International Gunner Watch - It's Almost Like Good News

Nice scarf, Tommy. Pic via Big Soccer.

With all of Arsenal's injuries, there will only be eight first team Gunners on international duty during this weekend's unfortunate injury period international break. This conveniently gives the wounded the opportunity to spend two weeks training and rehabilitating in London, or just watching pre-season NBA games, as shown in the picture.

Cesc Fabregas will not be playing for Spain, still out with a hamstring injury, but should be set to return immediately afterward the break. Please note that this is usually the exact opposite of how international breaks usually go for Arsenal players. Manuel Almunia should return to action for Birmingham City at the Emirates on the 16th as well. Theo Walcott may need another week, but may return for Arsenal's trip to Manchester City on the 24th. Robin van Persie is a bit behind schedule but could be back by the start of November. Nicklas Bendtner expects to be back in contention by the end of the month. Kieran Gibbs should be back within the next two Arsenal matches as well.

There's two bits of bad injury news and both are on the back line. Thomas Vermaelen's Achilles injury is slower to heal than expected and there is, as yet, no time table for his return. In addition, Bacary Sagna picked up a left thigh injury while training with France and has been dropped from the national squad for this week and sent back to London.

Also, there's the case of Carlos Vela, who was banned from the Mexican team for six months for organizing a hotel party after a friendly with Colombia last month. I think this is something Arsene Wenger, who is known to detest these breaks, should encourage more!

FRANCE: SAMIR NASRI / ABOU DIABY / GAEL CLICHY
Saturday v. Romania; Stade de France, Saint Denis
Tuesday v. Luxembourg; Stade Saint-Symphorien, Metz

France is currently in third place in Group D, thanks to their loss to Belarus. This time around, Les Bleus get to play the 5th and 6th place teams in the six team group. As mentioned above, France will be without the injured Bacary Sagna.

ENGLAND: JACK WILSHERE
Friday with U-21 v. Romania; Carrow Road, Norwich
Tuesday with senior squad v. Montenegro; Wembley Stadium, London

Despite being named to Fabio Capello's senior squad, Jack Wilshere will also be forced to play with Stuart Pearce's Under-21 squad in their Euro 2011 qualification play-off first leg against Romania in Norwich on Friday night. We're all worried he'll be overplayed by England, leading to an eventual injury plagued career, because as you probably know, it's happened before.

CZECH REPUBLIC: TOMAS ROSICKY
Friday v. Scotland; Synot Tip Arena, Prague
Tuesday at Liechtenstein; Rheinpark Stadion, Vaduz

The Czech Republic have lost their first and only Group I match and sit in 4th place out of five teams. They had a bye round during the last international break.

RUSSIA: ANDREI ARSHAVIN
Friday at Ireland; Aviva Stadium, Dublin
Tuesday at Macedonia; Philip II Arena, Skopje

Russia is in 3rd place out of six in Group B. They lost to Slovakia and beat Andorra. Both of their matches are away from home in this set of rounds, but their one loss did come in Moscow.

IVORY COAST: EMMANUEL EBOUE
Friday at Burundi; Prince Louis Rwagasore Stadium, Bujumbura

Ivory Coast leads Group I after 3-0 win over Rwanda, during which Eboue scored the third goal.

MOROCCO: MAROUANE CHAMAKH
Friday at Tanzania; Benjamin Mkapa National Stadium, Dar-es-Salaam

All four teams drew in Group D, though Morocco sits in 4th place out of four, since they played a 0-0 draw with a team that comes before them alphabetically (Central African Republic,) while Tanzania and Algeria's draw was 1-1.

ENGLAND U-21: HENRI LANSBURY
Friday v. Romania; Carrow Road, Norwich
Tuesday at Romania; Stadionul Municipal, Botosani

England's Under-21 squad plays a two-legged play-off with Romania to attempt to qualify for the 2011 tournament. The second leg is away from home since England finished second in their group.

POLAND U-20: WOJCIECH SZCZESNY
Sunday v. Germany (friendly)

International Gunner Watch - It's Just a Sprain!

Walcott left on a stretcher, but it's not as serious as it looked. Pic via Daily Telegraph.

Here is your international recap for Tuesday:

Turkey 3 - 2 Belgium

Tough loss for Thomas Vermaelen and Belgium, who are now falling farther behind in Group A qualification. Daniel van Buyten had a brace for Belgium, who led 1-0, then equalized 2-2 in the 70th before Arda Turan won the match for Turkey in the 78th. Belgium have not been in the Euro tournament since 2000 (as hosts;) they last qualified under normal circumstances in 1984.

Russia 0 - 1 Slovakia
Andrei Arshavin and Russia dropped points at home to Slovakia after Miroslav Stoch won the match for the away side in the 27th minute.


Bosnia 0 - 2 France
France got a much needed win in Sarajevo today, their first under manager Laurent Blanc. Bacary Sagna, Gael Clichy, and Abou Diaby played all 90 minutes.


Switzerland 1 - 3 England
After setting up Wayne Rooney's opening goal, Theo Walcott was stretchered off the pitch with a nasty looking ankle injury... but thankfully, the Arsenal international curse didn't take full effect. It looked like a break at first, but reports state that it's actually just a sprain. Fabio Capello asked Theo "two weeks?" regarding the length of his injury and Walcott's response was "less." Kieran Gibbs did not feature.


Czech Republic 0 - 1 Lithuania
Milan Baros missed a penalty that would have equalized in the 40th minute, and Tomas Rosicky and the Czech Republic are off to a bad start.


Argentina 4 - 1 Spain
Karma continues to torment Pepe Reina for his little Barcelona shirt stunt. Cesc Fabregas played 56 minutes for Spain in their friendly. It was only Spain's third loss since 2006.

Carlos Vela and Mexico hosts Colombia tonight in another friendly.

U21: England 3 - 0 Lithuania
Jack Wilshere returned to the fold as a substitute after being withheld from Friday's match after his focus had slipped due to his involvement in... some sort of fracas... Wilshere was a catalyst for the Three Lions, ensuring their qualification, which looked to be in danger entering the weekend.


U21: Italy 1 - 0 Wales
Italy finished top of their group, thanks to another clean sheet from Vito Mannone.

International Gunner Watch - France Lost Again!?

Belarus won. In France. Pic via ESPN.

Here's your Friday recap of international matches involving Arsenal players:

Belgium 0 - 1 Germany
Thomas Vermaelen played all 90 minutes for the Belgians, who lost thanks to Miroslav Klose's 51st minute goal.


Andorra 0 - 2 Russia
Andrei Arshavin played all 90 minutes as well, as Russia picked up a brace from Pavel Pogrebniak. In this qualifying match for 2008, Arshavin was sent off.


France 0 - 1 Belarus
Things just aren't getting better for France's national team, are they? Clichy, Sagna, and Diaby played all 90.



