Arsenal to open contract talks with Robin van Persie

  By jtom | 21/02/2012 - 12:30 PM | Robin van Persie, Transfer News
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Robin van Persie may finally be prepared to discuss a new contract with Arsenal. Even if the two sides cannot agree on a deal, the Gunners are considering keeping van Persie despite the risk of him leaving for free next summer.

Many Arsenal supporters are concerned about the future of the Dutch striker, and it now appears that his representatives will begin meeting with Arsenal to work on a fresh contract. According to The Telegraph, van Persie is set to hold “provisional talks” with the Gunners.

Although the discussion has started, it is unlikely that van Persie will agree to a new deal until after the season. And who can blame him? Presumably Robin wants to see if we qualify for next season’s Champions League and review his options during the summer.

If Robin chooses to stay at the Emirates Stadium, he will likely recieve a substantial increase in his wages. Jeremy Wilson of The Telegraph believes that a new contract could pay van Persie over £100,000 a week. The Daily Mail is reporting that the club is willing to hand Robin record-breaking amounts of money. Whatever the case, Arsenal should pursue all the necessary avenues in their effort to keep RvP.

Even if they are unable to extend his contract past the end of next season, reports suggest that the Arsenal hierarchy would consider holding on to van Persie until his deal expires. It would be an extreme move from our club, though possibly correct if they cannot find a viable replacement. Imagine a scary scenario where we are not in the Champions League next year and we sell van Persie in the summer. Surely, we would not be able to attract a striker of RvP’s calibre even with the benefit of the Dutchman’s large transfer fee.

With that said, it would be difficult allowing one of the top goalscorers in the world to leave for nothing. During the summer Arsene Wenger and the board members should be able to sense whether van Persie wants to stay in North London. What we don’t want is a player who does not want to wear the red-and-white shirt. Even considering van Persie’s immense talent, a footballer with no desire to play for his club is a useless player.

So far, Robin has declined to chat about his future publicly, but it does appear that Arsenal are desperately attempting to open the negotiations. As well they should. This season has been nothing short of a nightmare, but without van Persie, who knows what state our club would be in right now?

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AST reveal Arsenal’s financial situation

  By jtom | 21/02/2012 - 7:15 AM | Transfer News
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An analysis published by the Arsenal Supporters’ Trust, a group of small shareholders, has indicated that Arsene Wenger has £50 million to spend on transfers and player wages, but that the Gunners could lose out on £45 million if they fail to finish in the top four this season.

Arsenal will hold a board meeting on Thursday and will reveal their half-yearly accounts by the end of the month. In the meantime, the Arsenal Supporters’ Trust has created a detailed report of the club’s current financial position and also posed questions to the board ahead of the important meeting later in the week.

According to the AST, Arsenal’s transfer profit is around £55m. In their estimation, £50 million is available for Arsene Wenger to spend on transfer fees and wages. A problem will arise if we fail to qualify for next season’s Champions League. If we do finish outside of the top four for the first time under Wenger, the cost will be about £45m.

While we our budget will not be ruined by not qualifying for the Champions League, it would take a signficant hit. As Peter Hill-Wood said, finishing below fourth would not be a financial disaster for Arsenal. But, presumably on the football side, Arsene Wenger said it would be a disaster for the club.  

The AST also raised an interesting concern over the efficiency of the player wages. Our current wage bill stands at £130m- fourth highest in the Premier League. Conversely, Spurs spend 40% less on wages and appear to have a superior squad. The main problem, from my point of view (and the AST’s), is the propensity to overpay fringe players. When a player cannot cope at the Emirates Stadium, it is hard to sell him because no other clubs are willing to pay his massive wages. This seems to be the case with several players currently on loan, such as Nicklas Bendtner, Denilson, and Carlos Vela.

