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Champions League Play Off - Celtic 0-2 Arsenal

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 23:55:00 +0000

A deflection and an own goal helped Arsenal overcome Celtic to leave the Gunners with one foot in the Champions League group stages.

Arsenal took the lead two minutes before the break when William Gallas inadvertently diverted a Cesc Fabregas free-kick past Artur Boruc, and Gary Caldwell put through his own net in the 71st minute.

Only Barcelona and Dinamo Moscow, in the previous round, had beaten Celtic in the previous 36 European matches at Parkhead.

But Arsene Wenger's side enjoyed a comfortable second half to leave them in a commanding position ahead of next week's play-off second leg.

Barcelona have also lost at Celtic Park during that run, along with the likes of Juventus, AC Milan and Manchester United, but Celtic failed to put their latest visitors under serious pressure.

Although both sides had enjoyed comfortable away wins in their opening league wins on Saturday, Celtic manager Tony Mowbray opted for radical alterations to his frontline while Arsenal were unchanged following their 6-1 win at Everton.

Mowbray dropped Scott McDonald and Marc-Antoine Fortune and played Aiden McGeady up front alongside Georgios Samaras, who scored the stoppage-time winner against Dinamo Moscow in Russia in the previous round.

Scott Brown came into right midfield while Caldwell returned after missing Saturday's 3-1 victory at Aberdeen through suspension.

Arsenal looked more comfortable in possession from the start, finding space in front of Celtic's back four.

Andrey Arshavin was causing problems when he drifted in from his position on the left of Arsenal's three-man attack, and Fabregas and Denilson were always looking to break forward from midfield.

Arsenal were playing the ball through Celtic and it needed a last-ditch block by Caldwell on Robin van Persie to stop the Gunners profiting from one such move, with the offside flag raised before Arshavin fired home the rebound.

However, Celtic had a good chance to hurt Arsenal on the counter-attack when Shaun Maloney released McGeady down the left after Van Persie's free-kick was cleared.

The Republic of Ireland international rode one challenge and lofted the ball towards Brown but Thomas Vermaelen did enough to put the midfielder off.

Celtic tightened up in central midfield, although a slip by Massimo Donati allowed Arshavin the chance to run at the Celtic back four, with Boruc getting down comfortably to save his deflected effort.

Full-back Andreas Hinkel then created Celtic's best chance of the half when he burst into the box and cut the ball back for Maloney.

The Arsenal defence closed him down but the ball fell for Brown, whose low shot was well saved by Manuel Almunia.

Celtic looked like they would comfortably survive until half-time but luck was against them after Caldwell was penalised for a foul on Fabregas 30 yards out.

The free-kick was rolled short to the Spaniard, whose 30-yard drive bounced off the back of Gallas and spun into the opposite corner to where Boruc was heading.

The game almost drifted beyond Celtic within a minute of the restart after Landry N'Guemo miscontrolled a simple take in the centre circle.

Arshavin carried the ball to the edge of the penalty box before slipping the ball outside to Van Persie but the Dutchman shot past the far post.

Denilson soon curled just wide from 20 yards following another Arshavin run while Fabregas dragged a left-footed shot just wide from a similar distance after Gallas had easily won a 50-50 challenge with Donati.

McGeady had dropped deeper after the interval and Mowbray made a double switch in the 56th minute with McDonald and Fortune replacing Donati and Samaras.

Celtic struggled to create chances but Gallas made another crucial interception when he cut out Fortune's low cross as McDonald waited at the far post.

Abou Diaby replaced Arshavin and immediately played a key role in Arsenal's second goal.

The substitute burst forward and set up Gael Clichy for a low cross that was turned home by the outstretched boot of Caldwell.

Only McGeady looked capable of creating anything for Celtic and most of the final 20 minutes was played out in the middle third.

Everton 1-6 Arsenal

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 06:29:00 +0000

Arsenal produced a stunning performance to underline Arsene Wenger's belief his young stars can win the title.

The Gunners exposed Everton's frailties in defence and the hosts' lack of depth.

The last time Everton lost 6-1 at home was back in 1958, and Arsenal did the damage that time as well.

Their passing, movement and finishing left Everton in shreds, and the north Londoners were three up at the break through Denilson, debut defender Thomas Vermaelen and his centre-back colleague William Gallas.

Everton boss David Moyes had suggested beforehand the Joleon Lescott saga had destabilised his team, but few would have predicted to this extent.

After the interval Cesc Fabregas struck with two fine goals, the result maybe suggesting Moyes should sell Lescott with Manchester City still interested, and spend the money on re-vamping his squad.

Everton included Lescott despite the ongoing saga of Manchester City's attempts to sign him, which prompted Moyes' angry outburst yesterday at the Eastlands club's tactics.

Brazilian striker Jo had recovered from an ankle problem, while Steven Pienaar was passed fit after knee trouble.

Arsenal gave their new Belgian defender Vermaelen his league debut, but were without Theo Walcott (back), Abou Diaby (groin), Tomas Rosicky (hamstring) and Johan Djourou (knee).

But their absences did not seem to matter as they systematically took Everton apart at the back.

Moyes got a heroes' reception from the Goodison Park faithful, and Lescott's name was greeted with far more cheers than jeers from a sell-out crowd.

But Moyes then had to sit and watch as his usually reliable rearguard, admittedly missing the excellent Phil Jagielka, fell apart before his eyes.

Arsenal were sharp from the start and their passing game was quickly on song. And when Phil Neville misplaced a ball in midfield, the Gunners flowed forward before Nicklas Bendtner drove a shot over the bar.

Then Bendtner headed down for Robin van Persie to see his shot on the turn deflected wide by Lescott.

Everton were having to work tremendously hard in midfield to contain the tempo of Arsenal's game and the Toffees barely created a chance in the opening half.

The goal Arsenal had been threatening arrived after 26 minutes. Bendtner surged in from the left before flicking a pass to Cesc Fabregas, who instantly turned the ball into Denilson's path.

The pace of the move left Everton floundering, and the fine strike from the Brazilian from just outside the area dipped and curled into the top corner.

Everton's response was predictably furious and they had Arsenal hemmed into their box for a spell.

Only a goal-line clearance from Denilson following Marouane Fellaini's header from a Leighton Baines corner stopped an equaliser.

