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Wenger - I am not in the market for David Villa




Arsène Wenger was pleased to hear David Villa compliment his team but he is not making a move for the Valencia striker.

This week the 26-year-old was quoted as saying Arsenal's attractive style of play made Emirates Stadium his preferred destination. The Spaniard is hot property at the moment with a healthy record of 51 goals in 95 games for his club and 13 in 30 for his country. Despite that, Wenger ruled out a move in the summer.

On the contrary, the Frenchman believes goalscoring has not been a problem for his side this term and his improving young strikers need room to grow.

"We are not in the transfer market for David Villa," said Wenger at his pre-match press conference. "He has said some very complimentary things about us which we take as a big honour. I rate him highly as a player but I will not make concrete investigations for anyone at the moment."



The manager went on: "I feel up front I need to give time to Walcott and Bendtner because they have made big improvement for me this season. Theo is coming on so I need to give them a chance or they will not come out." THEOOOOOOO

In fact, the Arsenal manager argues goal-scoring is not where his side need strengthening. It is more the other end of the pitch that has been his concern.

"We were leading at Chelsea, Liverpool and Man United plus we were leading at home against Liverpool," he said. "So we can score goals. What we could not stop is conceding goals in big games.

"You know that nine times out of 10 the team that wins the big games is the team who scores first. But we lost these games after being in front. We suffered more as a team defensively rather than offensively."

Wenger targets two 'real quality' players


Arsène Wenger wants one or two "real quality" additions to his squad over the summer.

It was evitable that the Arsenal manager would soon be questioned on his transfer plans in the wake his side's failure to lift the Champions League and Premier League trophies.

Wenger contends his squad does not need major surgery after reaching the Quarter-Finals in Europe and taking their title bid into April despite a raft of injuries. However he concedes that a couple of major contributors are needed.

"At the moment, I don't know [how many we need]," he said at Friday's press conference.

"If you look at the numbers we had Rosicky, Van Persie, Eduardo all out for a period when one of them could have produced a goal for us.

"Van Persie did play at Liverpool but that was a Van Persie of 60 or 70 per cent. He was out for five months and he is just coming back a little bit now. Even Diaby was out for a big part of the season.

"So if you ask me how many players I want to buy, it is not a question of quality, it is a question of one or two quality, real quality, players."

Wenger: 'We want to win but with our own style'



on bouncing back...
"Yes, we responded well after massive, massive, massive disappointment. We responded quite well, I must say I was worried after last Saturday over how we could finish the season, the disappointment was so big that I was not sure we'd be capable to respond, so on that front we did very well. Overall you could see that there is a strong link in the team to play the quality of game we want to play. We have shown some pride and some mental strength not to get ourselves down until the end of the season, and that is very important. The next season starts now and we want to finish as well as possible - you never know. We can make 83 points, it will not be a shame for us, and that is still reachable."

on Walcott's recent form...
"Yes, he made a big improvement in the last two months, he became suddenly more... a man in the game, you know? He still looked a little bit a kid at the beginning of the season but now he has more belief in the fight, there is a more determined attitude, there's more power in his body when he has to resist challenges. It's just a normal development of a boy who has become a man."

on Lehmann staying in goal...
"I don't know yet, I maybe want to play Fabianski in the last games, I give one to Fabianski. I wanted to play Lehmann today, especially because I wanted him to play at home and he has been an extremely great keeper for us. What I do for the remaining games, I have to decide."

on a stylish display...
"Yes, I think the collective technical display is the best we have played in the last twelve years, I would stand for that, but we have not been... If you look a little bit back with distance you could say that at the start of the season we had nothing to lose. When we came under pressure in March maybe we were a bit unlucky, we dropped some points because every problem we had to face we lacked a little bit of maturity, but overall there is a lot of hope because if you see the game today, what kind of quality football we can play, I believe this team has to stay together and to win - to convince completely people. We want to win but with our own style."

on Reading's relegation fight...
"I still think they are three points above relegation, you know, with three points to go. I think if they have one home game against Tottenham, they need to win at home. They need three points, and they will stay up. If they don't win against Tottenham at home, they could be under threat."

Wenger - Theo Walcott is a man now but not a monster




Theo Walcott is a man - but not a monster - on the pitch for Arsenal now, according to Arsène Wenger.

The 19-year-old has put in a number of eye-catching cameos in recent weeks and, on Saturday, sparkled from the start in the 2-0 win over Reading.

Walcott has been under the microscope ever since he signed from Southampton in January 2006 but now, Wenger argues, he is fulfilling his sky-high potential.

"It was his most complete game," said the manager after the weekend win. "One where he looked most 'the man', the most mature.

