Happy New Year Gooners : Arsenal FC 1-0 QPR
First off I want to wish all of you a Happy New Year. Without you, this blog would be ordinary, so thankyou so much.
The match started very slowly with the homeside not looking very threatening. I could not even think of 1 attack in the first 10 mins of the game. Szczesny infact had to keep out Wright-philips from close range.
It was only when Koscileny came up and earned us a corner that things began to change.
On 20, Taarabt elbowed Arshavin in the face with the ref moving play on. The challenge was worth red, but the ref apparently overlooks elbows to the face. Someone should do it on him. 2 mins laterRobin tried a superb heading technique which was off-target. Brilliant timing from both the assister- Ransey and the receiver – RVP to find the man in an onside position.
On 24, the skipper again came close after a good run by DJ. Robin got the ball on the right dummied one before ‘over’ chipping the ball over Cerny’s bar.
3 mins later, nobody adhered to Theo’s generousity as ‘a ball’ rolled across an empty goal with nobody willing to poke it in.
On the half an hour mark, Vermalen’s long ball found the skipper, but moments later one witnessed Robin’s right footed shot flying over the cross bar.
On 37, an innocent Vermaelen was booked due to a challenge on SWP by Koscielny.
On 42, a brilliant volley from Ramsey was headed off the line by Barton.
The second half started with Arsenal taking the game to QPR, and then minutes later we were back to the game. Normal, frustating and boring.
On 55, Theo blew his one on one with Cerny at the end of a swift counter-attack by Arsenal. How I wish it was Henry instead of Theo.
But on the hour mark, Robin got number 35. Lovely pass from Arshavin to Robin whose left foot found the net in a second.
After the hour mark, QPR began piling pressure on us. With us looking for the counter-attack. We even got in the 73rd min, but Ramsey blew his shoot over the cross-bar.
On 76, Gervinho SHOULD have made it 2. He blew a sitter manufactured by our captain. Not worth mentioning, trust me.
On 87, Per made a crucial interception to deny a QPR goal. Seconds later Ramsey’ shot was saved by Cerny.
With 4 mins added, the time wasting began. Running down the clock till it reached 0, the game was won.
Robin got 35, and Arsenal 4th..
It was a toothless Arsenal in the first half. This team will have trouble finishing in the top 10 if they play the way they did in the first half. I don’t think even Barcelona can compete with us when it comes to making chances. Same can be said when it comes to finishing them, only the otherway around. Honestly, I didn’t see Arsenal scoring any goal. The play was shabby, it seemed patch up, and it was of a standard that is even lower than the Spuds.
But in the second half we responded. There are a few things which we have to look into which I am sure the club should do. As for now, we won and we are 4th.
Happy New Year Gooners,
See you next year.
DKD
PS : Chelsea lost.
THE PREVIEW : ARSENAL FC VS QUEENS PARK RANGERS
After the game against Wolves I knew it was a bad result. Some blogs thought that we were going to steam-roll Wolves. Ofcourse, I cannot deny that ‘steam-rolling’ was a possibility. And I hoped it would come true. But alas, how wrong was I?
On New Year’s eve we face a QPR side which stands 16th in the league table. All the spotlight on the 31st will fall on Robin, who will be looking to break the record for the highest number of goals scored in a single calendar year. As you all already know, against Wolves he was NOT on the score-sheet as Gervinho gave us our only goal of the match.
QPR can again turn out to be another Wolf, with us being the victims AGAIN. This January will be a very hectic period so a run of good results will boost the confidence of this Arsenal team. Hence, it is vital that we pick up 3 points against them.
Probable Line Up :
Theo should be available after his exclusion from the side which faced Wolves. Yossi will not start with Arteta and Rambo occupying the midfield.
Side Note :
Much has been made of Henry in the January transfer window, and much more will be said after the match against QPR. I expect Wenger to be evasive as usual and ignore the elephant in the room. Whether he will sign TH14 is a completely a different issue and I will come to that later.
Cheers,
DKD
2 points dropped ! Arsenal FC 1-1 Wolves
Arsenal dropped 2 points today at the Emirates against a stubborn Wolves side and a drugged keeper. Robin did not get his name on the score-sheet, and is still 2 goals short of Shearer’s record set in 1995.
