Only five days left!

Can you belive it? Only five days till’ the much anticipated Liverpool game! I’m looking foward to watching new boys Koscielny and Chamakh in competetive action. It’ll be interested to see what players are available for selection and which formation we deploy. Arsene Wenger said before the Legia Warsaw game:

“The team who plays tomorrow is not necessarily the team who will start in the Premier League. We have some players, like Arshavin, who have a small muscular problem and we miss Van Persie, Fabregas, Song and Diaby who have not travelled.”

Will Cesc and Robin play?

“Both of them will be short”, Wenger says. “Don’t forget that Fabregas came back yesterday but on Monday he travels to Mexico with Spain to play an international friendly on Wednesday afternoon.

“So they will come back Thursday afternoon or Friday without any training. I do not know who will be in the squad or not yet. Mentally it is a huge demand to go to the World Cup Final and three weeks later be completely ready again.

“But they are focused and I will see what is the need of the squad.”

With only five painstaiking days till’ our first match, I’m remaining optimistic for the coming season. And so is Mr Wenger :

“I believe we have a good chance. The most important thing is that we have that belief, we finished third last season, so we have two stairs to climb and I am confident that we can do it.”

Arsenal 10/11 Away Jersey Reveled. What do you think?

That is going to be the Arsenal away jesey for the 10/11 season. Do you like it? Good? Bad? What are your thoughts? Go down to the comments and let me know.

The Dutch with a 2-0 win over Denmark (Bendtner and Van Persie World Cup Watch)

The much anticipated game of Group E at Soccer City failed to live up to its expectations. It was a cagey affair. Holland had more possession but it was Denmark who had more dangerous opportunities on the counter attack. The best chance of the first half fell to Nickolas Bendtner on the 27th as Rommedahl put in a brilliant cross, only for Bendtner to head it wide. Robin Van Persie had a chance as well as he receives the ball on the right channel. He then cuts onto his preferred left foot, after seeing no space he cuts back onto his right and fires into the side-netting.

2 minutes from the break and Netherlands had a goal. Van Persie receives the ball on the left after a diagonal run and crosses it into the box, Simon Poulsen under no real pressure heads it into the back of Daniel Agger and the ball creeps in. It will go down as Poulsen’s own goal and the Dutch are ahead. There was no need for that.The Dutch should have been 2-0 up as Van Persie should missed a glorious opportunity. Kjaer gave the ball away and Van Persie first touch is a little too heavy and Sorensen can come out deal with it.

Nickolas Bendtner’s time was up, as he was replaced by Mikkel Beckmann on the 61st. A few more half chances for the Dutch and Van Persie is replaced by Ibrahim Afellay on the 78th minute. The Netherlands finally got their second on the 86th. Sneijder picks out Elia with a beutiful ball, Sorensens slight touch is enough to direct it onto the post, unfortuantely for him Dirt Kuyt is there for the tap in. The Dutch were Denied a third by an acrobatic clearance off the line by Poulsen. And so it ends 2-0 to the Netherlands.

France Held by 10-men Uruguay – Diaby, Gallas & Sagna World Cup Watch

France failed to capitalize on the sending off of Uruguay’s Lodeiro 11 minutes from time. The Arsenal trio of Diaby, Gallas and Sagna were all given a start while captain Patrice Evra kept Clichy on the bench.

France were unable to convert any of their early dominance. Govou could have put the French ahead on the 7th minute, but he completly mishit Ribery’s low cross. Forlan himself had a glorious opportunity but he couldn’t convert either. Ribery won a free kick on the 18th and Gourcuff stepped up to take it. It was a brilliant effort that looked destined to go in the top corner, but a wonderful save from Muslera kept France still bay.

As the second half started, Diaby continued to boss the midfield as France were reduced to long shots. Forlan leaped onto a long ball, chested it in front of himself only to see his shot scuffed wide. An injury scare for France as Gallas looked to half tweaked his calf again. Arsenal legend Thierry Henry and Malouda were finally introduced on the 72nd and 75th as they replaced Nickolas Anelka and Gourcuff respectively.

