tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57494420992866702492024-03-14T12:37:21.644+00:00Escape to N5Ashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01757328369422552408noreply@blogger.comBlogger126125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5749442099286670249.post-80888745484466990692017-11-03T17:00:00.000+00:002017-11-03T17:05:36.543+00:00Hero Worship: Ian Wright<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Every Arsenal fan knows Ian Wright. Of course you do, how can you possibly not? Even for a lot of fans today who never got to see the man play, we all know who he is. He's synonymous with Arsenal football club, nearly twenty years after he last donned the red and white shirt.<br />
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When I was a nipper, between 8 and 9 years old, I wanted to <i>be</i> Ian Wright. I wanted to physically become the man in every way possible. When my Dad and I would watch Arsenal on the tele, I would spend most of the game too close to the screen, burning out my retinas as I focused solely on Wright, his movement, his technique, his gait. I would spend days and weeks trying to perfect his moves on the playgrounds and playing fields of my school. Remember that famous shimmy and swivel against Spurs that <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOvaxECYrrw" target="_blank">left Clive Wilson for dead</a> in 96? I spent close to a week destroying my shoes on the harsh black bitumen trying to master that against the other lads in my class. I'd deliberately dribble the ball into the corner, pretending I had 38,000 of the Highbury faithful on my back, as I turned my would-be defender before crossing the ball to Bergkamp. Only it wasn't the Dutch legend of course, but my mate Dan.<br />
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I would stay up at night, pouring over my limited collection of Arsenal magazines to read the match reports detailing Wright's exploits. I recoiled in horror once when I read that he'd been given a straight red card <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HlF3dTxu56I" target="_blank">away to Nottingham Forest</a> just before Christmas 1996. Surely not my Ian? He'd scored an equalising goal roughly an hour into the game but six minutes later he was given his marching orders. I thought, <i>there's no way they've got this right</i>. My 8 year-old self would have defended Wright to the death. Little did I know that he'd had a battle all game with Forest defender Nikola Jerkan and finally thought enough was enough. Wright planted his boot through Jerkan's left foot and the linesman caught him red handed, grassing Wrighty in to the ref. Arsenal went on to lose 2-1 that night, thanks to a Alf Inge Haaland last minute winner, but all of this only helped add to the Ian Wright mystique and strangely deepened my admiration for the man.<br />
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With my parents and siblings regularly hogging the TV to watch X Files or Gladiators in the evenings, I would gather all of my Corinthians big head figures and set them out in formation on the kitchen table. Wrighty would obviously take centre stage and I'd routinely use his figurine to smash Subbuteo balls across the table into a homemade goal. I'd even do the running commentary.<br />
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<i>Wright passes to Bergkamp. who lays it off to Merson, who crosses for Wright at the back post, WHO VOLLEYS IT PAST SEAMAN TO WIN IT IN INJURY TIME FOR ARSENAL!</i> (Yes, Seaman was in goal - he was the only goalie figure I had!)<br />
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And don't think for a second I haven't contemplated buying a new Ian Wight big head as an adult. <a href="https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2380057.m570.l1313.TR0.TRC0.H0.Xian+wright+corinthians.TRS0&_nkw=ian+wright+corinthians&_sacat=0" target="_blank">I have...</a><br />
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Ahead of the World Cup in 98, my first proper international tournament I fully understood and invested in, I was lucky to own the official England Football Team annual. I would spent ages pouring over this book, reading all the player profiles and soaking up all of the information. Before this book I had really only ever known Arsenal. <i>This was the England team</i>, and here were my favourite Arsenal players as well! What was David Seaman doing wearing <a href="http://www.gettyimages.co.uk/event/euro-96-spain-v-england-quarter-final-144106029?esource=SEO_GIS_CDN_Redirect#sport-football-european-championships-22nd-june-1996-england-beat-42-picture-id79050812" target="_blank">that crazy kit</a>? How could he possibly play for two different teams, I would ask my Dad.<br />
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And then there was Ian, not just featured in the book but on the bloody cover, evading a tackle from a very young Fabio Cannavaro.<br />
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On a summer's evening in May 1997 I was at home and found myself watching England play South Africa at Old Trafford. I undoubtedly had my England annual spread on the floor in front of me, so I could look up the players mentioned on the screen. It was just a friendly, but as a kid I didn't really know what that meant. <i>It was still England</i>, so it mattered to me. And there was Ian, wearing number 9 and starting alongside Teddy Sheringham. Of course he only went on to score the winner didn't he? With 75 minutes played Wrighty controlled a flick-on from a Paul Gascoigne free kick, chesting it down before turning to smash it past Andre Arendse in the South African goal. England won the game 2-1 and I was absolutely beaming at my hero's involvement in the result.<br />
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Today Ian Wright turns 53 years-old. I owe him a lot as he was the responsible for a big chunk of the joy in my childhood. Him and Star Wars of course. I'm sad I never got to see him in the flesh, but glad I got to experience his legend in at least some way.<br />
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Happy Birthday Ian.<br />
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<br />Ashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01757328369422552408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5749442099286670249.post-52515671498052140972017-10-22T18:14:00.001+01:002017-10-22T18:14:19.900+01:00Magical Mesut: Everton vs Arsenal<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: center;">
Sunday 22 October 2017</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">Everton 2</span> Arsenal 5</span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394;">Rooney 12', Niasse 90+3'</span>, Monreal 40', Ozil 53', Lacazette 74', Ramsey 90', Sanchez 90+5'</div>
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Arsenal finally recorded their first away win of the season with a comprehensive display at Goodison Park against an Everton team battling their own demons. Ronald Koeman's side have not enjoyed the greatest of starts and now find themselves in the relegation zone. When people give Arsenal grief about their start to the season, looking at a club like Everton helps put things in perspective.<br />
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Despite going 1-0 down to a Wayne Rooney wonder goal, Arsenal dominated the first half and deservedly drew level just before half time thanks to an opportunistic Nacho Monreal finish. In the second half Arsenal made no mistake of putting Everton to the sword, when Mesut Ozil headed home from a fine Alexis Sanchez cross to make it 2-1 after 53 minutes. Things got worse for the home side when they were reduced to ten men after Idrissa Gueye picked up his second yellow card. Arsenal took advantage of the extra space and proceeded to tear Everton apart, with Alexandre Lazazette and Aaron Ramsey finding the back of the net. However Petr Cech made a stupid mistake in injury time, gifting Oumar Niasse the easiest goal he'll ever score. It wouldn't be an Arsenal game without at least one comical error! There was still time for Arsenal to add one more, when Sanchez willed the ball into the back of the net, with a fine strike across goal to put Arsenal ahead 5-2. Overall the boss with be pleased with such a fantastic result, especially on his 68th birthday.<br />
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Here are my player ratings for the game:<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Petr Cech (GK) - <span style="color: red;">6/10</span></span><br />
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The veteran was rarely troubled by Everton. He could do nothing about Rooney's superb strike but will be disappointed with how cheaply he gave away Everton's second to Niasse. To be fair to the Czech keeper, Monreal's back pass wasn't the best but Cech had time to deal with it and failed to do so. A poor effort and a blemish on an otherwise solid performance.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Per Mertesacker (CB) - <span style="color: red;">7/10</span></span><br />
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A fine display from the captain and he brought real confidence to the back line. As a unit they were rarely troubled by the experienced Rooney and youngster Dominic Calvert-Lewin. Mertesacker's pass to Xhaka that led to Everton's opening goal could have been avoided but the Swiss midfielder did have the option to knock it back to Per or Koscielny; I find it hard to blame the BFG for that one.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Laurent Koscielny (CB) - <span style="color: red;">7/10</span></span><br />
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Found himself in a forward position more often than he might be used to, and put one or two dangerous crosses in. Combined well with Mertesacker and Bellerin to snuff out Everton's attacks.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Nacho Monreal (CB) - <span style="color: red;">9/10</span></span><br />
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Two goals now in his last three Premier League games and his strike today was an important one. Arsenal should have been two or three goals to the good before Rooney put the Toffees ahead so it was vital Arsenal replied before half time. After a long range effort by Granit Xhaka troubled Everton keeper Jordan Pickford, it was Monreal who pounced on the rebound first and struck the ball cleanly to draw Arsenal level. A vital goal at a vital time. Defensively he was nearly perfect, although his pass to Cech for Everton's late consolation could have been better.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Hector Bellerin (RWB) - <span style="color: red;">7/10</span></span><br />
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Bellerin's movement down the right wing is always dangerous and he regularly gets into good positions but stills struggles with his delivery from time to time. He did pick out Sanchez with a great cross that the Chilean could only head wide. Otherwise he was his dependable self and Arsenal are lucky to have him in their toolbox.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Sead Kolasinac (LWB) - <span style="color: red;">7/10</span></span><br />
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Nothing too noteworthy for the beast from Bosnia today but still a quality, albeit quiet performance. Combined well with Sanchez on the left flank and never looked rattled.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Granit Xhaka (CM) - <span style="color: red;">6/10</span></span><br />
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It only takes one mistake to spoil an afternoon and fortunately for Xhaka, his blunder did not end up costing Arsenal the points. He felt he was fouled in the build-up to Rooney's opening goal but replays show that he was dispossessed by Gueye cleanly. He had the option to pass the ball away with his first touch but can only blame himself for what followed. In his defence he didn't make another mistake the rest of the game and recovered well to set up Monreal's equaliser, and then stung the crossbar late in the game. It's probably still rattling even now.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Aaron Ramsey (CM) - <span style="color: red;">8/10</span></span><br />
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Constantly finds himself in fantastic positions thanks to his brilliant movement and awareness off the ball. Sadly he doesn't regularly capitalise on this but justly earned his reward today with a well taken goal. His first touch to open up his body to lift the ball past Pickford reminded me of the Ramsey from 2013/14. Hopefully there are more goals to come from the Welshman.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Alexis Sanchez (AM) - <span style="color: red;">9/10</span></span><br />
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Arsene Wenger opted to deploy all three of his top men in attack and it was Sanchez who really benefited from having the mobile Lacazette and Ozil to link up with. The Chilean was instrumental in every attack and was rewarded for his industriousness. His assist for Ozil's goal that broke the deadlock was a carbon copy of a goal against Watford last season. For 90 minutes Sanchez did everything but find the net and when he received the ball with seconds left, you knew he was never going to pass up the opportunity to have one final attempt. He had the chance to offload the ball two or three times and as Everton pushed him wider and wider you thought, surely he's missed his chance to get a shot away. Sanchez delights in surprising us though and flashed an effort back across goal that Pickford was helpless to reach. It was a deserved goal for Alexis, the cherry on top of a great day's work and his best performance of the season so far.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Mesut Ozil (AM) - <span style="color: red;">9/10</span> (Man of the Match)</span><br />
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It was evident from the first minute that Ozil took his A-game to Merseyside. He had magic in his boots from the first whistle, and every pass he played was so deft and precise. The German playmaker combined with his teammates constantly and was the driving force behind everything positive with Arsenal's display. When he headed the Gunners into the lead early in the second half, his celebration told the full story; this was Ozil with a point to prove. Many of us, myself included, wrote him off after the Watford game last week. When he missed that chance to put the result beyond Watford's reach, he disappeared for the rest of the game. Today he stood up and put in one of his finest performances in an Arsenal shirt. He expertly picked out Lacazette to make it 3-1 and when he was substituted after 82 minutes, he was absolutely spent. Today he deserved the man of the match award and was the best player on the park.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Alexandre Lacazette (ST) - <span style="color: red;">8/10</span></span><br />
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With Everton down to ten men, Arsenal had to make sure the game was put to bed and Lacazette was on hand to do just that. On a swift break down the right flank, Ozil pulled it back to the Frenchman who made no mistake and buried it past Pickford to seal the result, and pick up his 5th Premier League goal. After having a superb chance blocked within the first ten minutes to put Arsenal ahead, Lacazette bided his time and never looked like missing when his next chance came.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Substitutes:</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Jack Wilshere - <span style="color: red;">7/10</span></span><br />
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After his seriously good outings in the Europa League, Wilshere was rewarded today with some Premier League gametime and took his opportunity. With Everton a man down and reeling, Wilshere came on in the 77th minute and pulled the strings instantly. He collected an assist after picking out Ramsey for his late goal, and it begs the question; after all these years, could a Wilshere-Ramsey midfield partnership be successful after all?<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Francis Coquelin - <span style="color: red;">N/A</span></span><br />
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Not enough time to impose himself on the game.<br />
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Despite going 1-0 down, this was the first time in a while I had so much fun watching Arsenal. The Gunners had 30 shots on goal, 14 of them on target and 67% possession in a dominant win. Everton were dreadful and looked totally absent tactics-wise but it was still so satisfying to put 5 goals past them, and it could have been a lot more if Pickford didn't have such a great first half. Arsenal must take confidence from this result and Wenger must continue to put faith in Ozil, Sanchez and Lacazette. Even if Ozil and Sanchez leave the club, be it in January or the summer, we must milk every goal and assist out of them whilst they're still on Arsenal's books.<br />
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Thanks for reading.<br />
<br />Ashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01757328369422552408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5749442099286670249.post-39750383493979416102017-10-09T18:00:00.000+01:002017-10-09T18:00:09.474+01:00Something Different: Tranmere v Chester<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Saturday the 7th of October was Non League Day on the British football calendar, a day to celebrate community clubs and the English game at the local level. Every year it coincides with the international break and provides fans with elements of football that are sorely lacking in the glamorous world of the Premier League.<br />
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I traveled to the Wirral on the Friday night to stay with my friend Matt, a lifelong Tranmere Rovers fan. We went to Wembley together in mid May to see <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39850996" target="_blank">Tranmere take on Forest Green</a> in the National League Playoff Final, which Tranmere sadly lost 3-1. Despite the result it was a fantastic day out in the Wembley sunshine and I was really struck by the passionate Tranmere fanbase. I was an honorary Rover that day but the experience really registered with me and when Matt suggested I come to another game, this time at Tranmere's home, I jumped at the chance.<br />
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And so Saturday came and we had a short stroll through Birkenhead to Prenton Park, an impressive stadium that has all the facilities of a club that should be in the Football League. Outside the ground I picked up a programme (as I always do), as well as an issue of Tranmere's fanzine<i> Give Us An R</i>. I had a quick browse of the club shop as well, buying a small pin badge for my jacket (I already had a Tranmere scarf from my Wembley trip). I'm really material when it comes to football fandom and was amazed that I had the willpower to resist buying a home shirt! We then joined the rest of the Super White Army, or SWA as they're affectionately known, for a pre-match pint before making our way to our seats.<br />
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As we got close to the turnstiles a group of young lads pulled us over for a quick chat on behalf of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCypzfRRkX2ObaqZBV4brzFg/featured" target="_blank">TranmereFanTV</a>, a YouTube channel that records fan's reactions, player interviews and pre-match predictions and discussions. I quickly bowed out of being filmed as this was just my second Tranmere game but Matt had a good conversation with the guys, which you can watch below:<br />
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Once we got into the John King stand I couldn't believe the great seats we had, almost dead-on the halfway line, and that's why it pays going with a regular like Matt who knows the best vantage points of his home ground. I had leg room for days, just look at the photo below for proof!</div>
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Tranmere's opposition for the day were Chester FC, their local rivals, so the match had a bit more added spice than usual, it being a derby day and all. The Kop was to my left for the entire game, home to the loudest of the SWA and they came complete with a drum and trumpet too. It made for an incredible atmosphere, and was nothing like I'd experienced watching the Arsenal. The Chester fans at the opposite end were doing their best to sing and shout back but were drowned out almost entirely by the enthusiastic support in the Kop.</div>
