Arsenal's Theo Walcott out of Carling Cup final with ankle injury

Arsenal may now be only a point behind Manchester United but the full cost is yet to be confirmed after injuries to Theo Walcott and Cesc Fábregas on what ended as a frustrating evening for Arsène Wenger's team following the brightest of starts.

Arsenal's next outings are Sunday's Carling Cup final against Birmingham City, an FA Cup fifth-round replay on Wednesday and the visit of Sunderland in the league, before travelling to Barcelona for the return leg of the Champions League last-16 tie on Tuesday 8 March.

Wenger, then, will pray that Walcott, who definitely misses the Wembley final, can recover from his ankle sprain quickly and that Fábregas's hamstring does not rule him out of the team to face Birmingham and beyond, though he is a big doubt for Sunday.

There had been scant hint of what was to unfold after Arsenal had taken 90 seconds to illustrate that they were in slick working order, and eight minutes to breach the visiting defence.

Their opening move featured Jack Wilshere marauding forward then linking with Fábregas sweetly on the edge of Stoke's area. The Spaniard delivered a perfect pass to place Walcott in behind the defence and he unloaded a shot that beat Asmir Begovic but smacked off his right-hand post and safely into the goalkeeper's hands.

Then came what proved to be the winner. From a corner on the right, Wilshere's left boot flicked in the delivery and though Ryan Shawcross stuck his head on the ball the possession was moved on to Nicklas Bendtner, who was lurking beyond the far post. He scooped the ball back on to the head of Sébastien Squillaci, who was stationed in front of the goal, and the central defender scored his first league goal since joining last summer.

Fábregas's problem occurred after 14 minutes and he was replaced by Andrey Arshavin, which meant Samir Nasri moving inside from the left to occupy the central position and the Russian taking up the place on the wing.

While this did not cause any break in Arsenal's hold over possession, it did stunt their dynamism, with many attacks becoming static around Stoke's 18-yard line. One move resulted in the passes accumulating and ended with Arshavin attempting a shot that hardly threatened to double the score. This was as encouraging as it got for a side who were then offered a reminder of the effectiveness of more direct play after 33 minutes.

Thus far, John Carew's contribution had been tapping Wilshere's ankles and little else. But a powerful 25-yard volley from City's lone striker forced Wojciech Szczesny to fling himself across goal to save, a clear warning for Arsenal that they had to maintain focus.

Wenger's men closed the half virtually becalmed. Nasri stepped up to pull a free-kick wide but beyond Tony Pulis complaining after Jonathan Walters was booked for fouling Walcott, Fábregas's exit had slowly drained the contest of quality and incident.

At the interval Wenger would surely have warned his team to be more ruthless, Pulis that his Stoke players could still get a goal and a point, or even better.

A year ago the sides had met in the reverse fixture and a Shawcross challenge on Aaron Ramsey left the midfielder with a leg broken and enmity between the two managers: after a quiet first half the emotion now began bubbling.

This started with Carew and Johan Djourou having a tame clash near the corner flag that drew abuse from the home support, something which was only heightened when Peter Walton refused to book the Norwegian.

Djourou played a crucial role in stopping the next Stoke attack. Jermaine Pennant collected possession from a throw, motored down the right flank, then delivered the cross on to Shawcross's head. It was on target but the ball hit Djourou and went wide.

Arsenal had played the opening 15 minutes of the second half incapable of breaking beyond halfway while Robert Huth came close to an equaliser when the Rory Delap slingshot delivered the ball perfectly in to Arsenal's area. But though the Stoke defender rose above a melee of players, his header was steered over.

Now, though, a difficult evening for Wenger and company was about to become worse. Walcott's coming together with Dean Whitehead ended with the Arsenal forward being carried off on a stretcher with an ankle strain. Wenger could not resist a jibe regarding one of Stoke's prime tactics. "I wonder if we should not change the rules because the throw-ins, just after halfway, are in the box," he said.

Pulis said: "In the first 10 minutes we looked like rabbits in the headlights."

Source: Jamie Jackson, The Guardian on 23 Feb 11

Gunners count the cost of victory

The image of an Arsenal player departing the pitch on a stretcher against Stoke City has probably surfaced frequently in Arsene Wenger's nightmares of late. Twelve months on from the horrific broken leg suffered by Aaron Ramsey that hung inescapably over this game, Arsenal suffered collateral damage in their challenge on four fronts as they lost Theo Walcott to an ankle injury that will prevent his involvement in the Carling Cup final, while the extent of a hamstring problem afflicting Cesc Fabregas is yet to be determined. As feared, this 1-0 victory, which moves Arsenal to within a point of Manchester United at the top of the table, will be overshadowed by medical bulletins.

A year has been a long time to wait for Arsenal fans to deliver their judgement on Stoke City and Ramsey's assailant Ryan Shawcross, and they accepted it gratefully - "scum" appearing to be the popular description for a side that has been demonised in this corner of North London. Stoke are a side that do not appeal to Islington sensibilities, either with their direct approach or abrasive style, and were lambasted all night long.

But it was not a fair condemnation of Tony Pulis' side. While Dean Whitehead's challenge on Walcott that forced the winger off on a stretcher was messy, the injury it caused was merely a result of bad fortune as legs tangled, while Stoke's distinctive style and resolute defending frustrated the home side for long periods.

Wenger was notably complimentary about his opponents following a valuable yet potentially costly victory for the Gunners, as he said: "Overall it was played in a good spirit. I cannot complain. It was committed with strong challenges but overall correct. I have not an issue with the long throws; I have not an issue with any other aspect of their game. Nobody likes to play against Stoke because they have a very special way. But for me they defended in a very intelligent way."

It was certainly a different test to that which faced Arsenal last week at the Emirates Stadium. Indeed, a greater contrast in stylistic approaches would be difficult to envisage. Barcelona, held up as the global model of aesthetic football, and Stoke, demonised by some as the greatest exponents of 'anti-football' on English shores, are worlds apart, but they have both been subjected to one-goal defeats in this arena.

On the aesthetic scale, Arsenal are clearly towards the Barcelona end, their approach personified by tiny technicians like Jack Wilshere and Samir Nasri rather than Stoke's towering colossuses. Certainly, the Premier League's most notable clash of styles has generated no end of bad blood in recent seasons. While neither side held a press conference prior to this fixture, helping to defuse any potential row, the residual resentment generated by Wenger's characterisation of Stoke as a "rugby" team at the start of the season, and Pulis' subsequent decision to write a letter of complaint to the FA and the Premier League, has not abated to any significant degree. That much was evident when a large banner emblazoned with 'One Aaron Ramsey' hung from the North Bank, while Shawcross' every touch was then met with a chorus of boos from the home fans.

But such antagonism did not initially translate to the pitch in a first half that grew quiet following an early explosion of action that left Stoke, in Pulis' own words, "like rabbits in headlights". As Walcott rattled the post inside two minutes when collecting a pass from Fabregas that bisected the Stoke defence, Rory Delap quickly exercised his dangerous long throw. However, it was instead Arsenal who unexpectedly profited from an early aerial bombardment.

The Gunners have seemingly not scored with any regularity from corners since the days of Tony Adams and Steve Bould, but Wilshere's set-piece caused havoc in the Stoke box, and when Bendtner calmly cushioned the ball back across goal, Sebastien Squillaci was in space to head home from close range. It was a moment to savour for a player who has been under some scrutiny of late, and the relief was clear in his face.

After 14 minutes, though, Fabregas' own visage was a picture of frustration as he was forced off due to injury. He had spoken in the match programme of how he wished to be the first Spaniard to lift a major trophy as a captain in England, but further tests on his hamstring will be required before his availability for Sunday's Carling Cup final can be assessed. "He was very upset," Wenger said. "I am as well. It is strange it happens early in the game but we have to face it".

Andrei Arshavin was introduced, pushing Samir Nasri into a central role, but the loss of Fabregas seemed to disrupt Arsenal's momentum. Stoke proved hard to break down, playing to stereotype by defending in crowds and playing the ball long, and lone striker John Carew went close before half-time as his stinging volley from Jonathan Walters' knock-down was palmed away by Wojciech Szczesny.

Hostilities resumed in more forceful fashion after the break, a succession of Stoke fouls drawing a furious reaction from the home supporters. Carew and then Delap pushed the borders of acceptability with challenges on Johan Djourou and Bacary Sagna, while Gael Clichy retaliated with a bad tackle on Jermaine Pennant that attracted a yellow card. Arsenal appeared to have lost their poise, a diagnosis confirmed when Robert Huth towered above the home defence from a Delap throw but headed over the bar with Szczesny stranded.

When Arsenal did break with purpose, and Arshavin avoided a lunging tackle from Shawcross, the Russian's square pass for Walcott was wasted by the forward as he betrayed a lack of composure and technique. Stoke, with massed ranks of bodies in their defensive third, had squeezed the fluency out of the home side and appeared capable of snatching a late goal.

Their impressive defensive endeavours going unappreciated by the majority of those in attendance, invective continued to rain down on the Stoke side, and despite Wenger's conciliatory approach in his own press conference, Pulis admitted: "You can't stop people's perception... It's very difficult shaking perception off our shoulders."

However, after a battling victory the likes of which have often eluded Arsenal, Wenger may well note that perceptions of his own side may be shifting slightly as their challenge for the Quadruple continues.

MAN OF THE MATCH: Alex Song
Imperious in the first half, his influence waned slightly after the break as Arsenal grew disjointed, but he won a worthy battle against Dean Whitehead and provided the platform for his team's victory.

ARSENAL VERDICT
A hard-fought win for a side that failed to regain its sparkle after the loss of Fabregas to injury. Song and Wilshere impressed in their deeper roles, but Arsenal lacked a touch of cohesion in the final third.

