Most Memorable Arsenal Matches

It’s just around 3 years since my support for The Arsenal began. At first, it was quite mild and I rarely watched them. But what amazes me is how far I’ve gone from their. Not a single match missed in almost two years(except the first half of CC semifinal 2nd leg ).  There have been good moments, bad moments and those brilliant moments. Along with it have come those awful moments like the Cup Final defeat. But it wouldn’t be fair not to suggest my journey with the Gunners as one hell of a ride.

Here are some of the most memorable moments of MY Arsenal-watching career(as a FIFA 11 commentator would say!). Just to inform you, its only been 3 years since I’ve started watching them, so I’m not counting the matches we’ve played before. This compilation is based on how great I felt when Arsenal finally won the game. Hope you like it:

7. Arsenal-Stoke City 3-1(Britannia)

 

 

 

 

 

Yeah I know about Ramsey’s horrific injury. I was watching it with volume muted and all of a sudden I had the worsts of thoughts. I wouldn’t tell what that was but that moment almost made me cry. But after that, we showed some real grit and ultimately were rewarded with a penalty in stoppage time. That wasn’t all. The Verminator managed to get another one and at that moment, I thought that now the title was ours and our players would win it for Aaron Ramsey. They gave it their all but still ended up finishing 3rd.

6. Arsenal-Bolton 4-2 (The Emirates)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Remember the game where we were 2-0 down after Bolton scored the 2nd goal off a penalty. I do.Winning that game by more than a one goal margin would’ve taken us to the top of the league. And what I instantly thought after they scored twice was that we’d always crumble under the pressure of being at the top. And an hour later, I was proved all wrong. Goals from Rosicky, Vermaelan, Arshavin and another Arsenal player(c’mon you can’t expect me to remember that much. And if you do please inform me too!). And we ended up winning the match and going top of the league on goal-difference.

5. Arsenal-Hull City 2-1 (at their stadium)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nicklas Bendtner, to remind you, can sometimes finish. And a predatory finish was what won us the game that was level at 1-1 at Hull and probably kept our title chances alive. Denilson(oh all our poor players did well at that moment). He went for a 20-30 yard shot which the Hull keeper failed to hold on. And Bendtner was, for once, there to pick up the pieces and win it for Arsenal.

4. Arsenal- Manchester United 1-0 (The Emirates)

 

 

 

 

 

 

We were missing a number of key players. And with that, we were also missing some key ingredients such as our confidence. The feeling at the start of the match was a bit of worry and tension. All of that was gone when, just after 90 minutes the final whistle blew. We showed grit, determination and passion to win the game. Combine that with our quality and all that was left for Ramsey was to slot the ball home for the winner.

 

3. Arsenal-Barcelona 2-2 (The Emirates)

 

 

 

 

Maybe it was not the whole match, but the last 30 minutes that were too good to forget. Wenger brought on Theo Walcott and he split the Barca defencee like they were….. Arsenal themselves. Goals from him and Cesc at least kept the tie alive which eventually we ended up losing. Still it was a night to remember.

2. Arsenal Chelsea 3-1 (The Emirates)

 

 

 

 

 

 

A match that could be watched again and again by any Arsenal fan. Or a football fan in general. A game that had the biggest impact on Arsenal. We got to know our First-XI. We hunted the Chelsea players in pack and never allowed them enough space. For me, the most important match in the 2010-2011 season for us.

1. Arsenal- Barcelona 2-1 (The Emirates)

 

 

 

 

 

 

This has got to be at the top.  There wasn’t a part of the room where I was watching where I hadn’t jumped around. This match and every single detail of it will stay in my head for a long long time. Bendtner to Jack to Cesc to Nasri to Arshavin to GOAL!!!! The stadium erupted. And so did I.  The best match I’ve seen ever and possibly the best Emirates has ever witnessed.

That’s it for you. Hope you’ve liked the list.Another reminder it’s pretty much based on memory so I may have missed a match or two. Feel free to post yours below.

Current Squad Has Potential,Invincibles Had Pedigree

It was all deja vu again for all Arsenal fans worldwide on Sunday in a match which witnessed Ramsey return to the Britannia after a horrific leg break. Ramsey is amongst many other Arsenal players who have a lot of potential but still have to prove themselves. I’m sure they will but the timings may vary from player to player. Wilshere does it in no time, Denilson takes him whole life. So is it true to suggest that the current Arsenal team only has potential, not pedigree.

