Match Preview: Arsenal v Tottenham Hotspur

Bragging Rights Are At Stake

These are the matches that make English Premier League Football so much more enjoyable than any other sports matchup you can conjur up. No other sport has anything close to derby days. And this week’s North London derby promises to be a scorcher as Harry Redknapp’s Tottenham Hotspur come calling to the Emirates.

Tottenham are off to their best start to league in their long history.  They have played 10 matches so far, winning 6, drawing 1 and losing 3. Their last match was a surprising 1-0 loss to Stoke. They currently are tied in points with Arsenal with 19 but are in 4th since the Gunners have a superior goal differntial. Their is a lot of pride in the team at the moment as Harry Redknapp, has given the players the drive to believe in themselves and their ability. This has resulted in a change of fortunes so far.

However, Tottenham are fighting a rash of injuries suspension and a long history of losing against Arsenal. Sprus striker Jermaine Defoeis serving the last day of a 3 match suspension, Aaron Lennon is out with an Ankle injury and a whole slew of others are riding the trainers bench. Throw in the fact that Tottenham haven’t beaten Arsenal at home since 1993 and won outright at either location since 1999, and the Spurs seem to have a steep climb.

Prodigal Spur Robbie Keane, threw gas on the already blazing rivalry when he proclaimed that this current Spurs crew and their reserves are equal to Arsenal’s starting XI. While the Gunners haven’t risen  to the bait, pundits alike are having a jolly laugh at his proclamation, because Robbie seems to forgotten the likes of Eduardo, Fabregas, Arshavin, Vermaelen, Gallas, Nasri, Song and the reserves are pound for pound better all around players, then Keane, Crouch, DeFoe and Lennon.

All that said though, there is still some concern at Ashbourton Grove.While , the youngsters sumarily dispatched Liverpool’s reserves in the midweek – holding on for a 2-1 win in the Carling Cup, the senior squad had to suffer through a Sunday battle that saw West Ham claw back to gain a draw against the Gunners.  If the Gunners are to gain the 3 points from this match, the will instantly need to develop a killer instinct that provides some spine to the sharp attack they have been showing.

Surely this week, Wenger has stressed the importance of holding an opponent down when you have a lead. Arsenal are going to need to do this and learn it well, especially as more difficult ties against, Chelsea and Liverpool approach.  Letting a stronger, more disciplined opponent back into a match will likely see a loss rather than a draw. The red and white army surely have the talent necessary to do well in all their competitions. They have a set of centre halfs that are playing as well as any in the top 6. But they are lacking the focus required to lock a game down once they have a lead and that is going to be an issue unless they address it.

The Gunners should be bouyed by the return of Samir Nasri to the squad. Nasri saw all 90 minutes of action against Liverpool and while he didn’t score his presence was felt throughout. He looks strong and s0lid on the ball and the addition of him playing with Fabregas and Song in the midfield will likely go a long way to solidifying the middle. Sadly, Lukasz Fabianksi who also returned on Tuesday is out again for the next 3 weeks. His first match back saw him go right back to the training table with a thigh injury. Nicky B also returned this week scoring a goal in the match against Liverpool and with Eduardo back as well, the clubs striking options increased as well. Our usual cast of characters remains with the trainer with no time table set for the return of Tomas Rosicky.

With Fabianski out and Mannone seeming to lose some of his steadiness, look for Manuel Almunia to feature in goal for the first time since his dreadful show at Manchester City.  The hope here is that Almunia has seen enough of Mannone from the bench that he feels inspired to play like he did when he was challenging Lehmann for the number 1 goalie spot. Arsenal are in need of one of the goalies to step up and start playing with some metal or this could be a season that sees the gunners let in almost as many goals as they score.

The attack is as prolific as ever. Even in drawing against West Ham, the boys added 2 more goals to their league leading tally. With the exception of the Fulham and United matches, Arsenal have not scored less than 2 goals per game. 

Whoever loses this match will likely see either Liverpool, Villa, City or all three overtake them in the standings. Three points is essential and with local bragging rights at stake this will be a dandy match to watch. With DeFoe out of the lineup for Spurs look for the away team to have a central attack that tries to take advantage of Crouch’s height. However, I still think Arsenal’s attack are too much for the Spurs.

How it should play out:

The Gunners are at home and have yet to lose on their own turf. They want to continue to make the Emirates a fortress and not drop points here. Given the overall feelings the team had coming off of last weekend’s loss, they will likely come out attacking early to try and establish their game and see what the visitors have in terms of fight. Robin Van Persie is on a nice consecutive goals run and should be able to add to it this week. With so many options out for Harry Redknapp’s Tottenham, they are going to be one dimensional and not provide too much of a threat.

Players to Watch:

Arsenal: Andrei Arshavin was rather adamant in his feeling that Wenger has every right to be ticked off about their letting West Ham back into the match. Based on his interviews this week, it seems the diminutive Russian wants to make a point that Arsenal have arrived this season. This lad has all the cajones needed to be a leader on this squad and I definitely think he is going to try and dictate the game. He has already shown this season that when he wants to score, he can.

Spurs: David Bentley. He scored an amazing goal last season at the Emirates but he quickly faded and lost favor last season. With Lennon sidelined, he stands to get his first start of the season and will want to show that he should play regularly.

Injuries:

Arsenal: Denilson (back), Djourou, Rosicky and Walcott (all knee), Fabianski (thigh), Wilshere (ankle)

Spurs: Giovani (ankle), Lennon (ankle), Modric (broken leg), DeFoe (Suspended)

Possible Starting XI:

Arsenal: (4-3-3) Almunia, Gallas, Vermaelen, Clichy, Sagna, Fabregas, Song, Diaby, Bendtner, Arshavin, Van Persie

Spurs: (4-4-2) Gomes, Corluka, Bassong, King, Assou-Ekotto, Bentley, Palacios, Huddlestone, Kranjcar, Crouch, Keane

Final Score:

Arsenal: 3
Spurs: 1

 Match set to air on ESPN 2 at 8:45AM EST.

Apologies for the delay guys. Bad internet today as well as feeling under the weather made writing this a little arduous today. Not one of my better attempts. Hope you bear with me.

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Match Preview: Arsenal v Liverpool (Carling Cup)

Who's kids are better

This week’s midweek draw sees the Gunners play host to the much maligned Liverpool squad. Each coming off of results diffeent than what most had thought would happen this past weekend. Both looking to set the record straight on all accounts.

Prior to Liverpool’s win against Manchester United, I thought this match up was going to be a little tastier than it is. Had Liverpool lost, I suspected that Rafa would have no other choice but to field a team that was heavier with first team players. As it is, I think the Carling Cup is still the only silverware the Scousers have a real chance to win but given their troubles, when the likes of Torres and Gerrard aren’t in the squad, it may be too much to ask.

Everyone is aware of the troubles Liverpool have had in the league and in the Champion’s league. While this weekend’s win is an outlet for the pressure that has built up for the Merseysiders, the issues haven’t exactly been addressed. The loss of of Xabi Alonso has exposed the lack of play making creativity in the side and Rafa Benietez’s chosen replacement, Alberto Aquilani will only feature as a sub.

There is plenty of history between these two clubs and the Carling Cup. Liverpool and Arsenal have met in the cup competiton a total of 10 times. Throw in replays and they have gone head to head 13 times. Liverpoll are the leaders in wins in this competition having won 7 times and Arsenal have won it 2 times. The last time they met Liverpool were soundly drubbed 6-3 behind the blazing foot of Julio Baptista who scored on four occassions.

Liverpool are stuggling as late and their last away win was the 1-0 cup tie at Leeds United and they are going up against a side that has a 100% record at home this season. Additionally, the last 5 times Liverpool have gone up against a London side in the Carling Cup they have lost. 

