Match preview: Arsenal v Villareal

The biggest week of Arsenal’s season so far and the Gunners come into this match against Villareal as favourites. Emmanuel Adebayor’s stunning bicycle kick ensures that Arsenal can progress with a 0-0 draw (8/1) and the “Yellow Submarine” have to score at the Emirates if they are to reach the semi-final.

Villareal were the better team in the first half at El Madrigal and deservedly took the lead with a long-range strike from Marcos Senna, Arsenal were significantly better in the second period and could well have added to their solitary goal in Spain.

“The Yellow Submarine” have also been rocked since the first game as they are without captain and talisman Senna, who strained a hamstring in the 2-0 defeat to Malaga. The games either side of the first game with Arsenal have been costly to Manuel Pellegrini’s team as they lost both (to Almeria and Malaga) and also saw injuries to Santi Cazorla and now Senna seriously hamper their Champions League hopes.

Going into Wednesday night’s game Pellegrini is also facing up to injury concerns over wingers Cani and Mati Fernandez which means Robert Pires could well start against his former club. The ageing Frenchman who runs like a duck is 18/1 to score the first goal.

Of course, Villareal are a well-drilled side and will relish what is also their biggest game of the season. The likes of Nihat and Giuseppe Rossi are quality attacking players and can make a difference in tight games. Despite holding a few advantages, Arsenal are unlikely to sit back with defensive injuries mounting up and because this is simply not the way Arsene Wenger would approach the game.

Arsenal are missing a number of first choice players at the back, William Gallas and Gael Clichy are definitely out and Johan Djourou and Manuel Almunia are also major doubts. Mikael Silvestre will likely start as could Kieran Gibbs, who was lucky not to be sent off at Wigan, at left back.

Arsene Wenger’s side are unbeaten in 23 Champions League home matches and have lost just once in 2009, at Roma in a tie they went on to win on penalties. In recent games Emmanuel Adebayor and Cesc Fabregas (the Spanish schemer is 33/1 to score two or more) have proved their importance to the attacking verve of the side and with major injuries, the Gunners should progress to a possible semi-final tie with FC Porto.

Wenger backing young Gunners to put a silver lining on their season

Wenger
Arsene Wenger believes his young Arsenal team are ready to challenge for major honours after finally coming of age.

Arsenal have not lifted a trophy since the 2005 FA Cup win, but Wenger believes his squad have matured this season and are ready to end their drought.

And Wenger has identified the win at Stamford Bridge and the penalty shootout triumph in Rome as the two key results of the campaign.

'When did they grow up? There are different moments,' said the manager. 'After our defeat at Manchester City we went to Chelsea and won.

'There was another decisive factor in Rome; when you miss your first penalty and come up against Totti, Baptista, Montella and Vucinic still to take a penalty with Pizarro. You know, you are away from home against penalty specialists.

'You have only kids really to take your penalties but you still manage to win. You need some mental strength and I believe it was a turning point in the belief of the team.'

Arsenal are favourites to beat Villarreal tomorrow night and progress to the Champions League semi-finals before Saturday's FA Cup semi-final against Chelsea at Wembley.

Arshavin's wife admits: I'm still not sure about dodgy English food, but I couldn't stop him joining Arsenal

Andrey Arshavin's wife Yulia admits she had reservations about leaving St Petersburg and disrupting the life of her two young children.

But the 26-year-old insisted she would never have stood in the way of the Russia forward's move to Arsenal.

'Of course it's hard to change our life so abruptly having two small kids,' she said, 'but I didn't have a single moment of doubt that we needed to make this step.'

Arshavin moved to Arsenal in February after completely a protracted £12million move from UEFA Cup holders Zenit St Petersburg.

Yulia and the couple's son and daughter moved permanently to London on Sunday after they found a home in London. 'To prevent Andrey's dream from coming true? It couldn't even occur to me.'

Van Persie indicates that he will renew contract

Van Persie
Striker Robin van Persie has given the clearest indication yet that he will renew his contract with Arsenal.

The Dutch international had earlier indicated that he was concerned the North London club could not match his ambitions, but that seems to have now been cleared up.

And with manager Arsène Wenger banning all contract talks till the end of the season, van Persie was not too forthcoming with further details.

Speaking to the Daily Mirror, van Persie said: "We've had a couple of meetings now in a really positive atmosphere.

"The main thing in these things is whether you both have the intention to extend [the contract] but the way I see it is that we both have the intention to extend so there's a big chance I will stay.

"We are talking about a new deal, not now because, as I read in the paper, the boss doesn't want us to speak about it any more.

"That's his opinion, no problem with that. We'll wait.

"We'll go on with the meetings at the end of the season. I have a deal here, I do respect that and what happens after my deal I don't know because we're still talking."

Arsenal set to move for £5million Middlesbrough star

David Wheater
David Wheater has emerged as a potential target for Arsene Wenger at Arsenal Football Club.

Middlesbrough face an anxious fight to remain in the Premier League, and are currently two points adrift of safety with just six fixtures remaining until the end of a disappointing campaign.

Yet even if Gareth Southgate manages to keep top-flight football at the Riverside Stadium, he could face a different battle in the summer if the Gunners interest in Wheater has substance.

The People claim Wenger wants to add the tough 22-year-old to his Emirates Stadium squad in the summer, with reports elsewhere mooting a figure of £5million for his signature.

Cesc ready for crunch period

Fabregas

Cesc Fabregas wants Arsenal to go unbeaten until the end of the campaign in a bid to answer the early-season critics.

Arsenal have failed to mount a serious Premier League title challenge this term, but are in the FA Cup semi-finals and in a strong position to reach the same stage of the UEFA Champions League.

The Gunners have not lost in the league since November after a period when William Gallas was replaced by Fabregas as the club's captain.

Fabregas has recently returned from almost four months out with a knee injury and is now eager to finish the season in a positive fashion.

"It's quite good what we have done, but it is not enough," said Fabregas. "We want to go all the way.

"We have said to ourselves we do not want to lose another game before the end of the season and that's what we will try to do. Of course, we cannot say for definite that will happen. But that's the aim, for sure. That has been our intention.

