Arsenal defender Laurent Koscielny has attributed his far improved performances last season to
the additional time he has spent in the gym compared to when he first arrived at the club.
Koscielny's move from Lorient two years ago was met with mixed reaction, with some quickly
appreciating his mobility as a center-half and others criticizing his lack of strength.
Holy cow, two new posts in two days! As Perry stated, there are many more posts to come from the
both of us and some other blogging additions to be named later. I used to desperately search around
for an outlet to voice my love and frustrations for Arsenal FC until I found the AO. Over the last
handful of years I have enjoyed reading the blog and adding my rubbish two cents every so often in
the comments section.
Arsenal defender Thomas Vermaelen is confident of the club's future prospects as long as the
players continue to give each other feedback with complete transparency rather than holding back on
important communication.
Vermaelen sat down with Arsenal Player to reflect on the club's chemistry off the field
and in the dressing room, which has been praised in recent weeks by the likes of Andre Santos and
Mikel Arteta.
Look a new post! Fellow AOs, I know it has been a long time coming, but I wanted to extend an
appreciation to all of you for sticking by this blog. I, like most of you, was yearning for new
posts over the past month, and like most of you, I watched this blog daily for new threads to no
avail. We kept the banter alive in the Wigan thread hoping and waiting for news to come, and
then sadly the day came when JG stepped up to let us know that he and the rest of the blogging team
needed to call it quits due to various real life activities.
Ashley Cole Taunts Arsenal after Chelsea's European Triumph
Former Arsenal defender Ashley Cole hit back at the Gunners after winning the
UEFA Champions League final for his current club Chelsea against
Bayern Munich on penalties.
Arsene Wenger's negotiations to retain the services of skipper Robin van Persie did not go
ideally today but the club's new forward Lukas Podolski is confident about the club's silverware
prospects in the near future.
Podolski's signing was confirmed towards the end of last month before he was even done playing
in the Bundesliga with FC Cologne.
Welcome, my fellow Gunners, to another year in which we faithful worshippers have been
privileged to celebrate our favourite Saint's Day.
And why is St Totteringham's Day our favourite holy occasion?
Well, I believe it's because it combines all the qualities of the other, lesser, Saints' Days
that we mark throughout the year.
Welcome, my fellow Gunners, to another year in which we faithful worshippers have been
privileged to celebrate our favourite Saint's Day.
And why is St Totteringham's Day our favourite holy occasion?
Well, I believe it's because it combines all the qualities of the other, lesser, Saints' Days
that we mark throughout the year.
Welcome, my fellow Gunners, to another year in which we faithful worshippers have been
privileged to celebrate our favourite Saint's Day.
And why is St Totteringham's Day our favourite holy occasion?
Well, I believe it's because it combines all the qualities of the other, lesser, Saints' Days
that we mark throughout the year.
Welcome, my fellow Gunners, to another year in which we faithful worshippers have been
privileged to celebrate our favourite Saint's Day.
And why is St Totteringham's Day our favourite holy occasion?
Well, I believe it's because it combines all the qualities of the other, lesser, Saints' Days
that we mark throughout the year.
Arsenal's Robin van Persie has won the English Premier League's Golden Boot which is awarded to
the top goalscorer. For the 2011-12 season, the striker had 30 goals which is three above second
place Wayne Rooney. It's the first Golden Boot for van Persie who many argue has been one of the
best strikers in Europe this season.
Wenger Praises 'Special' Van Persie
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has lauded captain Robin van
Persie for scoring 30 league goals this season and said that the Dutch striker's
achievement is 'special.'
Van Persie has become only the seventh Arsenal player ever to reach the 30-goal mark in a single
season and, according to Wenger, the striker's historical accomplishment shows just how vital he is
to the Gunners.
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger believes that captain Robin van Persie can establish himself as the
best in the world if he continues the stunning level of form that he has maintained with the
Gunners throughout this season.
In a rare year that never saw him plagued with serious injury concerns, van Persie took full
advantage of the opportunity at hand by smashing 37 goals in 47 appearances across all
competitions.
Arsenal defender Per Mertesacker admits that the pace and physicality of English football is
pressurizing for players from other parts of the world but argues that the media is not nearly as
intrusive as portrayed at times.
