Thursday, September 30, 2010

Arsenal vs the Drog: Saga continues with new faces

The legendary Arsenal injury curse seems to be working again as we would be without several first choice players for the big match against champions Chelsea.

We know long term victims like Robin Van Persie, Theo Walcott, Aaron Ramsey will not be partaking in this match but news have filtered out that Captain Cesc Fabregas and defensive lynchpin Thomas Vermaelen will also miss out on the match. Goalkeeper Manual Almunia has not recovered from this shoulder injury and will be deputised by Lukaz Fabianski.

Cesc is still trying to make the team but Arsene has come out to tamper the expectation of the fans and saying his captain has "little chance" of making it. It will be a major loss of the team and hopes will rest on the shoulders of Nasri and Wilshere to gain control of the midfield against, the Bison Mikael Essien.

In defense we will have a completely new central partnership to face Didier Drogba. Of course, Squillaci and Koscielny have played together but it will be the first time they are coming up against the Drog. In previous season, Senderos, Gallas, Toure, Campbell, Vermaelen have all come up against the Ivorian and have lost the battle.

It is difficult to predict what will happen with the two French man as they could be brilliant one game (against Sunderland) and absolutely crap in the other (against WBA). I with both of them the best of luck.

However it is in goal which I have the most worry. I have already said my piece about Fabianksi in my last post so I won't dwell on it anymore. Let's just say, I hope the Pole make me eat my words and have a blistering game on Sunday.

Match preview to follow.
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Fabianski to start against Chelsea? Oh Please NO!

I know our new star goalkeeper Fabianski has gotten good reviews for his performance in the game against Partizan. There are even reports that he might start against Chelsea this weekend. The player himself has come out and boasted about how he has now the confidence to face Chelsea and is not afraid of the game. He said in a post match interview,

 ‘I’m ready to play against Chelsea. I was always ready. 
I was never really bothered by all the things that were said.’

Big words from the most aligned Arsenal goalkeeper in recent history. Yet his performance in Belgrade doesn't show me that he can actually walk the talk. Seriously what did he do during that game that was so fantastic.

Yes, he managed to save a penalty but he failed to save one as well. He guessed correctly and was helped by a weak shot.  Yes, he manage to save one with his feet when exposed by squillaci early in the game but that's about all that he did. I have read some papers saying he managed to catch a cross in a crowded area and made a save near the end the match but how does that qualify as turning the corner. If he can't even do that, then he shouldn't even be a goalkeeper.  His one clearance ins the match, he couldn't get up in the air and the ball rolled on the ground but luckily there were no Partizan attackers to pounce on it.

I think his mere presence in the Arsenal goalkeeper creates an atmosphere of uncertainty among the defensive players. They know they cannot be relied on the goalkeeper to save them and this increases the pressure on them.

You can mark my word that if he plays on Sunday, we would lose.
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Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Fine victory but were we really that good!

It was a good win for the team considering the circumstances; an intimidating crowd in a cauldron of a stadium, a side who is unbeaten at home for close to 2 years, a goalkeeper known more for his calamitous mistakes rather than brilliant saves and bottom of the barrel team morale following the disappointing defeat at the weekend.

It was a hard earned victory in the end, much harder than the scoreline suggest. FK Partizan, boosted by the home support really gave us a run for our money and control large parts for the game. They even won two penalties.

So why have all the articles in the papers talked about how good we were last night?  Imagine pundits, analysts and fans alike that skewered Fabianski before the match suddenly thinks he has become world class with his performance in this match.
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Seriously, I must be watching a different match to them because I thought we didn't play well at all. From the first minute up till our first goal, the team was all at sea. The defence did not show much improvement from the weekend and could have easily conceded a penalty when Squillaci brought down the Partizan attacker in the box. It was only after the first goal in the 15th minute that we managed to calm down and control the match. However, we were again not clinical in our finishing so it gave the opposition hope that they could get back in the game. If Arshavin and Rosicky had converted their chances then it would have been a much easier ride.
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Well they didn't and when Denilson gave away the penalty, suddenly Partizan were level. I have noticed this about the team for a while now. We don't seem to be able to kill off the game and often make the one mistake that allows the opposition back in. So far this season we have only been burnt once at Sunderland but if we don buck up in our finishing, the bite from the Stadium of Light won't be the last one.

We didn't play at that well in the second half also. We got lucky with the sending off and penalty (which I thought was a bit harsh) which Arshavin failed to convert. What's happening to our penalty takers anyway? We used to bang them in like clockwork. My guess, the pressure is getting to the team even experienced players like Rosicky and Arshavin. The tide turn with the sending off and we were again playing against ten men. It must be at least 4 out of seven games now, that the opposition had a player red-carded against us.&nbsp;

Being a man down was always going to be difficult against us and Chamakh and Squillaci made sure of the points for us. Even then we manage to shoot ourselves in the foot again, this time Gibbs giving away a reckless penalty for clumsy challenge. Who know what would have happened in the last few minute had Cleo had scored the penalty. But his shot was tame and duly save by Fabianski who made a correct choice of which direction to dive.