We may learn more when the official half-yearly report is released and analysed, but the Arsenal Supporters’ Trust has done a good job of shedding light on the financial aspects of our club. Overall, it appears that the club is healthy, though much of the money is locked up in payments for the stadium and real estate. There is cash allocated for Arsene Wenger to spend, but it is unclear whether the money is being held as an insurance policy for the £45m our club could lose if we don’t qualify for the Champions League.

Some information has been supplied, but plenty of questions still remain.

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Sunderland 2-0 Arsenal: Pressure piles on Wenger

  By jtom | 20/02/2012 - 7:30 AM | FA Cup, Match Report
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Arsenal’s performance against Sunderland on Saturday mirrored their dismal display at the San Siro last Wednesday. No longer in the FA Cup, the Gunners will certainly finish the season without a trophy.
 
The 2-0 defeat at the Stadium of Light greatly resembled the 4-0 disaster against AC Milan. And it wasn’t just the terrible playing surfaces. Arsene Wenger’s side showed an alarmingly low rate of urgency in both games. Other troubling signs from the two matches include (but are not limited to) our poor defensive positioning; lack of width; and the creation of too few goalscoring opportunities.
 
While the FA Cup clash at Sunderland was supposed to act as a ‘bounce back’ game, it turned out to be a continuation of that dreadful night at the San Siro.
 
One of the more disheartening factors of the last week has been the sluggish pace of Arsenal’s ball movement. We are accustomed to watching passes zip to-and-fro as the opponent’s defenders are left mesmerized. Unfortunately, much of that beautiful football has ceased to exist this season, but before the Milan match, the ball movement was still fairly quick.
 
As a result of this slowdown, the width of Arsene Wenger’s side has been close to non-existent. When Arsenal have been at their best this season, their wide players have been getting in behind the opposition’s back four. Recently, the wingers have been drifting inside far too much, which has made life easy for the defenders of Milan and Sunderland.
 
Part of the problem is that we have an overabundance of players who are best suited to play in the middle. Arshavin, Rosicky, and Benayoun definitely feel more comfortable in a central position. Arsene Wenger has said that he envisions Theo Walcott as a striker, and the Englishman has spoken of his wish to play up top as well. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has even been called a future centre-midfielder by Wenger.
 
On the subject of Chamberlain, some Arsenal supporters have been too lenient when discussing his part in Sunderland’s second goal. The Black Cats set off on a counter-attack after the Ox gave the ball away. To his credit, Chamberlain didn’t drop his head. Instead, he chased after the play and knocked the ball into the net for the own goal. For scoring the own goal, he is unlucky, but for giving possession away cheaply, he is guilty.
 
Oxlade-Chamberlain was one of the lucky players in that he escaped unharmed from the array of ditches at the Stadium of Light. Not all of the Gunners were so fortunate. Arsene Wenger indicated during his post-match press conference that Francis Coquelin, Aaron Ramsey, and Sebastien Squillaci all sustained injuries that will keep them out of the North London derby. Counting Mertesacker, we have now lost four players to that sorry combination of grass, mud, and dirt.
 
Arsene Wenger stopped short of blaming all of the failures of the previous seven days on the pitches: “I think it was a committed performance, we gave everything we had left but three big games in one week [Sunderland in the league last week, Milan last Wednesday and the FA Cup tie] were too much.
 
“We fought hard but the pitch was heavy and we were a bit unlucky. We gave absolutely everything that was left in our legs. Sunderland left us the ball but we didn’t create a lot due to fantastic defending from Sunderland. They defended very well and scored with their first shot. Then we had to chase the game and take every risk and got caught on the break for the second goal.” (Source: The Guardian)
 
Wenger was more complimentary to his team than he was on Wednesday night, although the performance on Saturday looked far from “committed” to my eyes. The mood at the press conference quickly turned sour after Wenger was asked about the criticisms made by some former players:
 
“People talk and criticise and analyse and destroy and it’s important we face all that and show internal strength and resilience. At the moment I get many lessons from many people. It’s very difficult tonight to say where it leaves us and what we will do. We have to take criticism on board, stay together and face the critics.” (Source: The Guardian)
 
The mood at the press conference turned from sour to ugly when a reporter asked Wenger about whether he would consider stepping down: ”I think it’s better we finish this press conference now.” (Source: The Guardian)
 
In the aftermath of our elimination from the FA Cup, many have gone for Arsene Wenger’s throat. And they are well within their rights to do so, but maybe they should sned their anger in multiple directions. Some fans are placing the blame solely on the manager, solely on the players, or solely on the board. In reality, the pie of blame should be cut in several slices and served to several different parties.
 
