EXCLUSIVE : Arsenal “beat the crap” out of Chelsea: A Unique View.

Almost 24 hours after and I’m still struggling to come to terms with the events of yesterday. Most gooners would have accepted a draw going into the game but the guy who wrote that script had other ideas.

I won’t say I was too surprised when Chelsea drew first blood, I was only pained it had come after we missed two great chances. Lampard capitalized on a Mert4 misjudgment to power a header past Sz13. We had a lot of time to grab our goal and I hoped it would be an equalizer rather than a consolation.

A spell of good possession and Ramsey ripped the Chelski defence to put Gerv through on goal, the winger showed great awareness to pass to Robin who had the simplest of tap-ins. We were back on level terms but it didn’t last.

Just before half-time, Terry got in front of Mert4 to somehow put the ball in the net. A lot of people were quick to blame the big man, but that ball shouldn’t have got that far in the first place. We trailed at half-time and it was really difficult to see how.

Chelsea’s Chief Executive, Bruce Buck was expecting “Chelsea to beat the crap out of Arsenal”. I really do not care what did the magic, whether it was Wenger’s team talk or the thought of Buck saying “I told you so” after the game.

What I know is that the Arsenal that emerged from the dressing room for 2nd half wasn’t the same team that went in at half time, in terms of mentality at least.

We played with much more precision and spirit, and got our equalizer within 5 minutes. Andre Santos latched onto a pass on the left and shot through Cech’s legs to claim his 2nd for the season.
Clichy managed just 2 in how many years again? Santos’ celebration was top notch too [in yer face Ramires!].

We were in the ascendancy, doing the simple things well and keeping the Chelski strikers in check. Walcott, who had been having a great game decided to do something different.
He ran at the Chelsea defence, lost the ball, won it back, beat two defenders with a simple skill and speed, and finished excellently. I went bonkers! The comeback was complete, and the 3 points were within sight.

Trust Arsenal though, the kings of dramatic endings, Mata’s long ranger [after a foul by Lukaku on Santos] leveled the scores and set up an amazing final 10 minutes. I feared the worst and hoped we could hang on for a point.

But the thing is when you are the good guy, you get lucky a few times. “Luck” is Malouda playing a poor backward pass when a forward pass seemed easier. “Luck” is Terry slipping on his backside and letting the ball pass, “Luck” is the ball falling to none other than Van Persie.
The look on the faces of Chelski fans as VP faced Cech is absolutely priceless! He confirmed their fears, rounded Cech and passed into a waiting net.

We were back on top, Chelsea were rocked! They threw everything they had forward but created nothing really. It even cost them as we broke on the counter, got the ball to RVP who rifled a shot past the helpless Cech to grab his hat-trick. 5-3 and we were truly going back home with maximum points. One could see from the celebrations what those points meant to the lads.

It was a pulsating encounter and in recent years, we would normally come out of games like this ruing our luck. This time around, the lads gave their all, kept their focus and were duly rewarded. No need to wax lyrical about RVP, we all know he is going to heaven!

Koscielny was a monster yesterday, and of the 8 defenders that lined up for both sides, he looked like the only one who had a clue what he was doing in the first half. If he keeps developing at this rate, he’ll be unplayable in the not too distant future! Andre Santos had a poor first 45, but a commendable 2nd. I particularly like the way he wins one-on-ones. His goal scoring ability is a breath of fresh air too.

Walcott showed us what good decision making can do to his game, Arteta played with more freedom, Gervinho’s unpredictability and dribbling really helped, Song was colossal and worked his socks off, and Ramsey was superb again.
Our defending still needs to be worked on though. TV5 returning is great news and I expect us to be much better. I’d love to see a back four of Kos-Mert4-TV5-Santos!

After 7 wins in 8 games, I was hesitant to say we had turned the corner probably because 6 of those 7 were at home. With yesterday’s win, I’m pretty confident we have.