Rafa’s side will be without Gerrard or Torres who even though he hit the first goal in the win over United said he felt pain on the shot. Mascherano is out having seen two yellows at Anfield this weekend. However, Alberto Aquilani could figure in as a sub in the 2nd half. He is yet to be fit for a full 90 minutes. Liverpool are brimming with confidence having won against title contenders United and will be looking to extend that to this match.

Arsenal as we all know typically uses the Carling Cup as its blooding for its youngsters and over the years they have been fairly successful having not missed making at least the quaterfinals in recent memory. This Wednesday’s squad though will feature a little more experience as Arsene Wenger looks to give some of his returning first teamers time to get into shape for the league and Europe.

Both Samir Nasri and Lukasz Fabianski will be starting for the first time this season as they return from injuries. Eduardo who was out the last few weeks with a thigh injury will also be back. Throw in Phillipe Senderos and Mikhail Silvestre in the back four and this squad has an unusual amount of experience for an Arsenal Carling Cup Side.

The Gunners are keen to put their last two matches behind them where in each case they firmly controlled the game only to allow their opponents back in it.  They will look to put those missteps behind them and get the squad pointed back in the right direction.

Against West Brom in the last round, Sanchez Watt and Carlos Vela showed exactly why the future is bright for Arsenal.  The youngsters have continued to show their promise in each chance they get and are why many feel that Arsenal could be set for a golden era of football. (But that’s for another time). Aaron Ramsey will get the nod and according to Arsene Wenger the young Welshman is now pushing players for starts on the first team. The only down side right now is that Jack Wilshere will not play in the match as he is out with an ankle knock.

How It Should Play Out:

Maybe I am a homer but I think this Arsenal squad is heavily weighted with first teamers – more so than typical Carling Cup sides. And while the likes of Nasri and Fabianski haven’t seen full match time, Nasri has already shown he can contribute in the reserve match he has played in. Additionally, if Vela and Eduardo start together, they are as deadly a pair as there is in the EPL. Overall I think they are too strong for the side Rafa will put out and that Arsenal will set the tone early at home.

Injuries:

Arsenal: Walcott, Djourou, Denilson, Rosicky

Liverpool: Gerrard, Riera, Kelly

Probable Starting XI:

Arsenal (4-3-3): Fabianski, Senderos, Silvestre, Gilbert, Gibbs, Merida, Coquelin, Ramsey, Nasri, Eduardo, Bendtner

Liverpool(4-4-2): Cavilieri, Degen, Skrtel, Kyrgiakos, Dossena, Eccleston, Spearing, Plessis, Babel, Voronin, N’Gog

Final Score:

Arsenal: 2
Liverpool: 1

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In the Aftermath:Arsenal v West Ham – Match Review

William Gallas celebrates scoring - (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)

Gutted.

Distraught.

Pissed off.

The list could go on. Everything was set for the Gunners to make significant headway in the league table. Man United lost to Liverpool. Spurs lost to Stoke, City and Villa both drew. An Arsenal win would’ve put the Gunners in third with two points over Spurs and 3 points over the next contender. Yeah, well didn’t you just know the red and white army would go ahead an cock it up!

I am one of those fans who internalizes team disappointment. I can’t even read the papers because I don’t want to relive the heartache I just witnessed. And I am finally setting down to write this after nearly a full days sleep. I didn’t want to do it because my original draft was laced with rather colorful language  and well you all should know I don’t write that way. I try to stay objective and realistic. If I think we are going to lose, I will say so. Same thing with draws. But this was one freaking match that we should’ve taken clear and simple.

The match was a tale of two halfs. In the first half we dictated play, moved the ball around and controlled possession with our usual flair. We scored two goals one from an in form Robin Van Persie and another from William Gallas. Throughout the first half West Ham simply looked like they could not be bothered to go for anything. Headers, tackles, balls, with the exception of Carlton Cole, there was no committment from the side. A third goal looked in the offering but it never materialized.

The second half starts and you would expect that given the performance mid week again AZ Alkmaar the Gunners would want to enter the pitch and put it away. But that is where you would be wrong. Gianfranco Zola, clearly recognizing that his team needed to come away with something, had his team ready to come out on the pitch and play. Each one of his subsititions added something and wehn Diamanti entered the game the whole flow took on another feeling. Roles reversed and Arsenal now looked like the squad  who didn’t want it. Carlton Cole who was the only threat West Ham had in the first half finally netted a low crossing header to put the home side 1 point down. The tide had definitely turned.

5 minutes later Arsenal were the recipient of two bad calls. The first was a missed penalty on William Gallas. Gallas clearly stuck his foot out (whether intentional or not I don’t know) and Parker tripped over it. The replay showed it was a clear penalty. Play went on, however a minute later, whether making up for a missed call or not, the ref called a dubious penalty on a really soft play. If anything I think it would’ve warranted a diving call. But alas it didn’t and the former Livorno player, Diamanti who looked rather erratic was set to take the kick. It should be noted that penalties are not given with Signore Diamanti. Against Liverpool he clearly kicked a ball twice – another poor call by the ref – and he has a penchant for rocketing shots over the goal. This time however, he didn’t and he netted a scorcher off just out of the reach of Mannone. I have to say Mannone had the play dead in terms of direction he was off the ball by inches (I’ve watched the replay and slowed it down – he is right there). I can’t give Mannone a bad grade on that.

2-2 and I’m scratching my head. Before the end of the game the West Ham keeper would make a save of pure brilliance on a shot from Robin Van Persie that looked like a true winner. But it wasn’t to be. We drew. West Ham deserved the point, and frankly we deserved nothing.

What went wrong is a mixture of two main things and lots of niggly things. The first two things are, team selection and desire. The first is up to the manager and the second to the players.  I still do not understand the selection of Eboue and Diaby, when you have the likes of Wilshere and Ramsey available to you. I clearly understand that Eduardo and Nicky B were likely not fit for a full 90 minute match. Start the two younglings and let the others come on to relieve them if needed. Eboue who is showing a great effort has no business being up front. He is not made for that position. He is a full back pure and simple. Great speed coming up the wings with a lousy finishing touch. This was exemplified in the second half – up 2-0 with a chance to nail it shut – Eboue comes in up the right side, clearly beating the player and instead of a direct shot on goal or better yet a pass to Arshavin or RvP, he shoots it across the penalty box with out testing the goalie.

The other poor choice was Diaby. Again, he has promise but he is either not ready for prime time and needs more time with the reserves to learn or he simply is not Arsenal material. While he wasn’t dreadful, he wasn’t substantial. His tackling resulted in too many free-kicks near the penalty box that you were gritting yout teeth the whole time. Throw in bad judgement on when to bring players on and Arsene did manage this team properly yesterday.

The other part of this and in my opinion more of the reason why we drew comes down to the players. There is no doubting the talent on this squad. And if the likes of Nasri and Rosicky could get fit and join the rest on the pitch they would be as good as any team out there. With one exception – a desire to finish teams off.  I can’t find much in the way of defencive lapses that led to those goals. The defencive back four didn’t have a bad game. Vermaelen and Gallas were their usual workman selves and Song is turning into a monster – still makes some niggly mistakes but overall he is clearly laying claim to the defencive midfielder role. Overall the entire team as a unit did not have the mentality to put the game away. Call it desire, call it gumption – either way when called for they simply did not seem to think that West Ham was that much of a threat. They talked about it all week long after the draw in Holland. They could not let teams in. They did yesterday and they are paying for it.

If this Arsenal squad ever get the hunger and killer instinct of say a Chelsea, they will win lots of silverware. The attacking flair is there they just need the ability to lock down an opponent and either hold a lead or score enough that even an opponent scoring isn’t much of a threat. We’ve seen it done this season. There is no reason it can’t be done. If it is done, than all the glory shall come – if not then this group will be perpetual runners up.

And even though we now sit in third on the table based on GD – there is no bright side to this. We can only hope that this is a mini slump and that next week’s derby against Spurs is used as a chance to re-enrergize and show the league we are for real.