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The game itself was an entertaining affair and Tranmere should have won convincingly but the resolute Chester defence held out <a href="https://tranmererovers.co.uk/news/report-tranmere-rovers-0-0-chester-fc/" target="_blank">for a 0-0 draw</a>. The home side dominated every facet of the game and Chester rarely threatened, never seriously testing Tranmere keeper Scott Davies if memory serves me right. Tranmere on the other hand put Chester goalkeeper Alex Lynch to work, forcing him into a number of fine saves. The driving rain made conditions difficult but ultimately Tranmere couldn't take advantage and the points were shared. Chester, struggling this season in 21st position, will be very pleased with the result but Tranmere will have felt disappointed not to have secured all three points. However, despite lying in 15th place, the Rovers can take solace in their fine performance and their recent results indicate they are on the up at least, with 7 points in their last three games.</div>
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I'm not going to be go full-blown football hipster and say that watching a non league contest is better than going to a Premier League game. It's just different... and that's a good thing. You need variety in life and sometimes you need variety in football too. Arsenal obviously fill and satisfy my football needs but then I also love what a non league or lower league game can offer as well. I'm a bit of an old fashioned soul so going up to Tranmere and watching their modestly paid players give 100% in the pouring Liverpool rain, there's just something more honest about it all.</div>
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I'll definitely go again and now I always keep an eye out for the Tranmere score on a Saturday.</div>
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Ashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01757328369422552408noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5749442099286670249.post-55247053808651856842017-06-12T13:00:00.004+01:002017-06-12T13:00:37.716+01:00One To Watch: Ainsley Maitland-Niles<div>
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In the 76th minute of the Under-20 World Cup final in South Korea's Suwon World Cup stadium, Ainsley Maitland-Niles clapped the hands of the substituted Ademola Lookman and entered the fray of the most important football match of his young career thus far. </div>
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Up to that point it had been quite a week for the 19 year-old Arsenal man. On Thursday came the news that Maitland-Niles will <a href="http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/20170608/the-youngsters-closest-to-stepping-up" target="_blank">make the jump from the academy to the first team</a> to start the 2017/18 season. There wasn't much time to celebrate though, as Sunday brought about England's participation in the Under-20 World Cup final, as they faced off against a spirited Venezuela side. Maitland-Niles featured in midfield as a substitute and helped settle the young English side to see out <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/40237981" target="_blank">a historic 1-0 victory</a>, capturing the biggest international title in youth football and the first global success our country has experienced since 1966. A pretty remarkable few days for Ainsley all told.<br />
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The question for Maitland-Niles (and for Arsenal fans) is, what happens next? The versatile youngster will return from his enormously successful international duties and slot straight into pre-season training with the Arsenal first team, as they prepare for their tour to Australia in mid July. In some shape or form he'll already be in Arsene Wenger's plans for the new campaign but Ainsley will be keen to make an impression, and should be confident in doing so, riding the momentum of his Under-20 World Cup success. </div>
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Arsenal have some stiff competition in central midfield, with Granit Xhaka, Aaron Ramsey, Mohamed Elneny, Francis Coquelin and, when he returns from injury, Santi Cazorla all vying for a staring place, so Maitland-Niles will have his work cut out for him. However he does have a few factors working in his favour.<br />
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The largest of which is his versatility, which will bode him well in the near future. At just 19 years-old, he isn't expected to cement a position any time soon, but his flexibility across the midfield and even in defence will put him in good stead to fill in when injuries inevitably take their toll on this Arsenal squad. He can operate in central midfield, on the right wing, and even at right back if needed. Maitland-Niles must capitalise on any opportunity he gets over the course of the next 12 months.</div>
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During the 2016/17 season he spent most of his time playing for the under-23s, operating almost exclusively in central midfield. Maitland-Niles made seven senior appearances, featuring three times in the EFL Cup, three times in the FA Cup, and making a late cameo in the Premier League against Sunderland in late October. I was particularly impressed with his performance against Southampton in the 4th round of the FA Cup, when <a href="http://www.arsenal.com/match/report/1617/post/first-team/southampton-0-5-arsenal-match-report" target="_blank">the Gunners routed the Saints 5-0</a> and young Ainsley put in a dominant 90 minute shift in the middle of the park. He was so composed and assured in possession, and combined effectively with Jeff Reine-Adelaide to cause Southampton a host of problems, never letting them have a sniff of the ball.</div>
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Perhaps the biggest advantage Maitland-Niles has ahead of the new season is the level of expectation resting on his shoulders. As in, the general football-going public and your casual Arsenal fan won't expect anything from him at all. This will benefit Ainsley as he can go about his business and continue his development at the right pace, honing his craft in first team training sessions and hopefully be rewarded with a run out in the first eleven from time to time. That would be the ideal situation for Maitland-Niles in 2017/18; anything else is either a bonus, or the rest of the squad have been so decimated by injury that Ainsley simply has to play (great news for him, but not so great for the club if they have to throw the 19 year-old in the deep-end every weekend.)</div>
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I don't expect I'll be the only fan keeping a watchful eye on Maitland-Niles' progress and I certainly hope to see him feature for the first team a bit more often in the new season. Best of luck to him.<br />
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Ashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01757328369422552408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5749442099286670249.post-87110248177139253242017-06-06T17:30:00.000+01:002017-06-06T17:30:37.381+01:00All Sead And Done: Kolasinac Signs<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Arsenal have secured their first new recruit ahead of next season, <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/40173168" target="_blank">sealing a deal for Bosnian left back Sead Kolasinac on a free transfer</a>. The signing will be officially completed on 1 July when the transfer window opens.<br />
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Kolasinac joins the Gunners after spending the past six years with Schalke in the Bundesliga. He turns 24 years-old this month and will compete with Nacho Monreal for the left back position (or as the left-sided CB in a back three), or potentially start on the left wing if Arsene Wenger continues with his new formation. The addition of Kolasinac almost certainly spells the end of the road for Kieran Gibbs, with Newcastle one of the clubs interested in capturing the Englishman (for £15 million as well). I will be very sad to see Gibbs go, and I don't think his loyal service to the club is appreciated enough by fans.<br />
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Kolasinac is a Bosnia-Herzegovina international and was voted as the starting left back in <a href="http://www.bundesliga.com/en/tots/" target="_blank">the Bundesliga team of the season</a>. In 36 appearances for Schalke in all competitions, he scored 3 goals and recorded 8 assists. The stocky and physical defender excelled as part of the Gelsenkirchen side's back line and he was often given the freedom to roam forward, which should suit him well in this attack-minded Arsenal side.<br />
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"I'm a player who will try to help the team as well as I can. My strengths are my mentality." I am especially encouraged by that last comment, as this Arsenal squad could certainly use an upgrade in the mentality department. Overall I am very encouraged by the signing of Kolasinac and especially with how quickly the club were able to complete the transfer. I'm hoping his speed and size will suit him well in the Premier League and adding a robust player of his calibre can only improve this team.<br />
<br />Ashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01757328369422552408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5749442099286670249.post-47032499883509723412017-05-30T20:36:00.003+01:002017-05-30T20:36:50.193+01:00Seventh Heaven: Underdog Arsenal Win FA Cup<div style="text-align: center;">
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Saturday 27 May 2017</div>
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<span style="color: red;">Sanchez 4', Ramsey 79'</span>, <span style="color: blue;">Costa 76'</span></div>
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Arsenal saved their best until last. They entered Saturday's FA Cup final as underdogs and their opponents Chelsea were hotly tipped to complete a domestic double, winning both the league and cup. But as that historic warning goes, football matches aren't played on paper. It's about who turns up on the day, and in that respect, only the team in red and white actually did.<br />
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As the afternoon wore on, there were a few indicators that made me feel like the day would be a good one. Seeing Tomas Rosicky in the player's tunnel greeting all his former teammates and friends was one of them. When young defender Rob Holding tangled with Chelsea's pantomime villain Diego Costa early in the game, and began gesturing at Costa by pointing at his head, you could see Holding was up for the battle and wasn't going to let the Spanish forward's notorious antics affect him. And finally, when Alexis Sanchez flung himself at a Chelsea clearance, handling the ball in the process, then bypassed an offside Aaron Ramsey to coolly finish past Thibaut Courtois to give Arsenal an extremely contentious 1-0 lead, I just knew it had to be our day. How often does a string of decisions like that go in Arsenal's favour? Chelsea fans were outraged, and had good reason to be, but this made it all the sweeter for me.<br />
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After Saturday's decisive victory, Arsenal have won the trophy a record 13 times, putting themselves back on top as the most successful team in the competition. Arsene Wenger is now the most successful manager in the competition's 146 year history, winning the cup 7 times. He's won it as many times in his career as Chelsea and Liverpool have in their entire history. It's an understatement to say that that's a pretty impressive achievement.<br />
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Here are my player ratings for the game:<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">David Ospina (GK) - <span style="color: red;">7/10</span></span><br />
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I gotta admit, I had my doubts. He's been perfectly fine as the cup keeper this season, and was quite good against Manchester City, but I just got it into my head that Petr Cech would start in the biggest game of the season. Credit must go to Ospina though, he put in a solid performance and made some huge saves. He denied Costa twice and both were at crucial stages in the game, as well as making great saves against Victor Moses and a tricky N'golo Kante drive that deflected. I thought he could have done better for their goal, as he did get a hand to it, but the small deflection definitely affected him, as he'd shifted his feet and body weight to the left in anticipation. Overall, he played extremely well and was deserving of his starting spot.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Rob Holding (CB) - <span style="color: red;">9/10</span></span><br />
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Exactly one year ago, what was the young Englishman doing? He had just been relegated to League One with an awful Bolton Wanderers team, on which he was the only shining light, winning their player of the season award. He was still nearly 2 months shy of signing for Arsenal. Now look how far he's come in just 12 months, winning the first major domestic honour of his career. Over the past couple of months Holding became an integral cog in Wenger's new 3-4-3 formation. His performance in the final was outstanding, shackling Diego Costa for much of the game and refusing to be bullied by him. All at just 21 years-old. He's got future captain material written all over him.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Per Mertesacker (CB) - <span style="color: red;">10/10</span></span><br />
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O Captain! My Captain! Mertesacker made his first Arsenal start since 30 April 2016 but didn't show any signs of rust, and arguably put in the best performance of his Arsenal career. He was an absolute rock in the centre of defence, and his leadership qualities shone through in a faultless display. The BFG needs a statue outside the stadium. NOW. <i>Per</i>fection.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Nacho Monreal (CB) - <span style="color: red;">8/10</span></span><br />
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Monreal worked in partnership with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain to nullify Chelsea's attack down the left all afternoon. Despite not being a natural centre back, Monreal didn't shy away from the task at hand, as many players may have against the Premier League champions. He hardly put a foot wrong and was his usual tenacious self, working well with Mertesacker to marshal the back line.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Hector Bellerin (RWB) - <span style="color: red;">7/10</span></span><br />
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The young Spaniard got the nod ahead of Oxlade-Chamberlain on the right flank and kept his opposite number Marcus Alonso quiet all day. Bellerin was absolutely tireless and kept pushing until the final whistle. He was unlucky not to score towards the end of the match, when he sprinted the length of the field, skinning the hapless David Luiz in the process, and narrowly missed scoring in the bottom corner. How should he celebrate winning the cup? A trip to the barbers!<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Aaron Ramsey (CM) - <span style="color: red;">9/10</span></span><br />
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The guy just loves an FA Cup final. Imperious in midfield against quality opposition in Nemanja Matic and Kante, and later Cesc Fabregas, Ramsey showed all of them how to play a complete game, a true box-to-box midfielder. Disciplined in defence and assured in attack, he was absolutely everywhere. When he popped up to meet Olivier Giroud's cross and nod home what would prove to be the winner, well I'm sure you, like me, went wild in celebration. The Welshman is making a habit of this trophy-winning-goalscorer lark.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Granit Xhaka (CM) - <span style="color: red;">8/10</span></span><br />
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He sure picked an opportune day to have his best game in the Arsenal red and white. Up against Kante, a midfielder most critics and fans would have preferred Arsenal had purchased instead last summer, Xhaka showed his true quality and left his French counterpart in his shadow. He was largely mistake-free and showed off his impressive range of passing skills, and I was amazed at his discipline defensively; gone was that reckless abandon he usually exhibits in his tackles, and instead was a composed, confident, and thoughtful midfield general. More of the same next season please Granit!<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (LWB) - <span style="color: red;">7/10</span></span><br />
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With Kieran Gibbs missing out due to injury, the Ox was called on to man the left flank, a position he's unaccustomed to. Nevertheless, Alex didn't balk at his new responsibilities, and put in a fantastic showing defensively. He didn't get forward as often as he'd probably have liked but I can't fault him for prioritizing his defensive duties, especially considering who he had to protect in the centre. Moses kept testing Oxlade-Chamberlain up until his eventual sending off, and the Englishman never wilted. A fine way to cap off what's been a great season for the 23 year-old.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Mesut Ozil (AM) - <span style="color: red;">7/10</span></span><br />
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It's been said time and time again, but the German superstar really does divide opinion, and no more so was that evident than this FA Cup final. I've seen quite a few reports that Ozil ran the show on Saturday but honestly, I didn't see it. He had some great opportunities to kill Chelsea off but he couldn't deliver. Yes, his passing was usually accurate as we've come expect, and his off-the-ball movement does set him apart from his peers, but I didn't feel any of his output was particularly incisive. I can't knock him too much but I still get frustrated by his overall style of play. Maybe I'm too hard on him, but when you're the club's record signing, very big things are expected and I'll admit that has got to be difficult for anyone.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Alexis Sanchez (AM) - <span style="color: red;">9/10</span></span><br />
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The Chilean wasn't my choice for man of the match but he was obviously still one of the best players on the park. His goal to open the game was clinically taken (always play to the whistle kids) and even if it was fortuitous, he still showed the will and desire to chase what a few players would have judged as a lost cause. His pass into Giroud to create the second goal was sublime as well. Sanchez was a menace all game, drifting in off the left flank, and you could tell Chelsea were scared of him. If it does turn out to be that Saturday was his final Arsenal game, then what a way to go out.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Danny Welbeck (ST) - <span style="color: red;">8/10</span></span><br />
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I had a feeling Wenger would opt for the Englishman over Giroud, purely for the extra level of danger his movement and pace can cause defences. His constant running and pressing really upset Chelsea's rhythm and he was at the heart of some of our best moves. Welbeck was so unlucky not to score with a header that clipped the post in the first half. His aim for next season should be to stay fit and work on his finishing, as he's so close to being an incredible centre forward for us. He's already a fan favourite.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Substitutes:</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Olivier Giroud - <span style="color: red;">8/10</span></span><br />
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First touch of the game and he sets up the winner. What more can you ask for? An impact sub for the ages.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Francis Coquelin - <span style="color: red;">6/10</span></span><br />