Let’s just rewind back to the 2003-04 season. Yes the Invincibles era. Every player playing to his full potential and having proven themselves to the footballing world. The likes of Seaman, Campbell, Toure,Viera,Pires and of course Thierry Henry had it in them to grind out results from the jaws of defeat and were the real title material. All of them have left Arsenal either for greener pastures or for money. Some have succeed, some have not. They have been replaced by young, cheap talent from across the globe. The question is, are they any better than the Invincibles?

Goalkeeper

Invincibles:Lehmann

Current:Szczesny

The young Pole has bags of talent and confidence to boast and is surely destined to be the solution to Arsenal’s goalkeeping conundrum. Lehmann on the other hand was another exceptional keeper with loads of experience.Based on his experience, Lehmann gets the vote here. But I expect to be proven wrong in the next 2-3 years.Not now though.

Defenders

Invincibles: Lauren Campbell Toure Cole

Current: Sagna Koscielny Vermaelan Clichy

The Invincibles had a defence which was solid as a rock and which conceded the least number of goals during the 2003-04 season. The current defence is hugely criticized for its lack of leadership and defending at set-pieces. The only present Arsenal player that I’d chose is Sagna over Lauren. Sagna is Arsenal’s unsung hero and would just edge Lauren.

Midfielders

Invincibles: Ljungberg Gilberto Viera Pires

Current: Wilshere Song Fabregas Nasri(Let’s just take him for simplicity)

Both of them are class. Viera’s fight and determination, Pires’ passing and close-control, Fabregas’ vision and one-touch passing and Nasri’s direct approach and ball control are all world-class.  The Invincibles had the best midfield at that time, we have ours at present.  I’ll chose Wilshere for Gilberto and Fabregas for Ljungberg(not a straight swap though!).

Strikers

Invincibles: Henry Bergamp

Current: van Persie Walcott

Henry and Bergamp had in them one of the world’s best striker partnership. Bergamp with his needle-like pass to Henry who obliged more often than not. Henry was the leading scorer during the campaign and was one major factor in the Invincibles’ achievements. Van Persie is obviously a very gifted player with one hell of a left foot. When he plays, there aren’t many better. But he’ll most likely spend more time on the sidelines than on the pitch. Walcott terrorizes defences with his blistering pace but he’s still not the finished product. His crossing is often frustrating but his finishing has been tremendous this season. Both Henry and Bergamp get the nod here.

So here’s how the combined team looks like:

                                                                                  Lehmann

                                              Sagna            Toure            Campbell            Cole

                                                                    Viera             Wilshere

                                                                   Fabregas           Pires

                                                                    Henry             Bergamp

Formation: 4-2-2-2

Manager- Arsene Wenger

So only 3 out of 11 could make it to the Invincibles team. The defence will only strengthen next year and don’t be surprised if it even becomes better.  I’m expecting a lot of disagreement on this one but bring it on.

(Picture courtesy of Chabbz, a regular here)

Vote for your team and also tell why in the comments section.

Koscielny is POTENTIALLY Better than Vermaelan

Sorry for not doing a blog for around a week. The truth is, I didn’t get much time this whole week and was really stressed. The weather here has been horrendous with the sun looking straight into my eyes. I guess it has drained every bit of me. Many of you won’t believe but its 40 degrees here. Boy!

One thing that’s gone good is obviously the match on Sunday where we beat Man United after  really long time. One player who stood out for me was Laurent Koscielny, along with Ramsey(of course!). He was solid at the back and didn’t put a foot wrong. He made Rooney look worse than Heskey and was far more responsible for the clean sheet apart from any other defender. Song was great too, but Koscielny was better.

Remember this guy played in the Ligue 2 a little less than 2 years ago. Now he plays for Arsenal FC,  one of Europe’s giants. Everyone argued whether he’d make the grade at Arsenal. Not Wenger though. He spotted his talent and for me was one of the buys of the season, along with Chicharito. He started his Arsenal career at Anfield. His performance was good, if not great and was not run ragged by Fernando Torres.This was encouraging for me but still I wasn’t sure about him.

Time went by and he became a regular at the heart of our shaky defence. Now when I look at our defence, it’s become surprisingly stable. I know Djourou has been tremendous this season with his aerial ability and his last-ditch tackles. But Koscielny’s role cannot be forgotten. He’s made mistakes but there has been no such one from which he hasn’t learnt.