Next Up:

Carling Cup: Arsenal v Liverpool

EPL: Arsenal v Tottenham

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Match Preview: Arsenal v West Ham

Not as tasty as next week's derby

A year ago, this tie might have been something to look forward to. But a year removed from a run for a spot in the EUROPA cup, Gianfranco Zola’s side are a shell of their former selves. As in form Arsenal visit Upton Park it sets up to be a case of David versus Goliath for sure.

West Ham seem to be one of those clubs that when you are not playing them, you can get behind or at least they used to be. Right now they seem like a train wreck. The side haven’t won since opening day, a 2-0 win over Wolves. The club is beset with financial issues and is selling off talented players to make up for budgetary shortfalls. Additionally, there is some noise that the club could be bought by a consortium of fans, financed from money in the US. As if that weren’t enough, reports are that Napoli have asked Zola and two of his assistants to quit the club and come manage back in Serie A.

Zola tried to set up a club that did it right. He focused on the youth devleopment system. Nurturing talent within the system and bringing them to the team when ready. He’s also a manager to admire because while his club languish in the relegation zone, the former Chelsea and West Ham man refuses to compromise his managerial principles in order to win. He likes a flowing, passing system, and cites Arsene Wenger as one of his favourite managers and one his system is slightly patterned after. Zola has gone so far to say that he would rather change jobs than change his principles.

“Arsène Wenger is a manager I look up to very much, because of the way he plays and the fact he works with young players. That fits in with the project we are trying to do here.

“Mostly I like his strength of character. He has been through some difficult moments but he never changes his philosophy, always playing attacking football.”

“The situation is difficult because I care about his club and to see us in this position hurts me. When I was a player it was easier to get on with your job, but as manager you have more responsibility.”

Sad to say the situation at Upton Park plays into the Gunners hands. The Gunners are coming off a lackluster performance against AZ Alkmaar in the Champion’s League. They will want to show that they have the mental fortitude to put such performances behind them and capture wins after losses. The Gunners as they are in the league come in firing on all cylinders looking for the fifth straight league win. They lead the league in goals scored with 27 in their last 8 and are 5 clear of the next team.

On the negative side this week is that Tomas Rosicky who Arsene was calling 50:50 on Tuesday is not on the squad. He is suffering from a knee problem. There isn’t a blog or article out there that hopes that this a minor injury and that he features in the side for the North London Derby next week. Given his history with injuries you’d forgive this Arsenal fan if he wasn’t overly optimistic.  Additionally, the side will be without Nasri who while playing in the reserves still is not match fit. Djourou, Denilson andWalcott are all out.

However, to be fair an balanced, there are some players returning to the squad he should add to the fire power of the team. Nicholas Bendtner who suffered from a slight groin injury during the international break returns and Crozillian wonder striker Eduardo is also set to return. Admittedly during last week’s league match against at Birmingham there was some concern that we were thin in our striker area with Dudu and Nicky B out. Also with Walcott going down, had another striker gotten seriously hurt last week, there would’ve been some serious issues.

Going into this match, Arsenal also find themselves with a serious goal keeper controversy. All three keepers are back. Vito Mannone who looked real shaky during the Champion’s league tie has been stellar during league play. Manuel Almunia has been suffering the last two matches on the bench while Lukasz Fabianksi returns from his injury.  Fabianski has some time before all three should be considered to play but Almunia is likely to be fuming that he hasn’t seen action yet. However, this is not an action without some sort of precedence. Jens Lehmann was once benched with an “illness” and was forced to watch and motivate himself to get back on the squad. Given Almunia’s horrid start to the season (only 53% of shots saved), it is likely that Wenger could keep the Spaniard out a little longer until he is hungry enough to play out of his head.

This match also is a good match to have prior to next week’s North London Derby against Spurs. And given the fact that Spurs have lost and Villa drew during this weekend’s matches, Arsenal can move into third with a win. A win also keeps City in either 4th or 5th place depending on how they finish against Fulham.  The great thing about this is that should that all play out, Arsenal will be 3rd with a game in hand to Chelsea, Man United and Spurs.

Arsene Wenger came out during the AGM this week and said the team will win silverware this year. If the Premiership is one of them, then this game is a must win.

How it should play out?

Arsenal are in my opinion the class of the league in terms of their attacking style. They’ve been potent in all expect the Fulham match where they were held to one goal. West Ham hasn’t won since opening day and to make matters worse Arsenal are 4-0 in their last four league matches against the Hammers. The last time West Ham scored against Arsenal was a 1-0 win in 2007.  Arsenal are going to prove to much for Zola’s side and should net big early. If form holds for the Hammers they are allowing an average of 2 goals in the first half. Look for the more potent Gunners to best that and score 3 in the first half putting the game clearly out of reach.

Injuries:

Arsenal: Nasri, Rosicky, Denilson, Djourou & Walcott

West Ham: Dyer, Ashton, Boa Morte, Davenport

Starting XI:

Arsenal: Mannone, Gallas, Vermaelen, Clichy, Sagna, Song, Fabregas, Diaby, Arshavin, van Persie, Eboue

West Ham: Green, Faubert, Tomkins, Upson, Ilunga, Behrami, Kovac, Noble, Collison, Cole, Diamanti 

Players to watch:

Arsenal: Robin Van Persie – the dutchman is simply on fire – goals in 4 out of 6 league matches.  He is not hitting junk shots either they are clinical finishes. He will maintain that and score again.

West Ham: Carlton Cole, the striker has scored in their last three matches at home and in their last 4 all together.

Final Score:

Arsenal: 4
West Ham: 1

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The Arsenal Way

Trophies this season?

I believe when a football fan (the non-local fans) chooses which team to support, it reflects on his mentality, his belief, and the value he holds in life to a certain extend.

True, every top club has its share of glory hunters. Yet if you take Arsenal for example, despite our success under Wenger early this decade, we were never as dominating a force as Man Utd in the Premiership. The fans who started supporting Arsenal within the past 10 years could have easily choosen Man Utd or Chelsea to support instead, if all they wanted to see is trophies. So what made them choose Arsenal?

I believe, more or less, it’s because they share the same values as Arsenal. What are those values? They are “Arsenal Way”. Which is; running the club the right way (the board), building the team the right way (the manager), and playing the football the way it should be (the team).

The term the “Arsenal Way” we see it so often these days, both on and off the pitch.  In the past, when a side were playing good, attractive football, we would hear the cliche “just like watching Brazil”. Today, more often than not, we hear, “just like watching Arsenal.”.

Off the pitch, I have read time and time again chairmen from the smaller clubs expressing their desire to run their clubs the “Arsenal Way”. Citing Arsenal as an ideal business model for them to copy.

That, to me, sums up what our club is all about. And I am proud of it. Had I not been an Arsenal fan, I too would want to be associated with a club like Arsenal.

True, to run a club the “Arsenal Way”, life is bound to be more difficult than Man Utd, Chelsea, Man City and the likes, especially in terms of what matters most – f winning trophies. But the “Arsenal Way” makes every achievement truly worthwhile.

Nobody could accuse Arsenal of  BUYING our two doubles under Wenger.  Noone could accuse us of BUYING our unbeaten season. We EARNED them, and 100% DESERVED them.

Despite Chelsea’s two titles under Mourinho, we never saw anyone speak about the desire of running their clubs, or playing their football the “Chelsea Way”. If anything, people often are quick to remind them how the club had  BOUGHT the titles with every chance they got. I bet even the most diehard Chelsea faithfuls would secretly wish that they had won their titles with a team they built rather than Roman’s deep pocket.

Popularity: 2% [?]

Match Preview: Arsenal v AZ Alkmaar (UCL)

Champion's League Action Match Day 3 Group H

It’s the only trophy that has eluded Arsene Wenger. Europe’s biggest prize and probably the biggest prize in all Football. The group stages of the UEFA Champion’s League resume Tuesday with Arsenal travelling to DSB Stadium to faceoff against AZ Alkmaar.