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Booked almost as soon as he got on the pitch and had the audacity to perform stepovers in Chelsea's corner. After that moment of madness he settled and helped see out the game.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Mohamed Elneny - <span style="color: red;">N/A</span></span><br />
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The Egyptian didn't get much time but it was nice to see him make an appearance.<br />
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And now, reports today indicate that Saturday was not to be Arsene Wenger's swansong after all. According to various sources, Wenger will not be standing down as manager as some had predicted, and he has agreed on a 2-year contract which is likely to be announced officially by the club on Wednesday. Did you really think he was going to walk away? I'm honestly not surprised but I'm not unhappy either. I still believe the team could do with a fresh approach, because one trophy doesn't erase the last couple of years of staleness. Once he signs on the dotted line, the club and it's fans need to get back to supporting the team. Enough of this bullshit with flying planes and stadium protests directed at the manager. If you're gonna get angry, then by all means aim your vitriol at our silent owner, the one in the dodgy suit. However, I do hope that Wenger has taken note of all that has happened this season and vows for it not to continue. If he can get this team to play every game with the kind of spirit and intelligence they displayed on Saturday, then we'll be going in the right direction. I think, for me, that's all we can ask for.<br />
<br />Ashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01757328369422552408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5749442099286670249.post-25024520643707541432017-05-26T13:30:00.000+01:002017-05-26T13:30:04.986+01:00End On A High: FA Cup Final Preview<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Arsenal will face Chelsea at Wembley this Saturday to bring down the curtain on what's been a disappointing season, but the Gunners can bow out on a high note. If Arsenal are able to defeat the champions of England, it will go some way towards healing the wounds of this testing 2016/17 campaign.<br />
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With all of the uncertainty hanging over the club at the moment still occupying the thoughts of most fans, the real focus should be on who Arsene Wenger will be selecting for the final. Chelsea manager Antonio Conte has a full squad at his disposal whereas Arsenal have some glaring issues to address, namely at centre back. With Laurent Koscielny picking up a needless suspension thanks to a straight red card in the final league game of the season, and Gabriel stretchered off the pitch with a long-term knee injury in the same match, the boss has a situation on his hands. Combine the absence of Koscielny and Gabriel with the fact that Shkodran Mustafi is suffering from concussion and could be a major doubt to play, and we're now in the midst of a full-blown selection crisis.<br />
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So who can Wenger choose?<br />
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Club captain Per Mertesacker is finally back to full fitness after missing the entire season with a knee injury. He came on as a sub against Everton at the weekend but should he feature against Chelsea, he'll still be extremely rusty. Mertesacker is as experienced as they come, a real veteran who has played in some of the most high-stakes games imaginable, but this would really be chucking him in the deep end. At the very least, his leadership skills will be valuable in such a big game.<br />
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Rob Holding is likely to be a certain choice. The young Englishman has been in impressive form over the the final weeks of the season and nothing has fazed him since he was thrust back into first team action. I fully expect him to be at the heart of things in defence on Saturday.<br />
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With Wenger's recent transition to a back three in defence, the other choice would likely be Nacho Monreal. Not considered a natural centre back, the Spaniard has performed admirably in the position when called upon, and I'm sure Monreal will get the call once again.<br />
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The choice of who to play on the wings to support the back three presents yet another problem. Kieran Gibbs, the natural choice on the left, is also struggling with his own fitness issue. Gibbs has yet to return to training this week. Thankfully there are no injury concerns on the right flank, just a tactical headache instead. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has been a revelation since adopting the wing back role in April, showing flashes of the player the club hoped he would develop into, and he's worked hard to recover from a recent hamstring injury. Alternatively Wenger could opt for Hector Bellerin, who has struggled a lot this season but has been closer to his usual self in the past few games. Defensively Bellerin would make the most sense, but Oxlade-Chamberlain can offer that bit more in attack.<br />
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The rest of the team should pick themselves, with the only real question mark being whether to start Olivier Giroud or Danny Welbeck as the focal point of the attack. We are all familiar with what Giroud can offer and, love him or hate him, the guy is a proven-goal scorer (and he's knocked in a couple at Wembley before). Welbeck on the other hand might trouble the Chelsea backline a bit more than Giroud would, thanks to his pace and movement in the channels. If he's fully fit I'd opt for Welbeck to start the game, as Giroud has been effective this season off the bench.<br />
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Alexis Sanchez has been a bit of an uncertainty this week with his own fitness problem, but you'd have to build a wall to keep him from playing at Wembley. The ever-tenacious Sanchez will be chomping at the bit to play his part in such a crucial match. On Wednesday, Wenger said: "He needs to go through some tests at the moment and we’ll see how well he comes out of that. Knowing the player, knowing his character and knowing his commitment to the club, which I don’t question at all, he’ll make absolutely everything to be fit for Saturday."<br />
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I've seen quite a few pieces about how this could be Sanchez's final game in an Arsenal shirt. I don't think he will leave this summer, but I've been wrong about this before. I also think the outcome of Saturday's game might play some part towards whether he stays or goes. I think I'm in the minority of Arsenal fans when it comes to Sanchez's situation; I don't care very much what he chooses to do. If he stays I'll support him still, and celebrate his goals. If he leaves, I'll shrug my shoulders and focus on who might replace him, rather than mourn his departure. The thing I always talk about with Sanchez is, he's one of the most frustrating superstar Arsenal players I've ever seen, perhaps <i>the most</i> frustrating. I cannot stand his constant need to prove to everyone how skillful he is and the way he takes unnecessary risks in dangerous areas. The amount of times he gives away possession drives me crazy, and I think for a player of his ability and intelligence, he can be better. But then he'll perform a piece of magic or come up with the winning goal and all if forgiven. It drives me nuts. I appreciate players of his calibre are designed to take the riskiest option in order to gain the highest reward, but for Christ's sake Sanchez, just pass the ball sometimes, please?<br />
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If it was me (and Mustafi misses out), this would be the first eleven I would opt for:<br />
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Cech</div>
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Holding - Mertesacker - Monreal</div>
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Oxlade-Chamberlain - Ramsey - Xhaka - Gibbs</div>
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Ozil - Alexis</div>
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Welbeck</div>
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And finally, will this be Arsene Wenger's final game in charge? After 20 years of service, will it all come to a close on Saturday? Part of me would love to see him bow out in glory, winning one more trophy, his seventh FA Cup. Riding off into the sunset with a cup under his arm is definitely the way to go, should he choose to. I honestly think regardless of what the result is, he will not leave. There'll be a vocal portion of the fanbase outraged if he doesn't go but I just don't see him letting go of the reins until he's good and ready. He'll do it on his terms.<br />
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Despite Chelsea being considered the favourites on Saturday, especially considering Arsenal's awful defensive situation, I just hope the Gunners can cause an upset. We've had a very good record at the new Wembley, and in this competition in recent times. Let's put this difficult year behind us and end the season on a high.<br />
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Thanks for reading.Ashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01757328369422552408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5749442099286670249.post-2852531938045753452016-10-19T22:33:00.001+01:002016-10-19T22:33:02.464+01:00Ozil Obliterates Ludogorets<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Wednesday 19 October 2016</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: red;">Arsenal</span> 6 <span style="color: #38761d;">Ludogorets</span> 0</span></div>
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Arsenal demolished the Bulgarian champions tonight in a relentless display of football, <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/37688100" target="_blank">running out 6-0 victors</a> in this Champions League tie.<br />
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The Gunners opened the scoring with a delightful Alexis Sanchez chip, a Bergkamp-esque lob over the Ludogorets keeper to make it 1-0 to the hosts. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, getting the start on the wing ahead of youngster Alex Iwobi, played Sanchez onside and the Chilean feinted his defender before lofting the ball over goalkeeper Vladislav Stoyanov to give Arsenal an early lead. A beautiful finish and one of the Sanchez's finest in an Arsenal shirt.<br />
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But the Bulgarians didn't give up and tested David Ospina a couple of times. The visitors gave the Arsenal defence something to think about and made sure the Gunners took them seriously.<br />
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However, in the 42nd minute Theo Walcott took aim from outside the box, and curled an unstoppable effort past the Ludogorets keeper to extend the lead. The Englishman is in a rich vein of form and can't put a foot wrong at the moment. At half time with the score 2-0, the game looked to be past the Bulgarians but the Gunners weren't finished just yet.<br />
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With less than a minute gone in the second half, Arsenal poured forwards and the ball fell to Oxlade-Chamberlain, who side-footed the ball perfectly into the corner to make it 3-0. The game was over at this stage but a certain German playmaker wanted more.<br />
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Mesut Ozil took the second half by the scruff of the neck and made the game all about him, netting a sumptuous hat trick. It was the first hat trick of the midfielder's career and he took each goal with confidence, especially his third, a volley in the 87th minute. Ozil deservedly took home the match ball after one of his finest Champions League performances. For a player not known for his finishing ability, to net a European hat trick is some accomplishment. I could definitely get used to Ozil scoring on a regular basis.<br />
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Arsenal now top Group A on goal difference and have set themselves up nicely ahead of Saturday's game against Middlesbrough. I'll be at the Emirates this weekend for my second visit of the season, as I managed to get tickets in the Clock End. Here's hoping the Gunners can ride this momentum and keep pace in the league with another win.<br />
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Thanks for reading.Ashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01757328369422552408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5749442099286670249.post-86347800057331688252016-10-02T20:35:00.002+01:002016-10-02T20:35:37.707+01:00Tough Win At Turf Moor<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Sunday 2 October 2016</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: #990000;">Burnley</span> 0 <span style="color: #ffd966;">Arsenal </span>1</span></div>
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Arsenal left it very late but snatched all 3 points in a tough match against a spirited Burnley side, <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/37465283" target="_blank">emerging as 1-0 victors</a> to win their fifth game in a row and keep pace in the Premier League.<br />
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As Arsene Wenger celebrated 20 years' service at the club he has revolutionised, his team looked like they were still recovering from the party, as they struggled to breakdown an organised and stubborn Burnley unit. As the match drew to a close, both sides looked capable of snatching the winner but it was Arsenal who took their chance.<br />
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With seconds left in the match, an Arsenal corner was played short to Alexis Sanchez, whose whipped in cross found the head of Theo Walcott. The winger could only graze the ball but his effort fell to a free Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain at the back post, who struck the ball into captain Laurent Koscielny. It clearly struck Koscielny on the arm but the ball had found it's way into the back of the net and Arsenal had nicked it 1-0 with the last kick of the game. It's telling that Koscielny, a player who always gives everything for the club, was in that position (as he often is late in games), and got yet another crucial goal. He makes a habit of scoring these vital winners.<br />
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Turf Moor is not an easy place to get points (<a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/37067882" target="_blank">just ask Liverpool</a>) and the home side can definitely feel aggrieved at today's result. It was an unfair result on Burnley, who had grafted hard for the point and deserved at least that. But Arsenal will not care one bit when they look back at this result come season's end. With Man City dropping their first points of the season to Tottenham, it was crucial Arsenal keep pace with the front runners and capitalise on City's misfortune.<br />
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They (whoever "they" are) say a team shows championship-winning qualities when matches are won despite not playing well. It's still very early in the season but perhaps Arsenal have shown some of that quality and character today. Only in May will we know how important today's victory might prove to be.<br />
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When the Gunners return from the international break they will host Swansea on Saturday 15 October and must beware complacency against the Welsh side, who have caused Arsenal a few problems at The Emirates in recent years. Let's hope all of our players return uninjured and can retain this winning momentum.<br />
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Thanks for reading.Ashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01757328369422552408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5749442099286670249.post-75319859816667640902016-09-28T22:15:00.002+01:002016-09-28T22:15:14.904+01:00The Rebirth Of Theo Walcott<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Wednesday 28 September 2016</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: #ffd966;">Arsenal</span> 2 <span style="color: #073763;">FC Basel</span> 0</span></div>
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Off the back of a <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/37393486" target="_blank">statement 3-0 win against Chelsea</a> at the weekend, Arsenal rode that momentum into their second Champions League tie of the season against FC Basel and tore them apart in a <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/37465100" target="_blank">dominant 2-0 victory</a>.<br />
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The goals came courtesy of Theo Walcott, who looks like a new man this season. He now has 4 goals in his last 3 games, taking his overall tally to 5, a hot start to the new campaign for the Englishman. It's not just the goals, it's his confidence and the way he's become such an important cog in the attack. Theo has a habit of going missing in games, lost for long periods in matches, but this season he's been involved heavily in each of his appearances and tonight was no different. At the end of the first half he had the most touches of any Arsenal player and was a constant menace to the Basel defenders. Theo has always been one of those players that has hot and cold spells but so far this season he's brought a sense of consistency that was lacking last season. His link-up play with Alexis Sanchez tonight was impressive, as both forwards found each other regularly, particularly in that flawless first half.<br />
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Arsenal's first goal came after 7 minutes, from a pinpoint Santi Cazorla pass finding Sanchez close to the byline. Alexis controlled the ball perfectly and scooped the ball over the Basel defence into the path of Walcott who couldn't miss, heading home to give the Gunners the lead.<br />
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The second goal arrived 20 minutes later and felt inevitable. Walcott started a one-two with Sanchez who laid the ball back into Theo's path. The Englishman shifted between two Basel defenders into space and didn't hesitate. He put his head down and struck through the ball, giving the Basel keeper no chance.<br />
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In the second half Arsenal clearly relaxed. They still dominated possession but started to get a bit cute with their passing, a bit of showboating here and there. Basel finally came into the game but could only force Ospina into a couple of saves. You could see the Arsenal players had taken their foot off the gas, perhaps saving their energy ahead of the trip to Burnley on Sunday.<br />
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With a 2 goal cushion Arsenal kept pressing for another goal but the Basel keeper Vaclik kept the Swiss side from being on the wrong end of a rout. Sanchez in particular was unlucky not to find the back of the net but Ozil, Iwobi and a host of others should have done better in front of goal. If I have any negatives from tonight it was how wasteful we were after grabbing the 2-0 lead but that's nit-picking. Arsenal were in complete control from start to finish and that's all you can really ask for.<br />
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I can't fault any player tonight, as each and every one of them put in a real shift and hardly put a foot wrong. Despite my previous concerns earlier in the season about playing Sanchez as a lone striker, things seem to have clicked now. Whether the squad has adjusted to the change in tactics when the Chilean plays through the middle or maybe Sanchez himself has upped his game, whatever has happened is working wonders at the moment. Long may it continue.<br />
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Thanks for reading.Ashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01757328369422552408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5749442099286670249.post-76281516978404760012016-09-14T08:07:00.002+01:002016-09-14T08:07:44.637+01:00A Point Rescued In Paris<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Tuesday 13 September 2016</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: #351c75;">Paris Saint-Germain</span> 1 <span style="color: red;">Arsenal</span> 1</span></div>
