Tag Archives: Manchester City

Arsenal 1-0 Manchester City: Arteta strike crushes City

  By jtom | 09/04/2012 - 7:30 AM | Match Report, Premier League
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Mikel Arteta’s late winner secured the three points for Arsenal and ensured that Manchester City will not win the Premier League title this season.

The crowd at Emirates Stadium exploded when Arteta’s long strike found the back of the net in the 87th minute. After Arteta’s shot broke the scoreless draw, Joe Hart took out his aggression on the post and the Abu Dhabi group looked on from the stands in displeasure. Add another terrific moment to Ashburton Grove’s growing history.

Some Arsenal supporters started mocking the Manchester City fans by performing the Poznan celebration- a great way to cap Arteta’s all-important goal. Given City’s recent hobby of collecting Gunners, it was ironic to see Arsenal copying City for once. The Citizens should not feel flattered; Arsenal have no interest in replicating any other aspect of their club.

As expected, Mario Balotelli stole the morning headlines. The question on the Italian striker’s shirt can now be answered: Why Always Me? Mario, it’s because you’re immature, senseless, and selfish. While it’s hilarious now, no one would have been laughing had Balotelli’s dangerously high challenge fractured Alex Song’s leg in the first half. By my count, Balotelli had one straight-red-card-worthy tackle and three yellow card offences.

Despite the distractions from Mario Balotelli, Arsenal really controlled the match. The time of possession statistic leaned heavily in favour of the Gunners at 64% to 36%. Roberto Mancini’s men did not even bother Wojceich Szczesny with a shot on goal, while Arsene Wenger’s side pounded on Hart’s house with 13 total shots (five on goal).

Up until Arteta’s fantastic goal, the Gunners squandered their many opportunities. Early in the contest, Robin van Persie’s header was stopped from gliding into City’s net by Thomas Vermaelen. At first, it looked as if the Belgian centre-back’s poor form from the loss at QPR would carry over into Sunday’s affair. Fortunately, Vermaelen shook off that unlucky occurrence and put in a fine performance.

Incredibly, the Gunners then failed to tally after a trio of chances in the 76th minute. Theo Walcott’s effort hit the post, which was acceptable enough, but Vermaelen wasted his opportunity before Yossi Benayoun failed to score from a yard out. If Arsene Wenger’s side had not emerged victorious, there would have been many regrets for the moments missed.

Perhaps the most embarrassing attacking error came in the final seconds of the game. The Gunners, a man up after Balotelli was sent packing, started a brilliant counter-attack. Aaron Ramsey was at the front of the break, and, instead of picking out Robin van Persie or Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, decided to try to convert the attempt by himself. His strike, which was meant to curl into the far corner, flew well wide. However, all mistakes are and should be forgotten after such an emotional victory.

Currently, the Gunners sit at third in the table- two points above Spurs and ten behind Manchester City. When asked whether his team can catch Mancini’s men, Arsene Wenger replied: “No, I don’t think so, unless they give up, but I don’t think they will.” (Source: Arsenal.com)

Do not be so quick to rule it out, Arsene. A month ago, no one thought we could catch Tottenham, and just look now!

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Arsenal v Manchester City: Gunners can end title hopes

  By jtom | 08/04/2012 - 8:22 AM | Match Preview, Premier League
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It would be ironic if Arsenal end Manchester City’s title hopes on Saturday at the Emirates Stadium. Manchester City are riddled with ex-Gunners, ranging from Samir Nasri to Patrick Vieira to David Platt, which will make it all the more sweeter if Arsene Wenger’s squad bury City’s championship aspirations in North London.

A total of nine former Gunners are now employed by Manchester City (Emmanuel Adebayor, Kolo Toure, Gael Clichy, Samir Na$ri, Patrick Vieira, Brian Marwood, Brian Kidd, David Platt, and Stuart Taylor). Arsene Wenger desperately hopes that Robin van Persie does not join that group: ”They have enough [Arsenal] players there now.”

