[size=6]Wenger - Walcott 'very close' to striker role[/size]

By Richard Clarke

Arsène Wenger believes Theo Walcott is "very, very close" to following Thierry Henry’s route from winger to Arsenal striker. But he does not want the comparison stretched beyond that.

The Englishman is set to start at Shakhtar Donetsk on Wednesday as Wenger’s men look to secure top spot in Group H.

So far, Walcott’s season has been characterised by two things – goals and a troublesome ankle problem. He returned with a brace from the right wing at Newcastle last week. For Wenger, it was no surprise but, just for the moment, he’ll still use him sparingly in the more attacking position.

“Theo can be a prolific goalscorer,” said the manager. “Once he is a yard in front of the defender no-one can catch him.

“He is very, very close to playing that striker role. But when you play with only one up front you like as well a guy who is good in the air as sometimes you kick it longer.

“Still look at the two goals he scored against Newcastle, they are from a typical striker goes who plays on a counter-attack.

“But most of the time we face teams with a different problem.

“We face teams that play very deep like West Ham so there is less space in behind. That is why at the moment I use him on the flanks.”

However Wenger has always seen Walcott’s long-term future in a central striking role. And that is where comparisons with Henry start. Not that the manager is prepared to stack up the Frenchman’s 226 goals in 370 appearances up against the 21-year-old nascent career just yet.

"It's difficult to compare the similarities,” said Wenger. “Is Thierry a replica of Theo? Is Theo a replica of Thierry? No. But they have in common tremendous pace, they are good finishers and both are intelligent.

"In England, you are very impatient. Thierry Henry came here at the age of 23 and Theo is 21. Give two more years to Theo and imagine what he will be.

"Don't forget that when Thierry Henry came here, he was a winger. When I played him as a central striker, he said to me 'but I can't score goals’.

“However I knew Thierry when he was 14 and at 15 I knew he could score goals when he played central. Then I left Monaco and they moved him to the flank but I knew in my head he could do it.

"It looks to me now that Theo has a calmness in front of goal. Before he rushed his decision but now he is different.”
http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/wenger-walcott-very-close-to-striker-role

[size=6]Reserves: Arsenal 0-2 Aston Villa[/size]

By Giuseppe Muro

Arsenal Reserves suffered their first defeat of the season as they went down 2-0 against Aston Villa at London Colney on Tuesday afternoon.

On a disappointing day for Neil Banfield and his team two first-half headers from Nathan Delfouneso and Samir Carruthers gave an impressive Villa side victory.

Delfouneso glanced home after 28 minutes before Carruthers doubled the lead on the stroke of half time and there was no way back for a Gunners side that featured a number of Academy players.

Scholar Sead Hajrovic partnered captain Ignasi Miquel at centre back for his first appearance at Reserve level and Thomas Cruise returned at left back after six weeks on the sidelines.

With talismanic striker Jay Emmanuel-Thomas as well as midfielders Craig Eastmond and Henri Lansbury all travelling to Donetsk with Arsène Wenger’s first team and Gavin Hoyte beginning his loan at Lincoln City, there were five changes from the side that had beaten West Ham so convincingly last time out.

It took Arsenal a while to settle on a blustery day in Hertfordshire and they lacked cohesion in the opening stages as a Villa side led by the instrumental Marc Albrighton started on the front foot.

Only 18 minutes had passed by the time Shane Lowry had flashed a volley agonisingly across goal and Derrick Williams headed into the side-netting from barely a yard.

The warning signs were there and just short of the half-hour mark the away side got a deserved breakthrough.

Centre back Jonathan Hogg stayed forward from a corner and when he picked out Delfouneso eight yards from goal the striker glanced into the bottom corner. There was nothing James Shea could do as the header skidded past the goalkeeper’s outstretched left hand.

Albrighton was a constant thorn in the Arsenal side, constantly running at defenders and crossing into dangerous positions as he showed why he has been a Premier League regular this season.

One of those centres resulted in Villa doubling their lead in first-half injury time.

The midfielder received the ball on the right before creating the space to brilliantly find Carruthers ten yards out. He guided his header to the left of Shea and into the net, and Arsenal were two down.

The Gunners improved in the second half and through Chuks Aneke and Conor Henderson they twice came close to pulling a goal back.

First Aneke linked up well with Sunu before testing Guzan with a long-range curler and then Henderson drilled a low shot at the goalkeeper from a tight angle.

