Van Persie, in typical fashion, found the net, and then later fell to ground in pain.
Arsenal squandered another lead last night. Robin van Persie scored for the Gunners, but Benfica answered back in the second half with goals from Pablo Aimar and Nolito.
Van Persie put Arsenal ahead in the 33rd minute. Andrey Arshavin sent a nice ball through to Kieran Gibbs on the wing. Gibbs made an excellent cross, and RVP tapped the ball into the net. It was an easy finish to get wrong, but the Dutchman doesn’t miss open chances.
Pablo Aimar slipped through the Arsenal defence to score the equaliser in the 49th minute. Aimar was able to shield the ball from Thomas Vermaelen, make a nice turn, and shuffle the ball in the net. Vermaelen really should have done better against on of the smallest player on the pitch.
Nolito notched the winner for Benfica in the 60th minute. He turned neatly before firing a low shot from 18 yards out. The curler beat Fabianski at the near post and secured a Benfica victory.
This match was more like a competitive game than another of Arsenal’s previous pre-season match-ups. Benfica were determined to fight, and the match was rough at times. Benfica were a good final test for the Gunners before the season begins. After the match, Arsene Wenger commented:
“We got the intensity we wanted, it was a competitive game and we were challenged by a good team who had a lot of experienced players.”
Arsene Wenger said yesterday that Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas will miss the start of the season due to mysterious circumstances…
Cesc was surprisingly left out of the Arsenal squad to play Benfica on Saturday night despite training with the team all week. It was expected that Fabregas would play his first pre-season match in Portugal, but Arsene Wenger said that his skipper will miss the opening of the season (telling Arsenal.com):
“I don’t think Fabregas will be ready to start the season. He has been out for a long time and has had no games.”
These telling comments from Wenger came after he told the media this about Cesc: “I do not want to speak about the transfer of Fabregas because I have done that for three years now in every press conference, so I don’t think there is any more need to add something. I love Fabregas and I want him to stay. He is just coming back from injury and is not ready to play in a game. But he is not injured.”
If Cesc is not injured, then why can’t he play a few minutes against Benfica? Something seems suspicious.
Barcelona must be close to meeting Wenger’s asking price. They have already offered the Gunners £35m for Fabregas, but Arsene wants his £40m. It is possible that Cesc refused to play in this friendly match, and Wenger wanted to keep the situation out of the news.
So, no Fabregas for the start of the season because he is not match-fit. But Wenger [...]
Cesc Fabregas will be included in the Arsenal squad that will play Benfica on Saturday. This match could be the first for Fabregas this summer.
According to The Telegraph, Cesc will take part in Arsenal’s final pre-season fixture in Portugal at the weekend. Fabregas is frustrated to not have a Barcelona deal complete. Barring any major news, expect Cesc to play.
Arsene Wenger has not yet given up on his captain staying with the club. Wenger has made it clear to both Cesc and Samir Nasri that they must participate in club events and matches as long as they are still employed by Arsenal Football Club.
Fabregas accepts that he must contribute to the Gunners until a deal is done. Cesc has shown some responsibility during this process, unlike fellow stars Carlos Tevez and Wayne Rooney have in the past. Despite his wishes, Fabregas has not yet publicly demanded a move from Arsenal.
But, according to Daily Mail, Fabregas may use this friendly match as tool to force Arsene Wenger’s hand. Fabregas wants a deal done and may sit out the match to help facilitate his move to Barcelona.
Remember how Cesc walked out of the Arsenal-Boca Juniors match at half-time. Cesc may have pulled this stunt to show Wenger that he is no longer committed to the club. Do not forget that a phantom hamstring injury kept Fabregas out of training until recently.
We will have to wait until the Benfica team-sheet is released by Arsenal. That will tell the real story…
Gervinho made his Arsenal debut earlier today in stunning fashion. The Ivorian striker netted both Arsenal goals as the Gunners surged past FC Cologne 2-1. Cologne’s only tally came on an embarrassing own goal by Carl Jenkinson.
Jack Wilshere was key in both Gervinho goals. In the 7th minute, Wilshere unleashed a brilliant through ball that found Gervinho. The Ivorian lifted the ball over the keeper for the easy finish. I say easy because that is how it appeared. The finish was really very skillful.
Gervinho struck again in the 15th minute. Jack Wilshere threaded a ball to Theo Walcott, right by a stretching Cologne defender. Walcott put a low cross into the middle and Gervinho stuffed it in while colliding with the Cologne keeper Michael Rensing. Rensing had to leave the game after the impact.
Gervinho was substituted in the 29th minute for precautionary reasons.
Near the end of the first half, Cologne were turning up the pressure, and Carl Jenkinson gave in. Jenkinson, in an attempt to clear a cross, chipped the ball into the air in the direction of his own goal. The ball looped magically over Szczesny, who could do nothing about it.
The second half flow was disrupted by changes on both sides. Regulars Robin van Persie, Samir Nasri, and Bacary Sagna made appearences in the second half. Besides a few crosses from Sagna, the trio did not make much impact on the match.
Lukas Podolski and Milivoje Novakovic were the main attacking threats for Cologne. Both [...]