"We have done it during the past few weeks. We just need to keep it going for a few weeks more."
Confident

Arsenal face Villarreal in the second leg of the Champions League quarter-final on Wednesday with the tie at 1-1 before meeting Chelsea in the FA Cup semi-finals on Saturday.

Title contenders Liverpool await in the Premier League next week and Fabregas is looking forward to the upcoming fixtures.

He added: "It is a good 10 days we have coming up now. We will play three very important matches for the players and the club that will decide our season and where we can go.

"I'm very confident that if we keep going and playing like we are doing, we can do well.

"We have been playing quite well throughout the whole season, yet for some reason some people decided to go a little bit against us. Some people tried to create a little bit of a bad atmosphere.

"We can answer them by winning things and that's what we are aiming to do over the remainder of the season. That's why these next few days are key for us.

"We have Villarreal in the Champions League, then Chelsea, an amazing team, in the FA Cup semi-final. We still have a big say in the season."

Arsenals “biggest week of the season”.

Arsène Wenger is relishing Arsenal’s “biggest week of the season”.

Arsenalwon 4-1 at Wigan on Saturday then saw Everton draw with Aston Villa the following day to leave Wenger’s men with an eight-point cushion to fifth place.

On Wednesday they can secure a place the Champions League Semi-Final if they manage to beat Villarreal at Emirates Stadium, even a no score draw would be enough to see Arsenal through. Then on Saturday Arsenal face London rivals Chelsea at Wembley in the last four of the FA Cup.

It is going to be a cracking, pressure-filled few days – and that is just how Wenger wants it.


Wenger

“Yes,” he replied at Wigan when asked if it was the most important week of the campaign so far, “but I love that personally.

“There is always big tension in there at these times and we want to deal well with it. If you don’t have the tension then you go for nothing. I feel this is a big chance to have that in front of us now.”



This is defiantly one of those weeks that define your season one way or another. And hopefully we will see performances like the second half at Wigan, and not the first!

Up the GUNNERS!!!

Gunners face crisis in defence

Johan Djorou

WIGAN: Arsene Wenger has admitted that Arsenal have been plunged into a defensive crisis after Swiss defender Johan Djorou joined the Gunners casualty list during a 4-1 win at Wigan.

Second-half goals from Theo Walcott, Mikael Silvestre, Andry Arshavin and Alex Song claimed a fifth straight Premier League win for the Gunners after Egypt striker Mido had put Wigan ahead in the first-half.

But with Djorou being stretchered off midway through the first-half, he now joins French defender William Gallas on the sidelines as Arsenal prepare for the biggest week of their season, with Wednesday’s Champions League quarter-final second-leg against Villarreal followed by Saturday’s Wembley FA Cup semi-final against Chelsea.

Arsenal boss Wenger said: “Djorou has a knee problem and that is the bad news of the day. It looks like he will be out on Wednesday.

“That is two central defenders I have lost in two games, with Gallas on Tuesday, so that is not good for us.”

Wigan were unlucky not to deny Arsenal the points, however, and the game could have ended in their favour had youngster Kieran Gibbs been sent off for fouling Ecuadorean midfielder Antonio Valencia and seemingly denying a clear goalscoring opportunity.

Wenger said: “I was scared that it could be a red. I also felt that it could be a yellow and that’s what happened.

“In my opinion, Mikael Silvestre was behind Gilbert and I also believe that the goalkeeper would have collected the ball, because their player had knocked it too long. I still think it was a yellow card.”

Wigan boss Steve Bruce was not so charitable towards referee Alan Wiley, though, and he insisted that the decision to issue only a yellow card was wrong.

Bruce said: “I can’t go along with the referee saying that he didn’t think that Antonio was in control of the situation.

“He is the quickest player on the pitch and he had a two-yard start on the goalkeeper, so there was only going to be one winner in that situation.

“We might still have gone on to lose the game even if their player had been sent off, but what I can say for certain is that it is a damn sight easier to play against ten Arsenal players than eleven.

“There were one or two turning points in the game. Ben Watson hit the post with the free-kick and we then had one cleared off the line.

“Maybe Arsene will say that the turning point was when he brought his big guns on, but we did really well for an hour and them gifted Arsenal the win.

“That’s hard to take and all of the lads are shell-shocked.”

Arsenal’s first-half display was disappointing, but with the Russian playmaker Arshavin increasingly influential, the visitors emerged with the points.

Wenger said: “At half-time, I was worried because Wigan were very strong, committed and well organised in the first-half. All of the 50-50s went their way.

“But in the second-half, I felt that our technique would take over and we looked very dangerous once that happened.

“Even if we had gone down to ten men, we would have tried very hard to get back into the game. The players have great character and mental strength.” — AFP

Arsene Wenger Targets Third Place Premier League Finish For Arsenal

The French tactician believes it is in the Gunners hands as they still have to play Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea this season...

Arsene Wenger says Arsenal are homing in on a third place finish in the Premier League this season. He feels that it is more than possible to achieve this target.

With seven league games of the 2008-09 campaign remaining, the Gunners find themselves six points behind Chelsea and nine adrift of Liverpool.

With leaders Manchester United ten points clear of the north London outfit before playing their game in hand, the French tactician confesses the title is unlikely to end up at the Emirates Stadium this year.

However, the 59-year-old is focussed on consolidating their position within the Champions League qualifying spots and insists that overtaking Chelsea and possibly even Liverpool is a task within their own hands.

"We are on a very strong run at the moment and we want to keep that going, starting at Wigan this weekend," Wenger is quoted as saying in The Sun.

"We have to play Chelsea, Liverpool and United in the league, so we will have a massive influence on the title race, even if we are too far behind to win it now.

"Our first target is to get even further away from Aston Villa. But then we want to get as close as possible to Chelsea and Liverpool.

"Third place is very important this time because it means automatic qualification for the Champions League next season.

"If you finish fourth you go into the qualifying round and this time it will be an open draw, which means you can get anyone. Third place can make a massive difference."

Wenger hoping for home comforts

Wenger
Arsene Wenger wants Arsenal team to draw strength from the Emirates Stadium faithful in their quest to reach the Champions League semi-finals.The Gunners head into Wednesday night's return clash against Villarreal with the advantage of an away goal following the 1-1 draw at El Madrigal last Tuesday thanks to a wonder-strike by Togo international Emmanuel Adebayor.

