A Dismal Week

The theory, (or was it just a hope?), that Arsenal had finally found some collective resilience was blown to pieces by back-to-back defeats at the hands of Spurs in the North London Derby on Saturday and Braga last night in the Champions League. As weeks go, this one couldn’t have been much worse.

Saturday’s capitulation to Spurs was the first home league loss to our North London enemies since 1993. And anyone who was at that match 17 years ago will remember that it was a game staged a week before Arsenal’s appearance in the FA Cup Final and George Graham fielded a very much weakened team in the days when “squad rotation” didn’t happen and the FA routinely fined anyone who didn’t put out what was perceived to be their strongest team. The Spurs victory that night was a hollow one - Arsenal fans mocked their visitors for the length of time it took them to break down a near youth team.

The meeting at the weekend couldn’t have been more different and the fact that it was a match that had a genuine bearing on both team’s aspirations at the top of the table made it all the more important. To say it was a game of two halves was an understatement. The bottom line, however, was that a team like Arsenal should not be surrendering a two-goal lead to anyone at home, especially in a game as important as this.

After the match Arsene Wenger suggested that the second half performance came down to a mental problem rather than a football problem. He is partly right. Anyone with half a brain would have known that Harry Redknapp would lay into his team at half-time and they would come out a different side in the second period. It was imperative that the Gunners did not concede a quick goal after the break - but that is exactly what they did. From there, they began to wobble and just couldn’t seem to recover.

So, Wenger is right that there was a mental problem. However, he also needs to concede that there was a football problem too. Arsenal showed a lack of tactical acumen in shutting the game down at half-time. They only know how to play one way and that is passing and attacking. This was a time though when less idealism was required and they needed to keep their opponents contained. Spurs had offered so little in the first half and yet Arsenal maintained such a high defensive line in the second half it almost invited their visitors to hit them on the break- particularly after Jermaine Defoe’s introduction. It was all so unnecessary.

Criticisms can be made of the defensive work for all the Spurs goals, but the blame for Saturday’s defeat has to fall squarely with Arsene Wenger. If the players weren’t sufficiently focussed in the second half and if they were tactically naïve - that is down to the manager.

The Gunners had the chance to bounce back last night in the Champions League away to Braga but matters went from bad to worse when the Portuguese team conjured up two late goals to leave Arsenal needing a win in their final group to ensure qualification to the knock out phase.

It was a game in which Wenger’s team had the lion’s share of possession and yet they failed to muster a sufficient cutting edge to put their hosts to the sword. They were hard done by when Carlos Vela was denied a penalty decision but to focus on that would be to ignore that, again, this was a match that Arsenal should have won but couldn’t find the resources to do so. Worse still, again, they got hit on the break and lost the match. Add to that Cesc Fabregas aggravating his hamstring injury and it all adds up to worrying times for Arsenal supporters.

The first thing that needs to be sorted out is their home form. The last five Premier League games at Ashburton Grove have seen Arsenal lose to West Brom, Newcastle and Spurs, scrape a last-gasp victory over West Ham and beat Birmingham 2-1. That is a very long way from being the form of Champions.

Arsene Wenger has built this team and it is he that has put his faith in these players. He may "not understand" how it is that Arsenal contrived to lose to Spurs and Braga but it is he that has to find a way of re-instilling confidence and a winning mentality into players who look bereft of both at the moment.

Source: David Young, ESPN Soccernet on 25 Nov 10

Braga's late goals mean Arsenal must go to final Champions League game

Arsène Wenger was prepared to conceded he "took a gamble that backfired" regarding selection. But beyond this rare moment of candour he had anger for everyone other than his own players after a disastrous evening in northern Portugal ended in defeat and the loss of Cesc Fábregas.

The captain is certain to miss the weekend visit to Aston Villa and could be absent for up to three weeks, while Emmanuel Eboué is potentially ruled out for longer due to a knee injury.

In Wenger's sights were Uefa for its system of locating an extra official behind each goal, which he stated still failed to award a penalty on 78 minutes for a challenge on Carlos Vela, and Braga for what the Frenchman claimed were underhand tactics that included Eboué being "kicked off the park".

Yet when Matheus twice ran through and finished beyond Lukasz Fabianski seven minutes and then seconds from the end, all the concerns regarding his side's frailties were shown up once more.

Wenger's analysis, though, was a little myopic. He said: "We played a team that camped in their own half and we've somehow lost. We could play 10 matches like that and win eight or nine times but tonight was the one we didn't. They refused to play and tried to catch us on the counter attack. They used every single trick in the book to slow the game down. Eboué has been kicked off the park without any punishment and we have been denied a certain penalty. What is the fifth official doing if he can't see that? It's an absolutely useless system.

"The turning point was the penalty. I still cannot understand how Carlos Vela got a yellow card. It remains a mystery."

Regarding Matheus's opener Wenger grudgingly accepted his team were at fault. "We were caught when Eboué was just down on a bad tackle which went unpunished," he said. "We made a mistake, a lack of concentration and communication, and were punished for it. And we were not sharp enough to create clear-cut chances.

"As for Cesc, it's a hamstring injury on the other leg [to that which has troubled him this season]. It's hard to say how long he'll be out for. He'll definitely miss the weekend – we will have to assess [him] tomorrow. It could be two to three weeks. Eboué has a medial ligament strain, so he's out for a few weeks."

Beyond this defeat and the implications it has for Arsenal's qualification for the knockout stages of the Champions League – they must beat Partizan, who have no points, in the final group game to be certain of progression – is the serious question over whether after five years they can finally end their trophy drought.

On this showing and the display in the 3-2 defeat by Tottenham on Saturday, the answer is surely no. Against opponents routed 6-0 in the reverse of this fixture in September Arsenal needed to prove they could permanently eradicate the complacency that caused a two-goal lead to become a demoralising defeat to Spurs at the weekend.

Yet, again, Wenger was in denial mode when asked about any potential hangover. "Saturday's result had no knock-on effect," he said, "because I had seven players who did not play, and I had to rest some players."

Among those on the bench were Marouane Chamakh, who was replaced by Nicklas Bendtner, and Samir Nasri, outstanding so far this season, was replaced by Tomas Rosicky.

Some of the Arsenal supporters who had made the trip to Portugal, despite the country's general strike that was due to start at midnight, had again expressed frustration before kick-off at what they described as their team's commitment to "tip-tap near the goal but no shot".

On 18 minutes Kieran Gibbs offered a prime example of what can be a major failing of Wenger's team when slick work from colleagues allowed the left-back to collect possession inside the Braga area. But Gibbs, making a first start for nearly a month for his club, passed backwards and straight to an opponent.

When they were more direct, Arsenal's pace caused problems and they created enough chances from this method to take the lead. On 40 minutes Bendtner looped the ball over the defence and Theo Walcott hit a shot that nearly beat the Braga goalkeeper Felipe.

A further complaint from the travelling fans had been that Wenger is too protective of this current Arsenal side and needs to hand out a few more rollickings. Well, if the Frenchman tore strips off them at half-time his fury proved impotent as they delivered an even worse performance in the second half.

"It is hard to swallow but now we have to win our last game," said Wenger. "The most important thing for us now is to qualify. It is good that Shakhtar play against Braga but they are the super favourites to win the group."

Arsenal had been favourites but consecutive defeats now means it will be squeaky posterior time in a fortnight when they face Partizan at the Emirates Stadium. If they win, a Shakhtar defeat would allow them to top the group on the head-to-head basis.

Source: Jamie Jackson, The Guardian on 23 Nov 10

Matheus grabs brace as Gunners suffer

Arsenal suffered a shock 2-0 Champions League defeat to Braga at Estadio Municipal.

The Gunners, beaten by rivals Tottenham on Saturday, had been top of Group H and thrashed the Portuguese side 6-0 in their opening fixture.

However, a much-changed side never hit top gear and were denied a cast-iron penalty by Hungarian referee Viktor Kassai before Braga scored two late breakaway goals from Brazilian striker Matheus, leaving Arsene Wenger's men not yet assured of their place in the last 16.

Wenger had made seven changes from the team which threw away a 2-0 lead at home to Spurs, including a return for Denmark striker Nicklas Bendtner, who had previously hit out at a lack of opportunities.

The Estadio Municipal was carved out of the Monte Castro quarry ahead of Euro 2004, making for a stunning setting.

However, the stadium was well below its 30,000 capacity and hardly produced a hostile atmosphere for the Gunners, who won in Belgrade earlier this season but were beaten in their last away European tie at Shakhtar Donetsk.