STOKE VERDICT
Pulis was unconcerned at 1-0 down and kept things tight in pursuit of a late equaliser. His gameplan was executed pretty well, though the Potters were unable to claim the goal they were seeking, despite a tense conclusion.

WENGER CORNERED
In his post-match press conference, the Arsenal manager appeared to call on football's governing bodies to negate the impact of Rory Delap's throws, saying: "I wonder if they should not change the rules a bit." However, when pressed on the matter, he then insisted he was merely being flippant, despite the serious tone to his voice.

Source: Tom Adams, ESPN Soccernet on 23 Feb 11

Squillaci goal closes gap

Arsenal edged past Stoke and moved to a point behind Premier League leaders Manchester United but their victory was overshadowed by injuries to Theo Walcott and Cesc Fabregas.

Sebastien Squillaci's seventh-minute header gave Arsenal the victory but injuries to their key duo will be of concern with the Carling Cup final and a Champions League match against Barcelona coming up.

Fabregas came off with what appeared to be a knee complaint in the first half while Walcott was carried off on a stretcher with an ankle injury after being flattened by a clumsy Dean Whitehead challenge.

Much of the pre-match talk had been about how the Gunners would cope without another of their key men, Robin van Persie, who was ruled out yesterday with a hamstring injury.

Arsene Wenger chose Nicklas Bendtner to lead the attack in his absence while Fabregas, Wojciech Szczesny and Samir Nasri returned after missing Sunday's disappointing draw with Leyton Orient.

Tony Pulis recalled Asmir Begovic and Whitehead while Ryan Shawcross skippered the side almost a year to the day the that he broke Aaron Ramsey's leg at the Britannia Stadium.

Clearly determined to put their shock FA Cup draw behind them, Arsenal came flying out of the blocks and rattled the Stoke woodwork with barely a minute gone.

Fabregas slotted in Theo Walcott after some good work by Jack Wilshere, and the England winger beat Begovic at the far post but his shot rebounded off the woodwork and into the goalkeeper's hands.

Walcott tore into the Stoke box again three minutes later after being played through by Bendtner but Begovic came out to smother the ball.

The early pressure paid off for the home side when they took the lead.

Bendtner volleyed across the box from a Wilshere corner to find Squillaci, who headed home unmarked from five yards for his first league goal of the season.

Fabregas looked to be struggling with an injury and was replaced by Andrey Arshavin 14 minutes in.

The Spaniard, who missed most of December with a hamstring injury, looked disappointed to have picked up a knock and will be badly missed by the Gunners if does not recover for Sunday's cup final and the Barcelona game in two weeks' time.

Arsenal remained in control but played the game at a much slower pace following their captain's departure.

Arshavin, who scored the winner against Barcelona last week, skipped past his marker before drawing a good save from Begovic at his near post.

Szczesny had to scramble down to his right to save John Carew's 25-yard volley with Stoke's first chance of the game at the other end.

The Stoke defence backed off as Arshavin raced at the defence and Shawcross, who had been booed with his every touch, hacked the Russian down 20 yards out.

Nasri curled the resultant free-kick a couple of yards wide of Begovic's goal.

Jonathan Walters entered the book for pulling back Walcott in the closing stages.

The decision angered Pulis, who raged at referee Peter Walton and Wenger, who agreed with the referee's call, in the opposing technical area.

Carew was lucky to escape a booking at the start of the second half when he appeared to push over Johan Djourou after coming in late on the tackle.

The away side almost equalised a minute later when Shawcross' deflected header whistled just past Szczesny's goal.

Earlier this season Wenger accused Stoke of playing like a rugby side because of their dirty tactics and he was angered by a late sliding challenge from Rory Delap on Bacary Sagna which the referee deemed not worthy of a booking.

It was Pulis who was up in arms next though as a result of Gael Clichy's late sliding tackle on Jermaine Pennant, which earned the defender a yellow card.

Stoke were looking much more assured in the second period and they went close when Robert Huth headed just over the bar from a Rory Delap long throw.

Arsenal then went on the attack through Arshavin, who dodged a Shawcross sliding tackle to find Walcott in the box but the 21-year-old was off-balance and mis-kicked his attempt on goal.

Walcott was bundled over by Whitehead on the edge of box in the 68th minute but referee Walton waved play on. The winger stayed on the ground, clearly in pain, clutching his ankle before being carried off to be replaced by Denilson.

Bendtner headed wide from six yards after a Wilshere corner as Arsenal looked for a killer second goal with 20 minutes left. Then Marc Wilson clattered into substitute Marouane Chamakh to earn a booking.

Pennant almost stole an equaliser in the last minute of normal time with a beautiful curling free-kick that went into Szczesny's side-netting.

Wenger was infuriated to see the fourth official show there would be five minutes of injury-time but his side held the ball for almost the entire added period to ensure the Gunners held out for a crucial win.

Source: ESPN Soccernet on 23 Feb 11

Arsenal March On - But At a Price

Arsenal maintained their challenge at the top of the table last night with a pragmatic win over Stoke. The match was more notable for the injuries sustained by Cesc Fabregas and Theo Walcott than it was for the football on offer but, nonetheless, it was a massively important three points.

After an early flurry of attacking play from Arsenal which produced Seb Squillaci’s headed goal, the first half settled into a soporific tempo in which Stoke parked the bus in front of their goal and the Gunners strung together endless passes as if it were a training session. In truth, much of the home team’s momentum was lost when Fabregas departed after quarter of an hour.

It took until the second half for Stoke to realise that they had to offer a bit more if they were to get anything out of the match. What they did offer was their usual mix of long throws, hopeful punts forward and set-pieces. Though their methods are a long way away from anything appertaining to “the beautiful game”, it is the sort of approach that the Gunners have had plenty of trouble dealing with in recent years.

On this occasion though, Arsene Wenger’s men managed the threat with relative comfort and actually defended well. The visitors had a couple of near misses but there were no real heart-attack moments towards the end of the game when you would expect Stoke to have thrown the kitchen sink at stealing a draw. In fact, when five minutes of injury time was shown on the fourth official’s board, the Gunners simply held possession, passed the ball and ran the time out.

The much-hyped bad blood between the clubs didn’t really materialise either. The inevitable booing of Shawcross and derision at the interminable time it takes Delap to deliver his throw-ins was all rather half-hearted and, despite a few heavy challenges from both teams in the second half, nothing really spilled over on the pitch. This was a match against awkward but largely irrelevant opponents that simply needed to be chalked off with the minimum of fuss and bother - and that is what the Arsenal players did.

So, job done, three points, and a degree of pressure exerted on Man United ahead of their upcoming Premier League encounters with Wigan, Chelsea and Liverpool. As mentioned, the main concern coming out of last night’s match regarded the injuries to Cesc and Theo. It has to be said that though Fabregas’s injury looked the less-serious of the two, his absence would be the more sorely felt. Matters will be assessed at the training ground today and we can only cross our fingers and hope that he will make it for Sunday’s Carling Cup Final.

Walcott is already ruled out of the Wembley game. You have to feel sorry for him personally. After making a much-improved contribution this season, it is sad that he has to miss such a big match. However, he would seem to be more easily replaced than the Spaniard – the obvious contender being Andrey Arshavin whose form has been heading back in the right direction over the past couple of months. Again, we await news of how long Walcott will be out for. It will arguably be a bigger blow for him to miss the away leg in Barca than the Carling Cup Final as his pace would provide a good outlet in the sort of match that is likely to be.

Elsewhere this week, the Gunners continued their spluttering FA Cup campaign by drawing at Orient on Sunday. There was much moaning from the manager and certain sections of the fanbase about having to play an extra game. Personally, I don’t see what the problem is. The manager made ten changes after the Barcelona match and gave players who have been warming the bench for the last couple of months an opportunity. Undoubtedly, he will do the same again in the replay and, in all honesty, most of those players looked like they could do with some game-time. Certainly, the incentive of being involved in a match-up with Man United at Old Trafford in the next round ought to be enough to sharpen them up a bit for next Wednesday’s return.

Anyway, with all other business now put to one side, the countdown to Wembley on Sunday begins. Apart from sweating on the injuries to Fabregas and Walcott, Arsenal fans are looking forward to their first major final since meeting Chelsea at the Millennium Stadium in the same competition in 2007. Though the Gunners will go into the match as warm favourites, their own history in this competition shows that favouritism doesn’t always suit them, as evidenced by the finals against Swindon and Luton. Birmingham are going to be fired up for this game and the Arsenal players cannot afford to give anything less than 100% focus and effort.

Victory on Sunday would not be just about picking up a silver pot. It would also be about instilling belief in this set of players that they can do more than just produce moments of exquisitely attractive football. They can prove to themselves and their fans that they are capable of finishing a job off and coming out with a prize at the end of it. In a season where they are still fighting on all four fronts, that could be the most vital aspect of this match.

So, come on you Gunners. Get out there and do it!

Source: David Young, ESPN Soccernet on 24 Feb 11

Wenger's reaction to the Arsenal 1-0 Stoke City match

On whether Cesc suffered a recurrence of his previous injury...
It is of course a concern that he is injured but it can happen unfortunately. He was very upset, I am as well, but it is not his fault and it is not my fault, it is part of sport. It's strange that it happened early in the game but we have to face it. Theo is disappointed of course.

On getting the three points...
We did the job in a very professional way. We faced a Stoke team that defended very well, very compact, but we were intelligent, calm, patient and overall I believe that we were resilient as well when Stoke had their strong moments because we didn't give in when they did what they do very well.