However, goalkeeper Manuel Almunia and full-back Gael Clichy are both injured for the second leg against the Yellow Submarine, while centre-back William Gallas looks set to miss the rest of the season after suffering knee ligament damage.

Russian midfielder Andrey Arshavin is once again cup-tied in Europe, but it is hoped leading scorer Robin van Persie and Croatia striker Eduardo could both be back in contention.

Wenger remains confident his young side have what it takes to continue their journey towards Rome next month, and feels the Gunners fans - who were quick to make their voice heard when things were not going to plan earlier in the campaign - can play an integral part.

"I do not know if we are favourites, but we want to go through and have the quality to do it," Wenger told Arsenal TV Online.

"We want to take advantage of playing at the Emirates, where we will have our fans behind us.

"Villarreal are a good team, and we know we have to defend well against them because offensively, they can be dangerous.

"Overall, I believe because we want it so much, we will do it."

With an FA Cup semi-final against Chelsea at Wembley also to come before the end of the month, Wenger knows Arsenal are now in a defining period of their campaign.

"Every game now can have a massive influence on whether your season is successful or not, and that means you have to deal well with the stress and the pressure of that kind of situation," he said.

"The best way to do that is to have a great togetherness in the squad and believe in your strengths.

"I am confident we have those qualities."

Wenger is in no doubt this current crop of youngsters have the potential to deliver.

"Everyone's ambition is to win trophies and I am convinced we have the quality to win all the major honours," the Arsenal manager declared.

"With the maximum belief, effort and togetherness, this team can win their first trophy - and that first one is key."

Lukasz Fabianski will stand in for Almunia, and is ready to show he has what it takes to one day make the Arsenal goalkeeper jersey his own.

The 23-year-old Poland international was called into action almost immediately after coming on for Almunia during the first leg, when he produced a fine double save.

Wenger has every confidence in Fabianski's ability.

"I believe he can handle the pressure," the Arsenal manager said.

"He has the quality and is intelligent, makes quick decisions and has already played a lot in the team, so it is not all completely new for him.

"I am confident he will cope with it all."


Fabianski
Fabianski will turn 24 on April 18 - and it is likely to be a birthday to remember should he still be in goal against Guus Hiddink's side at Wembley.

For now, though, the Poland keeper is fully focused on the immediate job in hand.

"We count away goals double so it is good for us that we scored a goal," Fabianski said, "but in a way it means nothing because there are still 90 minutes to play.

"The second game is at home and we hope our fans will help us to go through."

Arsenal v Villarreal

First leg result: Villarreal 1-1 Arsenal
Uefa Champions League, Quarter-final second leg
Venue: Emirates Stadium Date: Wednesday, 15 April Kick-off: 1945 GMT


Marcos Senna


Villarreal will be without influential midfielder Marcos Senna for this week's Champions League return leg with Arsenal because of injury.

The Spain international, 32, limped out of Saturday's 2-0 defeat by Malaga with a hamstring problem.

It is not known how long Senna will be sidelined but the Villarreal website states he will miss Wednesday's game at the Emirates Stadium.

Senna scored Villarreal's goal as they drew the first leg 1-1 with Arsenal.

The Primera Liga side could be severely under-strength in midfield, with Santi Cazorla an absentee and wingers, Cani and Mati Fernandez, also doubtful.

Meanwhile, Arsenal have a crisis in defence with Johan Djorou joining William Gallas on the injury list after he was stretchered off with a knee problem during the 4-1 win at Wigan.

Wenger: 'Once again we have shown great character'

On being ‘worried’ after going a goal behind…
“Yes, I was. I felt that Wigan had a very strong and especially committed first half where they were well organised and the 50:50s were all for them. They played very strongly and I think that slowly our technique took over and we looked dangerous every time we had the ball. The fatigue crept in a little bit for Wigan and it became logical for us to come back and make the difference.

On Kieran Gibbs’ possible red card at the end of the first half…
“I was like everybody else from Arsenal; scared it could be a red card. I hoped it would be a yellow. At that moment I thought that Mikael Silvestre was behind Gibbs and I hoped it would be a yellow. I still think our goalkeeper would have got the ball – it was not a goal chance, he had pushed the ball too far.

“Like the rest of our defence in the first half we were a bit on the back foot. We became stronger and stronger and in the second half he was much better.”

On the chances of coming back if Gibbs had been dismissed…
“I don’t know, we would have tried – that’s the only guarantee I can give you. We have shown great character and mental strength again for such a young team. We have shown some quality and mental quality that are very interesting for the future.”

On the performance of Theo Walcott…
“The whole team, Theo Walcott as well, were not on the ball enough. We had problems getting rid of the man-to-man marking from the Wigan players. once we took over they couldn’t maintain the pace and we became dangerous.”

On another defensive injury problem…
“Johan Djourou has a knee problem and that’s the bad news of the day. It looks as though he’ll be out for Wednesday. We lost two central defenders in two games, we have a few more games to go and we haven’t got enough of them to lose one every game.”

Player Ratings: Wigan Athletic 1-4 Arsenal

Arshavin

Wigan looked on course for a stunning upset against Arsenal but instead, they collapsed spectacularly in the second half, conceding four soft goals. Goal.com rates the performers on the pitch.



ARSENAL

Fabianski – 6: Looked very uncomfortable dealing with crosses and high balls. Grew in confidence as the game wore on and as his defenders started to tighten up at the back.

Sagna – 6.5: His poor headed clearance set up Mido for the opener. Made a few crucial interceptions later on in the game, especially from Wigan’s bombardment of crosses.

Djourou – 5: Lasted only half an hour before being stretchered off with a knee injury. Didn’t look very secure in the time he was on.

Toure – 7: Completely went missing in the first half and allowed Mido and Rodallega plenty of space inside the box. Marshalled his rearguard better after the break to shut the door on the Latics' attack.

Gibbs – 6.5: Very lucky to stay on the pitch after a clumsy last-man tackle on Valencia right at the end of the first half. He was the one who cleared Mido’s goal-bound effort… one that inevitably led to the remarkable fightback.

