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Inler zu Arsenal wird konkreter


Der Wechsel des Schweizers Gökhan Inler zu Arsenal London wird konkreter. Am Mittwoch war "Gunners"-Coach Arsene Wenger in Genf, um den Mittelfeldspieler beim 4:1-Länderspielsieg gegen Zypern abermals zu beobachten.

Der 24-Jährige hat zwar eine festgeschriebene Ablösesumme von zehn Millionen Euro, wird aber nicht unter 16 Millionen zu haben sein.

Udinese scheint nicht ganz abgeneigt zu sein und hat mit Stephen Appiah bereits einen Ersatz im Auge - der Ghanaer ist derzeit vereinslos.

See how all the globetrotting Gunners got on

Arsenal.com's International Watch reports back to base on those who have temporarily swapped the red of Arsenal for the colours of their national sides. Read on for the latest call-ups...

Robin van Persie
Russia 1-1 Netherlands, August 20
Robin van Persie scored the opener for the Netherlands in a friendly in Moscow on Wednesday. The Arsenal striker scored from the edge of the area in the 24th minute and was denied a second five minutes later when Russia 'keeper Igor Akinfeev blocked his close-range header. Konstantin Zyryanov equalised for the hosts in the 78th minute. The goal came five minutes after Van Persie had been replaced by Ibrahim Afellay.

Bacary Sagna, William Gallas
Sweden 2-3 France, August 20
Bacary Sagna and William Gallas played 90 minutes each as France came from behind to beat Sweden in a game that commemorated the 50th anniversary of the host's World Cup Final appearance. Henrik Larsson netted after only five minutes. It was the striker’s 37th international goal in his 99th game. Karim Benzema converted Sagna’s cross to equalise in the 19th minute. Sidney Govou put the French ahead just past the hour and added another in the 77th. Kim Kallstrom scored from the spot five minutes from time but the Swedes, who were playing in a 1958 kit, could not force an equaliser.

Johan Djourou
Switzerland 4-1 Cyprus, August 20
Johan Djourou played a full 90 minutes as the Swiss got a morale-boosting win in Geneva. Philippe Senderos has missed the start of the campaign with Arsenal due to a hamstring injury and did not figure here. This was the first game for new Swiss coach Ottmar Hitzfeld. Valentin Stocker, Hakan Yakin, Alain Nef and Johan Vonlanthen scored for the hosts. Konstantinos Makridis replied for Cyprus 10 minutes before the break.

Nicklas Bendtner
Denmark 0-3 Spain, August 20
Nicklas Bendtner played 90 minutes for Denmark at the Parken Stadium, Copenhagen on Wednesday night but his side were on the end of a thumping from Spain. The new European champions ran out easy winners in the first game under Vicente del Bosque. Liverpool's Xavi Alonso scored twice and Xavi Hernandez got another. Cesc Fabregas did not feature for Spain.

Aaron Ramsey
Wales Under-21s 0-1 Romania Under-21s, August 20
Wales Under-21s were unable to seal a qualifying play-off place for next year’s Uefa Championship Finals after defeat by Romania in Wrexham on Wednesday. Arsenal’s summer-signing Aaron Ramsey started the match that saw Adrian Ropotan score the game’s only goal on 65 minutes. Wales still hold their own destiny as the final group game is the return in Romania on 9 September.

Theo Walcott
England 2-2 Czech Republic, August 20
Theo Walcott did not feature as England endured a difficult evening at Wembley on Wednesday night. The Three Lions were unconvincing as they stumbled to a 2-2 draw against the Czech Republic, with Joe Cole snatching an injury-time equaliser. The match was Fabio Capello’s final chance to watch his team before the 2010 World Cup qualifying campaign kicks-off in 16 days away to Andorra. Milan Baros handed the Czechs a deserved lead midway through the first-half, but Wes Brown headed home his first international goal for nine years on the stroke of half-time. Marek Jankulovski restored the visitors’ lead shortly after the re-start with a stunning free-kick and it looked to be enough before Cole’s late, late intervention.

Lukasz Fabianski
Ukraine 1-0 Poland, August 20
A brave performance from Lukasz Fabianski couldn’t prevent Poland slipping to a 1-0 defeat by neighbours Ukraine in Kiev. The Arsenal stopper pulled off a string of fine saves early on as the hosts seized the upper-hand. In truth, they kept it for most of the match. Fabianski was finally beaten in first-half stoppage time when Serhiy Kravchenko headed home Serhiy Nazarenko’s cross.

Carlos Vela
Mexico 2-1 Honduras, August 20
Carlos Vela played for an hour under Sven Goran-Eriksson as Mexico’s 2010 World Cup qualifying campaign got off to a winning start over Honduras. Pavel Pardo scored twice in three minutes midway through the second-half for Mexico, cancelling out Julio Cesar De Leon’s 35th minute striker.

Emmanuel Eboue, Kolo Toure
Guinea 1-2 Ivory Coast, August 20
The Ivory Coast warmed up for their 2010 World Cup qualifying campaign with a 2-1 victory over Guinea in Chantilly. Kolo Toure and Emmanuel Eboue were part of the squad.

Emmanuel Adebayor
DR Congo 2-1 Togo, August 20
Emmanuel Adebayor was part of the Togo contingent that slipped to a 2-1 defeat in DR Congo, the final warm-up match before the 2010 World Cup qualifying campaign begins in Zambia in three weeks.

