FM09 - Arsenal

[law90026]

30 November 2008: Premier League Match #15

Arsenal 0 - 0 Everton

Not much for me to say about this game as we failed to break down the Everton defence. Despite having 11 shots on goal, we really only had 2 clearcut chances and failed to convert them.

MotM: Clichy

[law90026]

3 December 2008: League Cup Quarter Finals

Arsenal 0 - 0 Tottenham (Arsenal win 4-2 on penalties)

Another goalless draw has me a little worried as it has been 210 minutes since we last scored. Hopefully it's not a sign of things to come.

The penalty takers held their nerve while Bent hit the post for Spurs and Huddlestone's penalty was saved by our keeper.

Gomes, the Spurs keeper, was named MotM though because he kept us out during the full duration of the game (we had 15 shots on their goal).

MotM: Gomes

[law90026]

6 December 2008: Premier League Match #16

Chelsea 1 - 3 Arsenal
Bendtner 3'
Bendtner 39'
Lampard 45'
Adebayor 60'

Another top of the table clash against another rival for the title and we see them off in style at their homeground. We absolutely outplayed them today (61% possession to 39%) and the scoreline should have been greater in our favour (we hit the bar and Adebayor failed at 2 one-on-one situations with their keeper).

Bendtner headed in our first goal from a Rosicky cross, then added a second from a van Persie cross. Slight worries arose when Lampard tapped in a goal just before half time but we put the game out of doubt when Adebayor rose to power home a header from the penalty spot area. After that, the game was pretty much over as Chelsea deflated.

MotM: Bendtner

[law90026]

10 October 2008: Champions League Group Phase Match #6

Arsenal 0 - 0 Juventus

A goalless draw as neither side could score the decisive goal. However, we were fortunate not to lose because Juventus had a lot of chances against a relatively 2nd string side on our part. Almunia deserved the MotM award as he essentially saved us from losing.

And van Persie is injured again! 3 weeks this time. I need more durable players.

MotM: Almunia

[law90026]

13 December 2008: Premier League Match #17

Arsenal 1 - 0 Stoke City
Djourou 11'

Not a win by the scoreline I would have predicted as we were terribly let down by Adebayor's abysmal finishing today. He missed a 9th minute penalty then managed to somehow miss a host of chances thereafter. Luckily Djourou popped up to score from a freekick, planting a firm header by the Stoke keeper. It was pretty much one way traffic for most of the match although they did give us a scare in the final seconds of the game with a shot that Almunia saved.

This game also marked the return of Eduardo, who came on as a sub in the 72nd minute.

MotM: Djourou

[law90026]

21 December 2008: Premier League Match #18

Arsenal 3 - 0 Portsmouth
Fabregas 12'
Clichy 62'
Adebayor 75'

We continue our good form as we beat Portsmouth 3-0 at home. While they just about matched our possession (52-48 in our favour), we were a lot more creative and had more chances at scoring (11 shots compared to their 6). That was probably the difference today .. well that and clinical finishing by us.

The first goal came when Rosicky was left free on the right hand side of the penalty box after a corner. His shot was parried by James but Fabregas was on hand to slot home the rebound. In the second half, Clichy turned in a super performance as he scored our 2nd when poor marking left him unmarked at the left hand side of the box and he put it past the keeper. He then crossed for Adebayor to head home.

Defoe was dangerous for them and Handanovich had to save twice from him as his pace allowed him to get past our defence too easily.

MotM: Clichy

[law90026]

26 December 2008: Premier League Match #19

Newcastle 1 - 2 Arsenal
Eduardo 49'
Eduardo 85'
Xisco 91'

We managed to squeak out a win against the Magpies and they will feel like they did not deserve to lose. They actually had more chances to score but Handanovic pulled off a string of saves to ensure we took away the 3 points today. He was rewarded with the MotM award.

Eduardo got his first competitive start in a long time today and repaid my faith in him with 2 goals. The first was classy finishing from him as he chased down a long ball and rolled it past the advancing Newcastle keeper. He scored the 2nd from a close range header following a Walcott cross. Newcastle pulled one back in the dying seconds though as Xisco forced home a cross but they did not have enough time to get another goal.

MotM: Handanovic

[Izulde]

Great work you're doing. And man, Walcott's a blast to see out there.

[law90026]

Midway Point Review:

With 19 matches gone, we're at the halfway point of the Premier League.

Overall:
I'm obviously delighted with our performances so far. We are first in the Premier League, 9 points clear of Man Utd (who have a game in hand though), in the semi-finals of the League Cup (against Liverpool) and will face Lyon in the knock-out stages of the Champions League, a fixture that we have a good chance of winning.

With the recent return of a number of players from long term injuries, squad depth also looks decent again and that may mean I will not sign anyone during the January transfer window, although the lack of funds also plays a part in that decision (I have about 3 million pounds left).

Our top performers so far in my mind are Clichy and Palambo. Clichy has really stepped up his game recently and is a real threat down the left wing with his pace. Palambo remains a consistent player who does all the necessary defending in front of the defence and is a reason why we have conceded so few.