Arsenal, though, were cutting through Everton with movement and accurate passing, and after 37 minutes they were two ahead.

Van Persie's free-kick from the right found Vermaelen beyond the far post, and the defender headed back into the bottom corner for a fine debut goal.

Everton's marking for that was dreadful, with Fellaini and Joseph Yobo seemingly at fault. But four minutes later when Gallas headed home another free-kick, this time from Fabregas, the defending was even worse.

The Frenchman had a free run into the six-yard box to guide his header home completely unmarked. Goalkeeper Tim Howard appealed for cover as colleagues stood motionless.

Everton were shell-shocked, and it got worse three minutes after the interval.

Everton were caught by a pitch-length move from Arsenal that ended with Fabregas cruising into the box to send his shot past Howard.

Denilson had started the surge deep on the left and found Van Persie before a neat pass left the Arsenal skipper to do the rest.

Moyes then made a triple substitution. Saha replaced Leon Osman, Dan Gosling came on for Tony Hibbert while Jack Rodwell took over from Jo.

The reshuffle included Neville reverting to full-back from midfield, where he had struggled. Rodwell, Fellaini and Pienaar both had chances as Everton struggled to get some pride back.

Arsenal sent on Emmanuel Eboue for Bendtner after 63 minutes, the game long won.

But Fabregas was not finished. After 69 minutes he collected a throw from Manuel Almunia and ran from inside his own half without facing a tackle to drive home the fifth.

Their jobs done, Arsenal took off Fabregas and Van Persie, sending on Aaron Ramsey and Eduardo.

With the ground emptying fast, and the Gunners' fans in full song, Everton just wanted this embarrassment to end as quickly as possible.

But Eduardo still had time to score the sixth, netting from close in after Andrey Arshavin's shot had come back off a post with two minutes to go.

Everton finally got onto the score-sheet in injury time when Saha netted after Pienaar's shot had been blocked.

Marouane Chamakh - My priority is Arsenal

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 08:28:00 +0000

Bordeaux striker Marouane Chamakh has revealed that he is growing increasingly restless as his move to Arsenal seems less likely.

Gunners boss Arsene Wenger has publicly stated that the club have been watching Chamakh, but reports claim Arsenal's bid was rejected, and Wenger then claimed Bordeaux's valuation of the player was too high.

Despite Bordeaux's seeming unwillingness, Chamakh has said he is eager for a move, telling Canal Plus, "My priority is Arsenal, but there are other clubs. If it's Arsenal, so much the better. I am not sleeping as well as I normally do.

"I made my wish known to the directors at the end of last season. I expressed a wish to join another league."

"I hope things will be sorted out, and that they will be sorted out very quickly. As much for Bordeaux's sake as for mine, my situation has to be clarified."

"I thought they (Bordeaux) would have made things easier for me, but we will see. As for now I will continue to give my best for Bordeaux." he concluded.

Chamakh is believed to carry a price tag of €15 million, a fee that Wenger believes is too high, especially considering that the 25-year-old is in the last year of his contract and could arrive next summer on a potential free transfer.

Milan ready bid for Fabregas

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 10:06:00 +0000

AC Milan president Silvio Berlusconi has given the ‘green-light' for a bid to Arsenal's Cesc Fabregas to Italy.

Reports from Tuttosport suggest that Milan will table a bid of €35 million for the Spain international.

If accepted, Fabregas will receive €4m-per-season for the proposed five-year-deal, and it seems Gunners coach Arsene Wenger will not stand in his way.

A meeting between Berlusconi, club vice-president Adriano Galliani, and coach Leonardo, will discuss the impending deal as well as that of Andrea Pirlo and Luis Fabiano.

With the number of talents slowly dwindling at the Emirates Stadium, Wenger would be hard-pressed not to make a splurge.

Whether or not he can afford it.

Emirates Cup - Arsenal 2-1 Atletico Madrid

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 04:10:00 +0000

Andrey Arshavin came off the bench to net a late double as Arsenal beat Atletico Madrid in the Emirates Cup.

The Russian, introduced in the second half, produced two superb finishes as the Gunners maintained their promising build-up to the new campaign.

There was also a welcome home return for Czech winger Tomas Rosicky, who had been out of action for some 18 months with a string of niggling injuries - and his availability for the build-up to the new campaign will be welcome boost to manager Arsene Wenger following the loss of Samir Nasri to a broken leg.

Wenger had named a mixed side, which included Vito Mannone in goal and Robin van Persie, last season's leading scorer, as captain with Cesc Fabregas one of 10 substitutes.

The Gunners have seen Emmanuel Adebayor and Kolo Toure depart for Manchester City, but eventually made their dominance pay when Arshavin slipped in a late winner.

The Spanish side, who started with former Gunner Jose Antonio Reyes in attack and were captained by ex-Manchester United forward Diego Forlan, could yet face Wenger's men again in competitive action next month in the Champions League play-off.

Following a period of appreciation for former England manager Sir Bobby Robson, who died yesterday, aged 76, Madrid midfielder Tomas Ujfalusi hit the post with an early far-post header, before Arsenal asserted control.

Rosicky's previous appearance at Emirates Stadium came back on January 26 2008, against Newcastle in the FA Cup, with the complicated knee and hamstring problem first ruling him out of the European Championships then all of the last campaign.

The pacy Czech wideman, though, looked sharp and had a well-taken effort ruled out for offside after seven minutes.

Emmanuel Eboue, who has been linked with a move to Fiorentina, looked dangerous down the other flank as the hosts pressed.

Following a flowing counter-attack, when the ball was switched across field to young Wales midfielder Aaron Ramsey, van Persie fired a half-volley wide.

Atletico made a change just before the break, when Florent Sinama-Pongolle, who had spells in England with Liverpool and Blackburn, picked up an injury and was replaced by Maxi Rodriguez.

Eboue had switched flanks to the left, and forced a good reaction save from the Madrid keeper when he cut inside the penalty box.

Rosicky was given a well-earned breather, one of three players substituted at the start of the second half, replaced by youngster Fran Merida, with Gael Clichy and Jack Wilshere coming on for Armand Traore and Eboue respectively.

Arsenal started brightly as van Persie saw his clever back-heel cleared off the line by John Heitinga before Nicklas Bendtner fired over.

A slick move from 17-year-old Wilshere on the far by-line saw the ball pulled back for Ramsey, but the Wales midfielder shot straight at the keeper.