Wenger went on to say: ”Van Persie and Manchester City? The question cannot be asked because you cannot at all contact anybody who’s under contract. Van Persie is not at the end of his contract, like what people might think.” (Source: The Guardian).  He said it as if Roberto Mancini and the Abu Dhabi group care about simple rules, respect, and human decency.

Roberto Mancini will not have the opportunity to pursue van Persie or any transfer target in the summer if he is sacked at the end of the season. He fears that the Abu Dhabi group will fire him if City do not win the Premier League this season. Manchester United are five points ahead of the Citizens and play against QPR in Sunday’s early match. Mancini may need his team to win at the Emirates Stadium to save his job.

However, a victory is vital for both clubs as Arsenal would love to jump over Tottenham in the table after Spurs dropped points against Sunderland on Saturday. Arsene Wenger classified Sunday’s huge encounter as a want-win: “I say on our side it is a ‘want-win’ game more than a must-win game. We love victory and we want to win. On the table side of course you want these three points.

“Man City are in a situation where they will have to win. They are in a position as well where one point is not good enough and that is why it will be a very exciting game. It is a game where everybody will give absolutely everything.” (Source: Arsenal.com)

To add to the excitement, it appears that both squads are relatively healthy. Of course, Arsenal still carry several long-term injured players such as Jack Wilshere and Abou Diaby, but no new ailments have bothered the Gunners since their loss to Queens Park Rangers. On the other side, Sergio Aquero will be back fit for City after missing time with an allergic reaction to a spray he used to treat an ankle problem.

As ridiculously stupid as Aguero’s incident sounds, there are even more dramatic events surrounding Manchester City at the moment. An apparent feud between Mancini and Mario Balotelli has led to the manager telling the press that he would punch the Italian striker:

“I can understand it. I told him, ‘If you played with me, ten years ago, I give to you every day one punch in your head!” (Source: ESPN)

Lost in all the nonsense and rumours is that Manchester City are choking and handing the Premiership title to their hated crosstown rivals in the process. In their last four league matches, Mancini’s men have only gained five points, which is certainly not the type of form league-winners have in the final stretch of a campaign. Arsene Wenger believes Manchester United’s “money-time” success is the key factor that differentiates Sir Alex Ferguson’s side from City:

“I believe that if United win the title this year it is really down to experience. What I mean by that is that even the other night at Blackburn, when Ryan Giggs came on in the last 15 minutes, you thought, ‘They can only win it now’, because they know how to deal with the money-time. That means the last 15 minutes in football when it is 0-0. You can’t make a mistake. They have that security at the back. They have won so many titles because they are not nervous.” (Source: The Independent). It seems like Manchester City’s money-time is not on the pitch but in the transfer window.

For the Gunners, it will be about overcoming the defeat at Loftus Road last week. Before that surprising loss, Arsenal had won seven consecutive Premier League matches. Arsene Wenger’s side need to prove that the disappointing result against QPR was an anomaly, and not the start of a trend. In my opinion, the defeat was due to complacency. Perhaps the players thought that Rangers would not pose much of a threat. Given the opposition for Sunday’s match and the implications the result will have, complacency should not be an issue against Manchester City.

The race for third is important and so is the possibility of destroying Manchester City’s title hopes. So many have abandoned our club to play for the mega-wealthy team destined to rise above us. Remember all of the talk about power shifts earlier in the season- a shift from Arsenal to Manchester City (as future title-contenders) and Tottenham (as the best team in North London). Despite it all, Arsene Wenger’s side refused to die. On Sunday, Arsenal have a chance to pull ahead of Spurs and spoil the dreams of Manchester City’s mercenaries.

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Arsenal set to sign Wayne Bridge

  By jtom | 21/12/2011 - 7:15 AM | Transfer News
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Manchester City left back Wayne Bridge will reportedly sign with Arsenal on a loan deal. Arsene Wenger has already hinted that he could make a move for a full-back because of all the recent injuries.

