2009-10 season
Arsenal squad for 2009-10 season
Goalkeepers
1 Manuel Almunia
21 Lukasz Fabianski
24 Vito Mannone
53 Wojciech Szczesny
Defenders
3 Bacary Sagna
5 Thomas Vermaelen
6 Philippe Senderos
10 William Gallas
17 Alexandre Song
18 Mikael Silvestre
20 Johan Djourou
22 Gael Clichy
28 Kieran Gibbs
30 Armand Traore
Midfielders
2 Abou Diaby
4 Cesc Fabregas
7 Tomas Rosicky
8 Samir Nasri
15 Denilson
16 Aaron Ramsey
19 Jack Wilshere
23 Andrey Arshavin
27 Emmanuel Eboue
46 Fran Merida
Strikers
9 Eduardo
11 Robin van Persie
12 Carlos Vela
14 Theo Walcott
52 Nicklas Bendtner
Agony at Eastlands
The beginning of the end… Manuel Almunia helps Man City’s first goal into the net and Arsenal
face another uphill battle.
By NIGEL BENSON
It was another weekend of frustration for Gooners as we saw Arsenal again snatch defeat from the jaws of victory in yet another match we had dominated.
Arsenal had 53% possession and fired 20 shots at the Man City goal – double what the home side managed – at Eastlands at 2am on Sunday morning (NZT).
Our domination was so complete we won 12 corners to three.
Yet we managed to lose 2-4 and have now sit eighth in the table, having won two and lost two.
It could, and should, be looking so much different.
Man City adopted the Man Utd tactic for beating Arsenal, with constant fouls and off-the-ball obstruction, as the home side led the way in yellow cards and fouls.
But once again, it was our goalkeeper, Manuel Almunia, who got our opponents underway.
The Spaniard was criminally late in reacting to a looping Micah Richards’ 20th minute header, pushing the ball onto a post, from where it bounced off his head and into the goal.
Sitting at home on my couch in Dunedin watching the match, you just knew what was about to transpire.
As far as I’m concerned, protecting the Arsenal goal is the most important job in the world and Almunia is a pale shadow of the confidence-inspiring keepers that Arsenal have always had as custodians.
Men like Jack Kelsey, Pat Jennings, John Lukic, David Seaman and Jens Lehmann must just
shake their heads at the peroxided Spaniard’s antics.
The unfortunate thing was that, as usual, that Arsenal were well on top until Almunia’s blunder.
City took massive confidence from the goal and were a different side from that moment on.
For motivation, they only had to look to their 25 million off-season capture from Arsenal, striker Emmanuel Adebayor, who played a perfect target man role and was a predictable and popular (well, amongst City fans) man of the match.
However, the Togo striker went from hero to villian when he stamped on the face of Robin van Persie in the 72nd minute and should have been instantly red-carded.
But, once again, referee Mark Clattenburg failed to notice the incident (what is it that blinkers referees in Manchester?).
Nine minutes later Adebayor ran 100m to celebrate City’s third goal in front of the visiting Arsenal supporters, leading to angry scenes among the away fans and leaving stewards to restore order.
He was immediately booked by the referee.
Van Persie was furious with Adebayor’s cowardly act.
“I am sad and disappointed by my former team-mate Emmanuel Adebayor’s mindless and
malicious stamp on me,” van Persie said three hours after the match.
“He set out to hurt me and I feel lucky that I have not suffered a greater injury. The contact
was only centimetres from my eye. I knew he was aiming for a collision because he changed the angle of his body to allow contact to be made. He moved backwards when his natural momentum would have taken him
forward. I find that deeply disrespectful,” he said.
“I have not received an apology from him, there were no words exchanged afterwards. He had
his own agenda today and that is bad for football. It’s bad for the game we all love.
“He has shown a real lack of class today, to me and the fans. We do not hide from the
disappointment of losing the match, but I need to speak out about his behaviour.”
Adebayor seems certain to face official sanction over the ugly incident.
If so, he looks likely to be suspended for next Sunday’s Manchester derby.
Adebayor apologised after the match.
“I’m very sorry for all this. Sometimes, the emotion takes over. That’s what happened. I was
very happy to score the goal. Before the game, people have been saying and writing things and
the emotions took over.”
The highlight of the match for Arsenal fans was the return of “the Little Mozart”, Tomas Rosicky, after 18 months out with injury.
He made an immediate impact, feeding van Persie for the first equaliser before popping up with our second in the 88th minute.
Welcome back, Tomas.
