Arsenal Transfer Rumors

As a big club with a big transfer kitty, Arsenal are constantly linked with talent from across the globe. During the transfer season, these rumors tend to increase in volume but decrease in validity. Nonetheless, on yet another slow news day, I will bring you some of the latest transfer "news" to circulate around the web.

A few news outlets are reporting that Torpedo Moscow defender Vyacheslav Dmitriev has signed for Arsenal. The Russian teenager should be coming to the Emirates during the Summer. A highly rated 17 year-old, Dmitriev could grow to become a feared Premier League defender. It remains to be seen if his signing is fact or fiction though, as the club's official website Arsenal.com have yet to report the news.

Arsenal have also reportedly completed a transfer for Andre "Dede" Ayew from Marseille. The 18 year-old Ghanian can play either on the left wing or up front. A reported fee of £5 million coupled once again with a lack of mention on Arsenal's official site mean that this rumor should be taken with a grain of salt.

Other possible transfer targets include Spanish U20 and Deportivo La Coruna B goalkeeper Fabricio. 23 year-old keeper Carlos Kameni, a regular for Espanyol and Cameroon, is also on the list of future Jens Lehmann replacements.

In terms of exit news, Lassana Diarra could be leaving for Portsmouth on a £5.5 million deal which would see the holding midfielder getting a sizable paycheck of £60,000/week. Seems a bit much for a player who can't even deal with not breaking into the Arsenal first team within months of his arrival.

Elsewhere, Theo Walcott could move to West Ham on loan in what would be a beneficial deal for both of the clubs involved. West Ham, a club which always seems to have injured strikers, would do better with Walcott up front than with Carleton Cole, and it would be good for the 18 year-old to get some regular playing time in a Premier League side. I doubt Arsene Wenger would let it go through, though.

Arsenal vs. West Ham: Match Review

Arsenal stayed at the top of the Premier League after defeating London rivals West Ham 2-0 at the Emirates. Early goals from Eduardo and Emmanuel Adebayor sealed the victory for the Gunners.

Elsewhere, Manchester United and Chelsea both won, with the Reds keeping pace only two points behind the Gunners.

Lineups:
Arsenal: Manuel Almunia; Justin Hoyte, Kolo Toure, William Gallas, Gael Clichy; Emmanuel Eboue, Cesc Fabregas, Mathieu Flamini, Tomas Rosicky; Eduardo, Emmanuel Adebayor

West Ham: Robert Green; Anton Ferdinand, George McCartney, Lucas Neill, Matt Upson; John Pantsil, Jonathan Spector, Freddy Ljungberg, Hayden Mullins; Mark Noble, Carlton Cole

Arsenal got off to a bright start against a confident West Ham side. The Hammers, who had defeated Manchester United the week before, were looking to beat a young Arsenal side which was missing Alex Hleb, Bacary Sagna, and Robin van Persie. Unfortunately for them, it took only two minutes for Arsenal to score.

Cesc Fabregas lobbed a ball to Eduardo in the box, and the Croatian chested the ball to his feet before volleying past Robert Green to give Arsenal an early lead.

West Ham were clearly shaken by conceding the early goal, but still looked for a quick equalizer.

Anton Ferdinand saw an effort cleared off of the line by Arsenal's Gael Clichy after a corner, and Manuel Almunia had to make a clutch save to deny former Gunner Freddy Ljungberg from close range.

The visitors couldn't hold up the pressure though, and Arsenal doubled their lead in the 18th minute thanks to a brilliant strike from Emmanuel Adebayor.

A long ball from Clichy met the Togo striker near Green's penalty box, and the African skillfully rounded the keeper. It looked as though the angle would stop Adebayor from slotting home, but the striker somehow managed to hit the back of the net via the far post.

West Ham tried to come back again, with John Pantsil coming close with a spectacular overhead kick.

Things began to go badly for the Hammers a few minutes later when Ljungberg was taken off in the 37th minute after he appeared to pick up a hamstring injury.

