Arsène Knows

Arsenal v Borussia Dortmund

2011-11-23T19:50:00.002Z

There's an Arsenal match today. I can't watch it. Not that I would've even if I could've. May have considered it though.

If I don't have the choice, how can I truly gage whether I care for Arsenal?!

INTERACTIVITY

2011-11-21T23:51:00.002Z

For 4 years I've had this blog. Admittedly, I've occasionally gone months without touching it, though I have provided valuable insight into AFC.

Seeing as it takes true effort and devotion to update this so regularly - something I don't really have, why don't you comment and provide other fans with the latest info... best comment will be published as a post.

Be warned, it could be a while before I check the comments :P

Uni & Arsenal

2011-11-21T23:46:00.002Z

It's hard to watch Arsenal matches here. My younger bros used to find the links.. little can I be bothered nowadays.

Football

2010-12-22T22:20:00.002Z

I'd like to keep this blog post short and sweet so here it is:

CUMMMMMMMMMMMMMMOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONNNNNNN

ARSEEEEEEEEEENNNNNNNNNNAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(what insight!)

Arsenals Future

2010-12-20T18:07:00.005Z

Szczesny

______ _______ _______ Gibbs

Wellington Silva - Wilshere - Ramsey - Ryo Miyachi

JET - Nicklas Bendtner

Not much happening so I was just thinking about a team for the future. Obviously it's a bit pointless but still interesting.

Miyachi and Silva both look like very exciting players and then we've got formidable partnership of Wilshere and Ramsey. JET plays right wing, but he could do well as a striker.

I know it would be unfair to put Miyachi ahead of Afobe and Aneke, but hey- it's meant to be fun. I'm not really up to speed with the reserves. I know Afobe was approached by Barcelona, so he must be quite good.

We've also got Walcott, Vela and Denilson....

Except for Gibbs, I don't know much about the defence.

Any ideas?

Arsenal match postponed

2010-12-18T21:04:00.006Z

That was annoying.

I came in from building a snowman of epic proportions to watch the match, but i found out it was cancelled. Its a shame, but Chelsea vs Man Utd is also off, so we're not the only* suffering fans.

Its going to be a long week.

*I am aware there are many sports fans suffering because of this cold snap, but the word 'only' in this situation helps the sentence flow.

Arsenal draw Barcelona!

2010-12-17T22:01:00.005Z

The draw for the last 16 was made this afternoon, and I think all of the Arsenal nation suspected this was coming, from the manager, players and the fans.

Was the draw rigged?...I think so.

Although I was at school at the time, I can just imagine what it looked like - bright lights, loads of suits, a stage, some bowls and balls - the perfect ingredients for a master crime!

Arsenal have got Barcelona at the Emirates for the first leg and you get the feeling we would need to give ourselves a cushion going into the second.

Anyway, this article is premature. The match takes place in Feburary (its December right now by the way), so we've got things much higher on the priority list for a while.

Which brings us to the premierleague, Arsenal play Stoke tomorrow and theres been the standard media rubbish about Shawcross being a victim. It makes me sick, so I'm not going to talk about.

If Arsenal win we'd go straight back to the top of the table, with Chelsea playing Man Utd on Sunday. It's a crazy league! You just get the feeling though, that we're dropping to may careless points and if we'd played our matches on another day, we could be out of sight by now. But I suppose every team feels that way, so let's forget that and look forward to the next half of the season.

Man Utd 1 - 0 Arsenal

2010-12-14T20:02:00.003Z

Yesterday, we were meant to see the top two teams in England battle it out to be top of the league.

We were meant to see bloodthirsty hunger, a never say die attitude, an epic match on a grand occasion.

Arshavin, Nasri, Van Persie, Nani and Rooney.

The best players in the league, head to head.

The fact is though, none of this materialised.

Arsenal and Man United were both poor and the home team can consider themselves lucky to have stolen the win, it was a match that deserved nothing more than a draw.

It's made even sadder by the way I left the comfort of my own laptop stream and made a late dash to a pals house to watch the match in HD. The best part of the two hours I spent there were the pringles (or maybe the popcorn) and pitifully the loudest cheer was that which accompanied Rooneys disastrous penalty attempt. Why did he run up as if heplanned to run in a circle? Was he playing imaginary duck duck goose and inconveniently found a ball in the way which he hastened to clear out of the way? We shall never know.

This is an Arsenal blog, so I will now talk about them - however much I don't actually want to because its depressing.

Arsenals most solid player in my opinion was Szczesny and even he messed up a few a kicks - still a good prospect.

Clichy made too many mistakes. Gibbs really needs to stay fit.

Koscielny and Squillaci were both both incapable of managing Rooney. Its always the same tactic played by United - play on the counter against Arsenal. They keep Rooney on the centerbacks and play off him in the counter - why does it always work?!?

Sagna was okay.

Song should have stayed back and protected the back four

Wilshere was okay.

Arshavin tried some things, but they didn't come off.

Nasri was bright but the players around him were not.

Rosiscky was bad, should have started Fabregas (although he didn't make much of a difference)

Van Persie is not back on it.

The table currently looks like this:

P PTS

1 Man Utd 16 34

2 Arsenal 17 32

3 Man City 17 32

4 Chelsea 17 31

Man Utd and Chelsea play each other next. A draw will put Utd on 35 and Chelsea 32. A Chelsea win will put them on 34.

If Arsenal were to beat Stoke and either of these two results occur we'll be back top! Let's stay positive....

2010-12-13T23:31:00.002Z

Showing no inclination to go back to work any time soon, the miners enjoyed watching AFC lose.

Arsenal lose to ManU

2010-12-13T23:15:00.003Z

Yes, sadly for the second time in this premier league season Arsenal have lost to Manchester United - only this time, 26 of the 33 miners trapped in Chile were there to watch - HOW EMBARRASSING!!

Unfortunately, Arsenal cannot say they fought a dignified battle, picking up 3 or 4(depending if you got your stats from BBC sport or Arsenal.com, lol) yellow cards, and Manchester receiving 0 yellow cards.

I watched the match in HD on a 32" LCD television, with some akhis, and happiest moment was when Wayne Rooney skied his penalty into the stands. I wonder if a miner caught it; a gift of true sentimental value - a premier league ball of which a replica could be bought for £5 in a local Sports World store.

Full circle

2010-12-12T17:17:00.004Z

I began this blog with a review of Arsenal vs. Manchester United in February 2008.

I write this post almost three years later as Arsenal prepare to face their bitter rivals in what is set to be a mouthwatering clash.

After the dust has settled, the Gunners put away their Arsenal, and Shrek returns to the swamp near Farquaad's kingdom, the winner of this match will be three points clear at the top of the Premier League table.

Ramsey's Horrific Injury

2010-02-27T19:42:00.005Z

Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas on the Ramsey injury: "In five years, I've seen three of them - Abou (Diaby), Edu (Eduardo) and now Aaron. What can I say? It's difficult. You could ask yourself whether we're not protected enough. I think so… We are sometimes victims. I'm not complaining - but there are things in football that are too much. We learned from when it happened to Eduardo. That day, we lost the league. Today, we showed character."

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger: "I am not very happy with the tackle. We know what to expect from other teams but we have now lost three players in five years to horrendous tackles. I refuse to believe it's coincidence when you're hit as many times as we are. We know teams want to be physical against Arsenal - this is the result. When you see how Aaron got injured today in the way that he did, it is not acceptable. I don't accept that. We could see the team was shocked, but we go until the end because we are strong mentally and united. We will do it for Ramsey as well because he deserves it. From a mathematical side of the game it was a good day for us. But we cannot really enjoy it."

2009-08-30T17:05:00.000+01:00

Gunners ease Emirates misery

2008-11-26T19:25:00.003Z

In what I admit to being a pretty dull match at the Emirates last night Arsenal did win and in doing so eased of some of the pressure they have been coming under in recent days. Fabregas looked like he'd found his form again after being given the captian armband, although neither Vela or Ramsey really shined although it must be said Vela was hardly given the ball and Ramsey was playing out of position in a midfield made out of 4 central midfielders!!! We need our players back.

Anyway now that we've qualified nicely for the last 16, Arsenal can concentrate on returning back to normality back in the premiership title

Arsenal Team Statistics Dinamo Kiev
1 Goals 0
0 1st Half Goals 0
5 Shots on Target 3
5 Shots off Target4
3 Blocked Shots 1
7 Corners 2
16 Fouls 17
7 Offsides 6
2 Yellow Cards 2
0 Red Cards 1
84.6 Passing Success 73.4
24 Tackles 15
79.2 Tackles Success 66.7
67.4 Possession 32.6
46.8 Territorial Advantage 53.2

Fabregas' era has begun

2008-11-24T20:17:00.008Z

I am so glad that Wenger has finally decided to strip Gallas of captaincy, in my opinion he has never had what it takes to lead a team and Wenger only gave it to him becuase at the time there were no natural leaders of the team and Gallas stood out because he was the oldest player on the team. Wenger also gave it to him because Gallas is such a big headed banana that he would have cried unless he had captaincy. Although the press only turned on Gallas after the Birmingham match he never deserved the honour of being captian, espically after just coming from Chelsea.

Now onto Fabregas. Cesc has been playing for the Arsenal first team since he was sixteen years old, so although he is only 21 now, he has already been playing first team football for 5 years which is incredible. The fact that Fabregas is also the heartbeat of the team it makes perfect sense to give him the armband. Fabregas also gives his team mates somebody to look up to when things are not going so well.

The Captain has been chosen

2008-11-22T19:11:00.001Z

Man City 3-0 Arsenal

2008-11-22T18:37:00.000Z

Arsenal's turbulent week ended in more misery as Manchester City sent them to their fifth league defeat this season.

The Gunners appeared to be in freefall after skipper William Gallas was dropped for his midweek outburst.

Stephen Ireland clipped in City's first after Gael Clichy sliced a clearance, and Robinho doubled the lead when he superbly chipped Manuel Almunia.

Robinho had a shot cleared off the line before Daniel Sturridge scored with a penalty after he had been fouled.

Arsenal's build-up to the match was blighted by Gallas' public claims that the team lacks spirit and togetherness, while City had won only once in five league games.

Gallas paid a heavy price for his comments, but his absence at the heart of the defence also cost the Gunners as they imploded for City's opener.

