Arsenal failed to defeat Sunderland at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday afternoon. The majority of the team played well but none of the players, played well enough to provide Arsenal with a much needed victory.
Wojciech Szczesny 8/10
A return to form for the young goalkeeper. He made two vital saves towards the end of the match to stop Arsenal from losing the match.
Bacary Sagna 6.5/10
A solid display from the French full-back.
Laurent Koscielny 7.5/10
Solid in defence but he also contributed going forward for the Gunners.
Johan Djourou 6.5/10
Played well despite picking up a head injury during the match.
Gael Clichy 7/10
Was poor defensively but brilliant when going forward.
Abou Diaby 7/10
A good game for the lanky midfielder. Defended and attacked well.
Denilson 4/10
Poor from the Brazilian. Lacked energy and played many poor passes.
Jack Wilshere 8/10
Another good game from the youngster. Played in a more offensive role and didn't look out of place at all.
Samir Nasri 8/10
A good display from the Frenchman. Was very unlucky not to score on two occasions.
Nicklas Bendtner 6.5/10
Not awful from the Danish Centre Forward but wasn't able to take the chances he was given to win Arsenal the game.
Andrey Arshavin 7.5/10
A bright performance from the little Russian. Should of scored a hat-trick in the second half. On one occasion he shot straight at the keeper, was pushed on another and incorrectly ruled offside on the third.
Man Of The Match: Samir Nasri
Not his best ever display for the Arsenal but still a strong performance,was very unlucky not to score the winner.
Sunday, 6 March 2011
Arsenal 0-0 Sunderland
This was an important match in Arsenal's season but they failed to get the win and ended up drawing 0-0 against a Sunderland side they should really be beating at this crucial stage of the season. Arsenal dominated the whole match and had many easy chances to clinch the much needed victory. There were also two referring decisions that clearly went against Arsenal. Andrey Arshavin was pushed in the box and this warranted a penalty. Not much later he scored a legitimate goal that was wrongly called as offside. Wenger was disgusted with these decisions, but his own players should also take the blame as they wasted a variety of easy chances as well. Luckily for the Arsenal it has turned out to be a very valuable point, as United have now lost two games in a row. We are now just 3 points behind with a game in hand, this is a very strong position to be in this late in the season.
Laurent Koscielny and Wojciech Szczesny returned to the starting line up after their Carling Cup final disappointment. In the absence of Fabregas, Wilshere was played further forward and Nasri played from the right hand side. Arsenal started the game fairly well, but most of their attacks came on the counter attack. This was a problem for the Arsenal especially when we were lacking the pace of Theo and the creative influence of Cesc. Nicklas Bendtner was inches away from scoring when Gael Clichy put a good cross into the penalty area. Later on in the 35th minute Samir Nasri nearly scored a superb solo goal as he drifted through the defence into the 6 yard box. It was a difficult finish from a tight angle and even Nasri was going to struggle to score from there.
The second half began with Arsenal once again dominating possession but struggling to create any chances. As a result of this Wenger replaced the poor Denilson with Chamakh in a very attacking move. The Moroccan nearly made an instant impact when he broke through the Sunderland defence providing Arshavin with a chance he really should have scored. Not long after Andrey Arshavin nearly scored again but as he struck the ball he was pushed by Titus Bramble and as a result his shot went wide. It could have easily been a penalty but in all honesty was a tricky decision for the referee. This is because he was nowhere near the incident and couldn't keep up with play at all. How was he supposed to see if it was a penalty when he was nowhere near the ball at the time? Soon after this Andrey Arshavin was once again the victim of a poor decision. He scored a brilliant goal but it was wrongly ruled offside. The replays showed he was marginally onside, and this just added to Wenger's frustrations.
All in all this was a disappointing afternoon for the Arsenal but it was still a valuable point especially after United lost to Liverpool today. Arsenal can't just blame the poor referring decisions as they still had chances to win the game themselves. The two decisions were however inexcusable, but Nicklas Bendtner's miss at the end was also inexcusable. We are now only 3 points behind United with a game in hand and are well and truly in the title race. The team must now regroup for an incredibly important game against Barcelona on Tuesday. We are expected to lose the game due to the amount of injuries but Barcelona will also be without their two first choice centre halves.
