Robin van Persie To Return For Tottenham

Arsenal striker Robin van Persie is set to return for the club tomorrow after a long injury layoff. The Dutchman injured his knee on international duty in late October and has played a mere 85 minutes since then, picking up a muscular injury soon after his long awaited return.

Arsene Wenger has stated that the 24 year-old striker is back in the squad for tomorrow's Carling Cup game against Tottenham, along with Theo Walcott.

The Gunners coach also declared that both Johan Djourou and Philippe Senderos would feature in tomorrow's defense, meaning that Djourou will get his first game at Arsenal since returning from a loan spell at Birmingham. His display against Spurs could decide whether it will be Djourou or fellow Swiss defender Senderos who fills in for Kolo Toure who is away on international duty at the African Cup of Nations.

"Yes Robin van Persie is back in the squad," said Wenger. "He had a little set-back coming back from his knee injury, it was a muscle problem. But the positive side of it is that he could forget about his knee and work on his fitness."

He added: "Lukasz Fabianski will play in goal again, Theo Walcott is available while Johan Djourou and Philippe Senderos will play at the back.

"Apart from that it will be the players who played in the last [Carling Cup] game. Basically it will be a young side maybe with one or two experienced players."

Arsenal vs. Tottenham: Match Preview

Arsenal's arch-rivals Tottenham Hotspur travel to the Emirates for the first leg of the Carling Cup semifinals on Wednesday to face the mighty Gunners for the third time this season.

Arsene Wenger has already defeated two of Juande Ramos' sides this season, including Sevilla in the Champions League before the Spaniard made the switch to North London. Arsenal have also completed the league double over their London rivals, winning 3-1 at White Heart Lane and 2-1 at the Emirates.

Spurs fans will take solace from the fact that Wenger always fields a younger lineup in the Carling Cup, but a 3-2 extra time win over Blackburn in the last round proved that even Arsenal's youngsters are a force to be reckoned with.

The game promises to be high scoring, as Tottenham fans have seen 23 goals in their last four matches and Arsenal have failed to hit the back of the net in only one of their 33 games this season.

This could prove to be a problem for both teams as a leaky Spurs backline and an inexperienced Gunners backline may mean that the game is decided on an error rather than a moment of brilliance.

However, the likes of Abou Diaby, Eduardo, and Nicklas Bendtner could win the game for Arsenal and Dimitar Berbatov and Robbie Keane could do the same for Tottenham.

Arsenal are likely to field a lineup similar to the one that faced Blackburn last month, although Alex Song will miss the match on international duty with Cameroon.

Lukasz Fabianski will probably start in goal as the last line of defense behind Justin Hoyte, Philippe Senderos, Johan Djourou, and Armand Traore.

In the midfield Abou Diaby, Lassana Diarra, Neves Denilson may be joined by the more experienced Gilberto, although 18 year-olds Kieran Gibbs or Mark Randall.

Up front Eduardo and Nicklas Bendtner are likely to complete one of the most potent second-string lineups in the world. Both scored against Burnley on Sunday, and will be looking to prove their worth as Robin van Persie looks set to return against Birmingham on the weekend.

Any game against a Premier League side is tough, and Spurs will be looking to record a win over Arsenal this season after losing twice, but a gritty and determined young Arsenal squad should be able to pull out a 2-1 win, giving the team an advantage going into the second leg.

Wenger Sticks With Youngsters For Blackburn Clash

Arsene Wenger will continue to blood his youngsters in the Carling Cup, even against the tough opposition of Blackburn. The Arsenal coach feels that playing a young squad will not only increase the experience of Arsenal's fringe players, but also allow the Gunners' senior squad a chance to rest during period congested with fixtures.

"The Carling Cup is more of a squad game, because we decided as a squad to go for every single trophy. Many players that didn't play against Chelsea will play at Blackburn on Tuesday night," the coach told Arsenal.com

"My expectation is to qualify and go into the semi-finals, because we want to come back as well as we did last year and as well it is a good opportunity for my squad to show how strong the players who didn't play against Chelsea are.

"I believe in them, and it is good (for the fringe players) to show me 'we knock at the door and we want to play in the first team'.

"We use the competition for our players to grow up - but not only to grow up. It is also to show they are good enough to play in the Champions League and the Premier League.

"I believe as well what is fantastic is to see these players respond under the pressure of Premier League teams, and you can detect who is ready and who is not ready."

Wenger has named the following squad for Tuesday's clash:

Lukasz Fabianksi, Justin Hoyte, Philippe Senderos, Alex Song, Armand Traore, Abou Diaby, Gilberto, Theo Walcott, Nicklas Bendtner, Eduardo, Vito Mannone, Gavin Hoyte, Lassana Diarra, Neves Denilson, Henri Lansbury, Fran Merida, Nacer Barazite, William Gallas

Blackburn vs. Arsenal: Match Preview

Only two days after defeating Chelsea in the Premier League Arsenal travel to Ewood Park to face Blackburn in the Carling Cup quarterfinals.

