Van Persie completes Manchester United move

Arsenal Football Club can confirm that Robin van Persie has now completed a transfer to Manchester United after terms were agreed between the clubs.

This ends Robin’s eight-year association with Arsenal, after joining the Gunners from Dutch side Feyenoord in May 2004.

During his time with Arsenal, Van Persie made a total of 278 appearances for the Club, scoring 132 goals, including 37 from his 48 appearances last season.

His fantastic performances during the 2011/12 campaign resulted in the PFA (Professional Footballers’ Association) and FWA (Football Writers’ Association) Player of the Year awards, together with the Premier League Golden Boot.

Van Persie also became a regular in the Holland team during his time with Arsenal, making 68 appearances to date.

Everyone at Arsenal would like to thank Robin for his contribution during his time with the Club.

Source: Arsenal.com on 17 Aug 12

Arsenal's sale of Robin van Persie to Manchester United is good business

Arsène Wenger has three young attackers in Podolski, Giroud and Cazorla to replace one with a worrying injury history

According to the gallows humorists of N5, the obvious candidates to be Arsenal's next captain are Sebastian Squillaci, Marouane Chamakh and Park Ju-young. There is a painfully obvious theme when examining the list of adored skippers since Tony Adams bowed out: Patrick Vieira, Thierry Henry, Cesc Fábregas and now Robin van Persie. Gilberto Silva and William Gallas may have moved along with considerably less drama but it is striking how often Arsène Wenger hands over the armband to a particularly valuable player, only to have to pat him on the back as he exits shortly afterwards.

This episode provides yet more evidence for those who slam Arsenal as a selling club. It pours fuel on to the debate about how ambitious they can ever wish to be with the self-sustaining model they believe in so vigorously. But within the club they will sit tight and wait for it to blow over. They read the updates from Rangers and Portsmouth and feel increasingly sure they are doing the right thing.

They know their place in football's economic table. They know under the current ownership, who believe in running a tight ship, that they cannot compete with the clubs who are bankrolled by oil. They know that, despite Manchester United's controversial financial arrangements with the Glazers, Van Persie's new club make the most of their marketing potential in a way that they currently cannot. They know that keeping hold of a player worth over £20m in the last year of his contract is not an option.

Arsenal are hamstrung by weak sponsorship deals that were struck when they were desperate to generate revenue to fund the stadium move from Highbury and by the vast salaries they are committed to for players who are not required but not shiftable. It is frustrating but it is reality. Their self-sustaining concept is a difficult one to sell when stars turn their backs on it but Arsenal refuse to risk a collapse by overstretching themselves financially.

Van Persie's departure is not welcome and of course Arsenal will miss a player so talismanic last season he played a defining role in the team's elevation from 17th to 3rd. But at least they have had the whole summer to plan their response.

Long before van Persie's statement on his official website, which was basically a euphemistic interpretation of a transfer request, his club were made abundantly aware of the Dutchman's desire to leave. At the end of the last campaign, before the European Championships, he and his representatives sat down with Arsenal and made a set of demands about the running of the club that were so outlandish that the warning signs were impossible to miss. The truth is that Arsenal have expected this day for more than two months. The only issue was when, where and how much. Fans are not programmed to think that way. Directors and beancounters are.

At least in the meantime they were able to be proactive and get down to business to recruit alternative attackers. Hence Lukas Podolski and Olivier Giroud arrived with unusual haste, to be followed by the new creative spark, Santi Cazorla. This contrasts with the paralysis that hit them at the same stage last season, when they hung on, waiting for Cesc Fábregas and Samir Nasri to go, before scampering round in search of last-minute reinforcements.

Van Persie has played a minimal part in Arsenal's pre-season. Effectively they have been trying to move on while he was still in situ.

Supporters may have been able to chew over the pros and cons of whether van Persie should have been sold for a smaller sum to a less direct rival (Juventus's offer was much less substantial than United's). It will pain them to see him at Old Trafford, and to see Sir Alex Ferguson's team strengthened at their expense.

There is more to come as Alex Song is expected to finalise his move to Barcelona. Nuri Sahin, the Turkish midfielder surplus to requirements at Real Madrid, is being chased to arrive as his replacement.

Arsenal are rather used to all this by now.

Besides, is it really that much of a crisis? £20m-plus for a 29-year-old with a shaky injury history, replaced by three younger international attackers, does not sound such a terrible piece of business.

Source: Amy Lawrence, The Guardian on 15 Aug 12

Arsenal's Robin van Persie may be answer to Manchester United prayers

The Dutch striker could be the final piece in United's jigsaw – if Sir Alex Ferguson can find the right way to fit him in

Robin van Persie's imminent arrival at Old Trafford answers a couple of questions, the two big ones that have been worrying Manchester United supporters all summer. Yes, the club is still ambitious and does not plan to sit back and let Manchester City have everything their own way. And yes, the Glazers do have some money to spend and are willing to let Sir Alex Ferguson invest a considerable amount of it in a player who played like a dream last season but at the age of 29 may not have a significant resale value.

Despite constantly complaining of not being able to find any value in the transfer market, Ferguson has now broken his self-imposed rule of looking only at players in their teens or early twenties, though the attractions of a proven goalscorer to a side who lost the title on goal difference last season are obvious.

Less clear is how Van Persie will fit into the United attack or, more accurately, which players will have to make way to accommodate him. The £23m capture from Arsenal will dash any hopes Dimitar Berbatov may have held of playing his way back into the side but United were more or less playing without Berbatov last season anyway. If Van Persie goes straight into the attack alongside Wayne Rooney, as one imagines he will, then his arrival is bound to impact on Danny Welbeck or Javier Hernández, or possibly both.

Ashley Young, last summer's big signing, may also be wondering where he fits into the scheme of things, especially with Tom Cleverley back to claim a midfield place. All depends on whether Ferguson is willing to use him as a wide player or not, but a more fundamental question is whether Van Persie goes into the United attack alongside Rooney or instead of him. United are not about to sell Rooney or relegate him to the bench but for a sustained period last season he was played in a far deeper-lying role than was usual, stationed on the half-way line at the behest of his manager and launching attacks rather than completing them.

It may be that Ferguson is willing to try Van Persie on his own up front, or possibly Van Persie and Welbeck as a partnership, with Rooney playing the sort of advanced midfield role that Paul Scholes used to excel at just behind them. If Rooney does drop back to midfield it is going to make it tough for Cleverley or Young, assuming that at least one of the wide places will go to Nani or Antonio Valencia.

Presumably Ferguson has a plan, for his admiration of Van Persie has been known for some time – as has his desire to introduce someone who can display composure in front of goal. The former Arsenal striker fits that bill perfectly and Ferguson will now be looking forward to making fewer flustered appearances after matches to observe bitterly that his side made enough chances to win six matches but failed to take any of them. United dominated a lot of games last season but either won them narrowly or were held to a draw when they had created enough scoring opportunities to win.

A striker with the poise and confidence to make his own chances and finish the ones created by others is possibly the final piece in Ferguson's jigsaw, although the manager thought he was getting the same type of player when he paid considerably more for Berbatov, only for the Bulgarian to struggle to replicate the form he had shown with Tottenham.

That will probably not happen with Van Persie, who has thus far shown no inclination to believe that no one understands or properly values him, and the only real worry for United is that he might become injured again. He was almost an invisible man for long periods at Arsenal, so regularly was he unavailable, and, though his form last season unquestionably established him as one of the most effective all-round strikers in the Premier League, the fact remains that it was just the one season and none of those that preceded it were quite as fluent or impressive.

With Van Persie and Rooney in the same side, wherever they end up playing, United fans can look forward to some spectacular goals this season. In fact the array of striking talent at the two Manchester clubs is more than some whole leagues have. Unfortunately both United and City have too many players for too few positions and an inability to move out strikers who are now surplus to requirements.

That is the least of Ferguson's worries. Tasked with competing with the noisy neighbours, he has made a solid start. Van Persie ticks all the right boxes. There may be doubts about how he fits in but most of the question marks over United's readiness for the new season have now disappeared.

Source: Paul Wilson, The Guardian on 15 Aug 12

A Premier League of ups, downs and outs leaves a legacy of flaws

The Champions League finalists finish sixth in the league, Manchester United lose an eight-point lead and Manchester City lose five away games but end up winners

It was the flaws that made for an engrossing Premier League season. Even Manchester City, on their path to the prize, contrived to lose five away games. The new champions will scarcely be in anguish now but such results emphasised that this, to put it kindly, has been a transitional campaign.

One ought to marvel that Manchester United got so close to retaining the title. Expenditure in the transfer market has increased by comparison with earlier periods under the ownership of the Glazers but the outlay still seems relatively small when set against the scale of the club itself. That policy leaves United with a capable team rather than an enthralling one.

No one, for instance, assumes that either Antonio Valencia or Ashley Young, the wingers employed against Sunderland on Sunday, is going to be ranked with Cristiano Ronaldo, who moved from Old Trafford to the Bernabéu in 2009, when he was 24. There can be no claim that his best years had been in the service of United.