But the Gunners just could not find a way through.

They were denied time and space by a well-organised Villa midfield and on the occasions they did get into the final third they came up against a water-tight defensive quartet.

Substitute Roarie Deacon prevented his side from going further behind in the closing stages when cleared off the line from Chris Herd as Arsenal surrendered their unbeaten start.
http://www.arsenal.com/match-menu/3305171/reserves/arsenal-res-v-aston-villa-res?tab=report

[size=6]Fabregas out of Shakhtar showdown [/size]

LONDON - Arsenal will not risk skipper Cesc Fabregas against Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League on Wednesday after the Spaniard strained a hamstring against West Ham United at the weekend.

The London club will qualify for the last 16 of the competition if they win in Ukraine but manager Arsene Wenger can ill afford to lose Fabregas who has just returned from a month on the sidelines.

"Cesc will not travel," Wenger told Arsenal's website.

"It's a mixture of caution and his hamstring. We cannot take the gamble. He has a good chance to play (against Newcastle) on Sunday but tomorrow would be a risk."

Alex Song is also doubtful for the Group H clash with a calf strain, as are Andrei Arshavin and Denilson who have groin injuries.
http://fourfourtwo.com/news/championsleague/67180/default.aspx

Jack Wilshere Signs New Long-term Contract

Arsenal Football Club is delighted to announce that Jack Wilshere has signed a new long-term contract with the Club.

Wilshere, who has been at Arsenal since the age of nine, has made a huge impact with his performances in the first-team this season, already making eight Premier League appearances and featuring in all three UEFA Champions League matches so far this campaign.

The 18 year-old has now made a total of 27 first-team appearances, scoring two goals. On making his debut at Blackburn Rovers in September 2008, he became the youngest-ever player to represent Arsenal in the league, aged just 16 years and 256 days.

Two months later in November 2008, Wilshere, who spent the second half of last season on loan at Owen Coyle's Bolton Wanderers, became the youngest player to represent the Club in European competitions, at 16 years and 329 days, when Arsenal faced Dynamo Kyiv in the UEFA Champions League.

Earlier this season, Jack was rewarded for his rapid development by earning his first full England cap, playing for the Three Lions in the Friendly International match against Hungary at Wembley Stadium in August.

Arsène Wenger said: "It's such great news that Jack has committed his long-term future to the Club. Jack is a fantastic footballer with a huge amount of potential, and we have all seen with his performances so far that he is a very gifted player, who could be an extremely influential player at the top level of the game.

"At still only 18 years of age, there is still so much more to come from him and we're all excited by the fact that Jack Wilshere will be an Arsenal player for years to come."

Jack Wilshere added: "Arsenal Football Club has been like a second home for me and my family since I was nine years old. To be offered a new contract means everything to me.

"At this point in my career, when I'm only 18 years old and still learning so much about the game and myself, this is the perfect club, the perfect team-mates, the perfect fans, the perfect backroom staff and most importantly, the perfect manager to help continue that.

"I've got a long way to go before I can become the player I dream of becoming and I'm sure I'll keep making the odd mistake, but it is a massive help for me having a special manager like Arsène Wenger and so many quality team-mates and the unbelievable Arsenal fans around me. I believe there is a lot more to come from me.

"I've been at the Club for almost ten years already, so I would like to thank everyone that has been part of getting me this far, especially people like Liam Brady, Roy Massey and all his staff at the Hale End Academy. Also Neil Banfield, Steve Bould, Academy Coach Steve Leonard, Academy Scout Bob Arber, Assistant Head of Youth Development David Court, all the backroom staff, Arsène Wenger, all my team-mates and, of course, my family."

Everyone at Arsenal Football Club is looking forward to Jack's continued contribution in the forthcoming years.

http://www.arsenal.com/home

[size=6]Wenger: 'Song has the taste to go forward'[/size]

on whether he was relieved...
Yes because when you win with two minutes to go it is always a relief. We needed to be patient, intelligent and not make a mistake at the back against a West Ham team who had a strong spirit and were well-organised. We showed patience because in the first half it was difficult to get into the flow of our passing so we had to wait until they got a bit fatigued. West Ham kept going and we did as well. We kept the structure of our game right, we didn't do anything stupid, we kept trying to be intelligent and that in the end got us the goal with two minutes to go.

