Arsenal have a chance to seal their qualification into the Champions League knockout stage with a victory over Marseille at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday night. Stan Kroenke addressed the players ahead of this match, but some of his comments to the press worry me.
Let’s start with the team news. Vermaelen and Jenkinson are good to go on Tuesday night. Marouane Chamakh has a “knee injury” according to Arsene Wenger and is not included in the squad. This could be one of those phantom injuries we see every now and then, because Chamakh has been useless this season.
Yossi Benayoun is fit and will likely start tomorrow. My starting eleven prediction: Santos (LB) , Vermaelen (CB), Mertesacker (CB), Jenkinson (RB), Arteta (CM), Song (CM), Benayoun (CM), Arshavin (LW), Park (ST), Walcott (RW). Wenger may decide to rest both Mertesacker and Koscielny, and go with Squillaci or Djourou. Robin will likely be on the bench as Wenger will not want to overwork him. Arshavin could play behind Park (like he did very effectively against Bolton), and Benayoun could move to the wing. A lot of options.
We need to finish top of the group, and a win against Marseille would go far in securing that top spot. The French side is second in the group, and a victory would put us four points ahead of our closest competitor(s). Dortmund have been dreadful, earning only a point. Olympiacos still have a shot even though they were considered the whipping boys when the group was announced.
Based on past experiences, it is vital for us to finish first in Group F. Last year, Wenger started playing the reserves and our form in Europe dropped near the end of the group stage. As a result, Shakhtar grabbed the top position, and we faced Barcelona. The rest is history.
Arsene Wenger warned at the pre-match press conference that Marseille will not be same team that Arsenal played in France (from Arsenal.com): “I believe they have the team which certainly is more at ease away from home. They are a side who can defend well with very physical and quick players on the break, so I believe that the counter attack suits them more than dominating the game.
“They have gained in confidence in between the two games like we have so it should be an interesting tie. But for us it’s an opportunity to qualify and of course we want to take this chance.”
Olympique de Marseille is under tremendous pressure from their supporters because they currently sit 9th in Ligue 1 and had a terrible start to the season. Sound familiar? Despite their relatively low league position, OM are coming into this match with three victories on the trot.
Majority shareholder Stan Kroenke spoke to the players in the lead up to this match. The American is quckly shedding the name of Silent Stan. He gave a lengthy interview with the media (click to see full transcript), and some of his answers will not sit well with many Gooners.
Stan refered to American sports during almost every answer. It gives the impression that he does not yet fully understand the way football works. He talked about the financial regulation, greater parity, and even praised the Glazers. The part about the Glazers is making headlines today, but I don’t care very much about Manchester United. We care about how this man is going to run our club from the top of the food chain.
Here is part of an answer Kroenke gave regarding our trophy drought (from the Mirror): “You don’t win trophies every year – you’d like to. I have friends who are owners in the leagues in the US who have never won a trophy and they have been in it for 30 or 40 years. We have been fortunate to win a few.”
Before the last comment, Kroenke did say that histories of every club have high and low points. It is true went 19 years between league titles but no Gooner wants to wait that long. If we do have to wait that long, at least show some urgency.
More comments from Kroenke to frighten Arsenal supporters: “Because, in the States, you would never get this dialogue that you and I are having. [The Glazers] took money out of the club. So what? Jerry Buss [owner of basketball's LA Lakers] takes money out of the club. A lot of owners in the US do. No-one ever says anything about it.”
Kroenke loves the self-sustaining model but does not mind when a majority owner takes money away from a club, and creates a mountain of debt while doing so. I call out a hypocrite when I see him.
Robin van Persie scored a hat-trick to lead Arsenal to victory at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea were wide open at the back, and the Gunners quickly filled those holes. John Terry’s slip, which led to the winning goal, will live in the memory of Gooners for years to come.
Let’s start with Terry’s hilarious miscue. Florent Malouda sent a poor pass back to JT, but Terry still should have gathered it easily. Instead, he fell flat on his face while van Persie raced away towards Cech. The Dutchman eased past the Chelsea keeper before showing Fernando Torres how to score in an empty net. The goal was Robin’s second of the day and gave us a 4-3 lead.