Laurent Koscielny and Wojciech Szczesny returned to the starting line up after their Carling Cup final disappointment. In the absence of Fabregas, Wilshere was played further forward and Nasri played from the right hand side. Arsenal started the game fairly well, but most of their attacks came on the counter attack. This was a problem for the Arsenal especially when we were lacking the pace of Theo and the creative influence of Cesc. Nicklas Bendtner was inches away from scoring when Gael Clichy put a good cross into the penalty area. Later on in the 35th minute Samir Nasri nearly scored a superb solo goal as he drifted through the defence into the 6 yard box. It was a difficult finish from a tight angle and even Nasri was going to struggle to score from there.
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| Chamakh hitting the crossbar. |
The second half began with Arsenal once again dominating possession but struggling to create any chances. As a result of this Wenger replaced the poor Denilson with Chamakh in a very attacking move. The Moroccan nearly made an instant impact when he broke through the Sunderland defence providing Arshavin with a chance he really should have scored. Not long after Andrey Arshavin nearly scored again but as he struck the ball he was pushed by Titus Bramble and as a result his shot went wide. It could have easily been a penalty but in all honesty was a tricky decision for the referee. This is because he was nowhere near the incident and couldn't keep up with play at all. How was he supposed to see if it was a penalty when he was nowhere near the ball at the time? Soon after this Andrey Arshavin was once again the victim of a poor decision. He scored a brilliant goal but it was wrongly ruled offside. The replays showed he was marginally onside, and this just added to Wenger's frustrations.
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| Bendtner's day summed up. |
All in all this was a disappointing afternoon for the Arsenal but it was still a valuable point especially after United lost to Liverpool today. Arsenal can't just blame the poor referring decisions as they still had chances to win the game themselves. The two decisions were however inexcusable, but Nicklas Bendtner's miss at the end was also inexcusable. We are now only 3 points behind United with a game in hand and are well and truly in the title race. The team must now regroup for an incredibly important game against Barcelona on Tuesday. We are expected to lose the game due to the amount of injuries but Barcelona will also be without their two first choice centre halves.
Friday, 4 March 2011
Arsenal VS Sunderland Match Preview
Arsenal face Sunderland in a crucial Premier League fixture at the Emirates Stadium tomorrow afternoon. It is a great chance for Arsenal to close the gap on Manchester United to a single point. Despite Sunday's disappointment we are in superb form and should be able to defeat Sunderland in a must win fixture tomorrow. Once again the injury curse has hit Arsenal at the crucial end of the season. There are many players who will be missing tomorrow including, Song, Fabregas, Walcott and Van Persie. This is a big blow for the side but hopefully the fringe players will step up like they did on Wednesday against Leyton Orient and pull out the victory to give us an excellent chance to win the Premier League. Aaron Ramsey has also returned to the squad but will most likely play a role from the bench towards the end of the game. This is great news as he is a very talented footballer and will undoubtedly be better than Denilson has this season. I am now going to look at the starting XI Wenger should choose for the important match.
Goalkeeper
Wojciech Szczesny will return in goal after being rested for the Orient game. He will need to forget the disappointment of his error on Sunday and continue to play as well as he has been for the rest of the season.
Right Back
Bacary Sagna will return at right back. He has been solid this season and will hopefully continue to do so on Saturday.
Centre Back's
Laurent Koscielny will return from injury to partner Johan Djourou at the back. Despite Sunday the duo have been incredible at the back and long may this continue for the Arsenal.
Left Back
Gael Clichy will return at left back and will no doubt now have an eye for goal after his brilliant effort on Wednesday.
Defensive Midfield
Abou Diaby will fill in for Alex Song in the more defensive midfield role. He is a very talented player and will hopefully showcase this in the next couple of very important games.
Centre Midfield
Jack Wilshere will return to the centre of midfield after a game off on Wednesday. He will still be disappointed because of Sunday but will be able to put this behind him and play as well as he has been this season.
Attacking Midfield
Samir Nasri will start in the Cesc Fabregas role for the Arsenal tomorrow night. He has been superb this season and hopefully this can continue.