on a new dimension to Song's game...
He is [adding that to his game] because when you sum up his game today he had three good chances: the goal he scored, the one on his right boot and the header in the first half that touched the bar. He has got the taste to go forward, even if I think a little too much sometimes for a holding midfielder! But that is part of our game as well.

on whether he thought they might drop points...
The special moment I thought about that was when the ball hit the post and then bounced back into the goalkeeper's hands. That is usually not a good sign but even more so when Carlton Cole came on because you think that he has the ingredients when everybody else goes forward to score you a goal [on the break]. But we kept going and out of this game we can say we have once again shown a great attitude and we have matured. You can see that when it doesn't work for us the players remain calmer than before.

on being equipped to win the title...
I believe we have a good chance, yes, but we want to show consistency first. We go step by step. I believe we still need to step up a gear to completely achieve that. But on the other hand you feel as well that there is more to come out from this team because we had a good potential on the bench today and we still have some players to come back. So if we can keep a good injury record then we have a chance. It's too early in the season [to be sure] but I have belief. We have to show we can handle every single game with the different aspects that the Premier League has. You saw today that we played against the bottom team in the Premier League and it was a real battle. We have to show we can compete like that in every game.

on the return of Jack Wilshere and Denilson's form...
Denilson had three good games this week - he played the whole 90 minutes at Manchester City, the whole 90 minutes at Newcastle and he did quite well today because he defended very well at the moment everybody went forward. But Jack can play with Denilson, he can play with Song, I have good potential for rotation and don't forget we have Diaby who can come back too.

on keeping three straight clean sheets...
That's new, that's new for me! A day where I don't have to look on the television slow motion to see why we conceded a goal does not happen often so I am very happy with that.

on his concerns during the game...
You always have concerns because you would always like to finish teams off in ten minutes but football doesn't work like that.

on Cesc Fabregas' fitness...
He played a little bit within himself because he had a little tension in his hamstring. Let's hope he has no setback. I hope he will be alright [for Shakhtar]. At half time I had a hesitation to take him off but I left him on for ten minutes or 15 minutes and in the end he got better and better.
http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/35290/wenger-reaction

[size=6]Report: Arsenal 1-0 West Ham United[/size]

By Richard Clarke

Alex Song powered home a last-gasp header to end Arsenal’s frustration at Emirates Stadium on Saturday.

For 88 minutes, it seemed to be one of those afternoons for Arsène Wenger’s side. Although not at their best, they created a plethora of chances only to be kept at bay by a mixture of wayward finishing, bad luck and, most importantly, West Ham keeper Robert Green.

The England man made decent saves from Song and Sebastien Squillaci in the first half and even better stops from Theo Walcott and Cesc Fabregas in the latter period.

It looked like being enough until Gael Clichy angled in a cross from the left and Song stooped to crash home his fourth strike of the campaign.

The goal – and the points – kept Arsenal right up with the title pace.

Wenger’s men are doing all they can at the moment.

Of course they have not been faultless but they have won at tough grounds, beaten a title contender, built up a strong home record and today they squeezed a result in tight circumstances when they were not so fluent.

They will have to do much more of the same to lift the Premier League trophy in May but dogged determination is a key part of any title-winning season.

And Arsenal displayed that in abundance this afternoon.

The heavens opened minutes before kick-off. It was a soggy end to a week that had given Arsenal inspiration and aspiration in equal measure.

They had won 3-0 at Manchester City last Sunday and followed that up with a 4-0 drubbing of Newcastle in the Carling Cup. For the latter game, Wenger had played a stronger side than usual but there were still significant changes.

Compared to the Eastlands game, Wenger made one alteration this afternoon. Laurent Koscielny replaced Johan Djourou to complete an all-French backline. Despite their midweek heroics, Theo Walcott, Wojciech Szczesny and Nicklas Bendtner were on the bench.

Jack Wilshere sat out the last game of his suspension. Robin van Persie (ankle) and Aaron Ramsey (leg) were not ready but are set to return to full training next week. Abou Diaby (ankle), Thomas Vermaelen (Achilles) and Manuel Almunia (elbow) are a little further away from fitness.

This was a meeting of in-form v no form, second top v rock bottom. However you could not have told in the opening 15 minutes.

Yes, Arsenal had ample possession, threatening when Song nodded over and Arshavin’s shot was deflected wide.

