Arsenal News

Swansea vs Arsenal preview (stats from opta)

2012-01-14T18:02:00.000Z

After his match-winning comeback against Leeds in the FA Cup, Thierry Henry will hope for another chance to find the net and he may even feature on the wing.

Thierry Henry has scored against all 34 different teams he has faced in the Premier League.

There have been fewer goals scored at the Liberty Stadium than any other Premier League ground this season (16).

Just 14% of the goals Arsenal have scored have been from set pieces, the lowest percentage in the top flight.

Swansea have kept six clean sheets at home this term and the four teams who have netted against them have only managed one goal.

The Gunners have kept just two clean sheets in their last 17 Premier League away games.

Arsenal have fired in more shots on target from inside the penalty area than any other team (97).

Arsenal have had more shots cleared off the line by defenders than any other Premier League side (9).

Robin van Persie has scored 19 goals in his last 19 Premier League away appearances.

The Swans have recouped just one point from a game where they have been trailing this season, the joint-fewest in the Premier League.

Arsenal have created the most goal attempts from counter attacks (21) and also scored the joint-most goals on the break (5).

Mannone joins Hull on loan

2012-01-04T17:04:00.000Z

Goalkeeper Vito Mannone has joined Hull City on loan until the end of the season. The 23 year-old Italian also enjoyed a loan spell at the KC Stadium last season helping the Championship side to secure 21 points in his ten appearances.

He returns to East Yorkshire hoping to continue that good form and to provide a boost to the Tigers in their bid for promotion as they have a shortage of goalkeepers at the moment.
Mannone has featured once for the Arsenal first-team this season in the Champions League Group Stage match away to Olympiacos, where he was very unconvincing, and ten times in total since joining the Club from Atalanta at the age of 17. As well as being a regular in the Arsenal Reserves since his arrival, Vito had a loan stint with Barnsley in 2006. Mannone, who signed a new long-term contract in January 2010, has represented Italy at Under-21 level.

Arsenal QPR ratings (according to you on twitter)

2012-01-01T12:57:00.001Z

Here are the arsenal QPR ratings according to you guys on twitter.

Szczesny 8
Djourou 6
Mertesacker 9
Koscielny 9
Vermaelan 7
Song 7
Arteta 8
Ramsey 7.5
Walcott 7
Arshavin 7
RVP 8.5

FRIMPONG

2011-12-31T09:00:00.000Z

Emmanuel Frimpong is set to join Wolves on loan for the rest of the season according to reports. This will surely give him the match time he needs to further his development.

Arsenal vs QPR preview (stats from opta)

2011-12-31T08:56:00.000Z

Arsenal have scored 299 goals in Premier League London derbies.

Arsenal have won 13% of Premier League games against QPR, their worst win percentage against any opponent in the Premier League era.

Five of the eight Premier League meetings between Arsenal and QPR have ended as draws. In fact seven of the last 10 league meetings have ended all square.

Arsenal and QPR met at Highbury on December 31st 1994 when John Jensen famously scored his only goal for the club in a 1-3 defeat.

Arsenal have won 12 and lost just two of the 20 league meetings at home to QPR.

Arsenal have scored only one goal in each of their last three Premier League home matches.

In Arsenal's last 15 Premier League games at the Emirates, they have only managed to score more than one goal four times.

Arsenal have scored 19 goals in their last 15 Premier League home matches.

QPR have taken only two points from their last six Premier League games.

Rangers have failed to score a first half goal in their last four Premier League games.

The King is back

2011-12-29T21:51:00.001Z

Sky sources have revealed that Henry will sign a two month loan deal at Arsenal starting on January 1st. Henry, who left Arsenal in 2006 for Barcelona, is currently playing for New York Red bulls where he has scored 16 goals in 37 games. However this period up until late February is their off season and he has been training with Arsenal to keep his fitness up for the last month.

So will this move be a good one. Well firstly Arsenal will be without Chamakh during the African cup of nations which starts after the next game against QPR. Therefore our backup striker will be the unproven park during this period. Henry probably won't play with RVP but will act as a welcome backup if needed and will be used as a substitute to add a bit more fire power when we need a goal which we have lacked recently. Although Henry is 34 and reaching the twilight of his career he has had a good record at New York and his fitness and skills have been kept up while training at Arsenal.

Only time will tell whether this move will pay off and i hope that it isn't the only transfer during this transfer market. So I would love to know your reaction so leave your comment below.

The lack of substitute impact ( @Amrut_Sharma )

2011-12-28T10:16:00.000Z

One of the most open seasons in Barclay’s premier league. If you are a mathematician, you will love the swings for they give you an amazing chance to use probability. Any slip up, i.e. a draw or loss from one of the top six, the others have to capitalize. It’s of utmost importance to bag full points when you play relatively easy fixtures. Yesterday was when Arsenal needed a highly clinical performance. We started the game in the best possible fashion. But there were two things which were glaringly missing.