Fulham v Arsenal

Barclays Premier League

Saturday, August 23, 2008, 17:30



Song in for Fulham, Silvestre maybe involved


Arsène Wenger may draft Mikael Silvestre and Alex Song into his squad for the weekend trip to Fulham.

The recent acquisition from Manchester United could be involved, although the manager was wary of a slight injury, while Alex Song is definitely included after his Olympic exploits with Cameroon ended at the Quarter-Final stage.

"I am not sure about Silvestre as he has a little muscular problem, but Song is [in the squad]," said Wenger at his pre-match press conference.

Samir Nasri is also likely to be involved despite missing the French victory over Sweden in midweek. Apart from that Wenger's squad is likely to remain the same.

There was also good news on some of those who missed last week's season opener, including Cesc Fabregas.

"Well Cesc is doing very well in training," said Wenger. " He won't be ready for Saturday but has a chance to be ok for Wednesday. We don't want to gamble on him for one game, we have to be patient."

"[Abou] Diaby doesn't look too far away and hopefully there will be good news on [Tomas] Rosicky in the next two weeks."

Eduardo remains some way short of match-fitness. So the full list of those missing reads Philippe Senderos (hamstring), Cesc Fabregas (hamstring), Abou Diaby (thigh), Amaury Bischoff (groin), Rosicky (hamstring) plus Eduardo (leg).

Armand Traore joins Portsmouth on loan

Arsenal can confirm that Armand Traore has joined Portsmouth on a year-long loan.

The French left back will spend the entire season down on the South-Coast with Harry Redknapp’s side.



The 19-year-old signed Arsenal from Monaco in 2006 and has 18 first-team appearances to his name. Last term, Armand made a significant step forward by making debuts in the Champions League and Premier League. This season he will be looking to add to that experience with the FA Cup holders.

Everyone at Arsenal Football Club wishes Armand the best of luck with Portsmouth.

How many have swapped Man United for Arsenal?

Earlier this week it was announced that Mikael Silvestre had swapped Manchester United for Arsenal. He became the fifth player in recent memory to do so directly, with the others experiencing various degrees of success.

We have listed the other players below.


Jimmy Rimmer
Man Utd (1967-72): 46 apps - Arsenal (1973-76): 146 apps
The Lancashire born goalkeeper's Old Trafford highlight was a spot on the bench for the 1968 European Cup Final, but with his chances limited he went first on loan to Swansea City, before joining the Gunners. At Highbury he replaced the retired Bob Wilson as the Club's No 1. It was with Arsenal he won his solitary England cap. He left North London for Aston Villa.


Brian Kidd
Man Utd (1967-73): 264 apps, 70 goals - Arsenal (1974-76): 90 apps, 34 goals
Like Rimmer, Brian Kidd was part of the 1968 European Cup Final squad. His time with United, though, was much more successful than the stopper. His time with Arsenal was short and he headed back up north, this time to play for Manchester City. Kidd went on to form part of Sir Alex Ferguson's backroom staff.


Jim Leighton
Man Utd (1988-93): 94 apps - Arsenal (1991 loan): 0 apps
Leighton started his career at Aberdeen under Sir Alex Ferguson, and followed his manager to Manchester in 1998. Unfortunately Jim found life at United harder than he had in Scotland and found his chances limited by Les Sealey in goal. Arsenal was his first loan stop, that later included a time at Reading.


Matt Wicks
Man Utd (1995): 0 apps, 0 goals - Arsenal (1996): 0 apps, 0 goals
Wicks was touted as 'the next Tony Adams' having graduated from the FA Centre of Excellence. Despite an attachment to Arsenal, joined Manchester United in 1995. Court cases over the move ensued and Matt eventually returned to the Gunners without featuring at Old Trafford. A similar fate occured at Highbury with Wicks eventually joining Crewe Alexandra.



Mikael Silvestre
Man Utd (1999-2008): 361 apps, 10 goals - Arsenal (2008): 0 apps, 0 goals
Mikael enjoyed nine very successful years at Old Trafford, earning four Premier League winners medals. He became a fixture in the French national time while at Old Trafford and is Arsenal's fifth signing of the summer.

Match Report


Fulham
1
* Hangeland 21


Arsenal
0






Arsenal slipped to their first defeat of the season in deeply disappointing fashion at Fulham on Saturday.

The all-important goal came midway through the first half when Brede Hangeland arrived unmarked to prod home Jimmy Bullard’s corner from close range.

Arsène Wenger’s side nearly replied immediately when Emmanuel Adebayor thumped a header against the post but, in truth, they had been well off the pace in the first period.

They were better after the break and pegged back Fulham into their own half for most of the final half-hour. However they failed to really test Fulham keeper Mark Schwarzer.

Time will tell if this was a blip due to a catalogue of injuries or a sign of weakness. Whatever the cause, Arsenal only lost three games last term – two of which were against Manchester United and Chelsea – but they did not win the title.

Even though it was only the second game of the season, Arsenal can afford precious few results like this before next May.



Fulham, of course, deserve credit. They worked hard, took the chance that came their way and did not make a mistake at back.

Unfortunately, It was enough to beat Arsenal on the day.

