Fans go wild for Thierry Henry, the genius who writes his own scripts

Returning striker had asked not to be considered a hero but try telling that to the ecstatic Arsenal hordes

There was a sense of inevitability about the 227th goal when it came. Thierry Henry had been feeling his way into his second coming at Arsenal, finding rhythm on the periphery, when he glided silently away from Zac Thompson, collected Alex Song's pass and skimmed his shot beyond Andy Lonergan and into the far corner. A hero had returned home but, in witnessing the delirious chest-thumping celebrations that followed, it felt as if the Frenchman had never been away.

As eye-catching returns go, this took the breath away. As player and manager later acknowledged, it was simply the stuff of dreams. When Ian Botham returned from a drug ban to the England team at The Oval back in 1986 and enticed a mesmerised Bruce Edgar to nick the all-rounder's first delivery to Graham Gooch at slip, drawing him level with Dennis Lillee's then record Test haul of 355 wickets in the process, the catcher had meandered up to the celebratory huddle to ask: "Who writes your script?" Wenger might have been muttering the same in his compatriot's ear once he had extricated himself from the bear hug on the touchline. Henry still has the timing of a genius.

Even he was incredulous both to have registered with only his fifth touch and also to have claimed the sponsors' man of the match for a 21-minute cameo. He had actually topped that poll, voted for by television viewers, while still prowling the touchline as an unused substitute. "A joke," he said with a sigh and doubting shake of the head, even if the smile plastered across his face said more. The player could never have envisaged an occasion such as this when he returned from a holiday in Mexico a fortnight ago. He had stood arms aloft at the final whistle staring to the heavens as if wondering whether any of this was actually real. Scoring the winning goal had apparently cost the bookies over £1m.

It is almost five years since he had limped away from this stage, hamstrung as his team-mates exited the Champions League to PSV Eindhoven, as an Arsenal player. His game had already been adapting towards the end of his glittering first stint in north London, the spearhead of a team who had been Invincibles for a campaign. The process of adjustment had continued at Barcelona before New York Red Bulls lured him for a swansong in Major League Soccer. He had returned with a nod of acknowledgment to the passing of time and an insistence that he should not be considered "a hero". That hope has already been jettisoned.

The home fans revelled in his restoration to the ranks. This had been a largely drab occasion, Leeds' admirable industry and endeavour threatening to earn them a replay as they had in this competition a year ago. It needed the drama of Henry's involvement to illuminate proceedings. The home support's bellowing of his name had confirmed as much, their reaction ecstatic when the veteran, with a pat on the head from the departing Marouane Chamakh, entered the fray. His first involvement was to wander offside but he was soon dragging opponents out of position. He may not be blessed with the jet-propelled pace of old but his reputation remains. The goal which followed nine minutes after his introduction ignited the night.

Henry will offer plenty in what is likely to become an eight-week sojourn in familiar surroundings. He retains a poise and presence on the pitch that will have opposing defenders shrinking. The strut was in evidence aplenty even last night, when there were only flashes of his truest touches. But his attitude alone should have a positive effect on this young squad. Only Song of those who started had previously played alongside Henry in the Arsenal first team. Others will learn from his mere presence. "I can definitely have some input out there, to talk to the guys and let them know what it means to win," he had said. "I am a competitor and that will never leave my body."

Chip in with goals of this quality while Gervinho and Chamakh – neither of whom has proved prolific – are at the Africa Cup of Nations and some of the pressure placed on Robin van Persie will be alleviated. "I am not 25 any more," Henry had said. "I am not going to take the ball from the middle of the park and dribble past five or six players." But the comparisons are inevitable and, even after this taster, they still feel appropriate.

Tougher opponents than Leeds await and he should still be around when Arsenal play Manchester United and even Tottenham Hotspur. But this is a player who continues to hog the limelight. He writes his own script.

Source: Dominic Fifield, The Guardian on 10 Jan 12

Arsenal 1-0 Leeds

Thierry Henry made the perfect return to Arsenal when he emerged as a substitute to score a late winner in the FA Cup third-round tie against Leeds United

Henry, back in Arsenal colours for the first time since he left for Barcelona in 2007, scored his 227th goal for the club with 12 minutes remaining amid emotional scenes at Emirates Stadium.

The 34-year-old - back at the club where he was recently honoured with a statue - is on a two-month loan from New York Red Bulls. He had been on for only 10 minutes when the magical moment arrived.

Henry took a pass from Alex Song in his stride in the area before steering a composed, angled, right-footed finished tantalisingly out of the reach of Leeds United keeper Andy Lonergan.

It finally broke the stubborn resistance of Leeds and was the signal for an outpouring of emotion as Henry pumped his chest in celebration after racing to hug his mentor Arsene Wenger on the touchline.

Arsenal keeper Wojciech Szczesny raced the length of the field to join the celebrations while Henry later indulged in a spot of impromptu cheerleading as he urged the supporters who worship him to even greater backing for Arsenal in the closing stages.

It was the perfectly scripted finale to a contest that needed Henry's Midas touch against a Leeds side who battled in a manner that did manager Simon Grayson and their magnificent travelling support great credit.

At the final whistle, with the first task of his temporary return to the club completed, Henry raised his arms to the heavens before falling into the arms of his Arsenal colleagues and taking the acclaim of an elated crowd.

Henry's presence, even on the bench, enlivened the stadium when he came out to warm up and later when his name was announced to rapturous applause.

And the 45 minutes that followed only increased the appetite and anticipation for his return as Arsenal dominated but failed to breach a resilient and well-organised Leeds defence.

With leading scorer and captain Robin van Persie rested, attacking duties fell to Andrey Arshavin and Marouane Chamakh, the pair combining in the opening moments only for the Russian to fire wildly over the top.

Sebastien Squillaci then headed narrowly wide and Aaron Ramsey was unable to navigate a way around Lonergan after he was played into the area by Arshavin.

Leeds United's big chance, in a half they spent mainly on the retreat, came when Luciano Becchio found space in the box but shot wastefully off target.

Arsenal's defensive resources have thinned out in the face of mounting injuries - and they were depleted further before the interval when Francis Coquelin pulled up with a hamstring problem and was replaced by Nico Yennaris.

The momentum remained with Arsenal after the break as Lonergan saved well low to his left from Mikel Arteta after the Spaniard was set up by Chamakh, and Arshavin fired across the face of goal after picking up Zac Thompson's misplaced pass.

Henry's increasingly energetic sprinting along the touchline drew a loud reaction from Arsenal's fans and he was finally introduced with 22 minutes left, replacing Chamakh. Theo Walcott also came on for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

Henry was given a hero's welcome as he set about the business of attempting to break down a Leeds side proving as stubborn as they had been here at the same stage of the FA Cup last season.

And the moment Arsenal had been waiting for came with 12 minutes left as Henry gathered Song's pass in his stride before sparking scenes of ecstasy on and off the pitch with a perfect finish to set up a fourth-round tie at home against Aston Villa.

Leeds refused to be distracted by the euphoria and almost snatched a replay in the closing stages as Szczesny saved well from substitute Mikael Forssell.

This, however, was Henry's night and Henry's story. Now Arsenal fans will hope he can write fresh chapters before returning to the United States.

Source: Phil McNulty, BBC Sport on 9 Jan 12

Thierry Henry revels in 'dream' return to Arsenal against Leeds United

Arsène Wenger described Thierry Henry's match-winning return to Arsenal as the stuff of dreams after the French forward, on his first appearance for the club in almost five years, scored with his fifth touch to propel his side into the FA Cup's fourth round.

Henry, who has re‑signed on loan from New York Red Bulls for what is likely to prove an eight-week stint, was introduced into the fray 22 minutes from time with this game goalless and edging towards a replay. Nine minutes later, supplied by Alex Song, the 34-year-old duly registered his 227th goal for Arsenal and extended his club‑record tally to leave his manager pinching himself in victory.

"It was a dream, a story you'd tell a young kid," said Wenger. "Unfortunately it's not often like that in our game but sometimes it happens. He's done it all. You could see straight away that he had a presence on the pitch and, if we could find him, he'd be dangerous.

"He's sharp, physically. I'd seen that in training and I wouldn't have used him if he wasn't ready. But he was already a legend here. Now he's added just a bit more to the whole story.

"He feels some pressure still. He's a proud guy and doesn't want to disappoint people. That's what champions are all about. He knows he'll be compared to what he did before and he wants to be seen as someone who always does well. It's a kind of combat and you want that to be a success as a player. But he remains a special player."

Henry departed with the sponsors' man‑of‑the‑match award, which he was baffled to accept, having carried the vote even while he remained an unused substitute. The Leeds manager, Simon Grayson, had claimed the striker's impact had been "written in the stars".

"It's all kind of weird," Henry said. "When I came back from holiday in Mexico, 15 days ago, I never thought I'd play for Arsenal again, let alone score the winner. I don't know what to say, to be honest. The feeling I had when I scored was amazing.

"I am enjoying the club as a fan where I wasn't before: now I know how people feel when they score for the club they support. But it wasn't the plan [to end up as the hero]. I will always remember tonight. I don't know why but, when it comes to Arsenal, something happens with me. Sometimes in a bad way but most of the way in history in a good way."