In the weekend win it always looked as if Wayne Rooney alone could settle the outcome, as he did. United are not alone in being a prominent side that is, for the moment, best suited to domestic consumption. The last 16 of the Champions League contained only two English sides. Arsenal were eliminated by Milan then and, while Chelsea will meet Bayern Munich in the final, the Stamford Bridge team have come sixth in the Premier League.

In the case of Arsenal one wonders if a touch of panic might be of assistance. Arsène Wenger seems so patient that trophies are still a remote consideration. Depth, for instance, was needed in attack but the transfer of Lukas Podolski from Cologne was agreed only recently. Had another forward arrived sooner, Arsenal would have enjoyed the option, on occasion, of selecting the excellent Robin van Persie as a schemer instead of a spearhead.

It might, all the same, be perverse to dwell on that sort of issue when half the teams in this season's Premier League have had a better defensive record in away matches than Arsenal. For a club of their standing, references to the injury troubles of Thomas Vermaelen do not amount to a satisfactory explanation. Indeed the side lost 4-0 away to Milan when the Belgian was in the line-up.

Vulnerability at even the mighty clubs has intensified the drama of the Premier League. Instead of being the resourceful, steely side of former days, United could find nothing better to do with an eight-point lead than discard it while losing, for instance, at Wigan Athletic and allowing Everton to recover from 4-2 down to draw at Old Trafford.

Nemanja Vidic suffered a grave injury against Basel in December but one would expect United to cope better at critical times, even if their points tally for the season was still large. Chelsea have suffered a greater fall from grace and, given the switch from the unsuccessful André Villas-Boas to the interim head coach Roberto Di Matteo, the improvisatory tone has been inescapable.

There is a craving at Stamford Bridge to see Fernando Torres flourish but the striker instead seems like the embodiment of the Premier League nowadays. He holds the promise of excellence but it is not fulfilled often enough. So it is, incongruously, that a 34-year-old Didier Drogba can look the principal hope for Chelsea, with agitation at the likelihood that he will leave.

Elsewhere the general state of affairs at Stamford Bridge would be envied. Liverpool have made a modest advance by taking the League Cup after a penalty shoot-out with Cardiff City and getting to an FA Cup final won by Chelsea, but it is too much to ask that Steven Gerrard single-handedly supplies the verve in midfield.

Tottenham Hotspur have come fourth, denying Newcastle United the prospect of Champions League football, but their stadium is not big enough to help generate the levels of income that would enhance the squad markedly. Beyond the current circumstances there is a difficulty in telling what we ought to anticipate from the Premier League in the near future.

Touches of austerity can be spotted, even if City are unacquainted with them. Should the forthcoming financial fair play measures have the profound effect sought by Uefa, we could see a dip in glamour that is more than offset by the rise in competitiveness. As it is, the elite have not seemed quite so aloof even if City will be sure that their era is only beginning.

Source: Kevin McCarra, The Guardian on 15 May 12

Arsenal: Six Deep Flaws Exposed By Manchester United

All the tall after the match might have been about RVPs reaction to the Ox being substituted for Arshavin, but the problems exposed yesterday go much deeper than a spat...

Psychological problems need to be addressed immediately…
Any team coming off the back of a dreadful showing like Arsenal’s at Swansea last week should want to come out fighting to prove a few people wrong, but that’s exactly what Arsenal didn’t do in the first half against Manchester United yesterday. Instead of pressing them back, putting them under pressure and moving the ball quickly, they sat deep, invited Nani and Valencia to run at them and dallied in possession. There was no change from last week at all.

It’s concerning that this hasn’t been addressed. You must wonder what advice is being given before the players enter the field when a first half performance of such sluggishness is produced. The drive has completely disappeared from midfield, the creative players are woefully short on confidence, and no one wants to take charge of the situation. Expect the old adage of Arsenal lacking leadership to rear itself again soon.

…and so do the technical ones
Aaron Ramsey has been overused this season, and it’s starting to show. His eye for a through ball, like the superb pass he slid through for Gervinho which led to Robin van Persie’s first at Stamford Bridge in October, has deserted him, and with no Mikel Arteta either, there’s a no one to pick a pass from the centre of the pitch. Tomas Rosicky was selected as the best of a bad bunch of replacements for the Spaniard, but despite working reasonably hard, he failed to make an impact and looks to be counting down the days until he can leave.

With Theo Walcott and Andrei Arshavin effectively making Arsenal’s attacks a man light with their wastefulness, there is a desperate lack of a regular and reliable creator of chances. That Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain looked most likely to come up with the unexpected is a positive for his development, but worrying for the rest of the team.

The development of young talent goes stagnant too quickly
Hope that Aaron Ramsey and Theo Walcott will become the world-class players Gooners want them to slip away with every disappointing performance. There is ground for concern that they could go the same way as (deep breath) Jeremie Aliadiere, Quincy Owusu Abeyie, Nicklas Bendtner, Arturo Lupoli, Jay Emmanuel-Thomas, Denilson, David Bentley, Justin Hoyte, Armand Traore, Fran Merida, Carlos Vela and any other player that’s excited in the Carling Cup and reserves but never become a top level first team regular.

“So and so is going to be great in a few years,” and “have you seen the YouTube videos of this player,” are sentiments that have been echoed regularly in Arsenal circles since the Carling Cup has been used to blood youngsters, but for all the developed players, the substance has lacked. There have been shining lights: Cesc Fabregas is legitimately a player developed at Arsenal and Gael Clichy, Jack Wilshere and Wojciech Szcsesny have all served/are serving the club well. Here’s to hoping Walcott and Ramsey find their feet, and that Oxlade-Chamberlain, Coquelin and Frimpong don’t go the same way as many before them.

There is a lack of tactical flexibility
Arsenal are stuck in a tactical rut created by Wenger’s stubbornness. On Sunday, United looked initially to be lining up 4-4-1-1, with Welbeck up front and Rooney just behind. Carrick and Giggs anchored the midfield and Nani and Valencia were a constant threat on the flanks. But Rooney was able to drop deep, at times making a 4-3-2-1 (with Nani and Valencia as the two), to frustrate Arsenal and set United up for counter attacks. Earlier in the day Spurs demonstrated how to play quickly and directly, with first two out-and-out wingers, then two inverted wingers, while Rafael van der Vaart and Luka Modric alternated as the main support for Jermain Defoe. Meanwhile, City had enough fluidity in their immensely talented front four to cause problems at the other end.

The most insightful switch Wenger could devise was to occasionally switch Walcott and Oxlade-Chamberlain, then chuck Park Chu-Young on with ten minutes left. Since Wenger switched from 4-4-2 to 4-2-3-1, forced partly by the departure of Dennis Bergkamp, there’s been no looking back. Whether he doesn’t want to be proved wrong or whether he genuinely believes the current shape is the best way forward is unknown. Either way, it’s not helping when the game needs to be changed, or the opposition has sussed out a method of containment. And that’s happening far too often at the moment.

The Emirates is as divided as it’s ever been
When Oxlade-Chamberlain was replaced by Andrei Arshavin in the 74th minute, a ripple of “you don’t know what you’re doing” was aimed at Arsene Wenger. It wasn’t deafening and wasn’t the majority, but it was telling. Public opinion of Wenger is at its lowest point since the 8-2 defeat to United back in August, but at the time, leeway was given because the transfer window had yet to be closed and Arsenal were decimated by injuries. Now, the repetitive excuses and the refusal to blame his players is wearing so thin, that even staunch pro-Wengerites are weary. I should know, I’m one of them.

And if that’s the fans, what about the players? Robin van Persie’s perplexed reaction after the Oxlade-Chamberlain change summed up how they must be feeling towards their manager. Defiantly, Wenger defended the decision, saying a man of his experience didn’t have to justify everything he did. Van Persie, and the fans, might have a different view.

A draw at home to Man United would have felt like a victory
Should it be sad or expected that it’s come to this? With ten minutes to go I was praying that Arsenal could hold on for a draw, but Welbeck struck and it wasn’t to be. I felt as a fan of any team would in the same situation. A draw would have felt like we’d p*ssed off United, as well as gained a point, but considering they’re challenging for the title and we’re struggling for fourth, makes me feel a bit pathetic.

But Man United should beat Arsenal every time shouldn’t they? They have the wealth, the fan base, are apparently the biggest club in the world, and can price Arsenal out of a transfer whenever they like. The thing is, Arsenal fans didn’t used to need to make these excuses.

Source: Joe Tyler, The Sabotage Times on 23 Jan 12

More gutting than the 8-2

For the third Premier League game in a row, we've lost a match where we could, and should, have got some points. When looking at the match out of context and just comparing it to our last meeting with Manchester United, losing 2-1 is a lot better than losing 8-2. However humiliating and utterly depressing that result was, the defeat at the Emirates was almost more infuriating because of our desperate need for points, and how we failed to claim those points when they were there for the taking.