"At the start of the season, when Theo was on from the beginning, you did not see a lot from him. There were only glimpses when you could say 'there is something there' and you wondered when he would come out. Now he is starting to show that.

"Theo is not a monster, but he has great body power. When he starts on the first five yards, it is like you throw him away. You do not see him, he is gone. That is more important than just more power. But the way we play, we can take advantage of his qualities.



"Before he was always a bit out of the physical contact side of the game, now he looks for it. I told him he had to be more aggressive and determined. He is that now.

"I feel next season began on Saturday for him. I don't know yet if I will start with him for the rest of the season, but there is a good chance yes.

"It is down to him now, how much he wants it. But I hope he continues to produce this type of performance and on his account are 10 or 15 goals, because that is what you should aim for."

Gilberto - I'll chat with the boss about my future



Gilberto intends to have an "open and nice conversation" with Arsène Wenger about his future at the end of the season.

The 30-year-old wants to stay at Emirates Stadium but admits he has been a frustrated figure on the bench this term. He has only amassed 18 starts in all competitions when, 12 months ago, he was a regular and a strong contender for Player of the Season.

Typically, despite his disappointment, Gilberto has kept his counsel and will remain a model professional for these last three games. However he will seek out his manager before the summer.

"I will sit down with the boss at the end of the season," he said. "But for the next few weeks, I will keep focused on doing my job and try to help the team as much as I can. Whether it's on the pitch as I was on Saturday, or whether it's on the training pitch working with the players.

"I will always do my best as a professional but then, at the end of the season, I will see when I speak to Arsène. We always speak very nicely, the conversations we have are very nice. He's open and we'll talk.

"I still have one more year. To be honest, I really want to stay and I've always expressed that. Of course I'm upset that I've not played much this season because last year I played the whole season and this year has been really frustrating.

"But you need to be professional, respect the manager's point of view and help the other players to the maximum that I possibly can.

He went on: "I confess to you, that it's hard to watch from the bench. But I need to respect the other players, respect the manager's view and to be professional.

"I think I have done a good job for Arsenal, I want to carry on and wait for my chance but I also enjoy being back on the field and for me the season starts right now in these last four games."

Wenger - Our potential should keep Hleb here



If Alex Hleb does decide to leave Arsenal in the summer, his motivation should not be the pursuit of trophies, according to Arsène Wenger.

The Belarus midfielder has been linked with a move away from Emirates Stadium in recent weeks, something that his manager admits he is powerless to stop.

Wenger is sure the 27-year-old will extend his three-year stay in North London but Arsenal's failure to land a trophy this season will have nothing to do with the decision.

"I believe Alex will stay but you cannot stop the rumours when players are in this type of situation," said Wenger. "But I want Hleb to stay like everybody else.

"You can go to Real Madrid and Barcelona, but you have no more guarantees to win trophies. And from this season we should get the belief we can win trophies and come back to win the title."




heyyyy, Hleb MUSS bleiben!!! :schimpfen

Walcott - I know I must produce for 90 minutes


Many have seen this as the season that Theo Walcott ‘arrived’, but the man himself wants more.

The 19-year-old has broken his Premier League and Champions League ducks and produced several game-changing performances from the bench. It appears, though, that is not enough for the ambitious youngster.

Arsène Wenger hailed Walcott’s display against Reading as his “most complete yet”. The forward tormented defenders from start to finish with his nimble feet and blistering pace; that is exactly what he has been waiting for.

“I don’t want to be coming off the bench all the time,” Walcott told the matchday programme. “I want to get in the starting line-up and I know I need to produce what I do when I come off the bench into practise when I start the games. That's my next target.

“At the start of the season, I said I wanted to make 20 or 25 starts, and score 10 goals. At the moment I'm on 16 starts (Walcott was speaking before the weekend match) and five goals, so it looks like I will fall just short of that.

“I thought that was a reasonable target for the season, so I would have liked to have played a bit more than I have, especially lately because I feel I have been playing quite well, but not starting.

“The boss actually spoke to me and he said that my development is going really well at the moment. That's nice to hear. If I keep doing the right things, people will notice even if we don’t get the right results.”

One such occasion where a disappointing result overshadowed the teenager’s brilliance came at Anfield. Walcott ran practically the length of the pitch leaving four Liverpool players in his wake before squaring to Emmanuel Adebayor to convert. Within minutes, though, Steven Gerrard lashed home a penalty sending the Gunners crashing out of the Champions League.

“It's a shame obviously that we didn't go through, but I know myself what I have done. My display up at Liverpool is the sort of thing I want to do when I start the games — get the defenders on the back foot so that they don’t know what I'm going to do next.”

And where on the field does he feel most comfortable in doing that?