Arsenal are looking to continue their Champion’s League form which has seen them take 6 points out of both matches. They currently sit 3 points ahead of Olympiakos and a win in Tuesday’s match puts them in the driver’s seat for the group. AZ Alkmaar, last years winner of the Dutch Edervesie, llook to make that not happen.

The Gunners make the trip to Holland without some key cogs missing, namely; Eduardo, Theo Walcott, Nicholas Bendtner, Tomas Rosicky, Samir Nasri, Denilson, and Johann Djourou. But Gael Clichy is set to return to the lineup. Either way there are likely to be some young additions to the squad to fill in for those in the training room.

The squad making the trip are:

Vito Mannone
Manuel Almunia
Carlos Vela
Robin van Persie
William Gallas
Bacary Sagna
Kieran Gibbs
Thomas Vermaelen
Mikael Silvestre
Gael Clichy
Andrey Arshavin
Fran Merida
Jack Wilshere
Aaron Ramsey
Cesc Fabregas
Emmanuel Eboue
Abou Diaby
Alex Song

Their opponents are in their first Champion’s League competition and are lead by manager Ronald Koeman who has a reputation for managing sides that take out English clubs from the Champion’s League.  In 2006-2007 he was at the helm of PSV and in 2002-2003 he was at Ajax when Arsenal failed to proceed past the group stages.

The two clubs have never met in true competition but did face off in a friendly match which Arsenal won 3-0. AZ come into this match in opposite form to the Gunners. They’ve not won in their last five matches and in this past weekend’s tie lost to FC Twente 3-2.  The have only managed four goals in their last six matches between the league and the Champion’s League. They have only taken a point from the competition so far losing to Olympiakos 1-0 and gaining a draw against Standard Liege.

The club fancy themselves a Dutch version of the EPL goal leaders.  They play an attacking style and try to stay positionally sound. In addition to that they have Red jersies with white sleeves (Whoopie!!!!). The good news for AZ – no injuries from the squad and look to play with their full complement.

So far all of Arsenal’s opponents have had “an attacking style” and with the exception of the first four minutes of the Standard Liege match, the Gunners have thoroughly outplayed their competition. Even with the players on the trainer’s table the Gunners are full of options and opportunities for players to step in and step up.

Arsene Wenger is full of pride in the quality of this side and is convinced that silverware is not far from the offing for them About to turn 60 on Thursday Arsene wants nothing other than a committement to the win on Tuesday.  From there he believes that this club is on the route to fulfilling it’s potential.

“I think this team has a big future. We’ve improved but haven’t won anything yet – we will try to change that this season. AZ have more of a balanced team than Standard de Liege, and are better on the ball, but it is never easy to beat a team in the Champions League. It’s never easy to beat a Dutch team either, but tomorrow is a good opportunity to do that.”

Arsenal lead the competition with 22 shots on goal. Based on current form, you can expect that the Gunners will be up for this match.

What to Expect?

Based on current form of both clubs, this looks to be an easy match up for the Gunners. But nothing is ever easy for us and with so many injured you have to wonder if this will be one of those matches that takes us 30-40 minutes before we find the net.  AZ have a fairly good record at home in all UEFA competitions only losing once in 34 home games going back to 1977. It was Everton in 2007 that ended this run.  However, if the match goes as open and as attacking as AZ say they will be then it clearly favors the stronger visitors. That is their style to a T and in league and UEFA competions so far they haven’t let down.

Regardless of how skilled Koeman is as a tactician he has not been able to replicate last season’s success for the Dutch side  The Gunners are going to be too much for them especially if Vela and Arshavin are on the wings. That is too much speed and creativity for them to handle.

Players to Watch:

Arsenal: Robin Van Persie comes home and in great form having a goal in each of the last 6 matches. He is placing the ball in the net with precision and finese. Look for him to stand out yet again in front of his home country.

AZ Alkmaar: Beats me. Anyone watch the Dutch Edervesie and want to take a stab? The only ones I have heard of are Mendes da Silva and El Hamdaoui.

Possible Starting XI:

Arsenal: Mannone, Sagna, Gallas, Vermaelen, Clichy, Fabregas, Song, Diaby, Arshavin, Van Persie, Vela

AZ Alkmaar: Romero; Swerts, Jaliens, Moreno, Pocognoli; Holman, Mendes da Silva, Schaars, Martens, Dembele, El Hamdaou

Final Score:

Arsenal: 3
AZ Alkmaar: 0

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In the Aftermath: Arsenal v Birmingham – Match Review

Arshavin slots home the winner

Let me go on the record by saying – yet again – I hate the international break. Why? As an Arsenal fan it infuriates me that after each break it takes us 45 minutes into a game to get going or we remain sluggish throughout narrowly eeking out a result.

While that wasn’t exactly the script yesterday, the match did feature some moments of pure frustration. From the outset the addition of Walcott on the wing versus Arshavin added another gear to our pace. That showed from the outset as Arsenal were quick on the attack. Inside 5 minutes our pace resulted in a Rosicky shot form the left that narrowly missed to the right of the goal. Rosicky would go on to miss two more times before Arsenal would net. But it clearly showed – game on.

Prior to the meat of the match, Theo Walcott endured a rather heavy tackle from Brum defender Liam Ridgewell. Early in the match, the pacy winger was clearly too much for the Birmingham defence to contain. It’s unclear whether Ridgewell went for the ball or not. Either way Theo endured a long treatment on the sidelines and at the 33rd minute was finally substituted for Andrei Arshavin.

But before Theo’s departure Arsenal made quick work of the visitors. The first goal at the 16th minute really showed the class of a striker growing in stature. Alexander Song with the ball outside the penalty box fakes a shot and send the ball into the box where it looks like Robin Van Persie isn’t going to bel able to get a good shot. But the striker showed his strength, corralled the ball from a awkward pass and shot a beauty through to the far side. With everyone clamoring for RvP to get off the schnide and score, the lad has goals in 4 of the last league matches.

Arsenal weren’t done though as two minutes later, the much maligned Abou Diaby (Yes, I don’t like him either), took a left footed shot from the centre of the field just outside the box and beat Brum ‘keeper Joe Hart. The score was typical Arsenal and almost didn’t happen. Eboue gets a nice feed from Rosicky and takes it to the outside passing back to Rosicky who crosses in the middle where RvP and and Fabregas are moving to. Fabregas misses on his slide in and the ball lands at Diaby’s feet and he has an empty goal to shoot into. 

Up 2-0 inside 18 minutes it surely looked like a mauling was in order. But somewhere on the way to three points the lads resorted to some old form and let off the gas pedal and gave Birmingham a lifeline.  At 38 minutes Lee Bowyer netted a right footed shot from inside the 6 yard box. The lead up the shot isn’t as controversial as our young italian goalie would lead us to believe. With a James McFadden cross coming into the box Diaby headed the ball up backwards. Mannone goes into play the ball and is challenged in the air by a Brum player. Rather than punching the ball Mannone tried to corral it in. But he doesn’t get it and Bowyer is there for the gift which he nets in. In the replay Mannone doesn’t look like he was impeded and frankly would’ve been better off just punching the ball out.

Even though there were spouts of frustration, Arsenal were slowly gaining back the pressure they had for most of the first half.  From the gifted “back pass” (which would’ve really been an injustice had we scored) to a beautifully missed shot by Arshavin, Arsenal still maintained their attack. It was in defending the ball that we need to lock things down. Vermaelen and Gallas were in good form and so was Alexander Song, but Gibbs looked nervous and while Eboue’s pace was welcome he wasn’t great defensively. Diaby played a typical Diaby like effort, playing some good defensive work and then some crappy work. It this inconsistency which is so infuriating about the lad.