Right Wing
Nicklas Bendtner will start on the right-wing for Arsenal. He was brilliant on Wednesday and hopefully can score a couple again.
Centre Forward
Marouane Chamakh will start in the absence of Robin Van Persie. He scored on Wednesday and this should inspire him to play like he did at the start of the season for Arsenal.
Left Wing
Andrey Arshavin will return to Arsenal's left wing tomorrow. He played well against Birmingham and hopefully will produce again.
This team should defeat Sunderland despite missing some key figures. It is still a strong side and I believe this will show through in a 3-1 victory for the Arsenal.
Arsenal 5-0 Leyton Orient Player Ratings
Arsenal comfortably defeated Orient 5-0 at the Emirates on Wednesday evening. Nicklas Bendtner scored a hat trick along with Chamakh and Clichy picking up a goal each. Hopefully Nicklas Bendtner will be able to continue in this form against Sunderland and Barcelona in two more very important matches.
Manuel Almunia 7/10
For once the Spaniard had a good game and didn't let the side down like he did when we drew at Leyton Orient.
Emmanuel Eboue 7/10
A good display from the Ivorian right back. Defended well and also got forward on occasions to help the Arsenal forwards.
Sebastien Squillaci 7/10
An improved display from the Frenchman. Appears to have built a strong partnership with Ignasi Miquel.
Ignasi Miquel 7.5/10
A very confident and assured display from the young Spanish Centre Half.
Kieran Gibbs 7/10
The young Englishman had a good game and looks set to be Clichy's long term replacement.
Abou Diaby 7/10
Good to see the Frenchman back. He played well and will be a key player when we face Barcelona as Alex Song looks like he will miss the game due to injury.
Denilson 6.5/10
An average display from the Brazilian. Played some good passes but I believe Abou Diaby makes him look better than he really is.
Tomas Rosicky 7/10
A confident display from the Czech International. One of his best games for a while.
Connor Henderson 7.5/10
The youngster looks to be a good player and certainly made a good impression on his debut.
Nicklas Bendtner 9/10
A brilliant game for the Danish Centre Forward. Took all his goals superbly especially his glorious second goal.
Marouane Chamakh 7.5/10
A return to form for the Moroccan forward. Has needed a goal for a while and hopefully this can give him some much needed confidence.
Man Of The Match: Nicklas Bendtner
May well have been his best game for the Arsenal. Played superbly and fully deserves the man of the match award. Hopefully he can do the same against Barcelona and Sunderland.
Manuel Almunia 7/10
For once the Spaniard had a good game and didn't let the side down like he did when we drew at Leyton Orient.
Emmanuel Eboue 7/10
A good display from the Ivorian right back. Defended well and also got forward on occasions to help the Arsenal forwards.
Sebastien Squillaci 7/10
An improved display from the Frenchman. Appears to have built a strong partnership with Ignasi Miquel.
Ignasi Miquel 7.5/10
A very confident and assured display from the young Spanish Centre Half.
Kieran Gibbs 7/10
The young Englishman had a good game and looks set to be Clichy's long term replacement.
Abou Diaby 7/10
Good to see the Frenchman back. He played well and will be a key player when we face Barcelona as Alex Song looks like he will miss the game due to injury.
Denilson 6.5/10
An average display from the Brazilian. Played some good passes but I believe Abou Diaby makes him look better than he really is.
Tomas Rosicky 7/10
A confident display from the Czech International. One of his best games for a while.
Connor Henderson 7.5/10
The youngster looks to be a good player and certainly made a good impression on his debut.
Nicklas Bendtner 9/10
A brilliant game for the Danish Centre Forward. Took all his goals superbly especially his glorious second goal.Marouane Chamakh 7.5/10
A return to form for the Moroccan forward. Has needed a goal for a while and hopefully this can give him some much needed confidence.
Man Of The Match: Nicklas Bendtner
May well have been his best game for the Arsenal. Played superbly and fully deserves the man of the match award. Hopefully he can do the same against Barcelona and Sunderland.