On Rory Delap's long throws...
I wonder if they should not change the rules in the game a little bit because the throw-ins just after halfway goes into the box. Every time you have to face the danger with Delap, every time it is in the box and it is difficult to defend. We did it very well because we didn't concede a goal against them and I am quite proud of that because it is so difficult. I have seen them at home against Sunderland and in five minutes they won the game with this kind of situation with the ball in the box [from a throw]. You are always under a threat and they can change games in a fraction of minutes.

On whether he would change the throw-in rule...
No, I just think it is a problem that you face here but imagine at Stoke! You have to be prepared for it. I have not an issue with the long throws or any other aspect of their game. It is a team that you know you have prepare mentally for because you will not take the points if you don't do that. Nobody likes to play against Stoke because they have a very special way to play the game. But for me they defended in a very intelligent way. For 90 minutes they were disciplined and we didn't find the space. When we did, quickly they cut it off and we could not take advantage. I was quite surprised how intelligently they defended.

On winning when playing below their best...
Tonight was a night when nobody else played [well] and if you can take three points and glide closer to the top, that means that your team is really hungry for success. The number of games we play, not to make a mistake at any stage... we were less sharp creatively but you could feel the team did not want to make a mistake and that's a very positive sign.

On the spirit between the teams...
I think overall the game was played in a good spirit. It was committed with strong challenges but overall correct.

On the growing maturity in his team...
I think we have matured, certainly. We can win a game tonight when we are less creative, less fluent, but with intelligence, brain and calm. That is what has changed. Before, one or two years ago when we were not at our best, we dropped points. Tonight you could see the team realised 'let's not make the mistake' and I must give a lot of credit to my players.

On whether the pressure is now on Man United...
Well we all have pressure now because that's the period where it starts, in March, everyone is under pressure. Chelsea will be, Man United will be, everybody is, but that's part of being in the position we are in. Three months ago when we lost here against Newcastle, who would have given us the chance of even being in the top four. We have come back in a strong position and I will not complain, I am very happy that we have a chance to be in there.

On whether facing Stoke was good practice for Sunday...
Yes because it was a little bit like a cup game tonight. Tactically we will face certainly the same kind of problem, yes.

On Koscielny and Van Persie's fitness...
We will know more on Friday.

Source: Arsenal.com on 23 Feb 11

23 February 2011: Arsenal 1-0 Stoke City, The Emirates

Arsenal edged their way to within a point of leaders Manchester United with a hard-fought 1-0 win over Stoke on Wednesday night.

But the victory may have come at a price.

Sebastien Squillaci’s eighth-minute header was enough to secure all three points. However, Cesc Fabregas hobbled off shortly afterwards with a hamstring injury. In the second half, Theo Walcott was stretchered off with a concerned look on his face having been brought down on the edge of the area.

After the game, Arsène Wenger confirmed that the winger would miss the Carling Cup Final with a sprained ankle. The prognosis on Fabregas will have to wait a little longer.

It is testament to Arsenal that they shook off these problems to secure a crucial victory on the night.

Stoke were Stoke - organised, robust, committed – but Arsenal matched them in those areas and made their class count when it mattered.

These sorts of ground-out 1-0s are said to win you titles. Time will tell there.

But this result is further evidence that Arsenal are the real deal this season.

This was the first of five games in 14 days - a spell that includes Sunday’s showpiece and ends with the game at Barcelona. It is a massive time for Arsenal and, as expected, Wenger brought back the bulk of the side that had been rested at Leyton Orient on Sunday.

In all there were seven changes. Only Alex Song, Bacary Sagna, Squillaci and Nicklas Bendtner retained their places. Wojciech Szczesny, Fabregas, Samir Nasri, Walcott, Jack Wilshere, Gael Clichy and Johan Djourou all came in.

Manchester United were otherwise engaged in the Champions League this evening but will play twice in the Premier League before Wenger’s men run out again in the same competition.

The Frenchman does not like to label any game as ‘must-win’ but this one was about as close as you could get if Arsenal wanted to retain control of their own destiny in the title race.

And the home side began as if they were fully aware of the magnitude of the fixture.

In the opening four and half minutes, Walcott would have three opportunities - one crystal-clear and two half-chances.

The best came first.

With less than 70 seconds on the clock, Wilshere found Fabregas on the edge of the area. Perceptive as ever, he spotted Walcott on the right. The skipper threaded a pass through to leave the Englishman clear but needing to beat Asmir Begovic from an acute angle.

He did so. But his cross-shot bounced off the inside of the far post, back across goal and into the hands of the keeper. Fist-gnawing stuff.

A couple minutes later, Walcott volleyed over when off-balance. Then he seemed to be beating a couple of Stoke defenders for pace but was caught as he shaped to shoot and sidefooted tamely into the hands of the keeper.

Stoke replied with a couple of Rory Delap throw-ins but, in the eighth minute, Arsenal grabbed the lead they deserved.

Wilshere fired over a corner from the right. It was touched on to Bendtner at the far post. He returned the ball into the midst of the six-yard box for Squillaci to nod home from close-range. It was the Frenchman’s second goal of the season and he celebrated like it meant something.

It was everything Arsenal needed but, five minutes later, they would suffer a crucial blow – they lost their captain.

Fabregas pulled up holding his knee and was soon replaced by Arshavin. The Russian took up the role on the left of midfield with Nasri moving into the middle.

The goal and the injury seemed to affect Arsenal. The home side were in complete control - on the half-hour the statistics said they had enjoyed an incredible 74 per cent possession - however their build-up play lead to nothing concrete.

In the 37th minute, they were nearly caught. In a rare foray forward Jonathan Walters nodded the ball back to John Carew 25 yards out. The Norwegian fired a thunderous volley toward the far corner but Szczesny threw himself to his right and made the block. It was a wonderful stop given he had been underemployed thus far.

At the break, Stoke needed to do something. Almost like Orient as the weekend, they seemed happy to cede territory and get men behind the ball. It was a risky ploy given the attacking options Arsenal had at their disposal.

Therefore the visitors were understandably more expansive in the second half. In the opening minutes, they nearly drew level from a move that started with a Delap throw-in - but not in the way you might think.

This one was tossed down the line for Jermaine Pennant. His cross was nodded goalwards by Ryan Shawcross at the near post but, fortunately for Arsenal, deflected wide.

Just before the hour, a more traditional Delap fling saw Robert Huth climb highest and nod over. A glorious chance.

The switch in style had put Arsenal back on their heels and it took them time to recover.

But, gradually, recover they did.

Wilshere thumped a long-range shot into the chest of Begovic then Arshavin skipped past the sliding Shawcross on the left-hand byline before cutting the ball back invitingly for Walcott. He tried to finish first-time but miscued.

It would be the last act from the Englishman. With 20 minutes left, he was hauled down by Dean Whitehead on the edge of the area and did not get up. He was stretchered off and Denilson came on.

Despite another change, matters were still tight and even. Shawcross miscued a volley at one end, Bendtner headed over at the other.

As the game entered its final phase, both sides brought on strikers – Marouane Chamakh for Arsenal, Ricardo Fuller for Stoke.

Stoke still pushed forward where possible but theirs was a blunt weapon. The closest they came to breaking the deadlock was when Pennant rippled the sidenetting from a free-kick.

The finale was nervy but controlled. The finesse went from Arsenal and the fight took over.

But in the end they had the three points they wanted.

Source: Richard Clarke, Arsenal.com on 23 Feb 11

Match Preview: Arsenal vs Stoke City

Arsène Wenger did not actually say it - but he meant it.

The Arsenal manager is one of the most articulate and eloquent men in football. He just does not ‘do’ clichés.

But, right now, he is taking each game as it comes.

There is little option really. Arsenal are gunning on four fronts and will not play successive games in the same competition until April at the earliest.

They are on the treadmill of prepare-play-recover, prepare-play-recover for the foreseeable future.

Even when he is within sight of dispatching another nagging phrase to the dustbin of history – namely that his side have not won a trophy since 2005 – Wenger baulks.

Sunday’s Carling Cup Final is close. But it is Stoke City, who visit Emirates Stadium on Wednesday, that matter.

With Manchester United otherwise engaged in the Champions League, victory will put Arsenal within a point of leaders. That is why Wenger argues the Stoke game is not a reaction to last Sunday or a potential boost for the one coming up.

It is an end in itself.

“Personally I don’t even think about the Carling Cup,” Wenger told Arsenal.com. “The best way to win the Premier League is to win the game on Wednesday. It is only that which is important."

“If we want to keep in touch with Manchester United, which we want more than anything, this game is vital."

“We have given so much in the Premier League, we have gone through so many difficult periods and have come back with such resilience. Being mature is about giving importance to a game that is very important for us as a team.”

After they return from Marseilles, Manchester United must come face-to-face with the Achilles heel of their season. They have garnered less than 50 per cent of their potential Premier League points away from home this season while Arsenal have taken around two-thirds. Now Sir Alex Ferguson’s side travel to Wigan, Chelsea and Liverpool in the time Wenger’s men have just one Premier League game – Sunderland at home.

If Arsenal win against Stoke then the pressure is squeezed a little more. Drop points and there could be daylight between the top two before Wenger’s side play again.

“We know that we have to win our home games if we want to win the title,” said the manager matter-of-factly. “I told you at the end of December that our home form will determine where we finish.”

Johan Djourou is available again after a back problem kept him sidelined against Leyton Orient at the weekend. Theo Walcott is also expected to return to the squad as well. Robin van Persie (hamstring) and Laurent Koscielny (back) will be missing but may still make Sunday’s game. Abou Diaby has not shaken off his calf problem but, in any case, is seeing out the final game of his three-game ban for being sent off at Newcastle.

