Saturday, January 30, 2010

My Lucky Hat, Or, An Existential Crisis.


Jay-Z, the ultimate Yankee Gooner.

Before I started following the Arsenal, I’d always read articles about obsessive fans touting lucky talismans (talismen?) as the reason for their team’s victory. I found them a bit ridiculous, of course -- how could the fact that you wore the same pair of underpants for every game be anything besides rather unhygienic? That was, of course, in the era of B. A.

Since our love for the Red & White began, we’ve all begun accumulating habits, starting with wearing red on match days, followed by NYC Gooner pins, and more recently with shirts and scarves. Jack and I used to go to the Park Slope Dunkin’ Donuts every morning before matches (more a necessity when leaving the house at 8.30am), and there was a run of matches with goals scored while Max was putting money in the parking meter outside, but nothing had taken on any truly obsessive veneer until The Hat.

In the past month, we’ve moved to Brixton (South London for those keeping track), land of hoodies and baseball caps, so I’ve taken to wearing my Yankees cap when the weather permits. This, combined with my fond memories of Yankee-Arsenal fans at Nevada Smith’s, is why I found myself on the afternoon of the first Bolton match in the Arsenal Tavern wearing red, white, and blue.

That match, I had the hat on from the start, and we all know how that turned out (2-0 to the Arsenal.) The following week’s Bolton rematch, we went to the Twelve Pins and I removed my cap for the first half. We went two down. Hat came on, we won 4-2 and went top of the league.

It seemed obvious really, almost too perfect. We couldn’t score goals without the hat; we couldn’t stop scoring goals with it.

Then came the night that tested my faith. Although be-hatted for the whole match, we went down 3-1 to Stoke. Just like all irrational obsessives, I quickly found an excuse: it was a FA Cup match, so clearly the hat only worked for the Premiership.

My hat wasn’t my only totem, though. The two matches where I wore my new Rosicky shirt and he played, he made major contributions: the injury-time equaliser that salvaged a draw from the Everton match in January, and the first goal in that stunning comeback against Bolton.

Then came Aston Villa. The hat and the shirt were both on to provide the maximum amount of luck clothing could provide for the beginning of a wretched stretch of fixtures. The unhappy end is fresh in all of our minds -- not even a flicker of hope illuminated what was just a stunningly unlucky match. To add insult to injury, Rosicky played poorly, with his two chances denied by cruel fate, the bar, and Aaron Ramsey. By the end of the match, I threw the hat to the floor and stomped on it for good measure. The dream was no more. The lucky hat had lost its luck.

And it couldn’t have come at a worse time, with Manchester United less than twenty-four hours away and Liverpool and Chelsea looming on the horizon. A new strategy is needed…but what?

Let us know if you have any surefire lucky rituals (and if you do, please, please do them extra for tomorrow.)

Friday, January 29, 2010

Preview: Arsenal v. Manchester United

Samir Nasri scored twice in last season's league meeting between these two sides at the Emirates. Pic via Guardian.

Emirates Stadium, London
Sunday, January 31
1600 GMT, 11:00 am EST
  • Referee: Chris Foy
  • This Match, Last Year: Arsenal 2 - 1 Manchester United
  • Arsenal's Recent Form: W-W-D-W-W-D
  • Manchester United's Recent Form: L-W-W-D-W-W
  • Sky Bet Odds: Arsenal 11-8, Man Utd 15-8, Draw 12-5
  • SportingBet Odds: Arsenal 7-5, Man Utd 17-10, Draw 11-5
Predicted Line-Up
guesses italicized

Almunia
Sagna - Gallas - Campbell - Clichy
Fabregas - Denilson - Ramsey
Nasri - Bendtner - Arshavin

Subs from:
Fabianski, Traore, Rosicky, Song, Eboue, Vela, Walcott
Out: Eduardo (hamstring), Vermaelen (leg/knee), Merida (ankle), Diaby (calf), Gibbs (foot), Van Persie (ankle), Djourou (knee)
  • Alex Song and Emmanuel Eboue are both available, but "tired." My assumption is that they will feature off the bench. If any of them were to make the start, it'd be Song at defensive midfield, pulling Ramsey out of that XI above.
  • Thomas Vermaelen might be a game-time decision with his leg injury sustained in the first half at Villa Park on Wednesday.
  • Abou Diaby is still ruled out, which means he won't get to score for United again.
  • Eduardo, Diaby, and Vermaelen should all be available for February 7 at the Bridge.
  • In their August 29 loss at Old Trafford, Arsenal did not have Cesc Fabregas in the line-up. He was out with a hamstring injury.
  • In the 41 meetings between Arsene Wenger and Sir Alex Ferguson, Manchester United has won 16 times, Arsenal has won 14, and they've drawn 11. Two of those draws were cup ties that were decided on penalties (including Arsenal's 2005 FA Cup Final win.)
  • Manchester United are unbeaten in their last four against the Gunners, winning three. They have not, however, won a Premier League game at the Emirates in three tries. A 3-1 Champions League win last May in North London did boot the Gunners from the competition.
  • United's only Premier League win at Arsenal in their last nine trips to London was a 4-2 win at Highbury five years ago.
  • Arsene Wenger is still one Premier League win away from 300 in his career.
  • United have lost five and drawn one in their last six away matches against other Big Four sides.
  • Wayne Rooney and Paul Scholes are both sitting on 99 career Premier League goals. Only 17 players have scored 100. Then again, that's another stat that only dates back to the '90s.

News Roundup 1/29/10 - The Is It Sunday Yet? Edition

Here's Jack Wilshere, running for his life from a bleached blond lunatic. Pic via Daily Mirror.
  • Despite a last minute bid from Wigan, Jack Wilshere's transfer to Bolton Wanderers has been made official, as expected. [Daily Mirror]
  • Start gearing up for Sunday's clash with Manchester United with this photo gallery of past matches from Guardian.
  • March 13 match at Hull City has been tabbed for live television and has been moved up to 5:30 pm in England. Hull is quickly becoming Arsenal's ninth most heated rival! [Arsenal.com]
  • Pressure is growing on Arsene Wenger to make a move in the final three days of the transfer window... [Daily Mirror]
  • ...but he admits it's unlikely. [Daily Mirror, Arsenal.com]
  • There's still a slim chance Tom Vermaelen will be fit for Sunday. That would be amazing. [Daily Mirror]
  • But, if he's not, Arsene Wenger is confident in Sol Campbell's ability to contain Wayne Rooney. [Arsenal.com]
  • Sir Alex Ferguson kindly asks his supporters not to call Arsene Wenger a pedophile. [Daily Telegraph]
  • And, in one last bit of news I didn't want to hear, Bacary Sagna's agent has linked the blond dreadlocks to a possible summer transfer to Internazionale. [Sky Sports]

Arsene Wenger is Very Disappointed in You 1/29/10


Arsene Wenger is very disappointed that a car accident prevented me from posting a picture of him yesterday.

