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FA Cup: Cardiff v Arsenal - Match Preview

From www.arsenal.com on 01/24/2009 at 8:39pm (UTC)

Sunday’s FA Cup tie at Cardiff is a double-edged sword for Arsène Wenger.

There is the obvious danger. A tough, talented lower league side backed by a boisterous home crowd in a tight hostile ground. But the other concern for the Arsenal manager is that a poor performance or, whisper it quietly, a defeat would blast a gaping hole in Wenger’s recent rebuilding work.

Since Christmas, the Frenchman has seen his side close the gap on the top team in the Premier League. Perhaps this is more down to the profligacy of Liverpool and Chelsea than the progress of Arsenal while, in addition, it must be said that Manchester United still look ominously efficient. However Wenger’s side are at least reaping reward for their efforts.

Six points is sizeable but achievable. Double figures would have leave Arsenal pretty much concentrating on Europe, European qualification and the FA Cup.

Typically, Wenger argues that his side’s season is half-full rather than half-empty but he accepts question marks remain. And victory at Cardiff on Sunday will represent some sort of answer.

“We are not there yet and I can understand that people doubt us,” he said at Friday’s press conference. “We are more consistent now than we were at the start of the season and we have beaten all the big teams. Why should we not believe that we can come back?

“We are now four points behind Chelsea and with two minutes to go last week we were one point behind them, Manchester United as well. So why would we give up now?

“I take a distance with what people say because I believed when we weren’t winning that we would come back.

“That is why this game for me is not only a cup game but it is an alignment with a very important quality for us; showing that we put it in, in every single game we play.

“I ignore that it is a cup game. I just want to see another game where we come out and do the job.”

Wenger has promised to stick with this season’s FA Cup formula - eight or nine regular first-teamers with one or two squad players plus Lukasz Fabianski in goal.

Gael Clichy’s suspension suggests Kieran Gibbs may be handed his first start outside the Carling Cup at left back. But the return of William Gallas from a hamstring injury does give the manager the option of accommodating the French defender back on the portside and sticking with his central pairing of Kolo Toure and Johan Djourou. Aaron Ramsey will be in the squad against his old side but may not start.

The 18-year-old first came to prominence in the Bluebirds' run to the FA Cup Final last year. Since then they have also lost Chris Gunter to Spurs, Glenn Loovens to Celtic while Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink has retired. However their overall strength has hardly been affected. Jay Bothroyd, a former Youth Cup winner with Arsenal, has taken the Dutchman’s role up front while Joe Ledley is attracting Premier League interest with his performances on the wing.

Cardiff come in to this game sixth in the Championship and having not lost in any competition since November 22.

“They are in a good position and that means they’ll be difficult to beat,” said Wenger. “They have a good midfield and are strong in attack with a former Arsenal player in there. They have a very dynamic midfield and so, in a cup game when you go away from home to a Championship club, we know what to expect.”

And certainly Ninian Park will be a factor. But according to Wenger, it may work in Arsenal’s favour.

“[The atmosphere] should help us to focus and prepare but not worry us because that would mean we are scared and we are not scared,” said Wenger.

“We know we’ll need full commitment. But we are a Premier League team at the top of the league.
“That’s why we want to show that when we go to these kinds of places that we can compete and let people know why we are where we are.”

* There will be a nice symmetry if Arsenal do win on Sunday. Cardiff were the last FA Cup visitors to Highbury when they lost 2-1 in January 2006. And an away victory would mean this is the last tie in this competition at Ninian Park. Cardiff move to a new stadium next season.

Ogogo to stay at Barnet for rest of season

From www.arsenal.com on 01/21/2009 at 8:21pm (UTC)

Arsenal can confirm that defender Abu Ogogo has extended his loan stay with League Two side Barnet until the end of the season.

The 19 year-old defender initially joined Barnet on loan in November for one month, then extended his stay for a further month in December, but has now agreed to stay with The Bees until the end of the 2008/09 season.

Ogogo, who signed professional forms with Arsenal in September 2007, was an unused substitute in two Carling Cup matches this season and has been a regular in Neil Banfield’s Reserves for the past two seasons.

Everyone at Arsenal Football Club wishes Abu the best of luck during the remainder of the season with Barnet.

Reserves: Stoke City v Arsenal - Preview

From www.arsenal.com on 01/21/2009 at 8:19pm (UTC)

Once again Neil Banfield will call upon the services of returning frontman Eduardo for Arsenal Reserves’ first action of the year when they take on Stoke City at the Britannia Stadium tonight.

The trip to the Potteries is the first of five successive away trips for Banfield and his side as they look to make their mark at the top end of Reserve League South. A win tonight would move the second string within two points of stuttering leaders Aston Villa, who have only managed one win in their last four outings.

Despite insisting that the development of his players is of paramount importance, the manager admits that winning the league is a distinct ambition.

“Of course we would like to win the league but our over-riding view is that this is a development team,” Banfield said ahead of Wednesday’s trip to Stoke. “We use our young players to develop their game so they can make the next step towards the first team.