Thursday, 3 March 2011
Arsenal 5-0 Leyton Orient
Arsenal emphatically defeated Leyton Orient 5-0 at the Emirates Stadium last night to set up a mouthwatering quarter final at Old Trafford. Arsenal needed to bounce back from the disappointment of Sunday and they well and truly did so against Orient. Arsene rotated the side and gave Connor Henderson his Debut,and Ignasi Miquel his home debut. Therefore this wasn't Arsenal's strongest side and it also included reserve Keeper Manuel Almunia. Nicklas Bendtner also started in the absence of Robin Van Persie and was in top form scoring a superb hat-trick to give the fans more confidence in him.
Arsenal started the game well, dominating possession and Marouane Chamakh scored an early goal, his first in 14 games. It was a well taken goal and will be a huge confidence boost for the Moroccan, and will hopefully inspire Chamakh to play like he did at the beginning of the season for the Arsenal. Connor Henderson was involved in the build up and he looks like to be another typical Wenger player who is very confident on the ball. Tomas Rosicky got the assist and this could also be a confidence boost for the Czech Republic international. Leyton Orient had a couple of good chances to equalize but Almunia made some good saves much to the surprise of the Arsenal faithful. Nicklas Bendtner was looking his typical self until towards the end of the second half. In the 27th minute Kieran Gibbs crossed for Bendtner to score a great header, which is something we simply don't see enough of from the big Dane. Bendtner then scored an excellent second goal, curling the ball into the bottom corner and leaving the Keeper with no chance whatsoever.
Arsenal continued to look in control at the start of the second half and Kieran Gibbs won the side a penalty in the 62nd minute. Obviously Bendtner took the penalty and scored confidently to secure his second hat-trick for the Gunners. Tomas Rosicky was later substituted after suffering concussion, it was a disappointment as he had been playing well and looked far better than he did on Sunday. Gael Clichy then scored a late goal for the side, with a well placed finish into the bottom corner. This was only the French defender's second goal for the club but he finished it like he'd been scoring goals his whole career.
All in all this was a good game for the team, and would of reinstalled confidence throughout the side. Especially the fringe players who haven't played well lately, for example Squillaci and Eboue. The whole side played well and we will now face Manchester United in a tough quarter final. In my opinion the main plus point of the game was Nicklas Bendtner scoring a hat trick. It means he is now in good form and this is what we need when Van Persie is injured and we have many important games ahead of us, including a trip to the Nou Camp.
Arsenal continued to look in control at the start of the second half and Kieran Gibbs won the side a penalty in the 62nd minute. Obviously Bendtner took the penalty and scored confidently to secure his second hat-trick for the Gunners. Tomas Rosicky was later substituted after suffering concussion, it was a disappointment as he had been playing well and looked far better than he did on Sunday. Gael Clichy then scored a late goal for the side, with a well placed finish into the bottom corner. This was only the French defender's second goal for the club but he finished it like he'd been scoring goals his whole career.
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| Chamakh scoring the important opener. |
All in all this was a good game for the team, and would of reinstalled confidence throughout the side. Especially the fringe players who haven't played well lately, for example Squillaci and Eboue. The whole side played well and we will now face Manchester United in a tough quarter final. In my opinion the main plus point of the game was Nicklas Bendtner scoring a hat trick. It means he is now in good form and this is what we need when Van Persie is injured and we have many important games ahead of us, including a trip to the Nou Camp.
Wednesday, 2 March 2011
Arsenal Vs Leyton Orient Match Preview
Arsenal face Leyton Orient in a Fa Cup replay at the Emirates Stadium this evening. The side will need to bounce back from the disappointment of Sunday and there will be some players rotated especially with another two important games straight after tonight's must win game.
Goalkeeper
Manuel Almunia will be starting as according to Wenger he needs games. I would pick Szczesny myself as it would be ideal for him to play straight after the disappointment of the cup final, also Almunia is well and truly useless.
Right Back
Emmanuel Eboue will replace Sagna at right back for tonight's game. This will keep Sagna fit for the tough games ahead.
Centre Back's
Wenger has said that Koscielny will miss the game through injury and that he could do with a rest. Therefore Squillaci will partner Djourou at the back against Orient.
Left Back
Kieran Gibbs will probably start at left back giving Gael Clichy a well needed rest.
Defensive Midfield
Alex Song will continue in the defensive midfield role this evening.