Arsenal: Almunia, Sagna (Eboue 77), Vermaelen, Gallas, Clichy, Diaby, Fabregas, Denilson (Rosicky 52), Song Billong (Eduardo 77), Van Persie, Bendtner. Substitutes: Mannone, Silvestre, Eboue, Gibbs, Rosicky, Ramsey, Eduardo.
Arsenal’s next match is against Standard Liege in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday, September 16 at 19:45GMT.
Arsenal 1 Man Utd 2
Andrey Arshavin celebrates his brilliant opener at Old Trafford.
By NIGEL BENSON
Grrrrr!
The first miserable Monday of the season… enduring taunts from non-Gooner workmates all morning.
The 1-2 reverse at Old Trafford at the weekend was a devastating loss for many reasons.
It was our first defeat of the season, after a scintillating opening stanza.
This team of young guns only needs one big win to cement its confidence, and it should have
come at the home of last year’s champions on Sunday morning (NZT).
The opportunity was begging, as Arsenal were a class above united for most of the match, with
the home side chasing shadows and clinging to a game plan which revolved around Darren
Fletcher kicking lumps out of our players.
But, once again, our inexperience conspired to grab defeat from the jaws of victory.
My doubts about goalkeeper Manual Almunia continue with the peroxide-haired keeper
largely to blame for both goals.
His brainless challenge on Wayne Rooney, when the striker had overhit the ball and was no
threat to goal, handed united a predictable penalty and put a big dent in our confidence. �
As an Arsenal and football fan, I was embarrassed at Eduardo’s unnecessary penalty gaff
against Celtic.
But fans of every team have tired for years of the soft penalties given at OT.
And Wayne Rooney, in particular, has become a hate figure for his blatant cheating.
It’s not the first time Arsenal has been on the end of a poor penalty decision involving a diving Rooney
at Old Trafford.
Although referee Mike Dean, who was half the pitch away, confirmed his mediocrity by hastily giving the spotkick.
Almunia dived the wrong way and united were back in the game.
Arsenal had bossed the first half and deservedly went ahead in the 40th minute through a stunning 20-metre strike by Andrei Arshavin.
A minute before the goal Arsenal had a clear-cut penalty denied when Arshavin was brought
down by Fletcher.
United were in disarray at halftime and looked out of the match.
But Almunia’s 59th minute clanger changed all that.
Minutes later, Ryan Giggs floated an inoffensive ball into the box.
Diaby, who was under no pressure, obviously didn’t get a call from Almunia and so he attacked the ball… and promptly turned it into his own net.
Unbelievable.
A more dominant goalkeeper would have turned the situation into a non-event. Almunia remains, in my view, the weak link in Arsenal’s armour.
The frustrating thing is that we continue to make naive mistakes when vital players are injured which are costing us results.
It was shades of rookie defender Keiran Gibbs’ gaff in the EUFA Champions League semi-final last year, when he slipped over and gave a way a goal in the opening minutes.
Diaby spoiled another excellent match with his own-goal.
But, again, I would ask what Almunia was doing during that goal. That ball had “keeper’s” written all over it and our Spanish goalie is one of the most experienced players in our team.
It was not all bad news for Gooners, though. Even Man Utd fan friends have conceded that Arsenal was the superior team.
Hopefully, this loss will encourage Arsene to bolster our squad before the transfer market door slams shut tomorrow (Tuesday NZ time).
Soon after, Robin van Persie hit the united crossbar with a thumping free kick, before turning the ball into the net in injury time only to see William Gallas ruled offside.
Arsene kicked out at a water bottle in frustration and was bizarrely ordered off the bench and sent to the stands by the inept referee Dean.
The Referee’s Association has confirmed it will apologise to Arsenal for the officials’ performance.
A bit like losing a tenner and finding 50p, though…
Arsenal next play Manchester City on Saturday, September 12.
Arsenal: Manuel Almunia, Bacary Sagna, William Gallas, Thomas Vermaelen, Gael Clichy, Denilson (79), Alex Song, Andrey Arshavin (81), Abou Diaby, Emmanuel Eboue (71), Robin van Persie.
Substitutes: Eduardo (79), Mikael Silvestre, Aaron Ramsey (81), Jack Wilshere, Kieran Gibbs, Nicklas Bendtner (71), Vito Mannone.
Arsenal 4 Portsmouth 1
It’s a bird… it’s a plane… it’s William Gallas!
Gallas celebrates after his goal against Portsmouth.