One of reasons for not taking those points that has been heavily focussed on by some fans in the immediate aftermath of the game, was the substitution of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and the introduction of Andrey Arshavin. Before talking more about that, it's worth giving the Ox his due praise.

We need to be realistic about Oxlade-Chamberlain as he's still only 18 and won't produce performances like that every game, but he was superb against Manchester United. He played without fear, he ran with the ball, he ran hard for the team and picked up a great assist. There were moments when his inexperienced showed, but his enthusiasm, direct dribbling and skill on the ball more than made up for up. I was sceptical about Wenger spending a substantial chunk of money on the Ox in the summer as I wasn't sure if he was needed. I can now see why he was signed and it just makes you wonder why he wasn't unleashed earlier.

So with the Ox flying, the full backs not looking comfortable against him and the momentum with us after equalising, why take him off? I can understand that Oxlade-Chamberlain could have been tiring given how much he put into the game, although there didn’t seem to be signs of him seriously suffering. Surely we could have given him at least another five minutes to run on adrenalin and the atmosphere created from the goal.

I realise that we have to protect our young players to a certain extent to avoid them getting injured, but he was a brilliant outlet for us with the game becoming stretched. I have always been, and will probably always be, a defender of Arsene Wenger, but he should have been able to see that the Ox was our most dangerous player. If he wanted to bring Arshavin on, why not take off the knackered Ramsey or the less dangerous Walcott? If Oxlade-Chamberlain then did seriously tire, Benayoun and Park were still options off the bench.

I think the fact Arshavin came on only added to the anger from some fans at the substitution. The Ox was full of energy, pace and direct running, something we haven’t seen from Arshavin for ages, if ever. To replace him with someone who is nicknamed ‘The Lazy Russian’ was only going to provoke a reaction. I think the booing of Arshavin when he came on was harsh, he didn’t choose who he came on for, but it was an outpouring of the frustrations at the current state of the club. Arshavin shouldn’t be made a scapegoat for losing the game, but his introduction to the action didn’t help.

I personally thought the booing was over the top as we were in a situation in the match where we should have been pushing on for a win and we needed positivity from the stands, but I think the switch just sparked a moment for Arsenal fans’ recent frustrations to reach the surface, and it wasn’t pretty. I’m not going to call for Wenger to be sacked over one substitution, I’d just like him to show some more flexibility and adapt to a situation. The Ox was playing well, Arshavin’s form has been poor; you can do the maths.

Arshavin wasn’t the reason we lost the game. I think the biggest reason for it was not really turning up in the first half. As a team, we didn’t keep the ball well enough and didn’t close United down. As the half went on, we invited pressure. Whether the players had the 8-2, or recent form, in their heads I don’t know, but they looked slightly scared. Djourou was horribly exposed at right back as he didn’t close down Nani, or anyone who went to his area of the pitch wearing blue. Had he closed down Giggs, the first goal would have been easily avoided. I’ve said on this blog before that Djourou is not a full back and still hasn’t adapted despite playing there regularly in recent weeks. He is a shadow of the man who was arguably our best centre back at this time last season.

We deserved to be losing at half time, but the team, and Wenger, do deserve credit for the reaction in the second half. I think Djourou went off with an injury problem as he was limping slightly near the end of the first half, but I was very impressed by Nico Yennaris. There was a lot of pressure on him and he coped well. We shouldn’t be in a position where we’re throwing youngsters like Yennaris into big games like this, but the young guys that have been forced to play have given absolutely everything, and we can’t ask for more. It was just good to have someone at right back who had a good understanding of positioning as a full back, both defensively and going forward.

Along with the Ox and Yennaris, the other stand-out performers were Koscielny and Rosicky. Koscielny hasn’t just improved technically, his stamina, commitment and determination is what all players in the squad should aspire to. His tackle to start the move for our goal was perfect. Whilst Wenger rightly has critics for some recent events, despite it taking a year, the signing of Koscielny is also looking like a good decision. Tomas Rosicky battled very hard in midfield. His pass to Oxlade-Chamberlain in the build-up to the goal shouldn’t be underestimated. If Arteta comes back next week, hopefully Rosicky will retain his place to give Ramsey a much needed rest.

A word too for Per Mertesacker. Whilst some seem to absolutely hate him, I still like him. We know he hasn’t got pace, but he made some important interceptions and clearances in the game. Also, he was hideously out-paced in the second half by Welbeck, but showed great commitment to chase back and hook the ball off the line. He’s another player that is giving everything for the team.

Had we played like we did in the second half for the whole match, I’m confident that we’d have got at least a point from the game. Even though we only really played for 45 minutes, Robin van Persie missed a great chance before he eventually scored, which was a superb finish, so we could have salvaged a point.

Ultimately Manchester United were more efficient and more clinical. Also, maybe we aren’t clever enough and, this could be a back handed compliment to United, they were very good at getting fouls for nothing, and getting away with incidents that could have been fouls. They were only minor things, but added to the dissatisfaction in the ground. Jonny Evans was regularly shoving and holding Robin van Persie, yet a slight push on Rooney at the other end was deemed a foul. United’s time wasting near the end was also top notch. It could just be a coincidence that we’ve not won our last 11 games that Mike Dean has refereed, but he did seem card happy in a match that wasn’t a dirty game. We didn’t have a big decision go against us, the little ones weren’t that significant in the match, and maybe we just have to know how to make a foul look like one, but it was just frustrating.

We’re in a position where we’ve almost undone all of the good work we did in the aftermath of the start of the season. Injuries have played a part in that, but so has Wenger’s reluctance to invest in January. Whatever his views of the January transfer window are, it’s there, so make use of it. If that means paying slightly inflated prices but giving us a better chance of making the Champions League, it could be worth the gamble. Unless we beat Bolton in the next league game, the current slide could continue, and the blame will ultimately have to fall to the manager. It’d be speculation to say if he was restricted by the board or not, but he’s in charge of the team, so if there’s a problem, it ultimately is down to him to solve it. We had a massive problem at the start of the season, he solved it and we climbed up the table and he deserved credit for it. Now he has to do the same, or else the ‘disaster’ of not making the Champions League will become a reality. Then Wenger will have much bigger questions to answer than why he subbed Oxlade-Chamberlain and why we didn’t perform in the first half.

Source: Sam Limbert, ESPN Soccernet on 23 Jan 12

Arsenal's Arsène Wenger defends decision to bring on Andrey Arshavin

A defiant Arsène Wenger has stood by his decision to substitute Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain for Andrey Arshavin, dismissing the need to justify a move that provoked a furious reaction from a section of the Arsenal support and even one of disbelief from his captain, Robin van Persie, during his side's 2-1 defeat on Sunday.

Wenger had opted to remove the lively Oxlade-Chamberlain, on his full Premier League debut, immediately after the teenager had set up the Dutchman for the hosts' equaliser against Manchester United, and with momentum building in Arsenal's favour. Van Persie had turned to the bench and, with arms stretched out, was seen to mouth "No", with Arshavin, who was booed on to the turf, subsequently culpable as United claimed a late winner.

The Arsenal manager was abused by some home supporters as a result of the decision, the mood turning more poisonous still once Antonio Valencia had exposed Arshavin to provide Danny Welbeck with the game's decisive goal. There was sarcastic applause offered by the fans near the dugout as the Frenchman threw down a water bottle in disgust. "I can understand that the fans are upset about the substitution, especially when it doesn't work," said Wenger. "But that means, first, I made the right decision at the start of the game.

"Oxlade-Chamberlain had started to fatigue, started to stretch his calf, and was not used to the intensity. He was sick during the week. Arshavin is captain of the Russia national team. I have to justify [substituting] a guy of 18 who's playing his second or third game? Let's be serious. I have to stand up for the substitutions I made. I've been 30 years in this job and have made 50,000 substitutions and I have to justify every time I make a decision? I do not have to explain to you every single decision I make."

While Wenger refused to comment on Van Persie's very public exclamation of disbelief at the change, suggesting he had not witnessed it, the former United defender Gary Neville, working as a pundit for Sky television, said: "If the captain's reacting like that, you've got problems."

Neville was more scathing still of Arshavin's subsequent contribution. "You don't like to criticise players, but he looks the most disinterested player in the league to me. He doesn't like our weather. He doesn't like our women. I think he wants to go back to Russia. Well, go back. The Arsenal fans don't want him out there."

"If you expect me to blame an individual player, it will not happen," said Wenger. "We win and lose together. You want me to blame one player? I will not do that. If I've made a mistake, I'm sorry. I'm like a player. I'm not completely sure. It could have happened as well if [Oxlade‑Chamberlain] had stayed on. That's part of United being dangerous on the flanks. But people pay for their tickets and are free to express their emotions. We cannot dictate what behaviour people should have. That doesn't mean they're right always."