Walcott – 7: Showed plenty of pace but found firm resistance in the form of Figueroa and Boyce. Capitalised on sloppy defending to finish clinically to score the equaliser.

Denilson – 6: Had to drift over to the left flank to help Gibbs, leaving gaps in the centre of the park. Not one of his better games.

Song – 7: Sluggish. Lost too many challenges and gave the ball away too often. But all that was forgotten when he easily waltzed past three defenders to score the fourth goal and put the icing on the cake.

Arshavin – 8: Despite not playing in midweek, he didn’t look any fresher than his team-mates and he didn’t show any initiative to lead the team’s attack. Improved immensely in the second half and he set-up the equaliser, initiated the second, and scored the third.

Fabregas – 7: Like the rest of his colleagues, he absolutely found no way into the game in the first 45. Assisted the second goal with a precise centre and his persistence to hassle Koumas led to the third goal.

Bendtner – 5: Had the best of Arsenal’s chances in the first half but did not test Kirkland at all. Had at least two more opportunities in the second period but none were on target.

Substitutes:

Silvestre – 6.5: Caught ball watching and almost gave away a second goal. Made amends with Arsena's second goal, probably one the easiest he’ll ever score.

Van Persie – 5.5: Got into some dangerous open spaces but he couldn’t finish any of his chances. Did have the ball in the back of the net on one occasion but he was offside.

Adebayor – 7: Extremely lively after coming on for Walcott with 20 minutes to go. A real handful for the tiring Wigan defence. Initiated the counter-attack which produced the third goal.

Wigan vs. Arsenal: A Late Preview

In just a few hours we take on Wigan. Many would say this should be bread and butter stuff for Arsenal today but Wigan in recent times have proven tricky to break down and I think it might be just the same today. Wigan have never beaten one of the “Big 4″ in the Premiership since their promotion a few seasons ago and today they’ll still be looking to change that as they fight for a spot in the Europa Cup (stupid name change if you ask me, but that’s another matter). They’ll find the going tough though as Arsenal are currently on a 17 league game unbeaten run.

Wigan will be without Egyptian striker Amr Zaki as Steve Bruce has left him out of the squad because of his late arrival from international duties. Can you just imagine how red Bruce’s face must’ve been when he saw everyone at training and Zaki wasn’t there, especially since this is the 4th time he’s done it? Although he probably wouldn’t be playing today even if he had obeyed club orders and returned early though as he has a hamstring injury.

Their only other missing player is midfielder Cho Won-hee whose calf muscle injury puts him out for the rest of the season.

Robin van Persie (groin) has been cleared fit to play but there’s been no news yet on Eduardo (groin). With that said I can see van Persie playing today to get him up to speed for the Champions League tie on Wednesday against Villarreal but whether he’ll start remains to be seen.

Andrey Arshavin will no doubt return to the side and it means someone in midfield will be able to have a breather today, with Villarreal in mind.

Abou Diaby is still out with a thigh injury and at the back Arsenal will miss William Gallas (knee ligament) , Gael Clichy (back) and Manuel Almunia (ankle).


Manuel Almunia

Arsene Wenger is brimming with confidence in his squad and has said Kieran Gibbs will start at left back in place of Clichy and Johan Djourou will be at center back with Kolo Toure. Also, Lukasz Fabianski will be the man in goal today. Arsene Wenger’s thoughts on Kieran Gibbs and Fabianski:



“At the moment yes Kieran Gibbs will play. I will see how well he does – he will play on Saturday. He is a player; I am confident that he will do well.

“And I have full confidence in Lukasz Fabianski. He has shown that when he came on the other night that he can deal with a situation very well.

“I am not worried for them; I’m confident they can cope with that.”



Looking ahead to the match Arsene Wenger says:

“What is important that we have a collective performance and I am confident that we can score goals.

“We must rely on the quality of our passing.

“It is super important that we keep the run going as our consistency is the mark of whether we have improved.”

Potential Starting Line Up:

Fabianski

Sagna Toure Djourou Gibbs

Arshavin Denilson Fabregas Nasri

Adebayor/Van Persie Bendtner



Prediction: Arsenal to blank Wigan 3-0 with Arshavin to have a blinder.

That’s all for now as I’m off to get ready to watch the match. Check back later for a match report from me. Don’t think about it….just do it!

Arsenal Line Up Sakho Move

Arsenal will move for France Under-21 defender Mamadou Sakho in the summer, according to reports.

The 19-year-old currently plays his football for Paris Saint Germain, who are desperate to keep hold of him.

He signed a new contract with the Ligue 1 side last January, meaning he is committed to the club until 2012.

However, Arsene Wenger has kept a close eye on his progress and is reportedly preparing a £12 million bid.

Sakho has made 28 appearances for PSG this season, scoring one goal along the way.

Wenger Reflects On Mistakes

Arsene Wenger admits his major failing this campaign has been underestimating the effect of missing out on last season's Premier League title was going to have on his players.

The Gunners' poor start to this season has cost them the chance of winning the championship, although a 17-match unbeaten run in the league has helped them consolidate fourth place and they are only six points off third-placed Chelsea with seven matches left.

Last term was a different story - they were firing on all cylinders until mid-February when they imploded, and won just one of their next eight matches to relinquish their title ambitions.

Wenger, who has managed to turn things around after being criticised this season when Arsenal's campaign was going off the rails, admits he had not expected his team to struggle so much early on.

When asked what errors he has made this season, he said: "They aren't so much in the choices of my team - I've been picking teams for 35 years and even if I'm not flawless, I still know what I'm doing.

"But I perhaps made the mistake of underestimating the ill-fated effects of last season and notably the loss of the title.

"In the close season, I asked myself a lot of questions about the influence that could be brought about by the disappointment of the loss of the championship in the last two months.

"And then we lost Alexandr Hleb, Mathieu Flamini (who left in the summer) and Tomas Rosicky (to long-term injury). I had to rebuild the midfield.

"The (Emmanuel) Adebayor incident (the striker was unwilling to commit his future to Arsenal) has equally been an important factor. All this came together and our game wasn't there. Even people who love Arsenal were saying, 'This is a disaster'."