Koscielny against Man United

Which brings me to the point I’m trying to make. Vermaelan is by far our best Defender and will remain so for some more time in the future. But looking at Koscielny, he’s got it in him to be Better. He is a real fighter who never looks back. His commitment to the cause is second to none and has improved so rapidly that he’s become one of my favorite Arsenal players. There’s not one thing which he doesn’t possess and will soon be renowned as a world-class defender.

I haven’t pulled this thing completely out of water and will provide you with some substance to prove myself. Vermaelan was Ajax’s captain, captain of his national team and was known for his leadership qualities. In short, he was already exceptional before we bought him and has continued to show it for us as well. On the other hand, Koscielny was playing for FC Lorient in the French League, was never given a call-up to his national team and was completely raw. No one would have expected him to be at Arsenal. But the fact that he’s was bought and is now playing for Arsenal having only played for FC Lorient and another French side in the Ligue 2.

Compare this to Hernandez. Anyone who follows world football would know that he was already a superb player waiting to be transferred to a big club. Already established in the Mexican national team, he was by no means a Koscielny. A proven player getting picked by Ferguson and an unproven raw talent picked up by Wenger. That sums up the difference in  the class of the two managers.

Koscielny will remain in our first team for many years to come along with Vermaelan and will make our defence so good(with Szczesny at the back, of course) that our attack would look average in comparison to our defence. Just wait for that day because when it arrives, there’ll be no one happier than myself and other Arsenal fans(even those who didn’t want him here).

A Spot to Fill: Which Players Should Arsene Wenger Buy?

Here’s a guest article from Anders Marshall from Canada. He thinks that we do need some players in the summer but not many as we’ve got one hell of a team. This is his first article so be a little lenient on him. Over to you Anders.

A Spot to Fill: Which Players Should Arsene Wenger Buy?

                                                                    By Anders Marshall

As seasons come and go, many fans of Arsenal FC feel that with a little more money spent on proven talent and less on inexperienced youth, they would be adding more to the trophy cabinet. I’m definitely one of those fans. The problem is that Wenger is stubborn in his signings and doesn’t like to sign older, more expensive players. Despite these limiting factors, here’s a list of the top positions that need filling, and who could occupy them.

Goalkeeper

Absolutely no one. I know the last sentence was a bit misleading, but this point needs to be made. Since Lehmann’s departure, there have been endless cries to sign a goalkeeper, but Arsene Wenger stood firm. He chose to rely on Manuel Almunia and Lukasz Fabianski instead. In the short-term, it seemed like a horrendous blunder on AW’s part, but this season we have seen Fabianski flourish into a strong, calm goalkeeper who made very few mistakes. Unfortunately, he’s been lost to injury. Then came along Wojciech Szczesny, a goal keeper quite similar to Lehmann: good reflexes, shot stopping, and mad. He did very well on his debut against Manchester United only conceding once against Park Ji Sung, and has been the reason Arsenal haven’t lost more games. Position filled.

Defence

Similar to the goalkeeping conundrum, Wenger stood firm and didn’t sign anyone in the winter transfer window, despite rampant calls for a new centre back. This was understandable, with four centre backs already in the senior squad, Le Boss felt that he had enough talent at his disposal. With Tomas Vermaelen out for the season with a possible return for next, the back line will be very crowded. Of course there is an odd man out: Sebastien Squillaci. Squillaci has been poor at best for most of his first season at arsenal. He lacks pace and communication when he is paired with Laurent Koscielny. His departure would free up wage funds and add a small amount to the war chest. The most likely and most capable candidate for signing would be Mamadou Sakho. French, tall, young, and fairly cheap. He ticks all the boxes. He has great leadership qualities as well, captaining his side since he was seventeen. If Wenger could secure the Frenchman’s services, then qualms about defence would surely cease.

Midfield

 

This is where Arsenal have been lacking recently, to our surprise. Without Cesc Fabregas in form, the team lacks ideas and pace in the build up. Signing someone like Eden Hazard or promoting Ryo Myaichi next season could work wonders for the front line, as well as selling Abou Diaby, Denilson, and Tomas Rosicky would give us more money for a tough holding midfielder, something Arsenal sorely lack at times when Alex Song is injured. Charlie Adam looks a likely candidate if he is allowed to leave Blackpool next season. He provides goals, strength, stability and calm to the back line and would be a vital asset for years to come at 25 years of age. Another attacking winger would ensure Samir Nasri gets a more central role, because he has proved to be a worthy replacement should El Capitan become injured. Fabregas has been known to be the most creative midfielder in the team, but right now the attack is looking slow and predictable. The most important thing to do is hold on to Nasri and Fabregas, and perhaps open up the pocket-book for Eden Hazard.

