Monday, 21 May 2012
Home / Commentary / Contributor Opinion / Sturm Graz v The Arsenal…live updates

Sturm Graz v The Arsenal…live updates

By 2010/07/21 17 Comments

Share

Author:

emptyemirates
by CARL ELDRIDGE Samir Nasri may not have made France’s World Cup squad but he showed no signs of disappointment as he put in a polished performance capped with two goals when Arsenal saw off Sturm Graz 3-0 tonight.

Nasri grabbed two goals and Henri Lansbury chipped in with a strike to give us a win as we kicked off our annual pre-season tour to Austria with a game at the UPC Arena.

Nasri curled home a super free-kick just before the break
after Jack Wilshere was upended on the edge of the box to makie it 2-0.

He had already given Arsenal a 1-0 lead after 15 minutes with a right-footed shot from 18 yards.And Lansbury, 19, who spent last season on loan at Watford, tucked away a third after clever approach play from JET.

The game is the second friendly, the opening game was against Barnet on Saturday where we recorded a 4-0 win.

Havard Nordtveit saw a header fly wide after four minutes from a Nasri free-kick after Theo Walcott had been upended.

Wilshere, partnering Manu Frimpong in the centre of midfield, put in a crunching tackle on some Austrian after 13 minutes to prove he has fight as well as flair.
Graz should have levelled after half an hour but great stop with his legs from Fabianski after Djourou got caught short.

Chamakh hasn’t really featured this half which is a tad worrying. Walcott tried a tasty dink at goal on 39 minutes after a clever turn but his effort was too high.

Wilshere picked up a booking just before half-time for another tough tackle…boy has steel.
Wilshere went off after an hour with Armand Traore coming back on. The pace settled to a bit of a stroll in the second half and perhaps the best chance fell to Koscielny, who headed wide from a corner on 79 minutes.

Traore had a chance to make it four on 85 minutes but squandered his chance after surging approach play from JET. Walcott had a great opportunity to add to our tally a minute from time after JET played him in but he chipped wide. 

Starting XI: Fabianski, Nordtveit, Vermaelen,Djourou, Traore, Nasri, Wilshere, Frimpong, Walcott, Arshavin, Chamakh.

Second half: On…Koscielny, Gibbs, Eastmond, Lansbury, Rosicky (c), JET. Check out the site for live updates on the game as it unfolds. More follows…
{jcomments on}
GD Star Rating
loading...

Eldo71

Arsenal fan for 40 years. Schoolboys, North Bank, Clock End then East Upper. Then Emirates. AFC dream team: Wilson, Dixon, Sansom, Adams, Pates, Brady, Williams, Pires, Bergkamp, Henry, Wright. Subs: Seaman, Eldridge, Wilshere, RVP, Ball. Manager: Arsene Chapman.

More Posts - Website - Twitter

Categories: Contributor Opinion

Related Arsenal Stuff

  • db10

    Almunia not even on the bench. Eduardo has already left so will Manuel be next? I think so…

    GD Star Rating
    loading...
  • Jimmy

    Wilshere class. Traore megged !!

    GD Star Rating
    loading...
  • Waz

    Lets bloody hope manual finds his way back to fawlty towers!!

    I fear our business is done, AW was keen to have it done before the WC, then before end of WC and now given we are in Austrai and playing the youngsters I think he will justify no further business by championing the blooding of the youngsters.

    Prob is we now have the kids of yesterday being the veterans now Sol et al have gone teaching the new kids, we may once again lack that experience that AW claims in his post season analysis every season is missing!!

    Shame, as always we are just 1 or 2 short, the kids nead experienced players and the squad certainly does esp given the diversity of hostile grounds we travel to.

    GD Star Rating
    loading...
  • eric chee

    Chamakh not yet perform well..
    Wilshere,Arshavin,Traore perform so well..
    Nasri is awesome today…

    GD Star Rating
    loading...
  • temmy

    let work toward succex.

    GD Star Rating
    loading...
  • db10

    Any Subs?

    I think chamakh might turn out to be one of those players like bendtner who doesn’t really do much but seems to score alot. If he has one touch a game and ends up scoring 20+ goals then I’ll be very happy.

    GD Star Rating
    loading...
  • temmy

    giv chak boy a littu tym 2 adapt.

    GD Star Rating
    loading...
  • frimpong

    My namesake has look very good, especially his shutting-down game. Jack look spry and full of confidence, Nasri’s stature as a potential club legend grows and Nordveit looked the part. Great to see Mr Gibbs back in the shirt and as always a pleasure to see JET get amongst it.