Thursday, January 28, 2010

News Roundup 1/28/10 - The Three-Dimensional Edition

Wow, Wayne Rooney's dives are so much more life-like in 3D! Pic via Guardian.
  • Sky has announced that Sunday's Arsenal-Manchester United clash at the Emirates will be their first experiment in publicly broadcasting live sports in 3D. I intend to be drunk enough to think the 2D screen at Nevada Smiths is in 3D. [Guardian]
  • Tom Vermaelen did NOT break his fibula yesterday at Villa Park, but the extent of the injury is still not clear. He will still likely miss Sunday. [Arsenal.com]
  • That would mean that the currently unstoppable Wayne Rooney would be marked by Sol Campbell. I'd like to just see Campbell flatten him. [ESPN Soccernet]
  • Other injury notes: Arsenal will also likely be without Eduardo and Diaby on Sunday. Which means Diaby can't score for Manchester United this time around. [Arsenal.com]
  • CORRECTION: Eboue and Song are both "available" for Sunday. [Guardian]
  • Jack Wilshere is close to a move to Bolton Wanderers. I guess last week's little row with Owen Coyle and William Gallas's challenge didn't sour the deal. [Sky Sports]
  • Manchester United's Rio Ferdinand's appeal of his three-match ban for violent conduct was deemed "frivolous" and is now a four-match ban. He will not play Sunday at the Emirates. [Guardian]

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Aston Villa 0 - 0 Arsenal: I Didn't Drink Enough for This

Aston Villa 0
Arsenal 0

Well, that didn't go well.

I have to admit, it was not easy for me to keep tabs on this match. It wasn't going to be televised until 5:00, and since I have to know what's going on live, I decided to follow it from home, could not find a stream that worked for more than five minutes, and spent the last ten minutes of the match refreshing a search for "Arsenal" on Twitter to know what was happening.

Here's what I do know:
  • Eduardo hurt his hamstring (I did see that happen) and will not be out for a long time, but will miss Sunday against Manchester United.
  • Tom Vermaelen, on the other hand, looks to be more seriously injured. It's his fibula and it's either a nerve problem or it's broken.
  • It's a good thing Arsenal might get Chris Smalling from Fulham.... oh... wait.... they failed and he's going to Manchester United next year.
  • FUCK!
  • I did see both Arsenal shots that hit the woodwork. I especially noticed Aaron Ramsey and Tomas Rosicky collide instead of shooting for the open net after Fabregas's post in first half stoppage time.
  • Gael Clichy was completely outplayed by Ashley Young for 90 minutes.
  • Chelsea won 3-0 thanks to that deal with Satan they must've made. Arsenal is now third in the table.
  • Arsene Wenger spoke of Aston Villa's "long-ball" game, which caused Martin O'Neill to go apeshit insane.
  • Also, I hear Wenger said O'Neill looks like a dork.

Arsene Wenger is Very Disappointed in You 1/27/10



Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Preview: Aston Villa v. Arsenal

Villa Park, Birmingham
Wednesday, January 27
1945 GMT, 2:45 pm EST
  • Referee: Lee Probert
  • This Match, Last Year: Aston Villa 2 - 2 Arsenal
  • Arsenal's Recent Form: W-W-W-D-W-W
  • Aston Villa's Recent Form: W-W-W-L-L-D
Predicted Line-Up
guesses italicized

Almunia
Sagna - Gallas - Vermaelen - Clichy
Fabregas - Denilson - Ramsey
Rosicky - Arshavin - Eduardo

Subs from:
Fabianski, Wilshere, Traore, Nasri, Vela, Bendtner, Eastmond
Out: Merida (ankle), Song and Eboue (Africa Cup), Diaby (calf), Gibbs (foot), Van Persie (ankle), Djourou (knee)
  • Nasri and Bendtner are both back to fitness and available, but both are expected to start on the bench.
  • Ramsey may not start as he's coming back from injury as well; if he doesn't, Eastmond will probably start in the middle again.
  • Jack Wilshere is still questionable, this time with illness. He's also expected to be loaned out soon, so the next time we see him, he might not be wearing the Arsenal jersey.
  • Bacary Sagna will start, but his shoulder problem is "still not completely clear."
  • Arsenal can go back to the table with a win, though if Chelsea beats Birmingham, the Gunners will only go top if they win by at least as many goals as Chelsea does.
  • An Arsenal win would also give Arsene Wenger 300 career Premier League wins.
  • Arsenal have not lost at Villa Park since December 1998.

News Roundup 1/26/10 - The 10 Millionth Reason to Hate Man United Edition

Smalling is off to the North next year. Pic via Guardian.
  • Manchester United won the transfer battle for Fulham defender Chris Smalling. Urge to destroy rising. [Guardian, Daily Mirror]
  • Speaking of transfers, Jack Wilshere is likely on the move to another Premier League team (potentially Bolton, Burnley, or West Ham) within 24-48 hours. [Arsenal.com]
  • Player news: Samir Nasri and Nicklas Bendtner have resumed full training! Diaby and Merida remain out, in terms of those not done for the year (van Persie, Djourou, and Gibbs). [Arsenal.com]
  • Alex Song is back from the Africa Cup, but may not be fit for the clash with Manchester United on Sunday. Arsene Wenger mentioned that Song looked "tired" in yesterdays 3-1 aet loss to Egypt. [Arsenal.com]

Consumerize! Top Five Bits of Arsenal Memorabilia

Because we at Hipster Gooner, while an ocean apart, managed to get roughly the same bit of "Arsenal-ectibles," it seemed like no better time than the present to make the list of the top 5 things every Gooner should have, if they are going to brave the mean streets of NYC and those stinking Chelsea and Man U fans!



Never leave the chants far behind with this stylish and abrasive number from the fine folks at NYC Arsenal.




Why not buy two alarm clocks (for both GMT and EST) so you can make sure you know where the latest match is no matter where you are?




Where your favorite team on your sleeve, or rather, where your favorite team's sleeves on your morning Magners or favorite Lager. Good for the pub, the home, or somewhere in between!




Because Santa uses the same colors as our favorite team!



Because if you aren't eating, drinking, breathing & washing Arsenal, what are you doing really?