With 24 minutes to go, Arsenal made another triple substitution, with Fabregas replacing Ramsey, Eduardo coming on for Bendtner and Arshavin for van Persie.

The Gunners continued to press, with the impressive Wilshere the main outlet.

However, Rodriguez almost caught them out when he latched onto a loose ball and dashed into the right side of the Arsenal box only to drag his shot wide.

Substitute Borja Baston then tried his luck from 25 yards, with Mannone almost left red-faced as he spilled the wet ball just past the post.

The Gunners looked to have snatched a winner with just four minutes left when Fabregas lofted the ball over to the back post from the right, where Arshavin arrived to volley past Sergio Asenjo.

However, German Pacheco beat the offside trap, somewhat dubiously, to slot in an equaliser.

There was, though, just enough time for Arshavin to latch onto a poor backward header from Ujfalusi and tap the ball round the keeper before sliding it into the net from the tightest of angles.

Arsenal play Rangers tomorrow, with the Scottish champions having beaten Paris St Germain in the Emirates Cup opening game.

The Return of Tomas Rosicky

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 13:31:00 +0000

Tomas Rosicky is set to play at Emirates Stadium this weekend for the first time since January 2008.

The Czech midfielder featured against Barnet in mid-July after recovering from a troublesome injury to his hamstring tendon. But only an appearance on his home ground will fully complete his comeback. That is set to happen on Saturday at the Emirates Cup.

Gael Clichy is also in line to play his first game of pre-season but Theo Walcott, Kieran Gibbs and Abou Diaby will all miss out.

“Gael Clichy and Tomas Rosicky will play but Abou Diaby will not be available,” said Arsène Wenger at his pre-tournament press conference on Friday. “He should play at Valencia because he has a little knee problem.

“Theo Walcott and Kieran Gibbs are not available because they have only had four days of training.”

Adebayor and Kolo Toure left Emirates Stadium

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 12:59:00 +0000

Arsène Wenger has hit back at claims that he should not have sold two established players to Manchester City.

Emmanuel Adebayor and Kolo Toure have both left Emirates Stadium this month to join the star-studded squad Mark Hughes is assembling at Eastlands.

Although the transfers represent excellent business - both players were sold at a substantial profit - Wenger has been criticised for strengthening a team which could challenge Arsenal for a Champions League spot this season.

The accusation was put to the manager at his pre-match press conference on Friday and Wenger was quick to defend his transfer dealings.

“I always say when you come to the decision to sell a player you can’t on top choose who you want to sell them to," he explained.

"If you decide to sell he can choose where he wants to go otherwise it would be completely unfair.

"If they are becoming a main rival I cannot stop it with a decision to sell a player or not. If they don’t buy from you they buy another good player from someone else. Nobody can stop a club fighting for the top four and if they are a rival they will be the same for Man United, Liverpool and Chelsea. What is most important is we stay strong.”

Adebayor's future had been the subject of speculation since last summer while Toure was linked with a move in January. So why did Wenger eventually decide to let both players leave?

“This kind of process depends always on the players you sell, on the number of players you have behind, the overall quality of the squad and you do not want to go public too much why you make these decisions," he said.

"They are always difficult decisions but that’s part of our game and we lost two great players, but we have as well, great players behind and that’s up to us to show during the season that we still have the quality to fight at the top level.”

Man Utd 0 - 0 Arsenal: all the action as it happened..

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 16 May 2009 22:59:00 +0000

MAN UTD (4-3-3): Van der Sar; O'Shea, Vidic, Evans, Evra; Fletcher, Carrick, Giggs; Ronaldo, Tevez (Park 67min), Rooney (Anderson 90). Subs (not used): Neville, Berbatov, Scholes, Rafael, Kuszczak.

ARSENAL (4-1-4-1): Fabianski; Sagna, Toure, Song, Gibbs (Eboue 76); Denilson; Nasri (Bendtner 69), Fabregas, Diaby, Arshavin (Walcott 69); Van Persie. Subs (not used): Vela, Ramsey, Silvestre, Mannone. Booked: Van Persie, Arshavin, Fabregas, Nasri, Song.

Referee: M Dean (Wirral).

After their disappointing elimination from Europe at the hands of the Red Devils less than two weeks ago, Arsenal travelled to the North-West knowing a victory would poop Man United’s title party; and they went mighty close.

Robin van Persie and Cesc Fabregas both tested Edwin van der Sar in the closing stages but they found the Dutch keeper in inspired form.

Cristiano Ronaldo peppered Lukasz Fabianski with trademark free-kicks throughout the clash and Ji-Sung Park had a second-half strike chalked off for offside. But after conceding seven goals in their last two outings Arsenal’s defence held firm.

The point was enough for the champions but Arsenal can be proud of their display.

Arsène Wenger made two changes to the side comprehensively beaten by Chelsea last weekend. Alex Song, who started against the Blues in midfield, replaced Mikael Silvestre in central defence with Denilson returning to plug the gap in the engine room.

With William Gallas (knee) out for the season, and Gael Clichy (back) and Manuel Almunia (ankle) still struggling, Kieran Gibbs and Fabianski retained their places in Arsenal’s youthful backline.

Further forward, Andrey Arshavin, fit again after flu, came in for Theo Walcott just off lone frontman Van Persie. Samir Nasri, scorer of the match-winning brace against United in November, completed the three-pronged attack. Emmanuel Adebayor missed out with a groin injury.

This match ended Old Trafford’s participation in a potential treble-winning season for Ferguson’s side. Unsurprisingly, the atmosphere was electric inside the famous old ground before kick-off.

In his pre-match programme notes, the Scottish supremo had declared that this sort of occasion ‘brings out the best’ in the Gunners. And Arsenal certainly started as such.

After clearing crosses from Ronaldo and Darren Fletcher inside the first minute, Wenger’s men began to find their feet. Fabregas drilled a long-range strike two yards over before Diaby saw an effort from a similar distance blocked inside the first five minutes.

Then Arshavin began to flex his muscles. First the little Russian picked out Van Persie at the back post only for the striker to miss time his header. Then, after wriggling through three United challenges on the edge of the box, the former Zenit man was foiled at the vital moment.

