Eduardo handed two match ban – Disgrace. 1 September, 2009

It’s transfer deadline day and instead of the usual chaos it’s been a very quiet and stress-free day. We weren’t even linked with anyone, never mind completing a last minute signings. In recent years this has traditionally been a busy day for us but it was none of the sort this year.

I thought a late minute Chamakh deal could be done, but apart from that I wasn’t expecting a signing to happen. The performances have been good this season and attention has been drawn away from the size of the squad allowing Wenger to get away with no additions.

It’s a risk, we have a very thin squad and if we are as unlucky with injuries as we usually are then we could be in trouble. I hope and pray we can stay keep fit.

However there was some breaking news today, and that was the news of a two-match European ban for Eduardo Da Silva. That means he’ll miss our Champions League opener away to Standard Liege and the visit of Olympiacos at the end of the month.

The club have released an official statement expressing their disappointment in the decision and I’m sure we will be appealing. This is the first time a dive has been punished with a match ban like this and it’s not like no one has ever dived in a UEFA competition before. Two games he’s been suspended for. That’s one less than a straight red card! I’m not saying he should’ve been banned but surely a single game suspension would’ve been more appropriate?

So does this mean now that any player caught diving, whether during the game by the referee or afterwards via video evidence, will receive a two game ban? I seriously doubt it. That’s why it’s a disgrace.

Say they do go ahead and ban every diver for two games, there would be so many players out of Europe’s top competition and seriously jeopardize clubs’ chances. It would get rid of diving very quickly though, which is a positive thing.

We’re just going to have to wait and see how UEFA deal with the next diving incident, which there is bound to be in one of the games in the next round of games. Wenger said in a press conference after the Celtic game that he would from now one challenge every single dive in any game and ask UEFA whether they will receive a ban. If it doesn’t get justice for Eduardo then at least it will piss the cunts off.

In other news Tomas Rosicky has declared himself fit for Czech Republic’s games this week. Wenger said he should be fit when he returns anyway so hopefully if he plays for his country it will get him match-fit for us rather than send him back injured again. We’ll just have to wait and see with fingers crossed.

Andrey Arshavin however has been ruled out of Russia’s first game but could be fit to play Wales. This after being pulled off early against Man United with an injury. He says he went into the game with an injury in the first place but was risked anyway. In an ideal world he is ruled out of the Wales game too and returns back at Arsenal ready to play Man City.

Well that’s it for transfer deadline day. Not as much news as you would’ve hoped for but hopefully we’ll stay fit and we wont need any signings anyway.

Thanks for reading.