Arsenal News Review

Eduardo's message explained in More4 film tonight

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 11:00:03 +0000

From ANR correspondent Alex Abreu Gontijo in Rio:

Eduardo celebrated by lifting his shirt to reveal a T-shirt showing support for Peace in the place where he was born and raised and started play football in Brazil, Vila Kennedy. He revealed a message written in Portuguese: Paz na villa kennedy- RJ, meaning "Peace in the Villa Kennedy-RJ'

This is a reference to a community in Rio de Janeiro, Brasil. The slum has been the subject of fighting between rival criminal factions. Like Robbie Fowler in 1997, he showed a big social consciousness and commitment about one very special place to him. Thanks to his performance for the team of VK in the Slums championship in Brazil, one scout found and brought the lad to Croatia. The rest is history.

A film produced by Arsenal Supporters Trust member Jon Blair is on TV tonight. It's about the drug wars between rival gangs in Rio and set in the same territory as City of God, one of my favourite movies of the last decade

The documentary True Stories: Dancing With the Devil is previewed in The Guardian today :

10pm, More4 Earlier this year, Forbes sent Rio de Janeiro straight to the top of its World's Happiest Cities list, "urban centres closely associated with unmitigated joy". But beyond the carnivals and glamorous beaches, the sprawling favelas tell a different story: of appalling poverty, murderous addiction and endless shoot-outs. Here, director Jon Blair drops us squarely into the middle of the socio-economic nightmare (where "City of God meets The Wire"), as we traverse the gangster-controlled slums in an astonishing documentary filled with harrowing, unforgettable images.

Van Persie needs automatic Holland / Adebayor reverts to type / Jonny Evans karate-kicks Drogba

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 09:05:02 +0000

Dutch coach Bert van Marwijk might use Robin van Persie in his Arsenal role in their upcoming friendlies against Italy and Paraguay.

The Dutch invented 4-3-3 but the national team has never used RVP as a central striker. He's been playing on the right side of a front three during their World Cup qualifying campaign.

Since Arsenal started to play him at CF, he has adapted well. He has matured nicely and plays for the team. He is not just a bang!bang! striker any more, so van Marwijk says, "We have discussed it extensively among the technical staff but it also is important that the players around him function well."

Does that mean : We should play like Arsenal ?

To win a World Cup, Holland need lots of automatic. Two weeks ago Kaka , having moved to Real Madrid from AC Milan, said, "We have no automatic." Madrid have new players and no fluency, no automatic. At Milan it's so automatic that the team can play training games blindfolded. Kaka was the new boy and he was there six years. Arsenal also ooze automatic. That's why they're unbeaten in 13 and second in the table.

Maybe Holland need to train like Arsenal but that will be difficult because Dutch players are argumentative. If the technical staff need “extensive discussions” on how the team could play round RVP, how long will the squad need to explore that change?

Man United have been the karate champions of English football for 30 years.

Players who wear a red devil badge on their chests are allowed to inflict grievous bodily harm on other teams.
In Sky's Sunday Supermatch, big centreback Jonny Evans headed a ball away in classic style while simultaneously karate-kicking Drogba in the chest with his right foot. Even Daniel Passarella couldn’t do that. Last night Drogba was sent for a scan to determine if he had sprung a rib out of his breastbone. Assault usually requires initiative : Do to others as they would do unto you, only do it first.

United nullified a below-par Chelsea but lost 1-0 to a dubiously awarded free-kick which John Terry tried to head. Replays suggested the ball went off his shoulder and then off the back of Anelka's head and into the bottom corner in 76 minutes. JT is playing well for a centreback who can’t jump.

I love a tight, tactical game with good defending, so I really enjoyed the first half. But after 70 minutes I was beginning to think that both sides might settle for not losing, so I picked up Saturday’s Guardian Review section to look at some book reviews. A 0-0 was no good to me, as I had bet on Chelsea to win, and then, at the last minute before kick-off, when I saw United’s 4-5-1 line-up, had another bet on Chelsea to win to nil. Chelsea cost me £30 when they lost 3-1 at Wigan and now they were going to cost me again. But it all came right in the end. The best team didn't win but I did.

Manchester City 3 Burnley 3 showed that City don’t have much automatic.

City are not clicking but they’re not losing. Five draws in a row and Mark Hughes has seven weeks to Xmas but he would be mad to buy. Already he has to keep big names happy, so he drops Ireland to play De Jong and draws. Then he drops De Jong to play Ireland and draws. He plays Tevez, who occupies the space that Ireland needs to run into to score goals. A tenacious little Argentine dribbling across defences is the precise opposite of what made Man City unique in European football.

Adebayor was lethargic, always looking for the tackle, not the ball. He has reverted to type, as all Gooners knew he would.

This City team is a pig’s breakfast. Petrov only has one knee, so he’s on the right, not the left, where he needs two. The back four can’t mark, tackle, win headers or play as a unit, so the back four will have to be re-configured, probably with Lescott moved to left back to replace Bridge. If the back four can't do the job, Ireland and Barry can’t pair in midfield.

Ireland-SWP is the heart of the City team and the core of their style. Those two play for each other and with each other. It's a game of partnerships.

In essence, money has turned the Man City team into a shambles. Like Real Madrid, they have no automatic. But there's a big difference. Florentino Perez can sign the players he wants. Mark Hughes can only sign the players who want him. He need this lot to take him to the point where the players he wants will sign up hungry to play. Robinho is not one of those.

When Oleg Luhzny joined Arsenal from Dynamo Kiev, I realised : In the future, Champions League clubs will mainly buy players from each other

Arsenal stay second if Chelsea beat Man United

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 14:48:55 +0000

Wolves 1 Arsenal 4

This was a 27-minute match.

