It would be suicidal for my career at my 21 years of age to move to City. It would make no sense.

Meanwhile, according to the club's official website, the little known Amaury Bischoff could be back in full training in a matter of weeks.

I think that in two weeks I'll be training with the team and if all goes well, I'll speak with the manager and coaches here. Then I'll be back as quickly as possible.

He's yet to feature in an Arsenal shirt and I'm curious to see how the young Portuguese fits into the side.

Dengan jumlah kekayaan yang ditaksir 10 kali lipat daripada yang dimiliki Roman Abrahamovich, Manchester City bisa menjadi klub terkaya. Inilah beberapa pemain yang akan dibeli Manchester City di bursa transfer Desember mendatang :

Ruud van Nistelrooy dari klub Real Madrid dengan harga 30 juta poundsterling atau sekitar Rp 508 miliar.

Lionel Messi dari klub Barcelona dengan harga 80 juta poundsterling atau sekitar Rp 1,359 triliun.

Cesc Fabregas dari klub Arsenal dengan harga 60 juta poundsterling atau sekitar Rp 1,019 triliun.

Ruben de la Red dari klub Real Madrid dengan harga 20 juta poundsterling atau sekitar Rp 339,7 miliar.

Javier Saviola dari klub Real Madrid dengan harga 30 juta poundsterling atau sekitar Rp 508 miliar.

Christiano Ronaldo dari klubManchester United dengan harga 134 juta poundsterling atau sekitar Rp 2,2 triliun.

Dengan pemain seperti itu bukan tidak mungkin tim Manchester City akan menjadi tim terkuat di liga Inggris.Sukses untuk tim Manchester City.(dimas)

Lo de Robinho fue sólo un aperitivo. El Manchester City se ha convertido de la noche a la mañana en el club más rico del mundo y sus nuevos propietarios, la familia real de Abu Dabi, quieren transformar el dinero en títulos. Para ello le han pedido a Mark Hughes, el entrenador del City, que haga el equipo más potente del planeta. Tras superar al Chelsea en el fichaje del brasileño, ahora pretende hacerse con los servicios de Cristiano Ronaldo, Cesc Fábregas, Fernando Torres, Villa y Henry. Y Ronaldo, el ex del Madrid, de momento sin equipo. Lo de éste último es la continuación de contactos realizados con el régimen anterior que pretenden confirmar en las próximas semanas porque sí. Si sale mal, se rescinde su contrato. Si sale bien, el City resucitará a uno de los grandes goleadores de la historia. Y si el jugador no quiere apuntarse a la revolución azul, pues allá él. Así funciona el nuevo Manchester City.

Las primeras declaraciones de Sulaiman Al-Fahim, el hombre de negocios y rostro visible del organismo financiero creado por la monarquía de Abu Dabi exclusivamente para adquirir el club inglés, dejó helado al mundo del fútbol: "Cristiano Ronaldo ha dicho que quiere jugar en el club más grande del mundo, así que vamos a ver en enero si lo decía de verdad", dijo Al-Fahim. "El Real Madrid quería pagar 100 millones de euros, pero para poder ficharlo habrá que ofrecer más, sobre los 150 millones de euros. ¿Por qué no? Vamos a ser el club más grande del mundo, más incluso que el Real Madrid y el Manchester United", agregó.

Exigencias.

El próximo domingo Al-Fahim publicará en una revista de negocios de Arabia Saudí su equipo ideal que incluye a los jugadores mencionados y también a Ronaldinho, pero será Mark Hughes el que escogerá a los futbolistas para el City. Luego la exigencia será máxima: le ha pedido en privado a Hughes la Premier y la Liga de campeones. El entrenador galés le recordó que el Chelsea se gastó 600 millones de euros en tres años y todavía no ha ganado la Champions. "Vamos a darte 750 millones de euros en los próximos tres años para que fiches a quien quieras, vamos a ayudarte a restructurar el club para crear una cantera fuerte y vamos a esperar, nadie exigirá que todo esto se haga de la noche a la mañana", le comunicó Al-Fahim a Hughes.

Y esa es, por supuesto, la gran duda: ¿se trata de otro Abramovich, flor de un día sin futuro, o algo más? La compra del City parece pertenecer a un gran plan de los Emiratos Arabes empecinados en que esa parte del mundo se convierta en la capital del deporte mundial. Empezaron a comprar caballos hace treinta años, invirtieron en equipos de Fórmula Uno recientemente y acaban de establecer una academia de fútbol en Dubai con el Inter de Milán, y ciertamente donde se meten, se quedan.

Las consecuencias de la llegada de una de las familias reales más ricas del mundo al fútbol inglés se verán a medida que se cumplan sus promesas, pero ayer se empezó a ver que el equilibrio se ha roto para siempre. Kevin Keagan perdió la paciencia con su club, el Newcastle, y le salió una camachada: "Como es que estos compran a Robinho y a mí me traéis a Xisco", le gritó al dueño, Mike Ashley. Se marchó del club y anoche se intentaba hacerle cambiar de idea.

I've been an Arsenal supporter for years and I've seen my club winning silverware and doing so well thanks to Wenger's mentality to pick the right player, at a very cheap price, at the right time. The likes of Henry and Vieira and Anelka, who became zeroes to heroes after moving to our club were all signings who in a way or another were a gamble which paid off more than anyone would have thought. Now that's the right mentality. Others, like Chelsea and Manchester City, decided to take a different route: just knock at the door of all the top clubs of Europe, giving out empty checks, asking for their best players.

I'm not sure how Manchester City fans are reacting to all this. Maybe they are enthusiastic, because they can now compete with the big guns, but is that really the way they wanted this to happen, so much out of the blue? In a week or two, they will be facing Chelsea in the Premiership with Robinho and ten other players, out of which, I'm more than sure none will be a regular next season, making Abu Dhabi United a more appropriate name for this team.

Back to our beloved Arsenal. Last season we clearly shown that with the Wenger mentality we can go out there and be second to none. We were so close to win the title and were unlucky to crash out of the Champions League the way we did. But, as much as were competitive, we didn't win anything and instead, ended up losing important players at the end of the season because they were offered more from other clubs.

Does this mean we can only be competitive if we accept to be taken over? And what would that mean? Wenger will be gone if this happens and we would never ever see the likes of Clichy, Walcott, Denilson and Fabregas making it into the first team at the tender age of 16.

So yes, in a year or two, Arsenal may be facing decision-time, with the first path being to take the same route as other clubs; sell out to the first greedy millionaire, looking at the team changing face from day to night and maybe, just maybe, winning trophies playing ugly football. The second path would be to stay put, enjoying the fact that we bring youngsters in and having them secure a first-team place, playing the most entertaining football in Europe, and fighting with the rest.