Wenger stands by his decision to replace departed holding midfielders Flamini and Gilberto Silva with youngsters Alex Song and Denilson, rather than buying more established players.

Arsenal were linked with moves for Aston Villa's Gareth Barry and Liverpool's Xabi Alonso last summer.

"Firstly I really thought he (Flamini) was going to stay," Wenger continued.

"Also, I believed and still believe in (Abou) Diaby, Song and Denilson. People have reproached me for not having bought Barry or Xabi Alonso but I am a prisoner of my policies - buying Barry or Alonso is to kill Song, Diaby and Denilson."

Wenger has stuck to his principles this season despite Arsenal's early foibles - he has refused to splash the cash in the transfer market and continues to have faith in a technical and fluid game even though many believe he needs to add some bite into his team, especially at centre-back and central midfield.

"I believe I have been strong because I've continued to believe in this team when nobody else believed in it," he added.

"I stayed loyal to my principles when everyone was saying to me that I was going wrong.

"I took a step back from the criticism. I'm not running after personal glory. Everything I do is for the club, the players and the supporters.

"You can't do a public job, at a great club, not win matches and say that they are all imbeciles."

Wenger insists the turning point this season was the win over Roma in a penalty shootout last month that allowed Arsenal to reach the quarter-finals of the Champions League.

"There is always a key moment and Rome was that catalyst," he told L'Equipe.

"Before that, we weren't losing but we were not convincing. Since Rome, we are scoring again and we have the best run going, and that is a barometer of confidence.

"Now we are unbeaten in 17 matches and that leaves me with a lot of regrets."

Wenger expects Gallas to stay

Arsene Wenger does not think the injured William Gallas has played his last match for Arsenal.



The defender, stripped of the captaincy in November, is not expected to feature again this term after damaging medial ligaments in his knee during the Gunners' Champions League match with Villarreal on Wednesday.

Questioned by reporters if Gallas had made his last appearance in an Arsenal shirt, Wenger replied: "That's a big question. No, because he has a one-year contract to go. I envisage him to be here next year.

"He's had a challenging season. I believe he has certainly had to cope with a major disappointment. But we have to give him a lot of credit, because he came back with great performances, so he dealt well with the situation."

defensive options

Cesc Fabregas replaced Gallas as captain after the Frenchman made critical comments about his teammates earlier this season.

Gallas will be joined on the sidelines by goalkeeper Manuel Almunia, out for three weeks, and Gael Clichy, for two, leaving Wenger short of defensive options.

Three youngsters are set to come in, with Lukasz Fabianski taking over in goal, Johan Djourou replacing Gallas and 19-year-old Kieran Gibbs, rather than the fit-again Mikael Silvestre, filling in for Clichy at left-back.

Premier League Fixture - 2008/2009 Season

Saturday, 22 November 2008
Aston Villa vs. Man Utd, 17:30
Chelsea vs. Newcastle, 15:00
Liverpool vs. Fulham, 15:00
Man City vs. Arsenal, 15:00
Middlesbrough vs. Bolton, 15:00
Portsmouth vs. Hull, 15:00
Stoke vs. West Brom, 15:00

Sunday, 23 November 2008
Sunderland vs. West Ham, 16:00
Tottenham vs. Blackburn, 13:30

Monday, 24 November 2008
Wigan vs. Everton, 20:00

Saturday, 29 November 2008
Aston Villa vs. Fulham, 15:00
Middlesbrough vs. Newcastle, 15:00
Stoke vs. Hull, 15:00
Sunderland vs. Bolton, 15:00
Wigan vs. West Brom, 15:00

Sunday, 30 November 2008
Chelsea vs. Arsenal, 16:00
Man City vs. Man Utd, 13:30
Portsmouth vs. Blackburn, 15:00
Tottenham vs. Everton, 15:00

Monday, 1 December 2008
Liverpool vs. West Ham, 20:00

Saturday, 6 December 2008
Arsenal vs. Wigan, 15:00
Blackburn vs. Liverpool, 15:00
Bolton vs. Chelsea, 15:00
Fulham vs. Man City, 12:45
Hull vs. Middlesbrough, 15:00
Man Utd vs. Sunderland, 17:30
Newcastle vs. Stoke, 15:00

Sunday, 7 December 2008
Everton vs. Aston Villa, 16:00
West Brom vs. Portsmouth, 15:00

Monday, 8 December 2008
West Ham vs. Tottenham, 20:00

Saturday, 13 December 2008
Aston Villa vs. Bolton, 15:00
Liverpool vs. Hull, 15:00
Man City vs. Everton, 15:00
Middlesbrough vs. Arsenal, 12:45
Stoke vs. Fulham, 15:00
Sunderland vs. West Brom, 15:00
Tottenham vs. Man Utd, 17:30
Wigan vs. Blackburn, 15:00

Sunday, 14 December 2008
Chelsea vs. West Ham, 16:00
Portsmouth vs. Newcastle, 13:30

Saturday, 20 December 2008
Blackburn vs. Stoke, 15:00
Bolton vs. Portsmouth, 15:00
Fulham vs. Middlesbrough, 15:00
Hull vs. Sunderland, 15:00
Man Utd OFF Wigan, 15:00
West Ham vs. Aston Villa, 17:30

Sunday, 21 December 2008
Arsenal vs. Liverpool, 16:00
Newcastle vs. Tottenham, 15:00
West Brom vs. Man City, 13:30

Monday, 22 December 2008
Everton vs. Chelsea, 20:00

Friday, 26 December 2008
Aston Villa vs. Arsenal, 17:15
Chelsea vs. West Brom, 13:00
Liverpool vs. Bolton, 15:00
Man City vs. Hull, 15:00
Middlesbrough vs. Everton, 15:00
Portsmouth vs. West Ham, 13:00
Stoke vs. Man Utd, 12:45
Sunderland vs. Blackburn, 15:00
Tottenham vs. Fulham, 13:00
Wigan vs. Newcastle, 15:00

Sunday, 28 December 2008
Arsenal vs. Portsmouth, 14:00
Blackburn vs. Man City, 16:15
Bolton vs. Wigan, 14:00
Everton vs. Sunderland, 14:00
Fulham vs. Chelsea, 14:00
Newcastle vs. Liverpool, 12:00
West Brom vs. Tottenham, 14:00
West Ham vs. Stoke, 14:00