“But of course we would love to win the league. As we have always said, every game you play in you want to win and every league you compete in you want to come top of.”

Things have changed personnel-wise since the Reserves overcame Portsmouth 2-0 in December with loanees moving in both directions. One man expected to feature against the Potters is Havard Nordtveit, who captained the reserves last term, before spending the first half of this season on loan at UD Salamanca.

However, Banfield will have to do without Jay Simpson and Gavin Hoyte who are away on loan at West Brom and Watford respectively.

“Havard is really looking forward to kick-starting his Arsenal career again and having a game here,” the manager said. “He hasn’t played for us for a long time and it’s good to have him back and he’s looking forward to playing.

“It’s good that they go out on loan, they need it for their development stage. We’ve got other players coming through and we see the loans [of Hoyte and Simpson] as another part of their education.

“Jay and Gavin have done extremely well and Nacer [Barazite] was on the telly against Man United last night. It is great experience for them and it is part of their development and their fight to get into the first team. Most importantly it is all good for the Club.”

Simpson himself notched in the Reserves’ hard-fought 3-2 win over Stoke in October. And, despite goals from Vincent Pericard and Danny Pugh, Arsenal thoroughly deserved their late winner from Rui Fonte.

The manager is expecting more of the same from Stoke this time around, certain that facing the more physical opponents is crucial in his players’ development.

“I think it is always going to be a tough game at Stoke,” he said. “We are expecting a really hard one up there but hopefully we can come away as victors.

“These games are all part of their learning. It is going to be a tough hard game and we’re looking forward to going up there and having a good game against them.”

Here are the squads below:

Arsenal:
Vito Mannone
Francis Coquelin
Thomas Cruise
Kyle Bartley
Mark Randall (c)
Havard Nordtveit
Henri Lansbury
Fran Merida
Eduardo
Amaury Bischoff
Jack Wilshere
Substitutes:
Craig Eastmond
Emmanuel Frimpong
Gilles Sunu
Rui Fonte
Jay Emmanuel-Thomas

Stoke City:
Danzelle St Louis-Hamilton
Matt Cohen
Richard Vauls
Ryan Connor
Ashley Page
Rodney McDonald
Jimmy Phillips
Marc Grocott (c)
Tom Thorley
Demar Phillips
Tom Urwin
Substitutes:
Louis Moult
Tom Harrison
Darren Brunt
Salif Diao (Jr)
Andy Nicholls

Last-gasp Arsenal top the late goals league

From www.arsenal.com on 01/20/2009 at 5:40pm (UTC)

Arsenal's supporters were tearing their hair out at around 5pm last Saturday.

The reason? Half-an-hour earlier Manchester United were drawing, Aston Villa were down to 10 men and drawing while Chelsea were losing at home. All three found a late goal or two to secure three points apiece.

For many Arsenal fans it was 'typical' of their title rivals to put on such a late, late show. But within a couple of hours Arsène Wenger's team proved that - in reality - Arsenal lead the way when it comes to last-gasp goals.

Samir Nasri and Nicklas Bendtner struck in the final six minutes at the KC Stadium to secure a 3-1 victory over Hull. That was the 10th and 11th time in the Premier League this season that Arsenal have scored in the last 10 minutes of a match - a tally no top-flight rival can match.

Indeed, as our first table shows, Chelsea's late goals against Stoke on Saturday were something of a rarity. The Blues have scored just four times in the last 10 minutes this season, only two more than 'bottom club' Fulham.

Number of goals scored in the last 10 minutes (Premier League only) Team Total Goals Goals in last 10 minutes
Arsenal 37 11
Everton 30 9
Aston Villa 37 8
Blackburn Rovers 25 8
Liverpool 36 8
Manchester City 39 8
Manchester United 34 8
Hull City 29 7
Newcastle United 28 7
Sunderland 23 7
Tottenham Hotspur 21 7
Middlesbrough 18 6
Stoke City 19 5
West Bromwich Albion 20 5
Wigan Athletic 25 5
Bolton Wanderers 22 4
Chelsea 42 4
West Ham United 29 4
Portsmouth 22 3
Fulham 19 2

But perhaps more important than the quantity of late goals is the 'quality' of late goals. In other words, their capacity to change results. After all, scoring two late goals to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat is far better than adding a stoppage-time fifth in a 5-0 rout.

In this respect Arsenal lie third and, until just after Christmas, they were a lot lower. Before December 28, the seven goals Arsenal had scored in the last 10 minutes of their Premier League games were worth just one point - Cesc Fabregas' header snatching a draw at Sunderland in October.

That all changed after Christmas when four late Arsenal goals turned three potential draws into victories, earning six priceless points in the process. William Gallas got the ball rolling with his headed winner against Portsmouth and Bendtner struck late against Bolton before he and Nasri found the net at Hull.

Everton top our second table and underlined their prowess in the closing stages of matches by nicking a point in the Merseyside derby at Liverpool on Monday night, courtesy of Tim Cahill's header.

But spare a thought for Bolton. Their four late goals this season have been worth nothing in terms of points, making Gary Megson's team the masters of the late consolation.