Who knows if the comical fall is even a slip? It looked as if Terry just tumbled over for no reason. Maybe he was looking for a phantom call, or maybe he didn’t want to reveal his true pace, or lack thereof. Van Persie still had to finish the chance, which is easier said than done when you have that much time and space. A player of less quality and class (Torres) would have let nerves settle in during that time.
Arsene Wenger must have done something at halftime. We were trailing 2-1 at the break and then scored four goals in the second half to bury the Blues. Andre Santos was a completely different player after the interval. In the first half, the Brazilian left back was exposed time and time again. In the second half, he bombed forward to score and defended noticeably better.
And who was saying that Theo lacked a final ball? He proved me and a lot of other people wrong in this match. Walcott provided two excellent crosses in the first half, and scored a brilliant goal in the 54th minute. Theo fell flat on his face, but unlike JT, he bounced up and quickly sliced through the Chelsea defenders before blasting the shot near post.
Remember how poor Ramsey was at White Hart Lane? Well, he was fantastic at the Bridge. The Welshman played the part of midfield maestro, zipping around quick passes and shredding what little was left of the Chelsea backline. When Wilshere returns… let me stop there. I’m getting ahead myself.
We were fragile at the back in the first half. Our back four was playing a very high line, and so was Chelsea’s back four. At halftime, Wenger must have ordered a change because the defending improved drastically. Our defenders dropped farther back, while Chelsea’s defenders stayed forward.
Unfortunately, Per Mertesacker looked very bad on Saturday. Frank Lampard’s header for Chelsea’s first goal was entirely the big German’s fault. He wasn’t marking Lampard close enough, and Lampard was even able to lower his head in order to score. Mertesacker should be clearing those balls, and, at the very least, make the opposing players fight for a ball in the air.
Laurent Koscielny continued his string of good performances. He was the only Arsenal defender who was solid in the first 45 minutes. Arsene Wenger thought so (from Arsenal.com): “I think he was outstanding. He was the one at the back in the first half who looked strong.”
What is there to say about van Persie? He’s a goal machine. He’s the best striker in the Premier League. He’s the most in-form striker in Europe. Add your own string of compliments about the Dutchman in the comments section.
This match was a tale of two halves. In the first half, both sides were setting aside defending the name of attacking, and there were many chances. In the second half, our defending improved and Chelsea’s did not. Chelsea did not really have that many goal-scoring opportunities after halftime, besides Matta’s wonder strike. And that goal turned out not to matta.
After the final whistle, some of the players (including RvP, Santos, and Ramsey) went over to the away end to sing with the Gooners. Many of those same Arsenal supporters were left heartbroken at Old Trafford and Blackburn. It was a great bonding moment between the players and fans.
So that’s eight wins out of the last nine matches. Needless to say, we’re back and firing. John Terry’s slip will keep us laughing for years. In fact, I think I’ll take another look at it right now.
Arsenal can complete their rise from ruin with a result at Stamford Bridge on Saturday afternoon. Chelsea will be a real test, even without Didier Drogba. Arsene Wenger knows that the next several days are extremely important, dubbing the two matches in this period as “cup finals.”
The Gunners will clash with the Blues in an early kickoff on Saturday. The result will determine whether we have finally recovered from that horrible start. We have played three games (Liverpool, United, Spurs) against the “Big Six” this season and have lost all of them. Any point taken from this match can been seen as a cure to our woes.
I would not be surprised to see Thomas Vermaelen sitting on the bench at the start of the match. At his pre-match press conference, Wenger seemed very hesitant about starting Vermaelen (from Arsenal.com):
“He will certainly be in the squad at Chelsea. I don’t know yet whether he will start, I have to think about that. I feel physically he is not completely ready because he had problems to finish the game against Bolton, but he is close. We play two games in three days and I will have to evaluate the whole situation. But Thomas always wants to play.”