I tell you what, even without silverware, I would go for the second path without any second thoughts or regrets. After all, when you think about all the players Wenger wanted in the last couple of seasons but couldn't sign because they preferred the money of the other clubs, like Shaun Wright-Philipps, it comes so natural to appreciate that even without being competitive on the financial side of things, we are still competitive on the pitch. And the day we will lift something important, hopefully this season, it would mean that football, the way it should be, has triumphed over the rest.

Seperti yang dilansir Daily Mail, Wenger menyodorkan tawaran lanjutan, fee transfer sebesar 14 juta pound (Rp 238 miliar) untuk memboyong Alonso ke Emirates Stadium. Tawaran tersebut dua (2) juta pound lebih tinggi dibanding tawaran pertama yang disodorkan Arsenal. Namun, Benitez (kembali) tetap menolak melego Alonso dengan fee sebesar itu. Meskipun di muka publik menegaskan keinginannya untuk mempertahankan Alonso, Benitez diyakini bakal menyetujui penjualan Alonso jika fee yang disodorkan mendekati kitaran 17 juta pound (Rp 289 miliar).

Dalam benak Wenger, Alonso merupakan pemain paling ideal untuk menjadi tandem Francesc “Cesc” Fabregas di lini tengah The Gunners yang sebelumnya ditinggalkan trio pemain pilarnya, Mathieu Flamini yang hengkang ke AC Milan, Gilberto Silva ke Panathinaikos, dan Alexander Hleb yang berlabuh di Barcelona.

Selain Alonso, seperti yang dilansir The Telegraph, Wenger pun membuat kejutan dengan kembali mendekati gelandang Timnas Swiss yang bermain bersama Udinese, Gokhan Inler. Tawaran yang disodorkan The Gunners kepada kubu Zebrette ditayangkan pada pukul 23.00 atau satu jam sebelum bursa ditutup.

Namun, lagi-lagi Wenger menemui kekecewaan. Inler menegaskan keinginannya untuk tetap tinggal Stadio Friuli. “Saya tidak ragu. Sejak kali pertama datang saya yakin bakal tetap tinggal bersama Udinese. Saya ingin memberikan yang terbaik bagi klub ini,” tegas Inler, 24 tahun.

Yang cukup mengejutkan, Wenger dikait-kaitkan dengan defender asal Jerman yang kini bermain bersama Real Madrid, Christoph Metzelder. Wajar jika Wenger butuh bek anyar sepeninggal Phillipe Senderos yang hijrah ke Rossoneri. Di lain pihak, Metzelder, 27 tahun, dituding sudah tidak kerasan bermain di Santiago Bernabeu.

Sayangnya, sampai bursa ditutup tidak ada langkah konkret soal Metzelder yang dilakukan Wenger. Muncul isu, Wenger akan kembali berburu Metzelder di bursa transfer musim dingin Januari 2009 nanti.

INS: Carlos Vela (granted work permit), Aaron Ramsey (Cardiff City, £5million), Samir Nasri (Marseille, undisclosed), Amaury Bischoff (Werder Bremen, undisclosed), Mikael Silvestre (Man United, £750,000).

OUTS: Mathieu Flamini (AC Milan, free transfer), Jens Lehmann (Stuttgart, free transfer), Alexander Hleb (Barcelona, £11.8million), Gilberto Silva (Panathinaikos, £1million), Justin Hoyte (Middlesbrough £3million), Phillipe Senderos (AC Milan, season-loan loan), Armand Traore (Portsmouth,season-loan loan).
Others: Kerrea Gilbert (Leicester City, season-loan loan), Havard Nordtveit and Pedro (UD Salamanca, 6 month and season-loan loan), Nacer Barazite (Derby, 1 month loan)

Arsenal Squad

N.B. Eduardo and Bischoff are categorised as 'fringe' because injury may limit the players from a full participation in the first team this season. The reserves mentioned are the top reserve players and may play a part in the season and/or the Carling Cup. Players in red are those that have had major injury problems in recent years.

Smaller Squad

One of the problems last season was a lack of depth exposed by injuries which halted the Gunner's title charge however this season Arsene Wenger seems unmoved by this claim as he looked to trim his squad to allow maximum playing time from members. Senderos and Traore have been loaned out as Johan Djourou and Mikael Silvestre looked to have took their places.

The standard model used by most clubs is to have a minimum of two players challenging for each position. Arsenal manage to do that though at right back Eboue can provide the back-up moving up Wilshere to right midfield slot. Versatility seems key as if one of the two in a given position get injured one of the younger players will have to step up to provide cover.

The French tactician has placed an increased faith in his youngsters as players such as Randall and Gibbs look to challenge for a first team place while Ramsey, Denilson, Song and Diaby battle for the vacant midfield position left by Flamini.

Central Perk

This position is currently occupied by Denilson, who has made a steady start to the season but has yet to make the position his own in the way Flamini did last year. Attacking wise Denilson has looked more comfortable with a goal and two assists but work is still needed in his defensive game. To be fair he has shown willingness to win the ball back and improve on his tackling and positioning. Diaby and Song are the other two battling to partner Cesc Fabregas, and for the former a place in the starting line-up would have been formality had he not got injured. Diaby still has his doubters though the Frenchman has all the attributes to become as good as Patrick Vieira.

In defence the problem has usually been dealing with high balls but with Senderos out, Silvestre may look to stake his claim as Gallas' partner because of his superior aerial ability. Djourou has shown he has the talent to play regularly as he is yet to concede while Toure has always had his class though still vulnerable to the high ball.

Over Reliance on Cesc Fabregas

As shown in the table there are a lot of injury prone players which could expose the relatively low depth and experience in the squad. The Gunners will be hoping for a largely injury free campaign for Rosicky and Van Persie as the two have not yet played a full season at the club and have regularly missed the potent duo's creativity. If Van Persie is out, the burden will once again fall on Adebayor though Vela has greatly impressed in pre-season and against Newcastle showed he has the physical qualities to compete in the Premier League. Bendtner and Walcott are still raw talents though have huge potential. 

Arsenal don't want to fall into the same position as against Fulham where they played their worst game under Wenger and if you compare the team to the one that beat Newcastle the was one difference; Cesc Fabregas. His presence is even greater this year as I can remembered last year of the performance against Villa, the Gunners had Hleb, Diarra and Flamini to continue playing the passing football. Rosicky and Nasri are also key as on the wings the Gunners look a bit weak with both Walcott and Eboue still developing.