Arsene has become the easy target because he is quite simply the face of our club. Fewer people, though still a significant amount, are directing their angst at the board. Even fewer are pointing the finger at the players. In my opinion, the players should receive a more equal portion of the blame because they have appeared unmotivated in the pervious two matches. Sure, part of the manager’s job is to inspire his players, but these footballers should show some life simply in the name of pride. If not for pride, then certainly for their massive wages.
 
The seven-year trophy drought does not bother me nearly as much as the dyer performances we have witnessed this season. The overall situation has to improve. Each time we play like we have in the last two games, I nudge a bit closer towards the anti-Wenger brigade. Fortunately for Arsene, I’m not there yet.

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Match Preview: Sunderland v Arsenal

  By jtom | 18/02/2012 - 8:00 AM | FA Cup, Match Preview
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Wenger said that he will not forget about the Milan defeat until the day he dies.

On Saturday, Arsenal will want to prove that the meltdown at the San Siro was an anomaly and not the start of a trend. Furthermore, the FA Cup is certainly the only piece of silverware the Gunners have an opportunity to put their hands on this season.

First, there is some sad news. Per Mertesacker, who suffered an ankle injury against Sunderland last week, will be out for the “long term” according to Arsene Wenger. Apparently, the big German had the ligaments in his ankle reconstructed during an operation. Sounds very painful.

Another centre-back who will be missing against Sunderland is Laurent Koscielny. The French defender sustained his injury against Milan and had to be taken out of the match in the first half. Fortunately, his injury is not as serious, so he should be back in time to face Spurs next week.

Gervinho will return to the squad for the first time since he departed for African Cup of Nations duty in early January. Wenger did not make it clear whether Gervinho would start, but he did say: “He (Gervinho) was very down when I spoke with him on Monday, now he is better and hopefully he can contribute on Saturday.” (Source: Arsenal.com)

The Ivorian winger was “down” because of the penalty he missed in the final of the African Cup of Nations. The next shooter stepped up and won the trophy for Zambia.

Arsene Wenger said that he will name a strong starting eleven at the Stadium of Light, but he left enough wiggle room just in case he feels like resting anyone: “I will refresh a bit because some players have played many games recently. But we will be full-strength.” (Source: Arsenal.com)

If I were the manager, here would be my starting eleven: Szczesny in goal; Sagna and Gibbs at the full-back positions; Vermaelen and Song as the centre-backs; Rosicky and Arteta as the central midfielders; Coquelin as the holding midfielder; Gervinho and Oxlade-Chamberlain as the wingers; and of course, Robin van Persie as the lone striker.

At this moment in time, I don’t have much trust in Johan Djourou and Sebastien Squillaci. When Wenger alters his formation to be more attacking mid-match, he usually moves Alex Song to centre-back, and the Cameroonian has done a reasonable job at the position.

For the midfield, Aaron Ramsey needs to take a seat on the bench as punishment for his poor performances recently. Coquelin could easily slide into the holding role, with Tomas Rosicky and Mikel Arteta on either side of him.

Theo Walcott, in the same way as Ramsey, may help the team more if he is not on the pitch. Arsene usually winds up substituting for him anyway early in the second half when he is in such terrible form. Having not started against Milan, the Ox deserves a chance, and Gervinho’s best quality is that he is not Theo or Andrei Arsahvin.

