Arshavin enjoying life at the Emirates

After about 3 months since arriving at Arsenal, Arshavin is enjoying his time here and has said that he will never leave the club for big bucks. Arshavin, who arrived just before the close of January transfer window has already settled well in North London.

"At Arsenal I feel at home. I like everything here, the friendly team, a wise and experienced manager, and fantastic fans. I won't leave the club for any money," he told the Russian press.

"That we are fourth in the Premier League is an achievement of the whole of the team, not my own. I hope my real successes with Arsenal are still to come."

Nice to hear that Arsha... it's great to have you here too!

Freeman signs professional contract with the club

The 17 yr old talented English lad has signed a professional contract with the club, reports Arsenal's official website. Young striker Luke, who is an England Youth International, signed in the summer from Gillingham, then of League One, where he made his debut for the Gills’ first team at the age of just 15 years and 233 days, a record for the Kent club.

He has had an impressive run so far in the under-18 season and has scored 7 goals. He has also made an appearance for the reserves team. He is someone to watch out for guys... keep an eye on him!

Adebayor saves the day!

In what could be described as a pulsating game of football, Arsenal managed to grab a crucial away goal that could be the deciding factor when Villarreal travel to the Emirates. After an abysmal first half performance which saw Gallas and Almunia being substituted after picking up injuries, it seemed to be an uphill task for our lads. The 10th minute thunderbolt by Marcos Senna gave the hosts the lead... a spectacular goal to open the account. It was a struggle in the first half where we didn't control the ball well and gave away possession easily. They created more and better chances leaving us on the backfoot. I must say, Fabianski was exemplary. He kept his cool and made some glorious saves.

Came the second half and we were on our way... as always, the half time talk energised the team and we showed remarkable improvement from the first half and kept more of the ball. Walcott, with his lightning pace penetrated the Villarreal defence quite a few times and Nasri, Fab and Denilson too chipped in with their bit to create confusion in the minds of their defenders. Ade was ordinary throughout the game until he produced a staggering goal out of nowhere. He controlled Fab's delivery with his chest before rolling over and kicking the ball into the net leaving the goalkeeper dazed. A perfect scissor kick to cut the one goal advantage of the hosts and more importantly scoring an away goal in the 66th minute.

The last time we played on this ground, we were rescued by a dramatic late penalty save from Jens Lehmann which helped us reach the final of the Champions league. This is a very decent result and we go to the Emirates with the upper hand. There is no room for complacency but this draw is a favourable outcome and just what we wanted, the away goal factor being very important. So here we come Rome... one step closer...

Lopez claims Fab approached him!

Former Barca player Gerard Lopez claims that Cesc approached him for advice regarding his possible move to Barcelona. Lopez, who himself left Barca at 17 for Valencia only to return 3 years later claims that Fabregas wanted to know how he felt on returning to Barca. He said that he belived Cesc would come back and that any player who was brought up by Barca’s youth categories will always succeed at the Camp Nou one day.

Why don't you take up a job as a fortune teller Mr. Lopez? Don't you think there are better things to do than coming out with such statements only to unsettle a 21 yr old lad just before he has a big game coming up?

I'm sick of all the fuss surrounding Fab to be honest... it would be apt to let him speak than for people to come out and speak for him.

pic: Gerard Lopez

We are coming Villarreal...

After beating Man City in the Premier league, we now head to Spain for a feisty encounter with Villarreal in the quarter finals of the Champions league. While we have had a good run in the Premiership in the last couple of months and go into this game with some confidence, Villarreal had to face defeat against Almeria in their last domestic match which saw Santi Cazorla breaking his leg. As far as team news is concerned, I'm happy to say that Nasri will play and so will Walcott. Van Persie will miss out along with Diaby and Eduardo who haven't fully recovered from injury.

Here is the probable lineup:
Almunia, Sagna, Toure, Gallas, Clichy, Song, Denilson, Walcott, Fabregas, Nasri and Adebayor

It will be a special occassion for two of our former luminaries Robert pires and Pascal Cygan. Pires has said that although he would love to score, he won't celebrate if he does score. One thing we must not get into is complacency. I've heard so many people say that Arsenal have got an easy draw and that it won't be much of a problem beating Villarreal. This mentality could prove to be very costly and Wenger knows that. One must recognise the importance of this game and that we need to leave no stone unturned in our bid to reach the semis and go on to win the Champions league. So... just go out there and do what you do best my lads... play mesmerising football and 'score' more importantly...

