Player Analysis and Rating V Manchester United

Arsenal fans will be breathing a sigh of relief, as a superb (to say the least) display by Almunia ensured the loss was manageable and only 1-0.
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Match Summary:
From the start the game was high tempo by the home side, not allowing the visitors to settle. Within the opening 10 minutes or so, United bossed Arsenal around the pitch, holding down possession and playing a penetrative game down our left hand side. Ronaldo drew in both Gibbs and Song, allowing space on the right for O'shea to burst forward. Our defense struggled to contain the dynamic runs of Rooney combine with the work rate of Tevez and the blistering pace of Ronaldo.

From the beginning a looping header from Rooney nearly finds the net, as Almunia leaps back to dip the ball that looked destined for the net.

Arsenal simply failed to hold down possession and gave the ball away. With Adebayor as the only outlet, the pressure was constant from Man Utd as they bombarded down the right hand side. Almunia made a fantastic save to deny Tevez's close range effort.
Arsenal conceded a goal in the 17th minute from the resulting corner. Carrick dribbled into the box and a low cross deflected off of Silvestre and found O'shea waiting at the far post (Completely Unmarked I might add), who blasted the ball through the roof of the net.

Another cross from Tevez found Ronaldo and needed another world class save from Almunia.

Walcott had a tough evening against Evra, who managed to keep him quiet most of the time. Fabregas scoffed a shot or two and had one saved by Van der Sar (who had little to do all match).

Tevez again burst through the center and Almunia had to put his body on the line to smother the ball. Tevez collides into the keeper, kicking him in the chest and chin, and is booked. Simply brave from the Arsenal keeper.

Arsenal started to settle into a bit of possession after the initial 30 minutes of anarchy. It has to be said that their attacks lacked any form of penetration, with Adebayor often dropping too deep to be a threat, and Fabregas left with little options as the midfield was pinned back. Walcott was kept quiet and offered one or two flashes of brilliance but was mostly disappointing.

Second half saw a much more calm Arsenal side poke the ball around the United box with little intention of scoring. A sideways pass to the wings, a pass back, a one-two with the keeper, you get the idea. United looked a lot more passive and has withdrew a bit, allowing Arsenal a bit of possession.

Giggs is thrown on along with Berbatov. Ronaldo almost scores a scorcher from distance that clatters off the crossbar. Bendtner is also thrown into the mix for good measure. A goal from Giggs was "declared" onside by the commentator and rounds about Almunia for what looked to be the second goal, but was actually offside. Bendtner had a chance as Fabregas lofts a teasing freekick into a sea of 10-12 bodies. Van der Sar comes flying and takes out about half of them, but Bendtner gets his head to the ball somehow, and heads it towards the stands, away from the net.

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Player Ratings:

Almunia: 8.5
The one player on the pitch that looked like he wanted the team to win the match. Very solid goalkeeping, glad to have you back Almunia.

Gibbs: 6
Started the tie nervously, but played better towards the end. Offered some penetration going forward, but struggled initially keeping control of the left flank. I will be very glad to have Clichy back because he is still very shaky, the experience will do him good.

Toure: 6
Covered well in defense on several occasions. His pace offered some protection against the runs of Ronaldo, Rooney and Tevez.

Silvestre: 6
Much more solid in the back than the Liverpool game. His lack of pace however saw him struggle to keep the United front line quiet.

Sagna: 6
Average performance from Sagna. His scintillating bursts forward last season has been toned down due to his inability to cross the ball. Did well against Rooney on the flanks covering.

Song: 5.5
Song had a hard time with the United and gave away possession on occasion was the general opinion of the other writers (hence the adjusted rating). I felt that he played well today, yes there were some mistakes but I felt he was one of the hard working players today and deserved better from his teammates.

Nasri: 6
I know he is a good player, good dribbling, vision, passing, just needs to get in the game more. Didn't see him at all first half. Hopefully he will be allowed to play in the center, as he looks much more comfortable there.

Diaby: 3
Gave the ball away in dangerous areas, dribbles into several players, passes go astray, offer nothing in offense..

Fabregas: 5.5
Not his usual creative self. Struggled to dictate play, and had several opportunities to test the keeper but failed to do so. Suffering from having to constantly track back and ease the tempo of the game, and had little options up front.