The winner here was his 12th goal in as many games against Leeds and his first for Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium since a header helped defeat Manchester United in January 2007. The impact made, with Robin van Persie rested and Marouane Chamakh about to join Gervinho in departing for the Africa Cup of Nations, prompted immediate questions over whether the loan agreement with the Red Bulls could be extended until the end of the domestic campaign. "He has six and a half weeks with us and we have not envisaged more," Wenger said. "We can go to eight weeks but not longer."

The stay already includes a match against Manchester United here and an extension would culminate in the north London derby with Tottenham Hotspur at the end of February, which seems an apt occasion on which to bow out for a second time. "I was happy to get him back," Wenger said. "He's a guy who's very focused, intelligent and planned with his career.

"In his head it was always Barcelona [after Arsenal], then the States. That's what he did. What is good for the club, and for the young players, is this is a guy who has done it all but still prepares 100%, is focused and motivated and comes on with an immense desire to do well.

"When he was in this position to score, I thought: 'Oh, that's your angle but it's a bit too close.' That's where he surprised me. He didn't force the shot and still made it look easy. I thought he was a bit too far to the left to pull it off but he always had that special finishing. That was Thierry Henry finishing."

Asked whether there was any coincidence that Henry and Paul Scholes at Manchester United are making eye-catching returns this month, Wenger said: "It looks like the best transfer market is to get your old players back. He can play together with Robin [van Persie, who will return against Swansea City on Sunday]. They did play together before, after all."

Source: Dominic Fifield, The Guardian on 10 Jan 12

Thierry Henry makes dramatic winning return for Arsenal against Leeds

The match had impeccable manners. This FA Cup tie did little to distract a crowd from its thoughts of Thierry Henry while he was still on the bench. The long stalemate was just scene-setting. The forward decided this FA Cup tie after a five-year absence from Arsenal and sent the side on to a meeting with Aston Villa in the fourth round.

It was a goal perfectly reminiscent of his great days with the club. Alex Song slipped the ball through in the 78th minute and Henry, on loan from New York Red Bulls, came in from the left to slant a right-footed shot across the Leeds United goalkeeper, Andy Lonergan. The movement and finish were so typical of the scorer that the episode would have been a cliché had it not felt so exhilarating.

There are plenty of cautionary words to be uttered since Leeds are only eighth in the Championship but no one else in Arsenal's ranks had come up with the technique and poise to settle the outcome. The impact of a 34-year-old Henry cannot be taken for granted in, say, the Premier League but adrenaline flooded through this club after Arsène Wenger released him from the bench in the 68th minute.

Henry, too, will be elated after notching a 227th goal for Arsenal. Circumstances will not always be as suitable as they were here, with an admirable Leeds starting to toil after being so composed and efficient for much of the occasion. This evening, however, was a fillip for a club currently outside the top four in the Premier League and keen to ready themselves for the resumption of the Champions League.

It could be that Henry's influence will be short-lived but his presence galvanised Arsenal here. Stern judges could think it an indictment of Wenger that he had to dip into the club's past but the immediate benefit was well worth having, no matter how the forward fares in the weeks to come. The spectators had more to discuss than, for instance, their usual disappointment with, say, Andrey Arshavin and Marouane Chamakh.

This match also had a ring to it even before Henry took the field. While the true aspirations of Leeds are for an eventual re-emergence in the Premier League, the FA Cup came as a break from all that earnestness. Here was an occasion that would excite a team that also understood there was scant risk of recriminations or disgrace.

Arsenal had trouble making a breakthrough, since the visitors were obdurate in their 4-1-4-1 system. Wenger's players attacked but early in the night there was little precision in front of goal. Chamakh was in action prior to joining Morocco at the Africa Cup of Nations but did not make his presence felt when collecting Aaron Ramsey's pass and sending his finish soaring over the bar in the second minute.

Though the Arsenal centre-half Sébastien Squillaci had been wasteful when heading off target from a Mikel Arteta free-kick in the second minute, Simon Grayson's team were generally composed. Their opponents had to cope with exasperation and an injured Francis Coquelin had to make way for Nico Yennaris after half an hour.

It would still have been a distortion to pretend that frustration had seeped into the Emirates, though there may have been a little wistfulness about one absentee. Robin van Persie was excused the game so that he could enjoy a family holiday in Dubai, even though the club often appears dependent on the Dutchman for goals. His name would have begun to be more prominent still in the thoughts of the Arsenal fans when there was a protracted deadlock.

There ought also to have been regard for the opposition among those in a sportsmanlike mood. Leeds were composed and there was also a wish to go on the attack, despite the fact that they had not inconvenienced the Arsenal goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny at that juncture. A bid for promotion can be a treacherous task but Leeds, by the interval, would often have had the impression that, if Arsenal were any guide, the Premier League might not be so intimidating after all.

It was not for sentimental reasons that chants for Henry broke out in the opening moments of the second half. The Arsenal winger Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain did show urgency when cutting in from the right before shooting off-target in the 47th minute. Even so, it would have been unjust to write off this fixture as a non-event.

Whatever else happens, this scene, before a crowd of 59,615, should motivate Leeds all the more to persevere in the quest for Premier League status. The focus here was largely on containing the hosts.

That was being done only with difficulty as the second half developed. When Chamakh laid the ball off to Arteta in the 54th minute, the drive was saved by Lonergan. With the win achieved, there is a danger that Arsenal will forget just how they toiled. The night belonged to Henry but, if his team is to prosper, others will have to strive for the standards he has set.

Source: Kevin McCarra, The Guardian on 10 Jan 12

Written in the stars

The romance of the FA Cup may be fading yet this year's third round has been reigniting old flames. Paul Scholes' return to Manchester United had happened in characteristically downbeat fashion on Sunday. In contrast, Arsenal fans have had time to greet the return of their king in the ostentatious style he was once accustomed to; he repaid their ardour with what they will consider the sweetest of gestures.

From his presence on the substitutes' bench being announced amid the type of primal roar that greets a winner against Spurs, the stage was set for Thierry Henry. Bench-bound for a drab first half, he soon lifted spirits with a lithe shuttle run to begin a warm-up. With 22 minutes to play, the Arsenal fans knew their wish was coming true as he stood stripped and ready. Then, the roof was raised in a fashion as loud as when Barcelona were beaten at the Emirates a year ago, as their hero finally took the stage. The noise levels were to be raised yet higher.

The homecoming king took a little time to take a meaningful touch, waiting seven minutes to hold off Andros Townsend and play a pass out to the left wing. The days of putting on the afterburners and blazing away from defenders looked gone, yet a minute later the old Henry reappeared. Arriving into space from the left of the penalty area, he seized on a weighted pass from Alex Song, opened his body up in familiar style and placed the ball unerringly past Leeds United 'keeper Andy Lonergan. That right foot still knew what to do. Henry had proven that he can still write the scripts for Arsenal.

"I thought, 'Oh, that's your angle'," a smiling Arsene Wenger said of the winning goal. "But it's a little too close and that's where he surprised me. He made it just look easy.

"He's seen it all, done it all. He was already a legend here, and tonight he's added a little bit more. He's a proud guy. He knows he will be compared to what he's done before. It's a kind of comeback and you want that to be a success."

Since a statue was unveiled to the club's all-time leading scorer last month, it was obvious that Henry could provide a lift to the dark winter months of a highly confusing season for Arsenal. He follows Jens Lehmann and Sol Campbell in providing a familiar stopgap to a problem position. Arsene Wenger has never much liked the January transfer market, choosing instead to work with the tried, trusted, then trusted once more. "It looks like in the January transfer window you look to old players," he joked.

An early miss from Andrei Arshavin, himself a January arrival three years ago, revealed something of Wenger's logic. The crowd's anger at a poor finish from the Russian illustrated why Henry has been recalled. Too many of the current generation have question marks placed against them. With Marouane Chamakh looking as poor a stand-in for Robin van Persie as Francis Jeffers and Jeremie Aliadiere once did for Henry in his Highbury prime, it serves as little wonder that Wenger looked back to the future.

Chamakh now looks a player unwilling to enter the opposition box in fear of missing a chance, and may well be done some good by playing at the forthcoming African Nations Cup. He exited the field for Henry, already a forgotten man in the light of his replacement's exploits.

Such is the reliance on Van Persie, holidaying with Diego Maradona in Dubai, that any Arsenal team without him looks understrength. However, this was not a truly weakened team since resources are spread so thinly that there are few reserves left to call on. A hamstring injury to a young blood like Francis Coquelin was a bad blow in the face of a full-back crisis, and though Nigel Winterburn and Lee Dixon were in the building, Wenger must ignore temptation and look to play more players out of position.

Leeds United, under the fiery control of chairman Ken Bates, are a club looking even further down Memory Lane for comfort. A fixture against Arsenal will always conjure memories of the 1972 Centenary Final, where Allan 'Sniffer' Clarke won the cup for the only time in the club's history. There have been too many lean years since then - it will be two decades this summer since their last league championship - and this was a team reduced even from just a year ago, when they took the Gunners to a replay at the same stage of this competition.