Who will start at right back? Carl Jenkinson may not be fit, and he would likely be torched by the speedy Chelski attackers anyway. Laurent Koscielny could fill in, but he has been great at centre-back recently. If Vermaelen doesn’t start, then Koscielny will certainly stay in the centre. That means we may be stuck with Johan Djourou. He did provide the cross for the last-minute winner in Marseille, but no Gooner wants to see the positionally-challenged Swiss defender up against the Blues.
Arsene Wenger knows that two huge games will take place in the next several days. First, it’s Chelsea on Saturday, and then Marseille at home on Tuesday. Wenger understands the importance of the two matches that come in quick succession (from Arsenal.com): ”We play two cup games in the next two games – one at Chelsea and one on Tuesday night that can qualify us as well [for the Champions League knockout stage]. So let’s go step by step.”
Didier Drogba is banned from Saturday’s match due to a red card he received against QPR last week. The physical forward has been notoriously prolific against the Gunners. Fernando Torres will be available, but Drogba is the one who really attacks the back four with his height and power.
Arsene Wenger sympathises with John Terry after the allegations of racial abuse from QPR defender Les Ferdinand. Of course, Wenger does not endorse racism or abuse of any kind, but he believes that many vile things are said on the pitch in the heat of the moment that the player may regret later. Wenger also said that too much abuse (racial or not) goes on at a football match.
Unfortunately, Wenger did not take into account that Terry is a complete idiot.
Juan Mata has settled in well at Stamford Bridge to say the least. It is a story of what could have been. Hopefully, Mata will not make Arsenal pay (Get it?).
Let’s end this preview with Arsene Wenger’s comments on the importance of this match (from Arsenal.com): “First of all a win would of course install us among the top teams in the league. But what is very important is that it would strengthen the belief inside the team and would continue our progress.
“I feel we are getting stronger and Chelsea is a big test – a test of strength, a test of resolve, a test of commitment – and that is what we expect tomorrow.”
Arsenal’s annual general meeting was held on Wednesday. Arsene Wenger gave a powerful speech, while Stan Kroenke’s comments supplied supporters with little insight. Shareholders were clearly frustrated with chairman Peter Hill-Wood. Reports are saying that the Gunners have opened up contract negotiations with Robin van Persie.
Wenger’s speech at the meeting was clearly from his heart. He stood up for the values of our club and the class with which the club operates (from Daily Mirror):
“I believe that the values we defend are highly defendable because we want to do things with class. We want of course to be very ambitious. We want to be very brave. I believe that this club has always been very brave in its decisions. The courage is a quality I admire because it is a highly needed quality in the modern world.”
Arsene believes that the fans need to get behind the team, and together Arsenal can achieve success. Wenger said that he believes that his squad have the right attitude and are ready to fight. He said this near the end of his speech (from Daily Mirror):
“And if I just would like to achieve one thing today it is: trust us, this team has qualities, this team will fight.”
Stan Kroenke took a few minutes to introduce himself to the shareholders and supporters. The American majority shareholder has been quiet since his takeover last season. He was interested in several European clubs, but decided to go with Arsenal because of several factors including the ”tremendous management at the top,” “wonderful manager,” and our club’s ”tremendous following” of supporters.
Kroenke ended his time at the podium with a promise (from Arsenal.com): “Suffice to say we are glad to be here, we’re happy with the direction of the Club and we’re here for the long-term. We love London and you’d better get used to seeing me and my family because we’ll be around.”
Gooners really were not enlightened by Kroenke’s comments. He didn’t reveal too much of anything, and he began his speech by wondering why he was even addressing the crowd in the first place. It would be nice to see Kroenke attend more matches. The American is expected to be at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.
Chairman Peter Hill-Wood did not receive a warm welcome from the minor sharholders, who are mostly made up of passionate Gooners. While I did not attend the AGM, the consensus is that Hill-Wood continually dodged questions like a trained politician.