Lack of impact players on the bench

The goal scoring form

The important aspect and in my opinion a far more concerning one is the lack of impact players. For some time now, we have been playing the 4-2-3-1 which has the two high paced wingers and RVP leading the attack. When we don’t have either Theo or Gervinho, the pace is absolutely missing. Our right hand side yesterday was Djourou and Rosiscky. Undoubtedly it was way too slow and our weak area.

What you would need in such case are impact players on the bench. Wenger keeps saying we have a big squad. Yes we do. But our starting eleven is not significantly different in each match. Also our subs bench is not very different. Off the subs we had yesterday three made appearances. Arshavin, Ramsey and Chamakh. Except for Arshavin’s brilliant attempt there was not much there. So the question to be begged is; when there is a match such as the one yesterday, who would you call up from the bench to score or create a goal. Could wenger answer that question? Day by day it looks like Ox is going to make a bigger impact than Arshavin. (Do not like Arshavin being booed by some sections though). Wenger made a mistake last January by not reinforcing the defense, this January it’s a question of the offensive department. Let’s not repeat the mistake.

It’s hard to believe that, in a game when the first goal came in the 7^th minute, we were struggling to beat the opposition. It’s a poor reflection on the players and the manager. I am not that great at statistics. But I remember at least three occasions when there was too much of passing in front of the goal than someone pulling the trigger. We can rue over the fact that all our on goal shots were stopped by a brilliant keeper. No doubt Hennessey was coming up with some blinding saves and Wolves put many of their men behind the ball, but there has to be more than one idea of scoring a goal. Chamakh coming on would have meant some aerial balls. But except for a couple of times, that didn’t happen. Some would point out Chamakh came on in the last 6 minutes. Am I the only one who feels, Wenger would need to communicate more with the players when we are unable to break a deadlock? Arsenal have proved better than last season in closing games when opposition have been stubborn, but off late we have had two draws against Fulham and Wolves. Invariably, it comes back to how we score goals. We had umpteen numbers of corners yesterday with only one clear scoring opportunity. The free kicks were tame, corners ineffective and the interplay for once was missing.

Make no mistake about it Arsenal need goals. The likelihood of this season champions league spots being decided on goal difference is looking very strong. We have not done ourselves any favor by conceding that bucket load of goals in the beginning of the season. Whenever we play the relegation contenders or bottom half sides especially at home, we need thumping wins. Thankfully Liverpool and Chelsea have their own problems which are bigger than ours at the moment. Spurs on the other hand have found a higher gear and are beating lowly oppositions with ease. If we are complacent, like we were yesterday then its going to be tough.

Arsenal vs Wolves match report ( @gooner_tom )

2011-12-27T21:22:00.002Z

There was no post-Christmas joy for Arsenal in a right cracker of a game at The Emirates, where a resolute Wolverhampton Wanderers side held them to a frustrating point.

Arsene Wenger rang the changes with Johan Djourou, Alex Song, Tomas Rosicky and Yossi Benayoun, the hero in midweek, starting and replacing Francis Coquelin, Emmanuel Frimpong, Aaron Ramsey and Theo Walcott (who was apparently ill, and did not dress). A combination of inexperience and tired legs in the narrow win at Villa Park inspired the changes, and the fresh nature of the Gunners side proved as the hosts dominated this feisty encounter.

The visitors had a good early chance through Matt Jarvis which the ever-improving Per Mertesacker blocked well. The big German has been criticised since arriving for occasional clumsiness and his struggles coping with quick strikers, but with 19 games now under his belt, he is proving to be an intelligent reader of the game and a calming influence amongst what is still a young, and at times naive, Arsenal side.

The home side were lethal on the counter, however. Benayoun slipped a through ball into the path of Gervinho, who it must be said has often floundered in one-on-one situations, but rounded Hennessey and rolled into the unguarded net for a tidy finish. The question of just how many Arsenal would get would become the topic of conversation.

The Ivorian was at the heart of Arsenal’s next opportunity; finding van Persie in the box who steered the ball wide, before Benayoun raced clear only to stumble over his own feet and waste a promising move. The hosts continued to look to extend their advantage with van Persie and Arteta, twice, both testing the impressive Wolves keeper. They seemed to be knocking the sage and onion stuffing out of Wolves, but they were about to pay for their profligacy as the visitors went up the other end and stole an unlikely equaliser. Stephen Hunt’s shot deflected off Thomas Vermaelen and Steven Fletcher applied the finish with a smart header: a sucker punch to Arsenal’s hopes of moving into the top four for the first time this season.

