Champions League Play-off Preview: (Besiktas vs. Arsenal)

Hello Gooners! I am back, after what I realized was my first extended blog break since I created this blog. To that end, I will like to congratulate all Arsenal fans worldwide. We kept the faith and had to wait 3,283 days for silverware; Arsenal have now won two trophies in less than four months... Get used to winning trophies guys.

One important factor that kept us relevant as a top team in Europe during our nine years of drought was our consistent appearance in the group stage of the UEFA Champions league. Now we are looking to secure a place in the lucrative group stage of Europe's elite club competition for a 17th consecutive campaign.

Date: Tuesday, Aug. 19, at 7:45 p.m.

Venue: Ataturk Olympic Stadium, Istanbul, Turkey

UEFA have appointed Milorad Mazic to referee the first leg Champions League qualifier between Besiktas and Arsenal.

Milorad Mazic refereed the Argentina vs Iran game and the Germany vs Portugal game at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

The 41-year-old referee’s motto is, “You can’t please everyone”.

Milovan Ristic and Dalibor Djurdjevic will be the lines-men while Vladimir Jovanovic will be the forth official.

Wenger: "We want to be in the Champions League group stage... We are desperate to go through, no matter what it costs we want to go through. We have always had a difficult draw, we had Fenerbahce last year, this time we have Besiktas. It's difficult. "

Slaven Bilic's side, who finished third in the Turkish Super League last season, do not begin their domestic campaign until later this month, although they were convincing winners against Feyenoord in the third qualifying round, with former Chelsea striker Demba Ba scoring a hat-trick in the second leg.

"Arsenal have some of the best players in the world but we have seen on many occasions that talent doesn't necessarily mean a team will win," said the Croatian Bilic, who played in England for West Ham United and Everton.

Besiktas have faced English opposition 14 times in Europe, winning four, drawing three and losing seven. 

The Eagles have scored 11 times against English opposition and conceded 27 goals.  

This will be the first competitive meeting between the two clubs, with the winner over the two legs going into the draw for the group stage of the tournament.

Recent form

Besiktas: LWW

Arsenal: WLWLWW

Possible starting lineups

Besiktas: Zengen; Kurtulus, Sahan, Pektemek, Hutchinson; Ozyakup, Uysal, Frei, Gulu, Ramon; Ba

Arsenal: Szczesny; Monreal, Debuchy, Chambers, Koscielny; Arteta, Sanchez, Ramsey, Rosicky, Campbell; Giroud

The remaining five play-off first legs will be played on Wednesday, with the returns to come next midweek.

Champions League fixtures on Tuesday (kick-offs 18:45 GMT):

Play-offs 1st leg:

Besiktas (TUR) v Arsenal (ENG)

FC Copenhagen (DEN) v Bayer Leverkusen (GER)

Steaua Bucharest (ROM) v Ludogorets (BUL)

Napoli (ITA) v Athletic Bilbao (ESP)

Salzburg (AUT) v Malmo (SWE)

#OptimisticGooner predicts Besiktas 1-3 Arsenal.

Fulham v Arsenal Preview.

Arsenal will be looking to grab the first win of the season and get up and running in the Premier League. The loss last weekend to Aston Villa at home was a disastrous game for the Gunners, giving away two penalties and having a man sent off. We will be without the suspended Laurent Koscielny but have a renewed confidence after an excellent win away at Fenerbahce in the mid week.

Fulham on the other hand will be looking to push on from their opening day victory away to Sunderland, Martin Jol would have been hoping to face an Arsenal side lacking in confidence but our European exploits saw to that. He knows his team is capable of threatening Arsenal, with attacking players like Berbatov and Bryan Ruiz.

Overall this should be a good contest but I can see Arsenal pulling out a close victory. We won’t fall into the same mistakes that plagued us against Villa last time out. There’s no doubting Fulham will be dangerous but they won’t pose a huge threat to the Arsenal goal.

Arsene Wenger is still not sure as to how many players will be deemed fit from their midweek battle in Turkey, with the Gunners already treading thin water in terms of squad size. Long term injuries to Mikel Arteta, Alex Oxlade-Chemberlain and Abou Diaby has forced Wenger to use Jack Wilshere for two full 90 minutes in back to back games, who is likely to be tired after coming back from a long lay-off.

 The Gunners are exploring the possibility of signing Mathieu Flamini on a free, who is currently training with them and are also considering a renewed bid for Newcastle midfielder Yohan Cabaye after having a £10m bid rejected.

"The news is quite positive at the moment. Of course we have some players who I will need to consider because of the accumulation of the international game and then the Premier League and Champions League matches. I will have to make a deeper analysis tomorrow and on Saturday morning," Wenger concluded.

Wenger also refused to comment on whether former midfielder Mathieu Flamini would be rejoining, stating that he is only training with the club, but the Frenchman insists Arsenal are still a draw for players.

"Yes I'm confident that we'll make the signings we need because of the desire of the players to join us," he said.

"There's also the fact that while we maybe don't have as much money as everybody writes, we have some funds available to do transfers.

"We've worked on it very hard but it hasn't come off as quickly and as well as we wanted.