While the Arsenal manager conceded defeat – a third in succession for the first time since 2007 – had left his team in "a very difficult position" in terms of Champions League qualification, Sir Alex Ferguson delighted in a win that ensured the gap to Manchester City at the top remains only three points. This game had felt all the more daunting after the leaders' stoppage-time victory over Tottenham Hotspur earlier in the afternoon, though Manchester's joint triumphs over north London have left the title pursuit as a two-horse race. "It is going to be hard for both us and City to collapse in the run-in now," said Ferguson. "We're both ahead of our other rivals and we just have to keep on City's coat-tails. We said that before the game that winning after City had won their game was the important thing. But we did it in the right way: we played football and were adventurous and had belief in ourselves. I'm delighted with that at this time of the season."

Ferguson anticipates being without Phil Jones for "a few weeks" after the player damaged ankle ligaments in the first half. The England defender will be scanned on Monday most likely along with Nani, who hopped from the field after sustaining his own ankle injury late on.

Source: Dominic Fifield, The Guardian on 22 Jan 12

Arsène Wenger's decision to introduce Andrey Arshavin proves costly

In Arsène We Trust. Not here. Not after the 73rd minute, when Arsène Wenger made a substitution that had even his captain Robin van Persie mouthing his disbelief. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain had just set up Van Persie's equaliser and a stirring second-half jump back from the brink by Arsenal looked set to yield something tangible.

Yet Wenger's decision to replace Oxlade‑Chamerlain's youthful cut and thrust with Andrey Arshavin, who is the player that Arsenal fans love to hate, brought jeers and derision in virtually all corners. And to give the game's principal sub-plot its savage pay-off, Arshavin just had to showcase some of his weak defensive tracking on Manchester United's winning goal, swept home by Danny Welbeck.

Wenger hurled his water bottle down in disgust but behind him in the stands, there were vociferous shows of dissent. Some Arsenal supporters stood to applaud him sarcastically and, later on, there were cries for him to "spend some fucking money", which has become the default setting at times of soul-searching.

At full-time, as the Sky TV cameramen hurried their lenses towards the Frenchman, there was the sight of Sir Alex Ferguson sending him down the tunnel with a sympathetic pat on the back. The Emirates does not normally teem with such open hostility towards Wenger, the manager whose work for the club is so highly regarded, but this felt like a dreadfully low ebb.

The story for Arsenal might have centred upon Van Persie's 23rd goal from 28 appearances this season and the tribute he unveiled on his vest to his grandfather, who was celebrating his 91st birthday in the crowd.

It could have taken in the flashes of promise that Oxlade-Chamberlain showed or, above all, the extraordinary comeback that those in red produced after a first‑half display marked by nervousness and basic errors.

Instead, after Arsenal's third Premier League defeat in succession, it became all about Wenger. On the eve of the game, he had joked that he did not "stay sane" in the face of the pressures that he faced. Plenty of Arsenal fans left the stadium wondering whether he had cracked up.

He had not. He had just made a mistake, despite his determination not to admit it. And the wider question has to be asked concerning Arsenal's fragility. The home team were firmly in the ascendancy and the withdrawal of a tiring teenager on his full Premier League debut ought not to have checked their momentum.

Nor should the introduction of the Russia captain, however disinterested Arshavin frequently looks and however much scorn he invites. Up in the Sky studio, Gary Neville seized the opportunity to plough into the back of him, as he used to do to Jose Reyes.

The episode felt symptomatic of Arsenal's knife-edge existence and even these 90 minutes contained wild mood swings. Booed off at half-time, the jeers returned with interest upon the final whistle but, for the majority of the second half, the home crowd could be delighted at how their team had played.

Everybody inside the ground, chief among them Wenger, suspected that it would not be Arsenal's day when Van Persie belted a golden chance wide in the 51st minute, after Chris Smalling had slipped. Yet Arsenal carried the fight and they created three decent openings before Van Persie atoned with his threaded shot, which proved marginally stronger than Anders Lindegaard's fingertips.

United looked more assured, more balanced and, as even Wenger admitted, "a bit more mature in every position than we are." A glance at the substitutes' benches told you all you needed to know about the strength in depth at both clubs at present.

While United boasted big reputations, Wenger might have counted three players that he wanted to sell; another that he wished he had not signed in the summer; two unproven teenagers and Yossi Benayoun. Wenger pleaded for understanding over his 11 absentees.

Arsenal's first-half travails were epitomised by Johan Djourou, one of the central defenders who has been asked in recent weeks to stick his finger in the defensive dam. The stand-in right-back has found it overwhelming. Sent off at Fulham in the club's first fixture of 2012, he was dominated by Nani and fortunate that the winger's end product was disappointing. Eventually, United reaped reward from their inroads up the left when Ryan Giggs crossed for Antonio Valencia, who exposed Thomas Vermaelen, another centre-half filling in at full-back. The home crowd cheered the announcement that Djourou would not reappear for the second-half.

Wenger was defiant afterwards, and protective of his players. No individual would be singled out for blame. Not even Arshavin. Things would improve, he insisted, when his injury-list eased. Spending in January was still not the answer.

Yet this was a game that Wenger admitted his team "could not afford to lose" in the fight to finish fourth. United continued to pile on the misery. After the 8-2 at Old Trafford in August, this was a 10th victory for them over Arsenal in 13 meetings.

If Wenger thought his season had hit rock bottom in the traumatic early weeks, he had better think again.

Outgunned
3 League games Arsenal have lost in a row, their worst run since April 2007

11 Games in which Arsenal have failed to score more than one goal in the league this season

7 Number of clean sheets Arsenal have kept in the league this season

0 Players other than Robin van Persie whose goal tally runs into double figures for the Gunners this season

6 Away games Arsenal have lost, the joint most in the top half of the table alongside Sunderland

16 Millions of pounds spent on Per Mertesacker and André Santos to bolster the defence last summer

1 Goals Marouane Chamakh has scored this season. Even Thomas Vermaelen has scored two more

Source: David Hytner, The Guardian on 22 Jan 12

Arsenal v Manchester United: five Premier League title pointers

United refuse to give up their title; doubts remain over defence; utility player a must-buy; Valencia a comfort; all over for Arsenal

United refuse to give up their title
Witnessing stoppage time at the Etihad Stadium must have been crushingly deflating for Manchester United, a sense that fate is with Manchester City's championship bid inescapable. Even Sir Alex Ferguson's pre-match assessment that "what we've got to do is make sure we keep on City's coat-tails" felt resigned. Yet, while there are clear weaknesses in their makeup, psychologically this United team retain strength. This game was a test of their powers of reaction, an examination even sterner once Arsenal had revived after the interval and equalised. Yet Danny Welbeck's winner sent out a message: this is not City's title just yet. The pursuit has been maintained.

Doubts remain over United's backline
The champions would argue this represented one of the more daunting trips of the campaign, though the shortcomings of their rejigged and reshaped backline are all too evident these days. Arsenal may have pressured them only in fits and starts but United still creaked, particularly at the beginning of the second half as panic threatened to set in. With Nemanja Vidic a long-term absentee and Rio Ferdinand missing here, there was a fragility to United's defence. Neither Jonny Evans nor Chris Smalling tracked Robin van Persie as he collected Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain's reverse pass to equalise, and other opportunities had been desperately denied up to then. Winning the Premier League title with such an inexperienced rearguard would constitute a considerable achievement for Ferguson.

United miss utility player of choice
The cameras focused on Fabio Capello as Phil Jones was carried round the touchline on a stretcher, though the watching England manager's concern will have been felt more keenly than Ferguson. The damage sustained to the utility player's left ankle as he stumbled in retreat from Theo Walcott will be determined once the swelling recedes, but his discomfort was clear and ominous. While England wonder about Euro 2012, United will ponder whether right-back is fast becoming a position of real concern. Smalling has featured there but was required centrally here. Rafael da Silva, Jones's replacement, is still raw, had been booked by the break and was subbed himself before the end. If there is a position where an addition must be made this January, it is here.

Valencia's return offers reassurance
The Ecuadorean winger maintained recent high standards, unsettling Thomas Vermaelen – a stopgap left‑back – with slippery skill and a crunching header for United's first-half reward. The 26-year-old offers balance and bite, his rhythm thankfully now restored. Perhaps Valencia needed longer to recover fully from the fractured ankle suffered at Rangers in September 2010. He missed much of pre-season last summer after succumbing to injury at the Copa América which certainly set him back but this was like old times with his tormenting of Andrey Arshavin for his side's second proving as much.

Arsenal have been cast to periphery
For much of the second period the momentum was with Arsenal, the home support driving them on in pursuit of their equaliser, only for the mood to turn poisonous. Oxlade-Chamberlain's substitution for Arshavin had the locals in open revolt, the abuse raining down on Arsène Wenger when the Russian was half-hearted in tracking Valencia for United's winner. The title has long gone but a third successive league defeat leaves fourth place five points away, and the third-placed Tottenham Hotspur still 10 clear. Results have reverted to the misery of autumn. The disaster Wenger had feared – a failure to reach the Champions League – may well now become a reality.