Of the Leeds team that ran Arsenal so close last year, Max Gradel has been sold and Robert Snodgrass and Jonny Howson were injured; boss Simon Grayson, a man with his head on the chopping block at the Bates Motel, if rumours are to be believed, could only hope for containment and an unlikely breakaway. A late Mikael Forssell chance was Leeds' best moment to spoil the party but "1-0 to the Arsenal", via a Thierry Henry winner, was all but preordained.

"It was written in the stars that what happened would happen," Grayson said. "How many times has Thierry Henry been in that left-hand channel and bent one in?"

And how many more times will Henry do it for Arsenal? "He has six and a half weeks," Wenger said, before admitting he might be able to lengthen the deal to eight weeks. So it will have to be a holiday romance, but Arsenal and Thierry Henry's love for each other has been reaffirmed in storybook style.

MAN OF THE MATCH: Thierry Henry
Rarely does a sub gain such a garlanded honour, but this was a game all about one man even before he took the field. Henry perhaps took six touches at maximum in his cameo, but he supplied a sole note of class, and with it a thousand headlines.

ARSENAL VERDICT
Clearly superior yet lacking in cutting edge until a certain someone arrived, they had the blunt look of rather too many Arsenal performances this season before being supplied the single goal they required. Arshavin, after his early miss, looked a little livelier than normal while Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain perhaps tried to force things too much.

LEEDS VERDICT
If Arsenal were blunt then Leeds were positively edgeless until the very death when the impressive Andros Townsend set up Forssell. Goalkeeper Lonergan was their best player, behind a hard-worked defence who let their guard drop one too many times. Luciano Becchio was not the force he was a year ago but ran many a channel in thankless effort. A replay was denied them. "The chairman would have been happy for a bit more revenue," a wry Grayson said.

Source: John Brewin, ESPN Soccernet on 9 Jan 12

Wenger's reaction to the Arsenal 1-0 Leeds match

on what he said to Henry before he went on...
I just told him where he plays, because he can play on the flanks or through the middle. I told him to play through the middle. He did not know who was coming off. For the rest, you don't need to tell him too much. He has seen it all and done it all. You could see when he came on he had a presence on the pitch and if we could find him, he would be dangerous. He was sharp physically. He was already a legend here and now has added a bit more to the story.

on whether he was surprised by Henry...
No, because already in training I have seen that he was sharp and ready to play. I would not put him on the pitch with what he has done here if he was not ready because that would be unfair. He is a special player. What is good for the young players at the club is that a guy who has done it all comes and prepares 100 per cent, warms up, is focused and motivated, and comes on with an immense desire to do well.

on how he rose to the occasion...
Still you feel he has some pressure. Thierry is a proud guy, he does not want to disappoint people. He knows he will be compared to what he has done before. That is what champions are about. They always say 'I have no pressure', but they want to be seen as people who do well. It is a kind of a comeback and you know you want that to be a success as a player.

on a happy dressing room…
It was very happy, the players were very happy when he decided to come back. He gives you other options offensively as well.

on Scholes and Henry returning...
It looks like the best transfer market is to get your best old players back.

on letting Henry leave in 2007...
You can accuse me of many things, but not that I kicked Thierry Henry out, because he wanted to go. I explained that many times. I was always happy to get him back. Thierry is a guy who is very focussed, intelligent and very planned. In his head, it was always Barcelona, then the States. That is what he did.

on a 'dreamlike' goal...
Yes, it was a little bit of a dream, because it was a story about football you would tell some young children. Unfortunately it is not often like that in our game, but sometimes it happens.

on whether he's seen a more 'magical' goal…
When he got in that position I thought 'oh, that's your angle' but it was a bit too close. That's where he surprised me. He still didn't force the shot, he still made it look easy, where I would have expected him to take a very strong inside shot. He made it just look easy. At the start I thought he was too much on the left but he had that special finishing that he has shown tonight. That was the Thierry Henry finishing.

on playing Henry with Van Persie…
I haven't decided yet. Robin will be back against Swansea. Will Thierry start or not? I don't know yet. He can play behind or in front of Robin or on the flank, Robin can play on the flank too, but I don't know yet what I will do. They can play together, of course, and they did play together.

on the rest of Henry's performance…
He did well. Straight away through his runs he made them [Leeds] drop a little bit deeper. Once he was caught offside, once the centre back intercepted the ball, but he has a kind of presence. His movement gives defenders a problem. After 10 minutes on the pitch he knows where to go.

on how long Henry will stay…
He has six and a half weeks, and we have not envisaged more. We can go to eight weeks but not longer.

on Francis Coquelin…
He has a hamstring injury and he is out for a few weeks.

on whether he will bring in another defender…
I hope I can get Djourou back for Sunday and if we find a solution we will take it. No, at the moment we are not close [to a deal].

Source: Arsenal.com on 9 Jan 12

9 January 2012: Arsenal 1-0 Leeds, The Emirates

Arsenal may need to order some bronze in the coming weeks.

After acquiring Thierry Henry on loan last Friday, Arsène Wenger had assured the media that the legacy of the legendary striker was safe.

“They can only build a bigger statue,” the manager quipped.

Against Leeds on Monday, it took Henry just ten minutes to write another chapter in a book which we had thought had closed in 2007.

He replaced Marouane Chamakh to delirium in the 68th minute and, soon after, showed the intelligence instilled during his 226-goal career in North London to pull away from his marker, control Alex Song’s incisive pass and slide a shot into the far corner.
Henry beat his chest by way of celebration and ran to embrace Wenger. At the full-time whistle, his raised his hands to the heavens and may have shed a tear as he had before Christmas when his likeness was unveiled outside the stadium.

Then he drank in the adulation of the crowd.

This victory hands Arsenal a Fourth Round tie against Aston Villa in late January. But perhaps more importantly, Henry’s contribution also gave Wenger’s men a timely boost when they seemed to be wobbling just a little.

At 34, Henry is not going to provide this sort of drama every week for the next two months.

But class is permanent and Arsenal are all the better for the King’s return.

Henry’s name nearly took the roof off Emirates Stadium when it was announced before kick-off. A full and bushy beard seemingly hid half his face but, even in the warm-up, that the old swagger was obvious. We did not know how much the passing years had taken from him, but his shirt number had gone down by two. TH14 was now TH12.

Otherwise Wenger’s team was the promised mix of first team and future team. Only Wojciech Szczesny, Laurent Koscielny, Alex Song, Mikel Arteta and Aaron Ramsey could claim to be regulars. Marouane Chamakh and Andrey Arshavin had been bench-bound for much of the Premier League campaign.

For Ignasi Miquel and Francis Coquelin, at left and right back respectively, tonight was all about proving your potential. Ditto Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain on the flank.

Leeds arrived at Emirates Stadium just outside the play-off places in the Championship. However, their form had been patchy and, this evening, their defence was patched-up. Still they had around 9,000 fans in north London this evening and most of them would have remembered how close they came to a shock last season. Perhaps it was that memory which inspired Arsenal’s bright, pacy start.

The home side bossed the first 15 minutes with Ramsey orchestrating the attacks from midfield.

Arshavin blasted wide in the opening stages and then, in the fifth minute, Chamakh sent the Russian scuttling through the middle. He fired over the bar when he should have done better.

Ramsey wonderfully weaved his way down the right but, although his cross found Oxlade-Chamberlain, the winger did not manage to get off a shot.

The home side were working up a head of steam now. Squillaci nodded narrowly wide from Mikel Arteta’s far-flung free-kick before Ramsey rifled a shot wide.

In the 24th minute, the Welshman’s shot was deflected over after Arsenal had ping-ponged passes across the Leeds area. Seconds after that, Arteta’s drive shaved the post.

As the half-hour approached Arsenal had the game in the palm of their hand. However, in the next five minutes, matters would turn against them.

Firstly, Leeds conjured up their first chance when Mika Vayrynen nipped in amid confusion in the penalty area and Luciano Becchio hammered the loose ball over the bar. A massive opportunity.

Then Coquelin pulled up with what appeared to be a hamstring injury and hobbled off. Nico Yennaris came on for his second appearance in an Arsenal shirt.

After that, Arsenal were not quite the same for the rest of the half. Arshavin, who had a lively game, saw an effort blocked and Ramsey’s drive deflected wide. Koscielny headed over from Arteta’s corner with the final touch of the first period.

The home side re-discovered their energy after the restart. Perhaps the sight of Henry warming up acted as an inspiration.

Oxlade-Chamberlain drove into the sidenetting within seconds of opening whistle. Inside the next 10 minutes, Arshavin shanked a volley wide and fired straight across goal. Inbetween, Arteta’s sidefoot shot forced a fine low save from David Lonergan.

Oxlade-Chamberlain’s drive was blocked, via a Leeds arm according to the player himself. Then Ramsey’s excellent footwork set-up the former Southampton winger and Aiden White had to head the ball over his cross over the bar with Chamakh lurking.