Monday, 29 December 2008
Man Utd vs. Middlesbrough, 20:00

Tuesday, 30 December 2008
Hull vs. Aston Villa, 20:00

Saturday, 10 January 2009
Arsenal vs. Bolton, 15:00
Aston Villa vs. West Brom, 12:45
Everton vs. Hull, 15:00
Fulham vs. Blackburn, 15:00
Middlesbrough vs. Sunderland, 15:00
Newcastle vs. West Ham, 15:00
Portsmouth vs. Man City, 15:00
Stoke vs. Liverpool, 17:30

Sunday, 11 January 2009
Man Utd vs. Chelsea, 16:00
Wigan vs. Tottenham, 13:30

Saturday, 17 January 2009
Blackburn vs. Newcastle, 15:00
Bolton vs. Man Utd, 15:00
Chelsea vs. Stoke, 15:00
Hull vs. Arsenal, 17:30
Man City vs. Wigan, 15:00
Sunderland vs. Aston Villa, 15:00
West Brom vs. Middlesbrough, 15:00

Sunday, 18 January 2009
Tottenham vs. Portsmouth, 16:00
West Ham vs. Fulham, 13:30

Monday, 19 January 2009
Liverpool vs. Everton, 20:00

Tuesday, 27 January 2009
Portsmouth vs. Aston Villa, 20:00
Sunderland vs. Fulham, 19:45
Tottenham vs. Stoke, 20:00
West Brom vs. Man Utd, 19:45
Wigan vs. Liverpool, 19:45

Wednesday, 28 January 2009
Blackburn vs. Bolton, 20:00
Chelsea vs. Middlesbrough, 19:45
Everton vs. Arsenal, 20:00
Man City vs. Newcastle, 19:45
West Ham vs. Hull, 20:00

Saturday, 31 January 2009
Arsenal vs. West Ham, 15:00
Aston Villa vs. Wigan, 15:00
Bolton vs. Tottenham, 15:00
Fulham vs. Portsmouth, 15:00
Hull vs. West Brom, 15:00
Middlesbrough vs. Blackburn, 15:00
Stoke vs. Man City, 12:45

Sunday, 1 February 2009
Liverpool vs. Chelsea, 16:00
Newcastle vs. Sunderland, 13:30
Monday, 2 February 2009
Man Utd vs. Everton, 20:00

Saturday, 7 February 2009
Blackburn vs. Aston Villa, 15:00
Chelsea vs. Hull, 15:00
Everton vs. Bolton, 15:00
Man City vs. Middlesbrough, 15:00
Portsmouth vs. Liverpool, 15:00
Sunderland vs. Stoke, 15:00
Tottenham vs. Arsenal, 15:00
West Brom vs. Newcastle, 15:00
West Ham vs. Man Utd, 15:00
Wigan vs. Fulham, 15:00

Saturday, 21 February 2009
Arsenal vs. Sunderland, 15:00
Aston Villa vs. Chelsea, 15:00
Bolton vs. West Ham, 15:00
Fulham vs. West Brom, 15:00
Hull vs. Tottenham, 15:00
Liverpool vs. Man City, 15:00
Man Utd vs. Blackburn, 15:00
Middlesbrough vs. Wigan, 15:00
Newcastle vs. Everton, 15:00
Stoke vs. Portsmouth, 15:00

Saturday, 28 February 2009
Arsenal vs. Fulham, 15:00
Aston Villa vs. Stoke, 15:00
Bolton vs. Newcastle, 15:00
Chelsea vs. Wigan, 15:00
Everton vs. West Brom, 15:00
Hull vs. Blackburn, 15:00
Man Utd vs. Portsmouth, 15:00
Middlesbrough vs. Liverpool, 15:00
Sunderland vs. Tottenham, 15:00
West Ham vs. Man City, 15:00

Tuesday, 3 March 2009
Portsmouth vs. Chelsea, 19:45
Stoke vs. Bolton, 19:45
Tottenham vs. Middlesbrough, 20:00
West Brom vs. Arsenal, 19:45
Wigan vs. West Ham, 19:45

Wednesday, 4 March 2009
Blackburn vs. Everton, 20:00
Fulham vs. Hull, 20:00
Liverpool vs. Sunderland, 20:00
Man City vs. Aston Villa, 19:45
Newcastle vs. Man Utd, 19:45

Saturday, 14 March 2009
Arsenal vs. Blackburn, 15:00
Aston Villa vs. Tottenham, 15:00
Bolton vs. Fulham, 15:00
Chelsea vs. Man City, 15:00
Everton vs. Stoke, 15:00
Hull vs. Newcastle, 15:00
Man Utd vs. Liverpool, 15:00
Middlesbrough vs. Portsmouth, 15:00
Sunderland vs. Wigan, 15:00
West Ham vs. West Brom, 15:00

Saturday, 21 March 2009
Blackburn vs. West Ham, 15:00
Fulham vs. Man Utd, 15:00
Liverpool vs. Aston Villa, 15:00
Man City vs. Sunderland, 15:00
Newcastle vs. Arsenal, 15:00
Portsmouth vs. Everton, 15:00
Stoke vs. Middlesbrough, 15:00
Tottenham vs. Chelsea, 15:00
West Brom vs. Bolton, 15:00
Wigan vs. Hull, 15:00

Saturday, 4 April 2009
Arsenal vs. Man City, 15:00
Blackburn vs. Tottenham, 15:00
Bolton vs. Middlesbrough, 15:00
Fulham vs. Liverpool, 15:00
Hull vs. Portsmouth, 15:00
Man Utd vs. Aston Villa, 15:00
Newcastle vs. Chelsea, 15:00
West Brom vs. Stoke, 15:00
West Ham vs. Sunderland, 15:00

Sunday, 5 April 2009
Everton vs. Wigan, 15:00

Saturday, 11 April 2009
Aston Villa vs. Everton, 15:00
Chelsea vs. Bolton, 15:00
Liverpool vs. Blackburn, 15:00
Man City vs. Fulham, 15:00
Middlesbrough vs. Hull, 15:00
Portsmouth vs. West Brom, 15:00
Stoke vs. Newcastle, 15:00
Sunderland vs. Man Utd, 15:00
Tottenham vs. West Ham, 15:00
Wigan vs. Arsenal, 15:00