San Marnio 0 - 5 Netherlands

Robin van Persie's hurt, of course, but the Oranje didn't seem to need him.

England 4 - 0 Bulgaria
Theo Walcott was not quite in the form he has been in with Arsenal lately; Jermain Defoe picked up a hat trick at Wembley, but Spurs center back Michael Dawson left with what looked like a serious knee injury. Kieran Gibbs did not feature.

Liechtenstein 0 - 4 Spain
Cesc Fabregas played the second half; Fernando Torres and David Villa each had a brace.

UNDER-21's:

Portugal 0 - 1 England
Jack Wilshere did not appear off the bench, but Daniel Sturridge's goal kept England alive.

Ukraine 2 - 2 France
Now on loan Armand Traore was not named in the squad for France's draw, which eliminated them from qualification.

Bosnia 0 - 1 Italy
Vito Mannone kept a clean sheet as Italy stayed alive in Sarajevo.

Finland 2- 0 Poland
Poland was eliminated; Wojciech Szczesny was not named in the squad.

International Gunner Watch - Euro Qualifiers, Round 1

Qualifying for the 2012 UEFA European Football Championship begins this week, which means a number of Arsenal players will be out on international duty during this, the first international break of the 2010/11 Premier League season. Of course, not all of Arsenal's international players are European; in fact, only nine of the 17 Gunners on international duty this weekend will be participating in Euro qualifiers. Four more will be playing for Under-21 European squads, while four will be playing in African Cup of Nations qualifiers. All this, and Carlos Vela in a Mexican friendly...

FRANCE: Abou Diaby, Bacary Sagna, and Gael Clichy
Four Gunners went to South Africa representing France and three came back (*coughGallasisatraitorcough*) ... Samir Nasri could have been named to this weekend's squad had he not been injured and Sebastien Squillaci, Arsenal's newest signing, was not named to Laurent Blanc's squad.

France is in Group D of qualifying, up against Romania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Belarus, Albania, and Luxembourg. France will host Belarus in Saint-Denis on Friday, then travel to Sarajevo to play Bosnia and Herzegovina on Tuesday.

ENGLAND: Theo Walcott and Kieran Gibbs
England is 12-0 when Theo Walcott plays while Kieran Gibbs has earned his second call-up. Jack Wilshere was dropped to the U-21 squad, so more the peacemaker later. England is in Group G, with Switzerland, Bulgaria, Wales, and Montenegro.

England hosts Bulgaria at Wembley on Friday and will play Switzerland in Basel on Tuesday.

SPAIN: Cesc Fabregas
Those Barcelona players get another chance to tap-up our captain this week, which is just fan-frickin'-tastic. Spain is in Group I with Rosicky's Czech Republic, Scotland, Lithuania, and Lichtenstein. Spain will play Lichtenstein in Vaduz on Friday, but with only five teams in the group, the World Cup champions will not play on Tuesday. Maybe that means we get Cesc back in training sooner, please?

CZECH REPUBLIC: Tomas Rosicky
As mentioned in the above paragraph, Rosicky's Czech Republic are in the same group as Spain. They will have off on Friday, then on Tuesday, they'll host Lithuania in Olomouc.

BELGIUM: Thomas Vermaelen
Belgium and their captain Vermaelen do not have an easy trip into the Euro 2012 as they are in Group A with Germany, Turkey, Austria, Kazakhstan, and Azerbaijan. Belgium will host the Germans in Brussels on Friday night, which would be a huge win. Tuesday, they travel to Istanbul to play Turkey.

RUSSIA: Andrei Arshavin
Arshavin and the Russians missed out on a trip to the World Cup in the final play-off round of qualifying but are in Group B here, along with Slovakia, Ireland, Macedonia, Armenia, and Andorra. Russia starts with Andorra in Andorra-la-Vella on Friday, then hosts Slovakia in Moscow on Tuesday.

ENGLAND U-21: Jack Wilshere
Recently arrested Jack Wilshere has been dropped from the senior squad to the Under-21 squad (though, that's not related.) In their U-21 qualifiers, they'll play Portugal in Barcelos on Friday, then host Lithuania in Colchester on Tuesday. These are the last two U-21 qualifiers, with that tournament being held in 2011. England is second in Group 9, behind Greece. England could be eliminated with a loss to Portugal.

FRANCE U-21: Armand Traore
Traore, now on loan to Juventus, will play with France's Under-21 squad as they play the Ukraine in Kiev on Friday and Malta in Amiens on Tuesday. France is in third in Group 8; they'll be eliminated with a loss to Ukraine or a draw if Belgium picks up at least a point against Slovenia.

ITALY U-21: Vito Mannone
I'm not sure if Mannone starts for the Italian U-21 squad. I do know that he's 22 years old now. Italy is third in group 3. They'll play Bosnia and Herzegovina in Sarajevo on Friday and Wales in Pescara on Tuesday.

POLAND U-21: Wojciech Szczesny
Our young future #1 keeper is in group 4, where Poland sits in third place as well, behind Holland who have already qualified and Spain. Poland will play Finland in Pori on Friday and Spain in Grodzisk Wielkopolski on Tuesday. Poland will be eliminated on Friday if they don't beat Finland or Spain wins against the Netherlands.

It looks like all four of these Under-21 teams could be eliminated by the end of the week.

IVORY COAST: Emmanuel Eboue
Ivory Coast are in Group H of 2012 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying, along with Benin, Rwanda, and Burundi. The Elephants will host Rwanda on Friday in their first qualifier.

CAMEROON: Alex Song
The Indomitable Lions are in Group E with Senegal, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Mauritius. Cameroon in this round will play Mauritius in Curepipe on Saturday.

MOROCCO: Marouane Chamakh
Morocco is in Group D with Tanzania, Algeria, and Central African Republic. The Lions of the Atlas will host Central African Republic in Rabat on Saturday.

MEXICO: Carlos Vela
It's a friendly for Carlos Vela and Mexico. They'll play Ecuador in Guadalajara on Saturday.

Blackburn Rovers 1 - 2 Arsenal: Net Buster

Theo Walcott destroys some twine. Pic via Daily Mail.

Blackburn Rovers 1: M.B. Diouf 27

Arsenal 2: Walcott 20, Arshavin 51

Arsenal trips to Ewood Park are never very pleasant. Last spring, Arsenal was battered in their own box on set pieces and lost 2-1. Blackburn Rovers play a highly different style of game compared to Arsenal, though I suppose "style" is the last word in the English language I should use to describe their tactics. It looked like it could have been a frustrating affair, and when you stay out all night to make it for a 7:45 a.m. kick-off, frustration is not usually welcome.

Cesc Fabregas and Robin van Persie returned to the starting line-up for the Gunners, meaning Tomas Rosicky and Marouane Chamakh dropped to the bench. Jack Wilshere dropped to the bench as well with Alex Song slipping back into his usually holding midfield role and Laurent Koscielny returning to center back from suspension.