However West Ham’s ambition was far above their League position. Mark Noble troubled Lukasz Fabianski into punching away a couple of free-kicks, Luis Boa More fired over and Frederic Piquionne made one jinking run to the byline that the keeper snuffed out.

The game was pacy and passionate enough but it was ‘bity’. By the midway point, neither side had really fashioned a ‘move’.

That changed in the 24th minute and it so nearly saw Arsenal take the lead.

Song threaded a ball through for the overlapping Bacary Sagna in the right-hand channel. He stretched to the byline and cut the ball back into the area towards Fabregas. The captain’s contact was good but Green threw himself to his right and plucked the ball out of the air.

The chance changed nothing. Arsenal were on top but there was a tension in their game. West Ham seemingly sensed that and broke with invention.
Nine minutes from the break, Noble raced clear once again and thundered a shot into the chest of Fabianski.

Just before the whistle, Song exchanged passes with Fabregas on the right of the area but the Cameroonian’s low shot was blocked Green. From the resulting corner, Squillaci saw his header was tipped over the bar.

It was stale-mate for Arsenal at the break. Wenger’s men had been out of sorts but, in fairness, West Ham had done their best to put them in that position.

There was a general unease at Emirates Stadium as the team went into the tunnel.

However Arsenal would emerge for the second half with much more purpose. In the opening minutes, Arshavin dragged a shot across the face of goal and then Nasri looked to extend the best scoring run of his career by smashing a drive against the bar from 25 yards.

The home side were trying to up the ante.

Just before the hour, Fabregas and Denilson both saw shots blocked in a frantic ping-pong passage of play on the edge of the West Ham area. The Spaniard’s drive thundered straight into the face of Scott Parker, who needed a few minutes of treatment before he recovered.

Midway through the half, Arsenal won a free-kick and Wenger took the opportunity to bring on Walcott. After the ovation had died down, Arshavin floated in the ball and, for once, Chamakh could not convert his header when well-placed.

However Walcott would soon make his mark.

Fabregas swivelled a wonderful pass into his path on the right wing. The England winger roared clear of his marker to face Green. His low cross-shot beat the keeper’s outstretched right hand, hit the base of the post and then bounced back into the grateful arms of the West Ham No 1. A huge let-off.

The second half had been much more one-side than the first. But West Ham were still prepared to chance to their arm.

In the 74th minute, Manuel da Costa’s powerful downward header was clutched among the flailing legs but Fabianski.

Shortly afterwards, only Clichy’s cover header prevented Valon Behrami converting a left-wing from Herita Ilunga.

Those chances prompted Wenger to throw on Bendtner. Arshavin made way.

Eight minutes from time, Green made another super save, this time from Walcott’s deflected drive.

The England keeper made another fine stop shortly afterwards when he turned aside a close-range shot from Fabregas.

It seemed that Green would be Arsenal’s tormentor until Clichy’s cross found Song.

It was a rapturous finish to a game that seemed to be slipping from Arsenal’s grasp.
http://www.arsenal.com/match-menu/3283262/first-team/arsenal-v-west-ham-united?tab=report

Arsenal to face Wigan Athletic in Carling Cup

Arsenal will face Wigan Athletic in the Quarter Finals of the Carling Cup.

The draw for the last eight took place on Saturday lunchtime and the Gunners were handed their first home tie of this season's competition after seeing off Tottenham and Newcastle.

Wigan beat Swansea City in the Fourth Round and will travel to Emirates Stadium during the week commencing November 29.
http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/arsenal-to-face-wigan-athletic-in-carling-cup

[size=6]'I'm confident Jack will sign new deal soon'[/size]

By Richard Clarke

Arsène Wenger expects Jack Wilshere to sign a new contract very soon.

The 18-year-old midfielder has been THE major plus of Arsenal’s season so far. At the start of the campaign, his manager was mulling over loaning him back to Bolton.

In the end, Wenger kept him in the fold and has been rewarded with a number of sparkling performances.

However Wilshere’s current deal runs out at the end of next season and, with his reputation rising, the Frenchman is looking to secure his services for some time.

“We are confident that we will sign Jack very quickly,” said Wenger. “Hopefully we can follow him with Wojciech Szczesny as well.

“Jack has 18 months to go. I will try to get him on a longer contract but we are not short, short with him because he has basically two years left. We hope that we can announce that soon.

“Overall I feel Jack has had a great start to the season. We expected him to play in a higher position on the pitch but basically it suits him quite well to play from deep.

