Arsenal moved up to twelfth in the Premier League table with a 3 - 0 win against Bolton at the Emirates. Two goals from Robin van Persie and a third one from Alex Song saw Arsenal breeze past a team who now sit bottom of the table having lost their last five games.
The Arsenal win will relieve some pressure from the shoulders of Arsene Wenger, who had managed his side to only four points from five games before today. Will this win turn around Arsenal's season? Who knows, but it is a win to build upon as they aim for one of the top four spots.
Showing posts with label Alex Song. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Alex Song. Show all posts
Arsenal Satisfied Despite Conceding Stunner
The atmosphere was harsh and intimidating, with over 80,000 football fans urging their side on with typical unwavering passion, and with both sides needing a kick start in their Champions League campaign inside the potentially very tricky Group F, a lot was riding on this game.
Dortmund's free-flowing play contrasted with Arsenal's inability to get the ball and keep hold of it, and then go forward in attack. There were one or two good chances for the Gunners to open the scoring, but very few were clear cut, with one Gervinho chance in particular in the first half in which he rounded the keeper only to have a weak shot cleared off the line standing out as Arsenal's best chance early on.
Dortmund were able to surge forward again and again with confidence, helped by their exuberant and talented young players, especially 19 year-old German Mario Gotze who will most certainly be a big star in the very near future. The young man's quick thinking and silky skills often left the Arsenal defence in disarray, and with better finishing and final product, Arsenal will have been punished far more.
Otherwise, Mertesacker and Koscielny held together well, battling to keep the young German clubs attack at bay despite a few worrying moments, the back two being helped a lot by the impressive Alex Song who broke up the play a number of times, relieving the considerable pressure off the defence.
Arsenal's resilience and luck paid off when the captain Robin van Persie intercepted a very poor pass in the 42nd minute from Dortmund's Sebastien Kehl. Walcott uncharacteristically played a good ball through the defence, showing a rare moment of footballing vision for van Persie to chase and finish to give Arsenal the lead.
Dortmund then realised they needed to buck up their ideas, and despite a number of chances as well as huge support from the home crowd, only an absolute stunner of a goal could win them a point. Ivan Perisic's volley from just outside the area late on few delightfully into the top corner of Sczcesny's net, met with fiercely joyful roars from the home crowd, desperate for something from the game.
All in all, it was an improved performance on Arsenal's behalf, as they seek to get back on track after a terrible start to their campaign. The Swansea win at the week-end was by no means convincing, but an away point to the German Champions will certainly lighten the mood as the Arsenal players travel back to London quietly satisfied by a result soured only by a sweet strike right at the end.
Arsenal Are Looking For A Defensive Midfielder
An uplifting win however, will not cover up the cracks which linger ominously in the Arsenal framework. The signings of Mikel Arteta and Yossi Benayoun to reinforce the midfield are encouraging - two very talented, creative, energetic midfielder's with bags of Premier League experience under their belt who can certainly help out to bring some positivity to the Emirates, but Wenger knows he needs more.
Not only have Arsenal tried until the last minute of the summer transfer window to sign Rennes' defensive midfielder, Yann M'Vila, but they are also scouting 25 year-old Argentinian, Lucas Biglia of Belgian club, Anderlecht. The Argentinian is keen to move on, and suits Arsenal's requirements well, with his tough tacking and ball playing style, saying in July: "I think I have ended my cycle at Anderlecht and I want to do something new."
Yann M'Vila is of course Arsenal's preference, but with interest from clubs in a far better positions than them, who haven't seen their two best players leave in the same transfer window, such as Manchester United, described by M'Vila as his "dream club" or Barcelona, Biglia is second choice.
That may be hard to hear for Arsenal fans, who seem to find themselves constantly second best when it comes to transfers. Their muscle in the market is significantly weaker than their rivals like United and City, as well as the two top Spanish sides, who can and will spend more money, leaving the Gunners flailing behind without their main targets.
While Alex Song and Jack Wilshere are both very capable of playing in the deep lying midfield role well, Wenger seems to be learning from the embarrassment at Manchester United. The Arsenal squad isn't deep enough or strong enough in number to cope with injuries and suspensions - two things which the team seem to be cursed with. Another addition to the midfield certainly do any harm when the window opens in January, and lets hope for Wenger's sake, January isn't too late.