Soon after, Arsenal appeared to have won a penalty when Emmanuel Eboue's cross was blocked by Jonathan Spector's arm, but referee Chris Foy waved play on.

The second half began as the first had ended, with Foy once again denying Arsenal what looked to be a penalty. Lucas Neill appeared to have held Eduardo in the box, but Foy did not point to the spot as play continued.

It made little difference though, as Arsenal went on to win the match despite failing to find a third goal.

The victory ensures that Arsenal will end New Year's Day at the top of the Premier League, despite having inferior goal differential to Manchester United.

Fabregas suspension planned in advance

Arsenal wrapped up a 3-1 victory at Reading yesterday on a bit of a sour note.

Cesc Fabregas, undoubtedly Arsenal's most influential player this season, was booked for the fifth time this season, resulting in a one match suspension.

Could it have been done on purpose?

To answer that question we should look at Arsenal's next few Premiership fixtures:

11/24 vs Wigan
12/1 @ Aston Villa
12/5 @ Newcastle
12/9 @ Middlesbrough
12/16 vs Chelsea
12/22 vs Tottenham
12/26 @ Portsmouth
12/29 @ Everton
1/1 vs West Ham

Of these eight fixtures, one stands out as by far the easiest: at home to Wigan. Of the remaining seven, only three are home fixtures (Chelsea and West Ham are nothing to laugh at), and only three (Newcastle, Middlesbrough, and Tottenham) are against bottom half teams. Of those three teams, Middlesbrough is the only team likely to face a relegation battle this season, with Newcastle and Tottenham both looking to challenge for European spots.

As a midfielder on four yellows, Fabregas was likely to get suspended eventually, and there would be no better game to lose him for than Wigan.

But would Fabregas stoop so low as to purposely get suspended?

The manner in which the yellow card occurred would lead me to venture a guess that he would.

My first reaction to the yellow was disappointment - how could our midfield maestro be so immature?

Truth be told, it may have just been another brilliant execution by Cesc Fabregas.

The midfielder held onto Fae's shirt for a good couple of seconds, so blatantly that even a blind refferree would be forced to book him. Nobody expects to get away with that.

Still, though, I was unsure.

The look on the player's face said it all though. No disappointment, no real argument... he had done it on purpose.

All he did was earn himself a well-deserved break...

Wenger: Arsenal kept reading in the Premiership

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has suggested that it was the Arsenal youth academy which kept Reading in the Premiership last season.

Reading currently have three former Arsenal youth academy players in their squad, one who is eligible to play against Arsenal tomorrow (James Harper) and two out on loan (Graham Stack and John Halls).

Last season, the Royals were reliant upon Harper and another former Gunner, Steve Sidwell, in the heart of their midfield.

Wenger, who has recently come under fire due to the lack of English players in his squad, has struck back at his detractors, claiming that while Theo Walcott may be the only English player at Arsenal, the club has strengthened the English national team by helping smaller teams along.

"The rule for success," he said, "is just live around Arsenal and pick off the players who do not make it completely and I promise you will have a very good team.

"There are very good players who will not all make it here but when they drop out they will still make a good team.

"Harper and Sidwell did not get in here because they had Petit and Viera and Edu in front of them. I think to force the clubs in England to have only English players in the side would be detrimental to the smaller clubs."He went on to discuss Sidwell personally: "I am happy if they have a good life. Sidwell was an important player for them because he had a good partnership with Harper.

"Sidwell's aim was to become a professional football player at a top team. He is. "If we have just contributed a little bit we are happy with that. We take the criticism, no problem.

"As a manager you want to have a positive influence on the life of your football players."

Personally, I feel like Arsene Wenger's job is to make Arsenal the best team it can be, not to strengthen the English national team. However, it must be noted that Arsenal's academy has brought through some bright young English talents.

Liverpool winger Jermaine Pennant, Blackburn midfielder David Bentley, West Ham defender Matthew Upson and Sunderland striker Anthony Stokes all graduated from the Arsenal youth academy.