When Ireland burst into the box he lost control of the ball but Clichy skewed his clearance back into the midfielder's path and he finished with style.

Until that point, neither defence had really been troubled as careless passes dominated the play.

Arsenal, also accused by Gallas of lacking bravery, sometimes looked rattled by City's physical challenges.

And without Cesc Fabregas, Theo Walcott and Emanuel Adebayor they also looked lightweight coming forward.

However, City created little themselves before an unexpected spell of pressure at the end of the opening 45 minutes saw them rewarded.

It was a different story for the hosts after the break, though, as they countered with pace and precision, particularly through Robinho.

The forward might have had a hat-trick on another day, but had to make do with one goal.

It came when he was put through by Shaun Wright-Phillips and he sprinted clear before lofting an exquisite chip over Alumina without even breaking stride.

Later, Robinho thought he had scored with a back heeled flick but the goal was disallowed for offside.

And after that he perhaps should have scored when he rounded Almunia but his goalbound effort was cleared off the line by Johan Djourou.

Robinho was substituted shortly after having injured himself as he tried to score, but Arsenal were to suffer no change of fortune following the removal of their chief tormentor.

They might have pulled a goal back but Nicklas Bendtner shot straight at keeper Joe Hart.

And Robin van Persie had a goal disallowed for unsporting behaviour - the Dutchman nicked the ball off Hart as the keeper tried to take a goal-kick.

Instead it was City who got the next goal.

Sturridge earned himself a spot-kick after he was fouled by Djourou and the substitute confidently dispatched the penalty to round off a fine win for City.

Man City: Hart, Zabaleta, Richards, Dunne, Garrido, Wright-Phillips, Ireland, Kompany, Vassell (Elano 73), Robinho (Hamann 82), Mwaruwari (Sturridge 88).
Subs Not Used: Schmeichel, Onuoha, Evans, Ben-Haim.

Goals: Ireland 45, Robinho 56, Sturridge 90 pen.

Arsenal: Almunia, Hoyte (Ramsey 60), Djourou, Silvestre, Clichy, Nasri, Denilson, Song Billong, Diaby (Vela 69), Van Persie, Bendtner.
Subs Not Used: Fabianski, Wilshere, Gibbs, Lansbury, Simpson.

Booked: Song Billong.

Att: 44,878

Ref: Alan Wiley (Staffordshire).

Gilberto leaves Arsenal - a personal tribute

2008-07-17T18:16:00.002+01:00

Arsenal have confirmed that Gilberto has joined Greek side Panathinaikos. The 31-year-old spent a total of six seasons with the Gunners, making 244 appearances. Here, Arsenal.com reporter Chris Harris pays tribute to the quiet man of Arsenal's midfield.

In a football world awash with ego, hype and sensationalism, Gilberto was a breath of fresh air.

The Brazilian never courted controversy and never spoke out of turn. He arrived quietly, he left quietly and, in between, he was quietly efficient. While emptier vessels made more noise, Gilberto just got the job done.

He came to Arsenal on the crest of a wave, shortly after helping Brazil win the World Cup in the summer of 2002, and the early signs suggested that Arsène Wenger had recruited a goalscoring midfielder. Gilberto scored the winner on his debut in the Community Shield against Liverpool, broke a Champions League record with a goal after just 20.07 seconds of Arsenal's win at PSV Eindhoven and netted at Auxerre a week later.

In truth, Gilberto's qualities were rather more prosaic, though no less important. He had earned the tag 'Invisible Wall' in Brazil for his almost unseen ability to break up attacks, protect his defence and do the simple things well. He soon put those attributes to work at Highbury but struggled to win over some sections of the Highbury crowd. It seemed this un-Brazilian Brazilian was not eye-catching enough for some.

They say 'you don't know what you've got till it's gone' and so it proved with Gilberto. Having provided the midfield foundation for the 'Invincibles' side of 2003/04, the Brazilian suffered a serious back injury which left him in a brace for much of the following campaign. Suddenly Arsenal looked fragile; suddenly Gilberto's worth was obvious. Where was the man who won the ball back, who shielded the back four? He was sidelined, and he was missed.

Gilberto's return was well-timed. Shortly afterwards, Patrick Vieira left the club and it was left to the Brazilian to guide Cesc Fabregas through the embryonic stage of his Arsenal career. It worked - Wenger's new-look line-up reach its first Champions League Final in 2006 and Gilberto excelled in Europe, revelling in the holding role when Arsenal adopted a five-man midfield.

He scaled even greater heights the following season. Thierry Henry was officially the club captain but, in his injury-forced absence, Gilberto grew from the quiet man of midfield into the team leader. He wore the armband, he took the penalties, he filled in at centre-back and he contributed 11 goals, including a North London derby double and a late equaliser in the historic opening game at Emirates Stadium.

If that showed his character on the pitch, Gilberto's conduct off the pitch was just as exemplary. Arsenal endured some desperate defeats that season but the Brazilian never shied away from reporters and spoke with integrity and honesty in his post-match interviews.

In a similar vein, Gilberto didn't vent his frustrations in the media when things weren't going his way last season. Missing out on the captaincy and losing his first-team spot must have hurt, but Gilberto knuckled down, worked hard and, when his opportunity came, he stepped up and performed.

Panathinaikos are about to find out what Arsenal have known for six years: Gilberto is a man you can rely on.

Have Arsenal found another world beater?

2008-07-01T19:55:00.001+01:00

Arsenal Football Club are set to seal the signature of Amaury Bischoff.

The French-born midfielder has turned down a new contract with German side Werder Bremen in order to head to the Emirates Stadium, after the lure of the Gunners proved too strong.

"Bremen was superb, but Arsenal is a huge opportunity for me," Bischoff told Bild. "Wenger has known me since my time at Strasbourg and believes in my quality. He trusts me to be in the first team.

"Wenger has not put me under any pressure. He said, 'Take all the time you need'."

Bischoff, 21-years-old, moved to Bremen in 2005, yet he has made just one senior appearance which came in the Uefa Cup against Celta Vigo in 2007: but will he go on to become yet another star find by Wenger?

Fabregas does it again

2008-06-27T15:57:00.004+01:00

The heart of Arsenal has become the heart of Spain as Fabregas gets two assists to help Spain beat Russia, propelling them into the Final of Euro 2008.

Does humour have a place in football?

2008-06-21T15:03:00.001+01:00

When I gather with a few mates at the Auld Triangle (or whatever it chooses to be called this season), prior to another stunning Arsenal victory, we stand in the road (in contravention of the 2004 Road Traffic Act), drink (ditto) and talk (probably ditto under the Terrorism Act, and now punishable by 42 days inside without charge).

We talk of serious matters sometimes, but also we joke, we have fun, we laugh. We do the same in the stadium. Of course we have serious moments, we cringe, we scream abuse at Robbie Savage, all that stuff, but also we laugh.

Even some of the songs have me in stitches. Singing, “We’ll race you back to London” to the Man Bankrupt supporters who managed to find their way to the Elder Trafford, is very amusing. Droll even.

So what is it that the journalists and the bloggers have got against humour in football. If you are reflecting football, there should be the odd laugh. The Guardian does it ok but otherwise it is all a bit serious.

I only came to think of this when I noticed that very few of the slightly amusing pieces published by Untold Arsenal ever make it onto the rolling Arsenal story sites like GoonerNews. I’ve never quite worked out why. It can’t be censorship can it?

Now I know that I am inviting a load of emails saying that it is because we are a bunch of turnips for whom a season ticket at Tottenham would be suitable punishment, but well, a bit of lightheardedness doesn’t go amiss. After all, Up the Arse is often advertised as “Laugh at those who deserve it”

Anyway, if you look back through yesterday’s stuff you find odds and ends that are marginally mirthifull. If you are that way inclined. None of the last 3 posts made it onto the rolling news services. I leave you to work out why.

Eduardo will END the curse of the Arsenal number nine shirt

2008-06-21T14:51:00.001+01:00

I can't wait for the day that I see Eduardo put the red and white shirt of Arsenal on his back again.

We won't know what type of player Eduardo will be after coming back from such a bad injury.

Before his "assault" we were beginning to see the reason why Le Boss signed him. He was starting to settle in and was producing some great football.

Of top of this, he seems such a nice bloke, and to see him suffer such a cruel injury just seemed damn wrong.

I've a feeling that he will come back better than before and will become one of the BEST forwards in Europe. I've rated him from when before he signed for Arsenal, and was very pleased when he signed on the dotted line for us.

I reckon that finally we will have someone who will end the curse of the number nine shirt at Arsenal. The last few to wear it have struggled, Jeffers, Reyes and Baptista, and even Eduardo himself suffered from the curse when getting injured!

The number nine shirt is prestigious in football. It's a goal-scorers shirt, and Eduardo is a goal-scorer. I've no doubt when he returns he will do us proud.

He was a hungry player before and after missing the last part of the season and the Euros, he will return even hungrier. He is a strong person and that strength is what he will need on the long road to recovery.

He will get there. And I reckon that he will score a bucketful for our club. In fact. I think he will get 100 goals for Arsenal. At least. In fact, I'm having a bet on it!

The curse of the number nine has affected numerous players, including Eduardo himself.

But he is just the man to lift it.

Keep it Goonerish.........

Samuel Eto’o - No medical at Arsenal

2008-06-21T14:38:00.000+01:00

There have been a lot of rumours this week about Samuel Eto’o joining Arsenal. It was also said that the player had already passed a medical at Arsenal.

Barca have made it clear Eto’o can leave the club this summer, but suggestions he has been at Arsenal this week for a medical have been rubbished by his agent Jose Maria Mesalles.

“Saying Eto’o had a medical at Arsenal is totally wrong, there’s strictly nothing,”

Arsenal Transfer Rumour - Clichy wanted by Roma and Juve

2008-06-20T16:09:00.002+01:00

Hello all you Gooners, anyone heard anything about this Clichy rumour? Roma and Juve are both interested, the papers claim.

The evidence lies in two quotes, neither of which really link them directly, all they say is that they think he is a good player, so don’t get too worried by this rumour!

Firstly, Roma manager Luciano Spalletti:

“Clichy is an excellent defender of international class. He is also still very young, so has plenty of football improvement left in him. Certainly it would please me a great deal to see Gael Clichy in a Roma shirt. We will have to wait and see what develops.”