On 7, we took the lead that after a brilliant counter-attack. It started off with Rosicky holding the ball after a fine-run from the Czech. Finding the gap he gave it to Yossi whose long-ball split the Wolves defense into the path of an open Gervinho. The Ivorian this time, finally, he managed to round the keeper and score. This was his 3rd attempt this year and he finally did it. 1 nil to the Arsenal !
I liked the way we kept up the pressure against Wolves even though it made us more prone to them attacking us.
On the half an hour mark Robin came close after he forced a right handed save from Hennessey. 1 min later the captain earned us a free-kick right on the edge of the D-box (nothing came out of it) 7 mins later Wolves were level. Fortuitous to the power of fortuitous, that is all I can say about it. From the corner right to the header by Fletcher it had ’1 out of 100 chances of going in’ written all over it.
I don’t know what to make out of this Arsenal team. We started the game very positively this afternoon. And I seriously thought we would score more. Credit to Wolves. They came at us and showed no signs of sitting down and letting us roll over them. And they were rewarded. We closed them down well, but again this was only in spans. Its crazy to think that we should press always, but against Wolves I did expect a little more determination from the Arsenal.
We had a good shout for hand-ball on 55, the end result being Vermaelen getting a yellow card. Justice !
On 65, Hennessey pulled out a spectacular save to deny Robin. Seconds later, Robin smashed the ball into oblivion, moments after Hennessey pulled out another good save to keep out a Mertersacker’s header.
On 72, Rosicky flashed his shot wide. 3 mins later Wolves were reduced to 10 after Milijas’ tackle on Arteta. From that point on Arsenal moved the pressure upto a more desirable level. Pressure3x…
On 82, we were rewarded a free-kick thanks to a DJ dive. Robin stepped up and forced another save from Hennessey. Seconds later the dutchman was again denied by the keeper. One of those days !
With 6 mins added and Hennessey in super-saiyan mode, it was difficult to break down Wolves. Robin did come close with a 2 headers but was denied till the end.
Cheers,
DKD
The Preview : Arsenal FC vs Wolves
This time Arsenal’s boxing day fixture falls on the 27th of December, courtesy of the the problems of the London underground. Personally, it will not make much of a difference as long as the home side get 3 points.
Regarding our captain, Robin is just 3 short of the record for the highest number of goals scored in a calendar year. He currently stands on 34 and the record at 36(Shearer). I feel he can get it. There has been alot of expectation and pressure heaped on Robin. The best way to ease some of it is get ‘a goal’ against Wolves.
Probable Line-up :
A high pressure game is what we require against Wolves who can really prove to a be a Jack in the box on their day( remember they ended united’s unbeaten run last year). I hope Robin gets his goals, but more than that I hope we get the required 3 points .
Side note :
One problem that is most likely to occur is fatigue, and due to that the injury list may increase. The reason for fatigue is due to fixture congestion. If you look at our last week fixtures, we faced City and then 3 days later Villa, both away. Again 3 days 4 days later we will face Wolves, and then 72 hours later its QPR.
Who the hell plans such fixtures ?
Hands off the German !
While some may say that Per Mertersacker is not a good buy, I will say he is. While some may say, Per is over-rated, I will say so is John terry, but you don’t hear Chelsea fans bitch about him. And while some may say that Spurs are a better team than Arsenal, well let them bark…
Anyway, regarding Per there has been alot of criticism directed towards the German from the media these last few weeks, with him being labelled a waste of space (on twitter)
Is Per Over-rated or is he a good buy?
I mean seriously, how can you not like Mertersacker. How? More importantly, how can we as fans expect so much from him? Koscielny went through the same shit last season and look at him now. Is he not a world class player?
Per, the German is a new-comer in the Barclays premier league, and no matter who says what, it takes time for a player to settle into the league. Tell me, has he performed badly in any match? Yes, he has made some mistakes but who doesn’t? Remember its his first season.
I agree that Per may not be the fastest player in the league, and that is also prominently shown in Fifa 12 where his acceleration is 28, but what he gives to this Arsenal team should also be considered. The man adds the 3rd dimension as ‘height’ and he has a physical presence. He doesn’t do shit, and plays safe. And why not? He is getting use to the game.
