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

Arsène Wenger's German commander restores order to Arsenal

This occasion will be remembered with a little warmth by Arsenal. Arsène Wenger's team have already had enough of eventful days such as the 8-2 defeat at Old Trafford in their previous match. So it was that the team could take a shine to this mundane game that brought a first win of the season in the Premier League.

Arsenal have a better excuse than most for looking as if the new campaign took them by surprise. They were not in command of the transfer market timing that saw them lose Cesc Fábregas and Samir Nasri so late in the summer. The lineup on Saturday was intended to restore calm as much as collect points. While that task was completed, it has to be borne in mind that Swansea are yet to score in the Premier League.

Wenger was full of approval for Swansea, even if that was an indirect way to make excuses for his own side's inconsequentiality. He spoke of the danger they carry on the flanks but then drew a painful analogy. "They remind me of Blackpool last year," Wenger said. "They play in an audacious way, not restricted at all, with a good technical level. But their next home game [against West Bromwich Albion on Saturday] will certainly be very important." Blackpool, of course, were relegated.

It is still too soon to live in dread. Swansea beat Arsenal home and away during the 1981-82 season and even now this sort of fixture can still be hard-fought. The decisive moment itself was a matter of aberration rather than inspiration, with the goalkeeper Michel Vorm tossing a throw-out against the heels of his right-back, Angel Rangel. Andrey Arshavin tucked the loose ball home from an angle in the 40th minute.

"I felt for Vorm at the other end," said the Arsenal goalkeeper, Wojciech Szczesny. "It can happen. He must be gutted. If you do that kind of mistake then you want to lose 3-0, not 1-0." Szczesny himself is full of confidence after pulling off a string of saves in Poland's 2-2 home draw with Germany in the friendly last week and then being termed world-class by Oliver Kahn, one of the most renowned goalkeepers of modern times.

Team-mates at the Emirates have not generally had cause to feel so sure of themselves in the wake of that pummelling by Manchester United. Szczesny looked unaffected and is adamant that Arsenal can be title contenders. With the immediate challenge of the Champions League game at Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday in mind, Wenger was happy to talk about the centre‑half Per Mertesacker, newly arrived from Werder Bremen for £8m. The manager is not above resorting to cliche when it is so reassuring. "He's calm and he talks and he communicates," Wenger said. "When a German communicates you listen."

The notion of enhanced authority in Arsenal ranks was sporadically called into doubt and, at the very end of the match, Danny Graham lifted an effort over the bar from close range. It was Graham, too, whose shot had been saved by Szczesny in the eighth minute. Both teams also hit the woodwork. There was purpose to Swansea, despite the fact that the manager, Brendan Rodgers, had gone to Northern Ireland following the death of his father. Rodgers's assistant Colin Pascoe was in charge at the Emirates.

This was an inherently difficult match for Arsenal. Wenger's overhaul of the squad had to be conducted at the last moment and he did not risk changing the team radically. Mikel Arteta, tidy in a deep-lying role in midfield, was joined by one other debutant in the starting lineup, Mertesacker, although Yossi Benayoun would have his first appearance as a substitute.

The meeting with Dortmund will be more demanding and three Polish players in the Bundesliga club's squad, Lukasz Piszczek, Robert Lewandowski and Jakub Blaszczykowski, have attempted to unsettle the Arsenal goalkeeper. "They've been taking the mickey out of it [the 8-2 result] but they can't get into my head," Szczesny said. "I will be focused." Even so, the match can surely bear no resemblance to a run-of the-mill engagement with Swansea.

Source: Kevin McCarra, The Guardian on 11 Sep 11

Per Mertesacker completes Arsenal move

Arsenal Football Club has completed the signing of Germany defender Per Mertesacker on a long-term contract for an undisclosed fee.

At 26, the 6ft 6in centre-back has significant experience at both club and international level.

Mertesacker has enjoyed eight seasons in the Bundesliga - five with Werder Bremen and three with Hannover 96 - making 221 league appearances in total and finding the net on 19 occasions.

The former Werder Bremen captain also played 53 times in Europe for the Green-Whites, including the 2009 Europa League Final. In 75 games for Germany, Mertesacker has helped his country to the Semi-Finals of the 2006 and 2010 World Cups and to the Final of the 2008 European Championship.

“We are delighted to welcome Per Mertesacker to the Club," said Arsène Wenger. "He is a German international with vast experience and strength and is good on the floor and in the air. I believe he will be well-suited to the Premier League and a tremendous asset to the team.”

Mertesacker said: “I had a great time at SV Werder Bremen and I’m grateful to the club. Moving to London enables me to fulfil a dream and a further step in my career. The Premier League has always represented a great challenge for me.”

Mertesacker will wear the No 4 shirt for Arsenal.

Source: Arsenal.com on 31 Aug 11