Secondly, Claudio Ranieri (ex-Chelski) Juve manager:

“Having worked in England with Chelsea, I know the Premier League players very well and I have to admit that Gael Clichy is one of the most impressive players right now. He is an important player, above all, because of his versatility. I believe he can play anywhere down the left and across the defence too. He could come to Juventus.”

It strikes me that these quotes are both from interviews where journalists may have just asked ‘do you think Clichy is good?’ These sort of quotes just mean that they think Clichy is a good player, and who doesn’t after seeing his performances last season, of course he is in demand.

He is loyal, so I don’t see him going anywhere!

Euro 2008: Late goal ends Senderos dream

2008-06-12T12:12:00.002+01:00

Philippe Senderos' Euro 2008 dream is over. The Arsenal defender played a full 90 minutes against Turkey on Wednesday night but a last-gasp goal condemned Switzerland to their second defeat of the tournament. They can no longer qualify for the Quarter-Finals.

Senderos played a major part in the goal which gave the co-hosts a first-half lead. In the midst of a torrential downpour, Senderos lofted the ball over Turkey's defence and into the path of Derdiyok. He squared for Hakan Yakin to tap in after the ball slowed to a standstill on the drenched turf.

The conditions seem to suit Switzerland's more direct approach but, as the rain stopped and the pitch dried out, Turkey's passing game returned to the fore. They equalised 12 minutes into the second half when Diego Benaglio failed to keep out Semih Senturk's header.

Arda Turan then broke Swiss hearts when he cut inside and scored with a deflected shot in injury time. The result leaves Switzerland with no points from two Group A games - and no way back at Euro 2008.

Arsenal's other Swiss representative, Johan Djourou, did not feature against Turkey. He will be hoping to get a run-out when the co-hosts complete their group fixtures against Portugal in Basle on Sunday.

The past week has been rubbish

2008-06-01T18:57:00.000+01:00

There have been stories about Aleksandr Hleb leaving, but he’s still very much here.

There have been stories about Samir Nasri arriving, but he’s still very much not here.

This morning there is even a story about Arsene Wenger leaving, but even that’s supposedly not until 2011. I have to say, I was told stories as a child at bedtime that had more credibility than that one.

The reason that nothing of significance is happening is probably that anyone in football who isn’t English has their eyes firmly set on the European Championships, which start next weekend.

One piece of news we can expect before then is confirmation of Nasri’s signing. The English transfer window officially opens today, and one would expect the playmaker to fly over and sign before the Euros are underway. If he doesn’t, Arsenal.com will doubtless revert to Plan B: Countdown of the 50 Greatest Arsenal Sandwiches.

In the meantime, they’ve gone with “Get to know … Wojciech Szczesny“. Presumably the “…” stands for “how to pronounce”.

Roll on next week.

FIFA IN FAVOUR OF SIX PLUS FIVE RULE

2008-05-30T18:46:00.000+01:00

Fifa have voted in favour of the ’six-plus-five’ rule which would place restrictions on foreign players.

The president of football’s world governing body, Sepp Blatter, hopes to see the initiative implemented by the 2012/13 season.

The ruling would limit the number of overseas players any one team can field in their starting XI to just five.

Fifa have grown increasingly concerned by the number of foreign stars infiltrating Europe’s top leagues, with the English Premier League standing out as the most obvious example.

Despite fears from the European Union that the introduction of the rule would contravene freedom of movement regulations, Blatter insists that Fifa would proceed “within the limits of the law”.

The good news though, is that the EU have completely rejected the claims that the rule is to go ahead, here’s what John McDonald—spokesman for the European Commissioner for Sport—told BBC why he does not expect Blatter’s ambitions to succeed.

“It is a non-starter as far as we are concerned,” he said.
“Interestingly, the wording that Mr Blatter mentioned this morning at his press conference was that FIFA’s resolution is to explore within the limits of the law the six-plus-five rule.”
“And they can explore as much as they like, but, unfortunately, a six-plus-five rule is against Community legislation.”

Source: BBC Football

For the supporters that would like to know how many English players we have in both First and Reserve & Youth teams, here they are:

Goalkeepers

Charlie Mann - Youth

Defenders

Gavin Hoyte - Reserves

Paul Rodgers - Reserves

Abu Ogogo - Reserves

Anton Blackwood - Youth

Rene Steer - Reserves

Kyle Bartley - Reserves

Luke Ayling - Reserves

Thomas Cruise - Reserves

Oliver Nicholas - Youth

Rhema Obed - Youth

Sam Byles - Youth

Midfielders

Mark Randall - First Team

Theo Walcott - First Team

Justin Hoyte - First Team

Kieran Gibbs - Reserves

James Dunne - Reserves

Henri Lansbury - Reserves

Jack Wilshere - Reserves

Craig Eastmond - Reserves

Jay Emmanuel-Thomas - Reserves

Conor Henderson - Youth

Emmanuel Frimpong - Reserves

Chuks Aneke - Youth

Rorie Deacon - Youth

Forwards

Sanchez Watt - Reserves

Jason Banton - Youth

Jay Simpson - Reserves

Rhys Murphy - Reserves

Luke Freeman - Reserves

Benik Afobe - Youth

Theo's found his form

2008-04-04T17:18:00.002+01:00

Is it just me or has Theo Walcott being playing increasingly well at Arsenal recently and now should really be pushing for a stating place as a striker or on the wing.

In the match against Blackburn he came on with Adebayor and really made the difference and really was one of the main reasons Arsenal came back.
And on Wednesday came on for RVP at half time and played really well, by creating space for himself and others, terrorising the fullbacks and even coming in now and again to have a pop at goal.

He really does deserve to be starting now with his new found form, and the thing with him is when he does get some confidence he suddenly steps up a gear.

C'mon Wenger nows the time to pick him

Wenger focused on critical period

2008-04-01T18:17:00.002+01:00

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger believes the next 10 days will be crucial in defining the Gunners' season.

His side play two legs of the Champions League quarter-final with Liverpool either side of a home Premier League game against the Reds on Saturday.

And with a visit to league leaders Manchester United to follow a week later, Wenger says the pressure is on.

"The next 10 days will be vital for our season. It will be the highest challenge for me," said the Frenchman.

News conference: Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger

"I strongly believe we're in the race for the Championship and in Europe."

And Wenger is confident that Arsenal are approaching the key series of matches in the right frame of mind, following their remarkable victory at Bolton last week, when they hit back from 2-0 down to win 3-2 with 10 men.

"When you are two down, with 10 men, and you haven't won for five games and you ask the team to win the game, they must have some special belief and mental strength to go and do it," he said.

"What I have learned is that when our backs are to the wall, they have extraordinary resources."

However, the Frenchman insists he is expecting a different style of match when his side face Liverpool in Europe, saying: "Liverpool will make it tight and play on the break more than they do in the championship. Europe is all about being in a good shape on the day.

"There are always tactics involved, but the key is the form and spirit of the team."

We have shown we have the quality to stop them but it not about them it's about us

Kolo Toure

Meanwhile, defender Kolo Toure has warned his team-mates that Steven Gerrard - and not in-form striker Fernando Torres - is the key to Liverpool this campaign.

"Fernando's a good player, he's done well in Spain and is doing really well in England," he said.

"But they also have Gerrard who is really good. If you can stop him you can stop the team. If they don't have a really good Gerrard the game will be a lot easier for us.

"We have shown we have the quality to stop them but it not about them, it's about us. The team who wants it more will win.

"We know we can beat any team if we are on top of our game."

Arsenal Exceed Expectations, But Not There Yet

2008-03-31T14:26:00.002+01:00

Despite the best comeback since Lazarus this weekend, I reckon Arsenal will finish 2nd or more likely, 3rd this season. There are three reasons for this in my opinion.

1) Lack of quality depth in the squad (particularly defence)

As has been highlighted in recent weeks, when the likes of Toure are out, there is a lack of quality cover in the team. Senderos is error-prone and Djourou is out injured. Hoyte is not a centre back, and Song is erratic. Once Eduardo got knacked, only Adebayor was the only consistent goalscorer, with Van Persie only just coming back from injury. Rosicky is made of glass and Diaby is no goal-getting midfielder. Some players are excellent, such as Sagna, Fabregas and Clichy but you don’t see the continuity that Man United or Chelsea (or Liverpool to an extent) have.

2) Hleb

Despite a good early season and a good performance against AC Milan (fuelled by ice cream apparently), he has reverted to form; “All show, no go” said my Gooner mate. “Why won’t he f*c*i*g shoot” he added.

3) Eboue

Can someone explain to me what this bloke adds to the team? He can’t cross, he can’t tackle, he doesn’t score, can’t defend and generally appears irrelevant. During the Chelsea game the other week he was being booed – was this by the Arsenal fans? His histrionics must be embarrassing to Arsenal fans, and his behaviour in general is pretty disgraceful. Walcott is a much better option, he can take players on a bit more and scores goals from time to time.

What Arsenal appear to lack is a big player – someone like Torres, Ronaldo or Henry. The sort of player that other teams would look at and think “I hope he’s not in the team today”. Arsenal will probably spend about 12 quid in the summer, buying some unknown players and turn them into multi-million pound assets and watch them be linked with Barcelona and Real Madrid every day for the rest of their careers but I reckon they could do worse than blow some decent money on two or three experienced individuals; Gallas and Rosicky are the only proven players bought recently, others such as Eduardo, Sagna and Walcott haven’t done it yet.

The season for Arsenal is not over yet, but the three games against Liverpool are extremely significant – aside from the fact that they have to go to Old Trafford in the League. They’ll still finish above Tottenham though, despite what was written in the meeja back in the Summer….

