an hour from a well-worked corner routine.

The kick was delayed first as Arsenal keeper Lehmann grappled with Berbatov, appearing to elbow him in the chest as the Tottenham striker made a nuisance of himself in the six-yard box.

Referee Dean chose to book Lehmann, Berbatov and Arsenal midfielder Abou Diaby for the incident and the episode was enough to cause the Gunners to lose concentration when the corner was re-taken.

Tottenham took full advantage with Jenas sending over an out-swinging kick that Michael Dawson met with a downward header and Keane diverted into the net.

It all looked set for a dramatic Spurs victory but Fabregas changed all that. The Spaniard produced a stunning reverse pass with almost his first touch to set up Emmanuel Eboue, whose low drilled shot came back off the post and Adebayor blasted the rebound over the bar.

Arsenal's revival continued after the break when Toure's header cannoned back off the bar and Tomas Rosicky had a shot well saved by Paul Robinson.

Then, amazingly, they struck the woodwork again when Adebayor's header looped on to the crossbar after 59 minutes.But the inevitable goal came eventually after 64 minutes when Fabregas swung in a deep free-kick from the left and Toure somehow forced home a deflected shot at the far post.

The Gunners then went all out for a winner with Gilberto Silva drilling an effort just wide and Eboue sending over a wonderful low cross that was just missed by Adebayor.

And they got their reward when, from another Fabregas free-kick, Adebayor rose majestically at the far post to head high into the net.

But it was Tottenham who had the last word four minutes into injury time through Jenas' pinpoint low strike which found the bottom corner of the net past the diving Lehmann.

--------------------------------------------------------------

My View:

We should of won but once again we're not clinical enough in front of goal. I'm glad to see Ade score so hopefully he will get on the score sheet against Fulham next Sunday. Once again Cesc came on and created two goals, Baptista missed a sitter and Lehmann let a flukey strike from Jenas give the Scum a point. Oh well... Fulham up next

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Ladies secure 1st leg win...

Scott Celebrates Strike

Arsenal Ladies secured a late victory in the UEFA Womens Cup Final 1st Leg against Umea IK thanks to a last minute strike from Arsenal full back Alex Scott. The Gunners will take the lead to Boreham Wood FC next Sunday at 12:00 looking to secure a Final win against the current best Womens Football team in the world.

I'll update you next week..

Well Done Girls!

And that's all!

Bye!

Sp*rs Preview / Kroenke Increases Stake

2007-04-20T18:21:00.000+01:00

Ahead of tomorrow’s game against Sp*rs there is no fresh injury news with AW announcing Ljungberg and Diaby fit with Fabregas only just passed fit after a virus. We will stay 4th place if we lose or draw so a win would certainly 100% secure that Champions League spot. I’m expecting the same team who played Citeh to play tomorrow.

AW Quote:
We have just won two games and we want to keep winning until the end of the season.
"It's important to finish well and to start again next season with the squad we have.
"We have gone through a little bit of a difficult period but the players have a fantastic spirit and fantastic quality and I follow what I deeply feel which is that they will be up for it from the first game next season."
Hopefully we can get maximum points in the last few games against Fulham, Chelski and Portsmouth.
A full match review, images and report will be on the blog Sunday!
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Other Arsenal News:

"Speculation that Arsenal may soon be the subject of a takeover bid has been further fuelled by the news that American billionaire Stan Kroenke has increased his stake in the club to 12.19 per cent.
The spectre of a possible hostile takeover has been hanging over the club since Gunners vice-chairman David Dein sensationally departed on Wednesday after apparently falling out with his fellow board members over whether to welcome Kroenke's advances.
Following the news of Dein's shock exit, chairman Peter Hill-Wood insisted that the historic club's board would not be looking to sell their shares and that any hostile takeover from Kroenke would be stringently resisted.
However, the club will now be forced to deal with renewed speculation regarding the possibility of Kroenke taking control after his Kroenke Sports Enterprises group increased their holding to 12.19%.
The American became a major player at Emirates Stadium when purchasing ITV's 9.9% stake on April 12th, with Arsenal director Danny Fiszman also selling Kroenke around 1% of his own holding. "
Very interesting considering the board will resist any bid for the club.

Why would Kroenke keep buying small shares in the club if he didn't want to make a bid? Lots of questions need to be answered soon.
Hopefully we will get all three points tomorrow.

C’mon You Gunners!

