Arsenal kick start their campaign in a dramatic evening at Anfield!

Anfield: Arsenal kick started their new Premier League campaign with a fighting 1-1 draw against a resilient Liverpool side under new manager Roy Hodgson. Even in the absence of the talismatic midfielder Cesc Fabregas, Arsenal kept more of the ball and looked more fluent in midfield, thanks to the trio comprising of Samir Nasri, Thomas Rosicky and Abou Diaby. Arsenal did manage to keep more of the ball but failed to create too many chances to bother Liverpool keeper Pepe Reina. In the first half Arsenal were clearly the better side overall. The highlight of the first half though was the sending off of Liverpool's new recruit and someone who was seen bragging a lot about his new club and how he thought he would contribute to the club he thought was great and blah blah... but it was clearly not his night and after a rash tackle on Arsenal defender Kosceilny, he was shown a straight red in the 44th minute much to the disbelief of the Anfield faithful.

The second half saw the home side start brightly as their sole striker David Ngog, who started in place of the unfit Fernando Torres gave his side the lead with a clinical finish to which Arsenal keeper Manuel Almunia and no answer. The game picked up after around 54 mins when Arsenal felt the urgency to create more and show more attacking intent. Eboue and Wilshere were substituted for Rosicky and Walcott and their presence certainly improved the pace of Arsenal's game. Rosicky looked almost infallible and he almost gave Arsenal the equaliser after an exemplary display of individual brilliance which saw his shot being pushed away by Reina. Liverpool didn't let Cole's sending off affect them and made some good inroads in Arsenal's half to create some discomfort in the Gunners' defense. Kosceinly was very solid at the back and was the best defender for Arsenal. He didn't let Torres(who came on as a sub) settle and held him with ease a couple of times. When it looked like Liverpool would clinch a commendable win with 10 men, a goal keeping blunder by Pepe Reina handed Arsenal an equaliser in the 90th minute, much to the dismay of the home crowd and much to the relief of the visiting gooners.

All in all, it was a fair result. Arsenal didn't create much and at times looked ordinary even after keeping much of the possession. Arshavin in particular looked clueless all game and seemed to have lost pace and that spark which saw him scoring a magnificent 4 at Anfield 2 years ago. The stand out players for Arsenal were Samir Nasri, Thomas Rosicky and Laurent Kosceinly. The Gunners no doubt would be content with a draw, but they need to improve if they want to score more goals especially against top sides. Fabregas' absence did affect them for sure and once he returns, Arsenal's midfield would look much better. RVP too came on for about 20 mins which was good to see...hopefully he'd be fully fit for next week's home clash against Blackpool.

Keep the faith in Wenger...

I know it's frustrating to not win anything for 6 yrs but lets not forget how much we spend each season as compared to other clubs in the league. I know our priority should be to win the league but in a scenario as complicated as todays, where the competition is so tough and to add to that our limited spending, we should appreciate Wenger for what he has done for our club and where he has taken us from what we were when he took over the reigns. When we won our first double under him in 2002, apart from 2 players in the form of Bergkamp and Adams I think, every other played who was a part of that squad was brought in by the man himself who nurtured them and led us to our golden era. Not to forget our 49 games unbeaten run which left our rivals dazed and fans enthralled and mesmerized by the French genuis.

Yes, the time has changed and we have been on a poor run in the last few years... but compare our side to the likes of United, Chelsea, Pool and City and inspite of facing a wolley of injury woes, we have challenged for the title this season and have been doing well in the Champs league in the last few years. Yes, nothing can replace the joy and the expectations of winning silverware but what I'm saying is that we need to have patience with the man who has done so much for this great club. When we were facing an exodus of sorts when most of our key players left us for better opportunities including the talisman Theirry Henry, there was one man who stood by this club and gave it his all inspite of lucrative offers from top Europen clubs and the French national team. After serving us selflessly for 14 long years when he's facing a bad patch and even when he's urging us fans to have faith in his transfer policies and has even hinted on spending this time, we need to be firmly behind him and keep the faith.

Fabregas - We have to bounce back...

After an embarrassing defeat at the hands of foes Manchester United, Arsenal captain Cesc Fabragas has made it clear that there's no other way to get back in the stiff title race but to bounce back. We head to Stamford Bridge next and we couldn't have asked for anything worse. But Cesc feels we can still get back in the scheme of things by overcoming the might of The Blues and then Liverpool.

"We have to bounce back straight away," he said. "We know we have two massive games against Chelsea away and Liverpool at home so it is going to be difficult definitely.

"No-one said it is going to be easy. We just have to be strong and see what happens next week.

"Chelsea is never a good game to have even if you are nine points clear or nine points behind. They are a strong side, they have been playing together for a long time. They know what they do and know how to play. We have to beat them to stay in the title race.

"If you don't believe, you don't win things. We want to believe we are still there - I am always realistic and I am not going to lie to myself or to anyone. We know it is very difficult."