So does this match give me confidence going into the big London derby on Sunday. It doesn’t. As I said earlier the team did not seem to have improved that much from the WBA defeat. The slick Arsenal machine seems to be missing with passes going astray and not converting goal opportunities. This victory however should serve to raise the boys morale and hopefully with the return of the Cesc for visit to Stamford Bridge, it will all come back together.

As for Fabianski, I will address him in my next post..
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Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Seriously Arsene, why Fabianski ?

I must confess to being from "Arsene can do no wrong" school of thought. However, being as devoted to the manager as I am, I still can't see any reason why he is adamant about keeping Flappy in goal for the Champion's League game against Partizan.

I know our manager rates both the young keepers in waiting, Vito Mannone and Wojciech highly. So why not take a chance either one for this match. If anything, this is the best match to see if either can step up and be called upon when the need arises. This is not one of those must win matches that might be too risky to blood them. Even if we lose this match, there is no dire consequences, we would still be able to make the latter stage easily. So what are we still sticking with Fabianski?

We know what we are going to get from him. He's just there to lose us games. Seriously, have he played a game and made you confident about his abilities. He was not trouble at all during his last outing but when he needed to make the one simple save from a weak shot, he fluffed it.

Unfortunately, the boss is still as stubborn as ever when it comes to Flappy. In his interview, he said


"I have no concerns about Fabianski. Only you in the media have concerns. He made mistakes against Porto, but he can show that he has learnt from that."
 
SERIOUSLY.

The probable line-up: Fabianski (sigh) , Gibbs, Djourou, Squillaci, Eboue, Song, Wilshere, Rosicky, Arshavin, Nasri, Chamakh
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Monday, September 27, 2010

FK Partizan v Arsenal : An early preview

I am looking to the boys to bounce back after the unrecognizable performance at the weekend. The 2-3 defeat to West Bromwich Albion was our first defeat at the Emirates since January when we lost to Manchester United. So it is probably a good thing that they are playing this match away in Belgrade, as the reception at home might not be so friendly.

In the last Champions League match, the Gunners ran riot over Braga with a 6-0 victory and Arsene  will be keen for the team to redeem themselves with an away victory and maintain control of Group D.
Ahead of the big clash with Chelsea this coming Sunday, Le Professeur would definitely make changes to the team that gave the shambolic performance at the Emirates. Expect to see Wilshere, Rosicky and maybe Vela in place of Diaby, Eboue and Arshavin.

I am not reading too much into it but the fact that Diaby is not even on the plane to Belgrade might be justification to my earlier post about him. I had some angry comments by some fans then about how he has improved but his performance at the weekend surely give more weight to my arguments.

I also expect to see a change in the centre of defence with Djourou coming in for Koscielny  as I think the young French defender probably needs a rest having played all the matches this season bar one.

The one change which I really didn't want to see was having Fabianski between the post. Unfortunately, he will be as Almunia has also not travelled after hurting his elbow last weekend. Seriously with Flappy in goal, the chances of us winning this one has been reduced by at least 50%.

As for the home side, FK Partizan is still undefeated in the Serbian League this season with 5 wins and 1 draw to lead the table with 16 points from 6 matches so far. They have only conceded 1 goal so far while blasting 11 past their opponents.

Their only blemish in the league so far has been the 0-0 draw against Spartak Zlatibo at home last Saturday. It was a wasted opportunity for Partizan to stretch their win streak to 6 games as they controlled the game and had plenty of opportunities to kill the off the game. If not for the brilliance of the Spartak goalkeeper and their own wastefulness in front goal, the three points would surely have been theirs.

Partizan has no major injury worries coming into this match and will be looking to top scorer Cleo to lead the line against the Gunners.

Prediction

This would be the first time both teams are meeting each other in the Champions League. I think we have the quality to get a win here but I am more reserve in my judgement just for the fact Fabianski is in goal.
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Sunday, September 26, 2010

Enough with the negativity already, there is a silver lining out there

I woke up today and expected to be bombard with all kinds of negative reactions following our loss yesterday. Seriously, I never knew that Arsenal fans were so negative about the team. Blog after blog, comment after comments, all were condemning the team to hell.I say enough of the negativity already, even the best team suffer defeats or have an off day. Look no further than Barcelona, the best club side in the world being beaten by Hercules a newly promoted side (pretty similar to our situation yesterday, I would think).

Let's We should stop having a go at Almunia. Arsene is right not to pinpoint Al as the scapegoat for the defeat. In his Sky Sports interview he said,

"I don't think it was down to one player..our level of focus on the job was not right.

"I believe you can include all the defenders as well. They all made massive mistakes so it would not be right to blame one player more than any other."


He makes mistakes as any other goalkeeper...Hart, Reina, Schwarzer, Green, Given...goalkeepers that we have been linked to in the past and they have all made blunders this season. Remember it was Reina's dreadful mistake which saved us from defeat on opening day. So let's give Al a break and support him at least until January. Having a go at him constantly will never be good for his confidence and he's the best we good. Do you want to swap him for Fabianski? I think not.

The silver lining in our defeat yesterday was that everyone else that matters also did not get full points. Chelsea lost, Spurs lost, Man U drew, Liverpool drew, Everton drew. Only Man City managed to get 3 points but with them being so inconsistent, I wouldn't be too worried about them just yet.