The Dein Saga

2007-04-19T18:12:00.000+01:00

I've been busy today so I haven't been able to give my view on this 'saga'. Basically, I do not believe the theory that Dein will team up with Stan Kroenke to make a bid for The Gunners and I definitely do not believe AW will leave at this current time. It must be noted Dein's son was Thierry Henry's best man at his Wedding so obviously it's a big loss to the club.

I praise David Dein as he bought Bergkamp and Wenger over here and countless other stars who have played or still play for the club.

I'll give a more detailed view in the next few days.

It's worth looking at Arseblog who has a great article on the situation (the link is on the right hand side)

In Arsenal news:

Cesc Fabregas may not be fit for the Sp*rs game as he has a virus, Wenger said:

“He will have a test tomorrow to see how he feels. As it stand he is 50:50 today. We will not gamble on him. He is not injured but he has caught a virus.
“Freddie Ljungberg is a major doubt as well but we have not lost anybody else from Tuesday.”

DEIN SAGA UPDATE:

From Arsenal.com:

Arsène Wenger has described David Dein’s departure as a “sad day for Arsenal” but stressed that his position remains “very strongly” linked with the Club.
Mr Dein vacated his role as vice-chairman on Wednesday afternoon. It was the end of 24 years service on the Board. Speaking exclusively to Arsenal TV Online on Thursday, Wenger paid his own tribute.
“It is a sad day for Arsenal Football Club,” said the Arsenal manager. “It is a huge disappointment because we worked very closely together. David has contributed highly to the success of the Club in the last 10 years and even before that aswell. Red and white are the colours of his heart.”
At the same time, Wenger confirmed his commitment to Arsenal and his bond with the other directors.
“My position is that I am linked with the club very strongly,” said the 57-year-old. “The relationship with the rest [of the Board] has always been very good and we try always to have a good understanding.”

That's all folks!

Thanks to Novel from Arsenal TV for creating a header and a logo for the site! Cheers mate

David Dein Leaves Arsenal

2007-04-18T19:01:00.000+01:00

David Dein has resigned form Arsenal Football Club in an astonishing move.

A statement read:

Arsenal Holdings plc - Directorate changeArsenal Holdings plc (the 'Company') announces that David Dein has left Arsenal Football Club and has ceased to be a director of the Company.Peter Hill-Wood, Chairman of the Company, would like to express his gratitude for the many years of loyal service given by David Dein to Arsenal Football Club and regrets that irreconcilable differences between Mr. Dein and the rest of the board have necessitated a parting of the ways.In light of recent speculation as to the ownership of the Company, the remaining Board members (together, the owners of 45.45% of the issued share capital of the Company) would like to reassure the shareholders, employees and fans of Arsenal Football Club that they remain long-term holders of their interests in the Company. To this effect, they have entered into an agreement not to dispose of their interests in the Company for at least one year and have confirmed that they intend to retain their interests on the expiration of this period.Arsenal Holdings Plc.18 April 2007

It is believe the departure followed after the rest of the board disagreed with Dein's opinion that the board should sell up.

More Tomorrow

City Report / Cesc Fabulous

2007-04-18T17:08:00.001+01:00

You wait 11 months for a Cesc Fabregas league goal and then two come along in four days.
The Spanish playmaker all but secured Arsenal’s Champions League place with a magnificent late strike at the Emirates.
His first Premiership goal of the season had earned the crucial victory over Bolton at the weekend.
And the sublime senor was at it again last night with an impeccable drive into the top corner from the edge of the box.
Fabregas left to a standing ovation from a grateful crowd as he was replaced by Denilson for the final five minutes with the game won.
The Gunners now have an eight-point lead over fifth-placed Everton and, with an immensely superior goal difference, are now pretty much guaranteed another crack at Europe’s premier club contest.
Yet Fabregas’ 73rd-minute goal was totally out of place in a match played with all the intensity of an end-of-season testimonial.
Even Joey Barton could not raise the enthusiasm to collect a booking.
City arrived in London on the back of five games without a defeat and their Premiership survival all but assured. Boss Stuart Pearce had challenged his players to go the rest of the season unbeaten but that task proved to be beyond their reach.
Tomas Rosicky’s early strike should have meant a rare stress-free night for Arsene Wenger. But Arsenal never do things the easy way and, once again, put their boss through the wringer before settling it.
They had seized the lead in the 13th minute. DaMarcus Beasley was dispossessed in his own half by Abou Diaby’s thunderous tackle.