"You'd be surprised how early we acted. In our job you can spend a lot of time, not going on holiday and work on things without it coming off.

"In football you have to deal with any situation and be patient. As long as the window is open, anything can happen until the last minute."

 Big match stats:

• Arsenal won the most points from Premier League London derbies in 2012-13 (19).
• Only against Manchester United (17) have Fulham lost more Premier League games than versus Arsenal (16).
• Fulham have won just three of their previous 24 Premier League games against the Gunners, but all three of these victories have come at Craven Cottage.
• There have been four red cards given in the last three Premier League meetings between Fulham and Arsenal (two each) at Craven Cottage.
• The Gunners have been given more red cards in the Premier League since the start of 2012/13 than any other side (6), including Laurent Koscielny’s dismissal in the opening game of this term.
• The Whites attempted just one shot at goal (excluding blocked) in their opening day win over Sunderland, but this shot from Pajtim Kasami decided the game.
• Darren Bent has scored six goals in his last eight Premier League games against Arsenal.
• Arsenal have not lost their opening two matches of a Premier League season since 1992/93.
• In 2012/13, Arsenal did not win in the league until their third game, after drawing the first two 0-0.
• Fulham have never won their opening two matches of a Premier League season. The last time that they won their first two league games of a season was in 2000/01 in the second tier.
• Following his goal against Aston Villa, Olivier Giroud has now scored 12 goals in the Premier League for Arsenal. However, just one of these has come away from home.

Letter To Ivan Gazidis

Despite a transfer budget of around £70 million, Wenger is yet to spend any money this summer and now appears increasingly unlikely to land the three “world-class” signings that had been his aim for the summer... Wenger insists he is pursuing other options and, however unlikely it may seem, Arsenal have not given up hope on Luis Suárez and Wayne Rooney. 

Following Arsenal’s shocking defeat to Aston Villa on the opening day of the season, a group of Arsenal fans who are functioning under the name “The Black Scarf Movement” (BSM) have written a letter to Arsenal chief Ivan Gazidis, expressing their concerns over the state of the club in a hope that things will change in the near future. The group consisting of over 4000 Arsenal faithfuls are one of the biggest official supporters groups.

BSM spokesman David O’Leary said: ‘A long-standing concern of the Black Scarf Movement is that profits have always remained in the business and were not re-invested in the team. We have lost in excess of 20 players this close-season and, while some would have been considered “dead wood”, the squad is now dangerously thin as we go into the new season.

‘Our concern has always been with matters off the pitch and not on it but the Aston Villa result coupled with the non-arrivals this summer have proved again that the Board running the club are not interested in success on the pitch. Only profit in the bank.’

Here is the full transcript of the letter: 

Following a poor few months in the transfer window, resulting in today’s poor defeat at home to Aston Villa, we have written to Arsenal Chief Executive Ivan Gazidis. We’ve expressed our concerns and the general feeling among fans at present, demanding that positive action is taken. Below is a copy of the letter…
 

Dear Ivan,

We write to you as Arsenal’s largest and fastest growing supporters’ group, to convey our deep concern at the current state of our team going into the new season.

In early June, around season ticket renewal time, you were widely quoted following your Q&A event where you spoke about the club’s new financial firepower and ambition moving forward. Many fans saw this as the club finally about to break free from the shackles of moving stadium; new commercial deals were coming into place, we had a vast amount of cash available in the bank, profit from the Queensland Road property project was secured, the vast increase in TV revenue was about to land on our doorstep, and after treading water since moving from Highbury it seemed as if we were finally going to push on.

What has happened since then is nothing short of a disgrace.

There have been noises coming out of the club over the summer that the market was slow, that other clubs weren’t doing much, and that things take time if you’re after top quality players. We feel all of these were poor excuses, designed to deflect focus away from our shortcomings.

The only positive of the summer has been the release of many players who were generally considered ‘dead wood’ – and naturally this frees up more cash for investment in the team. But with the departure of these players, virtually no movement has come in the opposite direction and we’re now left with a squad severely lacking in depth and experience. Indeed, the squad registered for the Champions League in the last week had to be padded out with kids.

As a group we have been concerned for some time that the Board running our club has lost sight of the raison d’être i.e. we are Arsenal Football Club; not a business purely focused on posting profits year after year.

You will have seen the results of our end of season survey, which came out in favour of Arsene Wenger but with 70% stating that he has too much control over transfer negotiations and setting of wage levels at the club. The same survey revealed that 87% of fans feel the current Board of Arsenal is out of touch with the feeling among fans, and that 73% feel less valued by the club since we moved stadium.

It is our view as a group that the Board of Arsenal is too relaxed about the competitiveness of our team, and that as long as a top four place is secured, it is a case of ‘job done’. This should never be the case but despite hearing you say you’re not happy every time we end a season with nothing to really cheer about, nothing changes.

So in June following your statement of intent, fans were rightly hopeful but what has happened since then? Yet again we’ve spent the summer dithering while others around us have strengthened, and once more we start the season playing catch-up. With five competitive matches due before the transfer window closes, there is every chance that our season could be dealt a hammer blow before we’ve had a chance to take stock, and this weekend’s defeat at home to Aston Villa should act as a huge wake-up call.