It showed after the break as the Gunners looked a little shell-shocked and failed to create any real opening until the introduction of the enigmatic Andrey Arshavin for the efficient Benayoun. How much influence he had is up for debate but his presence coincided with a little more urgency and penetration in the final third. Frustration was showing throughout the second half, as Song and Vermaelen were both booked for silly challenges, with the latter protesting for the remainder of the match, and consequently walking something of a tightrope.

Meanwhile, van Persie bent a terrific free-kick towards the top corner only to be denied by Hennessey. That was after referee, Stuart Atwell, the undisputed turkey of this match, inexplicably got in his way during his initial run up for the set-piece. His performance confirmed what many had suspected for a long time: he is well out of his depth in the Premier League.

The save of the match came moments later as the Welsh shot-stopper somehow kept out Mertesacker’s towering header before watching van Persie screw the rebound horribly wide. The match was being played at blistering speed as Arsenal desperately searched for the winner. Wolves’ desperation to prevent such a goal went overboard when Nenad Milijas was sent off for what looked an atrocious challenge on Arteta. Having since seen a replay, perhaps only a yellow would have sufficed. It’s easy to make referees scapegoats but Atwell had a perfect view and got the decision wrong. Not his first of the afternoon and not the last he’s likely to make, either.

Down to 10 men against a determined Gunners outfit, you would be forgiven for predicting Wolves to crumble. They defended extremely well, keeping out Rosicky, Arshavin and van Persie again who each had great chances. The Dutchman was looking Arsenal’s best source of goals as usual, but the prospect of breaking Alan Shearer’s record was clearly on his mind and he wasn’t quite his talismanic self.

Koscielny and Vermaelen went close late on but the goal would not come for an Arsenal side that did very little wrong on the day. The finishing could have been more clinical but there’s only so much you can do when the opposition goalkeeper turns in the performance of his career. Two points dropped certainly but positives can be taken from the sheer domination on show and the abundance of chances created. The ‘squad’ players who came in did a commendable job, proving that despite this disappointing result, the Gunners have the resources to cope with the hectic fixture schedule that is approaching.

Man of the Match: Wayne Hennessey. Tomas Rosicky was excellent for Arsenal but the Welshman’s heroics between the sticks for Wolves prevented what would have been a post-Christmas roasting.

Attendance: 59,686

Arsenal (4-2-3-1) Szczesny; Djourou, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Vermaelen; Song, Arteta; Benayoun, Rosicky, Gervinho; van Persie

Wolves (4-5-1) Hennessey; Zubar, Johnson, Berra, Ward; Forde, Henry, Hunt, Milijas, Jarvis; Fletcher

Follow me on Twitter for more insightful musings.

Arsenal vs Wolves ratings according to you

2011-12-27T21:13:00.000Z

Arsenal were held to a 1-1 by 10 man Norwich in a frustrating encounter dominated by the home team. In Arsenal's last game of the calendar they started well through a Gervinho goal after a sublime pass by Benayoun who earned his first start. However they were pegged back around the 40 minute mark after Stephen Hunt's deflected shot was deflected to Fletcher whose header went right into the corner of Szczesny's goal. Despite dominating the second half and producing numerous chances a superb Wanye Henneessey pulled off some brilliant saves to keep them out.

Player Ratings taken from responses on twitter.

Szczesny 6
Vermaelan 7
Koscielny 8
Mertesacker 8
Djourou 6
Song 7
Arteta 8
Benayoun 8
Rosicky 8
RVP 8
Gervinho 8

Arsenal vs Wolves preview (stats courtesy of opta)

2011-12-26T19:50:00.002Z

Arsenal will be out to continue their English Premier League resurgence when they host Wolverhampton on Tuesday.

Led by in-form forward Robin van Persie, Arsenal have climbed into fifth on the table on the back of eight wins in their last 10 league outings.

The Dutchman has been in scintillating goal-scoring form, and is closing in on Alan Shearer's Premier League record of 36 goals in a calendar year.

Van Persie's goal in Arsenal's 2-1 win over Aston Villa on Wednesday took his tally to 34, and he has two games before 2011 is over.

He is sure to have the opportunities to break Shearer's record with games against lowly sides Wolves and Queens Park Rangers to come.

The 28-year-old said on Friday he had been shocked by Arsenal's turnaround after the Londoners lost four of their opening seven league games.

While van Persie's form has been outstanding, he has had strong support from several team-mates.

Alex Song, who returns from suspension, and Gervinho have provided five assists apiece this campaign, while Aaron Ramsey has set up one fewer.

England international Theo Walcott has proved vital in setting up van Persie in the latest part of his incredible run.

A meeting with Wolves at Emirates Stadium is a game Arsenal would have marked down as a win pre-season, and Arsene Wenger will expect his team to collect three points.

Wolves sit just a spot above the relegation zone, and Mick McCarthy will be desperate to get his team back to winning ways.

After recording wins in their opening two league games of the season, Wolves have won just twice more, despite Steven Fletcher's six goals.

