Just Arsenal News

It was great for Arsenal fans to see Super Jack Wilshere back playing in the first team again this season. The 21-year old was obviously as glad as we were to get over his injury after what seemed like an eternity on the sidelines. Jack has put in some great performances for the Gunners, but he knows he has not been at his brilliant best, although he is sure we will see that next season.

“From a personal point of view it has been a good season for me, especially after last year,” said Wilshere. .......Read the full article here

There is a belief in football that you should not change a winning team and that is what Arsenal have had for the last three games. Arsene Wenger had suggested that Olivier Giroud would return after his suspension and that Mikel Arteta would not be able to play due to his calf problem, but that seems to have been intended to keep the Newcastle manager Alan Pardew and his players guessing right to the last minute.

Szczesny
Sagna, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Gibbs
Arteta, Ramsey, Rosicky
Walcott, Podolski, Cazorla .......Read the full article here

Arsene Wenger seems to have made his decision to include Jack Wilshere in the Arsenal starting line up today. Unless he is doing another of his old Jedi mind tricks, of course, and Mikel Arteta and his unmovable appear on the St. James’ pitch this afternoon. Assuming the Spaniard has failed to recover from his calf problem, it will be Jack who plays alongside Ramsey.

This has sparked a lot of concern among the Arsenal fans, as Wilshere is our talisman and we have already lost him for over a year with injury problems. We know that the 21-year old is due for a minor operation on his ankle this summer, so people are naturally worried that the injury could be aggravated today, perhaps meaning that he is not ready for next season. .......Read the full article here

Jack Wilshere is heading for a small operation in the summer to remove a pin from his ankle, but is still expected to play some part in today’s game against Newcastle due to the injury to Mikel Arteta.

He admits that this game is so crucial that there may be a few nerves amongst the Arsenal players, but says they just have to calm and professional to make sure of the three points, no matter what happens in the Tottenham game.

“The mood has got to be one of excitement because we know that if we win, we’re going to be playing in the Champions League or the Champions League qualifier at the beginning of next season,” Wilshere said on Arsenal.com. .......Read the full article here

Arsenal head up north tomorrow needing a win to secure a top four finish, while Newcastle have nothing much to play for, although this and other results could see them finish anywhere from 10th to 17th. Alan Pardew will try to upset Arsene Wenger and Arsenal and give the home fans something to cheer about.

Having said that, Newcastle have been as leaky as a Welshman’s allotment this season. Only the three relegated teams have let in more than the 67 Premier League goals the Magpies have conceded so far. The players also have the painful recent memory of our 7-3 victory against them at the Emirates. With Giroud back from suspension, Arsenal could have four players on the pitch who are all in double figures in the Premier League. Newcastle will have just one, Papiss Cisse. .......Read the full article here

It has been very impressive the way Arsenal have handled the pressure on them this season. From a morale sapping defeat to the hated spuds, Arsenal were left seven points adrift and it seemed like this would be the year Tottenham finally finished above us.

Maybe we should thank AVB, because the spuds’ croaky voiced manager’s gloating claims of a downward spiral for Arsenal had the opposite effect and we are now back in the driving seat. Arsenal have one game left to secure the Champions League place and there seems to be excitement and eagerness to get on with the job, rather than pressure and concern. .......Read the full article here

Arsene Wenger has been talking about who will replace the injured Mikel Arteta in Arsenal’s crucial match against Newcastle tomorrow, and although he says that Jack Wilshere is the obvious replacement, he will leave it up to the player himself to decide if he can handle the pain.

Wenger said: “That is one of the things I have to evaluate before Sunday and talk to him as well,”

“He will have the final say in that because you cannot force a player, they have to be comfortable. I will only do that if he feels completely comfortable with the idea. .......Read the full article here

So we now face the final game of the season, and Arsene Wenger knows that Arsenal simply need to win at Newcastle to confirm our place in the Top Four for the 17th season in a row. But which team is Wenger going to pick?

There are certain to be changes from last week’s nervous home win over Wigan, as the Spaniard Mikel Arteta is nigh on a certain casualty. Wenger said yesterday: “For the weekend, we have the uncertainty over Mikel Arteta, who had to come off just before the end of the Wigan game with a calf strain. Honestly, his chances of being available are minimal. I have to be realistic and prepare for another solution.” .......Read the full article here

Ever since Arsene Wenger took over as the manager of Arsenal Football Club back in 1996, the Frenchman has made the academy and youth development parts of the club very important. Ideally, Wenger would like to follow the Barcelona example of being able to field a whole team of players who have come through the Arsenal ranks.

This would be great for financial reasons, but also because it would mean the players would have huge ties to the club. They would, hopefully, be more reluctant to leave and would be more determined to help bring success. That is all well and good in principle, but it hasn’t really been working too well. .......Read the full article here

Arsene Wenger has a few decisions to make in his selection for the Arsenal team that travels north to St. James’ Park on Sunday in the hope of beating Newcastle United and ensuring a top four finish, at least. The Prof will not want to change too much with the Gunners being on a fabulous run, especially with last night’s goal-fest against Wigan.

Wenger may not have the option of keeping the same starting 11, however, if the calf injury picked up by the Spanish midfielder and vice-captain, Mikel Arteta, turns out to be as bad as first feared. Wenger suggested in his post match interview last night that it would be Jack Wilshere who replaces Arteta if necessary, but that comes with it’s own problems. .......Read the full article here

Arsenal still have a top four finish and Champions League qualification in their own hands after a fantastic 4-1 win over Wigan Athletic last night. The Gunners could even snatch third place with Chelsea having just a single goal better goal difference.

We still have to win the final game away to Newcastle United on Sunday, however, and it looks like we will have to do it without Mikel Arteta. The vice-captain was substituted late in the game and it turns out that he has a calf problem, as Arsene Wenger revealed after the game. .......Read the full article here

Arsenal fans are used to seeing a long list of injuries for most of the Premiership season, but going into our final two games, we are down to just one person left on the treatment table, and no prizes for guessing who that is!

Last week, there was Kieran Gibbs, Lukasz Fabianski and Abou Diaby on the list, but Wenger revealed yesterday: “The news is quite good, we have everyone available. Kieran Gibbs should be back too, he has a test today.

“Fabianski is available as well.”

So Diaby must be feeling quite lonely in the medical department at the moment! But Wenger also finally announced the fact that Jack Wilshere was definitely set for summer surgery, as we revealed three weeks ago. .......Read the full article here