We are now in a situation where we’re faced with a carbon copy of 2011, where it took an 8-2 humiliation at Manchester United to force a ‘trolley dash’ on the final day of the transfer window. Of course by then it was too late. For Arsenal to be in that situation once is unacceptable; for it to happen twice in three years will be unforgivable.

It is imperative that the Board of Arsenal does its job and manages the Manager – an employee of the club you are supposed to be running. What are Arsene Wenger’s targets / KPIs set by the Board every year? Is the he not even answerable to the Board, with free rein to do as he pleases as long as he helps the business achieve a profit? Is he having to do all the running himself when it comes to transfers or if support is there, is he taking it? Clarity is required here because something clearly isn’t right at the club when it comes to the acquisition of new players.

You put all the focus on the Arsene Wenger yourself at that Q&A session in June, but to fans there is little evidence of questions being asked of him; this despite approaching the end of the transfer window with no sign of needed, established quality coming in. Does the Board feel that it’s been a good summer? Because we’ve now lost our opening game of the season, our squad is already blitzed by injury, once more today there were fans coming to blows in the stands. As a Board member, does this even bother you?

Of course if we used the funds we do have available, brought in top quality players and competed for prizes, in would come better commercial deals, you wouldn’t have as much trouble trying to get corporate punters back into the stadium, and naturally the more successful we are it becomes easier to attract better players. Or is the Board too short-sighted to realise this?

A competitive team isn’t one which scrapes the position of 4th best team in the league on the final day of the season and gets dumped out of domestic cup competitions by lower league opposition; you need to realise that most fans are aware of this fact. They’re not duped by finishing in a position which may result in us playing in the Champions League. So what, if the cash from that competition is simply banked and never sees the light of day?

It should be noted that as long term fans of The Arsenal we’ve seen plenty of lean times and poor teams over the years. Silverware isn’t the be all and end all; we follow this club out of pure love and will always do so. However, loyal matchgoing fans continue to walk away from Emirates Stadium, unwilling to part with their hard-earned cash when they feel let down and lied to by our Board. We pay the highest ticket prices in football after being sold a dream, but it’s always a case of ‘jam tomorrow’ and many have seen through the spin.

Enough is enough.

If the Board is actually intent on making Arsenal a successful force in football once again, changes have to be made. Arsene Wenger should have experienced, qualified support to help bring in top quality players, and he needs to be managed effectively if the right business isn’t being done.

Or if the Board is simply intent on milking the Arsenal brand for all its worth to the detriment of the team (but to the benefit of our bank account), season ticket prices at Emirates Stadium should be reduced accordingly. Our loyal fans should no longer have to bear the burden after doing so for many years.

Make no mistake, if there is not significant improvement in our playing squad over the next couple of weeks, the rapidly growing anger in the stands will become difficult to overturn. There hasn’t been a poisonous atmosphere like this at Arsenal for over 30 years and the Board has simply stood by, while things have gone from bad to worse. I am sure you appreciate, this can no longer happen.

We look forward to your response in due course.

Yours faithfully,

Where Has Our Arsenal Gone (the Black Scarf Movement) 
Naturally we will keep you informed of any response we receive from Gazidis, or anyone else at the club.

2013/2014 Season Preview: Arsenal

With days until the start of the new Premier League season, Arsenal are set to commence their campaign without any major summer signings despite seemingly being the most active club in the transfer window.

Arsenal supporters are increasingly desperate for silverware, suffering through a trophy-less stretch that has extended to eight years. Going into the summer, Arsenal chief executive Ivan Gazidis was bullish about making moves, and his comments about the ‘escalation in our financial firepower’ had many fans excited about the new blood that could arrive at Emirates. However, with the clock rapidly counting down to the season’s kick-off, this optimistic view is beginning to fade.

At the moment, Arsenal is yet to complete the signing of Luiz Gustavo, meaning the club’s only notable addition has been the capture of France Under-20 striker, Yaya Sanogo, on a free transfer from Auxerre. If Gustavo’s signing is completed, the addition of the Brazilian anchorman would represent a quality addition and the filling of pressing a need.

The Gunners are also after Luis Suarez, and signing the Uruguayan international would make the entire summer of waiting seem worth it for Arsenal fans. It’s simplistic to say Arsenal haven’t recovered from losing Robin van Persie; any team would miss his goals. In the 2011-2012 season, Van Persie scored 30 of Arsenal’s 74 league goals. However, Arsenal have not had adequate contingencies for the Dutchman’s loss. Olivier Giroud had a decent first season, scoring 11 league goals in 24 starts. Lukas Podolski and Santi Cazorla chipped in with 11 and 12 goals respectively, while Theo Walcott topped all Arsenal scorers with 14 strikes.

But none of Arsenal’s strikers were the consistent, clinical force in front of goal required to reach the top of the league. For example, Giroud had a shooting accuracy of 43%; he converted just 13% of his chances and put-away only 17% of his clear-cut chances. Regardless of whether or not Suarez arrives, Giroud will need to be more efficient in order for Arsenal to compete for trophies.