Stoke arrive in tenth place – two wins from both in-form Liverpool in sixth and struggling Wigan in the relegation zone. If they remain in that position it would represent their best finish since returning to the top flight three seasons ago.

“They have a side who look capable of beating anybody in the Premier League,” said Wenger. “They look to be very dangerous and they still have very good players in Kenwnye Jones, Jon Walters, John Carew, Jermaine Pennant and Matthew Etherington.

“I don’t think they have dropped their level this season, I just think the Premier League is so difficult for everybody. If you win one or two games you are looking upwards, if you lose one or two games you are looking downwards. But Stoke have become a very solid team in the Premier League. Nobody enjoys playing against them.”

Least of all Wenger’s men, of course.

That said, Stoke do not seem to travel too well. They have lost eight successive games at Arsenal and their last winner in this fixture came from a certain Lee Chapman 30 years ago.

In 2011, Stoke have lost all four of their away games and only bottom side Wolves have been defeated more times on the road in the Premier League this season.

The recent addition of Carew, 6ft 5ins, to Kenwyne Jones, 6ft 2ins, smacks of a return to the more direct game that established them into the Premier League.

“It suggests they do not want to lose their strong points,” agreed Wenger. “I can understand that.

“We just have to cope with it - to close them down, to cut the crosses out - because Pennant and Etherington are great crossers. We have to be strong on set pieces too, that is part of the success we want.”

This fixture was snowed off just before Christmas. Back then, Wenger would have gladly accepted their current position - the last 16 of the FA Cup, the last two of the Carling Cup, the top two in the Premier League and leading Barcelona at half-time in their Knockout Round tie.

That Stoke game was billed as a crucial response to the defeat at Manchester United on December 13.

Arsenal have not suffered a damaging loss since that 1-0 reverse at Old Trafford and, in the Premier League, have only dropped points in the draws at Wigan and Newcastle.

The load will be a little lighter next week. But, until then, Wenger’s side cannot afford to trip up on the treadmill.

Source: Richard Clarke, Arsenal.com on 23 Feb 11

Jonathan Téhoué earns Leyton Orient a deserved replay with Arsenal

Arsène Wenger's quest for the quadruple now means negotiating at least one more match than he had bargained for. An unwelcome replay against valiant Leyton Orient further congests Arsenal's run-in and will place additional pressure on a squad that, on the evidence of their display here, may not be as strong as their manager believes. None of which will concern Orient, of course, who fully earned a second crack at Arsenal. With a quarter-final meeting with Manchester United at Old Trafford on offer, Orient are likely to be just as determined at the Emirates.

Right from the outset here it was apparent that Arsenal would not be allowed to canter to victory. Their League One hosts passed crisply, tackled neatly and proved themselves to be as organised as they were tenacious. Arsenal, then, would have to produce at least some of the ingenuity that befits their status as Champions League contenders. However, with 10 of the players who started against Barcelona on Wednesday omitted, they struggled to do so. They circulated the ball nicely and Andrey Arshavin and Nicklas Bendtner offered intermittent evidence of rarefied skill but in general Wenger's team were predictable and one-paced. Orient did not suffer as much as they might have feared they would.

It was Orient who forged the first shot on target, their dynamic captain, Stephen Dawson, surging from midfield to test Manuel Almunia with a fierce low effort from 20 yards. The goalkeeper, making his first appearance since his outing in the last round, needed two tries to hold it.

Marouane Chamakh, who was also returning to the Arsenal team after a spell on the sidelines, was presented with a chance to put Arsenal in front moments later but headed tamely at Jamie Jones from eight yards. The Moroccan continued in that vein for the rest of the first period, his display doing nothing to suggest that he is close to recovering from the fatigue that he says has beset him in his first season in English football. He was not the only player who lacked vim, as Denílson, Alex Song and Tomas Rosicky also struggled to distinguish themselves, especially in the first half. Arshavin, however, was lively and at the hub of most of what Arsenal did well. Twice in the first period he deftly brought the overlapping Kieran Gibbs into play but the left-back's enterprise was not equalled.

The Russian forced an awkward save from Jones in the 20th minute with a swirling shot from the edge of the box following neat interplay with Bendtner. Both Arshavin and Bendtner had several more shots from similar distances in the first half but persistently failed to find the target.

Russell Slade's team did not get many opportunities to trouble an Arsenal defence in which the 18-year-old Spaniard Ignasi Miquel was making his debut, though, following a 13th-minute corner, Charlie Daniels cracked a ferocious shot just over the bar from 25 yards. Arsenal did improve in the second period, the embarrassing prospect of having to call substitutes such as Cesc Fábregas, Samir Nasri and Jack Wilshere to the rescue perhaps spurring the starters.

In the 53rd minute Bendtner and Rosicky combined finally to assert the visitors' superiority. After good work by the Dane and an inviting cross from the right, Rosicky darted from deep to nod into the net from nine yards.

Arsenal's dominance of possession increased after that but Orient did not surrender. Two minutes after going behind Daniels raided down the left and chipped a good cross to Alex Revell, who sent a looping header just over. "When they got the goal we actually came out of our shell a little and started to make one or two more passes and got a little bit of momentum," said the Orient manager.

In the 82nd minute Orient strung together their best move of the match, building intricately down the right before releasing Jonathan Téhoué, who showed composure to play a precise low ball towards Revell, the striker arriving at pace to unleash a thunderous shot from 16 yards. Almunia would have struggled to save it, so was no doubt grateful that Miquel blocked the shot with his face.

His fellow Frenchman, Wenger, admitted afterwards that he had never heard of Téhoué, who had entered the fray as a 63rd-minute substitute. One minute from time he gave the Arsenal manager something to remember him by, beating two players outside the area and rifling the ball under Almunia.

"All eight goals he has scored this season have come in the 85th-minute or later, so in terms of super-sub he's the boy!" said Slade before highlighting the feats of all his players this season. "We've only lost one of our last 21 matches, so something must be going right down at the Orient."

Source: Paul Doyle, The Guardian on 20 Feb 11

Gunners handed reality check

Leyton Orient handed Arsenal a reality check as the npower League One side battled to a famous 1-1 draw with a late goal from substitute Jonathan Tehoue in the FA Cup fifth-round tie at Brisbane Road.

The Gunners made 10 changes from the side which had beaten Barcelona in midweek, but lacked a cutting edge in attack before they eventually made the breakthrough when Tomas Rosicky headed in on 53 minutes.

However, Orient produced a late rally and substitute Tehoue drilled home with a minute left to earn a money-spinning replay which keeps alive the dream of a quarter-final at Manchester United.

Arsene Wenger made the expected sweeping changes from the starting XI against Barcelona, with midfielder Alex Song the only survivor while 18-year-old centre-half Ignasi Miquel made his first-team debut and Manuel Almunia returned in goal.

However, captain Cesc Fabregas, Samir Nasri and Jack Wilshere were all on the bench if needed.

It was a bright start by the home side, who had knocked out Championship promotion hopefuls Norwich and then Swansea in the last rounds, as skipper Stephen Dawson tested Almunia with a low drive from 20 yards.

Arsenal, though, soon settled and Marouane Chamakh glanced a header goalwards after good work down the left from Kieran Gibbs and Andrey Arshavin, who came off the bench to net the winner against Barcelona.

Orient, cheered on by a capacity 9,000 crowd, were not overawed and tried to take the game to their illustrious opponents.

On 14 minutes, Gibbs fed Chamakh at the edge of the penalty area, but the Moroccan - whose last of his 11 goals came in November - could only hit a tame sidefoot effort which Jamie Jones saved comfortably, At the other end, Charlie Daniels sent a 25-yard effort just over following a corner.

Arsenal, though, were soon back on the offensive, as Jones kept out Arshavin's low drive.

Andrew Whing pushed Rosicky over to concede a free-kick just outside the Orient box on the left flank. Arshavin's delivery, though, was headed clear.

Bendtner was the next Arsenal player off target, scuffing his half-volley wide from 18 yards.

Orient continued to close down Arsenal as the visitors struggled to open up the home side in the final third.

As the break approached, Chamakh stabbed wide as he stretched to get on the end of Gibbs' low centre across the six-yard box.

Arshavin weaved into the right side of the Orient penalty area, but could only find the side-netting.

Orient made a change for the second half as injured defender Jason Crowe was replaced by Thomas Carroll.

With an already congested fixture list, which includes next Sunday's Carling Cup final against Birmingham at Wembley, the last thing Wenger will have wanted was a replay, and Arsenal started with more urgency.

However, once more Orient defended in numbers, denying the Gunners any time on the ball.

Arsenal finally took the lead on 53 minutes.

Bendtner's persistence in the right side of the penalty area paid off when his cutback was glanced into the far corner by Rosicky - his first goal since January 2010.

Orient could have let their heads drop, but immediately went on the offensive as Alex Revell looped a header goalwards.

Arsenal, though, continued to look threatening on the break, with Arshavin's turn and run almost playing in Rosicky.

On 68 minutes, the Czech midfielder was denied a second goal by a brilliant reaction save at the near post from Jones, who also blocked the rebound.

Tehoue injected some pace into the Orient attack and the French forward broke quickly down the right, as Revell swept a first-time effort wide from the edge of the Arsenal box.

Orient knew time was running out so pressed forwards, but in doing so left themselves open on the counter-attack.

Tehoue broke down the right again and crossed to the centre where Revell fired in his shot - only for the much-maligned Sebastien Squillaci to somehow make a saving block as the hosts shouted for handball. A subsequent glance at the Frenchman's buffeted face revealed the truth.

Arshavin almost made the tie safe when he dashed clear down the left, but his shot flew across goal and clipped the far post.