So if you look at the table, nothing much has change. we are still 4 points behind Chelsea as we were before saturday and Man U is only one ahead. This season is gonna be like last and there won't be any runaway leader for the title. All the teams are capable of beating anybody on its day. The last one standing will be the one that really believes and we as the fans must give our team that believe.
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Saturday, September 25, 2010

Carling Cup Draw

Arsenal will face another Premiership match-up in the Carling Cup when they travel to north-east England for the fourth round clash against Newcastle United at St. James Park.The tie will be played in the week commencing 25th October.

Will Arsene Wenger finally have a go at winning this trophy? How he selects his team for this one will probably give us the answer to this question.
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It's bad but let's get behind the boys

It was a perfomance reminiscence of last season's woefulness at Wigan and Blackburn. At least those were away games. there is absolutely no excuse for this one. We were just simply POOR.

I am not going to a have a go at the side because it's basically pointless. We were in this same situation last year so basically we can all rehash what said last year and print it again. Let's put it down to a bad day at the office and move on.

I am also not going to blame Almunia for the defeat. Many would point to his blunder in the second and third goal as the key moments where we lost the day. I disagree. No doubt, Al was at his worst today but so were the rest. Diaby, Clichy Koscielny, Arshavin, Eboue... were all equally bad on the pitch.

I still have faith in this team and am very sure that we will pick our self up from this defeat. It is probably a good thing because I think we went into this game pretty complacent and thought we could just stroll to another victory over an inferior team. Now that it happened, let's be optimistic that the boys have learnt a priceless lesson and not repeat this performance again.

On a day when we could have closed the gap to league leaders Chelsea as they went down to the Citizens at Eastlands,we failed to take the opportunity. Nonetheless, I want to give the boys my full support to go out at Stamford Bridge and stun the Blues. If that happens, all the disappointment from today will be forgotten.

Cheer up guys! There's still a long way to go in the season and there will be chance for redemption.
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Friday, September 24, 2010

Nothing less than three points and another win will do for this weekend

This Saturday we are back at fortress Emirtates to face West Bromwich Albion. Roberto di Matteo's team has been a surefire candidate for relegation since they came up and it sure didn'th elp their cause with the 0-6 opening day defeat to Chelsea. However, since then they have managed to surprise some cynics with good results notably last weekend 3-1 win against Birmingham and tossing Manchester City out of the League Cup on Wednesday.

Nonetheless this is a game which I expect nothing less than another win and three points from our boys. In fact, I am pretty sure we will get blast in another 4 goals to add to our already healthy season tally for goals scored. And with our defense finally looking good, a clean sheet is definitely not of the chart.

We lost three players to injury during the Carling Cup victory over Spurs: Gibbs, Eboue, and Rosicky and we have no players coming back from injury with the probable exception of Diaby. He faces a late fitness test tomorrow while Song will also be available as he returns from suspension.

So the team sort of picks itself from what we have available at the moment: Al, Bac, Squillaci, Kos, Clichy,Song,Denilson, Wilshere,Nasri, Arshavin and Chamakh. I reckon this would be the line-up Arsene would go with although I wouldn't mind seeing Lansbury retain his place in the team at the expense of Denilson.

Whatever the team Arsene plays, games like this are a must win if we are going to be challenging for title. As I said earlier, it was not defeats to Manchester United and Chelsea that cost us the title last year but rather the dropped points at Burnley, Birmingham, Wigan etc.. We cannot let it happen again.


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Thursday, September 23, 2010

Good news all around!

It's all positive news today for the Gunners as injuries suffered by Kieran Gibbs and Cesc Fabregas should only keep them away for a "short period".




After hobbling off in extra time in the match against Spurs, we all feared the worst for young Gibbs. Initial reports that he had broken his metatarsal again  was proven to be wrong and the scan showed only "severe bruising" and the player will only be out for the short term. However, we are dealing with the Arsenal medical team so short term can mean a matter of months. For example, Vermaelan was only supposed to miss a couple of matches through a minor injury but it's been 4 matches since we saw the Belgian and it doesn't look like he will make it for saturday's game against the Baggies.



The other piece of good news came as a surprise as Cesc Fabregas told the press that he is fighting to be fit for the Chelsea game and will most likely make it. He said 



'The injury is not as bad as we first thought. There is no muscle rupture and I will be back perfect in about 10 to 11 days. 'I am working with an osteopath in Paris and just working day to day. I think I will make the Chelsea game.'



Finally the club is expected to announce record profits in its annual report scheduled to be release tomorrow. According to the press, the club will also announce that its debt for the Highbury Square development which once amounted to  £133 million has been fully re-paid six month early.

In this day and time, when football clubs are finding it difficult to keep afloat and need billionaire tycoons to bail them out, this is a fantastic achievement for the Gunners?



However, the question still remain? Have we sacrifice our footballing success for one in the management offices. The longer we go without winning anything, the louder the groans from the fans.

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Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Nasri blast away penalty superstition

Who says you can't win a free kick and take it yourself ? I don't know how this came about but it sure cost us two points at the Stadium of Light on saturday when Samir Nasri refused to take the spotkick after winning it in the first place. I believe he must have inherited this from Thierry Henry, who practised this superstition for years during his time with us. I didn't cost us much them as Henry always did have an excellent sidekick in Robert Pires to take over but as we saw on, these things can really bite you when it matters.