Are we back to our best though? As much as the game showed how awesome we can be, it also exposed our faults. We should expect to get punished if we keep missing clear chances and defending atrociously. Gervinho especially needs to work on his finishing, we were not so luck against the Sp*ds!

HUMOR
Below are some of the funniest tweets that went around yesterday after we ran riot at the bridge.

@Denismiriti

@TheNeilParmar

@CrazyGoose

@SmkyRobbs

@FourFourTom

Its Marseille on tuesday at the Emirates, let’s win and seal qualification. Cheers. See you in the comments

Cesc Finally Gone, Nasri to follow + 2 new injuries for Arsenal

Adios Cesc

Granted, the Fabregas to Barcelona deal has not been officially confirmed by either club, but after yesterday’s reports, we know that barring a major miracle, he won’t be playing at The Emirates next season.

It had been coming, and for seasons we have endured countless disrespectful comments from the catalan camp on how the Barcelona players feel about the prospect of having the Cesc join them.

They seem to have finally got their wish; and I think for us, it marks the end of what has been an extremely humiliating episode with the Spanish Club.

He’ll move for a fee of around €40m, equivalent to approximately £35m, same amount Liverpool paid for Carroll. The height of desperation displayed by Fabregas gave Barcelona our best player for way less than we value him.

He is the best attacking midfielder on the planet, but his “love” for Barcelona blinded him and even pushed him as far as funding his own transfer from the club that made him who he is. While it cannot be argued that Fabregas gave his 100% to Arsenal every time, he has failed woefully as a captain!

Nasri’s is a different case. He’s been with us for 4 seasons, we were patient with him to come through. He’s had a big season now and he wants to leave. While it is questionable why we didn’t sign him on earlier, he is about to betray a club which tolerated his mistakes as a growing footballer.

With City reportedly ready to offer him £185k a week, it is obvious why Samir’s refused to sign a new contract till now. And if the words of his national team coach, Laurent Blanc are anything to go by, he won’t sign.

No matter what anyone says, losing Cesc and Samir, if both transfers go through is a disaster! It will be really difficult, if at all possible, to replace Cesc in particular, who brings 15+ goals and 15+ assists each season.

We have to try nonetheless. As at the end of last season, we were 3 (an attacking and 2 defensive) players short. Now we’ve lost Clichy, Cesc and Nasri to follow. We’ve brought in Gervinho, Jenkinson and Oxlade-Chambs.

Good signings in their own rights; but now we need signings of intent. If those two leave, we’ll have enough money. Sneijder’s astronomical wages mean we cannot sign him, but Mata is available. He is a Cesc/Nasri hybrid from what I’ve seen, and will really flourish at Arsenal. Get him now Arsene!

We cannot afford to wait any longer. We bombed at Newcastle last season with a better starting XI than what we currently have. We do not want to start the season on a wrong foot.

Add two of Jagielka, Cahill, Samba and Dann to Mata and we won’t look too bad. An extra attacker would have been ideal but I’m hoping on the likes of Arshavin and Rosicky to consistently bring their A-games this season.

Arshavin and Ramsey were added to our injury list after yesterday’s friendlies. I expect Arshavin to be back in no time though. We’ll also need a new captain, who should lead the team next season? Vermaelen looks like the ideal choice for me, but for some reason I hope RVP gets it.

It’s not been the best of summers for us, it even has the potential to be worse in a couple of days. But we can make the most of what fate’s thrown at us. If we re-invest and sign the right players, we will have a great season.

More importantly, we would have put out a statement, that NO PLAYER can hold the Arsenal to ransom.

Keep the Faith!

Let us know what you think.

Mata deal off?|Barton wants Arsenal|No Benzema contact

So a bit of stories in the news to report on.

Firstly, after being told He can leave Newcastle, Joey Barton has apparently set his eyes on a move to Arsenal. His agent revealed that six English teams have shown interest in Barton, and Arsenal is believed to be one of them.