Diaby fed Emmanuel Eboue and his first-time cross to the far post allowed Rosicky to nip in front of Nedum Onuoha to convert.
Unfortunately, that was Diaby’s last meaningful contribution before departing with a cut head requiring four stitches after an ill-timed sliding tackle on Richard Dunne.
Sub Julio Baptista almost doubled Arsenal’s lead with a power free-kick which Dunne did well to head over.
But Arsenal’s lack of a cutting edge was to come back to haunt them in the 41st minute when they conceded an equaliser to City’s first shot on target.
Jens Lehmann’s poor kick went straight to Barton and his pass allowed Michael Johnson to tee up Beasley for an unchallenged shot inside the far post.
It was hardly a powerful argument for Lehmann to get the long-term contract he is demanding.
The 37-year-old German becomes a free agent next month and has still not committed himself to the one-year deal offered by Arsenal.

And last night’s shaky display will not have convinced Wenger that his accident-prone keeper is worthy of more, despite one neat save from Barton as Arsenal backed off again just before the break.
Yet Lehmann was by no means the only culprit as Wenger’s slackers made yet another mountain out of a molehill.
Emmanuel Adebayor allowed his close-range shot to be blocked by Sylvain Distin when the hitman had enough time to pick his spot.
Aleksandr Hleb also fired wide as the Gunners struggled to unlock a resolute City defence.
But, just when it was beginning to look as though Arsenal had run out of ideas, Fabregas pounced on Distin’s block from Rosicky to pinch the points.

City had deserved better — yet even the consolation of a narrow defeat was denied them when Baptista converted Hleb’s 80th-minute pass from close range.

----------The--------------

---------------Mighty-------------

---------------------Arsenal--------

Away from the pitch the Chairman PW talks about the potential sale of the club. He talks about Danny Fiszman selling some of his shares but this quote is telling and rather splendid:

"We’re here for Arsenal Football Club, not to make a few bob. We would be horrified to see it go across the Atlantic."

Well said PHW

Until tomorrow, my good old friends.

City Preview

2007-04-17T16:30:00.000+01:00

We’ll be basically the same with only Freddie Ljungberg missing from Saturday’s squad. Who he picks to replace him will be interesting.
Does he play two strikers with or will he bring Abou Diaby into midfield. I suspect the latter. The boss is looking for stability in terms of his team selection so it makes sense to bring in somebody who, finishing aside, had a big impact against Bolton.
A win tonight would give us an eight point lead over Bolton and an Everton side who are building quite the head of steam at the moment. Plus we owe Citeh a beating after losing to them at the start of the season in a game we probably should have won.

Likely Line Up:

----------------Lehmann-------------------

-Eboue-----Toure-----Gallas-----Clichy----

-Hleb------Fabregas---Gilberto---Rosicky--

-----------Diaby----------------------------

---------------Adebayor------------

Well Done to Cesc Fabregas who has been nominated for the PFA Players player of the year and the PFA Young Player of the year award. He’s up against some decnt opposition on both fronts.

And that's all.

C'mon U Gunners!

Bolton Report

2007-04-14T23:37:00.000+01:00

'At Fucking Last!'

In what was billed as a Champions League fourth place showdown Arsenal came out on top by beating Bolton Wanderers in a nail-biting, pulsating encounter at the Emirates Stadium.

This was a "must win" game for Bolton if they were to be seriously considered for that all-important final place and the chance at Champions League glory next season.

Yet it wasn't to be for Sam Allardyce's men as the Gunners shot them down although they made hard work of it and were forced to fight to the very death.Arsenal started the brighter yet it was the Wanderers that shocked the 60,000 fans by going 1-0 ahead thanks to former Highbury marksman Nicolas Anelka who prodded home from point-blank range on 11 minutes.

Once again Arsenal were to do it the hard way and found the equaliser after attacking relentlessly on 31 minutes through Czech Republic international Tomas Rosicky. He latched on to Emmanuel Adebayor's cross, shooting home from close range and levelling matters.

Both Arsenal and Bolton had chances to go ahead before the break with Fredrik Ljungberg going close for Arsenal and Anelka almost grabbing his second for Bolton.

The second half started in explosive fashion as Arsenal's Spanish wonderboy Cesc Fabregas fired Arsenal into the lead. The midfield starlet continued to dominate proceedings and was always instrumental in both Arsenal's defensive and offensive movements.

