Bolton manager Owen Coyle said that he expects Arsenal to attempt to sign centre-back Gary Cahill in January. Reports are now suggesting that Inter Milan could make a move for the England international.
More Gary Cahill rumours are spreading in the lead up to the Arsenal v Bolton match on Saturday. Bolton boss Owen Coyle is responsible for creating the vast majority of these rumours. Coyle was quoted as saying (from the Daily Mail): “I don’t know how Arsenal’s finances work, but they know he’s an outstanding player.
“The valuations in August were between the two chairmen, and, of course, it never came to fruition.
“Now there’s the problem of the January window, and I think there will be more than just Arsenal coming back in for him then. We will deal with at the time.”
According to the Daily Mail, Inter Milan will try to pry Cahill away from Bolton. New manager Claudio Ranieri is eager to add quality to his back four.
Even after the addition of Per Mertesacker, the Gunners still need to bolster the backline. Laurent Koscielny is just not good enough to play for Arsenal on a consistent basis. Johan Djourou’s lack of positional sense, awareness, and urgency were all on display against League Two Shrewsbury Town on Tuesday night. Thomas Vermaelen is a quality centre-half, but Arsene Wenger cannot rely on him to stay healthy for a few months, let alone an entire season.
Maybe Mertesacker just needs some time to adapt to the Premier League. He is woefully slow, but, hopefully, he can account for his lack of pace by showing supreme positional sense. It will take time.
But there is no sense talking about January right now. Arsenal will play Bolton, one of the few teams below the Gunners in the table, on Saturday at the Emirates. Owen Coyle, like Alex Ferguson and Steve Kean before him, took time to praise Wenger (from The Guardian):
“Arsenal are packed with quality, and Arsene Wenger is one of the top managers in world football. I don’t think for a moment Arsenal could find a better manager to replace him, but everything in this league is scrutinised and analysed and even the best managers have to accept criticism from time to time. People will always have opinions and not everyone will agree, but that’s the nature of the game we’re in.”
Some would say that the other managers are only sticking up for Wenger because they feel they have a better chance against Arsenal. The deficiencies in the current team are blatantly obvious. I believe that managers do not want to see fellow managers sacked. If Wenger goes, then it may not be long before Bolton sack Owen Coyle.
Joey Barton has revealed that his brawl with Gervinho ended his chance of moving to the Emirates. Arsenal supporters should be praising Gervinho for keeping the QPR thug away from the club.
The incident occurred when Barton was still at Newcastle. During the first match of the season at St James’ Park, Barton picked Gervinho up by his shirt ,and Gervinho gave a slight tap to Barton’s cheek. Barton then dramatically fell to the ground in mock pain, and Gervinho was given a straight red card.
The current QPR thug had this to say to BBC Sport: “If I hadn’t played against Arsenal, I may have signed for them. There were a couple of conversations [with Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger] but that’s different to actually signing.
“The Gervinho incident happened and there’s nothing I can do about it now. If it happened again, I’d like to think I’d deal with it differently.
“Things happen for a reason and there’s a lesson to be learned from it. Right now we sit above Arsenal in the table – hopefully that’s the case in May.”
Gervinho is now officially an Arsenal legend. If Barton’s story is true, then the Ivorian striker saved Arsenal from the controversy and drama that Barton brings to a club.
This week, Barton is having an ongoing fight with Wolves midfielder Karl Henry. Next week, Barton will going after another innocent victim. Arsenal aspire to have a sort of class and dignity, and nothing would do more to take away from that then signing Joey Barton.
It is possible that the QPR thug is just trying to flatter himself. I see no reason why Arsene Wenger would sign Barton. Yes, he is a good Premier League midfielder, but his emotional and Twitter problems could cause a problem in the dressing room. Plus, if we would have signed Barton, we may never have completed a move for Mikel Arteta.
I am not good at writing songs, but someone should come up with a chant thanking Gervinho for his efforts. He bravely took a three-match suspension in order to keep Barton away from the Emirates. Well done!