The team is likely to be hugely different from the near-full-strength squad that beat the blues to keep Arsenal on top of the Premier League, as Arsene Wenger always tries to field his kids during cup ties.

Robin van Persie is the only player who featured on Sunday that I see as likely to play on Tuesday, and the striker is only likely to play at Ewood because he is struggling to recover match fitness after a long spell on the sidelines due to injury.

Lukasz Fabianksi will probably start in goal, behind a young defense of Justin Hoyte, Philippe Senderos, Alex Song, and Armand Traore.

In midfield, Neves Denilson, Abou Diaby, Lassana Diarra, and Theo Walcott are the most obvious choices, although after Diarra's declaration that he will leave the club I'm not sure if I'd put him in, even for a Carling Cup game.

Up front I would like to see Robin van Persie partnering the impressive Nicklas Bendtner, although Eduardo could play instead of either of the two.

Van Persie needs to reach match fitness soon, and I believe that Bendtner has more of a future at Arsenal than Eduardo, so I hope to see him rather than the Croat.

Although Blackburn are a very good side, our youngsters have proven again and again that they can play with the best, so I expect a tough 2-1 win to propel the Gunners into the semifinals.

Arsenal Rumors: Hoyte and Jaaskelainen

Arsenal's young right-back Justin Hoyte is reportedly being targeted for a loan move by both Everton and Charlton. However, Arsenal coach Arsene Wenger has already firmly stated that the right-back will not go out on loan this season.

Everton, who have a strong defensive lineup already, would want the 22 year-old to replace Joseph Yobo who will miss parts of January and February due to the African Cup of Nations.

Alan Pardew on the other hand simply wants to bolster the Charlton defense, and sees the Arsenal right-back as the right man for the job.

Other rumors link Arsenal to Bolton Wanderer's goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen. With Jens Lehmann's dip in form, Arsene Wenger has been relying on Manuel Almunia to tend the goal, but the Spaniard does not have the quality that a top team like Arsenal requires.

Jaaskelainen's contract with Bolton runs out in the Summer, and as the team are currently in the relegation zone, it seems unlikely that he would sign an extension. The price in January, therefore, would be quite cheap, and Jaaskelainen would be a great addition to Arsenal's squad, at least until Fabianski is old enough to wear the number one jersey.

Sheffield United vs. Arsenal: Match Preview

Premier League leaders Arsenal take on the Championships nineteenth placed team, Sheffield United, this Wednesday in the fourth round of the Carling Cup. The Premiership giants were lucky to avoid drawing against the likes of Liverpool and Chelsea, but the Blades will not be nearly so happy to have to face Arsenal.

Arsenal played twice against United during the Blades brief one season stint in the Premiership, and while Arsenal demolished United 3-0 at the Emirates, the Blades will take some solace in the fact that they were able to defeat Arsenal 1-0 at Bramall Lane - the locale of Wednesday's fixture.

On current form though, Arsenal are far superior. Arsenal's first team is on a run of unbeaten games dating back to last April against West Ham. This season, Arsene Wenger's young guns went on a streak of twelve straight wins which was broken on Sunday in a 1-1 draw with Liverpool at Anfield. Arsenal are at the head of the Premiership table with eight wins, two draws, and no losses so far this season.

Sheffield are not faring nearly as well in their return to the Championship. The Blades have won only three of their thirteen games this season, the other ten consisting of five draws and an equal number of losses. United have conceded twenty-one goals this season, the second highest in the Championship, and will have to play extremely well to defeat Arsenal's young side.

Sheffield United will be given some encouragement by the fact that Arsene Wenger always plays young sides in the Carling Cup, but Arsenal's youngsters are as good as any team outside the top four, as seen in 3-1 and 6-3 victories over Liverpool last season.

This season, Arsenal's young players have managed to defeat Newcastle 2-0 in the Carling Cup third round, following impressive periods of dominance from the young gunners.

Wenger will most likely field a lineup completely different from the one which played against Newcastle, due to injuries to Philippe Senderos and Eduardo da Silva. Emmanuel Eboue is also unlikely to play on Wednesday, although he may be injected into Arsenal's depleted defense.

Lukasz Fabianksi will almost surely start in goal, as Arsene Wenger is keen on giving the promising youngster a few starts this season.

In front of the Pole will most likely be Justin Hoyte, Alex Song, Armand Traore, and Kolo Toure. Toure may have to feature in the place of the injured Philippe Senderos, although Arsene Wenger may choose to play Lassana Diarra in the defense as well. Because of the Senderos injury, Wenger may even choose to give promising young Norwegian Havard Nordtveit his senior Arsenal debut.