One shareholder apparently called for Hill-Wood to quit and for the return of David Dean. The audience responded with a chrous of clapping. Of course, Hill-Wood refused to step down.
But Hill-Wood doesn’t really hold much power. He is mainly a figurehead who sometimes speaks to the media and addresses the shareholders. He clearly disrespects minor shareholders and supporters, but getting rid of him may not do much good. I doubt we will ever see Dein back either.
Chief executive Ivan Gazidis is certainly far more involved in the decision-making at our club than Hill-Wood. Gazidis’ speech was mainly more of the same. Arsenal believe in the self-sufficient model. Arsenal are expanding their influence world wide. Every club is striving to do things the Arsenal way. You get the idea.
We really did not learn much at all from this year’s meeting… except that nothing is changing. The board will not react to the poor start to the season differently than they have done every other year. Wenger’s speech was the highlight, and the audience seemed to be behind him.
The BBC are reporting that Arsenal have started talks with Robin van Persie about a contract extension. But it seems as if the headline in the BBC story is misleading. Writer David Ornstein sent out this Twitter message: “Breaking: Wenger tells me Arsenal have started talks with Van Persie over a new contract. Story across BBC outlets soon.”
When the story was posted, it explicitly said that negotiations have not officially begun. Wenger told the BBC regarding van Persie: “He has 18 months to go and I’m confident he’ll sign a new deal. I’m always confident.”
Arsene said similar things about Nasri and other players in the past. Unfortunately, Ornstein had to get every Gooners hopes up by tweeting a misleading message before the article was published.
Check back soon for a full preview of the match at Stamford Bridge.
Arsenal defeated Bolton at the Emirates to advance to their ninth Carling Cup quarterfinal round in nine years. Ju Young Park and Andrey Arsahvin were the goal scorers, while Thomas Vermaelen made his return from injury.
Bolton fielded a strong team, while Arsene went with a mix of young players and little-used experienced players. Arshavin and Park outshined the young talented players like Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Francis Coquelin. The little Russian did well playing behind Park, with Benayoun and Chamberlain on the wings. Park played much better than he did in the last Carling Cup game against Shrewsbury. You could see his confidence growing as the match wore on.
Park played right on the edge of the Bolton backline, similar to how Chicharito positions himself for United. Cahill and Knight caught him offside a few times, but the South Korean continued to make intelligent runs. Park made a run, but Arshavin did not make the pass. The little Russian waited for Park to get back onside before releasing the South Korean. Park curled the shot into the side netting in the far corner for the winning goal.
Wenger made a very good point about Arshavin after the match (from Arsenal.com):”Andrey is a player who of course takes a bit gamble on nearly every ball he plays. Sometimes he loses balls he shouldn’t lose but when you look at the end of the game he has always had a big impact. Tonight he scored and made an assist. He had a good performance tonight.”
Arshavin doesn’t usually try to make easy passes. He may be the complete opposite of Denilson in that he tries to make a difficult forward pass every time. While he gives the ball away too much, Arshavin does split open the defence more often than most players.
Vermaelen was included in the starting eleven. The defender last played in a Champions League qualifier against Udinese, and he played well in this match. He made a particularly important tackle on Klasnic that denied Bolton a terrific chance to equalise. Wenger took off Vermaelen with five minutes remaining.
Immediately after the match, there was some concern as Wenger said that Vermaelen experienced calf problems. We now know that Vermaelen will be available for the Chelsea match at the weekend. He trained on Wednesday and said this after the match (from Arsenal.com):
“It was great to be back and to get time on the pitch. I felt fresh, I’m OK and am available for Saturday.”
Plenty of expectation was heaped on the young shoulders of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain before this match. The 18-year old was outstanding against Shrewsbury and Olympiacos, but he had a poor performance on Tuesday night. Some will say that I’m being harsh on him, but I can only assess his performance like I would any other player.
Wenger, after the match, talked about the urgency Chamberlain needs to add to his game (from Arsenal.com): “He needs what I told you: the urgency that is used to dominate the games. Now he is at a level where every single ball needs 100 per cent concentration and fight, and that is what he will learn in these games.”