Saturday, 18 April 2009
Aston Villa vs. West Ham, 15:00
Chelsea vs. Everton, 15:00
Liverpool vs. Arsenal, 15:00
Man City vs. West Brom, 15:00
Middlesbrough vs. Fulham, 15:00
Portsmouth vs. Bolton, 15:00
Stoke vs. Blackburn, 15:00
Sunderland vs. Hull, 15:00
Tottenham vs. Newcastle, 15:00
Wigan vs. Man Utd, 15:00

Saturday, 25 April 2009
Arsenal vs. Middlesbrough, 15:00
Blackburn vs. Wigan, 15:00
Bolton vs. Aston Villa, 15:00
Everton vs. Man City, 15:00
Fulham vs. Stoke, 15:00
Hull vs. Liverpool, 15:00
Man Utd vs. Tottenham, 15:00
Newcastle vs. Portsmouth, 15:00
West Brom vs. Sunderland, 15:00
West Ham vs. Chelsea, 15:00

Saturday, 2 May 2009
Aston Villa vs. Hull, 15:00
Chelsea vs. Fulham, 15:00
Liverpool vs. Newcastle, 15:00
Man City vs. Blackburn, 15:00
Middlesbrough vs. Man Utd, 15:00
Portsmouth vs. Arsenal, 15:00
Stoke vs. West Ham, 15:00
Sunderland vs. Everton, 15:00
Tottenham vs. West Brom, 15:00
Wigan vs. Bolton, 15:00

Saturday, 9 May 2009
Arsenal vs. Chelsea, 15:00
Blackburn vs. Portsmouth, 15:00
Bolton vs. Sunderland, 15:00
Everton vs. Tottenham, 15:00
Fulham vs. Aston Villa, 15:00
Hull vs. Stoke, 15:00
Man Utd vs. Man City, 15:00
Newcastle vs. Middlesbrough, 15:00
West Brom vs. Wigan, 15:00
West Ham vs. Liverpool, 15:00

Saturday, 16 May 2009
Bolton vs. Hull, 15:00
Chelsea vs. Blackburn, 15:00
Everton vs. West Ham, 15:00
Man Utd vs. Arsenal, 15:00
Middlesbrough vs. Aston Villa, 15:00
Newcastle vs. Fulham, 15:00
Portsmouth vs. Sunderland, 15:00
Stoke vs. Wigan, 15:00
Tottenham vs. Man City, 15:00
West Brom vs. Liverpool, 15:00

Sunday, 24 May 2009
Arsenal vs. Stoke, 16:00
Aston Villa vs. Newcastle, 16:00
Blackburn vs. West Brom, 16:00
Fulham vs. Everton, 16:00
Hull vs. Man Utd, 16:00
Liverpool vs. Tottenham, 16:00
Man City vs. Bolton, 16:00
Sunderland vs. Chelsea, 16:00
West Ham vs. Middlesbrough, 16:00
Wigan vs. Portsmouth, 16:00

Stadium

Emirates Stadium

For the majority of their time in south-east London, Arsenal played at the Manor Ground in Plumstead, a three-year period at the nearby Invicta Ground between 1890 and 1893 excepted. The Manor Ground was initially just a field, until the club installed stands and terracing in time for their first Football League match in September 1893. They played their home games there for the next twenty years (with two exceptions in 1894–95), until the move to north London in 1913.

Arsenal Stadium, widely referred to as Highbury, was Arsenal's home from September 1913 until May 2006. The original stadium was designed by the renowned football architect Archibald Leitch, and had a design common to many football grounds in the UK at the time, with a single covered stand and three open-air banks of terracing. In the 1930s, the entire stadium was given a massive overhaul, with new Art Deco West and East stands constructed, opening in 1932 and 1936 respectively; in addition, the North Bank terrace had a roof added, which was later bombed during World War II and not restored until 1954.


Highbury Stadium

At its peak, Highbury could hold over 60,000 spectators, and had a capacity of 57,000 until the early 1990s. The Taylor Report and Premier League regulations forced Arsenal to convert Highbury into an all-seater in time for the 1993–94 season, reducing the capacity to 38,419 seated spectators. This capacity had to be reduced further during Champions League matches to accommodate additional advertising hoardings, so much so that for two seasons (1998–99 and 1999–00) Arsenal played Champions League home matches at Wembley, which could house more than 70,000 spectators.

Expansion of Highbury was restricted because the East Stand had been designated as a Grade II listed building and the other three stands were close to residential properties. These limitations prevented the club from maximising matchday revenue during the 1990s and early 2000s, leaving them in danger of being left behind in the football boom of that time. After considering various options, in 2000 Arsenal proposed building a new 60,000-seater stadium at Ashburton Grove, since renamed the Emirates Stadium, about 500 metres south-west of Highbury. The project was initially delayed by red tape and rising costs, and construction was completed in July 2006, in time for the start of the 2006–07 season. The stadium is named after its sponsors, the airline company Emirates, with whom the club signed the largest sponsorship deal in English football history, worth approximately £100 million; alternatively some fans refer to the ground as Ashburton Grove, or the Grove, as they do not agree with corporate sponsorship of stadium names. The stadium will be officially known as Emirates Stadium until at least 2012, and the airline will be the club's shirt sponsor until the end of the 2013–14 season.

Arsenal's training centre is in Shenley, Hertfordshire, at a purpose-built facility which opened in 2000. Before that the club shared training facilities with University College London Student Union nearby, having trained at Highbury up until 1961. Arsenal's Academy teams play their home matches at Shenley, while the Reserves play their games at Underhill, home of Barnet FC.