Just after the hour, Oxlade-Chamberlain forced Lonergan to block and then fired wide.

It was all Arsenal once more. The home side were dominating with pace and invention.

At this moment, Wenger introduced Henry.

The manager withdrew Chamakh and Oxlade-Chamberlain for Walcott and the iconic Frenchman.

Henry had suggested he was happy to be an impact player if required – and that was exactly his role tonight.

As we entered the final 15 minutes, the statistics told the story. Arsenal mustered 28 goalscoring chances, Leeds one. They doubled that tally when Szczesny’s errant clearance fell to Ramon Nunez. But the keeper recovered by the time the Honduran got his shot away.

Then came the moment. Vision from Song. Two touches from Henry. The perfect ending.

Leeds now had to gamble and might have grabbed an unlikely equaliser when an unmarked Ross McCormack headed straight at Szczesny from eight yards out.

Arshavin fired into the sidenetting at the other end and Leeds’ late flurry blew itself out.

Henry had rolled back the years in fairytale fashion.

Source: Richard Clarke, Arsenal.com on 9 Jan 12

Trophy-hungry Arsenal are keen to end barren spell, says Arsène Wenger

Arsène Wenger said Arsenal showed they were hungry to end their trophyless run after they cruised past Leeds United in the FA Cup third-round replay.

Wenger, who dismissed suggestions of a rift between the captain Cesc Fábregas and Denilson after reports that the Brazilian questioned his team-mate's leadership qualities, said his team had learned the lessons from the 1-1 draw 10 days ago.

Arsenal, whose last silverware was in 2005, triumphed 3-1 at Elland Road thanks to goals from Samir Nasri – his 14th of an impressive season so far – Bacary Sagna and the substitute Robin van Persie to set up a fourth-round match at home to Huddersfield.

"The team goes from strength to strength and we have shown again tonight we are hungry," said the Arsenal manager.

"This gives us a good opportunity to play at home against Huddersfield – of course we will be favourite and I think we had that in mind tonight."

According to reports of a television interview in Brazil, Denilson had said Fábregas was not "a born leader" but Wenger questioned that translation and said his captain was "an outstanding leader".

"That once again is coming back from Brazil and is not at all the spirit of the comment that was made. Either you have bad translators in England or good translators with a bad spirit. They [Denilson and Fábregas] are two very good friends and have a lot of respect for each other.

"Cesc Fábregas is our captain and Robin van Persie our vice-captain and we have many leaders in our team and we are very happy with our captain – Samir was our captain tonight.

"We have a shared leadership in our team but I believe Fábregas is an outstanding leader, especially when you consider he's 23 years old, with personality and character, and Van Persie as well.

"I believe what is important in the way we want to play football is that everyone takes responsibility."

Bradley Johnson had given Leeds some hope against the side where he began his career as a schoolboy with a stunning long-range strike to make it 2-1 but Arsenal held firm.

"We got a warning in the first game and learned that lesson and that showed my players are intelligent and is a good sign," Wenger added.

"I had super quality on the bench too and that helps especially when the legs get tired."

He also paid tribute to Leeds, where a sell-out crowd provided a febrile atmosphere.

"I was impressed by the way they were organised and their spirit and physical qualities. I think they have a good chance to be in the play-off – we miss Leeds in the Premier League," he said.

The Leeds manager, Simon Grayson, admitted his side had been outclassed but by one of the best teams in football.

"We showed some good qualities and if you are going to get knocked out of the FA Cup you might as well have it done by one of the best teams in Europe if not the world. They showed what they were all about tonight. The way they started the game was quite worrying for us.

"But we got the goal which galvanised us – Bradley shoots like that in training and most of them end up in Wetherby but he hit that one so sweetly and it was a goal worthy of winning a match."

Grayson said Leeds' desire to reach the Premier League should keep this side together despite interest in some of his players from the elite clubs.

"Hopefully the ambition of the players can be fulfilled here – we are not a selling club and don't need to sell anybody.

"This has whetted the appetite for players to face these sorts of teams on a weekly basis and I believe we have come out of the two games with a lot of credit."

Source: Press Association, The Guardian on 20 Jan 11

Samir Nasri dumps Leeds out to kick start Arsenal's FA Cup drive

Arsenal will feel a satisfaction over winning this demanding FA Cup third-round replay that goes beyond the significance of even the tie itself. They were never behind, but an admirable Leeds United were not quelled until the substitute Robin van Persie headed home Nicklas Bendtner's cross 14 minutes from the close. Despite the outcome, Leeds United should be emboldened by their impact in both matches.

Arsenal could well have been eliminated from this tournament since they did not equalise until the very end of the first match, when Cesc Fábregas converted a penalty. On that occasion, a win for Leeds United would not have been taken as a great miscarriage of justice. Arsène Wenger's side had been unable to scare the visitors. That reflected well on the Championship side and their manager, Simon Grayson, but the early opener by Samir Nasri made this a match of a different character.

The Leeds team has been gathering momentum in its bid to return to the Premier League. Elland Road is an asset in all circumstances, even if the hosts contrived to lose four times there earlier in the Championship programme. The atmosphere for a visit by Arsenal was all the more intense since it could be treated as a foretaste of the kind of occasions that could lie ahead for Leeds.

The start was unpalatable enough to have any home supporter grimacing. With five minutes gone Nasri, unhindered, strode through after a pass from Andrey Arshavin and tucked a finish beyond Kasper Schmeichel. Wenger might have put his captain, Fábregas, on the bench, but the inclusion of the France international Nasri, who was nowhere to be seen when Arsenal were defeated at Ipswich in the first leg of the Carling Cup semi-final, demonstrated that the Premier League side was in earnest.

They were even ready to change their ways. The right-back Bacary Sagna had attempted to pick out Bendtner when in a promising position to shoot, but he reconsidered when finding himself in comparable circumstances after 34 minutes. After making a tackle near his own penalty area, he rushed towards the attack. When his raking drive went across Schmeichel the goalkeeper's brushing contact made no difference to an attempt crashing towards the top corner. It appeared then that the setting and volume were matters of indifference to Arsenal.

The position could have been much worse. Schmeichel had, in particular, pulled off a remarkable block when Marouane Chamakh met a Nasri free-kick from close range in the 11th minute. That was far from being his only assignment. It looked, in any case, as if Arsenal were, for once, as pragmatic as they are artistic. Leeds had a long spell of chasing and covering, yet it can have drained neither their morale nor their stamina.

Against all expectation, they reduced the 2-0 deficit. Leeds might have been missing their centre-forward Luciano Becchio, who had failed a fitness test, but the team came up with its own remarkable way of scoring. Eight minutes from the interval they were keenly in contention. The goal, too, came in a manner to inflame the passions of the Elland Road crowd all the more as Bradley Johnson, from outside the area, lashed a shot high beyond Wojciech Szczesny.

That must have been galling to Wenger, who would surely have started to think that he had selected a line-up equipped for this tie that did not entail involving all of his main performers. As he had learned, coping with Leeds can be tricky, especially when the team is buoyed up by the waves of Elland Road noise.

Football is often a matter of role playing and the visitors re-emerged with a determination to present themselves as superior beings. The role playing worked only briefly, although they could have extended the lead immediately had the opening not come to the holding midfielder Alex Song. Even in Wenger's conception of football, such men do not necessarily have finesse and the save was made without trouble.

Nothing could deter Leeds. When they were under strain, almost anyone could rise to the occasion. Just as a third Arsenal goal did look certain a tackle came in on Arshavin from Robert Snodgrass, an attacking midfielder. For all the talk about the unimportance of the FA Cup, an encounter such as this dispels the jaded remarks.

For Leeds, it was a peek, too, at the kind of fixtures that can be relished if they haul themselves out of the Championship. They were hampered here, however, when injury meant that the worldly Andy O'Brien had to make way for Leigh Bromby. The hosts were still full of endeavour and another substitute, Davide Somma, ought to have equalised when he instead sent a shot wide. The introduction of Fábregas and Van Persie illustrated that the visitors could keep nothing in reserve. The Dutchman soon confirmed the wisdom of the substitution.

Source: Kevin McCarra, The Guardian on 19 Jan 11

Arsenal see off Leeds at second attempt

Samir Nasri underlined his credentials as an early contender for player of the season with a sparkling display to help Arsenal finally get the better of Championship side Leeds.

Nasri scored the Gunners' opener and was their creative heart as this time Leeds failed to cope with qualities of their Premier League opposition.

Bacary Sagna's cracking drive made it 2-0 and Leeds were left only with the memories of Bradley Johnson's blistering strike to sweeten the bitter pill of defeat, especially when Robin van Persie came off the bench to round off the scoring.

After struggling against Leeds at home in this FA Cup third-round contest, and having been embarrassed at Ipswich in the Carling Cup last week, this was a far more comfortable ride for Arsene Wenger's side.

That was thanks in large part to France international Nasri, whose presence in midfield looked hugely reassuring for the Gunners.

It took less than five minutes for the 23-year-old to make a telling impact and score his 14th goal of the season.