Still without five first-teamers, Wenger made two changes from the side that won the opening-day fixture against West Brom last Saturday.

Kolo Toure had been bench-bound last Saturday due a hip problem but he returned alongside William Gallas this afternoon. Another familiar partnership was reunited up front as Robin van Persie came back alongside Adebayor.

Last Saturday had been difficult for both these sides. Arsenal had hardly been dominant in their 1-0 win over West Brom while Fulham had gone down 2-1 at another newly-promoted side, Hull.

Both managers needed a morale-boosting performance. However, in the first half, only Roy Hodgson would get it.

In the fifth minute Zoltan Gera sent Bobby Zamora through on the left but the former West Ham striker overhit his cross woefully.

Arsenal were taking time to settle. Theo Walcott whipped a dangerous cross into the heart of the area and Adebayor swept a speculative shot wide.

On the quarter-hour, Danny Murphy volleyed over after Arsenal failed to clear their lines but neither side was playing at the top of their game.

That said, the visitors should have gone ahead in the 19th minute. Walcott crossed to the far post, Nasri’s attempted shot turned into a trickling cut-back for Van Persie, who lashed an effort wide when he should have scored.

Arsenal seemed to be playing the cagey first-half football that had served them so well at Twente. Surely it was only a matter of time before their quality would tell.

However that perspective would be turned on its head in the 21st minute.

Zamora turned Toure on the left of the area but the Ivorian centre back recovered to put the ball out for a corner. Jimmy Bullard swung it over and the unmarked Hangeland arrived to toe-poke a volley in to the net from close range.

Arsenal were nearly level within two minutes. Adebayor met Sagna’s deep cross with a thumping header that clipped the outside of the post.

An energised confident Fulham continued to give Wenger’s men the occasional scare before half time but no more. Arsenal were little better. Their best sight of goal came 10 minutes before the break when Van Persie blazed an effort way over the bar.

Wenger had much to do at the break.

Adebayor’s early volley was blocked at close range but did suggest Arsenal were up for the battle in the second half.

However before we had reached the hour, the visitors had started to commit players forward. As a result of that, Seol Ki-Hyeon found space on the left and cross for Zamora to flick a shot over the bar at the near post.

Six minutes later the same pair set up Simon Davies, who flicked a woeful effort wide.

By this time, Wenger had replaced Walcott with Bendtner. It was an attacking move and it helped Arsenal heap even more pressure on the home side.

For the first time in the game, the visitors had began to keep the ball in the Fulham half of the pitch.

In the 65th minute, Murphy brought down Eboue and Van Persie’s free-kick clipped the wall then flew over the bar. After that the Dutchman dragged a shot wide from long range but they failed to build on the opportunity.

They did not really threaten again until the final 10 minutes when Nasri and Clichy both had efforts blocked.

The final stages were frantic. Arsenal threw bodies into the box and caution to the wind. Fulham defended with their lives and broke with determination and speed.

Adebayor had a header, substitute Alex Song blazed an effort wide. That was it.

Arsenal were beaten.Match Report

'What we did today was just not good enough'

On the first half…

"Fulham started the game better than us and were sharper in the first half. Although I don’t think they created too much if you look at the game as a whole."

On the goal…

"They had a corner and they took advantage from it. That illustrates the first half. We were not sharp enough. We were not first enough on the ball. The corner showed that and we were punished. When you are focussed you can stop them scoring like that from the middle of the goal."

On the reaction…

"After that we tried to come back in the second half but I feel we were too nervous in the last 25 minutes and wanted to create on our own rather than keeping our vision around the box. That is what we missed a lot today."

On what was lacking…

"We lacked a bit more quality in our passing. We you look at the possession we had and what we did with it that is always a sign it is not only down power but vision and technical quality. That was not there today. I don’t know why. You have to credit to Fulham as well."

On substituting Walcott…

"You need to keep a balance. When I brought on Bendtner we already had Van Persie, Nasri and Adebayor. We needed to win the ball back so we needed to keep three midfielders."

On mistakes and regrets…

"It was the kind of game where you could not afford to make a mistake and we made a massive one. It was a game where if you get to half-time at 0-0 then you would win the game. That is the biggest regret I have."

On bouncing back…

"The result is there and we have to cope with it. We have a big game on Wednesday night and we have to respond with a top class performance because was we did today was just not good enough."

Adebayor - We can't think we are untouchable


Emmanuel Adebayor believes Saturday’s defeat at Fulham was the best warning his Arsenal side could have received about complacency.

Arsène Wenger’s men were poor at Craven Cottage. Brede Hangeland was allowed to arrive unmarked six yards out to stab home a shot in the 21st minute. It turned out to be the winner. Arsenal only really responded in the final 25 minutes and even then they rarely troubled keeper Mark Schwarzer.

The defeat was as disappointing as it was surprising but, for Adebayor, it could still be useful to Arsenal.



“I think losing today is going to be the best warning that we can be given,” he said. “We can't think we are untouchable.

"We could really see, as soon as we don't play together and we don't put our spirit together, we can lose the game.

"So I think these are the things we have to put together. As soon as we play our football with the same spirit and play to help each other on the pitch, we have no reason to lose the games.

"I don't think we had all those things [on Saturday] and we lost the game. Anyway, now, it's already behind us and we have to have a clear focus on Wednesday's game.