Source: Dominic Fifield, The Guardian on 22 Jan 12

Danny Welbeck wins Manchester United all three points at Arsenal

If Manchester United are to relinquish the Premier League title it is clear their grip may have to be released finger by finger. This was an examination of nerve for Sir Alex Ferguson's team and they passed it with distinction on a day when Arsène Wenger faced mutinous chants and Manchester City were given a stark reminder of their neighbours' staying power.

A lesser team may have been gripped by anxiety after Mario Balotelli's late winner for City against Spurs. Instead, United merely reiterated their determination to keep hold of the trophy as they set about the business of cutting back the gap between themselves and City to three points.

It was Arsenal's third successive defeat and Wenger was subjected to sustained and embittered abuse throughout the final stages. The substitute Andrey Arshavin was booed when he replaced Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and there was more vitriol at the end. Arsenal had been obliging opponents, desperately short of ideas for long spells, and there was something close to sympathy in the way Ferguson consoled his old adversary on the touchline. United had made it a traumatic experience for them.

The champions played with drive and purpose and will reflect that they probably made the job of winning harder than was necessary. Robin van Persie's 71st-minute goal had threatened to take the game away from them but it is when the heat of the battle is at its most extreme that Ferguson's team usually show their durability and their response was quickly delivered. Paul Scholes restored some calm after being introduced. Shortly afterwards, Antonio Valencia exchanged passes with Park Ji-sung inside the penalty area before teeing up Danny Welbeck. The striker lashed in the winner to ensure United had the last word of a telling weekend for the Manchester clubs.

The win was deserved even if Arsenal had recovered from a wretched first half to produce something close to the incisive passing with which they are associated. The champions were in command for long spells, taking the lead when Valencia headed in Ryan Giggs's cross in first-half stoppage time, and though it was disconcerting to see Wenger being attacked in such a way it must have been galling for the home crowd to witness how far their team have slipped. These are the moments when it feels highly improbable Van Persie will choose to stay beyond the end of the season.

United made the first half a particular ordeal for their hosts, with Johan Djourou so disorientated at right-back that he was spared from any further torment after the break and replaced with the 18-year-old Nico Yennaris. Had Nani and, to a lesser extent, Patrice Evra been more accurate with their crosses during this period, United might have been spared the trauma of coming so close to losing points. Giggs, playing Arsenal for the 48th time of his career, showed how it should be done for Valencia's goal, in keeping with a wonderful performance of craft and intelligence from the oldest player on the pitch.

This was the culmination of a 20-minute spell of almost unremitting pressure from the away side. Almost everything originated on the left, targeting Djourou's uncertainty at a time when Arsenal are missing five full-backs through injury. Nani and Evra tormented a player who, in mitigation, was hopelessly exposed at times because of the lack of tracking back from Oxlade-Chamberlain. Welbeck was a constant menace once he had stopped straying offside. Wayne Rooney was a tireless worker, even if his performance was undermined by the moment when he exaggerated the impact of Alex Song's challenge to try to win a cheap penalty.

United were so on top at half-time it might have been complacency that allowed Arsenal to drag themselves back into the match in the second half. The away side lost their impetus and, in a 15-minute spell, Van Persie missed the kind of chance he would usually score blindfolded. Aaron Ramsey shot over, Oxlade-Chamberlain dragged another effort wide and Evra blocked Tomas Rosicky's goal-bound effort.

There was always the sense that United could get behind the home defence. Welbeck, justifying his place ahead of Javier Hernández, ran clear and turned his shot past Wojciech Szczesny only for Per Mertesacker to clear off the line. Other chances were passed up before Van Persie's equaliser, stemming directly from a United chance when Rafael da Silva ran from inside his own half to have the opportunity to make it 2-0. The Brazilian was still out of position as Oxlade-Chamberlain fed Van Persie and the Dutchman scored with a diagonal finish in off the post.

Rafael, a first-half substitute after Phil Jones had sprained his ankle, was substituted himself and, at that point, his naivety, coupled with the occasional wastefulness of United's attackers, looked as though it could be costly. Instead, Welbeck pounced and, once again, we saw United's determination not to allow City to disappear into the distance.

Source: Daniel Taylor, The Guardian on 22 Jan 12

Wenger's reaction to the Arsenal 1-2 Manchester United match

on the performance…
I am really disappointed because we had a difficult first half, a nervous first half. [It was] technically not at the level we want and we came back well with a fantastic fighting spirit in the second half. I thought we had the chances to win the game quite comfortably in the second half but you feel the Manchester United team is a bit more mature in every position than we are.

It was important not to make a mistake, either tactically or attention-wise, and especially on the flank. We were caught at a moment where we felt we were closer to winning the game. Having battled like we did and to come out without anything is very difficult to take.

on the substitution of Andrey Arshavin for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain…
I can understand that the fans are upset about the substitution, especially when it doesn’t work, but I made the right decision at the start of the game [in starting Oxlade-Chamberlain]. He had started fatigue, stretched his calf and he was sick in the week.

People pay for their tickets and are free to express their emotions. We have to deal with that, not to dictate behaviour to people.

on Robin van Persie’s reaction…
I didn’t see [Robin van Persie’s reaction]. I don’t want to come out on every reaction. We lost the game now and I don’t think I have to explain what I will do. I have to stand up for the result and the substitutions I made.

on Welbeck’s winning goal…
We lose together and we win together, and now you want me to blame one player? I won’t do that. About the player, I am not completely sure. It could have happened if [Oxlade-Chamberlain] stayed on. Manchester United are very dangerous on the flanks.

on the race for a top-four spot…
It leaves us in a very difficult position because we couldn’t afford to lose. But there are also a lot of positives from this game. The way we responded in the second half is a positive thing. It’s difficult to have a reaction like that and come out with no points at all.

I feel the referee had a fair game overall and we had a nervous first half, we didn’t play enough. In the second half we played our game but unfortunately we were not rewarded. But we need to keep that spirit and play.

on the fans calls to spend some money…
Spending the money is not the target, to buy good players is the target. We need our players back. People are not conscious that we miss 10 players. When you see what we created in the second half without [those injured] players, it is important to get the players back.

Source: Arsenal.com on 22 Jan 12

22 January 2012: Arsenal 1-2 Manchester United, The Emirates

Arsenal lost 2-1 to Manchester United at Emirates Stadium on Sunday.

Danny Welbeck struck the winning goal nine minutes from time to tip this evenly-balanced game in favour of Sir Alex Ferguson’s side.

The visitors deserved the lead given to them on the stroke of half time when Antonio Valencia headed home Ryan Giggs’ cross at the far post. However, Arsenal were rejuvenated after the restart and equalised in the 71st minute when Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain set up Robin van Persie to fire home his 23rd goal of campaign.

Both sides were looking for the winner in the dying stages – Arsenal to close the gap on the top four, Manchester United to keep pace with leaders Manchester City.

Unfortunately the visitors found it. However, Wenger’s men showed enough fighting spirit to suggest their battle for Champions League football is far from over.

The two sets of supporters at Emirates Stadium had ample pre-match entertainment this afternoon. Their local rivals, Manchester City and Tottenham, were battling it out up the North West of England.

Mario Balotelli’s late winner had a major impact on both clubs this afternoon – and not just because of local concerns.

Wenger made three changes from the side beaten at Swansea. Fit-again Thomas Vermaelen replaced Ignasi Miquel at left back, Tomas Rosicky came in for Yossi Benayoun and Oxlade-Chamberlain was favoured over Andrey Arshavin.

It was the youngster who caught the eye in the opening stages of his first Premier League start. He raced down the left in the second minute but his dangerous cutback evaded Van Persie.

It was the shape of things to come in the first 15 minutes. Arsenal had the better of the early exchanges. They snapped at the heels of the visitors and, although the final ball was sometimes misplaced, they continued to ask all the questions.

Manchester United’s cohesion was not helped by the loss of Phil Jones after he fell awkwardly when trying to take on Walcott.

However, as we reached the half-way point of the first period, Manchester United were starting to create their fair-share of pressure.

Nani whipped in a cross from the left which was nodded away from the waiting Giggs by Per Mertesacker at the back post. Eventually the ball did find its way to the Welshman and his low, angled shot was saved by Wojciech Szczesny.

Oxlade-Chamberlain was still Arsenal’s brightest hope and, in the 25th minute, he bamboozled Patrice Evra on the byline before Walcott fired over.

The game was opening up now. Arsenal were pressing more and Manchester United were attempting to catch them on the break. But for excellent backtracking by Laurent Koscielny, the galloping Welbeck might have done that just before the half hour.

A few minutes later, Nani tried to find the same striker but Mertesacker intervened.

As the game wore on, Manchester United were squeezing Arsenal but they were yet to force Szczesny into a significant save. That changed 10 minutes from the whistle when Evra cut the ball back to Nani. His first-time shot was superbly stopped by Szczesny low at his near post.