Arsene Wenger Is Very Disappointed in You 1/26/10



Monday, January 25, 2010

News Roundup 1/25/10 - The Second Guessing Edition

Damn it! Pic via Guardian.
  • More on Arsenal's elimination and Arsene Wenger's choices from the FA Cup: Wenger defends his squad selections, given injuries [Daily Mirror], and praised the peformance of Sol Campbell, despite his culpability on both goals of Fuller's brace [Guardian].
  • Speaking of the Guardian, they blast Wenger for his selections, saying "It is to English football's credit that he didn't succeed [with an under-strength side]" and that "Arsenal got what they deserved." [Guardian]
  • Vito Mannone has signed a new long-term contract. Please put more pressure on Almunia's spot. Thank you. [Arsenal.com]
  • Philippe Senderos has completed his loan to Everton for the rest of the season. [Sky Sports]
  • Arsenal are apparently favorites to sign teenager striker Victor Moses from Crystal Palace. [Telegraph]
  • UPDATE: Cameroon falls to Egypt in extra time of their knockout round match at the Africa Cup of Nations. That means both Eboue and Song are done in the tournament. My hope is that Arsenal had a charter jet to take Song right back to the Emirates immediately after today's loss.

Gooner Book Club: The First Fifty Pages of Fever Pitch


Arsenal winning the FA Cup in 1971, the first year they won the Double. Well, there's always next year...

At long last, we’re taking a look at the first fifty pages of Fever Pitch, Nick Hornby’s 1992 book about his life as an Arsenal fan. We’ve chosen a few of the most thought-provoking moments in the text to share with you; feel free to let us know your thoughts.

I fell in love with football as I was later to fall in love with women: suddenly, inexplicably, uncritically, giving no thought to the pain or disruption it would bring with it.

Before and since Fever Pitch, I can’t imagine a writer more accurately describing the blessing and the curse of an obsession, let alone the particularly masochistic bent of the love of Arsenal. The first fifty pages of Fever Pitch takes us through the birth and youth of Hornby’s Arsenal obsession, beginning with an Arsenal match at Highbury with his divorced father; as specific as Hornby’s memories are, though, even those of us who fell in love with Arsenal at the relatively old age of the early twenties can connect with the way young Hornby felt about the team. The life-or-death, why-doesn’t-anybody-understand sensation of wins and losses -- How can the world keep spinning? Why are people acting like it’s just a game? -- is one perhaps common to both the young and young-in-obsession.

Maybe now that wouldn’t happen; maybe a nine-year-old girl in the nineties would feel that she had just as much right to go to a game as we did. But in 1969 in our town, this was not an idea that had much currency, and my sister had to stay at home with her mum and her dolls.

Fever Pitch isn’t just a history of a team and a particular kind of love; it’s also a record of twentieth-century Britain, a world which none of us are personally acquainted. It’s a world where girls like me would never have been seen at a football stadium, the atmosphere permeated with “overwhelming maleness, cigar and pipe smoke, foul language,” a world in which matches cost only 25p and away and home supporters brawled regularly. Looked at from that angle, modern-day football, in the post-Hillsborough world, seems as sanitized as the Disneyfied Times Square. Should I be glad that I live in a world where I can attend matches without standing out or the fear of violence? Of course…but there’s always that sense of loss of authenticity, helped along by the elegiac tone of some passages.

Keep reading along with us…we’ll tackle some points from the next fifty pages next week, as well as share some of our favorite passages and moments sporadically throughout the week.

Arsene Wenger Is Very Disappointed in You 1/25/10


Sorry for the delay, but don't worry. Arsene Wenger had a lot to be disappointed about over the weekend.



Sunday, January 24, 2010

Ivory Coast 2 - 3 Algeria, a.e.t.

Welcome back, Emmanuel Eboue.

You Know What Kicks Ass?

Arsene Wenger has an asteroid named after him.

FA Cup: Stoke City 3 - 1 Arsenal: Who Wants to Write a Better Recap?!

After enough people yelled at me last night for trying to stay up until 8:30 a.m. to watch the game with a first date approaching on Sunday evening, I gave in and skipped this one. Looks like I picked a good one to miss.

So, let me make sure I have this straight: Stoke scores in 70 seconds, dominates much of the first half, but Arsenal is level at halftime thanks to a fortunate Denilson goal. Wanting to avoid a replay at all costs during Hell Month in the fixtures, Arsene Wenger substitutes to go for the win, Stoke scores twice anyway and wins 3-1.

At least that's one fewer game the Gunners have to play this month.

Saturday, January 23, 2010

Things I Hate

Thanks to six million goals by Wayne Rooney against Hull City, Arsenal now sits second in the table, two points back of United with a game in hand. Chelsea has two. Sigh.

Preview: Stoke City v. Arsenal, FA Cup 4th Round

Britannia Stadium, Stoke-on-Trent
Sunday, January 24
1330 GMT, 8:30 am EST
  • Referee: Martin Atkinson
  • Last League Match: Arsenal 2 - 0 Stoke; December 5, 2009
  • Head-to-Head: 47 Arsenal wins, 21 Stoke wins, 21 draws
Predicted Line-Up

Fabianksi
((Reserve?)) - Silvestre - Campbell - Clichy
Denilson - Eastmond - Wilshere
Walcott - Vela - Rosicky

Subs from:
Alumnia, Gallas, Senderos, Vermaelen, Traore, Fabregas, Arshavin, Merida, Eduardo
Out: Diaby (calf), Sagna (shoulder), Nasri (hamstring), Ramsey (thigh), Bendtner (groin), Song and Eboue (Africa Cup), Gibbs (foot), Van Persie (ankle), Djourou (knee)
  • Arsenal has not won at Stoke since the FA Cup of 1990.
  • This means nothing, as Stoke was not a top flight team from 1985 to 2008.
  • The Gunners have won all 7 FA Cup ties with Stoke all-time.
  • As expected, Arsene Wenger will field a slightly youtful line-up, given that Arsenal Hell Month is approaching. Post about that tomorrow. I even made a pretty graphic!
  • No idea who will fill that reserve spot. Emmanuel-Thomas? Coquelin?
  • As such, one wonders if and when Wenger will throw the FA Cup entirely to the bench players, with the league title race and Champions League up for grabs.

Friday, January 22, 2010

News Roundup 1/22/10 - The Assault Edition

William Gallas, beware! Another challenge like that and Owen Coyle will attack from the shadows! Pic via Guardian.

