The annual Champions League Group Draw took place today and we have ended up in a rather tough group I'd say.
We will face FC Schalke 04, Olympiacos FC and Montpellier Hérault SC.
The campaign will start off away against Olivier Giroud's old club and French champions Montpellier. We then go on to face Olympiacos at the Emirates. That is followed by yet another encounter at the Emirates, this time against the German team, Schalke. Then it is a tough away trip to Germany followed by the return game against Montpellier at home. We end the group stage in Greece against Olympiacos.
So there will be lots of tough games and trips, but if we can get the goals coming we will definitely qualify for the next stage!
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Sunday, August 26, 2012
Stoke City vs. Arsenal
0-0, Premier League, Britannia Stadium, 2012-08-26
It is not a bad result to get a draw away against Stoke, especially considering our history at the Britannia. It is, however, disappointing to start the season with two nil-nil results... The team needs some time to get together, we have three new players up front and it feels as though they're getting better and better.
The one thing that disappointed me the most about this game was the Stoke fans. How insane are you when you boo at a young player who got his leg broken at the turf several seasons ago? Their player, Shawcross, makes a completely reckless tackle and Ramsey is out for a year, who should be booing who...? It enrages me beyond words.
We dominated the game, had more than twice as many chances to score and ten corners compared to Stoke who had none. Podolski should have been awarded with a penalty when his shot was blocked by the arm of one defender, sadly it all happened too fast for the ref to see it. Throughout the game we just kept on shooting and creating chances, whilst also dealing with Stoke's counter-attacks.
Even though it's disappointing to start the season with two 0-0 results one has to acknowledge that a draw away against Stoke is a good result and now we have to look ahead and hopefully ensure the first victory of the season away against Liverpool on Sunday.
Injury Update;
-Szczesny picked up an injury before the game and was replaced by Mannone, who clearly did well since he kept the clean-sheet.
-Oxlade-Chamberlain made his return when he came on in the second half, however, he was the only one to make it back for this game of the injured ones.
It is not a bad result to get a draw away against Stoke, especially considering our history at the Britannia. It is, however, disappointing to start the season with two nil-nil results... The team needs some time to get together, we have three new players up front and it feels as though they're getting better and better.
The one thing that disappointed me the most about this game was the Stoke fans. How insane are you when you boo at a young player who got his leg broken at the turf several seasons ago? Their player, Shawcross, makes a completely reckless tackle and Ramsey is out for a year, who should be booing who...? It enrages me beyond words.
We dominated the game, had more than twice as many chances to score and ten corners compared to Stoke who had none. Podolski should have been awarded with a penalty when his shot was blocked by the arm of one defender, sadly it all happened too fast for the ref to see it. Throughout the game we just kept on shooting and creating chances, whilst also dealing with Stoke's counter-attacks.
Even though it's disappointing to start the season with two 0-0 results one has to acknowledge that a draw away against Stoke is a good result and now we have to look ahead and hopefully ensure the first victory of the season away against Liverpool on Sunday.
Injury Update;
-Szczesny picked up an injury before the game and was replaced by Mannone, who clearly did well since he kept the clean-sheet.
-Oxlade-Chamberlain made his return when he came on in the second half, however, he was the only one to make it back for this game of the injured ones.
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Arsenal vs. Sunderland
0-0, Premier League, The Emirates, 2012-08-18
Football has finally returned for real! It has been a good summer, filled with European and Olympic football, but the league is what we've all been waiting for!
0-0 against Sunderland may not feel like a good result, and I'm not saying that it is, but you have to take into consideration that it's the first game of the season and the new signings are always going to take some time to adjust. Considering what we've lost this summer (Robin van Persie to Manchester United and Alex Song to Barcelona) we will rely on these new signings, so let's hope that they will all feel more comfortable for the next game away against Stoke. The result feels even better considering the fact that both Tottenham and Manchester United lost their opening games, so we're ahead of them at least!