Wolves had narrowed their pitch to the minimum width and they competed well for the first 27 and
Before the first of two own-goals, Wolves had some chances and half-chances.

The new system of 4-1-4-1 is effective because it allows (1) most of the game to be played a long way from Almunia, Wenger's worst player and (2) it allows his brainiest players, Fabregas and Arshavin, to spend more time in and around the box, making chances and having shots.

In a 4-4-1-1, Fabregas was controlling the midfield and starting pacy counter-attacks. Now he working in the final third far more and scoring more goals.

Sagna was razor-sharp in the tackle and broke forward very well to link with Fabregas, then find Robin van Persie, who played Fabregas in for a cool finish and 3-0.

Arshavin made it 4-0 with a sweet half-volley from outside the box when a corner was cleared to him. Arshavin is Limpar with bottle, Overmars with far more skills. But the body language after Arshavin scores can be a bit worrying. The race to congratulate him is perfunctory, an afterthought.

Jody Craddock's header from a corner made it 4-1. Oddly, Vermaelen ducked as if he was expecting Almunia to come and punch the ball. He does not know when to come for crosses. Why is Almunia at Arsenal? I have no idea.

Diaby went off injured after 24 minutes. If had stayed on, who knows?

Manchester City were 0-2 down at home to Burnley before leading 3-1. Final score was 3-3 and Adebayor stunk the place out.So did Tevez

Today is the biggest game of the season, Chelsea v Manchester United.

It could be controversial and form often means nothing.

If Chelsea give United a hiding today they will become even hotter favourites for the title and Arsenal v Chelsea will be the next big game on the 29th.

Sunday, November 29th is in your diaries and on your calendars, I assume.

Today, the man of the moment is a centre forward who once scored 11 goals for Marseilles in a European season. This season Drogba has 12 goals in 13 games and 8 assists.

He is 31 now, a fourteen stone five pound gladiator who has annihilated many centrebacks, even the toughest ones.

In November 2006, Didier Drogba elbowed Vidic in the face. In April, 2008, he elbowed Vidic in the mouth and the Serb lost a tooth. In Moscow in May 2008, Drogba slapped Vidic and got a red card and Chelsea lost the Champions League Final.

What will Sir Alex's midfield be today? Will rookie defender Jonny Evans get sucked forward too often? Will the Chelsea machine roll right over the triple champions?

Bring it on !

Arsenal will stay second if Chelsea win. But if it's a draw, Arsenal are two points closer to Chelsea.

Sir Alex might even play for a draw. Fortunately, he has no idea of how to play for a draw.

As Arsenal cruise through, Barcelona and Liverpool are biting their nails

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 10:23:10 +0000

A competitive week in the so-called Champions League.

Comebacks, goalkeeping mistakes and spectacular strikes have led to nail-biting arithmetic in some Groups.

But Group E is not one of those. If Fiorentina beat Lyon on Matchday 5, they will eliminate Liverpool, whose fate is out of their own hands. Lyon have 10 points, Fiorentina 9, Liverpool 4. Plucky Debrecen of Hungary have scored five goals but lost all four games.

Arsenal strolled to a 4-1 victory over AZ Alkmaar and lead their weak group, Barcelona were held to 0-0 on a very cold night in Russia by negative new boys Rubin Kazan, Manchester United recovered from 3-1 down to CSKA Moscow at Old Trafford.

In Kiev, Inter looked dead and buried after Shevchenko's dipping volley but won with goals from Milito (86) and Sneijder (89).

Big strikers delivered, Drobga's goals were superb, so were two by Kun Aguero for Atletico Madrid in that 2-2 , and managers wobbled, especially ace tactician Rafa Benitez.

The main feature of the Arsenal game was the classy interchanges between Nasri, Fabregas and Arshavin.

The Frenchman scored Arsenal's best goal, the Spaniard scored twice, and the little Russian supplied three assists. Arshavin's pass into Diaby's breakaway run was not his best of the night but the big man did well to control the ball with his left foot and smack it in with his right.

Diaby's a tempo player, a drummer in big boots. When he finds the right beat, he can drive the music. When he can't find the beat, he's an embarrassment. Playing for Arsenal gives him credibility, so he's in the French squad. I find that amazing but then Raymond Domenech is often amazing.

After the AZ game, Cesc Fabregas said he will only be happy when Arsenal win something. He is mature beyond his years and will be a great manager. So will Frank Lampard.

Robin van Persie didn't score but Wenger is talking him up, saying he's better than Drogba and Torres (!). With Arsenal unbeaten in 12 games in all comps, a 2-0 win at Wolves could be next. Any clean sheet would be nice, especially for Thomas Vermaelen, who went ballistic when Lens scored a late goal for AZ to make it 4-1, after a foul on Gibbs near the half way line. Almunia was off balance and beaten by tame shot at his near post. Vermaelen is a huge asset who could become as important to Arsenal as big Dane Martin Laursen was to Aston Villa

In a very tight Group F, Inter have 6 points, Rubin 5, Barcelona 5, and Dynamo Kiev 4.

I like Fiorentina and Sevilla, although Sevilla could only draw 1-1 with Stuttgart, whose equaliser was a 25 yard thunderbolt from Swiss-born Serbian midfielder Zdravko Kuzmanovic, who played for Fiorentina for two years. Who is Fiorentina's talent-spotter, I wonder. Who is their Director of Football?

When there are three good teams in a group, it gets interesting. Right now Bordeaux (10 points) are above Juventus (6) and Bayern Munich (4) in Group A.

In Group C, three teams have won two games, so it's Milan (7), Real Madrid (7), Marseilles (6) , with FC Zurich on 3.