Braga took inspiration from Arsenal to change their kit to red and white in 1921, but it was the men in yellow who started brightly as Theo Walcott looked dangerous down the right.

The home side had a free-kick when Eboue blocked Matheus, with centre-back Moises heading over when the ball was swung into the area.

After 18 minutes, Walcott flicked the ball on to Bendtner, who played Cesc Fabregas into the right side of the area, but the Arsenal captain was off balance and fired his angled shot over.

The visitors continued to enjoy plenty of possession, but were not creative enough in the final third.

As the half-hour mark approached, Walcott again scampered away down the right before cutting the ball back across the six-yard box, but Bendtner was unable to make up the ground.

Emmanuel Eboue was tripped by Leandro Salino to concede a free-kick 20 yards out, just right of centre. Fabregas beat the wall with a placed effort, but goalkeeper Felipe was alert to tip it over the bar.

On 34 minutes, Fabregas delayed his pass on the counter-attack to release Walcott into the Braga box, but Felipe was out quickly to make the block.

At the other end Lima flashed a 20-yard drive wide before Bendtner went down 25 yards out, only for Fabregas to drill the free-kick wide.

Braga gave away possession with some stray passes at the start of the second half, but Arsenal were unable to capitalise from promising positions around the penalty area.

Salino tugged back Wilshere to concede a free-kick in a central position, some 28 yards out, but Walcott whipped a curling effort just over the crossbar.

As the hour mark approached, Fabregas turned on the edge of the penalty area to make space for a shot, which drifted wide. At the other end, Matheus dragged his low strike across goal after cutting in from the left.

Luis Aguiar then profited from Sebastien Squillaci's half-clearance as the ball dropped to him on the edge of the box, but the Uruguayan fired wide.

Fabregas' run into the Braga box was picked out by Wilshere, but the Arsenal captain just could not bring the ball down.

On 69 minutes, Wenger made a change when Nasri replaced Fabregas, who had been troubled by a hamstring complaint and went straight to the changing room.

Tomas Rosicky's cross was put behind as Bendtner looked set for a tap-in from two yards, and on 72 minutes the Dane was replaced by Marouane Chamakh.

Mexico winger Carlos Vela was sent on for Walcott and immediately found himself booked for diving by the referee when it seemed a clear trip by Alberto Rodriguez in the area.

And Braga rubbed salt into Arsenal's wounds with seven minutes remaining as they snatched a goal on the break.

While Emmanuel Eboue was off the pitch needing treatment on an ankle injury, Matheus scampered clear to beat Lukasz Fabianski.

Arsenal were forced to play on with ten men, but despite throwing everything forward they could not find a way back and were again hit on the break in stoppage time.

Source: ESPN Soccernet on 23 Nov 10

Wenger's reaction to the Sporting Braga 2-0 Arsenal match

On a disappointing defeat...
We had a lot of possession but were not sharp enough to create clear-cut chances. They defended well and slowed the game down. Saturday's result had no knock-on effect because I had seven players who did not play [in that game] and I had to rest some players. I think we had enough on the pitch to win the game or at least make a draw.

On a frustrating night...
We could play ten matches like that and win eight or nine times but tonight was the one we didn't [win]. Football is like that sometimes when a team focuses not to play and looks to use breaks or set-pieces.

On Carlos Vela's penalty claim...
It is difficult to understand how we did not get a penalty. That shows that the five referees is not an answer to the problem. The turning point was the penalty - I still cannot understand how Carlos Vela got a yellow card. It remains a complete mystery for me.

On needing a point against Partizan to secure qualification from Group H...
It is hard to swallow, but now we have to win our last game. The most important thing for us now is to qualify. It is good because Shakhtar plays against Braga but they [Shakhtar] are the super favourites to win the group.

Source: Arsenal.com on 23 Nov 10

23 November 2010: Sporting Braga 2-0 Arsenal, Estadio Municipal de Braga

Arsenal must now beat Partizan Belgrade in the final game of Group H in order to be sure of qualification to the Knockout Stages of the Champions League.

Arsène Wenger's side are left playing brinkmanship after they slipped to defeat at Braga on Tuesday night.

Matheus sealed Arsenal's fate. With seven minutes remaining, the Brazilan broke through and kept his nerve to steer a shot beyond Lukasz Fabianski. With the final kick of the game, he held off two challenges to add a second.

The visitors were down to 10 men at the time - Emmanuel Eboue had been stretchered off and Wenger had used all his substitutes. In addition they had just been denied a seemingly clear penalty when Carlos Vela was tripped in the area.

After that thought-provoking defeat to Tottenham on Saturday, this was the last thing Arsenal needed.

There is comfort in the fact Belgrade have lost all their Group H games but it would appear that top spot is now gone given that Shakhtar only need a point at home to Braga.

It was another tough, tough night for Wenger's men.

The manager's team selection tapped into the slate-wiping mood that had followed the weekend defeat. He made seven changes in all.

Only Fabianski, Denilson, Sebastien Squillaci and Cesc Fabregas remained from Saturday's side. Five of the seven omitted went to the bench meanwhile Gael Clichy (back) and Andrey Arshavin (rested) missed out entirely. Robin van Persie was left in London to work on his fitness.

The scene inside the Estadio Municipal de Braga was slightly surreal. This two-sided ground is carved into a quarry with a sheer rock face behind one goal and a grassy hill behind the other.

Coupled with that, the home side were playing in red shirts and white sleeves - a look taken from a former President's trip to Highbury in the 1920s. Meanwhile Arsenal were in yellow.

All very odd.

Kieran Gibbs was the main attacking threat for the visitors in the first 15 minutes. In the opening seconds he reached the left-hand byline before crossing in the hope of finding Nicklas Bendtner at the far post. Moises cleared the danger.

In the eighth minute the Braga defender would head over the bar from Luis Aguiar's free-kick.

However Gibbs was still the focus. Aguiar headed another of his crosses clear and the full back forced Braga to scramble the ball away on a number of other occasions.

In the 18th minute Bendtner and Walcott set up Fabregas, who fired a shot over the bar.

On the half-hour, the captain saw his free-kick tipped over the bar by Felipe after Leandro Salino had fouled Eboue just outside the area. From the corner, Johan Djourou steered a shot wide at the far post.

To be honest, in the first 30 minutes there had been little pace or pattern about the game. But Arsenal had owned all the urgency and invention on display.

The game would pick up as half-time approached.

There was the merest sniff of a spark when Fabregas fed the scampering Walcott with a defence-splitting pass. The England winger beat Felipe to the ball but the keeper's sliding challenge cleared the danger.

Play switched to the other end and Lima's long-range snapshot forced Fabianski to dive full-length even though the ball went wide.

Eboue fouled Matheus on the left-hand touchline and Aguiar's free-kick was headed into the side-netting by Bendtner.

Five minutes before the break, Walcott broke clear and fired a shot beyond Felipe and the far post.

Suddenly, it seemed we had a game on our hands.

In the dying seconds, Bendtner was fouled 25 yards out and Fabregas thumped the free-kick wide. It was the final act of a largely forgettable first half but one in which Arsenal had been clearly the better side.

The second period started the same way, only this time Walcott missed the target with his free-kick.

Matheus dragged a shot wide for Braga in response but, once again, the game was settling into its altogether lethargic first-half groove.

It seemed that only a piece of individual skill or, more likely, a mistake, could provide the opening goal.

On the hour, the latter scenario nearly came to pass. Alan curled in a cross from the right and Squillaci could only nod his clearance to Aguiar, who fired a low shot inches wide of Fabianski's left-hand post. In the context of this tight game it was a massive moment.

Wenger sensed the need for change and brought on Samir Nasri for Fabregas, whose hamstring injury had made him touch-and-go to start. Chamakh replaced Bendtner soon afterwards.

Arsenal were still lively. Wilshere nearly dribbled his way through the entire Braga defence and Moises slid in to stop Rosicky's right-wing cross finding Bendtner at the near post.

But as the game went into the final 15 minutes, neither keeper had made a serious save.

That should have changed in the 78th minute when substitute Vela appeared to be tripped by Alberto Rodriguez in the area. But referee Viktor Kassai booked the Arsenal striker for simulation.

It got worse for Arsenal when Eboue was carried off with an injury and Arsenal were left a man short.

And then it got worse again.

The visitors pushed for the equaliser but were caught on the break with seven minutes left when Matheus broke through and steered his shot beyond Fabianski and into the far corner.