Away from home, Wolves have lost six of eight games and conceded a poor 17 goals.

McCarthy is likely to have to cope without midfielder David Edwards, and defenders Jody Craddock and Kevin Foley, for the trip.

Wenger could welcome back defender Johan Djourou, while Kieran Gibbs, Andre Santos, Carl Jenkinson and Bacary Sagna are unavailable.

Jack Wilshere, Lukasz Fabianski, Vito Mannone, Abou Diaby and Ryo Miyaichi are also missing for Arsenal.

Wenger's men will go into the clash against Wolves as hot favourites as van Persie chases an incredible record.

5 best moments of 2011

2011-12-24T11:37:00.000Z

At first glance this year has been a huge disappointment for Arsenal from the Carling Cup final to the loss of key players in the transfer window. However looking more carefully at this past year there are some huge positives that should be taken. Despite faltering form and long spells without wins there have been some performances that will stay in the memory for a long time:

Here are the top five moments of 2011

5. Development of players.

One of the aspects of this year that has impressed me most is the development off some of our youngsters. Jack Wilshere has become one of the best players in the league at just 19 years of age. At the start of the year his performances picked up and he started to really boss the midfield. His progress was signified by him winning the PFA young player of the year. It has been evident in many of our poor displays this season that we have been missing his control of the midfield and we are all desperate for his return. Another player who has progressed significantly this year is Aaron Ramsey. At the start of the year I found him frustrating to as the least. He seemed in control all over the pitch however when he reached the final third he would appear reluctant to play that final ball. Too often he would shirk away from the opportunities to play that killer ball and would end up pausing for too long and passing it backwards. You just need to look at the passes for Gervinho’s goal against Stoke and the ball to Gervinho for RVP’s first goal against Chelsea to see that he is becoming far more comfortable in that area of the pitch.

Another significant development has been that of Laurent Koscielny. Last year I found him too aggressive in his play as he would often go in for a sliding tackle or commit himself when it wasn’t needed. However this year he has come forward significantly and his performance against Barcelona was among the greatest this year. His reading of the game has been exceptional and his continued presence at the back has been reassuring when all those around him are falling down.

4. Arsenal 1-0 Manchester United

Towards the end of last season when everything was looking down there was one performance that kept our slender hopes of the title alive. They had not been beaten by the Gunners in a span of seven games, spread over two-and-a-half years in all competitions by t this time we came out on top. Despite the presence of Squillaci in the second half United couldn’t match Arsenal and Aaron Ramsey’s composed finish gave us a deserved 1-0 win over our rivals.

3. The performances of Robin Van Persie

There has been one man that has been sublime this year and his appetite for goals has dragged us through some of the most difficult times and saved us more times than I can remember. As soon as the year started RVP didn’t look back and now with one game of the year left he has scored 34 goals surpassing Henry’s record at Arsenal and only two off the record of Alan Shearer. He has had superb performances for example Barcelona, Chelsea (more on them later), Stoke, Everton, Sunderland where his sublime goals have saved us from near defeat or draws. This season his attitude as captain has also been influential towards the progress of the team and he has showed a real maturity there.

2. Chelsea 3 - 5 Arsenal

Arsenal’s highlight of the season so far has to be this eight goal thriller at Stamford Bridge. Two sides under pressure after their slow starts to the season entertained us with an eight goal thriller. Despite an unconvincing defensive display (apart from Koscielny, of course) with Djourou and Mertesacker stuck to the floor most of the match it was the attack who pulled us through. Van Persie of course was the star of the show and the team are indebted to his hat – trick(and John Terry) for the win. Another pleasing aspect of the performance was that of Andre Santos who had an unconvincing first half in defence often being beaten after recklessly lunging in. However as soon as the second half had started is performance changed and it was his cool finish that let us back into the game as he, once again, demonstrated his superb ability to get forward.

1. Arsenal 2 - 1 Barcelona

Arsenal struck twice in five minutes late to comeback from 1-0 down to beat Champions League favourites Barcelona on a memorable night at the Emirates. Barcelona looked on course to take a precious lead into the second leg of this last 16 clash at the Nou Camp as they protected the first-half advantage given to them by David Villa. However two quick goals from Van Persie and Arshavin set up a magnificent win that will be remembered forever. There were some superb performances in the second half most notably from Jack Wilshere and Koscielny that set up a magnificent win. It was a shame that the same feat couldn’t be completed in the second leg and we came so close but for Bendtner’s inability to have a first touch when through on goal.

Mikel Arteta - Arsenal's Xavi (guest post by @gooner_tom

2011-12-23T16:07:00.000Z

It is almost universally acknowledged that the mauling in Manchester on August 28 was more than just humiliating and degrading, it was the kick up the backside Arsenal really needed. Many consider Arsene Wenger’s decision to bring in five new players in the last 48 hours of the transfer window as a true example of panic buying, and whilst I wouldn’t say it’s as cold as that, there is no doubt the Old Trafford debacle had an effect on the magnitude of the wheeling and dealing done on deadline day.