Disappointing players so far include de Jong (who has not been able to get a regular starting spot and hasn't played tremendously well when given the opportunity), Vela (he has really cooled off after his hot start) and Adebayor (he may be our top scorer but he disappears in so many games).

Top Goalscorers: Adebayor (15), van Persie (8), bunch of others on 6
Top Assists: Walcott (9), Santana (7)

Premier League roundup:
We are at the top of the table, with a little distance separating us from Man Utd. Spurs and Chelsea are 3rd and 4th, with a bunch of clubs tied for 5th, including Liverpool. Chelsea lost 3 matches in a row, which accounts for their 4th place right now.

At the bottom of the table, the surprise team is Aston Villa who are 18th in the league, followed by West Ham and Hull props up the bottom. If Villa get relegated, I'll strongly consider going in to pick up some of their players.

1. Arsenal Played 19 Win 14 Draw 4 Losses 1 For 41 Against 8 Pts 46
2. Man Utd P 18 W 11 D 4 L 3 F 32 A 11 Pts 37
3. Tottenham P19 W 10 D 6 L 3 F 31 A 15 Pts 36
4. Chelsea P19 W 11 D 2 L 6 F 28 A 17 Pts 35
5. Liverpool P19 W 9 D 6 L 4 F 26 A 16 Pts 33
6. Everton P19 W 9 D 6 L 4 F 26 A 18 Pts 33
7. Sunderland P19 W 9 D 6 L 4 F 23 A 17 Pts 33

Top Goalscorers: Yakubu (Everton) and Adebayor (10), Bent (Tottenham) and Aghonbolar (Villa) (9)
Top Assists: N'Zogbia (Newcastle) (8), Miller (West Brom) (7), Ronaldo (Man Utd) (6)
Top Rating: Diarra (Portsmouth) (7.40), Ronaldo (Man Utd) (7.34), Clichy (7.31)

[law90026]

Originally Posted by Izulde

Great work you're doing. And man, Walcott's a blast to see out there.

Thanks!

Yeah, I have to say Walcott has been a pleasant surprise. I didn't expect that much from him to be honest but he can really be a game-changer at times.

[law90026]

1 January 2009:

At the start of the New Year, I was delighted when I received a call from Pat Rice, informing me of the awards our players had won.

Gael Clichy had been named to the World Team of the Year and also came in 3rd in the voting for Defender of the Year.

Samir Handanovic had come in 2nd in the voting for Goalkeeper of the Year.

Fabregas had won the Premier League's Young Player of the Month award.

And I had won the Premier League Manager of the Month award for December! Finally, maybe some recognition that I wasn't going to destroy Arsenal after all.

[law90026]

3 January 2009: FA Cup Round 3

Charlton 0 - 4 Arsenal
Bendtner 12'
Eduardo 38'
Bendtner 42'
Vela (pen) 61'

The FA Cup, a trophy of historic importance but perhaps less practical relevance in modern day English football. Still, it would be nice to do well in this competition. Having said that, I field a reserve side against Charlton although the argument could be made that our reserve side is better than most other first teams in England.

We started the following:
1) GK: Handanovic (Almunia is injured);
2) RB: Toure (Eboue injured);
3) LB: Clichy (only other LB is Gallas);
4) CB: Djourou;
5) CB: Song;
6) DM: de Jong;
7) RW: Ramsey;
8. LW: Vela;
9) AM: Rosicky;
10) ST: Bendtner
11) ST: Eduardo

And the 2nd team is good enough to earn us an easy 4-0 win over Charlton. Bendtner's chipped in the first after a superb cross ball from Vela set him free. Ramsey then crossed for Eduardo to tap in from inside a crowded penalty box. Bendtner forced home a corner and Vela finished the scoring with a penalty.

MotM: Bendtner

[law90026]

6 January 2009:

I thought long and hard about signing another experienced player for the 2nd half of the season. However, looking at my squad, it felt like it might be strong enough to cope with the rigours of competing on 4 different fronts. Perhaps I would be wrong and I would commit the same error that Mr Wenger had committed in the past. Time would tell.

As a result, I decided to use the funds available to me to pick up 2 young players:

1) Ryad Boudebouz: 18 year old French winger who comes highly recommended by my scouts. He already has excellent technique and will likely develop into a very fast player.

2) Daniel Sturridge: 19 year old English striker from Man City. Another highly rated prospect and a steal for only 2 million pounds. If he develops well, he could be a star in the future.

I do also sell Diaby for 6 million pounds to Auxerre in the French league.

[law90026]

7 January 2009: League Cup Semi-Final Leg #1

Liverpool 0 - 2 Arsenal
Adebayor 2'
Walcott 75'

We play the first leg at Anfield and the boys came out hungry to prove that the loss to Liverpool earlier in the season was a fluke. And how they proved it as we dominated the game from start to finish. Put it this way, when the away team has 56% possession and 13 shots (10 on target) compared to the home team's 44% and 3 shots (0 on target), it meant the home team got demolished.

Adebayor, who won the man of the match award, opened the scoring after 2 minutes when he raced on to a Eduardo throughball and scored with a well place shot. Walcott added one more in the 75th minute when a beautiful reverse ball from Bendtner gave him enough space to score past Reina.