Wenger's men looked to find a way back but Matheus added a sparkling second on the break.

It was not a fair reflection on the game but matters are conspiring against Arsenal right now.

They need to turn the tide and quickly.

Source: Richard Clarke, Arsenal.com on 23 Nov 10

Sporting Braga vs Arsenal

Arsenal will rest Robin van Persie and Andrey Arshavin for Tuesday's Champions League trip to Braga, while Gael Clichy is also out because of a back problem.

England left-back Kieran Gibbs looks set to start, while Denmark striker Nicklas Bendtner is in contention for a starting place after his groin injury.

Manager Arsene Wenger is unlikely to risk captain Cesc Fabregas, who has hamstring problems.

Arsenal beat Braga 6-0 in September and could seal a last-16 spot in Portugal.

However, Wenger has warned his team not to be complacent against the Portuguese side, who beat Celtic and Sevilla in the tournament's qualifiers.

The Gunners let their lead slip in their 2-1 Champions League defeat at Shakhtar Donetsk a fortnight ago and lost 3-2 at home to north London rivals Tottenham on Saturday, having been 2-0 up.

"Braga has a good side that in the first 20 minutes of the home game impressed me," said Wenger.

"With what happened to us against Spurs everyone will be focused and want to perform at our best.

"We know we have an opportunity to qualify and people expect us also to bounce back."

Wenger said the injury to Fabregas, who played in Saturday's home defeat against Tottenham, was improving but he did not want to risk him against Braga.

"We cannot afford to lose him, so I check every morning of the game how he is and we monitor him quite well, but it [the injury] is on the way up," he stated.

"Sometimes after the game he has a little recurrence, but at the moment I do not want to take a massive gamble."

The Arsenal manager also believes Fabregas's hamstring troubles, which kept him out for nearly a month between September and October, have affected the Spaniard's state of mind.

"He was out for a while and had a recurrence of his hamstring problem, then it gets in your head," said Wenger.

"When it gets in your head, it is difficult to play free of your mind.

"I feel it is getting better in every match, from game to game he becomes stronger."

If Fabregas does not play, Wenger may decide to to play Denilson alongside Alex Song, pushing Jack Wilshere further forward.

Wenger also said striker Van Persie was not yet back to full fitness after injuring his ankle in August but was being put through his paces in training.

"He is not in a condition physically to fight in the top-level games, so I take advantage of that to make him work very hard," he explained.

"If I go to Braga with him and put him on when he is not 100% on the bench and does not come on, it is a waste of time for three days."

Arsenal will also be without Manuel Almunia (elbow) and Abou Diaby (ankle) for the trip to Portugal.

Thomas Vermaelen (Achilles) is another on the casualty list, while Aaron Ramsey is continuing his rehabilitation from a broken leg.

Source: BBC Sport on 22 Nov 10

Match Preview: Sporting Braga vs Arsenal

Arsenal must dig deep to find their rhythm again at Braga on Tuesday night.

The record-ending 3-2 defeat to Tottenham on Saturday will not be erased by victory - and qualification to the Knockout Stages of the Champions League - in Portugal this evening.

But, although he admits the difficulty of the past few days, Arsène Wenger is past the navel-gazing stage. The manager knows the mentality of his side is under scrutiny after shipping three goals in the second-half of Saturday. Hence the unusual surroundings of Braga's AXA Stadium - a former quarry with a sheer rock face at one end and a grass bank at the other - is kind of apt.

However the Frenchman is not prepared to go overboard.

"Is this game important?" he asked himself. "Of course. We need to bounce back as quickly as possible.

"We don't deny what happened on Saturday in terms of facts. We could not take our chance to go top.

"But if you look overall at our position, we are third, two points behind the leaders. Also we are top of our Champions League Group, we are in the Quarter Final of the Carling Cup and we haven't started the FA Cup. So the season will be what we make of it.

"Even if we have regrets about not doing much better, maybe Chelsea and Manchester United can feel the same."

The 2-1 defeat at Shakhtar three weeks ago, like to loss to Tottenham on Saturday, did not influence Arsenal's ability to finish on top of the relevant table that much.

Victory at Braga on Tuesday and then at home to bottom-side Partizan Belgrade will see them through to the Knockout Stage as winners of Group H. That is not always significant but Wenger argues it will be this season.

"Of course we want to qualify and be top," he said. "But the priority is to qualify.

"I am convinced as well it is important to win the game this time because it gives us a good opportunity to finish in a very strong position. That is what our target has to be. We are a very ambitious team and you cannot say we want to finish second.

"When you look at the teams that are top in the other groups it's better to be there this year. We wasted a good opportunity at Shakhtar Donetsk and we have to make sure that is not repeated."

As in Ukraine, Arsenal travelled to the oldest city in Portugal with a few omissions from their regular squad. Gael Clichy has a back problem, Andrey Arshavin is rested entirely and Robin van Persie has been left in London to work on his fitness.

Wenger intimated Marouane Chamakh may be a substitute on Tuesday to give him a breather. The manager was going to make a late call on captain Cesc Fabregas, who is still feeling his hamstring injury.

Braga were battered 6-0 at Emirates Stadium on the opening night of Group H - their first experience of the Champions League proper.

They ‘doubled' Partizan Belgrade in their last two games to retain a chance of making the Knockout Stages but their form in the Portuguese League is distinctly average. They have lost their last three games and have dipped below halfway in the table.

Still, like Shakhtar, there is strength at home. Under coach Domingos Paciencia they have won 18 out of 20 games at a ground the locals still call "The Quarry".

"In the first match against Braga, everything went for us and we had a very good game," said Wenger. "Now we have to forget that because it was a big score under a bit special circumstances.

"We feel it will be a completely new game but we have played in every difficult place in Europe and we know, if we turn up with a good performance, we have a chance to win anywhere. That is how we will approach the game.

"We will not feel any superiority. We know that to win any away game in the Champions League you need to turn up.

"Paciencia has done an exceptional job to get a club of this size into the Champions League and we have to give him credit for that.

"We come here to qualify but Braga are a good team. The two top teams in the Group are in a strong position and we have the final game at home so we certainly feel we are in a strong position but it is not over for them."

Likewise it is nothing near over for Arsenal this season. It is a campaign in which all the major sides have continually taken two paces forward and one back.

OK, for many Saturday was more than that. It was the end of an era.

A bubble had burst but, it should be remembered, that it was Wenger who inflated it in the first place. Those of us who sank a few sullen pints on Saturday night should also raise glass to the past 17 years in which results like that did just not occur.

Funnily enough, the last time Arsenal lost back-to-back Premier League games at home was December, 1997. The second of those was a 3-1 defeat to Blackburn - an angry, finger-pointing affair that, history showed, galvanised the first great Wenger side. At Christmas that year, Arsenal were 13 points behind leaders Manchester United but they did not lose another game until they had lifted the Premier League trophy.

That was not so much a hole and deep-cast mine but Arsenal clambered their way out.

On Tuesday at Braga, Wenger's side must dig-in like they did at Everton and Wolves just last week.

Reaching the Knockout Stages of the Champions League for the 11th straight season is worth a little pat on the back.

It is box ticked in a season that, despite Saturday, can still go a long way.

Source: Richard Clarke, Arsenal.com on 23 Nov 10

Arsenal's game away to Braga is a must-win, says Emmanuel Eboué

Emmanuel Eboué believes Arsenal's trip to Braga in three weeks' time has become a must-win fixture following their defeat by Shakhtar Donetsk yesterday evening. Arsène Wenger's team were beaten 2-1 by the Ukrainian champions at the Donbass Arena, a first loss in Group H and one that allowed Donetsk to draw level alongside Arsenal on nine points, with Braga's defeat of Partizan placing the Portuguese side in third, on six points.

"The game against Braga away we have to win," said Eboué, who conceded the free-kick that led to Shakhtar's equaliser. "We are very disappointed about the result but we have to put our heads up and focus now on our league [campaign]."

Lukasz Fabianski, who was again impressive in the Arsenal goal, offered a more positive take. "I think we are in a good, strong position. We are in a good Champions League position and would have been in a better one had we drawn here," he said. "But we have to be focused. We have to win the next two games and then we can be happy."

After losing 6-0 at the Emirates Stadium, Braga would have to inflict a seven-goal defeat on Arsenal to overturn the head-to-head tie-breaker and a draw at the Estádio AXA would virtually guarantee qualification for Wenger's side. Arsenal's immediate concern, though, is the Premier League. Five points behind the leaders, Chelsea, they host Newcastle United on Sunday. "We now prepare for [Newcastle]," Fabianski said. "We are at home again on Sunday and have to take advantage of that."