In the 18th minute, the hosts went within a foot of taking the lead through Wayne Rooney. The England striker crept up on the blind-side of Bacary Sagna to meet Michael Carrick’s sublime diagonal delivery. To the surprise of the crowd, the downward header flashed the wrong side of Fabianski’s post.

Giggs was next to try his luck but the veteran’s direct free-kick from the corner of the area swirled well over the crossbar.

Despite the period of defensive consternation, Arsenal continued to threaten.

Arshavin and Nasri tried their luck either side of the half-hour but neither effort troubled Van der Sar. Then, when Van Persie’s header five minutes before the break finally reached the keeper, it was easily claimed.

The visitors continued to look the more likely scorers as the interval approached. Nemanja Vidic was forced to nod Van Persie’s delicious free-kick away from beneath his crossbar before Nasri saw a vicious 18-yard effort charged down.

Then just as the first signs of restlessness began to creep in among the home supporters, Ronaldo fired a sizzling up-and-over free-kick just wide in stoppage time.

A deluge of rain after the break ensured a scrappy start to the second half. That said, Ronaldo was at it again from a 35-yard set-piece. This time Song blocked the drive with his head.

Then the Portuguese really should have done better from slightly closer a minute before the hour.

Fabianski challenged at Carlos Tevez’s feet on the edge of the box and when Rooney could not latch on to the loose ball, Ronaldo ballooned the follow-up high and wide.

Perhaps sensing an opportunity, Wenger replaced both flying wingers 20 minutes from time. Arshavin made way for Walcott while Nicklas Bendtner, the catalyst for a fleeting fightback against Chelsea, replaced Nasri.

Substitute Park did find the net in the 72nd minute but Ronaldo had strayed offside in the build up. Man United had no complaints.

Six minutes before full time Fabregas almost single-handedly cancelled the celebrations but his angled drive from just inside the area was clawed onto the post by Van der Sar.

Van Persie also stung his countryman’s hands before full-time but Ferguson’s side held on for their point.

After the whistle, the Champions received their prize on the Old Trafford turf.

For Wenger’s youthful side, there could be no better motivation for next season’s title tilt.

Arsenal 1-4 Chelsea

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 11 May 2009 00:35:00 +0000

Chelsea did their talking on the pitch with a 4-1 win at the Emirates Stadium securing third place in the BPL.

UEFA have yet to rule on the unacceptable over-reaction from several of the Chelsea players - most notably a foul-mouthed tirade by striker Didier Drogba - following their controversial midweek exit in the Champions League to a late Barcelona away goal.

However, there were no such flashpoints on Sunday afternoon as all of Guus Hiddink's men kept their composure to weather early pressure from the home side before ending the game off with two clinical strikes.

Chelsea - who beat Arsenal to reach the FA Cup final at the end of the month - are now guaranteed automatic entry to Europe's elite club competition once again next season, while Arsene Wenger must again guide his young team through qualification as another campaign finishes empty-handed.

The Gunners started with just leading scorer Robin van Persie in attack. Togo striker Emmanuel Adebayor - who claimed both the team and himself had gone "backwards" this season following the Champions League defeat here to holders Manchester United - was left on the bench, and was booed by some fans when he came on.

Lukasz Fabianski was in goal, with regular number one Manuel Almunia - another player to call for experience to be added this summer - missing from the starting XI, understood to be because of an ankle problem rather than as any statement from Wenger.

Tall order: Alex rises above the Arsenal defence to open the scoring

Theo Walcott, who has just signed a new long-term contract, was full of running and fired over following a neat one-two with van Persie as Arsenal started brightly.

The England forward was put in again down the right side of the penalty area by Samir Nasri, but Petr Cech stood up well at his near post.

Abou Diaby should have scored when he shot wide after being picked out in the centre by Walcott, who then drilled an angled shot just wide from 18 yards following a surging run down the left by Diaby.

Chelsea finally managed an attack when former Arsenal defender Ashley Cole skipped away down the left and pulled the ball back into the path of Florent Malouda, with Kieran Gibbs - whose unfortunate slip against United proved so costly - making a timely block.

Another chance went begging for the home side when a free-kick was not cleared, and Diaby expertly pulled the high ball down - which Alex Song turned wide from three yards.

It proved costly as Chelsea snatched the lead on 28 minutes.

Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas was cautioned for showing dissent after he was ruled to have tripped Drogba. The Ivorian lofted the resulting free-kick into the penalty area and Alex headed the ball in off the underside of the crossbar, with Fabianski rooted to the spot as Arsenal conceded a first Premier League goal at Emirates in more than 13 hours.

Fabregas was then fortunate to stay on the field when he upended Malouda and received only a stern talking to from referee Phil Dowd.

As happened against United, Arsenal found themselves 2-0 down before they could respond.

Nicolas Anelka, once idolised by Gunners fans, picked up the ball just inside the opposition half and charged forward before riffling a shot into the bottom corner from 20 yards.

Fabianski made a smart stop with his legs from Anelka during first-half stoppage time but it was 3-0 just four minutes after the restart as Arsenal hit the self-destruct button in defence again, when Cole's cross from the left was put past Fabianski by the outstretched boot of Kolo Toure.

Blunder: Toure (right) turns the ball into his own net

Cech saved from van Persie before substitute Nicklas Bendtner - fined after being photographed leaving a nightclub with his trousers down after the United defeat - headed a consolation goal with 20 minutes left.

Although the Gunners, who travel to Old Trafford for what could be a title party next week, went on to have a good spell, it was too little too late - and Malouda tapped in Chelsea's fourth from close range in the 86th minute after Anelka had struck the post following a counter-attack.

Virus: Arshavin may sit out Sunday's games with Chelsea

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 10 May 2009 01:39:00 +0000

The Russian midfielder has been laid low with flu and has missed training for the past two days. The 27-year-old still has a couple of days to recover but, at his pre-game press conference on Friday, Arsène Wenger was not optimistic.

“Andrey couldn’t practice and it looks like he will be short for Sunday,” said the manager. “He has flu. We had to send him home again today.”

Next Game: Arsenal v Chelsea

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 10 May 2009 01:05:00 +0000

Day/Date: Sunday, May 10, 2009,
Time: 16:00
Venue: Barclays Premier League, Emirates Stadium
Referee: Peter Walton

This is a game of what might have been.

Although the two Champions League losers of the week still have something to play for this season, they will go in to Sunday’s square-off at Emirates Stadium licking considerable wounds.