Despite the lack of transfer activity, Arsenal does return a team more than capable of a top 4 finish, the club is in a more secure position than rivals Liverpool and Tottenham. Arsene Wenger enters his 18th season as manager, and the continuity that he brings could actually become an advantage in a league where the top three clubs will all have new managers at the helm. Nevertheless, even though there is still time for the dynamic to change at Emirates, and the bulk of the responsibility for earning a trophy will come from the players that are currently there.

Given Arsenal’s current pieces, Gustavo’s high tactical nous and supreme physical capabilities provide the exact type of player that the club needs. Arsenal’s fullbacks routinely push up to provide width in the final third as the wide attacking players – be it Lukas Podolski, Theo Walcott or Santi Cazorla – move infield, as is their preference. Without an athletic anchorman to cover space, the result has been a major weakness in transition and the brutal exposure of Arsenal’s two centre-backs.

Mikel Arteta did a commendable job at the base of the midfield, but his lack of physicality and speed was exposed on occasion. Arteta, by trade, is a creative midfielder, and isn’t naturally versed in the defensive aspects of the game. As an added consequence, Arsenal struggled to create chances offensively, despite leading the Premier League in possession percentage for the third straight season.

The bottom line is that Arsenal finished 16 points off the title pace last season for a reason – the lack of world-class quality – and, particularly as their rivals strengthen, they sorely need a shot in the arm. Everybody knows it; everybody says it. The issue has become all-consuming, and it has even undermined the tick-boxes for optimism.

There is the momentum from the form at the end of last season; the lack of a damaging summer departure; the fantastic spirit; a fit Jack Wilshere; the scope for players to improve and the sense that this is a team that can beat anybody on their day. The all-conquering Bayern Munich would attest to that.

The problem for Arsenal is that a new centre-forward is not the limit of their requirements. With Thomas Vermaelen out for at least six weeks with a stress fracture to his back and Johan Djourou loaned to Hamburg, a centre-half is a priority, while it would also be encouraging to see reinforcement in midfield, however well Aaron Ramsey finished last season and has performed during pre-season. Wenger has a long standing interest in Everton's Marouane Fellaini.

The goalkeeper is a discussion point, with Wojciech Szczesny erratic last season; capable of maverick misjudgments. Wenger has been urged to sign a new No1 but he will also consider the merits of Lukasz Fabianski, who has a better chance than ever to establish himself. Szczesny makes the entirely valid point that no goalkeeper lasts the season without mistakes and, at only 23, he has plenty of scope for development.

It is a big season for Wilshere, and not only because there is the World Cup at the end of it. The England midfielder is still not 100% fit, according to Wenger but he has had his first pre-season since 2010, which has fired the optimism. Wenger will have moments when Wilshere will need a breather, possibly as important games approach. Can he be strong enough to stand him down? He has admitted in the past that he has been guilty of over-playing Wilshere, which might have contributed to his foot injuries.

Wenger says that a "special bond" exists between his British players and the club, and it permeates to the rest of the squad, helping to set the right tone. Wilshere, Ramsey, Theo Walcott, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Kieran Gibbs and Carl Jenkinson currently stare down from a giant billboard outside the Emirates Stadium and there are exciting young players ready to follow them from the ranks, albeit not British, with Serge Gnabry and Gedion Zelalem the hottest prospects. The club's Capital One Cup ties will be worth watching.

It is an uneasy time, in many respects, with hope undercut by fear. Arsenal are the only top-four club not to have changed their manager, and the stability could give them an edge. If only, their supporters say, they could sign one or two players of the highest order. It is the eternal refrain. The next four weeks, which contain both legs of the Champions League play-off, stand to determine everything.

On paper, Arsenal have a manageable start to the 2013-2014 campaign playing five teams (Aston Villa, Fulham, Sunderland, Stoke and Norwich) that finished in the bottom half last season as well as newly-promoted Crystal Palace. The two testing matches – versus Tottenham and Liverpool – are both at home.

All the same, in order to challenge for a title Arsenal have to improve drastically in its performances against other top teams. Arsenal were winless against Manchester United, Manchester City and Chelsea last season, picking up just two points in six matches.

Last season:

Premier League: 4th

FA Cup: Fifth Round

League Cup: Quarter Final

Champions League: Last 16

How do you see us finishing this season?

...Go GUNNERS!!!

End-of-season report: Arsenal (Sports mole)

By Darren Plant, Reporter (Sports mole)

Arsenal headed into the season on the back of losing key players Robin van Persie and Alex Song respectively.

Arsene Wenger replaced them with the likes of Lukas Podolski and Santi Cazorla, but it wasn't enough to help the Gunners mount a challenge for the Premier League title.


August

Arsenal would have been optimistic of getting their season off to a winning start against Sunderland, but they were held to a 0-0 draw by the Black Cats.

Their uneventful start continued when they were uninspiring in another goalless stalemate, this time at the Britannia Stadium against Stoke City.

September

The Gunners recorded their first success of the season at the beginning of September, as Santi Cazorla helped them to a 2-0 win over Liverpool at Anfield.

They proved they had turned the corner in front of goal with a 6-1 thrashing of Southampton, before traveling to France to seal a 2-1 win over Montpellier in the Champions League.