Shrewsbury scored an early goal, but the Gunners battled back to advance in the Carling Cup. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s 25-yard strike was the winning goal for Arsenal. Chamberlain and Francis Coquelin may push for spots in the first team after impressive performances. Johan Djourou, on the other hand, sealed his place on the bench with a terrible match.
The reason this post comes two days after the night of the match is because the game was not televised. I, along with many other Gooners, were forced to listen to it online. Arsenal Player posted the full match “as live” so I watched that on Wednesday and here we are on Thursday.
Things got off to a nightmarish start for Arsene Wenger’s team. Shrewsbury striker James Collins headed the ball into the top corner to give the League Two side a one-goal advantage in the 16th minute. It was a good finish from Collins but Djourou stood directly in front of Collins and never even jumped. He never felt the need to clear the cross because he was not aware of Collins, which is a result of his utter lack of positional knowledge.
Just before the goal, Shrewsbury had a great opportunity that resulted because Djourou was too far up the pitch. He sprinted forward to make an ill-advised challenge, and he ended up only knocking over a Shrewsbury player after the ball had already been pushed forward. Shrewsbury went on a break that lead to a shot off the post, and another shot off the rebound that went into the side netting.
Wenger spoke after the match about the performance of Djourou (from Arsenal.com): “He was very good in the second half. In the first half, he was surprised on the goal. In the second half, he had a good performance.” He was a bit better in the second half but only because the Gunners kept the ball in Shrewsbury’s half.
Kieran Gibbs equalised with his first Arsenal goal in the 33rd minute. The left back headed the ball near post after a cross from Carl Jenkinson was deflected towards him. It was an expert header from Gibbs, and not a finish a left back is supposed to make.
Shrewsbury ran out of energy in the second half, and the Gunners started to dominate. Francis Coquelin dominated the midfield, and Alex Oxalde-Chamberlain or “The Ox” looked dangerous on the wing.
The Ox scored his first goal for Arsenal in his debut at the Emirates Stadium. In the 58th minute, Chamberlain took a low, hard shot from 25 yards that was aimed at the far corner, and the ball wound up in the net. Maybe the Shrewsbury keeper should have done better, but the fact that Chamberlain even attempted the strike shows his confidence.
Throughout the match, “The Ox” showed his ability to cross the ball and fire long-range strikes. His performance in this match may threaten Theo Walcott’s place in the starting eleven. The underacheiving Theo has trouble crossing and finishing. Chamberlain looks to be a more complete footballer, but we do have to consider that he was up against a League Two side.
Wenger reflected on Chamberlain’s performance post-match (from Arsenal.com): “Oxlade-Chamberlain grew through the game and became stronger and stronger. In the first half he was a bit timid and suddenly he grew in stature in the second half. It was unbelievable. What came out, you didn’t expect it after the first half. He became stronger and stronger.
“You could see that he will be a first-team player here, that is for sure. He still has things to work on but, very quickly, he will be knocking on the door.”
All three players who scored for Arsenal marked their first goal as a Gunner. Yossi Benayoun closed the door on Shrewsbury by finishing a chance from close-range in the 79th minute. Oguzhan Ozyakup (he really needs a nickname) made the pass to Benayoun right after he had been brought into the match. Benayoun displayed good composure to slide it past the keeper.
Ryo Miyaichi made his first appearance in a competitive match for Arsenal, coming on as a subsitute in the 71st minute. Wenger said this after the game (from Arsenal.com): “He did well when he came on. My regret tonight is that he didn’t play long enough to show what he is capable of doing. He will get more opportunities.”
Ju-Young Park did not make an impact on the match in his debut as a Gunner.
Wenger seemed to become annoyed at the post-match press conference when questions were asked about his coaching staff and his future (from Arsenal.com). On adding a new defensive coach: “I just completed 32 years of coaching. I do not want to answer these types of questions.”
When asked about his future, and specifically the recent vote of confidence from the board: “Whether I work here for the next 10 years or the next day here, I will give my maximum for the Club. I will let other people assess the situation. I focus on doing well for this club, that is all. I am not bothered at all by all this speculation.”
Near the end of the match, Arsenal supporters were heard singing “One Arsene Wenger.” The fans really got behind the players, and even chanted “Ryo” as he was set to come on as a sub.