In the midfield Neves Denilson will likely play alongside Abou Diaby. Depending on how much Arsene Wenger trusts his youth, these two could be complimented by any number of their peers. I would love to see Kieran Gibbs and Fran Merida or even Henri Lansbury or Mark Randall feature, but I feel that Wenger will be keen on making it through to the next round so his young players can get some more experience. For that reason, the likes of Mathieu Flamini or even Gilberto may be brought in to add some experience to the young Arsenal side.

Up front, Arsene Wenger's obvious choice would be to start Nicklas Bendtner alongside the electric Theo Walcott. Walcott could soon break into the Arsenal first team following his impressive performance in the 7-0 drubbing of Slavia Prague. If he can play well on Wednesday he may even start against Manchester United next Saturday instead of leaving Emmanuel Adebayor as the lone striker.

With an impressive midfield and attacking lineup, I can't see Arsenal losing this game. I'm not going to predict any scores because they could vary greatly depending on the team that Arsene Wenger decides to field, but I think it is safe to say that Arsenal are heavy favorites in this fixture and it would be very disheartening to see them drop out at this stage of the competition.

I would be disappointed by anything less than a comprehensive victory.

Arsenal vs Newcastle: Match Review

Match Preview

Arsenal dominated today's games for long spells, despite only managing to put the game away 2-0 in the final 10 minutes. An 83rd minute header from Nicklas Bendtner broke the deadlock, and Neves Denilson put the game beyond doubt with a superbly taken strike from 20 yards out. Arsene Wenger's younger players have once again proved their worth and will go into the fourth round full of confidence despite Wenger's commitment to playing a second string side in the Carling Cup.

Lineups:
Arsenal: Lukasz Fabianksi; Emmanuel Eboue, Justin Hoyte, Philippe Senderos, Armand Traore; Neves Denilson, Lassana Diarra, Alex Song; Nicklas Bendtner, Eduardo da Silva, Theo Walcott

Newcastle: Shay Given; Habib Beye, Sanchez Jose Enrique, David Rozenhal, Steven Taylor; Abdoulaye Faye, James Milner, Charles N'Zobgia; Shola Ameobi, Obafemi Martins, Alan Smith

Sam Allardyce's men created the first clear cut chance of the match when Enrique sent in a dangerous cross from the left wing. Alleged Arsenal target Obafemi Martins headed the ball goalward, but a fine save from the young signing Lukasz Fabianski kept it out of the back of the net.

Nicklas Bendtner had a similar chance after a 17th minute cross from Armand Traore, but the tall Dane couldn't steer the ball goalward, powering it high over the crossbar.

Eduardo soon had his first chance at goal, after some good work from newly returned Emmanuel Eboue, but the newly signed Croatian striker was just unable to send the ball towards goal. He was able to get alone with Shay Given, but was shut down by the Newcastle keeper just in time to keep the scoreline 0-0.

Arsenal enjoyed another chance when Emmanuel Eboue forced a great save out of Given after powering a low drive goalwards from 20 yards.

Both goalies kept their teams clean sheets for the first half, but Arsenal came out the stronger in the second.

Given was called into action again as he made a fine reflex save from Theo Walcott.

Arsenal had another great chance when a blocked shot from Eboue gave the gunners a corner. Eduardo headed the resulting corner towards the goal, but Charles N'Zogbia cleared the ball off the line.

Newcastle then had a penalty shout turned down as Philippe Senderos appeared to bring down Martins in the box.

It was not the last chance Newcastle would have, despite Arsenal going on to dominate the rest of the game. On 83 minutes Traore crossed the ball to Nicklas Bendtner who made no mistakes in powering in his header.

Obafemi Martins had a chance to equalize soon after as he rounded Lukasz Fabianski, only to see his shot brilliantly cleared off the line by a sliding Senderos.

The game then finished beyond doubt, as Neves Denilson unleashed a superb strike from 20 yards out to seal an appearance in the 4th round for the young gunners.

Watch the goals (and Senderos' clearance) here

Arsenal vs. Newcastle: Match Preview

Tomorrow will see Arsene Wenger's young guns take on Big Sam's Newcastle side in the Carling Cup. Wenger confirmed that he will continue to play youngsters and players "who need to get up to full speed" in the Carling Cup, despite the fact that Sam Allardyce always plays his strongest squad even in the 'lesser' of the English cups.

Arsene informed Arsenal.com as to some of the players we will be seeing tomorrow.

“You will see Bendtner, Diarra, and Denilson. Maybe Eboue (ankle) will be coming back as well.