Theo gets treatment

For much of the 2nd half you couldn’t blame Arsenal fans if they were thinking that Brum were close to a draw. We weren’t sinking our attempts and Brum seemed to be set for another goal and if not for a reedeming save by Don Vito Mannone they would’ve. It wasn’t until a a good break out from Arsenal and a sweet looking pass from Fabregas to Arshavin that the Gunners were clear with three points. Arshavin’s winner showed why the diminutive Russian is going to be an EPL star. When he received the ball and pushed into the box you knew he was going to score and he dared the Birmingham to come and get him. He was cool and collected as he pretty much strolled into the penalty box and score don the far side. 

Overall, this match had everything to love and hate about Arsenal. Fantastic pace, sublime goals but frustrating defencive lapses that let opponents hang around too long.  But a win is a win and as of this, Arsenal sit in fourth place in the table and maintain a 100% record at home. A loss or draw by Man City against Wigan puts us in fourth with a game in hand to the top three.

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Match Preview: Arsenal v Birmingham or Let’s Play Some Proper Football Shall We?

Let's get back to some football shall we?

Thank goodness it’s over. The forsaken two week interlull that has had many an Arsenal fan hoping our stars don’t come back with major knocks and dings is finally gone.  Now all is right with the world and we can get back to some proper football and not be watching this World Cup nonsense.

With it over, this Saturday sees the return of Arsenal to the Emirates to taken on perennial yo-yo team Birmingham City. This is the first meeting of the teams since that fateful meeting in February 2008 when Eduardo had his ankle broken and Arsenal lost any chance of the EPL title.  The match against Arsenal would end up scaring the team emotionally and soon would lose out on the league by dropping two matches and drawing two others. They were overtaken in the league by Man U and Chelsea and the rest is history.

Since 1957 no Birmingham side has won at Arsenal. And in 24 their last 24 home meetings Arsenal are 16W and 8D. Coming in,  Arsene Wenger’s squad currently lead the league with 24 goals in 7 matches. Their largest tally in 7 games since 1958. The interlull saw 20 of Arsenal’s players  go away on international duty while Brum saw the takeover of Carson Yeung get finalized.

Arsenal are looking to win their 5th straight league match after their 2 successive defeats. The squad has made significant headway in the league and currently sits 5th with 15 points, one point point behind Manchester City. Many of the players who went on international duty enjoyed success with their teams and many of them found the back of the net carrying on the form they had in the league. Cesc Fabregas while missing Spain’s last qualifying match for personal reasons scored a goal and was his usual maestro self in the match last Saturday. The likes of Vela,  Bendtner  and Senderos found the goal while others played parts in their national teams successes.

Arsene Wenger has made winning at home this season a key priority, especially against lesser teams. If Arsenal are to do that and keep their 5 game winning streak alive, they need to come out with more verve than they did coming off the last break against Man City and Standard Liege. Arsenal need come out attacking again and press immediately. If it takes them a half to get started it obviously increases the chance of a draw. Against Birmingham who are struggling to find goals, that would be totally unacceptable.

AS the team comes back it looks like a a true controversy in goal is breweing. Manuel Almunia is either back or close to being back. Fabianski is  back and should feature in the squad this weekend and Mannone is there saying his recent form  justifies his first team inclusion. Not many could argue with the 21 year old Italian. He has played amazingly well for someone without the experience and who almost went out on loan.

The controversy arises in that Almunia while in goal has only saved 53% of the shots he has faced. Additionally two major gaffes cost the team or set in motion events that would cost the team. Fabianski comes back and hasn’t really been seen since the FA Cup Semi’s when his terrible misjudgment let Drogba dink in the winner at Wembley.  Mannone while looking shaky in his first start has been solid and absolutely brilliant at times. If it is me – Mannone starts until he shows me otherwise he shouldn’t. Defence’s play with confidence if they know they have a solid keeper behind them it remains to be seen if Almunia and Fabianski are capable to merit that confidence.

As usual there are injuries in the squad with Eduardo still nursing the thigh injury he got against Blackburn. Clichy is out with an injury he sustained on duty for France as is Bendtner who suffered a groin injury during his international duty. The usual cast still remain out as well though Nasri could feature in the Carling Cup match against Liverpool next week.  With Clichy out, Kieran Gibbs who featured well for the England U21s should get the start.

Birmingham are not without their issues as Alex McLeish is faced with a long line at the trainers table. Additionally, the side have only managed 1 league win in their last 5. Losing to Burnley, Sunderland, Tottenham, Bolton, and Aston Villa. If there are any moral victories to be had, Birmingham have managed to stay in most of their games especially against Tottenham where the controlled a good portion of the game.  This a team that is going to be hard pressed to play an open game and will likely want to sit back on Arsenal and try and frustrate the Gunners. And as much as I like Alex McLeish I don’t think he has the personnel to beat or draw a top four side – even if his side were all healthy.

How it should play out:

It is important for Arsenal to maintain their momentum and I expect them to try and capitalize early on a lesser opponent. With a lot of first teamers on the bench, Birmingham are going to have to employ a game of sitting back and only advancing if the opportunity presents itself. Arsenal has shown the patience to unlock that and has won every match where that has been the case. They should do the same to Birmingham.

Players to watch:

Arsenal: Theo Walcott should be deputized for the injured Bendtner. He’ll add his pace to a front three with Arshavin and van Persie. The lad wants to shine and this is the perfect opportunity for him to do so.

Birmingham: Not knowing Brum that well, I will look to Goal.com to settle this as they go with Sebastian Larsson the former Arsenal man who joined Birmingham in 2006 on loan and now is a regular fixture. He has shown a propensity for being quite good at free kicks from the right and if the Arsenal defence don’t tighten u, this could be an area of concern.

Injuries:

Arsenal: Almunia (questionable), Nasri (questionable), Bendtner, Clichy, Denilson, Djourou, and Eduardo

Birmingham: Tainio (questionable), Benitez (missed flight), Bent, Queudrue, Vignal, Fahey, Parnaby, Murphy, and  Martin Taylor

Possible Starting XI:

Arsenal: Mannone, Gallas, Vermaelen, Sagna, Gibbs, Rosicky, Song, Fabregas, Arshavin, Walcott, van Persie

Birmingham: Hart, Dann, Carr, Johnson, Larsson, Carsley, Bowyer, Ferguson, Tainio/Phillips, Jerome, McFadden

Prediction:

Arsenal: 2
Birmingham: 0

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Arsene Wenger: The Second Coming of Herbert Chapman?

Do you believe?

Well with the “interlull” firmly upon us and just coming off the Arsene love-fest from last week, it’s time to take a look at our longest serving manager and see how he stacks up against the man who guided the club through one of its best era’s of Football.

In 1925 Arsenal had just sacked manager Leslie Knighton and chairman Sir Henry Norris was looking for a replacement. Norris placed an adver in the Athletic news looking for a new manager:

“Whose sole ability to build up a good side depends on the payment of heavy and exhorbitant [sic] transfer fees need not apply.”

Arsenal were not an attractive side to go to that year as they had been fighting off relegationa and with the restriction on transfer fees it was unlikely that top talent would take the job. Meanwhile  Huddersfiled Town manager Herbert Chapman was enjoying the fruits of his labour when his side won the league for the 3rd succcesive time. The last season they won, saw the club never allow more than 2 goals in a match. Even with such success the allure of the London crowds and double wages – £2,000, Herbert Chapman left Huddersfiled Town to take on the mantle at Arsenal.

Chapman’s effect on the club was immediate. He signed 34 year old Charlie Buchan, Sunderland’s leading scorer and made him Captain. Together the two of them changed how Arsenal would work on the field – in part because of the new rules on offsides – reducing the number of opposition players from three to two.  The  formation affectionately known as the ”WM” for its alignment of players on the field is really a 3-4-3 that saw the inside forwards to the midfield.

In itself that wasn’t really revolutionary as many teams had done this. In fact quite a few teams employed the scheme against Arsenal at one point, notably Newcastle United  in a 7-0 win. What was revolutionary was Chapman’s reliance on counter-attacking football, with pacy wingers and a strong defence.

An FA Cup win was to bring in an era of unprecedented success for the club having the clubs eventually win 5 league titles. But it wasn’t just a change in formation that propelled the club forward.

