Arsenal vs. Steaua Bucharest: Match Preview

Steaua Bucharest travel to London this Wednesday as English giants Arsenal try to regain their winning form on home soil.

The Gunners lost their first match of the season in their last Champions League match away to Sevilla. Soon after, the squad lost their first Premier League game in a shock 2-1 defeat at Middlesbrough.

While Arsenal have already qualified for the Champions League knockout stages, Arsene Wenger will be looking for a win to boost his side's confidence ahead of a tough Premier League clash against Chelsea.

The North London club could also go first in the group if they defeat Steaua and Sevilla falter in Prague.

Steaua have nothing to play for, as they are four points adrift of third-placed Slavia Prague, meaning that the Romanian team will be knocked out of European competition no matter Wednesday's results.

Arsene Wenger's young side will still have a tough time defeating Steaua though, especially considering the large number of injuries.

Arsenal will still be missing Cesc Fabregas, Alex Hleb, Mathieu Flamini, although Abou Diaby and Robin van Persie will be in the squad for the first time in quite a while.

This leaves Arsene Wenger without too much choice, although he would likely want to change his squad from the one that lost at Middlesbrough.

Jens Lehmann is set to start his first game in goal for Arsenal since his high profile error at Blackburn on August 19.

Bacary Sagna, Kolo Toure, William Gallas, and Gael Clichy are the manager's undisputed first-choice back four. However, Justin Hoyte, Armand Traore, and maybe even Philippe Senderos could see some action as Wenger rest's his top players ahead of a congested fixture list.

In the midfield, Tomas Rosicky was the only player who had a decent game against Middlesbrough on Sunday, and he is likely to stay in the squad as the team's driving creative force.

The other positions are more difficult to place, but I would like to see Lassana Diarra and Neves Denilson alongside Theo Walcott and Emmanuel Eboue in a five man midfield.

If Abou Diaby is fully fit for the game, he would likely start in a more creative position instead of Denilson. However, he is more likely to come off of the bench like Robin van Persie, as he is unlikely to be match-fit.

This would leave space for Emmanuel Adebayor or Nicklas Bendtner to play alone up front, depending on how much Arsene Wenger is willing to risk.

Robin van Persie is going to be in the squad for the Steaua game, but he is unlikely to start, probably coming off the bench towards the end of the match.

Arsenal have already beaten Steaua Bucharest at home and I would be surprised (and disappointed) if we were to lose a home game against such relatively weak opponents.

I predict a 2-0 win for Arsenal, giving the team at least a small amount of momentum before the Chelsea challenge.

Steaua Bucharest vs. Arsenal: Champions League Match Review

Match Preview

Arsenal became the first team to beat Steaua Bucharest in Romania today, thanks to a left-footed goal from Robin van Persie. The gunners kept their top spot in Group H on six points, three points ahead of nearest rivals Sevilla (who we beat 3-0 at the Emirates) and Slavia Prague. Steaua are on the bottom now, having yet to win any points.

The victory was hard-fought, and it seemed at points as though a goal would never come. Steaua defended brilliantly, with Eugen Baciu performing especially well. Nonetheless, a pull-back from Emmanuel Adebayor (who had been a doubt for the game) resulted in a Robin van Persie goal, securing three points for Arsene Wenger's boys.

Lineups:
Steaua Bucharest: Robinson Zapata; Eugen Baciu, Ifeany Emeghara, Petre Marin, Ionut Rada; Nicolae Dica, Banel Nicolita, Petre Ovidiu; Valentin Badea, Adrian Neaga, Romeo Surdu

Arsenal: Manuel Almunia; Bacary Sagna, Kolo Toure, Philippe Senderos, Gael Clichy; Alex Hleb, Cesc Fabregas, Mathieu Flamini, Emmanuel Eboue; Emmanuel Adebayor, Robin van Persie

Both teams started well, and after only five minutes, Badea headed off-target after meeting a cross from Romeo Surdu. Three minutes later, Surdu offered up another great cross, which was headed into the back of the net by Badea, but ruled out for offsides.

Arsenal heeded this warning, and almost immediately scored a goal following the restart. Alex Hleb found Cesc Fabregas with a cut-back, but the in-form midfielder shot over Zapata's crossbar with a disappointing effort.

Emmanuel Adebayor put a lot of pressure on Steaua's backline, cutting the ball across Steau's six-yard box, only to find that nobody was there. However, while Arsenal were putting pressure on the Romanians, they could be accused of once again trying to walk the ball into the back of the net.