His signing will definitely divide opinions among fans. I think if we can look beyond his volatile personality, one will discover a very good player. People who slate him are probably blinded by his quite controversial nature.

Last season, he masterminded arguably the greatest comeback the League has seen; and the fact that Newcastle won 0% of their games without him says a lot. Plus, he’s a lot better than Denilson IMO.

We have been tagged soft and immature atimes because our “saints” have won nothing in 6 years. If we could bring in Silvestre who was an absolute liability, signing a “bad boy” is surely worth a punt.

Benzema, one of the over 5000 players linked to us this summer claims Le Boss has not contacted him over a possible transfer. He is a player I rate quite highly and I’m confident he can do a great job for us.

Also, with Bendtner leaving, we are just one “likely” injury to RVP away from starting Chamakh week in week out. And if the Moroccan’s preseason form is anything to go by, we’ll definitely struggle with him leading the line.

A brief examination of the clubs we’ll be competing with next term reveals something quite worrying. Man United’s 3rd choice striker is Berbatov, Chelsea and Citeh have Anelka and Balotelli respectively as 3rd choice strikers. Ours is Vela. Why not sign another world class striker we are sure can step in should RVP get injured.

Arsene is too concerned about how signing a top player will kill the career of the youngsters. I doubt he ever thought that the presence of this world class players can actually help improve the younger players.

So for all of last week’s hype surrounding our supposed signing of Valencia’s Juan Mata, a move to the Emirates looks very highly unlikely at the moment.

According to his club manager, Unai Emery, Mata will be staying at Valencia for at least one more season. Said He,

“Mata has gone through a process of doubts about his future, but now we all believe he will stay”

We all expected some positive news concerning Mata before the Emirates Cup, but due to some clauses in his contract, He now costs at least £30m, much more than we thought.

I’m not too bothered about Emery’s comments. I think he’s just trying to calm things down a bit, and get the best possible deal for Valencia. This implies that should He leave, it will be to the highest bidder.

Will Arsene be willing to pay £30m for a player? Do we even need him that much to warrant paying that price?

It’s yet another day and we are still waiting for a new signing.

Do let me know what you think.

OFFICIAL : Arsenal Sign Joel Campbell. Mata Deal Agreed? Jagielka To Follow.

News is just reaching us that Arsenal have completed their 3rd signing of the season. Remember Costa Rican wonderkid Joel Campbell that we were in for a while back only for the deal to fall through, he and his U20 asst coach confirmed today in an interview that he has signed for Arsenal, you can watch the interview here

That’s a bit of good news although not the one that will soothe all the angry fans, but not to worry, various reports have it that we have agreed a deal to sign Mata and the details should be clearer in the morning. Hopefully he gets to join before the Emirates Cup starts which I very much doubt.

Lastly, an improved bid has been offered for Phil Jagielka believed to be in the region of £15M. He’s not a tall beast but he’s a commanding presence. I’ll take him even though he’s not first choice amongst fans but at least we’re signing a CB better than everyone asides TV5.

Do have a swell night/early morning based on where you’re reading from.

Follow us on twitter for news and updates @goonermemoirs

Eboue On The Move?|Get Cahill and Mata|Forget Jageilka and Cazorla

Top of the morning to you, how was the weekend? Well, mine was spent watching Gervinho nab a brace, Jenkinson score a superb own goal and studying for a test I have this morning and exams coming up in a fortnight but I can’t leave you without one last post. I expect Yemi’ Jr & Faf to treat you well in my absence. Do pray for me. Thanks

Over the weekend, different reports had us considering a double bid for Mata & Cazorla with Jagielka also in the mix. Of all these players Mata & Cahill are what we really need. I’ll tell you why.

Mata & Cahill : YES

First things first, Mata is 23, a world cup winner, u21 winner and has bags of experience at the top after captaining Valencia most of last season. That in itself is a big deal, you don’t make a mug your captain and he’s certainly not one. He can play anywhere in the midfield and attack and has a excellent injury-free record and would fit in well with the lads.