Jack Wilshere, who created Theo Walcott's first-half goal against Shakhtar and will be back to face Newcastle on Sundaty following a three-match domestic suspension, said he is fashioning his game on Liam Brady. "[He] is my role model," said Wilshere of the former Arsenal midfielder, who is head of the club's academy. "He works with the youth players now and he has always been there in my career. He has helped me a lot and people have said I am a similar player to him."

Wilshere, who signed a new long-term deal reported to be worth £50,000 a week on Monday, also named his Arsenal captain among his sources of inspiration. "At the minute Cesc Fábregas is the best midfielder in the Premier League but in the past there have been players like Roy Keane and Patrick Vieira – all complete midfielders. I was on the books when Patrick was still here and I think the way he tackled and intercepted play is something I would [like to] add to my game.

"Cesc talks to me and tells me what I need to do. He was 16 when he burst on to the scene so you just need to talk to the senior players like him and they help you through."

Wilshere, who also made his senior England debut this season, is keen to improve. "The strongest part of my game at the moment is my passing – which is good as that's the way Arsenal play – and my weakest is probably my right foot, but I'm working on that," he said. "I try to use my right foot but it could be better."

Source: Jamie Jackson, The Guardian on 4 Nov 10

Local honour at stake for London trio with Wembley European Cup final

Three London clubs are in a race to correct an absurdity. The capital, one of the world's great metropolises, has yet to produce a side capable of winning the Champions League or the old European Cup. The trio jostle now to get to Wembley, the stage for the final in May, with a symbolic local honour at stake to go with the continental kudos.

Chelsea were the first to spot the anomaly: no major London club bears the city's name. For a while they asked: why not rechristen the operation "London Chelsea FC?" Unconverted multitudes in African and Asian villages would automatically associate Chelsea with Buckingham Palace and Ray Winstone. With one designation-tickle, centuries of globally influential urban history could be tied-in to the quest to make commercial sense of Roman Abramovich's £600m outlay.

Modesty prevailed. Shame, because the reaction around town would have made good comedy. West Ham United would have invoked 1966, Moore, Hurst and Peters. Arsenal's old guard would have spat its gin and tonic. Spurs would have told a long story about Danny Blanchflower and Bill Nick. Even Fulham might have piped up about the Cottage and its ancient cast of theatre types and geezers.

There is no London FC because of the way the game emerged in the smoke in late Victorian times. Only Athens (Olympiakos, Panathinaikos and AEK Athens) in 2003-2004 can match London's achievement in fielding three contenders. One binding feature of our capital's trio is their inability to match Manchester United, Liverpool, Aston Villa or Nottingham Forest. London has seen most things but not that precious silver.

Part of the appeal of this season's chase is that Spurs, Chelsea and Arsenal display divergent yearnings. Chelsea are arguably in their healthiest state since Roman Abramovich arrived but his money still can't buy what Barcelona, Real Madrid and United have. The silent oligarch is in the fortuitous position of not having to justify to the Russian people where their state assets went but he does have to answer to his own business sense when the Champions League remains elusive.

In Carlo Ancelotti he has found the right coach to "prioritise" Europe. Like Arsenal under Arsène Wenger, Chelsea have tasted a Champions League final but only from the mug of bitter defeat. The Gunners lost to Barcelona in Paris in 2006 and Chelsea went down to United two years later in Moscow, where Abramovich started out selling rubber ducks.

Chelsea's first move on Wembley was to swipe Slovakia's champions yesterday in a town of 85,000, in an 11,000-seat stadium that averages 4,000 fans. More newsworthy than the 4-1 win over Zilina was the appearance late on of three academy graduates: Gaël Kakuta, Patrick van Aanholt and Josh McEachran. Non-Chelsea fans tend to observe the league champions the way they would a huge tunnel-gouging drill, as an instrument of relentless but uninteresting power. As the goals fly in, youth gets its shot and Chelsea summon more joie de vivre, indifference may yet morph into admiration. For the most part non-aligned Londoners would prefer to see Spurs or Arsenal on Wembley Way in May.

While money shouts the odds in the west, the two north London neighbours who are parted by a psychological Berlin wall parade contrasting obsessions. Tottenham's Champions League debut at Werder Bremen (where they drew 2-2) has turned black and white memories back to colour. The old guys from the 1961 Double winning side are no longer just museum guides but part of a reawakening "now". Nostalgia is out, heritage is in. With Champions League group qualification comes an opportunity to add to the 1963 European Cup Winners Cup win and the Uefa Cups of 1972 and 1984.

To revive this narrative Spurs appropriated the West Ham romantic tradition by employing Harry Redknapp, who is blessed with not one but two playmakers in Luka Modric and Rafael van der Vaart. Spurs may be in the group of death but it delights their supporters to see the ethos of a glory-glory past shaping the hard labour of their Champions League debut year.

At Arsenal you run straight into Wenger's need to adorn a career of much majesty and innovation with the accomplishment that earns club managers entry to the elite. Sir Alex Ferguson is there, so is Ancelotti. José Mourinho has qualified with two clubs. For Wenger, who tried at Monaco and began his 13th Champions League campaign at Arsenal with a 6-0 win over Braga, there may be no peace in retirement unless his faith in Barcelona passing is rewarded with the big-eared cup. Sweet of Braga to allow each Arsenal player his own no-go zone in which to move the ball.

This we know, already: this Champions League final, with a London candidate, would be a bigger and better spectacle than anything England can lay on beneath the Wembley arch.

Source: Paul Hayward, The Guardian on 16 Sep 10

Fabregas demands consistency from Arsenal

Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas has warned his team-mates their flying start to the season will mean nothing if they drop away as they have done in previous seasons.

Arsenal have won three from four in the Premier League, scoring 13 goals in the process, and World Cup winner Fabregas netted a brace as Champions League newcomers Braga were swept aside 6-0 at Emirates Stadium on Wednesday night.

But Fabregas is not "reading too much" into his team's form because they've always been able to produce glittering football in bursts. Consistency across a longer period is what has undermined Arsenal's pursuit of silverware in recent years and that's what Fabregas is demanding this time around.

Arsenal next face a trip to Sunderland, where they lost 1-0 last November, on Saturday and for Fabregas the match represents a chance for the Gunners to prove they can keep their run going against the sort of opponent they must beat to become Premier League contenders.

"I am not going to read too much into our beating both Blackburn and Bolton - in previous years we might have done the same thing before collapsing against the big sides, so it's best that we just keep going, keep improving and keep making things difficult for whoever we face,'' Fabregas said.

"On Saturday, that will be Sunderland, which is always a very difficult place to go. Last season we didn't do well at the Stadium of Light, but it was straight after an international break and we were perhaps a bit tired, so we hope for better this time. We are happy with 10 points from four Premier League games. We would have preferred 12, but we are up there, we are second, and now we need to guard against losing more points because we will need everything we can get at the end of the season.''

Left-back Gael Clichy, who echoed his skipper's comments, maintains this time the Gunners must show their true championship credentials.

"We know how difficult the Premier League is so we have to recover quick because we know Saturday will be a battle,'' he said. "They are good at home and we just want to show that we can perform week in week out.''

Midfielder Abou Diaby is set for a spell on the sidelines, having been ruled out by a tackle from Bolton's Paul Robinson, which went unpunished by referee Stuart Attwell, and centre-half Thomas Vermaelen will also not return at Sunderland on Saturday because of an Achilles problem. Both, though, could be back against West Brom.

With Robin van Persie and Theo Walcott still out because of their ankle problems, Marouane Chamakh will again lead the line. The Moroccan striker, a free transfer from Bordeaux during the summer, has impressed during his first few appearances, scoring his third goal against Braga.

"For me, this is a great start to my debut season - four league games and three victories, with a group that it is a pleasure to be part of,'' Chamakh said. "Everything is going very well so far.''

Source: ESPN Soccernet on 17 Sep 10

Emirates experience leaves me jealous

Before Arsenal's massacre of Braga, the last time I was at a Champions League game was when the tournament was still called the European Cup.

In 1992 - a couple of years before moving off to Brazil - I was lucky enough to be at the old Wembley for the final between Barcelona and Sampdoria. It is one of my happiest football memories. The sun shone, London turned into the Mediterranean for the occasion and two excellent sides served up an enthralling game, decided in Barcelona's favour with a goal in the last minute of extra time.