“There is a touch of Liam Brady about him. And it looks like he can handle the pressure well.

“He is a quiet guy. But you can see that in the big games, he wants the ball. So it is just natural for him to play.”

Of course, Wilshere is not involved in the first-team at the moment. On Saturday, he sees out his three-match ban for being sent off against Birmingham at fortnight ago.

“He has been bored,” admitted Wenger.

“As you would be when you are on such a high, playing with excitement form game to game, and then suddenly it stops.

“He is now keen to come back.”
http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/-i-m-confident-jack-will-sign-new-deal-soon-

Preview: Arsenal - West Ham United

By Richard Clarke

For years, Arsenal fans have been able to see the potential their side possess. According to Arsène Wenger, they may be about to start seeing the silverware as well.

You can forgive the manager for glazing over when the phrase “five-years without a trophy” is tossed towards him in press conferences.

Of course, it is a cast-iron fact but the Frenchman has always rightly responded by pointing out the Club’s forward movement throughout that period – on and off the pitch. Plus, the little matter of a decade in the upper echelons of European football.

However a trophy is still a trophy. Football should be about glory and, in reality, that means winning. Right now it is clearly the be-all and end-all for Wenger. On all-fronts.

A stronger-than-usual Arsenal side progressed to the Quarter-Finals of the Carling Cup on Wednesday and, next week, they hope to secure passage to the Knockout Stages of the Champions League with victory at Shakhtar Donetsk. In between, on Saturday, they entertain rock-bottom West Ham at Emirates Stadium.

When Arsenal lost at Chelsea at the start of October, it was suggested their failings were all too familiar. However they end the month looking stronger than ever and with the results to prove it.

“There is more waiting to come out of the team because we are looking like we are improving on all fronts,” said an ebullient Wenger at Friday’s press conference.

“I feel the ingredients of teams I had before, who were successful, are in there. It is just how much we can get them out.

“If you look at the UEFA [co-efficient] table you will see Arsenal in the top eight in a very strong position. And you look who is around us - what money they lose and spend every year - you will see we have not done too badly.”

Goals are always a reasonable barometre of Wenger’s Arsenal. This season they have hit 26 in six home games and 12 in their last 270 minutes of football overall.

“Yes we scored five, three and four in our last three games,” said the manager. “It shows that we have the potential.

“The secret is that we play for each other. We play united. And if we manage to do that anybody in our team can score because we are always going forward a lot. The basic target for us is to keep playing for each other.”

Arsenal will be without Kieran Gibbs for “a few weeks” after the left-back damaged knee ligaments at Newcastle in midweek. Robin van Persie (ankle) and Aaron Ramsey (leg) return to full training next week. Abou Diaby (ankle), Thomas Vermaelen (Achilles) and Manuel Almunia (elbow) are still absent. Jack Wilshere will see out his suspension for being sent off against Birmingham in the last Premier League game at Emirates Stadium

His dismissal was a disappointing end to an otherwise redemptive afternoon. Defeat at Chelsea, followed by a shock 3-2 reverse against West Brom at Emirates Stadium, had left Arsenal in need of a win – any size, any shape.

The mood is very different now but the memory has lingered with Wenger.

“It was a lesson learned and it confirms to me that if you are not 100 per cent focused, you will drop points against any team in this league,” he said. “In fairness to my team, West Brom is the only game since the start of the season where we didn’t perform well and that is credit to them. But as well, it shows that, just once, if you are not completely there you are caught. I think we have got the lesson now.

“We focus highly on tomorrow and go step-by-step to try to put every energy in every single game. The success of our season is as well how intelligent we are and tomorrow is a good opportunity to show it. Let’s go for it 100 per cent.”

Wenger’s words were in response to a prevailing press room mood. The one that labelled West Ham a ‘gimmee’ in the same way it had the West Brom game a few weeks earlier.

Roberto Di Matteo’s men have since backed up their performance at Emirates and climbed the table. West Ham can go in no other direction. They have made the worst start in their 115-year history. In nine games they have scored seven goals and gained six points – both are the lowest in the division.

Despite that, Wenger believes there is a way back.

“I see them getting out of the drop zone because they have quality players,” said Wenger.

“If you lose one or two games you will quickly be down there. The difference in the league now is not too big. I think they can get out of there.

“The basic target of any manager is to have success with the resources he has at the club and, on that, Avram Grant has done well.”