  • Owen Coyle admits that calling William Gallas's challenge that led to Arsenal's equalizer on Wednesday an "assault" was too strong. He's downgraded charges to simple battery. [Guardian]
  • Arsene Wenger is very disappointed in the media for vilifying Gallas, in spite of the fact that "no-one minds when teams talk of kicking us." I'm gonna write up something on this thought a bit later. [Arsenal.com]
  • Transfer window talk: The Daily Mirror says Wenger is unlikely to make a move in the window now that Nicklas Bendtner will return to fitness soon. [Daily Mirror]
  • ...but he's still being coy on Fulham central defender Chris Smalling. [ESPN Soccernet]
  • Goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny has extended his loan spell at Brentford until the end of January. That's such a long time... [Arsenal.com]
  • FA Cup Fourth Round tie preview later tonight.

Thursday, January 21, 2010

Arsenal Has Named Their #1 Fan!

Well, Gooners, we've lost. Arsenal's Facebook page has declared this inanimate object as their #1 fan, based on the following criteria:
  • He sways
  • He waves his scarf
  • He can sing FIVE chants ("Good Old Arsenal," "One-Nil to the Arsenal," "One Team in London," "We Love You Arsenal," and "The Arsenal (clap, clap, clap)")
Boy, do I wish that little guy could sing "The Wanky Tottenham Hotspur Went to Rome to See the Pope" or "Dirty Northern Bastards."

Fellow Gooners, we now know the criteria to be considered number one fan, so let's get on it!

News Roundup 1/21/10 - The It Wasn't Just a Dream Edition

Someone call the whaaaaaambulance! Pic via Guardian.
  • No, it was not a wonderful dream! We're still top of the league! With the FA Cup this weekend, we'll stay there unless Manchester United beats Hull City. Again, it could happen, if Boaz Myhill plays like he did at White Hart Lane this week. [Premier League]
  • Injury update: Kieran Gibbs is out for the season, requiring surgery on his broken foot [Arsenal.com], Abou Diaby is out for a week with a calf injury and Bacary Sagna will sit for the cup tie at Stoke to rest a bad shoulder. [Arsenal.com]
  • Owen Coyle compares William Gallas to Satan. Well, not exactly... [Guardian]
  • Gallas will not be punished for his little stampy challenge. [Sky Sports]
  • Quick transfer notes: Marouane Chamakh has promised to give Arsenal and Liverpool his decision [Daily Mirror], Everton is still interested in Senderos [Guardian], and Fulham has denied that they've spoken to Arsenal about Chris Smalling [ESPN Soccernet].
  • Cameroon 2 - 2 Tunisia means Cameroon advances and Alex Song will not be coming back any time soon. Damn you, Tunisia, for blowing two leads! [Guardian]

Arsene Wenger Is Very Disappointed in You 1/21/10

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Arsenal 4 - 2 Bolton: We Are Top of the League!

Arsenal 4: Rosicky 43, Fabregas 52, Vermaelen 65, Arshavin 85
Bolton 2: Cahill 7, Taylor 28 (pen)

Dear Chelsea,

We are not going away.

Love,
Arsenal

WE ARE TOP OF THE LEAGUE, SAID WE ARE TOP OF THE LEAGUE!

I didn't think I'd be typing that after half an hour of football had been played at the Emirates today. Of course, this is not without controversy. Let's get started:

Bolton struck first early and this time, unlike Sunday, it counted. What I recall from this goal was that Manuel Almunia gave approximately zero effort to stop the shot. My initial reaction was along the lines of, "FOR GOD SAKES, AT LEAST MAKE AN EFFORT TO DIVE FOR IT!"

Then, Denilson's obvious penalty set up Bolton's chance to go up 2-nil, and they did not waste it. At least Almunia dived this time and got a hand on it. That said, he should've stopped it, but it was off the hand and into the net. Two-nil down with only 28 minutes played.

For the next ten minutes or so, all I could think about was how poorly this day was going (but I risk digression into my personal life here). That's when Tomas Rosicky hit a marvelous strike to get Arsenal on the board, and suddenly it was all Gunners. It looked like Arsenal might even get the equalizer before halftime, but that was not to be.

Ah, but then some controversy. 50-50 ball in the midfield sees William Gallas collide with Mark Davies of Bolton, clearly in the line of vision of the referee and no foul is called. Gallas collects the ball and moves forward with it, while Davies writhes on the pitch in agony. Bolton is incensed and play continues. Arsenal, for lack of a better term to describe their precision passing, arsenals the ball forward to Cesc Fabregas, who slips the ball through the legs of Bolton's goalkeeper (whom I will still refer to as Umlaut Machine) to tie the game. On replays, it's quite honestly obvious, Gallas fouled Davies and I think should have been booked. Arsenal also would've been more sportsmanlike to kick the ball into touch upon seeing Davies in such pain (given that he was taken in for X-rays, it could've been a broken ankle).

From that point on, Bolton's defense buckled and broke. Vermaelen put Arsenal ahead off a corner kick at around the midway point of the second half and Arshavin gave the Gunners the necessary two goal lead required to go to the top of the table after a good amount of arsenaling and an amazing finish.

Sure, Chelsea has a game in hand (hey, they could lose to Hull...) and Manchester United plays on the weekend since they got Leedsed out of the FA Cup (I'm going to stop using team names as verbs and also, hey, they could lose to Hull...), so we Gooners must enjoy this while we can.

WE ARE TOP OF THE LEAGUE!

WE ARE TOP OF THE LEAGUE!!!



More tomorrow from all corners of the Arsenal-loving world. For tonight, let's just bask in the glory...

Quick Update on Arsenal v. Bolton

Walcott and Denilson are both listed as "doubtful," which really means they probably won't start but could feature off the bench. This leads me to believe that the line-up will be as it was on Sunday at the Reebok, though I would still expect Clichy to start in place of Traore, if he's fit for it.

Arsene Wenger is Very Disappointed in You 1/20/10


See you at the pub: The Arsenal Tavern

When you’re in New York, you’re at Nevada Smith’s. When you’ve got money, you’re at Emirates. But where to go while in Highbury? We’re spoilt for choice when it comes to Arsenal pubs in North London, so we’ll try to take you though some of our experiences in our search for the perfect pub.


The Arsenal Tavern
175 Blackstock Road
London N4 2JS

Match attended: Bolton v Arsenal, 17th January 2010

When we arrived, there were a few older gentlemen watching the Aston Villa v West Ham match that preceded the main event (all of whom were supporting the Villains, as one should!) There was one out-of-tune man who occasionally launched into random singing, but as the pub filled up with pensioners and families, the atmosphere was primarily one of genteel applause (and the occasional “fuck.”)

Drink selection: Poor. The only cider on tap was Strongbow, and the other beers were all of the generic type: Guinness, Stella, and so on.