Orient, though, were not to be denied a famous result as Tehoue drilled in an equaliser with just a minute left as Brisbane Road erupted.

Arsene Wenger admitted a sense of frustration that Arsenal failed to kill off Leyton Orient.

"We have played the game with the right attitude and could not fault our fighting spirit, but you also have to give credit to Leyton Orient because they never gave up and fought very hard," Wenger said.

"As long as you do not score the second goal, that can happen. Overall it is a disappointment, but we are still in the competition and will now play at home. The most important thing is to go through."

"You had a match against a team which is technically superior, but fighting spirit has a chance."

Wenger, though, continued: "The most negative side of our result today is one more fixture and in fairness that is not what we needed."

"We have had problems in the cups against teams from the lower divisions to finish them off, but also we have given a lot."

"Sometimes, mentally, a breather would not be bad."

"What people forget is that since the beginning of December, we have played every three days, so sometimes to have a week where we could give the players a little breather would not be bad."

Yet Wenger did not begrudge Orient their big night at the Emirates.

He said: "It will make their budget for the season, if not more, and to scrap that off would be a blow to all the smaller clubs in England.

"They suffer already, so you would not have a lot of supporters to do that (scrap replays)."

Source: ESPN Soccernet on 20 Feb 11

Wenger's reaction to the Leyton Orient 1-1 Arsenal match

On being in control before the late equaliser…
That’s what football is about. I believe we have played the game with the right attitude and I cannot fault our fighting spirit. You have to give credit to Leyton Orient. They never gave up and, as long as you don’t score the second goal, these kind of things can happen. It is a disappointment of course but we are still in the competition and the most important thing is that we go through, that’s what the Cup is all about. Today you had fighting spirit against a team who were technically superior, but in a Cup game fighting spirit has a chance.

On Andrey Arshavin’s performance…
He is coming back into form. What is missing is a goal to get completely back to full confidence. But he is lively and dangerous.

On having a large squad to cope with a replay…
We [even] left a few players at home [today]. It’s just sometimes, mentally, a breather would not be bad. Since the beginning of December we have played every three days. Sometimes, to give a week where we can give a breather to the players would not be bad. You have to give credit to Leyton Orient today. You could feel that it was about scoring the second goal or not making a defensive mistake and they took advantage of it.

On knowing about drawing Manchester United before the game…
Somebody told me just before the game started. It’s an exciting and an interesting draw. Today we have [had] a good warning that against Leyton Orient at home it will be a difficult game. They didn’t drop physically, they kept their shape, fought very hard and it was a difficult game for us.

On playing after the Sixth Round draw was made…
It’s the television who dictates the rules. That would not be an excuse for us to draw today, I just think Leyton Orient played a great game. We had quite a good game but we couldn’t finish them off.

On Jonathan Tehoue…
No, I don’t know him. I saw him when he came on, I have never heard of him before! If they did not start him maybe they had a plan to defend up front with Revell. But when he came on they went to a more 4-4-2 shape. Of course they had the chance before when Squillaci was hit on the head and they looked dangerous whenever we lost the ball in the final 20 minutes.

Source: Arsenal.com on 20 Feb 11

20 February 2011: Leyton Orient 1-1 Arsenal, Matchroom Stadium

It seems that Arsenal like doing it the hard way in the FA Cup.

An 88th-minute equaliser from substitute Jonathan Tehoue means they must replay Leyton Orient at Emirates Stadium next month for the right to take on Manchester United in the Sixth Round.

The goal provided a stirring end to a game that, in truth, struggled to catch fire.

Arsène Wenger’s much-changed side dominated the first half but had to wait until the 53rd minute to break the deadlock when Tomas Rosicky scored with a well-placed header from Nicklas Bendtner’s cross.

Before that, Arsenal had enjoyed massive advantages in terms of territory and possession but had struggled to break down a resolute Orient defence.

The goal forced the home side to attack, with Tehoue coming off the bench to add a crucial cutting edge.

Arsenal should have killed this game yet now they must do it all again.

But they are still in the FA Cup.

Wenger made 10 changes from the side that had come from behind to beat Barcelona in midweek. Alex Song was the only constant. However, the entire bench had been on parade against the Spanish champions.

Ignasi Miquel came in for his debut at centre back alongside Sebastien Squillaci. They were flanked by Bacary Sagna, who was returning from suspension, and Kieran Gibbs. Denilson and Rosicky joined Song in central midfield, Bendtner and Andrey Arshavin were on the wings while Marouane Chamakh was the spearhead striker.

Orient had three ex-Arsenal players in their line-up. Ben Chorley at centre back, Jason Crowe in central midfield and keeper Lee Butcher on the bench.

Just before kick-off, news of the Sixth Round draw filtered through. The prospect of Manchester United was one mighty carrot of course but this tie still had all the ingredients of a shock.

The vast majority of the talent was in the Arsenal team but the crowd, the pitch and weather would be against them this Sunday.

It would be a test.

Despite that, the visitors settled well. In the opening minutes, Arshavin crossed for Chamakh to arc a header into the hands of Orient keeper Jamie Jones. Then Bendtner slashed a shot wide from range.

In the 16th minute, Stephen Dawson rifled a shot inches over the bar. It was a chance out of nothing really and would turn out to be the home side's best opportunity of the opening period. Arsenal were on top and it would stay that way.

However, while they had an advantage in terms of possession and territory, there were precious few chances. Chamakh’s shot was easily saved by Jones and then the keeper spilled a snapshot from Arshavin but his defence managed to mop up the danger.

As the half went on, Arsenal only dominated more and more. Nine minutes from the break, a lengthy spell of possession ended with Arshavin finding Gibbs on the left on the area. His cross was prodded wide by Chamakh six yards out.

It was difficult to know how to feel at the break. Arsenal had bossed the game but had not tested Jones anywhere near enough. Depending your viewpoint it was professional or wasteful.

A goal would change everything. It arrived eight minutes after the restart. As he had so often in this game, Bendtner tried to dribble through the massed ranks of the Orient defence and was repelled.

This time, the Dane was pushed to the right of the area. He crossed towards Rosicky 12 yards out. The Czech international guided a header into the far corner. It was his first strike for Arsenal since January 2010.

The goal forced Orient to alter their tactics. At 0-0 they had been happy to stay in their defensive shell. Having gone behind, they had to come out.

Orient manager Russell Slade made his intentions clear by swapping strikers. The tiring Scott McGleish came off, Tehoue came on.

However just after the change, Arsenal should have killed the game. Arshavin’s tenacity took him to the byline. The Russian cut the ball back for Rosicky, whose first-time volley was turned aside brilliantly by Jones at the near post.

Tehoue roared down the right and Revell swept a shot just wide by way of response.

The introduction of the Frenchman had injected a cutting edge into Orient for the first time and, eight minutes from time, he broke down the right once more and cut back an inviting ball for Revell once again. The striker’s contact was forceful and goal-bound but hit Squillaci square in the face – not on the hand as the home crowd had insisted.

Tehoue had changed the tie so if Orient were to score then he was going to either create or convert. In the end he did both.

In the 87th minute, the Frenchman darted between two Arsenal defenders and sent a thunderous shot under the body of Almunia.

The Matchroom Stadium erupted.

Arshavin and Rosicky tried to rescue the victory for the visitors.

But it would not come.

This was a missed opportunity for Wenger’s team.

Source: Richard Clarke, Arsenal.com on 20 Feb 11

Arsenal must end wait for silver after golden night against Barcelona

Arsène Wenger's men blow away any excuse for not ending the club's six-year spell without a trophy

Arsène Wenger's moniker set out his route in life: Arsenal Wenger, born to manage the Gunners. But what a twisting path it has been since he last he won a trophy – the 2005 FA Cup, which was so long ago it happened in Wales.

How to measure a side who are 4-0 up against Newcastle and draw 4-4, then trail Barcelona 11 days later but win? No modern team have shown up the dangers of sweeping judgments quite like Wenger's men. On the trains back from Newcastle two weeks ago the talk was all of mental fragility, of a lack leadership. Arsenal, the consensus ran, were amnesiacs in the art of winning.

The last Highbury and Islington starting XI to hold silver was: Lehmann, Lauren, Touré, Senderos, Cole, Fábregas, Vieira, Silva, Pires, Bergkamp, Reyes. Van Persie, Edu and Ljungberg also played a role, as subs. The heirs to the 2003-04 Invincibles beat Manchester United 5-4 in a penalty shoot-out at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium. Wenger's team returned across the river Severn to aridity: a near six-year wait for a trophy, that surely now has reached its end.

Advancing on four fronts, Arsenal would need to have been lying to us against Barcelona on Wednesday night not to go home with a pot this summer. On Sunday in the FA Cup fifth round Leyton Orient, who were stomped on by West Ham United in the race to occupy the Olympic Stadium, endeavour to exploit any weariness from the triumph over Barça. Next Sunday Arsenal face Birmingham City in the Carling Cup final at Wembley. In the Premier League the astounding 4-4 draw at St James' Park has not ruined the pursuit of Manchester Utd. And 8 March brings the resumption of artistic jousting with Barcelona, who were beaten by brilliant counterattacking and by steeliness of nerve.

A persistent reservation about Wenger's faith in the current generation is his insistence that all they ever needed was time. Not winning prizes for half a dozen years hardly seems conducive to the cultivation of a winning mentality, now does it? There was always a point at which Arsenal would be too far away from 2005 for us to believe they could return to metallurgical success. With each barren year, surely, there would be an extra set of excuses for not winning, which the players could hide behind. As long as they were part of something pretty the actual business of securing trophies could be left to vulgarians or those who failed to understand beauty.

