SoccerBlogs

Wenger Praises Arsenal Players

Arsene Wenger commended his Arsenal players after they maintained their top-four status for the 17th consecutive season by defeating Newcastle United 1-0 on the final day of the season.

The Gunners boss was elated with his team's outstanding end-of-the-season form which saw them win nine of their final 11 games, including Sunday's all-important fixture against the Magpies.

Bayern Wanted Giroud

Olivier Giroud has claimed that UEFA Champions League finalists Bayern Munich wanted to sign him last summer before he joined Arsenal.

The former Montpellier man says he was on the Bavarians' shortlist but in the end they chose to go for Mario Mandzukic, whose Euro 2012 showings impressed them.

Gotze's Agent Rules Out Summer Switch

Arsene Wenger's purported plan of signing Mario Gotze for Arsenal this summer has been dealt a major blow, as the Borussia Dortmund starlet's agent has announced that his client is not seeking a transfer at all.

Wenger Calls for Strong Start against Canaries

Arsene Wenger has urged his Arsenal charges to fire on all cylinders from the very beginning when they take on Norwich City at Emirates Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

The Frenchman believes that when his men take an early lead, it draws their opponents out and makes the game even more favourable for the Gunners.

Dein Claims Wenger Is Ready to Spend Big

Former Arsenal vice-chairman David Dein believes that coach Arsene Wenger is finally ready to splash some serious cash in the transfer market.

Despite having enough money in the bank, the Gunners have never competed with the big spenders in the transfer market for quality players of the highest quality, but Dein says this is about to change.

Arsenal Plotting Casillas Move

Arsenal are planning an audacious summer move for Real Madrid's injured ace Iker Casillas, according to reports emerging from Spain.

The Gunners-related transfer rumours are rife following whispers of a £70million summer spree on Robert Lewandowski, Mario Goetze and Lars Bender in the summer.

Seaman Doubts Szczesny's Ability to Win Starting Role Back

Arsenal legend David Seaman isn't sure whether goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny has what it takes to win back his position in coach Arsene Wenger's starting line-up.

Wenger Tells Gervinho to Relax for Greater Accuracy

Arsene Wenger has admitted that Arsenal striker Gervinho is not 'clinical' in front of the goal but believes his finishing would improve if he calmed down a little.

The 25-year-old Ivorian created two goals and scored one in the Gunners' 4-1 win over Reading at Emirates on Saturday.

Wenger Sure of Achieving Top-Four Finish

Arsene Wenger has confidently claimed that his Arsenal side will once again finish in the top four on the Barclays Premier League points table at the end of the season.

The Frenchman's club currently find themselves fifth in the standings, two points behind fourth-placed Chelsea, but he is sure that his charges will somehow find a way to qualify for next season's Champions League competition.

Arsenal finally gets back to Premier League action on Saturday March 30 when they take on relegation-battling Reading at home at the Emirates. As has been the case all season long, the Gunners will be determined to earn all three points in the race for third and fourth place along with Tottenham and Chelsea.

Monreal's Advice for Gunners

Nacho Monreal believes that he and his Arsenal teammates should pay no attention to their critics and instead spend all their energies on achieving a top four finish this season.

It has been another disappointing season for the Gunners as their trophy-drought is set to cross the eight-year mark at the end of this season.

Walcott Injures Hip

Theo Walcott has suffered a 'minor hip/groin injury' and will not play any part in England's upcoming World Cup qualifying round Group H game against Montenegro.

The Arsenal winger's injury is not serious but he has been sent back to London as he is unlikely to recover in time for the Three Lions' game on Tuesday.

Cazorla Wants to Be More Prolific

Santi Cazorla says that he wants to go on a scoring spree for Arsenal as the Barclays Premier League enters the final phase of the 2012/13 season.

The Spanish playmaker has become an instant hit for the Gunners since joining them last summer from Malaga, and while a total of 11 goals in his debut PL campaign is healthy enough, he wants to increase that tally significantly before the end of the season.