The immediate problem seems to lie in central midfield where the Gunners have to try and strike the right balance. Denilson showed his limitations against Fulham though is growing with stature but there is no doubt about his potential. And that is ultimately the problem judging how good the team is. No-one can measure potential and Diaby, Song, Denilson and Ramsey, and even one of the world's best midfielders, Fabregas are under the age of 22. The potential is enormous in this young side and are going to get better and better but for some of them it may be a season to early.

Arsene may have not an experienced midfielder and the next transfer window is there to review if one is needed however no-one can argue that if all the players are fit Arsenal will be challenging for honours at the end of the season.

I don’t know him but I wouldn’t like one of my team-mates to do that, most of all before a game as important as the league’s opener.

As a team-mate you don’t like those things.

He's right, of course. We've had a busy summer with many players showing lack of respect to their respective clubs, with the likes of Adebayor and Cristiano Ronaldo showing their desire to leave their clubs and now Robinho back-stabbing the Madrid side. What I find funny, though, is that Cesc didn't comment on Cristiano's behaviour, as far as I know, yet he made this comment on a club not even playing in the Premiership.

As much as I would hate it to happen, I honestly believe that if Cesc ever decides to leave us, it will be for Real Madrid and the way he stood up for them here may be a sign.

Am I just paranoid?

Gran fin de semana de fútbol el que hemos tenido. Empezó el viernes con una vibrante final de la Supercopa de Europa, en la que los rusos  del Zenit (rivales del Real Madrid en la Champions) superaron a un Manchester United que sin Ronaldo, no tuvo ni profundidad por bandas, ni juego en el medio, ni pegada arriba.

Interesantes los rusos, que de la mano del portugués Danny, fichaje estrella del Zenit esta temporada, machacaron al Manchester. El ex del Dinamo de Moscú, que ha costado 30 millones de euros, demostró su enorme talento, dominó el centro del campo y fue el principal creador de las contras. Ha venido para sustituir a Arshavin, y lo puede hacer a la perfección. El segundo gol así lo atestigua. El portugués con sangre venezolana controló el balón en el medio del campo, y partiendo desde la izquierda llegó al área donde mareó a Ferdinand y se la cruzó a Van der Sar. Si al final Arshavin no sale del Zenit, van a formar una pareja letal.

Me alegré mucho por Pogrebnyak, porque se lo merecía. Es un delantero sobresaliente que se perdió la final de la pasada UEFA por sanción y la Eurocopa por una inoportuna lesión, pero por fin ha logrado resarcirse, aunque sea en parte. Marcó el primer gol e hizo un excelente partido.

El Manchester me decepcionó. Le faltó contundencia arriba, algo que probablemente solucionen si al final firman a Berbatov, pero sobre todo, le faltó presencia en la medular, porque Scholes es un excelente llegador, y Anderson un mediapunta con mucha clase, pero se notaron muchísmo las ausencias de Carrick y Hargreaves. El 2-1 fue obra de Vidic y el United sacó la casta de campeón en el tramo final del encuentro, pero no fue suficiente porque sólo el 'apache' Tévez llevó peligro a la portería de Malafeev.

Además ha empezado el Calcio con sorpresas y tropiezos de los grandes. El Milan de Ronaldinho y Shevchenko cayó en casa ante el recién ascendido Bolonia. Los rossoneros son un cementerio de elefantes, con una plantilla cuya media de edad sobrepasa ampliamente los 30 años. Con Kaka' lesionado, Pirlo se encuentra muy sólo en la creación y Flamini deberá adaptarse a una nueva liga y a un técnico como Ancelotti. Ronaldinho tuvo un debut aceptable, acostado (no literalmente) en la banda izquierda, se dedicó a poner centros peligrosos e incluso dio el pase de gol a Ambrosini, pero aún le falta mucho para coger la forma, y dudo que pueda volver a ser el de los mejores años del Barcelona.

Otro que tropezó fue el nuevo Inter de Mourinho, que empató ante la Sampdoria del ex-gordo Cassano en Génova. La apuesta de poner a Cambiasso de central no dio resultado, y a Figo, que fue la sorpresa en el once titular, se le vio falto de ritmo durante todo el encuentro. El que si brilló fue Ibrahimovic, el sueco marcó el gol a pase de Mancini, pero estuvo muy desasistido en el ataque. Aun así el Inter asusta, con la mentalidad ganadora de Mourinho y una plantilla muy amplia, son candidatos a todo.

El partido estrella del Calcio fue el que enfrentó a Juventus y Fiorentina. Los turineses, sólidos y conjuntados se adelantaron con un gol de Nedved y todo parecía ponerse de cara para ellos cuando el árbitro dejaba con diez hombres a la Fiorentina al expulsar al ex mallorquinista Felipe Melo a 7' minutos para el final. Pero el conjunto viola, que no podía contar con Mutu, se lanzó al ataque a la desesperada y consiguió su objetivo cuando Gilardino introdujo en la red un balón peinado por Pazzini. Era el minuto 89 y el electrónico reflejaba el 1-1 final.

Lo más destacable de la Premier League, fue el partido entre el Tottenham de Juande y el Chelsea de Scolari. Un encuentro lleno de tensión, donde la calidad se vio a cuentagotas. Empezaron dominando los blues, y se adelantaron en el minuto 28 con gol de Belletti, pero los Spurs se rehicieron y lograron empatar antes del descanso cuando Darren Bent aprovechó una falta de entendimiento entre Lampard y Carvalho para poner el empate en el marcador. En la segunda mitad, no hubo oportunidades claras, dominó el centrocampismo y el marcador no se volvió a mover.

En el Liverpool-Aston Villa se lesionó Fernando Torres y los de Benítez acusaron su baja y sólo pudieron empatar a cero ante los hombres de Martin O'Neill. Sin Torres, el Liverpool pierde mucha pegada, y a pesar de la llegada de Robbie Keane, parece que la responsabilidad goleadora esta temporada, volverá a recaer en el 'niño'.

Volvió Cesc y lo notó el Arsenal. Los gunners arrollaron al Newcastle con dos goles de Van Persie y uno de Denilson, que crece notablemente cuando juega al lado del catalán. Con esta goleada, los londinenses han logrado aplacar las críticas por su juego ramplón de las dos primeras jornadas. Hay que destacar que en las urracas, volvió Joey Barton, que acaba de salir de prisión tras cumplir 75 días de condena por agresión.

Y por si esto fuese poco, también ha empezado la Liga con el Numancia haciendo historia. Los sorianos, con el presupuesto más bajo de toda la primera división vencieron al todopoderoso Barcelona gracias al gol de Mario Martínez, el jugador que menos cobra de toda la Primera  División y también el primer soriano que anota un gol con la camiseta numantina en la máxima categoría del fútbol español. Los de Guardiola se atascaron en ataque, y aunque tuvieron varias oportunidades claras no supieron definir. Volvieron a aparecer fantasmas de los últimos meses de Rijkaard. Henry deambulaba por el campo y aunque sé que soy pesado, sigo creyendo que los blaugranas van a echar mucho de menos a Deco.