The development of the Arsenal skill-set is indisputable. Johan Djourou is a better centre-half than he was 12 months ago, Samir Nasri has scored 14 times this term and is no longer a firefly. Theo Walcott's productive spells last longer before muddled thinking sets in. Jack Wilshere is a revelation. Wojciech Szczesny may yet be the answer in goal. Laurent Koscielny improves. Of the outfield players, only Tomas Rosicky, Denílson and Andrey Arshavin have stagnated or regressed.

But psychological strength is so much harder to gauge. At Newcastle no Arsenal player stepped up to quell the mounting crisis of goals going in at the wrong end. Against Barcelona virtually the whole side held their resolve in the face of an onslaught and found a way to win. Here Wenger must take credit. At half-time he praised their counterattacking and encouraged them to believe this was not 2010 all over again.

Cesc Fábregas called it "the best game I've ever experienced on the pitch, in terms of quality and in terms of intensity. They had the ball and they went for it. We had the ball and we went for it." Eleven months ago Arsenal endured a superior Barcelona performance to draw 2-2. This time they asserted their own identity much more forcibly and won. It was progress by any measure.

Last season in the league Wenger's soft-shoe shufflers lost home and away to Manchester United and Chelsea, which seemed to indicate terminal frailty against mentally and physically stronger opposition. The portents this year are not much better: three points from nine against those two goliaths (a 3-1 home win over Chelsea), with a 3-2 home defeat by Spurs raising further doubt, though Manchester City were beaten 3-0 away. On current projections the home game against United on 30 April and the trip to White Hart Lane (yet to be rearranged) will determine their seven-year quest to regain the English championship.

Each Arsenal follower has a personal deadline for success. For many six years is already too long. Others count their blessings from watching so much sumptuous football and say they can keep waiting. A few even accept fruitlessness as an acceptable price for good housekeeping. But now Wenger's men have given themselves a problem. By escaping the victim role against Barcelona they have shown themselves to be eminently capable of ending the vigil. So now they must, without ifs or buts.

Source: Paul Hayward, The Guardian on 19 Feb 11

Arsène Wenger: Beating Barcelona can inspire Arsenal on all fronts

Arsène Wenger believes the confidence his Arsenal side have taken from their Champions League first-leg triumph over Barcelona can inspire them to win four trophies this season.

He insists Arsenal will treat their FA Cup opponents, the League One side Leyton Orient, just as seriously as the Spanish champions, with Wenger set to field a virtually full-strength team for the fifth-round tie.

"We want to go for every single competition," said Wenger. "How far will we go? I personally believe we can go in every competition to the end. But we can as well stop very quickly."

"It's just down to how much we believe and how much commitment we show. What I am convinced of is that we have the hunger and we have some talent and we are committed to going as far as we can."

Arsenal are already in the final of the Carling Cup later this month against Birmingham. They lie second in the Premier League, four points behind Manchester United and their home win against Barcelona gives them an opportunity of progressing to the quarter-finals of the Champions League next month.

"Our destiny will be made by how we focus every time, how much we can mobilise our resources in every single game," said Wenger. "The intelligent attitude will be to just worry about the next game and the next game is Leyton Orient. We had tough games against Leeds, tough games against Ipswich, a tough game against Huddersfield. We have been warned how difficult it is."

"We can gain more respect from everybody if we turn up on Sunday with absolutely full commitment, then people will say this team is ready to have a real go and not choose the competition or the games. When you are a top-level competitive man or team you go absolutely 100% committed into every game."

Theo Walcott is likely to have recovered from a slight hamstring strain and Johan Djourou is responding well to treatment on a back injury. Wenger is likely to rest the centre-back Laurent Koscielny who felt "very tired" after the Barcelona match.

But a full house at Orient will be treated to most of the stars who just a few days earlier defeated the team touted as the best in the world. Almost certainly that will include Jack Wilshere in midfield, after the 19-year-old's supremely mature performance against the likes of Xavi Hernández and Andrés Iniesta on Wednesday.

The Arsenal captain, Cesc Fábregas, described Wilshere as having an "English heart with Spanish quality" and Wenger said: "Spanish technique certainly. He has an English heart because he is an English boy. He just loves to win like all the other players in my team.

"He takes everything at the moment with a cool head and that's what I like. When you are at his age, you want to play and to play again and show how good you are. What I like, he is not fazed by the occasion, he is not inhibited and just plays free. That is what is fantastic about him."

Wenger does not believe the FA Cup needs an overhaul and is against scrapping replays, despite Arsenal having a hectic fixture schedule.

"There is an historic love story between people and the FA Cup and people are scared every time that this history goes out of the game," he said. "I don't believe [it will] because I believe that everybody likes to go to Wembley and the final of the FA Cup."

On replays, he added: "They sometimes give you a chance to get yourself out of a tricky game. Against Leeds we had to go to Leeds and we still qualified. It is fair financially for the smaller clubs to get something."

Source: Press Association, The Guardian on 18 Feb 11

Wenger: Young stars going nowhere

Arsene Wenger insists there is no way he would sell any of the star midfielders who steered his team to their Champions League victory over Barcelona.

Arsenal manager Wenger believes players such as Samir Nasri, Theo Walcott, Jack Wilshere and captain Cesc Fabregas are on the verge of stunning the football world.

And while reports continue to link Barcelona and Real Madrid with Fabregas, in particular, Wenger said: "We need Fabregas. Believe me. He is a special player. He is exceptional and we want to keep them all.''

Asked if 'silly money' - £80million has been suggested - would tempt him to sell his Spanish skipper, Wenger added: "We go for all the competitions because we have the players to cope. We have the quality and the numbers. We are in a position where we can say no for financial reasons. We don't need finances. People reproach me, saying 'Why do you not spend stupid money?'. Now they reproach me and say, 'Why do you not sell the player'. That makes me think we have not worked too bad.''

However, Wenger, who takes a strong team to League One Leyton Orient tomorrow in the FA Cup fifth round insisting his side are in with a chance of winning all four trophies this season, admits that it is not easy keeping his entire squad content.

He said: "It is difficult to keep them happy. A player that does not play is never happy. You need the right balance. If you have too many players it is demotivating for the players never involved. If you have not enough it is demotivating because they feel too secure. Competition is part of our job.''

One of those thought to be unsettled is Russian Andrey Arshavin, who came off the bench to score the winning goal against Barcelona but walked straight down the tunnel at the end and did not join in the mood of celebrations at the Emirates.

Wenger said: "It has been a difficult period for him because I felt he did not play at his level. In the last two weeks he is coming back to a good level but I like Andrei as a man. He doesn't hide his feelings. He is a positive person. He is very self-critical. You highlight his attitude but I think he was happy, he scored the goal, went in, he doesn't even think about the rest. When you have dinner he is the first one that finishes, the first one in his room as well, even when he is playing.''

The most pleasing aspect for Wenger against Barcelona was the maturity shown by players such as 19-year-old Wilshere who has brought a hint of steel as well as style to an Arsenal midfield which has learned to scrap. Wenger, whose side are in the Carling Cup final later this month against Birmingham and lie second in the Premier League, compared Wilshere to Manchester United's Paul Scholes.

Wenger said: "He (Wilshere) can fight and play. It is more than aggression. I would say commitment. Aggression is something negative. He has a committed attitude. He needs to keep that.

"Jack is good in the defensive box and good in the offensive box. We are used to players being only strong on one side more than the other. He can have both. You can go into a fight with him. Sometimes it can be too much at the start but I like this side of his character. He is committed, he will fight for the cause and he will not hide.''

Wenger rates Barcelona as the world's greatest football team but is confident his own side have time on their side.

He added: "The interesting comparison is that the average age of Barcelona was 27.4 and our average age was 23.2. That means there are four years difference between the two teams on the maturity side and four years at that level is absolutely huge. We are where we want to be and we hope we can deliver trophies this season.

"The attitude and the commitment of the team to deliver is sensational. I said that in September when everybody questioned us, absolutely everyone. It is important we keep this commitment and desire in every training session. The real pride will be when we look at each other at the end of the season and we have given absolutely everything to go as far as we can. I am confident this team will do it.''

Source: ESPN Soccernet on 20 Feb 11

Leyton Orient captain: Arsenal are in for a bumpy ride in FA Cup

Leyton Orient's captain, Stephen Dawson, says the Arsenal players will not 'fancy the 50-50s' at the Matchroom Stadium

Arsenal beware: on Leyton Orient's challenging pitch, Stephen Dawson and his crew plan to rough up the Premier League aristocrats when they walk out at the Matchroom Stadium for the FA Cup fifth-round tie this afternoon.

"I don't think it will be like the Emirates, it's not the flattest you'll ever see," says Dawson, the Orient captain, of a surface that had to be completely relaid in 2008. "It will help us. They've got the Carling Cup final next week and Barcelona at the Camp Nou [in the Champions League next month], they don't want to be doing a 50-50 challenge at Brisbane Road.

"We're not just going to stand around and admire how they play. Whoever I mark, be it Cesc Fábregas or Alexandre Song or Jack Wilshere, whoever they put out, you want to put one over on them and beat them. That's the main thing. Whether it involves a tackle or not, that's part of football isn't it?

"Against Ipswich [in the Carling Cup] and Huddersfield and Leeds [in the FA Cup] Arsenal got put under pressure and I don't think they really liked it. It's not about kicking them around, it's about getting in their faces – we're going to be right on top of them."

Arsène Wenger's team travel across London with extra zip after Wednesday evening's memorable 2-1 Champions League comeback win over Barcelona. Yet Irishman Dawson, 25, only sees the potential advantage in taking on a team who are also second in the Premier League and still chasing an unlikely quadruple.