“I think I am more dangerous as a striker, and the boss sees me as a striker so I don’t think I have anything to worry about. I think I will play up front more next season which will be nice but I have to work hard to get in the right positions.

“I've been training and practising a lot at home too, because I have an Astroturf area there now as well so I work on things there and try to take it into training, and then into the games.”

FA charges Alex Hleb with violent conduct



The following statement appeared on the Football Association website on Tuesday afternoon:

"Arsenal midfielder Alexander Hleb has been charged with violent conduct.

"Hleb was involved in an incident with Reading defender Graeme Murty during the second half of the match at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday 19 April.



"The incident was not seen by referee Peter Walton. Having now watched video footage of the incident, Walton has informed The FA that, had he seen it at the time, he would have shown Hleb a red card for violent conduct.

"Hleb has until 6pm on Wednesday 23 April to admit or deny the charge. A Regulatory Commission will hear the case on Thursday 24 April."

Wenger - European Semi-Finals will be so painful for me



This week's Champions League Semi-Finals will make uncomfortable viewing for Arsène Wenger.

The Arsenal manager will take in Liverpool v Chelsea this evening and Barcelona v Manchester United on Wednesday but he'll be racked with regret.

Wenger's side were edged out in the Quarter-Final second leg at Anfield a fortnight ago in controversial and dramatic circumstances. That was followed a few days later by defeat at Manchester United and the end of their title ambitions.

"Yes, I'll watch the matches," said the Arsenal manager. "It will be extremely painful because it's our biggest disappointment since I have been here. We should be through despite all that happened. And we have never moved out of a Champions League stage having produced two outstanding games like we did.

"If you are played off the park and the team is better than you, then you accept it but when you produce the two performances we produced and lose the games, it is much more difficult to take. I feel we had the potential to win the Champions League and the title this year."



Certainly it was a disappointing end to Arsenal's ambitions but was it really worse than losing the 2006 Champions League Final in last 14 minutes?

"Yes," protested Wenger, "because against Barca we played with 10 men for 70 minutes. It was the first time we were in the Final and it can happen that you lose a Final like that. But to go out to Liverpool in the two games we played was very, very disappointing."

Speaking before the weekend, Wenger was predicting another tight game between tonight's two teams.

"It is very difficult to say because Liverpool are a counter-attacking and set-pieces team and Chelsea too will have a cautious approach.

"But," he added, "I am sure a British team will win the Champions League this year."

Wenger - I can handle criticism but I won't accept disrespect




Arsène Wenger is prepared to accept criticism over Arsenal's failure to land a trophy this season but he will not tolerate disrespect.

The Emirates Stadium side have had an improved campaign this term, going further in the Champions League and, with three games left, have already amassed six more points in the Premier League than they did 12 months ago. However, having looked so dominant in the early stages of the season, their lack of silverware at the end of the campaign is seen as a disappointment.

"You know you will be criticised for that," Wenger told Arsenal.com. "But you don't need to accept everything.

"People say you make mistakes, well that is professional. When people say you don't know what you are doing, that is a little bit disrespectful."

But, in any case, right now Wenger's concern is not himself.

"At the moment I am trying more to protect the players so they don't lose their self-esteem and their confidence," he said speaking before the weekend. "I feel that is important for the future of the team and for themselves."

Wenger - I could rest Euro 2008 players in final games




Arsène Wenger may rotate some of his players for the final three games of the season if they have a busy summer ahead.

Many of the Arsenal squad will be involved in Euro 2008 during June so, as his team have little left to play for, the Frenchman could rest them for the trips to Derby and Sunderland or the home game against Everton.



"That is what I have to think about," Wenger told Arsenal.com before the weekend games.

"Maybe I'll have to give the players who go to the European Championships a little breather before they go."

Three midfielders ruled out for the rest of the season



Alex Hleb, Abou Diaby and Tomas Rosicky will not play for Arsenal again this season.

Arsène Wenger revealed the news in an exclusive interview with Arsenal TV Online on Thursday afternoon.

Hleb's absence was already known. On Wednesday he received a suspension for the final three games of the season following an incident in the game against Reading last Saturday, meanwhile Rosicky has not played since January because of a hamstring problem. However news of Diaby's injury was acutely disappointing.



The Frenchman ruptured a tendon in his thigh in a Reserve game on Monday night. Wenger believes his recuperation will take eight weeks and that will be a body blow to Diaby's chances of being selected for Euro 2008. Ironically, the 21-year-old was due back from a domestic suspension at Derby on Monday.

Elsewhere, Bacary Sagna and Mathieu Flamini (both ankle) are still out. Manuel Almunia is fit after his wrist injury but the manager has yet to decide whether the Spaniard will return for the trip to Pride Park.