Arsenal were beaten early by Manchester United on Tuesday while Chelsea had the latest of shocks against Barcelona on Wednesday.

Different ties, different reaction, same end result. And, ahead of their meeting this weekend, Arsène Wenger was definitive about who was still suffering the most.

“Chelsea,” he claimed firmly at Friday’s press conference. “Because they were qualified and we were never, over the 180 minutes, in a position where we were qualified – not for one second.

“We were always out of the competition and Chelsea were qualified. You couldn’t see how Barcelona could come back, they had zero shots on target. They were never a real threat.

“So yes, we will try to capitalise on that. For me Sunday will be down to the team who deals best with the disappointment, who wants it more and who has more strength of character.”

Arsenal need to win, probably by a couple of goals, to really re-ignite the race for third place. With three games left in the Premier League season, Chelsea are six points ahead and have a goal difference far superior to Wenger’s side.

Even if north triumphs over west in this London derby, Arsenal still have to play Manchester United, yet again, next week. Therefore this is not so much a play-off for third place but the opening rubber of a two-legged tie – and Arsenal have had recent experience of those.

But, then again, hardly a positive one.

Wenger argues that Chelsea do not possess the copyright on Champions League anger at the moment. It is just the Stamford Bridge side saw their frustration distilled into injury time on Wednesday while Arsenal’s may have been more disparate. That fact may help their mental recuperation and, by Friday, their manager was already trying to look at the positives of Arsenal’s European run.

“We are angry as well don’t worry,” said Wenger. “But I believe that you must give your players some credit because when you get to the final four in the Champions League it is important to keep the self esteem high. They have shown many qualities to get there.

“For me it’s not hard to try to re-motivate the players but what is hard is to get the belief, desire and a bit of joy back in the squad. It’s very hard but this team have no attitude problems – their attitude in training is spot on. They are hugely disappointed but they always practice focused and well.

“I know we live in a world where when you lose a game everybody gets hammered but to get where we were you need some quality.”

Thankfully, Arsenal picked up no new injuries from Tuesday night. However Andrey Arshavin (flu) is a doubt having missed training on Thursday and Friday.

Following that European exit, Wenger decided to end Gael Clichy’s season. The defender has been struggling with a back problem for more than a month and, with no trophy left to win, the manager did not want to gamble on making the injury worse.

That said, Wenger sees third place as an achievement. And, given he is now looking to next season, it is all the more important because it will mean Arsenal avoid a potentially troubling Champions League qualifier in August.

However that seems a long way away at the moment. Arsenal’s immediate job is to try and see out their season with some style. Third place would be handy but, given the gap, it can hardly been expected.

The medium-term aim must be to rebuild and recover for the next campaign. In the meantime, the manager accepts he is open to question given it has been four seasons without a trophy.

“I didn’t ask the fans to be patient,” said Wenger. “I do as well as I can with my resources. I can accept if people say it's not good enough, I can understand that completely.

“I just give my best to take the maximum out of the team and to do as well as I can for the Club. But you have to accept as well, what we have done. We were in the last four in Europe and have not lost a League game since November.

“We have lost against a team who's better than us. Nothing to be ashamed of, they are the best team in the world at the moment. OK, if it's not good enough, it's not good enough, we can accept that.

“But I feel we can go further because we have a young team. This is not a team who is over the hill, it is a team who are at the start of the hill.”

And, having taken a mighty tumble on Tuesday, the trek back to the summit starts again this weekend.

Premier League: 3rd place Mission

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 09 May 2009 23:53:00 +0000

It’s back to the Premier League now – the only competition we have left to play in this season. There’s 3 games to go and there’s still a chance we could make that all important 3rd place. The team above us are visiting the Grove on Sunday so it’s a massive game, win and any late slip us from Chelsea we could capitalize on.

As hard as it was being knocked out of the Champions League, it was much, much worse for them. They were about 3 minutes away from a trip to Rome before Iniesta fired into the top corner to take Barca to the final on away goals. I left the house at 90 minutes sulking at another absolute cuntfest Champions League final. It wasn’t until a few hours later I heard they’d lost it late on and I was fucking cracking up.

Yesterday morning I must’ve watched the highlights three times. It was almost as funny as John Terry’s penalty slip last year. The terrible refereeing made it even sweeter, they could’ve easily had a few penalties on Wednesday night but the ref decided to be an absolute cunt which was just great. There have been some great .gif animations from the night; this was one of my favorites.

Andrey Arshavin : Magnificent gunner's frontline

I’m sure you’ve all seen the aftermath of the game and I’m sure there will be some consequences for that. A one-year European ban would be amazing but I’m really hoping for some sort of mass execution or something.

I’m hoping they’re still rattled when they come to us on Sunday. Yes, we got knocked out too but under much better circumstances, we were fairly beaten and I’ve all but forgotten about it now. Wenger says moral isn’t the greatest it’s ever been, but we’re ok. If we could beat Chelsea this weekend those two defeats in a row could cause an upset in their final two games and maybe we could jump into third. That’s what I’m hoping anyway.

andrey-arshavin-i-am-gooner-signing-transferIt looks like Andrey Arshavin will miss another opportunity to play against his national coach. He has the flu and has been sent home from training this week. There’s a chance he could recover but we won’t know until nearer the time. We’d definitely miss him, he has already established himself as one of our best players and I was kind of looking forward to seeing what he can do against Chelsea and United.

Nicklas Bendtner has been fined by the club for his piss-up after Tuesday night’s Champions League exit. If you haven’t seen it already there are pictures here. Wenger’s not happy but I haven’t met a single fan who holds it against him. In fact, I know some people have warmed to him a bit more because of it. He had the day off the next day and it was a disappointing night – we would’ve all done the same! Hope he doesn’t get in too much shit with Mr. Wenger.

theo-walcott-wiganAnd finally, Theo Walcott has signed a new contract. There’s no confirmation as to how long but it has been described as a ‘long-term’ deal. This is great news; he’s been an important player for us this season and is still improving.