As for Cahill, I don’t think I need to say much about what he brings to the plate, he’s 6’4″, dominant in the air and can command a defence well. Also young and at 24 can play for Arsenal for years to come and could even become the next Tony Adams for us. I don’t know why we just won’t put in a solid bid and wrap up the deal already. If I know AW well, he’s waiting for January when Cahill would be free to talk to & sign for any club as he’s in the last year of his contract. I hope Bolton caves in when we make an offer as they won’t want to lose him on a free. Imagine Vermalean and Cahill at the heart of our defense.

Jagielka & Cazorla : NO!!!

Why you ask? Let me start with Jags, he’s a brute, he’s a commanding presence and a no nonsense tackler, aerially dominant as well and bags of experience. BUT everything Jagielka just screams another Vermaelen, they’re too similar and are virtually the same height. I’m sorry that’s not what we need. Look at United, they have the brute in Vidic and the calm ball player in Ferdinand, Jagielka and Vermaelen won’t give us that. Jagielka is also injury prone and he’s 28.

As for Cazorla, each time I see that guy I just think, ‘Rescue Rangers’ in my head with his beaver/squirrel look, he’s at best a decent player, nothing spectacular, I’d rather we keep Rosicky than go for him. He’s not that bad but he’s not what we need and his injury record is also bad as he spends more time injured than fit. There are better attackers we could be looking at, Mario Goetze of Dortmund and Marko Marin of Bremen to mention a few.

I wonder why we haven’t put in a bid for Per Metesacker, he’s cheaper than what we’re being quoted for the two english lads and has more experience than both and he’s 6’6″, our setpiece problem would ease considerably. A new left back should be a priority after Gibbs’ appalling performance yesterday. Imagine him against Lennon/Valencia/Young/Nani/Kuyt, he fail badly.

Eboue
Galatasaray have offered £4M for Eboue if you believe the Daily Mirror and I hope he’s gone before the end of the week. Jenkinson looks good enough despite his wonderful own goal yesterday.

Fabregas & Nasri
One is leaving, the latter isn’t. Arsenal have put their foot down on Nasri leaving and are willing to lose him for free. Foolish if you ask me. I hope the Cesc saga is completed come end of the week so we can make all our buys. If Wilshere can continue to reel in passes like the one he made for Gervinho’s goal on Saturday then we’ll be alright.

Gervinho in an Arsenal Shirt|Nasri Isn’t Leaving|Gibbs is our new LB.

Gervinho has signed for Arsenal and he will sport the number 9 jersey for next season. He is a great signing and will score lots of goals. *insert deep sigh*

I wish I could happily and confidently tell you that the deal has happened. I wish I could give you more than just a link to the above image which is probably fake.

Unfortunately, his signing has not been confirmed even after supposedly having a medical on Thursday.

French sources claim he still has some issues back in France and his signing should be announced in a few days. One begins to wonder how long “a few days” will be. I cannot wait to see him in an Arsenal shirt though and in a legitimate picture for that matter.

Meanwhile, Sky sports understands that we have agreed a fee of £22.2m with Man City for the sale of Nasri. As “credible” as this source is, it will take more than just their “understanding” to make me believe this story.

Add this to the fact that just yesterday afternoon Wenger was quoted as saying he will do everything to keep both Cesc and Nasri. There were even reports that Nasri has been offered £110k per week to keep him at the Emirates.

How Wenger made a complete U-turn in a matter of hours is what beats me. And taking into consideration how Sky sports have been “understanding” that Cesc’s deal to Barcelona is almost done, I’m not surprised this story has come up.

The team will be travelling to Asia soon and it will be interesting to see who is on the plane and who is not. Wenger expects Nasri to be part of the touring party. Said he,

“…Yes, Samir is going on tour. He is not injured, so he is going on tour. We will take the strongest possible squad.”