En el Real Madrid, la vida sigue igual, que diría Julio Iglesias. Llevaba 17 años sin ganar en Riazor y esta temporada no ha sido una excepción. Un Deportivo muy serio doblegó a los blancos con goles de Mista (sí, Mista, yo tampoco me lo creía) y Lopo. En ataque los de Schuster salieron con todo menos el descartado Robinho. Robben, Higuaín, Raúl y Van Nistelrooy, pero eso les dejó sin equilibrio en el centro del campo. Guti vagaba por La Coruña mientras que Diarra no daba abasto para contener los ataques del Dépor. ¿Y De la Red?, en el banco. El botón que sirve como muestra para corroborar que el Madrid sigue cometiendo los mismos errores, es que los dos goles del Dépor vinieron en sendos saques de esquina, de nuevo balón aéreo, peligro para los blancos, y Casillas, extrañamente fallón, se olvidó de salir y casi se le cae el larguero en la cabeza. Volvió a cumplir el de siempre, Van Nistelrooy, que convirtió un rechace cerca del área en el único gol de los blancos. Pocos refuerzos y mucho trabajo por hacer.

Donde están en una nube es en el Calderón. Exhibición en Champions y primer liderato en la Liga. El Atlético de Madrid le endosó un 4-0 al Málaga con mucha autoridad. Agüero fue decisivo otra vez y Forlán volvió a demostrar que lleva el gol en la sangre. Además Heitinga y Ujfalusi han mejorado mucho la defensa con respecto al año anterior. Buenas vibraciones, pero tratándose del Atleti, habrá que ver cuanto les dura la alegría.

El Valencia de Emery también dejó muy buenas sensaciones. Goleó a un flojo Mallorca y demostró que la debacle de la vuelta de la Supercopa sólo ha sido un espejismo. Al igual que en la ida de la Supercopa, de nuevo Villa, Mata y Vicente fueron los goleadores.

Por último, dos notas de color para el blog. Dos clásicos, dos partidos grandes. El Celtic-Rangers y el Oporto-Benfica. El derbi del Old Firm se lo llevó el Rangers por 2-4 y para colmo, el autor de dos de los goles de los protestantes, fueron obra de Kenny Miller, ex-jugador del Celtic. De los españoles, sólo jugó Nacho Novo, que entró en el campo en el minuto 78' y no pudo ayudar al Rangers. Su compañero de equipo Aarón y el jugador del Celtic y ex-barcelonista Marc Crosas no intervinieron en el partido.

Y el partido grande del fútbol portugués tuvo mucha presencia española. Quique estaba en el banquillo del Benfica, que aguantó el chaparrón del Oporto, y logró un valioso empate a uno. Se adelantaron los locales con un gol de Lucho González de penalti y el paraguayo Cardozo empató para los lisboetas. En la recta final del partido, el defensa benfiquista Katsouranis fue expulsado pero los de Quique aguantaron el resultado y se llevaron un valioso punto. Dos apuntes, Di María, el jugador de moda, no brilló como se esperaba, buen partido de reyes y el 'payaso' Aimar se lesionó en el minuto 50 (otra vez). Como también salió lesionado el lateral Leo, en Lisboa comienzan a cuestionar los métodos del preparador español Pako Ayestarán.

Una última cosa, el Ajax de Van Basten y Oleguer perdió con el modesto Willem II de Tilburg... vaya debut tuvieron los hombrecillos.

PD: Juro replantearme lo de los posts así de largos, sé que son un coñazo (con perdón)

Arsenal confirmed that they are back on track with a definitive 3-nil dismantling of Kevin Keegan's Newcastle at the Emirates on Saturday.  This definitive result followed on the heels of their 4-nil victory in midweek over another England failure, Steve McClaren and his new Dutch side, FC Twente.  Arsenal needed to make statement Saturday afternoon following their dismal showing at Craven Cottage last weekend and they now head into the always disruptive international break with their confidence restored.  Will Saturday's performance settle the supporter's nerves?  Most still expect the Boss to make one more signing before the transfer window closes on Monday night but it is not at all certain that that will happen.

The team found its way back to style Saturday afternoon and Newcastle paid the price with their third consecutive 3-nil defeat at the hands of the Gunners.  van Persie's two goals were a bit overdue and though he came off due to injury, reports claim that he will be fit enough to go on international duty this week.  Though Adebayor's scoreless streak remained unbroken, he played a key role in setting up both of the open play goals.  Of course, the miss following two great passes from Fabregas and van Persie to set him free in the box tends to stick in the mind.

Perhaps, the biggest surprise of the afternoon was Arsenal supporters finally seeing in Emmanuel Eboue what the Boss has apparently seen in him this whole time.  Eboue had the best match in midfield that I can remember him having.  His runs were threatening, as they were at Fulham, but what he's always lacked in his midfield role is intelligence in decision making.  Denilson finally made something of a claim on the DM spot after a few very sub-par performances in the opening weeks.  His passing was much improved over the Fulham match (though it would've been a real challenge to top that performance for passing ineptitude) and his decision making was also far more sound.

On the left, it looks like it's gonna be very hard for Tomas Rosicky to get back into the side if and when he ever gets healthy.  Samir Nasri has proven in the opening weeks that he is a true Premiership quality player and both is overall adjustment and his understanding with Gael Clichy are already sufficiently developed.  He also showed he had the ability, like Hleb, to hold the ball in the midfield and his coolness in the box with his back to goal and a defender hanging on him saw him take two touches and find Adebayor who set up Denilson for the third goal.  Fabregas seems as though he's just about back to full match sharpness and the team's movement as a whole seems to be finding its stride which makes these international breaks all the more disconcerting - especially when they are followed by away trips to Blackburn and Kiev.

Regarding the two incidents from Saturday's match, I must say that Kevin Keegan deserves an Oscar award for the two outrageous claims he made after the match with an absolutely straight face.  First, he claimed that the penalty on N'Zogbia was weak because he was only "two feet away."  The replays show not only that the defender was much farther away than "two feet" but also that he not only raised his arm (a stupid mistake by a defender in that situation) but also that he moved it in the direction of the ball.  It doesn't matter whether it's intentional or not, it's still a penalty and Keegan should know that.