The key was a  perfected the ruthless, counter-attacking football. Up front, he employed a  front line  supported by deep-lying inside forwards, filling the gap vacated by the movement of the centre half into defence. Chapman employed a pair of pacy wingers who could cut inside instead of hugging the touchline this way they could either shoot for goal themselves or pick each other out if the centre forward was marked out of the game. Keeping and dwelling on the ball and individuality were discouraged in favour of a quick passing game.

“Chapman was also equally committed to a strong defence, saying maintaining a back line was “the rock bottom of football.” Arsenal’s defence were told to play deep and with the support of the wing halves, fall back into their own when the opposition had the ball; this allowed the opposition plenty of possession in Arsenal’s half, until they reached the 18-yard line and faced a massed defence. Once Arsenal regained the ball  the ball would be quickly passed forward and the wing halves would push up to support the attackers, meaning Arsenal could quickly commit as many as seven men forward as a unit to rapidly attack and score.” – direct from Wikipedia

Chapman strongly emphasised the fitness of his players.  Chapman’s use of fast, counter-attacking passing football was in direct conflict with how contrasted with how the game was being played in the day. The game had an emphasis on dribbling and possession.  It was during this time that the lovely phrase – “Boring Arsenal” was born. However, much to their detractors, they scored 127 league goals.  They missed the league record by one goal.

Move forward to 1996. An unknown frenchman who had been managing a Japanese side is offered to take the club over form a recently sacked Bruce Ricoh. The signing is met with perplexion as it is the clubs first manager from outside the UK. His signing is met with headlines like “Arsene Who” from the Guardian. But much like Chapman, new manager Arsene Wenger brings in two players immediately, Patrick Viera and Remi Garde. The club goes on to place third in his first season missing Champion’s League qualification by goal differential.

In his second season Arsenal go on to win the Premier League and FA Cup.  The key was a blend of an inherited defence and key Arsene Wenger signings. During his tenure Arsenal would win the double again in 2001-2002. The team would win the League one more time in 2003-2004 – the era of the “Invincibles” – without a single loss. In between the first wins in 1996 the club would win the FA Cup again  in 2001-2002 and 2002-2003.

Arsene’s first major changes were much like his managerial ancestor. He immediately reformed the clubs dietary and training regimes. In addition to the training, Arsene also changed how the club played on the pitch. Prior to his arrival, Arsenal were known as defencive, boring club. They were hated and despised  notorious for their negativity and aggressiveness.

What the unknown frenchman brought to Arsenal was a brand of football that was anti-English. Arsenal’s new philsophy centred on slowly building  up the ball from the back and passing the ball in short, quick one-touch passes. It’s exquisite when it works, frustrating when it leads to nothing more than missed chances.

Former England coach Don Howe, and now Arsenal scout:

“For Arsene, it is technique over everything. He wants to know what a player?s touch, control and vision is like. Without that, they can forget it, it is his No.1 quality.”

Arsenal’s squads are now always cited for their technical ability and the “beauty” of their playing and while the silverware has been barren in the last 4 years – when Arsene’s system is working – there are few clubs they can’t stand toe to toe with.

While both men were of different times. Chapman and Wenger altered  drastically how the club played and was perceived. Chapman didn’t live long enough to see the full fruits of his success. Arsene, he may be a victim of his own success. Chapman may have had more of a focus on defence but they both understood the need to be pacy and play attacking football. They also understood that youth was necessary to the long term success of the club and both had similar financial constraints they had to work within. 

There are only two busts in the Emirates and its of these two club icons.  So far apart in time but so close in the need to make changes in order for the club to be winners.

Editor’s note: Most of the information for this article is (especially on Chapman) came from Wikipedia.

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In the Aftermath: Arsenal v Blackburn Post Match Review

It was day set for celebrations. Particularly the celebration of Arsene Wenger’s 13th year at the helm of the club. It was only made better by the return (albeit just for the match) of Arsenal great, Thierry Henry. The Barcelona striker introduced prior to the match was showered with fan adoration and was to see a performance that he and his former mentor would thoroughly enjoy.

The backdrop set against the celebrative mood at the Emirates was only enhanced with the day’s opposition. 13 years ago at Highbury, it was Blackburn Rovers whom an unknown Arsene Wenger first managed against. In that match an Ian Wright brace saw them off. This Rovers side was slightly different as it was managed by Wenger antagonist Sam Allardyce and his club certainly came ready to spoil the fete.

Who wants to score next?

Inside of four minutes the visitors stunned into silence the home crowd as Paul Robinson’s end-to-end kick saw an N’zonzi header flick over Vito Mannone and go into the net from 10 yards out. The goal was made worse in that Thomas Vermaelen who had been rock solid going into this match weakly played the challenge and made it easy for the Blackburn striker.

But Arsenal were not to be undone and captain Cesc Fabregas nearly levelled the match on a looping header coming off a cross from Andrei Arshavin. But it was to be Thomas Vermaelen who brought this team back into the match. 2 minutes after Blackburn nearly headed in an own goal coming off a Van Persie corner, the belgian defender (wanna be striker) shot a low and hard strike into the left hand corner of the net. Cesc Fabregas worked his magic and smartly teed the ball up for Vermaelen who was only happy to oblige to score.

The game then took on the look of typical Arsenal matches with the Gunners owning 64% of the possession and only being level. Shortly after the Vermaelen goal, Paul Robinson tried the route one pass again, this time however, Vito Mannone decisively played the ball and did not allow for the Blackburn attack to get on the ball.

At the 30 minute mark the Gunners would again find themselves down coming from a counter attack they would’ve been proud of. Blackburn took the ball coming from a Robinson save and a feed to Emerton, who found Dunn sitting clear on the left. Taking the only shot he had, the ball careened off of  William Gallas’ calf and changed direction. There was no chance the Arsenal ‘keeper would’ve got that ball on the deflection.  The game was 2-1 and that oreboding feeling Arsenal fans typically have in these situations was very short lived and would never come back.

Two minutes later, Cesc Fabregas dissected the Blackburn back four to find Robin Van Persie who keenly settled the ball and with his “chocolate” foot thumped the ball into the far corner. There was not doubt this was going in.  The game was drawn and the Gunners were clearly not going to settle for a tie.

The mix of Van Persie, Arshavin, Rosicky and Fabregas are showing themselves to be a powerful attack force and the linking play they are showing with each other is a thing of beauty. It seems that the four are starting to get a better awareness of where each other is on the pitch and the passing which a couple of weeks ago was a little off seems to be crisp and on target now. The play should only improve with the addition of Samir Nasri who is set to return late October or early November.

Much to Blackburn’s chagrin the Arsenal attack would net another goal 4 minutes after their equalizer. Fabregas who is showing what he can do to a team when given the space, found Andrei Arshavin free on the left and with a crisp left footed shot beat Robinson cleanly. Going into the half the game had 5 goals and suprisingly two were form the visitors who obviously showed up to try and steal a game from the home side.

The "little Russian" proves too much for Blackburn

Coming out in the second half Sam Allardyce’s men pressed the attack and looked like the would get their third. Their start was bright and they were clearly trying to take advantage of a defence that looked woobily in the first half. However, the back four had tightened up and the Rovers never really got a clear shot on goal.

Having set up all three goals in the first half, Cesc Fabregas was due his own. His hard work and midfield presence showed why when he is in form there isn’t a better play maker in the EPL, probably Europe. Attacking again, Fabregas had twice tried to set up another shot and this time fed from Tomas Rosicky, Fabregas teed up a shot that froze Robinson and found the upper left corner.  Then in a move set to make tongues wagging, Fabregas celebrated his goal by running to the fans, pointing to them and kissing his badge. Let the pundits make no doubt, Cesc Fabregas, and all his class, is a Gunner. To this observer, it seemed that with Henry in the stands the heir apparent finally took the crown in both his hands and firmly placed it on his head.