Some of us love to slag off Serie A as a backwater, a wasteland where small crowds watch divers, cheats and time-wasters, but flowers can blossom beautifully in deserts as Fiorentina proved when they beat Liverpool 2-0 in their second game. That result was no aberration, no fluke. It told us a lot. It gave a us a signal, warned us to pay attention to Group E

Seven weeks after beating Debrecen 1-0, Rafa had a lot of injuries, played Carragher at right back, and it didn't work. Babel eventually scored with a thunderous shot in 83, Rafa took the limping Torres off after 87, centreback Cris then came forward, Kyrgiakos jumped against two men, lost the header and Lopez made it 1-1.

Torres on one leg is a threat. His reputation is a threat, his blond head is a threat. Take him off and you invite trouble. But all managers have taken off strikers in big games, hoping to protect a lead, and conceded crucial late goals. High anxiety drives those decisions, so the same mistake is made over and over again.

If Barcelona, the European champions, should go out before the knock-out stage, they will redouble their efforts to sign Fabregas and Mascherano.

The latter was superb against Lyon, winning a lot of 40-60 balls. Torres has gone to Spain to seek a second opinion on his groin injury, which may need surgery sooner rather than later.

Arsenal reserves : a Monday night in the suburbs

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 08:56:27 +0000

I went to see Arsenal Reserves last night.

Arriving at Underhill, the Barnet ground, I realised that I had not been here since 1989, when left-winger Andy Clarke used to play for Barnet.

Portsmouth Reserves contained Arsenal cleverly and fairly and won the game.

Mike Williamson and Luke Wilkinson were very solid at the back, the tiny Paris Cowan-Hall was lively on the right, left winger Tom Kilbey jumped beautifully to reach a free-kick by little midfielder Eugen Bopp, and headed the only goal of the first half. Arsenal concede from a set-piece in 17 minutes? What a surprise.

Second half, Bopp smashed in a superb shot from just outside the box in 76. I did not think he would score from where he was but his strike was a left-foot bullet that flew into the bottom corner. A goal that a Premier League pro would have been proud to score. Pompey played well, collectively and individually.

A full moon beamed brightly among some high clouds, visible just below the roof of our stand, and the PA announcer said, "Tonight's attendance is 682.Thank you."

Portsmouth director Mark Jacob had invited me to go to the game as his guest and I accepted because I thought Craig Eastmond would be playing, which he was.

After the final whistle, Mark said he should really go down and touch base with Portsmouth's reserve coach before we left.

So we were standing in a narrow corridor outside the dressing room, next to a plastic storage box topped by a net-bag containing a dozen footballs, and Mark was talking to this ebullient, sporty guy, who is chunky and fit-looking, wearing black tracksuit trousers tucked into football socks and boots. The coach is pleased with the game his boys have played. Rightly so, as they deserved to win.

Then the Portsmouth players, who had been warming down, came one by one along this very narrow corridor, each one smaller than he looked on the pitch, each one alarmingly young, some with long hair. Even the lanky, broad-shouldered Kilbey is smaller than I thought he was. Kilbey played a helluva game last night and so did half a dozen of his teammates.

Then we left and walked down the touchline towards the clubhouse.
"What's the coach's name?"
"Guy Whittingham, ex-Aston Villa and Portsmouth."
"I remember him as a player."
"The blond guy was Ian Woan."
"I interviewed him once for 90 Minutes!"

That was a phoner which Woan, who played for Forest, would not remember. His American fiancee was doing her degree.

So that was my Monday night. A very low-key evening but an informative one for this old beatnik .

What were Arsenal Reserves like? Don't ask. I'm not going to repeat what I said to Mark as we walked up to the main road. There are times, even on ANR, when self-censorship has to kick in. If I started writing , I'd be here all day and all tomorrow and it would turn into a book. And I'd have to call it By High Barnet Station I Sat Down And Wept.

ARSENAL : Szczesny, Gilbert, Evina, Frimpong (Murphy 65), Bartley, Miquel, Randall, Coquelin, Watt (Freeman 82), Eastmond (Deacon 65), Sunu. Subs not used: Yennaris, Henderon.

PORTSMOUTH : Niemi, Hurst, Sowah, Pack, Wilkinson, Williamson, Nlundulu (Du Chattelier 65), Bopp, Cowan-Hall, Apircerni, Kilbey. Subs not used: Smith, Walshe, Cuvelier, Ryan.

Arsenal look much better than Liverpool or Manchester City right now

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 09:56:03 +0000

What do I think about Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City?

I think that's the question.

Because Chelsea and Manchester United are the teams that win trophies. They are stronger in defence.

Arsenal's style has changed but it's more coherent, more fully developed than Man City's style or Liverpool's style. At the moment stability, harmony and sharpness are paying dividends and the goals are flying in.

January will see some changes in the Big Five teams. The Africans will go off to the African Cup of Nations, Barcelona might buy Robinho from City, and Rafa could spend again. But new players are unlikely to have a big impact on the title race. New players talented enough to have an instant impact are never available in January.

Overall, last weekend was one where one of the Big Five could blow it and it was no big surprise that it turned out to be Liverpool, who lost 3-1 at Fulham. I figured that Roy Hodgson, an experienced tactician, could nullify Liverpool and get at least a draw. Liverpool have now lost six of their last seven games in all competitions.

When the Birmingham-Man City game started it was shelter-skelter, Birmingham had far more energy than skill, so it quickly began to look as if it might be a scrappy, goalless game. City needed a Shay Given penalty save to get a 0-0 and this was their fourth consecutive draw in the league.

A big player in the title race could be Berbatov, an enigma who divides opinion.