Arsenal nearly struck first early in the match. A Theo Walcott shot was blocked after a Robin van Persie corner, but the rebound came out to Abou Diaby, who from 18 yards fired a shot that deflected off Paul Robinson, Blackburn's keeper, and a defender before being cleared.

Things got a bit nervy from there for Arsenal as Blackburn threatened from set pieces. Play after a long throw from Rovers' Rory Delap-esque Morten Pedersen was headed out for a corner, then Manuel Almunia was involved in a bit of an argument with El-Hadji Diouf, and the goal attempt after the corner was headed off the line by Fabregas.

The Gunners struck first in the 20th with a lovely goal from Theo Walcott which actually snapped the twine of the goal netting. Walcott picked up a through ball from van Persie as he beat the left back and fired a shot into the low corner from just to the right of the penalty spot. It's that trademark Walcott goal.

Seven minutes later, Blackburn were level, not through set pieces, but open play. Bacary Sagna was caught up the pitch and El-Hadji Diouf beat Laurent Koscielny. One Diouf's cross met another on the other end as Mame Biram Diouf, on loan from Manchester United, found a spot between Thomas Vermaelen and Gael Clichy, and M.B. Diouf found the net, with Manuel Almunia out of position after trying to block the cross. The fact that M.B. Diouf was so wide open was the fault of Clichy, who was oblivious to his presence. I'm starting to wonder when Kieran Gibbs might get a start at left back.

At about the half hour mark came an event I hope not to have to write about much this season. On an innocuous challenge, Robin van Persie twisted his ankle and was forced to leave the match, with Chamakh replacing him. From what I've heard, it's a 10-14 day injury, which means the upcoming international break is coming at the perfect time for our made-of-glass striker. Little else to speak of in the opening frame; the match was 1-1 at the half.

 

Blackburn's tactic of attacking aerially through Paul Robinson's free kicks worked in the first half (top), but was stifled in the second (bottom). Analysis via Guardian Chalkboards.

Arsenal were significantly more composed in the second half, which allowed them to take control of the match. When you don't concede free kicks in the attacking half against Blackburn, you don't allow keeper Paul Robinson to fire long balls in your direction and you don't allow them to control the aerial game. As you can see in the above passing map, Blackburn won three balls in the box in the first half from Paul Robinson free kicks. As a result, Blackburn controlled the tempo of the play for much of the first 45 minutes. They were not given the opportunity to do the same in the second half, leaving three points there for the taking for Arsenal.

The Gunners went up 2-1 just six minutes into the second half. Sagna's cross found Fabregas who fired a one-time shot into the backside of Theo Walcott. The ball pinged, fortunately, to Andrei Arshavin, who coolly finished past a diving Robinson to give Arsenal the lead once more. Fabregas, still not quite 100% as far as I'm concerned, was lifted a bit after the hour mark for Rosicky. I think Arsene Wenger gave him about ten more minutes than he was originally planning.

Arsenal had the better of chances throughout much of the second half as they attempted to extend their lead: Chamakh had a brilliant chance blocked, Walcott fired another over the bar, and Jack Wilshere (on for Arshavin late) had the best opportunity of the half at the death but was off balance and scuffed a shot straight at the keeper. I think Blackburn had, at most, one shot on target in the second half, a David Dunn effort that was straight at Almunia.

In retrospect, a vital three points for the Gunners if they are to seriously challenge for the title this year. The team controlled the second half and did not allow themselves to be undone by Blackburn's tactics as they were last May. Manuel Almunia was calm and collected in goal, a good performance from the Spaniard who may no longer be starting for Arsenal by the end of the international break in two weeks. The back four were solid, with the exception of the errors which led to Blackburn's goal, though I'm a bit frustrated with Clichy's start to the season. I don't like Alex Song's new hairstyle, but he and Diaby were solid in the holding roles, and the forwards continued their excellent form to start the year, even Arshavin, who has looked sluggish and uninterested at times.

Haiku Review: Liverpool 1 - 1 Arsenal

A new feature this year for Hipster Gooner is the post-match haiku review. Never has football writing so incisive or poetic.

Manuel Almunia: 4
He did not drop the/
ball into his own net like/
Pepe Reina (twat.)

Bacary Sagna: 5
A Sagna suspect/
cross. A beauty to behold/
for Daniel Agger.

Laurent Koscielny: 6
Joe Cole nearly broke/
him. Sent him for an early bath/
by Sir Atkinson.

Thomas Vermaelen: 6
Agog at Ngog/
For Liverpool's opener.
Solid otherwise.

Gael Clichy: 5
Should be number three,/
but I did not really see/
him do much at all.

Jack Wilshere: 4
Jack passed the ball to/
the Liverpool attack. Well,/
that was a bit crap.

Abou Diaby: 5
Abou Diaby!/
Just a bit mediocre!/
Abou Diaby!

Emmanuel Eboue: 5
Some only came to/
see his dramatic sidesteps,/
comical fumbles.

Samir Nasri: 6
Some words of advice:/
When you're taking those free kicks,/
hit it over the wall.

Andrei Arshavin: 2
Small like this haiku/
About the same amount of/
quality also.

Marouane Chamakh: 6
Marouane Chamakh
was pretty good in attack.
A goal he did lack.

Substitutes: The three replacements, due to a lack of time on the pitch, only receive a micro-haiku (3,5,3) for their efforts.

Tomas Rosicky: 8
Flowing locks/
gone. Just like the boys/
of summer.

Theo Walcott: 4
Walcott, heed/
my words and take flight./
It's insane.

Robin van Persie: 5
R. V. P./
forget injury./
Smash the ball.

Liverpool 1 - 1 Arsenal: Who's Only Got Ten Men?

Oops! Pic via Sky Sports.

Liverpool 1: N'Gog 46

Arsenal 1: Reina 90 (og)

At one point during the latter stages of the match, our own Maxwell Foxman turned to me and said, "John, you've got that facial expression you get when you're mad." I can't say I was mad, exactly... it was more frustration and the feeling of oncoming despair. After the match, our own Jack Palmer sent me a text that said "Welcome back, Arsenal stress!"

Remember that time Pepe Reina had his arm around Cesc Fabregas while our captain was uncomfortably forced to wear a Barcelona shirt at the Spain World Cup celebration?

Karma's a bitch, isn't it?

Fabregas was not available for the Gunners on Merseyside while Robin van Persie and Alex Song were unable to start; this gave Jack Wilshere his first Premier League start for Arsenal and put Samir Nasri, Andrei Arshavin, and Emmanuel Eboue as the three midfielders behind Marouane Chamakh.

Arsenal controlled much of the opening half in classic Arsenal style, that is to say, there was a lot of calm and controlled possession with absolutely nothing to show for it. Aside from a Thomas Vermaelen free kick in the early going, there was very little to challenge Pepe Reina.