Arsene Wenger was clearly furious on saturday and it's was a good thing as well. If not for the manager's bollocking, I am sure Nasri would not have take the two penalties he won yesterday. Who knows it may have even cost us the match. Arsene said in a post match interview,

"He had a superstition to think that when the penalty is made on you, not to take it," said Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger after his club's biggest win at White Hart Lane in 32 years.

"I tried to prove to him that it's only based on fear. It's gone tonight...he realises now it was a bad superstition."


Well, I hope he has debunked the myth and will be taking more penalties because judging by the two yesterday, he is excellent at it.

Yesterday game really showed a determined Arsenal in the home of their greatest enemy. Every player was chasing the ball and closing down the opponent. The Spuds really didn't know how to play. Yes they left most of their first team players on the bench but so did we. I can recall how most of the analyst have proclaimed the Spuds having a very strong squad will a deep bench, well we prove them wrong didn't we? I don't think Fabianski had a save to make in the entire match bar the one he let in.

It was great seeing Henri Lansbury playing and getting a goal to boot. In the game, Arsenal had 3 future English internationals in Wilshere, Gibbs and Lansbury with another, Emmanuel Thomas on the bench. With many more English youngster coming up through the ranks, I wouldn't be suprise if the majority of the 2014 England team is made up of Arsenal players.

All in all it was sweet victory over the Spuds and at 4-1, our biggest at White Hart Lane for 32 years. The only dampener is Gibbs injury towards the end. Early reports indicate that he may have broken his metatarsal again but let's wait for the results and hope for the best.


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Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Tottenham v Arsenal: Team Line-Ups

For once, Arsene Wenger has gone with a blend of experience and youth for a League Cup match. Sensing the fans desire not to lose 2 consecutive matches to the Scums, the manager has decided not to included any of the youth players with the exception of Henri Lansbury in the starting line-up.

Arsenal: Fabianski; Eboue, Koscielny, Djourou, Gibbs; Denilson, Wilshere, Rosicky; Lansbury; Nasri, Vela

Spurs: Pletikosa; Naughton, Caulker, Bassong, Assou-Ekotto; Bentley, Sandro, Palacios, Livermore; Giovani; Pavlyuchenko
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Monday, September 20, 2010

The Carling Cup Dilemma

Should we send out our first team tonight for the league cup against the Scums? The jury is still out there for this one, but it is probably a moot point since Arsene is not going to change his philosophy on the league.

Personally, I am fully supportive of the manager in his stance. I know the league cup would probably be the best chance we have of winning a silverware this season but will we be happy winning the Mickey Mouse cup? Definitely not me.

The league cup matches have contribute a great deal to the young players development for the team. I remember a young Cesc Fabregas aged 16, scoring his first Arsenal goal in a Carling Cup match against Wolves. Without the benefit of such first team exposure, his development would probably not be so meteoric. Ditto for the likes Clichy, Gibbs, Song, Wilshere and the rest who came through the academy.

We are in the midst of reaping the fruits of Arsene's philosophy but we shouldn't neglect the future. Plus, I am excited to see how lads such as JET, Eastmond, Bartlett and Cruize perform at a higher level than they normally do in the Reserves. Wouldn't it be great if our reserves manage to beat the Scums at their own den. Harry would undoubtedly pepper his squad with some youngsters as well so it would be great to see how the future of the two clubs go head to head with each other.

Our youngsters managed a great victory over Liverpool at this stage last year and I expect more of the same from them this year.

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Sunday, September 19, 2010

All hail the almighty Referee!

Instead, I think it's time for FIFA to take away some responsibility from the referee. Being a referee in this day and age, is an extremely pressuring occupation and FIFA has not done anything to help the man in the middle do his job. Take for example, being the official time keeper. Why should the referee be in charge?

In other teams sports like rugby and field hockey, the time is kept separately from the match officials and when the buzzer sounds, the game ends. Plain and simple. For years we have had disputes over the time, whether it's too much injury time or too little, or when should the referee blow the whistle. For example, last week we say David Moyes lambasting referee Martin Atkinson for blowing the whistle when Everton was attacking and close to getting a winner during Everton's draw with Man United. This week, Phil Down refuse to blow the whistle even after the allocated injury time. Again, why do we let this happen?

Why must allow the game to be open to human errors and criticism when it could be easily rectified. FIFA would like the referees to be respected as the only say in the football rule book on the field but with every mistake the campaign is fast becoming a joke. Respect is earned not demanded and with referees like Phil Dowd around, its difficult to keep a straight face just mentioning the word.

Referees today are like court judges when they are out in the field. They are the kings of the domain and no one can question their decision. However, one big difference in the two occupations is unlike referees, judges have to give written summations on their verdicts, In football, referees go about their work without any repercussions or even need to explain wrong decisions. Unless, we see some changes, everybody, from the teams to the fans, will be poorer because of it.


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Saturday, September 18, 2010

Heartbreak for the Gunners at the Stadium of Light

A  95th minute goal by Darren Bent put paid to our chances of extending our winning streak to 5 games in all competitions. It was pure heartbreak for the team who had played the last 30 minutes with 10 men after Alex Song was dismissed for two bookable offences.