A late Laurent Koscielny goal earned Arsenal a point at Manchester City, but they ended the month with a home defeat to London rivals Chelsea.



October

Arsenal continued to enjoyed mixed fortunes in the Premier League, beating West Ham United 3-1 at Upton Park before losing to Norwich City.

It was a similar occurrence in Europe, as the Gunners fell to a surprise home defeat to Schalke 04 after comfortably seeing off Olympiakos.

The month ended on a positive note, with Arsenal beating Queens Park Rangers thanks to a late Mikel Arteta effort, before a Theo Walcott hat-trick contributed to his side coming out on top in a remarkable 7-5 success over Reading in the Captial One Cup.

November

Wenger's side were failing to overcome their inconsistency in the Premier League, as Robin van Persie returned to haunt his old team in helping Manchester United to a 2-1 victory at Old Trafford.

Draws against Schalke 04 and Fulham failed to ease the pressure on Wenger, but a 5-2 victory over rivals Tottenham Hotspur helped ease the tension at the Emirates Stadium.

The Gunners got back on track in the Champions League after securing their second success over Montpellier after a stunning volley from Lukas Podolski, but successive stalemates against Everton and Aston Villa left Arsenal with just one victory from five league games in November.



December

There were calls for the Arsenal board to sack Arsene Wenger after Swansea sealed a 2-0 win at the Emirates Stadium, and a victory by the same scoreline did little to ease the discontent in North London.

Things got worse for the Frenchman as League Two side Bradford City inflicted a penalty shootout defeat on the Premier League team.

However, that brought a response from the Gunners, who recorded three wins in a row in the Premier League, including a 7-3 win over Newcastle United.

January

Arsenal began 2013 with a 1-1 draw at Southampton, before they were taken to a replay in the FA Cup by Swansea City.

Manchester City and Chelsea earned crucial wins against the Gunners in the Premier League, but they were victorious in edging past Swansea in their FA Cup replay.

January ended on a high, with Brighton & Hove Albion being disposed of in the next round of the FA Cup, and Arsenal securing four points out of six from their league games with West Ham and Liverpool.

Olivier Giroud came out of those encounters with his reputation in England enhanced, after netting five goals in three matches.



February

Arsenal were coming under pressure to deliver in the Premier League with Spurs pushing hard for a Champions League spot, and they responded in February with three narrow victories.

However, success was limited to the league, as Blackburn Rovers secured a famous 1-0 triumph at the Emirates in the FA Cup.

Bayern Munich produced a formidable display in the Champions League, taking a 3-1 lead after the first leg of their tie.

March

March began badly as Tottenham claimed a crucial win to gain a significant advantage in the race for a Champions League spot.

A gutsy performance in Germany saw Arsenal defeat Bayern Munich, but it wasn't enough to avoid being eliminated from the Champions League.

However, important goals from Gervinho helped the Gunners earn consecutive wins over Swansea and Reading to get their domestic campaign back on track.



April

Arsenal had hauled themselves back in contention for a top-four position, and two goals from Tomas Rosicky helped them to another win at West Bromwich Albion.

A further success over Norwich continued the momentum, but the Gunners were held to a goalless draw by Everton three days later.

Wenger's side were looking increasingly confident in defence, and they fought hard to beat Fulham at Craven Cottage after having Giroud dismissed.

The month ended with Arsenal sealing a point off Manchester United, with Van Persie netting a penalty on his return to the Emirates Stadium.

May

Arsenal had moved into pole position in the race for fourth place, and a goal from Walcott after 20 seconds moved the North London side to within touching distance of a Champions League place.

The Gunners then inflicted relegation on Wigan Athletic after a rousing second-half performance, to leave Wenger's side in pole position ahead of rivals Spurs for the final spot in the European Cup.



It all bolied down to the final day of the campaign away at Newcastle United, while Tottenham played host to Sunderland at White Hart Lane.

It was by no means a vintage Arsenal performance, but a volley from French defender Laurent Koscielny was enough for the Gunners to win the match, thus ensuring that they finished ahead of Spurs once again.

It could prove to be an interesting summer at the Emirates, with Wenger having promised to be active in the transfer market.

Culled from: Sports mole.

Arsenal confirms Emirates Cup line-up.

After last year’s Olympics put paid to the almost traditional Emirates Cup, the pre-season tournament returns this summer and Arsenal have confirmed the line-up of teams.

FC Porto, Italian side Napoli and Turkish champions Galatasaray will take part in the two day event, which will take place on Saturday, August 3rd and Sunday, August 4th.

Arsenal chief executive Ivan Gazidis said: "We are delighted to be welcoming the Emirates Cup back to north London this summer after last year's break.

"We are welcoming three high-quality sides to this year's competition again and I'm sure we'll see some great football played over the two days.

"Emirates has been the proud sponsor of the tournament since the inaugural competition in 2007 and we are very pleased to be working closely with them again on the Emirates Cup 2013."

The times of the games are as follows:

Saturday, August 3

2pm – Galatasaray v FC Porto.

 4.20pm – Arsenal v Napoli

Sunday, August 4

2pm – Napoli v FC Porto

 4.20pm – Arsenal v Galatasaray

 

No ticketing information is available yet.