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Arsenal's first Champions League game of the season didn't really go as planned but the result can be considered a successful one. The Gunners never really found their rhythm, with many players looking out of sync and off the pace but a 77th minute strike from Alexis Sanchez rescued <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/37331259" target="_blank">a hard-fought point against French champions PSG</a>.<br />
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Arsene Wenger chose an interesting starting eleven (to put it nicely), omitting Petr Cech, Granit Xhaka and Olivier Giroud. David Ospina made his first start of the season and despite many fans before the game questioning the manager's decision, the choice paid off as Ospina was undoubtedly the man of the match and kept Arsenal in the game. He made multiple saves throughout, denying Edison Cavani on more than one occasion with point-blank saves. Arsenal could have been behind by 3 or 4 goals but for Ospina.<br />
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PSG scored early, before a minute had even passed, Cavani glancing a header home after Koscielny was caught too high up the pitch and Mustafi couldn't recover. Ospina had no chance, even Cech would have been helpless. It's clear after two games that Koscielny and Mustafi are still developing their chemistry, and it will take some time for them to form a partnership. But it was a really sloppy goal to concede defensively and the Arsenal defence should not have been so out of position after 40 seconds.<br />
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Arsenal didn't exactly respond with any urgency. Despite having a good deal of possession the Gunners were unable to seriously threaten and never troubled Alphonse Areola in the PSG goal. Yet again Alexis Sanchez was chosen to lead the line up front on his own and again it didn't work. I'm not sure why Wenger insists on this strategy, it hasn't worked in any of the games this season and Sanchez becomes far too isolated. Oxlade-Chamberlain and Iwobi flanked Sanchez on the wings but the trio couldn't link up effectively. The Ox had a great pre-season and started the season off with a marvelous solo goal against Liverpool but he has been very average ever since. Iwobi impressed but is still somewhat raw. He saw a great opportunity saved late on.<br />
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I just couldn't understand why Giroud was rested for the weekend game against Southampton but didn't start in his homeland in possibly the most important game of our Champions League group. Without a target man of any sort (Sanchez just isn't that kind of player) the team couldn't find any space to operate. When Giroud was introduced with just under half an hour left, it changed the game instantly and Sanchez became far more dangerous as a result. Unfortunately the Frenchman picked up a second yellow card deep into injury time after a needless clash with Marco Verratti, and both men were dismissed from the pitch and Giroud will be suspended for the next group game.<br />
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I didn't understand why Xhaka was left out of the lineup either; why was he rested on Saturday but then left out of the lineup last night? Coquelin was chosen instead and saw a lot of the ball, and was regularly getting forward. But isn't he supposed to be the defensive shield? Out of the two players at the base of the midfield it should have been Cazorla in those positions, the far superior offensive player. Again, the team's tactics didn't add up and PSG were happy to let us camp outside their box. Mesut Ozil, our superstar playmaker, had very little impact on the match and was largely disappointing as he could find no way to break down the PSG defence.<br />
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Ultimately Arsenal can count themselves fortunate to rescue a point from this fixture. I couldn't see any semblance of a plan or tactical strategy out there. This squad appears to be a huge work in progress. Arsenal face Hull at home on Saturday and could really do with a confidence-boosting win after a couple of lacklustre displays post-international break.<br />
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Thanks for reading.<br />
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<br />Ashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01757328369422552408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5749442099286670249.post-87555942916181544762016-08-21T12:34:00.001+01:002016-08-21T12:34:58.674+01:00Referee Didn't Give Two Fuchs<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Saturday 20 August 2016</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">Leicester</span> 0 <span style="color: #f1c232;">Arsenal</span> 0</span></div>
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Arsenal battled the reigning champions Leicester City to <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/37067830" target="_blank">a 0-0 draw yesterday</a> at the King Power Stadium. Arsenal had the better run of things for the majority of the game but can count themselves somewhat lucky. Mark Clattenburg, officiating his first Premier League game of the season, let Arsenal off the hook twice, once in each half, as Leicester had strong claims for penalties turned down.<br />
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Leicester, playing their first home game of the season, started slowly and Arsenal were on top from the very start. But the Gunners never seriously challenged Leicester keeper Kasper Schmeichel, with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain being the only player to threaten, curling a shot just wide of the Leicester goal.<br />
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The home fans were in uproar minutes later as Danny Drinkwater was seemingly tripped in the box by Laurent Koscielny but the referee was having none of it. Replays indicate that Koscielny didn't get the ball but Drinkwater was looking for the spot-kick all day long and Clattenburg waved away the home side's appeals.<br />
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Leicester looked an improved side in the second half but still never really looked like challenging Petr Cech. Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez, both linked with the Gunners this summer, did little to make Arsenal fans feel as if they'd missed out, as both forwards were largely ineffective against the Arsenal back-line. Mahrez came closest for the hosts with a late effort, saved well by Cech. Just before that chance, Leicester had another penalty appeal turned down when Foxes new boy Ahmed Musa got the best of Hector Bellerin but went down in the area softly after minimal contact. I've seen those penalties given though, and Arsenal can count themselves fortunate that Clattenburg was in a generous mood for the visitors.<br />
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All in all it was a game between two very evenly matched sides who effectively cancelled each other out. You could tell both teams have studied each other well. Arsenal refused to let Leicester play that counter-attacking style they love and the hosts proved difficult to unlock as the Gunners continued to pass the ball around the opposition's penalty area, without ever piercing the defence.<br />
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Alexis Sanchez, playing up front as the sole striker for the second week in a row, failed to get into the game yet again. It's increasingly clear that Alexis, as supremely talented as he is, is not accustomed to leading the line and looks out of sorts in that position. He was so isolated, as he was against Liverpool, and he never really got going. There is no faulting his effort levels but he doesn't have the same impact as a striker and is completed wasted there. The fans' jeering at Arsene Wenger to spend some money on a new number 9 will continue for a while longer.<br />
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There were some positives for the Gunners though. Laurent Koscielny returned to the starting eleven and instantly settled the Arsenal back-four. He was unshakable in defence, and aside from that potential penalty tangle with Drinkwater, never put a foot wrong. His influence and authority on the team cannot be questioned and he gave a man of the match performance.<br />
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Rob Holding, making his second start for the club, was the main benefactor of Koscielny's return. Partnered with the experienced Frenchman, Holding looked confident and self-assured and kept the Leicester attackers at bay. The Arsenal boss said after the game: "Nobody speaks about the performance of Rob Holding today - he is English, he is 20 years old, you should be happy. But I am sorry he didn't cost £55m."<br />
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We also saw the return of Olivier Giroud, Mesut Ozil and Jack Wilshere. All three of them came off the bench and Ozil and Wilshere made an impact straight away. It was nice to see Jack back in the side, in this somewhat make-or-break season for him.<br />
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Arsenal's next test is another away game, this time at Watford on Saturday 27 August. The Hornets threw away a 1-0 lead over Chelsea yesterday, falling to them 2-1 late on. The Gunners will be looking to pick up their first win and should really have enough in them to beat Watford.<br />
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Thanks for reading.Ashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01757328369422552408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5749442099286670249.post-28468720954509836972016-08-16T20:56:00.001+01:002016-08-21T12:37:16.143+01:00Opening Day Disappointment<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Sunday 14 August 2016</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: red;">Arsenal</span> 3 <span style="color: #444444;">Liverpool</span> 4</span></div>
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My first trip to the Emirates this season didn't end the way I wanted it to. But the way I look at it, things could have been much, <i>much</i> worse.<br />
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First of all, the eagle-eyed among you will notice that photo above is from the away corner of the Clock End, the Liverpool end. What on earth was I doing in there you ask? My brother managed to get himself, my nephew and I three tickets courtesy of his New Balance connections. Amazing, right? Yes but the price we had to pay was to be surrounded by the opposition. I spent the entire match hemmed in by scousers who are about as fanatical as football fans get. It was actually quite enjoyable to begin with, and they were a lively bunch in good spirits, enjoying the magnificent British weather. But then the goals started going in, and the fun soon turned into horror...<br />
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Before we get to that, let's start at the beginning. I got into London around midday and naturally migrated to the shop to look at this season's new gear. I told myself repeatedly, "I don't need this season's home shirt, in fact I won't buy anything." That didn't last long.<br />
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My willpower was non-existent. Realistically I knew I would buy it but seeing them all lined up in the shop, I couldn't resist. They didn't have any pre-made with the new Cup numbering so I had this one made up. I'd never had a shirt printed with the European Cup badges before but had always wanted one. It looks pretty darn good in my opinion, especially that iconic Champions League badge. Why did I opt for Cazorla? Santi has been one of my favourite players for a long time, he's unbelievably skilled in possession and who doesn't love the guy, constantly smiling as he humiliates would-be defenders.</div>
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Even though I'd already spent way more than I intended, I continued to browse the store and spotted a potential birthday/Christmas present:</div>
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These new Puma rain jackets are lovely and much better quality than the similarly-priced stadium jackets. I have my eyes on this navy blue one in the near future. I'm keeping my fingers crossed some kind soul will gift me one before 2016 is over.</div>
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After meeting with my brother and nephew, we headed towards our turnstile. After entering the stadium, Arsenal shirt well and truly hidden beneath a jacket, we found our way into enemy territory. It was pretty warm by this point but the stewards recommended (demanded) I hide my shirt for the entire game, lest I incur the wrath of the travelling support. It was a definitely a good idea after what occurred next.</div>
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<u>First Half</u></div>
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Arsenal started brightly and, I felt, controlled the half. The home side looked dangerous in attack and the makeshift centre-back duo of Calum Chambers and Rob Holding were holding their own (pun intended) in defence. Aerially they dominated against Liverpool's forward line and Francis Coquelin and Mohamed Elneny did a very good job of screening the back four, cutting out attacks before they got too dangerous. Petr Cech was never seriously tested in goal. </div>
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Thirty minutes into the match, Theo Walcott was brought down in the penalty area after a stupid challenge by Liverpool left-back and <a href="http://www.spox.com/de/sport/fussball/international/england/1608/Bilder/alberto-moreno-600.jpg" target="_blank">owner of terrible hair</a> Alberto Moreno. I was surprised to see Theo grab the ball and take ownership of the penalty. I thought for sure Alexis Sanchez, the most experienced forward on the pitch, would surely take command. Instead Theo tamely put the ball to Simon Mignolet's right and it was a simple save for the goalkeeper in the end, at an easy height. The Liverpool fans burst into celebration around us and all I could do was bite my lip in frustration. </div>
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Thankfully Theo was quick to make amends. Coquelin made a brilliant tackle to feed the ball into Alex Iwobi and the Nigerian youngster picked out Theo with a delightful pass. Walcott took a touch before firing home from a tricky angle and it was 1-0 to the Arsenal. I had to do everything in my power not to jump up and down and reveal myself. But typically Arsenal couldn't hold on. As the end of the first half neared, Liverpool earned a cheap free kick and the always dangerous Philippe Coutinho stepped up to take it. The Brazilian scored one of the most impressive free kicks in recent memory, perfectly curling the ball into the top corner and Cech had no chance. I'll admit, it's right up there with the best goals I've seen in person. 1-1 at half time and it was a gut punch to Arsenal. It's often said the worst time to concede is just before half time. Sadly for the Gunners, this proved to be true.</div>
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<u>Second Half</u></div>
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Arsenal never recovered from that Coutinho free kick. Liverpool emerged early for the second half and never took their foot off the gas. Within minutes it was 2-1 to the visitors, Adam Lallana slotting home from the right. Liverpool didn't let up, with Coutinho notching his second of the day to make it 3-1. And not long after that Sadio Mane, the Reds' £35 million new signing, made it 4-1 with an impressive solo goal. Now just imagine what being 4-1 down felt like in the Liverpool end for a trio of stunned Arsenal fans. It was incredibly hard to hide my disappointment and anger as jubilant, and really drunk Merseysiders roared in celebration around me. The only silver lining? I have Coutinho in my fantasy team. Dude is some player, and Liverpool will be lucky to hold onto him.</div>
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Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, just on as a substitute, quickly started the comeback. At 4-1 down you have to think the game is over but the Ox gave Arsenal a lifeline with a superb goal, weaving through the Liverpool defence before beating Mignolet at his near post to make it 4-2. Arsenal continued to press for another goal and were rewarded 10 minutes later when Chambers glanced in a header to bring the home side within a goal of snatching an unlikely draw. But it wasn't to be and Arsenal just could not find that extra something to seriously threaten the visitors again. Liverpool saw the game out and delivered Arsenal their first loss of the season, in their very first game.</div>
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<u>Post-Match Thoughts</u></div>
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I could not believe how much better Liverpool were in the second half. Equally, I couldn't understand how Arsenal could be so off the pace. Arsenal just couldn't deal with Liverpool's pressing, their tenacity, their level of effort. The Reds put in a total team effort and blitzed the home team. Coquelin and Elneny were totally bypassed in midfield and the inexperienced partnership of Chambers and Holding stood no chance. Alexis cut a forlorn figure up front, starved of service and unable to challenge for any ball above his head. He was wasted as a striker, unable to influence the game much at all.</div>
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To rub salt in the wound, the Gunners lost both Aaron Ramsey and Iwobi to injuries. Ramsey's hamstring reared it's ugly head yet again, an injury that repeatedly scuppers his Arsenal career. Reports are that he will miss a month, and Iwobi's thigh injury is still to be determined in terms of his absence. I thought Ramsey had an impressive first half playing in the number 10 role he would love to claim as his own, so it's such a shame to lose him again and not witness what he could bring to that position.</div>
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I was amazed that Arsene Wenger didn't opt to start Oxlade-Chamberlain. After a hugely successful pre-season, the English winger looked a certainty to start but the boss opted for Walcott instead. All credit to Theo, he put the penalty miss behind him and took his goal well, but he contributed very little otherwise. The impact the Ox made immediately upon entering the game just made me think what could have been if he'd started.</div>
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I was also surprised to see new acquisition Granit Xhaka not get the start. I can fully understand why Wenger opted for Elneny and Coquelin instead. With such a young and inexperienced centre-back duo, it made sense to give them as much defensive midfield protection as possible. But I felt Xhaka could have done that job also, as well as providing that extra bit of technique in attack. I thought the Swiss midfielder impressed in his 20+ minutes and you could see immediately his physicality and leadership qualities, even in such a short amount of gametime. As the match was in it's dying minutes, right in front of us, Xhaka shunted Jordan Henderson in the chest and you just wanted to fist-pump right there and then and shout, "get in there lad!" He's definitely going to pick up a red card or two this year, but I love his grit and moxie already.</div>
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All in all I enjoyed the day (for someone of modest means, every visit to the Emirates is a day out to be savored) but the result was pretty terrible. It could have been much worse at 4-1 and at least the boys showed character to attempt the comeback and avoid total humiliation. However the squad is so obviously lacking in depth and talent in defence and attack, with midfield being the only area of strength. Signings must be made or it'll be another squandered season.</div>
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We left the Emirates and headed into the city, turning up at <a href="http://bodeansbbq.com/soho/" target="_blank">Bodean's in Soho</a> for some barbecue. This cheered us up and was exactly what was needed after a difficult afternoon of football. I had the Boss Hot Dog and a strawberry shake and both were incredible. Check out the size of this dog:</div>
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Yep, that's pulled pork, bacon, and cheese. Mega.</div>