Wengers Policies

2008-03-28T22:24:00.003Z

1. He must be French

2. He must be shorter than Wenger

3. He must NOT be a striker

4. He must weigh equivalent or less than Wengers weight divided by pi

5. He must NOT be older than Wengers age divided by pi

6. He must NOT be remotely close to the skill level of Thierry 'Lenny' Henry

7. He must NOT be from Britain, Guatemala, Canada or Uzbekistan.

8. He must NOT be from any Premiership club

9. He must be faster than Wengers speed multiplied by the square of pi

10. He must have a funny name that can be manipulated into a verbal pun

11. He must be able to take candy from a Baby without a second thought.

12. He must be unable to shoot at goal

13. He must not be older than Robin Van Skillz.

14. He must get the Wenger seal of approval. This is when he has to be better than Francis Jeffers

15. He must have a bizarre name.

16. He must have a fake passport.

17. He must be under the age of 10.

18. He must NOT be able to score

19. He must score more goals than the age of the earth divided by pi squared.

20. He must not be english.

21. He must be an immigrant.

22. He must surrender when playing a German team.

23. He must be able to dive.

24. He must shave his bum on a weekly basis.

25. He must have a brain as old as a 2 year old.

26. He must not be able to kick the ball further than twice his height.

27. He must get injured at least once a season

28. He must cry when the oppointents get a penalty and run to the other end.

29. He must not be named Martin Taylor.

30. He must occasionally touch himself in very unnecessary places while playing.

Flamini continues discussions

2008-03-25T14:33:00.006Z

Mathieu Flamini has declared that he is hopeful he will find an agreement with Arsenal and sign a new contract soon.

The French Gattuso, as he is dubbed by his team-mates, has been one of the most consistent Gunners this season but his contract is due to expire in June and he has not put pen to paper on a new deal yet.

The midfielder is currently in France to prepare for the highly-anticipated friendly game against England and has declared that discussions are ongoing with his employers about his future.

“I continue to discuss and I hope we will find an agreement,” Flamini said during a press conference.

“Listen, I am here to speak about the French team, I will be happy to speak about France.”

Sagna forced out for France

2008-03-24T16:20:00.001Z

Arsenal defender Bacary Sagna has pulled out of the France squad because of injury.

Sagna was forced to limp off in the second half of Arsenal's 2-1 defeat at Chelsea on Sunday after appearing to hurt his ankle.

It was a mixed day for Sagna after he gave Arsenal the lead at Stamford Bridge with his first goal for the club.

Lyon defender Anthony Reveillere has been called up as a replacement for Sagna.

Fiorentina goalkeeper Sebastien Frey also pulled out for an undisclosed reason, and will be replaced by Nice goalkeeper Hugo Lloris.

France plays Mali in a 'B' friendly on Tuesday and face England on Wednesday at Stade de France.

Wenger: Gunners will win the title

2008-03-23T14:48:00.002Z

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger insists the Gunners are the Premier League's most consistent side and will finish the season as champions.

enger's side have drawn their last four games to slip three points behind Manchester United, while Chelsea will also overtake them and move up to second with a home win at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.

However, Arsenal have lost just once in the league this season and Wenger believes his side's consistency will see them emerge triumphant.

Wenger accepts that the clash with Chelsea and the game against United later in the season could determine whether Arsenal can indeed finish top, but he is also looking at the other six matches and feels there will be very few dropped points.

"I believe we will win it in the end because we are the most consistent team," he said in the News of the World.

"We know for now for us to win, it is down to us to beat Chelsea and then we play Manchester United.

"I won't set a specific points target. All I say at the moment is that we have eight games left.

"The target is to get the maximum 24 points from them and that will win us the title."

Wenger has played down Arsenal's recent run of results, optimistic that his team will deliver the goods against the Blues.

"I know people will point to the fact we haven't won in four games and we are not the form team, but we still have only lost one game and if we keep that record until the end of the season then I can't believe we won't win the league.

"Yes we have had a little dip - but we are over it now and we can show that on Sunday."

Wenger: I'm not looking to replace Flamini

2008-03-21T15:06:00.001Z

Dismissing reports that Arsenal have made a move for St Etienne midfielder Loic Perrin, Arsene Wenger has insisted he is not casting around for potential replacements for Mathieu Flamini.

The France international is out of contract at the end of the season and, with talks over a new deal still to be resolved, there have been suggestions that Wenger is planning to compensate for his potential departure by making a new signing.

Wenger has made clear his priority is to keep Flamini though, disregarding any suggestions that Perrin is a target for the North London club.

“That’s not true,” Wenger told Arsenal TV regarding the reports surrounding Perrin.

“I’m not looking for any replacements for Flamini. I am first looking to keep my players together, and the second step, then we will see but my first intention is to keep the players I have.”

Wenger remains positive that Flamini will commit his future to the club, despite persistent reports linking him with Juventus, and has revealed talks could be coming to a conclusion in the coming weeks.

He added: “We are on course there, negotiations are going well and we hope to sort that out in April.”

Gilberto Silva’s future looks far less assured though as Flamini’s excellent form has restricted the Brazil international to late cameos as a substitute this season and he has openly admitted he may have to leave Emirates Stadium in the summer for the good of his career.

Whilst Wenger is reluctant to speculate on whether Gilberto will indeed leave the club, the Arsenal manager has confirmed he will hold talks with the club’s second longest serving player at the end of the season.

“It is down to Gilberto’s desire because at the moment he doesn’t play,” said Wenger.

“We will sit down together, we are adults and Gilberto is a very strong man and a good personality and he will know what he wants to do at the end of the season.

“I will be happy if he stays but we will sort that out at the end of the season. He is a fantastic player and a fantastic personality. He has a lot of credit in the group and a lot of quality, his bad luck is that we started without him and we have done well.”

Toure - We'll give everything

2008-03-17T22:22:00.001Z

Arsenal defender Kolo Toure believes his team-mates have the ability to claim a crucial victory at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.

The Gunners' recent form has been less than impressive, with Saturday's 1-1 draw against Middlesbrough at Emirates Stadium their fourth consecutive stalemate.

Manchester United now occupy top spot in the Premier League, while Chelsea have impressed of late and sit three points behind Arsenal in third.

Silly

But Toure has warned Avram Grant's side that The Gunners will 'give everything' as they look to retighten their grip on the race for title glory.

"Again we were chasing the game [on Saturday] after conceding a really silly goal," Toure told the club's official website. "It is always difficult for the team to come back and we are lucky that we scored a late goal again.

"Now we just need to keep going and win the big games. We are still in the title race and as long as we play like we did late on [against Middlesbrough] then in other games we might be more lucky.

"We will try to go to Chelsea and get some points. We know that we can go anywhere and win - we have shown that in Milan. We need to repeat that kind of performance next week and then we can beat Chelsea.

Confident

"We do not have a match now in the week, so we will rest and when we come back, we will be full of energy and can give everything. The most important thing is to be confident and play your game, stay strong in your mind and believe that until the end it is not finished.

"It is going to be an exciting finish to the Premier League. Whichever team is more confident and consistent is going to win the title.

"At the moment it is hard because we have dropped two points in every game. But when we get back to winning, we can carry that on until the end of the season."

Adebayor - We'll KO Reds

2008-03-15T11:00:00.001Z

Arsenal striker Emmanuel Adebayor is confident the Gunners can record three wins out of three against Liverpool on their way to UEFA Champions League and Premier League glory this season.

Arsene Wenger's side will be forced to get past Liverpool if they are to win their first European Cup after being drawn against the Reds in the quarter-finals of the Champions League.

The last eight clash means Arsenal will face Liverpool three times in one week as the sides are also due to meet in the Premier League in between their Champions League fixtures.

Arsenal will welcome Liverpool to Emirates Stadium for the first leg of their European tie on 2nd April before travelling to Anfield for the return fixture one week later.

Confident

And Liverpool will also make a league trip to North London on 5th April, but Adebayor is not intimidated and the Togo international has his sights on a hat-trick of wins.

"We're confident we can win all three," Adebayor told The Sun.

"We've told ourselves this is the year for Arsenal to win the Champions League trophy and the Premier League.

Arsenal currently sit top of the table domestically and will hope to maintain their spot at the summit when they host Middlesbrough on Saturday evening.

Hleb reveals Lehmann anger

2008-03-15T00:10:00.001Z

Alexander Hleb has revealed how Jens Lehmann gave his Arsenal team-mates the silent treatment after losing his place in the side.

A combination of injury and poor form in the opening weeks of the season saw Lehmann replaced by Manuel Almunia, with the Spaniard now Arsene Wenger's No.1 choice.

The veteran German took the decision badly, and came close to leaving the club in the January transfer window.

Gunners midfielder Hleb was taken aback by Lehmann's reaction as he became a withdrawn figure.

Angry

Hleb told The Sun: "At first, when Jens was not picked, he was very angry. He did not speak any more.

"He has a good heart - as long as we speak about private things.

"But when he stands on the training ground he becomes a different person. The way he acts there sometimes needs getting used to."

Who Is The Fastest Player?

2008-03-13T22:45:00.001Z

Arsenal striker Emmanuel Adebayor shot to the top of the leaderboard following his side's goalless draw with Wigan. Adebayor posted speeds of 20.6mph to the ball, and 20.8mph in possession, giving him the weekend's fastest average top speed, measured by sports data experts OPTA.

The Togalese striker takes the top spot away from Everton's matchwinner Andrew Johnson who moves down to ninth place - to see the full table go to www.whoisthefastest.com

Vieira - Reds will win CL

2008-03-13T22:42:00.001Z

Patrick Vieira believes Liverpool will win this season's UEFA Champions League, but is desperate for his former club Arsenal to lift the trophy.

The Internazionale midfielder witnessed first hand Liverpool's European expertise on Tuesday as the Italian giants were dumped out of the last 16 of the competition 3-0 on aggregate following a 1-0 defeat at the Giuseppe Meazza.

Liverpool have reached two of the last three Champions League finals, including winning the competition in 2005, and Vieira believes that the Reds are again well placed to sample glory in Moscow on 21st May.

"Liverpool were tough opponents and they can go on and win it now," said Vieira. "They have done it before and they know exactly what it is about at this stage.

Experience

"They are in the last eight, so of course they have a great chance now but you also have to say they are the most experienced of all the sides left in the competition.

"They know how to get through these ties, as they showed against us, and they know how to win the cup. They are the side the others will want to avoid now."

However, Vieira - who left Arsenal in 2005 for a brief stay with Juventus before joining Inter the following year - is eager for his former club to win their first European Cup.

The Gunners, who suffered final defeat to Barcelona in 2006, earned rave reviews for knocking out holders Milan 2-0 at the San Siro to book their place in the quarter-finals and Vieira believes Arsene Wenger's young side will also be a force to be reckoned with.

Wonderful

"I hope Arsenal win it," Vieira added. "They have been waiting a long time to win this trophy and they deserve to win it.

"I watched them in the San Siro last week and they were incredible. It was a wonderful performance.