Andrei Arshavin, who had a point to prove after some dismal recent performances, played a key role in the move, with Marouane Chamakh stepping over his pass to allow Nasri to dance through and slip the ball neatly to the side of Kasper Schmeichel.

The Gunners did not let up however and Leeds were chasing elusive shadows for much of the game.

Simon Grayson's men were kept in it by Schmeichel's stunning save, scooping Chamakh's downward header off the line. The Moroccan continued, however, to be a thorn in Leeds' side with a blistering run down the right and penetrating ball that somehow Arshavin failed to turn home.

The Russian tried to make amends but once more Schmeichel came to the rescue, turning aside his fierce low strike.

Anything Arshavin could do, Nicklas Bendtner was keen to show he could do better, but the Dane's miss from Sagna's pinpoint cross was if anything even more ghastly than Arshavin's minutes earlier.

"That's why you're 52," chanted the Leeds fans in reference to Bendtner's shirt number.

When Sagna drilled home into the top corner with the outside of his right foot to make it 2-0 it seemed as though Arsenal were home and dry.

But Leeds, who had barely ventured into the Gunners' half, were suddenly back in the running thanks to a quite stunning long-range strike by Johnson, who began his football life an Arsenal schoolboy but was released as a 15-year-old.

Johnson, who made his way to Leeds via non-league football, Cambridge and Northampton, will not have hit a more glorious shot in his life. Struck with the left foot from 30 yards out, it screamed into the top right corner with goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny clawing at thin air.

That gave Leeds some hope at the break but Nasri picked up the threads again immediately. His lovely disguised pass put in Alex Song inside the opening 30 seconds, but Schmeichel beat away the strike.

Schmeichel then had to be alert to keep out Nasri's free-kick but the Arsenal hordes kept coming. One beautifully-crafted move saw Nasri so nearly send Arshavin clear only for a last-ditch interception by Robert Snodgrass.

Arshavin's desperation for a goal can only have increased when he tried a first-time shot from Song's pass only to see it soar not only over the bar but actually out of the ground, to raucous jeers from the Leeds fans.

Max Gradel and Billy Paynter had had no change out of the Arsenal defence but they almost combined to good effect with 20 minutes left to serve the visitors a warning that this game was not over.

Perhaps stung by that, Wenger left nothing to chance as he sent Cesc Fabregas and Van Persie on for the last 15 minutes, and Spaniard Fabregas almost immediately forced Schmeichel into a save from a direct free-kick.

Van Persie's first touch was even more decisive, the Dutchman heading powerfully home from Bendtner's cross to finally end the contest.

Arsenal had triumphed 4-1 in their last three appearances at Elland Road and Kieran Gibbs looked set to bring about a repeat scoreline with his first goal for the Gunners but his low effort trickled wide.
Arsenal duo Samir Nasri and Cesc Fabregas targeted FA Cup glory after their third-round replay win at Leeds.

Nasri told ITV1: "We wanted to start really strongly. We scored after five minutes and tried to play our game even though the pitch was a little difficult.

"We want to win every competition and this cup is really important to us."

The Gunners remain in contention for success in four different competitions this season and club captain Fabregas echoed his midfield partner's sentiments.

"As Samir said, we want to go all the way in every competition," he added. "We didn't know too much about (Leeds) but they played very, very well at the Emirates, but tonight we were much superior to them. They were dangerous for a spell after they scored but Arsenal played fantastic football."

Leeds goal-scorer Bradley Johnson said: "We are disappointed but we gave them a good run for their money again and we'll take a lot of positives from it."

"I've not scored many like that but I've scored from outside the box before and I've been told if I get the opportunity, shoot because they know I can do that - I do it every day in training - but we lost the game so it doesn't count for anything really."

Source: ESPN Soccernet on 20 Jan 11

Back in Business

After the debacle at Ipswich last week Arsenal needed to show more professionalism and they did just that in the games against West Ham and Leeds. Both were beaten comfortably with the minimum of fuss and bother. If only it could always be like that against inferior opposition.

West Ham are a club in crisis at the moment - and it showed. It is hard to know what is going on behind the scenes there but what is happening on the pitch is evidently not of Premier League standard and it hasn’t been for most of the season. Trips to West Ham have often been hard work in recent years but there were no such concerns this time round. Goals from Robin Van Persie and Theo Walcott in the first half put the Gunners firmly in the driving seat and, after the Walcott had been felled in the area by Wayne Bridge, it was Van Persie who also stepped up to convert a 76th minute penalty to seal the game.

The way the results went in other games last weekend, it was a vital three points (but then isn’t getting three points always vital?). More importantly, this was just the sort of display that Arsenal needed to produce after the defeat at Ipswich to restore confidence and nip in the bud any fears that the team were about to have a bit of a wobble. Had they failed to win, the trip to Elland Road last night would have been a whole lot more daunting. But, despite Arsene Wenger reshuffling his starting line-up a little for the re-engagement with Leeds, the Gunners continued where they left off at Upton Park.

Samir Nasri’s early goal settled the nerves in the face of a vociferous home support and Arsenal went on to dominate the first half. Bacary Sagna doubled the lead later in the half scoring a rare goal with a thunderous strike. Replays showed that Kasper Schmeichal in the Leeds goal might have done better with it having got a hand to the ball but the shot was hit with such force he couldn’t keep it out. Sagna’s effort was somewhat trumped in terms of power by Bradley Johnson’s spectacular reply for the home team just before the break. The Leeds man couldn’t have caught it any more sweetly and it flew past Szcesny in the Arsenal goal who found himself clutching at fresh air.

Leeds made a better fist of it in the second half but Arsenal rarely looked in any real trouble. With twenty minutes to go, Wenger brought on Cesc and RVP to seal the deal and in the 76th minute (again, spooky huh?), Nicklas Bendtner hung up a cross that was met perfectly by Robin Van Persie who headed Arsenal’s third and killed any lingering hope the Yorkshire fans might have been harbouring.

So, jobs well done all round and it sets the team up well for the next month when they will play seven games, six of which are at home. Though their home form has been a bit of an Achilles heel this season, now would be a great time to turn that around and start making a fortress of Ashburton Grove. Over the next four weeks there will be action in all four competitions with winnable-looking home games in the Premier League against Wigan, Everton and Wolves. There is the Carling Cup semi second leg against Ipswich and the fourth round FA Cup tie against Huddersfield. Finally, on 16th February, they start again in the Champions League against Barcelona. Good results in these matches could provide a very solid platform as the team go into the business-end of the season.

One of the refreshing aspects to recent games has been the lack of serious injury to key players and the fact that Arsene Wenger has had a squad he can actually "choose from" rather than "make do" with. It is particularly pleasing to see Robin Van Persie edging his way back to top form. The one area where there are immediate concerns though is at the centre of defence. With Thomas Vermaelen and Sebastian Squillaci both out for the next month or so, the Gunners look a little threadbare at the back and the quick and easy solution would seem to be a January signing.

The way Johan Djourou is playing means he would probably be first-choice to partner a fully-fit Vermaelen anyway and Lauren Koscielny has, on the whole, done very well since his move to the club in the summer. But an injury to either of these two would see the squad struggle. Alex Song could drop back and fill in or the manager might give one of the raw youngsters waiting in the wings, (like Iggy Miquel), a shot but the feeling is that a stop-gap signing is required during this window. Wenger has acknowledged this and the media have thrown up a few names but there hasn’t been anything in the way of real news. There are still a couple of weeks to go but despite his comments who would bet against Wenger taking a chance on his injured defenders recovering quickly and successfully and him signing nobody? It is easier, and more fan-friendly, for him to say that he is considering new additions than to rule out any purchases before the window is even closed.

Elsewhere this week, there has been some discussion about the comments made by Denilson in an interview secured by Arsenal Brasil and Arseblog regarding the question of leadership at the club and in particular whether Cesc cuts it as a captain. I think a lot has been made of this story and some of what Denilson said has been misinterpreted. It seems to me he was trying to emphasise the mantra that Arsene Wenger keeps repeating that the team must have eleven leaders and take collective responsibility. It wasn’t meant as a sleight against Fabregas and, thankfully, any misunderstanding between the players seems to have been cleared up.

Though many bemoan the fact that we don’t have a Tony Adams figure in the side to pick the team up and carry it when required, that has been the case since, well, Tony Adams retired. The attitude and commitment that TA showed is not something that can be easily replicated because it was really all about the person that he was and his relationship with the club and the fans. We have had various captains since who have all done it their way, with varying amounts of success. Cesc is a captain who leads more by example than by bawling players out and, looking across the current crop of players, for my money he is the right man to be captaining the club at this point.

It’s back to work in the Premier League this Saturday with the visit of Wigan to the Grove. The two teams shared a draw at their place over Christmas which was massively disappointing from an Arsenal perspective and Saturday is a chance to make up for that result. Let’s hope the team can keep the form of the West Ham and Leeds games rolling.

Source: David Young, ESPN Soccernet on 20 Jan 11

Wenger's reaction to the Leeds United 1-3 Arsenal match

On his side’s performance…
We had both a good result and a good performance. We had quality in our attitude, spirit and focus. We started strongly and we played the football we like to play for the best part of the game. Leeds never gave up but we looked just too strong tonight for them. I think we got a warning in the first game and we [learnt] the lesson. That shows that my players are intelligent and that is a good sign.