The British media were wowed by the technique and intelligence on show from the two teams. It was light years in advance of anything that was being played in England, where clubs were still feeling their way back after the ban from European competition.

Eighteen years later, Barcelona remain a benchmark and the reigning champions of the continent are from Italy. In the meantime, English football has gone through enormous changes. Arsenal fans still refer to the North Bank and the Clock End but little else from 2010 would make sense from a perspective of eighteen years ago.

In 1992, it would've been all but impossible to predict that English football would become so successful and that so many people would be prepared to pay so much to watch it.

I can only offer the following explanation: In its mass form, British football was the product of industrial society. In the space of a generation, the country seems to have turned into a post-industrial theme park.

And in a world where ever-developing technology allows people to lead more de-socialised lives, football continues to offer a great communal experience, the chance to get in touch with the collective values of the industrial age - in a sanitised environment.

Too sanitised, some would say - and they would cite the atmosphere in the Emirates as evidence. The new ground is magnificent in terms of sight lines and supporter comfort. But fans and journalists kept telling me that the crowd are too quiet nowadays.

Here, perhaps, the stadium is a victim of its own modernity - and not just in the sense that it is not old enough to have established its own tradition.

Less than half an hour before kick off, the place was almost empty. There was no buzz, no sense of occasion. I was baffled. "It will be full by the start," a colleague said. And he was right. In an all-seater stadium with numbered seats and excellent access, there is no need to be in the ground early - which changes the whole dynamic.

In South America, where I watch my football, the experience is more like pre-Taylor Report England. For big games, the fans are obliged to arrive in advance if they want a good view. The crowd then becomes part of the spectacle, with songs or mass displays. The supporters are an active part of an experience, which begins well before kick-off.

But at the Emirates, with the fans arriving in dribs and drabs, the pre-match entertainment is provided not on the terraces but via the big screen.

Sound quality is so good that an interview with a mumbling Arsene Wenger is clearly audible. The crowd, then, takes on a much more passive role. Little wonder that they are less noisy than before when then players eventually take the field.

But there is plenty to shout about. The tempo of the action can be breathtaking. The game is so much quicker than anything I'm used to in South America. And with the stands close to the pitch and the press box relatively low, it takes me a while to get my bearings. I'm as bemused as Braga's team of Brazilians.

Every time I go to a game in South America, I'm always hopeful of spotting some outstanding new talent, a youngster taking his first steps on the way to glory. To my surprise, the Emirates gives me this as well.

With his passing, forward movement and combination play, teenage midfielder Jack Wilshere makes a huge impression. Not since the emergence of Ever Banega in 2007 have I laid eyes on such a teenage central midfielder of such promise.

Wilshere benefits from something we cannot claim in South America - the chance to watch and learn from a master who is entering his peak years.

The domestic game in my adopted continent can come up with exciting prospects and some top class veterans. But no one quite like Cesc Fabregas.

Football is about moving the ball with precision at pace - and Fabregas does that. His range of passing is superb, he has the calmness on the ball to select the right option and the physical dynamism to exert an influence on all phases of possession, from deep in his own half to deep in the opposing penalty area.

I've seen some fine performances from Juan Sebastian Veron of Estudiantes over the past couple of years but nothing of this calibre. Fabregas tore Braga to pieces. Back in 1992, it was inconceivable that a player like this would be playing football like this in a stadium like this in North London.

There may be fully justified gripes about ticket prices and lack of atmosphere. But - and I am not of the Arsenal persuasion - I left the Emirates more than a little jealous of those who are watching Arsene Wenger's team on a regular basis.

Source: Tim Vickery, BBC Sport on 16 Sep 10

Arsenal 6-0 Braga

Arsenal got their bid for a first Champions League triumph off to the perfect start at the Emirates with a dismantling of Portuguese side Braga.

The Gunners took seven minutes to go ahead, Cesc Fabregas scoring from the spot after a foul on Marouane Chamakh.

Andrey Arshavin slammed in Fabregas's sublime pass, before Jack Wilshere superbly set up Chamakh to drill home.

Fabregas headed in to make it 4-0 and Carlos Vela dinked in a fifth before he stroked home another to wrap things up.

It was a display that epitomised everything boss Arsene Wenger holds dear as his Gunners team tore the Champions League debutants apart.

Arsenal brought their usual magnetic passing game to the European curtain-raiser, but they seemed to raise their level a notch above the norm with some fabulous interchanges that saw Braga spend most of the evening chasing shadows.

Wenger's side are chasing an 11th successive place in the last 16 of the competition and in a group also containing Shakhtar Donetsk and Partizan Belgrade there is little to suggest they will fail to make it beyond the group stage.

In front of an expectant Emirates Stadium crowd Arsenal were immediately into their stride and Braga, making their debut in the competition, looked overawed as a Fabregas-inspired Gunners swarmed all over them.

The Spaniard had a penalty appeal rejected after only three minutes and soon after it was from his pass that Braga keeper Felipe brought down Chamakh, Fabregas stepping up to slot home for his first goal of the season.

The visitors found themselves trying to repel wave after wave of Arsenal attack and while Braga occasionally looked threatening on the break, both Laurent Koscielny and Sebastien Squillaci dealt comfortably with whatever was thrown at them.

With half an hour gone they doubled their advantage as Fabregas jinked past two static defenders and slid in Arshavin down the left, the Russian drilling under Felipe to make it 2-0.

That soon became three as the Gunners scored a goal few inside the stadium are likely to forget in a hurry.

Another fine passing move at pace saw Bacary Sagna's cross from the right half-cleared, only for Arshavin to clip it to Chamakh, who laid it off and then collected a gorgeous back-heeled flick from Wilshere to crash past a flailing Felipe.

After the break it was a damage limitation exercise for Braga, but Arsenal still found gaping holes in their defence and one such opportunity enabled an unmarked Fabregas to head in Arshavin's cross from the left.

Fabregas had another shot cleared off the line and Arshavin rifled against the post, before Mexican striker Vela came on to inflict further misery on the visitors.

He first produced a classy, clipped finish to convert Arshavin's fine pass and then took advantage of Fabregas's generosity to knock in a sixth.

Bigger tests await Wenger and his team in Europe this season, but they could barely have got off to a more emphatic start.

Source: Jonathan Stevenson, BBC Sport on 15 Sep 10

Defensive doubts mean Arsenal's dazzle could yet turn to dust

There was something rather routine about all this pizzazz. Arsenal dazzled tonight, as they invariably do through the group stage of a competition that can feel little more than a giddy formality until the new year, with Braga gasping and the locals rejoicing in everything slick. All semblance of competition had been blown away, along with the visitors, by the interval though Arsène Wenger will not have been hoodwinked.

He has seen all this before and must measure the value of such mismatches on longer-term relevance. The watching world knew that Arsenal can by-pass all-comers – except perhaps Barcelona – once they have built up a head of steam. Now they know they still can. It is fragility at the other end that has cost them and, a little over five months since Barça so ruthlessly exposed a soft underbelly, it is this team's rearguard that has duly been revamped.

The overhaul has been substantial, the departures of older heads in William Gallas, Sol Campbell and Mikaël Silvestre, together with Philippe Senderos, hinting at revolution across the back-line rather than Wenger's favoured process of evolution. In have come Sébastien Squillaci and Laurent Koscielny, for not insubstantial fees, to join last summer's acquisition Thomas Vermaelen. Wenger would have added a goalkeeper – Fulham's Mark Schwarzer – had the opportunity arisen which suggests that, even now, his side's defence is a work in progress.

The chance to strengthen further has gone for now. With Lionel Messi's rampaging at Camp Nou in April in mind, the question has been posed whether Arsenal are better equipped this time to excel in a competition neither club nor manager has ever won. Wenger may privately reserve judgment for now, even after this swashbuckling display. His attack remains irrepressible as ever but vulnerability remains. Braga may not have exploited it but better sides would have prospered.

Perhaps flashes of uncertainty were to be expected given this is a defence whose components are still getting used to each other. Vermaelen's absence with an Achilles problem is untimely given that he is now the club's established central defensive force. Squillaci, at 30 a player of considerable experience, could yet prove an inspired arrival from Sevilla and offered strength and vision against the Portuguese on only his second appearance. His calm block on Paulo César a little after an hour was superbly executed.