The bad part of this game is that we had enough chances to make the 2nd leg a formality. Adebayor missed 2 1-on-1 situations while Bendtner hit the bar in the last few minutes.

MotM: Adebayor

[law90026]

9 January 2009:

We sign Thiago Silva, a Brazilian centre-back, to a contract after he failed to extend his existing contract with Fluminese. He will join us for next season's campaign and will give us more depth at centre back. This will probably allow me to move Gallas in the off-season.

[law90026]

10 January 2009: Premier League Match #20

Aston Villa 2 - 2 Arsenal
Gallas 15'
Barry 20'
Aghonbolar 35'
van Persie (pen) 83'

A frustrating result for us as we failed to beat Aston Villa and further increase their chance of relegation.

We were clearly the better side as we had 55% possession to their 45% and had 18 shots on goal (12 on target). However, our defending really let us down today as both Toure and Clichy had games to forget.

We started brightly when Gallas sent a bullet header past Friedel from a Rosicky freekick. Things were going well until a quick Villa counterattack allowed Ashley Young to cross for Barry to tap in. No one was marking him in the 6 yard box, absolutely inexcusable. Worse was to follow when the same thing happened 10 minutes later, this time Aghonbolar able to put it in from 6 yards. When Rosicky missed a 45' penalty, I feared for the worst.

In the second half, we absolutely bombarded their goal but were unable to break through until Rosicky was brought down in the 85th minute. This time, van Persie stepped up and held his nerve, smashing it in with great power.

MotM: Aghonbolar

[law90026]

14 January 2009: Premier League Match #21

Sunderland 2 - 3 Arsenal
Jones 1'
Eduardo 6'
Jones 53'
Adebayor 77'
Adebayor 86'

We win a nailbiter as we fell behind twice to Kenwyne Jones' goals. They started the game with a 1st minute goal as Jones beat Handanovich with a 25 yard strike. Eduardo stole in behind the defence in the 6th minute though to put the ball past the Sunderland keeper. At this stage, the game was still pretty even.

In the 2nd half, Jones scored again as Toure failed to keep out the Sunderland winger from putting in a low cross. At this time, things were looking bad and I put on Adebayor, Walcott and Nasri to try and change things around.

Amazingly, we started our comeback as Adebayor took full advantage of a missed Sunderland interception in the penalty box and he smashed home a volley. In the 86th minute, a beautiful ball was played through for him by Rosicky and he held off a Sunderland defender before putting it into the back of the net. He continued to terrorise the Sunderland defence as he got Nyron Nosworthy sent off after Nosworthy had no choice but to bring him down when Adebayor was through on goal.

MotM:Jones (Sunderland)

[law90026]

17 January 2009: Premier League Match #22

Arsenal 3 - 0 Bolton
van Persie 3'
Adebayor 27'
Palombo 40'

A very physical game was played today with the tackles flying in hard and furious. This concerned me a lot as Rosicky and de Jong were both hurt badly enough they couldn't continue, while Vela and van Persie both picked up knocks.

We started the game brilliantly with a rocket freekick from van Persie. Adebayor then added a very pretty 2nd goal when he curled it home from 25 yards out. Sometimes the big man can really do magical things, he's just so damn inconsistent though. Palombo then scored the 3rd after Walcott did all the hard work by racing down the right flank then cutting it back for him to score.

After the match, I get the bad news that de Jong is out for 2 months with a heavily sprained ankle. Luckily, no other injuries of concern.

MotM: Walcott

[law90026]

19 January 2009:

It turns out I was wrong, Thiago Silva is actually out of contract and is available to join us now. Squad depth has now improved again though he will need time to settle in as well as get some match practice.

In other news, I am irritated that Real, Inter and Barcelona repeatedly bid for Walcott and Clichy, even though I've already stated that they are not for sale. However, just on a lark, I have asked Real for 50 million for Clichy and they withdrew their bid. Heh.

[law90026]

21 January 2009: League Cup Semi-Final Leg 2

Arsenal 3 - 1 Liverpool (Arsenal win 5-1 on aggregate)
Adebayor 33'
Eduardo 37'
Fabregas 44'
Torres 91'

And we reach the first cup final of my career on the back of 2 dominating performances over Liverpool.

This tie was effectively over when Adebayor scored because Liverpool would have needed to score at least 3 more unaswered goals to advance. However, 2 more goals from Eduardo (a nice placed finish from the edge of the box after a Liverpool defender dallied on his clearance) and Fabregas (a header from a Nasri cross) meant Liverpool's chances were over.

Credit to them though, they kept going in the 2nd half but Handanovich kept them out, though he could do nothing about a fabulous 30 yard strike from Torres.

We will be playing Man Utd in the finals. That should be fun.

MotM: Handanovich

[law90026]

24 January 2009: FA Cup Round 4

Arsenal 2 - 0 Portsmouth
van Persie 55'
Fabregas 93'

We were somewhat fortunate to win the game today as I decided to let Denilson, Alumunia and Bendtner start.