Drink price: Good. Two pints were only 5.80, which, if you’re doing math at home, brings you to about the cost of one pint with tip in New York.

Screen size and visibility: Good. A relatively large projection screen took up one wall, with smaller televisions around the pub. The shape of the pub—one large square—made viewing easy, with sightlines available from all tables.

Crowd: Okay. Mostly older gents, with almost no women (excluding the most adorable little girl in the pinstriped away kit—ahh!) who applauded and shouted, but never too loudly.

Singing: Poor. Not even a single off-key “Arsenal FC” was heard.

Location: Good. Ten minutes from the Finsbury Park Tube, not far from either the Gunners or the Twelve Pins.

Overall rating: Okay. Good for watching the match in a more serious way, and good for cheap drinking, but could use with a bit of excitable young blood beyond the toddlers.

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Preview: Arsenal v. Bolton Wanderers

Emirates Stadium, London
Wednesday, January 20
1945 GMT, 2:45 pm EST
  • Referee: Mark Clattenburg
  • This Match, Last Year: Arsenal 1 - 0 Bolton
  • Arsenal's Recent Form: D-W-W-W-D-W
  • Bolton's Recent Form: L-D-W-D-D-L
Predicted Line-Up
guesses italicized

Almunia
Sagna - Gallas - Vermaelen - Clichy
Diaby - Fabregas - Denilson
Walcott - Arshavin - Eduardo

Subs from:
Fabianski, Wilshere, Traore, Silvestre, Vela, Rosicky, Eastmond
Out: Nasri (hamstring), Ramsey (thigh), Bendtner (groin), Merida (ankle), Song and Eboue (Africa Cup), Senderos (foot), Gibbs (foot), Van Persie (ankle), Djourou (knee)

  • Important things first: A win of two goals or more = Top of the table. What a lovely equation!
  • Pay no attention to that Chelsea game in hand against Hull.
  • Aaron Ramsey and Samir Nasri are out for three weeks at the worst possible time...
  • ...Bendtner could be back in a week at Aston Villa...
  • ...Merida picked up an ankle injury at Bolton on Sunday...
  • ...Wilshere's still banged up with a hamstring problem...
  • ...Sol Campbell is still not fit for first team play.
  • Senderos might be on the transfer to Celtic.

Arsene Wenger is Very Disappointed in You 1/19/10

Gooner Book Club: Fever Pitch by Nick Hornby



Most Americans know it as the Jimmy Fallon vehicle costarring Drew Barrymore and featuring the Red Sox’s unlikely (and unliked) victorious season in 2004, but Fever Pitch, as originally conceived, followed one man’s lifelong obsessive love for our favourite football team. To restore this seminal Arsenal text to its good name, we thought we’d give it a read-through and let you know our thoughts. Feel free to read along with us and share your own comments on Arsenal history. There’ll be weekly posts on the book itself, as well as occasional videos of historic moments mentioned in the text and some motivational quotes to keep our Gunners going!

We’ll begin on Thursday with some thoughts on the first fifty pages, so get reading, and we’ll see you then.

Sunday, January 17, 2010

Zorro Cat's Twitter MBM: Bolton 0 - 2 Arsenal

  • Bolton's goalkeeper has three umlauts in his name. Holy fuck.
  • Also, WTF where is Nasri?
  • 2 mins: Bolton goal called offside. Arsenal unaware that there's a game being played.
  • 5 mins: Arsenal's first look at goal is a Fabregas shot wide. Also, I am clearly home, because I am once again too hungover to go out.
  • 10 mins: Okay, it's not really a hangover. There's no headache or sickness, but I just feel like a train wreck.
  • 13 mins: Fabregas down in the box, but the Umlaut Machine got the ball first.
  • 16 mins: Dear Almunia and Traore, What the fuck? Love, Me.
  • 26 mins: Diminutive Russian has a shot blocked; Arsenal's first corner.
  • 27 mins: Eastmond should have been booked there, but ref gives him the benefit of the doubt as he's in his first career start.
  • 28 mins: WE'VE GOT CESC FABREGAS! Bolton 0 - 1 Arsenal.
  • 30 mins: Arsenal's goal comes from a slight defensive mistake by Bolton.If they could take the same advantage, it'd be 4-1 Bolton right now.
  • 32 mins: Eastmond robbed right after a corner. Accidental save from Umlaut Machine.
  • 35 mins: Robinson booked for Bolton, who are playing the "Let's kick Fabregas" game.
  • 37 mins: This game is getting nasty and I'm not surprised. Rosicky booked for a surprisingly unnecessary trip of Klasnic.
  • 40 mins: Good save from Almunia. Apocalypse coming.
  • 42 mins: Vermaelen was offside. Seriously, Tom Vermaelen. The central defender. Offside. That doesn't make any sense.
  • 43 mins: That should have been goal number 2 from Cesc. Looks like Eduardo fucked it all up. Not shocked.
  • 45+1 mins: Davies with an unlucky touch in the box. Bolton probably should've been level there.
  • HT: Bolton Wanderers 0 - 1 Arsenal.
  • 49 mins: You know, Arsenal's defense still hasn't shown up. I probably shouldn't have written that article about how they drive me nuts.
  • 55 mins: Clichy warming up. Traore is having a dreadful game.
  • 57 mins: That's the second time Almunia has gotten away with handling a back pass. The first time was a deflection.
  • 61 mins: Taylor blows a brilliant chance for Bolton.
  • 62 mins: Muamba off, McCann on for Bolton.
  • 62 mins: Thanks for showing that fat guy with his shirt off, television cameras.
  • 63 mins: Eastmond off, Merida on for Arsenal. Will that even be noticeable?
  • 70 mins: Klasnic offside and also he fucked up anyway.
  • 71 mins: And Taylor again blows a chance. Arsenal keeps giving Bolton golden opportunities and they don't know what to do.
  • 74 mins: Clichy on in place of Rosicky.
  • 76 mins: Vermaelen takes the free kick and hits the netting. On top of the goal.
  • 77 mins: And then he's booked for handling.
  • 78 mins: Fran Merida scores his first career goal. Bolton 0 - 2 Arsenal.
  • 80 mins: Two subs for Bolton. Cohen and Klasnic off and I didn't pay enough attention to who is on for them.
  • 84 mins: Vela on for Eduardo.
  • 86 mins: I think I can still taste whiskey in my mouth from last night.
  • FT: Bolton Wanderers 0 - 2 Arsenal.