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Arsenal now travel to the home of the champions Leicester City, who also suffered an opening day defeat, away to relegation-favourites Hull City. Both teams will be looking to prove a point and put their first game behind them, and I can see it being a difficult game for the Gunners. I still like our chances, especially against a Leicester side who look like they haven't solved replacing midfield cornerstone N'Golo Kanté quite yet. The Foxes look vulnerable and Arsenal must capitalize on this and take their chances. We did the double against Leicester last season so let's hope we can continue our winning ways, even if they are the defending champions.</div>
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Thanks for reading.</div>
Ashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01757328369422552408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5749442099286670249.post-5630784610123796522016-08-10T07:22:00.000+01:002016-08-10T07:35:41.051+01:00Arsenal Season Preview 2016/17I'm heading to the Emirates on Sunday for the season opener against Liverpool. I've never been to the first game of the season before so I'm excited to say the least. However the general feeling among Arsenal fans is, to put it nicely, mixed. There's a great deal of frustration and anger felt by many, not to mention confusion and general astonishment that the club could enter the season so unprepared. Yet beneath all the negativity, buried deep under the shouts of 'Wenger Out' and the YouTube attention-seeking rants, there are reasons to be optimistic. I thought I'd assess where Arsenal stand before the dawn of a new campaign.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><u>Pre-Season: Results Don't Matter, Performances Do</u></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicb2DC7jFXzFSCWQCvXp9_tymwYcV1bCV6dNypGFv4mcQlya1yak42cHLaP7Q2HxsLKsmaON1myABJZ9XQjNea2-8uN6V5ygG-Qd6o3Vy86MDb3h3j3bCjgKy77Y9CHv_T9zj3EOzD2w/s1600/ox.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicb2DC7jFXzFSCWQCvXp9_tymwYcV1bCV6dNypGFv4mcQlya1yak42cHLaP7Q2HxsLKsmaON1myABJZ9XQjNea2-8uN6V5ygG-Qd6o3Vy86MDb3h3j3bCjgKy77Y9CHv_T9zj3EOzD2w/s400/ox.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Played 5, won 4, drawn 1, lost 0. Arsenal have had a very successful pre-season by all accounts. The results ultimately mean very little because nobody remembers your pre-season wins and losses once the season begins. But it is a great time to assess the players and their performances, as the pre-season provides a good indicator on form and conditioning. Wins are always better than losses, right? Even if they don't really count.<br />
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A number of players have given Arsene Wenger a selection headache before Sunday's game. One man in particular looks like he knows this is a make-or-break year for him. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, a winger with enormous potential who hasn't quite delivered in terms of consistency, had a magnificent pre-season. He scored a superb Bergkamp-esque chip against Lens and a goal against Chivas that looked like he was being maneuvered by a Playstation controller. He routinely challenged opposition fullbacks, attacking again and again with real confidence, something we haven't seen from him in a while. If he can just stay fit this season, and it's a big if, you have to think Ox could go far. Injuries have been the largest factor to have held him back since he joined in 2011 but he needs to put that behind him now. I'm almost certain he's played his way into the first XI for Sunday's game.<br />
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A few youngsters also stepped up their games this summer, putting themselves in the forefront of Arsene Wenger's plans. Alex Iwobi continues to impress since he broke into the first team last season and can hopefully continue to develop in 2016/17 as a dangerous forward. The young Nigerian has quickly become one of my favourite players and his mixture of pace, strength and technique make him one to watch this season. His friend and fellow forward Chuba Akpom also took his opportunity this pre-season. 4 goals in 5 games is a decent return for the Englishman and he seems intent on making it impossible for the boss to loan him out again. I doubt Arsene would dare start Akpom up front against Liverpool but then again this is a man who played Yaya Sanogo in key Champions League games a couple of years ago. So who knows, Akpom stands a chance and did everything he possibly could to force his way into that number 9 slot. I hope we don't loan him out again this year but if the club can't add that big-name striker the media and the fans crave, then Akpom suddenly becomes even more integral to this squad and could see significant playing time.<br />
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The new boys impressed as well. Granit Xhaka, fresh off a wonderful Euro 2016 campaign with Switzerland, looks like he's been part of this team for years. He's slotted into the Arsenal squad seamlessly and could be a fixture in the heart of the midfield for the next decade. He's surely earned a starting spot ahead of Sunday. Rob Holding, the young English defender <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/36833562" target="_blank">recently purchased from </a><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/36833562" target="_blank">Bolton</a>, also acquitted himself well. I'm certain Arsene Wenger never intended to rush him along so quickly but with the recent long-term injuries to both Per Mertesacker and Gabriel, and with Laurent Koscielny only just returning to training after Euro 2016, it looks like Holding will be thrown into the fire on Sunday. With only a couple of fit centre backs to choose from, I expect the boss might have no choice but to play Holding, probably alongside Calum Chambers. A makeshift defence if you've ever seen one.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><u>Where Are The Reinforcements?</u></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><u><br /></u></span>
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Which leads me on to my next topic: transfer activity, or rather, the lack of. It's been well publicised how our rivals have spent millions on new additions and Arsenal have not. Yet with Gabriel getting hurt on Sunday in the friendly victory against Manchester City, the defence in particular looks especially thin. Shkodran Mustafi, the 24 year-old Valencia centre back, has been linked with Arsenal all summer but now his move to North London seems to have taken another level of importance. If Arsene seriously wants him, then the club really must secure his transfer as soon as possible. He's a natural replacement for Mertesacker in the long-term but short-term, we need him desperately for Sunday.<br />
<br />
And then of course we have the endless quest for a new striker. As every day passes without news of a striker joining the club, the level of anger among fans increases. Gonzalo Higuain has joined Juventus since my last post, for a fee of over £70 million. I was quite keen on Arsenal getting him but not at that price. He'll score a lot of goals for Juventus I'm sure, but the more I think about it, the more I realise that price is ridiculous for a player of his age. Did you see him against West Ham at the weekend? <a href="http://www.101greatgoals.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/CpQrCnzWIAAwfcg-686x1024.jpg" target="_blank">Dude did not look like a £70 million athlete...</a><br />
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The striker most likely to join the club before the end of the month would be Alexander Lacazette. Arsenal have already had at least one bid rejected by Lyon, who know this is a seller's market so can pretty much demand what they want for him. I'm afraid that if Arsenal really want him, then they will be forced to overpay. I reckon a bid somewhere between £45-50 million might persuade Lyon to part with the French forward but it's anyone guess right now if they will go through with it. Lacazette to Arsenal has become the biggest transfer 'will-they-won't-they' of the summer now Pogba has finally joined Man United. I still feel he could be a very good signing but the club have now backed themselves into a corner with their inability to add a striker earlier in the summer. If they fail to bring him to the club before the deadline, I feel Arsene and the club are going to come in for quite a lot of criticism when Giroud and Walcott start misfiring.<br />
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Other than Mustafi and Lacazette, all of the other rumours surrounding potential transfers have gone very quiet recently. I haven't heard Riyad Mahrez's name linked with us in some time and Mauro Icardi's flirtation with Arsenal seems to be have been exactly that, just a wink to get fans agitated once more. The most interesting rumour of late has been West Brom's Jonny Evans being linked to us, as an emergency signing to cover our depleted centre back corps. I can't admit to being very excited about the prospect of his arrival but I don't think he would be a terrible transfer by any means, so long as the fee was reasonable. But when you see a player of Ashley Williams' quality move for £12 million, you have to think that maybe settling for Evans isn't the greatest move.<br />
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<u><span style="font-size: large;">Who Would I Pick For Sunday?</span></u><br />
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Here would be my preferred first XI against Liverpool.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
Cech</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Bellerin - Chambers - Holding - Monreal</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Xhaka - Cazorla</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Oxlade-Chamberlain - Ramsey - Iwobi</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Sanchez</div>
<br />
Bench: Ospina, Gibbs, Bielek, Coquelin, Elneny, Campbell, Walcott<br />
<br />
With Giroud unavailable up front, I have opted for Sanchez who I could see as more of a false 9, linking with the midfield often. He's easily our most dangerous forward so having him as the primary goal threat makes some sense. I would deploy Ramsey in attacking midfield, letting him off the leash as such, because I thought he was very effective for Wales in that role during Euro 2016. To be honest, the front four could rotate positions a lot e.g. Iwobi could swap with Sanchez or Ramsey, Ox could swap with Ramsey or Iwobi. There's a lot of versatility in that attack. I am concerned about the defence but I can't see Arsene rushing Koscielny back into action. Alternatively Monreal could fill in at centre back and Gibbs could play left back, but I'm not hugely keen on playing Monreal out of position, despite his adequate job he did there a year or so ago.<br />
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Now all we can do is wait and see if Arsenal can add to the squad prior to Sunday's match. Even if we don't, I will still be shaking with excitement on my way to the stadium. Liverpool are always a big opponent and it will be the biggest game I've ever been to in person. Fingers crossed I leave the Emirates a happy Gooner!<br />
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Thanks for reading.Ashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01757328369422552408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5749442099286670249.post-5799810054188584382016-07-17T10:59:00.000+01:002016-07-17T10:59:06.764+01:00Arsenal Need A Striker: The CandidatesAs pre-season football begins and players return to their clubs, it's been well publicised that Arsenal still haven't addressed their striker problem. After a failed attempt to lure Jamie Vardy away from Leicester City, the rumours of who Arsene Wenger has targeted next have spun out of control. It seems like every bloke In Europe with two legs has been linked to be Arsenal's next number 9.<br />
<br />
I thought I'd have a quick look at the candidates still left on the market to become Arsenal's new striker. Remember, the club already have a very good forward in Olivier Giroud, but it's become clear that despite being a very competent, sometimes quite brilliant player, a club of Arsenal's means need someone with superior talent. Let's take a look at the main three guys who are still out there:<br />
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<u><span style="font-size: large;">Gonzalo Higuain</span></u><br />
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Currently considered by most to be Arsenal's number one target, the Argentinian forward is in his prime and guarantees goals. I liken him to Giroud a bit, in that target man fashion, but unlike our Frenchman, Higuain has a ruthless streak in front of goal. He's not nearly as wasteful, and scored 36 goals in Serie A last season, winning Italy's Capocannoniere award (golden boot) and equalling Gino Rossetti's record from the 1928/29 season. He's a strong, physical forward that could feast on the defences of the Premier League. Arsenal were linked with him 3 years ago, when he was still a Real Madrid player, but that deal never materialised yet the interest has never diminished. Napoli's radio station have indicated Higuain is on his way to London and the transfer is all but done.<br />
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The buzz right now is that Arsenal are considering sending Giroud to Napoli along with €50m for Higuain, a move Napoli are apparently interested in. This transfer would make sense for Arsenal, as having two very similar forwards in the squad would be pointless, sad as it would be to lose Giroud. Napoli have reportedly suggested Higuain would cost over £80 million to buy outright, a ludicrous sum for a player of his age. That's a massive amount of money but is he worth it? His <a href="https://www.whoscored.com/Players/19729/History/Gonzalo-Higuan" target="_blank">record in recent years would suggest so</a>, as he is arguably one of the top 5 attacking players in the world when you look at how many goals he has scored. If the club have the money to spend then I think they should go all out and bring Higuain to North London. It would definitely be the statement signing that a lot of fans have been crying out for.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><u>Mauro Icardi</u></span><br />
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The 23 year-old Inter Milan striker has been linked to join the Gunners according to his agent, who happens to be his wife also. The Argentinian had a decent 2015/16 season, netting 16 goals, not quite as good as the year before when he scored 22. However, for a player of his age, that's not a bad return and Icardi is starting to show consistency as he matures. If Arsenal were to bring him to the club, he would not be the finished product many fans crave but would still be considered an excellent addition.<br />
<br />
If a deal for Higuain cannot be reached then Icardi would certainly be a suitable alternative. For a start he would cost significantly less than Higuain, and could be bought for a fee around £30 million, although I'm sure Inter would demand more for their captain. Not only would Icardi cost less, Arsenal would also be getting a longer-term investment, as the forward is just 23 years-old so time is on his side. Icardi does come with a reputation of being somewhat of a "wild child" but I am certain he would be nothing Arsene Wenger couldn't handle. A change of club, country and culture could work wonders for Icardi. I would be happy if Arsenal could bring in a player of his quality, despite not being as accomplished as Higuain.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><u>Alexander Lacazette</u></span><br />
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A player who has been linked to Arsenal for what seems like an eternity, Lacazette looks closer to leaving Lyon this summer than ever before. He just might not be leaving for Arsenal, that's all. It's been the on-again, off-again love affair of the last few transfer windows and the lightning-quick Frenchman has always seemed like a natural fit for the Gunners yet Arsene Wenger has never pulled the trigger on bringing the 25 year-old to the club. You've got to think Wenger has his concerns over Lacazette, or perhaps it could be his price-tag that has deterred the boss.<br />
<br />
Lyon apparently want over £42 million for Lacazette which is quite steep. His record in recent years is impressive however, with 48 goals in Ligue 1 in the past 2 seasons, so it would suggest Lacazette merits that investment. And yet, scoring goals in the generous Ligue 1 doesn't necessarily mean he'll bring that kind of form to the Premier League. Lacazette would be an expensive gamble for sure but his style of play and all that pace suggests he would fit well into this current Arsenal team. <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2016/07/17/arsenal-transfer-news-and-rumours-on-sunday---live-updates/" target="_blank">Rumours this morning</a> suggest Arsenal have submitted a bid to Lyon that matches their price, but we'll have to wait and see if there's any truth to that. I would definitely welcome Lacazette to Arsenal but he would have to hit the ground running to starting paying back his large transfer fee.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
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<br />
Those are the three main candidates in the running to become Arsenal's new striker and whichever man signs for the club, the pressure will be on them immediately to deliver the goods. The higher the price, the higher the expectations. I'd happily take any of them but Higuain would be the ideal option for me.<br />
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Thanks for reading.Ashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01757328369422552408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5749442099286670249.post-89666111680483298232016-06-23T08:00:00.000+01:002016-06-23T08:00:09.541+01:00Euro 2016 - Arsenal Group Stage GradesThe group stages at Euro 2016 have concluded and we now have a small break until the knockout rounds begin on Saturday. There's been a number of Arsenal players in action for their nations since the tournament began on 10 June so I thought I'd review how each of them have gotten on. Let's start with the local boys:<br />
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<u><span style="font-size: large;">Laurent Koscielny</span></u><br />
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The 30 year-old central defender has been the core of the French defence, forming a solid, occasionally shaky partnership with Adil Rami. Many fans and critics were skeptical of the French back-four ahead of the competition but they've been remarkably stingy, keeping 2 clean sheets and allowing just the 1 goal, against Romania in the first game. Koscielny has been their rock, like he is every week for Arsenal. He's started every game for France and played all 90 minutes in each match. The home nation are still struggling to find their best form and setup, but Koscielny is one of the first names on the team-sheet and the best defender France have.<br />
<br />
Pro's: His usual reliable self, getting key interceptions.<br />
<br />
Con's: Isn't getting forward much, still has the odd shaky moment with Rami.<br />
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Grade: <span style="font-size: large;">7/10</span><br />
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<u><span style="font-size: large;">Olivier Giroud</span></u><br />
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French manager Didier Deschamps put all of his eggs in the Giroud basket by leaving Karim Benzema and Alexander Lacazette at home, much to the dismay of French fans who wanted as much firepower up front as possible. But Giroud rewarded the manager's faith in him by scoring the opening goal of the tournament, racing in front of Romanian goalkeeper Ciprian Tătăruşanu to glance in a header to give France the lead before a late Dimitri Payet thunderbolt rescued the hosts late on. However, Giroud has been wasteful in front of goal since that opening match, missing a host of chances against Albania, frustrating his manager and the fans alike. He was rested/dropped for France's final group game against Switzerland, which they drew 0-0, but to Giroud's relief his replacement André-Pierre Gignac was largely anonymous against the Swiss. I would expect our man to be back in the lineup for their knockout game on Sunday against the Republic of Ireland. If he does start, he'll need to get off the mark quickly as I can't see him lasting the 90 minutes unless he can net a goal before the hour mark. Best of luck to him.<br />