However, this news does make me think what has happened with Robin van Persie’s new deal? Wenger hopes something will be sorted because he is an important player but says we’re still not “close”. It is slightly concerning, I do think he will sign in the end but it will be a huge loss if he’s decided he’s had enough. To be fair, I don’t see why he would’ve done; this has been his first (almost) injury-free season after a frustrating career. I believe he is our most important striker – we have to keep him. Other than him we’ve also got Eduardo who still needs to show he’s going to make a full recovery, Theo Walcott who I think will gradually start to move centrally next season, Bendtner and Vela will also be making a push next year and I think they will both have improved. As for Adebayor… meh, he can do whatever the fuck he likes.

Van Persie fit enough to play for Arsenal

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 09 May 2009 21:00:00 +0000

Robin van Persie and Mikael Silvestre are set to face Manchester United in the second leg of the semi-final at the Emirates.

According to Sky Sports News, van Persie's return will help the Gunners who lost Eduardo again when he was ruled out for three weeks with a groin problem.

The striker has also been struggling with groin trouble and has not played since Arsenal's 2-1 FA Cup semi-final loss to Chelsea.

But the Dutchman has returned to training ahead of the second meeting with European champions United and could partner Emmanuel Adebayor in attack as manager Arsene Wenger considers a 4-4-2 system.

Former United defender Silvestre, meanwhile, was a doubt after he picked up a groin injury against the Red Devils in the first leg but could now be in contention to feature.

Club Background Info

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 08 May 2009 07:30:00 +0000

THE STADIUM

Emirates Stadium
Capacity: 60432
Founded: 1886

Club Nickname: Gunners
Head Coach: Arsene Wenger

ARCHIVEMENT

Premier League winners: 1998, 2002, 2004
Runners-up: 1999, 2000, 2001,2003, 2005
Division One winners: 1931, 1933, 1934, 1935, 1938, 1948, 1953, 1971, 1989, 1991
Runners-up: 1926, 1932, 1973
Division Two runners-up: 1904
FA Cup winners: 1930, 1936, 1950, 1971, 1979, 1993, 1998, 2002, 2003, 2005
Runners-up: 1927, 1932, 1952, 1972, 1978, 1980, 2001
League Cup winners: 1987, 1993
Runners-up: 1968, 1969, 1988, 2007
Champions League runners-up: 2006
European Cup-winners Cup winners: 1994
Runners-up: 1980, 1995
Inter-Cities Fairs Cup winners: 1970
UEFA Cup runners-up: 2000
UEFA Super Cup runners-up: 1994
Legend: The non-flying Dutchman, Dennis Bergkamp although Ian Wright, Thierry Henry, Liam Brady and Cliff Bastin run him close. His hat-trick against Leicester in 1997 earned him a one, two, three in Match of the Day's goal of the month competition.
Terrace hero: Cesc Fabregas is already Arsenal's natural successor to former captains Tony Adams and Patrick Vieira. The young Spaniard has developed into one of the most coveted midfielders in Europe.
Finest hour: Arsenal's "Untouchables" go undefeated for the entire season to win the Premier League in 2004. That or Michael Thomas' last minute goal against Liverpool which handed Arsenal the title by a single goal.
Lowest ebb: Flu-ridden Arsenal go down 3-1 to Third Division Swindon Town in the 1969 League Cup final.

Andrey Arshavin has won his second consecutive Arsenal.com Player of the Month award

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 08 May 2009 07:12:00 +0000

The Russian playmaker has made a flying start to his Arsenal career. He scooped more than half the votes in our March poll and did even better in April, receiving a staggering 70.4%.

Andrey was impressive all month but his outstanding contribution came at Anfield. The 27-year-old scored four times in that incredible 4-4 draw. He also struck in a 4-1 win at Wigan and continued to rack up the assists for his team-mates, setting up goals against Wigan, Middlesbrough and Portsmouth.

Cesc Fabregas was a distant second in our official poll with 9.3% of the votes cast. Manuel Almunia, who excelled in the Champions League at Old Trafford, was third.

APRIL PLAYER OF THE MONTH

Andrey Arshavin 70.4% votes
Cesc Fabregas 9.3% votes
Manuel Almunia 6.8% votes
Others 13.5% votes

Scott Gammon from Rotherham has won the chance to present Andrey with his award before an Arsenal home game this month. Scott will also receive two tickets to the match.

"He has given a fresh look to the Arsenal," said Scott. "With great vision, he can read the game like no other. His finishing and general contribution to the team has been unbeliveable seeing that he is only just match fit. I belive he is already a fans' favourite and is a legend in the making. Well done Wenger."

Arsenal 1(1)–3(4) Manchester United Champions League

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 08 May 2009 00:02:00 +0000

Arsenal midfielder Alexandre Song vies with Michael Carrick

Well, that was not what I was expecting. Well, to be fair in the day yesterday I had pretty much come to terms with the massive task that was ahead of us. I tried to tell myself I wouldn’t get too upset if we got knocked out. I was instead hyped up about the possibility of us going through, to have done it last night would’ve been amazing. But oh well never mind.

We were beaten by the better team. Over the two legs Man United were much better than us and deserve to be in that final. It hurts to get so close and for them to knock us out, it hurts a lot. Everyone will have taken defeat in different ways. Personally, I have been alright about it. I have been quite calm and come to terms with it quite quickly. I’m still wearing my Arsenal shirt now and I don’t want to take it off! On the other end of the scale there is a Kenyan Gooner who hung himself after a night in the pub watching the game. That is ridiculous, I would only ever hang myself if it was against Tottenham.

There’s no point in me going through the game now in the detail I normally do, it was ages ago and we all know what happened.

The Grove looked amazing last night. All those flags and the noise on the TV was amazing, I was so jealous of all of you. It just goes to show what we can do, and I know it was a huge game last night but if we could find the same inspiration for every game I am certain we’d urge the team to turn a few more draws into wins.

Anyway, yeah it was a great atmosphere and it’s such a shame all that effort only lasted 10 minutes. The game was over before we even had a chance to get in it. We started so well and with so much promise and to concede that first goal in the 8th minute was really upsetting. I do not blame Gibbs, well – it was his fault but I am not angry with him. I’m sure he is devastated but I hope he gets over it.

After the first goal went in I was a bit shocked but I knew it wasn’t over. We had 80 minutes to come up with 3 goals and I didn’t think that was impossible. I still believed. Once that second goal went in it was all over I’m afraid. There was still a chance and I still watched on with the (slightly drunk) belief that we could do it but inside I knew it was over.