Thomas Vermaelen, our new captain, led the team out and co-captain Mikel Arteta was also on display. We dominated the entire game, no question about it. Sunderland had one good chance in the beginning of the first half when our defence failed at an offside attempt, but otherwise than that they had nothing really. The two best chances we had were created by two of our new signings, Santi Cazorla and Olivier Giroud. The former looked amazing, definitely the one that impressed the most in this first game. He created pretty much all our chances (for this round he was the one who created the most chances out of all the teams, 7 in total) and he took most of our corners as well. He looked typically Spanish, brilliant technique and quick feet. His sizzling shot toward the top corner of the goal was, as mentioned above, definitely one of the best goalscoring chances we had!
Lukas Podolski started the game along with Cazorla, but playing alone up front is never easy and even though he worked well and hard through the game he didn't stand out as much as the Spaniard. Olivier Giroud came on in the second half and got really close to scoring when he found himself on a close-ranged one-on-one with the 'keeper. Unfortunately his effort was put wide.
Another player who at least felt like a new signing started the game today, Abou Diaby. He has suffered from a lot of injuries during his time at the Arsenal and it was really good to see him start this game. He has had a good pre-season and looked well, just needs some time to adapt to the pace of the league I reckon.
All in all we have to look at the positives, and the new signings will, for sure, bring a lot to the team.
Next up is Stoke on Sunday, and that will always be a tough game, especially away. We've always conceded plenty of goals against team, but considering this clean-sheet and the fact that we now have Steve Bould as assistant manager I should think that the defence has been sorted out over the summer. At least you can always hope for it.
I watched this game live at the Emirates and somehow I always manage to time my yearly with a 0-0 game. We rarely play 0-0, and three of my four games there have ended 0-0 (with the fourth ending 1-2, so no improvement there). But that special feeling of being at the Emirates will always remain, no matter the result.
Injury Update;
- Jack Wilshere is not far from returning now! It is devastating that he has missed out on more than a year, especially this early in his career, but with his return you do feel that we will be a stronger side! The boss estimated his return to full-training to about a month.
- Bacary Sagna is on the same course as Wilshere! More or less a month will mark his return to full-training along with Emmanuel Frimpong.
- Both Laurent Koscielny and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain picked up minor knocks during pre-season that prevented them from playing in this game, but they will most like be back for the Stoke game or the Liverpool game.
Football has finally returned for real! It has been a good summer, filled with European and Olympic football, but the league is what we've all been waiting for!
0-0 against Sunderland may not feel like a good result, and I'm not saying that it is, but you have to take into consideration that it's the first game of the season and the new signings are always going to take some time to adjust. Considering what we've lost this summer (Robin van Persie to Manchester United and Alex Song to Barcelona) we will rely on these new signings, so let's hope that they will all feel more comfortable for the next game away against Stoke. The result feels even better considering the fact that both Tottenham and Manchester United lost their opening games, so we're ahead of them at least!
Thomas Vermaelen, our new captain, led the team out and co-captain Mikel Arteta was also on display. We dominated the entire game, no question about it. Sunderland had one good chance in the beginning of the first half when our defence failed at an offside attempt, but otherwise than that they had nothing really. The two best chances we had were created by two of our new signings, Santi Cazorla and Olivier Giroud. The former looked amazing, definitely the one that impressed the most in this first game. He created pretty much all our chances (for this round he was the one who created the most chances out of all the teams, 7 in total) and he took most of our corners as well. He looked typically Spanish, brilliant technique and quick feet. His sizzling shot toward the top corner of the goal was, as mentioned above, definitely one of the best goalscoring chances we had!
Lukas Podolski started the game along with Cazorla, but playing alone up front is never easy and even though he worked well and hard through the game he didn't stand out as much as the Spaniard. Olivier Giroud came on in the second half and got really close to scoring when he found himself on a close-ranged one-on-one with the 'keeper. Unfortunately his effort was put wide.
Another player who at least felt like a new signing started the game today, Abou Diaby. He has suffered from a lot of injuries during his time at the Arsenal and it was really good to see him start this game. He has had a good pre-season and looked well, just needs some time to adapt to the pace of the league I reckon.
All in all we have to look at the positives, and the new signings will, for sure, bring a lot to the team.
Next up is Stoke on Sunday, and that will always be a tough game, especially away. We've always conceded plenty of goals against team, but considering this clean-sheet and the fact that we now have Steve Bould as assistant manager I should think that the defence has been sorted out over the summer. At least you can always hope for it.