Flamini Is Finally Stepping Up

Arsene Wenger's undeniable genius was enough to earn him a contract extension until the 2010/11 season, and it's not hard to see why the Arsenal board were happy to keep him at the club. Under Wenger's tutelage, Thierry Henry, Patrick Vieira, and Robert Pires were all transformed from struggling players into terrifying French wonders.

However, Wenger doesn't do everything right, and many Arsenal fans thought that Mathieu Flamini was one of his few mistakes. When Arsenal signed the 20 year-old midfielder from Marseille, he had only featured in 14 games for the team, and while he was unproven, the club had faith in Wenger, and expected great things of his new signings.

Fast forward two years to last season. Flamini was still seeing some time on the field, but many criticized his performances, applauding only his incredible work-rate. Flamini was a good squad player, but no more, and many were disappointed by him.

This season, however, it seems that Flamini is finally stepping up. Maybe it's that he's no longer under the shadow of Henry. Maybe he is trying to prove to the naysayers that Arsenal can indeed challenge for the title. Perhaps he has simply seen that Gilberto's place isn't set in stone.

Whatever the reason, Flamini is finally coming of age, and in recent games he has been chosen over Gilberto to partner Cesc Fabregas in the central midfield. It's not hard to see why, as his work-rate, tough-tackling, and team spirit are all great qualities for a defensive midfielder.

His inclusion has also given him great confidence, and he even tried a few long range shots against Robert Green in last Saturday's game against West Ham.

Mathieu Flamini has been consistently underrated by Arsenal fans, but that was unsurprising seeing as how he hadn't been performing as well as he could have until now. I still expect improvement from his current form, but even the way that he is playing now, I'm starting to think that selling Gilberto may not be a horrible idea.

I look forwards to this lad's next few years at the club.

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."

West Ham vs. Arsenal: Match Review

Match Preview

Arsenal remained at the top of the table today as they beat West Ham thanks to a 13th minute header from Robin van Persie. Manchester United have yet to play, but even if they win Arsenal will be 2 points ahead with a game in hand. Currently, our closest rivals are Manchester City who 3 points behind, having played one more game.

Arsene Wenger's gunners finally broke their bad spell against West Ham, making it 8 straight wins in all competitions. However, this win was not nearly as convincing as the 5-0 drubbing of Derby or the 3-0 victory over Sevilla.

Lineups:
West Ham: Robert Green; Anton Ferdinand, George McCartney, Lucas Neil, Matthew Upson; Lee Bowyer, Freddy Ljungberg, Mark Noble, Scott Parker; Henri Camara, Dean Ashton

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

Arsenal came out of the gates galloping, and Emmanuel Adebayor missed narrowly wide in the first minute after a cross from Abou Diaby.

Dean Ashton had West Ham's first chance not too much later as he shot just over Almunia's crossbar in what was to be a frustrating night for the in-form striker.

Robin van Persie scored the first goal for Wenger's young guns in the 13th minute, heading the ball in after a spot-on cross from late inclusion Alex Hleb.

Ashton then thought he had a second chance, but was flagged for a dubious offside call. There weren't too many complaints though, as Manuel Almunia (who looked secure in goal throughout the game) came out to block his shot.

In the 31st minute, Alex Hleb was taken off after a rash tackle from Mark Noble saw him injured. Wenger had an able replacement for the right wing in Emmanuel Eboue, but it would be disappointing if Hleb were to be sidelined for an extended period of time.

The game's pace started to slow as the end of the first half approached, and despite 5 minutes of added time, nobody else could find the net.

The second half started as the first had - with frenetic pace. Dean Ashton once again missed two great chances to put West Ham ahead in a half full of near misses.

In the 57th minute, Ashton looked sure to score following a cross from Lee Bowyer. However, his weak header fell straight into the hands of Manuel Almunia, rather than in the back of the net.

Then, in the 84th minute, Ashton once again latched onto a cross (this time from a corner) only to see his headed cleared in front of goal by the left foot of Robin van Persie.