"It looks like the season is over for Hleb, Rosicky and Diaby," said Wenger. "Hleb is suspended and I don't believe we'll see Tomas Rosicky again [this term].

"But we have lost Abou Diaby too. He was supposed to come back after suspension but he got an injury that will rule him out until the end of the season.

"The problem occurred during a Reserve game. It was a simple pass and he ruptured the tendon in his thigh muscle. It will be at least eight weeks for him.

"Sagna and Flamini are not back so basically it will be the same squad as last week.

"Almunia is available again but I have not decided what I will do with the goalkeepers yet."

Arsenal TV Online subscribers can see the full interview on Friday morning. In it, Arsène Wenger talks about:

* The Champions League Semi-Finals
* Why Arsenal did not sign Yaya Toure
* Stories linking Alex Hleb with Inter
* The latest on Mathieu Flamini's situation
* What has gone wrong for Derby
* Using 'Carling Cup' players for the run-in
* Seeing out the final few games

Wenger - I'll never say never over Henry coming back





Arsène Wenger would "never say never" to Thierry Henry re-joining Arsenal.

The Frenchman left Emirates Stadium for Barcelona last summer after a record-breaking nine years in which he won two Premier League titles, three FA Cups and scored a record-breaking 226 goals.

The 30-year-old has failed to hit top form in Spain and, speaking this week, said if he were to return to England he'd only ever come to back to Arsenal. Not surprisingly, it was a major talking point at Wenger's pre-match press conference on Friday.

"I read the statement," said the manager. "He said he is happy at Barcelona but if he comes back he will only play at Arsenal. I find that a really very good statement.

"But although you can never say never, at the moment I do not think about [re-signing him].



"However I still think he has a lot to offer as a player. The whole team in Barcelona has not worked completely this year, they were never in the race for the championship. Every player has been a bit devalued. But I still think he has a lot there."

Wenger revealed that Arsenal do NOT have any first option on Henry should he wish to leave the Camp Nou but manager and player are still in close contact.

"I don't put buy-out clauses in the contract of the players that I find," he said. "At that level, I don't even ask to put the buy-out clause in because it's unfair.

"But I had a chat with him not a long time ago. He watches every Arsenal game and he can give me advice!

"When I can, I watch Barcelona because I'm always interested in how he looks, how his sharpness is, in what position he plays. I give him my view about his game.

"For me, Thierry is an efficient goalscorer. But Barca have two or three players [like that] there. What was a little bit damaging to his success at Barcelona is that Ronadinho has not turned up this season, so that the one who can play left wing is Thierry. And that's where he plays. But that's not his preferred position and that's not where he is most efficient."

Wenger - Decision on Flamini next week


The ball appears to be in Mathieu Flamini's court over his Arsenal future.

Arsène Wenger says the Club have made him a "decent" offer and will respect their existing wage structure. A deadline has been set for the end of April and it is up to the player to decide now.

It appears the 24-year-old would like to extend his four-year stay but doubts will remain until pen is put to paper. And the clock is ticking. His current contract runs out this summer.

"The deadline is next week, the end of April.” said Wenger on Friday. "I said it would be the end of April and that will be it.

"I believe he wants to stay and we want him to stay. We have made him an offer, if it's not good enough we will know soon.

"I respect our wages structure. We do not play - a little bit more, a little bit more. We have made an offer. We think it is decent and that is it."

Match Report

Barclays Premier League


Derby County
-
Arsenal



This is an encounter between the two Premier League sides with most to ponder.

Arsène Wenger admits he is still struggling to come to terms with the fact his side have played so beautifully, lost only three times but, barring a miracle, will not win the title.

On the other hand, Derby manager Paul Jewell would love to be kept awake with such problems. His side looked doomed before he took the reins in November. After slipping to an early relegation, their only target now is to avoid racking up the lowest points tally in Premier League history.

However, on deeper reflection, is overachievement at the heart of the disappointment both sides are feeling right now?

Wenger argues Derby were ahead of schedule when they won the Play-Offs last May and they could never have been ready to bridge the chasm between top flight and second tier. At the same time, had Arsenal not started the season with such powerful panache then perhaps more observers would be pointing out their capabilities rather than their fallibilities right now.

Last season Arsenal had 11 dead games after their title challenge ended. Tonight's encounter is one of four this term. Also, in the previous two campaigns, Wenger's men have been 24 and 21 points adrift of the champions in the final table. Victory tonight would see them four short of the leading pair with two games still to play. Of course that does mean their title challenge is still clinging to life.