The guy is huge, and he can head the ball. He covers up and makes those tackles inside the D-box that we love. I have never seen a defender tackle with so much confidence in the D-box, and in such tight situations!
It is very easy to say that once you get past Per he is useless and you can roast him. Well, let me point out 2 things here. First off, it is not easy to get past the man because he IS a good defender. And secondly, being German that guy will not give up and will always be behind you. Yes, it is taking him time to adjust to the league, but one must understand that different players take different amounts of time. Why should you judge him when he is still adjusting? And even if you do, you don’t have alot to say do you?
I understand why Arsenal fans criticise Arshavin. The usual words being lazy, s*****, and casual. And that is fine because that guy has been a here for a long time and has not played to his full potential.
But why Per?
Give the guy a break for God’s sake. He does not even get a winter break now, and he is still adjusting.
DKD
Merry Christmas : Aston Villa FC 1-2 Arsenal FC
I am sorry I cannot post a full match report on the Villa Game. The reasons, for me to put it simply are ‘complicated’
Regarding todays game, we got the winning goal via Benayoun. It was hard fought game with both sides trying their best to score.
Credit should go to Alex McCleish who ensured Villa gave us a game in the second half. This any idiot who does not watch football should also be able to infer ?
The major difference between the first and second half was that Villa in the first half let us play but we did not make much of it. Whereas in the second half Villa restricted our play and we made something out of a set-piece. Were we lucky to get the Villa draw ? For people who think that, here is my answer. No.
It was a clear penalty for Van Persie to convert and Theo did brilliantly to make it happen. Yes, we qhd to succumb to some pressure before but who doesn’t ? Especially when you are away. Regarding the goal that we conceded, it started off with a bad header from Vermaelen. The Belgian should have cleared the ball away instead of downwards into the path of Per. Albrington took full advantage of the situation nicking it away from Per and nutmegging Szczesny seconds later.
Can we blame Per for it ? To be honest it will be a bit harsh to blame it on the German although one may point out that his leap towards the ball was done too hastily. He should have waited and jockeyed against Albrington. That would have allowed others too have come back and the chances of us conceding would have been minimised…
As the game drew on we got the winning goal via Yossi. VanPersie ofcourse got the assist, but credit goes to Yossi who never gave up. Try and think about it. The Israeli’s tasmanian leap which lasted maybe 1 or 2 seconds brought smiles to millions of gooners around the world. Fantastic !
On hindsight, I think the Villa game was a learning experience for this Arsenal team. The conditions were pretty much against us at Villa Park. We HAD to get a goal, and we faced a team which was pressing us higher up the field. But we made it and we got the 3 points. Kudos !!
Next up, Boxing Day !!!
Cheers,
DKD
PS : Merry Christmas in advance.
The Preview : Manchester City FC vs Arsenal FC
We travel to the Etihad stadium this week for a crucial clash with league leaders Manchester City. I cannot say that we are favourites because we are not. City have a large enough squad and majority of them are quality players. This week a concern for the club will be the filling in of the LB slot. I know most of us agree that it will be Vermaelen, however its is going to be a huge ask for the Belgian to ensure crosses are not floated in from the right. I have stated before that Vermaelen is not a LB, and for him to adjust t that role is going to be difficult. He played well against Everton last week, but that was one match, and to be fair he was not put under alot of pressure.
Speaking of the wing back slot, Wenger has to think of something regarding the RB slot as well. Usually when we had* Santos there was not a problem, but with the Brazilian injured, the entire defense is shuffled. Its like everybody has been told move one step left, and DJ has come into RB. I have ore confidence in Vermaelen than DJ to stop crosses and if Mancini start with Johnson the Swiss international could face a torrid time in coping with his opponents pace.
Our last visit to this stadium was fruitful with us emerging 3-0 winners thansk to a red card flashed at Boyata 5 mins into the match. Nasri, the money hungry c***t scored, and we then we added 2 in the second half thanks to Song and Nikko.
To win against City we have to ensure that w do not get hit on the counter-attack. Our league cup match shows us this very clearly. They not only have fast players but also players who are technically very good. Not to mention players who knock the ball in with their shoulders.