Arsenal opened the scoring with Fabregas's third goal in two matches, when the ball he was chasing and being cleared by Anton Ferdinand, hit him and catapult into the goal. Most of the pundits may call it a freak goal but I see it more as the dedication of Cesc in pressuring Anton Ferdinand that resulted in the goal. Ferdinand was also sloppy and slow in getting the ball away.

We didn't really play well after that with Sunderland maintaining most of the possession for the rest of the first half. Cesc injured his hamstring during the run-up to the goal and had to be replaced by Rosicky. It was reported that he had suffered a hamstring injury. We will just have to wait to see how long he will be out.

As with the previous games, we started off with much more pizazz, stroking the ball around and creating chances which Arshavin squandered. The turning point in the match came in the 55th minute when Song was given a red card for his obstruction on Steed Malbranque. After that, we continue to play good counter attacking football and was rewarded with a penalty when Nasri was brought down in the box. Stand-in captain Rosicky stepped up but to the horror of the travelling fans, blasted the ball high. 

We managed to withstand the onslaught by Sunderland until the 95th minute when the penalty miss really came back to bit us. Zenden lofted the ball into the ball and in the melee, the ball fell to Bent who made on mistake from 3 yards out.

It was 2 points dropped considering how close we came to a win but the positives from the match far outweigh the negatives. The central defensive pairing of Squillaci and Koscielny was as solid as anything we have seen since the days of Adams, Keown and Bould. It is something to look forward to in the coming matches as although our profligacy in front of goal cost us in this match, it is a flaw which seems easier to correct than a defensive one.


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Friday, September 17, 2010

Match Preview - Sunderland v Arsenal

Last year, we came into this match at the Stadium of Light on good form, winning all our matches since the early season defeats to both Manchester clubs. However, Sunderland stop us dead in our tracks and we lose 0-1 with Darren Bent scoring the only goal. This was also the first game of the season where we failed to score, a testament to the team that Steve Bruce has built since he came into the job.

This weekend we return to Sunderland in similar circumstances. We are in good form, second in the table unbeaten so far in the season and off  to a brilliant start in the Champions League.  So, I am hoping that history do not repeat itself and we can maintain carry on our unbeaten streak.

This match will again be another test of character for the boys and in particular the defense, which has stood up so far. As TV4 is still fighting to be fit for the match, I reckon Arsene will again go with the all French defense he employed in mid-week. Gael Clichy who has come in for some early season criticism for his lacklustre start was brilliant in the game against Braga.

We don't have any new injuries at the moment so we can field an unchanged side for the match. However I do foresee some changes. I predict Denilson will come in for Wilshere while possible Rosicky on for Arshavin. The Russian did not have a great game on Wednesday but he somehow managed a goal and two assists in 70 minutes.

Under Steve Bruce, Sunderland was become a tenacious side, playing impressive football. Going forward they have the twin threat of Bent and new signing Asamoah Gyan, while the defense marshaled by John Mensah and Titus Bramble has done a good job so far this season, conceding only 4 goals in 4 matches. They have an injury doubt in Mensah while their skipper Lee Cattermole while be missing through suspension.

Last year  was our first away defeat to Sunderland in 10 years so it's time to start a new streak this time around
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Thursday, September 16, 2010

Allardyce playing games with Wenger, again

Sam Allardyce has come up to accuse Arsene Wenger of manipulating the media and influencing the referee in order to protect the Arsenal player from getting fouled. In a interview yesterday, he said

'Arsene has most of the media in his pocket now and is almost affecting the officials so that you can't tackle an Arsenal player. That's something he's very clever at working on and it's almost working in his favor.

Read his interview before the Stoke City v Aston Villa match, what he said and how he said it - he's a very, very clever man in terms of influencing referees, officials and everybody in football.

There is a perception that we kick everybody and Arsenal's motivation is that you can't tackle us as you aren't supposed to. In terms of saying people are trying to injure players he's trying to influence, through the media, the referees and that's something they shouldn't get sucked in to.'



He also insisted that these days defenders just don't go in to injure players anymore. Well, tell that to Diaby, Eduardo and Ramsey or even Bobby Zamora. Arsene is not just protecting Arsenal's players but if you look at the league now, there seem to be a general agreement that to stop the better teams from playing, you have to be aggressive and "kick them of the ball".


I am sure any of the Blackburn defenders were to take out Rooney or Gerrard, the British press would have plenty to say about Big Sam's comments. Until that happens, we would just have to show dinosaurs like Allardyce that football is a contact sport yes, but it should be played in a professional manner. Having seen Big Sam's teams over the years, I can safely say that his strategy and philosophy is anything but that.



Elsewhere, some injury updates before the weekend's match at the Stadium of Light. Diaby would probably be out for a while but we should get TV4 back for the game against Sunderland. Although the Squillaci/Koscielny partnership looks ok, having Vermaelen back is definitely a major boost to our defense.
Arsene would be having this usual Friday conference tomorrow so we should have more news on the players then.


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Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Inspirational Fabregas drives Arsenal to 6-0 victory in Champions League

Classy, inspiring, passionate etc etc all these superlatives can be heaped on our captain Francesc Fabregas tonight. His dominating performance helped Arsenal to an easy 6-0 victory in the opening match of this season's Champions League. Cesc scored two goals with the second a milestone 50th goal for the club, while Arshavin, Chamakh and Vela chipped in with a goal each.

