Arsenal v Spurs Preview: van Persie’s back! 8 January, 2008
Posted by lasagnechef in Cup Games.28 comments
The big team news ahead of tomorrow night’s Carling Cup North London Derby is the inclusion of Robin van Persie to our squad. Wenger’s going to use this game as an opportunity to help the Dutchman back to form after his long period out injured. I’m expecting him to be on the bench tomorrow night but I guess he will see some minutes and then start the Birmingham game at the weekend.Earlier today I was wondering who we would put on the bench as the reserve striker to the starting partnership of Bendtner and Da Silva. Van Persie makes the perfect ‘super-sub’ option as I’m guessing Walcott will start on the wing.
I’m really exited about this game but it doesn’t seem a lot of the other Gooners are, I think it’s still on sale to red members. It’s live on Sky but personally I’d much prefer to go to the game, especially a semi final against The Scum. I know some people are scared we’ll lose, I was last year but this year think we’ll have enough to do it and make it to the final again.
We all know that the team will be a reserve side but you have to remember that still means some serious quality players like Eduardo, Denilson, Diaby, Diarra(?), Gilberto and maybe van Persie. Rosicky could be in the team, I have a feeling he or Hleb could be on the bench, I wish they’d announce the squad for these games. They’ve probably avoided revealing the names because of the big question: will Diarra play? If he doesn’t, well he’s as good as gone, but if he does, you have to wonder why he didn’t start at the weekend and the debate will go on. So, here’s my guess at the team:
J. Hoyte – Senderos – Djourou – Traore
Walcott – Diarra (or Gilberto) – Denilson – Diaby
Bendtner – Eduardo
A team Tottenham could only dream of. The Swiss partnership at the back will be a perfect test for them ahead of Toure’s extended absence. Spurs wont be looking forward to their visit, they will play their first team and Ramos won’t want them to lose to our second string side.
I’m guessing we’ll see a few goals tomorrow night. Eduardo is lethal and Spurs are comical at the back. Yet at the same time we’ve got an inexperienced back five and Tottenham do have some good strikers.
I’ll write up at match report on Thursday. My prediction: 2-1 to us, setting it up nicely for the away leg. Thanks for reading.
Diarra must be leaving / FA Cup Draw 7 January, 2008
Posted by lasagnechef in Cup Games, Transfers.18 comments
Lassana Diarra was pretty much certain to start in yesterday’s FA Cup tie at Burnley. Wenger even said before the game he would be involved. But when the team sheet was announced about an hour before kick off I was searching for Diarra’s name; he wasn’t even on the bench. Immediately I thought he must be leaving then.
Diarra must either, 1. Be sorting out a move as we speak, or 2. He had an argument with Wenger and was dropped because of it; I can imagine him getting cocky about expecting to play and Arsene is not one to tolerate nuisance players. Or of course it could be a mixture of both 1 and 2. If Lassana is sorting out a move then him playing for us yesterday would’ve made him cup tied for his next team.
I’ve said before that I want Lassana to stay, especially with Mathieu Flamini still not signing a new contract. If (God forbid) Matty was to go then Diarra could be first choice along side Cesc, then he’d be happy, right? He’s a good player, Wenger knows it. But I’m sure both me and Arsene would agree that if he’s gonna be an idiot he can fuck off, we’ll cope without him fine. In fact, we’d make a nice tidy profit out of him.
Jens Lehmann is in a similar boat as Diarra…sailing out of Arsenal, into fresh waters…however the German’s his attitude has improved recently hence his start yesterday, unlike Lassie. Wenger says he wants Lehmann to stay (so do I) but Jens will decide his future this week.
Finally the FA Cup draw was earlier today and we got drawn with Stoke (or Newcastle). Their 3rd round tie ended 0-0 and there will be a match at St. James’ Park to decide who gets to play us at the end of this month. You can see the rest of the draw here but Chelsea go to Wigan and Man United host Reading (or Tottenham). Thanks for reading people, Spurs preview tomorrow.