Two years ago, the midfielder was relegated to the Conference with Mansfield Town before being released, so his rosy view of life now is understandable. He says: "I know they are professionals [but] there are an awful lot of internationals who might have the mentality, 'OK, let's just get through the game'."

Helping Dawson and his colleagues in their quest to pull off one of the great FA Cup shocks will be 70 or so of his family and friends, plus a factory full of Cadbury employees in his native Dublin, where his father, Brendan, works.

"He worked 15 hours a day for the last 20-odd years and brought us up very well. I shouldn't say this, but my Mum would have one or two drinks in the pub and my dad would have to look after us, so he would give us a football.

"To say he's proud about this game is an understatement. He'd been a window fitter, but he's working for Cadbury now and has probably got around 3,000 workers there all watching the game as well. More Cadbury people will be Leyton Orient fans on Sunday. More than the usual Tuesday night crowd in the stadium."

Orient pull in around 4,500 for home games and, this season, they have seen their club, owned by Barry Hearn, go on a run that has featured the attractive football favoured by Russell Slade, the manager. They have lost only once in 20 games and have moved up the League One table to be within three points of the play‑off positions.

This sequence featured an FA Cup second-round replay against Droylsden that the club website correctly described as "one of the most bizarre [games] you'll ever see". Dawson says: "There was about eight minutes left, with us 2-0 down – and with 10 men as well. But we managed to get two goals and it ended 8-2 [in extra time, with both teams reduced to nine men by the finish]. They were thinking: 'What's going on here?' It was one of those games."

Dagenham, Norwich and Swansea are the three other scalps taken by Orient in their FA Cup run, but making Arsenal number five appears particularly unlikely. Even if Wenger rests one or all of Fábregas, Samir Nasri, Robin van Persie, Theo Walcott and Wilshere, a stellar queue of reserves, headed by Andrey Arshavin, Tomas Rosicky and Nicklas Bendtner, can step in.

Dawson's hero when he was growing up in Dublin was Roy Keane and he recalls the Manchester United captain's tussle with Patrick Vieira at Highbury in February 2005. "Vieira picked on [Gary] Neville and Keane, who was a foot shorter than Vieira, had a go at him. That's what I grew up on," he says. "Roy Keane is an absolute idol. I managed to train with the Irish team and I wasn't scared of that, I was scared of meeting Roy. He shook my hand, but if you gave away the ball he'd go mad at you."

Whatever the result, those travelling friends and family face a short trip to Dawson's post-game party. "I live in the corner flat that overlooks the ground, you can see the pitch up to the penalty spot," he says of the property owned by Hearn. "There'll be a few drinks."

There could be more in Nevada. Leyton Orient's best FA Cup run was in 1978, when they reached the semi-finals, at which point Sunday's opponents beat them 3-0 at Stamford Bridge. But if they manage even a draw against Arsenal, Hearn has promised to take Dawson and his team‑mates to Las Vegas for a celebration to remember.

Source: Jamie Jackson, The Guardian on 19 Feb 11

Match Preview: Leyton Orient vs Arsenal

Barcelona to Brisbane Road. With every respect to Leyton Orient, it is one hell of a leap.

Arsenal have to travel precisely 5.7 miles across London on Sunday for this feisty-looking FA Cup Fifth Round tie. If their minds are still full of Xavi, Iniesta and Messi rather than McGleish, Revell and Dawson then much of that good work in midweek will be left tainted.

Cup shocks are a two-headed coin – complacency on one side, commitment on the other - and certainly the ingredients are all there this weekend.

Arsène Wenger has never lost to lower League opposition in 25 ties over 15 years at Arsenal. Part of the secret is respect for and research on your opponent. He was knee-deep in the latter when he spoke to the media on Friday lunchtime.

"We always try to prepare properly,” he said. “That gives you a guarantee to be at a certain level but, of course, it does not guarantee that you qualify.

"This is the charm of the game. To be successful in the end, you need to go through in these kinds of matches. It is a mental test of how much we want to win. If you want to win, you have to play well at Orient.

“We have had reports of their games and we watched them a little bit against MK Dons. They have a good left back and they have a striker who looks dangerous, Alex Revell. So you see we always look after our opponent.

“To be fair I have had no time [since Barcelona to find out about Orient]. We watched 30 minutes of the first half against MK Dons and I will watch the rest this afternoon.”

Incredibly, Johan Djourou was ruled out on Thursday but will now start if fit. Sebastien Squillaci will certainly return, Bacary Sagna is back from his ban but Abou Diaby’s suspension continues.

"Djourou has a test on Saturday,” said Wenger. “I will play Squillaci and then will see about whether to play Laurent Koscielny or Johan Djourou. Koscielny finished quite exhausted so if I have the choice I will choose Djourou."

With a crucial Premier League game on Wednesday and the Carling Cup Final next Sunday, the manager added that he would certainly shuffle his side. The question is, to what extent.

Arsenal have just started a spell of five games inside 17 crucial days. If they draw against Orient the replay will make it six.

By the end of that period, they could have won their first trophy in six years and pulled off arguably their greatest ever European victory. There are also a couple of Premier League games too – drop anything significant in those and Manchester United may be out of reach.

It is the most significant phase of the season since… well… the last really significant one. That is not to be flippant about the next fortnight or so but, in reality, we hope it is merely a gateway to greater things.

On Friday, Wenger too rallied against the hyperbola.

“It is an important period but, no matter what happens in the next two weeks, we can only think about the next game,” he said. “That is the best way to approach it because we want to win all four games.

“I am never looking backwards and never too far forward. The result of the next game can influence things. If you have a big disappointment, it will affect all the other games. You gain confidence slowly but lose it quickly. So to keep it high it is important to take care of the next game."

Leyton Orient have hovered just above the dropzone in League One for most of this season but their 2011 form has lifted them within sight of the Play-Offs. Russell Slade’s side are unbeaten in their last 11 games and have not lost at Brisbane Road since September. They won at Norwich in the Third Round and at Swansea in the Fourth Round to reach the last 16 for the first time in 29 years.

Though near neighbours, the teams have met just ten times. Orient’s last victories came in 1913 and 1915, the last meeting came in the FA Cup Semi-Final of 1978 when a brace from Malcolm MacDonald helped secure a 3-0 win for Terry Neill’s team.

“I have been to Orient,” recalled Wenger. “We played a friendly with Arsenal there in a pre-season game. Currently they have Ben Chorley, a former Arsenal player and Jason Crowe who played here when I arrived first.

“They have a side on a good run at the moment so they are dangerous for us. Believe me, I have no doubt they will be up for it.

"There is history in England no matter where you go. No matter what happened before we will want to go there and win the game. We are on a very strong run and everybody will watch the game with a lot of interest. We will see how much Leyton Orient can do against us.”

Surely that depends on what Arsenal do themselves.

Source: Richard Clarke, Arsenal.com on 20 Feb 11

Gunners set for taste of the Orient

For the third successive round, Arsenal face lower league opposition in the FA Cup, but they visit Leyton Orient determined to avoid a repeat of their previous bruising encounters, which saw Arsene Wenger's side taken to a replay by Leeds United in the third round and pushed all the way by Huddersfield Town in a narrow 2-1 fourth-round victory.

The Gunners go into the game on the crest of a wave after their impressive midweek Champions League defeat of Barcelona, but despite still being in the running for the Quadruple, the Carling Cup finalists should not underestimate an Orient outfit who are unbeaten in 11 games and have scored ten goals in their last three, a run that has seen them ascend towards the League One play-off places.

Meetings between Orient and Arsenal have been unsurprisingly rare, as the O's have only spent one season in the English top flight in their history. The most famous clash came in 1978 when the Gunners romped to 3-0 FA Cup semi-final victory thanks to goals from Malcolm MacDonald and Graham Rix, though Terry Neill's side were subsequently beaten by Ipswich in the final.

Wenger will ring the changes for the visit to Brisbane Road, with Theo Walcott, Cesc Fabregas, Samir Nasri and Robin van Persie almost certain to be rested. Andrei Arshavin, Tomas Rosicky, Marouane Chamakh and Nicklas Bendtner are likely to replace the Gunners' star quartet.

Arsenal's second string still boasts considerably more quality than Russell Slade's Orient, though the former Brighton boss has built a disciplined side with plenty of heart since taking over at the back end of last season and steering the O's clear of relegation. They produced a remarkably resilient display to come from two goals down to beat Droylsden 8-2 in the third round, while Championship high-fliers Norwich and Swansea were put to the sword in rounds three and four respectively, proof that Orient do have ability as well as fight. And in Scott McGleish, they have the FA Cup's current top scorer - he bagged six goals across three games against Dagenham and Redbridge and Droylsden.

Orient chairman Barry Hearn this week took advantage of the exposure afforded to the club by the FA Cup spotlight, airing his displeasure at the decision to award West Ham preferred bidding status for the Olympic Stadium, which is located deep in the O's catchment area. Hearn expressed his fear that the Hammers' arrival in Leyton Orient territory could force the League One side into extinction, but an Olympic effort from Slade's charges against Arsenal will bring the club some precious positive publicity.

Leyton Orient player to watch: Jimmy Smith
A former Chelsea youth star, Smith was top scorer for the Blues' reserves in the 2005-06 season, playing in his preferred position as an attacking midfielder. He made one senior appearance under Jose Mourinho but struggled to assert himself on the first team and left Stamford Bridge for Orient in 2009, where he has flourished since. As either an attacking midfielder or winger, Smith is the O's creator-in-chief and has showed he has an eye for a crucial goal having claimed the opener against Swansea and winner against Norwich in the past two rounds. Russell Slade will need the former England Under-16s, -17s and -19s international to be at his sparkling best if his side are to have any chance of causing an upset.