I watched this game live at the Emirates and somehow I always manage to time my yearly with a 0-0 game. We rarely play 0-0, and three of my four games there have ended 0-0 (with the fourth ending 1-2, so no improvement there). But that special feeling of being at the Emirates will always remain, no matter the result.
Injury Update;
- Jack Wilshere is not far from returning now! It is devastating that he has missed out on more than a year, especially this early in his career, but with his return you do feel that we will be a stronger side! The boss estimated his return to full-training to about a month.
- Bacary Sagna is on the same course as Wilshere! More or less a month will mark his return to full-training along with Emmanuel Frimpong.
- Both Laurent Koscielny and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain picked up minor knocks during pre-season that prevented them from playing in this game, but they will most like be back for the Stoke game or the Liverpool game.
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
FC Cologne vs. Arsenal
4-0, Pre-season Friendly, Rhein Energie Stadion, 2012-08-12
Vermaelen 5,
Podolski 15 (pen), 43,
Gervinho 62
All of our three new signings played the first half of this game, and they all did really well! Lukas Podolski scored a brace against his former side and Cazorla along with Giroud provided and came close to scoring on several occasions.
Within 5 minutes we took the lead, when Thomas Vermaelen headed the ball into the back of the net from a Cazorla corner. Ten minutes later, Alex-Oxlade Chamberlain evaded one tackle in the box, but the second brought him down harshly and penalty was awarded. Lukas Podolski stepped up to take it and converted it, he did not celebrate the goal, though, out of respect for his former team most like. Giroud had tons of chances, but each time the 'keeper got in the way and managed some amazing saves. However, the third goal of the game went to our new German player. Lukas Podolski started the move by passing it out to Gibbs, then he raced into the box to meet Gibbs' cutback, and he finished the move with a powerful strike.
At half-time the entire team changed and Cologne looked for a way back into the game. That was quickly extinguished, though, as Gervinho raced down the left, got past two defenders and scored with a low shot past the 'keeper. A brilliant move that we can only hope to see more of.
After this the game slowed down and in the end it was a comfortable victory. It was great for us to keep a clean sheet right before the start of the season. Our first game will be at home against Sunderland.
Now I'll be off to London and the Emirates for that very game!
Vermaelen 5,
Podolski 15 (pen), 43,
Gervinho 62
All of our three new signings played the first half of this game, and they all did really well! Lukas Podolski scored a brace against his former side and Cazorla along with Giroud provided and came close to scoring on several occasions.
Within 5 minutes we took the lead, when Thomas Vermaelen headed the ball into the back of the net from a Cazorla corner. Ten minutes later, Alex-Oxlade Chamberlain evaded one tackle in the box, but the second brought him down harshly and penalty was awarded. Lukas Podolski stepped up to take it and converted it, he did not celebrate the goal, though, out of respect for his former team most like. Giroud had tons of chances, but each time the 'keeper got in the way and managed some amazing saves. However, the third goal of the game went to our new German player. Lukas Podolski started the move by passing it out to Gibbs, then he raced into the box to meet Gibbs' cutback, and he finished the move with a powerful strike.
At half-time the entire team changed and Cologne looked for a way back into the game. That was quickly extinguished, though, as Gervinho raced down the left, got past two defenders and scored with a low shot past the 'keeper. A brilliant move that we can only hope to see more of.
After this the game slowed down and in the end it was a comfortable victory. It was great for us to keep a clean sheet right before the start of the season. Our first game will be at home against Sunderland.
Now I'll be off to London and the Emirates for that very game!
Signing: Santi Cazorla
On the 7th of August Arsenal sealed their third signing of the summer, the Spanish midfielder Santi Cazorla.
My personal experiences of the 27-year-old has been from watching the national team, he has featured for Spain in 45 games, which is quite impressive. A player that has played for the Spanish national team is a player to be reckoned with, I'd say.
He is an attacking midfielder and it will be interesting to see what he can accomplish in the Arsenal shirt.
My personal experiences of the 27-year-old has been from watching the national team, he has featured for Spain in 45 games, which is quite impressive. A player that has played for the Spanish national team is a player to be reckoned with, I'd say.
He is an attacking midfielder and it will be interesting to see what he can accomplish in the Arsenal shirt.
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