The second is his claiming that Joey Barton, following his very rough challenge, was "sliced down" by Samir Nasri.  Replays show Keegan to be wrong once again.  Nasri barely clipped Barton's heel as he was running away which sent him to the ground flat on his ass... oh wait, that was his face.  Perhaps he didn't see the full recklessness of Barton's initial challenge which he only got away with because he was lucky enough to get some of the ball.  Joey Barton the hack was then followed by an appearance by Joey Barton the punk (as it usually is) as he smiled at Nasri following the tackle.  For Keegan to complain that Barton was treated unfairly or played roughly is the absolute height of irony.  It was irresponsible on Keegan's part for playing him in the first place with an FA hearing pending on Friday.  The key thing to keep in mind wasn't that Barton was targeted by Nasri but that he was being retaliated against - being targeted implies Barton didn't bring it on himself.

Arsenal now have two weeks off following which we will make the trip to Blackburn who despite the positives drawn from their opening day win at Everton have since drawn Hull at home and got demolished by West Ham 4-1 this weekend.  In other fixture news, Arsenal's third round match in the Carling Cup against Sheffield United will take place on Tuesday, September 23rd at 7:45pm at the Emirates.

Cesc Fabregas is back for the first time this season in the League and that should make the match all the more interesting to the Gooners. I would like to see him partner Denilson in the centre of midfield. With Nasri and Walcott on the wings, the midfield will possibly look ok. With Walcott you never know if he is gonne fire or now. I hope he continues on from the last match against Twente FC.

The back four should be the more regular combination of Sagna-Toure-Gallas-Clichy unless Wenger feels that Toure can be tried out as a substitute in a holding Midfielder role in the second half and start with Djourou. Anything is possible but I guess he will go for stability and stick to the four mentioned above.

Van Persie and Adebayor should start upfront with Bendtner set to make a super sub role. Bendtner might start matches with the lower ranked teams in the league than the heavy weights. There is no clear news on when Rosicky might be back which is worrying and I want to see him in action. I don't even remember the last match he played.

Lets hope Nasri's home scoring form continues and we win comfortably rather than carve a edgy 1-0 win. Here is for 3 points and as many goals :)

Arsenal produced a scintilating display to defeat Newcastle inspired by a brace from Robin Van Persie.

This was by far Arsenal's best performance of the season, building on from the midweek demolition of FC Twente. The Gunners played Newcastle off the park from the first moment and twice went close from Gallas and Kolo Toure.

Arsenal took the lead in the 18th minute, N'Zogbia penalised for handball in which Robin Van Persie powerfully dispatched in to the bottom corner. The second came just before half time, Van Persie finishing well after a back heel from Eboue. A brief spell for Newcastle at the start of the second half could not stop the Gunners as Nicky Butt hit the bar, Denilson finishing a clever move.

Red Hot

Arsenal were in full flow straight from the kick off, in contrast to Newcastle who are in dire threads at the moment with James Milner having left. The best chance came for Owen in the first half as his shot was blocked by his own team mate Ameobi when destined to equalise. Nicky Butt did well to hit the bar with a header as he was stretching but that was the best they could get in the second half. Jonas Gutierrez threatened and Owen looked lively but the rest of the team could not handle the red hot Gunners. Even with Fabregas not at his best did Arsenal win this comfortably.

The long winded passes of last year were replaced by a more quicker Gunners, counter attacking with speed which in effect made Arsenal more ruthless. Van Persie put his poor start behind as he constantly dropped of to terrorise the Magpies defence and his intelligence and running were a constant problem all day. Unfortunately he couldn't get his hat-trick as he went off injured for the bright Carlos Vela.

Team Effort

In truth it was a all round team effort from Arsenal with a more balanced display, Denilson profiting from the cool head of Fabregas to partner in midfield. The substitutes Song, Walcott and Vela in particular did well showing great strength and maturity beyond his years.

It was a great performance from the Gunners against hapless Newcastle team and a perfomance which the Gunners' fans hope to continue on.

Arsenal: Almunia (7), Sagna (7), Toure (8), Gallas (7), Clichy (7), Eboue (7) (Walcott 72 (6)), Fabregas (7), Denilson (8) (Song Billong 69 (6)), Nasri(7), Adebayor (8), Van Persie (9) (Vela 63 (7)).
Subs Not Used: Fabianski, Ramsey, Djourou, Bendtner

Newcastle: Given (8), Coloccini (6), Jose Enrique (6) (Bassong 44 (5)), Taylor (5), Gutierrez (7) (Barton 89 (5)), Guthrie (5), Butt (6), Beye (6) (Edgar 89 (5)), N'Zogbia (5), Owen (7), Ameobi (5).
Subs Not Used: Harper, Tozer, Donaldson, Ranger

Star Man- Robin Van Persie: Arsenal needed a performance from the Dutchman and did he deliver. Two great goals and a constant threat for the remainder of his match.

Performance Rating: 5/5- Things can only get better for the Gunners and if they do then I should start rating out of 10! True it was maybe a tired Newcastle side but what a performance.

Arsenal	3-0 (HT 2-0)	Newcastle
Van Persie (pen) 18 Van Persie 41 Denilson 59
Bookings: Fabregas 52 Nasri 90+2		Bookings: Coloccini 28 Given 52

Arsenal bounced back from their 1-0 defeat at Craven Cottage last week with an emphatic 3-0 drumming of Newcastle.  Two goals from Robin van Persie and one from Denilson put the Gunners back on track.

Almunia: 7 Not really much for Manny to do this game but he did come up with the saves when we needed them.  What more can you ask?

Sagna: 7.5 Fantastic as usual.  He was great in defense as well as getting forward.  Whipped in some nice crosses, made some tough tackles and linked up well with Eboue.

Toure: 7 Solid game from a fan favorite.  Kolo showed heart and determination as he heped Arsenal towards a clean sheet.  Also had a few shot attempts that came close.

Gallas: 7 Missed a sitter in the first half but other then that he was good in the defense all game and continued to look threatening on set pieces.

Clichy: 7.5 Another great game from Clichy as well.  It was nice to see him turn it around after last week's poor showing.  His understanding with Nasri just keeps developing with each match and his tenacity in defense was outstanding.

Eboue: 7.5 A really good game from a man we have come to expect little of.  He linked up nicely with the rest of the squad and set up Van Persie's second with a fantastic back heel.  He also had some very threatening runs through the midfield which helped to create space for the strikers.  Lets hope he keeps up the good work.

Fabregas: 7.5 Solid game from Cesc.  He calmed the team down, dictated the pace and orchestrated our attack.  He picked up where he left off left season by staying committed to defending tenaciously in midfield which is something that is sorely needed with Flamini gone.  It is nice to have him back and I only expect him to get better as he continues to find his match sharpness.

Denilson: 7 Solid game from Denilson coming off of the disaster of last week.  His link up play with the back four was nice.  Took him a little while to get into the game but the goal was just the icing on the cake after a solid display today.  Still would like to see a bit more tenacity on the defensive side though but it wasn't desperately needed against such a toothless Newcastle side today.