In the 31st minute Robin van Persie found Emmanuel Adebayor in the box, but the Togolese striker opted to cross rather than shoot when he had plenty of space.

Arsenal nearly had their first goal when a deflected cross from Gael Clichy was acrobatically kept out by Zapata. The Colombian was adjudged to have kept the ball out of the net, although it was a close call. I couldn't quite tell even from the replays, but at least 90% of the ball was over the line.

Zapata followed this up with another great save, as he silenced Mathieu Flamini to end the first half.

Manuel Almunia almost proved to be Arsenal's downfall when he made yet another poor decision in racing outside of his 18 yard box to clear with a header. The ball fell to the dangerous Nicolae Dica who chipped it goalwards from forty yards out only to see it cleared off the line by the heroic Kolo Toure.

Arsenal were struggling, and at times it seemed as though Arsene Wenger would have to settle for a point.

Steaua substitute Constantin Iacob nearly put the home side in the lead when he beat Arsenal's offside trap to find himself alone with Manuel Almunia. The Spanish keeper wasn't even forced to make a save though, as Iacob wasted the best chance of the game, smashing it high over the bar.

Arsenal finally got their goal though, as Emmanuel Adebayor cut the ball back for Cesc Fabregas. The young Spaniard failed to latch on to the ball, but it fell nicely for Robin van Persie who promptly struck the ball into the net from 12 yards out.

The visitors nearly got a second when Adebayor turned well, only to fire just over the crossbar. One goal was all they needed though, as they played keep ball for the rest of the game, limiting Steaua's chances.

Arsene Wenger should be happy with the resilience and skill of his youngsters, and the Arsenal board should be happy with the victory. 1-0 may not be the most flattering scoreline, but 3 points are 3 points, and Arsenal now sit comfortably on the verge of the knockout stages after only two games played.

Four Players Doubts For Arsenal Champions League Clash

Arsenal have four players who are doubts for tomorrow's Champions League game against Steaua Bucharest.

Alex Hleb, Mathieu Flamini, Abou Diaby, and Emmanuel Adebayor are awaiting late fitness tests before Arsene Wenger names his squad for the away tie. All four have made the trip to Romania, but it is yet to be seen if any or all of them will play tomorrow.

"Alex Hleb will travel," Wenger told Arsenal.com. "We tested him for a check on his bone and a decision will be made tomorrow over whether he will play or not.

"Emmanuel Adebayor will travel but we will make a decision on him as well. It looks a little less good than it did. Mathieu Flamini has a knock on his groin. Abou Diaby has a knock on his ankle so we need to check on them.

The injuries to Hleb, Flamini, and Diaby will leave Arsenal light in the midfield, with Cesc Fabregas and Gilberto the only fit midfielders who usually receive spots in the starting 11. If none of the three are fit for tomorrow's game, Wenger may be forced to start Eboue and Denilson alongside Fabregas and Gilberto.

Walcott could be another option on the wing, but with Eduardo and Adebayor out he may start the game up front with Robin van Persie. Another option (since )it is unlikely that Nicklas Bendtner will start) would be to play van Persie as a lone striker in a 4-5-1 including Walcott on the flank.

The 1-0 win over West Ham had quite a toll on our players, but I am optimistic about winning this match even with a depleted squad.

Steaua Bucharest vs. Arsenal: Champions League Match Preview

Match Review

This Tuesday Premier League table-toppers Arsenal face off with Romania's second place team Steaua Bucharest. Arsene Wenger's young guns will go into the match full of confidence, riding a streak of 8 straight wins in all competitions.

The Gunners are first in Group H, following a convincing 3-0 victory over Spanish side Sevilla. Steaua are on the other side of the table, having lost their opening match to Slavia Prague 0-1. They will face a tough challenge against the talented Gunners, who have yet to lose a game this season.

Arsenal are heavy favorites to win both Tuesday's match against Steaua and Champions League Group H. However, their task will be made a bit more difficult due to the absence of Alex Hleb, who was injured in the 1-0 win over West Ham yesterday. Other players who will miss the match are William Gallas, Tomas Rosicky, and Jens Lehmann, although all are set to come back some time soon, after their long-term injuries.

Edit: Hleb, Adebayor, Flamini and Diaby are all doubts for the Steaua game

Although Arsenal are very likely to win this match, Arsene Wenger is still likely to play some of his big names on Tuesday.