    Theo still has no brains, Traore still has a shirt and we’ve still can’t defend set pieces and keep too high a defensive line square on, and get sprung….

    And,goalkeepers…

    Seems like the same aspects year after year, and for the sake of a world class centre back and keeper we’d be on target.

    GD Star Rating
    loading...
  • dreddy

    do u guys realize that JET plays comfortably anywhere he’s placed. and I never realized how big he really is. He holds the ball pretty well up front on his own, is a strong winger and would be stronger if he’d use his right leg more.

    Wilshere is just class and is definitely a main stay this season. But have u guys also noticed that quite a few of our ‘kids’ are much bigger than some of our regulars, as well as being stronger??

    GD Star Rating
    loading...
  • nicky

    I LIKE THE REPORTED SIZE OF SOME OF OUR TOTS AND GET THE IMPRESSION THAT MORE OF THEM WILL BE BLOODIED NEXT TERM, THAN WE EXPECT. THAT IS EXCITING!!!

    GD Star Rating
    loading...
  • notoverthehill

    I think the doomsayers are ignoring AW’s comment regarding Real Madrid’s cast offs. As too often the child never grows up, because the child has not been given a sweet.
    A thought there for the GK.

    GD Star Rating
    loading...
  • AustrianGunner

    I was in the stadium and i think overall it was a good test. Koscielny looked much better than during the Barnet Game. Made one mistake, but overall he had a good game. We still need a CB, but i’m confident that we won’t get as many goals as last season.
    The Youngsters, especially Frimpong and Wilshere, had a great game. One CB and a goalkeeper and we will have a great season.

    GD Star Rating
    loading...
  • Alabica

    Wenger needs to sign a world class GK and a strong, tall, no-nonsense Defender now. He can’t continue to hope the defence will sort itself out or wish injury prone players like Djourou will suddenly become dependable during the course of the season. Almunia has showed on several occasions that he is not up to the task. Can this current group of Defenders with the exception of Vermaelen cope with the likes Drogba or teams like Blackburn? Wenger, we all know you are a great Coach but you also know you need the right players in the right areas for all your good work of many years not to go to waste. I am sure you would want take your place amongst the very best in the world. Please do something about this problem now!!!

    Charles

    GD Star Rating
    loading...
  • Jimmy

    Capello should have left Heskey and taken JET. Still a bit bored of Traore, Lansbury and Barazite, possible Eastmond, definately Simpson !!

    Other than that our new(ish) youngsters are looking class. Wilshere and Frimpong in particular. Gibbs of course. Always knew Nordveit was half decent. Decent build, height, althelticism. Vela and Djorou just to rattle of some more names …

    And really the jewell is Ramsey. It goes to show as always Arsenal do have the depth and the talent. Surely Wenger can get them to apply it this time!

    The seniors? Vermaelen is a natural skipper. Nasri striking the ball well, even Rosicky sort of looked good and up for it. Again, the promise is there, just need to sort out this mental thing and see that Man Utd and Chelsea aren’t that great !! Oh, and plus a new keeper of course :-)

    GD Star Rating
    loading...
  • Mark H

    JET was by far the most promising of the youngsters. nasri & rosicky also looked very good.

    I can’t say Nordveidt, Frimpong, Lansbury or Wilshire really impressed me, but they did reasonably well and give us good cause for optimism.

    Koscielny and Chamakh have yet to impress, but it is still early days for both of them.

    I felt at the end of last season that Wenger had decided to promote Fabianski to no 1 as he clearly rates him very highly. The starts at the end of last season were intended to let him redeem himself with the fans for his mistakes earlier in the season but that plan backfired as he made yet more blunders. If Almunia leaves, then Wenger might make a move for someone like Schwarzer to give Fabianski a little more time to develop. But don’t bet against us starting the new season without a goalkeeping signing.

    GD Star Rating
    loading...
  • Jimmy

    I think Arsenal have been linked with Seb Frey every season since I was about 14 years old !! Maybe it’s time.

    GD Star Rating
    loading...
  • THE American Gooner

    Mark H,

    Not sure what you are watching, but if Frimpong or Wilshire haven’t impressed you, then you are deluded. Both have been excellent and show themselves to be top players in the future. Nordveidt also had an excellent game, as did JET.

    Kos has not had much to do, though he did look better against Barnet than Sturm. Djourou has looked poor.

    Definitely need a new GK.

    GD Star Rating
    loading...