According to the Daily Mirror, Bridge had a fight with Roberto Mancini over Mancini’s selection Pablo Zabaleta ahead of Bridge in the game against Arsenal. The 31-year old former England international was further enraged after Mancini’s shocking words about him to the press. All of this combined with Arsene Wenger’s comments about bringing a full-back in on loan lead to the conclusion that Bridge will move to the Emirates in January.

While the statements may be true, Mancini revealed Manchester City’s lack of class when he said: “For a player [like Bridge] it should be important to play football. I don’t know why someone would want to stay at one club when they know they cannot play.

“When we are young and start to play football, we don’t play for money. We play because we like football and every player should have this target in mind – to play football.

“Wayne is a good guy but for every other player it should be important to play. Wayne has had two or three chances [to go somewhere else]. In the summer he had the chance to play for Celtic, and this is an important team. I don’t know [what he does on Saturdays]. Golf?

“It’s difficult for a player to stay here every day then not play on Saturdays. When we are here he trains with us and sometimes he trains with the young players.” (Source: Daily Mirror)

Wow! Can you imagine Arsene Wenger ever saying something like that about one of his players? Wayne is collecting his £90,000-a-week and not doing any work. Sounds like a dream job.

But what do you expect? The majority of players who move to City do it for the money. Celtic, or any other sane club, wouldn’t pay Bridge anything close to his current wages.

This Manchester City drama is only relevant because Arsene Wenger revealed on Tuesday that he may enter the loan market for a full-back due to the injuries to Carl Jenkinson, Bacary Sagna, Kieran Gibbs, Andre Santos, and Johan Djourou. When asked about the possibility of signing a full-back on loan, Wenger replied:

“It depends now on Gibbs. He sees a specialist again today [Tuesday] and if something happens there that he has had a real setback then possibly, yes.

“It is not a shop, you just take a good opportunity that is on the market when you can. Overall that’s what we are doing at the moment. We are starting to look at players if Gibbs is not back.” (Source: Arsenal.com)

Gibbs appears to be in a perpetual state of injury. He seems to suffer a new knock while recovering from his previous injury. Wenger would be foolish to depend on a fit Gibbs for any length of time.

Wayne Bridge could be the answer to our full-back woes, but he hasn’t been an effective player in years. He has only made one appearance for City this season, and that was in the Carling Cup. Last season, while playing with West Ham on loan, he was terrible against us. I wrote in the match report that Bridge “had a dreadful debut for his new club.”

Arsene Wenger will definitely not acquire a player if he doesn’t think he’ll improve the current squad. He may make the move simply because City will likely pay most of Bridge’s wages. It would represent a low-risk move. If Bridge is terrible, he can go back to playing golf and collecting cash.

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Manchester City 1-0 Arsenal: Title hopes dashed

  By jtom | 19/12/2011 - 7:30 AM | Match Report, Premier League
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David Silva’s goal, along with referee Phil Dowd, propelled Manchester City to victory on Sunday. Arsenal fought very hard, but even Arsene Wenger believes that the championship is now out of their reach.

Unfortunately, it was Samir Nasri who played Mario Balotelli into space on the wing. Alex Song was forced to defend Balotelli one-on-one, which is exactly what the Italian striker wanted. After a tremendous block by Thomas Vermaelen, the cross from Balotelli was eventually tapped in by Silva.

Phil Dowd also played a key part in the match, making numerous confusing decisions against Arsenal. He refused to award a penalty after a blatant handball by Micah Richards in the second half. Yes, Richards’ arm was behind his body, but that was the only place his arm could have been to settle the ball. A dirty trick that should have been caught by Dowd.

After the match, Arsene Wenger said about the incident: “Yes [I thought it was a penalty]. Honestly I haven’t seen it but Van Persie is adamant it was a 100 per cent penalty.” (Source: Arsenal.com)

There were also several questionable offside decisions. Robin van Persie had a beautiful goal disallowed in the second half due to a very close offside decision. Interestingly, at the other end of the pitch, Mario Balotelli was not flagged down after he was clearly offside. Fortunately for the linesman, it did not lead to a goal.

