Walcott and Arshavin strikes give Arsenal win

Mame Diouf cancelled out Walcott's 20th minute goal before Arshavin won the game for the Gunners 6 minutes into the second half.

Arsenal got their first opportunity from a corner when the ball came out to Diaby who struck the ball well but the shot was deflected and then saved by Robinson in the Blackburn goal.

Blackburn then started to press Arsenal when a long throw into the box from Pedersen made Vermaelen have to put the ball behind for a corner kick. From the resulting corner the ball found the head of Nelsen but Fabregas was on the line to make sure the score was not 1-0 to Rovers.
Then another long throw from Pedersen met the head of Samba but Almunia managed to get a hand to it and tipped it away, banging his head on the post in the process.

Blackburn were definately the better side and they got another corner. Pedersen was the man to deliver. His ball found the head of Samba but he failed to convert it and it went over the bar.

Then 20 minutes into the game Arsenal finally got a good chance and they took use of it. Van Persie slipped the ball into Walcott who fired home to score his 4th goal in 2 games.

7 minutes later Blackburn got a much deserved equaliser. Samba drifting forward from defence found El-Hadji Diouf who crossed to Mame Diouf to pass the ball into an empty Arsenal net.

The score at half time was 1-1.

Blackburn started the second half lively and Pedersen sent a shot fizzing wide.

Then 6 minutes into the second half Arsenal caught Blackburn on the break and after Fabregas' shot was blocked by his own man the ball fell to Arshavin who slotted the ball past Robinson to make the score 2-1 to Arsenal.

Arsenal were now starting to play the better football and Chamakh got a chance but his goalbound shot was deflected wide.

Blackburn got a chance to get their second equaliser of the game but Kalinic was leaning back and sent the ball miles over the bar.

Arsenal were playing with more of a sense of presence in the second half and Walcott full of confidence sent a dipping shot goalbound but the Blackburn goalkeeper got fingertips to the ball.
Arsenal got a late chance to make the win more comfortable but Wilshire scuffed his shot wide after an excellent break from the Gunners.

The final score ended Blackburn 1-2 Arsenal.

The teams lineups:

Blackburn: Robinson, Salgado, Nelsen, Samba, Givet, Jones, Pedersen, Grella, Kalinic, M.Diouf(81), H. Diouf.
Subs: Bunn, Olsson, Chimbonda, Emerton, Dunn, Nzonzi(81), Hoilett.

Arsenal: Almunia, Sagna, Koscielny, Vermaelen, Clichy, Walcott, Fabregas(68), Song, Diaby, Arshavin(83), Van Persie(34).
Subs: Fabianski, Eboue, Gibbs, Rosicky(68), Wilshire(83), Vela, Chamakh(34).

My man of the match: Theo Walcott

Referee: Chris Foy
Attendance: 25,059

Champions League Draw and Squillaci Signing

Arsenal have made their third signing of the summer transfer window. They have signed 30 year old french defender Sebastien Squillaci from Sevilla in a deal thought to be worth around £4 million. He has signed a four year contract at the Emirates.
Arsenal knew they needed to sign another defender to boost their options after losing Gallas to Spurs, Campbell to Newcastle and Silvestre who is yet to find another club.
Squillaci was apart of the disastrous french team at the 2010 World Cup and has earned 21 caps at that level. Before joining Sevilla he had a spell at french side Lyon and was apart of the team which won back to back league titles in 2007 and 2008. He spent 3 years at Lyon playing in 62 games and scoring 3 goals. He then spent 2 years at spanish side Sevilla before joining the Gunners. He made 49 appearences at the club scoring only 1 goal.

Also the draw for the Champions League group stage was made on Thursday. The Gunners have been drawn in Group H along with Ukranian Champions Shakhtar Donetsk, Portuguese side Sporting Braga and Serbian Champions Partizan Belgrade. Arsenal will see Eduardo returning quickly to the Emirates after moving to Shakhtar this summer as the Ukranian Champions will play the Gunners in Group H. The remaining groups were drawn out like this:
Group A: Inter Milan, Werder Bremen, Tottenham, FC Twente.

Group B: Lyon, Benfica, FC Shalke, Hapoel Tel-Aviv.

Group C: Manchester United, Velencia, Rangers, Bursaspor.

Group D: Barcelona,Panathinaikos, FC København, Rubin Kazan.

Group E: Bayern Munich, Roma, FC Basel, CFR Cluj.

Group F: Chelsea, Marseille, Spartak Moscow, MSK Zilina.

Group G: AC Milan, Real Madrid, Ajax, Auxerre.