"They not only won, but they won brilliantly and with style and that counts a lot.

"In terms of quality they have an outstanding chance now and I really hope they do it."

Lehman at it again - but this time he has a point

2008-03-11T22:12:00.002Z

Jens Lehmann does not believe Arsene Wenger should have dropped him when Manuel Almunia regained his fitness.

Lehmann began the season in goal for The Gunners but a combination of injury and poor form meant he lost his place to Almunia.

The Spaniard then suffered an injury in January and Lehmann was recalled to the side.

He was much more consistent and Lehmann feels he did enough to deserve a long run between the posts.

Instead Wenger opted to bring back Almunia for the dramatic 2-2 draw against Birmingham last month and Lehmann once again had to settle for a seat on the substitutes' bench.

The Germany international has now accused Wenger of missing an opportunity.

"I believe fate gave the manager the chance to make the right decision, but he did not take it," Lehmann said in the Daily Mail.

For once, I agree with Lehman - it should have been him playing between the posts. We would be well and clear at the top of the league.

Wenger hails 'best' partnership

2008-03-11T16:57:00.001Z

Arsene Wenger rates Cesc Fabregas and Mathieu Flamini as the best midfield duo he has worked with at Arsenal.

It is a bold statement from a man who nurtured Patrick Vieira and Emmanuel Petit into world-class performers during the early years of his reign.

The French duo were the driving force behind the Gunners' 1998 double-winning side and helped their country to World Cup glory on home soil the same year.

Wenger acknowledges that Vieira and Petit were a fine partnership, but believes that his current combination just have the edge.

Fabregas has enjoyed a meteoric rise to prominence since making his debut in 2003, while Flamini has made the holding midfield berth his own this season.

Technical

"Yes, this is the best partnership," Wenger told Arsenal's official website.

"Going forward they are technically good and very mobile. Before we had players with impact and now the players' strength is in mobility.

"Maybe they are less physically strong in the challenge than Vieira and Petit but they have a good understanding and they cover each other well."

Wenger also feels that the emergence of the young duo is testament to the club's policy of nurturing their own talent as opposed to paying over-inflated transfer fees for the finished article.

"We build a team over years, being very restrictive about our spending and you are only rewarded if you can keep the team together," he said.

Gunners star Fabregas fine with leaving Barca

2008-03-10T21:34:00.008Z

Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas insists he has no regrets over leaving Barcelona - but has not ruled out returning to the Nou Camp in the future.

Fabregas began his career at the Catalan club's youth academy, alongside players such as Lionel Messi and Giovani dos Santos, but left to join Arsenal aged just 16 in 2004.

He has since matured into one of Europe's finest players under Gunners boss Arsene Wenger and is now highly coveted in Spain, with Real Madrid and Barca repeatedly linked.

Speaking on Catalan television programme 'Gol a Gol' on Sunday, Fabregas said he was happy with life at Arsenal and could not ask for a better coach than Wenger.

"I don't know if I'll return," he said. "I'm fine where I am, I'm learning a lot and I'm at the ideal club to grow, with a great coach and good team-mates.

"He [Wenger] is the best coach I've ever had and the more time I spend working with him the more I learn.

"In the future I don't know, but I'm happy where I am.

"Everyone chooses their own path in life. I chose one and I can't complain. I don't know how things would have gone for me at Barca and I'd prefer not to think about it."

Wigan v Arsenal stats&ratings

2008-03-09T19:20:00.005Z

Arsenal were forced to switch things around after their fantastic win at the San Siro as Abou Diaby picked up an injury and Emmanuel Eboue is suspended in domestic competition, meaning Nicklas Bendtner came into the attack with Alex Hleb switching to a wide role.

Cesc Fabregas started at right midfield with Gilberto Silva playing alongside Mathieu Flamini in the centre of the park. Robin van Persie and Kolo Toure were both on the bench.

Wigan were unchanged from their 0-0 draw at Manchester City eight days previously, but Ryan Taylor and Kevin Kilbane returned to the bench.

WIGAN		ARSENAL
Chris Kirkland	7	Manuel Almunia	6.5
Mario Melchiot	7	Bacary Sagna	6
Paul Scharner	6	Philippe Senderos	6.5
Emmerson Boyce	6	William Gallas	6
Erik Edman	6.5	Gael Clichy	6
Antonio Valencia	*8	Cesc Fabregas	7
Michael Brown	5.5	Mathieu Flamini	6.5
Wilson Palacios	6.5	Gilberto Silva (off 65)	5
Jason Koumas	7.5	Alexander Hleb	5
Emile Heskey (off 55)	6	Emmanuel Adebayor	6
Marlon King (off 87)	6	Nicklas Bendtner (off 65)	6
Substitutes		Substitutes
Mike Pollitt	-	Jens Lehmann	-
Ryan Taylor	-	Kolo Toure (on 65)	6
Kevin Kilbane (on 87)	6	Alexandre Song	-
Titus Bramble	-	Justin Hoyte	-
Antoine Sibierski (on 55)	6	Robin van Persie (on 65)	6

Wigan Athletic	Team Statistics	Arsenal
0	Goals	0
0	1st Half Goals	0
2	Shots on Target	4
4	Shots off Target	3
6	Blocked Shots	3
8	Corners	5
11	Fouls	8
2	Offsides	3
2	Yellow Cards	2
0	Red Cards	0
66.8	Passing Success	78.2
32	Tackles	24
71.9	Tackles Success	66.7
41.2	Possession	58.8
54.7	Territorial Advantage	45.3

Every point counts

2008-03-08T20:30:00.001Z

Rewind the clocks to Tuesday morning, on the back of tame draws against Birmingham and Aston Villa, and the horrific injury to Eduardo, Arsenal are predicted to get nothing from the San Siro, Manchester United were breathing down their necks and would have been top if Bendtner hadn't scored a crucial last gasp goal for Arsenal. Chelsea were striking teams out of the way with ease and were also becoming a major force in the title race.
Wednesday morning, headlines of a stunning Arsenal performance at the San Siro, one of the best European away victories ever, first English team to win at the San Siro, Flamini and Fabregas show their awesome quality against 'the big boys' of Europe.
Saturday morning, Manchester United are expected to pass the test of Portsmouth and Chelsea, well surely nothing can go wrong for the Blues, can it?
19.35, Saturday evening, Chelsea and Manchester United dumped out of the FA Cup, Manchester United unlucky to lose but shocked at home, and Chelsea...two unexpected cup defeats (credit to Barnsley for a monumental performance) leaving their players in a probable state of numb disbelief.

Tonight I feel that the momentum for the title race has shifted somewhat. Before the match against Milan I felt that Arsenal were clutching onto a rope laced with oil and though I was confident of a return to form, the prospect of Milan away did not leave me brimming with confidence. Manchester United and Chelsea are still very close behind the Gunners but before today, I believe that they were chasing like raging animals, being a few points behind did not matter because of the momentum they carried. Now a door has been slammed in their faces, shock cup exits (Chelsea's would be horrific for their players/fans) and suddenly the pressure is on Chelsea and United to show that they can bounce back but certainly, they have slipped in the race. I am not denying that Arsenal are under no pressure, in fact I believe that the match against Wigan tomorrow is huge, but I feel that United and Chelsea have psychologically let an advantage go here. They are no longer fighting on three fronts. If Arsenal win tomorrow they go 4 points clear, a lead United can't make up in the space of one game...which takes us back to the Bendtner goal. Important, wasn't it?

Robinho apparently almost moved to Arsenal

2008-03-08T13:40:00.006Z

Whether it's rumour-mongering or not, the agent of Brazilian star Robinho has said that the striker almost moved to the Emirates in the summer.

Citing bad man management from former Real coach Fabio Capello, Wagner Ribeiro held talks with Pedja Mijatovic [Real Madrid's sporting director] and said that the Brazilian was unhappy and wanted to move, and that Arsenal were willing suitors.

Mijatovic said: "In the summer of 2007, I spoke with Pedja (Mijatovic, sports director of Real) and told him that Robinho was not happy because Fabio Capello had put him on the bench and would not play him.

"Robinho had a proposal from Arsenal and I told him that if things continued as they were, he would leave for London.

"But Pedja said: 'Do not let him leave, Robinho will be the best in the world and I want that he remains in Madrid.'"

Would we have pursued Eduardo, if Robinho had indeed arrived at the Emirates?

Wenger is Mourinho's latest target

2008-03-07T17:55:00.001Z

Jose Mourinho has taken an almighty pop at Arsene Wenger, claiming the Frenchman has it easy at Arsenal.

"Arsenal is a unique team," Mourinho told Gazzetta Dello Sport. "Their coach hasn't won anything for years and is still an idol. There is no pressure at Arsenal.

"But do not say he is growing young players into talents. What he does is take young players who are jewels and polishes them. It's different. He has time to work in a serene atmosphere and get results."

While the accusation is not new, the previous diatribes occurred when the two mangers were in direct competition and thus interpreted as a 'mindgame' ploy by the Special One to ratchet up pressure on Wenger.

That Mourinho felt compelled to put Wenger back in his sights even at a time when he is out of the game indicates that the antipathy between the pair - who fell out spectacularly three years ago when the then Chelsea boss branded Wenger a "voyeur" - still lingers.

Either that or Mourinho genuinely believes the Arsenal manager lives in a comfort zone at the Emirates Stadium.

Bentley advice for Walcott

2008-03-06T17:25:00.002Z

Rovers winger urges Gunners star to follow his lead

David Bentley has warned Theo Walcott against settling for a place on the fringes of the Arsenal first-team.

The Blackburn winger graduated from the Gunners academy in 2003, but was eventually forced to look elsewhere for regular football after finding his opportunities limited under Arsene Wenger.

His career has blossomed since leaving London, becoming a full England international and receiving widespread acclaim after a number of impressive displays.

Understandably he feels that he made the right decision for the sake of his career, and he has now urged Walcott not to rule out the possibility of moving to a supposedly smaller club in the future to help further his development.

Flourish

"Sometimes you need football, you need games to become better, to put your skills out on the football pitch," Bentley told talkSPORT.
"If he is not getting the minutes at Arsenal, he's going to have to look elsewhere.
"Your career doesn't start and end at Arsenal. It can flourish somewhere else.
"At the end of the day you want to make a career for yourself.