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Pro's: Has the backing of the manager, still has a good scoring record in his last few French games.<br />
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Con's: Far too profligate in front of goal.<br />
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Grade: <span style="font-size: large;">6/10</span><br />
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<u><span style="font-size: large;">Granit Xhaka</span></u><br />
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The Arsenal new boy has been a revelation and has quietly been one of the best players at the tournament. He's officially been awarded the Man of the Match prize twice, against Albania and Romania, and BBC voted him as their Man of the Match in Switzerland's final group game against the hosts France (UEFA thought his teammate Yann Sommer deserved the honour.) His playmaking abilities from the centre of midfield have been astonishing; the guy knows how to pick a pass, he's got incredible range. Xhaka routinely drops deep to collect the ball from his defence before spreading the ball forwards like a quarterback, with remarkable efficiency too. He's played every minute of every game and routinely ends each match as having the most touches on the ball. He's at the centre of everything positive in this Swiss side. Xhaka has probably been my favourite Arsenal player to watch at Euro 2016 so far and I'm eagerly awaiting his first game in the Arsenal red and white. He looks like he'll bring some real quality to the Gunner's midfield. I can't wait.<br />
<br />
Pro's: Deep-lying playmaking ability, influential leadership.<br />
<br />
Con's: <a href="http://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/euro2016/arsenal-granit-xhaka-rips-two-switzerland-shirts-vs-france-at-euro-2016-a3275576.html" target="_blank">His Puma shirts are awful</a> (he needed 3 during the France game)<br />
<br />
Grade: <span style="font-size: large;">8/10</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><u>Jack Wilshere</u></span><br />
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England's sole representative for Arsenal at Euro 2016 hasn't had the best of times, despite a great opportunity to prove his worth in England's final game. Jack made his first appearance in the tournament when he came on for the last 12 minutes against Russia and impressed in his brief time but he didn't see any action during England's 2-1 victory over Wales. Manager Roy Hodgson took a risk for England's final group game against Slovakia by shaking things up and Wilshere was handed a starting place but was largely ineffective in their disappointing 0-0 draw. The Arsenal man was only given 56 minutes and you could see he was trying to push, trying to dictate, but it just didn't click for him (or his useless teammates.) He was far too sloppy in possession but judging by the British media's reaction, who love to paint him as a villain, he was the worst player to ever wear an England shirt. I thought Jordan Henderson was just as poor in midfield and equally wasteful, yet he somehow escaped all criticism. England face Iceland in the knockout stages and are heavy favourites, yet it's almost a certainty the game will end 0-0 and go to penalties, and England will exit the tournament in typical fashion. I don't expect we'll see much of Wilshere again, given the backlash he received after the Slovakia game, but he could feature again off the bench if England need a spark.<br />
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Pro's: Still the best passer of the ball England have.<br />
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Con's: Too wasteful and ponderous in possession.<br />
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Grade: <span style="font-size: large;">5/10</span><br />
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<u><span style="font-size: large;">Aaron Ramsey</span></u><br />
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Unlike Wilshere, Arsenal's other British midfielder is having a great time in France. Ramsey has been a driving force in the Welsh midfield and was a big factor in his nation's topping of Group B. Gareth Bale has rightfully stolen the spotlight but Ramsey has been just as crucial to Wales' success with his unrelenting work rate and passing ability. He dominated Russia in Wales' final group game, intricately threading passes through the Russian defence and scoring a beautifully chipped goal to give his country the lead in what was a 3-0 demolition. He was rightfully awarded the UEFA Man of the Match award for his performance and seems to be growing in strength as the competition progresses. He was very quiet and contained during Wales's defeat to England but he looks to have put that behind him now. Wales have confidence and momentum and could cause another upset as Ramsey and co. will aim to stay in France for as long as possible.<br />
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Pro's: Tireless engine, passing ability unmatched in his team.<br />
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Con's: Still over-complicates what should be simple moves. <a href="http://www.skysports.com/football/news/12018/10301688/aaron-ramsey-bleaches-hair-for-wales-euro-2016-campaign" target="_blank">That hairstyle</a>.<br />
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Grade: <span style="font-size: large;">7/10</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><u>Mesut Özil</u></span><br />
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Arsenal's Player of the Season for 2015/16, the German playmaker has continued his fine form at Euro 2016. He got off to a somewhat subdued start against Ukraine but still picked up an assist in Germany's 2-0 win. Against Poland he forced a good save from former Arsenal keeper Łukasz Fabiański in a hard-fought 0-0 draw but he really found top gear against Northern Ireland, putting in a vintage performance. Özil pulled the strings in the star-studded German midfield and according to Opta stats, had a 98.5% passing accuracy, the highest in a European Championship game since 1980. He barely put a foot wrong in Germany's 1-0 win and looked the superstar we all know he can be, deservedly taking home UEFA's Man of the Match award. Partnered with the sublime Toni Kroos in midfield, Özil and his compatriots are definitely a team you don't want to face in the knockout stages (good luck to Slovakia then!).<br />
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Pro's: The best playmaker in international football, passing ability unmatched.<br />
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Con's: Consistently poor at making good contact when shooting.<br />
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Grade: <span style="font-size: large;">8/10</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><u>Petr Čech</u></span><br />
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The Arsenal goalkeeper could not keep his country from exiting Euro 2016 at the group stage as the Czech Republic finished bottom of Group D with a solitary point, earned in an exciting 2-2 draw with Croatia. There are reports Čech is considering international retirement and at the age of 34 you can't really blame him. He showed great resilience to deny a spirited Spain team in the Czech Republic's first game but was eventually undone by a late Gerard Pique header in a 1-0 loss. Čech also picked up an unwanted European Championship record, conceding 21 goals during his years competing at the Euro's, more than any other goalkeeper according to Opta. A disappointing end to what was a largely successful first season in North London, Čech will be looking to put Euro 2016 behind him as soon as possible and focus on Arsenal ahead of the new campaign.<br />
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Pro's: A class act and leader of men.<br />
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Con's: At the end of his international career with a lacklustre Czech team.<br />
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Grade: <span style="font-size: large;">4/10</span><br />
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<u><span style="font-size: large;">Tomáš Rosický</span></u><br />
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The Czech Republic captain, soon to be an ex-Arsenal player but for Euro 2016 still very much one of us, had a disappointing tournament as injury rose it's ugly head yet again. Rosický lasted the entire 90 minutes in their 2-2 draw with Croatia but he suffered a thigh injury that would rule him out for the rest of the competition. A very sad finish to what is likely the end of the 35 year-old's international career.<br />
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Pro's: Such great hair.<br />
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Con's: Cannot catch a break with injuries.<br />
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Grade: <span style="font-size: large;">4/10</span><br />
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<u><span style="font-size: large;">Héctor Bellerín</span></u><br />
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The Spanish speedster had a terrific 2015/16 season and earned a spot in the Spain squad for Euro 2016 as a reward. He hasn't seen a minute of action so far so I bet he's wishing he was on holiday instead. Juanfran is keeping Bellerin out of the starting lineup right now but it's clear the 31 year-old Atlético Madrid right-back is just keeping Hector's seat warm. Bellerin should be Spain's right-back for the next decade at least so there's no rush, and a little tournament experience never hurts.<br />
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Pro's: The fastest player in the Spain squad, maybe even the tournament.<br />
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Con's: Unlikely to see any minutes.<br />
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Grade: <span style="font-size: large;">N/A</span><br />
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<u><span style="font-size: large;">Wojciech Szczęsny</span></u><br />
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Szczęsny, who had an impressive loan spell with Roma in 2015/16, could be set to return to Arsenal but before that happens, his Poland side are impressing in France this summer. However, his Euro 2016 campaign hasn't been what he'd have hoped for. Szczęsny suffered a nasty thigh injury whilst keeping a clean sheet in a 1-0 opening win against Northern Ireland, and it was severe enough to rule him out of Poland's remaining group games. In his absence Łukasz Fabiański has been impressive (2 clean sheets) and I don't imagine Szczęsny can win back his place now, even if his injury has healed. Szczęsny won't give up his spot easily but I can't see Poland manager Adam Nawałka tinkering with a winning side now the knockout stages have begun.<br />
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Pro's: Fantastic shot-stopper and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DEf06Fppq8A" target="_blank">world class wind-up merchant</a>.<br />
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Con's: Doesn't have much luck when it comes to European Championships. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ru8XJBBVZs8" target="_blank">Remember?</a><br />
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Grade: <span style="font-size: large;">5/10</span><br />
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Thanks for reading.Ashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01757328369422552408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5749442099286670249.post-66687199586499512562016-05-31T16:58:00.001+01:002016-05-31T16:58:32.829+01:00Wilshere Makes England Euro 2016 Squad<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This afternoon <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/36413882" target="_blank">Roy Hodgson named his final 23-man squad</a> for England ahead of Euro 2016 and our own Jack Wilshere, out of action for nearly the entire 2015/16 season, has made the team and will be on the plane to France.<br />
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As an Arsenal fan I am very pleased to hear he'll be representing the club. After Danny Welbeck's late season injury ruling out what was a guaranteed place in the squad, and Theo Walcott's unfortunate but not unsurprising exclusion, Jack will be the sole representative for Gunners fans in this England squad dominated by players from teams I absolutely despise.<br />
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Don't get me wrong, as an Englishman I am desperate for my national team to succeed on the international stage. However it is sometimes difficult to cheer and actively support players like Harry Kane and Wayne Rooney when for the majority of the year I don't like them very much at all (to put it mildly.) This England squad in particular is very Tottenham-heavy, making it even more difficult to fully embrace these guys. I will of course cheer and celebrate whoever puts the ball in the net wearing an England shirt, but if it's an Arsenal player it makes the celebration that little bit sweeter. So for Wilshere to be included in the team and to get this opportunity, lets just say I'm very happy with Roy Hodgson's decision to take him.<br />
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There has been quite an uproar on social media (what else is new?) over Danny Drinkwater's absence from the squad. Many fans feel aggrieved that the likes of Wilshere and Jordan Henderson, both with doubts about their fitness, have made the team instead of Drinkwater. Wilshere in particular is receiving a great deal of abuse, mainly because he only started 1 game during the 2015/16 season.<br />
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The 26 year-old Leicester City midfielder can certainly feel aggrieved at Hodgson's decision to leave him at home. A player who made 35 appearances this season for the League champions, Drinkwater definitely merited serious consideration ahead of Euro 2016.<br />
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However, he has a few factors working against him. One of which being Roy Hodgson is a very loyal manager; it's safe to say he has "his boys" and Wilshere and Henderson have long been part of that exclusive club. They've both contributed meaningfully on the international stage, they are known quantities and Hodgson feels comfortable with them. Drinkwater is a relative newcomer to the current England setup, whereas Wilshere has been established in Hodgson's squad for many years now.<br />
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Also, whilst Drinkwater is a very talented player, at the international level he's still somewhat unproven. He and Leicester City have had a tremendous season but the level of quality at Euro 2016 may be a step above what Drinkwater is used to. If England make the knockout stages, Drinkwater would be up against some of the very best players in the world, not the scrubs he's used to seeing fielded by the Aston Villa's and Norwich's of the Premier League. Whereas Wilshere has faced the world's best for over half a decade, playing regularly in the Champions League and for England.<br />
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Perhaps the biggest factor in Wilshere's favour over Drinkwater is his style of play. Drinkwater, a very capable and workmanlike midfielder, cannot pick a pass or make a turn and drive forward like Wilshere, in fact there are very few who can, hence why Hodgson is so insistent on having him in the squad, regardless of his fitness. I am positive Drinkwater has areas in his game that Wilshere cannot match but the Leicester man does not yet possess the skills that mark him out as "world class." It is a phrase I hate using as it's so unspecific and handed out far too often, yet Jack has exhibited this level of play in the past and been lauded for it.<br />
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So I can understand fans feeling Drinkwater has been wronged by Roy Hodgson. But this youthful and dynamic England side is a talented one, and should Drinkwater have made the squad, how many minutes would he have seen anyway? In a very strong midfield, which is likely to see Wayne Rooney crammed in there also, I don't think Drinkwater will have had much of a look in over Henderson, Eric Dier, Dele Alli, James Milner and Ross Barkley, all players who can operate successfully in the centre of the park. Will Jack Wilshere see many minutes either? Perhaps not. However, if that is the case, I would argue that Jack can bring a spark off the bench Drinkwater cannot yet manage, a different option and a vastly different technique to his peers that could prove useful.<br />
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England face Portugal in 2 days time in their final warm-up match before taking on Russia in their first Euro 2016 game on 11 June. I expect to see the England manager select a strong lineup against the Portuguese with many indicators on who is first eleven may be ahead of England's first group game against the Russians. Here's hoping Wilshere features prominently and puts in a performance to silence his critics. Lord knows he has plenty of them.<br />
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Thanks for reading.Ashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01757328369422552408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5749442099286670249.post-55940980519395590392016-05-25T21:08:00.000+01:002016-05-25T21:08:11.437+01:00Tough As Granit: Arsenal Sign Xhaka<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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After securing their highest league finish since 2005, Arsenal got their plans for the 2016/17 season underway early by <a href="http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/20160523/arsenal-agree-deal-with-granit-xhaka" target="_blank">signing Swiss international midfielder Granit Xhaka</a> to a long-term deal.<br />
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The former Borussia Monchengladbach captain is rumored to cost the Gunners somewhere between £25-30 million according to reports. The 23 year-old is set to join up with his new teammates after Euro 2016 concludes later this summer.<br />
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Xhaka is a player who has been on Arsenal's radar for some time, with many journalists linking him with a move to North London earlier this year during the January transfer window. Arsene Wenger has long been an admirer: "We have been watching him for a long time now and he is a player who will add quality to our squad."<br />
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I'm really excited to see what Xhaka can bring to this team. I've only really seen him play in a handful of Champions League games in recent years, so I'm not an expert by any means, but it appears he will bring some much-needed steel to our midfield. A deep-lying playmaker with an eye for a pass, Xhaka is adept at playing pinpoint long-range passes in attack, as well as putting in a shift in defence. I assume Wenger is looking to him as an upgrade over Francis Coquelin, a player with similar toughness but perhaps the more refined Xhaka can bring a bit of finesse to the position. I'm already looking forward to seeing a midfield trio of Xhaka, Santi Cazorla and Mesut Ozil. With the impending departure of veterans Mikel Arteta, Tomas Rosicky and Mathieu Flamini, the club needed to bolster the midfield this summer and they have gone one step toward doing just that.<br />
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I'm both impressed by the acquisition of a quality player and by the swiftness of the transfer. It's not often Arsenal are early birds to the transfer worm, so it makes a nice change. I don't expect (nor do I hope) that this is the end of Arsenal's transfer activity but it's a great start to what will hopefully be a busy off-season for Mr Wenger and co.<br />
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It is expected Xhaka will wear the number 34 shirt as he has done for the majority of his career, both at FC Basel and Monchengladbach. Of course, he will have to pry it away from Coquelin first, who I expect will jump at the chance to take a vacant First XI number, likely the departed Arteta's number 8.<br />