Hopefully, when Wenger talked about resting players, he did not mean Robin van Persie. This match against Sunderland is important for so many reasons. Firstly, it provides a chance for us to advance to the quarterfinals of the FA Cup. Perhaps more importantly, this game is a great opportunity to put the 4-0 behind us and move forward as we head into a tough set of league fixtures.

The difficult Premier League ecounters begin with Spurs next week. Following the North London derby, we will play Liverpool away and Newcastle at home. In many ways, this stretch (including the Sunderland game) could decide our season.

If we let the negative momentum from the disaster at the San Siro continue at the Stadium of Light on Saturday, we could slip into another dry run of form. We’ve already had two terrible runs- one at the start of the season and the other in January. Arsene Wenger and his side cannot afford another string of bad results.

While Wenger stressed the importance of moving on from Milan, he admitted that the memory of that horrible night will never leave his mind:

“It never gets out of your system because you take it with you until the last day of your life. But when you love competition, you always strive for the next one to prove that you are ready for a new fight. That is what competition is about.” (Source: The Telegraph)

Indeed.

Match: Sunderland v Arsenal

Competition: FA CUP- Fifth Round

Location: The Stadium of Light

Kickoff: 17:15 GMT, 12:15pm EST

Television: ITV1 (UK), Fox Soccer (USA)

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Wenger’s tirade could signal summer exits

  By jtom | 17/02/2012 - 7:34 AM | Arsene Wenger, Transfer News
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Arsene Wenger tore into his players at training on Thursday, which apparently stunned many who had never witnessed him so angry. As a result of the 4-0 loss to Milan and Wenger’s subsequent tirade, Arsenal could sell off some of the flops in an attempt to rebuild the team.

According to most of the morining papers (including respected publications such as The Guardian and The Telegraph), Wenger showed no mercy in criticising his players at London Colney on Thursday. The manager described the disaster at the San Siro as the club’s “worst night in Europe.” A source told The Telegraph that Wenger “went crazy” during a ‘clear the air meeting.’ Most of the players were stunned by the outburst as they have never seen him so displeased.

Apparently, Wenger was quiet immediately after the final whistle. This is not a surprise since there is a general impression that Arsene does not care for half-time or full-time team talks. But after watching the match again on Thursday, as he always one day after the game, he must have been even more shocked at the display by his players.

There are also reports that Arsene Wenger is considering the futures of Theo Walcott, Tomas Rosicky, and Andrei Arshavin, among others. The clubs were thinking about giving Walcott a contract extension, but it now appears that they want to see more from Theo before they hand him a fat deal.

Most, if not all, Arsenal supporters (including myself) have been urging Arsene Wenger to ditch the dead wood. Arshavin, Almunia, Fabianski, Squillaci, Djourou, Park, Vela, Bendtner, Chamakh, and Denilson should all be dumped in the summer. Promising youth players deserve more of a chance than the aforementioned flops.

Rosicky has been playing well lately, so maybe we should hold on to him to keep some depth in the midfield. Walcott’s situation is very difficult. He is just so inconsistent but, at the moment, there are simply not enough quality players to replace him. In fact, Walcott’s good performances seem sprinkled in between mostly ineffective displays. If Wenger can find a proper replacement, then I would have no problem with him selling Theo.

One such replacement could be Lille winger Eden Hazard. It appears that Hazard’s agent has been hard at work recently, as the youngster has been linked to many, many clubs. Arsenal are just the latest in that long list. Hazard told Foot Sport magazine:

“There are several clubs that interest me in England and Arsenal is really a part. Of course, it’s always more fun when the football is beautiful. In addition, at Arsenal, there is a French coach and French players, as well as my compatriot Thomas Vermaelen.”

However, former Gunner Emmanuel Petit believes that we need more than just Hazard: “I like him (Hazard) a lot but what has he done at a high level? Has he been good in the Champions League? We haven’t seen him. Has he been good for Belgium? He’s sometimes even a substitute.