Comfortable

"You want to play football for a start and you want to make money as well.
"It's your job. If you want to make a career for yourself you can't afford to stay at a club where you might be 24 or 25 with 30 games under your belt.
"It was hard to for me to leave," he admitted.
"I was there from when I was 12 years old and I had a lot of friends.
"It becomes like a home. It became comfortable. But I didn't want to accept not playing and thinking 'these players are better than me'. Every week I wanted a game."

Fabregas is the key to Arsenal’s title bid

2008-03-05T17:39:00.001Z

Everybody seems to be falling over themselves to laud the performances of Emmanuel Adebayor at Arsenal this season as the striker continues to be the media’s focal point of their push for the title but, for all his effect on the club this season following the departure of Thierry Henry, he is not the reason that the Gunners are where they currently sit in the Premier League table. Arsenal are a team who are always likely to score goals as their creativity is often far too great for average teams in the league. Such is their ability to maintain possession and run the opposition into submission that the need for a physically dominant centre-forward is nothing like as vital as Chelsea’s needs. That is why Chelsea look a shadow of themselves in attacking areas when Didier Drogba is not on the field. Yet the reason why Robin van Persie, Eduardo and a host of other Arsenal strikers over the past few years have always been able to get goals is because the midfield can put chances on a plate for them. Over recent seasons, Adebayor, Van Persie and Henry have all missed large chunks of the season without it derailing Arsenal’s bid for silverware. The only time things have fallen apart for them is when Cesc Fabregas has been unable to rule the centre of the park. The evidence can be no clearer than in Arsenal’s two most recent embarrassments and latest success. Fabregas was a flustered and anonymous spectator as first Tottenham, then Manchester United ran riot against Arsenal’s mythical young and inexperienced team. His force going forwards as well as back was non-existent in either of those games and those displays only serve to show his impact on Arsene Wenger’s team. At the San Siro, Fabregas was at his inspirational best and Arsenal bossed the game and won at a canter. If Arsenal are to win anything this season then they will have to keep Fabregas fit and get him playing at a level which made him one of the most sought after midfielders in the game. The Mathieu Flamini’s and Gilberto’s of this world are not a patch on the talismanic young Spaniard while the performances of Arsenal’s over-hyped second-string have been returned to an inadequate level in the games in which he has not played or failed to perform. No wonder Arsene Wenger is keen to tie him to the Emirates stadium for the rest of his career.

Flamini kept Kaka in his pocket

2008-03-05T17:31:00.001Z

Wow, what on earth am I supposed to say to that? I have so much to say that I just do not know how to get it out of my head and onto ~~paper~~ computer.

Firstly, congratulations to the one and only Arsene Wenger, his boys were under massive pressure after two mediocre performances in the Premier League and it would have been down to him to tell each and every player how good they are and make them believe that we can go to Milan and simply outplay them on their own pitch. It is clear that Wenger has done his job right and now the players must be so high right now. In normal circumstances confidence is something that takes a while to build up but a game and performance like this will allow the players to leap frog the usual steps of self belief.

Picking out individuals in a game like that could well be unfair as it was a fantastic team performance but I wouldn't feel right not mentioning the immense display from Mathieu Flamini (Just writing that made the hairs on my back stand up) I cannot count the amount of times I shouted "WELL IN FLAM!" or "WELL PLAYED FLAMINI" during the match. He bossed the game from the first minute to the last. Flamini covered the most amount of ground out of the 22 players on the pitch. Kaka had a handful of touches of the ball and that was largely down to the Frenchman. Cesc Fabregas also had a wonderful defensive display and they both mopped up superbly when we were not in possession.

Do you remember a 2-2 draw against Chelsea at Highbury a few years back now? We had injuries to Gilberto and Vieira and it was up to the 17 year old Fabregas and the 19 year old Flamini to battle against the experienced Chelsea midfield. I thought to myself that they did a good job that day and wondered what they would be like as a future partnership, of course you can never properly envisage what it would be like until it happens and I can safely say that it was the best central display since the days of Vieira and Petit.

I don't really want to add anything negative to this post because a display like that does not deserve criticism but I was thinking about it during the match. We basically did not have very much in the way of goalscoring threat during the game. Adebayor ran his socks off upfront on his own and I remember he got into a great position on the right of the penalty area when he dummied a defender and I was waiting for someone to support him but I couldn't see any support arriving.

"Where was the support?!!!" I shouted at my mate who I was watching the game with. He asked me who I would of liked to have been in that position and I looked around the pitch. Hleb? Eboue? Diaby? Fabregas isn't quick enough to get that far forward in that short time. So I was wondering where the goal would come from because Adebayor was finding it hard leading the line, running the channels and linking up the midfield as well as getting in goalscoring positions.

At half time I wondered if we would have a fairy tell ending with Van Persie coming off the bench to grab the winner but in the end we didn't need to make the change because we were in control of the game. We were defending as a team and attacking as a team so maybe Arsene did not want to change the side.

Looking from the television the Milan pitch looked massive, it looked huge. I haven't checked out the pitch dimensions but it looked at least as big as the Emirates. Milan could not get close to our midfield because of the spaces around the pitch. Hleb, Cesc and Adebayor were linking up expertly.

Do not forget the way that Manchester United were torn to shreds last season, yes this Milan team are not inform and are not having a great season but most of last seasons players are still there and they still posses world player of the year Kaka who was kept firmly in Flamini's pocket.

I still cannot believe that Cesc Fabregas' strike went in. Time seem to stand still after his shot went past the keeper, I wasn't sure where the ball ended up until I saw Cesc real away with his arms outstretched. You could see the emotion on his face, he knew he had put Arsenal through. All the adrenaline, frustration and pride came out with that strike.

I was so pleased for Theo Walcott who replaced Eboue on 70 ish minutes. Walcott made an instant impact. You can see that his confidence is back up again now. He had so much space on the right wing and you cannot give someone like Walcott space in behind you because he will destroy 99% of players for pace. The second goal was all about Walcott. His first touch to flick the ball around Kaladze was simply sublime and he had the vision to play the ball across the box to Adebayor who was unmarked at the far post.

I just hope that the players can continue to work for victories against other teams in the same way that they did against Milan. The performance levels against Aston Villa compared to Milan was so vast. The other end of the spectrum. We need to play against Wigan as if they are Ac Milan. It doesn't matter who the opposition is.

So who next? Who would you like to be drawn against?

I think we can outpass any club in Europe on a straight out and out football match so bring on Barcelona I say. I want the boys to get revenge.

Adebayor is full of confidence and says that we can beat anyone in the world.

Arsenal manager over the moon after beating Milan

2008-03-05T17:18:00.001Z

It might come to be seen as the night when a young Arsenal team came of age. The Gunners were nothing less than sensational in the San Siro on Tuesday night, causing untold problems for holders Milan before finally striking twice in the last ten minutes. The BBC report that manager Arsene Wenger is naturally delighted with how well his team played, while goalscoring hero Cesc Fabregas is promising even better things are around the corner.

Wenger said: “We dominated the game and didn’t make any mistakes and we were creative and not scared to go forward.

“We produced the match we wanted to. I am very proud. It is wonderful for a young team to knock out a team such as AC Milan. It is good for the future.”

“It is a dream come true to beat Milan at the San Siro 2-0,” said Fabregas.

“It is amazing. The guys beforehand just wanted to go out and enjoy themselves. However, this is just the beginning, it is one more step for the season.”

It was excellent to see Arsenal triumph with an entertaining brand of football against a team who are renowned for being rather dull and defensive. Surely the Gunners, along with Barcelona, will be the team that everyone wants to avoid in the quarter finals of the Champions League?

William Gallas warns Walcott he must improve

2008-03-04T17:41:00.001Z

Arsenal captain William Gallas has told Theo Walcott that if he wants to emulate Wayne Rooney he will have to change the way he plays. Gallas, who has come in for recent criticism himself following the childish strop he displayed against Birmingham, believes Walcott is too predictable and needs to work harder in training if he is to realise his potential.

Arsenal are currently preparing for tonight's crucial Champions League second-leg clash against AC Milan at the San Siro, but that hasn't stopped Gallas from voicing his opinion where he feels it matters.

The 30-year-old France international said: "I think Theo Walcott can be the new Wayne Rooney, but he has to change his style of play.

"He must work hard in training because everyone knows where he will run with the ball. He goes on his right foot so he must work to come on the inside on his left foot.

"He must be less predictable and more focussed. He can also take too long on the ball."

Walcott is currently behind Emmanuel Adebayor, Nicklas Bendtner and Robin van Persie in the forward-line pecking order and would be even further down the list had it not been for the season-ending injury to Eduardo.

However, the Croatian international's broken leg means Walcott must not step up and take on more responsibility as Arsenal attempt to wrestle the Premier League title away from Manchester United.

United are now just one point behind Wenger's men, although Gallas believes the "arrogance" running through Sir Alex Ferguson's side will prove their undoing.

He said: "I know that it will be difficult for Manchester United to win because they have to play us and Chelsea again.

"They are a strong team, with lots of experienced players, but sometimes they think they are too good. Too arrogant. It can make you complacent."

Arsenal will be hoping Gallas' views don't come back to haunt them, but one thing is for certain and that is that Wenger clearly rates his centre-back highly and the player's representatives have already had contact with the club over a new four-year contract.

The Frenchman is set to sign a £90,000-a-week deal that will keep him at the Emirates until 2012, and a source is quoted in the Sun as saying: "A new contract for William is something that has been discussed. He'd like nothing more than to stay at Arsenal for the rest of his career."

Wenger set for summer spend

2008-03-02T18:09:00.001Z

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger will be handed a lucrative £70million summer transfer kitty to reinforce his ranks.

The Gunners have been badly hit by injuries this season and the problems have threatened to hamper their Premier League title tilt.

League leaders Arsenal secured a last-gasp 1-1 draw at home to Aston Villa on Saturday to maintain a narrow one-point lead over Manchester United at the top of the table.

But the Gunners' second string side have also suffered humbling cup defeats to Tottenham and United in the current campaign and Wenger is expected to be offered the opportunity to bring in back-up at the end of the season.

Opportunity

"We have £69millilon in cash, so we have money available," Arsenal managing director Keith Edelman told the News of the World.

"Arsene has got sufficient funds for any signing he wishes to make."