He rubbed salt into his countryman Ivan Campo's wounds by teaching him a footballing lesson throughout.However, Bolton were far from done and continued to pose a worry to Arsenal's fragile rearguard with great aerial threat and plenty of muscle-power when going forward.The Gunners then upped the ante by re-discovering their fluent passing game, but typically squandered numerous golden opportunities to put the game beyond doubt.Second-half substitute Abou Diaby was guilty of missing two golden chances which had the home fans on the edge of their seats for the full 90 minutes.

Their nerves were eased considerably with eight minutes left when a frustrated Campo picked up his second yellow card for an infringement on Rosicky.

Arsene Wenger's troops managed to old on to a precious three points and have now created a comfortable cushion between fourth and fifth place.After a disappointing first season in their wonderful new home at the Emirates Stadium, the minimum requirement for Arsenal was Champions League qualification and it seems as though it will now be achieved.

Reaction:

Wenger:

"I don't think fourth place is secure for us yet but this is another step forward after a very good performance.
"Once again we had to come from behind, but we played very well, created chances and the only regret is that we didn't finish them off sooner.
"Finishing in the top four is always our minimal target but sometimes, to improve, a young team needs to flirt with difficult periods so that you can come back stronger and I have been deeply impressed by our mentality."

Fat Sam: "It's hugely disappointing for us after such a very good start - that's the first time this season that we've gone in front and lost.
"But I think two big decisions went against us as well. Ivan Campo's first booking was unwarranted, even though the second was fair, and we think that Eboue's handball at the end was a stone-waller.
"We've also conceded two poor goals from our point of view so, all in all, it's disappointing.
"However, if we can finish fifth I would regard that as a fantastic achievement."

Piss off Sam you fat cu*t, how the fuck was that a penalty? It was ball to hand - Eboue might have a history but really Fat Walrus as talked shit all his managerial career.

Any way, it was a good result again but the worrying thing is that we failed to finish all our chances which isn't suprising considering we don't have our full strike force fit and ready.

The match report says it all - can you believe Diaby and Craptista fighting over that shot in the last ten minutes?! Fucking hilarious if you're a Bolton fan but we won eventually and Cesc scored a goal at last.

The Gunners host Man Citeh on Tuesday and if we win that we will certainly secure that Champions League spot.

That's all Folks!

The blog will continued to be updated - but not every day as i don't have a lot of time on my hands.

Adios

Bolton Preview

2007-04-13T12:55:00.000+01:00

Ahead of tomorrow's match against Bolton there is no fresh injury worries with the threesome of Henry, RVP and Theo all out. The same defence will probably start whereas Denilson could start ahead of Hleb in Midfield. I'm guessing Ade will play upfront with either Craptista or Jeremie Crapialiere.

For Bolton their Star Captain Kevin Nolan Bolton returns after completing a two-match ban to give boss Sam Allardyce a virtually full-strength squad to choose from. While Kevin Davies who I believe is their biggest threat will start with former Gunner Nicolas Anelka upfront.

Hopefully Ade will cause problems against the Bolton defence.

My prediction is 2-1. I don't believe we will beat them the easy way but maybe if Gallas and Toure keep Anelka and Davies out the game we will have a good chance.

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In Other news:

It has been confirmed that Kroenke Sports Enterprises have a total stake in Arsenal of just over 11 per cent. One of the club's majority shareholders Danny Fiszman sold off around one per cent of his holding last month, and an announcement on the Alternative Plus Market Exchange - where Arsenal's shares are listed - has now confirmed that KSE were the buyers.
The Geneva-based Fiszman still has a 24.11 per cent stake, but if he decided to sell that to KSE, the US group would have well over the 30 per cent threshold needed to launch a formal takeover bid for Arsenal.

Interesting...

That's all!

They'll be no Blog tomorrow! so see you Sunday

Happy Friday 13th!

C'mon you Gunners!

We won't buy 'super super super' players...

2007-04-12T10:01:00.000+01:00

That is what AW has literally said today and here's the quote:

"I'd be happy to go into next season with the same squad because we are in a growing process," said Wenger in The Mirror.
"The temptation is always there to spend but I'm more concerned with developing the young players.

You'd sometimes think London Colney is a nursery for 5 year olds who are 'great dribbler's' and a 'good prospect' but will end up going to Reading like Sidwell and Harper did. I think Ribery would be a 'super super' signing and would wrestle that right-midfield spot of Alex Hleb. If we (hopefully) don't sign 'The Beast' Craptista we would bring Bendtner into that role which would be interesting in League Cup games, Bendtner and Ade upfront would be a great striking partnership but that is if we keep Jeremie 'Can't score in the Premiership for my life' Aliadiere in the squad for next season with Boro interested in him.