Even if Park Chu-Young is yet to play a prominent part, fellow newcomers Per Mertesacker and Andre Santos have settled in pretty well at the back. The winning goal on Wednesday night proved Yossi Benayoun’s worth but there is no doubt one player has been the star signing of the summer from an Arsenal perspective: the last to be completed and arguably the most anticipated.

Following the departure of the talismanic Cesc Fabregas and the occasionally-influential Samir Nasri, there was perhaps an aura of disappointment and anti-climax that the big bucks hadn’t been splashed on a headline name. Mario Götze was linked and rumoured to be the subject of a substantial bid but a move failed to materialise. The alternative signings of Benayoun and Mikel Arteta from Everton were certainly not like-for-like replacements.

However, some people, particularly in the media, haven’t quite got that into their heads. Arteta is still being regarded as the man who fills the boots of Fabregas but judging from the set-up of the team this season, this is simply not the case. Aaron Ramsey has been given the task of being the penetrative force in the final third, with Arteta sitting deeper alongside the imperious Alex Song; a role he has performed to near perfection.

His attitude looks to be second to none, a trait which was discovered before he even stepped foot onto the pitch. With time running out on deadline day, the Spaniard, desperate for Champions League football and a move to a club he’d admired for a long time, drove the move forward himself and was rumoured to have taken a £10,000 pay-cut in order to get the deal done.

His performances in an Arsenal shirt have demonstrated this willingness to succeed at the top. In his first two appearances, he suffered head injuries, a consequence of putting his body on the line, just to win 50/50 balls. He strikes me as a player determined to do everything he can for the team. His pass success rate is 90.1% a record bettered by only a handful of Premier League players.

His deeper role allows him to play a variety of passes; long diagonal ones to the flanks or the simple five-yard passes that begin attacking moves. In this sense, he is very similar to the heartbeat of the all-conquering Barcelona team, Xavi. The shared nationality, and black spiky hair is not where the similarities end; both players are absolutely fundamental to their team’s success. They keep things ticking over and essentially dictate the game by keeping the ball moving, even if it is their teammates further up the pitch that provide the ammunition for the forward players.

Arteta’s experience has been invaluable to an Arsenal side that has not unjustifiably so been branded “naïve” and “immature” in the recent past. He provides an element of calm and control in the middle of the park but equally he has the ability to direct his teammates and maintain a sense of organisation. When Song goes bursting forward, he is intelligent enough to sit a little deeper and soak up any counter-attacks the opposition may initiate.

Increasingly, Arsenal fans are beginning to wonder if the signing should have come years ago; that Arteta would have been an excellent foil for Fabregas rather than the replacement he has apparently become. At £10million he has been an absolute snip and whilst Robin van Persie’s goals have undoubtedly been a major cause of Arsenal’s resurgence, so has the consistency of Arteta. One has to wonder where The Gunners would be if the last-minute move had not been completed.

Follow me on Twitter for more insightful musings.

Aston Villa vs Arsenal preview (stats courtesy of Opta)

2011-12-21T11:25:00.000Z

Aston Villa have won none of their last 12 Premier League home games against Arsenal (W0 D6 L6).

Last season, two Villa players netted braces against Arsenal: Ciaran Clark at home and Darren Bent away.

Darren Bent has scored six goals in his last eight Premier League games against Arsenal.

Abou Diaby has scored four goals in six Premier League appearances against Aston Villa.

No side has conceded more goals away from home in the Premier League this season than the Gunners (19, level with Blackburn).

Arsenal's blank at Man City on Sunday was only the fourth time in their last 33 Premier League away games that the Gunners have failed to score.

Robin van Persie has scored 18 goals in his last 17 Premier League away appearances.

Aston Villa have lost their last two Premier League home games, they have not lost three in a row since 23rd December 2006.

Villa have not gone three Premier League home games without scoring since January 2010 when the third game in that run was a clash with Arsenal.

Villa have conceded the highest proportion of goals from corners in the Premier League this season (38%).

Man City vs Arsenal preview (stats courtesy of Opta)

2011-12-21T11:19:00.000Z

The home team have failed to score in the last four matches in all competitions between Manchester City and Arsenal.

Man City have lost at home to Arsenal 10 times in the Premier League and 20 times overall (both a joint-league high with Chelsea).

There were three red cards shown across the two Premier League meetings between Arsenal and Manchester City last season.

Arsenal have failed to score in four of their last five games against Manchester City in all competitions, while the Citizens have failed to score in four of the last five league encounters.

Robin van Persie has scored 18 goals in his last 16 Premier League away appearances.