I expected a much tougher fight in this match from Braga but they chose to be timid and played with only one striker up front, with the Braga coach choosing to leave his main goal-getter,Lima on the bench. The lone striker, Matheus was often stranded up front and our defense had no problems coping with the Braga attacks. We sported an all French defense for the first time ever and it was hardly tested.

Cesc started the rout in the 9th minute when he converted the penalty after Chamakh was brought down by the goalkeeper. After that, the away side settled a bit and managed to hold their position  for a long spell and even slightly threatened with Alan's run down the wing.  All this change when Arshavin scored our second goal, following yet another brilliant pass from Cesc. Just 4 minutes later, Chamakh added the third.

The second half began much like the first, with Arsenal controlling possesion and the Braga players chasing shadows. Cesc made it 4-0 when he headed in a delightful chip from Arshavin following good work from the captain himself, chasing after a loose ball. The introduction of Vela for Chamakh brought two more goals as the Mexican scored his first two Champions League goals for the club. Cesc nearly got his hattrick but was just denied by the outstretch hands of the goalkeeper.

Even though he did not get his throughly deserved match ball, this victory is all due to Cesc. As with the weekend's win over Bolton, our captain control the midfield and unselfishly set-up goals for his teammates. The last goal of the night is testament to this young man's character as he could have easily gone for goal himself but chose to pass to a teammate in a better position. In two games, Cesc has dispel any lingering thoughts from the fans that his heart is no longer at the Emirates. Judging by his attitude and passion for the club, it would really be a sad day when he finally leaves the club at the end of the season.

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Arsene makes 3 changes in the team to face Braga

The line-up for tonight's game has just been released. Our beloved manager has made a couple of changes to the team at the weekend with Samir Nasri returning after a month out with an ankle injury. Sagna and Clichy are back in their regular spots after being rested at the weekend.

In midfield, Rosicky makes way for the returning Nasri, while young Jack Wilshere keeps his place in the team alongside Cesc and Alex Song.

The full lineup : Almunia; Sagna, Koscielny, Squillaci, Clichy; Song, Fabregas, Wilshere; Nasri, Chamakh, Arshavin. Subs: Fabianski, Rosicky, Vela, Denilson, Djourou, Eboue, Gibbs
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Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Sleepless nights and the European adventure begins again

Arsene Wenger has admitted that years of failure in the Champions League is giving him sleepless night just thinking about it. He isn't the only one, I must say. Each year, I begin hoping for the Gunners to claim their Holy Grail but every year we end up dissapointed. We have come close on several occasion but since 2006, we seem to not have the luck of the draw as we are either being paired with another English team or one of the major contenders early in the knockout rounds. Last year's capitulation at the Nou Camp was extremely heartbreaking given our performance in the first leg. We would never know what would have happened if we had the full team for the first leg available.

Anyway, it's no point crying over spilt milk, and this year our adventure begins again at home to Braga. In a Sky Sports interview, Arsene has stressed the importance of getting maximum points at home. He also cautioned his players to be wary of Braga. This Portugese may not have the pedigree of Porto or Benfica but they just lost out to Benfica in the league last year and knocked out Sevilla in the Champion League qualifying rounds. I would certainly be exercise caution in thinking we can just strolled our way to another victory.

Having said that, I remain optimistic about our chances this years (as I have every other year) about our chances. Arsene himself talked up our chances. He said

"We have a good mixture of quality and more experience. You know when you see our team play that they are not any more tender. We are equipped to win the Champions League. "

I just hope that at the end of this season both Arsene and myself would not have any more sleepless nights.
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Monday, September 13, 2010

Neville, your team is choking now!!

Not sure if anyone noticed that Man U has dropped points in their last two matches to late minute goals. This has really given me a chance to pounce on the Man U fans that have previously ridicule us for being soft and always conceding goals towards the end. It was fun to watch Evra and especially Neville so desolate after the Everton match.

These two players have always said our boys are chokers and will never win anything. Well, we may not win all our matches this season but I would wager that we would finish above Man U this season.

Elsewhere, our captain has come out in support of Almunia and insists that the much maligned goalkeeper has the trust of the team in this season's challenges. Cesc said

"Manuel commanded the defence very well at Blackburn - but it is not just about one game or two or three. He is a well-loved player among everybody here and performs well for this club. We all wish him a super season and have a lot of trust."

Almunia has done well in the past two games and bears no fault in the goals that we have conceded. However, I am still wary about his ability in the air and his concentration. Let's just hope with the support from his teammates, he can really prove his doubters wrong and be the world class goalkeeper that we want him to be.



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Sunday, September 12, 2010

Bolton should have gotten 3 red cards!

Just when I thought Owen Coyle has changed the way Bolton played as a team, I was dissapointed with the way they chosed to resort to rough tactics to delay their inevitable defeat. Kevin Davies was the ultimate culprit and should have been sent off twice over in the game. Paul Robinson's tackle on Diaby is another worthy of a red but we weren't afforded a free kick. We are still awaiting news on Diaby but it can be sure he will face a spell on the sidelines.