Arteta Proud Of Gunners Effort

Mikel Arteta says that he and his Arsenal teammates gave their all in the second leg against Bayern Munich and their performance on Wednesday night was nothing to be ashamed of.

The Gunners defeated the Bavarians 2-0 at Allianz Arena but crashed out of the competition as Bayern had scored more away goals than them in the tie.

Wenger Urges Gunners to 'Stay Solid'

Arsene Wenger has urged his Arsenal players to 'stay solid' and not lose their heads due to poor results of late.

The mood in the Gunners' camp is reportedly very sombre these days due to recent defeats to Blackburn Rovers, Bayern Munich and arch-rivals Tottenham Hotspur.

Szczesny Demands Instant Arsenal Response

Wojciech Szczesny has urged his Arsenal teammates to recover quickly from their recent defeat to Tottenham Hotspur for the sake of their Champions League qualification.

Last Sunday's 2-1 defeat to their bitter North London rivals has left Arsenal trailing the fourth-placed Chelsea by five points.

Arsenal Won't Pay Extra Attention to Bale Wenger

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger insists that he has not formulated any special strategies to deal with Tottenham star Gareth Bale in the upcoming North London derby.

Bale Winner 'Deflated' Arsenal Parker

Scott Parker believes that Gareth Bale's stunning winner in Tottenham's recent 3-2 defeat of West Ham United at Upton Park must have caused a lot of psychological damage to their bitter rivals Arsenal.

It was a nervous 94 minutes for Arsenal fans and manager Arsene Wenger at Emirates Stadium on Saturday afternoon, but thanks to midfield maestro Santi Cazorla the Gunners took all three points from a game Aston Villa side with a 2-1 win. Cazorla opened and closed the scoring in the game with the winner, his 11th of the season, coming with just five minutes to play.

Fabregas Rules Out Arsenal Return

Cesc Fabregas has revealed that he has no intention of changing clubs again and wants to spend the remainder of his footballing career at his current club Barcelona.

It was recently suggested by Arsene Wenger that Fabregas might return back to Arsenal in the latter stages of his career but the Spanish playmaker has poured cold water on his former mentor's hopes.

Santos Leaves Arsenal for Gremio

Arsenal FC have confirmed that left-back Andre Santos has joined Gremio on loan and will now remain with the Serie A club for the remainder of the 2012/13 season.

The 29-year-old Brazilian joined Arsenal from Fenerbahce in August 2011 but his lack of defensive nous meant that he never managed to flourish in North London.

Ramsey Blow for Arsenal

Aaron Ramsey has injured his calf and is now a major doubt for Arsenal's upcoming Premier League game against Sunderland.

The 22-year-old Gunner picked up the injury while away on international duty with the Wales squad and could now be unavailable for his club's visit to Stadium of Light on Saturday.

Arsenal Announce Price Freeze for Next Season

Arsenal FC have delivered some good news to their fans by confirming that ticket prices at Emirates Stadium for the 2013/14 season will remain unchanged.

The Gunners' ticket pricing policy is considered very high and it got criticised earlier this month after more than 900 Manchester City fans refused to be bullied over the issue and decided not to buy tickets for their team's clash with Arsenal at Emirates Stadium.

Wenger Unimpressed with Leaders Manchester United

Arsene Wenger has revealed that the lack of a real dominating team in England means that he will rue missing the opportunity of winning the league this season in May.

Both the Manchester clubs and Chelsea have been weaker than their respective previous versions this term and Wenger believes it was the perfect chance for his Arsenal side to end their title drought.

Mertesacker Urges Gunners to Beat Chelsea

Per Mertesacker has urged his Arsenal teammates to prove that they deserve to be in top four by defeating Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.

The Gunners are six points behind fourth-placed Tottenham Hotspur but have a game in hand.