Ahead of Saturday's game against Fat Sam's Bogey Men Kevin Davies has started the mind games:

"All the pressure will be on Arsenal, because they are expected to get into the Champions League," he explained.
"But we proved in the FA Cup that we can go there and get a result and we're really looking forward to Saturday."

I am as well, hopefully the atmosphere will be good and we will see the likes of Ade, Cesc or even Freddie grab a goal in a vital match would almost secure 4th spot in the table.

That's all today!

Thank's to 'The Online Gooner' 'Arsenal TV' and Shakeel for the link exchange and of course thanks to everyone who has left comments on the blog.
This time next year we'll be up there with Arseblog and the rest!

Later!

Reserves win / Henry Staying

2007-04-11T14:12:00.000+01:00

Not much today but last night our Reserves won their match against Fulham by a goal to nil thanks to a header by Swiss Defender Johan Djourou.

Our Midfield Maestro Cesc Fabregas has warned his team mates ahead of the match against Bolton on Saturday he said:

"We have to beat Bolton because we have to fight for the fourth place and be in Europe next season, then forget about this season"

Yep, forget about this season! It's not as simple as that, first we need to get points out our final matches this season.

In other news once again Thierry says he's staying:

"I don't know what to say any more or what to do - maybe having a T-shirt on me saying I'm staying at Arsenal and walking around London is the only thing I can do,"

The press would probably complain that the T-Shirt is Barca colours and that he will join them!

That's all, some French midfielder might join us but i can't be arsed to put a link up.

Good Day!

Toon Review / Transfer News

2007-04-10T11:55:00.000+01:00

Yesterday's match wasn't particuarly entertaining - mainly because both teams played 48 hours before against United & United. Arsenal were not really fluid and a draw over 90 minutes was a fair result considering Lehmann made a difficult fingertip save from Milner's cross/shot. In the last ten minutes we nearly one the match but Newcastle's saviour - the smallest man on the pitch Nobby Solano! He cleared of the line first from Fabregas then from a curling Gilberto shot which whipped itself onto Solano's head... so unlucky. But after the game I was thinking we were let off by the Bolton result and it got me thinking I said to myself 'Shit we're playing those bastards again'. Our last result against them was a great scoreline - 3-1 we had two penalties, two 1 on 1's and eventually won the tie in extra time. Some fan's our confident that we will muller them but I think if they play like they do every time they visit us we will lose or draw.

Where will the goals come from? that's one of the question's AW has difficulty answering. So Arsene where will the goals come from? I'm guessing his reply will be:

"We will find the resources because we have to win this game on Saturday"

Let's just hope we can get a result against Bolton on Saturday.

In transfer news: Jens Lehamnn will open talks with the club in the next few weeks about a new contract at the club.

Franck Ribery has warned us and Manure that he will leave Marseille at the end of the season.

Arsene Wenger says Bolton have blown their chance to sneak into the final Champions League spot.

and finally... Wayne Rooney's brother Graham and his girlfriend Carly Gardiner are in demand as lookalikes for the Manchester United star and his fiancee Coleen.

Toon Report

2007-04-09T19:46:00.000+01:00

Honours even as Newcastle have now gone three successive matches without a goal at St James' Park in what was the second draw between these clubs this season. Neither side appeared to have the drive or determination to break the deadlock in a season that will end trophy-less for both clubs.

Newcastle's slim hopes of a UEFA place are as good as over - the best they can hope for being a shot at the much maligned Intertoto Cup for a second successive season. For Arsenal, it looks like being a season that can't come to an end soon enough. The best efforts saw James Milner rattle the Arsenal bar while Gilberto had two shots cleared off the line by Nobby Solano.Alexander Hleb created the first chance with a left-footed drive that brought a good low save from Shay Given.At the other end, Solano broke on the right and his telling cross was just deflected wide of the onrushing Kieron Dyer.

Jens Lehmann then came to the Arsenal rescue when an Emre free-kick broke to Steven Taylor and the big defender looked on course for goals in successive games, only to see the German defender claw out his low shot.Newcastle suffered a setback after 26 minutes when Given limped off with what appeared a recurrence of his groin injury, with Steve Harper taking over in goal.Emmanuel Adebayor should have done better than to head over when meeting a Cesc Fabregas corner on the half hour.Newcastle finished more strongly and Damien Duff had two good chances. First he saw Gael Clichy force a shot wide and then pulled an effort wide himself when in a great position. The woodwork came to the rescue for Arsenal just 30 seconds into the second half when Milner made space on the right and his deep cross sailed over Lehmann and crashed to safety off the bar.