Johan Djourou and Lukasz Fabianski were the two worst players in the match. Both players failed to communicate several times, and it led to several dangerous or awkward situation. Francis Coquelin and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain are fighting to get into the first team. Hopefully, Wenger makes changes to his squad for the upcoming Premier League and Champions League fixtures based on the performance on Tuesday night.
Arsenal will take on Shrewsbury Town in a Carling Cup match on Tuesday. Arsene Wenger said that he will feature young and experienced players in his starting eleven.
The league cup starts on Tuesday night for Arsenal. Some have suggested that Wenger should field a strong side in the competition because it is not likely that we will win the league or Champions League. Wenger gave supporter’s an idea of what his team will be on Tuesday night at the Emirates (from Arsenal.com):
“I had my team in my head before the Blackburn game and it will remain exactly the same. We will have Frimpong, Coquelin, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Ryo, and maybe one or two more. There is an also opportunity to see Park for the first time. Chamakh will also feature. You will also see Jenkinson start in his position. We will try to find a mixture between youth and experience.”
I am excited to see all of the young players, but Ryo Miyaichi interests me the most. During the preseason, the Japanese forward impressed with his pace and skillful dribbling.
Many players will have a chance to prove themselves against Shrewsbury Town, who currently sit at third in the League Two table. Chu-young Park (now being called Ju Young Park by Arsenal.com) will have a chance to make his debut as a Gunner. Oxlade-Chamberlain and Coquelin will try and forget their debuts, which both came in the 8-2 thrashing at Old Trafford.
Emmanuel Frimpong and Carl Jenkinson have seen significant time on the pitch this season. Frimpong has had several spirited performances playing in the centre of the midfield. Chamakh will look to build momentum after scoring at Ewood Park on Saturday.
It will be interesting to see what the centre-back pairing will be. Wenger could play Mertesacker with Koscielny in order to help strengthen the chemistry between the two. Both central defenders performed poorly against Blackburn, and this match could serve as a confidence boost heading into the weekend.
Since his move from Southampton, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has been seen as another Theo Walcott. Both came to Arsenal from the same club, and both players can use their pace to be effective on the wing. But Arsene Wenger said there is a difference between the two young English players (from Arsenal.com):
“They are quite similar types of players but Walcott is a bit more a striker and Oxlade-Chamberlain is more a midfielder. He [Oxlade-Chamberlain] likes more to be in the build-up of things and Walcott is more a guy who makes intelligent runs. So they are not that similar as players but they have some similarities physically already. They look the same size, the same type of player.
“But I believe that Oxlade-Chamberlain could be a central midfielder one day and Walcott a central striker one day. That shows the difference between the two players.”
Wenger also said that newcomer Park Chu-young is a versatile striker (from Arsenal.com): “Park is good in every area. He is good in the air, good technically, he is mobile and that’s why he is an adaptable striker who can play up front behind the striker. ”
Despite the relative unimportance of early round league cup games, there will still be massive pressure on the Gunners. Everyone is looking for them to slip up against Shrewsbury Town. The media cannot wait to pounce on Wenger if Arsenal fail to beat the League Two side. A simply victory will not be enough for the press; it will need to be a convincing result.
Arsene Wenger criticised his players for Arsenal’s troubles at the back. Robin van Persie is “frustrated” with at the Gunners inability to respond to poor performances. Rumours are swirling over a possible new defensive coach to sort out the problems.
Wenger said that his squad’s terrible defending this season is due to “a lack of concentration, a lack of communication, a lack of co-ordination and individual urgency.” (from The Sun)
What Wenger said was obvious to the rest of the world, but it is good to finally hear it from him. Arsene usually never criticises his players in public like this. He is famous for defending his boys at all costs, but Wenger decided now was the time to let out his growing frustrations.
He continued: “When you score an own goal, you have to look at yourself. It is never completely out of your reach where you have no chance at all. Our season depends now on how well we respond to this disappointment and how quickly we can cut out the mistakes we made on Saturday by giving away goals that we should never give away.”
