I still don't understand why he went to Fiorentina. With Frey there he knew he was't always going to be first choice.

It would be brilliant to get him in January, not just for us but he would be guarenteed #1 straight away basically.

[size=6]Preview: Arsenal - Birmingham[/size]

By Richard Clarke

Waste not, want not.

The majority of Arsenal fans will have spent the international break quietly smouldering. Their team went into that massive game at Chelsea a fortnight ago in need of an inspiration injection.

In the previous two Premier League games, they had dropped a pair of last-gasp points at Sunderland and been beaten on home territory by the adventure of West Brom. A promising start was starting to lose its shine.

Their reaction at Stamford Bridge was magnificent but the result was sadly familiar. In terms of the performance, it was about as heartening as 2-0 defeats can get however, with Birmingham City arriving at Emirates Stadium on Saturday, Arsène Wenger is fully aware that the response AND the result must be right this time.

“We have taken a lot of encouragement from the Chelsea game and we want to use the positives,” said the manager on Friday. “But we are seven points behind and we cannot waste more points.

“We have had two defeats in the League recently but for me they were of a completely different shape.

“The first one was a very bad performance, the second one had a lot of regrets because we feel we were done badly. We could have taken much more out of the game.

“But that makes us realise we have a very good opportunity to do well in this League and aswell helps us correct what we did not do well on the day.

“That is why Birmingham is now a very important game for us.”

On Saturday, Arsenal will be boosted by the inclusion of Nicklas Bendtner for the first time this season. Wenger believes the Danish striker is not only over his groin problem but the fittest he has been for almost a year.

Kieran Gibbs is also back after a thigh injury and Theo Walcott (ankle) will be on Arsenal duty for the first time since his hat-trick at Blackburn on August 28. In addition, Manuel Almunia (elbow) is back in training and Cesc Fabregas (hamstring) is very close to a return.

However Bacary Sagna (ankle), Robin van Persie (ankle) and Thomas Vermaelen (Achilles) are still out while Laurent Koscielny (back) was added to the injured list after training on Friday.

“Sagna did his injury against Chelsea in the second half,” explained Wenger. “He didn’t go with the French squad.

"Koscielny had a back problem on Tuesday morning after the Chelsea game. He had a spasm in the back. He had a try this morning but had to move out.

“As for Vermaelen, it has been five weeks now. It is still his Achilles. To start with we thought it would just be ten days. But when he’s injured, he’s injured.”

However while physical injuries are one thing, the defeat to West Brom seemed more about mental sharpness. A relentless conveyor belt of fixtures will, of course, affect both.

"A player's mind can become tired as well as his body,” said Wenger. “If you look at the Prozone statistics, surprisingly players don't drop their performance when they play every three days in terms of how far they run and the distance covered in sprints.

"But the energy available in your brain to be zippy, the mental sharpness, that is what changes.

“Against West Brom we were not mentally sharp from the start and we have to make sure against Birmingham that we begin the game with a strong attitude.”

West Brom’s win at Arsenal was their first in 27 years. Birmingham come to Emirates Stadium without a victory in the red half of north London for 53 years. Alex McLeish’s side were worthy of their top ten finish last season but, by comparison, are struggling this term. However they still have Wenger’s respect, as well as one of his former players.

“Birmingham are a big team in England with a massive potential,” he said. “Last year they did better than anyone expected. Yes, recently they have struggled with results a little bit but they remain a dangerous side.

“They are a good, organised team who added some quality with Alex Hleb, who is someone we know well. They now have even more offensive potential. So let’s have a good solid defensive performance and put a high pace into the game.

“I expect them to be committed but we will go into the game with exactly the same attitude as usual – we will try to play football the way we love it and be committed ourselves.

“It is still very tight at the top and the feeling I have is that Chelsea can drop points. It will be down to who is the most consistent team.”

Perhaps the most consistently ‘least wasteful’, if you know what I mean.
http://www.arsenal.com/match-menu/3283121/first-team/arsenal-v-birmingham-city?tab=preview

confident this weekend but last time i said that we drew so i might keep quiet for this one

[size=6]Under 18's: Arsenal 1-3 Charlton[/size]

Arsenal Under-18s suffered a 3-1 home defeat against Charlton Athletic on Saturday.

The Addicks were two goals to the good when Bradley Jordan put them ahead after 22 minutes and then Ade Azeez doubled their lead four minutes later.