Uruguay were reduced to 10 men on the 81st as Lodeiro picks up his second yellow for a late challenge on Sagna. Ironically, Henry had a late penalty appeal turned down. France get a free kick in a dangerous area late into injury time, only for Henry to hit it into the wall. So the final score is 1-1

South Africa vs Mexico – Carlos Vela World Cup watch

The Mexicans were to verse the hosts in what was the opening game of the 2010 World Cup. Carlos Vela started on the left wing, and it was Mexico that were the more dangerous team in the first half with Giovani Dos Saantos the main orchestrator.

Vela picked out Franko with a magnificent chip, but a good save by Khune keeps the game still deadlocked.Carlos managed to get a goal, only for the flag to go up. Khune came of his line for a corner and Vela flicked it headed it home from the flick on. But NO GOAL as it’s disallowed and the half ends nil nil.

Vela is substituted on the 68th minute by 37-year-old Cuauhtemoc Blanco, the oldest outfield player at the World Cup. Tshabalala ends the deadlock with an unstoppable strike into the top corner on the 55th minute only for Rafael Marquez to equalised 11 minutes from time, driving home from close range. South Africa should have won the game after a glorious opportunity fell to Mphela on the 89th minute, he leaped onto a long ball which exploited the Mexican defence, only to see his toe-poke hit the near upright. And so the first game of the World Cup ends as a 1-1 draw. Mexico will be kicking themselves that they have nothing to show for all their early dominance.

Spain thump Poland 6-0 in their last freindly (Fabregas World Cup watch)

And there’s only 1 day left till the World Cup (not counting Friday) and I will be switching my view to blog about the 11 gunners at the World Cup.

Cesc Fabregas’ Spain had a comfortable 6-0 victory over Poland. It was Spain’s last friendly before heading off to South Africa. Cesc himself got on the score sheet only three minutes before coming on for Xabi Alonso in the 52nd minute.

He leaped onto a through ball and and wrong footed Kuszczak with his strike. Other goal scores were

• Villa 12’
• Silva 14’
• Alonso 52’
• Fábregas 58’
• Pedro 81’

And Fernando Torres marked his return to competetive football after replacing David Villa on the 66th minute and scoring Spains 5th with a clinical finish from Pedro’s cutback.

Barca after Clichy, Arshavin a fan and Walcott a better option than Wright-Phillips and Lennon

Reports are today that Barca are after Gael Clichy. And that Xavi just doesn’t shut up about Fabregas does he? He was up to his usuall crap saying:

I’d like him to come, and I told him. He is a player with Barca DNA. I have no doubt that Cesc will triumph at Barca triumph.

The stakes are very high, everyone wants to come to Barca and each passing year the team is better.

While were still on the Barca topic, Arshavin has said on his website

As a child I supported Barcelona, I do not deny that. Actually I continue to root for “Barca” in the Spanish Championship. As for the English Championship, I’ve always liked Arsenal, so when I had an opportunity to join this club, I happily agreed. So I’ve never seen myself as a player of any other English club. Again, I am a Gunner, and I am satisfied with everything.

And Gary Neville wites in his column (for the Sunday Times of Malta) that Wallcot would have been a better option that Wright-Phillips and Lennon

I did think Walcott would be chosen because he is a goal threat from out wide and he’s explosive.

Theo potentially has more goals in him than Wright-Phillips and Lennon.

He has played centre-forward in the past so it would’ve been another option in that position.

And you know what Gary, I agree with you.

The 11 Gunners at the World Cup.

This is a line up I’ve created of the 11 Arsenal players that will be playing the world cup.

• Bendtner
• Clichy
• Diaby
• Eboue
• Fabregas
• Gallas
• Sagna
• Senderos
• Song
• Van Persie
• Vela

Unfortunately, there will be no Arsenal keeper in South Africa. Eboue is on my bench as I give Sagna a start.

Van Persie for golden boot?

It just might happen. Why not? Provided he has an injury free world cup campaign. Van Persie has been in amazing form for Arsenal and Holland ever since returning from injury. Here is his goal in Holland’s 6 -1 thrashing of Hungary.

And his double against Mexico