Wenger is correct. If the Gunners continue on the current course, we could be looking at a mid-table finish or worse. Something needs to change, whether it is the philosophy or the confidence does not matter. The Bolton match on Saturday at the Emirates is huge for our season.
Robin van Persie said he is “frustrated” with the team this season. He told Arsenal.com: “There is lots of time [left this season], but at some point you need to pick yourself up and prove what you are capable of. We are not doing that at the moment and are not consistent enough.
“It just frustrates me, and it is happening too often. Every time we start positively we just keep making the same mistakes and that is surprising.
“It’s very important [to get back on track]. Even before the game on Saturday I said to the boys, ‘today is a big, big day’. We have to get back-to-back wins, and we just cannot do that at the moment. That is our aim for the next couple of games, we have to win them after each other.”
Van Persie may be the next to leave if Arsenal continue to slip. The Dutchman does not have long left on his contract, and he certainly will not want to be the captain of a sinking ship in the prime of his career. If RVP goes, the Gunners will add “scoring goals” to their long list of problems.
In light of poor defensive displays of late, conflicting reports are coming out surrounding a new defensive coach. Many Gooners have been calling for a new face on the bench. The most likely candidates are Martin Keown and Steve Bould. According to the Daily Mail, many inside the club want Wenger to appoint a coach in an attempt to improve the defending.
The report says that Wenger was reluctant to change his coaching staff, but he may change his mind after watching his team score two own goals against Blackburn.
According to The Guardian, Wenger will stay loyal to current coaches Boro Primorac and Pat Rice and not add a new coach.
Arsene Wenger said that Arsenal were “terrible” in their 4-3 defeat at Ewood Park. Wenger said he is worried about the problems at the back after conceding two own goals.
Wenger was forced to scrap his normal post-match comments after witnessing the sad performance his squad put in. Arsene said (from ESPN): “It is terrible. It is just not good enough. Of course we are very frustrated – the spirit in the team is quite willing but if you look at the number of goals we have conceded that is not good enough.
“You cannot come here and concede four goals the way we did today. On the other hand I believe that the group will take off but it’s important that we get quick results.
“You cannot say you have no worry when you see the performance we have put in today. It’s just not defensively solid enough when you are 2-1 in front against Blackburn and you know if you are solid enough defensively you will score goals.
“It’s not all negative today. That’s, in fact, the frustrating thing as well. At the moment we do not have the capability to focus defensively to win games like that. It is important you do not give cheap goals away like that.”
There were flashes of brilliance from the Arsenal attack, but all that was washed away by the incoherent defending. When a team scores three goals, they expect to win, but this squad of Gunners should not expect to win any match anytime soon. The back four look like conceding goals every time a long ball is launched into the penalty area.
Wenger went on to say that his team scored six goals, but he went one over. The Arsenal players actually combined for five goals, but two were tapped past Szczesny.
In a way, this loss was worse the 8-2 humiliation in Manchester. Most Gooners, including myself, expected Arsenal to lose that match. With the form United were in and the absence of key players from our team, it was set up to be a nightmare for Arsenal. I, along with fellow Arsenal supporters, expected at least a point from this match if not three.
The goals United scored against us were mostly quality strikes. Blackburn made our defenders look like fools. Anytime they felt the need, Rovers simply lofted a ball or a low cross in our penalty area just to see what Gunner melted this time.
During the match at Old Trafford, I was left watching in shocked silence. While watching this match, I was yelling at the television. The mistakes against Blackburn were so simple. Poor positioning and own goals cost us the match, and I suspect Arsenal supporters will be left depressed from this game for quite a while.
Arsene Wenger knows that a portion of the fans and press will call for him to be sacked this week, but he said he is not worried about the speculation (from ESPN): “Speculation is part of modern life. What can I do about that? My future is focusing on what I do well and that means giving my best for the club. I have no influence on the speculation.”
Winning will solve all of Arsene’s problems. We have Shrewsbury Town on Tuesday night in the Carling Cup. If Arsenal win, nothing will be made of it (and rightfully so) because Shrewsbury play in League 2. If we do not win, it will get very, very ugly.
Arsenal fell to Blackburn at Ewood Park due to two own goals and terrible positioning.