“We didn’t think about losing this early, but that's football, we lost and we just have to put it behind us and tomorrow is another day.

“I think we just learn the negative things we have done in this game and keep on going.

“We have something to prove now,” he went on. “You have to show character, to show personality, and we have to get back our confidence as quickly as possible.


"We have a chance to do that and we are playing already on Wednesday, so, yeah, it's going to be a good game and hopefully we can do something. We need to win and bring our confidence back."

Wenger - Buying is not always the solution



Saturday’s defeat at Fulham will NOT influence Arsène Wenger’s moves in the transfer market between now and the deadline.

The Arsenal manager has been after a central midfielder for some time and now has only a week to get his man. However before the game at Craven Cottage on Saturday, Wenger was indicating he might look for a replacement inside his own squad and, judging by his words afterwards, the manner of the disappointing reverse has not changed his mind.

“When you lose a game the solution is not always to buy,” said Wenger. “Did we play at our best? I say no and so we have to look at why?



“We had problems to win our first few games last year but we won them. This year we did not win - that is the reality. We had 60 minutes to come back on Fulham and we did not do it. Is that down to Fulham’ s quality or the fact we were not good enough? Only the future will tell us that.”

However the departure of key midfielders Alex Hleb, Gilberto and Mathieu Flamini led some to suggest Arsenal are weaker than last season despite the acquisition of Samir Nasri and Mikael Silvestre.

“Let’s not make too much comparison the team is almost the same," said Wenger. "The goal on Saturday was conceded from a corner and was not excusable. You can accept it sometimes when someone jumps higher than you but not when they scored from the middle of the goal area on the six-yard line. That is where we were guilty.”

Schweizer Senderos leihweise von Arsenal zu Milan

Philippe Senderos wechselt leihweise bis Saisonende vom englischen Premier-Leauge-Club Arsenal zum AC Milan in die italienische Serie A. Die Kaufoption für den 23-jährigen Innenverteidiger beträgt zehn Millionen Euro.

Senderos war 2003 von Servette nach London gewechselt und schoss für die "Gunners" in 72 Einsätzen vier Tore. In der abgelaufenen Saison verlor der 20-fache Schweizer Nationalspieler aber seinen Stammplatz in der Arsenal-Innenverteidigung.

Fabregas fears no-one in Champions League



Cesc Fabregas is scared of no-one in the Champions League.

Early indications suggest the Spanish midfielder could be back for the Qualification Round second leg tie against Twente on Wednesday.

Only when passage is safely secured will the 21-year-old properly look forward to a lengthy run in the competition. But over the past three years, Arsenal have always gone beyond the Group Stage and came within 13 minutes of winning the trophy in 2006.

And so, speaking at the announcement of Arsenal’s Charity of the Season, Fabregas argued there’s no reason why his side cannot go one better this season.

“We don’t have to be afraid of anyone,” he said. “ I think we’ve seen in the last few seasons we can beat anybody so you have to be positive. You have to believe that you can do it again, at least make it to the Final.

“I’ve played a few Finals now and you can see that anything can happen you can play well you can play not well, you can win and lose. Certainly you have to make it there, I think we have the quality and experience to do it and we are looking forward to it.”

Before Euro 2008 this summer, the biggest final in which Fabregas has featured was the Champions League showpiece in 2006 against Barcelona. Arsenal had Jens Lehmann sent off early on and then took a shock lead through Sol Campbell. A fairy-tale victory seemed on the cards until Samuel Eto’o and Juliano Belletti struck in the close stages.

Surprisingly the game does NOT hang heavy in the mind of Fabregas.

“It’s probably the Final that I think about less,” he remarked. “I don’t know why.

“I think maybe because it was the one that we played better and the one we showed more desire. We were all devastated after that Final but I must say after that game we realised that Arsenal was a big club and we could compete against anyone.

“We were playing the final against Barcelona with one player less in the first five or 10 minutes they didn’t come back until the last 10 minutes. So it was really impressive and we were devastated but at the same time we felt proud for the fans and for ourselves because what we did was quite amazing.”

Inler erteilte Arsenal eine Absage

Gökhan Inler (24) spielt auch in der nächsten Saison bei Udinese in der Serie A. Laut "Blick" erteilte Inlers Berater Dino Lamberti dem FC Arsenal, der 25 Millionen für den Mittelfeldspieler geboten hatte, eine Absage.

Im Gegenzug verlängerte Udinese den Vertrag mit dem Schweizer Internationalen vorzeitig um eine weitere Saison bis 2013. Zudem soll Inler in Zukunft mit zwei Millionen Franken pro Jahr fast doppelt so viel wie bis anhin verdienen.

Senderos expected to complete Milan move


The loan of Philippe Senderos to Milan should be completed soon.

The Swiss defender was linked with a move to the Rossoneri in the morning’s media. It was confirmed by Arsène Wenger at his press conference ahead of the game with FC Twente. However it is still subject to the usual formalities.



“Senderos has gone to Milan,” said the Arsenal manager. “He completes a medical today.

"The thinking is that he does not get games here and [this way he] gets top-level games somewhere. We have Kolo, Gallas, Djourou, Song and now Silvestre. We have congestion in there and we want him to play without losing him.”

Wenger was asked whether the 12-month loan would turn into a permanent deal. “It is not decided yet,” he replied.