Crest

Arsenal's first crest from 1888

A version of the Arsenal crest used from 1949 to 2002


Royal Arsenal's first crest, unveiled in 1888, featured three cannons viewed from above, pointing northwards, similar to the coat of arms of the Metropolitan Borough of Woolwich. These can sometimes be mistaken for chimneys, but the presence of a carved lion's head and a cascabel on each are clear indicators that they are cannon. This was dropped after the move to Highbury in 1913, only to be reinstated in 1922, when the club adopted their first single-cannon crest, featuring an eastward-pointing cannon, with the club's nickname, The Gunners, inscribed alongside it; this crest only lasted until 1925, when the cannon was reversed to point westward and its barrel slimmed down.In 1949, the club unveiled a modernised crest featuring the same style of cannon, the club's name set in blackletter above the cannon, the coat of arms of the Metropolitan Borough of Islington and a scroll inscribed with the club's newly adopted Latin motto, Victoria Concordia Crescit (meaning "victory comes from harmony"), coined by Harry Homer, the club's programme editor. For the first time, the crest was rendered in colour, which varied slightly over the crest's lifespan, finally becoming red, gold and green.



Because of the numerous revisions of the crest, Arsenal were unable to copyright it. Although the club had managed to register the crest as a trademark, and had fought (and eventually won) a long legal battle with a local street trader who sold 'unofficial' Arsenal merchandise, Arsenal eventually sought a more comprehensive legal protection. Therefore, in 2002 they introduced a new crest featuring more modern curved lines and a simplified style, which was copyrightable. The cannon once again faces east and the club's name is written in a sans-serif typeface above the cannon. Green was replaced by dark blue. The new crest received a critical response from some supporters; the Arsenal Independent Supporters' Association claimed that the club had ignored much of Arsenal's history and tradition with such a radical modern design, and that fans had not been properly consulted on the issue.


Arsenal crest Now

Coaching Staff

ArsèneWenger

* ArsèneWenger
* PatRice
* BoroPrimorac
* NeilBanfield
* GerryPeyton
* TonyColbert
* ColinLewin
* GaryO'Driscoll
* DavidWales
* NealReynolds
* JohnKelly
* VicAkers
* PaulAkers
* PaulJohnson

Premier League History

Win the Barclaycard Premiership

1992/93 - Win the FA Cup and League Cup double
1993/94 - Win the European Cup Winners' Cup
1994/95 - George Graham sacked. Stewart Houston becomes caretaker. Lose the Cup Winners' Cup final to Real Zaragoza
1995/96 - Bruce Rioch takes charge for one season before resigning
1996/97 - Arsène Wenger becomes manager. Signs Nicolas Anelka and Patrick Vieira
1997/98 - Win the FA Carling Premiership and FA Cup double
1999/00 - Sign Thierry Henry. Lose the UEFA Cup final on penalties to Galatasaray
2000/01 - Break club record transfer signing Sylvain Wiltord for reported £13million
2001/02 - Win the Barclaycard Premiership and FA Cup double
2003/04 - Win the Barclaycard Premiership without losing a match
2005/06 - Last season at Highbury. Lose the Champions' League final to Barcelona
2006/07 - Move to Emirates Stadium

Club Heritage

In 1886, a group of workers at the Woolwich Arsenal Armament Factory formed a team called Dial Square, renaming themselves to Royal Arsenal shortly afterwards. The team turned professional in 1891 and changed its name again to Woolwich Arsenal, eventually dropping the prefix completely in 1913 when they moved to Highbury.

The Gunners joined the Second Division in 1893 and were promoted in 1904. Success eluded them until the arrival of Herbert Chapman in 1925 when they won the league five times between 1930 and 1938 and the FA Cup twice. Chapman, who died in 1934, was also behind the renaming of the nearest London Underground station to Arsenal.

Arsenal had to wait until the 1970s for their next period of success. But their first double in 1971 was followed by several near-misses - finishing second in 1972, and losing three FA Cup finals and the 1980 European Cup Winners' Cup final.


George Graham


It was not until the return of ex-player George Graham as manager that the club rose to greatness again - winning six trophies during his nine-year reign. That included League Cup success in 1987 and 1993, the FA Cup in 1993, the league title in 1989 and 1991 and European Cup Winners' Cup in 1994. Arsenal hold the enviable record of the most consecutive seasons in the top flight - 80 at present.

Overview

Arsenal may have been off the pace in the inaugural Premier League season in 1992/93, but they made up for it by winning both the FA and League Cups.

The Premier League crown eluded them until 1998 - two years into manager Arsene Wenger's tenure - when they did the league and FA Cup double. Under the Frenchman, the Gunners shook off their "boring" image and began to play some of the most attractive football in England.


In eight of his 12 seasons at the club, Arsenal have finished first or second. And together with star players such as Thierry Henry, Patrick Vieira and Dennis Bergkamp, Wenger took Arsenal to another "double" in 2002.

The Gunners reached the Champions' League final in 2006, becoming the first London team to do so, but lost to Barcelona. Their Barclaycard Premiership title in 2003/04 saw them become only the second team to win the league without losing a match - earning them the title "The Invincibles." Overall they went 49 matches unbeaten, which is a national record.

Arsenal Squad 2008 - 2009

Arsenal 2008/2009 Squad
1 GK Manuel Almunia (2nd vice-captain)
2 MF Abou Diaby
3 DF Bacary Sagna
4 MF Cesc Fàbregas
5 DF Kolo Touré (vice-captain)
7 MF Tomáš Rosický
8 MF Samir Nasri
9 FW Eduardo
10 DF William Gallas (captain)
11 FW Robin van Persie
12 FW Carlos Vela
14 FW Theo Walcott
15 MF Denílson
16 MF Aaron Ramsey
17 MF Alexandre Song
18 DF Mikaël Silvestre
19 MF Jack Wilshere
20 DF Johan Djourou
21 GK Łukasz Fabiański
22 DF Gaël Clichy
24 GK Vito Mannone
25 FW Emmanuel Adebayor
26 FW Nicklas Bendtner
27 DF Emmanuel Eboué
28 MF Amaury Bischoff
35 MF Francis Coquelin
38 DF Jay Emmanuel-Thomas
39 FW Rui Fonte
40 MF Kieran Gibbs
41 DF Gavin Hoyte
42 MF Henri Lansbury
43 MF Fran Mérida
45 DF Håvard Nordtveit
47 MF Mark Randall
50 FW Jay Simpson
56 MF Emmanuel Frimpong