The Dutchman has now netted 33 goals in 32 Premier League games in 2011. Only Alan Shearer (36 in 1995) and Thierry Henry (34 in 2004) have outscored him in a calendar year in the Premier League era.

Arsenal have scored in the 88th minute in three of their last four Premier League trips to the Etihad Stadium.

Manchester City scored from their only shot on target when they won 1-0 against Arsenal at the Emirates in the Carling Cup last month.

Manchester City have taken 49 from a possible 51 points in their last 16 games at the Etihad Stadium and won the last 12 in a row.

Arsenal have drawn 199 games in Premier League history.

Arsenal vs Fulham stats (courtesy of opta)

2011-11-26T09:31:00.000Z

Fulham's woeful record in London derbies isn't likely to improve against the Robin van Persie-fuelled Arsenal, judging by these Opta trends...

Fulham have won just one of the last nine Premier League games against Arsenal.

Robin van Persie has scored in five of his seven Premier League starts against

Fulham have never won away against Arsenal in any competition in 25 attempts, losing on 22 occasions.

Bobby Zamora scored in the last match that Arsenal lost at Highbury and the first that they lost at the Emirates Stadium.

The Whites have only scored 12 goals in 20 Premier League games against Arsenal and only more than once on two occasions. They have netted only six times in 10 Premier League away games against the Gunners.

Fulham have won just three out of 45 Premier League London derbies away from home and none of the last 34 since they beat Tottenham in August 2003.

Robin van Persie has scored 31 goals in 29 Premier League games in 2011 and seven in his last four appearances at the Emirates.

Van Persie is the fifth player in Premier League history to score 30+ goals in a calendar year (after Alan Shearer x2 (1994 & 1995), Les Ferdinand (1995), Ruud van Nistelrooy (2003) & Thierry Henry (2004).

92% of the goals Arsenal have scored have been netted from open play, the highest percentage in the top flight.

Fulham and Arsenal have scored the joint-fewest headed goals in the Premier League (1) along with Wigan.

Norwich Arsenal stats (courtesy of Opta)

2011-11-18T22:22:00.001Z

Arsenal have scored a league-high 91% of goals from open play in the Premier League.

Robin van Persie has scored 29 goals in 28 Premier League matches in 2011.

The last three Premier League meetings between Arsenal and Norwich have seen the Gunners score at least four times and concede one goal on each occasion.

Norwich have won none of their last 11 matches at Carrow Road in all competitions against Arsenal (W0 D7 L4).

Norwich have only won one of their last 20 games in all competitions against Arsenal (W1 D9 L10).

Arsenal ended a run of eight winless league games away from home with victory over Chelsea (5-3) in their last away trip.

The Gunners have shipped more goals away from home than any other team in the top flight (17), but only Man City (23) have scored more away goals than Arsenal (11).

Arsenal have only kept one clean sheet in their last 12 Premier League away games, but only one team has stopped them scoring in their last 15 away trips.

Have we put in a bid for this striker?

2011-11-18T21:59:00.001Z

Leandro Damiao

Leandro Damiao’s agents have confirmed that both Arsenal and Tottenham have made offers for the highly-rated Brazil international.

Damiao has scored 37 goals in 45 games for Brazilian club Internacional so far in 2011 and is rumoured to be wanted by many top European clubs but Arsenal and Tottenham have appeared to make the first moves.

A spokesman from Sivori & Asociados told Sky Italia:

“The big clubs wait to take player like him, to be sure that a player does well, that he can prove himself.

“Now Damiao has important requests: there is a good offer of Tottenham, one from Arsenal and even some Spanish clubs are sounding out Internacional.

“It’s normal: he’s a striker born in 1989, he attracts a lot interest. It should be considered, however, that he has the non-EU passport.”

Although he his contract still keeps him at Interacional for a few more years the club wouldn't be able to offer him nearly as much wages as a top European club and would welcome the extra money.

Young Guns News

2011-11-17T17:13:00.001Z

Luke Freeman playing for Yeovil where he scored 2 goals in 13 games

Young defender Daniel Boateng has agreed a contract extension with the Club. The 19-year-old, who can play at both centre-back and right-back, has been a regular in the Reserves since the start of the 2010/11 campaign, with 25 appearances to his name so far. He joined Arsenal at the age of 11 and looks like a good prospect for the future.

Luke Freeman, 19, has signed on loan for Stevenage until the 8 January with Stevenage keen to extend the deal.

Also during the international break Arsenal's new signing Joel Campbell, currently on loan at Lorient, scored this great goal for Costa Rica against Spain. The 19 year old has already played 8 times for Lorient, mainly from the bench, scoring once.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNBd6eS5SZ4

Transfer News

2011-11-12T13:43:00.000Z

As the transfer window nears again speculation over who is going where is already mounting. Teams will be looking to spend especially with the impending financial fair play rules. So after a fairly low spending summer from us these are a prospects for January:

Possible outs: Squallaci has been surplus to requirements this year and has only been used as a reserve team player primarily. Bought to add experience to the back line he has proved another poor defensive buy from Wenger, on a par with Cygan. As Wenger pay look to get rid of the dead wood that drag our wage budget won he could be a possible departure.