Wenger - We have to accept the critics



Saturday was bad day at the office for Arsenal but Arsène Wenger believes the negativity towards the Club needs to be kept in check.

Criticism of the 1-0 reverse at Craven Cottage has been widespread and while Wenger understands it is part of the industry he is in, the Frenchman is adamant his squad has the required strength to bounce back.

“We in a world now where you have to accept the critics and a definite conclusion from everybody,” said the manager ahead of the Champions League tie with FC Twente.“We had a bad game at Fulham and credit to them because they played very well”

“No matter how good you are in life, players are human beings and have been away for the whole of last week. When you have an away game, it can happen that you are caught for 20 or 30 minutes.

“But I know my squad is good, my team is good, our spirit is good. We are intelligent enough to know we did not play well , but we know as well we have the needed quality to respond.

“Your desire is to play well and win. No matter how much experience you have, if you don’t play well you have more chances to lose than to win.”

Fabregas fit for Wednesday's FC Twente clash


Cesc Fabregas is back in the Arsenal squad for the Champions League tie against Twente on Wednesday - but he may not start.

The 21-year-old midfielder has had just 84 minutes of pre-season football after injurying his hamstring at the Amsterdam Tournament back in early August.



Before the weekend defeat to Fulham, Arsène Wenger said Fabregas could return for the Qualification Round second leg tie against Steve McClaren’s men. At a press conference on Tuesday, he confirmed that but stopped short of saying he’d be on from the beginning.

“He is in the squad,” said Wenger. “Whether he starts or not I can not give you an answer now.
“From Saturday, we did not lose anybody [through injury]. But we still have Rosicky and Diaby out.”

Wenger also revealed that new signing Mikael Silvestre would not be available to play for Arsenal until the trip to Blackburn on September 13.

“He has a small thigh problem,” said the manager. “He should be available after the international break.”

Wenger - Why do I have to buy a £40m player?



Big names mean little to Arsène Wenger.

Saturday’s defeat at Fulham has seen the media clamour rise even higher for a major signing at Emirates Stadium. But the Arsenal manager remains defiant that his squad is strong enough to compete at the highest level and one new addition will not make a major difference on his own.

The Frenchman is still chasing a defensive midfielder before the transfer deadline closes on September 1. But, speaking at Tuesday’s press conference ahead of the Champions League tie with Twente, Wenger was straight to the point.

“There are no names and there is no news,” he reported.

“We do not have to worry about too many other players. I believe we have the needed squad and a strong squad. I believe in the players I have instead of always looking at who might be coming in.

“It is not one player who makes a difference. It is up to us as a team to show personality, strength and belief. If we can find one more, we will do it, if not we will not limit our ambitions because of it.

Wenger added that he was “not on the case” of highly-rated Portsmouth midfielder Niko Kranjcar. And while Manchester United and Chelsea are being linked with mega-money moves for Dimitar Berbatov and Robinho respectively, the Arsenal manager does not feel the need to sign players with weighty reputations.

“I do not know why we are always under pressure to buy £30 or £40m players,” said the 58-year-old.

“I am under pressure to buy good players - it is as simple as that. And good players are not always necessarily linked with the price.

“We have no complex with the names,” he went on. “The names don’t impress me. What is impressive for me is the attitude, the quality. All the rest is part of the media.

“There is only one thing that's important and that is what you do on the pitch. I agree that what we did on the pitch on Saturday was not good enough, but to compare [the team] with names is not very interesting and not very useful.

“I focus on my players, I believe in my players. I don’t focus on the names of other players at other clubs.

“I believe what I see in training and the most important thing is to transfer what we see there into the games.”

'Fans have been happy with his appointment'

Two late goals a fortnight ago in Arnhem gave Arsenal the upper hand in their Champions League qualifying tie with FC Twente. But Arsène Wenger’s men were made to work for their victory and can expect a similarly tough test when the two sides meet again on Wednesday night.

Ahead of the second-leg we spoke to Rob Berensthot of FC Twente’s official website for a lowdown on the opposition.

On the first-leg...
“The feeling around the Club after the game was disappointment because the team had played so well in the first-half and had chances to win or draw, but they didn’t. The team had two or three good chances to score but couldn’t take them.



“A lack of concentration was the problem for one of the goals I think. In the first-half we were very strong, much like we had been the last two years in Holland, and it was just a little mistake in concentration that let Arsenal in.”

On Wednesday’s clash...
“The second-leg will of course be difficult for Twente. It is not impossible but they have to score two of three goals. Arsenal are a really good team and you don’t get too many chances against a team like that. Even taking last weekend at Fulham, that doesn’t mean anything and Arsenal are still a good team and it will always be tough against them.”

On Twente’s domestic season not starting yet...
“On the domestic season, I think it is an advantage that Twente would have played Arsenal a couple of times before the league starts on the weekend. Maybe it is an advantage for Arsenal, though, that they have already played in the Premier League before facing Twente – it means they are in the rhythm. To be honest though, I don’t know what affect it will have.”

On the comings and goings..
“Everybody was impressed by the midfield at Twente last season, but now both of the players are elsewhere. Karim El Ahmadi left for Feyenoord and Orlando Engelaar went to Schalke 04. However you could see in the first-leg match in Arnhem two weeks ago, especially in the players like Cheik Tiote and Theo Janssen, that the midfield can still be strong. But of course Engelaar will be missed.”