Liverpool came close to opening the scoring late in the half. In the 44th minute, a Glen Johnson shot forced Manuel Almunia into a brilliant save and after a the corner kick, a shot seemed destined for the low left goal post, but Gael Clichy blocked the shot away on the line. A minute later, an ill-timed but not ill-intentioned scissoring tackle from Joe Cole on Laurent Koscielny saw the former Chelsea man shown a straight red card. Initial reports looked bad; Arsene Wenger was told by the physios that Koscielny might have broken a bone. With Johan Djourou already hurt, Arsenal would be down to one center back with the new signing out.

Koscielny appeared fine to start the second half, but the back four wasn't quite there in every sense of the term after the restart. An Andrei Arshavin pass went astray and eluded both Jack Wilshere and Samir Nasri and landed at the feet of Javier Mascherano. His pass fed David N'Gog, Arsenal's defense allowed him all of the time and space in the world, and N'Gog fired a brilliant strike past the arms of Almunia and into the top of the net. Liverpool was on ten men, but after 58 seconds of play in the second half, they were up 1-0.

The goal deflated Arsenal quite a bit and Liverpool stunningly dominated play for the first 20-30 minutes of the second half, a worrying concept considering the Gunners' man advantage during this time. A double substitution just before the hour mark brought on Tomas Rosicky and Theo Walcott in exchange for Wilshere and Eboue. Arsenal began regaining some possession around this point and after the 70 minute mark began having a few better looks at the goal. Robin van Persie appeared in the 76th for Abou Diaby and he added some spark, despite not looking 100%.

Rosicky had a powerful strike tipped over the bar by Reina, then a scramble around the goal line brought nothing; it appeared Arsenal's goal wasn't coming. Then in the 90th, Rosicky received the ball on the left wing after a throw-in and sent a cross into the box. It appeared Reina would have the cross controlled, but he was beaten in the air by Chamakh, whose header clanged off the bottom of the left post and was headed right back into the arms of the waiting Reina. But Reina could not control the ball and he fumbled it into his own goal. Final minute of normal time and Arsenal was level.

Manuel Almunia was forced into a brilliant save on a Steven Gerrard free kick in the 93rd to keep the match level. It was a well taken strike and would have been a heartbreaking result for the Gunners just minutes after they had been gifted an equalizer. But in bad news, Laurent Koscielny was shown two yellow cards in injury time, the second being a fairly ridiculously ruled intentional handball. The having one center back fear is now back, as Koscielny will now serve a one match ban.

Chamakh and Koscielny generally had strong debuts for Arsenal; Jack Wilshere was solid but doesn't seem ready to start for us on a weekly basis; Manuel Almunia had no major disasters but still doesn't instill any needed confidence in goal; the back four as a whole appeared lost at times, especially Gael Clichy in the second half; Andrei Arshavin was dreadful, but I have the feeling he's playing hurt; and, a difficult fixture is out of the way with a point while missing Fabregas.

International Gunner Recap - France Lost?!

Cesc Fabregas and Carlos Vela both saw time in Mexico City as Spain and Mexico played to a 1-1 draw. Fabregas played only the first half for the World Champions, while Vela played 58 minutes.

Theo Walcott started for England in their 2-1 win over Hungary at Wembley. Kieran Gibbs replaced Ashley Cole at halftime. Steven Gerrard had a brace (hopefully he won't duplicate that feat Sunday) and was replaced by Jack Wilshere, making his top level international debut in the 84th minute.

Andrei Arshavin's sixth minute cross was bobbled by Bulgaria's goalkeeper, setting up the only goal in Russia's 1-0 win. Samir Nasri played 79 minutes as France lost 2-1 in Norway.

I haven't been able to find information about how the other four first team Gunners involved in international play today fared. Here's a recap of scores, though:

Thomas Vermaelen and Belgium lost to Finland 1-0.
Lukasz Fabianski may or may not have played for Poland in their 3-0 loss to Cameroon.
Tomas Rosicky and the Czech Republic waltzed to a 4-1 win over Latvia.
Marouane Chamakh and Morocco beat Equatorial Guinea 2-1.

International Gunner Watch - Useless Friendly Time!

Damn you FIFA, who cares about this round of friendlies, anyway? Pic via Internet News.

Well, here we go again. The Premier League campaign starts in just four days for most teams in England (five for Arsenal and Liverpool and six for Manchester United and Newcastle United.) Euro 2012 qualifying doesn't start for another month or so. So, what better time for FIFA to arrange a mess of international matches that don't count!

Let's assess the damage for Arsenal. 14 Gunners have been selected in this round of pointlessness including 12 first team members. Arsenal does dodge a few bullets in certain circumstances, especially with the much maligned French World Cup team left behind and Robin van Persie and much of the Netherlands World Cup squad omitted as well. Anyway, here are the players you should be praying return to North London in one piece:

Emmanuel Eboue and the Ivory Coast will get their friendly out of the way pretty much faster than everyone else. Of the 12 first team Gunners involved in this round, only Eboue plays today; the rest play tomorrow. Not only is that fortunate for the team trickster, but their friendly against Italy is also being played in London, at West Ham United's Upton Park.

Cesc Fabregas and the World Cup winning Spain squad will be getting back together again, where they will all likely attempt to brainwash him into joining Barcelona. They'll be playing against Carlos Vela and Mexico in the 105,000 seat Azteca Stadium. Every time Carlos Vela plays a friendly at home in Mexico, it seems like it takes him two weeks or more to recover from the resulting jet lag. Hopefully Fabregas can handle the time differences a little better, otherwise I fear we won't even see Cesc in red and white for a month.

England named three Gunners in their squad for their Wembley Stadium friendly against Hungary; all of whom were of course left behind for the World Cup: Jack Wilshere, Kieran Gibbs, and Theo Walcott. As much as I'm excited to see these guys outperform all of the Spurs, United, and Chelsea players that crashed out of South Africa, I just hope the notoriously bad Wembley pitch doesn't cause any damage.

With a trip to Anfield looming around the corner, the team obviously needs Andrei Arshavin ready to terrorize the Reds as he has in the past (to the tune of five goals in two matches. I am not going to stop reminding you all about that.) Arshavin was held out of the Legia Warsaw friendly with a slight muscular problem, so we may need to hope extra hard that Russia's friendly with Bulgaria in St. Petersburg doesn't do any further damage to our Diminutive Ridiculous Facial Expression Maker.

Samir Nasri was left out of France's World Cup catastrophe but has been recalled for this week's friendly with Norway in Oslo. Every French player that was in South Africa has been left behind for this one, which is honestly great news for Abou Diaby, Bacary Sagna, and Gael Clichy. This is also fairly good news for Nasri, who is keen to rebound after a difficult campaign last year. You can tell the fire to succeed is in him this season, and that's exciting.

Thomas Vermaelen is the only Arsenal defender recalled by his national team, which makes sense, since he's Belgium's captain. They'll play Finland in Turku, the Official Christmas City of Finland. Speaking of international defenders, Laurent Koscielny has declared his intent to play for France rather than Poland.