The first half was relatively boring. However, after van Persie smashed in another freekick for the opening goal, Portsmouth began to attack relentlessly and we were very lucky not to concede an equaliser. Part of this was probably my fault as I had assumed we would coast to victory after van Persie's goal and I had brought on a half-fit Eboue to slot in for Toure at right back.

Luckly, we held firm and managed to him them on the break in the 93rd minute of play to seal the win. Adebayor chased down a long ball and his shot was saved by James. However, the rebound was first timed home by Fabregas from 20 yards out, a great technical goal.

MotM: van Persie

[law90026]

28 January 2009: Premier League Match #23

Arsenal 3 - 0 Hull City
van Persie 23'
van Persie 37'
Bendtner 51'

I never like playing against Hull because they are a bunch of thugs and especially when the referee refuses to protect our players. van Persie, Nasri and Adebayor all came off injured in this game. The most shocking incident was when McShane went through Adebayor from the back and didn't even receive his 2nd yellow card.

van Persie managed to continue his fine form in the first half as he pounced on a cross to open the scoring. He then dribbled past a defender to lash the ball home from just inside the penalty box. He had to come off though at half time and Bendtner came on in his place. The Danish youngster continued the goalscoring when he forced home a close range header.

Luckily no really serious injuries although Fabregas is out for 2 weeks after taking a series of knocks and Nasri is out for a week.

MotM: van Persie

[law90026]

31 January 2009: Premier League Match #24

Man City 2 - 0 Arsenal
Fernandinho 17'
Perez 36'

I was seething inside, even though the game had ended nearly an hour ago. Sure, some could say that we had to lose at some point in time and that football is a funny game, but these cliches don't change the fact that I absolutely hate to lose!

The worst part of it all is that we were the better side in the game as we had more possession and shots than Man City. But Joe freaking Hart somehow decided to stop everything we threw at him and won the Man of the Match award as a result.

Their first goal came out of nothing as Fernandinho took a ball 25 yards away. However, he somehow managed to score with a first time shot, unbelievable. Then, Zhirkov beat Toure easily on the right side to cross for Perez to score. Despite our continued attacking, we failed to pull anything back.

This game emphasized a few things to me. First, Adebayor was non-existent, again illustrating his inconsistency. Second, Toure is terrible at right back. The number of goals we have conceded recently from the right side is a problem. Sagna should be back soon but it may mean I need a backup right back for next season.

MotM: Hart

[law90026]

We receive news that Fabregas wins the Young Player of the Month award for January while I come in 3rd in voting for Manager of the Month. A slight salve for the bitter taste in my mouth following the Man City loss.

Man Utd is hot on our heels in 2nd place, just 3 points behind.

[law90026]

4 February 2009: Premier League Match #25

Fulham 0 - 1 Arsenal
Adebayor 75'

While the 3 points is nice, we had to endure a scary time. Once again, little protection for the players meant that 3 of them had to come off at half-time (Rosicky, Eduardo and Nasri). On came Walcott, Fabregas and Adebayor. Then, Toure got injured from another hefty challenge .. and we were down to 10-man, with Palombo having to play at centreback and Song at right back. I feared the worst at this stage.

However, we somehow managed to stop them from really getting any threatening chances, although they had a few shots on goal. Then, in the 75th minute, a quick break allowed Santana to swing a cross over for Adebayor to stab home and we held on for the win!

The injury report after the game? Toure out for 3 weeks with a damaged heel (which means Eboue is going to have to start until Sagna is ready). Luckily none of the other injuries were serious.

MotM: Jimmy Bullard (Fulham)

[law90026]

8 February 2009: Premier League Match #26

Arsenal 0 - 1 Liverpool
Gallas (og) 20'

Damn it! Things are starting to look a little pear-shaped now and, I have to admit, the pressure is starting to get to me. Maybe the team is recognising that as they really underachieve today, failing to create any real chances in the game.

The only goal of the game came when Gallas somehow put the ball past Handanovich in the 20th minute, without real significant pressure. Very disappointing and now Man Utd is just 3 points behind with 1 game in hand.

MotM: Clichy

[law90026]

14 February 2009: FA Cup 5th round

Arsenal 2 - 0 Ipswich
Vela 15'
Rosicky 59'

Just the right match for us, an easy win over Championship side Ipswich Town. This was a chance for the reserves to get a game and they duly came up with a win, though it wasn't the most impressive result.

Vela was bright and enterprising down the left flank and opened the scoring from the edge of the box with a crisp finish. Rosicky then scored a 30 yard screamer of a freekick to ensure we progressed to the next round.

Hopefully this turns the slide around.

MotM: Vela

[law90026]

21 February 2009: Premier League Match #27

Arsenal 0 - 0 Wigan

It was just one of those days when we were not able to score, no matter what we did. 19 shots on goal, 5 clear cut chances .... and not 1 goal. It was little surprise the man of the match was Kirkland, the Wigan keeper. They had 1 shot on goal which was off-target.

Luckily, Man Utd only managed a 0-0 draw with 3rd placed Chelsea, so we maintain the same distance from them for now.

MotM: Kirkland

[law90026]

24 February 2009: Champions League Knockout Stage 1 Leg 1

Arsenal 1 - 0 Olympique Lyonnaise
Adebayor 71'

We eke out a close win over Lyon in the first leg. Not as dominating a win as I would have liked but the fact we didn't concede an away goal will be very important I think.