Arsene Wenger Is Very Disappointed in You 1/17/10


Saturday, January 16, 2010

Preview: Bolton Wanderers v. Arsenal

Reebok Stadium, Bolton
Sunday, January 17
1600 GMT, 11:00 am EST
  • Referee: Phil Dowd
  • This Match, Last Year: Bolton 1 - 3 Arsenal
  • Arsenal's Recent Form: W-D-W-W-W-D
  • Bolton's Recent Form: D-L-D-W-D-D
Predicted Line-Up

Almunia
Sagna - Gallas - Vermaelen - Traore
Diaby - Fabregas - Nasri
Rosicky - Arshavin - Eduardo

Subs from:
Fabianski, Wilshere, Clichy, Silvestre, Vela, Merida, Cruise
Out: Denilson (abdominal), Ramsey (thigh), Walcott (back), Bendtner (groin)
Song and Eboue (Africa Cup), Senderos (foot), Gibbs (foot)
Van Persie (ankle), Djourou (knee)

  • Fabregas is back! Clichy is available! The injury problem is starting to get better!
  • Wait, what do you mean Ramsey got hurt in practice?
  • With Denilson out and Song on international duty, who plays holding midfield? Diaby?
  • Gallas will likely play, though he has a back injury. Wilshere's still banged up with a hamstring problem.
  • Sol Campbell is still not fit for first team play.
  • This is Owen Coyle's first game as Bolton manager.
  • Coyle has already taken points from Arsenal this year, a 1-1 draw while with Burnley in December.
  • There's a bit of concern in this fixture for me: teams always get a slight boost when playing under a new manager plus with Gallas banged up and whoever plays holding midfield being someone technically out of position, there is some potential for disaster. Bolton might be in the relegation fight, but these will not be three easy points.

Arsene Wenger Is Very Disappointed in You 1/16/10



Friday, January 15, 2010

In Other News...

Pic via Guardian and Crazy People Today Magazine.

...from Angola, Ivory Coast defeated Ghana 3-1 to book their place in the Round of 16.

Speaking of booking, Emmanuel Eboue was sent off. He also hurt his leg. Oh, Tinkerbell.

Bolton v. Arsenal Preview Tomorrow

I don't have enough time to write up the preview tonight, so thank God the game isn't until Sunday.

That said, here's my predictions for the rest of the Premier League this weekend:
  • Stoke 1 - 2 Liverpool
  • Chelsea 2 - 1 Sunderland
  • Manchester United 3 - 0 Burnley
  • Portsmouh 1 - 3 Birmingham
  • Tottenham 2 - 0 Hull City
  • Wolves 1 - 1 Wigan
  • Everton 2 - 2 Manchester City
  • Aston Villa 2 - 0 West Ham
  • Blackburn 1 - 2 Fulham
Now I've just made myself sad...

News Roundup 1/15/10 - The American Sports Tycoon Edition

Why are there so many Denver Nuggets fans at the Emirates? Pic via New York Times.
  • A few sources have articles on Stan Kroenke, the American who currently stands 17 shares shy of a 30% stake in the Gunners, at which point he would have to make a bid for the entire team under Premier League rules. [NY Times, BBC]
  • The aforementioned BBC article also talks about Cesc Fabregas, and how he's not fucking going to Barcelona or Madrid, God damn it.
  • Conflicting reports on the Jack Wilshere loan to FC Twente: The Daily Mirror says he's holding out for a Premier League team, while The Daily Telegraph says he's poised to complete the transfer. [Mirror, Telegraph]
  • Philippe Senderos's Arsenal hell (good one, Mirror) may end with the center-back transferring to Everton. [Daily Mirror]
  • 20-year-old midfielder Mark Randall has signed a loan deal to MK Dons for the rest of the season. [Sky Sports]
  • Some line-up notes for Sunday, ahead of our weekend preview coming later: Gael Clichy will make the trip, and appear on the bench "minimum". With Denilson hurt, Song in Africa, and Fabregas returning, Arsene Wenger may have trouble finding someone to play defensive midfield on Sunday. [Arsenal.com, Daily Mirror]

Arsene Wenger Is Very Disappointed in You 1/15/10

Thursday, January 14, 2010

A Treatise on Arsenal's Defense's Ability to Drive Me to Insanity

As we quickly approach an absolutely critical point in the season, I have to ask: would we be having this conversation if Johan Djourou didn't destroy his knee on international duty in August?

Gooners, we're on the brink of a month of hell, starting a week from Sunday. Just two matches, both against Bolton, separate us from:
  • Day 1: FA Cup tie at Stoke City
  • Day 4: at Aston Villa
  • Day 8: vs. Manchester United
  • Day 15: at Chelsea
  • Day 18: vs. Liverpool
  • Day 21 or 22: Potential fifth round FA Cup tie
  • Day 25: Champions League at FC Porto
Who scheduled that? Bastards!

Anyway, surviving that stretch with any chance of still winning the league will require a few things: a squad that's healthier than it is now AND remains healthy, a few dependable goal scoring options, and most importantly, a defense that can clamp down on some of the top offenses in the country.

Now, Arsenal might have drawn a break for one of those matches with a rash of injuries hitting Anfield yesterday, but with that match still around four weeks away, Steven Gerrard should be back by then as well as Yossi Benayoun (thankfully, Fernando Torres will not).

The team certainly is getting healthier: Cesc Fabregas is back this week, Gael Clichy is just about fit, and Nicklas Bendtner should be available soon as well. Alex Song would be back from the Africa Cup as late as the Chelsea match (is it wrong to root against Cameroon in the hopes that he'll return faster?) This leaves the defense as the wild card.

Sol Campbell is back! But what exactly does this mean? Are our title hopes hinging on a 35-year-old? Certainly he has the experience to carry the team through a stretch like this, but aside from making sure the rest of the team doesn't freak out with pressure, what else is that going to bring if he can't keep up? Of course, we don't know yet if he can't keep up, and Arsene Wenger has praised Campbell's fitness. So, here's what we do know:
  • William Gallas isn't 100% fit. He's also not hurt enough to sit out yet, but the situation is a lot like playing with fire. Without a back-up plan, the team could get burned. I'm not exactly sure what a good back-up plan would be when playing with fire... maybe keep some extra fire extinguishers around. This is probably the worst extended metaphor I've ever written in my life... how am I gonna get around this one?
  • Sol Campbell is, therefore, an extra fire extinguisher (there, I did it!)
  • Bacary Sagna has been dependable on the right side, as has Tom Vermaelen in the middle.
  • This has all led to Philippe Senderos to lean toward jumping ship. With Campbell likely out of the picture again at season's end, this means a desperately needed signing in the summer.
  • Gael Clichy is on his way back and Armand Traore has been serviceable on the left side in the absence of Clichy and Kieran Gibbs (who is still out for a while with a hole in his foot).
  • Johan Djorou is done for the year after knee surgery.
  • I would not trust Mikael Silvestre against Man U, Chelsea, Villa, or Liverpool.
  • Extended to goalkeeping, the defense at the present time, clearly no longer trusts Manuel Almunia, and I don't blame them. Any cross into the box... is he gonna catch it? Is he gonna punch it right to the other team (Kuyt's goal at Anfield in December)? Is he gonna collide with as many people as possible while the ball rolls away (post-Rosicky's equalizer against Everton on Saturday)? Every cross is a game of Russian Roulette now.
So, what does this mean? Best case scenario: Gallas stays fit, Clichy returns, and everyone magically stays healthy. And Almunia becomes suddenly decisive. Worst case? Another rash of injuries and a few reserve call-ups to stabilize?