Attack

 

This line has always puzzled me. Robin Van Persie is arguably the best left footed striker in the world, but it’s too bad he’s injured for at least half of every season. Yet again, Arsene Wenger signed a fairly unknown player in Marouane Chamakh, but turned him into one of the best strikers in the EPL. While Chamakh was lighting up the stage along with Samir Nasri, RVP and Fabregas were waiting in the ranks to come back to the first team. At first they both seemed rusty. Then came the new year, which saw both players on fire with goals and assists aplenty. With RVP back in form, Chamakh was relegated to the bench. I don’t think a transfer in for a new player is absolutely necessary, provided tactics change for next year. Partner RVP with either Chamakh or Bendtner, giving us more height and heading ability. Position filled.

Conclusion

 

All in all, Arsenal are a great team who really deserve better, but are usually struck with injuries which results in mediocre players getting the start. With these new players added to the line up, Arsenal will have a new-found depth and skill in their squad required to win trophies.

Who should partner Vermaelan?

Thomas Vermaelan is almost back from his long-suffering injury and might even be available for some of our fixtures at the end of the season. At the start of the season, he was accompanied by Laurent Koscielny at the heart of our defence. But now that Djourou is fit and in his prime form, who should accompany the Verminator at the back?

Koscielny has had a superb first season in England. I’m sure many of the renowned defenders playing in Europe would have struggled to cope with the demands of the Premier League. Koscielny also had his ups and downs. Mistake against Blackburn, Bolton and Birmingham(obviously!) along with some others have shown that he needed time to adjust to this league. But the fact remains that he was thrown into the deep end very early in his Arsenal career but still managed to survive it.

He’s become exceptionally stable and so has his performances. He now plays with this authority of a quality centre-back and has learnt from his mistakes quickly. He’s great in the air and assure with his feet.How many of the Arsenal fans would’ve thought at the start of the season that he’d be so very instrumental for us. His vision for a defender is also pretty good. For me, he is a great centre-back who deserves a place along Thomas.

But now arrives Djourou. He’s got power, strength, aerial ability and tackles very well. He is another defender who’s proven the critics and the fans wrong. I for once never thought that he’d make it at Arsenal( I thought the reverse for Kozzer though!!!). But I don’t feel guilty for that. I mean that even if I hate Bentdner, I would surely won’t mind if he scores 25 goals next season(if he stays, of course).

Djourou has given the Arsenal defence the much-needed stability and has been a revelation. He’s also got the best out of Koscielny. Koscielny’s performance take a major dip when Djourou is not there. That’s also something that’s good about Johan. His performances this season also deserve a starting place next season.

So where does that leave Vermaelan. Yeah Vermaelan. How long it’s been since he’s played. It would have felt much longer if it was not for our much improved defence. But DO NOT forget that Vermaelan is better than both of them. Far far better. So it’s no point suggesting a Djourou-Kozzer partnership. One of them has to make way. But that’s where the problem is. WHO?

One thing I know for sure. The partnership that Wenger puts out next season should stay there for as long as they are good. If it’s Djourou, then let it be so for the next 6-7 years. The same goes for Koscielny. Or should Wenger buy Cahill? I don’t think so. He surely wouldn’t fit the bill. I’d rather prefer Vertonghen from Ajax as he also can cover for Song. The thing is, provided the fact that we’ve got 3 great defenders, we only need a backup. But an able backup. That’s what we’ll get in Vertonghen. Also, he won’t get frustrated sitting on the bench as his arrival would mean that Song could also get some rest which he rarely does presently.

If I were to choose, I’d partner Vermaelan with Koscielny. Koscielny has a much bigger scope of improvement than Djourou and also the fact that his performance improves with the player he plays with means that he’s my choice. But it’s very close as Djourou is almost just as good as him but he is injury-prone. Like it or not, he is. That means that with Djourou, we’ll not have the same back-line for a lot of time.

Or perhaps we should play all 3 together???