On Steve McLaren...
“Definitely the fans have been happy with Steve McLaren’s appointment. They are trustful of what he does, they are looking forward to the season and above all they think he is a good choice. He knows how to deal with big names, he has international experience and the fans are very satisfied with him already, I am sure of that.”

Walcott – We can improve on first-leg display



Theo Walcott thinks Arsenal will be a different proposition for FC Twente now the Gunners have a competitive run of games under their belt.

Two late goals a fortnight ago have given Arsène Wenger’s side every chance of an 11th straight appearance in the Champions League group stage. But the win in Arnhem was hardly straightforward.

Arsenal were hustled and harried all over the pitch and were reliant on a set-piece to break the deadlock. It was the Club’s first competitive fixture of the season and while Walcott acknowledges the strength shown by Twente, he is hopeful of an improved performance this time out.



“It was our first game so they were very sharp and it took us by surprise I think,” said Walcott. “It was very difficult to go there. The fans were behind them and they treated it as their cup final. They were very strong in their man-for-man marking.

“We did not play our best but we got a good result. Hopefully we’ll perform better at home.

“The best thing is to think of it as 0-0, keep a clean sheet then we are through. But this club needs to play Champions League football.”

You could have been forgiven for thinking Saturday’s defeat at Fulham irrevocably dented Arsenal’s season.

It did not.

But tonight’s game with Twente certainly can.

At this stage of the season, three dropped Premier League points are only an irritant. But conceding three unanswered goals this evening would see Arsenal out of Europe’s elite for the next 12 months.

It should not come to that, Wenger’s side have lost only one game in over two seasons at Emirates Stadium and they have conceded only once in three matches this term.

But, at the same time, they have not been convincing.

The Gunners started their season a fortnight ago with a 2-0 win in the Champions League Qualification Round first round tie at Arnhem despite being under severe pressure for the first hour. They followed that with a narrow 1-0 win over West Brom. At this point Arsenal were thought to be a title-chasing side who were doing exactly what title-chasing sides do – winning ugly.

However they followed that by losing ugly at Craven Cottage on Saturday.

The reaction has been severe but it will be nothing on the criticism coming Arsenal’s way if they were to let a healthy lead slip this evening.

“It's a massive game for us,” admitted Wenger at his pre-match press conference. “I don't even look at the financial consequences. We want to play at the top level and to be at the top level is to be in the Champions League.

“It hurts terribly to lose a game like Saturday. It is terrible to take but you cannot be too catastrophic.

“No matter how good you are in life, the players are human beings and have been away for the whole of last week. When you have an away game, it can happen that you are caught for 20 or 30 minutes.

“But there are 36 games to go. We are in a good position to qualify for the Champions League and have injured players coming back.

“We already have a good squad and we have everything needed to be successful. But commitment is needed for any success, no matter how much quality you have.”

Wenger will pick from the same squad as Saturday with the significant addition of Cesc Fabregas. However it is not known if the Spaniard will start against a side who ambushed Arsenal in the opening stages a fortnight ago.

“It was a real cup game and they made it very physical,” said Wenger. “They played a lot on the fringe but to sustain that for 90 minutes is very difficult for any team in the world.

“I felt we could use that to our advantage in the second half. But it was a very difficult game and all respect to Twente. They played very well.

“I believe they will make it very difficult for us again on Wednesday. They will try to defend well in every area of the pitch and try to catch us on the break.”

And Wenger is not fooled by Arsenal’s first-leg lead. He has always considered 2-0 a healthy but booby-trapped advantage in the return game.

“You can sometimes be not positive enough and think you just have to defend,” he said. “You can be not focused enough and have not prepared well enough to go into a game of this importance.

“But the fact that we had a bad game on Saturday will help us be completely focused.

“That is the only positive side of our defeat at Fulham on Saturday.”

Arsenal 4-0 FC Twente

UEFA Champions League, Emirates Stadium

Wednesday, August 27, 2008, 20:05

Having entered their discomfort zone at Fulham on Saturday, Arsenal ensured a safe return to the Champions League Group Stages with a comfortable 4-0 win over FC Twente at Emirates Stadium on Wednesday.

Arsène Wenger’s side had all but secured an 11th successive season in Europe’s elite competition with a 2-0 win in Holland a fortnight ago. This evening they completed the job with something to spare.

Samir Nasri settled any lingering nerves with a sparking solo goal in the 26th minute, William Gallas bundled home a second on the night just after half-time, Theo Walcott steered in classy third just past the hour and finally Nicklas Bendtner tapped home a fourth on the whistle.



It was straightforward stuff but, after Saturday, that was more than welcome.

Of course, Arsenal will have to overcome much, much tougher tests than this if they are reach the Champions League Final in Rome on May 27.

But, at the same time, there is much, much more to come from this side.

And now they are in Thursday’s draw they will have much, much more time to prove it.

Wenger made some significant changes from the team defeated at Fulham on Saturday. Kolo Toure and Emmanuel Adebayor dropped to the bench to be replaced by Johan Djourou and Bendtner respectively. The other switch was widely anticipated – Cesc Fabregas for Emmanuel Eboue.