Admittedly its pulse is weak but if Manchester United and Chelsea fail to win next weekend and Arsenal beat Derby then Everton then Wenger's side would go into the final game with a chance of winning the League.

Saturday's result at Stamford Bridge may change Wenger's team selection at Pride Park but it won't affect his attitude overall. The Frenchman works in a world where achievement is everything and mere improvement will never be enough.

"I worked harder than ever this year," he said. "Of course I question myself but I do not question whether I have the fire and desire.

"Certainly, this team has moved forward. I'm not pretentious enough to say I didn’t make mistakes but this season we only lost three games and yet we are not really competing for the title. And in two of those games we were leading.

"I don’t want to talk too much about the decisions but look at the first goal at Chelsea and against Middlesbrough we still wonder how [Adebayor's] goal could have been offside.

"For a while the team felt every decision went against us for game after game. We were under pressure suddenly and, on top of that, we felt decisions went against us which only increased the pressure.

"But I feel we could have won trophies despite some of those decisions. For example against Liverpool it was no penalty but we should already be qualified. I don’t say we did not win because of the refs because we needed to be strong enough to deal with the decisions."

This week, Bacary Sagna (ankle), Tomas Rosicky (hamstring), Abou Diaby (thigh) and Alex Hleb joined Eduardo (broken leg) in the 'season over' category. Manuel Almunia (wrist) is available and Mathieu Flamini (ankle) may be fit but it is possible that neither will play.

Before the weekend Wenger was talking of handing out some experience tonight with Lukasz Fabianski, Denilson and Nicklas Bendtner mentioned as possible starters. That might have changed given Chelsea's win over Manchester United on Saturday leaves the title still mathematically possible.

But one would suspect that even an Arsenal side with a distinctly Carling Cup flavour could be enough against a Derby outfit who have become the Premier League's whipping boys in recent weeks. Wenger has sympathy for their position.

"We have dealt with a few disappointments recently," he said. "Imagine what is it to go from disappointment to disappointment. Defeat becomes normal and, just to survive, you accept it.

"I feel Derby have paid the price for having overachieved last year. When you go up you think 'we can play there' then suddenly you analyse the names every week and you think 'oh that will be a difficult game'. It is the same for us so we can only think what it is like for Derby. They have been punished because they did not have enough resources to build a Premier League team."

As for Arsenal, whatever side he puts out, Wenger wants professionalism. The 58-year-old has his sights on a little milestone before the end of the campaign.

"We said after the Man United game that we want to finish with pride and dignity and as well as to be faithful to the kind of football that we have produced until now," he said. "We wanted to finish with four wins and we achieved one against Reading.

"We had a good game against them, we responded very well to our disappointment. Now the aim is to finish with more wins than the year we were unbeaten in [2004]."

That would be a minor bauble for a side who, according to their manager, are destined for greatness and will win major trophies in the future.

But surely not this year?

Match Report

Barclays Premier League



Derby County
2

McEveley 31, Earnshaw 77


Arsenal
6

Bendtner 25, Van Persie 39, Adebayor 59, 80, 90, Walcott 78


Arsenal kept alive their faint, faint chances of a title comeback with a crushing 6-2 victory at relegated Derby County on Monday night.

Goals from Nicklas Bendtner, Robin van Persie, Theo Walcott plus a second-half hat-trick from Emmanuel Adebayor were enough to see off Paul Jewell's side. The hosts had looked lively early on but strikes in either period from Jay McEveley and Robert Earnshaw were never enough.

Once they had roused themselves from a sluggish start, Arsenal took charge and could have many more goals than the half-dozen they registered.

Adebayor's treble, his second against Derby this season, will hog the headlines but Walcott's strike was the highlight of the night as the England international once again took the eye.

This victory puts Arsenal four points adrift of two leading teams. Only a rose-tinted optimist would fancy Wenger's men to lift the Premier League trophy at Sunderland on May 11. It would require both Chelsea and Manchester United to fail to register a win in either of their last two games.

Both where there is life there is hope. And Arsenal are still just about registering a pulse in this title race.

At his pre-match press conference on Friday, Wenger had suggested Denilson, Bendtner and Lukasz Fabianski as possible starters. The manager said he was aiming to give a little end-of-season experience to the younger end of his squad. He was as good as his word.

In addition, Alex Song, 20, and Walcott, 19, retained their places at centre half and on the left wing respectively. There was experience on the bench in the form of Gilberto, Adebayor and Philippe Senderos.

There was a short, sharp hailstorm about 30 minutes before kick-off but, metaphorically it had been raining on Derby County all season. They had been bottom of the Premier League since October 28 and long since relegated.

Despite all that, the home side started much the brighter this evening.