It's going to be a nail biting month, isn't it?

News Roundup 1/14/10 - The Senderos Remains Pissed Edition

Philippe Senderos cannot stop the voices in his head from telling him to leave, so he'll just go with them now. Pic via Jeorge Bird's Arsenal Youth.

  • Well, this was bound to happen. As he continues to slide down the depth chart at center-back, Philippe Senderos wants a permanent transfer from Arsenal. We here at Hipster Gooner will have a longer post about the situation on defense later today. [BBC]
  • Craig Eastmond inked a new long-term contract yesterday. I have no witty comment. [Arsenal.com]
  • New Bolton boss Owen Coyle is pessimistic about a Jack Wilshere move to the Reebok, due to Arsenal's injury situation. [ESPN Soccernet]
  • Speaking of pessimists, remember Tom Vermaelen's "if we play like that again, it's all over" stuff from Monday? Well, now Chelsea's John Terry is saying the exact same stuff. So, basically every team thinks they're done if they slide any more. Prediction: Nobody wins the Premier League. [Guardian]
  • Unlike Bolton, FC Twente, which really doesn't sound Dutch, is optimistic that they can sign Jack Wilshere. Oh, those crazy Dutch! [Telegraph]
  • Again, later today, a post on the state of Arsenal's defense corps. Tomorrow, a preview of the weekend's action.

Arsene Wenger Is Very Disappointed in You 1/14/10


Wednesday, January 13, 2010

News Roundup 1/13/10 - The Stealing More Than a Point From Everton Edition

Listen Everton, if you think you can just come in here and draw against us, then we're going to get some revenge, so watch your back! Pic via Daily Mirror.
  • The Daily Mirror exclusive reports that Arsenal has signed Brazilian attacking midfielder (and their 17-year-old U21 captain) Samuel Galindo, who had been training with Everton. See what Arsene Wenger will do when you steal points at the Emirates? [Daily Mirror]
  • More on the return of Sol Campbell from last night's reserves win at Upton Park, courtesy of Reserves manager Neil Banfield. [Arsenal.com]
  • Finally, an article that specifically says Cesc Fabregas is "100%" for Sunday's fixture at Bolton. But 100% what? Awesome? Recyclable material? Oh, healthy... well, good! [ESPN Soccernet]
  • More transfer news: Rumors of a £35m deal for 22-year-old striker Mauro Zarate, formerly of Birmingham City and currently with Lazio in Italy, are false, says Lazio. Well, of course they're going to say that. They're going to say that up until the point where he's physically signed the contract. Or is on the plane to Heathrow. [Guardian]
  • Africa Cup of Nations: Alex Song and Cameroon lost 1-0 to Gabon in a shocking upset, with Gabon's goal coming early in the match (16') and completely against the run of play. [Guardian]
  • Injury Update: Denilson out Sunday at Bolton with his "abdominal injury", but with Fabregas back in, that's pretty much a direct substitution change from the line-up against Everton. But as a pleasant surprise, Gael Clichy is apparently available. [Arsenal.com]

Great Moments in Nevada Smiths

For those interested in hearing how New York Gooners sound on game day:

Arsene Wenger Is Very Disappointed in You 1/13/10



Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Reserves: West Ham United 2 - 4 Arsenal

Sol Campbell played the first half in his return to an Arsenal shirt. Pic via Arsenal.com.

In his return to Arsenal, albeit on the reserve squad, Sol Campbell, the 35-year-old defender played 45 minutes as Arsenal built a 2-0 halftime lead. West Ham equalized on two second half penalties, but it was a Jay Emmanuel-Thomas hat trick which buoyed Emmanuel Frimpong's 83rd minute goal to become the winner, in a 4-2 victory at Upton Park in East London.

Emmanuel-Thomas had both Gunner strikes in the first half, both a minute apart (27', 28') and added his third in injury time (90') to secure three points, moving Arsenal to within two points of Aston Villa at the top of the table in the Premier League Reserve South.

[Arsenal.com, Guardian]

Trying "Togo" back?

Thanks to Christian for pointing out this confusing video, which features Adebayor talking about the recent attack on the Togo football team...in an Arsenal shirt.



WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN?! This Arsenal stuff is more confusing than Lost...

News Roundup 1/12/10 - The Return of Sol Edition

Campbell scores against F.C. Barcelona in the 2006 Champions League Final to give Arsenal a 1-0 lead. Let's pretend the rest of that game didn't happen. Pic via Gunners Today.

  • Leading with this hilariousness, Harry Redknapp would basically prefer Arsenal's squad to his own at Tottenham, saying his squad has only one world-class player, while Arsenal has at least two. [Daily Mail]
  • Arsenal's site conveniently posted a feature on their #15 greatest player of all-time, Sol Campbell... [Arsenal.com]
  • ...though the Daily Mail reports that the site also accidentally announced his return to the squad prematurely. Arsene Wenger has spoken highly of the aging defender's fitness, so one hopes he doesn't have to borrow Patrick Vieira's mobility scooter any time soon. [Daily Mail]
  • He's expected to play for the Reserves squad against West Ham tonight at Upton Park [Sky Sports]
  • Fixture at home against Bolton has been rescheduled for Wednesday, January 20 at 7:45 p.m. GMT, 2:45 p.m. EST. Any guesses on why it'll be postponed this time? My money is on "unexplained power outage." [Arsenal.com]
  • Injury updates: Gael Clichy should be back to training by next week, Nicklas Bendtner could be back in two weeks (best case is the FA Cup tie at Stoke City, I would think) so he should be fit for Arsenal's hellish stretch against Aston Villa, Manchester United, Chelsea, and Liverpool. No real update on Denilson, though it still stands that he and Cesc Fabregas will be fit for Sunday at Bolton. [Arsenal.com]
  • Such continued disappointment... Arsene Wenger has again expressed his concerns over weather-related fixture postponements, with an inevitable pile-up coming for teams still involved in European tournaments. EVERYBODY PANIC!!! [Guardian]
  • No Africa Cup updates today as both Arsenal players involved (Eboue for the Ivory Coast and Song for Cameroon) are off.
  • Speaking of transfers, is Arsenal after Everton's Louis Saha? This makes two 30+ year old players the Gunners have been rumored to be close to signing. [Daily Mail, Guardian]

Fabregasm! Top Five Words Based on Arsenal Names

We all know that Cesc Fabregas is a sexy man, and that's why the word Fabregasm was invented. Because the folks at the NYC Arsenal Supporters Club are such a fan of that moniker, we at Hipster Gooner have our top five words based on the Red and White.