Finally, we can reveal who are the kings of the late goal this season and, not surprisingly, Arsenal stars feature prominently.

Bendtner is one of 22 players who have netted twice in the last 10 minutes of their matches. But three players have three last-gasp goals to their name - Roman Bednar for West Brom, Louis Saha for Everton and Arsenal's very own Emmanuel Adebayor.

The Togo striker scored twice late on at Blackburn in August and came off the bench to find the target (and claim an assist) in a 2-0 win at West Ham. More of the same will be very welcome in the weeks and months to come.

Points won with goals scored in the last 10 minutes (Premier League only) Team Total Points Points gained in last 10 minutes
Everton 36 10
Liverpool 47 9
Arsenal 41 7
Aston Villa 44 7
Middlesbrough 21 7
Wigan Athletic 31 7
Blackburn Rovers 21 6
Manchester United 47 6
Hull City 27 6
Sunderland 23 6
West Bromwich Albion 21 6
Stoke City 21 5
Chelsea 45 4
Portsmouth 24 4
Newcastle United 23 3
Tottenham Hotspur 21 3
Manchester City 25 2
West Ham United 29 2
Fulham 26 2
Bolton Wanderers 23 0

Wenger - I was right to take chance on Ramsey

From www.arsenal.com on 01/20/2009 at 5:37pm (UTC)

Aaron Ramsey’s rapid transition from Championship youngster to Premier League starlet was made at the perfect time, according to Arsène Wenger.

Arsenal’s summer signing has made 15 appearances this season, including eight starts, and helped himself to his first Arsenal goal in the Gunners’ 5-2 victory against Fenerbahce in October.

Wenger believes that he was right to pluck the Welshman from Cardiff at such a young age, describing his development as “ahead of plan”.

“I believe that it’s better to make the step at that age than five or six years later,” the manager told the Official Arsenal Magazine.

“He has not only made the step up from the Championship to the Premier League, but also to a Premier League team that wants to be at the top and who fights in the Champions League, and that means it’s a massive difference at such a young age.

“I believe he did extremely well because he has drive and he can push the team forward. He is always available, he wants the ball and he is very dynamic in his play.

“Overall I’m very pleased with his progress because I must say that he is ahead of where I planned for him to be in January. You have to remember though that he is still only just 18 years of age and you need to be a little bit patient with him.

“He has shown that every time we’ve picked him, he has responded in a very positive way.”

This is an extract from the full-length Arsène Wenger interview which features in the February issue of the Official Arsenal Magazine, now available. To subscribe, 12 issues for £33 (UK), call the hotline on 0845 88 00 445.

Arsenal Reserves - the half-term report

From www.arsenal.com on 01/20/2009 at 5:36pm (UTC)

Tuesday night’s encounter with Stoke City at the Britannia Stadium sees Arsenal Reserves reach the halfway point of the 2008/09 campaign and, if recent form is anything to go by, Neil Banfield’s boys could be in for an explosive closing stretch.

The reserves have only lost once since September and currently trail league leaders Aston Villa by five points with a game in hand. However, it was the Villans who dished out Arsenal’s heaviest defeat so far this term, with a 4-1 victory at Underhill on Monday, September 29.

That game capped a disappointing opening month for the Gunners, who book-ended a battling away victory against Portsmouth with home defeats against Chelsea and Villa.

Since then Banfield’s side have gone from strength to strength, and despite being only one point better off than they were at this stage last season, they have scooped nine from the last possible 12, scoring seven goals and conceding only once along the way.

Villa on the other hand are struggling for form after a flying start to the campaign. A four-game winning streak made the Birmingham side the League’s early pace-setters but they have only managed one win in four since then.

Despite the inclusion of their first-team youngster Nathan Delfouneso, it is Villa’s midfield trio of Barry Bannan, Marc Albrighton and Zoltan Steiber who have shared most of the goals for the league leaders.

Freddie Sears, who grabbed a four-goal haul for West Ham against West Brom in September, perhaps unsurprisingly tops the scoring charts with five. But Rui Fonte and Mark Randall are both within touching distance of the young Hammer with three goals each.

Jay Simpson, who recently joined West Brom on loan, is the scorer of Arsenal’s only goal on the road so far this term. With five successive away days up next for his side, Banfield will be looking for another member of his strike unit to make his mark away from the comforts of Underhill.

Of course both North London derbies lie in wait for Arsenal in the second half of the campaign after December’s home fixture was postponed. They promise to be typically lively affairs although Tottenham have suffered a stop-start opening six games.

Clive Allen’s side have won just once in their last five games and sit seventh, just two points above bottom-place West Brom.

The two sides cross swords first on Monday, February 9 at Leyton Orient’s Brisbane Road before meeting at Barnet for Arsenal’s final fixture on April 6.

There was nothing to choose between the two close rivals last season as the pair played out 0-0 and 1-1 draws. It remains to be seen if either side can claim bragging rights this season.

Before that, Arsenal face Wednesday’s trip to Stoke and another chance to gain more ground on the faltering league leaders.

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