Is he a waste of money or a world class striker who is growing into the role as Rooney's partner? Can he ever be a real Red Devil like Tevez and Cristiano? Or is he a luxury player who will only deliver intermittently?

Berbatov missed chances and then scored a great goal against Blackburn. An Evra shot in 55 was flashing low and wide across the box when Berbatov killed the ball with an exquisite touch of his left foot, swivelled, and volleyed in with his right. A late goal was scored by Rooney, who still had the engine to power forward towards the near post and connect with Anderson's whipped cross on the half-volley across Paul Robinson for 2-0

French winger Obertan is taking over from Nani, who infuriates Ferguson. Nani plays for himself, not the team, so he is history. Obertan looks willing and able to play the interchanging of positions game that Tevez and Cristiano enjoyed with Rooney.

Manchester United lack the team structure of their great years, so they can't control games as they once did. But they press and compete and make things happen and keep winning. Next Sunday is a big test for them : Chelsea at the Bridge

Berbatov has big challenges ahead of him against better teams than Blackburn. Is he up to it? The Chelsea game will tell us more.

Carlo Ancelotti's blue juggernaut is rolling again and they won 4-0 at Bolton.

Without Defoe, Modric and Lennon, the Arsenal game always looked like a 3-1 win to Gooners who are not neurotic.

I thought Spurs might play their own game and let Arsenal play theirs but Harry's side was too depleted to risk an end-to-end contest. Instead, Spurs grafted and closed Arsenal down very well and made them give the ball away more than usual, so the first 42 minutes were close.

Then Spurs gifted Arsenal two goals in a minute.

The second, straight from the kick off after Van Persie's first goal, came when Palacios lost the ball to Fabregas, who roared forward, looking a bit like Rooney in his urgency, nicked inside Ledley King, and hit a shot with power and disguise to end the game. A fantastic finish but also a fantastic error.

Strikers live on goals and RVP has scored 8 in 9 games. He's adapted to 4-3-3 far better than I ever thought he could. At 26, Robin has started playing like a grown-up. Both his goals came from Sagna crosses to the near post. The first he caught on the bounce and his stab beat Gomes.

On the second, Bassong didn't play to the whistle, Sagna also stopped to invite a whistle than never came, then crossed low between the keeper and poor Ledley King, who was the man beaten for all three goals.

Arshavin was sloppy, patchy and peripheral, and Diaby had one of his worst games ever. But Spurs folded and Arsenal were able to beat them 3-0 with 10 men.

Right now, Arsenal are a high-scoring team at home. The visit of Chelsea, another high-scoring team, should tell us something on Sunday 29th.

At the moment it's 10 played, 28 to go. Anything could happen.

PS. Sorry about earlier glitches here. Human error + computer malfunctions.

Craig Eastmond / AGM / title race

Sun, 01 Nov 2009 18:45:09 +0000

Thank you for all the emails saying I'm crazy to write that about Craig Eastmond.

Also, thanks to those who said they liked the AGM piece.

I promised to say something about the title race after Arsenal had played 10 games, so I'll do that on Monday morning.

Is Craig Eastmond already better than Eboue, Song or Denilson?

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 09:00:49 +0000

Arsenal 2 Liverpool 1

Merida 19, Insua 26, Bendtner 50

Craig Eastmond was superb last night.

A stylish holding midfielder, Eastmond played like a 24-year old. He nicked the ball, cruised forward, used it well. Once he broke free down the right but his cross was blocked.

Eastmond has pace, skill, strength, and, most important, the instinct that allows him to make the right decisions from moment to moment in a fast-moving team sport.

Last night he was doing things that Eboue can't do, that Song can't do, that Diaby won't be able to do if he plays for another 20 years.Will this 18-year old from Wandsworth be given the same opportunities as a Frenchman or an African? Will Wenger support Eastmond and give him a real chance to make a career at Arsenal? Or will he loan him out and flog him off to QPR or Birmingham?

I know almost nothing about Arsenal's kids, so I leave writing about them to people who know what they are talking about. Youngsters only come onto my radar screen when they play for the first team.

Eastmond made a big impact. But I wonder if I will ever see him again.

Entertaining game, same handball by Senderos would have been a penalty at Anfield..

Wenger's 750th game was a 2-1 win and Arsenal reached the Carling Cup quarter-finals for the seventh consecutive year.

My son Michael was at the game with ten of his closest friends. This morning he said, "Dad, we were right behind the goal where Insua scored. That was a helluva shot that went half an inch under the bar and dipped down three more feet before it hit the back of the net. Keeper had no chance."

That Insua goal equalised a thunderbolt by Fran Merida which flew in off the near post. Bendtner had a nightmare first half, mainly on the right. But he beat Skrtel and smashed in a left foot shot.

Benayoun came on, never got a kick, Aquilani got 20 minutes and looked world class, sprayed 30 yard passes around. It was Aquilani's overhead kick that Senderos handled. Only Senderos could turn his back on a shot and still handle the ball with both arms. Goalkeeping, really. But he got away with it.

Really nice to see Kerrea Gilbert playing at right back again. He comes from my part of NW London and is a member of my gym, although I’ve never seen him there. He's been in Cardiff.

Joe Cole laid on two goals in Chelsea’s 4-0 romp against Bolton, while Stephen Ireland scored a superb first goal in Man City's 5-1 defeat of Scunthorpe, although some might say Michael Johnson's left foot snorter was an even better goal

Seven of EPL's top 8 clubs have qualified for the Carling Cup quarter-finals, plus Portsmouth, who beat Stoke 4-0 on Tuesday night.

Chelsea are favourites followed by Man United, Man City, Arsenal (6-1), Spurs (7-1), Aston Villa, with Blackburn & Portsmouth at 25-1.