Nasri: 7.5 Looked really dangerous, got out of tight spaces well and linked up fantastically with the rest of the squad.  He created chances for his teammates and even had a go himself.  His free kick was also nicely taken.  Alex who?

van Persie: 8.5 What a game from Robin today!  He needed it, the fans needed it, and the club needed it.  He has been disappointing and at times woeful since the season started but it seems he has finally found his form and in the process reminded us all of how good he can be.  His link up play in the midfield was very effective even on counter attacks and he was cool with his finish.  He even had a nice free kick saved by Given.

Adebayor: 6 Not Ade's best game at all.  He did link up nice with the rest of the team but at times it seemed like he was willing to pass too much instead of taking defenders on.  He missed a great chance as well, one that we would like to see him put in.  On the bright side, it appears he may have finally figured out the offside rule.

SUBS:

Vela: 7 This kid is going to be a star.  He is fierce on the ball, great in possession and looked for his teammates while still being willing to have a go.

Song: 7 Good man marking.  He seemed to help the defense more then Denilson, laying back just above the back four.  His positioning was good and he seemed very sound defensively.

Walcott: 7.5 Besides missing that shot, Theo was fantastic.  His pace terrorized Newcastle and he linked up well with the rest of the squad.  The move he used to get around the defender on the touch line was mesmerizing.

Man of the Match: Robin Van Persie.  After a string of pathetic performances the Dutchman looks to finally be back, something that can only be good news for Arsenal fans.  The extra dynamic he gives us on the pitch has been sorely missed and today he showed exactly how important he can be to this side.  Welcome back Robin!

Na wyłapywaniu i wspieraniu młodych talentów praca Arsenalu Londyn z młodzieżą się nie kończy. Kanonierzy uruchomili właśnie swoją kampanię pod tytułem "be a gonner, be a giver", która ma na celu wsparcie osób w wieku 13-24 lat w walce z rakiem. W akcji udział biorą takie osobistości jak menedżer klubu z Emirates - Arsene Wenger, a także piłkarze: Manuel Almunia oraz Cesc Fabregas. Przedsięwzięcie to ma związek z narastającym na Wyspach problemem zachorowalności na raka wśród najmłodszych. Każdego dnia w Anglii wykrywa się średnio 6 takich przypadków, co rocznie daje ok. 2 tys. diagnoz raka u młodzieży. Co gorsza, osoby powyżej 16 roku życia, u których wykryje się właśnie raka, będą umieszczani w placówkach razem z dorosłymi, poważnie schorowanymi pacjentami. Dzieci te, nie dość, że będą musiały przebywać w szkodliwym dla nich otoczeniu, to stracą kontakt z rówieśnikami i szansę na w miarę normalne lata młodości.

Dlatego też Arsenal zdecydował się na ufundowanie organizacji TCT (Teenage Cancer Trust) 300 tys. funtów, które to mają pójść na wybudowanie specjalnego ośrodka dla młodzieży we wspomnianym przedziale wiekowym. Na wyłożeniu takiej sumy pomoc Kanonierów się jednak nie kończy. Wymienione wyżej postacie zobowiązały się do odwiedzania chorych na raka, a także organizowania różnych wycieczek, m.in. na Emirates Stadium. Inicjatywa jest tym bardziej przednia, iż wielu londyńskich dzieciaków jest fanami Arsenalu i szansa spotkania się ze swoimi idolami jest dla nich spełnieniem marzeń.

Więcej o całej kampanii TU

It does seem that we will be getting one of Alonso, Inler or Barry, with one of the first two being the most likely. Barry will sign for Liverpool, that's a given, but it does seem clear that Benitez doesn't want to let one of his most prized assets join one of his Premiership rivals, and Arsenal will not be held ransom and pay over the odds for a player who is already cup-tied for the early Champions League games.

Fabregas has indicated that Alonso would be the perfect partner for him at Arsenal.

'I'd love it! What can I say'... 'For me he would be perfect.'

I have to agree with Fabregas on this one, Alonso would be perfect at Arsenal. A player like Alonso would make a massive difference to any team. He is a match winner, and he prevents defeats. He is the all-round perfect midfielder we have lacked since Vieira left. Fabregas is a consistent match winner, but he cannot prevent a defeat, Flamini can prevent a defeat, but he's not a consistent match winner. Having Alsono is like having two midfielders. To a certain extent Barry is very similar, and I've not seen Inler play at all but you can only assume he is an all-round midfielder.

I'd love us to sign Alonso, as you can probably tell. If it happens, it would be as big a signing as Sol Campbell was.

Meanwhile, Setanta are reporting that Johan Djourou could be on his way out of Arsenal on a season long loan deal to French club Rennes. Personally, I think the loan deal could be a great move, but it's ever so slightly worrying about the "option for a permanent switch" part of the article. Why we persevere with Senderos is beyond me, as Djourou, give a run in the team, could be a great defender.

Let's hope we get that big signing in the next couple of days, and go on to batter FC Twente. Let's remind ourselves of the language barrier journalists are facing in Holland. Absolute genius.

Wenger started with a team which had Eboue and Denilson at the centre with Toure back in the squad, pairing up with Gallas. The opposition played their cards well and cut off supply from the Gunners midfield to the forwards. It was certainly not helping when your supposedly creative midfielder, Denilson is having such a bad match.In the first part of the first half I hardly remember Adebayor touching the ball. Denilson ended up hitting more wrong passes than correct ones and Walcott again had a average match.

The goal came from a corner which could have been defended as Gallas found himself a pace short and ended up losing his player who poked it in. Gallas was again found wanting in this match. Clichy and Sagna also had a bad 90 munites compared to the high standards they set. Toure was responsible for giving away the corner which resulted in the goal. And he was forced to make that tackle due to his own mis-judgement.

Nasri showed a glimpse of his skills once in a while, but if he wants to be successful in this team, he needs to be more consistent in his game. Eboue had a ok match except for his antics but again he is not the answer for our need in the centre of midfield. Ade had a header which hit the vertical and Van Persie had three free kicks which were wasted. We better get a right footed freekick taker as well or train one of them for that as we are found wasting too many chances.

We can only hope that Wenger will take out his chequebook and get Alonso to play alongside Fabregas. Where are you Cesc, we miss you.

I have finally decided to start my blogging on Arsenal and my expectations for the season... So i will recap the transfers, and the last 2 games.