Speaking of Poland, Lukasz Fabianski has been called for their match against Cameroon (who will not feature Alex Song.) Tomas Rosicky is with the Czech team in Latvia and Marouane Chamakh makes his first international appearance as a Gunner as Morocco plays Equatorial Guinea in Rabat.

Two Gunners will also plays friendlies with their country's respective Under-21 sides: Henri Lansbury with the English U-21's against Uzbekistan in Bristol today and Vito Mannone with the Italian U-21's against Denmark tomorrow.

Safe travels to all!

Friendly: Legia Warsaw 5 - 6 Arsenal: Back Four on Holiday

Classic Fabianski. Pic via The Sun.

Legia Warsaw 5: Cabral 17, Koscielny 33 (og), Jedrzejczyk 36, 75, Iwanski 90+2
Arsenal 6: Chamakh 38, Eboue 52, 60, Gibbs 63, Emmanuel-Thomas 81, Nasri 84

Arsenal's World Cup finalists returned to training in London on Thursday but did not make the trip to Poland for the Gunners' final pre-season friendly against Legia Warsaw. Apparently, Arsenal's entire defense didn't make the trip either.

The match was a dull affair for the first 15 minutes or so, with a few wide-of-the-mark free kicks being the only events of note. Then, in the 17th, Arsenal's midfielders and defenders pretty much decided they were not going to defend against Alejandro Ariel Cabral, who fired a brilliant 20 yard left footed strike past a helpless Lukasz Fabianski.

The hosts doubled their lead in the 33rd minute following a corner kick as Fabianski stumbled over a teammate while Arsenal failed to clear and the ball careened off newcomer Laurent Koscielny and into the goal. Artur Jedrzejczyk banged in a close range shot just three minutes later and suddenly the match was becoming an embarrassment for the boys in red and white.

Marouane Chamakh pinged a goal back for the Gunners just two minutes after falling behind 3-0, winning a header in the box ahead of Legia's keeper. It was the kind of goal we'll hope to see very often from the Moroccan international this season. It was a crucial goal, giving Arsenal at least one positive note in what was otherwise a dreadful 45 minutes of football. Arsenal's back four to start will likely be their starting four on the back line next Sunday at Anfield: Sagna, Vermaelen, Koscielny, and Clichy. Their performance at times today was disconcerting to say the least.

Arsenal switched keepers at the halftime mark, bringing in Wojciech Szczesny, who made his mark almost immediately with a brilliant double save. It was a crucial moment in the match and nearly 4-1 Legia. Instead, Emmanuel Eboue brought Arsenal within one in the 52nd with a header following a corner kick, then six minutes later picked up the brace and brought Arsenal level after a good amount of fancy footwork. Three minutes later, a thumping drive from Kieran Gibbs put Arsenal ahead.

Ah, but the defense wasn't done disappearing and the insanity was far from over as Legia pulled level in the 75th and Jedrzejczyk picked up a brace of his own. Jay Emmanuel-Thomas put Arsenal ahead again six minutes after that, then Samir Nasri just three minutes later banged in a free kick after his prior effort was handled by the Legia wall. Legia added another goal in injury time to finally close out the scoring at 11 total goals and a 6-5 Gunners win.

Next time, the game counts. Hopefully the defense shows up to Anfield next week.

Emirates Cup: Arsenal 3 - 2 Celtic: Too Close for Comfort

Carlos Vela (right) celebrates his goal with Jay Emmanuel-Thomas. Pic via Sky Sports.

Arsenal 3: Vela 3, Sagna 45, Nasri 51

Celtic 2: Murphy 72, Sung-Yueng 83

Arsenal once again dominated the first 70 minutes of a match at the Emirates Stadium in their home tournament, but once again crumbled in the final minutes. This time, however, their lead was large enough to hold up, and the  Gunners retained hold of the Emirates Cup with a 3-2 win over Celtic.

The Gunners controlled the entirety of the first half, opening the scoring early as the efforts of Jack Wilshere set up a Theo Walcott cross to a sliding Carlos Vela to put Arsenal up 1-0 on three minutes. Despite numerous opportunities, Arsenal could not get a second until shortly before the stroke of halftime, when, after a corner kick, it was Bacary Sagna, of all people, who struck an absolutely brilliant drive off his non-favored foot from 20 yards out. Sagna had only scored once before in an Arsenal shirt, a header at Stamford Bridge in 2008.

Arsene Wenger made two positive substitutions at halftime, bringing on Samir Nasri and Marouane Chamakh, both of whom had brilliant games on Saturday. It worked pretty quickly; Nasri added to the scoresheet just six minutes into the second half.

From there, Arsenal took the engines off high gear and it nearly cost them. Sagna and Gael Clichy were pulled on 62 minutes and Thomas Vermaelen was pulled on 73. The back four from this point on looked shaky at best.

Celtic had the chance to ping a goal back from the spot on 68 minutes after a cynical American football-style tackle from Jack Wilshere on Marc-Antoine Fortune in the penalty area. Georgios Samaras lined up from the spot, but missed dreadfully high and wide. It looked like a goal would never come for Celtic...

...until the 72nd, when Daryl Murphy took advantage of a rebound from 10 yards out shortly after a corner. From there, Manuel Almunia kept Arsenal up two after a string of good saves, until the 83rd, when Ki Sung-Yueng was found open in the box after another defensive breakdown. Suddenly, a game which was firmly in control was now a one goal affair with seven minutes to play. Arsenal, however, were able to run out the clock, thanks to no stoppage time being played in the tournament, and were able to retain the trophy for the second consecutive year and for the third time in its four year history.

The Gunners play one more friendly, next Saturday in Warsaw, before opening the Premier League campaign at Liverpool on August 15.

International Gunner Watch - 5/25/10

Mexico's Carlos Vela had as many shots in one half at Wembley yesterday as he had all year for Arsenal. Pic via CBC.

Yesterday: England 3 - 1 Mexico

• Theo Walcott frustrated England fans as he has frustrated Arsenal fans yesterday at Wembley as he often put himself in wonderful position with beautiful strides down the flank, only to have a poor final touch at the end. Of course, some crosses were better than others, and his work freed up a ball for Liverpool's Glen Johnson, who then had the great individual effort to score England's third and final goal.
• Carlos Vela started for Mexico and had two shots on goal in the first half (equal to the number of shots on goal he had for Arsenal this year) which were both stopped by keeper Robert Green of West Ham United. He probably should have buried the first.

Today: Georgia 0 - 0 Cameroon

• Alex Song played the first half for the Indomitable Lions as they were held scoreless by 119th ranked team in the world, Georgia, in today's friendly match in Austria.