However, not all the blame can be placed on the match officials. Theo Walcott, other than one powerful strike that tested Joe Hart, was very ineffective. He has played well in recent weeks, but Pablo Zabaleta easily took him out of the game on Sunday. Gervinho threatened at times, but he is still struggling with his final ball. Overall, the wing play was poor.

Another problem is that we have no spark off the bench. After Man City took the lead, Wenger brought on Arshavin and Chamakh to help get an equaliser. Both players have been dreadful all season, and, rather predictably, they were dreadful yet again. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain can surely do better than two players who do little besides taking up space.

Both keepers were excellent throughout the match. Szczesny really saved us in the first half by stopping a barrage of shots by Sergio Aguero. Vermaelen almost beat Joe Hart twice late in the match, but the Englishman had it covered both times. If only Vermaelen’s first long strike off the free kick would have been a little bit closer to one of the corners, we would have earned a draw.

We really deserved a result out of this game. Aside from a brief spell when City ripped our defence apart in the second half, our back four were very strong, especially when all of the injuries are taken into consideration. Sadly, Johan Djourou’s name was added to the injury list when he had to be taken off early in the second half.

Wenger provided an update on Djourou after the game: “It is a groin problem. Usually that is 21 days.”

During his post-match press conference, Arsene Wenger said that Arsenal “couldn’t afford to lose” this match. Even while praising a “very positive performance,” Wenger seemed very down after the match:

“Unfortunately for us it was a game that we couldn’t afford to lose because it puts us too much [behind Man City]. If we had won the game we would have come back to six points and with players coming back like our full backs and Wilshere and Diaby – we will have a better squad in the second half of the season. At the moment we are too far behind.” (Source: Arsenal.com)

We are out of a title race that we were never really in at all.

Usually, Arsene is the one defending his team against media criticism, but, when a reporter asked about encouraging signs from his team, Wenger replied: “It is encouraging but at the moment we need encouragement and points, and we got only encouragement.” (Source: Arsenal.com)

Some are calling this match the best of the season so far because of the high quality of play. Very few mistakes were made by either side. It was a very back-and-forth match, with possession at 47%-53% in favour of Arsenal and an equal number of shots on goal. The result was very disappointing, but the players fought hard. If the intensity stays the same, we can beat Aston Villa on Wednesday.

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Match Preview: Manchester City v Arsenal

  By jtom | 18/12/2011 - 8:00 AM | Match Preview, Premier League
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Robin Van Persie

Szczesny kisses Robin's boot after Everton game.

The Gunners can squeeze into the title race with a victory at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday afternoon. Manchester City enter this game after their worst run of the season, which should provide some optimism for Arsenal.

Arsene Wenger believes that a win over Roberto Mancini’s side could propel his team into the title race: “We cannot get carried away. We have to get closer to Manchester City to be in the title race and that is why we have a big test against City.” (Source: Daily Mirror)

Our league form has been terrific (7 wins, 1 draw) since the loss to Spurs in early October. The momentum gained from a victory over Manchester City could allow Arsene Wenger’s side to blaze through the Christmas period. In the past, clubs have used the condensed fixtures to pick up a ton of points.

By their lofty standards, Manchester City are experiencing a rough patch. Elmination from the Champions League and a loss to Chelsea have some wondering whether the big-spenders are nearing a collapse. At home, they have a perfect record this season. So far, the team (or mercenary) spirit has been surprisingly good from all accounts, but a mid-week scuffle between Yaya Toure and Micah Richards could be evidence that the dressing room is cracking. Maybe Balotelli’s antics are starting to annoy some of his teammates.

When asked about the fight at City’s training ground, Arsene Wenger said that this was not an usual occurence before a big game. It probably won’t be a major issue in this match.

Both teams are rather depleted at the back. We have no full-backs at all because of the injuries to Carl Jenkinson, Bacary Sagna, Andre Santos, and Kieran Gibbs. Arsene Wenger revealed that he will use the “same formula” on Sunday as he used against Everton last week, which means our best defender, Thomas Vermaelen, will start at left-back.