Probable Line -up :
If we win this match against City we will get a lot of confidence. More importantly +1 will be added to their exiting tally of losses. Song has to ensure that David Silva is kept under control because we all say what he did to the otherside of Manchester when they went to Old Trafford this year. City will alo be looking to hit us on set-pieces so Per, Kosher and Vermalen have to protect Szczesny. I recommend even putting up 2 players on either side of the post because City have Dzeko, Mario, and a majority of defenders who can hurt us.
United beat us 8-2, City beat United 6-1, so whats your prediction of City vs Arsenal ?
See you in the comments…
Cheers,
DKD
Arsenal addiction : My story
I cannot say that I am British because I am not. And so if I tell you I loved Arsenal from the beginning I would be lying. I did not. Hell, I didn’t know anybody in Arsenal, except for this French player called Henry. I was so clueless I called him Henr-i ?? Alas, if I could go back in time, I would probably punch my younger self, the shameless prick!
In India, cricket is a religion. From the time when I was young I was always fed into the game of cricket and I distinctly remember going to my grandparents house to see cricket matches when India were in the World Cup. We use to feel sad when they lost but when they won we were more than jubilant. My grandfather who is a mona-Punjabi (without the turban) use to yell in his usual way and I was used to it. I even started crying when India were eliminated…
But then, it all changed (I still love my country though, just to be clear)…
I remember skipping through the channels on my TV one fine evening to see Arsenal vs Manchester United live. Of course I know who they were ? They were the teams I used to play with in FIFA (99,03,06). Always it was Arsenal vs United for me, with me taking Arsenal. A mere coincidence. Why ? I liked vowels. I remember this one time when I was young, I wanted to change my name so that it would start with a vowel because my brothers names started with vowels. I was naive none the less. But anyway coming back to the topic, so with nothing to do I began watching.
I watched half time supporting Arsenal, not because I cared but because I was still a child inside. Well, that is the most logical explanation I can give. At half time when the scores were 0-0, I was pretty happy. Arsenal had a few chances but nothing spectacular. It was then that I came to the conclusion that I don’t think football is a game for me. I mean, you always want something to happen, always ! You want to see a good goal, you want to see the ball hit the post, but its not always possible is it. Wish I could have explained that to the ‘young DKD.’
But again as stated before I had nothing to do and so I continued watching the second half. Little did I know that after the next 5 mins my opinion on football would change so drastically. Wayne Rooney had put United in-front. I remember sitting up and saying ” Bhakkk” which is the Indian word for “Damn.”
It was on..the game was on…I sat up with my brother, hands to my mouth as I watched on. I never thought I would get such a hollow feeling in my stomach. How I wish I could have scrolled to the restart game option. Body stiff and eyes only on the idiot box I watched on. On and on until the clock struck 80. This man with grey hair had brought on a player called Robin Van Persie. Yes, I will admit that I knew both of them (Wenger and RVP). Wenger because Arsene Wenger’s name can easily be related to Arsenal due to the “Arsen’ in the name and Robin because of FIFA. I just hoped that the man brought on could do something to change the game. Anything ! And well, didn’t he. Smashing the ball into the roof of the net after a clever flick on from ‘Henr-i.’ I still distinctly remember me losing my voice shouting “Yesssssss and subsequenty a Yehh.” The amount of joy I got from seeing the United net move and the crowd cheering was amazing. And at that point little did I know that an injection full of ‘Heroin’ (Arsenal addiction) was released into my body. Did I ever imagine that someone would inject the drug into me, never ! Did I ever imagine Football would become a part of my life, never, and did I ever imagine what I would see in the next 10 mins, no fucking chance in hell !
A player called Eboue got the ball on the right, played a quick 1-2 with another player called Rosicky before playing in a superb cross, which was stroked into the net by again ” Henry.” It was then that I heard a man who I later found out was Martin Tyler say “WITH A MINUTE TO GO, THE GREAT MAN, PRODUCES A GREAT MOMENT FOR ARSENAL AT THE EXPENSE OF MANCHESTER UNITED.”
Upto today I have never forgotten that feeling. That feeling that I got when I saw the ball flashed past VanDerSar’s hands and into the net. If I remember correctly, I think I woke up my house ! All be it with, the voice of a toad (which made it even more dreadful !)