In the third minute Bendtner fired over a cross from the left and Eboue hoiked a shot over the bar. But Derby might have opened the lead twice in following minute. First Emanuel Villa swept a shot wide from 10 yards then Mile Sterjovski let fly and Song stretched to clear. The ball sliced off the foot of the Arsenal defender and flew a couple of yards wide with Fabianski left flatfooted.

In reality, the first 24 minutes had belonged to Derby's endeavour. But they would be undone by what happened in the 25th when Darren Moore made the simplest error at the back. It allowed Bendtner to exchange passes with Van Persie and slot home past Roy Carroll.

Derby were now rattled. Walcott escaped seconds later, eschewed the possibility of passing to Bendtner and instead set up the unmarked Van Persie. Inexplicably he slotted the ball wide.

It would prove a costly mistake. On the half hour Song fouled Sterjovski on the left. Robbie Savage planted the free-kick in the midst of the area, and after Arsenal failed to clear McEveley stabbed home from close range.

On 30 minutes had been played but both sides had displayed the defensive vulnerability that had undermined their campaigns at either end of the table.

Van Persie blazed over and Fabregas stung Carroll's hands from 30 yards as Arsenal chased the lead. They found it in spectacular fashion six minutes from the break. Toure clipped a lofted pass into the area, Van Persie slipped away from his marker, chested the ball down and half-volleyed a rising drive into the roof of the net.

It was the Dutchman's last significant moment; he was replaced at half time by Emmanuel Adebayor.

Arsenal slipped into cruise control at the start of the second half. Toure had a couple of rocket shots fizz over the bar, Bendtner thumped high and, just before the hour, Carroll saved from Adebayor at the near post.

The inevitable third came seconds later. Denilson, who was having a tidy game in midfield, sent Walcott into the area. He skipped past his marker on the byline and cut the ball back to Eboue whose touch allowed Adebayor to slide home a third.

Walcott went through in acres of space seconds later but steered his shot wide.

It was now a procession for Arsenal. They could create chances at will while Derby were a shadow of the competitive side that had started the game.

Eboue spurned a couple of chances to add a fourth but the game seemed meandering to a close.
Or was it.

Benny Feilhaber kept Fabianski interested with a drive from distance. Then, in the 76th minute, substitute Earnshaw escaped to steer a shot past Fabianski and just inside the far post.

For a minute the Derby crowd believed once more.

It was only a minute, mind. Less than 90 seconds later Walcott danced into the area, cut inside his marker and curled a sumptuous shot into the far corner of the net.

Ten minutes from time, Adebayor slipped home a simple fifth and, in extra time, skipped past Carroll to roll home his hat-trick.

It had been a comprehensive victory.

Wenger: 'We are now back to our real level'

Derby County 2-6 Arsenal


on the performance...
"We tried to play well, we had a game based on movement, technique and combination and we nearly respected that 95 per cent of the game, not 100, but there is still room for improvement there."

on the second half goal rush...
"In the second half when Derby were tiring we could have scored more goals."

on this season's lessons ..
"We started well and maybe when we came under pressure in March you could see that we did not have the experience to deal with that and I feel we have learned a lot. Now that the pressure is gone we are back to our real level and I feel our real level is better than at the start of the season."

Walcott is the O2 Arsenal.com Player of the Month

Theo Walcott has been chosen by the fans as their O2 Arsenal.com Player of the Month for April.

The 19-year-old caught the eye throughout the month and is clearly making the transition from 'impact substitute' to effective starter. Walcott's pace has always been obvious; now his trickery, awareness and eye for goal have come to the fore.



The England international got three full games under his belt in April, capping his appearance at Derby with a brilliantly-taken goal, and looked dangerous when he emerged from the bench in the two Champions League clashes with Liverpool. Walcott was inches away from scoring in the first leg and then produced the assist of the season in the second leg. The teenager collected the ball on the edge of his own box and sprinted 80 yards, leaving five defenders in his wake before setting up a tap-in for Emmanuel Adebayor. No wonder Walcott received more than half of the votes polled.

Adebayor racked up seven goals in six April games - including a hat-trick at Derby - but the Togolese was denied a place in the top three by Cesc Fabregas and Gael Clichy, both of whom received 12.1 per cent of the votes.

April Player of the Month Results Player %
Theo Walcott 53.7%
Cesc Fabregas 12.1%
Gael Clichy 12.1%
Others 22.1%

Competition winner Charlotte Rees from Exeter, Devon will present Theo with his award before Sunday's game against Everton. She has also won two tickets to watch the game.

"April was a terrible month for Arsenal but with one glimmer of hope - the coming of age of Theo Walcott and a glimpse of the raw talent this boy-turned-man possesses," said Charlotte. "He is starting to show the pace, skill and force that a certain Frenchman once had at the Arsenal."