In a interview carried in the SUN, Arsene said

"There could have been other red cards. You have to see it again because in the heat of the game it is sometimes difficult to judge, but the challenge on Diaby was a bad tackle. He is not in a very good shape. Diaby cannot move his leg at the moment,".

It useless to wait for the officials to take any action on this matter as we have seen time and again that our players are never being protected at all. The fact that we have come away from these two games, Blackburn and Bolton with maximum points is a testament to the growing physical strength of team. The manager has added steel to our gameplay promises better results down the road. The sight of Cesc and Song brushing the Bolton players off the ball and during tackles is delightful and one that I have waited for some time.

On another unrelated news, our most popular American fan. Jay-Z  is talking about buying into the club by taking over the shares from Lady Nina Smith. According to the Mirror, Jay-Z is even looking for a place on the board. For me, this is great news. Jay-Z is a brilliant businessman and could really help the club achieve a higher profile among world football supporters.


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Saturday, September 11, 2010

Arsenal romp to 4-1 victory at the Emirates

Arsenal continued its recent dominance over Bolton as the Gunners romped to a 4-1 win at the Emirates Stadium today. Goals by Koscielny, Chamakh, Song and Vela ensured the 3 points for Arsenal over 10 man Bolton, who had Gary Cahill sent off early in the second half.

Arsenal started with a makeshift defense as Thomas Vermaelen was injured while regulars Bacary Sagna and Gael Clichy were rested after their international duties. There was a new partnership in central defense with new signing Sebastian Squillaci making this home debut alongside Koscielny, with Eboue and Gibbs completing the defensive quartet.

We started off brightly with Cesc and Rosicky running the show in midfield. With a brilliant through pass, Tomas created a one-on-one chance for Arshavin against the Bolton keeper but the little Russian could not complete the move. This was not to be the Russian's day as he missed at least 2 more clear cut chances when set through by Cesc Fabregas.

Our first goal came when Wilshere, who was preferred to Diaby in the starting line, found Cesc in the penalty box with a lovely floated pass, who in turn helped it along for Koscielny to bundled it into the goal. It was not pretty but the Frenchman will cherish his first Arsenal goal all the same. We were pretty much in control after that until the closing minutes of the first half, where a mistake by Koscielny led to an equalizer by Johann Elmander.

The second half started pretty much the same way as the first with Arsenal controlling the pace although Bolton looked threatening with their set-pieces. We got our second goal in the 58th courtesy of Chamakh who headed in a cross after some fine play by our captain.

The match ended as a contest in the 64th minute when referee Stuart Atwell sent off Gary Cahill for a tackle of Chamakh. Truthfully the red card looked a bit harsh on the Bolton defender. After that incident, it was all Arsenal as Song added in our third before Vela capped a magnificent 20+ pass play with cool finishing for the fourth.

At the end it was a comfortable win for us although the match really changed on the decision by the referee. We could have been punished for Arshavin wastefulness in front of goal but we rode our luck today. The best thing for me about this match as the performance of our captain. Cesc was at his absolutely best in controlling the game and setting up plays for his teammates. He was involved in all four goals and could have another 3 more assist if Arshavin had scored. The man of the match for our captain clearly shows where his heart is at the moment.


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Thursday, September 9, 2010

Will Squillaci start against Bolton

So our new signing Sebastian Squillaci went through 90 minutes for the reserve team against Blackburn. I haven't seen the footage for the match so I can make any comments about him as yet. Just wondering for those who have seen him in action that day, is he better than Kos or should be stick to the Kos-TV4 partnership.

I must admit that the current central partnership still does not embed confidence especially against traditional British teams like Blackburn and our next opponents Bolton.

In the match against Blackburn, we look shaky every time the ball was floated into the penalty box. We managed to cope during the match but not sure if we would be so lucky all the time. Bolton, as we know also plays a very direct game with Kevin Davies the main danger upfront. I would be tempted to stick Squillaci into the game just to counter these threats. He is a pretty big guy and should be able to cope with these threats better than Kos. Don't get me wrong, I think Kos has done brilliantly in the first couple of games but he is still a bit lightweight for my liking.

Other than that, I think we should be able to cope with the loss of both RVP and Theo for the time being unless Chamakh gets himself on the treatment table this weekend. We currently only have Chamakh and Vela as outright strikers so any more injury to the squad, and we would be back to the situation a year ago.

It's been too long since the Blackburn match and I can't wait to see the Gunners in action again. These international breaks are just a nuisance.
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Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Walcott injury update

I was fearing the worst when I saw Theo being strecthered off during last night's game. However, the Guardian today reported that the injury is not as bad as initially feared and Theo should only be out for a couple of weeks rather than month. He will definitely miss the Bolton and Braga matches but hopefully will be back for the visit to Stamford Bridge on Oct 3.

Somehow, the injury curse always occur to our players when they are in the best of forms. Last year, RVP was brilliant until he was floored by the ankle injury. This year, Nasri was in fine pre-season form and he was struck with an injury as well. Now, Theo , who has been the best player in the opening three matches is also out. Is there no end to this curse. The analysis by LadyArse paints the whole picture of this curse. Great work LadyArse !