Even at 4-2 Arsenal were clearly up to the task for more. Tomas Rosicky who in every game is showing no signs of someone who has had an 18 month layoff placed a shot that trickles just wide of the far post. Next to Fabregas the passing and ability of Tomas Rosicky were clearly too much for the Rovers.

However, a goal for the birthday boy (29 on the day) wasn’t in the cards and at the 69th minute Rosicky was substituted for Theo Walcott. Walcott was making his first appearance for the gunners this season after having only featured in 45 minutes of pre-season play.

After the fourth goal Blackburn showed some spirit in the attack and once again they tried to press the defence who now were getting support from other players and because they where back, it set up the next rush in typical Arsenal fashion. After another save by Mannone with support from the post, Arsenal moved the ball up quickly with Arshavin, Fabregas and Walcott flying up the field. In a site reminiscent of Walcott’s feed to Arshavin against Liverpool last season, the Russian passed the ball outside the box to Fabregas who just flicked it off to Walcott who “passed” the ball past Robinson in the far side of the goal. I say passed because the ball was clearly not shot past the ‘keeper.

Having played a part in every goal it was time for the Captain to get some rest and he was substituted for Welshman Aaron Ramsey. Also coming off was goal scorer Andrei Arshavin who was replaced by Nicholas Bendtner. At this point Blackburn were done and had football had a mercy rule I am sure they would’ve been begging for it. Much has been made about the youth of Arsenal but young legs last longer and they had clearly gassed the visitors at this point.

Aaron Ramsey’s play showed why he was signed and taking a page right from his Captain nearly fed in 3 opportunities for additional goals. On the face of it, it looked like the Gunners were trying to score a goal for each year of Arsene’s reign.  Ramsey set up the final goal with a pass to Bendtner who left untouched outside the box smashed home an absolute corker of a shot. Now it was only a matter of time and the 3 minutes of injury time only worked to prolong the inevitable.

On the day it was a good match for Arsenal. People will cry out about the lack of defending but people have to remember, Arsene Wenger’s sides are not about defending they are about attacking. For all their strength defending in the early years they were players inherited by the Frenchman. Much like Barca whom Wenger says his version of the 4-3-3 is styled after, the point is to pass and attack and score.  Clearly that kind of score line won’t always be the case as the big four teams will play us a lot harder. But if we are playing the likes of Liverpool, Chelsea and United (okay throw in City though you all know my feelings on that), with an attack of Nasri, Rosicky, Arshavin, Fabregas, and van Persie with the Vermaelator coming in too, I like our chances to match them and best them.

Cesc Fabregas was clearly the star of the day. His play on the ball was deadly at all times and if he wasn’t trying to score he was setting up his teammates to score. A lot was made of how Cesc had been playing preceding these last two matches. However, noone took into effect that for the last few years and with Spain he is playing in a 4-4-2 which plays him further back. Fabregas today admitted that the new role in the 4-3-3 is more comfortable for him:

“My preferred position is probably the one I am playing now. I feel most comfortable, but there is still a lot of work to do before it’s my best position,” he said.

“When I started at Arsenal we played 4-4-2 and I came deep to get the ball.

“In my new position I am higher up the pitch and I don’t get the ball as much as I used to, but I’m in a part of the pitch where I can do dangerous things like play the final ball.” – FourFourTwo Interview

Admittedly even I thought he was just disinterested and didn’t consider the natural progression he had to make from one formation to the other. Well, if this is how he plays when he has settled into the role it could be a very good year for the young Spaniard. His talent has never been denied but a season full of it hasn’t come. If this is the season then the Arsenal faithful are in for a good year as well.

Player ratings:

Mannone: 6 – Showed bad judgement on the first goal and couldn’t have been expected to save the riccochet off of Gallas’ leg. Showed ability to learn from mistakes on Paul Robinson’s second route 1 attempt and played the ball perfectly taking away any chance at a shot.

Gallas: 6 Not a monster day for the centre half. Tried to save Dunn’s shot but misdirected it past his ‘keeper. Other than that wasn’t really tested all day.

Vermalen: 7 –  Doesn’t play the man well in the opening goal but more than atones for it with his wonder strike. Corrected earlier error and had good positioning for the rest of the game.

Clichy: 6 – Tested all day as Blackburn ran most of their attack down the wings. Held his own.

Sagna: 5 – Passing was off. In a 4-3-3 he is going to be needed to bring the ball up.

Song: 6 – a good solid performance yet again. Slowly staking claim to being THE holding midfielder.

Diaby: 6 – I only counted two give aways of the ball which to me is a good match for the lanky lad. Also had an assist in one of the goals

Rosicky: 8 – Should’ve had a goal. Was essential in the game plan and set up the Fabregas goal coming off a cool collection of a rebounding ball. Clearly does not look like he has suffered any ill-effects of his layoff.

Arshavin: 9 – There is such a joy watching him play when he is in the match. He relishes it and I think he is going to relish the attacking of Arsenal with the squad he has in support. Another amazing goal and always a threat with the ball with around the box.

Robin Van Persie: 9 – What is he going to do when gets the ball on his PROPER shooting foot? He is coming on in form with goals in his last three or four matches – each one more emphatic then the last.

Cesc Fabregas: 10 – MOTM – What hasn’t been said about his stellar performance? If teams give him the space to play, he will shred them. Involved in 4 goals and scored his own. Never looked flustered or shaken as Blackburn went ahead.

The Subs:

Theo Walcott: 7 – Comes back scores a goal. Misses one. Think he wants to play on this team?

Nicky B: 7 – Beautiful goal but to me it was offset by the three other attempts he had close in that he couldn’t finish.

Ramsey: 7 – Came on for the captain and it was like we didn’t miss a beat. Clearly a growing class talent.

Next few fixtures:

17 Oct: v Birmingham (Emirates – EPL)
20 Oct: v AZ Alkmaar (Almaarderhout – UCL)
25 Oct: v West Ham (Upton Park – EPL)
28 Oct: v Liverpool (Emirates - CC)
31 Oct: v Tottenham (Emirates – EPL) ESPN2 (US)

Now we just pray that during this international break noone gets seriously injured.

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Match Preview: Arsenal v Blackburn and Some Last Words on Arsene

Rovers v Arsenal at the Emirates

“Until football becomes a non-contact sport like basketball, then we will play within the rules.” – Sam Allardyce, Manager Blackburn Rovers.

If that’s was your introduction to what Big Sam Allardyce is all about, it would be all you need to know. The brand of football Sam espouses to would be in direct contradiction to the free-flowing ball control of Arsenal. Sam’s teams can best be summarized as gritty. And the Blackburn team with the likes of  El-Hadji Diouf seem all too happy to play this style.

The Blackburn Rovers start off a grueling month of competition that sees them away to 3 of the 4 big clubs. Starting with the Arsene celebration at the Emirates, the Rovers also have away ties against Chelsea and Manchester United. Big Sam’s club is relishing the opportunity to upset the big four apple court by sneaking away with 3 points form any of these matches. But their focus is squarely on the Emirates where Sam’s teams have notoriously tied Arsenal up into fits.

They come into the Emirates after a last minute win against Aston Villa that moved them outside the relegation zone. They will be eager to stay there and try and halt Arsenal’s win streak as well as dampen the celebration of Arsene Wenger’s tenure at the helm of the club. The task will be made harder as Big Sam and his club wait to hear whether or not defensive duo Ryan Nelsen and Chris Samba  are match fit. They will miss the services of Vince Grella who was red carded during last week’s match.

Its fitting that when Arsenal are celebrating Arsene’s tenure as the longest serving manager in club history, that they are playing blackburn. In 1996 it was the Rovers who lost to Arsenal 2-0 in his first appearance as Arsenal manager.

Arsenal come in riding a 4 game win streak in all competitions, the last an out right domination of Greek champions, Olympiakos. The Gunners have enjoyed success over the Rovers of late , having won both ties last season 4-0 and have 19 goals in their last 6 matches against them. 