Almunia: Ever since Szczesny has started to play in the first team Manuel 'master of disaster' Almunia has never had a look in. Szczesny has been superb with the gloves and a 34 year old Almunia will probably have to look elsewhere for games. There have already been plenty of rumours of a move back to his home country Spain.

Chamakh: Chamakh has only really featured from the bench this year and has never looked any good. He has been poor on the ball and never even looked like scoring. With RVP on top form and the signings of Gervinho and Park Chamakh won't get many chances to play. Still with a promising career ahead of him Chamakh may want to move elsewhere to play and Arsenal could cash in.

Ins: With the absence of Wilshere from the midfield it has sometimes been obvious that we really lack a dominating midfielder. While Arteta has done a good job there he well off the standard of Fabregas. A possilbe addition to that midfield could be Gotze. Despite being linked with this promising young player in the summer the summer a deal never materialised. Although he will come at a high price, £25m, he looks like a top player.

M'Vila: The strong French defensive midfielder whom we were linked with in the summer has admitted he wants to leave Rennes. Altough he is more likely to leave in the summer there is an outside chance he may arrive in January. Real Madrid are also rumoured to be interested.

Shea: Although not a big money signing Brek Shea is possibly a future star and has been superb in the MLS. He has been offered a trial by Arsenal which he is currently undergoing.

Arsenal West Brom Ratings

2011-11-05T17:44:00.000Z

Vermaelen Scores

Arsenal continued their great run of form with a convincing win over West Brom in a quiet match. Here are the player ratings.

Szczesny 6 Nothing really to do. Only 4 shots on target and none really troubling

Santos 6.5 A quiet game from him. Didn't show as much attacking prowess as he did in previous matches.

Kos 7.5 Looked good with Vermaelen. Commanding and was very good in the air. Again not much to do.

Vermaelen 8 Relatively untroubled at the back although his calmness in defense that we have lacked was evident. A great composed finish for his goal and good anticipation to spot the oppurtunity.

Jenkinson 7.5 Probably his best game. Got forward well linking up with Walcott and put in some inviting crosses.

Song 6.5 Another poor game on the ball for him. Lost the ball a few times. Made a few good covering tackles but other than that not much

Ramsey 8 Another good performance. Looks to have turned his game around since Tottenham first half.

Arteta 8 Deserved his goal a good finish. Was passing it around well and looks to be settled in the team .

Walcott 7 Good linking up with Jenkinson. Good in patches but still frustrating with final product.

Van Persie 8.5 A relatively quiet game. However he played a pivotal role in all the goals including one of his own, a tap in to open the scoring.

Gervinho 7.5 Again looked threatening in attack and made some good runs forward. However like Walcott a bit frustrating with the final product.

Chelsea 3 - 5 Arsenal Ratings

2011-10-30T15:40:00.000Z

Van Persie scores

Arsenal proved that they are back on form and certainly in contention for the fourth spot by winning their 8th game in 9 matches with a thrilling win over Chelsea. This was largely thanks to RVP who scored a hat trick and his 33rd goal of the year. Here are the payer ratings:

Szczesny -6 Should've been sent off which would have ruined our chances. A couple of good saves.

Djourou 6.5 After falling over, again (surely he needs new boots), in the first minutes to allow Cole in twice he picked himself up slightly and didn't make too many mistakes

Koscielny 9 Fantastic performance, probably the best defender on the pitch.

Mertesacker 6.5 Slow and incumbersome. Gave away two goals after poor marking of both Lampard and Terry allowing them to win headers. Also has the turning circle of an oil tanker.

Santos 7 After a shocking first half in which he was easily beaten by Bosingwa and was slow getting back he had a good second half. He finished well to get the vital equaliser and made some good strong tackles. However his mistake did lead to the Mata goal

Ramsey 8.5 Superb passing, especially for the Gervinho goal and looked very assured on the ball

Arteta 7 Provided a good pass for the final goal but other than that lacked much other creativity

Song 5 Poor passing, giving the ball away on numerous occasions. Although he made a few good covering tackles he did allow Mata to get away from him to score.

Walcott 8 One of his best displays. Scored a fantastic goal with a very confident finish and also showed some creativity.

Van Persie 9.5 A fantastic hat trick winning the game for us. Only blemish was a poor miss in the opening minutes.

Gervinho 7.5 Unselfish play after a great run to set up Van Persie for his first goal. Could have got back more when Santos was struggling but other than that showed some spark.