Walcott and Ramsey then combined on the right but the latter’s cross could not find the head of Van Persie at the near post.

Seconds later, Nani got beyond Djourou and, rather optimistically, tried to find the far corner from an acute angle.

Most of the visiting threat had come down the left so it was no surprise that Manchester United’s goal emanated from there. However, it came just as both sides were starting to wind down into half time.

Vermaelen’s clearance went straight to the visitors and Giggs curled a clever cross to the far post where Valencia ghosted in to guide home a header.

It was blow for the home side who had withstood significant pressure and must have thought they would reach the break on level terms.

However, Manchester United would hand them a golden chance for an equaliser within minutes of the restart. Chris Smalling slipped just inside his own half to give Rosicky a clear run at goal. The Czech midfielder reached the edge of the area before finding Van Persie. He weaved himself into position but fired wide of the post. A massive moment.

Wenger had replaced Johan Djourou with Nico Yennaris at the break. The right back, who had been a team mascot in 2000, came on to make his Premier League debut.

However, in Nani, the 18-year-old was facing one of the most potent attacking threats on the pitch. A couple of minutes later, one of his clever cutbacks was hurriedly cleared by the head of Koscielny.

Still, overall, that early opportunity seemed to have enlivened Arsenal. Oxlade-Chamberlain fed Ramsey to fire just over the bar then Van Persie set up Rosicky to crack an effort goalwards. Evra blocked the drive. Arsenal claimed he had done so with his hand.

Just past the hour, Koscielny stormed forward and Oxlade-Chamberlain scuttled a shot inches wide of the post.

The game was wide open once more. Midway through the half, Welbeck outpaced Mertesacker and clipped the ball past the onrushing Szczesny. However, the German defender slid in to hook the ball off the line.

Then the keeper made a sprawling save to push Welbeck wide and Song booted the ball away from under his own bar.

This game was becoming wonderful entertainment, full of pace and passion. Manchester United were pressing and Arsenal were looking to counter.

They did so successfully in the 71st minute.

Oxlade-Chamberlain stormed forward and clipped a pass inside to Van Persie. The Dutchman’s shot went through the legs of his marker and tickled the fingertips of Anders Lindegaard before finding the far corner.

Van Persie celebrated by showing a t-shirt bearing a 91st birthday message for his grandfather.

Arsenal went on search for an immediate second and only a brave gather by Lindegaard stopped Walcott finding one 13 minutes from the end.

However, nine minute from time, Manchester United stole a second. Valencia burst in from the right, drew in the Arsenal defence and dinked the ball back for Welbeck. The striker sidefooted home.

In the dying stages, Arsenal threw Mertesacker forward. Lindegaard tipped away a dangerous cross from Walcott before the German defender saw his header chested off the line by Jonny Evans.

But in the end they just could not find an equaliser.

Source: Richard Clarke, Arsenal.com on 22 Jan 12

Gunners out to exact revenge

Manchester United will go into their game at the Emirates against Arsenal on Sunday afternoon knowing that they will have slipped behind Tottenham in second place, or will need to play catch up again to rivals Man City. A draw in the lunchtime kick-off between the two title contenders would afford United the best result, though, as a win over the Gunners would put them within a point of City and give them breathing space from Harry Redknapp's side.

A United win, while not a formality, is certainly expected by many as the club have won seven and lost one of their last nine matches against Arsenal in all competitions. It is a record that makes worse reading for Gunners' fans when you consider that the game will be officiated by Mike Dean, under whom Arsene Wenger's side have won none of their last ten Premier League games (W0 D5 L5).

While Arsenal did beat United 1-0 at the Emirates last season, they have struggled a little since and have only scored more than once in four of their last 16 Premier League games at home and netted just 20 in total over those matches. That said, home is where they have been most stable. With an away record that contains six defeats in ten (including the humiliating 8-2 at Old Trafford) the seven wins with only six goals conceded are a source for optimism in the midst of an injury crisis that has robbed Wenger of most of his defence.

A boost could come in the form of Thomas Vermaelen, who could return at left-back if he can shake off a calf strain, but it looks likely that Johan Djourou and Ignasi Miquel will be pressed into service once more on the flanks with Laurent Koscielny and Per Mertesacker in the middle. Of course, up front, Thierry Henry's loan arrival at the Emirates has given them a boost in the absence of Gervinho and Marouane Chamakh, but United have their own returning hero.

Midfielder Paul Scholes is back at the club to help with their own injury crisis and help them through a period in which they have been uncharacteristically sloppy. A premature exit from the Champions League, Carling Cup defeat to Championship club Crystal Palace and two back-to-back defeats to Blackburn and Newcastle was reason enough to bring the classy midfielder out of retirement and the poor run was quickly tempered by knocking rivals City out of the FA Cup and a 3-0 hammering of Bolton.

The Da Silva twins, Fabio and Rafael, have returned to bolster the defence and, with Rio Ferdinand, Phil Jones and Jonny Evans all fit, Sir Alex Ferguson has a few more options at the back. Furthermore, with the likes of Antonio Valencia, Nani and Wayne Rooney firing on all cylinders in attack, United will be confident that they can inflict a third straight defeat on Arsenal.

Arsenal player to watch: Aaron Ramsey
The Welshman has quickly become central to Arsenal's midfield with a long-term injury to Jack Wilshere, however a poor personal performance in the 3-2 defeat to Swansea showed that he still has work to do. Clever and comfortable on the ball, Ramsey was guilty of giving it away far too easily and cannot afford to make the same mistakes against the Red Devils. He scored in this fixture last season, but has only managed one Premier League goal since.

Manchester United player to watch: Park Ji-Sung
The South Korean is often thrown into United's biggest games and has emerged as a more central figure for the club this season, such is his positional sense and reliability. His work-rate and stamina are the key aspects of his game and among the bare bones of Fergie's squad, his work has been invaluable. Even if the midfielder does not last the entire game, his pressing and eye for a pass mean he will be a handful wherever he pops up.

Key Battle: Ignasi Miquel v Antonio Valencia
In the absence of others, the young Spanish defender has been plugging a gap at left-back, but it is by no means a position that he finds himself comfortable in. Strong and quick, he has the tools at his disposal to cope, but his positional sense and lack of experience at this level have found him wanting. A bad time, then, to be coming up against one of the form players in the Premier League this season. Valencia has proved himself to be a model of versatility as he has filled in at right-back for United, but having been restored to a more familiar wing role, he has blossomed. With a deadly delivery, pace and tricks, Miquel is in for a tough afternoon against the Ecuadorian and Wenger may hope that Vermaelen is able to return to spare his young charge.
 
Source: Jon Carter, ESPN Soccernet on 22 Jan 12

London and Manchester: a tale of two cities dominating the Premier League

Twenty years on the top flight has turned many former big hitters into small-town clubs

Every time the hype and anticipation surrounding Spain's El Clásico series of grudge matches starts up in earnest, as it did last week for Barcelona's 2–1 Copa del Rey defeat of Real Madrid, it is remarked rather smugly in this country that at least the Premier League can boast more than two teams capable of winning the title.

That is still just about true, though by common consent – Roberto Mancini, Sir Alex Ferguson, André Villas-Boas and a few others – the number presently stands at three. Viz, the two Manchester sides and Tottenham Hotspur, and even that number may reduce should City open up an eight-point gap over Spurs on Sunday afternoon. The rest of the chasers are already looking at an even bigger chasm to bridge, and as the Manchester United manager said last weekend it would take a collapse by all three teams at the top of the table to give Chelsea and Arsenal a glimmer of hope.

Three teams is only slightly better than two, though what the Premier League can rejoice in and La Liga cannot is that two of those three names are new. Manchester City have not won a league title since 1968, have had 22 managers since Joe Mercer, have been all the way to the third tier of English football and back and were everyone's favourite joke club until three or four years ago. Spurs have never quite gone in for comedy to the same extent but you could have raised a laugh just a few seasons ago with the notion that they would be leading London's challenge for the title with Chelsea and Arsenal floundering in their wake.

So the argument that the Premier League is more competitive than La Liga is not without merit, particularly as Arsenal and Chelsea are still in the Champions League and are still capable of mounting a convincing domestic challenge most seasons, and not forgetting it is less than a month since the bottom-placed team rather grandly prevented United ascending to the top of the table by beating them 3-2 at Old Trafford. There is more to English football than a rivalry between two teams, as is the rather unhealthy case in Spain, though increasingly the Premier League is becoming a tale of two cities.