The Ox conceded possession too many times and spoiled a chance or too against Bolton. The raw ability is clearly present, but he will be inconsistent just like every footballer his age.
Francis Coquelin and Emmanuel Frimpong gave the ball away far too much as the central midfield pairing. A weak pass by Frimpong lead to Bolton’s goal, which was scored by former Gunner Fabrice Muamba. We will need to be stronger in the middle of the park to advance to the next round.
Overall, the back four looked solid. Squillaci made a few dumb challenges, but, besides that, the defending was average. Pratley and Kakuta caused problems, but most of their chances were snuffed out. 18-year old Nico Yennaris started at left back and did a fine job, despite playing in an unusal position for him (he normally plays in the centre).
Benayoun has a fantastic work rate. Sometimes, it seems as if all his running about doesn’t do much, but he does close down opposing players much quicker than most attacking midfielders.
So that makes it seven wins out of the last eight matches. We are in sparkling form heading into the clash at Stamford Bridge. A result there and the turnaround is officially complete.
The Line-up: Thomas Vermaelen is set to make his return to the Arsenal squad on Tuesday night against Bolton. Arsene Wenger revealed that the dramatic loss in the Carling Cup final last season will hurt him forever. This league cup match presents another chance for the young Gunners to shine.
Injury News: According to several reports (Daily Mail, Metro, Mirror), Thomas Vermaelen will be included in the final squad for Tuesday night at the Emirates. He will likely get a run-out as Wenger wishes to rest the overworked Laurent Koscielny and Per Mertesacker. Wenger, who always keeps his team selection secret until the last possible moment, said only this about Vermaelen (from Arsenal.com):
“He is back in full training again, he is alright now.”
Arsene also gave an update on Jack Wilshere: “Everything is going to plan. The next steps will be to have a scan but he is on track.”
Back to Vermaelen. The Belgian defender has not played in two months, and many expected that he would make his return at Stamford Bridge on Saturday. But this Carling Cup tie could provide the perfect opportunity for Vermaelen to regain his match fitness ahead of the Chelsea clash. Maybe he only plays the last twenty minutes, but it at least assures that he will not make his return in the pressure-filled contest at the weekend.
Every Gooner remembers the heartbreak that was felt after Obafemi Martin scored the late winner for Birmingham City in the league cup last season. That moment was the turning point of our season. Arsene Wenger said this about the final defeat in the lead up to Tuesday’s match (from The Telegraph):
“It will hurt me forever because we never forget disappointments. That’s part of life at a managerial level, you do not only have successes but disappointments, too. We have always taken the competition seriously, we just use it as an opportunity to give a chance to some young players. People relate that to not taking it seriously. It is the opposite.”
Expect to see some fresh faces on the pitch at the Emirates against Bolton. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Francis Coquelin, and Emmanuel Frimpong are all expected to start. We should also see the new signings who have not been used often, like Park and Benayoun.
Wenger took time to comment on some of the young, exciting Gunners. He praised the attidue of the Ox (from Arsenal.com):
“Alex has talent mixed with a relaxed, positive attitude. I like that in him, he is a positive boy and I think he will be loved by people because he has that up-front attitude. That shows that he deals well with the pressure.”
Arsene said that Coquelin has proved to be more of a roaming midfielder than full back (from Arsenal.com): “He is more a player who likes to cover ground than a player who starts from the back in a tactical position.
“He likes to be involved at the heart of things. A player’s position has to suit his personality. When that is not the case, in the long-term you have no chance.”
Some have already criticised the purchase of striker Ju Young Park. The South Korean may have to leave Arsenal in a couple of years for military service, and he has yet to make a real impact. But Wenger believes that Park needs more time to prove himself (from Arsenal.com):
“Some players like Pires and Henry took four, five, six months and they became exceptional players. Park arrived two months ago so that’s normal.”