Walcott: 6
Had one or two runs against the United defense, other than that pretty quiet. Expect more from him next game.

Adebayor: 5
Worked hard but was starved up front. Drifted too deep and wide to be of any contribution to the attack. Lacked the aerial domination offered last season, and generally looked sloppy. Review the offside rules thoroughly before playing again.

Bendtner: 5.5
Had a half chance but opted to pass to Fletcher instead. Also had a header way off target when anything towards the direction of the net would have meant an equalizer. Sigh same old Bendtner.

Eduardo: n/a
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Generally Arsenal fans will hope the team can perform much better at home next week. It is hard to see where the goals will come from if the team continues to play like today. Man Utd will be in the driver's seat with this goal, and they will be looking to score away from such a weak defense. Very lucky to escape with 1-0, could have easily been 2 or 3.

Vote for your player of the game on the poll on the side (Almunia cough cough).

Until next week,
Travis

pictures taken from telegraph.co.uk

Man Utd V Arsenal

Perhaps the greatest rivalry in the EPL, these two are the best managers in the game. Both have command absolute respect and control, and achieved great things with their respective clubs.

Arsenal has had a disappointing (relatively) campaign, and lost recently in the FA semi-finals against Chelsea with a controversial team selection from Wenger. With only the Champions League left and fourth spot cemented, Arsenal will be looking to reach the finals of the Champions League for only the second time in the club's history.

Manchester United on the other hand go into the clash as favorites. With the league pretty much wrapped up, will look to be the first team in the competition history to retain the trophy.

Played 37; Manchester United - 14 wins; Arsenal - 15 wins; Draws - 8

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Manchester United V Arsenal: Wednesday April 29, 2009

Venue: Old Trafford, Manchester

Kick off: 1945 BST; 1445 EST

Arsenal Team News:
Plagued by injuries, Arsenal are missing a good chunk of their defense. Young full back Gibbs is a doubt, struggling from an ankle injury, while Silvestre is also a doubt after back problems sustained from the Boro game. Clichy (back) is reported to be 50-50 for the second leg next week. Gallas (knee) is out for the rest of the season. Robin Van Persie has a groin problem and will also miss the leg. New signing Arshavin is inelligible.

Possible Line-up:
-----------Almunia------------
Sagna-Toure-Djourou-Gibbs
---------Song-Denilson
----Walcott-Cesc(c)-Nasri
-----------Adebayor

Subs: Fabianski, Bendtner, Diaby, Eboue, Silvestre, Ramsey, Eduardo


Manchester United Team News:
Gary Neville is out due to a foot injury. Ferguson will have a hard decision to make with his forward line up, with Tevez expressing concern at the lack of first team starts. Tevez came on at half time during the weekend clash with Tottenham and inspired a come back for the Red Devils.

Possible Line-up:

-----------Van der Sar-----------
O'Shea-Vidic-Ferdinand-Evra
Ronaldo-Scholes-Carrick-Park
-------Rooney-Berbatov-------

Subs: Foster, Brown, Evans, Rafael, Nani, Giggs, Tevez


Both teams have been shaky lately in Defense. Arsenal are missing many key players in defense, and have had a hard time against the likes of Liverpool and Chelsea. Silvestre in particular has been identified as the weak link in defense along with young Gibbs, who will have his hand full trying to deal with Ronaldo and Rooney. Nasri will have to constantly track back in support of Gibbs.

On the left wing, Evra will have his hand full with young Theo Walcott, whose blisttering pace and runs have wrecked all sorts of havoc for teams. Ferguson will most likely deploy Park on the left wing instead of the veteran Giggs for support.

In the middle of the park, Arsenal will have the option of parterning Cesc with Diaby, Denilson, or Song. Song has been the subject of much praise from the fans and will attempt to take control of the midfield. Diaby has been inconsistant in form and Denilson has proved to be distinctively average during his recent performances. Both youngesters will have to step up to the occasion if Arsenal are to gain anything from the tie. Man Utd however, have arguably the weakset midfield of the so-called "big four", and if Arsenal can keep possession and control of the middle, we will have a much easier game.

Up front Man Utd are very strong, with the excellent link-up play and skills of Berbatov and the work rate and pace of Rooney and Tevez. Look for Rooney to drift onto the wings and exploit open space with his runs. Arsenal will deploy a lone striker once again in the form of Adebayor. We will need the extra man in midfield to help control the flow of the game, and we pretty much have no other options due to injuries.