The Times Football Correspondent Oliver Kay writes this: One game is no basis on which to predict great things for any young player, but, as well as his involvement in both Arsenal goals, Eastmond’s diligence and his composure in a midfield holding role — a role to which few English players, young or old, take naturally — was, along with the performances of Ramsey and Mérida and the return to action of Samir Nasri after a broken leg, the most encouraging aspect of the evening for Wenger.

ARSENAL (4-4-1-1): Fabianski; Gilbert, Senderos, Silvestre, Gibbs; Bendtner (Watt, 76), Ramsey, Eastmond (Randall, 76), Merida (Coquelin, 87); Nasri; Eduardo. Subs not used: Bartley, Frimpong, Sunu, Szczesny (gk).

LIVERPOOL (4-4-2): Cavalieri; Degen (Eccleston, 88), Skrtel, Kyrgiakos, Insua; Kuyt, Spearing, Plessis (Aquilani, 76), Babel; Voronin, Ngog (Benayoun, 75). Subs not used: Reina (gk), Darby, Dossena, Sanchez Ayala.

Referee: Alan Wiley (Staffordshire).

West Ham 2 Colney Creche 2 : deja vu or what?

Sun, 25 Oct 2009 23:38:10 +0000

West Ham 2 Arsenal 2
Van Persie 16, Gallas 37, Carlton Cole 74, Diamanti pen 80

Arsenal had a 2-0 lead but could not beat a team 15 places below them in the Premier League.

What's new since the 4-4 farce against Spurs a year ago?

You can measure the difference next Saturday at 12.45 on Sky, if you're not going to the game.

This match started and it looked as if Van Persie was having one of his clumsy days. Arshavin, who has been playing at 60%, was sloppy because he was playing at 40%, a Clichy cross was pure garbage, and then Rob Green gave Arsenal a gift goal.

Sagna crossed, Green slapped the ball straight to Van Persie, who poked it in for 1-0 .

Gallas headed in an RVP corner from four yards. He outsmarted the bigger Carlton Cole. No West Ham defender got off the ground.

Game over, I thought, and left the room.

After 73 minutes, I came downstairs randomly from my office and saw that a West Ham had a free-kick and Italian sub Diamanti took it and Mannone dived to save but let the ball hit the heel of his hand and bounce the wrong way. Not away from the goal and past the post but across the open goal, where Carlton Cole dived to head in for 1-2.

Then the clumsy Song clattered into Cole in the box, even though Cole was going nowhere, and a penalty was given. What a dimwit ! How stupid and careless can a footballer be? Answer : he can be Diaby. But that's another story.

Vito Mannone got a yellow card for winding up Diamanti, the penalty taker, but Diamanti had the last laugh when he whacked his left-footed penalty kick hard into the corner of the net.

Since Spurs lost 1-0 at home to Stoke on Saturday, and Manchester City could only draw 2-2 with Fulham at Eastlands on Sunday, Arsenal are third in the table. City were 2-0 up after 60 but conceded two goals in eight minutes. Arsenal conceded two in six minutes.

Keown says Arsenal coast in games and should demand more from each other.

Chelsea hammered Blackburn 5-0 and played the kind of football that Abramovich wanted to see from Chelsea three years ago : powerful, fluid, incisive, dynamic. The oligarch wanted that brand of attacking football from Jose Mourinho and when he didn't get it, he paid him off.

Anelka really, really wanted to score. He was fired up. Joe Cole played at the front of the diamond and was absolutely incredible, after trying too hard in the first ten minutes and missing a header from six yards. Lampard's goal was a superb hit from inside the box.

Shame that Man United have no structure in their team now, no style.

Tevez-Cristiano-Rooney was a style. With Tevez and Cristiano gone, United are a rabble with no proper midfield, no proper attack. They missed Fletcher at Anfield. Just think about that ! Man United were so feeble that they missed Darren Fletcher!

The highlight of the Liverpool-United game came in 64 minutes when Fernando Torres scored the biggest goal of the season so far.

Benayoun, the dribbling playmaker, really stepped up to the plate, supplying the assist for a deeply meaningful goal.

Kuyt to Benayoun to Kuyt to Benayoun, slipped pass down the side of Rio Ferdinand and... bang !!!!

Intelligence to hold his run and stay onside.
Strength to hold off Ferdinand's challenge.
Honesty not to dive when having his shoulder pulled back.
Balance to maintain control of the ball and keep it within his stride pattern.
Confidence to blast home at the near post.
Technique to hit his shot so hard that the best keeper in the Premier League had no chance of saving it.

Torres is different different different class.

I hope he wins the World Cup for Spain.

Things got a bit hysterical and physical after that. Vidic was sent off for a bodycheck on Kuyt, Mascherano saw red as well. And when Liverpool broke away in the 96th minute, sub David Ngog strolled onto a Lucas pass and slotted low past Edwin van der Sar.

Rafa said, "The team is better than people think."

Liverpool miss Xabi Alonso as much as Arsenal missed Patrick Vieira.

But that Torres strike was a phenomenal goal by a proper centre forward, a real killer, a blond assassin. That goal was sensational! I've seen it 18 times already and I love it more every time I see it. It was passionate, professional, deadly and thrilling. I could watch that goal for 90 minutes.

And it's great to have Joe Cole fit and sharp enough to regain his place in the England team. He played out of his skin in that 5-0 victory.

So it was an enjoyable weekend because Fernando Torres and Joe Cole are two of my favourite players.

I'm not going to stress about Arsenal's inability to defend a lead. It's a bore, just pathetic. I'm sick of talking about it and sick of writing about it.

West Ham 2 Colney Creche 2. I've nothing new to say about it.Disgust has cooled into indifference, so I don't care any more.