Dyer limped out of action after 52 minutes to be replaced by Charles N'Zogbia, but the young Frenchman struggled to make any impression on the game.With Obafemi Martins ineffective up front, Newcastle were left with few options having already lost Dyer.

But it was not much better at the other end where Adebayor and Abou Diaby made little impression against the Newcastle rearguard.

The best chances for the Gunners came six minutes from time when Stephen Carr was caught ball-watching and twice Solano had to be at his brave best, blocking Gilberto shots on the goal-line and winning praise from Harper for his heroics.A draw was by far the fairest result for both teams, who overall lacked any clinical finishing.

Toon Preview

2007-04-08T10:50:00.000+01:00

Newcastle v Arsenal
Barclays Premiership Mon, 9 Apr 07, 15:00 St James' Park

Tomorrow at 3:00 we are away to Newcastle in a game which could put us into a good position to qualify for the Champions League. If we don't win - expect a bad reaction from the Supporters and pray that we take all three points when we play Bolton at the Emirates this Saturday.

Hleb (hopefully) will be replaced by Freddie while Cesc has been good but give Diaby another chance and i'm sure he'll impress. While i think Ade needs another striker to play with him. It's Ali or Bap! After yesterday's poor finishing I expect Baptista. As for Newcastle coming into this game they have beaten Sheffield United where Obafemi Martins was the main-man for The Toon. James Milner put's in the crosses Siberski heads them in, Martins runs at the defence while their weak points are at the back where Titus Bramble looks more Conference standard than Premiership class. If Arsenal finish their chances they will win by a couple of goals but if they don't Newcastle will get the same result The Hammers got yesterday.

Team News:

Newcastle captain Scott Parker is a major doubt with the ankle injury that forced him off in the 56th minute the 2-1 victory at Sheffield United.
Emre, who replaced Parker at Bramall Lane, is in line to start should Parker not be passed fit.

Arsenal will bring midfielder Denilson back in the squad after he was rested for the defeat by West Ham on Saturday.
Manager Arsene Wenger may freshen things up at St James' Park following three straight league defeats.

If Cesc plays he will make his 100th appearance for the club.

In transfer news: Jean Makoun claims that Arsenal could launch a summer bid for his services, the midfielder spoke of Arsenal's interest:

"Arsenal are a possibility," admitted Makoun in the Sunday Mirror.
"I know their scouts have come to see me play several times and I have had a phone call from Arsene Wenger too." said the Lille Midfielder.

That's all for today!

Come on you REDS!

Missed Chances....

2007-04-07T23:37:00.000+01:00

The story of our season has been missed chances and lazy finishing. Yesterday I said Zamora and Tevez would be threats to our Defence...they weren't.

Here's Pete's report on the game:

"West Ham's resurgent form continued witha 1-0 win against Arsenal at the Emirates. The Hammers had to thank Bobby Zamora for his chipped goal, but more importantly, Robert Green, who made a number of crucial saves. The Hammers however held on and after becoming the last team to beat the Gunners at Highbury, have become the first to win at the Emirates.Arsenal dominated from start to finish, but just like against Blackburn and CSKA Moscow, couldn't get the goal.
The Gunners saw many chances wasted in which they really should have put away. We should have won this one, but it's the same old story we've seen this season with us dominating but somehow coming away with zero points. It leaves us worryingly looking over our shoulders with Bolton just two points behind.
The problem now with Arsenal is that they've not got a prolific goalscorer since Van Persie and Henry got injured. The goals are going to have to come and fast.The win gives West Ham renewed hope of escaping relegation, and looking at their performances, could just make them pull off the great escape. The vital goal came just before half time, when Bobby Zamora chipped Jens Lehmann to give the Hammers a most unlikely lead.
The most extraordinary thing about the match is just how West Ham held on, as the second half was just Arsenal leading the charge with attack after attack. Many player including Gilberto and Fabregas saw their chances squandered with Robert Green putting in a heroic performance with brilliant vital saves.
Arsenal were left perplexed at how they didn't get anything out of this game, while West Ham revelled in their third straight win."