Burnley 0-2 Arsenal – 06/01/08 – (FA Cup) 6 January, 2008
Posted by lasagnechef in Cup Games.9 comments
We’re through to the 4th round of the FA Cup after beating Burnley in a game where we hardly broke sweat. We never really got into gear properly but we didn’t need to. It was a very mix and match side, Gilberto started ahead of Diarra who wasn’t even in the squad, is he leaving Arsenal then? More than probably. Other than that it was the tea I expected.
Toure was playing his last game before going off too Africa with the Ivory Coast. He put in a good performance as captain and showed how much we’re really going to miss him. As for Eboue, the African Nations Cup just can’t come soon enough for him. Kolo’s partner at the back was Senderos and he was ok, had some bad moments but he played alright and at the end of the day he helped keep a clean sheet.
The home side started well and they hit the bar after 6 minutes. It was a little worrying with Burnley on top but we opened the scoring in the 9th minute against the early run of play. Toure played the ball over the top for Eddy who timed his run perfectly and as soon as this guy is one-on-one with the ‘keeper you know it’s a goal. He took it up close to Kiraly and just poked it in the net.
The first half was quite open in terms of who might get that vital second goal. Both teams had great chances; Gilberto’s header was saved on the line and Burnley, on two occasions, blasted the ball over the bar from close range.
We were 1-0 up at half time, the Burnley fans and the BBC thought the home side were on top and the Premier League leaders were lucky. Yes we weren’t completely dominating but Burnley weren’t good enough for us even though our reserve side wasn’t playing their best football.
6 minutes into the second half Eduardo had a great chance to get his second. His finish went just wide, something we haven’t seen too much of recently. I thought after that we might have a more exiting second half to look forward too but not a lot really happened. The home side wanted something from this but their chances weren’t helped when Kyle Lafferty was sent off for a bad challenge on Gilberto. There’s been a lot of debate about it, some saying the dismissal was harsh, however if Gilberto’s studs were in the ground that could’ve broken his leg and a challenge that is that dangerous deserves a red. If he’s have got away with a yellow it wouldn’t have been the crime of the century but he would’ve been very, very lucky.
That sending off raised the temperature a bit and the home side really wanted to find an equalizer but we got the second goal with 15 minutes to go and it was game over. Eduardo played a great ball for Bendtner who made a sideways run into space. He side-footed the goalie and put the ball in the back of the net to take us through to the 4th round.
There was no comeback for Burnley now and we finished comfortable winners. Lehmann kept a clean sheet is possibly his last Arsenal performance, but with Diarra not even in the squad I think he is closer to the exit door than Jens at the moment. The back four did their job, Traore and Senderos had some iffy moments but they came through ok. Bendtner and Eduardo were great up front again. The midfield wasn’t so good, quite uninspiring which meant our game never really got going but we won so who cares? The cup isn’t about performances, it’s about results.
Next up it’s Spurs in the Kiddy Cup on Wednesday. Build up to come. Thanks for reading.
Burnley Preview: Cesc, Gallas, Hleb & more rested 5 January, 2008
Posted by lasagnechef in Cup Games.28 comments
It’s not a ‘Carling Cup’ side as much tomorrow, but we have decided to rest a lot of our best players. We’re considerably weakened as Wenger has chosen to rest Almunia, Clichy, Gallas, Hleb, Fabregas and Adebayor. Flamini’s suspended but I don’t think he would’ve played anyway, also van Persie is still injured. Theo Walcott’s got a shoulder problem that’ll be looked at today; I don’t think he’ll start either way though.
I do worry that we’re resting too many players. I have faith in our reserve players but Burnley aren’t a bad, bad side, they’re mid-table in the Championship at the moment. The like’s of Diarra, Denilson and Diaby will have to put in performances and maybe show the boss what they’re worth. Traore’s going to start at left back in place of the rested Clichy. I do like Traore, he’s still learning and does make errors but he is very quick and can be dangerous down the left. Also Eduardo and Bendtner are likely to be partnered up front as both players have a bit of confidence at the moment.