Arsenal AGM was strangely different this year

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 07:27:02 +0000

It's much harder to write about an AGM than to write about a football match.

A match is a crash-bang-wallop sports event which is easily summed up

Having been to countless Arsenal AGMs, and several at Spurs, I know more than most about these occasions.

But this morning I can't do justice to yesterday's AGM.

It was different to any I've witnessed.

Some of the differences were obvious, some subtle, others odd.

As such, this particular AGM will require an analysis which is thoughtful and nuanced.

Unfortunately, I'm busy with other things. Monday is more realistic.

For an eloquent summary of Barcelona and Arsenal in the Champions League, read Europe's Big Names Falter on Surreal Night.

Chamakh and Gourcuff wouldn't make it in Premier League

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 07:39:58 +0000

I watched Bordeaux, Milan and Chelsea last night.

Bordeaux beat ten-man Bayern Munich 2-1 but missed two penalties.

Marouane Chamakh, the striker linked 700 times with Wenger, is not good enough to play for Arsenal. He’s not good enough for the EPL.

Yoann Gourcuff, the best player in the French league last season, isn’t good enough either.

On last night’s performance those two are a pair of elegant Phrench supermodels who wouldn't last ten minutes in the EPL. Forget them. I deeply regret writing about Chamakh on ANR. I won't make that mistake again. He’s a bantamweight who should stay where he is.

Salomon Kalou, another striker Wenger was said to like, is a much better player who misses chances. He scored two and missed two last night as Chelsea smashed Atletico Madrid 4-0.

Lampard scored a typical goal but on TV this morning I saw Carlo Ancelotti say he did want to talk about the goal, just about Lampard’s work for 90 minutes in every game. Quite right. Lampard is a team player with amazing durability.

PATO is a 20-year old Brazilian who is much better striker than Kalou.

Pato is the kind of talent I want to see at Arsenal . But I never will. The club isn’t ambitious enough to buy a kid of his quality. Pato is twice as good as Anelka was at the same age .He scored twice in Milan’s 3-2 win at Real Madrid. Two howlers by the usually superb Casillas contributed to that shock defeat. Dida had set the tone by fumbling a simple shot by Granero to allow Raul to pop in the first goal.

Seedorf’s chipped cross found our ball-watched left back Marcelo, who left Pato in ten yards of space to volley in for 3-2. I haven’t seen ball-watching of that calibre by a left back since Kenny Sansom let Steve Coppell bang two past Pat Jennings in a 4-2 win for Man United at Highbury.

As you know, United went to Moscow to play on a plastic pitch without Rooney, Evra, Fletcher and Giggs. They controlled the game and won it with a late goal by Valencia. CSKA Moscow 0 Man United 1. Sir Alex’s side has a wonderful away record in the Champions League : 14 games unbeaten.

VERDICT on Matchday 3: Chelsea and Manchester United are much stronger than Liverpool and Arsenal.

If Liverpool have lost four games in a row and if that continues, Manchester City will replace them in the top four, and Arsenal can relax. But not too much. Relaxing cost them a win in Alkmaar. Arsenal played the last half hour as if it was a training game and conceded in the 93rd minute.

Arsenal stumble but Barcelona & Liverpool lose

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 08:55:57 +0000

Matchday 3 gave the so-called Champions League a shake-up last night.

How welcome that was ! The Group Stage is a yawn if the rich teams stroll through every year,.

Russians Rubin Kazan turned Europe upside down at the Nou Camp by beating Barcelona 2-1.

Right back Ryazentsev smashed in a thunderbolt off the post, Ibra made it 1-1 in 48 with a shot that went in off the other post, and I figured Guardiola's hard-working side would score a goal, maybe a late goal. But Dominguez, following on from his fabulous solo goal against Inter on Matchday 2, set up the winner with a fantastic ball for Karadeniz in 73 minutes.

European & Spanish champions 1 Russian champions 2.

That scoreline gives the fans something to talk about and so does the Group F table after 3 games. Barcelona 4 points, Dynamo Kiev 4, Rubin Kazan 4, Inter 3.

Jose Mourinho would love to be back in England at Liverpool or Man United, just to show Chelsea what they are missing.

Arsenal scored through Fabregas in 36 minutes and were fairly comfortable for 75.But they still can't defend a lead and ended up conceding in the 93rd minute.

AZ Alkmaar went on the field with a huge inferiority complex, intent on damage limitation. They played keep-ball in two thirds of the pitch but rarely threatened. Then a pass by one of the centrebacks, Montero, was far too hard for Moisander to control, allowing Arshavin to show how quick-witted and surgical he is. His disguise creates uncertainty in defenders and gives teammates time to play. Here his perfect pass gave Van Persie space to produce a perfect pass to Fabregas, who tapped in for 1-0.

Van Persie is proving me wrong by making a success of a new role. He’s been given less to do and become more direct.

But it was the same old Arsenal. They were 30 seconds away from 8 wins in a row. A 70-yard freekick was virtually the last kick of the game, so keeper Romero went up into the box, and then we saw Diaby back off from contesting the header won by Alkmaar sub Pelle, and Mendes da Silva smashed a volley in off the post with a style worthy of Ian Wright. A very good reflex goal, spectacular and important. If Eduardo scored that goal, Gooners would all be raving about it.

Keeping Vito Mannone was the right call by Wenger. Having suggested Mannone had ended Fabianski's Arsenal career, I now reckon he has ended Almunia’s Arsenal career. Mannone looks like a goalkeeper. Almunia never did.

Olympiakos beat Standard Liege 2-1 and that was the only home win among the eight games.But unbeaten Arsenal still top Group H

LIVERPOOL were rubbish against Lyon, who won 2-1 with a sublime move late on.