All of these players will have the chance to shine on Tuesday night at Ashburton Grove. The Gunners beat Bolton 3-0 in September, but the starting eleven will be much different in this match. We could very well see the return of Thomas Vermaelen. A slew of young players and little-used squad players will also get their chance to push for playing time in the more important fixtures.
Robin van Persie scored two goals for Arsenal as the Gunners defeated Stoke City 3-1. Gervinho was fantastic, scoring one goal and making the other two. Arsene Wenger’s team jumped up to 7th in the table.
Many Gooners were surprised to see that van Persie was not included in Sunday’s starting eleven. Arsene Wenger explained after the match why he decided to keep Robin on the bench (from Arsenal.com):
”He had muscular tightness and I took 19 players [in training] yesterday because I was not sure whether to involve him on the teamsheet. He made a check this morning and he was medically alright to be on the bench.”
Despite the muscular tightness, RvP was the hero again at the Emirates. Wenger inserted the Dutchman in the 66th minute for the ineffective Marouane Chamakh. It was apparent from the minute that he stepped on the pitch. Van Persie was a class above the rest of the players from both sides.
Gervinho slithered to the endline before delivering the low cross to the Dutchman. Van Persie’s strike hit Begovich before nestling into the net. Robin simply stuffed in the cross. It wasn’t a pretty goal, but it was the winning play.
Gervinho connected with RvP for the third goal as well. The Ivorian drove down the wing before sliding in yet another low cross. Van Persie tapped it past Begovic to secure the three points.
What makes van Persie a world class striker is that he can score any type of goal. He is not a one-dimensional frontman like Peter Crouch. Crouch’s goals come from headers and tap-ins. Van Persie is able to score from almost any attacking position.
One of the new signings had a splendid day on Sunday. Gervinho was brilliant throughout the game. He opened the scoring in the 27th minute with a closely controlled finish. Aaron Ramsey floated a beautiful pass to Gervinho, who had a touch with his chest before the strike. The Ivorian had to be precise because he did not have much space or time.
Our back four suffered yet another set piece lapse. Stoke City’s training ground play worked to perfection. Ryan Shawcross was unmarked on the wing, and he headed the free kick across the goal. Walters then nodded the ball to Crouch, and the tall striker blasted it in from extremely close-range.
Despite that one mental collapse, we defended well against Stoke. Laurent Koscielny continued his good form. He is really improving. Per Mertesacker did not make any glaring mistakes, and I was not constantly reminded of his lack of pace.
The crowd at the Emirates was in a foul mood, jeering at Shawcross and Rory Delap’s throw-ins. They did become a bit hostile towards Arsenal after Stoke equalised. Robin van Persie’s name was chanted throughout the stadium as the Dutchman warmed up.
This victory takes Arsenal up to 7th. Liverpool are only two points ahead of the Gunners. We are only six points away from the top four. Chelsea will be tough to beat at Stamford Bridge, but Arsenal could complete their turnaround with a result.
It really could not have been a much better weekend for Gooners. Liverpool dropped points at home against Norwich. Manchester United were humiliated at Old Trafford. QPR beat Chelsea, and Didier Drogba will be suspended for Arsenal’s trip to the Bridge.
But most importantly, Arsenal gained the three points against Stoke City. That makes it six wins out of the last seven matches. The players are gaining confidence and playing better as a unit. Oh, and no more “8-2″ jokes.
The Gunners are looking to win their third match of the week and jump to 7th in the table. Stoke City are also trying to win their third game this week, but the Potters have suffered away from home. Ryan Shawcross will certainly be an enemy at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday.
Injury News: Carl Jenkinson will miss two weeks after sustaining a knee injury at the Stade Velodrome on Wednesday night. Bacary Sagna, Kieran Gibbs, Jack Wilshere, Abou Diaby, and Thomas Vermaelen are also out for Sunday.
Arsenal are running out of full backs. With Sagna, Gibbs, and Jenkinson injured, Andre Santos is the only true full back, and he is expected to start at left back on Sunday. Arsene Wenger spoke about his choices at right back (from Arsenal.com):
“That’s what I have to sort out before the game and I have not decided. My options are Koscielny and Djourou.”