Consider the facts. In the 20 years of its history, the Premier League has been won only once by a team from outside London or Manchester, and unless Liverpool or Newcastle are going to be absolutely amazing in the coming months, this season will conform to the usual pattern. The only exception to the rule, Blackburn under Jack Walker and Kenny Dalglish, was 18 years ago and acknowledged even at the time to be a one-off, never to be repeated achievement. In the first year of the Premier League Aston Villa were runners-up and Norwich finished third. The next few years saw Blackburn, Newcastle, Nottingham Forest and Leeds claim what might be termed podium finishes, though since the turn of the century the London-Manchester duopoly has tightened its grip. Only Liverpool, runners-up twice and in third place three times, have managed to get a look-in at the top in the past 11 years, apart from Newcastle, who managed third place in 2003. That means, of 33 possible podium places, only six have ended up outside London or Manchester since the 2000-01 season.

Liverpool and Newcastle, as it happens, are still the likeliest challengers to the duopoly, though not so likely that London or Manchester need be worried. At least not the leading teams in London and Manchester. Arsenal and Chelsea will be well aware that fourth place is still up for grabs, and Liverpool supporters in particular confident that once a toehold in Europe has been gained it can be used as a springboard to much greater glory. But as things stand Dalglish has yet to reverse the slow decline that has been his club's story since they won their last title 22 years ago, and Newcastle have still to prove they can match the standards set under Kevin Keegan and Bobby Robson.

Elsewhere, however, the wastage is even worse. Everton and Leeds, among the last winners of the old First Division title, have slipped well out of contention. Leeds, like Nottingham Forest, have even slipped the odd division. Aston Villa have more in common with Midlands neighbours Wolves and West Brom in fearing relegation more than aspiring to achievement, three Lancashire clubs could easily be relegated – not that Blackburn, Bolton or Wigan have been doing much of late at the other end of the table – and although a certain level of success can presently be claimed at Stoke, Sunderland, Norwich and Swansea it is on a regional rather than national scale. That is not to denigrate the considerable achievements of Tony Pulis, Martin O'Neill, Paul Lambert and Brendan Rodgers, just to point out that it will be a while before they are acclaimed outside the Premier League.

Abroad used to be that England was a country with an astonishing number of professional clubs and an incredible depth to its league system. That largely remains the case, though it is being obscured by the view that London and Manchester are synonymous with English success. The rest of the world can just about grasp that London, as a major capital and population centre, can contain a bewildering number of professional teams, though Spurs joining Arsenal and Chelsea in the Champions League bracket gives it an unusual potency. Manchester is a provincial city – that's why both its teams carry its name – and although United's unparalleled success in the last couple of decades has been the single biggest factor in shutting out the rest of the country, City's wealth now seems likely to continue the process.

For how long is anyone's guess, but the predictions made at the beginning of the Premier League, that it would eventually work against small-town teams and favour big clubs from big cities, appear to be coming true. It is just that 20 years ago no one had Liverpool and Birmingham or Newcastle, Sheffield and Leeds down as small towns. And no one imagined the number of big cities would be just two.

This afternoon's big matches – City v Spurs, Arsenal v United – would have been pretty big at most points in the game's history. London v Manchester has always been a rivalry within the overall context of English football, but where it used to be a subplot, it is now the whole story. It is true that more teams are involved in England, and there is comfort in that, but the situation is not so far removed from Spain that the Premier League can afford to feel smugness or superiority.

Source: Paul Wilson, The Guardian on 21 Jan 12

Sir Alex Ferguson sees easing of Manchester United and Arsenal enmity

Sir Alex Ferguson believes the bad blood has gone now from Manchester United's clashes with Arsenal.

The Gunners' failure to compete with United for the championship in recent years has coincided with an improvement in the once icy relationship between Ferguson and his opposite number Arsène Wenger, while the aggression and controversy that characterised the fixture has also waned.

One theory is that Ferguson reserves his confrontations for those who pose a sustained challenge to United in the Premier League, something Arsenal, humiliated 8-2 at Old Trafford in August, have struggled to do since 2007-08.

The United manager, however, claims increased competition from other clubs for the title plus the younger nature of the Arsenal team is why there have been no recent episodes that rekindle memories of Martin Keown's goading of Ruud van Nistelrooy, Ian Wright's run-ins with Peter Schmeichel, or Roy Keane's confrontation with Patrick Vieira before the teams had even entered the fray at Highbury.

"I don't think that [Arsenal not being a threat] is the issue. I think it's because they are different types of teams," said Ferguson. "The type of player they had, the likes of Vieira, Petit, Henry, Tony Adams and Steve Bould, has been replaced by a different type now. It's a younger player, a different type altogether. Arsène has not changed his philosophy and it has paid dividends for Arsenal over a long period. He is still trying to do the same things. He is still trying to entertain and to play their football their way.

"You have to go back five or six years for when it was last combustible, when Keane and Vieira had that slanging match in the tunnel. You have to go back a few years. I don't think it has been anything like that for the last three years. It has calmed down a bit. Do I miss it? That's a good one."

The United manager, who has Phil Jones and Chris Smalling back from injury for the trip to the Emirates Stadium, cited the rise of Chelsea, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur as another reason why the rivalry with Arsenal has diluted. He added: "You've got to remember that for probably a decade it was us and Arsenal. Then for six years it was us and Chelsea. Now you have City and Tottenham. I always thought that two teams would dominate the final parts of the season but you haven't got that now.

"You've got six teams trying to get into the top four. That is a big change. Tottenham's progress over the last two years has been fantastic, City's progress has been fantastic and you've got Liverpool. The rivalries are there but it is spread out now."

Ferguson insists there is no prospect of repeating August's remarkable result against Arsenal, who were severely depleted at Old Trafford and yet to sign the reinforcements that have contributed to a vast improvement since. "There is no chance it will be as open as that. Arsenal have recovered well, they had a really good period and have qualified for the next stage of the Champions League so I don't think there is an awful lot wrong there," he said. "They have also had to contend with a lot of injuries to defenders, particularly to Sagna and Gibbs and it is not easy to be without your two regular full-backs for a long period."

Sunday's trip to north London marks the start of a demanding spell for United, who also face Liverpool in the league and FA Cup, Chelsea away and Spurs away up to 3 March. "We've had a couple of wins but only two and we want consistency," Ferguson added. "Hopefully we can navigate this clutch of games because they will be important for where we end up this season."

Source: Andy Hunter, The Guardian on 20 Jan 12

2011 Review: Arsenal’s 10 defining moments

Optimism abounds as Arsenal’s year draws to a close but there have been numerous peaks and troughs along the way. As 2012 edges closer we look back at some of the defining moments from an extraordinary 12 months for the Club.

DECEMBER 10 - THE CLUB'S 125 CELEBRATIONS
Arsenal celebrated their 125th anniversary by paying tribute to heroes past and present on an emotional day at the Emirates. After unveiling statues of Herbert Chapman, Thierry Henry and Tony Adams, the Club welcomed Everton for the commemorative game. A number of Arsenal legends were presented to a packed stadium, referee Howard Webb used a sixpence to decide the kick-off and the great grandchildren of Club founder David Danskin took out the match ball. To cap off a memorable occasion for everyone associated with the Gunners, Van Persie fired in a sublime volley to claim three points for Wenger’s side.

OCTOBER 29 - CHELSEA 3-5 ARSENAL
The Gunners’ revival had started to build momentum after four successive victories, but the acid test of how far they had progressed would come at Stamford Bridge. Despite trailing 2-1 at half time, a reinvigorated Arsenal stormed out after the break to take the lead through goals from Santos and Walcott, before Mata fired in a late equaliser. However, a Terry slip gifted Van Persie the chance to put Wenger’s men ahead again, and the Dutch striker completed a wonderful hat trick with a last-gasp strike. Arsenal truly were back.

SEPTEMBER 25 - ARSENAL LADIES COMPLETE THE TREBLE
Laura Harvey’s side secured an historic Treble with a 4-1 victory against Birmingham City in the Continental Cup after goals from Ellen White, Jayne Ludlow and a Rachel Yankey brace. In an incredible season, Arsenal beat Birmingham to the Super League title by three points and won the FA Women’s Cup too. “These are really exciting times - we have a batch of young players who have stepped up this season and they will get better and better,” Harvey said.

AUGUST 30/31 - WENGER'S LATE SUMMER SIGNINGS
With the clock ticking down to the transfer deadline, Wenger made a number of late moves. The signings of Santos, Mertesacker, Arteta, Benayoun and Park - all full internationals – immediately injected greater depth and experience to Arsenal’s squad and led to a major upturn in form as the team climbed the table.

AUGUST 28 - MANCHESTER UNITED 8-2 ARSENAL
An injury-hit, depleted Arsenal side suffered the worst defeat of Wenger’s reign at Old Trafford. Despite the painful nature of the result, the Gunners’ travelling fans were widely praised for their vociferous support. Afterwards, Wenger admitted his squad was short in key areas, prompting him to re-enter the transfer market.

AUGUST 15-24 - CESC FABREGAS AND SAMIR NASRI LEAVE
After long-term speculation over his future, Fabregas returned Barcelona just two days after the start of the new season. The Spaniard made 303 appearances for the Club after joining in 2003, scoring 57 goals, and is widely regarded as having developed into one of the world’s best midfielders under Wenger’s tutelage. A week later Nasri also left the Emirates, moving to Manchester City in a big-money deal.