Since then I knew it was on….I got addicted. Addicted to the Arsenal, and addicted to this beautiful game. But do you know the best part- Rehab won’t cure me. Why ?
Because I won’t let it…
Cheers,
DKD
My thoughts : Arsenal FC 1-0 Everton FC
Regarding the first half it was routine Arsenal – Having a flurry of chances but not taking a single one. Starting with Theo and Gervinho over hit and delayed pass towards Robin, Ramsey’s turn around and loft and Gervinho’s shot (which was blocked by Howard) and ending with a 49 yard diagonal pass which almost found Theo, the half was entertaining, but for a neutral. Regarding the dutchman exclusively he was pretty quiet, sometimes swaying offside absent-mindedly.
The second half did not start off very positively as we could not get a hold of the ball for sometime. With the clock approaching the hour mark and the panic bells starting to tinkle Theo eased the impatience of the crowd after firing a shot at Howard. As we crossed 65, tension had crept into the Emirates. Everton at this point looked he better team. Not only did they not allow us to play, but they too retaliated with small spans of attacks. Fellaini hit his shot over the bar, whilst Phil Neville hit his shot from the right over the cross bar.
But then, but then – 60,000 people in North London and those millions watching around the world were awestruck with what they saw with 20 mins to go. Against the run of play Robin VanPersie created something out of nothing. What a beauty, from the dutch-man. That goal reminded me of Marco VanBasten one in the world cup. Some goals win you matches, and this one is one ‘some’ goal.
In extra time McAlney scared the shit out of me as his brilliant effort almost crept itself into the net.
I apologise for not posting a complete match report, my laptop has crashed and I have bothered my cousin long enough in asking for his laptop. Poor kid, wants to play Assassins Creed Revelations.
“Not does he know of the beauty of football…”
Cheers,
DKD
The City United in failure…Arsenal should not lose focus.
…I cannot stress on how relieved I am to see the city of Manchester out of the champions league. One has spent alot, and by alot, I mean ALOT ! While the other gets wins out of nowhere. I tuned in to watch the match against Basel yesterday, and woke up my entire house when Frei scored the second goal. That being said I knew the game was over at the Etihad stadium after the depressing sounds from the crowd after the 65th min..
So what does this mean for Arsenal’s champions league. Well, to be honest it changes nothing. Why ? Well, because even if we faced any of the Manchester sides we were not going to be favourites. The Europa League on the other hand is a whole new situation with clubs having to play most fixtures on Sundays.
In India most fans are fans of United. Yes, I know they have no taste. Only a small population are sensible because they support Arsenal. hence due to this, ESPN and star sports do not broadcast the game on TV. The highest fan base in India is for 2 clubs – United and Liverpool. So if their games clash over Arsenal’s they are given first preference. It’s really becomes a problem because then I have to stream the matches online. I don’t like that, I mean they call it an idiot box for a reason.
I have been very judgmental of Wenger, that being said he gave me all reason to be. Arsenal are in the last 16 of the champions league and the only 2 teams which have me worrying are AC Milan and Napoli. That being said the other teams should also never be underestimated after yesterdays example in Switzerland….
The Preview : Arsenal FC vs Everton FC
Wenger took a huge risk last week by playing Santos in Greece, and unfortunately for us it backfired. We now have no players who can play LB so the expectation will now fall on Vermaelen to fill in. It is pretty unfair for him in my opinion. As a CB it is not at all easy to play LB even though one may be left footed because the entire dynamic of the game changes.
Furthermore since Djourou will fill in at RB, so you can expect crosses being fired in from the right. Good luck Per !
Probable Line-up :
The defense will have a huge responsibilty to NOT concede and protect Szczesny. At the same time Vermaelen will have the added burden on his shoulders to come up higher on the pitch and get into the attack. Lets all hope Szczesny comes out unscathed otherwise we will have to play Wenger’s pet hamster ’Happy,’as his replacement :
Don't be fooled, he is quite happy. Has been training all week for his chance.
Cheers,
DKD
A few observations : Olympiakos 3-1 Arsenal FC
Well, first off let me clarify that I actually had nothing to do this Tuesday evening and so I tuned to to catch the game from Vito’s karate demonstration !