The side will be bouyed by the return of Theo Walcott who has yet to play a match this season and Nicholas Bendtner who missed the mid-week Champion’s League exercise. However, as is always the case with an Arsenal side there is a new injury to report and that is to Eduardo. He went into the game against Olympiakos with a slight thigh problem. Arsene and the player knew they were taking a chance playing and he will sit this week and miss Croatia’s international qualifier against Kazakhstain.  

Manuel Almunia is still out with his “chest cold” so “Don” Vito Mannone will once again feature between the sticks. The growing story to come once Fabianski and Almunia are healthy will be what does Arsenal do with these three ‘keepers. Especially with Szcznesy backstopping the reserves and growing in stature. Arsenal are set for a full fledged goalie controversy, if Mannone continues to hold form and keep balls out the back of the net. Almunia before his “illness” let in 47% of the shots he faced. With the exception of the disaster start at Standard Liege, Mannone has yet to let one in and put on a master class in goal against a tough Fulham squad.

Arsenal have yet to be shut out this season with goals in every match played. Robin Van Persie is returning to form having scored beautiful goals in both the Blackburn and Olympiakos matches. Cesc Fabregas is back to being the little general on the field, controlling the play and orchestrating the flow of Arsenal’s attack. Andrei Arshavin is Beethoven to Fabregas’ Napoleon. While he hasn’t been red hot yet in terms of scoring, he is a maestro on the field and he seemingly creates beautiful moves and goals when none existed.  Throw in continually improving Tomas Rosicky and Arsenal’s attack will likely continue their scoring ways this weekend.

What will be interesting to see if the matchup between Diouf and Vermaelen/Gallas. The Arsenal duo have shown themselves to improve week to week and be pretty tough about it. Vermaelen is showing himself to be a presence the opposition should be concerned about both in defense and scoring. But El-Hadji Diouf is an altogether differnt creature and its not sure whether Vermaelen should where his strip or a rain slicker and wellies. Diouf’s antics are well documented with numerous spitting incidents occuring at almost every team he has played for. Recently the player was question by Police over allegations he spit racial epitaphs at an Everton Ball Boy. He plays with an edge albeit one that isn’t really necessary in the game.

How The Game Will Play Out:

Expect this game to be like any other game that a Sam Allardyce team plays against Arsenal. There will be some questionable tackling and some fouls that could result in red cards. Arsenal’s ability to rise above that and maintain focus on their game will be paramount. If they get unwound and focus on exacting revenge for bad tackles or bad play – ala Manchester City –  then a draw or worse could be in the cards. But the Gunners have shown this season that even when their game is off and the play is hard they can win matches. This is something that has been missing in recent seasons and something it is developing as the club matures. It is why when the game comes down to it, the club should be able to remain on the attack and continue to enjoy success at the hands of Blackburn.

Injuries:

Arsenal: Eduardo, Nasri, Almunia, Djourou, Denilson, Fabianski

Blackburn: Givet, Grella (suspended), Nelson (questionable), Samba (questionable)

Probable Starting XI:

Arsenal: Mannone, Gallas, Vermaelen, Clichy, Sagna, Fabregas, Song, Diaby, Bendtner, Arshavin, Van Persie

Blackburn: Robinson, Jacobsen, Samba (if healthy), Nelsen (if healthy), Chimbonda, N’Zonzi, Andrews, Diouf, Dunn, Pedersen, Di Santo

Final Score:

Arsenal: 3
Blackburn: 0

Some Final Words About Arsene Wenger:

A lot has been printed and said about Arsene Wenger and his tenure at the Emirates. Clearly put, Arsenal are the club they are today because of the skill of this manager who was a relative unknown back in 1996 when he was snatched out of Japan. Since then he has made club history with winning the Premier League 3 times, the FA Cup 4 times, and has been a feature in European football for 12 years. His 2003-2004 club made league history with the first season without a defeat by a top flight club since Preston North End did it in 1888-89.

Arsene is not without his controversies. Whether it be his claims of “I didn’t see it” or recently putting too much faith in his current squad then dip into the transfer market to buy players. Arsene is being Arsene and doing it his way. He sees the financial stablity of his club essential to their long term future (given the world economy he may not be wrong). He has faith in his players and believes in them as a team and as individuals. Nothing is more telling than the cascade of plaudits from current and former players. They all want or wanted to play for him because of how he treats them. Unlike some managers he doesn’t treat players with disrespect or feels the need to cajole to get them to improve. He is a mentor and a teacher of the game.  He has built the careers of some of the game’s best players, even when others didn’t see the potential.

Yes, the current inability to win trophies is troublesome and even Arsene himself admitted if they win nothing this year, he will have to reconsider his youth policy. That’s telling. Some will choose to believe it or not. By all accounts it fits in with the mold of the man.

There would be no youth system academy, the Emirates would like never have materialised and we likely would never have seen the likes of Thierry Henry in the red and white strip.  Like him or hate him – Arsenal would not be the club it is without him.

“When Arsene talked, it was always only a couple of key points and delivered in the most accessible way but with urgency. He made each individual feel the most important player in the team and insisted on talking to each one of us without anyone else hearing.

“Consequently his impact on players is one that stays with them for the rest of their careers.” – Arsenal Legend Martin Keown

This weekend, I’ll raise a glass to Le Professeur and look to hope that 13 isn’t an unlucky for us, for the club and for him.

Cheers – DAG!

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Thank You – Arsene Wenger

Nothing fancy – I just thought our manager who has been with us for so long deserved a little space on the blog. So when you guys finish moaning about what an idiot he is – you might take a minute(make an effort – it isn’t so hard to say something nice) to acknowledge the great man’s better moments as well.

For me: Thank You Arsene for making me fall in love with a sport and giving me numerous unforgettable memories over the 7-8 years I have supported this great football club in my own small way.

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Your Starting XI?

Your 2009 - 2010 Arsenal Squad

Imagine that if you were the manager, and everyone is fit, what would be your pick of our strongest starting XI? Here is my lineup (in 4-3-3):

Goalkeeper: Almunia

You guys know how I feel about him. But goalkeeper is all about CONFIDENCE. A great goalkeeper spreads a sense of confidence into his defence, his teammates, and the fans. Not that I feel any “confidence” whatsoever in Almunia, the thing though is – nor do I have in any other of our current ‘keepers. So Almunia would get my vote simply because he’s more experienced than the others.

Defence: Sagna – Gallas – Varmaelen – Clichy

The defence picks itself. Though I am tempted to play Eboue instead of Sagna because he’s better attacking wise. Nevertheless, since they are called “defenders”, I believe it’s better to have Sagna, who IMO is a better and safer right back.

Midfield: Song – Fabregas – Arshavin

One problem with the current 4-3-3 formation is – there seems to be a “gap” between van Persie and the midfield. In other words, we seem to have no one playing in the “hole”. I believe Cesc is best suited as a midfield schemer. Arshavin would be perfect to play alongside Cesc and look to charge forward supporting the main striker.

That was how he played back in EURO 2008, when he pulled of such a influential and dominating individual performance the world hadn’t seen since Platini in EURO 84 and Maradona in World Cup 86. Arshavin has an admirable workrate as well, so when needed, he could also drop back to help out Cesc and Song to stop the opposition’s attack.

Song would be our insurance in front of our back four.

ATTACK: Walcott – van Persie – Rosicky

I’d pick Walcott ahead of Nasri, for the simple fact that we need PACE upfront. His pace could offer us an extra attacking dimension. Someone who’s able to get behind the opposition defence. Someone who’s a real threat ion the counter attack.

Rosicky is our best runner without the ball behind Eduardo. But at the same time he’s also a quality schemer. In order for our pass and move game to work, we need runners there up front to create space for his teammates.

Van Persie is probably better suited for a wing role up front but he remains the club’s best striking option. He’s aggressive in the box and while not the strongest guy in the world, plays with an edge.

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