The Arsenal backline will probably consist of Bacary Sagna, Kolo Toure, Philippe Senderos, and Gael Clichy; with Manuel Almunia between the sticks. The talented Arsenal midfield will most likely feature Cesc Fabregas, Mathieu Flamini, Abou Diaby, and Emmanuel Eboue; although the recently out-of-favor Gilberto may also see some action. Theo Walcott, who was rested against West Ham, may also feature on the left-wing.

Up front, Wenger may choose to play Eduardo da Silva rather than risk Emmanuel Adebayor, although if Adebayor is fit, he will probably start alongside Robin van Persie in a strong Arsenal attack.

The attack, which has scored 16 goals in 7 Premiership games this season, will likely be Arsenal's source of inspiration, with goals coming from midfield as well. Fabregas will be the mastermind behind all of Arsenal's moves as usual, supplying pinpoint passes to the attack, and maybe even adding to his impressive haul of 6 goals this season.

Steaua on the other hand will get most of their inspiration from Nicolae Dica, the impressive Romanian attacking midfielder who has scored 48 goals in 101 league games for Steaua Bucharest. He will have a hard time scoring against Arsenal's defense which has only let in 2 goals since Jens Lehmann's injury.

I expect that Arsenal will dominate the game, although wastefulness may keep the scoreline lower than it could be. I predict a 2-0 win which will keep Arsenal at the top of Group H, extending our winning streak to 9 games.

Hleb To Miss Champions League Match

Alexander Hleb is set to miss Tuesday's Champions League match against Steaua Bucharest after suffering an injury in yesterday's 1-0 victory over West Ham. The victory kept Arsenal two points clear at the top of the table, but was marred by injuries to Hleb and Emmanuel Adebayor.

It was a Mark Noble tackle which took out Hleb, and Arsene Wenger was not very happy with it.
"If it was an accident, it is a very bad accident, because if you see his leg it is unbelievable," said Wenger, "It is red and bruised from the knee down to the toes. We are quite optimistic because, for me, Noble is usually a fair player. I don't know if it was an accident or not, but he caught him very well."

When discussing his chances of playing in the midweek Champions League match he said, "I don't think Hleb will play on Tuesday because he cannot walk properly at the moment."

However, Arsene Wenger has stated that Adebayor is likely to be fit in time for Tuesday's match, despite being kicked in the thigh. The Togo striker, who was taken off in the 89th minute yesterday, will be a nice boost to Arsenal's squad, especially considering his great form of late.

Wenger said, "Adebayor had a kick on the thigh, and he looks like he has a good chance to play on Tuesday night."

Arsenal to face Sevilla in Champion League Group H

Sevilla today beat AEK Athens 4-1 in Athens to win the tie 6-1 on aggregate. This means that Arsenal's Champions League group will consist of Sevilla, Slavia Prague, and Steaua Bucharest. It also makes the group a lot more challenging - and top heavy- than if AEK had won. It now seems as though the fight for the first place spot in Group H will be between Arsenal and Sevilla, while Slavia and Steaua will be all but written off from the start.

This doesn't mean that we won't be seeing any good games though. Steaua Bucharest is an attacking team so that should be an interesting encounter, and while Slavia Prague aren't giants in the world of European football, they were giant-killers in the qualifiers, beating out Ajax Amsterdam, so they should prove to be some sort of challenge as well.

The encounters between Arsenal and Sevilla should of course be the best of the group, and Arsenal will face a stern challenge trying to top La Liga's 3rd place finishers.

Arsenal's Champions League Draw

Well, we managed to qualify for the group stages for the 10th year running after beating Slavia Prague 5-0 on aggregate, so we get the excitement of getting to see our team play in the Champions League once again. I discussed the possibilities of who we could face in an article before, but now that the draw has been settled we know who our opponents are.

Our opponents in Group H will be Steaua Bucharest, Slavia Prague, and the winner of Monday’s Sevilla vs AEK Athens match which was postponed due to the tragic death of Antonio Puerta.

Assuming that Sevilla make it through, we should have a pretty entertaining list of fixtures to watch, as Steaua Bucharest are an attacking side, Slavia Prague were good enough to beat out Ajax, and Sevilla are one of the best teams in Spain right now.

I think it is a great draw, as we will have good matches, but we will still be fairly assured of making it through to the knockout rounds. However, it will be a tough challenge to finish ahead of Sevilla, and the Spanish giants should keep us on our toes throughout the group stages. It'll be great to see how Gael Clichy and Dani Alves handle each other as they are two of the best attacking defenders in world football.

Let's hope that we can once again make it to the Champions League finals.