Today I have to admit that once again I am worried about my team... but this I am used to so I am hoping that the tables turn 180 and we see better football from "the" north Londoners. This transfer window so far we have lost the little depth that existed at Arsenal with the departures of Flamini, Hleb, Gilberto, Hoyte and the loan of Traore and Barazite . These were key players in the arsenal ranks(with the exception of Hoyte and Barazite) and sadly the incoming freshmen are not up to the level of the graduating class. The new boys were Nasri, Ramsey, Bischoff and Silvestre (I question Arsene's judgemnt here). So the midfield seems really depleted, and with Toure, Diaby, Rosicky and Fabregas sidelined the seasons opening games were sure to be tough. So said so done.

Now the game against West Brom saw Nasri bag his first goal for the Gunners, Arsenal's top scorer for last season seemed to be below par on the day. Fortunately they held on to the 1-0 lead and took the three points. The positives from the game would be that the team were able to hold out for the win, Denilson looked fit to play in Fab4's spot. However, in the game against Fulham the team looked substandard. Lack-luster would be an understatement as far as I am concerned. Adebayor might have renewed his contract but he needs to renew his goal tally too... I think he depends on feeds from Fabregas to get into the game. Turnovers galore and poor targeting riddled Arsenal's game. Hopefully with the return of Cesc in midweek we will see a better team performance.

My personal opinion is that Arsenal needs a defensive midfielder. I heard speculation that Tore will be converted to that place in the meantime and either Silvestre, D'jourou or Song will play as centre back... hmmm not too sure of Toure in the defensive midfielder's role but one thing i know is that he would do the best he can. And in the preseason  warm ups we saw Wilshire and Vela having some impact so it's a wonder when we will see them on the pitch.

Finally as i said before i usually have these doubts about Arsenal in the earlies but Wenger always seems to calm my nerves.. I know he will ready the Arsenal for the rest of the season.

Peace out Homies!!!

Having finished the league without any honours, Liverpool will once again start their campaign in the hope that they will be able to challenge for the Premiership. Rafa's primary target was to get Gareth Barry from Villa but the owners were not keen on shelling out 18 mil on him, instead they bought a proven striker in Robbie Keane. I seriously believe that Keane and Torres would be able to provide the goods upfront with Gerrard also contributing. But if you leave out these three and to some extent Mascherano the team is hardly any quality. With Gerrard not in the team they struggled against their Champions League qualifier opponent also.

Rafa Benitez is never known to make any sensible buys except for lets give it to him, Torres. But in Reina they have one of the best goal keepers in the league. And he has kept them in contention in a lot of matches, including their last competitive fixture. They have bought Philipp Degen (Borussia Dortmund - free), Andrea Dossena (Udinese - undisclosed), Vincent Lucas Weijl (AZ Alkmaar - undisclosed) Diego Cavalieri (Palmeiras - undisclosed) and David Ngog (PSG - £1.4m) other than Robbie Keane. But honestly how many of them will finally make us sit up and take notice, needs to be seen.

Prediction: Finish 4th

Arsenal

When you get beaten in the Champions League by some controversial penalty decisions and you finish 3rd in the league, you wonder if the team did very well despite some stars leaving the team and some very crucial injuries. Eduardo, Robin van Persie, Tomas Rosicky and Bacary Sagna were among the injured for most of the season and except for Eduardo and Rosicky everyone will be fit once again. Though at the start of the season the players on the injured list include Cesc Fabregas, Rosicky, Diaby and new signing Bischoff. the other one missing is the Olympian, Alex Song.

There has been many a comment passed on why Arsenal is not buying a defensive midfielder to replace Flamini and a central defender as cover for Toure or Gallas. Wenger probably believes that he has the back up for the defensive part and has made his intention clear in getting a holding midfielder before the next leg of the Champion's League encounter with Twente FC. There are just three new signings - Aaron Ramsey (Cardiff - £5m), Samir Nasri (Marseille - £11m), Amaury Bischoff (Werder Bremen - undisclosed) of which Nasri is probably the only proven player, bouhg to replace Hleb. He has Carlos Vela back from loan who has experienced the La Liga last year. But Wenger will probably be thinking that Persie and Rosicky are back from injury and are like two new signings. Walcott's biggest problem has been his inconsistency and he will get more starts than last year hopefully. Bendtner would be waiting in the wings to pounce on any let off from Ade or Persie. The team is strong once we buy a new holding midfielder and I cannot wait to see the match against West Brom though Fabregas is not starting.

Prediction: 2nd place in the League and probably Champions League winners :)

My team for this season

Almunia

Sagna Toure Gallas Clichy

Walcott New-signing Fabregas Rosicky

Adebayor Persie

Just 2 months ago, Aaron Ramsey was being pursued by Man U, Arsenal, and Everton and being hailed by all three clubs as "one for the future."  In the end, it was his choice to join Arsenal and it was something that Arsene Wenger said to him at a private meeting on neutral ground that convinced the young man that Arsenal would be the club for him.  The boy came away from the meeting convinced that he would be given every opportunity to succeed at Arsenal and said something that not many gave much thrift to at the time

Arsenal is a club which always gives young players an opportunity at the highest level of the game and I am going to work my hardest to be part of future successes here.

Tonight, he gets his opportunity. Wenger gave a tepid review of Ramsey's progress, saying that the kid needs to work on his technique, and so I doubt that Ramsey would have been any where near consideration for a starting spot if everyone was healthy.  But needs must is the devil's playground, or something like that, and the lad gets his shot.  After my initial response, I am excited for him and really wish I could watch the match, but it's not being broadcast here in the States and so I'll have to either do the Beeb's scrolling update or find some way to do a peer to peer thing.  So, here's to you lad, break a leg, erm... no, wait, don't do that.  Don't break any legs, yours or anyone else's, please?

As I said yesterday, I'm now on the record with a sense of dis-ease with the lack of midfield signings and constant midfield injuries.  First, to the injuries, it turns out that Cesc and Senderos both picked up a Hammy because the boss overworked them in training. Here's Wenger's mea culpa:

But it is always tricky when you have players coming back late. You always try to rush the fitness a little bit. When you play a qualifier you are a bit more pushy with players who come back late and that's when you get injuries. That is what happened with Fabregas.

Note to Arsene Wenger; Cesc Fabregas is the most important player in the club, I'd appreciate it if you didn't kill him in training in your haste to get him fully fit.  Thanks.  I mean, what's done is done, and I fully back Wenger as manager, but for the love of god, why?  Why couldn't the manager and physios, with all that's at their disposal, ensure the fitness of their most important player?