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Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Walcott injured in England Friendly

Well, the curse strikes again. Another player will be coming back from international duty injured. Theo, who has been in brilliant form for us in the opening couple of games, was stretchered off in last night's 2012 qualifier against the Swiss. He was immediately rushed to the hospital for scans on his ankle. We are still waiting for news but I seriously hope it would not be a major.

Whatever it is, we will probably not see him for the Bolton match and possibly the European tie against Braga as well.
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Ryan Shawcross, you're dumb and blind

The international break continues to drag on as the national teams play the second of the 2012 qualifiers tonight. After this, the players go back to their clubs and the Premiership can start again. Can't wait for that? It has really been a bore for us Gunners fans as news about the club seems particularly dry. The columns of the sports pages have mostly been filled with the Rooney scandal. It's inevitable since sex sells and the papers seldom report anything good or non-controversial about Arsenal anyway.

The back pages of the Mirror today has an article on the Italian player Ricardo Montolivo and how he has no desire to join us.I know he was linked to us in the summer but seriously do we even want him. We have an abundance of midfield playing talent in the team and if we would actually need a playmaker (if a certain captain of ours leave next year) I think we can definitely do better than this guy. Watched him in the World Cup and he doesn't have anything on him that tells me he is better than what we have.

The Daily Mail carried the article on Ryan Shawcross talking about Arsene Wenger and how our boss should mind his own business. According to him,


'I don’t mind people having their opinions, but if it’s not a game involving his players then I don’t see the point of bringing up me and Huthy. I’ve watched the video again and at no point did I go anywhere near Gomes. (referring to the Stoke v Spurs game)

Well, Ryan, you have previously shown that you are a dirty, brutish and definitely more suited for rugby or ice-hockey rather than football, but now, you are telling people that you are blind as well. Anybody who has seen a replay of the video, can clearly see you and your fellow mate, Robert Huth, barging and pushing the Spurs keeper. Just because you again got away with it doesn't mean it didn't happen. Please be a man and own up to your actions and at least be truthful to yourself.


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Sunday, September 5, 2010

Cesc's a hostage at Arsenal

Here I thought that after the transfer window has closed that we will be spared the usual sensationalistic bull****. Boy, was I wrong! I must admit that I was and still is a bit skeptical about the Daily Mail piece about how he is being kept at Arsenal despite his insistence to go. It's the same old line and I have a very strong feeling that the interviews were conducted some time ago and rehash as a new article since it's a pretty empty news week in the Premiership.

We all know he wanted to go to Barcelona in the summer but Arsene Wenger talked some sense into him. He has since come out to declare his loyalty to the Gunners for this season and his performances so far has not told us otherwise. I believe Cesc is the consummate professional who will gives his best no matter what. This may be his last season with us and I am sure he wants to leave the Emirates a hero.

I hope we don't get more nonsense coming out from the dailies so that everyone can get down to serious footballing business once the Premiership resumes next week. Certainly it will be my last post on this subject and if you ever catch me writing about this subject ever again this season, a mystery gift awaits you.
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Thursday, September 2, 2010

Please come back safe!

Not much news going on in the Arsenal camp as players leave on their national team duties. I think we have 16 players going off and I just hope that none of them come back with a long term injury ala RVP last season.

Having read a couple of blogs, it seems that the all the rage over the goalkeeper saga has abated most of the fans will still be behind the team and the manager. As I have said in my previous post Almunia is not the problem but more Fabianski, and I guess i am not alone with this view. Read Arseblog's post here for a his take on the goalkeeping situation, which i guess it pretty similar to mine.

In other news, Theo has been vocal in how he is geared up to fight for his place in the England set-up. Given him form at the moment, he should be a shoo-in for the right side midfield position against Bulgaria on Saturday.

We seem to have no end to our injury woes as news reported that Bendtner had suffered a setback to his groin injury and would not be back to a while. So we are back to the same situation last year with only one recognized striker in Chamakh. I know we have Vela and Arshavin both who can play upfront but I really wish we have a better understanding of the medical care in the Arsenal camp. As I pointed out in my post earlier in the season, this never ending injury list cannot be a mere coincidence or bad luck. We need some answers


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Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Let's all take a step back

I must admit that I was angry as hell last night when the transfer window passed and Arsenal did not sign the new goalkeeper that everyone knows that we need. Decided that I would not write anything down as given my mood, it would have been just an essay of profanities.

Having had a nite to mulled the non-event over, I have decided to put my trust in Arsene Wenger like I have always done. He is the best manager we ever had and I still believe in him and the decision he make.

I am with StoneColdArsenal who wrote a brilliant piece here about the situation. The reality is the transfer window has closed and Almunia will remain our No 1 at least until the transfer window opens again, bar any injuries. Don Vito and Wozzy are still too young to be the No 1 and Fabianski is definitely out of the question.

Almunia has proven previously that he can be a good keeper. His form in 2008 prompted several pundits to even pushed for this inclusion into the England team. I believe the mistake again Manchester United at Old Trafford last season really did have a major effect on his confidence and affected his play throughout the season. He just needs to get this back and we should be ok with him between the sticks. Performance like that at the weekend will surely be a boost for him.

so I am keeping my fingers crossed and hopefully, this lack of action from the Arsenal management will not come back and bite us .
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