Alvarez Signs Pre-Contract Agreement With Arsenal
The 23 year old was born in Argentina, but has an Italian passport, so would require a work permit, but from who he has been compared to, it will be worth it.
A left footed attacking midfielder, Alvarez has been likened to Barcelona's star player and probably the best footballer in the world, Lionel Messi.
According to FoxSports, the player has signed a pre-contract agreement with Arsenal, allowing the player to join in June. A former Boca Juniors youth player, he has had a very good season at his current club Vélez Sársfield in the Argentina Primera Division.
He has only scored 4 goals in 36 appearances, but it his versatility that has attracted Arsenal's eye. Apparently he can play in any position in the midfield, and although not an immediate starter would add depth to the Arsenal squad.
Wenger promised signings this summer, so Arsenal fans will still be expecting him to spend some money, as this is just a free transfer for an unknown kid (sound familiar?), and the attacking midfield isn't exactly the area that needs improving on. Fabregas, Wilshere, Rosicsky, Song, Diaby, Nasri and Walcott make up the midfield on different days, but it is the defence which worries most Arsenal fans.
Arsenal also have the young Japanese talent Ryo Miyaichi to look forward to when he comes back to the Emirated from his loan spell.
However, it might be worth noting that there is a club called Arsenal de Sarandí who play, like Alvarez's club, in Argentina. The information that Arsenal have signed the exciting youngster in the foreign press, may have been lost in translation, and Alvarez may in fact be signing a contract with the Argentinian Arsenal. My thanks to @Kevin_Mega to bringing this to my attention.
DBSFootball in association with: http://www.watch-football.tv/football/ - Live Football Streaming.
Arsenal Injury Update: Djourou, Vermaelen, Nasri & Song
There is yet more woe for Arsenal on the injury front. The Barcelona game in the Champions League is fast approaching, and Arsenal are facing an uphill battle to field a strong enough team who could challenge the goal hungry Catalans. Facing Barcelona is a match that can border on impossible to win at the best of times. With a front line that strikes fear into even the strongest defence in the land, and a defence that can drive out some of the most potent attackers around, when you play Barcelona with the objective of winning, you need a strong team.
Losing a four goal lead away to Newcastle on Saturday isn't going to inspire confidence into the Arsenal side, and at the same time, the poor result certainly won't see the Barcelona team quaking in their boots. It is made worse then, that some of Arsenal's brightest players this season look likely to miss the first leg on the 16th February.
The injury list is as follows: Samir Nasri, Lukasz Fabianski, Alex Song, Thomas Vermaelen and now Johan Djourou.
Johan Djourou was taken off in the eight goal thriller at Newcastle on the week end, and was feared may be out for the rest of the season with damage to his knee ligaments. However, it has since been confirmed that he has not suffered a serious injury, but bruising to the knee. The Swiss national doctor confirmed that Djourou could be back in training very soon: "Djourou is probably less than one week away of beginning training" - very good news for Arsenal fans.
Samir Nasri will return in around three weeks after suffering a hamstring strain last week which certainly rules him out of the Barca game.
Thomas Vermaelen has been out since early September but Arsene Wenger can now see the finishing line for his Belgian centre back. "Thomas Vermaelen is making very good progress so he should be [back in] three to four more weeks,” said the manager on February 3rd, which again, rules him out of the Barca game.
Lukasz Fabianski, the Polish goalkeeper has been ruled out for the rest of the season. The Polish goalkeeper has been sidelined since early January with a shoulder injury and he is about to undergo surgery to cure the problem.
Alex Song's injury isn't as serious as the above, and will most probably be back for the 16th, as he only suffered a kick, but the injuries above still highlight the problem that will face Wenger when the time comes for him to pick the defence against Barcelona.
In the immediate future however, Arsenal will be hosting Wolves at the Emirates, and it is Wolves who have all of the momentum. After ending Manchester United's 29 game Premier League unbeaten run, the players in orange will be on an almighty high as they continue in the fierce relegation scrap. Arsenal meanwhile will be deflated after their astonishing breakdown at St James Park. They will be without Abou Diaby due to his sending off in that game, and, of course, the casualties will be missing.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
