2. arsenal
STAR PLAYER Transfers out
Andray Arshavin
28
Striker/Mid fielder
William Gallas Fran Merida
Ath Madrid
ARSENAL INFO
Year Formed: 1886 as Dial Square FC
Nickname: The Gunners
Stadium: Emirates Stadium Mikeal Silvestre Philip Senderos
ARSENAL LAST SEASON Fulham
League Position : 3rd
F A Cup : Semi Final
League Cup : SQUAD
Uefa Champions League: Semi Final 1 M. Almunia G
TROPHY CABINET • 23 A. Arshavin F
LEAGUE CHAMPIONS: 1930/31, 1932/33, 1933/34 • 52 N. Bendtner F
1934/35, 1937/38, 1947/48, 1952/53, 1970/71, • 22 G. Clichy D
1988/89, 1990/91, 1997/98, 2001/02, 2003/04. • 35 F. Coquelin M(loaned to FC Lorient)
FA CUP : 1930, 1936, 1950, 1971, 1979, 1993, 1998, • 15 Denilson M
2002, 2003, 2005. • 2 V. Diaby M
LEAGUE CUP : 1987, 1993. • 20 J. Djourou D
EUROPEAN CUP WINNERS’ CUP :1993/94 • 27 E. Eboue M
FAIRS CUP : 1969/70 • 21 L. Fabianski G
• 4 F. Fabregas M
Transfers in • 40 K. Gibbs M
• 42 H. Lansbury M
stars • 24 V. Mannone G
• 8 S. Nasri M
• 16 A. Ramsey M
• 7 T. Rosicky M
• 3 B. Sagna D
• 6 L. kosielny
• F 17 A. Song D
• 53 W. Szczesny G
Maruane Chamakh- Bordeux • 30 A. Traore D
• 10 R. Van Persie F
• 11Vela F 5
• 5 T. Vermaelen D
• 14 T. Walcott F
• 19 J. Wilshere M
• 32 S Campbell D
Laurent Kosielny - Lorient
3. EDUARDO
1) Was the season a success or failure?
personal message from Eduardo A success overall - but the way it ended made it seem like a failure.
Following the confirmation of his transfer to Shakhtar Donetsk, Arsenal exceeded expectations, though, so 7/10.
Eduardohas spoken to Arsenal.com and asked if the following 2) How did the manager do?
message could be passed on: Arsene Wenger took Arsenal to the Champions League quarter-
"Before I start a new chapter in my career with Shakhtar final and third place in the Premier League and but fell short due to
Donetsk, I just wanted to send a message to all my friends at a lack of strength in depth and new signings. He was also guilty of
Arsenal. not taking the domestic cup competitions seriously enough. 7/10
"The past few days have been very emotional for me. Although I 3) Player of the season: Cesc Fabregas
am excited about the challenge ahead with my new club The skipper was outstanding and carried the team on his shoulders
Shakhtar Donetsk, I am so sad to be leaving my home for the past in some games. I struggle to think of one player who had a bigger
three years - Arsenal Football Club. impact on a team - even Wayne Rooney got more help from his
"Arsenal is a very special football club and I will miss so many team-mates.
people - my team mates, all the staff and of course, the 4) Villain of the season: Manuel Almunia
wonderful Arsenal supporters. In truth it could have been of Arsenal's keepers. They're just not
"I would just like to thank everyone for your support during my good enough, and all fell short of previous standards. Arsenal now
time at Arsenal. When I first came to England, I could not speak know they must buy a top number one in the summer.
the language and knew nobody, but as soon as I arrived I was 5) Best signing: Thomas Vermaelen
made to feel at home and part of this big family. Also, I want to When it comes to value, Vermaelen was great business at
say thank you to the Arsenal supporters - you have been £10million. He's strong, determined and, despite being Belgian, is a
fantastic to me and always sung my name and I will never forget real English-style centre-half whose game is perfect for the Premier
this. League.
"I had some very difficult times with my injury, but Arsenal was 6) Worst signing: N/A
always there for me - the medical staff, the management, the Signings? What signings? Thomas Vermaelen and Sol Campbell
players and the supporters. Thank you everybody. were the only new arrivals of note.
"Although I have now left the Club, Arsenal will always be in my 7) Best game
heart. I will always look for the Arsenal results and of course, I The 6-2 victory over Blackburn Rovers in October was Arsenal at
wish Arsène Wenger and the great players at the Club well for their best: rampant, great passing, great goals and a brilliant man
next season and the future.“ of the match display by Cesc Fabregas.