We have won five out of the last six matches in all competitions. Another victory against Stoke would push us up to 7th, taking into account Saturday’s results. Three points would put us only two points behind from Liverpool, who failed to beat Norwich City.
Stoke City defeated Maccabi Tel-Aviv 3-0 on Thursday night in the Europa League. In their last Premier League match, the Potters beat Fulham 2-0. Stoke struggle away from home, particularly after Europa League clashes. Sunderland crushed them 4-0 after a mid-week game against Dynamo Kiev. They were beaten 2-0 by Swansea after a European match against Besiktas.
Arsene Wenger believes that Stoke City have climbed into a new category by spending in the summer (from Arsenal.com): “Financially it means they have moved up. When you buy Crouch that means financially they have made a big effort. That means now they are in a different category of clubs, yes of course.
“They are a good team, especially offensively. Pennant, Etherington, Walters, Crouch, Jerome – offensively they have huge potential.”
Stoke will look to build off the wing. Expect Pennant and Etherington to send in crosses whenever they can. Pennant (former Gunner) has been especially dangerous for the Potters.
Wenger surprised me during an interview I watched on Arsenal Player. The question was something like, “Do you think the dominating performances will come now that the squad is winning matches?” Wenger said during his answer that a 1-0 victory over Stoke would be great. I’d be completely happy with it as well.
This fixture has developed into a sort of mini-derby because of the horrible attempted tackle on Aaron Ramsey by Stoke thug Ryan Shawcross. No Arsenal fan has been able to forget that horrific, leg-breaking assault.
Hopefully, Shawcross will not send another Gunner to the hospital. His reputation speaks for itself. In 2007, Shawcross committed a shocking challenge on former Gunner Francis Jeffers (then playing for Sheffield Wednesday). Jeffers missed three months because of the tackle. Shawcross also made a very bad tackle on Adebayor in 2009. The off-the-pitch challenge forced Adebayor to miss three weeks.
My point is that Shawcross is a proven thug. He can weep all he wants but it will not stop him from attempting another (possibly) career-ending tackle. Arsenal supporters should be on his back from the start of the match on Sunday.
Carl Jenkinson will miss two to three weeks due to the knee injury he suffered on Wednesday night. Johan Djourou is the likely candidate to fill in at right back, and he said that he is ready the challenge.
According to The Guardian and other sources, Carl Jenkinson will be out for two or three weeks. The 19-year old hobbled off the pitch at the Stade Velodrome on Wednesday night. Arsene Wenger had this to say about the injury (from Arsenal.com):
“We don’t know yet but it is very unlikely he will be available for Sunday. He is having a scan and we will know some time on Friday.”
Johan Djourou replaced Jenkinson against Marseille, and it was Djourou’s cross that found Aaron Ramsey for the winning goal. But Djourou was awful at right back against Blackburn. The 24-year old defender believes he is up to the task of playing on the right (from The Guardian):
“I am a centre-back first … I love my game, I love playing football and when I can play, it’s a relief. So if I have to play right-back to help the team, then I will do it. It worked out against Marseille because I played the final ball for the goal. But I just want to play football.
“I have played a few times before at right-back and it’s a completely different game. When you play centre-back you can see the whole game in front of you but when you’re on the wing, you have to adjust a little bit. When you are used to something and then you to move, it’s something else. But I’m a player who can play in different positions.”
Two of our right backs are now knackered. Bacary Sagna, a world class right back, broke a bone in his leg at White Hart Lane. Carl Jenkinson, who doesn’t even look like a right back, was at least serviceable. Sure, he was torched by Gareth Bale, but most defenders do not fair well against the Welsh winger.
It is not Djourou’s crossing I am worried about. It’s his defending. Johan, despite moderate success last season, has been in very poor form so far this campaign. Maybe his contribution to Ramsey’s goal will help lift his future performances.