Quote's:

Wenger on the Fans frustration:
"I can always understand the fans frustration. They want us to win and that's understandable. The players gave absolutely everything and we have to deal with the frustrations of the fans. It's part of our job. We have not to judge how people respond, we have to accept that and deal with that. We have to make sure we give everything we can and on this side I feel the team deserve a lot of credit. Of course the fans want us to win the game and when they see you lose a game like that they are frustrated, that's normal. "

That report says everything about our poor finishing. Last week at Anfield the players looked like they had nothing to play for - they did. The fourth Champions League spot is gradually drifting away from us with Bolton three points behind though we do have a game in hand. On Monday Arsenal visit St James's Park in an important match against Newcastle. Maybe we will play like we did agaisnt West Ham and waste/fail to finish chances OR possibly score 2+ goals and keep a good run going til the end of the season. I'm not bothered about the first Home defeat or the fact West Ham did the double over us this season, I want to see Arsenal secure that 4th spot and come back next season firing all cylinders...

Maybe it will happen or not.

I'll try and get round to doing a Newcastle preview for tomorrow.

And there you go... more tomorrow

Henry Staying / No Bid For Tevez

2007-04-07T11:40:00.000+01:00

I wasn't too sure if I should post today so i'll do news in brief.

Our Master Striker Thierry Henry is (of course) staying at Arsenal. The newspaper stories yesterday saying Henry will go to Barca/Inter for £16 mil are a pile of crap, here's what AW said

"I had a chat with Thierry this morning. He asked me whether I’d read the newspapers. I’d not heard about his story. But it’s completely invented. He’s clear, he wants to stay. I’m clear, I want him to stay. So that story has been created. The story is wrong."

Thank's for clearing that up Lord Arsene!

Oh... and some interesting news on the Transfer front. AW has said he will probably stick with this squad for next season, Franck Ribery has said if Marseille fail to qualify for the Champions League he will leave. That surely signals that we should make a move for him, he's a quality player and would challenge Hleb & Freddie for that RM spot.

That's all for today Folks!

Good luck to the lads for the West Hame game today which is on Arsenal TV Online.

Au Revoir

West Ham preview / Kroenke buys stake in Gunners

2007-04-06T10:06:00.000+01:00

Tomorrow's match against West Ham can put us third if Liverpool lose against Reading (ok that's not going to happen) But the match is important for the players and it will help the players get their confidence back for the final games of this difficult Premiership season.

The team news is that our probable captain for today Gilberto is back in the squad after a hip complaint whilst Jeremie Aliadiere might challenge The 'Beast' Baptista for his place upfront.

This game is also important for West Ham who have a relegation battle to fight and their recent form against Arsenal is good, maybe they will be the first team to win at the Emirates though i hope these words don't come back to bite me.

I think if the Arsenal squad is motivated we should win by a couple of goals but if they play like they did at Anfield then they will punish us and most likely get a good result at the Emirates. I've already said that their main threat is Argentine striker Carlos Tevez but a few other players might impress like Reo-Coker, Zamora etc

Sadly i can't find many quotes from Wenger about this match but West Ham defender Anton Ferdinand has spoken of playing at the new stadium against The Gunners:

"It's going to be a very tough game for us but we always play well against the big sides.
"I've been there to watch my brother Rio and it's an unbelievable stadium. I'm really looking forward to it.
"They have players that play in big games, so it's going to be a very hard game. But hopefully we'll be the first team to beat them there."

That's hope we can get one over West Ham!

In other Arsenal news Stan Kroenke's company KSE Enterprise has bought a 9.9% stake in Arsenal PLC (The club's company)

He will also buy 50% of Arsenal Broadband LTD, all of this could cost the American up to £65,000,000. Don't tell me the man is going to pay that much of his money and not going to bid for the Club!

Maybe more info will come in the next few days.

In other news Barca apparently want Henry and are willing to offer 50 mil for him. No thanks. Oh yes... remember yesterday when i said Sp*rs were going to lose against Sevilla? Well they lost 2-1 and some of their fans got hurt in some crowd trouble - Ah diddums.

That's it for today. I'll do a review of the West Ham game on Sunday.

Gooner Chris

Champions League / New Signing

2007-04-05T10:06:00.000+01:00

Not much to talk about today, it seems as if the Champions League has been the Main Topic this week and that's what I want im going to start with.

Horrific scenes in the Champions League Quarter's yesterday. Roma got themselves in a one goal lead before half time and then...it all kicked off.

Some sort of missiles were being thrown back and forth (most likely coins) and as United fans responded to the taunting from Roma fans, Italian Police stepped in. Some fans were on the floor getting batons across their bodies whereas others were being restrained for no apparent reason. Those scenes cleared up and after Half Time and Roma went on to win by two goal's to one - with Ginger boy Scholes getting sent off for United.