Meanwhile, Wenger’s resources have developed in the past week. At Newcastle, Theo Walcott and Nicklas Bendtner returned with goals while Wojciech Szczesny showed himself to be a capable keeper. Right now, it seems Arsenal have depth.

You sense this is a crucial little period for Wenger. In the next three Premier League games they face the bottom two sides plus a Newcastle team, who were reasonably represented in the 4-0 drubbing on Wednesday. In between they can put to bed Champions League H.

The ‘big’ periods in fixture lists are viewed as a flurry of big name teams. But, of course, dropped points in highly winnable games will be just as costly.

This season has hardly been plain-sailing but Arsenal have been successful enough and put themselves in position to finally kick-on for that elusive trophy.

If they maintain their recent poise, they might just find it.
http://www.arsenal.com/match-menu/3283262/first-team/arsenal-v-west-ham-united?tab=preview

I think we'll see this.



Theo to come on late against tired legs, especially after West Ham played 120mins mid week. Can't see him starting after playing 90 mins against Newcastle, especially just back from injury.

[size=6]Unlucky Gibbs out for 'a few weeks'[/size]

By Richard Clarke

Kieran Gibbs will be out for “a few weeks” with the medial knee ligament injury he picked up at Newcastle on Wednesday night.

The left back limped off after 18 minutes in the 4-0 win at St James’ Park but, providing Friday’s scan is positive, his absence will be
relatively short-term.

The other major news is that Aaron Ramsey and Robin van Persie are scheduled to return to full training at the end of next week. However Wenger warned that both would need further fitness work – particularly the Welshman.

Elsewhere, Manuel Almunia (elbow) and Thomas Vermaelen (Achilles) are still working their way back. Abou Diaby (ankle) and Jack Wilshere (suspended) will also miss the visit of West Ham on Saturday.

“We lost Kieran Gibbs last night,” Wenger told TV Online on Thursday afternoon.

“That is the bad news.

“It is a medial knee ligament strain. It needs to be checked on the scan tomorrow but it will be a few weeks.

“We have nobody else back from Manchester City. Van Persie and Vermaelen are still out. Ramsey and Almunia are not ready. So it should be a similar squad to the one that played at Man City.

“But Van Persie and Ramsey are very close to coming back to full training now. They should be back in the group at the end of next week.

“Of course we should not set the same [recovery] time to Ramsey as Van Persie. Aaron will need a longer period to be completely match-fit for the first team. But Van Persie is not far away now.

“Manuel Almunia is maybe one to two weeks away. With Vermaelen, it is difficult to set a fixed time because his Achilles improves slowly.”
http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/unlucky-gibbs-out-for-a-few-weeks-

[size=6]Report: Newcastle United 0-4 Arsenal[/size]

By Chris Harris

Arsenal marched into the Quarter-Finals of the Carling Cup with a convincing win at Newcastle on Wednesday night.

Four goals - one crazy, one controversial and two classy – did the trick to leave Arsène Wenger’s side just two steps from Wembley.

Goalkeeper Tim Krul’s bizarre own goal on the stroke of half time gave Arsenal an advantage they just about deserved and Theo Walcott’s cool finish doubled their lead as Newcastle screamed for an offside decision against Nicklas Bendtner.

The Dane settled matters on his own with an unerring strike into the top corner and Walcott raced clear to give the scoreline some gloss with two minutes left.

Arsenal are no strangers to the last eight of the Carling Cup but, with so many big names already out of the competition, they may never get a better chance to lift the trophy.

On the strength of this performance they look determined to do just that.

Before the game Arsène Wenger declared that he would use the “core” of his first-team squad for this test on Tyneside. He was true to his word. The Frenchman made wholesale changes from the weekend win at Manchester City but, more instructively, just four from the team he picked to face Tottenham in the previous round of the Carling Cup.

Two youngsters, Wojciech Szczesny and Craig Eastmond, were given their chance while two forwards, Walcott and Bendtner, started their first matches since returning from injury. Meanwhile Cesc Fabregas and Andrey Arshavin lurked among the substitutes – make no mistake, Wenger had his eyes very much on this prize.

The manager expected a “hot atmosphere” at St. James’ Park but, with one tier of the ground almost entirely empty, the Newcastle fans were quieter than usual.

Arsenal should have silenced them in the opening seconds.