Non-Appearances

• Eduardo has not played for Croatia's national team in a friendly this summer. Croatia beat Wales 2-0 on Sunday.
• As far as I can tell, Thomas Vermaelen has not featured for Belgium either; even though Belgium is not going to the World Cup, Vermaelen will spend his summer in Africa anyway.
• Tomas Rosicky was left behind in Europe, still nursing an ankle injury he suffered after the Manchester City match in April, for the Czech Republic's trip to the United States. The Czechs lost to Turkey 2-1 on Saturday and will play the United States tonight. 

France!

• William Gallas has been declared fit to feature for France, escaping injury in a buggy crash during a team-bonding exercise.
• Gallas, Gael Clichy, Bacary Sagna, and Abou Diaby have all been confirmed as part of France's 23-man World Cup squad.

News Roundup 4/26/10 - The Post of the Year Edition

Pic via Arsenal.com.

• Cesc Fabregas and Thomas Vermaelen were both voted to the PFA Premier League Team of the Year. Some sort of gnome from Man. United won Player of the Year, though. [Arsenal.com, ESPN Soccernet, Sky Sports]
• There's nothing more enjoyable than reading about the disdain Robin van Persie has for Emmanuel Adebayor. [Sky Sports, Daily Mirror]
• Here's a pretty good piece on Jack Wilshere's development. I don't even have anything sarcastic to say about it or anything! [Times]
• Fabregas should be fit for the World Cup. Good news for Spain, which pretty much doesn't affect me whatsoever. [BBC]
• Sol Campbell for England! [Daily Telegraph]
• Wild transfer accusation time!
• Arsene Wenger will spend money this summer! [Daily Mail]
• Who said Pepe Reina to Arsenal? Where did that even come from? Was someone just picking names and teams out of a hat? [Guardian]
• Secret money to keep Cesc from a move to Spain? [Daily Mail]
• Nice striker Loic Remy still wants to come to Arsenal, but won't pass up a chance to move to another European heavyweight club instead. [Daily Mail]

Arsenal 1 - 0 Wolves: Tantric Football

Arsenal matches are becoming an exercise in delayed gratification. Pic via BBC.

Arsenal 1: Bendtner 90+4
Wolves 0

If you enjoy the pleasure of experiencing the subtle beauties of each and every part of the process while realizing that just scoring in the end is not the ultimate goal, then this match was ecstasy for you. For 93 minutes and 55 seconds, Arsenal kept us waiting. It was pretty at times, the passing was there, the pace was there, and the chances were there, but the big ending was always just out of reach. And then, just when you thought there would be no happy ending, as the seconds ticked away, our heroes scored. And we all jumped up and down in sheer delight. Credit to Gloria for the metaphor, by the way; I'm not that clever.

We knew coming into this match that the side would be depleted. Arsene Wenger fielded a side that saw seven changes from the team that started against Barcelona on Wednesday. Cesc Fabregas (leg), Andrei Arshavin (calf), and William Gallas (calf) sadly won't be starting any time soon. But in addition to those three known absences, Gael Clichy, Abou Diaby, Nicklas Bendtner, and Samir Nasri were all placed on the bench in the name of rest. As such, Sol Campbell, Mikael Silvestre, Tomas Rosicky, Denilson, Emmanuel Eboue, Theo Walcott, and Eduardo started along with the unchanged Manuel Almunia, Bacary Sagna, Thomas Vermaelen, and Alex Song.

Arsenal's plan seemed obvious the entire time as well, and it was merely a question of whether Wolves could contain it for 90 minutes. Tomas Rosicky filled in the playmaker role in place of the injured Fabregas and rested Nasri and the goal was to get the ball to Walcott, have him speed past the defense, cross the ball into the box, and hope for a goal. Best case scenario, Arsenal gets on the board early, scores another one a bit later, and coasts to three points without having to use their substitutes who were resting on the bench. Ah, but as you know by now, Arsenal never gets three points the easy way.

Six minutes in, Eduardo takes a great shot that brings about an even better reflex save from Wolves' Seattle-born goalkeeper Marcus Hahnemann. Eduardo has an absolute sitter a few minutes later but instead of taking a shot at an open net on the first touch, he traps it first, thereby working his body into an awkward, off-balance position, then knocking a very lame attempt at goal well wide. Then a minute later even Sagna gave it a chance, but his shot was right at Hahnemann. The entire first half felt like a Carling Cup tie to me; a string of non-regulars in the side struggling to find the net.

As the second half played out, concern was setting in. Chances were there and a goal was vital to keep the season and the title hopes mathematically plausible. But would it come? By 64 minutes, the resting Nicklas Bendtner was called upon to take the field, replacing the barely noticable Eboue.

Two minutes later, the match turned on its head as Wolves captain Karl Henry was sent off with a straight red card for a bad challenge from behind on Tomas Rosicky. On replay, it looked worse than it was, and there is now a ton of controversy around Andre Marriner's decision to send Henry off. Opponents are complaining that Arsenal are working the officials over to be more protected in the wake of Aaron Ramsey's horrific leg break (and Kieran Gibbs's foot break... and Eduardo's leg break... and Abou Diaby's leg break... it just goes on...) It was certainly a bookable offense from Henry; it should not have been red. Wolves then had to hold onto their nil-nil draw for the final 25 minutes plus stoppage time on ten men.

Samir Nasri and Carlos Vela (remember him?) made appearances as the remaining Arsenal subs as the Gunners streamed forward looking for the all-important goal. It just never seemed to be coming. Rosicky missed a brilliant chances seconds after returning to the pitch. Bendtner's header was saved under the bar. Rosicky missed another chance, then saved a potential Wolves goal on the line after a corner kick.

As the clock struck 90 minutes, a Vermaelen kick went completely off course and into touch for a Wolves throw-in; it looked symbolic of the afternoon, a signal that a death knell for Arsenal's title hopes would be heard soon. Walcott missed a lovely chance with three minutes of five added already gone. It looked all over.

Then a Nasri pass found Rosicky, to Walcott, back to Sagna with one minute to play. Sagna crossed into the box as Nicklas Bendtner won positioning in front of Wolves defender Ronald Zubar. Bendtner's header curled to the left of Hahnemann, who had no chance. With seconds to play, Arsenal had scored to take a 1-0 lead, and every Arsenal pub in the world, just like the Emirates, went nuts. The big ending had finally happened.

Both teams ended up trading chances in the remaining minute afterward, but that was it. Arsenal is still three points off the pace with five games to play. Can they win all five and get the help they need to take the title? Who knows? What I do know is that it's probably going to follow much of the same pattern of beauty and frustration.

News Roundup 3/23/10 - The One Match Ban Edition

Well, this Saturday should be difficult... Pic via Guardian.

One bit of (huge) news today. Yesterday, Arsenal chose to appeal Thomas Vermaelen's red card to the Football Association.

The FA has just announced that Arsenal's appeal has been dismissed:

At a Regulatory Commission hearing today, a claim for wrongful dismissal from Arsenal defender Thomas Vermaelen was dismissed.