Yakubu scored twice for Rovers in his debut for the club. The big Nigerian striker took advantage of the lack of organization in the Arsenal back-line. The Gunners attempted offside traps to stop the poaching Yakubu, but always one defender was left behind.
Let’s go through this nightmare of a match in chronological order. Arsenal started the match very well, and the attacking play led to Gervinho’s first competitive goal for the Gunners. Alex Song made a wonderful pass, and Gervinho cut the ball into the charging Christopher Samba. The ball deflected slightly before finding its way into the far corner of the net in the 10th minute.
For a while, it looked as if Arsenal could dominate the match, but Yakubu scored his first goal against the run of play. Junior Hoillet threaded a ball through to Yakubu, who took a quick stab at it. It was a fantastic finish. Andre Santos, starting in his first game for Arsenal, trailed the rest of the back four and allowed Yakubu to stay onside.
Mikel Arteta scored his first in an Arsenal shirt in the 34th minute. Song, again, sprung the break with a pass to Aaron Ramsey. The Welsh midfielder cut a cross back to Arteta, who blasted the ball into the back of the net. Arsenal were in a good position heading into halftime.
Blackburn notched the equaliser from an Arsenal own goal in the 50th minute. A Blackburn free kick bounced off the leg of the unfortunate Alex Song and rolled into the net. The ball should have been cleared long before it made its way to Song, but no Arsenal defender stepped up to head it away. It was a shame for Song, who was terrific otherwise.
In the 53rd minute, Bacary Sagna went down with what appeared to be an injury. Johan Djourou was brought on to play right back. Djourou does not yet have the positional sense to play in the centre, so why did Wenger think he could play at right back?
Per Mertesacker’s incredibly slow reactions were on display in the 54th minute. Mauro Formica made a quick turn and found himself in open space in front of Szczesny. Thankfully, our tremendous keeper made the great save, but Mertesacker seemed to be still turning around by the time the play was over. Formica easily ran past the German defender.
Yakubu scored the winner for Rovers in the 59th minute. He appeared to be a touch offside as Martin Olsson sent the low cross, but the official kept his flag down. Two easy goals from Yakubu, who completed a deadline day move from Everton.
Just as the Gunners starting to create chances, Laurent Koscielny poked the ball into the Arsenal goal. Olsson troubled the defenders with another low cross, and Koscielny did not possess the composure to clear the ball. Instead, he tipped it into the net to make the score 4-2.
It was at this moment, that I started to yell at the television. I knew it would not do any good, but one can only take so much suffering and frustration. I urged the defenders to get out of the way and give Szczesny an opportunity to make a stop.
To their credit, the Arsenal players refused to give up. Marouane Chamakh scored his first goal in what feels like decades. He directed a header into the Rovers net after a cross from Robin van Persie
Arsenal pushed men forward in an attempt to secure an equaliser. An open header from Mertesacker sailed over the goal, while a hard strike from RVP was stopped by Paul Robinson.
Theo Walcott had the last chance for the Gunners. Robinson streaked out towards Theo, who calmly lifted the ball over the Blackburn keeper. Robinson took out Walcott but no penalty was given. It was a clear penalty because Robinson failed to make any sort of contact with the ball. Many will forget about this final chance due to Arsenal’s terrible performance.
To be fair to Blackburn, they did jump on the chance to put the frail Arsenal defenders under pressure. Rovers continually crossed the ball into the Gunner penalty area, just to see which Arsenal defender would crumble next.
Since this post is so long already, I will react to Wenger’s post-match press conference in another post soon to follow this one.
Arsenal look to continue their run of results, while Blackburn boss Steve Kean is under pressure from supporters. Kean admires Arsene Wenger and the Arsenal philosophy, while Christopher Samba wants Blackburn to make life a “living hell” for the Gunners.
Injury News: Arsene Wenger revealed on Thursday that Aaron Ramsey could be available on Saturday (from Arsenal.com): “Ramsey had a little test today [Thursday] and will practice tomorrow, he has a little chance to be available.” Abou Diaby, Thomas Vermaelen, and Jack Wilshere will miss the match.
