Arsenal FC @ Emirates All Gunner fans fall in

[kiko]

ARSENAL will potentially be without three key players for their Premier League opener at Liverpool that is now just two weeks away.

Arsene Wenger has confirmed that Nicklas Bendtner's groin problem will rule him out for the first few games of the season.

Meanwhile captain Cesc Fabregas and striker Robin van Persie, who both played in the World Cup final on July 11, will not return to training until next week and are also doubts for the game at Anfield on August 15.

"Bendtner will not be available for the start of the season," said Wenger after Tuesday's 4-0 win over Austrian part-timers SC Neusiedl 1919. "We don't know [how bad it is].

"Fabregas and Van Persie are due to come back on August 5 and from then on we will see how much build-up work is needed physically and as well how they have recovered mentally from the World Cup.

"They might be short for the first game [of the season] but I don't know, that will depend on the fitness work they have done during the holiday."

However the Gunners' boss did have better news on midfield duo Denilson and Abou Diaby, who are both yet to appear in pre-season but should play in the friendly in Poland against Legia Warsaw on August 7.

"Denilson should be [fit] - maybe not for the Emirates Cup but for the Warsaw game and Diaby as well.

Marouane Chamakh grabbed his first goal in an Arsenal shirt in the win against Neusiedl that completed Arsenal's Austrian pre-season tour on Tuesday night.

Chamakh struck five minutes into the second half when he pulled clear of the Neusiedil defence only to be dragged down by Markus Dombi, and the Morocco international picked himself up to convert from the spot.

By that time Arsenal were already two goals to the good thanks to strikes from Theo Walcott and Jay Emmanuel-Thomas, as they wrapped up their Austrian training camp preparations with the easiest of victories.

Carlos Vela added a fourth goal, while there was a momentary scare for the Gunners when Havard Nordveit handled, but Juray Skripec saw his penalty saved by Vito Mannone.

In truth, Arsenal were rarely troubled; Jack Wilshere having an early penalty appeal waved away and Andrey Arshavin firing a shot at the keeper.

Walcott had a shot blocked, but it was the England international who opened the scoring soon afterwards, picking up a pass from Samir Nasri and firing home.

Emmanuel-Thomas added a second just past the half hour, scoring on the turn, and five minutes after the restart it was 3-0 courtesy of Chamakh.

The fourth goal duly followed, Nasri cleverly releasing Vela through on goal, and he lifted a delicate chip over the stranded Austrian keeper.

Seconds later, Neusiedl had their chance to respond, but Mannone stole the spotlight with a fine save to preserve his clean sheet and underline an impressive Arsenal performance.

[overmars]

Need a goalkeeper!!!!

[Naka_Timo]

Yes.. agreed.. a very good GK is wat they seriously need now instead of wasting time for other.

[chatlovers]

Originally Posted by Naka_Timo

Yes.. agreed.. a very good GK is wat they seriously need now instead of wasting time for other.

They will buy goalkeeper. I am sure Wenger wont let transfer windows close without goalkeeper.

Though I wish he will sign it sooner than later.

[kiko]

ARSENAL 1 - AC MILAN 1

Arsene Wenger does lose his battle to keep Cesc Fabregas at Arsenal, he should console himself with the fact that in Jack Wilshere he already has the perfect replacement.

Barcelona’s drawn-out chase for Fabregas has dominated Arsenal’s summer, and the opening day of the Emirates Cup was no different as attention centred on a player who isn’t even due back in north London until August 5.

But while Wenger is adamant that his skipper will remain at the club, he will have been impressed by how Wilshere stepped in to the creative role that Fabregas normally occupies with aplomb.

The 18-year-old spent the second half of last season on loan at Bolton, but Wenger is likely to keep the youngster at Arsenal for this campaign, and on this evidence it is easy to see why.

In direct competition with Clarence Seedorf, Wilshere was far from overawed.

The Stevenage-born midfielder was less than a year old when the Dutchman made his debut for Ajax, but the tone was set by a cheeky early nutmeg as the Englishman gave Fabio Capello reason to believe that there is a promising future for the national side.

And there was more encouragement in the form of Emmanuel Frimpong, who was alongside Wilshere in central midfield.

A product of the Arsenal youth system, Frimpong has played for England’s Under-16 side but last year committed his international future to Ghana, the country of his birth.

England’s loss is the Black Stars’ gain as the duo dominated against Seedorf and Gennaro Gattuso, who have 160 international caps between them.

[kiko]

Jack Wilshere shows Arsenal there can be life without Cesc Fábregas

If winning trophies represents Arsenal's only chance of keeping Cesc Fábregas, then they have made a good start. Victory over Celtic on a balmy day in north London today saw the club retain the Emirates Cup and add further momentum to an encouraging pre-season period.