Vermaelen was shown a red card for denying an obvious goalscoring opportunity during Arsenal’s match against West Ham United on Saturday 20 March.

He will now serve a one match suspension with immediate effect.

With William Gallas still injured and a Champions League tie with Barcelona four days following this Saturday's clash with Birmingham City at St. Andrew's, the center defense position looks exceedingly shaky for the Gunners. Sol Campbell probably cannot play both games given his age and fitness level. I'd expect to see Mikael Silvestre and Alex Song start on the back line Saturday. But, I could be dead wrong, we'll see.

In addition, this is a horrible call. West Ham's striker by no means even had possession when he was brought down. Can someone please tell me how a player can have "an obvious goalscoring opportunity" when the ball is floating around his shoulder and the defender's?

News Roundup 3/22/10 - The Homecoming Edition

I just hope he doesn't handball any goals. Pic via BBC.

• Thierry Henry is not happy with the Champions League draw and having to play against his former team. Neither was David Beckham in the last round with Milan against United. And then they got destroyed. Same result, plz? [Sky Sports]
• West Ham United manager and Ben Stiller look-alike Gianfranco Zola admits, after having played them both in consecutive weeks, that Arsenal are a better team than Chelsea at the moment. Meanwhile, the battle against relegation continues at the Gianfranco Zola Center for Kids Who Can't Football Good. [Daily Mirror]
• Arsenal are now second favorites to win the Premier League, after Chelsea's draw at Blackburn yesterday. That means now is not the time to feed your crippling gambling addiction. [Arsenal.com]
• After doing a medium amount of research myself, I'm almost positive that Thomas Vermaelen's suspension for a straight red card for that last man foul on Saturday will be one match and not three.
• Robin van Persie has resumed training! He might return by the time Arsenal hosts Manchester City, meaning it will be his turn to kick Emmanuel Adebayor in the face. [Guardian]
• Aaron Ramsey has resumed walking without crutches. I find that so amazingly quick. Get well soon, Aaron! [Arsenal.com]
• Transfer accusations and ridiculousness: Lille 19-year-old midfielder Eden Hazard admits he is flattered by interest from Arsenal and Liverpool, but is happy to stay in France. Eden Hazard? Ugh, just think of all of the chants we could come up with using that name! I think that's what I'm most disappointed about here. [Daily Mail]

Arsenal 2 - 0 West Ham United: We've Only Got Ten Men

 Thomas Vermaelen's last man foul resulted in Arsenal's first red card of the season. Pic via BBC.

Arsenal 2: Denilson 5, Fabregas 83 (pen)
West Ham United 0

I said this post's titular phrase/chant half-sarcastically before stepping outside at halftime, with a twinge of fear in the voice. But throughout the second half, the Gooners were singing it as boisterously as ever, as if it were a good thing. Indeed, we only had ten men on the pitch; West Ham still looked overwhelmed. And it was amazing.

We were all surprised and confused at the start. Why was Denilson starting in midfield over Abou Diaby? Then within the first five minutes, he showed us all why Arsene Wenger is smarter than us. After some nice work down the left flank by Gael Clichy and Andrei Arshavin, a cross was looped in for Nicklas Bendtner. Upson had a chance to clear, but only got the ball as far as Denilson, who proceeded to exchange passes with the tall Dane, then strike a shot past the diving Robert Green, and then he did a hilarious little dance. One nil to the Arsenal.

Arsenal looked poised to start a thrashing of the Hammers early; Denilson had another chance four minutes after his goal but thumped a shot into the ground then Eboue twisted a shot wide in the 21st. Things eventual settled in terms of game pace as the Gunners held their 1-0 lead through the first half. Then the game turned...

In the 44th minute, a through ball was floated ahead for West Ham striker Guillermo Franco. Thomas Vermaelen nudges the striker in the back and Franco goes down. The assistant referee twirls his flag to call a foul, and it's in the box so it's going to be a penalty. Then referee Martin Atkinson comes over to book Vermaelen, but since he was the last defender and Franco was judged to be in alone on goal, the card was red and Arsenal was down to ten men.

Calling it a foul was a tremendous stretch and Arsene Wenger was not happy and immediately ran over to argue with the fourth official. Or, as it appeared at first on the television cameras, it looked like he ran over to argue with Gunnersaurus. The rule here, however, is very black and white. Or at least it's supposed to be, but there's no consistency in officiating these days. Atkinson was right to send off Vermaelen, by rule for last man fouls but the call was a weak one to begin with. I expect Arsenal to appeal and also can't figure out if this is a one match ban or three. Different web sites say different things. I always thought professional foul reds were one and violent conduct reds were three.

On the penalty, Manuel Almunia was up to the task. Alessandro Diamanti fired his kick exactly where he had when he equalized on a penalty for West Ham on Vito Mannone at Upton Park in October. Almunia, who replays showed was off his line (remember what I said about consistency in officiating?) guessed right and kept Arsenal up by a goal at halftime.

With Vermaelen sent off, Arsenal dropped Alex Song back to center back and switched from their 4-3-3 style to a 4-4-1 with Bendtner employed as the lone striker. West Ham enjoyed a little more possession with one extra player, but never truly threatened (and this is why we chanted "we've only got ten men" to mock the Hammers in attendance). Carlton Cole hit the post in the 77th minute. Aside from that, it was a lot like West Ham decided not to show up for the second half.

Matthew Upson, who did not clear the ball well enough in the 5th minute which led to Denilson's goal, put the game away for Arsenal by handballing in the box. Cesc Fabregas pounded the penalty straight ahead as Green jumped to his left, Arsenal led 2-0 and we all went nuts at Nevada Smiths. We were going top of the league for at least a day thanks to the arrangement of fixtures.

The atmosphere at the pub was perhaps the best of the season. The Hammers, notoriously loud and kind of annoying, were practically silent the entire game (thank you, early goal). In a way, it was disappointing. What I love about the New York Gooners (let me clarify, NYC Arsenal Supporters) is that we'll always sing all game long, regardless of the score. Also, I started a "Can you hear the Hammers sing?" chant. I believe this counts as the first time I've started singing something and gotten the rest to follow.

A brilliant start to spring. Let's hope the season contains some silverware.

The World's Most Terrifying Phrase: International Friendly

 Cesc Fabregas, (center, #10) of Spain, celebrates his winning kick in the penalty shootout to knock Italy out of Euro 2008. Pic via Sky Sports.