On second-half substitutions helping to seal the game…
I have quality on the bench, that helps especially when your legs get tried. The incisive passing of the players can make the difference. I was impressed by Leeds over the two games, by the way they were organised, by their spirit, by their physical qualities and I think they have a chance to come back to the Premier League.

On the prospect of Huddersfield in the Fourth Round…
It gives us a good opportunity to play at home in front of our home fans. Of course we will be favourites and I believe we had that in our mind tonight, the fact that if we qualify we play at home. I believe the team goes from strength to strength with great spirit and we have shown again tonight that we are hungry.

On the defensive issue…
Every time the [central defenders] fight for the ball I hope nothing happens. Of course we are a bit short in there, if we have an opportunity [to get someone in] we will take it. But as long as they [Djourou and Koscielny] are fit, and with Squillaci to come back, we are a bit more comfortable.

On Samir Nasri’s performance…
Samir played well tonight but the whole team played well and it's difficult to single one player out. Everybody had a good performance.

On Huddersfield…
I have Benik Afobe there, at the moment he is injured. There is a link between Huddersfield and Arsenal from a long, long time ago. I am happy to play them at home.

On the way Afobe is developing…
I am convinced he is a good, powerful striker. I am convinced he will make a career.

On what he has said to Simon Grayson...
You have to give him credit for the way his team behaved in the two games. I think he organises them well, they have belief and when you look at what they produced I think they have a good chance to get into the [Championship] play-offs. We miss Leeds in the Premier League.

Source: Arsenal.com on 19 Jan 11

19 January 2011: Leeds United 1-3 Arsenal, Elland Road

Arsenal marched in the FA Cup Fourth Round with a comprehensive 3-1 win at Leeds on Wednesday night.

Arsène Wenger’s side had needed a 90th-minute penalty to save this tie at Emirates Stadium 11 days earlier but, this evening, they dominated throughout.

Samir Nasri stole a goal in the fifth minute and then, after Andrey Arshavin and Marouane Chamakh had missed point-blank chances, Bacary Sagna plundered a second just past the half-hour.

Leeds rallied immediately when Bradley Johnson’s thunderbolt reduced the arrears but Arsenal would kick-on after the break.

Fourteen minutes from time, they ended the discussion when Robin van Persie headed home from Nicklas Bendtner’s inviting cross.

Arsenal had been a little lucky in north London, tonight Leeds were fortunate the visitors were so profligate in front for goal.

Still, they got the job done and can now look forward to a Fourth Round tie against Huddersfield at Emirates Stadium on January 30.

This is a busy month for Arsenal and so Wenger’s side did its usual shuffle.

Bendtner, Chamakh, Kieran Gibbs, Denilson, Arshavin and Sagna all came in.

Cesc Fabregas, Van Persie, Jack Wilshere, Theo Walcott, Gael Clichy and Emmanuel Eboue all dropped out.

This game was a throw-back. Arsenal had been involved in some teak-tough encounters at Elland Road in the 90s and Noughties. Since then Leeds had been down to the third tier of English football but, if their performance in the first game was anything to go by, they were on the way back to the top flight.

Wenger had admitted his side had lacked focus in that match. But this evening it was different straight from the start.

Arsenal bossed the first half and the only concern at the break was that they had not gained the advantage they deserved.

The game had barely settled down when they took the lead. In the fifth minute, Arshavin tucked the ball inside from the left, Bendtner tried to collect on the edge of the area but Nasri swept it away, danced past the final defender before coolly slotting home.

Six minutes later it should have been 2-0. Sagna was hauled down on the right by Ben Parker and Nasri swung over the free-kick. Chamakh had escaped his marker six yards out and made solid contact with his header. However Kasper Schmeichel made a wonderful one-handed save. The keeper then recovered to block Johan Djourou’s follow up.

It was starting to become an Arsenal procession. In the 19th minute, Bendtner fed Chamakh on the edge of the area. He and Nasri played one-touch passes for Arshavin to sidefoot a shot over the bar.

Then Chamakh fired a low ball across the face of the area. Arshavin timed his run perfectly to meet the cross. Any positive touch would have doubled Arsenal’s lead but the Russian’s effort was timid.

A couple of minutes later, Arshavin’s drive from distance forced Schmeichel into a low save away to his left. After that, Laurent Koscielny sent a raking ball into the right-hand channel for Sagna to collect. He raced into the area and crossed low for Bendtner but the Dane timed his slide a second too late.

Arsenal were not just creating clear-cut chances, they were creating tap-ins. By the half-hour, they had already manufactured the opportunities to put the tie to bed. But they only had one goal to show for it.

That changed in the 34th minute, Bendtner thundered through and exchanged passes with Nasri on the edge of the area but miscontrolled the return. Andy O’Brien’s clearance fell straight to Sagna on the right. He advanced and fired a rocket shot into the far corner of the net.

It should have all but killed off Leeds but, almost immediately, the home side would respond with a Howitzer of their own. There was little on when the ball fell to Johnson around 30 yards out. He let fly and sent a swerving effort into the top corner.

The Leeds crowd tried to roar their side level before the break but, despite pressure, they did not conjure up a clear chance.

Twenty seconds into the second half, Schmeichel made another sparkling save when Nasri fed Alex Song and the Cameroon midfielder tried to lift the ball over the keeper.

The Danish stopper has been brilliant throughout this tie. But, a couple of minutes later, he made a rare error by dropping Nasri’s free-kick on the line before gathering.

Leeds were trying to create pressure but Arsenal were still having all the chances. In the 55th minute, a wonderful one-touch move involving eight players would have ended in a goal had Robert Snodgrass not swept the ball away from the feet of Arshavin at the last second.

The Russian was having a difficult night. On the hour, Song’s errant, trickling cross found him at the far post. He hacked it horribly over the bar. An in-form Arshavin would have buried it.

Arsenal were still on top but still missing chances. And, every so often, Leeds made them fully aware of the slenderness of the lead they held.

In the 65th minute, Max Gradel, another star of the tie, sent over a penetrative cross towards Billy Paynter at the near post. The home side were within an outstretched leg of drawing level.

Straight after that chance, the striker was replaced by Davide Somma. The South African’s first touch saw him knee a shot behind at the near post.

With 20 minutes left, Wenger brought on his Big Guns - Fabregas and Van Persie – for Arshavin and Chamakh. The manager clearly wanted to get the job done.

Fabregas nearly did it when he curled a free-kick inches beyond the far post.

In the 76th minute, Van Persie did finish the task by steering home a header from Bendtner’s pin-point cross. The celebrations told the story of the goal. Two team-mates ran to the scorer, three to the provider.

The Dutchman nearly curled home another in the dying minutes. By now Leeds were spent.

They had been wonderful at Emirates Stadium but were well-beaten on home turf this evening.

Source: Richard Clarke, Arsenal.com on 19 Jan 11

Match Preview: Leeds United vs Arsenal

There have been two Arsenals in 2011.

The determined Premier League side that have swaggered their way to 3-0 wins at Birmingham and West Ham while having the better of the goalless draw with Manchester City inbetween.

Then there is the Cup side battling lower league sides. Before this year, Arsène Wenger’s Arsenal had only suffered one defeat to lower League opposition in a knockout event. That figure was doubled by the 1-0 reverse at Ipswich in the Carling Cup and might have been trebled ten days ago had Cesc Fabregas not slotted home a last-minute penalty in the FA Cup Third Round tie at Emirates Stadium.

On Wednesday, Arsenal travel to Elland Road for the replay.

Given that his side are the only one in England going for all four trophies, the manager can justifiably argue that focus, not talent or fatigue, has been the issue.

“I cannot deny that,” admitted Wenger. “The players want to win everything and maybe we were a little bit surprised by the quality of the opposition. But we know now how good Leeds and Ipswich are and therefore we will adjust our focus to the difficulty of the task.

“You are under pressure so much in the Premier League that subconsciously, in a different competition, you are not always completely prepared as well as you want to be.

“I don’t think you underestimate, you just think you have enough. It’s a little bit of an unknown quantity and when you do not know what you face you are in a little bit in an ‘expectation’ mood. But when you play Cup games in England you want to be sharp.”

And Wenger is crystal clear about what his side need to change.

“The speed of our display, the speed of thought, the sharpness of our game,” he listed out. “We want to be sharper and more positive. We started the [first] game a little bit off our usual level. That means first, mentally, of all you want to switch on much quicker.”

Wojciech Szczesny will continue in goal at Leeds, and for the next couple of games, after Lukasz Fabianski suffered a small setback in his recovery following a shoulder problem.

Bacary Sagna is back after suspension. Abou Diaby (calf) and Sebastien Squillaci (hamstring) are still at least a couple of games away.

“There will be a few changes because we play again on Wednesday, on Saturday and on Tuesday night,” said Wenger. “I will rotate but I will not tell you now how many players will be changed because I haven’t decided yet.”