Van Persie to miss Everton game 'as a precaution'




Robin van Persie will miss the visit of Everton on Sunday as a precaution.

The Dutchman went off at half time in the 6-2 win at Derby on Monday because of a slight thigh problem. The 24-year-old has suffered with that injury this year so Arsène Wenger deemed it best to withdraw him. With only a tiny chance of lifting the Premier League and Euro 2008 coming up this summer, he is going to leave him out again this weekend.



"Van Persie is out as a precaution," said the manager. "We don't want to gamble at this stage of the season on a muscular problem. We had a little alert but it is not big at all. Apart from that we have no one coming back. Maybe Mathieu [Flamini] will be on the bench but I don't know yet. He might join in training on Friday."

Apart from that, Wenger is liable to name the same squad as Monday. That means the likes of Lukasz Fabianski, Nicklas Bendtner and Denilson may continue.

"I want to see them in a competitive area," he said. "We have a big game on Sunday. They go for something, we go for something. I want to see them again."

Arsenal TV Online subscribers will be able to see the full video interview on Friday morning. In it Wenger talks about: the Champions League Semi-Finals, his reaction to Keith Edelman leaving, the Flamini situation, the PFA awards, the Hleb situation, going for the title and winning at Everton.

Arsenal Managing Director leaves the Club

After eight highly successful years at Arsenal, Managing Director and Director of Arsenal Holdings PLC, Keith Edelman, has today announced his departure from the Club in search of a fresh challenge.

Mr Edelman, who was responsible for overseeing the historic move from Highbury to Emirates Stadium, has resigned as a Director of Arsenal Holdings PLC, but will be retained by the Club for a 12-month period to ensure that a smooth transition takes place.



Keith Edelman said: “I have thoroughly enjoyed my time at Arsenal. It has been a very exciting period for the business and I am proud to have contributed to the Club’s many off-field achievements over the past eight years, not least the Emirates Stadium project. Now that we have completed our second season at Emirates, I believe it is the right time to seek pastures new and embark upon fresh challenges.”

Peter Hill-Wood, Chairman, commented: “Keith has played a major role in the growth of the Club since he joined in 2000. In that time we have successfully implemented the move from Highbury to Emirates Stadium that has underpinned the future of the business and confirmed our position as one of Europe’s leading clubs. We are grateful to Keith for his crucial role in this transformation.

“Under Keith’s stewardship the Club has achieved record profits and the Board owes him a debt of gratitude for his contribution. We wish him the very best for the future.”

The Board has already initiated the search for a new Managing Director and will update shareholders and stakeholders when appropriate. In the meantime, Director Ken Friar, who has a wealth of football-based experience and business acumen having previously occupied the role of Managing Director (1982-2000), will assume the position of Acting Managing Director.

Wenger - The game which cost us the title



Arsène Wenger believes that his team would have been crowned champions this season if they had held on to their lead at Old Trafford last month.

Arsenal got their noses in front against Manchester United on April 13 thanks to Emmanuel Adebayor's header and were a whisker away from a second goal when Rio Ferdinand's attempted clearance bounced off goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar from point-blank range. Within two minutes United were level before Owen Hargreaves' free kick all but ended Arsenal's title bid.

As far as Wenger is concerned, his players would have stayed on course for the title if fortune had favoured them at Old Trafford. Nonetheless, the Frenchman is convinced his team has made significant progress this season.

"I feel we were one game away in this championship," said Wenger. "If we win at Old Trafford, we are champions. That is just one game and in it we were 1-0 up and had good chances to score the second goal.

"You cannot say we have had a terrible season. We have 77 points and in the past have won championships with 78 points.

"For me, this team has a good future. We have reached 77 points [after beating Derby] and have lost just three times all season. The team has grown and we are stronger than we were at the beginning of the season. We had a difficult period in March and we paid for that."

Walcott and Gibbs earn England call-ups

Theo Walcott has been called up to the England Under-21 squad for their international friendly against Wales at the Racecourse Ground on Thursday, May 15.

The young forward has been in fine form of late, scoring the goal of the game in Arsenal's 6-2 win at Derby after producing arguably the assist of the season in the Champions League defeat at Liverpool.



Walcott is the youngest player in Stuart Pearce's squad but is also the most experienced in international terms. The 19-year-old has made 14 appearances at Under-21 level, scoring five times.

Other notable names in Pearce's squad are central defender Matt Connolly, who left Arsenal for Queen's Park Rangers in January, and former Gunner Fabrice Muamba, now of Birmingham City.

Kieran Gibbs has been named in the England Under-19 squad which heads to Belarus later this month for the Elite Qualifying Round for the European Under-19 Championships.