The early stages were lively but toothless. Theo Janssen and Robin van Persie each fired in a couple of long-rangers for their respective sides. None had much menace.

Gradually Arsenal found their feet and Walcott, in particular, used his pace to give his marker a torrid time.

Van Persie blazed over the bar in the 22nd minute and four minutes later the Englishman and the Dutchman would create the opener for a French colleague.

Walcott crossed from the right and the sliding Van Persie tapped the ball into the path of Nasri. He weaved around two defenders before clipping a shot past Nicolay Mihaylov with the aid of a slight deflection.

The goal seemed to suck the life out of Twente. For the first hour of this 180-minute tie they had been clearly superior. But now, just past the two-hour mark, they were trailing by three goals.

And Arsenal could have doubled that advantage before the break.

First Denilson saw his shot blocked by the legs of Mihaylov then Bendtner was dispossessed in the area when caught in three or four minds. The Dane had that many options.

Finally, six minutes from the break, Van Persie had acres of room to pick his spot with the Twente defence in disarray and Mikhaylov nowhere. Unbelievably he steered his shot wide.

Wenger took off Nasri at the break and replaced him with Eboue. The Ivorian slotted in on the right-hand side of midfield so Walcott moved to the left.

Within seven minutes of the restart, Arsenal had killed the tie. Bendtner bustled through in the left-hand channel and stroked a shot to the right of Mihaylov. The keeper could only deflect the ball into the path of Gallas who stabbed home from close range.

It was slightly less scrappy than the goal the Frenchman had scored in Holland a fortnight ago. But only just.

Arsenal’s third was the opposite. In the 66th minute Walcott played a rather fortunate one-two with Bendtner before roaring forward and caressing a low, curling effort into the far corner of the net. A gorgeous goal.

Almost immediately, Wenger withdrew Fabregas. The job was officially done.

The third goal even quietened the visiting supporters for a couple of minutes. The Twente following had been in party-mood all night and were a credit to their team.

But they responded quickly, loudly and heartily; as Arsenal had to Saturday’s disappointment.

Just for good measure Bendtner slotted home a fourth in injury time.

'We were organised, disciplined and focused'

On the performance…

“It was a big game for us and I felt we were well organised, disciplined, focused and basically never really under threat from FC Twente. What was most important was not to make mistakes, be patient and score our goals.

“I felt the whole team was sharper and physically we were much better than on Saturday afternoon. Maybe that is why we made it easier. It was a game that gave us the same problem as in the first game, by man marking us all over the pitch. When they had the ball they didn't take many risks - they were more focused on possession. We had to be well organised because they played a little bit with our patience."

On the return of Cesc Fabregas…

“I believe he brings calm and confidence to the side and overall we had a good balance in the side. He could have stayed on. He was more disappointed Twente didn't really have a go at us; he likes to play. He wants always to play but I took him off because he has just come back from a hamstring and we play again on Saturday. Recovery time will be very short.”

On responding to the weekend defeat…

“The response was clear. It was togetherness, it was consistency and that is what you want on a night like that. We want to play with the best and to do that means qualifying for the Group Stage. There was so much at stake tonight that of course it was a big mental test.”

On going goal crazy…

“We have been struggling a little bit for goals but I was never really worried about that because we can create chances. It is difficult when you start the season with a qualifier and in-between you have an international friendly. At that moment the bodies aren't completely ready to absorb all that and you can have a dip a little bit. I felt that on Saturday.”

On Nasri's substitution…

“He had a stomach bug during the game and was sick at half-time. He couldn't go on.”

On central midfield…

“I think Denilson had a good game tonight. We have as well Aaron Ramsey - for me he will be a very good player - and we have Alex Song and we have Abou Diaby. Even Nasri can play central but we have to see.”

On Walcott's performance…

“I feel you have to be patient with Theo, I always say that. He can be decisive in any game against anybody if the team has a good collective display and if you can get him involved. He has improved his first touch, his link play, and that was a vital stage for him. Then without losing his one against one ability, he has worked on his control on the move and looks now to have found the balance between individual play and team play. He is a good finisher. What he did today is really the brand of a good finisher and you cannot teach that. He has that naturally.

On Vela's globetrotting...

“We don't see Vela a lot because he goes to Mexico last week and then goes again next week to Jamaica to play two games. Then he will come back a bit late for the game we play away. But I am confident he will play an important part in the season, but at the moment he is away. He is a top class player.”

Wenger will einen Holländer


Nach der Absage des Schweizers Gökhan Inler, der es vorzieht bei Udinese zu bleiben, wird auf der Suche nach einem Mittelfeldspieler die Zeit für Arsenal schön langsam knapp.

Wie "The Sun" berichtet, zeigt Arsene Wenger nun verstärkt Interesse an Jonathan de Guzman, der seit drei Saisonen einen Stammplatz bei Feyenoord Rotterdam hat.

Der zweikampfstarke 20-Jährige, der in Kanada geboren wurde, spielt in Hollands U21 und würde die "Gunners" rund 15 Millionen Euro Ablöse kosten.

Who could we face in the Champions League?

Overview of the draw
Arsenal will be among the eight top seeds when the draw for the Group Stage of the Champions League takes place in Monaco at 5pm (UK time) today.

UEFA's club coefficients are used to calculate each side's seeding in Europe's premier club competition and Arsenal's record in the Champions League puts them among the elite.