Group H: Arsenal, Shakhtar Donetsk, Braga, Partizan.

Arsenal hit Blackpool for six as Walcott grabs a hat trick

Theo Walcott scored his first club hat trick of his career as Arsenal gave Blackpool a reality check by beating them 6-0 in Arsenal's first home game of the season.

Arsenal had started off with more of the ball and that showed when they got their first real chance of the game. Arshavin on the edge of the box found Walcott inside the box who gave Arsenal a 1-0 lead inside 12 minutes.

Blackpool got their first chance minutes later but Taylor Fletcher missed the opportunity to get an equaliser for the away side.

Walcott then got another chance to carve Blackpool open. He got the chance to cross and found Arshavin but Gilks in the Blackpool goal made a great save to keep the score at 1-0.
Moments later Walcott turned provider again as he found Chamakh who must of thought he had scored his first competative goal for the Gunners but he saw his shot go inches wide.

The Arsenal got their penalty after Evatt fouled Chamakh in what appeared to be just outside the box but the referee gave a penalty and sent Evatt off for a professional foul. Arshavin stepped up to take the penalty and scored to make it 2-0.

Then with about 10 minutes left in the first half Walcott grabbed Arsenal's 3rd and his 2nd of the game. Wilshire found him inside the box and he was allowed to turn and then fire into the back of the Blackpool net.
Just before half time Chamakh had another great opportunity to grab a goal after Clichy crossed from the left but again the Blackpool keeper made a great save to keep the score at 3-0.

The score at half time was 3-0.

4 minutes into the second half Arsenal scored their fourth after Sagna broke forward from right back and crossed to Diaby who scored the goal on the half volley.

9 minutes later Arsenal grabbed their 5th of the game. The goal was Theo Walcott's hat trick. Walcott dashed into the box after beating 2 players and fired the ball past Gilks.

Chamakh then missed a chance which looked easier to score from than miss. Arshavin providing the ball from the left to Chamakh who missed from about 4 yards out!

Just after that chance when Blackpool thought it could not get any worse the Gunners brought on Fabregas and Van Persie.

Chamakh then finally grabbed his first Premier League goal for the Gunners. Van Persie delivered the ball in from the corner and Chamakh leapt up the highest to give Arsenal the 6-0 lead.

The final score ended Arsenal 6-0 Blackpool.

The teams lineups:

Arsenal: Almunia, Sagna, Vermaelen, Song, Clichy, Arshavin(63), Rosicky, Walcott(66), Wilshire, Diaby(63), Chamakh.
Subs: Fabianski, Eboue, Djourou, Gibbs, Fabregas(63), Vela(66), Van Persie(63).

Blackpool: Gilks, Baptiste, Evatt, Cathcart, Sylvestre(37), Crainey, Grandin, Adam, Vaughan, Taylor-Fletcher(57), Harewood(57).
Subs: Halstead, Eardley, Basham, Edwards, Keinan(37), Demontagnac(57), Ormerod(57).

My man of the match: Theo Walcott

Referee: Mike Jones
Attendance: 60,032

Reina howler gifts Arsenal late equaliser

A Pepe Reina goalkeeping blunder near to the end of the match allowed Arsenal to salvage a draw out of 10 man Liverpool.
Arsenal and Liverpool were both fielding Premier league debutants. Chamakh and Koscielny for Arsenal and Joe Cole making his premiership debut for Liverpool

Arsenal started lively and were awarded a freekick early on. Nasri laying the ball off to Vermaelen who struck it well and managed to produce a great save out of Reina in the Liverpool goal.

Liverpool had their first opportunity to really get forward after a serging run from Jovanovic who found Kuyt to his right but his cross could only find the hands of Almunia.

Arsenal continued after that Liverpool attack to keep the pressure on and they got another freekick after a crunching tackle on Eboue from Gerrard. Nasri took the freekick but it fell into the wall. The ball then came out to Vermaelen but he could only drill his shot wide.

Liverpool then had another great chance to make it 1-0 when Carragher played a high looping ball over the Arsenal defence to Jovanovic but he blazed his shot high and wide of the target.
Liverpool were looking the more comfortable team when Johnson serged forward from right back and exchanged a nice one - two with Kuyt. Johnson shot and Almunia had to make sure it was not going in by tipping it over the cross bar.
The resulting corner was almost a Liverpool goal but for Gael Clichy on the line who blocked N'gog's header.

Then a turning point in the match appeared. Just before half time Joe Cole went crunching into Arsenal defender Laurent Koscielny and was sent off for his first ever career red card on his Premiership debut for Liverpool.