Only 22 seconds had elapsed when Carlos Vela sped down the left and fizzed in a low shot. Krul turned the ball aside for a corner.

When that came over, Bendtner had three bites of the cherry. His first shot was blocked, his next attempt appeared to strike a defender’s hand and, after the ball had bounced back to him, the Dane fired straight at Krul.

That was just the first minute. And Arsenal didn’t let up.

Emmanuel Eboue was next to threaten, cutting inside from the right and shooting with his left. Moments later Walcott raced down the right and crossed only to see the loose ball elude Tomas Rosicky. Then Bendtner got goal-side of his marker and scuffed a left-foot shot wide. And Kieran Gibbs got in on the act too with a fizzing low shot that swerved off target.

Eight shots in seven minutes: a flying start if ever there was one. But too many of those shots were straight at Krul and Newcastle survived. And occasionally thrived.

Their big dangerman was Nile Ranger – an Arsenal fan but very much a thorn in Arsenal’s side.

He brushed past Johan Djourou in the opening stages and then raced through on goal on the quarter-hour. Szczesny dithered, decided to come and was beaten by Ranger, only for Laurent Koscielny to make a vital block.

Sczzesny soon redeemed himself. From the resulting corner the ball landed at Alan Smith’s feet 30 yards from goal. He let fly and Szczesny flew to his right to fingertip the ball onto the bar. A wonderful save.

The tie calmed down after that frantic opening and there was one piece of bad news for Arsenal as Gibbs limped off after a challenge with Wayne Routledge. Another slice of bad luck for the England left back.

Newcastle matched their guests for a while but Arsenal regained a semblance of control as the half came to a close.

Bendtner weaved into the box but his shot lacked power. Then Eboue, now at left back, raced down the left and fired into the side-netting from a narrow angle when he should really have picked out a team-mate inside the box.

Bendtner had another try four minutes before the break, exchanging passes with the impressive Denilson before hitting a first-time shot straight at Krul.

That had been the problem really – too many shots straight at the Newcastle keeper. But that was all it took to give Arsenal the lead seconds before the half-time whistle.

Walcott’s corner from the left was half-cleared, Rosicky nodded it back into the danger area and Bendtner rose to head goalwards. The Dane’s effort was hardly thunderous but it went under Krul. Ryan Taylor tried to clear off the line but his header hit Krul and rolled in.

It was certainly ‘Krul’ on the home side – but Arsenal had their lead.

James Perch almost profited from another left-wing corner early in the second half but nodded just over the bar. And that was as close as Newcastle got to making a game of it - within four minutes they were two adrift.

If Arsenal’s first goal was crazy, this one was controversial. Bendtner was yards offside when a ball was played over the top but Walcott ran through from an onside position and lifted the ball over Krul.

Newcastle’s players were up in arms – they felt Bendtner was interfering with play – but the goal was allowed to stand.

The hosts threw on local hero Andy Carroll in an attempt to peg Arsenal back and he screwed one left-footed shot wide from just inside the box.

Taylor forced a low save from Szczesny down at his left-hand post as Newcastle pushed on and Koscielny and Djourou stood firm as another sub, Jonas Gutierrez, curled in a string of teasing crosses.

Wenger looked to shore things up by replacing Carlos Vela with Fabregas 20 minutes from time and, although the home side persevered, Arsenal looked dangerous on the break.

And with eight minutes left they settled the issue.

Bendtner collected the ball on the corner of the box, steadied himself and lashed a shot into the top corner for his second goal in two games.

Taylor forced a fine save from Szczesny and Carroll shot just wide once more but Walcott had the final word with another slick finish on the counter-attack.
http://www.arsenal.com/match-menu/3327198/first-team/newcastle-united-v-arsenal?tab=report

[size=6]The Unheralded Genius of Andrei Arshavin[/size]

13 games. 5 goals. 6 assists. How can someone with those numbers be so criticized? That is the story of Andrei Arshavin.

The Arsenal fans have one of the most gifted players in the Premier League in their ranks, but for some reason, a large part of the fans (at least a very vocal "minority") has been hugely critical of the diminutive Winger's form so far this season (and the previous one for that matter).

Originally a central attacking midfilder, Arshavin has been shunted out to the left for the Gunners, as Cesc Fabregas is the player that Arsene Wenger has built his team around has that role. As a consequence of this, the Russian doesn't see as much of the ball as he would like during a match and finds it hard to have a major influence in his team's play.