He further said(in an interview with Arsenal.com) that he's positive and if we refrain from making mistakes we've made in the past, we can get the result we desire. I like your confidence Cescy but that needs to be complimented by apposite tactics and performance on the day. Yes, we are still in it but the going would only get tougher. Keeping my fingers crossed though... if Wigan can beat Chelsea 'on the day', we surely can...

And btw... the transfer deadline has passed and we have not signed anyone. This has generated criticism from some factions. I think a quality forward or atleast a decent goalkeeper would've been a valuable addition.

Devils slay Gunners...Gutted to death!

"When the going gets tough... the tough get going" and not blow it like Arsenal did tonight.

Where do I start? It was nothing short of an abysmal showing by the lads tonight as we were out-classed, out-muscled and out-scored in what was touted to be an entertaining bout. After a promising start to the game, with some flowing football and when Arshavin looked threatening with a couple of his runs sending the cauldron of 60,000 odd Arsenal loyalists in a tizzy, it didn't take much time to crash... just after a super Nani run which resulted in an own goal by Almunia, we seemed to be down and out. Pathetic passing, inexplicably atrocious crosses and some unimaginably horrendous defending made us look like an ordinary team up against the Champions of England. Well, it might sound too harsh but we lacked that determination and the courage to bounce back and United capitalized to the fullest. It didn't take long before the lead was doubled by the much talked about Wayne Rooney, Nani being the provider. 2 goals in 4 mins was too big a shock for us to recover. In the second half too United were the better team and and even though we had our chances like we had in the first half, we managed to convert just one, thanks to a Jonny Evans deflection, Vermaelen the scorer. That too came a tad too late as United were by then 3 goals up, thanks to a quick counter attack by United, Park netting home the virtual winner after a cool run down the left. We weren't at our best alright, but credit to United for a genuinely good performance. Final score- Arsenal 1 Man Utd 3...

No doubt this defeat would dent our title ambitions but lets not forget there's still little time to recover. There's no silver lining though as we go to Stamford Bridge next for an important contest against leaders Chelsea. It's disappointing really to lose such a crucial game and that too after not showing much resistance... but keep the faith guys... that's the best we can do.
Go Gunners!

Brace yourself for the clash of the season!

So here we are... with the title race hotting up, we have a huge roadblock to pass as our lads gear up to face the might of Champions Manchester United on Sunday in a bout which is considered by many as the clash of the season.

Whenever these two clubs face-off, it's a special occasion for their fans and this time it's no exception. This fixture has always been intriguing and exciting and once upon a time was considered to be close to, if not equivalent to the 'El Classico', when these two great clubs dominated the Premier League. Tempers have flown, pizzas thrown, shoes hurled and what not! It's true that things have eased out a bit in the last few years, but don't be surprised if there are fireworks this time around as there's a lot at stake apart from just pride. At this stage of the season, both teams would be looking to keep up with leaders Chelsea and nothing less than 3 points would do for both sides.

We have injury woes to cope up with but lets hope Eduardo's able to nurse his hamstring on time(which is unlikely) and atleast one of the two, Diaby or Song turn up for this important encounter. Bendtner's return is a good sign but one would expect Arshavin to assume the role up front in the absence of Eduardo.

Here's hoping we do well and bag all 3 points against our nemesis and send a strong message to leaders Chelsea. Go Gunners!!!

Sol ready to face Man Utd

Arsene Wenger has expressed full confidence in Sol Campbell to restrict the in-form Rooney in the upcoming clash of the titans, in case the first choice centre back Thomas Vermaelen fails to recover on time. Campbell, who sees Wenger as an inspiration has been fairly good ever since he arrived at the Emirates after a spell with Pompey and just one appearance with Notts County. The other night against the resurgent Martin O'Neil's Aston Villa he looked rock solid after he came on as a substitute for injured Thomas Vermaelen. Wenger, in a press conference had this to say...

"Sol can cope with Rooney. He is ready if he has recovered well. I have to assess him but normally he will play if Vermaelen doesn't play," Wenger said on Friday.

"He has experience and he likes the big games. He can turn up if needed and experience helps in these kind of games.

"It was certainly not expected a few months ago when he signed for Notts County that he would be playing a game like this.

"That shows you how quick football is and I believe that he has worked very hard and credit to him, everyday he was motivated to push himself and he is quite fit."

Campbell's experience will surely help feels Wenger. The big man has seen it all in the past but is he still agile and tactful enough to put the brakes on Rooney's indefatigable scoring spree? Watch out for this space...

Wilshere moves to Bolton

Our young starlet Jack Wilshere, 18, has been loaned out to Bolton Wanderers for the remainder of the season. It's a wise move considering he will gain a lot of first team experience with Bolton. The lad has had 7 first team appearances to his credit this season and has impressed whenever he has had the chance. Here's wishing him good luck at Bolton and looking forward to seeing him playing for Arsenal again soon!

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...