Arsene Wenger has been defiant in recent weeks when talking about Samir Nasri and Cesc Fabregas. Earlier today, the boss admitted that the Nasri situation is “not completely sorted.” Wenger also confirmed that Cesc will miss the trip to Germany, and that the Fabregas dilemma “is not settled.”
Here is what Wenger told Arsenal.com: “[It is] not completely [sorted that Samir will stay] but I want him to stay. He knows that. Hopefully we can sort that out in the coming weeks.”
Manchester City are still firmly in the hunt for Nasri. Mancini is the odds-on favourite to sign the talented Frenchman. Wenger may look to Valencia midfielder Juan Mata to replace Nasri.
Nasri’s first wish was to end up at Old Trafford. If he is determined to join the Red Devils, Nasri may wait out his current deal at the Emirates and leave on a free transfer to United. This is certainly the worst case scenario for Arsenal.
Wenger also spoke about Cesc Fabregas on Arsenal.com: “[Fabregas] has not completely recovered from his muscular injury. It is too early for him, he is not ready.
“As long as the situation is not settled, we have to focus on the coming season with the players we have. The players who are uncertain, it is difficult for them to focus on being completely committed.”
The Cesc ordeal needs to be resolved quickly. If he commits to Arsenal, then possibly Nasri signs a new contract. If Fabregas joins Barcelona, then Wenger can look [...]
Arsene Wenger expects Cesc Fabregas to return to the lineup for the friendly against FC Cologne on Saturday. Wenger will assess his injury on Monday (today).
Here is what Wenger had to say: “We will have to see how far he is with his injury … normally, yes. He is not back in full training, he is back running on the pitch and the next step is to be back in full training.
“I will have to assess him on Monday. He is in our plans. The problem we face is speculation from everywhere but my target is the same – to keep players and my desire to fight for that is the same.”
Arsenal will play their next pre-season match in Germany against Cologne at the weekend. It would be great to see Fabregas play because any match could be his last with Arsenal. Wenger believes that the Cesc saga is weighing on the team:
“We have to stop at some stage … I hope we can close that very quickly in our favour. For us, it’s important that the team settles psychologically as quickly as possible because we have a tough start.”
The issue definitely needs to be resolved soon. If Cesc goes, then Wenger needs to plan for a replacement before the start of the season. If the Spaniard stays, then the team can focus on preparation for the upcoming Premier League and Champions League matches.
13 July, 2011: Arsenal trounced Malaysia 4-0 in the Gunners’ first pre-season match. Almost all the players received playing time. Among the goal-scorers were Aaron Ramsey, Theo Walcott, Carlos Vela, and Tomas Rosciky. The Gunners looked sharp and decisive in their passing, and brilliant in their finishing.
Jack Wilshere was able to draw a penalty in the 5th minute. After slipping into the penalty area, Wilshere was blatantly tripped up and the referee pointed to the spot. Aaron Ramsey buried the kick into the back of the net to give the Gunners an early lead.
Aaron Ramsey played a vital part in the second goal as well. He launched a through ball right to a streaking Theo Walcott. Theo booted the ball right over the keeper, who had started to come out of his net, with his first touch. It was a fantastic finish and Arsenal was up 2-0 at the half.
The third goal was perhaps the prettiest of the day. A pass from Rosicky put Vela alone with the keeper. The Mexican kept his cool and put a cheeky chip past the keeper in the 58th minute. Vela was impressive throughout, showcasing his magnificent touch. His finishing wasn’t the best, though, as he found himself twice with the keeper miles away from the goal and failed to score.
The fourth goal came in the last minute of regular time. It occured from a rare Rosicky header. The Czech midfielder had just blown a clear opportunity, but he made up for it with this goal. [...]
11 July, 2011: Arsenal is in Asia now, readying for a two-match pre-season tour of the Far East. The first match will be played on Wednesday in Malaysia at 8:45 PM local time, or 1:45 PM GMT. The second match will take place on Saturday at 12:30 PM GMT in China against Hangzhou Greentown.
Unfortunately, Gervinho will not be able to make the trip as his transfer is still being processed, but there is still plenty to look forward to. Everyone is making the trip except Cesc Fabregas, Manual Almunia, and Nicklas Bendtner. Nasri will make the trip despite rumours of a move to Manchester.
There are three exciting young players to watch for during the tour. Emmanuel Frimpong, Ryo Miyaichi, and Carl Jenkinson will look to make their mark during the two matches. Frimpong, 19-years old, is a defensive midfielder. Miyaichi, meanwhile, is a 18-year old striker who played on loan with Feyenoord.
Jenkinson is a 19-year old right back, who can also fill in at centre-half. Jenkinson was signed from Charlton last month. He is a dual national footballer who can represent either England or Finland. Jenkinson has been capped three times for the U-19 Finland team, once for England U-17, and once for Finland U-21.
Emmanuel Frimpong’s early career has been marred by injury. He missed almost all of last season after suffering an injury to his anterior cruciate ligament. Frimpong is determined to get back on track and make up for lost time. Internationally, Frimpong has been capped six times [...]