By NIGEL BENSON
Arsenal have surged back to the top of the Premier League after overwhelming Portsmouth
4-1 at the Emirates at 2am on Sunday (NZT).
The Gunners have now scored 12 goals in three games to start the 2009-10 season with a bang
and confound critics who had written off their title hopes.
Indeed, after the match a goal.com survey showed that Arsenal are now the fans’ favourites
to win the league, with 31.65% of fans surveyed believing The Gunners would grab title glory
this season.
Manager Arsene Wenger hailed his young team’s “brilliant start” to the season.
“We have had a brilliant start,” Wenger said after the match.
“It should create confidence and momentum. We now go into another week which will be
another test against Celtic and then Manchester United. It looks to be exciting and interesting.”
Midfielder Abou Diaby, making his 100th Arsenal appearance, opened the scoring in the 18th
minute from an Eduardo pass.
Three minutes later he popped up to convert Emmanuel Eboue’s cross for his second goal,
before Portsmouth reduced the deficit when Younes Kaboul out-jumped keeper Manuel
Almunia and headed home in the 37th minute.
It was a hugely disappointing error by Almunia and the groan could be heard around the
ground, as Arsenal fans who have witnessed too many collapses over the past few seasons,
feared the worst once again.
The suspicion remains, certainly in my mind, that Almunia is not yet the top shelf goalkeeper
who can help instill the confidence in a team that is necessary to win titles.
Fortunately, defender William Gallas soon arrived to score his third goal in as many games
and restore Arsenal’s two goal cushion, before midfielder Aaron Ramsey then sealed the deal
with his first ever league goal, in the 68th minute.
It is now more than 50 years since Portsmouth beat The Gunners.
Wenger praised striker Robin van Persie, who was everywhere, for his hard-work and
unselfish contribution.
“Robin deserved a goal in this game as his all-round contribution was excellent. He is our
main creator at the moment and I’m sure the goals will come for him sooner rather than later,”
he said.
“What is positive is this team are producing goals and chances from a variety of positions. We
have scored 10 goals in our first two games this season and 12 if you count the Champions
League match at Celtic. It’s a brilliant start and we have to try and build on it.”
Wenger also reserved special praise for two-goal hero Diaby, comparing him to “Invincibles”
skipper Patrick Vieira.
“When he decides to play more defensively, he is exactly like [Patrick] Vieira,” Wenger said.
“He has quick transition from box to box. When we are on the counter-attack, he is fantastic.
This could be his season. He has all you dream to have to play in the Premier League.”
Wenger obviously had one eye on a busy schedule this week in naming Nicklas Bendtner,
Gael Clichy, Alex Song and Bacary Sagna on the substitute’s bench, with Emmanuel Eboue,
Diaby, Kieran Gibbs and Eduardo all given a start.
The only downside to the match was when Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas limped off with a
tight hamstring at half-time and was replaced by 18-year-old Ramsey.
“If it is a little pull, he will be out for three weeks’ Wenger said.
“If it is just tightness, maybe he can get away for Wednesday. In 48 hours, we will have a better
view.”
Arsenal next play Celtic in the UEFA Champions League second leg qualifier on Wednesday,
followed by a trip to Old Trafford next Saturday against defending champion Man Utd.
Season 2009-10 kicks off
By NIGEL BENSON
We’re off!
Season 2009-10 is underway and Arsenal are already top of the league!
Sunday morning’s 6-1 drubbing of Everton at Goodison Park was the biggest home defeat suffered by the Toffees since, coincidentally, Arsenal’s visit in 1958.
It was the most comprehensive away victory on the opening day of a season since Liverpool crushed Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park by the same score on August 20, 1994.
“There are still areas in which my team can improve,” Wenger said, ominously, minutes after the final whistle.
It was a statement that will send shivers up the spines of every other Premier League club.
The goals came from Denilson, Tomas Vermaelen, William Gallas, Cesc Fabregas (2) and Eduardo. It was a great sight seeing the Arsenal players mob Eduardo after his goal; the first since his horror leg fracture at Birmingham last year.
Debutante Vermaelen was also impressive, with a well-taken second goal (see photo above) from Robin van Persie’s free-kick.
“We liked Thomas when he played against us for Ajax,” Arsene Wenger later told Arsenal.com.
“We kept watching him and we liked what he did. He has shown that he has a good chance to adapt and become a good asset for us.
“He is good in the air. Many people had question marks about him in the air because of his size. But what I saw in the air was quite reassuring; being good in the air is not always linked with the size and he has shown that against Everton.”