The main criticism directed at Arshavin is that he doesn't work hard enough and that he fails to make a significant impact and take the games by the scruff of its neck in the absense of Fabregas.

The latter has been previously explained, it is understandable that Gooners want to see their record signing get on the ball more and show his flashes of genius in a more consistent basis. However, even when Fabregas is out the side, Wenger tends to opt for Samir Nasri or young Jack Wilshere in the CAM position, thus Arshavin rarely gets to play where he likes. About his work rate, he has always been this sort of player and Arsenal were well aware of that when they signed him. Even when he was getting praises from all sides, his work rate wasn't that incredible. I do however, think that he does work as hard as he can for the team and that is often overlooked.

Throughout last season, he was forced to play as a lone striker due to the amount of injuries Arsenal had accumulated by December. Playing with his back to goal didn't suit him at all, with his build he was unable to hold the ball up, but regardless of that, he tried his hardest and actually had a decent run. After an excelent display at Stoke and a brilliant winner at Anfield, Arshavin remained centralized and despite a slight goal drought, did very well, getting a number of assists in the process as he helped Arsenal reach the summit of the Premier League by the end of January. His movement off the ball was very impressive in the way that it helped open up defences and create spaces for the incoming midfielders, but since this aspect of the game is severely overlooked by many, people just saw Arshavin as a frustrated figure, that got little of the ball and didn't do much to change that. At the time, he was also carrying an injury and had to keep on playing as he was Arsenal's only option and didn't want to hide away from his responsibilities. That attitude has to be commended, but for some reason, Arsenal fans just seemed to overlook it. As soon as Bendtner got back into the side, Arshavin picked up his form again and was crucial in a number of games that saw Arsenal keep their title challange on track up until he got injured in the Champions League.

At Arsenal, he has never been the player to be on the ball all the time, as that is very difficult for someone playing in a wide position. Even in his early days, when Arsenal fans fell in love with him, he wasn't like that. In his 4 goal flurry at Anfield, he must have touched the ball less than 10 times. That is what Arshavin gives you.

Often you wont see him for 10-20 minutes in a game, but then he'll pick the ball up and give you something special. That was the case at Man City on the weekend. He was a very frustrated figure for the first 20 minutes on the left, but then he played a delightful one-two with Samir Nasri which created the opener for Arsenal. He was also crucial in the move for the second goal, but somehow, some sections of the fans still criticized him for not having a good game. That has been his story this season. He has created a many things outta nothing, but somehow he keeps getting criticized. 5 goals (Blackpool, Blackburn, Braga, Partizan, Tottenham) and 6 assists (Blackpool, 2x Braga, Bolton, WBA and Manchester City). As well as crucial contributions that don't go into statistics (his involvement in the second goal vs City, the "assists" for the penalties at Spurs, where he won the game for Arsenal). Its the most efficient Arsenal player in the season and as Wenger pointed it out, the player that has created the most chances in the Premier League.

About his poor work ethic? Get over it, when you have a man as efficient as this and capable of such brilliance in your side, there is a price to pay. If you ask me, its a very fair trade.
http://football-speak.blogspot.com/2010/10/unheralded-genius-of-andrei-arshavin.html

[size=6]Echoes of Cesc Fabregas coup as Arsenal plot move for new Barcelona starlet Sergi Samper[/size]

Arsenal are planning a raid on Barcelona's 'new Cesc Fabregas' - Sergi Samper - in a move almost identical to the coup they staged in 2003 to capture their current club captain, reports The People.

Arsene Wenger is hoping to entice the exciting youngster to The Emirates as soon as he turns 16 - which could signal a move in January.

The offer of a four-year contract and a fast-track into the Arsenal first team could entice Samper, just as a smiliar offer seven years ago persuaded Fabregas to move to London.

Following the long-running politics between the two clubs concering Catalan youth product Fabregas, Arsenal's latest move will surely infuriate Barcelona.

The parallels between the Gunners' earlier pursuit of Fabregas and their alleged interest in Samper could further sour relations between the two clubs, who engaged in a high-profile game of cat and mouse over Fabregas in the summer.

Samper, a star at Under-16 level with both Barca and the Spanish national team, is said to be an outstanding prospect, both technically and tactically astute.
http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/2896/premier-league/2010/10/24/2180733/echoes-of-cesc-fabregas-coup-as-arsenal-plot-move-for-new