We started Nasri, Fabregas and Satana in the attacking midfield positions and had van Persie and Eduardo upfront. We failed to score though and Lyon had the better chances in the first half, including an audacious chip attempt from Bodmer from the halfway line which just went wide.

However, we slowly began to get a grip on the game and Adebayor, who came on as substitute in the 65th minute, forced home a cross from Santana, showing his strength as he was sandwiched between 2 Lyon defenders. He's been a nice impact sub lately.

Toure will be out for the 2nd leg though as he picked up a yellow card today and reached the limit.

MotM: Lloris (Lyon keeper)

[law90026]

1 March 2009: League Cup Final Preview

My first cup final as the manage of Arsenal! And, to make it more exciting, we are up against old rivals Manchester United.

Our line-up:
GK: Handanovich
RB: Toure (Sagna out for 2 weeks with an injury after the Lyon match)
LB: Clichy
CBs: Toure and Song
DM: Palombo
RM: Santana
AM: Fabregas
LM: Nasri
STs: Adebayor and Eduardo

Subs: Almunia, Djourou, Walcott, van Persie, Bendtner, Rosicky, Eboue

Man Utd line-up (classic 4-4-2):
GK: van der Saar
RB: O'shea
LB: Evra
CBs: Ferdinand and Vidic
RW: Ronaldo
LW: Nani
CMs: Carrick and Scholes
STs: Tevez and Manucho (Rooney out with an injury)

This is a game that is going to be way too close to call. Our past record against Man Utd this season? We beat them 3-0 at Old Trafford so they will be hungry for revenge.

[law90026]

1 March 2009: League Cup Final running commentary

1': Kickoff and Arsenal attack from the start. A pass from Nasri to Adebayor gives him a little space. He shoots and it's parried but the rebound falls to Adebayor. He plays a neat little reverse ball for Santana who shoots and scores! GOAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

9': Arsenal attack on the break. Long ball played to Santana on the right wing, who controls it well. The cross is too high but falls to Nasri on the other side of the box. He takes one touch to control it and sends another low cross into the 6-yard box and the ball is in the net! O'shea scores an own goal! GOAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

20': Scholes with the ball on the edge of the box and he plays it for Ronaldo, who first times the shot. Saved by Handanovich. Corner.

27': Adebayor with a fierce shot that hits the cross bar.

39': Tevez sent clear on goal! Handanovich comes out and manages to parry his shot.

45': A cross is partially cleared to just outside the penalty box. Palombo lines up the shot and shoots and it curls past van der Saar! GOAL!!!!!!!!!!!!

HT score: Arsenal 3 - 0 Man Utd

46': Scholes with a curling shot from just outside the box, saved by Handanovich. Corner.

53': Tevez with a bit of space and he shoots. Saved by Handanovich but it falls to Ronaldo on the edge of the box. He first times it but fails to hit the empty net! Relief for us.

62': A fast Man Utd counterattack allows Tevez to get a shot in but it's saved.

64': Substitution as we bring on Rosicky for a tiring Fabregas.

64': Ronaldo nearly scores as he hits the bar.

73': Nice series of passes by Man Utd and Hargreaves sees an opportunity. He shoots but saved and held well by Handanovich.

76': Substitutions for Arsenal. van Persie on for Adebayor (picked up a knock) and Walcott for Santana. That's it, no more substitutions for us.

89': Wild shot from Walcott, nowhere close to scoring.

91': Long ball chased down by van Persie. He cuts it back for Rosicky who blasts it wildly over the bar! Wasted chance.

93': We're starting to hit them on the break. A nice through ball for Eduardo but his shot is parried away and none of our players are able to put it in within a crowded penalty box.

94': Game over, we win!!!!

Final score: Arsenal 3 - 0 Man Utd

I was really pleased with the win. Again, we totally outplayed our rivals and this win gives me my first trophy with Arsenal.

It was a lot closer than the score indicated though as Man Utd had their chances, just that Handanovich played really well. No surprises when he wins the man of the match award.

MotM: Handanovich

[law90026]

4 March 2009: Premier League Match #28

West Ham 0 - 3 Arsenal
van Persie 54'
Bendtner 57'
Silva 60'

We pile more misery on to West Ham, keeping them firmly entrenched at 20th spot in the League.

The first half was drab and boring and I was concerned that the boys were still hungover from the League Cup win. Fortunately, van Persie and Bendtner combined to give us a 2 goal lead. van Persie smashed home a freekick and Bendtner headed in a cross 3 minutes later. Thiago Silva then scored his first ever goal from us as he headed in a corner in the 60th minute.

However, the win came at a cost. Clichy is out for 5 months with a torn calf muscle. That's a disaster.

Zola, the West Ham manager, is fired after the loss. Oops.

Man Utd keep up the pressure on us when the beat Portsmouth 1-0.