Callum Webb then pulled a goal back after 28 minutes to get the young Gunners back into the game as they went in a goal down at the break.

Harry Osbourne added a third for Charlton six minutes into the second half and that’s the way it stayed.
http://www.arsenal.com/match-menu/3311375/youth/arsenal-yth-v-charlton-athletic-yth?tab=report

[size=6]Match Report: Arsenal 2-1 Birmingham[/size]

By Richard Clarke

Arsenal are back to winning ways.

They recorded their first Premier League victory in more than a month by squeezing past Birmingham on Saturday.

The visitors took a shock lead in the 33rd minute Nikola Zigic converted Keith Fahey’s left-wing cross with a towering header.

However the key moment of the game came four minutes before the break when Scott Dann was adjudged to have brought down Marouane Chamakh and Samir Nasri slotted home from the spot.

The Birmingham players were angry with the decision but replays proved there had been contact.

The Moroccan kept his cool and would sidefoot the all-important winner two minutes after the break.

Jack Wilshere saw red in the dying seconds for a tackle on Zigic. It made for a nervous finale but Arsenal held on.

Wenger’s men are often accused of ‘softness’ but this afternoon they scrapped their way to a vital three points.

Chamakh will take the headlines. He epitomised the mixture of steel and silk that Arsenal displayed. The 26-year-old has become very important very quickly.

And this was arguably the most important result of the season so far.

Light rain started falling as Arsenal kicked off this afternoon. There had been a chill in the air all day. The last sunshine of the summer was gone and so had that ‘early season’ feel. The campaign was fully underway.

Wenger had been bruised by back-to-back Premier League defeats against West Brom and Chelsea. He had also lost a couple of players from the game at Stamford Bridge before the international break – Bacary Sagna (thigh) and Laurent Koscielny (back). But, in the same period, he had gained three.

However Kieran Gibbs, Nicklas Bendtner and Theo Walcott only made the bench this afternoon.

Cesc Fabregas (hamstring) and Manuel Almunia (elbow) were very close to returning today. However Robin van Persie (ankle) and Aaron Ramsey (leg) would not be seen till November.

Birmingham had Alex Hleb, who left Emirates Stadium in 2008, in support of beanpole striker Nikola Zigic.

The Midlanders had not won at Arsenal in 53 years – a considerable period. But then West Brom had ended a 27-year barren spell at Highbury and Emirates Stadium three weeks ago.

History could not be allowed to repeat itself this afternoon.

However that never really looked likely. Arsenal showed more invention and creativity in the first half-hour than they had displayed in the entire 90 minutes against Roberto Di Matteo’s side. But for a spiky 15 minutes just before half-time it would be their day.

In the fourth minute, Wilshire and Chamakh exchanged a pair of passes before the Moroccan let fly from the edge of the area. Stephen Carr threw himself into a fine block.

Diaby, who made an eye-catching start, peppered Foster with a couple of shot in the minutes that followed. But it was two of Arsenal’s other Frenchman who combined to put the ball in the net midway through the half.

Nasri fired over a free-kick from the left and Sebastien Squillaci powered home a header at the far post. The centre back ran off in celebration of the second goal in his Arsenal career. However he had not spotted the assistant referee’s flag, presumably for offside. Replays cast doubt on the call.

In the 19th minute, Diaby span away from Scott Dann and cleverly fed Arshavin, who was sprinting into the left-hand channel. Foster raced out to smother the Russian’s shot.

A couple of minutes later, Gael Clichy latched onto a stray backpass from Seb Larsson and fizzed a low shot just past the post. It would have been the left-back's second goal in 230 games at Arsenal.

The home side were starting to look ominous. Up to this point, the only real threat to Lukasz Fabianski’s goal came from his own team-mate. Eboue inadvertently headed Larsson’s free-kick towards his own goal but the keeper snatched the ball out of the air.

However the game would be turned on its head in the 33rd minute when the visitors scored.

Birmingham won a throw by the left-hand corner and played it short to Keith Fahey. The former Arsenal trainee spotted that Zigic, all 6ft 7ins of him, had pulled away towards the diminutive Clichy. The ball was excellent but the header was pin-point – across the keeper and into the far corner.

It was a well-finished strike but utterly against the run of play.

Arsenal struggled to get the goal out of their heads in the minutes that followed and it nearly cost them the game.