Possible 39th League fixture for Arsenal.

Last night’s 4-1 victory over Wigan has opened up a series of very interesting possibilities for the final placings of the season.

As it stands, a victory against Newcastle on Sunday guarantees at least fourth place, with an Everton victory over Chelsea giving us third.

However, if Arsenal win and Chelsea are held to a draw, we could be in for an unprecedented event.

It would have to be a very specific set of results. Right now, Chelsea are two points ahead of Arsenal, with 2 more goals scored and 1 fewer conceded, giving them +1 goal difference.

Hence, if Arsenal beat Newcastle 2-1 and Chelsea draw 0-0, the two sides would have equal points, goals scored and conceded, and goal difference.

In  this highly unlikely yet eminently possible case, head-to-head would be  ignored, fortunately for Arsenal. Chelsea won both PL games 2-1 this  season, but head-to-head has never been favoured in England. So it would  go a play-off at a neutral venue, to decide who qualifies automatically  for the CL and who goes into the qualifying round.

The Arsenal locker room. (Funny)

Our cameraman sneaked into the Arsenal locker room and he was only able to get two shots...

share comments; tell us if this is true.

Match-fixing probe baffles Arsene Wenger

ARSENAL manager Arsene Wenger believes the Europol match-fixing investigation has swept through football like a “tsunami” – and claimed “sport is full of legends who are in fact cheats”.
The European enforcement agency’s report stated some 380 matches were under investigation, including one 2009 Champions League game in England between Liverpool and Hungarian club Debrecen.
While there has never been any suspicion of wrongdoing by anyone at Liverpool, who won the match in question 1-0, Wenger feels the whole situation must act as a wake-up call to the English game.
“It was absolutely a surprise (to hear) the number of games that have been fixed. For me, it is a real tsunami and a real shock,” the Arsenal manager said.

“I cannot accept it. I always was a believer that there is a lot of cheating going on in our game and that we are not strong enough with what happens, nor with the doping, nor with the corruption of the referees, nor with the match-fixing.
“It is time that we tackle this problem in a very serious way and that people who cheat are punished in a very severe way as well. Sport is full of legends who are in fact cheats. We had a recent example again (in Lance Armstrong) and we all have that responsibility to fight against that.”
Wenger feels the concept of fixing a result goes against the very essence of sport, adding: “You cannot accept when somebody who works the whole week and decides to spend his money to go to a game, that you then cheat him because everything is decided before he gets to the stadium. I cannot stand up for that. We cannot accept that.”

Arsenal v Liverpool (Big Match Facts & Stats)

It's a battle between two of the biggest names in the Premier League, as Arsenal face Liverpool.

With some help from OPTA, here are some things you should know about Arsenal and Liverpool prior to tonight’s kick-off at The Emirates:

Out of their last 11 Premier League meetings with Liverpool, Arsenal have won six, drawn six and loss one.




The Emirates has seen the most goals in the Premier League so far – 46 goals have been scored.

Santi Cazorla continues to be the most dynamic midfielder in the Premier League since his arrival from Malaga in the summer. The Spaniard has made 15 through balls so far this season, no other player has made more than eight.



Seven goals have been scored in the 90th minute or later in the last eight Premier League games between the two sides.
  In their last 12 Premier League away games against Arsenal, Liverpool have only managed to pick up eight points.

Liverpool have averaged the highest possession in the Premier League so far this season with 59.4%.

Luis Suarez has created more goal-scoring chances from open play than any other player in the top five European leagues this season (61).

Arsenal have lost only one of their last 11 Premier League meetings with Liverpool, but six of these games have also ended in a draw (W4 D6 L1).

No side has won more Premier League away games at Arsenal than Liverpool (6, alongside Manchester United).

Of players to have attempted at least 30 shots (excl. blocked) in the Premier League this season, Theo Walcott (31.3%) has the best shot conversion rate.

Lukas Podolski tops the Premier League assist charts with nine this season following three in his last appearance against West Ham; the first player to assist three in a single PL game since Steven Pienaar in April 2012.


Luis Suárez has created more goalscoring chances from open play than any other player in the top five European leagues this season (61).

PAST THREE MEETINGS…

Liverpool 0 Arsenal 2 (Poldoski, Cazorla) Premier League, September 2012

Liverpool 1 (Kolscieny OG) Arsenal (Van Persie 2) Premier League, March 2012

Arsenal 0 Liverpool 2 (Ramsey OG, Suarez) Premier League, August 2011

CLASSIC MATCH...
In recent memory, the two sides have put on highly entertaining games, recording 3-6 and 4-4 scorelines, although in the past seven league meetings, none have seen more than three goals scored.
The thrilling 4-4 draw at Anfield in April 2009, remains the only Premier League game, where a player has scored four times (Andrei Arshavin - Arsenal) and not ended up on the winning team.

My Prediction: Arsenal 3-1 Liverpool
...feel free to use the comments section below, predict the scoreline.