MotM: Silva

[law90026]

7 March 2009: FA Cup 6th round

Chelsea 0 - 2 Arsenal
Gallas 35'
Adebayor 85'

A satisfying win over Chelsea as we advance to the semifinals of the FA Cup. This was never going to be an easy match and we were very evenly matched. The real difference was one moment of brilliance from former Chelsea player and current Arsenal captain, William Gallas.

Playing at left back because of Clichy's injury, Gallas somehow managed to dribble past a bunch of Chelsea players from about 35 yards out all the way to the 6 yard box before curling it past Cudicini. It was a very impressive goal, especially considering he's normally a centreback.

After that, both sides came close but the deciding goal came in the 85th minute when we broke away incisively. A long ball from Nasri was controlled by Eduardo who crossed for Adebayor to clinch the game.

Injury concerns continue to rise though as Santana is now out for a month with a fractured arm. Bad timing as we reach the crucial last quarter of the Premier League season.

And we're drawn against Man Utd in the semifinals. This would have been the dream final but I guess it wasn't meant to be.

MotM: Gallas

[law90026]

11 March 2009: Champions League Knockout Stage Leg 2

Lyon 2 - 0 Arsenal (Lyon win 2-1 on aggregate)
Keita 22'
Benzema 84'

Damn it. Just .. damn it.

We get beaten by Lyon 2-0 and we're out of the Champions League. A precise Keita strike and a Benzema goal from a breakaway ends out European campaign. We had a penalty appeal turned down and that might have changed things.

Ugh.

MotM: Keita (Lyon)

[law90026]

14 March 2009: Premier League Match #29

Arsenal 6 - 0 Middlesborough
Rosicky 20'
Eduardo 34'
Rosicky 50'
Song 77'
van Persie 85'
Eduardo (pen) 94'

After the loss to Lyon, there was 2 ways we could approach this game. Either we would play badly or we would dominate. And we dominated.

Rosicky scored a beautiful freekick then Eduardo planted a firm header past the keeper to put us 2-0 up at halftime. In the 2nd half, another Rosicky freekick put us 3-0 up. Song then scored a screamer from 20 yards out after going past 2 defenders and van Persie proved he was no slouch at taking freekicks either, scoring our 5th from yet another freekick. Eduardo finished the scoring by putting it in from the penalty spot.

Middlesborough were down to 9 man at the end of the match as they had 2 players sent off, one for a very nasty challenge on Adebayor.

Good news as Man Utd lost 3-1 to Newcastle, putting us at least 3 points clear at the top of the table.

However, Adebayor is out for 3 weeks after that challenge.

MotM: Rosicky

[law90026]

18 March 2009:

More good news as Man Utd only manage to draw their game in hand against Everton.

This means that we are 5 points clear at the top with 9 matches to go.

[law90026]

21 March 2009: Premier League Match #30

West Brom 1 - 2 Arsenal
Eduardo 31'
Rosicky 68'
Morrison 87'

A narrow win for us as we maintain our advantage over Man Utd (they won 2-1 earlier in the day).

We had more possession and chances but the last few minutes were scary as West Brom scored to make it interesting.

Eduardo scored first when he put in a cross from close range. Clinical finishing from him. In the 2nd half, 2 second half subs combined to give us a two goal lead. Eboue rushed down the right flank and cut it back to give Rosicky a simple chance to score. However, Morrison took his chance in the 87th minute, their only real chance of the game.

MotM: Carson (West Brom keeper)

[law90026]

4 April 2009: Premier League Match #31

Arsenal 4 - 0 Tottenham
van Persie 7'
Walcott 42'
van Persie (pen) 72'
Adebayor (pen) 85'

Before the match started, I was a little concerned as we had lost Nasri and Fabregas to injuries in the preceding 2 weeks. They had both picked up injuries while playing for their countries.

However, we swept Spurs aside in confident fashion as van Persie opened the scoring with another trademark freekick. Walcott then put in one more after Toure played a really nice reverse ball for him to give Walcott just a bit of space in the box. 2 penalties in the 2nd half added the icing to this victory.

MotM: van Persie

[law90026]

Season Update: The last quarter

With 8 matches to go, we remain 5 points clear. With each game being worth 3 points for a win, we need to win 20 points to assure ourselves of the Premier League title. That means 6 wins and 2 draws (assuming Man Utd win all their remaining matches).

We are also still challenging for the FA Cup so a double is still on the cards.

Premier League standings:
1. Arsenal 72 pts
2. Man Utd 67 pts
3. Liverpool
4. Everton
5. Newcastle
6. Chelsea

Our remaining fixtures:
Blackburn (away)
Everton (away)
Man Utd (home)
Chelsea (home)
Portsmouth (away)
Newcastle (home)
Stoke (away)

The 2 games back to back against Man Utd and Chelsea could prove decisive in whether we win the title or not. 2 solid results would put us in a really good position .. but 2 losses and we would likely find ourselves in 2nd place. All the other games are winnable.

Man Utd's fixtures:
Aston Villa (home)
Bolton (home)
Arsenal (away)
Man City (away)
Liverpool (home)
Fulham (away)
Wigan (home)

For Man Utd, they do still have to play Liverpool, which is good news for us. Liverpool are 5 points behind Man Utd and so they also have incentive to try and beat Man Ud.

