Just Arsenal News

Arsenal have been in a three way tussle with Chelsea and Tottenham for what seems like ages now. There has never been such a close run race for the final two Champions League places and it is all going down to the wire. Chelsea are definitely in the top four, although the Gunners could go above them into third. So really, it is down to us and Spurs again.

Arsene Wenger, however, is not interested in how the spuds get on against Sunderland, because he knows that Arsenal have worked very hard to make sure that our destiny is in our own hands and that the players must focus solely on beating Newcastle United on Sunday. .......Read the full article here

For once a game has produced the result that gives Arsenal the advantage in the race for the Top Four, and may even give us the chance of nicking Third Place back from Chelsea as well.

Chelsea totally dominated Bale FC in the first half and Oscar’s opening goal seemed inevitable, but the Blues missed an amazing amount of chances to put the game beyond Spurs reach. When Adebayor pulled an equalizer out of nowhere it looked like it could be Tottenham’s lucky night. .......Read the full article here

Lukasz Fabianski has been an Arsenal player long enough to know all about the bitter rivalry between the Gunners and Tottenham Hotspur. The fact that the spuds have been pushing for a top four finish and Champions League football recently, while Arsene Wenger has been struggling to keep Arsenal there with very little money, has made this all the more tasty recently.

Arsenal travel to relegated QPR tomorrow knowing that another three points will be a massive step towards being part of the European elite again. QPR have been awful this season and a lot of the players seem to be there just for the money. Fabianski is concerned, however, that the Tottenham connection will try to ensure that they do everything they can to help the mod down the road. .......Read the full article here

Arsenal soon to be a non-top 4 team? Don’t count on it by Matt

Today Arsenal faces their biggest challenge for the remainder of the season in a game that could decide their Champions League fate. For years now pundits have predicted that Arsenal were soon to be a non-top 4 team. That their decline was inevitable and that they would have to make way for one of the up and comers like Manchester City.

I remember predictions from as long ago as 2008 that Arsenal’s best days were behind them and that they would be the first of the Grand Slam “top 4 teams” to drop out and start regularly landing outside the top 4. .......Read the full article here

Fellow Gooners, by KA

We are in the last stage of the EPL campaign , ManUre has just won the league and next week we will have to give them a guard of honour – but the main thing which we should worry about (apart from winning) is Goal Difference, because it could end up in a situation where All THREE London team ends up with 70 Points and realistically its a possibility.

Let me explain how by looking at me expected results from the final games:

TottenScums

Wigan Win 64
Southampton Draw 65
Chelski Draw 66
Stoke City Draw 67
Sunderland WIn 70

Chelski .......Read the full article here

Arsenal are currently leading the race for the coveted Third Place in the Premiership, which guarantees direct entry into the Group Stages of the Champions League, but after yesterday’s results they are just one point ahead of Chelsea and two ahead of Spurs.

The race is still far from over though as both teams below them have a game in hand, and the Spurs manager Andre Villas-Boas believes that his Tottenham team are now in control of their fate once again.

He said after yesterday’s incredible last-gasp fight-back against Manchester City: “It was very important for us to come back. It means we are now in control because we have a game in hand on Arsenal — and that game in hand is against Chelsea. .......Read the full article here

A Scary Banana!

I have just read the news about the Arsenal fan Tom Flint, who has just been fined £250 for throwing a banana at the extremely good-looking Tottenham winger Gareth Bale. He has also been banned from ever going to the Emirates (or any football match) for the next three years. He was described in the Mail as having no other interests except football and I think we all know people like that, especially on this website!

The District Judge, Rebecca Crane (who I don’t believe has ever been to a Premiership match), was not very happy with Flint, and told him off like he was an itinerant schoolboy. She said: “You have let yourself down. .......Read the full article here

West Bromwich Albion 1 – 2 Arsenal, the boys have the hold on once again by KJ

This looked a relatively straight forward win as Tomas Rosicky netted the second but an absolute defensive cock up by Mertesacker left us a man down and a goal down after the penalty was given.

We started the game off fairly shakily as we gave West Brom far too much possession in dangerous areas. Fortunately, without Lukaku starting, a lot of those chances were spurned or couldn’t be properly capitalised on (especially the crosses). We eventually grew into the game with some good movement and dribbling by the likes of Ramsey and Rosicky in the midfield. .......Read the full article here

The news that Jack Wilshere is taking longer than expected to recover from his ankle injury will have Arsenal fans feeling an icy sensation of dread, as the last time we heard that sort of thing, it was 17 months on the sidelines for the Gunners star.

According to Metro, medical staff at Arsenal are concerned that the 21-year old midfielder is not responding to treatment as they would expect. His return from injury has been postponed again, apparently, so he will not be available for the Norwich game and may not be ready until late April, if that!! .......Read the full article here

Arsene Wenger’s assistant at Arsenal, Steve Bould, has given Arsenal fans some much needed good news on the injury situation at the club. Following the devastating blow to the French midfielder Abou Diaby last week, it is a welcome change to hear of some injured players returning sooner than first thought.

The Gunners could have Jack Wilshere, Theo Walcott and Nacho Monreal available for the game against West Brom on Saturday, whereas it was previously thought that only Walcott had a chance of making the team. The players are all training, and Monreal is a definite, but we will probably not know if the other two are fit enough to feature against West Brom or Norwich until Saturday. .......Read the full article here

Whatever Arsene Wenger has said and done with the Arsenal players since losing to Tottenham a month ago, it seems to have worked. I just wish he had done it in August. However, three wins on the spin and much better performances have given Gooners the belief back and indicated that another season in the Champions League is not just a distant dream.

Aaron Ramsey has had a similar sort of experience this season. It was not too long ago that seeing his name on the team sheet made many Arsenal fans think we were beaten before a ball had been kicked. The young Welshman was struggling for form and consistency earlier in the season, but his transformation has been more steady, and is down to hard work and persistence. He believes the club’s upsurge is more to do with attitude and approach. .......Read the full article here

The Race for 4th by AH

The title of the article says it all, the fact we are having to fight for 4th place like it’s a trophy is ridiculous. It’s not an achievement no matter what you say and it’s simply not good enough. You could say that’s a negative view to things and I suppose it is, but the fact is it’s the truth and we all know it.

In the last few weeks we’ve seen some good results that have helped us in our stride for a Champions League place, for the 16th year running. The 2-0 win over Bayern Munich seems to be the turning point in our season and we have looked far more confident, leading to better performances from Arsenal, seeing 6 goals scored and 1 goal conceded in the last 2 games. .......Read the full article here