Roberto Mancini will be without Aleksandar Kolarov, but his squad will be boosted due to Gael Clichy’s suspension. The former Gunner certainly cost City the game at Stamford Bridge by getting sent off. Even with our shortage at full-back, I wouldn’t take Gael Clichy back at this time. He makes far too many mistakes.

Mancini will definitely have a plan to neutralise Robin van Persie, but no manager has been able to negate the RvP factor yet this year. The Dutchman is chasing Alan Shearer’s record for most goals in a calendar year (36). He currently has 33 goals, which is only one behind the club record set by Thierry Henry.

Not only has Robin been scoring, he has also developed into a leader. Arsene Wenger said he never projected van Persie as a future captain of Arsenal:

“For me Robin is a great leader. You would not have predicted that [at the start], that’s credit to him.

“If you had asked me seven or eight years ago I would not have predicted that he would become captain of Arsenal Football Club. That’s credit to him. His evolution has been outstanding, not only as a human being but as a player too.” (Source: Arsenal.com)

Some have suggested that Mancini will start $amir Na$ri on Sunday because former players often score against their old clubs. However, his performance against an Arsenal reserve side in the Carling Cup was poor. Na$ri has primarily been sitting on the bench and collecting money since his move to City, but now even Mancini is demanding that the Frenchman do more on the pitch:

“I think that Nasri is a champion, a top, top player, but I think he can do more. When you change team, sometimes you can have a problem, but I would like him to play better because he is a top player. His mind at the moment – his confidence — is maybe not very good because he didn’t play against Chelsea, but if he plays on Sunday, he has a chance to show what he can do.” (Source: The Telegraph)

Frimpong is waiting in the wings, just in case he needs to deal with Na$ri again. Not only did Frimpong have Na$ri in his pocket the last time the two sides met, he also got into an altercation with Na$ri.

During his pre-match press conference, Arsene Wenger chuckled when a reporter said that that Manchester City beat United 6-1, and United beat Arsenal 8-2. “So that means they will score 14 against us,” replied Wenger. He then brought up the fact that we defeated Chelsea 5-3, and Chelsea beat City last Monday 2-1. It’s all still flawed logic, but it does set the stage for such an unpredictable battle.

Match: Manchester City v Arsenal

Location: Etihad Stadium

Kickoff: 16:10 GMT, 11:10 AM EST

Television: Sky Sports 1 (UK), Fox Soccer (USA)

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Arsenal 0-1 Manchester City: Young Gunners impress

  By jtom | 30/11/2011 - 7:00 AM | League Cup, Match Report
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Na$ri was suffocated by the Frimpong.

Arsene Wenger’s young squad stood toe-to-toe against a very strong (and expensive) Manchester City side. Despite the defeat, there are so many positives to take out of this match from an Arsenal perspective.

Usually, I’m not this positive after an Arsenal defeat. It’s because our weakened starting eleven outplayed City’s high-priced stars for a majority of the match. If not for a quick City counter-attack late in the game, we could have easily beaten a team that consisted of Dzeko, Na$ri, and Aguero for most of the match.

Speaking of Samir, he failed to do much of anything in the game. The crowd at the Emirates loudly booed anytime Na$ri came close to touching the ball, which was not that often in the second half. In the first half, Mancini lined up Aguero to come on as substitution for Kolarov, but Na$ri thought he was the one who supposed to exit. The spirit of a player needs to be questioned when he is so willing to leave in the game in the 32nd minute. Though, it is possible that Na$ri simply saw a coin under the bench.

Emmanuel Frimpong was a standout performer in the midfield. He roamed the middle of the pitch, and harassed City players as soon as they received the ball. No breathing space was granted by the Frimpong. He even saved his usual hostility until after the final whistle, when he was involved in a bust-up with Na$ri. This has to represent an increase in discipline from the Frimpong, and the quarrel has elevated him to legendary status among Gooners.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was outstanding on Tuesday night. The 18-year old winger created many of our chances, including a long strike that demanded an acrobatic save from Manchester City keeper Costil Pantilimon. The Ox is effective at using either foot, which is an valuble trait to have in modern football. He can cut inside for a shot, or drive down the wing to send in a looping cross.