“You’ll see Justin Hoyte and Alex Song maybe Eduardo and Diaby. Then there is Armand Traore and Lukasz Fabianski who we have not seen a lot of so far. We have sold out and we will put out a good team. We want to give the opportunity to our fans to see some unfamiliar faces.”

After Wenger saying that both Hoyte and Bendtner will stay at Arsenal, it is great to see the young pair finally get some time on the pitch.

It would be nice to see Bendtner starting a match, as the youngster has great promise. He complained about not seeing enough action in the start of the season, despite his impressive performances, and the Carling Cup could be the perfect opportunity to let the tall Dane show off his skills.

Hoyte also has considerable talent, and as he can play either left or right back he could be a great squad player for Arsenal in the future.

Diarra, Denilson, Eduardo, and Diaby are all players on the fringe of regular first team action, and good Carling Cup performances might see some of them getting more time in the Premier League as well. Diaby and Diarra in particular impressed in the 5-0 drubbing of Derby on Saturday, the former scoring the first goal, and the latter registering some impressive mazy runs.

It should be great to see our young players play, but it will be quite a test against the Premiership's 5th place team. Allardyce is likely to play such big names as alleged Arsenal target Obafemi Martins, former Manchester United striker Alan Smith, Mark Viduka and the impressive young Charles N'Zobgia.

Newcastle's impressive front line may cause trouble for the young Traore and Hoyte, but with Kolo Toure in the center we may be able to hold off Big Sam's strikers. Scoring goals shouldn't be a problem with Eduardo and Bendtner in the lineup, and the home advantage will help as well. I fancy our side will just manage to pull out a 2-1 victory in a tight match.

Who was Arsenal's greatest signing this summer?

Arsene Wenger didn't splash out much cash during the summer transfer window (summary of Arsenal's transfer window activity here), bringing in only Bacary Sagna, Eduardo da Silva, Lassana Diarra, Lukasz Fabianksi, and Havard Nordtveit. However, there is no question that we have gotten some quality players through Wenger's astute eye for talent.

Some would argue that Wenger himself was Arsenal's greatest signing this season. Seeing him finally sign after months of speculation over his Arsenal future was a great relief to Arsenal fans. Having our manager stay on for another 3 years (without a get-out clause) was probably Arsenal's greatest coup this summer, but are some of Wenger's signings even more valuable than himself?

Bacary Sagna has been a rock at right-back since he came in from Auxerre for a fee rumored to be around £6.1 million. His defending has been more solid than any since Lauren was on top of his game, and his overlapping runs have provided excellent support up front. He's no Gael Clichy in terms of his dribbling skills, but his tough tackling adds a needed sting to Arsenal's back line.

Arsenal fans will be hoping that Eduardo will be able to provide the same sting up front. Dudu's arrival was controversial amongst Arsenal fans, with many looking for a more established striker after the loss of Thierry Henry and others happy to have signed a striker who could really put the ball away. I wasn't too keen on him in the beginning, but after seeing him play I began to believe that he could become a goalscoring left-winger in the mold of Robert Pires. Only time will tell, but Arsene may have once again unearthed an undiscovered talent in Eduardo.

The final major signing of the summer came in the form of the unwanted Chelsea utility player Lassana Diarra who came to Arsenal in a surprise final-day transfer. The 22 year-old has bundles of potential that he was never allowed to show with Chelsea and will be great support as a defensive midfielder when Gilberto is out. The 'new Makélélé' has yet to debut for Arsenal, but I think that there is little doubt that he will have some impact this season.

Arsene Wenger has once again managed to buy a fair amount of talent with a small amount of money, and it will be interesting to see which of our new signings has the most impact over our next few seasons.

Who do you think was our best summer signing?

Arsenal Transfer Window Summary

Recent interviews with Arsene Wenger and Gilberto Silva have heard both say that Arsenal don't need to spend big to be competitive in the Premier League and it was this philosophy which Arsene Wenger followed in signing new players this season, despite the fact that the powers that be at Arsenal have been constantly telling the fans that we have copious amounts of transfer money available.

Here are the transfers to and from Arsenal this summer (all transfer prices are what's listed on wikipedia):

IN - All Undisclosed
Bacary Sagna
Eduardo da Silva
Lassana Diarra
Havard Nordtveit
Lukasz Fabianski

OUT
Fabrice Muamba - £4 million
Mart Poom - Undisclosed
Thierry Henry - £16.1 million
Jeremie Aliadiere - £2 million
Arturo Lupoli - Free
Freddy Ljungberg - £3 million
Jose Antonio Reyes - Undisclosed

Its clear that we've made a profit on transfers during this transfer season - we are the only big 4 club to have done so, and yet we are 2nd in the league (behind Liverpool on goal differential) after playing a game less than Chelsea and Manchester United. Does this mean that we can indeed keep our Champions League place, or even challenge for the title? Only time will tell, but we're well on our way.