Right now, there are few options at centre back apart from Laurent Koscielny and Johan Djourou. With Squillaci and Thomas Vermaelen (Achilles) out, they have soldiering through. Three straight Premier League clean-sheets suggest they have been more than fit for battle.

Before Christmas Wenger said that, like Robin van Persie, he was ‘managing’ the workload of Johan Djourou. It is a bit more simple now. If the Swiss defender is fit, he plays.

“It has changed through necessity,” admitted the manager. “The plan with three centre backs was alright because we could rotate. But that has all gone now. It is always the same two, so let’s hope we get through.”

It is no wonder that Wenger is actively looking for reinforcements in that area.

Since that draw at Emirates Stadium, Leeds have played once – a 4-0 win over Scunthorpe at Elland Road. It was actually their first win in six League and Cup games. For their part, Arsenal have lost once in their last seven games.

Although Leeds' keeper Kasper Schmeichel made a superb injury-time save from Denilson in the first game, few could begrudge Leeds another chance on home turf. Wenger was impressed by “the quality of their tactical discipline, the quality of their strengths in their commitment”.

“They had a positive attitude every time they had the ball, they were direct but tried to go forward,” he added.

“I believe no matter what they do [on Wednesday] the fans will be behind Leeds.

“But we are used to that. We have played all over the world, everywhere, in vociferous stadiums. I don’t think that will be any excuse for us - it’s natural and normal. What’s important is that you show your quality no matter what kind of environment in which you play.”

Wenger has never suffered a Third Round defeat. In fact they have only been taken to a replay twice – in the first two campaigns in North London - both ties were concluded successfully away from home.

With the best away record in the Premier League, Arsenal are understandable favourites to finish the job at Elland Road.

But, with the FA Cup being the FA Cup and Leeds being Leeds, they are likely to be pushed all the way.

Source: Richard Clarke, Arsenal.com on 19 Jan 11

Wenger struggling in defender search

Arsene Wenger admits his search for a new centre-back is going nowhere - but only because it is tough to match the quality he already has in the Arsenal defence.

The Gunners are short of cover at the heart of their backline, with both Thomas Vermaelen and Sebastien Squillaci sidelined.

Spanish youngster Ignasi Miquel, 18, has been promoted from the reserves to the first-team squad, and is likely to be included again for Wednesday night's FA Cup third-round replay at Leeds.

However, Wenger continues to look for experience, and has been linked with moves for the likes of Bolton's Gary Cahill, Werder Bremen stopper Per Mertesacker and also veteran Aston Villa centre-half Richard Dunne. The Arsenal boss, though, maintains he is no closer to delivering a top-quality target.

"It is still nowhere. We get many offers but at the moment, nothing concrete,'' Wenger told Arsenal TV Online. "If you look at the centre-backs we have, they are quality; [Johan] Djourou, Squillaci, [Laurent] Koscielny, Vermaelen. The quality of the player coming in, what will it be? It is a compliment of the players we have already? It is very difficult to predict.''

Wenger openly admits he will make "a few changes'' to rotate his starting XI for what will be Arsenal's sixth fixture of a congested January after needing a last-minute penalty from captain Cesc Fabregas to deny the Championship side a famous win at Emirates Stadium 10 days ago.

Nicklas Bendtner and Marouane Chamakh were both unused substitutes for the 3-0 win at West Ham on Saturday, which kept up Arsenal's Premier League title challenge.

Czech winger Tomas Rosicky is expected to be involved having recovered from a virus, while there could also be a first start for midfielder Aaron Ramsey after his return to action from a broken leg. After watching his team return to winning ways with a convincing display at Upton Park having been well below par in the shock 1-0 Carling Cup semi-final first leg defeat away to Ipswich, Wenger knows Arsenal must continue that improvement tomorrow.

"The speed of our display, the speed of thought, the sharpness of our game has to improve,'' he said. "We want to be sharper and more positive, we started the game a little bit off our usual level. That means first, mentally, of all you want to switch on much quicker.''

Arsenal have a fine away record this season, and can certainly expect a testing atmosphere at Elland Road, a venue which not so long ago hosted such showdowns on a regular basis. Wenger, though, feels his squad will not suffer from stage fight.

"No matter what they do, the fans will be behind the team at Leeds. On the other hand, we are used to that and that would not be any excuse for us,'' he said. "We have played all over the world, everywhere, in vociferous stadiums. I don't think that will be any excuse for us, it's natural and normal. What's important is that you show your quality no matter in what kind of environment you play.''

Source: ESPN Soccernet on 19 Jan 11

Arsenal's stiff display brings Arsène Wenger his 'second worst wish'

At times Arsenal in their cups have been intoxicating, as Arsène Wenger has used these occasions to demonstrate the qualities of his emerging players. But in struggling to force a replay against Leeds United, a home team that initially showed nine changes from the side who had shared a scoreless Premier League encounter with Manchester City three nights earlier merely reminded us why reserves used to be known as "the stiffs".

While there was no shortage of first-team experience there were few signs of first-team form, and Andrey Arshavin had all the enthusiasm of a man asked to work on his day off. Just when Arsenal appeared to be on the point of going out of the FA Cup to Simon Grayson's disciplined, industrious Championship side, Robert Snodgrass having given Leeds the lead with a penalty early in the second half, Cesc Fábregas saved them from the spot as the tie entered stoppage time.

In a crowded programme Wenger was not looking for a resumption of hostilities at Elland Road tomorrow week, but as the Arsenal manager said: "It was not the wish I had before the game but it was the second worst wish. The worst would have been to go out. That would have been a shocker."

The Carling Cup remains Arsenal's most immediate chance of avoiding a sixth successive season without a trophy and on Wednesday they begin the task of reaching Wembley with a visit to Ipswich Town in the first leg of their semi-final. The final is on 27 February, by which time Arsenal will have re‑engaged with Barcelona in the Champions League. So it might be as well to retain the FA Cup as an optional target should things go pear-shaped elsewhere.

Arsenal should not have been surprised by Leeds who, since going out to Histon, a Cambridgeshire village team, in the second round two seasons ago, have made a point of not embarrassing themselves further in this competition. As Wenger said: "It is a good warning that we got today. We knew before that Leeds went to Old Trafford last year and won and that they had a draw at Tottenham."

Not that the caveat was taken on board by the side he put out. Until Fábregas came on for the last half hour, to be followed by Theo Walcott a few minutes later, Arsenal lacked the mental and physical pace needed to break down a Leeds defence solidly organised around their dominant centre-backs, Alex Bruce and Andy O'Brien, and backed by the exceptional goalkeeping of Kasper Schmeichel.

Until Fábregas equalised Arsenal must have felt there were falling victim to the sons of the fathers. Bruce, son of Steve, soldiered on with a painful ankle and Schmeichel, son of Peter, kept Leeds in the Cup in the closing minutes with a second outstanding save from Denílson. "Schmeichel and Bruce," mused Wenger. "Maybe these two names want to make my life difficult forever."

As it was Nicklas Bendtner made it hard enough in the short term by rounding off a galumphing performance with a hopelessly miscued volley after Fábregas's long lob forward had left him clear at 1-1. Yet a replay was the least Leeds deserved and they might have been spared that had Wojciech Szczesny not dived hard to his right to keep out a header from Luciano Becchio which would have given them a 2-0 lead.

The penalties brooked no argument, Denílson bringing down Max Gradel and Ben Parker holding back an escaping Walcott, whose admission that he had dived for one that was not awarded was a good George Washington moment but irrelevant in the general scheme of things.

Walcott bared all on the club website, which so far as one can recall was less enlightening on the day Robert Pires went down for the penalty taken by Thierry Henry which spared Arsenal a home defeat by Portsmouth early in 2003-04, the season they became unbeaten champions.

Source: David Lacey, The Guardian on 10 Jan 11

Late penalty denies Leeds

Captain Cesc Fabregas came off the bench to net a last-minute penalty which kept Arsenal in the FA Cup and denied npower Championship side Leeds a famous victory at the Emirates Stadium.

It had looked as if the Gunners were heading out at the third-round stage for the first time since 1996 after Robert Snodgrass' penalty early in the second half.

However, with just moments remaining, substitute Theo Walcott was tugged back by Ben Parker, and Fabregas stepped up to blast the spot-kick past Kasper Schmeichel, who had been in superb form.

With a two-legged Carling Cup semi-final ahead, and also fighting for the Barclays Premier League ahead of the resumption of European action against Barcelona, Arsene Wenger will not have wanted to add another fixture into their congested schedule.

However, after again failing to make the most of first-half chances, notably through Andrey Arshavin, it could have been a much worse outcome.

Despite making nine changes from the side which drew against Manchester City on Wednesday night, there was no sense of this being an under-strength Arsenal XI as it included the likes of 10-goal Marouane Chamakh, Nicklas Bendtner and Arshavin as well as midfielder anchor man Alex Song.

Leeds - who had won at Manchester United in the third round last season - started brightly with Snodgrass dangerous down the left.

Arsenal should, however, have been ahead on 11 minutes when captain Tomas Rosicky's pass split the defence to release Arshavin.