Both sides occupy the 4th spot in their respective domestic leagues and it should be a close fight at El Madrigal, what goes in Villarreal's favour is the home advantage but Arsenal have had a great run in the last few weeks and look stronger overall. So I'm predicting a 2-1 win for us... am expecting a close game but I think we will edge them out... Go Gunners!

pic: El Madrigal

"Cesc should stay at Arsenal" - Robert Pires

As the hearsays about Fabregas' possible move to Spain get louder, former Arsenal midfielder, the very respected Robert Pires has said that he would like to see Fabregas at Arsenal atleast for another year. In an interview with Setanta, Pires said that by staying at Arsenal, Fabregas would be able to improve at a faster rate. That his place in the side is fixed week in and week out, it should be easier for him to concentrate on his game and improve further as a player.

“I do not have any advice to give Cesc, but the ideal situation for him would be to carry on with Arsenal in order to keep on improving,” the Frenchman told setanta.com. “The main reason for him to stay is that he knows he is going to be played week in, week out. I am not saying that he would not play if he was a Real Madrid or a Barcelona player, but it is more difficult to be part of their starting line-up.”

The French veteran added that the expectations would rise when he comes to Spain and that it would be difficult to fulfill them.

“When you come back home, to your country, people have huge expectations. They demand a lot from you and you are put under a lot of pressure”

To conclude, Pires, who was a part of the invincibles at Arsenal, said that Faregas is under reliable hands of Arsene Wenger and that it would be wise for him to stay with the Gunners.

“At the present time, he is in a good environment and he works under a great manager who totally relies on him. To my mind, he should stay one year more at Arsenal.”

Hope you're listening Cescy...

High-flying Gooners sink City!

The comeback lads led Arsenal to a comprehensive win over their affluent opponents Manchester City by 2 goals to nil in a highly entertaining bout. Coming into the game without star players Van Persie and Nasri, Arsenal depended heavily on captain fabulous and the Togo luminary to do the trick and they lived up to their expectations in front of a capacity crowd at the Emirates.

The first half was pulsating and made for an exciting watch as both sides created chances though it was Emmanuel Adebayor who was the only one who managed to convert. It took a Fabregas free kick which was headed cleverly by Ade to open the account in the 8th minute. Hughes wouldn't be pleased with the marking there. What one saw after that was free-flowing football from both the sides and it seemed as though the high-profile clash was living upto it's expectations.

The second half was dominated by Arsenal, with City having very little to exude as the rampant young guns gave hardly anything to be exploited. The game slipped further from the Citizens after Fabregas' neat through-ball was converted by Ade who scored his 13th goal of the season... what a cool finish! As if the loss of points wasn't enough, City had to deal with the injury of Wayne Bridge who limped off the field in the 17th minute to to replaced by Gelson Fernandes.

With this win, we've gone a step further in ensuring a top 4 finish as we're now 6 points clear of Villa who face a tough ask tomorrow as they travel to Old Trafford on the back of an embarrassing defeat to Liverpool.

Way to go young guns!!!(btw... my prediction was dead right :P)

Sagna rebuffs Juventus!

Bakary Sagna, who has emerged as one of the key players in the team has rejected rumours linking him to Italian giants Juventus.

This is what Sagna had to say to Sky Sports:

"I love this club, I get on well with all the squad and I am happy.

"Juve are a big team, however if Arsenal decide to sell me that is another thing altogether.

"But I am happy here and in my knowledge I am in the plans of the manager for a long time."

Good to hear that Bakary... how we wish someone else follows suit!

Barca keen on 'unsettling' Cesc!

Even as Wenger tried hard to keep the rumour mill at bay, Barca have stepped up efforts to lay their hands on Cesc Fabregas. Wenger, who stated that his side were not a one man team and that Arsenal have done well even without Fab seems to be cool about the latest buzz linking Fab to Barcelona. Not to forget our 16 match unbeaten run has come in absence of Fabregas and that we have successfully reached the quarters of the Champions league and the semis of the FA cup. Fabregas has admitted that Real Madrid had tried to tap him before. Even Barcelona President Laporta has said that he would love to have Fab this summer. Lets go back last year when Barcelona tried to unsettle Hleb at this time of the season. They are doing the same with Fab now. It's for Fab to decide where he wants his future to be. We all know how Henry and Hleb have had to struggle there. Fab's position here at Arsenal is secure and that he has been given the honour of leading the side. Success won't come easy at Barca where he'd face compeition from stars like Xavi, Iniesta and Yaya Toure.

It's for Fabregas to decide now. Wenger has made it clear that his side would keep getting stronger with or without Fab and that he is more focussed on the next game than on stories circulating in the press. I second him even though I feel he(Fabregas) won't leave this summer.

Arsenal v Man City - Preview

As we gear up to face the blue force of Manchester, after a good run in the last few games, the confidence is high. Coupled with the return of captain Cesc Fabregas, City couldn't have asked for any worse. While going in with good form and the might of captain courageous, there are some concerns which cannot be ignored. The recent international round of matches have dealt a heavy blow as we will have to do without some key players like Van Persie, Nasri and Diaby. Cesc, too might not play the entire game as Wenger might want him to take it easy after coming back from a serious injury. I must mention the return of the sprightly Theo Walcott would only provide pace and flare down the flank. The other obvious options to guard the midfield would be Arshavin, Denilson and Eboue.