Arsenal 6-2 Blackburn match report and pictures
8) Worst game
The 1-1 draw away at Birmingham. Arsenal conceded a late
equaliser after an Almunia mistake, and, more than any other
result, it was this draw away from home that dented their title
ambitions.
Birmingham 1-1 Arsenal match report and pictures
9) Funniest moment of the season
Andrey Arshavin's appearance on Question of Sport . He spoke
perfect English when he could answer the question and suddenly
couldn't speak any English at all when he didn't know the answer.
Eduardo will always remain in the heart of Arsenal fans not only Rather like those translated interviews...
because he is an immensely talented player but also because he 10) Key lessons to be learned
was denied stardom and being an arsenal legend by the rough Arsene Wenger must strengthen his squad. Arsenal need more
tackle of Martin Taylor. quality and more bodies so that players don't pick up injuries after
being pushed to the limit.
He also needs to go for the FA Cup in earnest next year and, above
all, sign a new keeper.
4. Look Back At Arsenal’s
‘Badman’ He also scored my favourite goal ever. Again, at Highbury, i was in the
North Bank for a North London derby against Tottenham. Thierry
picked up the ball in his own half, ran through about 5 Spurs players
and slotted the ball into the bottom corner. That goal was pure Henry.
Thierry has since moved on to Barcelona and went on to win the
champions league medal his talent deserved, along with several other
domestic trophies in Spain. Even though he has lost a couple of yards
of pace these days and is nowhere near the player he was while at
Arsenal, i am still not looking forward to seeing him play against us.
Perhaps the only person on the planet who is looking forward to it
less is Thierry himself!
• Arsenal Vs Barcelona saw the return of a true Arsenal
legend…Thierry Henry. The player voted No.1 in an
arsenal.com pole of the greatest ever Arsenal player.
Arsenal’s all time record goal-scorer and arguably the
greatest player to ever play in the premier league.
• Henry played against his former club for the first time when
Arsenal faced Barcelona in the champions league. It was to be
an emotional return for both Henry and the fans who adored
He has always and continues to openly express his love for the club,
him for 8 trophy-filled seasons. Thierry Henry is my favourite
Arsenal player of all time, by quite some distance. His passion Arsene Wenger and the fans. He described his dismay at the thought
for the game, the graceful way he glided over the perfect of facing The Gunner’s in a recent interview;
Highbury surface, it was a joy to watch. “It will be weird for me to step on the pitch, even if it’s at the Emirates
• After arriving for £10.7 from Juventus as a pacey winger, and not Highbury, with another shirt on.”
Arsene Wenger soon converted Henry into a striker. It took When asked if he would celebrate a goal, he added: “Forget about it.
him some time to settle into his new role, as he endured a No. I do not want to play against Arsenal, simple as that.
mixed first year at the club. I remember going to see him “The bond that I have with the Arsenal fans I will never get anywhere
during that first season at Wembley in the champions league else.
against Dinamo Keiv. He missed a couple of one-on-one’s Can you imagine if he does score?! I wouldn’t be surprised if he
that night and nobody in the crowd would have imagined he apologised!
would go on to become Arsenal’s record goal-scorer.
I hope he gets an amazing reception when he walks out in a Barcelona
• One of my greatest footballing memories was when shirt at the Emirates, I’m sure he will as long as there aren’t too many
Manchester United visited Highbury on April 16th 2003. I was
‘fans’ who choose to remember the ridiculously over-hyped hand-ball
sat in row E in the North Bank Lower Tier just to the right of
the goal. Arsenal were trailing United in the league by 3 incident versus the Irish over all he did for Arsenal Football Club.
points, with a game in hand, and this was a true title 6- Whatever happens on Wednesday night, Thierry Henry will always be
pointer. an Arsenal legend.
• United took the lead during a poor first period but Henry
equalized early in the second half, then 10 minutes later
Henry burst through and beat Barthez to give Arsenal the
lead right in front of the North Bank. Thierry went ballistic
and headed straight for the crowd and i was lucky enough to
be standing face-to-face with him as he celebrated his goal
with the Arsenal fans. It was amazing. My mates don’t believe
me, but i swear he was shouting ‘I’m a badman’ right at me
whilst beating his chest! I have always called him ‘Badman-
Henry’ ever since. The game eventually ended 2-2 and Sol
Campbell was controversially sent off for an elbow on
Solskjaer, United went on the win the league, but i will always
remember the moment i shared with Henry celebrating his
goal.