Arsenal player to watch: Denilson
The Brazilian midfielder played 37 of the Gunners' 38 Premier League games in 2008-09 but has seen his role gradually reduced since then. The impressive partnership of Abou Diaby and Alex Song restricted him to 19 starts last season and he has just four so far this time around, with Jack Wilshere now Arsene Wenger's preferred man in midfield. Denilson may not be able to match Wilshere's flair and vision, but he is still a dogged player whose work rate and ability to build up attacks with simple passes will be valuable on a difficult playing surface.

Key battle: Ben Chorley v Nicklas Bendtner
Sunday will be an emotional occasion for Leyton Orient club captain Chorley as the former Arsenal trainee lines up against his old club with plenty to prove having never made a first-team appearance for the Gunners before his release in 2003. He won the 2001 Youth Cup alongside the likes of Jerome Thomas, Steve Sidwell and Jermaine Pennant and will be up against another Arsenal youth product in Nicklas Bendtner, who has been with the club since he was 17. At 6ft 3in, Chorley is an imposing figure and dominant in the air, but ultra-confident Bendtner will fancy his chances of adding to his three goals in seven domestic cup games for the Gunners this season.

Source: Mark Lomas, ESPN Soccernet on 18 Feb 11

Forget the “purists” – Barcelona’s passing has an end game

Having previously confessed to the heresy of being largely bored by the style of Spain’s “beautifully crafted” triumphs in the European championship and World Cup I went along to the Emirates on Wednesday fully primed to observe another dose of “football for the purist” guaranteed to keep me safely in my seat.

However, even with six of the World Cup-winning side in their side, Barcelona are not Spain and, to my delight, I saw a display of passing with purpose rather than the all-too-familiar passing to go nowhere and there were plenty of “on your feet” moments as they ripped holes in Arsenal’s defence.

Barcelona completed 629 passes with Xavi making more than 100 on his own. Arsenal, who averaged over 500 passes a game in the Champions League this season, managed only 299.

However, for both sides, it was quality not quantity that counted in Arsenal’s 2-1 last 16 first leg win.

Perhaps it is the presence of Argentine front man Lionel Messi that makes Barcelona’s approach that much more purposeful than the national side’s but there was a real feeling, in the first half at least, that the men in “jade” were, with almost every touch, trying to find an opening.

For Spain, possession is everything. Given the option of sending the ball into a dangerous area, where it might create a chance but equally might be collected by an opponent, or alternatively passing it back three metres to the man who just gave it to you, you can put your mortgage on the latter being taken.

On Wednesday Barcelona passed beautifully as, for once, Arsene Wenger might have regretted ownership of the best playing surface in England. Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Sergio Busquets gave a lesson in touch and feel, but there was an end game in sight.

Four times in the first half-hour, having shifted Arsenal’s players left and right, Barcelona cut them open with an eye-of-the-needle through ball.

Messi almost scored from the first of them, dinking a shot just past the post, and had a goal disallowed for offside from another. David Villa scored their goal from a precise Messi pass while Pedro almost got a second with a clever flick after Arsenal’s centre backs had been filleted again.

That was almost as many chances as Spain created in a month in South Africa last year and had they all been taken, the tie would have been over and people would have been drooling anew over another sublime performance by “the best team in the world”.

However, with the game seemingly safe, Barcelona stopped probing and began crabbing. They took Villa off for Seydou Keita, as Pep Guardiola said later “to solidify the midfield”.

Arsenal went the other way by bringing on the attacking promise of Andrey Arshavin for Alex Song and also throwing on another target man in Nicklas Bendtner.

In five mad minutes Robin van Persie and Arshavin – after three perfect passes – scored and everybody’s memory was seemingly re-programmed.

According to some British newspapers, teenager Jack Wilshere “outshone” Xavi and Iniesta. Cesc Fabregas, who spent an hour chasing shadows, somehow emerged as the player Barcelona wished they’d never let go while centre back Laurent Koscielny was lauded as the new Tony Adams despite being painfully exposed four times in the first half.

That’s how goals change games, and perceptions, and the second leg on March 8 is already pencilled in as a game not to be missed.

Source: Mitch Phillips, Reuters Soccer Blog on 18 Feb 11

Arsenal 2-1 Barcelona: Arsenal turn it around

Great goals from Robin van Persie and Andrei Arshavin gave Arsenal their first-ever victory over Barcelona.

Arsene Wenger was able to welcome back Samir Nasri from injury on the left. The rest of the side was as expected.

Pep Guardiola also named the predicted side, with Eric Abidal in Carles Puyol’s place, and Maxwell at left-back.

Crucially, Arsenal made a good start without the ball. Having been battered in the first ten minutes in this fixture last season, there was a much better attitude without the ball from the beginning this time around. The pressure on Barcelona’s midfield meant Arsenal forced Barcelona to give the ball away after 16 seconds, and though the away side had spells of clear dominance, they didn’t enjoy the ludicrous level of control they exerted a year ago.

Arsenal high line
With the increased pressure came a high defensive line, so as not to leave space between midfield and attack. The problem with this strategy is that it only takes one mistake to allow the opposition in, and the particular problem against Barcelona is that the combination of superb passers in midfield and forwards with tremendous acceleration makes it very risky, as Real Madrid found out last year.

In general, Arsenal kept a good line, although first Lionel Messi and then David Villa broke through. Messi missed, Villa scored, and Arsenal had a spell before half time when they looked nervous. Still, their pressing meant that Arsenal were in the game more, winning the ball back higher up the pitch and building attacks of their own. Only a lack of precision in the final third from Cesc Fabregas and Robin van Persie meant Arsenal didn’t turn decent breaks into goalscoring ones.

Arsenal positioning
Nasri and Theo Walcott played deep and formed a second bank of four, which gave them a good defensive base to work from, with Fabregas slightly further forward.

Arsenal also played more compact than usual – van Persie always drops into deep positions but was closer to his midfield than usual, making himself available for a quick forward pass. This was something Arsenal missed last season – good link-up play from the forward (van Persie was unavailable for both legs).

Barcelona dominate
Still, Barcelona had the better of the first half, after a slow start. As always, the key to their front three is fluidity and therefore trying to define the roles of Messi, Villa and Pedro is somewhat pointless, but Messi played very deep, often coming into midfield and linking play.

However, Arsenal coped quite well with him there – whereas Espanyol responded to the same threat by bringing their centre-backs up towards him and leaving space in behind, Johan Djourou and Laurent Koscielny were reserved and disciplined, leaving Messi to Alex Song and Jack Wilshere. Song was something of a worry for Arsenal after he picked up an early card.

The expected dangerman, Theo Walcott, was rather quiet. Maxwell didn’t have many problems in 1 v 1s and also received help from Andres Iniesta, whilst Walcott’s relatively deep positioning didn’t suit his game – he was getting balls played into his feet on the touchline, rather than being immediately on the defensive line and looking to use his pace in behind. That approach was something Arsenal didn’t take advantage of enough until late in the game.

Second half
Whilst never being a poor contest, the game went quiet at the beginning of the second half, with neither side taking control and no major tactical changes. The general pattern of play continued from the first half.

Guardiola’s decision to bring on Seydou Keita for David Villa on 67 minutes looks like a mistake in hindsight. Barcelona pushed Iniesta forward into the front three but they had less attacking threat – they sat back too much and focused on keeping possession rather than looking for further chances.

Wenger made an attacking switch – Song off, Arshavin on, and Nasri into the middle of the pitch. Those two substitutions happened at the same time, so it wasn’t either manager responding to the other, but it worked nicely for Arsenal. Whilst taking off their holding midfielder was something of a risk, the fact that Barcelona no longer had a driving, attack-minded central midfielder meant it wasn’t an issue. Song’s absence meant Iniesta would have thrived in the centre of midfield – the two were in direct competition.

Comeback
Wenger made a further change – Walcott off, Nicklas Bendtner on. Whether this had much of an impact upon the subsequent proceedings is debatable, but it is the second time in less than a month that Arsenal have brought on Arshavin and Bendtner in the final 25 minutes, and turned a 0-1 into a 2-1.

It was van Persie’s excellent finish from a tight angle that got the equaliser, and then Barca responded and the game opened up. Twenty seconds before Arshavin scored the winner, Barca outnumbered Arsenal at the other end, but couldn’t work the opening. A lightning quick break down the right through Nasri (ironically, the kind of situation Walcott was praying for all game) saw the Frenchman pull the ball back for Arshavin to bend into the net. Gerard Pique was five yards behind his defence in a poor position, whilst Alves jogged back when he could have cut out the final pass with a quick burst.

Arshavin’s introduction provided the inevitable moment of defensive calamity when up against Alves late on, but Barcelona couldn’t manufacture a clear chance at 2-1 down. At 0-1 they’d gone into their shell, and found it impossible to emerge as an attacking threat again.

Conclusion
Arsenal’s tactics were largely correct from the start. Granted, they had less possession and had to endure some nervous moments, but that’s to be expected against Barcelona. No combination of tactics can prevent Messi from creating, and Arsenal rode their luck on a couple of occasions – but the pressing was consistent, integrated, and meant Arsenal were in the game as an attacking force.

The substitutions were extremely important. Guardiola took off his goalscorer at a time when Barcelona looked likely to have chances on the break, whilst Arsenal stepped up their attacking threat with the introduction of a wide forward for a holding midfielder. That gave Arsenal the attacking impetus and more creative quality in the centre of the pitch (with a Fabregas-Nasri-Wilshere trio) and made the comeback in the final 12 minutes possible.

Source: Zonal Marking on 17 Feb 11