Stevie G's groin only lasted 25 minutes, Ngog looked like an amateur, Glenn Johnson's deputy Kelly did well, Benayoun scored in 41. Despite heroics from Reina, who punched away a corner and then made three saves in the same sequence before sub Maxime Gonalons scored. Delgado slotted the winner at the far post after a slick break. Lyon looked good but Liverpool made them look better than they are.

The other game in Liverpool's group was Debrecen 3 Fiorentina 4, a contest notable for four amazing finishes by Mutu, Gilardino, Mutu and Santana.

In the San Siro, Inter had to equalise twice against Dynamo Kiev in a 2-2 draw.

Stuttgart 1 Sevilla 3 showed the Spanish side to be the Fiorentina of La Liga. But more physical. I’ve liked Sevilla since their Uefa Cup win. They play ruggedly but intelligently and keep doing that despite the loss of Dani Alves, their dynamo.

For Gooners, a disappointing night.

Arsenal should have won but the Alkmaar game had its plus points. Mannone, obviously, and RVP. Van Persie's role has changed and he has adapted. Remarkably, Wenger has succeed in making him the centre forward in a 4-3-3 that I never thought he could be. I didn’t think Robin had the brains or discipline to play that role. He may remind AW of Marco van Basten but he's beginning to resemble of the greatest bang!bang! centre forward of modern times, Gabriele Batistuta. His game was simpler than RVP's game is now and he had Rui Costa, one of the classiest playmakers, supplying his ammunition.

Many years ago, maybe when Fiorentina were playing at Wembley, I was talking to Martin Tyler and asked : Is Batistuta the best centre forward since Marco van Basten?" And Martin said, "His record says he is."

Batistuta's record includes 168 goals in 269 games for Fiorentina, and 56 in 78 games for Argentina.

Talking of Argentina, Rubin Kazan's striker Dominguez should play alongside Tevez, with Messi on the right. With those three improvising in attack, Argentina would be formidable.

Why is the chaotic, incompetent Maradona still at the helm? Surely no nation, even Argentina, is crazy enough to employ him as a World Cup coach. The idea is mad, on health grounds alone.

Expect big games from Vermaelen and Romero

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 09:48:32 +0000

A few words today about Vermaelen and Romero.

One is a centreback, the other a goalkeeper.

When Vermaelen played in Liege, it was a landmark match for a defender who joined the Ajax academy when he was 15 and played his senior football in Holland.

Three weeks ago former Arsenal skipper Frank McLintock was quoted on Arsenal's new defender.

Coming from a passionate captain like McLintock, this was praise indeed. Frank said Thomas Vermaelen could be a great player for the Gunners if he maintains his current form. He told the Independent: “He's athletic, has a great spring, alive and alert, taking charge and telling other players about pushing up after the ball's cleared, and settled in from his very first game. If he can keep that up, he'll be a fantastic player for Arsenal. He's winning headers in the box both ends of the pitch, and that's been one of the failures.”

On Sunday, in Vermaelen's interview in the Independent, he admitted to Steve Tongue that playing in his home country was a huge novelty.

"It was only the second time I've played in Belgium, which was special, and I knew they were a good team. We went two-nil down after four or five minutes but it was good that Nicklas scored just before half-time, because we knew in the half-time that we could score one or two more. Then against Olympiacos I think we played our best half of the season and knew the goals would come, though we had to wait."

Vermaelen is the only Arsenal player who is familiar with AZ Alkmaar: "I played against them for the last few years and know them very well. They have a lot of Belgian players too. They will play as a team with great discipline, like they did last season under Louis van Gaal. They have good players up front like El Hamdaoui and the Belgian guy Dembele, but the real strength is as a team. I think they're going to be quite defensive."

Alkmaar's keeper is 22-year old Sergio Romero, who played in Argentina's last three World Cup qualifying games.

In other words, Romero is Diego Maradona's goalkeeper.To some people that might not be a recommendation.

Romero is six foot four, has very long hair and an older brother who plays professional basketball in Argentina. He kept 18 clean sheets in their title season but broke his hand by punching a wall after they lost a cup quarter-final against NAC Breda and missed the run-in.

Their stadium capacity is 17,000.They were undefeated in 32 European home games before losing 3-2 to Everton in the Uefa Cup in December 2007. Louis van Gaal guided Alkmaar to the title last season, then joined Bayern Munich.

New coach Ronaldo Koeman came over to watch Arsenal recently. As Ajax coach he outsmarted Wenger with a 1-1 at Highbury when Steven Pienaar and Nigel De Jong were playing. Before the second leg many Gooners said, "Playing at home, they'll have to come out." I said, "Why would they do that? A 0-0 will put them through."

You all know the score in that second leg : Ajax 0 Arsenal 0. It was so obvious. If I'd had an online account at the time, I'd have had a bet on that result. Koeman's PSV also beat Arsenal in 2007.

Alkmaar's president Dirk Scheringa is the owner of the DSB Bank, which was declared bankrupt yesterday. One story said the players were not paid last week.

Despite all that strife, don't rule out a draw. Keeper Romero might be a big player tonight. Vermaelen could be as big, or bigger.

LIVERPOOL have a very good record against French clubs but Lyon can score goals away from home. Torres is out, Gerrard plays.

BARCELONA host Russian champions Rubin Kazan, a lively outfit who might be overawed at the Nou Camp.

PS : Did you see The Last Word with Andy Gray?

I fast-forwarded through a recording because Peter Reid was the guest.

Andy put up a graphic which did not include Man City, Everton or Spurs.