[law90026]

11 April 2009: Premier League Match #32

Blackburn 3 - 3 Arsenal
Eduardo 34'
Reid 36'
McCarthy 44'
van Persie 46'
Adebayor 50'
Santa Cruz 60'

Disaster as we fail to win this match. We defended poorly throughout and pretty much gifted them all 3 of their goals.

We started well enough when Eduardo slotted home a clever ball from Santana. However, van Persie lost possession near our box and a cross was put in by Reid. Worse news when McCarthy somehow found enough space to turn in the penalty box and score. van Persie did score a super freekick to ensure we went in at halftime 2-2.

In the 2nd half, Adebayor scored when he reacted fastest to an Eduardo header. Then, in the worst mistake of the night, Toure and Almunia got things mixed up and Santa Cruz nipped in to put the ball into an empty net.

Man Utd won 2-0 which means our lead is down to 2 points.

MotM: Stephen Reid (Blackburn midfielder)

[law90026]

18 April 2009: FA Cup Semi-Finals

Man Utd 1 - 2 Arsenal
Walcott 7'
Berbatov 17'
Adebayor 70'

We win again against our rivals. While I'm pleased, I'm also aware this run against them can't always continue and I'm really hoping it doesn't end when we face them in our upcoming Premier League match.

We started brightly as Walcott used his pace to get in behind a defender to push the ball past van der Saar. Berbatov's equaliser was clearly offside but allowed to stand. In the 2nd half, we had a penalty appeal turned down but Adebayor raced on to a nice throughball to give us the lead.

Song was sent off in the 84th minute though when he elbowed Rooney. I'm furious at his rashness, not just because it made the last 10 minutes scary but also because he will now be suspended.

MotM: Walcott

[law90026]

25 April 2009: Premier League Match #33

Welcome news at the start of the game as Man Utd only managed a 1-1 draw against Bolton.

Everton 3 - 2 Arsenal
Adebayor 9'
Cahill 47'
Cahill 49'
Osman 53'
Adebayor 57'

And we fail to take advantage of the slip-up when we lose to Everton. There really isn't much to say when we let Cahill and Osman score from long range 3 times.

The lead is 2 pts with the next game against Man Utd.

MotM: Cahill

[law90026]

29 April 2009: Premier League Match #34

Arsenal 3 - 0 Man Utd
Walcott 34'
Fabregas 70
van Persie (pen) 92'

We beat Man Utd again to relieve some of the pressure and restore a 5 point lead at the top of the table with just 4 games to go.

Walcott scored first with a nice turn and shot after Evra missed his interception. Fabregas then added a 2nd in a crowded penalty box when he lashed it home. van Persie finished the scoring then he was tripped by Scholes in the penalty box.

Don't choke now boys! Chelsea next and a win there would be huge.

MotM: Walcott

[law90026]

2 May 2009: Premier League Match #35

Arsenal 3 - 0 Chelsea
van Persie 9'
Eduardo (pen) 81'
Adebayor 90'

We're getting so close to the title now that I can taste it. We take a major step towards winning the Premier League with a very convincing 3-0 win over Chelsea, a game in which we were never in danger of losing.

van Persie scored yet another freekick, his 20th goal of the season, and I have to say I'm really impressed with his deadball skills. We continued to attack and Cech had his hands full keeping us out. The clinching goal came in the 81st minute when Walcott was brought down in the box and Eduardo coolly slotted home the penalty. Eduardo then turned provider when he held off 2 defenders before playing a nice little ball for Adebayor to force home.

Nasri picked up a slight knock and is out for a week.

8 points clear with 3 games left. 1 more win or 2 draws will seal the title.

MotM: van Persie

[law90026]

9 May 2009: Premier League Match #36

Portsmouth 2 - 3 Arsenal
Crouch 15'
van Persie 33'
Adebayor 50'
Crouch 60'
Adebayor 93'

WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS! WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS!

We win the Premier League title with 2 games left in the season as we beat Portsmouth in a pulsating match. Peter Crouch, a player not necessarily known for his shooting ability, scored a 30 yarder early in the game. However, van Persie scored the equaliser from, you guessed it, a freekick.

Adebayor was then played through brilliantly by Walcott and he rounded the keeper to give us the lead. However, Crouch was playing brilliantly and scored from a header at close range, using his lanky frame to good effect. I thought we would have to postpone the celebrations but Adebayor popped up to force the ball in after a goalmouth scramble in the 93rd minute. As much as I think he's inconsistent, I have to say he's been playing really well recently and he has 31 goals for the season!

Have I mentioned that WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS?

MotM: Crouch (Portsmouth striker)

[law90026]

16 May 2009: Premier League Match #37

Arsenal 2 - 0 Newcastle
Bendtner 37'
Eduardo 72'

The reserves get a chance to play today and they showed that they are ready and able to step up if necessary. Thiago Silva, Djourou, de Jong, Ramsey, Denilson, Vela and Bendtner were the reserves that were given a start.

Bendtner opened the scoring when he scored with a crisp finish off a Denilson pass. Eduardo then planted a firm header past Given from a Ramsey cross.