Here are a few observations :
Vito needs steroids
Starting from his clearance to the way he keep today, this man really really and I cannot stress this further, REALLY has to step up if he thinks he will make a professional GK. Dancing is a good sport, and I think ballet will do him good. In the second half he was better and was unlucky to concede.
Vermaelen is a leader.
I am sure most of us already knew that, but today again the Belgian was top grade. He HELD the defense and even helped out while attacking.
Yossi can fill up for Ramsey :
Superb volley from the Israeli, and his link up play was good. He was an the engine in midfield and he kept the game running. Frimpong gave him no help and neither did Arshavin.
Djourou needs glasses and another brain :
For a RB NOT thinking is not an excuse. He could have given Olympiakos a 3rd before half time. Under pressure situations I have no clue what he was doing. He went up when t was not required and he tracked back when we needed him up. Reminds me a headless chicken !
Arsene Wenger should have thought better :
He should have never started Santos. Now we don’t know how long he will be out, and we face City in 2 weeks. Gibbs is out, and now Santos. Brilliant !
Arshavin is on the verge of losing it :
Apart from a few good through balls the man was non-existent. I have not yet given up hope on hi, but this is like saying Spuds are a better team than us
Wenger should look at the defensive back ups because we have NO DEPTH :
The defense was not at all in place today. it was like the Arsenal of August. Wenger should look into this incase any of our regular defenders get injured. It will be detrimental if he doesn’t do anything because incase let say, Per gets injured, a guy like Squillaci filling in and playing like this will surely lift our goal against tally !
Cheers,
DKD
January will tell me if Wenger HAS actually changed….
Its no secret if you read this blog that I am not a psychofant of Arsene Wenger. I appreciate him in some aspects and well in some other aspects I find him an absolute smuck. I have immense respect for Wenger, but sometimes he pisses the hell out of me. And in the world of football that has just recently been filled up with teams with rich owners, I feel what Arsene Wenger is trying to do is pretty much impossible…
Well, there you go.
In my opinion he can bring and WILL bring the club upto a certain standard. And mind you, that will be pretty high. For Wenger, he wants things to be done in his way and his way only. At first, I will admit that I was unhappy and as stated before I don’t think he can manage it in his way (due to certain external forces).
Since I support Arsenal, I will get behind my manager and support him, although I am quite sure what he is trying will take a fat chunk of luck to pull off…
Its just like an economic cycle.
Let me explain….
Now I will NOT even consider the fact that Arsenal are a team with a huge amount of history and since 2005 we have lifted squat in terms of trophies. There are teams in the premier league such as Manchester City and Chelsea. They are both top* teams and they boast a talented squad of players.
Now if there is one thing we all know about Arsene Wenger, it is that he is a man who will NOT pay over the odds for any player. Even if he is Lionel Messi or CR7. Now imagine there is a good young prospect somewhere in a remote village in Brazil. He grows up, matures, develops and begins playing for Santos. Clubs in Europe are made aware of the boys talent, and Santos looking at the situation demand an asking price of 25 million pounds. As an Arsenal fan, ask yourself do you think Wenger will go for this transfer ? I will not even bother writing it down, because I know you know it. There will be some excuse of the amount of young talent we have and what-not but the bottom line is that player X WILL NOT COME TO Arsenal FC. Players X is then bought for a higher amount (due to a bidding war) by an English Club. He plays well for the club, and makes them wins trophies. As an Arsenal fan, don’t you think you will get pissed off…
While some may argue that if Player X did not play well in the premier league then that is 25 million pounds down the drain. Yes, it is. But consider these players who could have come to Arsenal FC and instead went the other way. Cristiano Ronaldo, Fernando Torres, Owen Hargreaves, Juan Mata etc. Do keep in mind one fact that the first club Torres came to was Liverpool and there he was a prolific striker in the first season !
Wenger has stated that in January he will by a player if he is ‘fantastic.’ I wonder will we get Hazard who HAS been transfer listed with a price tag of 50 million Euros.
