“Thirteen Premier League titles, 27 years, 1,500 matches managed at Manchester United – Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement was the biggest story of the year. But what else happened in 2013? English football said goodbye to Gareth Bale and hello again to Jose Mourinho, while Luis Suarez provoked plenty of headlines – good and bad. Statisticians Opta have crunched the year’s numbers for us.” BBC
“The period leading up to the January transfer window was supposed to be the time when Olivier Giroud proved that Arsenal didn’t need another centre-forward. Instead, the Frenchman is currently going through his leanest goalscoring form — seven starts — since joining the club in the summer of 2012. Giroud’s all-round game continues to impress, and Arsenal have learnt to make the most of his excellent link-up play, which he demonstrated when setting up Lukas Podolski’s fine strike against West Ham.” ESPN – Michael Cox (Video)
“Some self-admiring owners invade the dressing room, diluting the power of the manager, a damaging trend. If Arsène Wenger guides Arsenal to glory in the Premier League it would be a wonderful, well-timed triumph for the managerial profession. Managers are not just for Christmas. Even Wenger’s rivals would surely acknowledge privately the long-term benefit for their industry of the success of a manager who will have been in his job almost 18 years, who alone decides recruitment and loan policy, whose influence is so all-pervading at the Emirates that he even chose the wall colours.” Telegraph – Henry Winter
“Arsenal extended their lead at the top, while Everton extended the Premier League’s longest unbeaten run. Arsene Wenger was still without Bacary Sagna, so Carl Jenkinson played instead, while Theo Walcott was still on the bench. Roberto Martinez named an unchanged XI from the side that recorded a famous victory at Old Trafford in midweek. Everton were highly impressive throughout the first half, although ended up searching for a late equaliser.” Zonal Marking
Arsenal 1-1 Everton: Tactical Analysis | The Pressing Game
“With some of the title contenders like Chelsea, City and Manchester United dropping points the previous day, Arsenal had the chance to extend their lead at the top to 7 points, a truly remarkable figure in a season that’s supposed to be the tightest in a while. It wasn’t going to be easy pickings though for the Gunners, as their opponents were the in form Everton.” Outside of the Boot
“Perhaps now Arsenal has to be taken seriously as a title contender. Arsene Wenger had been scathing earlier in the week of the “experts” who said his side lacked the squad to maintain their challenge, but after an 11th win in 13 league matches, it stands four points clear of the pack and, notably, 12 points clear of the champions Manchester United. A 2-0 victory over Hull City may have been little more than a procession, and is unlikely to live long in the memory, but it was significant in as much as it was achieved while resting a number of players.” SI – Jonathan Wilson
“Arsenal’s 2-0 victory over Southampton was comfortable but forgettable. The Gunners’ goals came from a crazy goalkeeping error and a penalty, while the team’s flair players like Santi Cazorla and Mesut Ozil were far from their best. In terms of long-term positives, Arsenal fans can point to three things: another clean sheet, Olivier Giroud ending his four-match goalless streak with two simple goals and the return of Theo Walcott.” ESPN – Michael Cox (Video)
“MANCHESTER UNITED 1-0 ARSENAL. A feature of Mesut Ozil’s game normally is just how prominent he is. The Arsenal playmaker is willing to roam far and wide to get the ball. Yet in the first half at Old Trafford he was unusually anonymous. That reflected on how well Phil Jones, in particular, played against him and how United patrolled the area in front of their centre-backs. Ozil’s first-half pitch map shows how rarely his team-mates got him on the ball in the No. 10 position (in contrast, there are a cluster of dots near either touchline) and how United kept him out of the positions where he can do most damage. …” ESPN
Manchester United 1-0 Arsenal: Tactical Analysis
“The rivalry between Manchester United and Arsenal in the Premier League era has been intense with quite a few memorable encounters between the 2. Incidents such as the infamous tunnel confrontation between Viera and Keane and the bizarre ‘Pizzagate’ fiasco are ones that continue to be widely referenced years after their actual occurrence. Having said that, the rivalry has mellowed over the last few years owing largely to Arsenal’s rather long transition period. Robin van Persie’s transfer last season saw some of the edge return and with Arsenal flying high this season, this is a fixture that both sets of fans were desperate to win.” Outside of the Boot
“Dortmund had significantly more shots, but Arsenal snatched a winner and saw out the game efficiently. Jurgen Klopp was without Mats Hummels and Ilkay Gundogan, so named an unchanged side. Arsene Wenger didn’t have anyone back from injury, so kept the same side that defeated Liverpool. This game was simultaneously high-tempo and slow-burning – an uneventful first half was followed by a very exciting second.” Zonal Marking
Borussia Dortmund 0-1 Arsenal: Tactical Analysis
“Group F was always going to provide us with a few exciting games. Many have lamented the fact that Europe’s elite competition has stopped being well, elite which leads to some of the smaller, less prestigious clubs featuring in the group stages. This means that we witness quite a few one sided games with the traditional heavyweights usually brushing aside the so called weaker teams. However, there was absolutely no danger of that happening in Group F which featured Borussia Dortmund, Arsenal, Napoli and Marseille.” Outside of the Boot
