Arsene Wenger is confident Arsenal will make a better first of next season’s title race after securing a 16th consecutive crack at the Champions League.
The Gunners clinched fourth place in the Barclays Premier League and a qualifying tie for the European competition with a hard-fought 1-0 victory at Newcastle to end derby rivals Tottenham’s hopes of overhauling them on the final day of the campaign.
Wenger was thrilled with a high-octane run-in which allowed his side to reel in and eventually overtake Spurs, and is confident that the growth which enabled them to do that will serve them well once again next season. Read more... (353 words, estimated 1:25 mins reading time)
Laurent Koscielny ensured Arsenal of a place in the Champions League qualifiers with the only goal in a tight encounter at Newcastle.
The central defender prodded home from close range seven minutes after the break to ensure that the Gunners could not be overhauled by north London rivals Tottenham in the fight for fourth place in the Barclays Premier League.
But the result was in doubt until the final kick of the game, with Tottenham’s home win over Sunderland meaning a late equaliser for Alan Pardew’s men would have meant Spurs and not the Gunners getting a shot at Europe’s premier club competition. Read more... (660 words, estimated 2:38 mins reading time)
Arsène Wenger has revealed the latest team news ahead of the final Premier League game of the season, away at Newcastle United on Sunday afternoon.
on Arteta…
For the weekend, we have the uncertainty over Mikel Arteta, who had to come off just before the end of the Wigan game with a calf strain. Honestly, his chances of being available are minimal. I have a few options, but I’ve not made a decision yet because I have to see how everybody responds in training.
on the overall injury situation…
Everybody else should be alright. There are no other real uncertainties. Read more... (159 words, estimated 38 secs reading time)
One thing is clear from all the rumours surrounding Arsenal’s potential summer signings. Arsene Wenger has not been happy with the performance of his forward this season, despite scoring 71 goals in the league this season.
One new face we will see at the Emirates next season is Auxerre striker Yaya Sanogo. The 20-year-old French forward is out of contract this summer and has been offered a four year deal by Arsenal which he is expected to sign within a fortnight.
In his press conference today Wenger said this about Sanogo: Read more... (157 words, estimated 38 secs reading time)
Bacary Sagna has refused to rule out a return to France with either Paris Saint-Germain or Monaco this summer.
The France international’s contract is nearing its final year and the Gunners were hoping to persuade him to sign an extension.
However, the 30-year-old seems keen to keep his options open.
“Of course it makes me proud to read PSG are interested. They are a very attractive club,” he is quoted as saying in Le 10 Sport.
“Personally I’ve not been approached by PSG. I don’t know if they have contacted my agent or if these are rumours. Read more... (244 words, estimated 59 secs reading time)
Theo Walcott says that the fear of failure is driving Arsenal players to secure the club’s return to next season’s Champions League.
Victory at Newcastle on Sunday will secure Arsene Wenger’s side a 16th successive season in Europe’s elite competition, with Tuesday night’s 4-1 win against Wigan fuelling the Gunners belief heading into the final game of their campaign.
“The Champions League big for the future of the club and the players,” Walcott told reporters. “We have been in it for the last 15 years and we don’t want to be the players who are not part of that. Read more... (314 words, estimated 1:15 mins reading time)
Arsenal’s season might not end on Sunday as there is the distinct possibility that Arsenal and Chelsea could end the season level on points and goal difference, meaning there would be a one-off play-off to decide who finishes third in the Premier League. The game would be held at a neutral ground, probably Wembley.
Arsenal’s 4-1 win over Wigan means that the Gunners moved on to 70 points and goal difference of 34 with goals scored at 71 for the season. Read more... (251 words, estimated 1:00 mins reading time)
Here are some of Arsène Wenger’s comments after today’s 4-1 win over Wigan.
on an important result…
We had a quick start and a strong start for the first 20 minutes. We were really dominating and after that we became a bit conservative and pushed forward less and allowed Wigan back in the game. We were unfortunate to go to 1-1 because I think it was a free kick for us. It was a big blow for our team and you could see that when we came out in the second half – we were not as fluent or as confident as we wanted to be. Wojceich made a great save at 1-1. At that stage we were on the brink of conceding a goal. Read more... (641 words, estimated 2:34 mins reading time)
Interesting stories out of Spain about Cesc Fabregas. While Fabregas was a favorite of former Barca coach Pep Guardiola, he is not of current boss Tito Vilanova.
Fabregas has spent much of the season alongside Alex Song on the Barcelona bench. While he says that he wants to stay and fight for is place at Barca, the fact is, that as long as Xavi and Iniesta are fit, Fabregas will be a reserve under Vilanova.
In the last couple of days there have been reports out of Spain that both AC Milan and Manchester United are interested in the former Arsenal captain. Read more... (287 words, estimated 1:09 mins reading time)
Arsene Wenger is not content with merely scrapping for UEFA Champions League qualification and has demanded more from his team next season. The Gunners host FA Cup winners Wigan Athletic at the Emirates Stadium tomorrow night looking to move back above Tottenham Hotspur into fourth place as the race for elite European football is set to go to the wire.
Wenger’s squad have long fallen short in the quest to launch a sustained assault on the English Premier League title, but the Arsenal boss insists that must change in the 2013/14 campaign. Read more... (632 words, 1 image, estimated 2:32 mins reading time)