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I know I'll be tuning in to watch every Switzerland game I can during Euro 2016, that's for sure. Welcome to the club Granit Xhaka.<br />
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The eagle-eyed among you will notice this is my first post in a while. Over 3 years in fact. This blog has been dormant for a host of reasons, but I'm going to endeavor to post on here more often. I'm well aware the internet doesn't need yet <i>another</i> Arsenal blog but I don't care; I'm going to write about them anyway.<br />
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Thanks for reading.Ashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01757328369422552408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5749442099286670249.post-16991989702304131422013-03-13T22:22:00.000+00:002013-03-13T22:22:07.987+00:00Eliminated But Proud<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Arsenal beat Bayern Munich 2-0 tonight at the Allianz Arena but it wasn't enough to overcome the 1-3 first leg result and have exited the Champions League. Arsenal needed three clear goals to go through to the quarter finals, a ridiculously tough task against a Bayern side who are having one of the best seasons in their history as well as Arsenal being without some key players like Wilshere, Podolski, Sagna and Szczesny. A goal from Giroud three minutes in got the ball rolling but it took until the 85th minute for Arsenal to score again, from a Koscielny header. The third goal never came and the Gunners exited the competition in the first round yet again.<br />
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Despite going out of the Champions League there are plenty of positives to take away from tonight's game. I'll make this quick, so let's run through some of the things I liked this evening:<br />
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<u><span style="font-size: large;">Fabianski</span></u><br />
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When I heard Wenger had decided to "rest" Szczesny for tonight's game I was surprised to say the least. Goalkeepers hardly have the hardest job on the pitch stamina-wise so it's not like Szczesny needed the rest on a physical level. But Fabianski came in, his first game of this 2012/13 season, and put in possibly his finest performance in an Arsenal shirt. He was solid for the entire 90 minutes and dealt with everything Bayern threw at him. The Pole was constantly peppered with long range shots by Bayern and he kept it all out. Fabianski looked composed and marshalled the back four effectively too. Yesterday I would have told you his Arsenal career was clearly over. But now? Should we give him another look? Based on tonight's game I think he's earned another chance with us. He looked like a totally different goalkeeper to the Fabianski of old.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><u>The defensive effort</u></span><br />
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I realise that Bayern had plenty of attempts on goal but I felt overall the entire team defended very well on the whole. The midfield bought into the gameplan tonight and really chipped in with helping out the back four. Considering what we've witnessed the majority of the time this season I thought the defence were outstanding tonight. The only criticism I have is we could have cleared our lines better and were a bit sloppy giving the ball back to Bayern after we'd just won it from them. But I thought the back four of Jenkinson, Mertesacker, Koscielny and Gibbs were brilliant. They deserve a lot of praise in blunting that Bayern squad's attack. Coming away from the Allianz with a clean sheet is a feat not accomplished by most teams. I think now is the time Wenger needs to seriously consider leaving Vermaelen out of the first XI for a bit. Koscielny was head and shoulders better than Vermaelen has been all year and I'm sorry, captain or no captain, but the Belgian has not been up to scratch this season. Just give Arteta the armband for the rest of the campaign and let Vermaelen earn his place back in the side. It's such a shame because I adored him not so long ago but he's been so inconsistent since he was handed the captaincy. I think Koscielny and Mertesacker are the way forward from now on, until Thomas can get some form back.<br />
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<u><span style="font-size: large;">Rosicky</span></u><br />
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With the news that our midfield engine Jack Wilshere will miss at least three weeks with an ankle problem, I have to admit my head dropped a bit. He's been so incredible since his return from injury that I struggled to see us winning much without Jack in the side, driving the team forward. But the door has opened now for Rosicky to get meaningful minutes and play in his favourite position, to show us what he can do when healthy. The Czech midfielder came back into the team around this time last year and provided that extra spark to push us home at the end of last season. Based on tonight's performance it looks like he's trying to repeat that effort. He didn't do anything too notable tonight but I loved his effort out there. He repeatedly harried the Bayern defenders when they had the ball, chasing them down and pressuring constantly. It kept the German side from settling and I appreciated his hard work for the team. Hopefully Rosicky can build on this performance and steer the team to victory over the next couple of months.<br />
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So all in all it's incredibly sad and disappointing to exit the Champions League again but I think every Gooner out there can feel proud with the team and the effort they gave tonight. It wasn't enough overall but a 2-0 win away in Munich is nothing to frown about and should be celebrated.<br />
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Thanks for reading.Ashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01757328369422552408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5749442099286670249.post-220540040792257812013-02-01T09:51:00.000+00:002013-02-01T09:51:15.916+00:00Nacho Better Than Nothing<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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In my Liverpool match review yesterday I said towards the end that I hoped Wenger would dip into the transfer market for a new left back and thankfully that's exactly what he did. <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/21279814" target="_blank">Spanish international Nacho Monreal has agreed to join the club from Malaga on a long term contract</a> for what's believed to be around £10 million. The deal is practically done, Arsenal are just waiting for the formal registration process to be completed.<br />
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I can't honestly say I know anything about Monreal apart from the fact he's 26 and has seven caps for the world and European champions. Everything I've read about him is positive so it sounds like he should fit in nicely with Arsenal, plus he's got his old teammate Santi Cazorla already here to guide him. With Gibbs picking up that thigh injury on Wednesday night it left Santos as our only senior left back. That mere thought is enough to terrify every Arsenal fan and Wenger must have seen it too. Hopefully this Monreal deal can be completed today but it'll be highly unlikely he'll play tomorrow against Stoke, so I expect we'll be forced to watch Santos one more time. I honestly think that with the signing of Monreal it spells the end for Santos at the club. He's a likeable chap but his flaws are too visible to ignore and I think Arsene really needs to offload him in the summer.<br />
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Overall I'd have liked Wenger to be more active this January but since I expected nothing at all, the signing of Monreal came as a nice surprise. I bought tickets for Arsenal - Aston Villa last week so I'm looking forward to seeing him in the flesh on the 23rd February. Hopefully he can fit in well and add a bit of solidity to our weak back-line.<br />
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Thanks for reading.Ashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01757328369422552408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5749442099286670249.post-53550393584263867652013-01-31T12:48:00.001+00:002013-01-31T12:48:16.536+00:00A Point Earned Is Two Points Dropped<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Arsenal battled back from two goals down last night at The Emirates to <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2013/jan/30/arsenal-liverpool-premier-league" target="_blank">draw 2-2 with Liverpool </a>in a game that was end to end and could have gone either way. Both teams had numerous chances to finish the other off and claim all three points but a draw was all they could muster.<br />
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This was a game I felt Arsenal had to win. Arsene Wenger has been 100% correct lately when he's said we cannot afford to drop any more points from now on and I personally feel last night's game was a missed opportunity. With Everton and Spurs above us and Liverpool and Swansea not far behind, we really need to win every game left on the schedule. No disrespect to Liverpool, who have a superstar in Luis Suarez (even if he is a little twat), but I believe Arsenal should have the quality to beat this current Liverpool team.<br />
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However in typical Arsenal fashion they decided to let Liverpool score before they decided they'd like to participate in this match. A harmless pass by Suarez wasn't dealt with by Sagna because the French defender slipped on his arse, allowing Glen Johnson to collect the ball and drive into the box. The moment Sagna fell I could tell we were about to go 1-0 down because I don't know what it is, but I always feel like other teams punish us for these stupid little mistakes every single time. Johnson swung the ball across goal to Daniel Sturridge and yet again we fans are gifted the sight of another defensive mistake. As Johnson's ball is put in, Vermaelen has all day to get a leg on it and clear the ball. Instead he air kicks it and the ball passes right under him and straight to Sturridge. The Englishman's decent attempt was well saved by Szczesny but the rebound was only flicked away by Ramsey (who I don't really blame because the ball ricocheted into his path and he didn't seem to know it hit him). Jordan Henderson then played the ball to Suarez whose first time shot deflected in and Liverpool were 1-0 up within 5 minutes. Sloppy, horrible defending that just makes you want to cry.<br />
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At least we didn't have to wait long for Arsenal to show some fight. Immediately after giving away the first goal Walcott nearly equalised. A beautiful pass from Wilshere was brought under control superbly by Walcott (an excellent first touch) who forced an instinctive save from Pepe Reina in the Liverpool goal. But not long after that chance, Arsenal decided to make life difficult for themselves again. Liverpool pushed forward on the counter and a brilliant Suarez pass put Sturridge in on goal but his effort went just wide of Szczensy's goal. If allowing that glorious chance wasn't enough, our Polish keeper decided to offer Strurridge one more chance. From the goal kick Szczesny played it short to Mertesacker who was immediately put under pressure by Suarez. Understandably the German defender played the ball back to his goalkeeper but Szczesny had Sturridge coming after him. So instead of Szczesny putting his foot through it and getting ball away from danger by any means necessary, what does he decide to do? He tries a ridiculous back heel turn in an attempt to fool Sturridge, who was having none of it and if the striker got one more toe to the ball it would have easily found itself in the back of the Arsenal net. It was a complete joke and I cannot believe, at 1-0 down, Szczesny had the audacity to attempt such a stupid move. I really like our Polish stopper but he has that side to him, that showboating arrogance that I really don't like. You have one job to do as a goalkeeper, to minimise the risk of the ball going past you and when he tries stupid stunts like that it just makes me despair. The team has a bad enough defensive reputation as it is so we don't need any more sloppy mistakes.<br />
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Arsenal pushed for an equaliser in the first half but it didn't come, despite Giroud and Walcott both having good chances. Liverpool could have gone 2-0 up from a corner (which came from a careless Mertesacker mistake) as a Daniel Agger header was cleared off the line by Podolski. Szczesny came out for the ball and got nowhere near it, allowing Agger a free header on target. Things got worse for the home side when Gibbs had to come off with an injured thigh after 32 minutes (<a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/21271077" target="_blank">he'll be out for 3 weeks</a>) and Andre Santos had to come on in his place. If there was ever a substitution that inspired less confidence amongst the Arsenal faithful, this was it (although a Squillaci sighting might run it close). To cap off an embarrassing defensive first half we almost let Jordan Henderson score. Yeah I know, Jordan Henderson! With only a couple of minutes to go before half time Stewart Downing took the ball into our half and fed the ball in behind our defenders (Mertesacker caught ball watching again, completely failing to see Henderson running in behind him) into the path of Henderson. Szczesny rushed out to intercept but wasn't fast enough, stranded now on the edge of his box trying to make himself opposing to Henderson. The Liverpool midfielder paused, watched our keeper finally scramble back to goal and then tried to chip Szczesny. Luckily the ball landed safely on top of the Arsenal goal and not in the back of the net. By now Liverpool should have been well in the lead and we'd almost let Henderson score against us. Things couldn't get much worse.<br />
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Well of course they could, and would, because Henderson actually DID score against us. The Englishman picked up the ball just outside our penalty area and went right at Mertesacker, passing him by with ease. Santos came to help but he was typically too late and the wrong side of goal. Henderson's first shot was weak and blocked by a flying Aaron Ramsey but unfortunately the ball deflected back to Henderson. By this time Szczesny had already prepared himself to save the initial shot so was down and out of position to stop Henderson's second attempt, which he duly tapped into an uncontested net. It's a sign of how bad this defence has become when we make bloody Jordan Henderson look like Lionel Messi. 2-0 down at home and heads certainly dropped.<br />
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Of course, only this bizarre and backwards Arsenal team could play better 0-2 down than 2-0 up. Within minutes of looking like Liverpool had wrapped this one up Arsenal came to life and played their best football of the night. Podolski narrowly missed with a long range shot before the Gunners finally got back in the game. A free kick was beautifully swung in from the right flank by Wilshere and Giroud was there to head home past a helpless Reina. It ignited the crowd and the team had their tails up now. Three minutes later and Arsenal were level and had turned the game around. Santi Cazorla played a perfect pass into Giroud who had his back to goal. The French striker cushioned an instant pass to an unmarked Walcott who smashed it first time from a tight angle to equalise. The ball was hit so perfectly and so fast that Reina didn't even have time to get down for the save, he was just left stranded and stood alone. It really was a beautiful hit from the in-form Walcott and just an example of what he's capable of. From 0-2 down to 2-2 in under four minutes, only this Arsenal team would make fans suffer and celebrate in such fashion.<br />
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Unfortunately that's as far as Arsenal could go. Despite their persistence the home side could not find the winning goal. Walcott narrowly missed with his left foot not long after his equalising goal and an Arsenal counter attack with ten minutes left almost brought a winner. Giroud got in on the act too, with three decent opportunities in the last ten minutes but it wasn't to be. Naturally Arsenal still had time left to torture their fans a bit more. With one minute left in injury time Santos played a stupid ball into a dangerous area around the centre circle. To be fair to the Brazilian it was partly Vermaelen's fault that Liverpool stole Santos's pass so easily; our captain took his eye off the ball at the worst possible time and I don't think he even knew Santos had attempted a pass to him. Nevertheless Santos should never be putting the ball into a dangerous area like that and Liverpool were quickly away and looking for a late winner. Suarez got the ball out on the left flank and drove into the box and it was only thanks to a great Szczesny save down low that the score remained 2-2.<br />
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I had mixed feelings after the final whistle and I still do this morning. I'm pleased that Arsenal can show resilience to come back from two goals down and fight their way back into the game but at the same time I'm pissed off we still get ourselves into these situations. It's all well and good saying how great our spirit is to come back but I'd prefer if we could play like we did when we were 0-2 down right from the beginning. It was an amazing sight to behold. The minute after Henderson put Liverpool up by two, Arsenal played with such pace and force you had to wonder why it took so long for them to play with such eagerness.<br />
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It's reassuring to see our attackers are in form and scoring important goals but the defensive problems only seem to be getting worse. With the news that Gibbs will be out for at least three weeks, I can't bear to watch Santos at left back against Bayern Munich in just over two weeks time. I don't like to single out individuals but he is not nearly good enough to be successful at this level. Brighton made him look like an amateur and I couldn't believe how slow and unfit he was in the final minutes last night. He'd only been on the pitch for 60 minutes, it wasn't like he'd struggled through the entire 90. I am praying Wenger springs a late deal today before the transfer deadline shuts to bring in a new left back, but I can almost guarantee the boss will never do that. We'll see eh?<br />
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Thanks for reading.Ashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01757328369422552408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5749442099286670249.post-7663428896559819352013-01-17T10:20:00.000+00:002013-01-17T10:20:17.265+00:00Jack Of Hearts<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It nearly took all night but Arsenal finally dispatched Swansea yesterday, <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/20955072" target="_blank">beating them 1-0 in the 3rd round replay of the FA Cup,</a> setting up a 4th round matchup against Brighton on the 26th January. The man responsible for Arsenal's victory is the young Englishman Jack Wilshere, whose drive and effort shone throughout the entire match and was finally rewarded in the 86th minute with a blistering shot that Swansea keeper Michel Vorm had no chance of stopping. </div>
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The Gunners really should have held on to their 2-1 lead at Swansea on the 6th January but it wasn't to be, as a Danny Graham goal in the final minutes tied the game and forced last night's unwanted replay. Arsene Wenger knows the squad is tired enough as it is and an FA Cup replay was the last thing he would have wanted during this busy fixture period. However I'm sure he was grateful that the team were at least still in the competition and had another chance to progress. That being said, last night's game was possibly the most important of this season to date; a loss would have seen us exit the FA Cup and almost certainly put to bed any thoughts of this Gunners side winning any silverware this season (Champions League excluded... but come on...)</div>