I watched the Barca-Chelsea game today, a 0-0 draw at Camp Nou. Chelsea packed the midfield with the likes of Mikel and Essien, and Barca struggled with the physical side of the game as they were unable to break down Chelsea's defense. Overall Barca dictated play, but will be disappointed with the scoreless home draw. Drogba had an excellent chance to put the visitors in control but missed his one-on-one with Valdes. Eto'o and Henry both had chances as well but Cech stopped them well. Young Bojan missed a free header and Hleb squandered a chance towards the end of the game.

I hope fans are as excited and nervous as I am, because tomorrow could prove to be crucial if we are to gain anything from this season. Look forward to a match analysis shortly after.

Keep it Arsenalive,
Travis

Player Analysis and Rating V Middlesbrough

Image taken from Daily Mail

A good run out for our boys today and good warm up for next week's clash against man utd. We are now 20 undefeated in the league, maybe we can keep up this form into next season and challenge for not only the champion's league but also the EPL.

Man of the Match against Liverpool: Arshavin
Vote for your MotM for the Boro game in our poll. ->

Player Ratings:
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Almunia: 7
He was hardly tested in the first half and his decent blocks in the second half ensured a clean sheet.

I bet lot's of fans are pleased that Almunia has returned. I still remember people calling for a world class keeper throughout last season, but Almunia has become pretty solid this season.

Eboue: 7
He had little defensive duties to attend to. He enjoyed a couple of runs down the right and creatively assisted Fabregas with Arsenal's second goal.

Silvestre: 6
He also had a decent game but was forced off the pitch at half time due to injury.

Toure: 6.5
The rock of Arsenal's defense showed composure all through.

Gibbs: 6.5
The young man slotted perfectly into Clichy's shoes in a game of low intensity.

Would be interesting to see how he would cope against bigger opposition, mainly the likes of Man Utd. Played well enough against Liverpool, so here's hoping he can keep the wings of United quiet, with the likes of Ronaldo and Rooney threatening the flanks.

Walcott: 7
Always looked like a threat. Missed a vital pass to unmarked Bendtner in the first half. Has improved his strength, but have to work on decision making and the final ball is still lacking.

Denilson: 6
The young Brazilian had a decent game playing behind Fabregas. Will have a hard time keeping counterpart Song away from the team sheet.

Fabregas: 8
Back to his usual self, pulling all the strings and dictated play. The young captain scored two goals but was taken off immediately and wasn't given the chance to have a shot at recording his first hat trick for Arsenal.

Nasri: 6.5
Contributed a lot to Arsenal's attack but should have scored late in the second half. Very impressed with his passing and decision making. Also did well tracking back and helping out with defensive duties.

Arshavin: 7.5
The man that scored four goals at Anfield last Tuesday wasn't scared of anyone and nicely assisted Arsenal's first goal. Cannot wait until this man is fully settled and fit and ready to kick some european ass next season.

Bendtner: 7
Played well as a lone striker and looked more dangerous when he was moved to the right in the absence of Walcott. He was involved in the build-up to Arsenal's first goal.

Substitutes:

Djourou: 6
Had little to do when he came in at half time. He was a little shaky in the back at times, but hopefully with a game under his belt will play much better against United. Most fans are sick of Silvestre and he might be out injured, so look for Johan to start against United.

Diaby: 6
Another average performance. Had a good chance at goal late in the second half, but he needs to work on his hesitation.

Adebayor: 6
The giant African added a different dimension to the game but failed to impress with his final ball.
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Interesting thing of note, representatives for both AC Milan and Juventus were at the Arsenal game against Boro. Both teams have games in the Serie A today, so fans can only speculate the reason of their visit. (footylatest.com)

Arsenalive,
Funmi Ogunbodede

Arsenal v Middlesbrough

It's about that time where our first official pre-match analysis comes to fruition. In this feature we'll be looking at injury news, and possible line ups for both squads. To start things off, let me just say one thing....I hope Silvestre never sees the first team ever again, but knowing Wenger he'll not only be on the team sheet, he'll be starting either at CB or LB. Anyways, back to team news:

Arsenal v Middlesbrough: Sunday April 26, 2009

Venue: Emirates Stadium, North London.