Arsene Wenger on Chamberlain at his post-match press conference (Arsenal.com):

“We lacked a little bit of experience to be more decisive in the final third but Chamberlain looked the whole night like he could deliver something special. He has shown already tonight that he has moved forward, considering where he was in the last two months. He has improved a lot already.”

Another player who will soon be pushing for a first-team spot is Francis Coquelin. His partnership in the middle with Frimpong stifled many of City’s attacks. While still able to make the tough tackle, Coquelin is a more refined than Frimpong in an attacking sense. Maybe this has to do with his Frenchness. Anyway, Coquelin made several neat turns to pass defenders, and he has the intelligence to know where and when the next pass needs to be made.

Several of the older players also chipped in with admirable performance. Laurent Koscielny registered another excellent performance. Rather shockingly, Squillaci was solid at the back. In fact, even more than solid, he was very good. Sebastien has drawn harsh criticism from this blogger before, but he deserves praise for his play on Tuesday night.

Going back to the Frimpong-Na$ri rumoured scuffle, it is really a Heavyweight Gooner against a Bantamweight mercenary. The whole incident started when Frimpong removed his shirt to reveal a “DENCH” shirt and walked towards Na$ri. Words were exchanged on the field, which led to rumours about Na$ri throwing a punch in the tunnel. An Arsenal representative (not Wenger) saw what happened and said at the post-match press conference (Mirror):

“No punches were thrown but there was a lot of noise. Samir was speaking in French but they did not touch. It was handbags.”

Something tells me that this won’t be the last altercation involving the Frimpong.

There were many positives to take from this game, but we must move on to the negative aspects. This match illustrated our dire need for another striker. As Chamakh missed a good cross very late in the match, the camera panned over to van Persie who looked very frustrated in his sharp leather jacket. Wenger implemented a 4-4-2 on Tuesday night, which would have worked perfectly had Park and Chamakh not been terribly disappointing.

The only goal of the game came off of a swift City counter-attack as Arsenal were recovering from a corner. Dzeko’s long ball split the defence. Adam Johnson laid a perfect ball for Aguero to run on to, and the Argentinan striker does not miss a chance that easy. To be fair, it was a brilliant attacking move from City, though it was the only time in the match that our back four were exposed.

Before the match, the fear was that Manchester City would thump us with the players they started. Thankfully,our young players stepped up and refused to be intimidated by the experienced internationals. Elimination from the Carling Cup will mean less playing time for the fringe players, but it will also lead to more concentration on the League and Champions League campaigns. Most importantly, there should be no drop in the confidence of the squad as a result of this match.

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Match Preview: Arsenal v Manchester City

  By jtom | 29/11/2011 - 7:00 AM | League Cup, Match Preview
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Arsene Wenger has some difficult decisions to make regarding player selection for Arsenal’s Carling Cup quarterfinal match against Manchester City. While Manchester City will make significant changes to their starting eleven from the Liverpool match, they will still have enough depth to field a very strong side. The match will be interesting and likely very tough for the Gunners.

“On the fringe” and “In the red” are two phrases Wenger has been using a lot lately. Both are used to describe players who are statistically close to sustaining an injury. There is no need for fancy graphs to see that Robin van Persie and other, less important players could be nearing an injury.

During an interview with Arsenal.com, Wenger gave supporters several hints about who will be in his starting XI. First, he said that he was 90% sure of what players would be on the pitch. Arsene also said Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Emmaneul Frimpong will start. Nico Yennaris will be in the squad but Wenger did not say whether he will be on the bench or on the pitch. Wenger did confirm that the line-up will consist of the usual League Cup players, which means a blend of youth and experience. 

Our lack of squad depth has forced Wenger to use van Persie, Walcott, Ramsey, and other first team players far too often. There is not much squad rotation because the quality of the back-ups is simply not good enough. This is exactly what worries me about Tuesday night.