Collecting the sponsor's trinket with a fourth win in five summer fixtures will, in truth, matter little to a team who long to end their spell without a trophy of real significance – the last being the FA Cup of 2005 – but it will do for now. That is particularly the case given the manner in which Arsenal triumphed. Despite the closeness of the final score, the English team dominated their Scottish opponents with a display of typical fluidity, flair and, more unusually for Arsenal, a clinical edge. They were crowned champions of their own two-day, four-team tournament following Milan's 1-1 draw with Lyon earlier in the afternoon.

For all the optimism at the Emirates, however, there was no shaking the uncertainty surrounding Fábregas's future. The midfielder is due back from holiday on Thursday and was called upon by his manager ahead of this game to end talk of a move to Barcelona by declaring his commitment to his current employer. It will not have pleased Arsène Wenger, then, to hear Lionel Messi, who grew up with Fábregas at Barça's La Masia, state his desire today to see the 23-year-old return to Catalonia. "I hope the issue can be resolved and that Cesc can be a Barcelona player," said the Argentinian.

By the time Arsenal play their final pre‑season fixture, against Legia Warsaw on Saturday, they are likely to know for certain how committed their captain is. If the worst should happen, however, then this match did provide reason to believe there can be life after Fábregas.

The hope came in the shape of Jack Wilshere, who built on his encouraging display in the 1-1 draw with Milan yesterday with a man-of-the-match performance. During the first-half in particular, the 18-year-old was magnificent, showing a level of control and composure that defied belief given his youth. At times, Celtic's own midfielders could not get near the teenager as he glided through them.

With three minutes gone, Wilshere instigated the opening goal. He carried the ball forward before spraying a pass out to Theo Walcott, who took a touch before laying a low cross to the back post, where Carlos Vela side-footed past Lukasz Zaluska. There was more of the same from Wilshere before his best moment of the game, a sublime volley from the edge of the area on 34 minutes that smashed into the bar and had Zaluska grasping at thin air.

It is early to be speaking of Wilshere as Fábregas's successor, but there can be no doubting the potential of the player who became the youngest ever to play for Arsenal in the league when he featured against Blackburn Rovers aged 16 in 2008. What will have also encouraged Arsenal's supporters is the tenacity he showed against Celtic. Slight he may be, but this is a player who enjoys a tackle, seen best by the clash with Morten Rasmussen on 42 minutes that left Wilshere requiring treatment. However, this element of his game is not honed. With his team 3-0 up, Wilshere needlessly pulled down Marc-Antoine Fortuné in the area, giving the referee, Andre Marriner, little choice but to award Celtic a penalty. Thankfully for Wilshere, Georgios Samaras side-footed the effort over.

For Wenger, there was much else with which to be pleased. Walcott looks revitalised by his exile from England's World Cup squad while Samir Nasri shone again, scoring Arsenal's third goal – his fourth in pre-season – with a close-range shot. That strike followed a rare goal from Bacary Sagna, the full-back thrashing in a drive from long-range just before half-time.

For their part, Celtic can be encouraged by how they contributed to a thrilling encounter and can take heart from their show of spirit in adversity, a trait they will need on Wednesday as they look to overturn a 3-0 deficit to Braga in their Champions League third-round qualifying tie.

Their goals, close-range efforts from Daryl Murphy and Ki Sung-yueng, set up an exciting final seven minutes but while Celtic pushed for an equaliser, cheered on by their extraordinary support, Arsenal held on to triumph. Next up for them – Fábregas's return.

[kiko]

MP & Silva and Arsenal to enter six-year agreement for Arsenal’s digital media rights

International agency to partner Arsenal’s digital arm to collaborate on production and develop the club’s official international multi-platform content

MP & Silva (MPS), a leading international sports media company, and Arsenal Broadband Limited (ABL), the digital arm of Barclays Premier League club Arsenal FC, are finalising a deal which will see the two parties co-producing the London-based club’s official international TV programming as well as new multi-platform content.

The latest agreement is an extension of the content acquisition deal signed between ABL and MPS last June. Now the two parties, supported by the Arsenal club management, are to enter into a longer-term partnership with a common strategic goal delivered by a joint team. This team will be responsible for production and content creation for Arsenal Media (formerly Arsenal TV). MP & Silva will continue to distribute Arsenal’s programming outside of the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland.

The Arsenal Media team will be developing new, exclusive and entertaining high definition content that will appeal to a wide international audience. From season 2010-2011, traditional delayed match coverage will be supported by ‘Arsenal World’ a series of creative new formats, based on interviews and real-life details from the club’s stars - the players and its iconic manager Arsène Wenger. Agreed formats include ‘My Inspiration’ - in which the programme tracks down those people that have made a real difference to the players’ lives and ‘A Trip With’ – in which the players reveal their all time favourite trips: holidays, honeymoons, childhood journeys and much more.

"In MP & Silva we have found a partner with the same international ambitions as our own and with an exceptional track record within the world of sports media” said Michael Leavey General Manager, Arsenal Broadband Ltd. “It's unusual to find a organisation so willing to investigate new creative ways to develop a global media business.”