Alex Song and Gervinho will make their Premier League returns after both players received a three-match ban after the Newcastle game. Song was impressive against Dortmund. He provides great protection for the back four as a holding midfielder.
The early kickoff will be another chance for the new boys to shine. Mikel Arteta and Per Mertesacker should definitely make Wenger’s starting eleven. I suspect that Yossi Benayoun will fill in for Ramsey.
Blackburn have had their worst start to a season in the Premier League era, but so have Arsenal. Before the match at Ewood Park, some supporters will hold a protest against manager Steve Kean. Blackburn are bottom of the table with only a point from their first four matches. Arsene Wenger said he believes that Kean deserves more time (from The Guardian):
“I have a lot of sympathy for Steve Kean. He is a young manager and you want to give him time to do his job.
“A lot of time you complain the British managers do not get a chance and I can understand that but when they do get a chance you must give them time.”
Kean, meanwhile, has heaped praise on Wenger (from ESPN): “It is very premature to be talking about the demise of Arsene Wenger, very premature. It might be the desire of the fans to see the club at the top end of the game and that is only natural and they are making themselves heard.
“But only some want to move away from Arsene’s policy which has proved so successful in the past. He is now in the process of building a new team and the way he is going about it he will succeed and he will once again put Arsenal in a very strong position.”
Arsenal were linked with Blackburn centre-back Christopher Samba throughout the summer. Samba wants to make life horrible for the Gunners on Saturday (from ESPN): “If you are a football player you shouldn’t be scared of any team.
“It is a home game and it is up to us to make it a living hell for them when they come here. It is simple, we must to do our best to make sure they don’t play as they want to, make it horrible for them.”
Arsene Wenger will be back on the touchline after watching Arsenal’s 1-1 draw in Germany from the stands. The Gunners have a chance to build their confidence after the 1-0 over Swansea and the point gained against Dortmund. Wenger said (from Arsenal.com): “That (the Swansea win) is what we want to achieve and hopefully it will go as planned.
“We know that we will be tested in every single game in the Premier League and Shrewsbury in the Carling Cup will be difficult. Let’s just show that we can win the next one, the next one is Blackburn.
“They are a good side. They got a point last week at Fulham and were a bit unlucky against Everton. So let’s prepare ourselves for a difficult opponent.
“You lose your confidence quickly and you gain it back slowly. You only gain it back with hard work and that is what we want to show at Blackburn.”
Arsenal really need the three points against Blackburn. Steve Kean is likely to be sacked before the end of the season, and Rovers look like the relegation favourites. Samba and Scott Dann are two quality centre-backs, and the Arsenal attack led by Robin van Persie will need to exert a lot of pressure in the Blackburn penalty area.
Cesc Fabregas was quoted by a magazine saying that Arsenal have little chance of winning a major trophy in the “near future.” He later denied the comments on Twitter. Cesc also opened the door for a possible return to the Emirates some day.
Fabregas allegedly said this to Sport magazine in Spain: “I want to be at a club that is able to win the big titles year after year and I don’t see that kind of future for Arsenal. I fear that they won’t be able to push the other big clubs in England away.
“If you look at the team this season I can’t see them finishing in front of teams like Manchester United or [Manchester] City, or Chelsea. There’s just too big a difference between the squads. I respect that Arsenal don’t have the same financial opportunities as the others, but it was part of my decision to leave that I find it hard to see Arsenal winning the Premier League or Champions League in the near future.”
I hate when recently-transferred players start talking about their former club. Anti-Arsenal comments have been spewing from $amir Na$ri’s mouth since his move to Manchester City. I am finished devoting time and space to Na$ri, but I do have respect left for Fabregas.
Cesc, on Twitter, denied the interview with the magazine ever took place: “I want Arsenal to be succesfull as much as every single fan. Thats not why i left, it was never in my mind. AFC made me who i am today.”
He spent four total Twitter messages explaining the situation: “And nobody will ever change that. I never gave any interview away since my press conference at my presentation and there i just said…”
“…The truth and what came out of my heart. Great words abt this great football club cause that just what they deserve: succes and trophies.”