Central Midfield
Denilson will start ahead of Wilshere who could do with a rest, he will be on the bench however.
Attacking Midfield
Wenger has said that Diaby will play in the absence of Fabregas, as he didn't want to risk him in the cup final.
Right Wing
Samir Nasri will start on the right wing due to the Walcott injury.
Centre Forward
Van Persie is once again injured and Bendtner will start in his absence. Hopefully he can perform as well as he is capable of and not like he did at the weekend.
Left Wing
Andrey Arshavin will start again on the left for Arsenal. He played well at the weekend and hopefully this can continue for the little Russian.
This is a weakened side but should have the quality to defeat Leyton Orient at the Emirates tonight. It will be tough but the quality should shine through and I'm predicting a 3-1 victory for the Gunners.
Tuesday, 1 March 2011
Arsenal 1-2 Birmingham City Player Ratings
Arsenal disappointingly threw away their chance to end the trophy drought at Wembley on Sunday. It was a brilliant game that ended with a defensive error costing Arsenal the victory the players and fans came to Wembley to get.
Wojciech Szczesny 5/10
Didn't have a good game and will need to be bounce back. Should have been sent off at the start of the match and also contirbuted to the winner at the end. He has the talent and confidence however to continue to be a top goalkeeper.
Bacary Sagna 5.5/10
Mr Reliable wasn't at his best against Birmingham but did make a couple of important tackles throughout.
Laurent Koscielny 4/10
He has been superb recentely but a lack of concentration cost him and the side on Sunday. Like Szczesny he has the ability to bounce back and continue to play at the top level.
Gael Clichy 5/10
Very poor from the Frenchman. His positioning was awful throughout and will need to improve to keep his place in the side ahead of Kieran Gibbs.
Alex Song 5.5/10
Failed to dominate the midfield, despite doing so for every other game this season.
Jack Wilshere 8/10
A truly superb performance from the youngster. He ran the Arsenal midfield in the absence of Cesc and nearly scored a superb goal. If any of the players deserved a winners medal it was Wilshere.
Tomas Rosicky 4.5/10
Looked lost and didn't contribute at all offensively.
Samir Nasri 7.5/10
A good game for the Frenchman, one of our better players going forward.
Robin Van Persie 7.5/10
Scored a fabulous goal but that was all he did for the side. He's also now injured, which is a huge blow for the team.
Andrey Arshavin 7.5/10
A strong energetic performance from the Russian.
Man of the Match: Jack Wilshere
He ran the midfield and nearly scored a superb goal. An incredible showing from a 19 year old, one can only imagine how good he will be in his prime years.
Wojciech Szczesny 5/10
Didn't have a good game and will need to be bounce back. Should have been sent off at the start of the match and also contirbuted to the winner at the end. He has the talent and confidence however to continue to be a top goalkeeper.
Bacary Sagna 5.5/10
Mr Reliable wasn't at his best against Birmingham but did make a couple of important tackles throughout.
Laurent Koscielny 4/10
He has been superb recentely but a lack of concentration cost him and the side on Sunday. Like Szczesny he has the ability to bounce back and continue to play at the top level.
Gael Clichy 5/10
Very poor from the Frenchman. His positioning was awful throughout and will need to improve to keep his place in the side ahead of Kieran Gibbs.
Alex Song 5.5/10
Failed to dominate the midfield, despite doing so for every other game this season.
Jack Wilshere 8/10
A truly superb performance from the youngster. He ran the Arsenal midfield in the absence of Cesc and nearly scored a superb goal. If any of the players deserved a winners medal it was Wilshere.
Tomas Rosicky 4.5/10
Looked lost and didn't contribute at all offensively.
Samir Nasri 7.5/10
A good game for the Frenchman, one of our better players going forward.
Robin Van Persie 7.5/10
Scored a fabulous goal but that was all he did for the side. He's also now injured, which is a huge blow for the team.
Andrey Arshavin 7.5/10
A strong energetic performance from the Russian.
Man of the Match: Jack Wilshere
He ran the midfield and nearly scored a superb goal. An incredible showing from a 19 year old, one can only imagine how good he will be in his prime years.
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