As for the signing, all summer I've maintained a healthy skepticism that Wenger will sign the big name player that so many of us supporters are slavering over.  As much as I would love to see Xabi Alonso in the proper shade of red, I honestly don't think the club has the resources to do the deal.  Well, they sort of have the resources, but I think they'd have to borrow money to do it.  Maybe the sale of Justin Hoyte, if they accept Middlesboro's bid, will help grease the skids a bit here but again I remain doubtful.  Every quote I read from every person, from the board to the boss, seems to be setting us up for one of those classic "well, we had a couple of targets, but the price wasn't right" justifications for not filling out the team.  The part that they admit is that they need a body, but then Wenger will say that he may or may not buy, depending on the value.  Like I said a few days back, if you have a flat tire and you're on a road trip, you don't wait for the repair shop to have a fire sale; you fix the damn flat.

I'm resigned to the notion, though, that Arsenal aren't buying anyone, not Inler, not Alonso, not Bale, and not Annan or whoever else the press can fabricate as being linked to the club.  That way, if the deal does suddenly happen for Alonso I can be double-plus happy.

Anyway, the boys take on FC Twente in a few hours.  Here's to a rousing win and superb performance by all and especially the ones who have been thrown into the breech.

Unless Arsenal sign Alonso... tomorrow.

The squad was announced ahead of tomorrow's match and normally I don't do an extra blog but this is big enough news that I feel like I need to share it right away. It was revealed today that Toure, Senderos, Nasri, and Fabregas all picked up injuries and will be unavailable for the match tomorrow. Add them to Eduardo, Diaby, Rosicky, and Song and I think we can confidently say (with 8 players out) that this is a thin squad. At least Wenger sees the humor in the situation when he says that we have a "big squad at home." Har har Arsene.

The squad was named and the boss has said that Ramsey is likely to start; if he doesn't pick up an injury tonight somehow. For the record, Arsenal are starting a 17 year old in a crucial Champions League qualifying away match against a hungry team with a hungry manager. A 17 year old who's closest experience at this level is a cameo during an FA Cup semi-final.

It's official, I'm getting worried.

Arsenal squad
Manuel ALMUNIA
Lukasz FABIANSKI
Bacary SAGNA
William GALLAS
Gael CLICHY
Justin HOYTE
Johan DJOUROU
Aaron RAMSEY
Jack WILSHERE
Kieran GIBBS
DENILSON
Theo WALCOTT
Emmanuel EBOUE
Mark RANDALL
Emmanuel ADEBAYOR
Robin VAN PERSIE
Nicklas BENDTNER
Carlos VELA

The lineup will probably be:

Sagna, Djourou, Gallas, Clichy

Eboue, Denilson, Ramsey, Walcott

van Persie, Adebayor

I could also see the boss playing a sort of 4-3-3 with Walcott up front since that's what he played last week against Juventus.

What else is there to say?  Up the Arse!

Steven Gerrard is often (too often, if you ask me) regarded as the best central midfielder currently living and breathing on the planet, and that's something that persistenly annoys me because I can't for the life of me figure out how so many can overlook our very own Fabregas. I've always drawn quite a bit of satisfaction from successfully dispelling myths, I'm kinda like that Mythbusters show (except they use science, cowards) when it comes to that. And yes, the idea of labeling Steven "Über Hypocrite" Gerrard the best midfielder in the world is nothing short of a deluding myth, a mental virus that permeates the brains of every football lover. I've never considered myself to be in the crime-fighting-tight-leather-suit-wearing mould, but I do see it as my duty to save mankind - at least the part of mankind that loves football and, above all, the Premier League - from certain doom.

You may think that I am exaggerating, but this is actually as bad as I made it seem. Overlooking Fabregas to this extent is a scandal of epic proportions. You could go even deeper and blame racism and basic human psychology (a "we against them"-feeling) for this, but come on, this is a football blog. And I'm lazy.

Since this is a Gunner blog I'm sure I don't have to lecture you on Fabregas and what he's achieved at 21, but still, just think about it. He broke into one of the worlds leading clubs at the age of 16 (not quite on a regular basis just yet though) and he was the heartbeat of the same club, still very much one of the greatest teams around, at the age of 18 when Vieira left. He wasn't a striker, which is a position where you generally see very little of the ball during the games. He had alot more responsibility than a striker as a creative, attacking midfielder; he orchestrated Arsenal’s attacking play in a way that is second to none and he helped out in the defense. Later the same year he was outstanding in Spain's World Cup campaign, pretty much in the same way he was their best player during Euro 2008. And if you say Xavi was better and deserved to be named the best player of the tournament then I'm going to hit you in the crotch with a frozen sledgehammer.

In my opinion he was already better than Gerrard at the age of 18, but I suspect that is a statement that not alot of people will agree with, perhaps not even the most biased Gooners out there. He certainly lacked in the experience department back then, but he does not anymore - those of you who read my post on the Arsenal captaincy will know what I'm talking about. In case you need a quick update; ~200 Arsenal games, Carling Cup finalist, Euro 2008 winner, Champions League finalist, a truckload of individual awards at senior and youth level and several medals with Spain at youth levels, the list can be made endless. Let's just say he knows how to kick a ball. And as for the previous season I'll let the statistics do the talking.

By far the most assists in the Premier League, by far the most passes - and the best passing accuracy to go with that, he created the most goal scoring opportunities with 3.50 per game (Gerrard came in second with 3.06) and his tally of completed crosses just makes other top midfielders like Lampard and Carrick look stupid. Still he's not the best you say? Compare his completed tackles percentage of 68.3 to Barry's 54.2. Pretty much the complete midfielder I say. Another example is the fantasy Premier League game, Gerrard is always more expensive even though Fabregas has ended up with a higher score every season. This sounds like a pretty stupid argument, but when you think about it this kind of proves my entire point.

But how is it in Spain? He must be getting all kinds of praise in his native country? Well, in Spain he will always be the one who left them for England - not quite one of their own. If Fabregas had done the same things that he's done in the Premier League in La Liga I promise you he would've been in Spain's starting eleven throughout the Euros, instead he was surpassed to being the best bench-player in footballing history. When Fabregas was introduced whenever Spain played during the Euros you could immediately see the difference because he is simply better than Xavi who just plays sideways. It feels weird to say this about an Arsenal player, but Fabregas is way more direct. He made incisive passes towards the opponents penalty area and piercing and precise crosses all over the pitch instead of following Xavi's crablike style of play. Do I have to mention the game against Russia and the beautiful assists he made? When I watched that game I was sitting in a bar in Greece and I almost spilled my beer on the guy sitting next to me because of an overwhelming feeling of wonder and admiration. I just felt so lucky that I could say to myself: That guy plays for my team!

Underestimated in England and almost forgotten on purpose in Spain - will he ever be considered the best? Well, I'll tell you this much: If Fabregas were English, he'd be the best midfielder in the world.

Wilshere este jucatorul cu numarul 10.

Wilshere este jucatorul cu numarul 55.