“People can h8 me 4 leaving or remember that i gave my all for the club. But me talking 1 bad word or saying smthng against AFC will not seen.” [sic]
The new trend in modern times is denying controversial comments on Twitter or some other platform. At least Cesc did not claim that he was “hacked” like Gary Cook.
Whether or not you believe the quotes are accurate, Cesc Fabregas was a fantastic servant for our club. Despite his lack of influence last season, I do not think Cesc wanted out of Arsenal more than he wanted a move to the Nou Camp.
There is a clause in Fabregas’ contract at Barcelona that would allow Arsenal a chance to buy him if Barca ever decide to sell him. Here is what he had to say about the clause (from the Daily Mail):
“It’s absolutely fine by me (that the clause was inserted into the contract). I enjoyed my time in Arsenal. I had some great years there. I developed as a player and as a person. I finished there as captain of the club and I will still follow the club and their results.
“I don’t know if it’s realistic that I would return one day. But maybe I said the same when I left Barca, so you never know. If that was the final thing Arsenal needed to agree on to let me go, then I’m satisfied.”
It is unclear if Cesc really made these comments. You can never tell anymore whether a player actually said something. Regardless, I doubt we will ever see Fabregas wearing the red and white again.
Check back later today for a preview of Arsenal’s match against Blackburn.
Arsenal were able to sneak out of the intimidating Signal Iduna Park with a draw. Borussia Dortmund midfielder Ivan Perisic scored a brilliant equaliser late on to ensure a point for the home side. Dortmund dominated the Gunners, but Arsenal will be delighted to have earned a result in this match.
Robin van Persie scored the first goal of the game against the run of play in the 42nd minute. The Dutchman went to ground to poke the ball to Theo Walcott. Van Persie quickly stood up and made a darting run, and Theo was able to find him. RVP finished the play off with a ruthless finish.
The Gunners focused on defending in the latter part of the game, but it was not enough to stop a fantastic strike from Ivan Perisic in the 88th minute. A Dortmund set piece was cleared by Arsenal, but Perisic volleyed the ball out of mid-air and into the far corner of the net.
Wojciech Szczesny told Sky Sports: “Sometimes they go in from 20 yards, you can’t do much about it. I didn’t move. I had no chance.”
Gooners will not like to hear the statistics from the match. The German champions had 26 shots (6 on target), while the Gunners had 9 shots (2 on target). Dortmund even bested Arsenal in time of possession (57% to 43%).
Excluding Perisic’s wonder goal, Dortmund’s finishing was dreadful. The home side could have scored two or three goals very early in the match while the Arsenal back four were scrambling. In the 12th minute, the terrific Mario Gotze threaded a pass to Robert Lewandowski, and the Polish striker went around Szczesny and shot the ball towards the open net. Arsenal were saved by a goal-line clearance from Bacary Sagna. Shinji Kawaga wasted a couple opportunities early on as well.
While Arsene Wenger looked on in the stands, assistant manager Pat Rice made the decision to bring on extra defenders in the second half. Emmanuel Frimpong and Andre Santos were inserted into the match for Theo Walcott and Gervinho in an attempt to hold the slender lead.
Pat Rice said after the match that he wants Arsene Wenger back alongside him (from Arsenal.com):
“First of all, it was extremely strange not having the manager next to me because usually he is shouting in my ear: ‘why did he do that?’ and ‘why didn’t he do that?’. Did I like it? Not really, no. It has never been one of my ambitions to be the manager of a football club. It is very strange. It is too stressful for me.?”
Dortmund almost came away with the winner in added time. Robert Lewandowski had a chance to be the hero, but he shot the ball right into the arms of his Poland teammate Szczesny. It was certainly a close call for the Gunners.
Be wary of headlines like “Arsenal let lead slip.” Dortmund could have easily won this match if they had converted one of their many chances. The Gunners held on rather than collapsed.
Despite relatively poor performances, Arsene Wenger will be happy with the results his team have produced in the last week. A narrow 1-0 victory against Swansea at the Emirates marked the first Premier League win of the season for Arsenal. On Tuesday, the Gunners escaped with a point from one of the toughest places to play in Europe. And that is something to be proud of.