Almunia will be a bit pissed off conceding that goal. It was incredibly well hit but nothing should be beating him from that position. When Ronaldo stepped up to the ball he should’ve anticipated the shot from the off. Oh well, nothing we can do it about now.

After the second goal we were ruined, there was so much hope and belief in the week but that had all gone now. I noticed one or two leaving the ground already which was a bit sad to see.

At half time it was going to take one hell of a team talk to get us back in this one. I was screaming for us all first half to bring a striker on – what did we have to lose? I was in disbelief that at the break the only change was Emmanuel Eboue for Gibbs. Wenger, what the fuck? Alright it’s a long shot but we might as well give ourselves a chance!

The second half was a tedious inevitability, just waiting for the final whistle to go. We carried on playing and we were pushing but United caught us out on the break making it 4-0 on aggregate. The stadium really started to empty at this point and although I can understand the different circumstances why, I’m glad there was a few that stayed.

We did score from a van Persie free kick but it was the definition of a consolation goal. It was a perfect penalty, no ‘keeper would’ve saved that. Celebrations were muted except for Robin throwing the ball at the ground in frustration. The spot kick was given when Fletcher brought down Fabregas going through on goal and he was sent off for the challenge ruling him out of the final. The challenge itself was a great tackle and never a penalty. Sweet justice.

So it ended up 3-1 on the night and United go through to Rome, deservedly. We’ll be back next year, with a team matured an extra 12 months with the ambition to go another step further. Hopefully we can keep this team together over the summer and maybe add a few quality players.

So two semi finals in the space of a few weeks but no final to look forward to. The blow of last night would’ve been a lot easier to take if we still had Everton to play at Wembley but that’s something Wenger has to think about.

Philippe Senderos profile

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 07 May 2009 04:03:00 +0000

Name: Philippe Senderos
Born: Feb. 14, 1985, Geneva, Switzerland
Position: Defender
Squad Number: 6
Previous Club(s): Servette
Joined Arsenal: June 01, 2003
Arsenal Debut: Manchester City (a), Carling Cup, Oct. 27, 2004, Won 2-1
First Arsenal Goal: W.B.A. (a), Premier League, October 15, 2005, Lost 2-1

It's hard to recall a better centre-half performance from last season than Philippe's display against Milan in the Champions League.

The Swiss defender tends to be judged on his rare mistakes but he was outstanding after replacing the injured Kolo Toure after seven minutes of the first leg against the reigning European champions. Philippe snuffed out the threat of Kaka, Alexandre Pato and company before repeating the trick in the San Siro 13 days later. Ironically, he has now joined those players after agreeing a season-long loan with Milan.

Philippe's tenacity, aerial power and will to win are valuable assets. Also he tends to thrive when he gets a run in the side. That was certainly the case at the start of last season when William Gallas was unavailable and Philippe contributed to six clean sheets in his first eight games. He made 31 appearances in total during the 2007/08 campaign and popped up with a couple of goals too.

It's easy to forget that Philippe is still a young player because he seems to have been around for a while, not just at Arsenal but at international level too. He was part of the Swiss defence which did not concede a goal at the 2006 World Cup and played every minute of his country's campaign at Euro 2008.

Kieran Gibbs profile

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 07 May 2009 04:00:00 +0000

Name: Kieran Gibbs
Born: Sept. 26, 1989, Lambeth, London
Position: Defender
Squad Number: 40
Previous Club(s): Wimbledon
Joined Arsenal: Sept. 10, 2007
Arsenal Debut: Sheffield United (a), Carling Cup, Oct. 31, 2007, Won 3-0

Kieran made his first team debut for the Gunners last season, as a left-back in the Carling Cup win over Sheffield United.

Kieran first shot to prominence in the FA Youth Cup run to the semi-final in 2007, grabbing a goal in both legs of the last four defeat to Manchester United. He usually operates in either central midfield or wide on the left, but impressed again at left-back in this pre-season’s Emirates Cup game against Juventus.

As well as playing in the Carling Cup, Kieran made 10 appearances for the Reserve Team last season, scoring twice. In January he joined Championship side Norwich City on loan, where he made seven appearances. He returned all the better for it, scoring on his return to Reserves duty.

Like team-mates James Dunne and Abu Ogogo, Kieran was at Wimbledon but joined Arsenal when their academy disbanded and became Milton Keynes Dons.

Amaury Bischoff profile

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 07 May 2009 03:55:00 +0000

Name: Amaury Bischoff
Born: March 31, 1987, Colmar, France
Position: Midfielder
Squad Number: 28
Previous Club(s): SR Colmar, Strasbourg, Werder Bremen
Joined Arsenal: July 30, 2008
Arsenal Debut: Wigan Athletic (h), Carling Cup, Nov. 11, 2008, Won 3-0

Amaury was born in France and started with SR Colmar and Strasbourg before moving to Werder Bremen in 2005. He is a ball-playing central midfielder who can operate in the centre or on the right.

He was a regular at youth levels for Werder Bremen and his one senior appearance for the Bundesliga club came against Celta Vigo in the UEFA Cup back in 2007.

Amaury has played for France's Under-18 team, however in 2007 he elected to train with Portugal and has since represented their Under-21 side

Emmanuel Eboue profile

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 07 May 2009 03:51:00 +0000

Name: Emmanuel Eboue
Born: June 04, 1983, Abidjan, Ivory Coast
Position: Midfielder
Squad Number: 27
Previous Club(s): Asec Mimosas, Beveren
Joined Arsenal: Jan. 02, 2005
Arsenal Debut: Stoke City (h), FA Cup, Jan. 29, 2005, Won 2-1
First Arsenal Goal: Sunderland (a), Carling Cup, Oct. 25, 2005, Won 3-0

In his first couple of seasons at Arsenal, Emmanuel was a raiding right back. However last term the Ivorian became a fully-fledged right midfielder.

Having Bacary Sagna behind him, Emmanuel has full licence to go forward but his defensive heritage allows him to cover back when required.

Emmanuel’s primary aim these days is to add balance to the Arsenal attack. He regularly finds the byline and is arguably the best crosser in Arsène Wenger’s squad.

The African Nations Cup helped to restrict him to 36 appearances last term. Surprisingly he did not find the net but he did hit the woodwork twice in the Champions League tie with Slavia Prague at Emirates Stadium.