The Gunners cannot face Manchester United, Real Madrid, Chelsea, Internazionale, Liverpool, Olympique Lyon or Barcelona - the other sides in Pot One.

However, a number of big names lie in wait in Pot Two including German champions Bayern Munich, Italian giants Juventus and Arsenal's opponents in the 2006 Semi-Finals, Villarreal. The Spanish dark horses have Robert Pires and Pascal Cygan in their ranks, of course.

Gilberto's new club, Panathinaikos, are one of Arsenal's potential opponents in Pot Three. Scottish champions Celtic also lurk in that part of the draw.

In theory, Pot Four contains the weakest teams in the competition but in practice there is plenty of quality here too with Atletico Madrid and Fiorentina as potential opponents for Arsène Wenger's side.

How the draw works
The 32 teams will be placed in four pots. Pot One will comprise the eight top-ranked clubs, Pot Two the next eight and so on for Pots Three and Four. The sides are divided into eight groups of four. The top two teams in each group will progress to the knock-out stage.

Teams from Pot One will be provisionally placed in the first position within their groups, teams from Pot Two will provisionally take the second spot in their sections, and so on.

As usual the top two sides in each group will progress to the First Knockout Round draw on December 19 while those finishing third will enter the UEFA Cup Round of 32.

You can find out which teams Arsenal will face in the Group Stage by visiting Arsenal.com later today.

GROUP STAGE

Pot One
Manchester United (England), Real Madrid (Spain), Chelsea (England), Internazionale (Italy), Arsenal (England), Liverpool (Liverpool), Olympique Lyon (France), Barcelona (Spain)

Pot Two
Bayern Munich (Germany), PSV Eindhoven (Holland), Villarreal (Spain), AS Roma (Italy), FC Porto (Portugal), Werder Bremen (Germany), Sporting Lisbon (Portugal), Juventus (Italy)

Pot Three
Marseilles (France), Zenit St. Petersburg (Russia), Steaua Bucharest (Romania), Panathinaikos (Greece), Bordeaux (France), Celtic (Scotland), Basel (Switzerland), Fenerbahce (Turkey)

Pot Four
Shakhtar Donetsk (Ukraine), Fiorentina (Italy), Atletico Madrid (Spain), Dynamo Kiev (Ukraine), CFR 1907 Cluj (Romania), Aalborg BK (Denmark), Anorthosis Famagusta (Cyprus), FC BATE Borisov (Belarus)

Arsenal face Porto, Fenerbahce, Dynamo Kiev


Arsenal will play FC Porto, Fenerbahce and Dynamo Kiev in the Group Stage of the Champions League.

Arsène Wenger's team will travel to Portugal, Turkey and Ukraine after beating Dutch side FC Twente in the Third Qualifying Round.

Arsenal were among the eight top seeds when the draw took place in Monaco on Thursday.





Champions League draw

Group A: Chelsea, AS Roma, Bordeaux, CFR 1907 Cluj
Group B: Internazionale, Werder Bremen, Panathinaikos, Anorthosis Famagusta
Group C: Barcelona, Sporting Lisbon, FC Basel, Shakhtar Donetsk
Group D: Liverpool, PSV Eindhoven, Marseilles, Atletico Madrid
Group E: Manchester United, Villarreal, Celtic, Aalborg BK
Group F: Lyon, Bayern Munich, Steaua Bucharest, Fiorentina
Group G: Arsenal, FC Porto, Fenerbahce, Dynamo Kiev
Group H: Real Madrid, Juventus, Zenit St. Petersburg, FC BATE Borisov

The fixture dates for the group stage have been confirmed as follows:

Match Day 1
Dynamo Kiev v Arsenal
Wednesday 17th September 2008
Kick Off: 19:45
To be played at Valery Lobanovskiy, Kyiv

Match Day 2
Arsenal v FC Porto
Tuesday 30th September 2008
Kick Off: 19:45
To be played at Emirates Stadium

Match Day 3
Fenerbahce v Arsenal
Tuesday 21st October 2008
Kick Off: 19:45
To be played at Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium, Istanbul

Match Day 4
Arsenal v Fenerbahce
Wednesday 5th November 2008
Kick Off: 19:45
To be played at Emirates Stadium

Match Day 5
Arsenal v Dynamo Kiev
Tuesday 25th November 2008
Kick Off: 19:45
To be played at Emirates Stadium

Match Day 6
FC Porto v Arsenal
Wednesday 10th December 2008
Kick Off: 19:45
To be played at Estádio do Dragão, Portugal

Gallas, Nasri, Walcott all fit for Newcastle


Arsène Wenger will rotate an unchanged squad for the Premier League clash with Newcastle at Emirates Stadium on Saturday.

Arsenal were left nursing minor problems with Samir Nasri (sickness), Theo Walcott (knee) and William Gallas (knee) after Wednesday’s victory over Twente. However, at Friday’s press conference the manager revealed positive news.

It means he will select from the same squad this weekend – but he will not be selecting the same team.

“There were doubts over William Gallas, Theo Walcott and Samir Nasri but they are OK,” said Wenger. “They are all available.

“It will be the same 18 as against Twente but I will rotate a little bit.”




Morgen früh gehts ab nach London!
geiiiil