“What’s needed is five or six players of real stature, great experience. Players who are 27 – 30 years old at most. Players with technical qualities, obviously, but also strong character. A group of guys who refuse to accept defeat, who inspire confidence in the rest of the team.” (Source: sofoot.com)

Petit also had no sympathy for some of the current players, like Walcott and Aaron Ramsey.

Overall, this team needs more than just one or two players to compete for the Premier League title once more. A complete reconstruction is necessary, but that doesn’t mean that I’m asking for our clubs to spend as much cash as Manchester City and Chelsea. The Rangers saga should inform every club that they are not too big to fail financially. Perhaps, in twenty years or so, Manchester City and/or Chelsea will be on the verge of going into adminstration as well.

Even if we spend less than some of our competitiors, Arsene Wenger needs to be ruthless when buying and selling players. His keen eye for talent usually shines through, but he has to be more vigilant in offloading players who do not fit the bill.

If we can remain in the top four until the end of the season, it will be a real accomplishment for Wenger and the players considering all of the adversity. Despite the opinions of some pessimistic Gooners, qualifying for the Champions League is still very much attainable for Arsene Wenger’s team. For the rebuilding process to possible in the summer, it is vital that we finish in the top four.

 

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New article on the impact of Arsenal’s loss to Milan

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  By jtom | 16/02/2012 - 6:17 PM | Uncategorized
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My article discussing the implications of Arsenal’s 4-0 defeat to AC Milan has been published on EPL Talk. 

Basically, the piece is about how we desperately need to recover from that terrible night at the San Siro. The next four matches, not counting the second leg of the Champions League are so crucial (Sunderland away, Spurs at home, Liverpool away, Newcastle at home). We really need to avoid the type of collapse that occurred last season.

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AC Milan 4-0 Arsenal: Gunners destroyed

  By jtom | 16/02/2012 - 7:30 AM | Champions League, Match Report
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Dreadful. Pathetic. Weak. All words to describe Arsenal’s performance on Wednesday night at the San Siro. Even Arsene Wenger, who tends to gloss over defeats, couldn’t deny the sheer dominance Milan exhibited over his team.

Arsene Wenger accurately summarised the game at his post-match press conference:

 ”It was one of those nights you never forget. It is our worst night in Europe. We were punished and deservedly so. I felt we were never in the game, we were very poor offensively and defensively. It was shocking to see how we were beaten everywhere. There was not one moment in the 90 minutes where we were really in the game.” (Source: The Guardian)

Not really much to say. It was almost a numbing experience, similar to the 8-2 at Old Trafford. However, unlike that nightmare in Manchester, we had our entire starting defence on the pitch. Kieran Gibbs, Bacary Sagna, Thomas Vermaelen, and Laurent Koscielny all played, but none of them were particularly good.

To be fair, Koscielny was forced out of the game when the score was still 2-0. Johan Djourou, his replacement, gave up the fourth goal by pulling down Zlatan Ibrahimovic late in the second half. The other centre-back, Vermaelen, was really poor, nothing like the solid defender he usually is.

But the whole debacle cannot be blamed on just the back four. The attack lacked any focus; it was mostly just sideways passes with no penetration. Much of the blame for the rarity of chances needs to go to the midfielders because Robin van Persie didn’t get much of the ball. Aaron Ramsey was absolutely terrible, just abject. Mikel Arteta and Alex Song were a little better, but neither had an excellent showing.

Why did Wenger essentially start four central midfielders (Rosicky, Song, Ramsey, and Arteta)? Rosicky, who was probably the best performer out of the four midfield men, is not winger. There was no width because Theo Walcott was ineffective and there was no winger on the other side. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain or even Andrei Arshavin would have been better inclusions than Ramsey.

Perhaps our wide play was hampered by the awful playing surface. Milan’s pitch was definitely unacceptable and unfit for a Champions League match. Even the green section down the middle appeared to be spotty. Obviously, the discoloured portions down the sides of the pitch were terrible, almost a no-go zone for players early in the match. And don’t think that it wasn’t planned; this is a club operated by Silvio Berlusconi after all.