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I felt the manager picked probably the strongest side he could field at the moment but, as we have seen far too often recently, the team never really got going in the first half. For much of the opening 45 minutes Swansea kept control of the possession and were unlucky not to take the lead from a header hitting the bar, courtesy of ex-Arsenal man Kyle Bartley. At least that seemed to wake Arsenal up a bit as they started to play a lot better towards the end of the first half. In fact I'm sure the players were probably disappointed to hear the half time whistle, as the home side were beginning to finally take hold of the game.</div>
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Thankfully Arsenal carried that momentum and energy into the second half and really put this Swansea City team to the sword. The Gunners had chance after chance and it started to look like we'd never score and the game would go into extra-time. Twice Arsenal had the ball cleared off the Swansea goal-line and the pressure kept mounting, with Vorm making save after save. Wilshere, Theo Walcott and Olivier Giroud all had efforts blocked by the Dutch keeper. Swansea looked quite content to soak up the pressure and hold on for extra-time, maybe fancying their chances at a penalty shoot-out.</div>
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But it wasn't to be. With less than 5 minutes to go and the home crowd growing more frustrated and anxious as the seconds ticked by, they were rewarded with as good a goal as you are likely to see. Kieran Gibbs drove the ball into Swansea's half and played it to Santi Cazorla, whose expert pass found the feet of Giroud just outside the penalty area. The French striker played a cute first-time ball off the outside of his boot into the path of Wilshere, who smashed it on the half-volley and straight into the back of the net. It was a real peach of a goal, a shot that flashed past Vorm so quickly it could have burst through the goalkeeper's net. Arsenal's pressure was finally rewarded and there were no repeats of Swansea's late heroics in the first game on the 6th January. This time Arsenal held on for the clean sheet and the win, guaranteeing us a trip to Brighton in the 4th round.</div>
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Arsenal owe this win to just one man in particular, the heart of our midfield, Jack Wilshere. For me, he played his finest game in an Arsenal shirt since that memorable night against Barcelona a couple of years ago. He was everywhere last night, literally dragging this jaded and tired Arsenal side into attacking Swansea's stubborn defence. The Englishman wouldn't give in and his zig-zagging runs at the opposition were a sight to behold; this small bulldog terrier-like player fending off defenders as he consistently tried to create goal scoring chances for his team-mates. Finally he'd had enough of their wastefulness and took it upon himself to break the deadlock. His goal would be the envy of most strikers in the Premier League, a really fine hit. Last night definitely proved young Jack is worthy of wearing that number 10 shirt. It is obvious for all to see the immense pride he has in possessing the iconic number and he has certainly earned it. </div>
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Let's hope there are many more Wilshere goals to come in Arsenal's future. I'm a big fan of that celebration he does, the knee slider with the badge-thump. I feel that for once we have a player who really means it when he says he loves the club. Long may that continue, I think he'd make a fine captain one day.</div>
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Thanks for reading.</div>
Ashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01757328369422552408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5749442099286670249.post-22461513116424392622012-11-22T12:18:00.000+00:002012-11-22T12:18:10.205+00:00Podolski Stunner Dispatches Montpellier<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Arsenal have secured their place in the knockout rounds of the Champions League for the 13th successive year thanks to <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/20321623" target="_blank">their 2-0 win over Montpellier at the Emirates last night</a>. With Schalke beating Olympiakos 1-0, Arsenal have guaranteed their participation in the knockout stage with a game to spare. They can travel to Greece on the 4th December safe in the knowledge that progress has already been assured.<br />
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This was a game Arsenal should have won as the reigning French champions have had a difficult season so far. The first half was a rather forgettable affair with neither side troubling the other's goalkeeper. In the 10th minute Koscielny saw his powerful header cannon off the crossbar, narrowly missing out on giving the home side the lead. Podolski had a couple of half chances that were snatched at, both falling wide of the target. Arsenal just couldn't get into their rhythm, with misplaced passes occurring more often than we fans are used to.<br />
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Thankfully Arsenal came out all guns blazing in the second half and quickly took the lead. 3 minutes into the second half, some good work by Podolski and Vermaelen down the left flank saw the captain swing a cross into the box which found the head of Giroud, who knocked it down into the path of Wilshere. The young Englishman finished with a lovely flick off the outside of his left boot to score his first goal in nearly two years and give Arsenal the lead. You could see the goal meant a lot to Jack, the little scamp celebrating with his tongue out, pounding the badge on his chest. He was loving it.<br />
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It wasn't long before Arsenal scored again and effectively put the game to bed. Oxlade-Chamberlain, making his first start in quite some time, robbed the ball in midfield and used his pace to drive at goal. He laid if off to Podolski just outside the penalty box, where the German striker played a delightful one-two with Giroud, whose lobbed ball over the defence fell beautifully to Podolski who laced an unstoppable shot past the helpless Montpellier keeper to make it 2-0. You won't see many goals better than that. Podolski absolutely destroyed the ball, making contact right on the sweet spot. It was a magnificent finish that took the remaining fight out of the French side.<br />
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And that was pretty much that. Giroud narrowly missed out on scoring against his old club, Geoffrey Jourdren making a good save, and Cazorla tested the keeper with a volley, although he sliced it a bit which took a lot of the power out of it. Deep into injury time Montpellier's Emanuel Herrera narrowly missed the target with a long range shot that Szczesny's dive would have probably stopped. A minute later the final whistle was blown and the game was over, 3 points and progress into the next round secured.<br />
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Overall it was a good team performance and the type of win we needed to build on the victory at the weekend against Spurs. There were a couple of moments in the first half where our defence looked typically suspect, carved open on a Montpellier counter-attack in the 12th minute for example, but they tightened things up in the second half. I felt Vermaelen looked much better than he has done recently, a bit more like the Vermaelen of old. Koscielny, apart from one blunder on the edge of our own box in the first half, combined well with Mertesacker in the centre of defence and Sagna was his usual reliable self at right back. One of the things that impresses me most about the Frenchman is his ability to control the ball so well when his heels are practically on the sideline; he does exceptionally well to keep possession with such limited space. In attack I felt Giroud had a great game despite not scoring. His control and first touch are brilliant for a big man and his cushioned header to set up Wilshere's goal was perfect, exactly how he should be utilised in attack. Use that height and strength to our advantage. His assist for Podolski's goal was sublime too.<br />
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So now we can travel to Olympiakos in a couple of weeks with the pressure off and use that game to maybe blood one or two youngsters in the competition. I don't think we should field a team with too little experience, we still want to win and top the group after all. But the Olympiakos game provides a perfect opportunity to start players like Arshavin, Ramsey and Gervinho, maybe even Chamakh or give Walcott a chance to shine up front in that centre forward position he so covets. Whichever team Wenger decides to choose, fans can relax a little bit. Well, as much as Arsenal fans can relax these days...<br />
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Thanks for reading.Ashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01757328369422552408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5749442099286670249.post-50024436327375338222012-09-06T12:51:00.003+01:002013-04-06T13:21:25.361+01:00It's Time We Talked<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I have seriously been neglecting this blog. Escape to N5 has not been given the attention it deserves. We just beat Liverpool on Sunday and if you look back about 3 or 4 posts, you'll see my match report from the same game<i> last season</i>. A lot has happened since that match way back in March and it's pathetic I have not been able to blog and comment on any games since.<br />
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I just don't have the time or energy to spend my free time away from work here on the blog. Having said that, I don't want to give up. I enjoy writing little pieces here and there about Arsenal. I just struggle to see the point in writing match reports a day late when the game will have already been written about by countless others immediately after the final whistle. Yet I don't intend to pack it in just yet and I feel I can still contribute some meaningful pieces here at Escape to N5.<br />
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So a lot has happened since my last post, when Robin van Persie dropped the bombshell that he wasn't going to sign a new contract. Our former captain has since joined Manchester United and carried on his fine form from last season, scoring a hat trick at Southampton in a 3-2 come-from-behind win for United (despite missing a penalty). I was sad to see him go, he'd been my favourite player for the past 5 years or so and was a joy to watch. It's a real shame he moved to one of our rivals because now all the great memories from his time at the club have been somewhat tarnished for me.<br />
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Theo Walcott nearly left the club recently after failing to come to terms on a new contract with the club. I think it was a good decision by Arsenal not to sell him and continue negotiations. We all know Theo hasn't really set the world alight during his time in North London but he's still young and has gotten better every season. I think it'd be unwise to give up on him just yet, plus he's an easy guy to support - what you see is what you get and I admire clean-cut players like Walcott. Alex Song also departed for pastures anew, joining Barcelona in a transfer that seemed to come out of nowhere. At a club already full to the brim with talented midfielders, Barca's acquisition of Song seems puzzling. I liked Song a great deal, especially over the last 2 years, but I think Wenger made the right decision to sell him if Alex was unhappy. If Diaby can stay fit and continue to play like he has recently, I don't think we'll miss Song's impact much at all.<br />
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On the positive side, the signing of Santi Cazorla from financially-plagued Malaga has been a masterstroke by Wenger. The dynamic Spanish midfielder has slotted into the side with ease and looks supremely confident in the playmaker role. Cazorla was the kind of player we lacked last year after we lost Fabregas so it's a joy to watch a player of Santi's quality pulling strings in midfield. He's a real talent.<br />
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Let us also pay attention to our solid start to the season. Despite scoring no goals in our first 2 games against Sunderland and Stoke, every fan must be impressed with the new stability evident in the defence. Three games and three clean sheets, two of them without our number one goalkeeper. The partnership of Vermaelen and Mertesacker in the centre has rarely been troubled thus far in the campaign and the entire back four has looked impressive. Gibbs is continuing his development as a top left-back and Jenkinson has filled in admirably at right-back in Sagna's absence. In fact the game against Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday was his best performance yet. Mannone has performed well since Szczesny went down injured and I feel a lot more confident in him than I ever have previously. It looks like the young Italian's loan spell at Hull last season did him wonders. I think it's clear to every Arsenal fan that Steve Bould's influence since taking over as the assistant manager is having an effect on the defence. The team look a lot more confident in defending as a unit and hopefully Bould's presence can continue to have the desired effect.<br />
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On a personal note I'm getting ready to purchase my new home shirt in the next week or so. Most years I just get the shirt without a player's name on it but this year I feel like spending that little bit more. The only problem I'm having is deciding on which player should grace my new shirt. Here's where I'm at:<br />
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Lukas Podolski 85%<br />
Santi Cazorla 10%<br />
Mikel Arteta 5%<br />
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I've admired Podolski for a long time and his signing this summer was easily the one I was most excited for. Once he got given the number 9 I was convinced, as the number 9 is one of my favourite numbers. Yet some doubt has crept in, despite Podolski scoring his first goal for the club at Liverpool on Sunday. My decision to delay choosing the German has nothing to do with his play, of which I've been very impressed with since he joined. It's the superb start to his Arsenal career by Cazorla that has me questioning whether or not I should choose the Spaniard for my new shirt. Another Spanish midfielder is in contention as well. After the mad deadline day we experienced last season, it was the signing of Arteta that excited me the most and I felt he had a very good first season at the club, his match winning goal against Man City being a highlight. His solid and reliable presence in midfield is the reason he makes the list, plus I like the number 8 (thank you Mr Wright and Mr Ljungberg). Once I buy and receive the shirt I'll post some pic's on here.<br />
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That'll do for today. I felt the international break gave me a chance to catch up so I hope you've enjoyed my little re-cap. Like I said previously, I don't know how often I'll be writing on the blog but I'll try to make more of an effort from now on.<br />
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Thanks for reading.Ashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01757328369422552408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5749442099286670249.post-4577991227177464412012-07-04T19:15:00.003+01:002012-07-04T19:16:07.060+01:00Robin Refuses Contract Bombshell<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="background-color: white;">And so we bid farewell to yet another captain. We're beginning to make a nasty habit of it at Arsenal. </span><br />
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Today our talismanic striker <a href="http://robinvanpersie.com/2012/07/04/update-for-the-fans/" target="_blank">Robin van Persie released a statement that declared he would not be signing a new contract with the club</a> and thus ending his time with us. He stated that after meeting with Wenger and Gazidis, the two groups disagreed with how the club should move forward. It's not officially confirmed that he's leaving us right away - he still has a year left on his contract. But seriously, what human-being is going to stick around at his job for 1 more year, full in the knowledge that he's going to be leaving afterwards, and for free as well? Robin understands that this statement ends his time at the club because there's no way he's playing for us this year - the fans would crucify him every game; no one would support a player we all know is leaving. Plus Arsenal would be mad to let him walk for free next year; they'll look to offload him for the highest possible price this summer instead.<br />
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I've been a huge fan of van Persie's right from the beginning. It was <a href="http://youtu.be/3BLkgdDBQwg" target="_blank">that last minute curler against Southampton in the 04/05 season </a>that did it for me. I thought, "this guy is really something, what a left foot." Unfortunately injuries and inconsistency slowed his progress but every time he played you could tell he had something special. His mastery over the ball is second to none - he can control it in ways few can and he places it wherever he wants. This past season we witnessed what a fully-fit and healthy van Persie can really do over an entire season. Gifted the captaincy at the beginning of the year, the Dutchman revelled in it and went on to record a remarkable year, scoring goals at will on his way to picking up Player of the Season awards across the board. His 2011/12 campaign was one of the greatest in Arsenal's history and puts him right up there with the greats - very few Arsenal strikers have recorded 30+ goals in a single season (37 in 48 appearances).<br />
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Which is exactly why it's so sad it has to end like this. After the disaster of last summer when we lost our best two midfielders in Fabregas and Nasri, the club will want to avoid a repeat of that nightmare. Van Persie will be sold to the highest bidder and probably as soon as possible. I'm just praying he doesn't join one of our Premiership rivals, ESPECIALLY Man City. If he moves to Barca or Juventus I wouldn't be quite so upset, but if I have to endure him scoring for fun on Match of the Day every weekend I might cry a bit.<br />
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Looking on the bright side, I suppose we can take heart that at least the club prepared for van Persie's departure. The signings of Podolski and Giroud look extremely clever now. The pressure will be on them to perform and deliver the goods - every Arsenal fan in the world will be praying they can.<br />
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I really didn't think he'd leave. I thought he was different. "He's not like the rest of them, he loves the club for real" I said. If nothing else, van Persie's statement today has taught me a lesson in naivety and that football has changed immeasurably since I was a kid. Loyalty means nothing to footballers anymore and money talks, like it always does. And why shouldn't it? Van Persie doesn't owe us anything, not really. If you were offered a new job that doubled your wages and promised bonuses (trophies), you'd do exactly the same. It's just a shame we've lost that romantic aspect of football, where players truly played for the name on the front of the shirt and not the one on the back. But what else do we really expect nowadays? Ultimately van Persie's departure shouldn't be of any surprise. That doesn't mean it doesn't hurt.<br />
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Hey, maybe Wenger will call an emergency meeting and all will be resolved before the weekend. Van Persie said it himself: "As soon as Mr. Gazidis is back from his 2-week holiday in America further meetings will follow and I will update you if and when there are more developments." Maybe they'll talk it out everyting will be ok? Soon we'll see photos of RVP shaking hands with the boss, announcing he's signed a contract that'll see him finish out his career with us. I can dream can't I? In all seriousness this is surely the end of RVP at Arsenal, and it's a real shame.<br />
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At least he went out with a bang.<br />
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Thanks for readingAshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01757328369422552408noreply@blogger.com0