Kick off: 1330 BST; 0830 EST

Arsenal:

Johan Djourou and Manuel Almunia returned to full training Thursday, while Robin van Persie is out due to a groin injury. Manu Adebayor may start this weekend, but I highly doubt all names (except Almunia) mentioned will make the starting eleven as they have key Champions League Semi-Final clash with Man Utd the following Tuesday. Other than that, it is the same squad which featured mid-week against Liverpool in that "thriller" of a match (if you were a neutral that is)

Middlesbrough: 

Gary O'Neil will make his way back into the squad after being sidelined by suspension, while Didier Digard will make his way back after being out for almost two months. Chris Riggot and Emanuel Pogatetz remain on the injury reserve list.

Possible starting line ups (starting XI):

Arsenal:

---------------Almunia-----------------

Sagna---Toure--Silvestre--Gibbs

Walcott---Cesc(c)--Song--Arshavin

Bendtner--Eduardo

1. Fabianksi

2. Adebayor

3. Denilson

4. Djourou

5. Diaby

6. Nasri

7. Eboue

Middlesbrough:

--------------Jones-----------------

McMahon---Huth---Wheater--Taylor

Aliadiere---Tuncay--Bates--Downing

King--Alves

1. Shawkey

2. Turnbull

3. Hoyte

4. O'Neil

5. Johnson

6. Emnes

7. Digard

As you can see both teams will be looking to line up in a 4-4-2 formation, knowing that Arsenal will look to change their shape as the game progresses to better suit their passing ability. Key players to look out for on both sides will be; Arshavin who is coming off a scortcher from mid week bagging all of Arsenal's 4 goals against Liverpool. Also look out for Cesc and Song to martial the midfield and keep the ball moving forward. On the other side, Downing, Tuncay, and Alves are Middlesbrough's main threats. Look out for Downing's peircing runs and crosses coming in...hopefully that shakey Silvestre will be able to help Toure out with those crosses...sigh...but anyways I predict a 3-1 win for the Gunners as they haven't lost in 19 games, stretching all the way back to November when they last lost to Aston Villa.

Arsenalive til we die,

ariston14

Where is Our Season Headed Now?

Welcome to the first article here at Arsenalive. We are pleased with the support the Arsenal Facebook group have shown us, be sure to drop by and join the awesome discussions at http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/wall.php?id=2213042642
















We are at that point where the season is almost over again. To most Arsenal fans, this has been a disappointing season. Last year, we were league leaders and looked certain to win the title until injuries and disappointing form hit in and our season ended, arguably, during the game against Birmingham where Eduardo suffered his broken leg. What a memorable season (as I am watching the Arsenal Season Review 07/08), so emotional.

Who else missed when Fabregas was free scoring last season?

So what's in store for us now? First we look at the (potential)fixtures left:
April 26. Home versus Middlesbrough
April 29. Away at Man Utd (CL)
May 02. Away at Portsmouth
May 05. Home at Man Utd (CL)
May 10. Home versus Chelsea
May 16. Away at Man Utd
May 24. Home versus Stoke
May 27. Champions League Final (CL)

As you can see its a slow end to our final season. Other than the CL clash with man Utd, there isnt much left to the season.

Id like to us play well against Chelsea at home, where hopefully Arshavin shows us what we saw at Liverpool again. Speaking of Arshavin, I am very very excited to see him play next season, where he will have "settled" and fit. Arsenal will hope that Arsene Wenger has learned his lesson and finally learn to get players of experience. None of this "Arsenal tracking 15 year old Mongolian prodigy".

We are still on our undefeated streak. (19 games?) If only we had started this season well. But as Spurs fans always say: there's always next season! Look forward to an article before the Middlesbrough game.

Keep It Arsenalive,
Travis

New Blog Up and Running!

Yes Arsenal fans worldwide rejoice, our new blog is up!

I hope you all liked the header, I spent several hours on it and it turned out well. Im sure all the fans are still very excited (and disappointed) after that dramatic game against Liverpool but remember to take the positives from it!

Anyhow, I am looking to assemble a team of columnists and provide the fans with previews to up coming games, man of the match, player of the month/season, post season analysis, transfer gossip, and all that. Hopefully we will nudge our way into Newsnow sometimes in the near future.

Thanks for reading and Up the Gunners!