If only we would have lost by a goal or two, then the pitch could have been to blame. However, we lost by a four, so we can only blame ourselves (and by that I mean the manager, the players, etc. not us, the supporters).

As always, our enemies have used our time of despair to mock us. Funny how it seems to be the Liverpool and Spurs supporters doing most of the gloating. One club has utterly disgraced itself through their handling of a racist incident. The same club has also never won a Premier League title and only wishes they could have the opportunity to face top sides like Milan. The other clubs hasn’t won the league in ages and are celebrating like mad because they are in third. Both clubs are no more than a joke.

Now, back to Arsenal. The implications of this massive defeat could be far-reaching. A domino effect could occur like last season, when we dropped out of three competitions in three weeks. Certainly, our next four matches (Sunderland, Spurs, Liverpool, Newcastle) (not counting the Milan second leg) are extremely important. I’m planning to write an article for EPL Talk discussing what impact this loss could have on our future results, so I’ll post that link when/if that piece is published.

Our Champions League dreams, however slim, were destroyed on Wednesday night. Arsene Wenger admitted as much:

“Let’s be realistic, we don’t play in dream world. Maybe two per cent or five per cent statistically. We have to show a completely different performance and you never know. But, you have to say, realistically, we are out of the competition.” (Source: Arsenal.com)

Hopefully, this poor performance turns out to be just that- one poor performance. If it carries over… well, let’s not think about that for now.

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Match Preview: AC Milan v Arsenal

  By jtom | 15/02/2012 - 7:46 AM | Champions League, Match Preview
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Arsenal visit the San Siro to play Italian champions AC Milan on Wednesday night. Arsene Wenger believes that his side’s future results hinge on their performance in the first leg of this Champions League tie.

Before the Sunderland match, Arsene Wenger said that this was our “biggest week of the season.” We started off on the right foot by defeating the Black Cats and jumping into fourth, but the seven-day stretch would be so much better with a victory at the San Siro.

A victory would give us a great chance of advancing to the quarterfinals of the Champions League. More importantly, a strong performance would keep the momentum rolling. Instead of collapsing in Feburary like last season, we could do the opposite and excell in our three competitions.

At least that’s the plan.

Former Spurs and current Milan midfielder Kevin Prince Boateng doesn’t think we can:

“I’m not scared of Arsenal. The problem with Arsenal is one day they play amazing football and then they play really badly. In the end they don’t have balance. They either play unbelievable football or they don’t know what they’re doing.

“It comes down to inexperience. Arsenal don’t know what you have to do to win titles – they’re always close but they break down. The players are young, hungry, but don’t know how to break this target. Without the experience it’s difficult.

“There’s always something missing at Arsenal. That bit is the experience – we have so much of that at Milan and that is what they need.” (Source: The Sun)

 Experience didn’t help Milan last year in the Champions League when they were crushed by Spurs, a side that finished fifth in the Premier League. Of course, experience is the politically correct term for the word “old.” To be fair, some of what Boateng said is true, but most of it is just hogwash.

Arsene Wenger made a comment in his pre-match interview about the contrast in average age between the two clubs: “Together we have a very balanced team!” (Source: Arsenal.com)

Currently, Milan are at the top of the Serie A table, although Juventus are two points back with two games in hand. Their form has been spotty recently. Massimiliano Allegri’s side beat Udinese 2-1 on Saturday and lost to Juventus 2-1 last Wednesday.

Thierry Henry will end his second spell at Arsenal at the stadium where he famously scored a hat-trick against Inter Milan. Good memories will be summoned by any Gooner who recalls the 5-1 at the San Siro, but surely those days are in the past? When asked whether Henry can provide another vital goal, Wenger said:

“He can do it again. If needed, he can help us, especially on a territory where he will be highly motivated.” (Source: Daily Mail)

History is on the side of Arsenal. Aside from the 5-1 against Inter Milan, we also defeated AC Milan at the San Siro in 2008, and we eliminated Udinese from the Champions League earlier this season. Overall, our record against Italian clubs is very good- since the 2000/01 season our record is 9 wins, 4 draws, and 3 losses in 16 games.