Emmanuel signed for Arsenal from Beveren in January 2005 and, within 16 months, was starting in the Champions League Final against Barcelona.

Along with Kolo Toure, he is a regular for the Ivory Coast.

Nicklas Bendtner profile

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 07 May 2009 03:47:00 +0000

Name: Nicklas Bendtner
Born: Jan. 16, 1988, Copenhagen, Denmark
Position: Striker
Squad Number: 26
Previous Club(s): FC Copenhagen
Joined Arsenal: Aug. 01, 2004
Arsenal Debut: Sunderland (a), Carling Cup, Oct. 25, 2005, Won 3-0
First Arsenal Goal: Newcastle United (h), Carling Cup, Sep. 25, 2007, Won 2-0

The 2007/08 season saw Nicklas finally begin his first-team career at Arsenal. The tall Danish striker had been rising through the ranks since moving from Copenhagen in 2004. He spent a year on loan at Birmingham but returned last season to push his claims for a starting berth.

A record of 17 starts, 23 substitute appearances and nine goals represents a fine start. Nicklas is big but has a deft touch on the floor. He has the ability to link midfield and attack with intelligence then finish of the move with precision.

Perhaps his most important goals last season came in the air. He powered home the winner against Tottenham with his first touch in a North London derby. Nicklas also nodded in crucial goals against Newcastle and Aston Villa. He is also becoming a major part of the Danish set-up. At the start of this season Nicklas already had eight caps.

Emmanuel Adebayor profile

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 07 May 2009 03:43:00 +0000

Name: Emmanuel Adebayor
Born: Feb. 26, 1984, Lome, Togo
Position: Striker
Squad Number: 25
Previous Club(s): Metz, Monaco
Joined Arsenal: January 13, 2006
Arsenal Debut: Birmingham City (a), Premier League, Feb. 04, 2006, Won 2-0
First Arsenal Goal: Birmingham City (a), Premier League, Feb. 04, 2006, Won 2-0

‘Ade’ enjoyed his best season as a professional footballer in 2007/8. He hit 30 goals in 48 appearances and carried the attack while Robin van Persie and Eduardo were injured.

The Togolese targetman has every attribute - pace, skill, strength and aerial ability - plus a tremendous work-rate. There were many great goals to choose from but the stand-out strikes were the volleys at Tottenham and Newcastle.

However Emmanuel is not only spectacular but consistent as well. Between last December and early February he scored in nine consecutive games for Arsenal, hitting the net 12 times in total. Just after that run he also ended an odd anomaly of not having scored in the Champions League. That goal came in the final seconds at Milan.

That was another example of Emmanuel’s handy knack of scoring big goals in big games. But then we could have predicted that after he notched just 21 minutes into his debut in January 2006 after moving from Monaco.

He received a Champions League runners-up medal in 2004 with the French side but started his career as a 17-year-old with Metz. Emmanuel has twice been nominated as African Footballer of the Year and his 11 goals for Togo in qualifying for the 2006 World Cup was the best on his continent. He finished third in Arsenal.com's Player of the Season poll last term.

Vito Mannone profile

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 07 May 2009 03:40:00 +0000

Name: Vito Mannone
Born: March 02, 1988, Desio, Italy
Position: Goalkeeper
Squad Number: 24
Previous Club(s): Atalanta
Joined Arsenal: July 01, 2005

At the start of the 2008/09 season, Vito had not made his first-team debut for Arsenal - but he had already shown he has plenty of promise.

Signed from Atalanta in July 2005, the Italian has worked his way through the ranks and began the current campaign as the third-choice keeper behind Manuel Almunia and Lukasz Fabianski.

Last season he was on the bench for a handful of first-team games but never tasted the action.

He did appear in 13 Reserves games and made a notable penalty save in the final minute at Reading to preserve a 1-1 draw.

Vito played four games on loan at Barnsley in 2006/07. It is his only first-team action of any sort so far. But that may change this term.

Gael Clichy profile

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 07 May 2009 03:35:00 +0000

Name: Gael Clichy
Born: July 26, 1985, Toulouse, France
Position: Defender
Squad Number: 22
Previous Club(s): AS Cannes
Joined Arsenal: Aug. 04, 2003
Arsenal Debut: Rotherham United (h), Carling Cup, Oct. 28, 2003, Drew 1-1 (Won on penalty)
First Arsenal Goal: Stoke City (a), Premier League, Nov. 01, 2008, Lost 2-1

It is incredible to think that 2007/08 was Gael’s first full season as Arsenal’s No 1 left back. Two terms ago, the Frenchman had missed the start of the campaign with another injury. They plagued his early Arsenal career so it is no wonder Arsène Wenger said Clichy’s main achievement last season was completing so many games. However he did much, much more than that.

Gael was one of the most consistent performers showing pace, tenacity and the desire to get forward as much as possible. It is no surprise he was the runner-up for the Player of the Season award.

Clichy had barely played for Cannes before he was spotted by Wenger’s scouting network. He shadowed Ashley Cole for a couple of seasons and became the youngest player to win a Premiership medal in 2004 at the age of 18. Now 23, Clichy is already one of the mainstays of Wenger’s side.

Lukasz Fabianski profile

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 07 May 2009 03:32:00 +0000

Name: Lukasz Fabianski
Born: April 18, 1985, Kostrzyn Nad Odra, Poland
Position: Goalkeeper
Squad Number: 21
Previous Club(s): Lech Poznan, Legia Warsaw
Joined Arsenal: May 26, 2007
Arsenal Debut: Newcastle United (h), Carling Cup, Sept. 25, 2007, Won 2-0

Lukasz is now the established No 2 keeper behind Manuel Almunia. He came to Arsenal in the summer of 2007 from Legia Warsaw and, as usual under Arsène Wenger, was given his first outings in the Carling Cup.

He had excellent games against Newcastle, Sheffield United and Blackburn as the youngsters marched into the Semi-Finals. His handling was secure, his decision-making assured and he was calm under pressure.

Wenger was obviously impressed as gave him further experience in the final three Premier League games of the campaign.

Lukasz is still young but he already has pedigree. He won the Polish League at Legia in 2005/06 and was voted the best keeper in the ‘Ekstraklasa’ for both 2006 and 2007.

He is an established part of the national set-up and was selected for the squad at Germany 2006 and Euro 2008.