The France international has claimed a weight of silverware over the course of his career, from a French Second Division title to the Copa del Rey, and was playing his 33rd Champions League tie here. He, like Arsenal, is a beaten finalist in the European Cup, with Monaco. Yet, if he offered reassurance, then it was his partner, in his first game in this competition, who remains under greater scrutiny.

Koscielny clearly boasts the raw qualities to excel at this level yet, even at 25, he retains the look of a prospect. His brief Arsenal career to date has veered from the sublime to the ridiculous, usually within the context of individual fixtures. A strong display at Liverpool was marred by a late sending- off. A first goal against Bolton on Saturday was undermined by the error that yielded the visitors an equaliser. In between, at an inhospitable Ewood Park, he had been exposed at times by the home side's trickery which lured him away from the centre and into trouble.

The Frenchman should, of course, be permitted his adaptation period but on this evidence it would not be surprising if Vermaelen and Squillaci become the mainstays, in the short term at least. Matheus, Braga's slippery No99, caused him problems, particularly when loitering on the shoulder to peel into space behind the centre-half. The striker relished life on the blind side and what few chances the visitors created – they scored four times against Squillaci's former club Sevilla in qualifying – were invariably gained at Koscielny's expense.

None was taken and the focus was increasingly drawn to the brilliance on offer at the other end of the pitch as Braga creaked in their feeble attempts to contain. But greater tests than this lie ahead. The group already looks like a formality, even after one home fixture. The real intrigue comes after Christmas when the knock-out phase begins.

"Then you need decisions to go for you and your best players available," said Wenger. And steel in your defence most of all.

Source: Dominic Fifield, The Guardian on 15 Sep 10

Cesc Fábregas plays in 'another dimension', says Arsène Wenger

Arsène Wenger believes Cesc Fábregas has taken his game to "another dimension" after the World Cup-winning midfielder inspired Arsenal to the biggest victory in an opening group fixture in the revamped Champions League.

Fábregas scored twice and was denied a hat-trick only by Moisés' goalline clearance as Arsenal won 6-0 against a hapless Braga team making their debut at this stage of the competition. Wenger is convinced this can be a glittering season for his side after a trophy drought stretching back to 2005, with his success in warding off Barcelona's interest in signing his captain over the summer potentially key.

"People questioned whether his heart was still in it, but I never doubted it was," said Wenger of Fábregas, whom Barça publicly courted in the close season. "He has taken on another dimension. People forget he's still only 23, an age at which other people are just starting out. He is a fantastic influence and it's important that he leads this team to winning. He loves this club. People doubted that, but I never doubted it. He arrived here at the age of 16 and enjoys the way we play. What more do you want to be happy?

"For our young players, playing alongside him, it's a fantastic opportunity. If you're 18, like [Jack] Wilshere, and you see Fábregas alongside you, it's a big opportunity to learn a lot. I liked the way Cesc gave the ball to [Carlos] Vela for the last goal instead of trying to score himself, because that reflects his attitude of a leader. He's not selfish, and that reflects the way we play as a team."

Fábregas reaffirmed his commitment to Arsenal – "I'm comfortable here and I always have been," said the midfielder – and his vague frustration at the manner in which his side appeared to ease off once 5-0 up with 21 minutes to play reflected his ambition.

"It was a good performance but, towards the end, we played too easily and we should have stepped up," said the Arsenal captain. "We'd had good discipline until then, but we will have games where you can't get easy at any moment. So we have to make sure we do it for the full 90 minutes."

Greater tests than that offered by a defensively feeble Braga await in this competition, though Wenger has spied signs of real progress which bode well for securing silverware this season. The European Cup has eluded him over an illustrious coaching career but an eye-catching start to the new campaign has bolstered belief that the team can finally win a major honour during this campaign.

"I always believed in this team," said the Frenchman, whose side have scored 18 goals in their last four games. "For me, what they did at 20 was exceptional. They're now 22 or 23 [on average] and continue to grow. That's normal. I'm convinced they can go on to win trophies this season. I have problems convincing everyone else, but that's normal too.

"What gives me that belief? You watched the game . You don't need replays to see we can play, we can be creative, can score goals. When you see the pace at which we play and the number of chances we create... well, remember Braga knocked Sevilla out in qualifying. They're a good side. It's the start of the season only, but let's take encouragement from what we've done so far.

"The ranking system, the index of coefficients in Europe, says we are a top eight team in this competition and that's down to our performances in the Champions League every year. But we haven't ever won it. As long as we haven't people will still question us. You win it with quality, it's as simple as that. But we have a big squad – look who was sitting behind me in the stands, some quality players – and whoever plays does so with the style that everybody knows we have."

Source: Dominic Fifield, The Guardian on 16 Sep 10

Irresistible Gunners cruise past Braga

Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas scored twice as Arsene Wenger's entertainers handed Champions League newcomers Braga a European masterclass with a 6-0 demolition at the Emirates Stadium.

The Gunners had chalked up 1,000 Premier League goals under Wenger in the 4-1 rout of Bolton here on Saturday, and continued their fine form as the Portuguese debutants were taken apart by some quite breathtaking, and clinical, football.

Fabregas, who now looks back to his best after helping Spain win the World Cup, opened the scoring from the penalty spot after just eight minutes before a quickfire double from Andrei Arshavin and Marouane Chamakh made it 3-0 by half-time.

Arsenal - unbeaten in their opening four Premier League games and just two points behind leaders Chelsea - kept their foot on the accelerator, with Fabregas heading in number four and substitute Carlos Vela chalking up a late brace.

While sterner tests will lie ahead for Wenger's side, both at home and in Europe, the young Gunners showed again this could just be the season they finally come of age.

Wenger, still with plenty to say about Stuart Attwell's performance in the Premier League win over Bolton, had talked about the different style of European refereeing in the build-up to the match.

However, the Gunners boss will no doubt have been just as unimpressed by Luxembourg official Alain Hamer's early decision not to award what appeared a penalty after Fabregas was bundled over by Paulo Cesar in the opening exchanges.

Arsenal, though, were soon in full flow as Fabregas released Jack Wilshere into the Braga box, only for the youngster to be halted by a marginal offside flag.

The hosts, however, did not have to wait long to take the lead. Fabregas was again the creator, slipping Chamakh ahead of the static Braga backline. The Moroccan, who has impressed since his summer arrival on a free transfer from Bordeaux, sidestepped keeper Felipe, only to be brought crashing down.

The Arsenal captain stepped up to dispatch the resulting penalty - celebrating his first goal of a season which could well have started at Barcelona by kissing the badge in front of the Clock End faithful.

It was almost 2-0 moments later when Arshavin combined with Fabregas to tee up Wilshere, but his close-range shot was well saved.

Braga - nicknamed 'Arsenal do Minho' because the clubs share the same home colours - boasted six Brazilians in their starting XI, although none had a full international cap.

Nevertheless, a team which had knocked out both Celtic and experienced campaigners Sevilla en route to Europe's elite for the first time deserved some respect.

Cesar's deflected effort forced Arsenal keeper Manuel Almunia to make a reaction save, before Alan scampered away down the right ahead of Fabregas but his low cross flew through the six-yard box.

Slowly, Arsenal began to get back on top and it was no surprise when Arshavin made it 2-0 on the half-hour. The Russian had missed some straightforward chances against Bolton, but made no mistake this time when driving an angled shot under the keeper after being played into the left side of the Braga penalty area.

Before the visitors could regroup, they were further behind.

Another sweeping Arsenal move saw the ball worked across field and to the edge of the 18-yard box. Arshavin's chip picked out Chamakh, who played a neat one-two with Wilshere and swept the ball into the net.

The interval offered little respite to Braga, who went 4-0 down at the start of the second half when Fabregas headed in Arshavin's chip to the far post.

The Gunners captain was then denied a hat-trick by the deftest of touches from keeper Felipe and an acrobatic goalline clearance by Moises.

As the hour mark passed, and with one eye on Saturday's trip to Sunderland, Wenger replaced Chamakh and defensive midfielder Alex Song, as Carlos Vela and Denilson came on.

Arsenal remained dominant as Arshavin rattled the base of the post with a fierce angled drive, this time cutting in from the right. The Russian then unselfishly played in Vela, who dispatched a neat chip into the far corner for his second goal in as many games.

Arshavin was also given a break, Emmanuel Eboue coming on for the final 20 minutes, as the Gunners coasted to another impressive victory, with Fabregas setting up Vela to slot home number six five minutes from time.