Arsenal v Liverpool (Big Match Preview)

Arsenal's form in terms of results has been up and down lately with four straight wins followed by a draw, two defeats (albeit to Manchester City and Chelsea) and then a 5-1 thumping of West Ham last time out.
A consistent level of performance has clearly been missing and I've found Arsene Wenger to be much more up front about it in recent post-match interviews than he might have been in the past.
We've won 10 games so far in the league, which is the lowest at this stage of the season since Wenger took over in September 1996. The run of consecutive top-four finishes, currently standing at 15, is under threat.
On the other hand, Liverpool seem to be moving in the right direction and will be delighted with the early impact Daniel Sturridge has made following his move from Chelsea in this transfer window. A goal tonight would see him become the first Liverpool player to score on each of his first three Premier league appearances for the club.
The team have won six of the last nine in the league, but the FA Cup defeat was a nasty jolt at the start of a big week that includes this trip to the Emirates and a visit to champions Manchester City on Sunday. If the margin for error for the rest of the season is small for Arsenal as they chase fourth place, it's even smaller for Liverpool.
Arsenal and England attacker Theo Walcott speaking to Arsenal.com: "It's going to be an intense game. Both teams are fighting for that fourth position and are very close together.

"But I think the way we played at home the other day [against West Ham] shows that we are strong enough to beat them."
Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers speaking at his pre-match press conference on Monday: "It's a very important game. I wouldn't say it was a must-win game, but it's a game where, if we put yesterday aside, the team that has been playing of late in the league has got big confidence.

"We know it's a tough game for us, but it's a game we're certainly going to look to go and try and win - and a game we're capable of winning.

 

                                          Possible line-up (Arsenal)
Szczesny, Sagna, Mertesacker, Vermaelen, Gibbs, Wilshere, Diaby, Cazorla, Walcott, Podolski, Giroud.

 

                                          Possible line-up (Liverpool)
Reina, Johnson, Carragher, Agger, Enrique, Lucas, Henderson, Gerrard, Downing, Suarez, Sturridge.

Ref Watch

Leicester based Kevin Friend is the referee appointed to take charge of this contest. The 41-year-old has officiated 22 games during 2012-2013 and shown 76 yellow and 2 red cards. Both Liverpool and Arsenal have experienced wins with Friend in the middle this season. The Reds defeated Wigan 3-0 in November whilst Arsenal have enjoyed high-scoring wins over Reading and Southampton.

Match facts and stats to follow...

Wenger: We are okay without new players.

Arsene Wenger has insisted that Arsenal can still have a successful season even if they do not sign any new players as he admitted today the club have failed in their attempt to land Barcelona forward David Villa.
Barca president Sandro Rossell insisted earlier this month that he could “completely rule out the transfer of Villa during the winter market” and it appears Wenger will now have to turn to other targets with time running out ahead of Thursday’s 11pm deadline.
Asked if there was any room for negotiation with Barcelona over Villa, Wenger replied: “No.”

Wenger had confirmed his interest in the Spanish international in December, and it has been thought that he was keen on a move to the former Premier League champions. He has been a fringe player at best during the current campaign, but Wenger said that a deal is unlikely to happen before the window closes on Thursday.

Villa has started only seven La Liga games this season as he struggles to regain a regular first-team place after missing the majority of last season with a broken leg.
But Barcelona are adamant Villa is not for sale, a stance Wenger confirmed this morning. “The speculation doesn’t go away but Barcelona don’t want to sell David Villa,” he said. “They have made that very, very clear.
“You respect the desire. If I say that somebody is not for transfer I expect the other clubs not to try to buy him.
“In January, it’s very difficult to find players who strengthen your team when you’re in our position.”


Although many Arsenal supporters are desperate to see additions to the squad, Wenger insisted it would not be a major issue were the club not to make any new signings.
“I don’t see it as a problem,” Wenger said. “When you speak about ‘anyone’ coming in, I could go out and buy someone just to give people hope. What is important is that you bring in players who can strengthen your team, or you do nothing and are strong enough to do nothing.
“That is what is important for us, to bring in a player who can strengthen the squad. ‘Anyone’ to me means exactly what the modern game has become. As numbers we have enough. We have plenty of quality strikers.”

Brighton v Arsenal (Preview, Match Facts & Stats)

The FA Cup looks Arsenal’s most realistic chance of silverware this season but if we are to progress in the competition, we must overcome a potentially tricky test against Championship opposition in the last 32. Arsenal will no doubt want to avoid another upset after their shock exit at the hands of Bradford in the Carling Cup earlier in the season. 

Gus Poyet’s Brighton side are challenging for a place in the second tier play-offs and confirmed their threat in the previous round when they knocked out Premier League strugglers Newcastle.

Arsenal head into the tie on the back of a 5-1 demolition of West Ham on Wednesday which helped lift spirits after the disappointing 2-1 defeat at Chelsea.

The win included two goals for France striker Olivier Giroud who has now scored 11 goals for the club since his pre-season move from Montpellier.

But Giroud insists there is more to come from him in the second half of the season.

“It is good thing to reach this number of goals, but I want to keep going and score more,” he said.

“I know my team-mates very well, so I feel really good in games. I have scored 11 goals and I have nine assists but I know I can do more.”