MotM: Denilson

[law90026]

24 May 2009: Premier League Match #38

Stoke 1 - 0 Arsenal
Moreira 54'

An inconsequential match for us but not for Stoke. I'm sure the relegation candidates were pissed that we fielded a weak team but I'm looking ahead to the FA Cup final next week.

A drab game with Moriera's long range strike the highlight of the game.

We let youngsters Barazite, Merida and Sturridge get their debuts for the first team today.

MotM: de Jong

[law90026]

With the end of the Premier League season, the award winners were announced:

Player of the Year:
Winner: Cristiano Ronaldo (Man Utd)
Runner up: Wayne Rooney (Man Utd)
3rd place: Robin van Persie (Arsenal)

Players' Player of the Year:
Winner: Xabi Alonso (Liverpool)
Runner up: Michael Carrick (Man Utd)
3rd place: Nani(Man Utd)

Top Goalscorer:
Winner: Benni McCarthy (Blackburn), 24 goals
Runner up: Emmanuel Adebayor (Arsenal), 21 goals
3rd place: GabrielAghonbolar (Aston Villa), 21 goals

Best U-21 player:
Winner: Theo Walcott (Arsenal)
Runner up: Nicklas Bendtner (Arsenal)
3rd place: Micah Richards (Man City)

Manager of the Year:
Winner: Dayne Ho (Arsenal)
Runner up: Alex Ferguson (Man Utd)
3rd place: Joe Kinnear (Newcastle)

Players Team of the Year:
GK: Gomes (Tottenham)
RB: Srna (Tottenham)
LB: Clichy (Arsenal)
CBs: Gallas, Toure (Arsenal)
RM: Ronaldo (Man Utd)
LM: Nani (Man Utd)
CMs: Diarra (Man City), Alonso (Liverpool)
STs: McCarthy (Blackburn), Rooney (Man Utd)
Subs: Jaskelainen (Bolton keeper), van Persie (Arsenal), Agbonholar (Aston Villa), Carrick (Man Utd), Yakubu (Everton), Emerton (Blackburn), Adebayor (Arsenal)

[law90026]

30 May 2009: FA Cup Finals

Arsenal 3 - 0 West Bromwich Albion
Adebayor (pen) 7'
Barnett (og) 27'
Gallas 37'

This game was essentially over after 15 minutes. First, Adebayor had given us the lead from the penalty spot. Then, Meite was sent off when he went in late and from behind on van Persie. We pretty much knew the Cup was ours once that happened.

An own goal from Barnett when he deflected a van Persie freekick followed by a Gallas goal after we worked the ball in intricate fashion around their penalty box sealed the game.

Their keeper was the man of the match as he kept us out, otherwise the score could have been even more lopsided.

We do the Treble!

MotM: Carson (WBA keeper)

[law90026]

End of Season Summary:

The players had just left for their deserved holiday break and this was a good time for me to just sit back and enjoy the success we had achieved this year. I had hoped for a good showing in all competitions but I definitely had not expected a Treble-winning performance. The quarter-final loss to Lyon still hurt but there was always next year.

For me, our top performer had to be Angelo Palombo. He was available for practically every game and the only reason he didn't start was because I rotated others into his defensive midfield position to give him a break. Gael Clichy might have been a close contender if not for the fact that he suffered a season-ending injury around the midway point of the season. Other standouts included our 1st choice central defence pairing of William Gallas and Kolo Toure.

I wouldn't say there were any really terrible performers in the first team, although Nasri could perhaps have performed more consistently. Still, he's young and adjusting to life in a new country.

Our top goalscorer was Adebayor, with 32 goals in all competitions. van Persie had 21 goals and Bendtner and Eduardo had 11 each. It's nice to see our 4 strikers be our top goalscorers. However, I'm going to have to decide whether I intend to keep all 4 or whether I might want to replace 1 of them with a better striker (if available).

Walcott was our top assists guy with 13. I stand corrected about my pre-season assessment, he's ready for the big leagues. Rosicky,despite being injured for part of the season, had 12 assists. Santana had 11 while van Persie assisted on 10 goals as well.

Competitions Summary:

The winner of the Champions League was Barcelona, when they beat Lyon 2-1 in the finals. We lost to the runners-up, not bad hey?

AC Milan won the Euro Cup (1 tier below the Champions League), beating Bordeaux 1-0 in the finals. A good year for the French sides apparently.

Lyon won the French league, 4 points clear of 2nd placed PSG.

Werder Bremen won the German league, 3 points clear of Bayern Munich.

Real Madrid won the Spanish league, 4 points clear of Barcelona.

Premier League round-up:
We won the Premier League title in style, with the best attack and defence. Manchester United came in 2nd, 5 points behind us (80 points). The top 4 were rounded out by Everton (who came in a surprising 3rd and who drew and beat us this season) on 72 points and Chelsea was 4th with 71 points.

Questions will be asked at Liverpool as they only managed 5th place and were tied on 70 points with Tottenham (6th) and Newcastle (7th).

The relegated sides were Bolton, Fulham and Hull. Their places will be taken by Preston, Bristol City and Wolves. Nice to see 2 traditional names in English football (Preston and Wolves) make it to the Premier League.