Man City on the other hand too have their share of injury worries with some key players set to miss the crucial game due to injuries suffered while discharging international duties. Bellamy, Robinho could be missed badly in this important encounter which the citizens won comprehensively in their den in November. The good news for them is that Wayne Bridge could return from a hamstring strain which would provide a much needed boost to their defence.

The defeat to City in November was the last we suffered in the Premiership and since then we've been unbeaten for 16 games. Also, City have never won at Arsenal away in the league. Will we continue this good run in our bid to cement our place in the elite top 4? Hell yea!

Probable lineups:

ARSENAL:- Almunia, Sagna, Toure, Gallas, Clichy, Walcott, Fabregas, Denilson, Arshavin, Bendtner, Adebayor.

Manchester City:- Given, Richards, Dunne, Onuoha, Bridge, Zabaleta, De Jong, Kompany, Wright-Phillips, Ireland, Robinho.

men to watch out for:-
Cesc Fabregas(whose highly anticipated return could prove to be a decisive factor and he could turn the game aroung single-handedly.)

Shaun Wright-Phillips(who has done very well against us in the past, he is someone we can't afford to let loose.)

Gunning them down prediction: ARSENAl 2-0 with goals from Adebayor and Fabregas.

What's this fuss surrounding Fab!

I've been browsing through various footie sites and what I came across is how people like to make a mountain out of a mole! All of a sudden there's this talk of Fabregas not being committed to Arsenal and that he would be moving to Spain this summer. This talk has been going on since years now and Fab shows no definite sign to quit Arsenal. He has made it very clear that he will stay with us as long as Wenger wants him at the club and that inspite of expressing pride and happiness for being chased by some very big clubs, it would be plain stupid to make tall and baseless claims about his desire to quit the Emirates for the Bernabou or even the Nou camp.

Don't believe all the rumours going around guys... Fab is here... and is here to stay!

HENRY's SHOCKER???

According to Square Football, former Arsenal great, our very own Thierry Henry is all set to be unveiled as..... A SPURS PLAYER!!! Never had I imagined in my wildest of dreams that someone who held Arsenal so close to his heart would even contemplate joining our rivals, especially the Spuds. What this site are 'exclusively' claiming is that Tottenham will be paying Barcelona 60 million pounds along with Roman Pavlochenko and Darren Bent!

I still can't believe this... and won't think about this much until this news is confirmed. According to Square Football, when asked Wenger about this move, he said that he didn't see that coming. Well, I've always been crazy about Henry, you ask my friends and they'd tell you how much I've embarrassed myself for him. Not only that, he was my demigod. I'm sure most of you love him for what he's done for us too! But if this is true, it would be disastrous. Thierry Henry for me will never be the same. As if his move to Barca after committing himself to Arsenal wasn't enough, this would certainly make things worse. This is not yet confirmed mind you, but if what this site(Square Football) is reporting is indeed true, it is shocking.

We have adapted ourselves well and life with Henry is not as bad as one would've initially anticipated. The club has always been bigger than any individual.

Let me tell this on behalf of all my gooner brothers... "NO MATTER WHOM YOU LAND UP... NO MATTER WHOM YOU PLAY... WE WILL ALWAYS BE THE PRIDE OF NORTH-LONDON... AND NOBODY ELSE"

(this story will be tracked until we have a conclusion)

Kroenke buys Arsenal shares from Fiszman

euFootball:- Stan Kroenke has secured a 5,000 share increase in English Arsenal, adding to the ongoing power struggle eating away at the club. Kroenke now holds the title of second largest shareholder, sitting only behind Alisher Usmanov’s Red and White Holdings, as reported by The Telegraph. Kroenke’s latest move has significantly shortened the gap between the two investors, with Red and White holding just 5 per cent more than the American billionaire.

Kroenke, who also acts as an Arsenal non-executive director, shelled out a whopping GBP 42.5 million for the shares. His latest acquisition sends Danny Fiszman – former top shareholder – to third place. The newest shift in shares will have no bearing on the lockdown agreement currently in place, preventing any shares to be sold outside of the boardroom.

Fiszman appears to be pleased with Kroenke’s decision to invest further in the club, telling The Telegraph that the American businessman has assumed approximately one-third of Fiszman’s holdings. The former rough diamond trader went on to note that Kroenke has already enlightened the board with “considerable knowledge and experience” and will continue to work towards the betterment of the club.

full article
The club claims that such transactions would not affect the club in any way... that's good to hear but I wonder what this 'power-struggle' would mean in the long term? multiple power-centres? hopefully not... No matter who buys or sells the shares, the interest of the fans must not be compromised with.