Source Wikipedia, author: James Boyes

Arsenal and Man United Ready to Start Bidding War for Zaha

Arsenal and Manchester United are reportedly ready to step up their interest in Crystal Palace's in-demand attacker Wilfried Zaha and are expected to submit their bids in the next few days.

Wenger Expecting 'Open Game' Against City

Arsene Wenger believes that Arsenal's Premier League clash with champions Manchester City on Sunday is a make or break fixture for both the clubs involved.

The Gunners need all three points on the offer to stay close to the top four clubs, while the Blues pursuit of league leaders Manchester United means that they cannot afford to have anything less than a victory either.

Walcott Deal Close

Theo Walcott is reportedly very close to penning a contract extension with Arsenal and the deal could be finalised in the next few days.

The 23-year-old winger's representatives and the club officials have been negotiating for several months but despite things looking bleak on multiple occasions, it seems that a compromise has finally been reached.

Wenger Targets Win Over Swansea for PL Benefits

Arsene Wenger wants his Arsenal players to prepare themselves up for upcoming league clashes with Manchester City and Chelsea by thrashing Swansea City in their FA Cup tie on Sunday.

Wenger Tells His Players to Stay Grounded

Arsene Wenger has told his players not to let complacency enter their game after some recent improvement in their performances lifted Arsenal FC back among the top four on the league table.

Cazorla Wants Winter Break in English Football

Santi Cazorla wants English football to adopt winter breaks in their schedules as he believes it would be very beneficial for the players.

The Arsenal playmaker is used to having winter breaks, as before arriving in the Premier League in August, he had played his entire career in Spain, where such a luxury exists.

Podolski Believes Arsenal Can Knock Out Bayern

Lukas Podolski believes that Arsenal are capable of knocking out his old club Bayern Munich when the two sides meet in the next round of the UEFA Champions League.

The Gunners have been paired with the Bavarian giants, who made it all the way to the final last season and are also one of the favourites to win the competition this time around.

Song Wants Barca to Be Paired With Arsenal

Alexandre Song has revealed that would love to play his former club Arsenal in the next round of the UEFA Champions League.

The 25-year-old midfielder, who was sold to Barcelona in the summer, says that he has fond memories of his time in North London and would like his current team to be paired with the Gunners in the round of sixteen.

It would appear that a trip to Reading could cure all that ails Arsenal at the moment. But If the Gunners couldn't put away League Two side Bradford during the week there's no guarantee they'll be able to handle the Premier League's cellar dwellers. This will be the squad's second trip to the Madejski Stadium this season with the first one being a wild and woolly affair with Arsenal coming out on top 7-5 in extra time in a League Cup match back in October.

Source: Wikipedia, Author: James Boyes

Arsenal Readying Bid for Zaha

Arsenal FC will submit a formal bid for Crystal Palace's in-demand attacker Wifried Zaha in the January transfer window, according to the latest round of Arsenal transfer rumours.

Other than the player ratings, there's not really much point to go over Saturday's 2-0 loss at home to Swansea. I'm sure most of you saw the match and can form your own opinions on it. Two late goals may have decided the result on paper, but the contest on the pitch was over long before that.

Koscielny Blow for Arsenal

Laurent Koscielny picked up a groin strain in Arsenal's 1-1 draw with Everton on Wednesday and is now expected to be sidelined until Christmas.

The French centre-half was substituted just four minutes into last night's game at Goodison Park and the club manager Arsene Wenger later revealed that he would need around three weeks to fully recover from the injury.

Chelsea's loss was Arsenal's gain on Saturday March 30. The Gunners didn't really break a sweat while disposing of an uninterested Reading side 4-1 at home while Rafael Benitez led his men to another loss, this one a 2-1 defeat down on the south coast at Southampton. Spurs managed to beat Swansea 2-1 to sneak past Chelsea into third spot by two points point and Benitez's men slipped into the all-important fourth position in the table.