Round up

2011-10-22T09:37:00.000+01:00

So after the initial run of poor form we seem to be back on track now with our 5 win in 6 games in an enthralling win over Marseille thanks to a late winner from Aaron Ramsey the assassin. The last time he scored, before that, was against Man United. The next day Osama Bin Laden was killed then the day after Vermaelen returned. Now this time the next day Gaddafi was killed and again the day after Vermaelen returned to training. So who will be his next victim?

Most of the players are now starting to hit form and the new signings have been positive. Gervinho has shown good energy and creativity when he has been on. It is just a shame that Arshavin and Walcott can't hit that form at the moment. Arshavin has been particularly poor and doesn't appear to do anything with the ball. Arteta has also looked promising but he is a long way off Fabregas. Andre Santos has been great getting forward and has shown some promising runs. However getting back he has been lazy and his fitness is poor. I have also been disappointed with Mertesacker. He doesn't seem to be a world class defender and has the turning circle of an oil tanker.

So hopefully things will start to get better and Champions league qualification looks sorted already.

@wareing96

Transfer Round Up

2011-09-06T14:20:00.000+01:00

The chaos of the transfer window is finally over and Jim White has calmed down Wenger and the board have finished their spending in Harrods looking for Lidl prices and they has done quite well. Although we didn't get those big name signings like Hazard or Kaka we have made well considered buys that will fill the holes left in the squad by departures.
After crying out for over a year for that solid experienced defender we have finally found one. Although he may not have been 1st 2nd or 3rd choice Mertesacker brings over 70 international caps and captaincy experience. Just the what we need at the back. Mertesacker is 6ft 6 and this will certainly help when defending those dreaded set pieces.

A left back by the name of Andre Santos has also been brought in from Fernebache in the Turkish league. Having seen clips of him he appears very skillful, albeit in the Turkish league, and this will suit our style of play. However there are doubts about his defensive abilities and this will remain to be seen.

Arteta also looks to be a good buy although again he wasn't the first choice. He will certainly add experience into a young midfield and his natural flair and creativity will fit in well with the Arsenal style of play.

Park chu young is also an interseting buy and a typical Wenger purchase. He is from South Korea and this looks like another attempt to reach into the Asian market. He has been playing for Monaco and has averaged around a goal every 4 games. He currently is the captain of the national team and recently scored a hat trick against the mighty Lebanon. However there seems to be one major flaw in this purchase and that is that he has to go back to Korea in two years for military service. Somebody must be able to save him from it.

Arsenal also secured a loan deal for Yossi Benayoun. Whether this is a good be of business or not is hard to tell. Benayoun hasn't had much playing time at Chelsea since moving from Liverpool and I would expect him to provide cover for the likes of Wilshere, Ramsey and Arteta.

Overall I am satisfied with our dealings as our major concerns have been covered. Although a big signing would have been nice, no Park Chu Young doesn't count, I feel we have enough players to challenge for a Top four finish.

Left Back

2011-08-29T22:08:00.001+01:00

Arsenal are close to signing a left back
Andre Santos plays for Fernebache and it is thought a fee around £7m has been agreed. He seems prettey good. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UEhlvsHF1L8

Transfer News

2011-08-26T18:07:00.000+01:00

As we go into the last week of the transfer window still no big deals have been done. The search for a centre back continues although we are close to finalising a move for Gary Cahill and have agreed personal terms but not a price as yet. Although it looked a certainty that Bendtner would go he still hasn't left, sadly, but he may be included in the deal for Gary Cahill.

Eden Hazard also looks close to signing but I expect this to be confirmed after the Man U game so as not to distract the team and take away attention from a vital game. I think he would be a top signing and certainly a player for the future and one to fill the void left by Fabregas and Nasri. However there may be a few issues with his with his behaviour which have meant him being left out of a Belgium squad. This could mean he ends up the same way as Nasri.

Another player who Arsene appears to be interested in is M'vila who is a strong CDM who would be likely to replace the inconsistent Alex Song in that role. Coming in at around £20m he won't be cheap but he is a top quality player. He currently plays for Rennes but despite being 21 has played for France and made a exceptional performance vs England.

There is also a possibility of a striker coming in as a result of the loss of Bendtner and this could be Zarate who plays for Lazio. He already has premier league experience after playing for Birmingham on loan however failed to impress. The 24year old would cost around £14m.

Arsenal fans would also have been excited by the news of talks with Real Madrid with Kaka about a possible transfer however talks broke down yet again due to too higher wages. A loan bid from Arsenal was also rejected as Arsenal would only pay 75% of his £150,000 a week wages.

Park Chu Young is also close to signing and although he may not be the marquee signing everyone was looking for he could be a top player and would provide cover in the african cup of nations.

As usual we will have to just sit tight over the next few days and hope our trust in Arsene pays off.