The Russian was clean through, but Kasper Schmeichel stood up well to make an impressive block at the edge of the area.

At the other end, Wojciech Szczesny was out quickly to save at the feet of Leeds striker Luciano Becchio.

Schmeichel, with his dad Peter watching in the stands, was in action again to beat away Arshavin's angled drive.

Arsenal continued to press and Leeds captain Jonathan Howson was alert to hack a flick-on from Sebastien Squillaci off the line following a corner, with Denilson's 25-yard effort then pushed behind by the busy Leeds keeper.

Alex Bruce made a fine saving tackle as Bendtner looked to skip into the Leeds area, before Chamakh headed straight at the keeper from a corner.

The visitors were defending stoutly, but again had Schmeichel to thank when he saved at the near post from Bendtner.

Arsenal had plenty of pressure at the start of the second half, but were behind from the penalty spot on 54 minutes.

There could be little complaint as Denilson upended Max Gradel and Snodgrass stepped up to beat Szczesny with a low strike into the right-hand corner and send some 9,000 travelling Leeds fans absolutely crazy.

It was no surprise to see captain Cesc Fabregas introduced from the bench with 30 minutes left, replacing Song.

However, Arsenal were indebted to Szczesny for keeping it at only 1-0 when the young Pole produced a brilliant save to deny Becchio's point-blank header.

Wenger introduced England winger Theo Walcott, replacing Chamakh, with just over 20 minutes left to save the Gunners' FA Cup dream.

Snodgrass bent a 25-yard free-kick just wide as Leeds looked to kill off the tie.

Arsenal aimed to get the ball out to Walcott at every opportunity, but were facing a wall of determined blue shirts in the final third.

Wenger's last throw of the dice came after 79 minutes when Rosicky was replaced by Carlos Vela, the Mexican forward who is set to go out on loan.

Walcott was through with three minutes left, but his volley was plucked out of the air by Schmeichel and then felt he had a penalty after a challenge by Bruce, only for the referee to give a goal kick on advice from his assistant.

Phil Dowd, however, did point to the spot moments later when Walcott was tugged back by Ben Parker - and Fabregas stepped up to fire the penalty past Schmeichel.

Bendtner drilled a decent chance wide after a long ball up field, before Schmeichel produced a brilliant one-handed save to deny Denilson to force a replay at Elland Road.

Arsene Wenger said it would have been a real "shocker" had Arsenal crashed out of the FA Cup.

"I must say at first that it was a very difficult game because it was a real cup game and Leeds were up for it, they played well," Wenger said. "It was the kind of game where you felt that it was important not to go 1-0 down.

"When we were 1-0 down I felt that Wojciech [Szczesny] kept us in the game with a good save from [Luciano] Becchio's header.

"We looked like we would come back, but we were short of time and it was important to keep the momentum and not to go out today because that would have been a shocker."

Wenger continued: "Even when we equalised, we still had three chances at 1-1 but we couldn't take them. At least we are still in the cup and hopefully we can do it at Leeds."

With a two-legged Carling Cup semi-final ahead, and also fighting for the Premier League ahead of the resumption of European action against Barcelona, Wenger will not have wanted to add another fixture to their congested schedule.

However, after again failing to make the most of first-half chances, the final outcome could have been much worse.

"It was not exactly the wish I had before the game but it was the second worst wish," Wenger said, having made some nine changes from the team which drew 0-0 with Manchester City. "The worst would have been to go out.

"We go to Ipswich on Wednesday, we play West Ham on Saturday and then the replay of the FA Cup is after that. It is a good warning that we got today, but we knew before the game that Leeds went to Old Trafford last year and won, and they had a draw at Tottenham.

"Overall this team have belief in that competition, from last year certainly. They did very well, very aggressive but in a good way, not a negative way, they closed us down everywhere and we had problems to pass through their lines.

"They were dangerous as well and it was important for us not to give a goal away, but we did. Leeds were well organised, they were quickly on us and maybe our game was not quick enough to get out of their pressure."

Simon Grayson felt his side should take "immense pride" from their efforts.

"Obviously it is tinged with a bit of disappointment because we were minutes away from pulling off a famous result today," he said. "I said to the players beforehand to just do themselves and the fans proud and they have walked off the pitch having done that.

"Individuals have done well but any success we have had in the past and will do in the future is about us as a team collectively.

"Arsenal are a fantastic football club and it is testament to our players they have had to bring on Fabregas and Walcott to try to win the game.

"There are many teams who come here and have been on the end of a hiding. We have done well for ourselves and will approach the replay with the same attitude."

Grayson, however, stressed gaining promotion to the Premier League remained the priority.

"The players have not taken their eyes off the ball since the draw was made," he said. "I said before the most important game out of the two coming up was Scunthorpe - and that is still the case now, because that is our bread and butter."

Source: ESPN Soccernet on 8 Jan 11

Cesc Fábregas steps up to prevent Leeds claiming another top scalp

Leeds United would not swap anything for promotion from the Championship, but days like these will only fuel the ambition.

For the second year in succession, Simon Grayson's braves proved they can live with the very best. The only disappointment this time, in the wake of last season's FA Cup third round upset of Manchester United at Old Trafford, was that they fell agonisingly short of another prized scalp at the very death.

Having survived the first-half, they struck a stunning blow from the penalty spot through Robert Snodgrass after 54 minutes and, all of a sudden, you got the feeling lightning was set to strike twice. In a sight for sore Leeds eyes, United held the upper hand for the majority of the second period. "One Simon Grayson," chorused the travelling hordes. It was a beautiful moment for the young manager.

But Arsenal found a way to drag themselves level and force a replay at what will be a sold out and buzzing Elland Road. They thought they had been granted a penalty when the substitute Theo Walcott tumbled theatrically over Alex Bruce's challenge. The referee Phil Dowd appeared to point to the spot, only to change his mind. But he was compelled to award Arsenal a penalty shortly afterwards when Ben Parker foolishly tugged at Walcott's shirt. Another marquee substitute, Cesc Fábregas, took the kick and finally caused Leeds's shoulders to sag.

Arsenal might have won the game during what must have seemed like a never-ending spell of injury time to Grayson. Nicklas Bendtner, Denílson and Walcott all went close, Denílson's powerful shot fully extending the excellent Kasper Schmeichel.

But defeat would have been cruel on the visitors. The replay will now offer them another chance to showcase their Premier League credentials.

Grayson had described Arsenal as the "best team in the world" on the eve of the tie, yet Leeds have that inimitable west Yorkshire swagger and they fear nobody, particularly not opponents who showed so many changes from their previous fixture, against Manchester City.

Wenger has deep-rooted faith in every member of his squad and he likes to offer the impression that he has no strongest XI, merely interchangeable cogs in a machine. Yet the reality is, when you rotate nine players the engine will not purr immediately.

There was no question of Leeds parking the bus here in north London. Grayson believes his team "can hurt anybody we play against" and, if they were to go down, he had pledged to do so "fighting". The 8,500 travelling supporters would have accepted nothing less. In the corporate paradise that is the Emirates, their songs filled the air and made their team feel at home.

Arsenal had overwhelmed Manchester City in the first 25 minutes on Wednesday, only to fail to score, but Leeds restricted them to only one clear-cut chance in the tone-setting early running. Tomas Rosicky sent Andrey Arshavin scampering clean through, but the Russian's first touch was poor, his second even poorer and Schmeichel was allowed to make a regulation block.

Leeds flickered when Luciano Becchio almost bustled onto Snodgrass's throughball – Wojciech Szczesny got there first – but Arsène Wenger's team gradually eased onto the front foot. Leeds were required to show resilience.

Their most heart-stopping moment of the first half came when Arsenal worked a clever corner routine and Sébastien Squillaci watched his effort cleared off the line by Jonathan Howson, with Schmeichel beaten. Squillaci's follow-up was repelled by Becchio. Schmeichel was busy and he showed some neat handling to keep the half-time scoreline blank.

The equation for Arsenal was simple and familiar: to translate their ascendancy and general superiority into the break-through goal. Yet dramatically, and out of nothing, Leeds pipped them to it. Max Gradel checked inside the penalty area and he was confronted by Denílson's clumsily outstretched leg. Down went the Leeds winger and there were no Arsenal complaints when Dowd, almost apologetically, pointed to the spot. Snodgrass squeezed his kick underneath Szczesny's left arm to spark wild scenes at the stadium's clock end.

Wenger sent on Fábregas and Walcott but, rather abruptly, the tide had turned. Leeds visibly grew and the next goal ought to have been theirs. Becchio flashed in a firm header from a left-wing corner and Szczesny shot out a hand to save instinctively and spectacularly.

Shortly afterwards, Snodgrass's 25-yard free-kick was just the wrong side of the far post, with Szczesny wrong-footed.

Hesitancy gripped Arsenal and frustration did likewise to their supporters. Arshavin became their target as he endured one of those days. But at the very end, after Bendtner had headed wastefully over the crossbar, Arsenal hauled themselves up off the canvas.

Source: David Hytner, The Guardian on 8 Jan 11