Friday, 24 May 2013

Backpage Roundup: No Arsenal Bid for Rooney But Sanogo Deal Is Close, Gunners Almost On Par With City and Chelsea, Mertesacker Staying and More

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No Arsenal Bid for Rooney But Sanogo Deal Is Close Arsene Wenger has rubbished media reports which claimed that Arsenal have already launched a bid to sign want-away Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney. The 27-year-old England international wants to leave the Red Devils for a new challenge, and the press recently claimed that Wenger has [...]

Backpage Roundup: PSG Confident of Luring Wenger, Arsenal Line Up Schneiderlin As Diaby’s Replacement, Fabregas Available and More

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PSG Confident of Luring Wenger Back to France Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has emerged as Paris Saint-Germain’s top transfer target to replace the incumbent Carlo Ancelotti this summer. (The Telegraph) The wealthy Parisian outfit’s directors have purportedly been claiming that they have convinced Wenger of ending his 17-year association with the London club this summer [...]

Backpage Roundup: United To Get Guard of Honour, No Arsenal Bid for Hamburg’s Adler, Wenger Scared of Chelsea, Monreal’s Advice and More

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Gunners to Hold Guard of Honour for United Arsene Wenger has revealed that not holding a guard of honour for Manchester United was never an option for his Arsenal side, and they will show the newly crowned Premier League champions the traditional respect they deserve. Some Arsenal fans recently threatened to do a ‘Poznan’ if [...]

Backpage Roundup: Wenger Retains Board’s Support, Arteta Wants Strong Start, Schweinsteiger Impressed With Wilshere, Bayern Reunion Won’t Affect Podolski’s Game and More

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Wenger Retains Board’s Support Arsenal chairman Peter Hill-Wood has given Arsene Wenger his complete backing despite admitting that the team’s performances in the recent past have been disappointing. After Arsenal’s FA Cup exit at the hands of Blackburn Rovers, reports emerged that their French manager is set to be given a two-year contract extension. The [...]

Backpage Roundup: Walcott Accused of Buying Penalty, Arteta Praises Wigan, Wenger Satisfied With Victory, West Ham Enter Chamakh Talks and More

Theo Walcott scores against Udinese

Walcott Accused of Buying Penalty Wigan Athletic manager Roberto Martinez has accused Theo Walcott of buying the penalty decision that enabled Arsenal to win Saturday’s clash at the DW Stadium. Walcott went down inside the penalty area on a challenge from Jean Beausejour, and Martinez believes that it was an intentional tumble by the Arsenal [...]

Backpage Roundup: Wright Urges Wenger to Tell the Truth, Edu Claims Gunners Have Changed, Gazidis Upset and Angry, Cazorla Dreaming of Malaga Meeting and More

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Wright Urges Wenger to Tell the Truth Ian Wright has accused Arsene Wenger of not telling the truth and claimed that the long serving Arsenal manager’s supporters are deluded. The Gunners’ disappointing performances in the league so far this season and their recent Capital One Cup dumping at the hands of League Two minnows Bradford [...]

Backpage Roundup: Arteta Defends Cazorla but Wenger Apologises, Diame Available For Cheap, Holloway Fed-Up and More

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Arteta Defends Cazorla Over Diving Allegations Mikel Arteta doesn’t think that Santi Cazorla dived in Arsenal’s 2-0 defeat of West Bromwich Albion on Saturday as he believes his compatriot is not that ‘sort of player.’ Cazorla went to the ground inside the penalty area despite the fact that WBA’s Steven Reid didn’t touch him. Referee [...]

Backpage Roundup: Wenger Won’t Quit Just Yet, Cazorla Rues ‘Inconsistent’ Form, Hill-Wood Suffers Heart Attack, Winning UCL Group Means Nothing and More

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Wenger Won’t Quit Arsenal Just Yet Arsene Wenger has declared that he won’t quit Arsenal just yet but will evaluate his options at the end of the season. The Gunners lost out 2-0 to Swansea at Emirates Stadium on Saturday, after which calls for Wenger’s sacking intensified. While the Frenchman hinted that he might leave [...]

Backpage Roundup: Henry Set for another Arsenal Return, Mertesacker Recalls Debut Season Struggles, Gunners Won’t Be Complacent Against Montpellier, Bendtner Unsure About Arsenal Future and More

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Henry Could Return Again Arsene Wenger has refused to rubbish media speculation that Arsenal legend and New York Red Bulls superstar Thierry Henry could be back playing at Emirates once again in January. Henry, 35, originally left the Gunners for Barcelona in 2006 but returned for a successful short-term loan deal last season and scored [...]

Arsenal and Spurs set to battle it out

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Two of Arsenal’s biggest matches this season, like every other season, will be against arch rival Tottenham Hotspur in a pair of North London derbies. The first of these highly-anticipated showdowns takes place at home at Emirates Stadium on Sat. Nov. 17. With seventh-place Spurs ahead of the eighth-place Gunners in the league table and [...]

Backpage Roundup: Jenkinson Set for New Deal, Pogrebnyak Wants Arshavin Reunion, Frimpong Wants to Stay, Aneke Loan Extended and More

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Jenkinson Set to Sign New Improved Deal Carl Jenkinson has agreed to sign a new long-term deal with Arsenal, according to a report published by Sky Sports. The 20-year-old defender has been in fine form deputising for Bacary Sagna at the right-back spot this season and could also make his England debut on Wednesday against [...]