Gibbs marked his return from a three-month loan with Norwich City by scoring a last-gasp equaliser for Arsenal Reserves against Aston Villa on Tuesday night.

Match Report


Arsenal's chances of winning the Premier League are merely mathematical. Even Arsène Wenger, one of football's optimists, could only allude to miracles when talk turned to trophies ahead of Sunday's game with Everton.

Even before the match kicks-off, those hopes may be over. If either Manchester United or Chelsea win at the weekend then Arsenal will be out of the race and Sir Alex Ferguson's side play on Saturday lunchtime.

Understandably, at his pre-match press conference on Friday, Wenger's focus was on points not prizes. The manager still has a bitter taste in his mouth after the events of the last month. The top two in the table will also contest the Champions League Final and Wenger knows that, but for the merest of margins, it could have been Arsenal.

"The Premier League was very tight but we want to focus on finishing well now," the 58-year-old. "We would like to get to 83 points.

"That would be a big improvement and of course there is still a mathematical chance we could win the title.

"We have played well the whole season and we don't think we have been rewarded for the efforts we have put in. We have been consistent, losing just three games, and nobody expected us to do that at the start of the year.

"Now we will have to wait for the results of others to see if we have a chance of the title.

"Unfortunately the Premier League is not played in Lourdes, it is played in England!

"I think Manchester United will win the title and they will be worthy winners. Chelsea have a disadvantage right now because of course they depend on the result of their opponents."

Robin van Persie will sit out Sunday's game. The Dutchman went off at half-time at Derby on Monday with a slight thigh injury and Wenger has decided not to risk aggravating it any further. Mathieu Flamini (ankle) could be back. But the manager will persist with youngsters like Lukasz Fabianski, Denilson and Nicklas Bendtner in order to give them valuable first-team experience.

Everton have yet to completely secure fifth spot ahead of Aston Villa so, if West Ham can get something at Old Trafford, this will be far removed from a stale end-of-season affair.

"Everton have faded a little bit in last sprint," said Wenger. "Fourth place for them was little bit like first place for us. They just dropped their level a little bit and quickly they got punished.

"They can not afford to lose points and perhaps we cannot afford to lose points either. We beat them well up there and we want to do it again on Sunday."

If Arsenal avoid defeat at Emirates Stadium they will complete an unbeaten season at home. It would also take their record at their new ground to 55 games with just one defeat - an enviable record. For Wenger, it is just another reason to be cheerful rather than fearful.

"The overall quality of the season has been absolutely outstanding," he said. "Because it is without a trophy - by that I mean the Champions League and the Premier League - people are very negative.

"But we have to take the needed distance and recognise that we have produced quality and consistency.

"We have to improve our killer instinct at the crucial stage of the season but you must believe in this team because I feel that they are very special.".

Wenger moves Flamini's contract deadline to Monday


Mathieu Flamini's future will be sorted out by the start of next week.

Arsène Wenger had set the end of April as the deadline for the out-of-contract midfielder to decide his future. However "negotiation problems" have held up the process. Now, the Arsenal manager expects a resolution by Monday.

“It will be sorted out over the weekend," said Wenger. "Will he stay or not? That is down to him but the deadline is Sunday, Monday latest.

"The deadline moved for negotiation problems. Only he could tell you [whether he will go or not]. For me yes he stays, but does he tell me the complete truth, I don’t know.



"Ideally I want him to stay, but he’s free. That means if you get £2million here, £4 million somewhere else, you can go to the one who gives you four, or you can as well stay to the one who gives you two.

“He is free to make a decision and you have to accept the market. You listen to everybody in Europe and take some time, that’s why the situation has lasted a little bit. But overall he’s free to go where he wants. You have to accept that because he’s not linked by a contract.

Flamini has been superb for Arsenal this season but, although Wenger wants him to stay, the manager is confident that his side would cope if he did decide to go.

“[If he goes] we will find a solution, don’t worry," said the 58-year-old.

Wenger - Only one player is free to leave


Arsène Wenger has brushed off suggestions his Arsenal side may start to break up over the summer.

The team's failure to land a trophy this season coupled with the manager's intention to stick with an established wage structure has ventured some to suggest there could be exits from Emirates Stadium this summer.

"No, not at all," said Wenger in response. "We have have only one player who is free, that is Mathieu Flamini. He can go where he wants but he can as well stay.”

You can infer from that answer that the rest of the Arsenal squad have existing contracts and do not control their own destiny. The most speculation surrounds Alex Hleb, who is linked with a move to Inter.

“Alex Hleb has two years’ contract [left]," said Wenger unequivocally. "He is not for sale.”