But it was quite interesting

**Sky graphic re EPL goals from set-pieces this season**
	scored	conceded
Liverpool	6	9
Chelsea	5	6
Arsenal	4	5
Aston V	9	0
Man Utd	7	0

Arsenal cruise into Alkmaar with goals, goals, goals

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 06:48:26 +0000

An interesting weekend in terms of results.

Arsenal won and Man City drew 1-1 at Wigan after Zabaleta was sent off.

Chelsea lost 2-1 at Aston Villa and Liverpool lost 1-0 at Sunderland without Torres and Gerrard.
Manchester United won 2-1

A 3-1 win over promoted Birmingham was what most Gooners hoped for and expected.Two goals in two minutes put Arsenal in charge in the first half.

Something seems to have clicked for Van Persie, who has found a bit of rhythm and fluency, lost some of his ungainliness. Still an improvise-and-bang! striker, RVP took a good through pass from Song, juggled it with three touches and dispatched a shot low across Joe Hart.

When Rosicky crossed low from the right, Walcott missed it but Diaby rammed home left-footed for 2-0.

Since I never expected to see Rosicky again, it’s nice to have him back. He needs a goal.

Arshavin had been rested but he came on in 33 minutes for the injured Walcott.

When Diaby tried to deal with a high ball, it went off the top of his head into the six yard box. Mannone waited too long before trying to catch it, allowing Seb Larsson to bump him, so that he fumbled. Lee Bowyer slammed in for 2-1 in 38.

On balls like that, Arsenal’s goalkeepers might be found out all season long. Mannone is a rookie and will learn. If he could learn quickly he would keep the gloves.

It was 2-1 at half-time and quite a tight game at 2-1.

Arshavin rifled in a fierce low shot that Joe Hart saved just inside the post, then tripped a defender and shot wide from six yards.

Arshavin is at his most compelling when he's running with the ball within a group of six or seven opponents, some backing off, some chasing him. Players with sublime skill often don't have sublime decision-making. But Arshavin's choices, on where to pass, and when to shoot, and how to shoot, are uncanny to the point of magical.

The only British player with similar skills in the last 25 years has been Paul Gascoigne. Yes, Arshavin loses the ball at times, and makes some sloppy passes. But he showed his class in 84 when he made it 3-1.

Mannone rolled the ball out when Birmingham were stretched, Fabregas carried it forward and gave Arshavin a one-on-one with right back Steve Carr and as Arshavin accelerated into a diagonal run, Arshavin slotted neatly into the bottom corner. A supercool finish by the refrigerated Russian.

If football is all about sequences, and it is, Arsenal can beat AZ Alkmaar tomorrow night.

As I say, an interesting weekend. Arsenal were the only only Premier League team to win by two goals. You can’t argue with seven straight wins in all comps.

Mostly it was a 2-1 weekend : Spurs won at Portsmouth by that score, Stoke did the same to West Ham, Manchester United beat Bolton with an o.g. and Valencia’s first goal, Aston Villa beat Chelsea with two set-pieces after Drogba scored.

Best pass I saw this weekend was a Zidane-style through ball by Drogba for Deco, who shot weakly at Brad Friedel.

The only goal in the Sunderland-Liverpool game was a fluke that should have been disallowed in the 5th minute when Darren Bent’s shot hit a red plastic beach ball and deflected past Reina.

Liverpool’s fourth defeat means they cannot now win the title they have craved for so long.

ARSENAL (4-2-3-1): Mannone; Eboué (Wilshere, 90), Gallas, Vermaelen, Gibbs; Song, Diaby; Walcott (Arshavin, 33), Fabregas, Rosicky (Sagna, 72); Van Persie. Subs not used: Almunia (gk), Ramsey, Silvestre, Traoré.

BIRMINGHAM (4-1-4-1): Hart; Carr, R Johnson, Dann, Ridgewell; Carsley (Phillips, 79); Larsson, Ferguson, Bowyer, McFadden (McSheffrey, 71); Jerome (O'Connor, 61). Substitutes not used: Maik Taylor (gk), D Johnson, Bent, O'Shea.

Referee: Lee Probert (Wiltshire).

Booked: Song, Hart, Ridgewell.

At last, Wenger admits Arshavin is as hot as Cristiano Ronaldo

Sat, 17 Oct 2009 08:26:14 +0000

Wenger doesn't talk Arshavin up enough.

I've said that on ANR since March.

On Saturday, April 18, he left Arshavin out of his team for the FA Cup semi-final against Chelsea at Wembley and Arsenal lost 2-1.

On the following Tuesday night an Anfield, he started the Russian, who scored four goals.

That electrifying performance was one I've never seen surpassed by any Arsenal player, even Bergkamp. His dopey teammates weren't good enough to win the game but the Russian's pace and skill, and the quality of those four goals, were astonishing. If Thierry Henry had scored those four goals, Wenger would be still be talking about them every week.

On Friday, Wenger said that Arshavin can succeed Cristiano Ronaldo as the greatest entertainer in English football.

Wenger told David Woods and other reporters: “Of course, the Premier League needs a star like Arshavin now that Ronaldo has gone. I love Arshavin's attitude and behaviour. He is not only a great player but he has an honest, refreshing attitude. When there's no penalty, he never complains, he's not a drama queen. He plays real football, all that we love in football.

“He goes for it, he's not scared, doesn't want to cheat. Everyone loves him because of that. It's fantastic for the Premier League. Four or five years ago, the likes of Messi or Kaka would have come to England. So it is important that we have great players like Arshavin. He's in that bracket.”

We all know that, Arsene.

I was telling you that when I wrote Arshavin was better than Cristiano last night.

Indeed, as long ago as 21/06/2008, I wrote Why Arshavin is the best player in Euro 2008.