The English press is often criticized for exaggerating issues or taking statements out of
context but Mertesacker, who arrived from Werder Bremen last year, does not consider this to be an
issue, particularly considering the more intrusive role of the media in his native Germany.
Arsenal defender Per Mertesacker is confident that the arrival of compatriot Lukas Podolski over
the summer will go a long way in changing the team's reputation as one that cracks easily under
pressure.
The Gunners' fragile reputation is largely attributable to seven straight years without a trophy
with a relatively inexperienced squad that has lost influential stars such as Thierry Henry, Cesc
Fabregas, and Samir Nasri over the course of the dry spell.
Lansbury Seeking Answers on His Future
Arsenal youngster Henri Lansbury is expected to hold a face-to-face meeting
with manager Arsene Wenger before deciding whether to ask for a permanent transfer
or ink a new deal with the Gunners.
Wojciech Szczesny has expressed his delight at being a regular in the Arsenal set-up nearly
seven years after arriving at the club as a 15-year old with many dreams to fulfill.
Szczesny, now 22, has been Arsenal's number one since Lukasz Fabianski's injury midway through
last season and his emergence came at a critical time when there was a lot of pressure on manager
Arsene Wenger to bring in a world class goalkeeper.
Yesterday Arsene Wenger made it quite clear we were a team that was far too reliant on the goals
of Robin van Persie.
Yesterday Arsene Wenger said there was nothing we could do about it until the end of the season
and he urged the captain to drag us over the line into third place.
Yesterday, he did something about it, for next season at least, by finalising the signing of
Lukas Podolski from Cologne.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has spoken of his delight after completing the protracted capture
of Germany striker Lukas Podolski from Cologne.
Podolski will join the Gunners in the summer after agreeing personal terms and passing a
medical. No word yet on the transfer fee.
Wenger said: "We are delighted to secure the deal for Lukas and see him as an important part of
our future.
Arsenal's Robin Van Persie was crowned the PFA Player of the Year on Sunday evening, the Dutch
striker was favourite to pick up the award after scoring 34 goals for the Gunners across all
competitions this season.
Those over at betting bonus note how Van Persie is also the top goal-scorer in the Premier
League this campaign, with 27 goals to his name so far.
Late last week Ched Evans was jailed, and sentenced to five years imprisonment for rape of a
young 19 year old woman. This sparked a lot of attention on social media and more specifically
Twitter. A man who took attention to this was Kyle Bartley, an Arsenal player on loan to Rangers,
who befriended Ched Evans last term at his loan spell at Sheffield United.
Match report Video By the numbers
I have to admit I was a bit confused by the end of match reaction yesterday. Sky lauded Chelsea
for grabbing a draw, Roberto di Matteo called it a 'great point', and they interviewed Gary Cahill
who stood there gabbering as if they'd taken a giant step towards the title or something.
Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey has accepted the harsh criticism that has been unleashed at him
ever since Monday's 2-1 defeat at home to Wigan but remains committed to bouncing back from the
setback against the Latics.
Ramsey entered Monday evening's match as an early substitute for Mikel Arteta and with the
Gunners falling two goals behind within the opening eight minutes, there was heavy pressure on the
Welshman to deliver against a relegation-threatened opposition.
Just as it was previously expected, the injury of Arsenal's midfielder, Mikel Arteta, did turned
out to be a bad one as his season is confirmed to be over by the Gunners' manager himself, Arsene
Wenger.
Speaking to Arsenal Player, the French Manager revealed that Arteta suffered a sprain on his
ankle which forced the Spaniard to rest for around six to eight weeks, although it's already a
disappointing news but there's still something positive since the midfielder won't be needing an
operation that could extend the recovery time.
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has admitted that his side's two recent defeats against
relegation-threatened QPR and Wigan Athletic are down to mental lapses that must be addressed in
order to secure third place.
Last season, Manchester City shockingly leapfrogged the Gunners into third place after the last
round of fixtures, leaving Wenger's men with no other choice but to begin this season early to
qualify for the Champions League group stage.
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.