Yes, it's one of those weeks. There's no break in the run of fixtures this time around, but countries around the world are preparing to play a round of international friendlies. The Emirates is hosting Brazil v. Ireland tonight. So, after what happened to van Persie in November, here is the following list of Arsenal players you should be praying for during this week:

Bacary Sagna (FRA) and Cesc Fabregas (ESP)
France v. Spain
Stade de France, Saint-Denis

Emmanuel Eboue (CIV)
Ivory Coast v. South Korea
Loftus Road, London

Nicklas Bendtner (DEN)
Austria v. Denmark
Ernst-Happel-Stadion, Vienna

Thomas Vermaelen (BEL)
Belgium v. Croatia
King Baudouin Stadium, Brussels

Theo Walcott (ENG)
England v. Egypt
Wembley Stadium, London

Alex Song (CMR)
Italy v. Cameroon
Stade Louis II, Fontvieille, Monaco

Tomas Rosicky (CZE)
Scotland v. Czech Republic
Hampden Park, Glasgow

Carlos Vela (MEX)
Mexico v. New Zealand
Rose Bowl, Pasadena

Stoke City 1 - 3 Arsenal: Reacting to Adversity

 

The Gunners gather together following a 3-1 win, rallying to support the injured Aaron Ramsey. Pic via Sky Sports.

Stoke City 1: Pugh 8

Arsenal 3: Bendtner 32, Fabregas 90+1 (pen), Vermaelen 90+4

Before diving into the recap, I want to take the time to wish Aaron Ramsey a quick recovery. Our thoughts and prayers are with the young Welshman. Ramsey fractured both his tibia and fibula, and it goes without saying, he's out for the season.

Earlier in the morning, Chelsea had lost 4-2 at home to Manchester City, so Arsenal could pull to within three points of first place with a win. I told Max upon his arrival at Nevada Smiths yesterday that I expected this match to be "an exercise in frustration," thanks to Stoke's style of physical play, wasting time drying the ball on throw-ins, and being terrified of Rory Delap's throws in general. We were also, bizarrely, surrounded by Newcastle fans for much of the start, despite the Magpies game clearly not being shown on any of the upstairs televisions (must've been downstairs.)

Eight minutes in, Stoke struck first, pretty much in "I told you so" fashion. How obvious it was. Delap fires a long throw into the box, a quick little flick of the head from Shawcross, nobody guarding the back post for Arsenal (surprise!), and an easy put away from Pugh. Max was buying beer at the moment and completely missed the goal.

At this point, despite dominating possession up to that point, Stoke had a lead a decided to drop back and let Arsenal do their thing, instead of keeping up the pressure that they had sustained throughout the start. Eventually, Arsenal pulled level on a lovely little header from Nicklas Bendtner. 1-1 at the break.

Arsenal had a few looks at taking the lead after the restart; a possible penalty for a foul on Ramsey went uncalled and just shy of the hour mark, a great strike from Emmanuel Eboue brought on a great save from Sorensen. Alex Song was booked shortly after for a push that I didn't even think should have been a foul. To make matters worse, that's 10 bookings for Song, and a two match domestic ban. That means he'll miss Burnley and Hull City, but will be available for Porto in between.

Now, to what this match will always be known for: 66th minute, Aaron Ramsey and Ryan Shawcross run at each other at full speed, chasing down a 50/50 ball. Ramsey wins the ball as Shawcross arrives late. So, instead of getting the ball in the challenge, Shawcross catches Ramsey's legs, and a horrific injury is suffered. It was terrible. Unlike Eduardo's break in 2008, Ramsey was actually facing the television camera, showing an obvious leg break immediately.

We didn't see the challenge at the time, it seemed kind of innocuous. We weren't sure at the time who the man down was, for a second (the guy next to me said it was Fabregas, giving me a minor heart attack; not to say this is any better, Ramsey is one of my personal favorites.)

There's really not much more I can say because I haven't seen the challenge close-up or in slow motion. I've only seen it replayed on YouTube, at regular speed, in semi-poor quality. It's hard to tell how high Shawcross caught Ramsey, or whether his studs were up. Didn't seem like a two-footed challenge.

Now, here is the key to this match: Arsenal's reaction. The Gunners crumbled against Birmingham two years ago after Eduardo's broken leg (which was also in the last week of February.) Arsenal went down, took a 2-1 lead thanks to a Theo Walcott brace, then conceded a questionable penalty in injury time, and captain William Gallas threw a minor temper tantrum. The league title slipped out of Arsenal's grasps that afternoon in the Midlands. A draw yesterday, on a day where Chelsea opened a door to walk right back into the race, would have been hard to swallow.

But with the game 1-1 with twenty minutes to play and a horrific injury to overcome, this match had "disappointing, title-challenge ending draw" written all over it. Arsenal did not have much time to put the injury behind them and score to take the three points. But just in the start of injury time, a Nicklas Bendtner through-ball into the area struck Pugh's hand. Definite penalty.

In December, Arsenal had a penalty against Stoke at the Emirates. Fabregas took the show, low to Sorensen's left. Sorensen saved it. With the game on the line, Fabregas's shot yesterday went to the same exact spot. Sorensen guessed right again and got his fingertips on it. But it was not enough, it was in. It was 2-1 Arsenal. A team that could've buckled over the cirumstances and collapsed like they did two years ago instead overcame that adversity, and was well on their way to three more points...

...and then scored again. After playing a short corner, the ball came to Rosicky (who was on as Ramsey's substitute) who fired from 25 yards out, sparking a save from Sorensen. But the rebound came straight to Fabregas, who flicked it perfectly to Thomas Vermaelen for the tap-in, the 3-1 win, and the three points in the standings.

Arsenal's reaction to adversity, rallying for the win, and coming together in the center circle after the match to honor Ramsey (picture above) are the keys here, and the reasons why the Gunners are now a serious contender for the league title.

News Roundup 2/12/10 - The Season Is Saved Edition

Here's Manuel Almunia doing what he does best: barely trying to touch a reachable ball. Pic via Daily Mirror.

• According to Almunia, Arsenal's thirtysomethings held a dressing room inquest to address the team's recent drop in form. This was close to the assumption Max and I made that the team resolved their issues with a massive bar fight. [Daily Mirror]
• Speaking of massive fights, Arsenal and Hull City were both fined yesterday by the FA for their fun little pre-Christmas get together at the Emirates. [Guardian]
• And before straying to far from the subject, Manuel Almunia still believes Arsenal can win the title. In other news, Christians still love Jesus. [Guardian]
• Also not ruling out Arsenal: Chelsea manager Carlos Ancelotti. He believes the title will come down to the very last day. [Sky Sports]
• In bad news that I'm trying to hide in the middle of this, Andrei Arshavin (hamstring) and Alex Song (knee) were both injured on Wednesday and the severity of both is currently unknown. Details likely today. [Daily Telegraph, BBC]
  
• Speaking of Arshavin, he says Arsenal can't afford to lose again. Didn't Vermaelen say that a long time ago? [Daily Mirror]
• And in quick transfer news, Derby County is looking to acquire 18-year-old striker Gilles Sunu on loan. [Sky Sports]
• No Arsenal match this weekend, which gives the walking wounded more time to recover ahead of Wednesday's Champions League match at Porto. It also means we'll be giving you a list of ways to occupy your time without the Gunners this weekend, so stay tuned!