•
•
5. Andrei Arshavin can be Arsenal’s answer to Lionel
Messi
Former Arsenal striker Thierry Henry scored against old foes
Tottenham but he finished on the losing side on his debut for New
York Red Bulls.
The 32-year-old scored in the first half when he converted a cross
from Joel Lindpere past Carlo Cudicini.
The Frenchman, who took public transport to the match, played the
first half, handing his number 14 shirt to Spurs midfielder Luka Modric
at the whistle Henry signed a four-and-a-half year deal with the Bulls
after he was released by Barcelona. "The young bloke from that first It would be futile to pretend that Arsenal – or indeed Manchester
half, Henry, looks like he's got a good future," joked Tottenham boss United – have a player to compare favourably over the past two
Harry Redknapp. seasons with Lionel Messi. Wayne Rooney might have his admirers
"He was fantastic. He's a different class. He's still a world class player but, taking everything into consideration, Messi has been the best
footballer on the planet by a considerable margin.
On a one-off occasion, Arsenal have players who are capable of
stealing the limelight from Messi, not least Andrei Arshavin, the most
similar in size, style and big-game temperament to Barcelona’s little
Argentinean genius. Thus far, the evidence of Arshavin is that he
tends to deliver in the biggest games. He was man of the match for
Zenit in the final of the 2008 Uefa Cup and was also comfortably the
best player on the pitch in the quarter-finals of the European
Championships when Russia produced what was arguably the
performance of the entire tournament by eliminating Holland.
Since his arrival at Arsenal, it is little coincidence that his most eye-
catching displays were in some of the most important matches or
hostile atmospheres.
He scored four times against Liverpool at Anfield last year; he also
scored earlier this season at Old Trafford and was the pivotal figure
• The Invincibles as Arsenal so emphatically over-turned their Champions League first
leg deficit against Porto.
• Possibly Arsenals finest achievement came during the 2003-
04 season. Arsenal’s team included players such as Henry,
Bergkamp, Vieira, Pires and Campbell, they had everything.
Pace, power, steel at the back, deadly finishers up front,
they were simply unplayable at times. Arsenal managed to As a footballer, he shares with Messi a similar ability to beat players,
win the title completing an entire season unbeaten, the first make the killer pass and score special goals. Most importantly, the
time this had been achieved since Preston North End in self-confidence to perform on the grandest stage is also evident.
1883. To make the achievement even more sweet, Arsenal No-one is saying that Arshavin is better than Messi but, on a given
won the league at White Hart Lane, the home of bitter rivals night, he has the ability to walk taller.
Tottenham Hotspur. Arsenals record for the season stood at
26 wins, 12 draws and 0 losses. The unbeaten run ended on
49 games, a national record, in controversial circumstances
at Old Trafford, when Manchester United were awarded a
suspect penalty. However, the magnitude of Arsenals
success was not un-noticed as the Premier League
commissioned a special edition gold trophy to
commemorate the unbeaten season.
6. was this Arsenal squad really good enough?
Aaron Ramsey
One of British football’s most exciting young talents and a player who has
By Jeremy Wilson Football Last updated: February 2nd, 2010 shown further development this season. Can be a major influence at
8 Comments Arsenal for the next decade or more, we wish him well on his recovery
Arsene Wenger has a fundamental question to answer. Quite from a broken leg.
simply, he must decide if this Arsenal squad – and certain Theo Walcott
individual players – truly are good enough to match the vast hope A season of intense frustration following a succession of niggling injuries.
and faith he has placed in them. His pace, though, could provide Arsenal with a completely different option
By being good enough, it is not a question of whether they can as shown against Barcelona.
qualify for the Champions League, but if they are actually capable Tomas Rosicky
of winning trophies on a regular basis. To do that, sublime patches
of beautiful football must also be backed up by nerve and Still seems to be finding his rhythm after missing all of the 2008-9 season
consistency during those defining moments in a season. The through injury and really just needs a consistent run of matches.
sequence that will worry all Arsenal fans is a run of seven defeats Samir Nasri
and one draw in matches against Manchester United and Chelsea Peripheral against Manchester United and throughout much of the season.
since last April. Another who has something to prove following injuries in the early part of
So who should he place his faith with in the longer term – and are the season.
there some players that should be moved on to make way for Eduardo
some new signings? Here’s a breakdown of the squad and some of After four goals in seven matches at the start of the season, Eduardo’s
the questions Wenger may face. influence has declined just when he was most needed following Robin van
Manuel Almunia Persie’s absence. Clearly has not psychologically recovered from his injury
Lacks the presence of the very best goalkeepers in the world and, two seasons ago.
judging by all the rotation earlier in the season, it would seem that ? Robin van Persie
even Wenger may have his concerns. Lukasz Fabianski is the big Arsenal’s best striker and also an extremely important dressing-room
long-term hope.
presence. His injury, though, may still prove to have been the defining
Cesc Fabregas moment in the club’s season.