Carr took the free-kick quickly and found Johnson down the line. He nodded the ball into the heart of the six-yard box. Lee Bowyer and Fahey both went for the ball and their combined effort flew over the bar from close-range. Had it been a solo effort then surely Birmingham would have doubled their lead.

It would prove to be a critical miss because, four minutes from the break, Arsenal were level.

But although Nasri’s penalty was clear, the decision less so. Scott Dann definitely made contact with Chamakh’s leg but the Birmingham defender thought he had made the most of it.

The ill-feeling would linger until half time.

However two minutes after the restart, Arsenal would enjoy a very different emotion.

Wilshere chested down Song’s flick just outside the area and sent Chamakh through. He ghosted past two defenders and then the keeper before slotting home. It was his fifth goal of the season but none had been celebrated so gleefully.

Now it was Birmingham’s turn to sag in response to conceding a goal. The Arsenal of the first half-hour returned with avengence.

Diaby had a drive blocked and, just past the hour, Wilshere roared around the visiting defence before rifling his shot over the bar. Midway through the half, Arshavin prodded a shot towards the near post and Foster made a sharp save.

The visitors seemed to have little left but, as the game wore on, Arsenal lost their edge. They needed another goal to make sure and, despite battering on the Birmingham back door, could not find a way through.

Eleven minutes from time, Wenger withdrew Chamakh for Bendtner. The outgoing player got a standing ovation and a handshake from his manager. The incoming player got a wonderful welcome for his first appearance of the season.

He nearly killed the game with his first touch. However Tomas Rosicky’s left-wing cross was inches away from his outstretched foot.

With six minutes left, the Czech midfielder forced a flying save from Foster. In the dying seconds, the England keeper made a more fumbling stop from Nasri’s drive.

Deep into injury time, Wilshere was sent off for a tackle on Zigic.

It heralded a couple of hail-Mary crosses into the area but Fabianski’s handling was superb all afternoon.

It had been far from a perfect afternoon but Arsenal had got what they deserved.
http://www.arsenal.com/match-menu/3283121/first-team/arsenal-v-birmingham-city?tab=report

[size=6]Wilshere - I will learn from red card[/size]

By Richard Clarke

Jack Wilshere admits he deserved to be sent off against Birmingham on Saturday but has vowed to learn from the incident.

The Arsenal midfielder received a straight red card in the dying minutes at Emirates Stadium following a challenge on Nikola Zigic.

The 19-year-old was contrite when he spoke to Arsenal.com afterwards but he will still be punished with a three-game domestic ban.

“I just want to say that I mistimed the challenge on Zigic and accept that I deserved to be sent off,” said Wilshere.

“I have no complaints about getting the red card and I will learn from this. I’m missing three matches now which I’m really disappointed about, but I just want to say that I deserved the red card.”
http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/wilshere-i-will-learn-from-red-card

Great response. It was a silly challenge to make and it was a red card, no denying that, but to compare it to Johnson's on Eduardo is just ridiculous.

Yeah. Wilshere's just not that sort of guy...8-[

He's not though

Having actually watched the tackle, it's pretty filthy. The only difference between that and some of the other leg/ankle breaker tackles we've seen is that Wilshere missed the blokes Ankle.

He flew in on somebody in our game this season too, rightfully booked for it too.

Yeah, went in on Gerrard. Like you say rightfully booked and then Gerrard gets him back with an even worse tackle and wasn't booked for it :lol:

Whole of arsenal were playing dirty against Birmingham, from Chakmah diving, the tackle and Nasri kneeing people in the back.

Don't watch many Arsenal games, didn't realize how scumbag they play 8-[

God I hate Chamakh. He just oozes 'I'm a filthy ****'.

Chamkh didn't dive for the pen. There was clear contact from Dann/Johnson with Chamakh's right leg. The tackle was stupid and mis-timed, he wasn't intending to hurt Zigic.

Nasri, well I can't defend him:lol:

Lol, there was noway that wasn't a dive :lol: :lol:

Eboue also dived and tackled in there to pretty absurdly, I guess they just got sick of being picked on themselves. =]

RE: Chamakh, at the very least he went down easily. His front leg was buckling before the Birmingham player touched him, and it deffinitely wasn't a natural runing movement for his leg. I'd call that a dive.

[size=6]Eduardo: It will be emotional, the supporters are in my heart[/size]

Some call it fate, others call it irony but when former Arsenal striker Eduardo left the Gunners he said how one thing he never wanted was to draw them in the Champions League Group stage.