I am that type of a blogger who likes to call and write exactly what I see. Recently a friend of mine in Coventry told me that Manchester City have ruined football. Well, yes, they have, and in the process they have ruined Wenger’s dream of achieving success in a picture perfect manner. UEFA is useless in this aspect and their financial fair play will not do much to keep control of this situation. City have recorded losses worth 195 million pounds, however they have already constructed their squad, what more do they require ? They won’t stop and will hook or by crook pull it together. Even Chelsea will. Infact I spoke to a person who worked inside Stamford bridge regarding the effects of the financial fair play, and even he said they will manage it because and I quote “there is enough time..” So its like investigating a crime scene after all charges have been cleared…
I have read various other blogs (even on this blog) where writers have stated that ” Wenger must Go” but the truth of the matter is I don’t want Wenger to go, ( I want him to go when I’m really pissed off with him, but then my anger subsides, like everyone’s) I want him to stay. Even in my ABOUT section I have stated that Wenger deserves something based on what he has done for Arsenal…..But “I want him to change.”
Probably have to wait till January for that, fingers crossed and in anticipation.
Cheers,
DKD
Babies Day Out ? Olympiakos FC vs Arsenal FC [Preview]
This is probably the first time where I won’t be covering an Arsenal game. Then again, I may do it if I am in the mood…
As of right now I am planning to give myself tuesday evening off. What will I do this tueday evening ? Well, there are a few things. First off, I can play FIFA 12, probably make some signings etc, or, I may tune in to watch the Chelsea game, rooting for Valencia. Actually, if you come to think of it its better that Chelsea win because then they too will have fixtures coming thick and fast in February, making it difficult for them to get that top 4 spot.
I do not think its going to be a baby days out situation on tuesday but I do feel what everybody feels, that the boss will rest key players for this clash. So already I can picture an Arsenal squad like this :
I know it is highly unlikely that the above squad will be the line up, but honestly I hope it is. I want to see how Arshavin play behind the striker in his favourite role. I have heard so much about him in that role and this is a great opportunity for the Russian to show what he is capable of.
Most probably Frimpong won’t start as CB but I do want to see how versatile the player is. Wenger will probably opt for Koscielny to play at CB instead of Frimpong but if he doesn’t it should be interesting to see how he plays.
Olympiakos will be going for a win because 3 points will ensure their qualification. Keeping an eye on the other group member Dortmund entertain Marseille home and a win for the home side will make them qualify too. On the other hand Marseille cannot draw because if our opponents win they will be playing Europa League come February.
So, its going to be interesting to see who joins us in the knockout stage of the champions league, and if I had to call it it will probably be Olympiakos.
Cheers,
DKD
Match Ratings: Wigan Athletic FC 0-4 Arsenal FC
Szczesny: Clean Sheet, had almost nothing to do the entire game apart from a few decent catches from less then hopeful balls from the toothless Wigan Attack. However id enough early on to prevent a sure Wigan goal. 6
Kosher- Put under pressure early on but adapted to the game. Is getting better going forward but he is definitely a temporary right back. 7
Mertersacker- Solid performance. No nonsense , good positional sense and made a great tackle on Moses to prevent him going forward. 7.5
Vermaelen – Solid as well . Moped up everything and got us our second goal from a set piece . He is definitely are main threat aerially. Just goes to show his desire and leaping ability knowing he is 5 inches shorter than his teammate. 8
Santos : Poor defensively . He could have cost us if the opposition were better. Out of position on a number of occasions. He faded away in the second half as an attacking threat after starting off brightly.5
Song : Off day for him. Lost possession many a times. However helped out the defence when we were under pressure at the beginning. 5.5
Ramsey : A decent performance from the Welshman. Kept possession well and should have been given a penalty when he was brought down by Gohouri. His link up play was good today.7
Gervinho- Needs to shoot more when he is in good positions. Had a great game otherwise. Linked well with the team and scored our third after starting the move. 7.5
Walcott- Looked threatening at times and played a great ball in the box during the first half. Did well to set up our Captain for our fourth. 7.5
Arteta- Finally someone who had a pop at goal as none of the Wigan players were closing us down enough. Ended at the back of the net and gave us our first that got us going. Impeccably good in possession and calm as an Arsenal fan during the invincible year. Had a great game second only to our Captain. 8
Robin Van Persie- Man of the Match. Set up two goals and scored our fourth. Missed a chance to get our fifth. 9
Substitutes :
Le Coq, Arshavin, Benny- N/A
Cheers,
DKD
What you need to know : Wigan Athletic FC 0-4 Arsenal FC
Please note that reports written on this blog are live match reports i.e it is written during the 90 minutes. Hence there is a good chance of difference in opinion at the beginning and at the end of the report.