So here’s what I think the team will bee tomorrow:
Sagna – Toure (c) – Senderos – Traore
Eboue – Diarra – Denilson – Diaby
Bendtner – Eduardo
Toure and Eboue will play their last game for us before going to Africa, Kolo’s possible replacement Senderos will be looking to impress in tomorrow’s game after some shaky performances this season. We should go with the 4-4-2 I’ve suggested, I see no real reason why we should put 5 across the middle however Eduardo does provide an option on the wing if Arsene insists.
This is another big chance for Diarra to put his feet where is mouth is…as it were. I do like him, he is a good player, just wish he’d shut up and get on with it but Gallas was the same last year and look where he is now. Wenger says there’s been no bid from Spurs for him and he wants him to stay with us, Arsene rates him but I’m sure he’s trying his patience.
We kick off at 2pm tomorrow. Enjoy the game and I’ll write up a match report as soon as I can. Thanks for reading.
Lehmann could stay after wage dispute 4 January, 2008
Posted by lasagnechef in Cup Games, Transfers.11 comments
Yesterday it looked like Mad Jens had sorted his move away from Arsenal out when Borussia Dortmund announced they were holding a press conference today. However The Times then broke a story that the two parties could not reach an agreement because of Lehmann’s wage demands. I still don’t know what Dortmund’s press conference is about but it now looks like Lehmann will start against Burnley.
There’s no point in playing Jens in Sunday’s FA Cup game if he’s going to be leaving in the next couple of weeks, so the fact that Arsene has said he’ll feature against Burnley could mean he’ll stay with us until the end of the season. To be honest, that would be good news; strength in depth is great, if something happened to Almunia then we’d have a top ‘keeper in Lehmann to come in. I have more faith in the mad German than I do in Fabianski. Financially we probably want to get rid of him but he would be a good ‘keeper to have.
Jens is one of a number of changes for Sunday’s game. Gallas, Clichy and probably Adebayor will be rested. Toure and Eboue will play in their last game before the African Nations Cup. Sagna is also going to start after being rested for the West Ham game. Wenger said that Ade has a slight knock and with the confidence Eduardo and Bendtner have at the moment I’d guess they’d start. Or maybe Theo will be in the starting 11? It’s a hard to team to guess because you have to get the balance between resting players and making sure you don’t get players tired that you intend to use in the Carling Cup.
I’ll talk more about the game tomorrow in a proper match preview. The only other bit of news is that Wenger denied rumors of Vela coming in this month. Talking to Arsenal TV Online he dismissed the story that many Arsenal blogs are reporting. This could simply be playing it down because I do know Carlos traveled over. Maybe he just came to sort stuff out before his move in the summer? Even though I was told he was here to stay. Hmm you’ll just have to stay tuned I guess.
Happy Friday everyone. Thanks for reading.
Toure, Eboue & Song off to ACN but we’ve brought someone in. 2 January, 2008
Posted by lasagnechef in Arsenal News, Transfers.48 comments
Yesterday was Toure’s and Eboue’s last Premiership appearance until after the African Cup of Nations. Also Alex Song has been called up by Cameroon , he is uncapped but I’m sure he’d love to break into the side. We’re going to miss this lot for a possible nine games, luckily there’s no really hard games, maybe the 4th round of the FA Cup and Man City away on the second of Feb but if the Ivory Coast get knocked out before then, then we could have Toure and Eboue back. Here are those games they could miss:
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January 6: FA Cup Third Round – Burnley (a)
January 9: Carling Cup Semi-Final first leg – Tottenham (h)
January 12: Premier League – Birmingham (h)
January 19: Premier League – Fulham (a)
January 23: Carling Cup Semi-Final second leg – Tottenham (a)
January 26/27: FA Cup Fourth Round
January 29: Premier League – Newcastle (h)
February 2: Premier League – Manchester City (a)
February 9: Premier League – Blackburn (h)
Blackburn at home could also be a tricky one but as I say, we could have players back by then. To be fair, we’re only really going to miss Toure. Eboue can play well but he’s not as an important first team member as Kolo. Gallas has been talking about how much we’ll miss him; the two have formed a nice partnership this season and it will be a shame to see that broken.