But, with Arsenal and Shakhtar Donetsk both in Group H of the competition, it means the Brasilian-born striker will have to face his former Club twice, starting tomorrow when the Gunners host the Ukrainians at the Emirates.

Ahead of the game, the 27-year old explained how the injury he suffered away at Birmingham changed his career and was the start of a long process which ended with a chat with manager Arsene Wenger and the decision to leave the North London Club.

‘Dudu’ added how he doesn’t know what would have happened had he not suffered the injury although he did reveal how maybe he would still be a Gunner.

On Arsenal’s players and supporters, Eduardo concluded by saying how the supporters are still in his heart and how he is still in touch with a number of players such as Denilson, Cesc Fabregas and Robin van Persie.

Ahead of tomorrow’s game, Eduardo said:
"It wasn’t my fault I broke my leg, but it’s true to say that moment changed my sporting career.

I don’t know what would have happened if I hadn’t suffered the injury, but perhaps with more continuity I would still have been in the team.

If I play it will be very emotional, but I’m just trying to concentrate on the game and I am calm about the match.

Shakhtar Donetsk are coming to London calm ahead of a difficult game. We have won the first two matches and we feel less pressured. It won’t be easy, but we want to spring a surprise.

I want to be remembered for being the best player on the pitch and not for my past with the Gunners, although I don’t go into this game looking for any personal revenge.

The supporters were always behind me and they are in my heart and I am still in touch with Denilson, Cesc Fabregas and Robin [van Persie]."
http://www.thegunninghawk.com/2010/10/18/eduardo-it-will-be-emotional-the-supporters-are-in-my-heart/

[size=6]Loanees Report[/size]

Welcome to this weekends Loanees Watch – Young Guns’ analysis, reports and updates on the progress of the young starlets currently plying their trade away from the Emirates Stadium. You can read all the latest reports below.

Sanchez Watt started but only played 37 minutes for Leeds United against Middlesbrough. The winger was substituted with an injury, but he did leave an impact, setting up Davide Somma for the opener in a 2-1 win.

Kyle Bartley was not part of the Sheffield United squad that drew 3-3 with Burnley. The centre half is still nursing a broken jaw sustained two weeks ago.

Luke Freeman came off the bench to play the final 25 minutes for Yeovil. However, he failed to have the same impact as last week, where he scored, as Yeovil lost 2-0.

Cedric Evina played 62 minutes at left back for Oldham as they drew 0-0 with Colchester United. Cedric was taken off shortly after picking up a yellow card for unsporting behaviour.

Francis Coquelin started and played 73 minutes for Lorient against Valenciennes. The Frenchman turned in a promising shift as Lorient ended their recent run of poor results, winning 2-1.

Armand Traore was not part of the Juventus side that beat Lecce 4-0.

Nacer Barazite completed the 90 minutes for Vitesse Arnhem who were thrashed by Roda JC.

Pedro Botelho played the full game for FC Cartagena as they drew 0-0 with SD Huesca. Botelho turned in another fantastic shift at left back, with his long throws proving dangerous.

Samuel Galindo came on in stoppage time as UD Salamanca beat Recreativo de Huelva 2-0.
http://younggunsblog.co.uk/2010/10/loanees-watt-assists-as-coquelin-impresses/

[size=6]Arsenal pencil Ramsey in for Reserves run out[/size]

Arsenal are putting the finishing touches to Aaron Ramsey’s rehabilitation from a fractured tibia and fibula. The Welshman returned to full training this week and plans are afoot for Ramsey to turn out for the Reserves in the coming weeks.

Ramsey has been training at Arsenal’s state of the art indoor centre based at London Colney for a number of weeks, but the 19-year-old was told he is free to link up with the first team last week. Newly appointed fitness coach Marcus Svensson is running the rule over Aaron’s come back and was happy to give the midfielder the green light to do ball work and exercises with the team.

The hope is that Ramsey will be able to turn out of the Reserves sometime in November. Arsenal are also hoping to arrange a selection of behind closed doors fixtures should he need it, with a first-team return being penciled in before Christmas. So far the youngster has suffered no muscle set backs; meaning his return has gone according to plan.

This latest news comes in a week where Aaron was named the Welsh Young Player of the Year.
http://younggunsblog.co.uk/2010/10/arsenal-pencil-ramsey-in-for-reserves-run-out/