Our opportunity to improve upon that history may be bolstered by the return of Kieran Gibbs. Arsene Wenger has not decided whether Gibbs, who hasn’t played since October, will take part in the match on Wednesday night: “I believe physically and mentally he is ready. But if I start him, which is not decided yet, I do not want to put too much pressure on him because we want a good team performance. Gibbs is a good player.

“I will find the most natural [solution], which means I will put Vermaelen back in the middle. Gibbs looks to be ready so I might look to start him but I have not decided completely yet.” (Source: Arsenal.com)

Unfortunately, Per Mertesacker will not be available in the near future. During his pre-match interview, Wenger said that the big German will be out for “months.”

On the bright side, the return of Kieran Gibbs will allow Arsene to move Thomas Vermaelen back into his natural role as a centre-half. The most dangerous AC Milan player on the pitch will be striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic. In the Serie A, he is second highest goalscorer with 15 goals this season. Vermaelen understands the threat that the lethal Swedish forward will pose to Arsenal’s back four:

“I played with him a lot of times when I was at Ajax. When I was playing regularly he had left already, but I had a lot of sessions with him when I was a young player.

“I know his qualities, like everybody does. I played against him a few times, like when he was at Barcelona, so I know he is a strong and technical player, one of their main players. It is up to us as defenders to keep him quiet tomorrow.” (Source: Arsenal.com)

Arsene Wenger understands the implications of this match. It’s not just about tactical decisions, or even gaining an advantage in a vital European tie. More is at stake- possibly our season if we bow out of the two remaining cup competitions. Sure, the fight for the top four will be very interesting, but Gooners are hungry for silverware. Wenger made a fantastic analogy regarding the crisis culture in England:

“You could say that the crisis at the moment in England is a bit like fire. It moves very quickly from one club to another. It’s like a fire with strong wind so you have to be a bit cautious because it can quickly come back. The wind can blow it quickly back.

“This is the important time for us. Before the week started, I said that this week would be vital for us. We have to show now [that we can capitalise] and not consider too much whether it’s Chelsea or us. It’s down to us to do well and hopefully we will do it.” (Source: ESPN)

Match: AC Milan v Arsenal

Competition: Champions League

Kickoff: 19:45 GMT, 2:45pm EST

Television: ITV1 (UK), Fox Soccer (USA)

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Gervinho penalty miss leads to Zambia victory

  By jtom | 13/02/2012 - 7:30 AM | Gervinho, International Arsenal
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It came down to penalties in the final of the Africa Cup of Nations, and Gervinho clearly refused to take a spot-kick when Ivory Coast manager Francois Zahoui had requested him to step up. Finally, the Arsenal winger did take his turn as the 17th participant in the shoot-out and his strike was horribly wide. Stophira Sunzu won the African championship for Zambia on the next and final kick of the match.

I really don’t know what’s worse- refusing to take the penatly or wildly missing the penalty. Gervinho was one of the Ivory Coast’s most dangerous attacking players throughout the ninety minutes, yet he was one of the last players to step up to take on the pressure of converting a spot-kick. Apparently, even Gervinho is aware of his own inability to consistently finish chances.

Ironically, Kolo Toure, who went just before Gervinho, was the other Ivory Coast player to not convert his penalty. Thankfully for Kolo, Zambia’s Rainford Kalaba blew the opportunity to seal the win on the next kick. How did two players who have worn the red-and-white kit of Arsenal fail to perform in the dying moments of an international final?

However, Gunners weren’t the only ones to disappoint the supporters of Les Elephants. Gervinho won a penalty after making a darting run into Zambian box, but Drogba’s effort from the spot sailed high over the net. It’s the second time the Chelsea striker has missed a penalty in an Africa Cup of Nations final.

Even with the presence of Gervinho and former Gunners Kolo Toure and Emmanuel Eboue on the side of the Ivory Coast, it’s difficult not to have your heart warmed by Zambia’s historic triumph.