Arsenal thumped Wigan by 4 goals to nil today at the DW stadium. 4 different goal scorers got their names on the score-sheet namely Arteta, Vermaelen, Gervinho and captain fantastic Robin VanPersie.
On 6, the Arsenal defense was exposed as Gomez missed a golden chance to put Wigan ahead. 2 mins later, lack of communication Santos and Szczesny forced us to give away a silly corner.
On 17, a sliced low cross from Theo from the right rebounded off Caldwell and into the hands of Al-Habsi moments before Robin arrived in the 6 yard box. That was the first sign of a real goal threat from us.
On 27, we took the lead. Mikel Arteta with a brilliant effort outside the box found the back of the net as the spaniards shot was too quick for Al-Habsi to stop.
2 mins later we made it 2. This time it was Vermaelen whose directed header crept into Al-Habsi’s goal in the right.
On 34, Gervinho picked out Robin in the middle, but the dutchman’s first time effort was magnificently parried away by Al-Habsi.
Gervinho could have got on the score-sheet when he should have lifted the ball over Al-Habsi instead of taking the ball away from the keeper and losing it moments later.
On 48, we had a good penalty shout inside the D-box when Gohouri clearly brought down Ramsey only to be denied by ref Mark Clattenburg. I guess the only way one can justify that ‘it was not a penalty’ is because moments before the incident Robin committed a foul.
On 53, Robin headed the ball across the face of goal after a good cross from Theo, but Gervinho was slow to react and Wigan cleared the danger.
On 60, it was 3. Credit to Robin who made this goal. It started with a 1-2 between Gervinho and Robin, before the latter went forward performed a dummy before forcing a shot of Al-Habsi, which rebounded into the path of Gervinho to tuck in.
3 mins later, after a quick exchange of passing in front in the D-box Robin had a chance to score, but the dutchman scuffed his right footed shot off target.
On 77, it was 4. This time Theo should be given credit for being not being selfish and assisting Robin to get the 4th. 1 min later Wenger used all of his substitutes : Theo, Song and Gervinho coming off for Yossi, Coquelin and Arshavin.
On 83, Gary Caldwell prevented a 5th after Yossi managed to chip the ball over Al-Habsi.
Moments later the ‘ohs’ started from the crowd as we ‘passed our opponents’ out of the park….
Final thoughts :
From a blunt start it took us 2 mins to get 2 goals. Please do not get the impression of dominating the match and being unfortunate to NOT score more because quite frankly, we weren’t. For the first 20 mins Wigan were bright and we were on the back-foot. Then we slowly got into the game and thanks to some woeful defending from the home side we scored. Don’t get me wrong, I found Arteta’s shot fantastic. But to be a critic, he was given too much space by the Wigan defense. Anyway, we were 1 nil up. Now, thanks to that goal we were given a boost. And who took advantage of that ? Our very own number 5, Thomas Vermaelen who climbed over two defenders to give us a 2 goal advantage.
I appreciate the way we played in the first half because once we got a hold of the game we kept at it. A good team always does this, they take advantage of the situation and that it was we did. We took advantage of Wigan’s bad defending and we were rewarded.
Cheers,
DKD
The Preview : Wigan Athletic FC vs Arsenal FC
Arsenal travel to Manchester for their premier league clash against Wigan this saturday. Roberto Martinez’ side sit 2nd last in the table having picked up a total of 9 points from 13 games.
Most of the players should return for this weeks clash against the Lactics at the DW stadium. 2 weeks ago Wigan were extremely unlucky not to have won against Blackburn but last week they picked up 3 points against Sunderland, so I do expect a hard match this saturday. In terms of teams news, the ‘old guard’ should return having been given some time off this past week.
Probable Line-up :
We lost to City last week and were knocked out of the Carling Cup. At that time I had stated then that we were unlucky, because to be honest we deserved something more out of that game. A win here will be the best way to respond to critics and continue our fine run of form.
Cheers,
DKD