Arsenal left-back Andre Santos has made it clear that he is now feeling complete settled in
London and has attributed much of his comfort at the club to the relationships he has developed
with teammates off the field.
After gradually making a successful transition from a deadline-day signing to the team's
starting left-back, Santos famously scored in the 5-3 derby win away to Chelsea in October.
Andre will miss seeing those abs
Feels a little weird to start off talking about another club in a match which doesn't involve
us. Or does potentially involve us, seeing that if Chelsea do win the Champions League and doesn't
finish in third place. Combined that with us finishing lower than where we are now, there will be
no Champions League for us next season.
Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere has been ruled out for the remainder of the season with an
ankle injury and "will not go" to Euro 2012 with England, Gunners manager Arsene Wenger confirmed
on Monday.
A stress fracture to his right ankle has prevented Wilshere from playing this season, but both
the player and Wenger had been optimistic that he would return to play some part in the
end-of-season run-in.
Yossi Benayoun has surprised me since joining Arsenal on loan last summer.
I've always believed that he was a very good player, an Arsenal player in the wrong shirt really,
but what I have been impressed with most of all is his fantastic attitude.
He hasn't spent as much time on the pitch as he would have liked but, when he does play, he always
give 110% to the cause.
There was a time when Arsenal's Theo Walcott couldn't brush his teeth without dislocating his
shoulder, but now he is a fearless Spartan warrior (who also writes children's books) and it seems
to be benefiting his game. He's made 30 Premier League starts for Arsenal this season (his previous
high was last seasons' 19) and he says he is now a totally different Theo Walcott.
Yossi Benayoun probably hasn't done enough to achieve cult status. His imprint is far larger
amongst the squad than the fans. When he scored the winner against Aston Villa in December the
euphoria in the celebrations said it all. It wasn't just that it was such a crucial goal, it was
scored by a popular player in the team and one of the signings who did much to improve morale
amongst the group.
Arsenal
Follow Me On Twitter
Arsenal have not had stellar English Players As Consistently As Man United. Man U has had
Beckham, Scholes and now Rooney At the Core of their Side for the Last 20 years, More or less.
Man United's Success is mostly a result of these players.
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INTERVIEW WITH THE GREAT GORDON JAGO
- Q&A (Part 1 of 2): Exec.
Arsenal skipper Robin van Persie believes one of the secrets to his success this season has been
a somewhat sudden transition from a role right behind the main striker to becoming the main striker
himself.
In recent years, injuries had derailed van Persie's progress as one of the most promising
talents in the Premier League but having started this season fully fit, the Dutchman also benefited
from receiving the greater responsibility of the main striker position.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger made history back in February of 2005 when he became the first
English Premier League manager to field a starting 11 that didn't include one English player. The
reason for this appears to be necessitated by injuries to some of his top players at the time such
as Sol Campbell, Justin Hoyte, and Ashley Cole.
Andre Santos and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain have no doubts that their Arsenal side can go from
relative anonymity at the beginning of this year to being crowned champions at the end of next
season.
Santos and Oxlade-Chamberlain arrived last summer to join a Gunners squad that lost the services
of Gael Clichy and Samir Nasri to Manchester City, and former skipper Cesc Fabregas to
Barcelona.
Arsenal's summer signing Andre Santos has revealed that he has been thrilled with the treatment
he has received from everyone at the club and has chosen the Gunners faithful for special praise
after recently returning from a long injury spell.
Brazil international Santos, signed from Fenerbahce seven months ago, briefly showed glimpses of
his talent before being sidelined towards the end of 2011.
Arsenal's summer signing, Andre Santos revealed that after few months playing in the
premiership, the left back finally adapted to life in London, stating his joy of being treated
wonderfully by the staffs and also fans, urging him to try and make history at Emirates.
The left back also feels the need to repay all of those who immediately puts faith on him,
despite there have been many questions regarding his quality especially since he only came from
Turkey league.
A few years ago if someone had suggested to me that Alex Song would one day be (nearly) world-class
I would have taken them straight to Broadmoor and had them sectioned myself.
At the beginning of his Arsenal career Song looked, in my opinion, horribly out of his depth. When
he went on loan to Charlton Athletic I actually believed he had probably found his level.