In the other Champions League tie played last night Chelsea fought out a 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge against Spanish Giants Valencia. David Silva opened the scoring with a spectacular shot which arrowed past Chelsea keeper Cech from an acute angle. After the break it was Chelsea who controlled and it paid off when on-fire foward Didier Drogba neatly finshed. At least there was no crowd trouble here.

In Arsenal news we will apparently beat Liverpool to the signature of Valencia's young Portugese defender Yago Fernandez. Fernandez plays for the Portugese under-19 team and with a possible move to a Premiership club on the way Fernandez went against signing a Pro contract with his club. This is what he said:

"This is the biggest opportunity of my life," he is quoted in the Daily Mirror.
"I know Wenger works with young players and I will have more chance at Arsenal than in Spain."

He is sure right - and maybe it will be good for someone to challenge Big Phil and Johan in that postition.

More transfer news and Samuel Eto'o might join Liverpool, Nicklas Bendtner's agent has told Celtic and Rangers they have no chance of getting him to sign for them and finally if your interested in the UEFA Cup, Sp*rs play Sevilla tonight in a game which they will defintely lose!

Finally... we've seen some pictures of what looks like our away kit for next season. Some people have a problem with it as it's Sp*rs colours but to me it doesn't matter what kit the team wears - it's about how they perform on a Football pitch.

That's it for today.

Enjoy your day.

I'll do a West Ham preview for tomorrow.

Au Revoir

Gooner Chris

Welcome... to my Blog!

2007-04-04T15:57:00.000+01:00

Well, i've just created this blog for no real purpose other than talking about Arsenal and of course The beautiful game.

First, I'll start with the Champions League and Liverpool. Last night they managed to do something Arsenal couldn't in this year's Champions League - win against PSV. Not only did the scouser's win 3-0 comfortably, their support was terrific as usual with the 'Fields of Anfield Road' song belting out with 1,600 Liverpool fans singing. Hopefully next season the atmosphere will change at the Emirates with a few drums to make the noise. If you're wondering who else played last night, AC Milan and Bayern Munich fought out a fantastic 2-2 draw with the opener from Andrea Pirlo after some astounding saves from Bayern rookie goalkeeper Michael Rensing. Bayern started putting on the pressure and it eventually counted when Van Buyten finished neatly after some great work from the German Champions.

The second Milan goal came in second half, a dubious penalty from Kaka - when it looked as if Lucio made contact with the ball. Ten minutes from time you'd expect Milan to just edge it but as four minutes of stoppage time were added a free kick taken by Man United target Owen Hargreaves reached Van Buyten for the late, late equaliser to ensure Bayern take a good score to the Allianz Arena in the second leg. The team that goes through will play either Roma or Manchester United which makes for an exciting semi-final tie. Those two teams are playing each other tonight as well as Valencia v Chelsea which will surely be a watchable tie with Spanish hotshot David Villa on show.

Now onto Arsenal! Mighty Arsenal host relgation zone team West Ham who hope to continue their recent good run against us. It is most notable of their threat upfront with the in-form Argentine striker Carlos Tevez looking to make an impression against a team he might of joined in the January Transfer window. Arsenal though, need to get back to form as fourth place still hasn't been wrapped up with Bolton, Everton, Reading and even Tottenham looking to get qualify for the European spot's next season. One thing the team don't lack (apparently) is motivation, that's what our Ivorian Rock Kolo Toure said speaking to Arsenal.com after the loss at Anfield Toure told reporters:

"We lost but it is definitely a big motivation for the players to finish in third place. We are professional and we need to stay motivated because we are a big club and every game is important for us. We need to be really strong all over the pitch. When we win we win together and when we fail we fail together"

Well said Kolo.

Oh and just before I forget Mathieu Flamini has decided he will leave in the summer after not getting much playing time this season. It's understandable as he has chipped in with a few important goals most notably Zagreb and Liverpool and hasn't been in the Arsenal squad recently. The Frenchman said enough is enough:

"I have reached the end of a cycle. The Arsenal team is young and has qualities, but I play rarely at the moment. It is a difficult moment to experience and in such a situation any player asks himself some questions. Above all I want to go on working and improving."

We've got quite a few midfield players ahead of him like Abou & Denilson but if he goes I'd like to say thank you for the work you have done and wish him luck for the future.

Maybe I'll do a West Ham preview in a couple of days.

Look out for it!

Gooner_Chris