The score at half time was 0-0.


Despite Liverpool being down to 10 men they started the second half more in control of the game and they capitalised on Arsenal trying to pass the ball out of the defence. Javier Mascherano who was not expected to play becuase he wants to leave Anfield, intercepted the ball and found N'gog inside the area. N'gog smashed the ball home from a tight angle to put Liverpool 1-0 up. That was the frenchman's 4th goal of the season having scored 3 in Europa League Qualifying.

Arsenal were then awarded another free kick after Gerrard brought down Chamakh. Walcott took it and managed to bend the ball around the wall but Reina got fingertips to it and put it around the post.
Arsenal were getting forward in their numbers and if it was not for heroics from Reina in the Liverpool goal, Rosicky would of scored an equaliser from just outside the 6 yard box.
Arsenal then had another great oportunity to grab an equaliser but Walcott failed to put the ball into an empty net in a goal mouth scramble attempt.

On 90 minutes it looked as though Arsenal were never going to grab a goal but Rosicky delivered a great ball into the area which found Chamakh's head. He hit the post and the ball fell into the hands of Pepe Reina but he spilt the ball into the back of his net. The score was now 1-1 with 5 minites of injury time to be played. Reina had turned from hero to villain in a couple of minutes.

Liverpool were then awarded a free kick and Koscielny was yellow carded. Gerrard took it but Almunia made a great save to keep the score at 1-1.
Then in the last minute Koscielny picked up his second bookable offence for hand ball and was sent off.

The final score ended Liverpool 1-1 Arsenal.

The teams line ups:

Liverpool: Reina, Johnson, Carragher, Agger, Skrtel, Cole, Mascherano(78), Gerrard, Jovanovic(65), Kuyt, N'gog(74).
Subs: Cavalieri, Aurelio, Kelly, Maxi(65) Lucas(78), Fernando Torres(74), Ryan Babel.

Arsenal: Almunia, Clichy, Vermaelen, Koscielny, Eboue(59), Sagna, Arshavin, Wilshere(59), Nasri, Diaby(76), Chamakh.
Subs: Fabianski, Gibbs, Rosicky(59), Walcott(59), Song, Vela, Van Persie(76).

My Man of the Match: Nasri (First half), Rosicky (Second half).

Referee: Martin Atkinson
Attendance: 44,722

Arsène Wenger signs contract extension

Arsenal FC are delighted to announce this morning that their most successful manager has commited his future to the club untill 2014.

Wengar who is the clubs longest serving manager with 14 years of commitment to the club has said he is commited as ever to try and end the Gunners drought of much needed silverware.

During his time as Arsenal manager he has guided the club to 7 major trophies including the unbeaten season when Arsenal won the 2003/04 premiership trophey. Arsenal have qualified for the Champions league 13 times whilst he has been at the club. He has managed 790 games as Arsenal manager winning 459, drawing 183 and losing just 148. The 60 year old has won the Premiership manager of the year 3 times, the LMA manager of the year 2 times and the Premiership manager of the month 10 times.

Pre season and Premiership preview

Arsenal finished off their pre season in style with unbeaten performances! Chamakh scored his first Arsenal goal as they beat SC Neusiedl 1919 4-0. The other scorers were Walcott, Emmauel Thomas and Vela. Arsenal then won the Emirates cup after Chamakh scored his first Emirates goal in a 1-1 draw with AC Milan. They then had to beat Celtic to win. They won 3-2 with Vela, Nasri and Sagna scoring for the Gunners.

Their last match was an 11 goal thriller against Polish side Legia Warsaw. Arsenal came out on top winning the match 6-5 after going 3 goals down. Chamakh scored his 3rd Arsenal goal and Eboue scored a brace. The other three goal scorers were Gibbs, Emmauel Thomas and Nasri.

Arsenal kick off their premiership campaign with a tough trip to Anfield to play Liverpool. Arsenal have injury problems; Bendtner has a groin problem, Djourou (hamstring) and Song, Denilson and Diaby are doubtfull but face late fitness tests. Cesc and Van Persie are not injured but they are not match fit. They will probably start on the bench. Chamakh, Koscielny and Frimpong are set to make their Premiership debuts.

My Predicted team is: Almunia, Sagna, Koscielny, Vermaelen, Clichy, Walcott, Song or Frimpong, Nasri, Arshavin, Chamakh, Rosicky. Wilshire,Fabregas and Van Persie will probably start on the bench.

My prediction for the season is that Arsenal will finish second in the league with us winning the Carling Cup.

My Top 4 for the season is: Chelsea, Arsenal, Man Utd, Man City.