Wenger in State Of Denial; Claims Arsenal Still In Premier League Title Race

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Even the most optimistic of Arsenal fans or Arsene Wenger supporters would find it hard to agree with what “Le Professeur” has just told the press. The Gunners sit 11 points behind league leaders Manchester United, their defence has leaked 12 goals in the last four games and morale is at an all-time low, but [...]

Backpage Roundup: Walcott’s Bench Role Not a Punishment, Sagna Wants Maximum Wins, Gunners Lacking Confidence, Wenger Criticises Santos, Holtby Not Arsenal-Bound and More

Theo Walcott scores against Udinese

Walcott’s Demotion to Bench Role Is Not About His Contract – Wenger Arsene Wenger has once again denied media accusations that he is keeping Theo Walcott out of Arsenal’s starting line-up due to his contractual disputes with the club. Walcott, 23, was a regular for the Gunners until last season but has started just one [...]

Backpage roundup: Frimpong not fully fit, Gallas disagrees with Wenger, Arsenal losing N’Koulou battle, Szczesny set to return and more

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Frimpong Still Not Fully Fit Emmanuel Frimpong feels that his fitness is not at a level yet where he can play regular football for Arsenal’s senior side and he needs a few more under-21 matches to get back in proper shape. The 20-year-old midfielder has recovered from a serious cruciate ligaments injury that he suffered [...]

Backpage roundup: Fabregas believes in Wenger, Szczesny remains number one, Vertonghen snub claims, Vermaelen confident, Wilshere return close and more

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Fabregas Has Faith in Wenger Cesc Fabregas has hailed Arsene Wenger’s ability to turn talented youngsters into world class players and is confident that the Frenchman will keep Arsenal in the hunt for title glory this season. Despite losing high quality players such as Robin van Persie and Alexandre Song this summer, the Gunners still [...]

No point letting Arshavin leave for free now

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With Andrei Arshavin being in the last year of his contract, he can walk away for nothing from the Emirates at the end of the current football season. However, reports have been circulating that Arsenal is willing to let the Russian international head back to Russia before that country’s transfer window closes on Sept. 6. [...]

Backpage roundup: Navas to replace Walcott, Sahin deal delayed, Santos warned, Gervinho’s inspiration and more

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Gervinho Wants to Emulate Pires and Then Some Arsenal attacker Gervinho has identified club legend Robert Pires as his role model and said that he wants to surpass the Frenchman’s achievements with the Gunners. After a quiet debut season in English football, Gervinho wants to up his game significantly and is looking at Pires’ trophy-laden [...]

RVP: Time to come clean over Arsenal future

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It’s the question STILL on every Arsenal fan’s lips as the summer drags on: Will Robin van Persie stay with the Gunners? I have always thought he will commit to a new deal at the Emirates and I feel slightly more confident in that belief having perused Arsene Wenger’s latest assessment of the Dutchman and [...]

Backpage Roundup: Wenger on Guardiola, Chelsea, RVP Future and More

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Arsenal Target Being Chased By Inter and Bayern It has been reported by the Daily Mail that long-term Arsenal target Yann M’Vila is also attracting interest from Italian giants Inter Milan and Champions League finalists Bayern Munich. The Gunners manager Arsene Wenger has been an admirer of the highly-rated Rennes midfielder for a long time but [...]

Kempes, Dainton and shattered Arsenal Heysel dreams

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Did I imagine it? Did I, as a naive 15-year-old, dream it? Has the truth mysteriously melded with fiction and legend in the intervening years since that horrible night in Brussels? You see, I am convinced I saw Dainton swipe the silverware from Argentinian star Mario Kempes as he tried to board the Valencia team [...]

Backpage Roundup: Gervinho Proud of Third, Arshavin’s Slump and Some More

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Young Gunners to Play NextGen Tournament Arsenal FC have decided to enter their youth team in this year’s NextGen youth football tournament. Last year’s inaugural version of the tournament, which was won by Inter Milan, boosted the participating teams’ young players’ confidence and therefore, the Gunners have also decided to join it. The North London [...]

Day the great Pele became an Arsenal fan

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The elderly, grand-looking gent sat in the first class train carriage had almost a regal air about him. I’d noticed him and his companion, a woman his equal in age and eminence, as I made my way to the toilet as the old slam-door rattler ferried me and my Dad home from the Arsenal. I [...]

Gloating Taarabt dedicates goal to Spurs in Twitter taunt at Arsenal

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It would appear Arsenal striker Marouane Chamakh has even more reason to stay away from fellow Moroccan Adel Taarabt. For gloating Taarabt has taken to Twitter to throw a jibe at Gooners after the defeat to QPR and revel in his previous associaton with Tottenham. Chamakh tested his relationship with Arsene Wenger at the weekend when [...]

Will Gazidis look again at Emirates ‘standing’ after Arsenal fans banned?

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Two Arsenal fans have been banned from football matches for an altercation with police at the Emirates which was prompted by the fact they were standing during the game. It is fair to say there was more to the incident at the home game against Manchester United than simply the fact that they wouldn’t sit [...]

Why did Frimpong delete this Twitter pic of Wilshere?

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Gooners didn’t get much of a chance to see Jack Wilshere enjoying a massage when Arsenal’s very own chief Tweeter Emmanuel Frimpong posted this fetching snap on his Twitter account.  For some reason Frimpers took the image down almost immediately but as you can see from Jack’s pose and thumbs-up gesture he was happy for [...]