Edelman, though, does not expect Wenger to abandon his policy of investing in the opportunity to develop potential talent.

Last weekend Eduardo da Silva became the latest injury loss for Wenger as the Croatian striker was ruled out for nine months after suffering a broken leg and dislocated ankle following a challenge from Birmingham defender Martin Taylor

Star names

But Edelman does not feel Wenger will seek to bring in star names as replacements and that the Emirates Stadium boss will continue to look to the long-term.

"We do spend quite a lot of money but not in quite the same way as other clubs do," Edelman added.

"Last year, we bought Bakari Sagna and Eduardo. So we do make acquisitions but we don't tend to make the big-splash ones."

Wenger: We are still the most fouled team in the country

2008-03-02T13:57:00.001Z

Manager Arsène Wenger says that his team are still the most fouled team in the country, despite what the press might portray about the Gunners.

Wenger also claims that Arsenal are the most punished, and the Frenchman has statistics to back up his claim, with the Gunners even winning the Fair Play league, and yet the press harp on about the 72 red cards issued under Wenger's 12-year reign.

Wenger said: "The real basic problem in this league is that, for the past three years, we are the team who is fouled more than any other team, the team who is punished more than any other team.

"I should invite you sometimes to come into the dressing room and look at the legs of Alex Hleb after a game. You would be amazed.

"We want to try to play football and bring the good things out of the game.

"There are a lot of things I love here, the passion, the commitment. I do not want England to lose that, because that is above every other country in the world.

"It is in the hands of the referee to protect, to make the distinction between how far you can go and cannot go."

Wenger: No van Persie rush

2008-03-01T16:08:00.001Z

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has vowed to be patient with Robin van Persie despite the blow of losing Eduardo da Silva for the rest of the season.

Croatia striker Eduardo is out of action for at least nine months after suffering a badly broken leg in last weekend's 2-2 draw with Birmingham City.

However, Wenger will not rush van Persie back into action after an injury-plagued campaign.

The Netherlands striker, who hasn't featured since aggravating a thigh muscle problem in the Carling Cup semi-final against Tottenham on January 9, will play no part against Aston Villa at Emirates Stadium on Saturday.

"We will not rush Robin van Persie back, but the news is quite good," Wenger told Arsenal TV Online.

"It is difficult to say, we go step by step, but he should come back into normal training very, very quickly now.

"Maybe I am being a little over-cautious in my statements, but I do not want to put any special pressure on him."

Elsewhere, the Gunners will be without Kolo Toure (knee), Alex Song (knee), Tomas Rosicky (hamstring) and Johan Djourou (groin), while EmManUel Eboue is suspended.

Gary Lewin: The Forgotten Man

2008-02-27T18:09:00.002Z

It wasn't till I read an article on the Daily Mail website that I realised just what a clanger I'd dropped.

With aftermath of Eduardo's horrendous injury still raging on, one man remained forgotten.

Step forward Gary Lewin.

Gary became the head physio at Arsenal more than 20 years ago. In that time he probably hasn't seen a more gruesome injury than Eduardo's, and because of his quick reactions, Eduardo has the chance of resurrecting his career.

Lewin has taken care of hundreds of Arsenal players, and he has looked after many an England player also after been given the position of head physio for England in 1996. Many people question the appointment of Gary Lewin to the England set up, claiming he would gain unfair knowledge of players injuries, but I seriously don't think there is a better man for the job.

This medical marvel doesn't just limit himself to helping players from Arsenal and England, oh no, in the 2007 Carling Cup final John Terry caught an unfortunate boot to the face and became unconscious. Lewin was the first man on the scene and his swift actions possibly saved the life of the Chelsea defender.

So here's to a man who whilst being so vital to our title credentials, often remains forgotten.

Cheers Gary!!!

Eduardo leaves the hospital after surgery

2008-02-27T18:07:00.002Z

LONDON (AP) - Arsenal striker Eduardo da Silva left the hospital on Wednesday after undergoing surgery on his broken left leg. The Croatian international also sustained an open dislocation of his ankle in the same leg after a tackle by defender Martin Taylor in Arsenal's 2-2 draw at Birmingham in the Premier League on Saturday.

"Eduardo would like to once again thank everyone for the overwhelming messages of support he has received," Arsenal said in a statement.

Eduardo's leg will be in plaster for at least six weeks and he will miss the June 7-28 European Championship. Arsenal has said he may be able to run within six months and be playing within nine.

What punishment should Martin Taylor be given?

2008-02-25T22:04:00.002Z

Life ban	154 (27%)
Birmingham should be fined	24 (4%)
10 match ban	151 (27%)
The red card is enough	205 (37%)
Other	19 (3%)

The Horrific Challenge on Eduardo

2008-02-23T19:50:00.001Z

Here's a video of the tackle that led to Eduardos' injury its actually gruesome, the more I see the more i hate it.
(don't press play if your squeamish)

2008-02-23T15:11:00.005Z

Eduardos injury

2008-02-23T15:11:00.004Z

ABSOLUTELY HORRIBLE TACKLE ON EDUARDO
HOW COULD SOMEONE DO THIS

The poll results

2008-02-20T19:09:00.001Z

Who would replace Wenger if he left Arsenal right now?

Pat Rice	20 (28%)
Tony Adams	14 (20%)
Jose Mourinho	12 (17%)
Rafeal Benitez	4 (5%)
Other	20 (28%)

Almunia spooked by ghosts

2008-02-20T18:49:00.001Z

Manuel Almunia may be having a dream season between the sticks for Arsenal, but the Spanish goalkeeper is having nightmares at home – due to ghosts!

Almunia has been missing from Arsenal’s starting line-up recently due to injury, but maybe the real reason is he is too frightened to leave his house.

The 30-year-old shot-stopper believes ghosts are stalking his house, or is it just Jens Lehmann?

“My house is small but there is a lot of history to it and it seems there are ghosts,” he explained.

“It’s in a place where there was a psychiatric hospital. They sent mental patients there and people who were sick after the Second World War.

“When we first moved in we heard a lot of strange noises like chains being dragged around.

“Then when we were sleeping the stereo came on at full volume. Some very strange things were happening.

“One night, we were sleeping and my wife suddenly woke me up with a shout. She said there was this monk-like figure with a candle in his hand.

"I didn’t see him but I was s*** scared.”

Arsenal midfielder afraid of Milan ‘killers’

2008-02-19T13:48:00.001Z

It’s possibly the stand-out tie of the round, certainly in England, and it’s a shame that one of Arsenal and Milan have to bow out of the competition at this stage. The Gunners’ form has been generally outstanding this season, compared to the holders who have laboured in Serie A to the point where they hadn’t won a league match at home until the New Year. However, The Guardian report that, although this may not be a vintage Milan team, Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas is all-too aware of the damage they can cause.

“Everyone talks that they are not doing well in the league, that they are not playing well,” he said. “But these kind of teams can kill you in one second. They have massive players like Kaka, [Andrea] Pirlo and [Alberto] Gilardino - this kind of world-class player - and we have to be careful. Still I think we have a good chance.”

Indeed, Arsenal are slight favourites to overcome the Rossoneri over the two legs, although a 4-0 defeat at Old Trafford was hardly ideal preparation for Arsene Wenger’s team. Will that result be academic by the time Wednesday night’s match kicks off or has the Gunners’ morale been hit hard by that game?

My Match Prediction

2008-02-19T11:07:00.001Z

With tomorrows big match looming, Arsenal will need to be at there best to beat

The Reason Ferguson Doesn't Wear His Team Colours

2008-02-18T22:39:00.001Z

No Surprise!!!

The Polls Results

2008-02-18T17:37:00.001Z

Here are the results of the Polls that have just finished, they have provided some interesting results:

Who has the trickiest feet?

C.Ronaldo	64 (44%)
Ronaldinhio	20 (13%)
Hleb	46 (31%)
Joe Cole	15 (10%)

Total Votes : 145

Why did Arsenal lose to Manchester United?

Focus was on AC Milan match	17 (17%)
Injuries	16 (16%)
ManU's superior play	36 (36%)
Lack of commitment from the Arsenal players	52 (52%)

Total Votes : 100

Thankyou for voting and please continue voting in future polls

Kaka hails 'Brazilian' Arsenal

2008-02-18T16:59:00.001Z

AC Milan star Kaka has revealed his admiration for the style of football Arsenal play ahead of Wednesday's Champions League clash with the Gunners.

The reigning World and European Player of the Year believes Arsene Wenger's side are the best British exponents of playing 'beautiful' football like his Brazilian counterparts.

"Arsenal play football the way we like to see it in Brazil," he said.

"They play with style, changing position, moving the ball quickly. If you say Arsenal, that's what we think of. It is different to the normal English style.

"Man United are similar but are very English, direct and more tactical with the defence closing down quickly.

"This tie against Arsenal will be more open and interesting than one against Liverpool or Chelsea. This is a game we can enjoy. It can be beautiful."

Meanwhile, Kaka has warned Arsenal's youthful squad not to under-estimate the challenge posed by a veteran Milan line-up.

"People have called this tie against Arsenal a match between an ageing team and a new, young side," he continued, with Milan boasting the likes of Paolo Maldini, Clarence Seedorf, Cafu, Dida and Filippo Inzaghi among their over-30 ranks.

"It's a fair comparison because the average age in the Milan first team is 32 but that does not mean we will struggle. Experience counts for everything at this stage.

"When I came here four years ago, the likes of Maldini and Seedorf had already won every title they could win. But they were hungry to keep winning.

"We have won them all again in the past few years. To have that level of experience in a tie like this is so important."

2008-02-17T20:52:00.001Z

Thierry Henry thinking about the good old days

Your thoughts are welcome....

Arsenal boss denies Barcelona link

2008-02-17T16:48:00.000Z

Arsenal Football Club boss Arsene Wenger has rejected speculation linking him with Barcelona.

The hugely-successful French coach is said to be a summer target for the Camp Nou side if they part company with Frank Rijkaard, yet the Gunners boss has dismissed such a possibility.

"It's not the first time [there has been talk of Barcelona's interest]," Wenger told the Observer. "I'm happy where I am. I have no intention of moving and I want to carry on at Arsenal."

Highlights from the game

2008-02-17T15:59:00.000Z

2008-02-17T14:52:00.000Z

MATCH ANALYSIS AND PLAYER RATINGS

Were there any positives from the match?