My prediction for the starting eleven is on the right. According to ESPN, the provisional squad is: Fabianski, Yennaris, Miquel, Squillaci, Djourou, Arshavin, Benayoun, Frimpong, Coquelin, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Park, Mannone, Rosicky, Chamakh, Diaby, Boateng, Ozyakup, Miyaichi, Aneke.

Contrast that to City’s provisional squad (Irish Examiner): Hart, Pantilimon, Taylor, Richards, Zabaleta, Savic, Kompany, K Toure, Lescott, Onuoha, Kolarov, Clichy, Bridge, Milner, Johnson, Y Toure, De Jong, Hargreaves, Nasri, Silva, Aguero, Dzeko, Razak, Suarez, Rekik.

While Mancini may rest some of his stars at the beginning, he will surely have them on the bench just in case. Can you imagine what Silva would do up against Squillaci? Terrifying.

On one hand, Wenger is keeping our priorities in check. Having the strongest players available for the Premier League games is vital, even against clubs like Saturday’s opponents Wigan. On the other hand, a thrashing at home against City could really damage the confidence of the team. Obviously, players need to be rested, but why was is it necessary to not include Gervinho and Koscielny in the squad (neither started against Fulham)?

Of course, the argument is always that the league cup is not a big deal. Although, it may be our best chance to win a trophy this season and destory the demons from last season. Wenger could be making a huge mistake by using a reserve side in this match.

Arsenal have never lost a home Carling Cup match at Ashburton Grove, but Tuesday night will likely test that unbeaten run. Looking at the likely squads, it is hard to imagine anything other than a Manchester City victory. But, as the old cliche goes, football is not won on paper. We know that better than any club after last year’s Carling Cup final.

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Nasri: Arsenal fans are not passionate

  By jtom | 25/08/2011 - 7:30 AM | Uncategorized
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Do not get too attached to him, City supporters.

Samir Nasri took parting shots at Arsenal supporters as he arrived at Manchester City. Nasri is poised to become one of the most hated Gunners ever.

Nasri completed his move on Wednesday when he showed up in Manchester. Arsenal sold the French midfielder for £24m to Manchester City.

Nasri told Manchester City’s official website: “I can see [Manchester City fans] are really passionate and it reminds me a little bit of Marseille.

“Arsenal have good fans but not that passionate since they moved from Highbury to the Emirates. I remember when we played against City, when we lost 3-0, the crowd was amazing.

“That is what I want. When you play football it is for a good atmosphere.”

Samir Nasri never played at Highbury. In fact, he did not arrive in North London until 2008. Nasri is not qualified to judge Gooners after playing only three seasons with the club. He must still be angry at the chants from the Newcastle match. After the game, Nasri called Arsenal supporters “disrespectful.” That incident was followed up by a Facebook controversy.

Arsenal supporters hold grudges too, Samir. Expect the Gooners to be in full voice next time you visit the Emirates Stadium.

More from Nasri: “I was a little frustrated because I’d told the manager I wanted to leave and I wanted to do the whole pre-season with Manchester and get to know my team-mates. I was a bit frustrated but today is a big day for me. It’s a new start and I’m looking forward to it. Even the weather was nice when I arrived. I don’t see the difference from London and I am here to play football, to enjoy it and win the title.”

Nasri forgot to say that he really wanted a move to Manchester United, not City. He accepted the move to City simply because of the wages. Note to City fans: Expect Nasri to force his way to United after a few seasons.

Patrick Vieira convinced move to move to Manchester City, said Nasri:

“I spoke to Patrick Vieira about the move as it was important to get advice from players who played for the club know the club very well. Vieira said City is the place to be. It is the club of the future, they want to win everything. They have a big, big, big project.”

They have big, big, big money. Nasri will not admit it, but Emmanuel Frimpong knows that the Frenchman left for cash.