Source: ESPN Soccernet on 16 Sep 10

Cesc Fábregas and Arsenal hit Braga for six in Champions League

Arsenal were too good for their own good. As people around Europe glance at this result they will feel only scorn for Braga, a team apparently out of their depth. That will do a grave disservice to the Portuguese club, who got this far by beating Sevilla home and away. Braga's real weakness was a readiness to play in an open manner and so ensure that Arsène Wenger's side had space to show off their glittering movement.

Arsenal's next game can be expected to stand in total contrast – they will face Sunderland at the Stadium of Light on Saturday. With that fixture in mind, there was a protective policy at work when the manager substituted Marouane Chamakh, his one senior centre-forward who is fit.

Carlos Vela, his replacement, snapped up two goals as if to illustrate that at 21 he is a little old to be an understudy. This match alone cannot demonstrate that Arsenal are on the brink of retrieving the status that has slipped away but the Emirates crowd is being persuaded and others could follow suit. Among the habitually prominent clubs Arsenal have the most scope for development and it could be that the potential is being tapped.

In the midst of the merriness it went unnoticed that Braga, who won 4-3 in Seville, had been contained efficiently. That was done in the absence of the injured centre-back Thomas Vermaelen. The newcomers Laurent Koscielny and Sébastien Squillaci will be under greater stress in times to come but these are not youngsters and they were at ease against opponents whose moves, admittedly, were liable to peter out before they got to the 18-yard line.

The influence of Cesc Fábregas was irresistible as he again demonstrated that he is both playmaker and predator. His hunger could not be appeased and as late as the 84th minute he was setting up Vela for the sixth goal. Braga could never have anticipated such devastation. By taking them to second place behind Benfica in the Portuguese League last season their manager, Domingos Paciência, had after all conferred on the club the highest finish in their history.

That counted for nothing against Arsenal. A 3-0 lead had been established when the interval was still 10 minutes away. Fábregas paved the way for the opener when he sent Chamakh through in the ninth minute. The striker was brought down by the goalkeeper, Felipe, and Fábregas slotted away the penalty.

The Spaniard eluded two opponents and set up Andrey Arshavin to score the second after half an hour. There were flickers from Braga. With 23 minutes gone, for instance, Alan shook off Fábregas as he raced down the right but the midfielder's low ball did not find anyone in the goalmouth.

The opposition were as mesmerised as the spectators by the interweaving passes of Arsenal. After 34 minutes Chamakh fired home after combining with Jack Wilshere. Indignant though Wenger would be at the suggestion, this was recreational football from men revelling in their talent and rapport.

This does seem to be a maturing squad and, even if they do not look impregnable, Arsenal denied Braga the scope they had found in the qualifiers. It may be that we are seeing more efficiency in Wenger's developing team. For the Emirates audience it will have been enough simply to appreciate the smooth football that was presented to them.

The greatest obstacle to teams in this kind of form is often the interval but Arsenal returned to the field with the same hunger. In the 53rd minute Fábregas was at the far post to head in a chipped cross from Arshavin for his second goal. By then Wenger's team were barely conscious of their opponents.

Paciência might have taken off just about anyone but he opted first for the former Newcastle United player Hugo Viana. Fábregas could have completed his hat-trick but after going through he attempted a chipped finish that Felipe half-stopped before Moisés hacked the ball away.

Although relief for a side being outclassed often comes through substitutions, Arsenal were unrelenting, regardless of the personnel on the field. Braga were mistaken if they saw any hope of relief when Chamakh made way for Vela.

Any satisfaction the visitors took in the removal of the Moroccan soon faded and they had to wait for Arshavin to leave the field before there was a hint of mercy. Having struck a post in the 67th minute, the Russian unleashed Vela two minutes later and the substitute clipped the ball over the sprawling Felipe.

Occasions of this sort emphasise the richness of technique, imagination and athleticism at Arsenal's disposal. A different sort of game will be needed to establish whether durability is present as well but nobody can deny the supporters' right to their mood of anticipation.

Source: Kevin McCarra, The Guardian on 15 Sep 10

Wenger's reaction to the Arsenal 6-0 Braga match

On the 6-0 win...
"We won the game but I believe as well we played the game we wanted to play, at a high pace, with top technical quality and with a lot of creative attitude and a good concentration and collective spirit. Our game is based on that. It's our philosophy and, for long patches of the game, we managed to express that."

On his side's performance...
"I believe we had many good performances on the pitch. Everybody played quite well, we were sound at the back, Wilshere had a very good game as well. Everybody played well."

On Cesc Fabregas' performance...
"He has taken on another dimension. People forget that he is 23 years old, [an age] where other people start. He is a fantastic influence and it is important that he leads this team to winning and I believe it is a fantastic opportunity for the young players who play alongside him to improve as well. If you are 18 years old like Wilshere and you see Fabregas who is 23, it is a big opportunity to learn a lot."

On the captain being unlucky not to get a hat-trick...
"I like that he gave the ball to Vela instead of trying alone. That reflects the way we want to play the game and it reflects the real attitude of a leader. He does what the game wants and is not selfish."

On Fabregas' desire to win trophies...
"He loves this club. People doubted that but I never doubted that. He arrived here at the age of 16 and he enjoys the way we play and what more do you want than to be happy?"

On his side proving its potential...
"We have a big potential but what you forget is that I always believed in this team and what this team has done at the age of 20, 21. They are now 22, 23 and they continue to grow and sometimes it is difficult to accept but what they did at 20 was, for me, exceptional."

On if the game could be a springboard for Carlos Vela...
"He is an outstanding finisher who worked very hard this summer and he continues to improve. He is 21 years old and it is a fantastic quality."

On Jack Wilshere's loan spell at Bolton...
"It was important because it accelerated his career by being confronted in the Premier League and having tough games. But, of course, Jack has been educated here and he was already an outstanding player when he left for Bolton. But this is the final part of the education of a player - to be integrated into the first team and play under pressure. That was important for him."

On if he expected Wilshere to play a central role so early in the season...
"Honestly, no. But football teaches you one thing - be open-minded and never have a definite opinion. You need to have opinions sometimes but you always have to have an open mind on players because you can never predict how quickly they develop."

On having sterner tests ahead...
"I know you are impatient but let's enjoy the victory tonight. If you speak about tests, we have a big test on Saturday. We go to Sunderland so that will be a good test. In Europe, let's qualify [for the knockout stages] and then we will see. But Shakthar Donetsk will certainly be a big test for us."

On if he is convinced his side can win major trophies this season...
"I am convinced, yes. I have problems convincing you but that is normal! It is the start of the season and I think it is important that we take encouragement from what we are doing at the moment and we keep feet on the ground and a good concentration."

On what gives him that belief...
"You watched the game tonight. You don't need replays to see that we can be very creative, be dangerous, score goals. You see the pace we can play at and the number of chances we can create. This team knocked Sevilla out, they're a good side, Braga."

On Marouane Chamakh...
"He's a midfielder and a striker. He passes the ball, moves a lot, works defensively, is a striker in the box and is good in the air. He works very hard for the team so it's enjoyable for the midfielders to play with him."

On Abou Diaby's injury...
"We have to wait to see how he responds to that shock. There's a bruise and some ligaments [damage]. We don't know when he'll play again at the moment."

On putting in an impressive performance with a number of players out injured...
"It's fantastic because it shows we have a style at the Club that everybody knows and no matter who comes in the football is played the same way. I have always said that we have a big squad where everybody can play a part and that shows when you look at who was out tonight. Some quality players were sitting behind me."

Does it drive you on because you've never won it?
"Of course. You have to think in Europe we are in the top eight in the coefficients for our performances year in year out but we have not won it and as long as we haven't won it people will question the way we play. You win it with quality, as simple as that."

On if he has spoken to the players about the incentive of the final being at Wembley?
"I have only spoken to the players about Sunderland on Saturday."

Source: Arsenal.com on 15 Sep 10

15 September 2010: Arsenal 6-0 Braga, Emirates Stadium

Arsenal blitzed Braga 6-0 on the opening night of Champions League Group H on Wednesday.

Cesc Fabregas opened the Emirates Stadium floodgates in the ninth minute when he stroked home from the penalty spot after Marouane Chamakh had been felled.

The Spaniard then provided an artistic assist for Andrey Arshavin to net the second on the half-hour. Four minutes later Chamakh combined with Jack Wilshere to make it 3-0.

Fabregas headed home the fourth – his second – just after the interval and only a goal-line clearance prevented the skipper completing the first hat-trick of his Arsenal career a few minutes later.