Wenger was also impressed by the sportsmanship shown by the Goodison faithful (well, at least those who stayed for the whole match – blue shirts were pouring out of the stadium within minutes of the second half starting!).
“We were applauded off the pitch by Everton’s fans,” Wenger said.
“Firstly, that shows great sportsmanship from Everton Football Club, but it also shows that we put in a very good team performance.”
It’s been a tough three months for Gooners, with little activity in the transfer market and the loss of several established players.
It was sad to say goodbye to the last of the “Invincibles”, Kolo Toure, although the Cameroon defender hasn’t been the player he was before a serious bout of malaria last year.
At 28, and with another African Nations Cup campaign in the new year, it was an excellent piece of business selling Toure for 14 million euros to Man City.
Emmanuel Adebayor was another matter, and I don’t know many Gooners who are mourning his 25 million euro sale, also to the blue side of Manchester.
Certainly Nikolas Bentner, who Adebayor infamously head-butted during a North London Carling Cup derby last year, wasn’t at N5 to wave him off.
Adebayor, for all his talent, committed the unforgiveable sin of taking his #25 Arsenal shirt for granted. Team-mates have also hinted that he could be a disruptive influence in the dressing room.
Although, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger naturally played down any talk of conflict.
“I’m not sure but I don’t want publicly to come out on that,” he said.
“I never felt there was an issue spirit-wise at the club or within the team. I felt that always we had a good spirit but it’s something that is difficult to measure when you aren’t living every day in the dressing room. You do not always know everything.
“We have a united spirit but you have to take care of your attitude and the players have to take care of the spirit because it is as fragile as the weather in England, quickly cloudy,” he said.
“It’s strange because when you have no attitude or spirit, you have no results and when you have results, you can also lose it quickly. But I believe we have a good attitude and a strong togetherness and that came out at Everton.
“Many people were doubting our capacity to win away from home but we scored more goals away from home than anybody else in the Premier League. So it cannot be a complete surprise to people who look at facts.”
It was also an A+ pass mark for Wenger’s new 4-3-2-1 formation, which he has been honing in pre-season fixtures.
The new formation gives captain Cesc Fabregas, who scored twice against Everton, “more licence” to break forward, Wenger said.
“Cesc scored goals when he was a young boy and I can’t see why that won’t come back.”
Wenger is a past master at manipulating the transfer market (remember Andrey Arshavin’s post-deadline signing in January?) and it’s an even money bet a new face of two will be at the Emirates in the next couple of weeks.
Possible targets are rumoured to include Fulham’s giant centre-half Brede Hangeland, Real Madrid midfielder Rafael van der Vaart and Bordeaux striker Marouane Chamakh.
The transfer window closes on August 31.
Arsenal next have a testing UEFA Champions League qualifying match at 6am tomorrow (New Zealand time) against Celtic at Celtic Park.
Fabregas is an injury doubt for the match, along with fellow midfielder Denilson and defender Bacary Sagna. Striker Theo Walcott and defender Johan Djourou are also doubtful.
The likely Arsenal squad is: Almunia, Sagna, Vermaelen, Gallas, Clichy, Eboue, Song, Diaby, Fabregas, Arshavin, van Persie, Eduardo, Mannone, Bendtner, Denilson, Ramsey, Wilshere, Gibbs, Silvestre. Arsenal v
Everton Everton (4-5-1): T Howard 5 — A Hibbert 5 (sub: D Gosling, 58min 4), J Yobo 4, J Lescott 3, L Baines 5 — L Osman 6 (sub: L Saha, 58 6), P Neville 5, M Fellaini 4, T Cahill 5, S Pienaar 5 — Jô 4 (sub: J Rodwell, 58 5). Substitutes not used: C Nash, S Duffy, J Vaughan, J Baxter. Next: Burnley (a).
Arsenal (4-2-3-1): M Almunia 6 — B Sagna 6, W Gallas 7, T Vermaelen 8, G Clichy 7 — A Song 8, Denilson 6 — N Bendtner 7 (sub: E Eboué, 62 6), F Fàbregas 8 (sub: A Ramsey, 72), A Arshavin 6 — R van Persie 8 (sub: Eduardo da Silva, 72). Substitutes not used: V Mannone, M Silvestre, K Gibbs, F Mérida.
Referee: M Halsey
Attendance: 39,309
Arsenal’s next Premier League match is against Portsmouth at the Emirates on Saturday (NZT).