I am happy that this greedy player has finally left our club. He insulted our fans, and we can have no respect for him. Cesc Fabregas is grateful for his time at Arsenal, and he is not despised by the Gooners. Nasri is set to join Ashley Cole as another Gunner who left for money.

Samir Nasri will become one of the most hated footballers at the Emirates. Arsenal and Arsenal supporters will have to wait until April to get their revenge.

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Mancini warns Arsenal about playing Nasri

  By jtom | 22/08/2011 - 6:10 AM | Arsene Wenger, Champions League, Transfer News
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Mancini expects to sign Nasri in the coming days.

Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini threatened to end the Samir Nasri talks with Arsenal. Arsene Wenger said that no club is close to signing Nasri. He also said that Manchester United still have interest in his French star.

Manchester City may turn away from Samir Nasri if the midfielder plays in Arsenal’s mid-week contest against Udinese. Roberto Mancini said it would present a hurdle in a potential deal: “If Nasri plays against Udinese, it could be possible [to pursue other targets], yes. I think we can close [the deal] in the next two days, but if he plays in the Champions League, it will be a big a problem. A big problem.

“It’s a big problem because we have followed Nasri for 40 days and I have hoped (it would be completed) in two days or in three days. I don’t know why we didn’t close it, but for Nasri, it will be important to play all the Champions League with us.”

Arsene Wenger said he would not hesistate to play Nasri in Italy. If the Frenchman plays, he would not be allowed to compete for Manchester City in the Champions League this season. Wenger said that his main goal is to qualify for the group stages of the competition.

Mancini continued talking about Nasri: “I am sure we can close this in 24 or 48 hours, but I don’t know why it hasn’t been closed.

“I hope that we can have Nasri in the next day, but I don’t know when it will happen. We still have 10 days, but we need some players if we want to complete our team and I hope he is not the last one in.”

There is a possibility that the Gunners could hold on to Nasri for now, then sell him in January. If City are trying to catch to United, or vice versa, Nasri’s price could raise dramatically. The 24-year old midfielder could also consider signing on at Arsenal long-term if Wenger keeps him until the winter.

While Mancini set an ultimatum, Wenger told French television (TF1) that no club is close to signing Samir Nasri:  ”Both Manchester clubs are interested. I’ve always wanted to keep hold of him. I think deep down he is happy here. There is no departure of Nasri at the moment.”

“Maybe one day, but it’s far, far, far from being done.”

All this talk about Nasri seems to be just negotiation tactics. But Wenger did say that Manchester United are still interested in Nasri, even after Ferguson said last month that they were no longer pursuing the Arsenal midfielder.

If United are back and bidding for Nasri, this whole transfer saga could turn a very big profit for the Gunners. City and United could get into a Manchester bidding war over Nasri. More money for Arsene to spend, if that means anything.

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Nasri: Arsenal fans are “disrespectful”

  By jtom | 16/08/2011 - 7:45 AM | Transfer News
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Samir Nasri called Arsenal supporters “disrespectful” after their behavior at the Newcastle match. Nasri’s comments on Twitter were meant with criticism from Arsenal Supporters’ Trust.

Nasri has been strongly linked with a move to Manchester City. The French midfielder has reportedly refused to negotiate a new contract at the Emirates.

Here is what Nasri said on Twitter: “I heard what the fans were singing about me on saturday and it is really disrespectful because i’m still a  arsenal player.” [sic]

Tom Payton from the Arsenal Supporters’ Trust responded to Nasri’s comments in The Sun: “Nasri’s tweets are inappropriate.

“As Wenger has said, only players committed to Arsenal should play for the team.

“As he clearly isn’t committed, he needs to leave. Arsenal are bigger than any one player.”

Payton is right. If Nasri had actually played for Arsenal in the Newcastle match, Gooners would not be tough on him. He clearly wants to go to Manchester City for higher wages, and no Arsenal supporter is going to respect him for that.

Nasri should have dismissed rumours on his Twitter account, not gone after the supporters. If Nasri promised to stay with the Gunners, then his critics would go quiet. But he knows that a move to City is close, and he does not want to ruin his big money move now.

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