This match had been hyped up so much that most of us actually started thinking that we were in for a great sporting spectacle. Even with Adebayor, Clichy, Sagna and FLamini all being rested I was still quite optimistic seeing as Man u had left out Giggs, Tevez and Rondaldo. We really did look like the better team on paper.

However it was obvious straight from kickoff when Hleb lost the ball after about 5 seconds that things were not going to be easy.

What surprised me most during the match was how bad of a game Traore had, I know he is still a reserve player but I really did think he a good and reliable understudy in the case that Clichy would be unavailable. Him and Hoyte were probably the main reason that we conceded so many, however it would be unfair to put all the blame on them. Fabregas was off colour (again), and our strike force was just not working well, although Bentder and Eduardo are both indivually gifted players I don’t think they work that well together. As soon as Adebayor came on Arsenal did actually improve, and deserves some credit for actually trying to get us a goal by diving in an attempt to get a penalty. Lehman was probably the only positive part from the match, although he let in four goals, he has staked his name for reclaiming the no.1 shirt.

Player Ratings

Jens Lehmann 7.0: Some smart saves alternated with some poor goal kicks, but kept the score line from looking like 7-0 or 8-0. Our best player.
Justin Hoyte 4.0: Troubled by United attackers all evening. The young defender couldn’t make his efforts meaningful.
William Gallas 4.0 : A disappointing evening’s work in the Manchester spotlight. He didn’t cope with Rooney as well as he should have. Perhaps his worst display of the season.
Kolo Toure 5.5: Looked like he was still suffering from jet lag after his exertions in the African Cup of Nations. He lacked his usual authority and positional excellence. Clearly still jaded from his African expedition.
Armand Traore 4.0: The youngster had a night to forget and was made dizzy by United’s movement and trickery.
Emmanuel Eboue 4.0: Dismissed early in the second half for an ugly challenge on Evra. It was his only contribution to the game. (Would have given him a higher mark if he got Nani)
Francesc Fabregas 5.0: The Premiership’s most improved midfielder didn’t live up to his reputation. He failed to pick his passes, failed to win the ball, and was simply outplayed on the evening.
Gilberto Silva 5.0: Another talent to leave his better form in the locker room. No impact on the match.
Alexander Hleb 6.5: Didn’t offer his usual menace. A subdued display, but had a little more energy to give to the match than some of his team mates.
Da Silva Eduardo 5.0: His flat display mirrored that of the team.
Nicklas Bendtner 5.0: Got no change out of the United defence and little support from the Arsenal midfield.

Subs
Mathieu Flamini 5.0: I would have started him from the start as he was the in-form central midfielder going into the game.
Philippe Senderos 6.0: In hindsight he should probably have started as well looking at all that went on at the back.
Emmanuel Adebayor 5.0: Booked for diving seconds after entering the match as a substitute, but did over a more attacking threat.

All in all I'm not to disappointed about being knocked out, we just need to pick ourselves up for the AC Milan game.

2008-02-16T22:53:00.001Z

We will be the ones laughing after the Champions League Match

Wenger Downbeat After United Thrashing

2008-02-16T21:05:00.000Z

Arsene Wenger said his side were bitterly disappointed to crash out of the FA Cup, but accepted the Gunners' performance just wasn't good enough.

Arsenal were trounced 4-0 by Manchester United at Old Trafford, delivering an awful performance in this FA Cup fifth round tie.

Speaking after the match, Gunners boss Arsene Wenger admitted that his side were very much second best. "It was an off-day for us - we were beaten everywhere," the Frenchman told BBC Sport.

"We never looked like coming back and when we tried in the second half we had Eboué sent off straight away and then it was of course game over. It's disappointing but this team has given a lot and we were up for it before the game, it just didn't work for us today and Man United were better.

The only positive news is that we have no new injuries and we can now prepare for Wednesday (against AC Milan). We know we need a top class performance then to be in with a chance."

Cup Is Important, Defeat Does Hurt

Asked by the reported whether the FA Cup was not considered important by Arsenal, Wenger refuted the allegation. "Not at all," he said. "We just had a bad today and United were better. We're all very disappointed in the dressing room - we had a good enough team today to have a chance to win here," he added, defending his team selection.

'Harsh' Dismissal

As for Eboué's dismissal, the Frenchman remarked that it looked harsh from where he was sitting. And regarding his player's petulance near the end of the game, such as the heavy challenges on Nani when the Portuguese started showboating, Wenger stressed that his players' reactions were entirely understandable. "It's normal," he protested. "It's difficult enough to swallow when you're three or four-nil down. You don't want to be teased for humiliated."

Fabregas' twin Hero

2008-02-16T20:46:00.001Z

What Arsenal Should Have Done

2008-02-16T20:23:00.001Z

Arsenal 0-4 Man United

Today we witnessed a fiery and horrible side of arsenal that we would have liked not to see. But hey, what would you have done if you've already lost the match and have got a team man united players just waiting to be beaten up, if I was in that position I would have gone Nani hunting.
He proved he is arrogant and has got no respect for anyone.

The Clash of the Titans

2008-02-16T15:00:00.000Z

Arsenal v Man U FA Cup 5th Round Preview

Arsenal

On the back of a five match winning streak Arsenal travel to Old Trafford with the aim of knocking their main rivals from the Premier League out of the F.A.Cup. Much has been made of the fact that neither team will field a full strength team because they have one eye on the midweek Champions league fixtures.

Manchester United

Diaby says that Arsenal will go for a win. Is this the attitude which the Man United camp will employ? Will Man U fight for victory or will they do the dreaded defending. Ronaldo will be their main threat.

Star man/ man of the moment

Arsenal: Emmanuel Adebayor. He has scored consecutively in the last matches along the way bagging twelve goals. The Togolese has been traumatizing defences for fun lately. He says he doesn't care about the goals he scores. As an Arsenal fan I hope he is lying.

Manchester United: Ronaldo. The slimy super 7 has never had doubters over his skills but he did he some people questioning their effectiveness. This season he has silenced his critics scoring 19 goals in the league so far. Adding this element into his game means he is in a strong position in the race for the golden boot.

Dream Arsenal, ManU eleven

Almunia

Sagna Toure Gallas Clichy

Ronaldo Fabregas Flamini Giggs

Adebayor Rooney

The mind games

This time the two managers have been relatively quiet. Perhaps they are saving the war of words to unleash just as the first dive from Ronaldo is done. Adebayor has praised Ronaldo describing him as a playstation character and Giggs has praised Adebayor.

Key battles

Ronaldo + Rooney + Teves v. Lehman

Ronaldo versus Clichy

Gallas versus Rooney + Tevez

Senderos / Toure versus Rooney + Tevez

Flamini versus everyone

Fabregas versus Anybody with short vision

Adebayor versus all defenders

Walcott/Eboue versus Evra + Van der Saar

Sagna versus Giggs.

Big match facts

The outstanding tie of the fifth round is Sir Alex Ferguson's 100th as manager of Manchester United.

The top two in the Premier League are also the most successful clubs in FA Cup history; United and Arsenal have won the world's oldest football knockout competition 21 times between them and have appeared in a combined 35 finals.

This is the 35th time Ferguson will have come up against his opposite number Arsene Wenger. Of the 34 previous encounters United have won 11, Arsenal 13. Eight of the 10 other games finished level and two were decided on penalty shoot-outs; United won the 2003 Community Shield, and Arsenal the 2005 FA Cup final.

2008-02-16T14:01:00.004Z

Arsenal legend Arsenal legend arsenal legend arsenal legend arsenal legend arsenal legend arsenal legend arsenal legend arsenal legend arsenal legend arsenal legend arsenal legend arsenal legend arsenal legend arsenal legend arsenal legend arsenal legend arsenal legend arsenal legend arsenal legend arsenal legend arsenal legend arsenal legend arsenal legend arsenal legend arsenal legend arsenal legend arsenal legend arsenal legend arsenal legend

Arsène Knows

Arsenal v Borussia Dortmund

INTERACTIVITY

Uni & Arsenal

Football

Arsenals Future

Arsenal match postponed

Arsenal draw Barcelona!

Man Utd 1 - 0 Arsenal

Arsenal lose to ManU

Full circle

Ramsey's Horrific Injury

Gunners ease Emirates misery

Fabregas' era has begun

The Captain has been chosen

Man City 3-0 Arsenal

Gilberto leaves Arsenal - a personal tribute

Have Arsenal found another world beater?

Fabregas does it again

Does humour have a place in football?

Eduardo will END the curse of the Arsenal number nine shirt

Samuel Eto’o - No medical at Arsenal

Arsenal Transfer Rumour - Clichy wanted by Roma and Juve

Euro 2008: Late goal ends Senderos dream

The past week has been rubbish

FIFA IN FAVOUR OF SIX PLUS FIVE RULE

Goalkeepers

Defenders

Midfielders

Forwards

Theo's found his form

Wenger focused on critical period

Arsenal Exceed Expectations, But Not There Yet

Wengers Policies

Flamini continues discussions

Sagna forced out for France

Wenger: Gunners will win the title

Wenger: I'm not looking to replace Flamini

Toure - We'll give everything

Silly

Confident

Adebayor - We'll KO Reds

Confident

Hleb reveals Lehmann anger

Angry

Popular

Who Is The Fastest Player?

Vieira - Reds will win CL

Experience

Wonderful

Lehman at it again - but this time he has a point

Wenger hails 'best' partnership

Technical

Gunners star Fabregas fine with leaving Barca

Wigan v Arsenal stats&ratings

Every point counts

Robinho apparently almost moved to Arsenal

Wenger is Mourinho's latest target

Bentley advice for Walcott

Flourish

Comfortable

Fabregas is the key to Arsenal’s title bid

Flamini kept Kaka in his pocket

Arsenal manager over the moon after beating Milan

William Gallas warns Walcott he must improve

Wenger set for summer spend

Opportunity

Star names

Wenger: We are still the most fouled team in the country

Wenger: No van Persie rush

Gary Lewin: The Forgotten Man

Eduardo leaves the hospital after surgery

What punishment should Martin Taylor be given?

The Horrific Challenge on Eduardo

Eduardos injury

The poll results

Who would replace Wenger if he left Arsenal right now?

Almunia spooked by ghosts

Arsenal midfielder afraid of Milan ‘killers’

My Match Prediction