Arshavin set up substitute Carlos Vela for a cute finish midway through the second half. Six minutes from time the Mexican netted again from an unselfish assist by Fabregas.

If that reads like a procession of Fabregas-inspired Arsenal goals then that is just what it was.

Braga looked like the Champions League debutants they were. Arsenal had complete and utter control yet they barely broke out into a meaningful sweat.

Wenger’s men have reached the last 16 of this competition for the last 10 years and, though there is a long way to go, they just might make it 11 with something to spare this time.

The manager made three changes from the side that had beaten Bolton at the weekend.

His first-choice full backs, Bacary Sagna and Gael Clichy returned at the expense of Emmanuel Eboue and Kieran Gibbs.

Sandwiched between them were Sebastien Squillaci and Laurent Koscielny, the nascent all-French partnership that had performed so admirably at centre back on Saturday.

The final change saw their compatriot, Samir Nasri, come into the side so Tomas Rosicky dropped to the bench.

This was a voyage into the unknown for Braga and coach Domingos Paciencia sprang a surprise by leaving Lima on the bench. The Brazilian striker had scored a crucial hat-trick in the qualifying round against Sevilla.

At his pre-match press conference, Wenger had vowed to exploit Braga’s Champions League inexperience this evening and, in the opening stages, the visitors were clearly nervous.

Fabregas appeared to be felled by Paulo Cesar’s panicky challenge on the edge of the area in the fourth minute but referee Alain Hamer waved play on. Shortly afterwards Wilshere clipped a shot just wide not knowing he been flagged offside.

Up to this point, Arsenal had not been at their best but third gear was good enough to pin back Braga.

And in the ninth minute, the visitors finally fell behind.

Fabregas quickly computed that Chamakh had escaped in the left-hand channel and found him with and a penetrative pass. The Moroccan shaped to swoop inside the keeper Felipe but then went the other way. The Arsenal striker was swept off his feet and Fabregas converted the penalty.

Shortly afterwards, the captain chested the ball down and Wilshere’s point-blank shot cannoned back off Felipe.

It seemed a little too easy for Arsenal and, perhaps as a result, they failed to capitalise on their superiority immediately.

Cesar’s deflected shot was well-held by Almunia and, with a little more composure, Braga may have been more of a threat.

However Arsenal were still much the more likely side to score – all they had to do was prove it.

Then, in the 30th minute, they did.

Again the architect was Fabregas. Displaying effortless balance and guile, he weaved past a couple of Braga defenders before cushioning a pass to Arshavin on the left of the area.

The Russian rifled home a low shot just inside the near post. It was his third goal of the season.

Five minutes later it was 3-0.

Wilshere collected the ball on the right and tapped a short cross-field pass to Arshavin before racing to the edge of the area for the return.

The Russian’s chip was chested down by Chamakh to Wilshere, who then backheeled the Moroccan into a crevice of space in a crowded area. He tucked away a trickling shot beyond Felipe and into the corner.

Barring some sort of calamity, this game was won.

Eight minutes after the break even that proviso was pretty much extinguished. Arshavin clipped a cross to the far post and Fabregas, entirely unmarked, guided home a header.

It was simple, simple football.

Three minutes later, the Spaniard should have registered the first treble of his Arsenal career when he went clear. However the captain’s shot was touched into the air by Felipe and Moises raced in to hack the ball away.

No matter. At this point, Arsenal were as troublesome to the Braga defence as they wanted to be. Stepping on the gas when they felt the pace dropping too low.

Just past the hour, Wenger withdrew Song and Chamakh for Denilson and Carlos Vela. It was the act of a satisfied man.

Seconds later, Arshavin drilled a low cross-shot against the far post. In the 67th minute, the Russian cleverly fed Vela, who clipped the ball over Felipe in typical fashion.

Six minutes from time, the 21-year completed the scoring by tucking home a shot after Fabregas eschewed a half-chance of a hat-trick to set him up.

Despite the scoreline, this was not ultra-elegant Arsenal, it was the more emphatic and efficient version.

But they had done everything asked of them tonight – and more.

Source: Richard Clarke, Arsenal.com on 15 Sep 10

Arsène Wenger backs Marouane Chamakh to lead Arsenal's campaign

The Arsenal manager was full of praise for Marouane Chamakh, his summer signing from Bordeaux.

Arsène Wenger listed Arsenal's growing ranks of walking wounded tonight, the names of the high-profile absentees tripping miserably off the tongue: Theo Walcott, Robin van Persie, Thomas Vermaelen, Abou Diaby, Nicklas Bendtner, Aaron Ramsey.

There is significant reliance already on all three of Arsenal's summer signings, with each to start the club's Champions League campaign tomorrow evening. "But Sébastien Squillaci is 30 already and experienced and Laurent Koscielny has simply had to play from the start," the manager said. "And Marouane Chamakh? Well, he has already shown what an important player he can be for us."

It is the Moroccan who has most caught the eye. Wenger used to grant foreign imports time to adapt to life in this country, calling on them relatively sparingly over the first few months after their arrival in the Premier League. Robert Pires serves as the best example, a player who flourished in his second season in north London. Yet already Chamakh appears to have come ready-made for English football with his adaptation period apparently limited to a profligate display in last month's trouncing of Blackpool. He eventually scored his first goal for the club that afternoon, Arsenal's sixth, although in the context of a thrashing his passing up of a hat-trick of earlier opportunities never felt costly.

Now, only four games into his Arsenal career, the sense is growing that Wenger has lured to The Emirates a player who can add something extra to this team's slick approach. Chamakh flourished in France as a lone striker with Bordeaux, his impact built as much upon work-rate as weight of goals. He learned from Christophe Dugarry, a World Cup winner in 1998, who taught him "how to shield the ball better and helped me improve my movement". Under Laurent Blanc, he focused his energy. He had managed double figures only once in six seasons previously but, in his last two years with Les Girondins, plundered far more freely. In the absence of the slippery Van Persie and Bendtner, a target man who has flattered to deceive since being handed first-team opportunities at the Emirates, Chamakh has an opportunity to make himself pivotal. At 6ft 2in he has the brawn and the spring to unsettle sides both in the Premier League and in Europe, with Braga braced for an awkward evening.

"He has done well," Wenger said. "He is used to a physical game and is the type of player who likes contact with his opponent. He loves that side of the game, challenging in the air. No matter where you jump, if you're playing in Japan or in England, if you jump high you'll beat your opponent with your head, and he does that.

"But he's adapted quickly because he is a really selfless team player. He works for the team and is a guy who loves being with his team-mates. They appreciate his efforts, too. Even if he misses one or two chances, his contribution is so high in other areas that it is not a problem. And the goals he scores himself are usually important goals. He doesn't score the fourth in a 4-1 usually, he scores the second to make it 2-1, as he did on Saturday [against Bolton] or the equaliser."

The visit of the Portuguese should not prove a culture shock for a forward who has scored five Champions League goals in 19 appearances and ruffled no less than Juventus already in his career. The 26-year-old offers focus to Arsenal's front line along with industry and bite. He could yet prove to be this side's prolific missing link. "He has improved already," his team-mate, Bacary Sagna, said. "When he arrived here he was a bit, well, not scared, but he certainly needed time to settle. That's happened already and he has found his feet.

"It's so important for the team to have a player like him up front. He can keep the ball well and he just wants to play, give his best and work for the team. He'll get better results with each game he plays. For the team he will be very important. He will become a great player for Arsenal."This side will need him to maintain his early promise while the club's injury list remains lengthy though, in Chamakh, they already boast a player in whom they trust.

Source: Dominic Fifield, The Guardian on 14 Sep 10

Arsenal draw Shakhtar, Braga and Partizan

The draw for the UEFA Champions League Group Stage has been made.

Arsenal will take on Shakhtar Donetsk, Sporting Braga and Partizan Belgrade in Group H.

Below are brief profiles of the three sides, with links to their official websites.

Shakhtar Donetsk
Ukrainian champions Shakhtar Donetsk qualified directly for the Group Stage and are already seven games into their domestic league season. Former Arsenal striker Eduardo has scored twice in three appearances for Shakhtar.

Sporting Braga
Sporting Braga came second in the Portuguese Liga last season and defeated Sevilla 5-3 on aggregate in their play-off match to reach the Group Stage.

Partizan Belgrade
Serbian champions Partizan Belgrade qualified for the Group Stage after defeating Anderlecht on penalties in their play-off. Both legs had ended 2-2. It is their first appearance in the Champions League for seven years.

Source: Arsenal.com on 26 Aug 10