In other news, Arsenal supporters were praised for their attitude at the Stade Velodrome. The away Gooners behaved tremendously according to Marseille, Arsenal, Uefa, and local authorities. Sue Campbell, Arsenal’s Head of Travel, had this to say (from Arsenal.com):
“The fans were fantastic and did us proud. They worked with us and Marseille in advance to understand what was required and followed the guidelines perfectly. They were tremendous ambassadors for the Club.”
Our away fans have been terrific all season. At Old Trafford, their voices were heard above the United supporters despite the scoreline.
Aaron Ramsey scored the dramatic late winner for Arsenal at the Stade Velodrome on Wednesday night. The match appeared to be heading towards a boring 0-0 result before Ramsey stunned Marseille. The Gunners now lead the group with seven points.
Arsene Wenger’s three substitutes all touched the ball before the winning goal settled in the back of the net. Johan Djourou, who was brought on for the injured Carl Jenkinson, sent in a good cross. Gervinho, who came on for Andrey Arsavhin, failed to settle the ball, and it fell kindly to Aaron Ramsey. The Welsh midfielder seized control of the opportunity and blasted the ball into the net in the second minute of injury time.
Arsene Wenger spoke after the match about Ramsey (from Arsenal.com): “It was a great finish, you see Ramsey in front of goal and you know you have a good chance to score. He is a goalscorer.”
The referee blew the final whistle only moments after play had restarted. We snatched a victory in the 92nd minute thanks to three players who weren’t on the pitch at the start. Both sides looked to be settling for the point after a sloppy match. Winning changes everything and we have recorded four victories in our last five games.
A missed call from the officials was the biggest moment of the first half. Souleymane Diawara clearly deflected an Arsenal corner with his hand, but neither the referee nor the goal-line official made the call. Both should have witnessed the incident and pointed to the spot. It appears that the goal-line official just stands there and watches the match, then collects his wage at the end.
Carl Jenkinson also handled the ball in our penalty area, but the touch looked inadvertent. Diawara had his arm up in the air. Not as high as Nemanja Vidic’s arm last season, but Diawara made more contact.
Laurent Koscielny played really well at the back. He consistently covered for some of our other defenders. There are times, like last season against Barcelona and Wednesday night, that Kos looks extremely solid. But there are other times, like the Carling Cup final and against Blackburn, where he looks awful.
Per Mertesacker did not perform well at the Stade Velodrome. The hulking German clumsily went in for tackles, and skilled Marseille players like Mathieu Valbuena easily went past him. And once a player goes past Mertesacker, the lead-footed German has no chance of catching him. Late in the first half, Loic Remy made an excellent run, but it was made possible by poor defending. He beat Jenkinson, and then nutmegged Mertesacker. Luckily, Remy’s shot went wide.
Gervinho really injected some energy into the match when he was brought on. He has the pace and creativity to torment defenders, and he did just that. In many matches, he lacks the final touch and ends up just giving the ball away on the wing. But if he hadn’t been inserted into this match, Arsenal may not have dominated the final portion of the game.
Ramsey’s goal has the chance to lift this Arsenal team out of their depression. We all know that the confidence has been low, and that has lead to a lack of quality. We can say with relative certitude that the confidence was lost when Obafemi Martins scored the goal, and it was compounded by the departures of Na$ri and Fabregas.
A goal in the Champions League group stage is not going to turn around a season, but it can certainly start to lift the team out of their terrible start. Here’s a positive way to look at it: Maybe this season is the exact opposite of the previous years. Instead of collapsing late, maybe our poor start will lead to a strong finish.
Arsenal now top Group F with seven points, with Marseille only a point back. The Gunners earned a combined four points from what appeared to be the two toughest matches (Dortmund away and Marseille away). All we need to do is win our home games, and we should finish first in the group. But that is easier said than done.
Arsene Wenger isn’t ready to call it a complete turnaround yet (from Arsenal.com): “We’ve made a little step forward but we have to be humble. We are a team who must continue to grow and we have to show that. the next game at home against Marseille is very important.”