In 1993, all but a couple members of the Zambian national side died in an aircraft disaster in Gabon on their way to a World Cup Qualifying match. The final on Sunday took place in a stadium not far from where the accident occurred.

Add to that the fact that a majority of Zambia’s players apply their trade in the Zambian league, and Hollywood script writers have a ready-made story for their next dramatic film. Up against players who have adorned some of the most famous kits of Europe, Zambia conquered the mighty Ivory Coast on their way to their first African title.

In spite of all the talk about handshakes and racism, football has again proven to be a highway for dreams and fairy tales.

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Sunderland 1-2 Arsenal: Henry winner puts Gunners in 4th

  By jtom | 12/02/2012 - 8:25 AM | Match Report, Premier League, Thierry Henry
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“Thierry Henry finished the story of a legend today,” Arsene Wenger said after Arsenal’s 2-1 victory over Sunderland. Henry’s fairytale return has been truly magical, but, more importantly, Saturday’s win pushed the Gunners back into the top four.

The three points would not have been awarded to Arsenal had Wenger not made three brilliant substitutions. Aaron Ramsey scored with his first touch in the 75th minute, while Andrei Arshavin and Henry combined for the winner in the first minute of added time.

There is a bit of irony in it all because, just a few weeks ago, Wenger was vilified for taking off Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain for Arshavin. On Saturday, all three changes turned out to be masterstrokes, yet it appears that the same level of attention is not given when Wenger’s subs do work perfectly.

Unfortunately, one of those brilliant substitutions will be on his way back to New York on Thursday, right after the clash with AC Milan. They say you can never go back, but don’t tell that to Thierry Henry. Five years after he left the Emirates Stadium, Henry has returned in glorious fashion.

When asked whether this was his last Premier League game for Arsenal, Henry said, “You can never say never. I felt just like a kid who scores his first goal for the team he loves.

“If Arsenal need some help one day I will be around.” (Source: The Sun)

Since he signed on loan, Henry has been an effective tool off the bench for Arsene Wenger. He has scored three goals, including two vital winners against Leeds in the FA Cup and against Sunderland on Saturday. Clearly, he has not lost the finishing touch that made him one of the most prolific strikers in the history of English football.

Perhaps Henry’s biggest contribution in his second term at Arsenal has been helping the Gunners find their way into the top four. The importance of qualifying for the Champions League cannot be understated, and even with the relatively poor quality of our squad, we can still avoid the crisis of finishing outside of the top four.

Due to the failures of our rivals, we are now sitting in fourth, if only by goal difference. Our competitors for the fourth spot (Chelsea, Liverpool, and Newcastle) all lost on Saturday. The race for the top four is far from over, but we are currently in the driver’s seat.

Despite Henry’s legendary comeback and Arsenal’s jump to fourth, Per Mertesacker probably had one of his worst experiences in football. The German centre-back crumbled to the ground in pain while chasing down the ball. To add insult to injury, James McClean ran past Mertesacker and scored to put Sunderland up by a goal.

The incident was similar to John Terry’s slip at Stamford Bridge that allowed van Persie to walk in and score, but the difference was that Mertesacker actually sustained what looks to be a very serious injury. Wenger provided an update on Per after the game:

“Mertesacker told me that he got a shot in his ankle and couldn’t move at all anymore. We are a bit worried about his ankle I must say because he goes home on crutches. He has done some ligament damage, but how big that is we will have to check tomorrow. For sure he is out for Wednesday.” (Source: Arsenal.com)

Just as it appeared that our defence was starting to get healthy again, Mertesacker goes down with possibly a long-term injury.

Aside from Mertesacker’s injury, Saturday was the perfect day to be a Gooner. All of our closest rivals failed, while we succeeded with a late goal scored by a returning club legend. Now, the attention turns to Milan. Arsenal will try to keep the momentum going at the San Siro on Wednesday night.

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