Meanwhile, Arsenal’s visit will give Brighton the chance to show how far they have come since their 6-1 defeat to Liverpool in the fifth round of the competition last season.

Arsenal Squad (from) : Szczesny, Gibbs, Koscielny, Mertesacker, Sagna, Podolski, Cazorla, Walcott, Ramsey, Wilshere, Giroud, Mannone, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Santos, Arshavin, Jenkinson, Diaby, Rosicky.

HEAD TO HEAD

 Arsenal have had the better of the exchanges with Brighton, winning nine and losing two of the 13 matches between the sides, eight of which were in the top-flight between 1979 and 1983.

The Gunners hold a 100% record over the Seagulls in the FA Cup.

The London side won 2-0 away in the third round in 1935, repeated the result at Highbury in the fourth round in 1980 and were 2-1 fourth round victors in their most recent clash at the Goldstone Ground in 1988.

Newcastle's third round conquerors are looking to claim another Premier League scalp in one of four top-flight against Championship contests in this fourth round, which would give Brighton a place in the fifth round for the third season running.

Twelve months ago, Gus Poyet's side also ended the interest of Newcastle in this fourth round.

The 1983 runners-up have not lost any of the last nine FA Cup matches on their own territory. Mansfield's third round triumph in 2008 is the Seagulls' only loss in their last 13 FA Cup matches in front of the home faithful.

The 10 times winners, seven times runners-up and second most successful club in FA Cup history have only fallen as early as the fourth round in two of the last 12 seasons, and it was top-flight opposition that ejected Arsenal on both occasions.

The north London club, 21 places higher than Brighton, were last eliminated by a non-Premier League club in the third round in January 1996, when Sheffield United of the second tier knocked them out, prior to Arsene Wenger's arrival.

The Gunners, who fell foul of League Two Bradford City in the Capital One Cup, have lost 99 matches in FA Cup history.

BIG MATCH STATS AND FACTS 

This will be only the fourth time the clubs have met in the FA Cup and the third time in the fourth round. Arsenal have won all three previous ties without needing a replay.

Their last meeting came in the fourth round in 1988, with The Gunners claiming a 2-1 victory.

Brighton have won their last two home FA Cup ties against Premier League opposition.

Arsenal are unbeaten in 33 games against lower ranked sides in the FA Cup, not losing since a 0-1 defeat at Sheffield United in 1996.

The Gunners have won none of their last three games on the road, losing one (v Chelsea) and drawing two (v Swansea in the FA Cup and v Southampton).

Brighton and Hove Albion defeated Newcastle United in the third round of the 1983 competition as they did earlier this campaign; they went on to reach the final 30 years ago.

The Gunners have not kept a clean sheet in any of their last seven away FA Cup games, shipping 12 in total in this away run.

Good Luck Arsenal!!!

Picture of the week. (Walcott and Podolski mimicking the act of signing a contract).

Walcott’s goal was arguably the most eye catching of the five thanks to a terrific ball in from Lukas Podolski, the German bending it round the Hammers back line for a finish at the back post.
 Unfortunately the cameras missed it as they played the replay of the goal just as Walcott and Podolski moved into signing mode.

Arsene Wenger admits "tough" top-four challenge.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has admitted that his side face a "tough" challenge as they battle to finish in the Champions League spots. Arsenal slipped to a 2-1 defeat to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, a result which leaves them seven points behind fourth-placed Tottenham - albeit with a game in hand.

And the Frenchman believes Arsenal must improve in the coming weeks if they are to qualify for the Champions League again this season.

Wenger told reporters: "We have lost two big games in the last week, and that’s very damaging for us. We can’t drop points any more if we want to be in the top four. That’s a concern.

"We have fantastic quality and spirit, but come into the game when we are 2-0 down. That is very difficult in the big games and at the moment that is worrying for us.”

The 63-year-old also bemoaned his side's poor start against the Blues, a factor which he believes was the main reason for defeat.

"We were stretched, we gave Chelsea far too much room to play and we didn’t defend tightly enough," Wenger continued.

"We didn’t make enough of our chances, which is why we lost. It’s very damaging for our league position and difficult to swallow.""It will be a tough challenge for us to make the top four," said Wenger. "We need to learn to be much more efficient with the quality of game we use.

"Once again we didn't start on all cylinders. We had the first chance in the game, and didn't take it.

"Once we were 2-0 down we came back with a great second-half [performance] and a great spirit. We rushed our decisions in the final third and didn't make enough of our corner and free-kicks in the end."

However, Arsene Wenger criticised referee Martin Atkinson following his side’s 2-1 Premier League defeat to Chelsea.

“The referee gave a lot of free-kicks today, and some much less than the Coquelin one. It’s frustrating.” He told Sky Sports.

“It doesn’t mean we should have conceded the goal but, in the big games, these decisions have big implications.”

“We only came into the game when we were 2-0 down, that’s worrying.”

The loss to their London rivals made it back-to-back Premier League defeats for Arsenal, and Wenger admitted that his team’s form is a concern:

“We have lost two big games in the last week. That’s damaging for us. We can’t afford to lose more points. It’s a concern.

Arsenal host West Ham United in the Premier League on Wednesday.