So this provides an opportunity for Djourou or Senderos. Wenger did name Song as the other back up option to Toure but he’s traveled t Africa too now. I think we can cope, our Swiss defenders might be a bit dodgy at times but they are good defenders. I’ve heard Phillippe stormed off an hour before kick off yesterday after not being in the squad. Hmm. He’ll get his chance now. The three cup games coming up will give Wenger a great chance to decide whether to go for Senderos or Djourou in the Premiership so they’ve got to be at their best to get picked.
I’ve got another piece of juicy insider news for you. It seems we’ve managed to sort out a work permit for Carlos Vela and he is joining up with the squad. He came over on new years day but I don’t know whether he’s training with us yet. I can also say that apparently he isn’t just training here over the winter break and that he’s actually here to stay. A number of sites are reporting the story, it should just be a matter of time before it’s officially announced. He’s done really well in La Liga on loan with Osasuna and now looks to break into the Premier League. He’s traditionally a striker but can play left wing well too. He sounds quite exiting but is definitely one for the future.
Hopefully something will come up on Arsenal.com soon, but for now we’re still guessing. The guy I heard this off is genuine but I’d still like to hear it from Arsenal themselves.
Right I’m off, thanks for reading.
Arsenal 2-0 West Ham – 01/01/08 – (Premier League) 1 January, 2008
Posted by lasagnechef in Arsenal News, Premiership.5 comments
Well that was a perfectly happy new year. A good Arsenal performance comfortably saw us beat West Ham with an easy 2-0 win. It could’ve been more but we took the foot off the pedal in the second half and after two early goals we simply kept the clean sheet to take the points. After losing this tie last season it was important to right that wrong and keep our position in the title race.
We haven’t had some great performances recently but the first half today was fantastic. Cesc Fabregas has lost some form in the previous games but what a difference he makes to the team when he plays well and that’s exactly what he did today. He got a great assist inside 2 minutes when we scored our first though Eduardo. It’s Da Silva’s 3rd in two games and showed Wenger he was right to hand him his starting place today. The ball was whipped in from just right of the box, Eddy took it on the chest and shot across goal giving Green no chance and it was 1-0 very early on.
We’d started really well and were really putting pressure on West Ham, we were attacking and attacking and it looked like we’d have this game sorted very quickly. West Ham were having chances of their own though, they got a couple of corners, one of which was saved on the line. Ljungberg had a shot but Almunia got to it pretty comfortably.
We doubled our lead in the 18th minute. It was Clichy with another great long ball from deep to start the move. Adebayor got his run right and nodded it past Green then slotted it in at the hardest of angles. It’s quite amazing how he managed to steer that in so fair play to him. 2-0 up inside 20 minutes and cruising.
We carried on much the same for the rest of the half. Had a few decent attacks and a good shout for a penalty. In the end we went in at half time two up confident that we’d secure the game in the second 45.
We really let the foot off the pedal in the second half. We were very, very comfortable in the game and there was no point in stressing ourselves. We had a few chances in the second half. Eduardo had a header at the back post, it went just wide but it was hard for him to steer it in especially when he was being held back. Rosicky had a good chance nearer the end when he had just the ‘keeper to beat but the ball was just out of his reach and the danger was over.
We saw Theo Walcott come on in the second half for Eduardo. It was nice to see him back, he didn’t do loads to be honest but he’ll get his moment to shine later in the month in the Carling Cup I expect. Hleb was rested as I guessed but came on for Eboue in the 77th minute. I have been told that Wenger was very unhappy with Eboue’s diving antics after the Pompey game and was dropped for the trip to Everton. When Eboue dived in the second half today he was immediately subbed for Alex and you could see Arsene having a little word in his ear.
Well it finished up 2-0, could’ve been more but it doesn’t really matter, we took the three points. As did Man U and Chelsea so the win was important today. A nice way to start the year, a good performance and a comfortable win. Next up it’s Burnley in the cup on Sunday, I might be going, not sure yet. Build up for that game to come. Thanks for reading.