Arsenal missed their fair share of chances as well though, as Adebayor failed to round Robert Green in a 1 on 1, and Mathieu Flamini saw a few long distance strikes parried away by the West Ham 'keeper.

Regardless of the missed chances, Arsene Wenger and the Arsenal board will be happy with the win and the extended period at the top of the table. With a midweek Champions League match against Steaua Bucharest coming up, it also looks as though Arsenal's winning streak will be extended to 9. A great result for any Arsenal fan...

Hleb fit, Eduardo out for West Ham clash

Alex Hleb passed a late fitness test today and will be included in the squad for Saturday's game against West Ham. The Belarussian will be a welcome addition to Arsene Wenger's squad, especially considering his fine form prior to his injury.

Hleb, who has been heavily criticized for attempting to walk the ball into the goal has already scored twice this season, once in the Champions League Qualifier against Sparta Prague, and once against Fulham in the Premier League. Scoring has not been his most important contribution on the pitch though, as his incredible dribbling and passing skills have seen him make many opportunities for Arsenal's forwards.

Eduardo da Silva, Arsene Wenger's most expensive summer signing, is injured. The Croatian striker aggravated his groin during Tuesday's Carling Cup tie with Newcastle. It has not gotten better yet, so he will be missing the West Ham clash, although he is likely to be back in time for Steaua Bucharest in the Champions League.

With Theo Walcott set to be rested, we are likely to see on form Emanuel Adebayor start up front alongside Robin van Persie. Nicklas Bendtner will probably start on the bench, although we may see him later in the game if Arsenal are having trouble scoring.

West Ham vs. Arsenal: Match Preview

Arsenal are set to play an exciting match on Saturday as they take on West Ham, the only team ever to beat Arsenal at the Emirates. West Ham are something of a bogey team for the Gunners, having won their last 4 Premiership meetings, and Arsenal will not be happy if they lose to recently departed Freddy Ljungberb. However, Arsene Wenger's boys will be heavy favorites to win this match, especially considering form that sees them undefeated in 17 games (since the loss to West Ham last season). Both teams have been performing well recently though, as Arsenal are in first, and West Ham not too far behind in seventh.

Arsene Wenger has told Arsenal.com that Alex Hleb may or may not be ready in time for Saturday. In other injury news, Emmanuel Eboue returned from injury against Newcastle, but probably won't feature on Saturday, as he is not match fit. Alex Song has also been added to the injury list, although he probably wouldn't have featured anyway. The other injured players are all still out, although Wenger did put something of a time frame on their returns.

Edit: Hleb is now fit but Eduardo is injured and Theo Walcott is set to be rested

“William Gallas is maybe a week or 10 days away,” said Wenger. “But I would not like to set a time on it really. As for Rosicky you can probably fix the date for Sunderland [next Sunday]. Jens Lehmann will be another week.”

Arsenal come off of the 5-0 defeat of Derby County last weekend and a 2-0 win over Newcastle in the Carling Cup on Tuesday. They will therefore be high in confidence - especially Emmanuel Adebayor and Cesc Fabregas, who have each scored 6 goals this season. Fabregas has scored a goal in each of his last 4 Premier League games and Adebayor recorded a hat-trick in the win over Derby.

Other starters will most likely include Bacary Sagna, Philippe Senderos, Kolo Toure, and Gael Clichy in the back line. It will be interesting to see who Wenger opts to play in the midfield, although Fabregas, Gilberto, Flamini, and Diaby are the most likely candidates if Hleb doesn't manage to return in time. Up front Arsene will most likely start Adebayor and van Persie, although Eduardo and Theo Walcott are also possibilities. Maybe we'll even see Nicklas Bendtner come off the bench.

Whoever we start, we should certainly be playing for a win, even against a bogey team. Craig Bellamy and Dean Ashton have been on decent form for the Hammers this season, but our defense shouldn't have too much trouble handling them if there are no errors from Senderos. We should get another clean sheet, and I expect a few goals from our side as well. I don't want to be too optimistic by predicting 3-0, so I'll go ahead and say that we should win 2-0, to stay at the top of the table.

Match Review