1. Fabregasm!
2. Ebouelliant
3. Velarize (Look it up)
4. Wengeance
5. Diabolical (Pronounced Dee-abolical)

Ok. We could probably do better. Feel free to suggest your own.

Dashing through the Snow: Arsenal v Everton

It is every Hipster Gooner's dream to travel to Emirates and see the Greatest Team of All (TM) ply their tippy-tappy football in living colour, and of course, I count myself lucky to have experienced the wonder that is Emirates on match day. I do, however, wish that this momentous occasion hadn't coincided with the coldest weather in England in thirty years.

The day, January 9, 2010, the matchup, Arsenal v Everton, those Northern punching bags who went down 6-1 in our season opener. The setting, a North London recently battered by freezing weather and snowstorms. In the days leading up to the match lesser teams acquiesced to the weather and postponed their matches--Liverpool v Tottenham, Hull v Chelsea--fourteen teams in total chose to stay in and sip hot chocolate.

But not Arsenal. The remnants of the earlier snowstorm were swept away and the weather, though frigid, was stable when we set off from East Finchley towards the stadium. As we arrived, loyal Gooners joined us on the Tube, red and white a secret sign of camaraderie; walking towards the stadium, past food trucks selling tea and bacon rolls and tables filled with Arsenal memorabilia, Gooners flocked together from every angle, young, old, foreign, English. A pre-game pint inside the stadium, costing less than that same pint would at good old Nevada Smith's, had us ready to brave the cold.



First, a few words on the stadium. Emirates is beautiful. All curves and swoopy angles, perhaps a bit more style than substance at times, but so stunning that you can't look away...a bit like Arsenal's own style of football. Unlike a place like Yankee Stadium or CitiField, the building itself is utilitarian. There's no room for those who would prefer a nice meal at the Shake Shack or hours of shopping for oversized foam bats; once inside the stadium, your options are hot dogs and pies, drinks, and programs. The true theatre is on the pitch, observed by some 60,000 fans--a far cry from the small, though passionate, group we're used to from New York.

And now, onto the match itself. Zorro Cat's already provided a thorough recap of the game, so I won't venture to do the same. The first Everton goal was demoralizing (especially as we were sat above the horrible Everton supporters); the Arsenal equaliser courtesy of Denilson was absolutely wonderful. By this point, we were shivering, but goals, as are their wont, did warm us up for a few choruses of "and it's Arsenal, Arsenal FC..."

I should note, at this point, that I was wearing:
--a thermal shirt
--a cable-knit sweater
--Arsenal shirt (obviously)
--a massive indie-granny cardigan
--tights
--socks
--jeans
--winter coat
--boots
--furry hat with ears
--gloves
--mittens

It was cold.

After halftime, which consisted primarily of everyone huddling in the indoors section and shivering more, the real fun began: it started to snow. And not just a few innocent flurries--it was SNOWING. And settling. The ball started to leave tracks through the snow, players were seizing up left and right--everyone, from Gooners to Gunners, looked absolutely miserable. However cold you think it may have been, well, it was colder.



The Everton supporters warmed up with their (incredibly frustrating for us) second goal, some tearing off their shirts and showing off scrawny pale bodies (and others getting thrown out of the stadium.) All hope was nearly lost until Rosicky's late, beautiful equaliser; the Everton fans shut up, the Gooners were on their feet, and finally, mercifully, the match was over, concluding with an announcement that the Everton supporters should leave as soon as possible, owing to the fact that the weather may have caused train cancellations...a final entertaining twist.

Red and white flooded from Emirates, dispersing to Tubes and Arsenal-only pubs already filling with supporters hoping to find something to gloat about in the Man Utd - Birmingham match (which they found in the 1-1 draw.) Next week, it's back to the pub: warm, only a few blocks from Emirates, but just lacking a bit of that magic we experienced last week.

Arsene Wenger Is Very Disappointed in You 1/12/10

Monday, January 11, 2010

On the Topic of Twists

We've heard both sides of the coin recently regarding where Arsenal's title hopes sit at the moment:

GLASS HALF FULL - Arsenal's ability to earn a point on Saturday in spite of the fact that they were outplayed by Everton proves that they have the resilience to be contenders this season.
GLASS HALF EMPTY - If Arsenal continues to suffer the same defensive lapses that led to Everton's two goals on Saturday, there is no chance they can win the league.

So, how does your glass look right now?

News Roundup 1/11/10 - The Tom Vermaelen Will Destroy You Edition

Oh, he was still with Ajax then. That makes more sense. Pic via Gunnerblog.

  • After yesterday's "Optimist Twist," Arsenal center-back and bad ass Tom Vermaelen gives us the pessimist twist, telling the BBC, "We are still there [in the title race]. We remain in the top three and we have to be confident in our next few games. ... OK, we were not so good in the first half, we could not play our game and we conceded two stupid goals." Basically, he means, "if we play like that again, it's all over, and I will personally punch you all in the face." [Guardian]
  • From that same Guardian article: No news on Denilson yet, though he insists he'll be ready for Bolton on Sunday. Fabregas is set to return from his hamstring problem as well.
  • Arsene Wenger is very disappointed in the lack of progress on Fran Merida's contract negotiations. Oh, and you, of course. [Arsenal.com]
  • Africa Cup of Nations Update: Despite a few opportunities, Emmanuel Eboue and the rest of the Ivory Coast squad were held scoreless in a frustrating match against Burkina Faso. [FIFA]
  • No 700-year-old former Gunner Patrick Vieira for Manchester City as they host Blackburn Rovers in like 10 minutes. He's out with a calf injury. His mobility scooter is also broken. [Guardian]

Arsene Wenger Is Very Disappointed in You 1/11/10