A talismanic presence at times this season and, with Andrei
Arshavin and Robin van Persie, one of the jewel’s Wenger surely Nicklas Bendtner
must keep this summer. Until injury struck, there were clear signs he was ready to make a major
Bacary Sagna impact and he now has the chance to try and fill the considerable void that
After an excellent debut season, he has not quite made the has been left by Van Persie.
progress that might have been hoped at a time when he should be Andrei Arshavin
reaching his peak. Even so, still one of the league’s best right- One of the few creative Arsenal players to have remained fit throughout
backs. the vast majority of the season. Surprisingly tends to be lazy in matches
Gael Clichy that matter eg against Chelsea ,Man utd and Barcelona.
Started the season well but has struggled since returning from Emmanuel Eboue
long-term injury and was given a particularly torrid time by Used to be a squad player but has performed well enough this season to be
Manchester United’s Wayne Rooney and Nani. Clearly needs more pushing Bacary Sagna for the right-back position. Has really become an
matches. important player for arsenal.
William Gallas
Ever-present in the Champions and Premier League although there
is concern that with his contract which expires this season.
Remains one of Arsenal’s best and most important players.
Thomas Vermaelen
An eye-catching player because of his quality on the ball but
doubts do persist about some of his defending. That aside, he has
made a major impact and looks like a potential future captain.
Sol Campbell
Had a contract until the end of the season and, depending on
performances, could conceivably be offered a further year. there is
still much left in the tank.
Denilson
Wenger has invested much time and faith in Denilson but, at the
level Arsenal aspire to play, the suspicion is that he is not quite
good enough.
Alex Song
A player who has really blossomed this season and grown into the
holding midfield role. Vital to Arsenal’s future and one of the first
names on the team-sheet.
Abou Diaby
He was badly missed against Manchester United because of his
physical presence and unpredictable ability to create something
from nothing. Definitely part of Wenger’s long-term plans.
Aaron Ramsey
7. chelsea
STAR PLAYER Transfers out
Michael Balack(Bayer leverkusen)
Juliano Beletti(fluminense)
Didier Drogba Joe cole(Liverpool)
Miroslav Stoch(Fenerbache)
30
Striker stars
CHELSEA INFO
Year Formed: 1905
Nickname: The Blues
Stadium: Stamford bridge
CHELSEA LAST SEASON
League Position : Chanpions
F A Cup : Champions
League Cup : SQUAD
Uefa Champions League: Semi Final
TROPHY CABINET Petr Čech
LEAGUE CHAMPIONS: 1954/55, 2004/05, 2005/06 Branislav Ivanovid
FA CUP : 1970, 1997, 2000, 2007, 2009. Ashley Cole
LEAGUE CUP : 1968, 1998, 2005. Michael Essien
EUROPEAN CUP WINNERS’ CUP :1970/71, 1997/98 Ricardo Carvalho
Frank Lampard (vice-captain)
Franco Di Santo
Transfers in Didier Drogba
Yossi Beayoun(Liverpool) John Obi Mikel
Matej Delac(inter zapresic) Michael Ballack
Tomas Kalas(Sigma olomouc) Florent Malouda
Scott Sinclair
Paulo Ferreira
Deco
Salomon Kalou
John Terry (captain)
Rhys Taylor
Alex
Nicolas Anelka
Henrique Hilário
Yossi Beayoun Matej Delac Michael Mancienne