APRIL ONWARDS - STAN KROENKE INCREASES MAJORITY SHAREHOLDING
An Arsenal director since September 2008, Mr Kroenke made an offer for the Club in April. He had increased his majority shareholding to 66.64 per cent by June and it now stands at 66.82 per cent. Mr Kroenke purchased the shares of Danny Fiszman, shortly before the long-serving director’s tragic death at the age of 66 in April.

FEBRUARY 27 - ARSENAL 1-2 BIRMINGHAM
Wenger’s side were heavy favourites to win their first trophy in six years against struggling Birmingham in the Carling Cup Final, but they went behind to Zigic’s 28th-minute strike. Van Persie restored parity on the stroke of half-time with a sublime volley, but much as Arsenal pressed in the second half, they could not break down the stubborn Blues. With the game seemingly destined for extra-time, a defensive mix-up gifted Martins a heartbreaking late winner. It proved to be a turning point, as the Gunners won just three times in their last 14 games.

FEBRUARY 16 - ARSENAL 2-1 BARCELONA
Coming just 11 days after the result at St James’ Park, few gave Arsenal much hope against the imperious Catalans in their Champions League last-16 first leg. David Villa fired Barcelona in front after 26 minutes but the resilient Gunners refused to buckle. With Jack Wilshere in dominant form, Wenger’s side stormed back to claim a famous victory with goals from Van Persie and Arshavin. The Gunners went on to lose the second leg at the Nou Camp but proved they could beat the cream of Europe.

FEBRUARY 5 - NEWCASTLE 4-4 ARSENAL
Arsène Wenger’s side raced into a four-goal lead after just 26 minutes following strikes from Walcott, Djourou and a Van Persie brace. But Djourou’s injury and Diaby’s sending off five minutes after the break changed the course of the game and Newcastle took advantage to complete a late comeback in a result that showed both the best and the worst of the Gunners.

Source: Rob Kelly, Arsenal.com on 30 Dec 11

Unfortunately, that had been coming

It's taken me over an hour to begin this blog post. It's been almost impossible to know where to start after Sunday's demolition, humiliation and disgrace at Old Trafford. Losing 8-2 in any situation, in any match, at any level, is simply unacceptable by the high standards set by Arsenal Football Club. It's not like we have a divine right to not get thrashed as reputations in sport ultimately mean nothing, but no Premier League side should just accept losing 8-2 as a bad day at the office.

For Arsenal, the infrastructure of the club, the fans, the stadium, the reputation, the recent record in the league, the manager and some of the players are of an extremely high standard. However, such a defeat as we received on Sunday has been coming for a while. Despite playing well last Wednesday and raising optimism amongst fans, there are underlying issues at the club that need addressing, both in the squad and higher up the Arsenal hierarchy. It's tough for all fans to have to face the reality of the situation we're now in as a club, and we can only hope that this result is so embarrassing and humiliating for those inside the Arsenal, that those issues are now properly addressed.

It's easy to play the blame game and single out certain individuals. However that doesn't help in these situations. The club as a whole has to be looked at. It isn't the fault of the players that they're picked to play for Arsenal, that's down to the manager, the coaching staff and those who scout the players in the first place. However once on the pitch, the players should take some responsibility for it themselves. We've seen some of them do great things with a ball in the past, but for some, greatness is seen all too rarely.

Then there is the board level. I definitely prefer the way Arsenal are run compared to most clubs in the Premier League, and the manager is rightly given almost complete control of the squad. There is still a sense that Arsenal do things ‘the right way’, and I love that about the club. However, I think they’ve got caught up in the ‘Arsenal way’. As much as I respect the work the club do, I think they became complacent about always being in the top four and staying near the top of the Premier League. Whilst other clubs have been strengthening, we’ve gone backwards. I’ve got a sense that the board could have assumed that Arsene will just work some magic and therefore they wouldn’t have to engage in money wars with the likes of Manchester City and Chelsea.

With the wage structure, I think it’s important that it exists at the club, although we’re effectively holding ourselves back against our rivals’ uncapped wages. We can’t compete from that point of view with those around us. Instead of demanding immediate and rash spending, should there be an evaluation of the wage structure? It’s all very well offering big amounts for players, but with big transfer fees usually comes big wages, and realistically that doesn’t fit into the Arsenal structure. Obviously the case of Fabregas was different due to his emotional attachment to Barcelona, but with others we aren’t seeing the benefit of our development of them due to higher wages being offered elsewhere. So as much as people will moan at Arsene Wenger, he can’t just alter the internal structure of the club on his own overnight, that has to come from those above him. Unfortunately, it seems like they haven’t been active enough in supporting Arsene to compete in the modern market.

In most football clubs though, the manager has to bear the brunt of fans’ anger towards the team. So far, Arsene Wenger hasn’t been active enough in improving the squad in the transfer market. Whether that’s solely down to him, only those inside the club will know. Ultimately though, he has the final say on who we do and don’t sign, and who is needed to improve the squad. There are two days to go before the window shuts, and the three key areas that need improvement haven’t been addressed. I don’t have any other strong memories of any other managers at Arsenal, so will always praise and respect Arsene Wenger for what he has done for the club, although everyone could see what was missing from the team at the end of last season. That has become even clearer during pre-season and into the start of the campaign following player sales. Why we’re leaving it this late to improve the squad, I don’t know.

Whether it’s the club not wanting to spend big, Wenger being too stubborn, or the manager believing too much in his young players, the fact is that Arsenal are being left behind in the Premier League. If we want to compete at the top of the league, we have to spend money. Wenger and the board may not like it, but the reality is that we can’t stay at the top without spending more. The Manchester United game was an all too graphic way of seeing this.

I’m not saying the manager should be sacked, not by any means, but he, along with the rest of the club, have let Arsenal fans down this summer. As much as we were optimistic after the Udinese game, a top class team like Manchester United were always likely to beat us. The manner of the defeat and the capitulation in the second half were disgraceful, and were it not so close to the transfer deadline that we couldn’t sell a lot of those players, they can count themselves lucky to ever get the chance to wear the cannon again; a cannon that means a lot to vast numbers of people, but clearly doesn’t mean a lot to some of them.

It’s hard to analyse the match in too much depth as there was so much that was wrong with it.

Manchester United did score some excellent goals, but all were avoidable defensively. Most teams would struggle to face Manchester United with three of their first choice back four missing, but they wouldn’t ship eight. Wojciech Szczesny in goal didn’t even have a bad game. Carl Jenkinson looked out of his depth, Armand Traore was frankly awful and the centre halves didn’t cover themselves in glory. Given they were our first choice pairing for most of last season, you wonder how we even finished in the top four.

Tomas Rosicky and Andrey Arshavin looked disinterested, Aaron Ramsey was swamped in midfield and Robin van Persie couldn’t hold the team up on his own, plus his penalty was poor. Theo Walcott, although he scored, didn’t get enough of the ball and make enough of an impression against Patrice Evra. One of the only men to come out with any credit was Francis Coquelin, and he was only there because of Song and Frimpong’s indiscipline.

As mentioned earlier, we should not be in a position that, with two days to go before the window shuts, we have no idea who will be in the Arsenal squad for the majority of the season. Nicklas Bendtner, Sebastien Squillaci, Manuel Almunia and Armand Traore could all go, meaning we need at least four players to sign in two days. It appears South Korean captain Park Chu Young is close to coming, along with left back Andre Santos from Fenerbahce. Whoever comes in must show like they want to be at Arsenal, and must improve the squad.

The Manchester United defeat was so bad, it appears to have kicked Arsene into action in the transfer market. As painful and horrific as it was, it could have been necessary to get the club moving forward again. If an 8-2 defeat isn’t a kick in the backside for the players, the manager and the board, then I don’t know what is.

Sunday showed all areas of the club need improving, bar one. The fans in the away end were fantastic. They were a credit to the club, and to Gooners everywhere. The offer of the club to pay for another away ticket was the correct one, as those there should be rewarded for their loyalty, and they’re the sort of people we want at away games in the future. If the players showed half the commitment that lot did, then there’s no way we’d have conceded eight. Those fans at Old Trafford should be examples to all of us as Arsenal fans, that no matter what the situation your team is in, you support the club. Criticise, analyse and scrutinise afterwards, but during the game, support the team and let them know how much you want those with a cannon on their chest, to succeed.

In a massive straw clutching exercise, and something that isn’t really a consolation after the weekend, but it does at least raise half a smile, a glance at the league table does at least show Tottenham below us and at the bottom. Relegation six pointer at White Hart Lane on the 2nd October? More performances like the Manchester United one and it’s a strong possibility.

We have two days to sort the squad out and make sure Arsene Wenger doesn’t come to an acrimonious end at Arsenal. Get on with it Arsene.

Source: Sam Limbert, ESPN Soccernet on 30 Aug 11