Japanese teenage sensation Ryo Miyachi is also expected to feature at some point. And as we told you in our last post, Cesc will not be travelling. No story in here, Wenger says he’s injured and I believe him. Fabianski, Eboue and Bendtner may also miss the tour.

Wenger also suggested that Kieran Gibbs will be promoted instead of splashing out cash on a new left back. Opinion on whom our new left back should be is split, and this decision will surely anger some Arsenal fans.

I don’t think Gibbs is a bad player but I doubt he is ready to play in the EPL week in week out. Having said that, a run of games may see him improve drastically.

I expected us to bring in an experienced left back, Wenger decided to promote Gibbs. This trick worked with Clichy when Ashley Cole left; it remains to be seen if Gibbs can prove us wrong with CONSISTENTLY good performances.

Following the failures of last season, we all expected a summer of additions to an almost perfect squad; not having to replace our top players. Now most fans are wondering, will Cesc leave? Should he even be allowed to leave? What happens to Nasri in the event of Cesc’s departure?

Does Wenger still know? Why are we taking relatively long to sign players? Is our interest in Mata strong enough to bring him to London? What formation are we even going to play next season?

These are some of the questions I have asked myself these past weeks. Honestly, I am eager to see how we begin next season with a stronger team than the previous campaign. Or will we?

Keep the faith wherever you are reading this from!

Do let us know what you think in the comments.

EXCLUSIVE : Why Fabregas Must Leave Arsenal & £18M For Mata | Still No Samba & Gervinho

You’re probably wondering if I’m nuts or something and why I’d want our best and most valuable to leave the club. Well, remember the story of the Israelites that wanted to leave Egypt and how Moses kept begging for Pharaoh to LET MY PEOPLE GO. And how it had to come to ten plagues and the near destruction of Egypt beefore that happened.

What’s my point? Well, right now, we’re on the fence with this deal, Barca don’t need Fabregas but they want him. So let’s try and get the best possible deal. If he doesn’t leave this summer, at the end of next summer he won’t be worth much because he’ll have just two years left on his contract and Barca can afford to wait. Let’s face it, barring some freakish Miracle that would see us win the treble next season, Fabregas WOULD NOT sign any other contract or extension with Arsenal.

So I say, get the best possible deal for him now, if we can get 35M & Thiago Alcantara, I’d be happy. Incase you haven’t heard of or seen Thiago play, I have, and like I said on twitter a few weeks back, he’s like The Love Child Of Xavi’s Father & Iniesta’s Mother, yes, he’s that good and ready for the big time. Let’s make it happen.

Transfer news, after getting all hyped from watching clips of Ricky Alvarez who was rumored to be only interested in a move to Emirates, looks like we’re about to be dashed on that front. Inter Milan have reportedly made a better bid than ours, offered more in terms of wages & the allure of Argentine mates at Inter might prove too strong. I hope we still bag him, he’s like a cross between Kaka & Di Maria in his style of play. Nuff said.

Instead, news broke all over spanish media yesterday that we put in an 18M bid for Juan Manuel Mata who is a very exciting player than can play across the midfield. Word is, he wants to join a champions league team seeing as Valencia did not make it(which also rules out long time suitors) and with his club’s account well in red so much its fading to pink, they might sell him. 18M??? That’s not our way but I’m glad and I hope its true. That might just be the end of Nasri OR might convince the likes of him & Cesc to stay. Mata or Alvarez? You pick.

The window is not yet open officially, but where United that just won the league have already bolstered their ranks, we’re no closer to where we were when the season ended. Samba deal is still unclear, despite his public outcry to join us. Just make it happen already as Samba seems to be everyone’s preferred choice ahead of Cahill & Jagielka because of his physical attributes and his footballing ones as well.

Same goes for Gervinho, too many twists and turns, now word is, we haven’t even put in an official bid according to their president, even though the Ivorian has told the club to make something happen. So we’re definitely going to see movement this week.

From wherever you’re reading, have a splendid day and for the impatient ones, we still have 65 days till the window closes. Cheers

Escobar

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