Jacob Mellis
Jan Šebek
Ross Turnbull
Yuri Zhirkov
Daniel Sturridge
José Bosingwa
8. liverpool
STAR PLAYER Transfers out
Fernando Torres
26
Striker
Benayyoun- Chelsea
LIVERPOOL INFO
Year Formed: 1892
Nickname: The Reds
SQUAD
Stadium: Anfield
LIVERPOOL LAST SEASON Aurellio-
League Position : 5th • 5 D. Agger D
F A Cup : • 8 A. Aquilani M
League Cup : • 12 F. Aurelio D
TROPHY CABINET • 19 R. Babel F
LEAGUE CHAMPIONS: 1900/01, 1905/06, 1921/22 • J. Brouwer F
1922/23, 1946/47, 1963/64, 1965/66, 1972/73 • 23 J. Carragher D
1975/76, 1976/77, 1978/79, 1979/80, 1981/82, • 1 D. Cavalieri G
1982/83, 1983/84, 1985/86, 1987/88, 1989/90. • A. Cooper M
FA CUP : 1965, 1974, 1986, 1989, 1992, 2001, 2006. • 32 S. Darby D
LEAGUE CUP : 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1995, 2001, 2003. • 27 P. Degen D
EUROPEAN CUP :1976/77, 1977/78, 1980/81, 1983/84, 2004/05. • 39 N. Eccleston F
UEFA CUP : 1972/73, 1975/76, 2000/01. • 31 N. El Zhar F
• 8 S. Gerrard M
• 41 M. Hansen G
Transfers in • 36 S. Irwin D
• 30 C. Itandje G
• 2 G. Johnson D
• 34 M. Kelly D
• 18 D. Kuyt F
• 21 Lucas M
• 40 D. Martin G
• 20 J. Mascherano M
• C. Mavinga D
Jovanovic (Standar Liege) • E. Mendy D
Joe Cole - Chelsea
• 24 D. N'Gog F
• 29 K. Nemeth F
• V. Palsson M
• 28 D. Plessis M
• R. Putterill M
• 25 J. Reina G
• 11 A. Riera M
• 37 M. Skrtel D
• 26 J. Spearing M
Jonjo Sheverly- Charlto ath Danny Wilson -Rangers • 9 F. Torres F
• L. Weijl M
9. manchester united
STAR PLAYER
stars
Wayne Rooney
24
Striker
MANCHESTER UNITED INFO
Year Formed: 1886
Nickname: The Red Devils
Stadium: Old Trafford Edwin van der Sar
MANCHESTER UNITED LAST SEASON Gary Neville
League Position 2nd Patrice Evra
F A Cup : Owen Hargreaves
League Cup : Rio Ferdinand
Uefa Champions League: SemiFinal Wes Brown
TROPHY CABINET Anderson
LEAGUE CHAMPIONS: 1907/08, 1910/11, 1951/52 Dimitar Berbatov
1955/56, 1956/57, 1964/65, 1966/67, 1992/93, Wayne Rooney
1993/94, 1995/96, 1996/97, 1998/99, 1999/00, Ryan Giggs
2000/01 2002/03,2006/07,2007/08,2008/09 Park Ji-Sung
FA CUP : 1909, 1948, 1963, 1977, 1983,1985, 1990 Nemanja Vidid
1994,1996,1999,2004. Michael Carrick
LEAGUE CUP : 1992, 2006. Nani
EUROPEAN CUP : 1067/68, 1998/99, 2007/08. Paul Scholes
Transfers in
Danny Welbeck
Fábio
Rafael
Chris smalling John O'Shea
Jonny Evans
Darren Fletcher
Danny Simpson
Darron Gibson
Tomasz Kuszczak
Federico Macheda
Antonio Valencia
Hernandez Gabriel Obertan
Michael Owen
10. manchester city
STAR PLAYER
stars
Carlos Tevez
24
Striker/Midfield
MANCHESTER CITY INFO
Year Formed: 1887
Nickname: The Citizens
Stadium: City of Manchester Stadium
MANCHESTER CITY LAST SEASON
League Position : 4th
F A Cup : 25 E. Adebayor F
League Cup : 18 G. Barry M
TROPHY CABINET 39 C. Bellamy F
27 Benjani F
LEAGUE CHAMPIONS: 1936/37, 1967/68.
3 W. Bridge D
FA CUP : 1904, 1934, 1956, 1969. 29 K. Etuhu M
LEAGUE CUP : 1970, 1976 15 Garrido D
EUROPEAN CUP WINNERS’ CUP :1969/70 1 S. Given G
G. Hartley G
7 S. Ireland M
6 M. Johnson M
Transfers in
33 V. Kompany D
4 N. Onuoha D
2 M. Richards D
14 R. Santa Cruz F
16 K. Schmeichel G
12 S. Taylor G
32 C. Tevez F
28 H. Toure D
36 J. Vidal D
Yaya toure 40 V. Weiss M
David silva
8 S. Wright-Phillips M
5 Zabaleta D
34 N. de Jong M
Yaya toure M
Davi Siva M
Alex Nimley F
Jerome Boateng