“We share the same vision and objectives as Arsenal. We decided that it would be strategically advantageous if we pooled our resources and expertise collectively to produce and generate original content that will be tailored to overcome media fragmentation challenges, putting us in a better position to engage Arsenal’s estimated 30 million supporters in the United Kingdom and overseas,” said Andrea Radrizzani, Group CEO, MP & Silva. “The new Arsenal Media brand reflects the paradigm shift from a traditional television-centric approach, to one that is focused on creating broader, multi-platform content and programme formats that can be effectively delivered and re-appropriated across different broadcast and media channels.”

[stephan]

Again, with those thin players, we can only expecting another disappointed year!

[kiko]

Wenger - Two goalkeeping decisions I'll make

Arsène Wenger is still pondering which goalkeeper will he his No 1 for the forthcoming season.

The Arsenal manager has also revealed that one of his four shotstoppers will head out on loan this season. But he is yet to decide who that will be.

Lukasz Fabianski accompanied the manager at a press conference in Warsaw on Friday evening. Both the 25-year-old and the Gunners' other Polish keeper Wojciech Szczesny will feature in Saturday's friendly against Legia Warsaw. However, the manager still doesn't know who will line up in goal at Anfield in just over a week's time.

"Still players fight for their place," he said. "Tomorrow Fabianski has another opportunity to show that he can play No 1.

"Wojciech is a goalkeeper of huge quality. At the moment we want to play for the title so I believe he needs some more experience to compete directly for the first goalkeeper position.

"But it depends a little bit. We have four goalkeepers, one of them will go out on loan, three have to stay so we do not know yet who will go out."

[Naka_Timo]

I think all should go on loan, wat they need urgently is a gd keeper. If not tis will again be a bad season for them again.

[chatlovers]

Originally Posted by Naka_Timo

I think all should go on loan, wat they need urgently is a gd keeper. If not tis will again be a bad season for them again.

I fully agree with you bro. Sell (not loan) Almunia and Fabianski. Buy new good goalkeeper and keep two young ones as understudy. I believe Wojciech Szczesny will be good goalkeeper for future. Infact Manonne is far better then Fabianski/Almunia.

[Naka_Timo]

Originally Posted by chatlovers

I fully agree with you bro. Sell (not loan) Almunia and Fabianski. Buy new good goalkeeper and keep two young ones as understudy. I believe Wojciech Szczesny will be good goalkeeper for future. Infact Manonne is far better then Fabianski/Almunia.

Ya, but till now still nothing yet, think tat all they buy for tis seasons.

[kiko]

MARK SCHWARZER has stunned new Fulham boss Mark Hughes by slapping in a transfer request.
The Aussie keeper, 37, wants to force a move to Arsenal, who bid £2million before the World Cup.
But Hughes wants Schwarzer to stay and will play hardball. (The Sun)

Anyone who has seen Manuel Almunia and Lukasz Fabianski in action will understand Arsene Wenger’s desire to bring in a new number one, and quickly. Last term the Gunners conceded more goals than they in the previous six seasons and the Emirates boss is keen to reverse that problem.

He has been linked with many keepers but the only one he appears to have made a bid for is the 37 year old Fulham man who has now brought the issue to a head by putting in a transfer request. Mark Hughes may well try to fight such a move but would surely not want to be stuck with a player who doesn’t want to stay.

More likely is that the new Craven Cottage man is looking to make as much from the sale of the Aussie as possible and that may lead to Arsenal having to double their initial bid for the experienced goalie who at £4m would still be a decent value option.

[kiko]

Mark Schwarzer desperate to sign for Arsenal

Fulham goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer has pleaded with the club to allow him to join Arsenal.

Arsenal have been linked with Schwarzer for the past month, but Arsene Wenger's interest was said to have cooled after he was quoted a price of £4 million by Fulham.

Schwarzer, 37, is to have showdown talks with new Fulham manager Mark Hughes as soon as he returns from international duty, having featured in Australia's 2-0 defeat to Slovenia. Schwarzer rescheduled his flight back from Slovenia to meet with Hughes.

But it now seems certain the former Middlesbrough goalkeeper will head to Emirates Stadium as their new number one after making it clear he does not want to stay at Fulham.

"I need it to happen," Schwarzer told the Australian Daily Telegraph. "I've had a couple of chats with Mark [Hughes]. It's delicately poised. Who wouldn't be keen to go to Arsenal?

"At this stage in my career it's an amazing opportunity to play at that level and one I really want to take. Only time will tell whether that happens or not."

Schwarzer denied he would pull himself out of Saturday's game against Bolton Wanderers to engineer a move as the club's haggle over a transfer fee, but he could miss the game through injury.

"I have never sat out a game [to prove a point] and never would," Schwarzer said. "But it needs to be resolved sooner rather than later. I'm not sure whether I'll play [for Fulham] on the weekend. I've got a few little injury problems but we'll have to wait and see how I pull up when I return to London."

[Naka_Timo]

Hope Arsene not just talk only, quickly bring him in.. before the tranfer window closed and also another defender to strengthen the squad