Dortmund fans visibly deflated as Arsenal score
“It was all going so well for these Borussia Dortmund fans, until Aaron Ramsey popped up to score for Arsenal against the run of play.” World Soccer (Video)
“Jose Mourinho stretched out his arms and turned to his bench with a shrug. For the second time in the opening six minutes, Chelsea’s back line had been punctured with weird ease, Adam Szalai following Julian Draxler in sliding a shot just wide of the left-hand post. His bafflement seemed to sum up Chelsea this season: it may sit second in the Premier League and is top of its Champions League group after Wednesday’s 3-0 victory over Schalke 04, a point from qualification, but it has been far from convincing.” SI – Jonathan Wilson
“Arsenal triumphed in a fast-paced and tactically interesting contest. With Jack Wilshere and Mathieu Flamini out, Arsene Wenger had no real selection dilemmas. Brendan Rodgers continued with his 3-5-2 system, although was without both first-choice wing-backs, with Glen Johnson a late withdrawal – Jon Flanagan played instead. Arsenal were the better side – just about keeping Liverpool’s front two quiet, and dominating both centrally and down the flanks in possession.” Zonal Marking
“The past summer was one in which change was the watchword in the upper echelons of the Premier League. The top 3 of last season all have new managers at the helm; a fact that many hope will lead to another exciting title race. This upheaval also means that teams such as Arsenal and Liverpool have an excellent opportunity to challenge for the title. Coming into the game it was a case of so far so good for both sides. Since their defeat to Villa on the opening day of the season, Arsenal dropped just 2 points out of a possible 24 and occupied the top spot in the league table. Meanwhile, Liverpool have been impressive and boast of arguably the most dangerous strike partnership in the league right now in the form of Sturridge and Suarez.” Outside of the Boot
Arsenal: Premier League’s top side answer their critics in style
“Arsene Wenger will face the same questions until the day he can hold up a trophy in front of his inquisitors and remove the 2005 FA Cup triumph as the last entry in his and Arsenal’s list of honours. Wenger knows there are still doubts about his team’s resilience and staying power – but he can deliver the answers with increasing confidence after a 2-0 win against Liverpool at Emirates Stadium on Saturday that left Arsenal five points clear at the top of the Premier League.” BBC
Rodgers must resist urge for wholesale change
“Liverpool’s defeat at the Emirates on Saturday has thrown up far more questions than it provided answers. The most simplistic way to break the game down would be to say that Brendan Rodgers’ men lost to a better side and that it highlighted the remaining gap between the Reds and where they want to be. That’s the line most have taken and while it’s mostly a fair one, I don’t think it paints an entirely accurate picture as a lot of Liverpool’s problems in this game were of their own making and are therefore — hopefully — fixable.” ESPN (Video)
Three Things: Arsenal vs. Liverpool
“Three observations from Arsenal’s Premier League victory against Liverpool at the Emirates. After the difficulties of the past two weeks and the past two big games, the surprise here was how thoroughly easy it was for Arsenal in this 2-0 victory. They were a step above Liverpool in almost every facet of the game and proved themselves a class above as a team. In many ways, this was reminiscent of the defeat Arsenal themselves suffered to Borussia Dortmund here. Liverpool simply came up against a more sophisticated outfit, both in terms of tactics and technique.” ESPN
Matchday Musings: Arsenal 2-0 Liverpool
“… Koscielney dispatches SAS. In the lead up to the game, Liverpool’s new ‘SAS’ strike partnership was on everyone’s lips. Daniel Sturridge and Luis Suarez have been in scintillating form this season, scoring a superb amount of goals. Therefore when they lined up in front of a packed Emirates, goals were to be expected. Arsene Wenger stuck with his trusted pair at centre back, and they did an excellent job of stopping the most in form strikers in the league. Per Mertesacker put in a great shift, but Laurent Kocielney’s performance was to be admired. Sturridge tended to drift in to wider positions, with Suarez employing most of the Frenchman’s time. He dealt with him with ease, limiting him to very few opportunities. Staying tight to Suarez isn’t everyone’s idea of how to tame him, but it worked today and really gave Arsenal a great platform.” Beyond The Ninety Minutes
“While Arsenal’s excellent beginning to 2013-14 has owed much to Mesut Ozil’s arrival, Mathieu Flamini’s return and Aaron Ramsey’s sudden transformation into a top-class midfielder, the Gunners’ form has actually been very good over the course of 2013. No side has collected more points than Arsenal this calendar year and the Gunners have lost just one of their last 19 league matches, on the opening day, at home to Aston Villa. The turning point, it seems, was in the wake of the defeat to Tottenham at White Hart Lane in early March, a match in which Arsenal’s defensive positioning was awful. The back four was repeatedly opened up by a combination of through-balls and runs in behind, because of Arsenal’s high defensive line, combined with no pressure on the ball.” ESPN – Michael Cox (Video)
“The new Premier league season has seen an unlikely leader- Arsenal. With the lack of transfer activity for large parts of the window, fans were getting restless and a terrible opening day loss at home to Villa only worsened things. However, it has all been smooth sailing for Arsenal since then, with the team pulling out great football, a lot of wins, and some excellent signings like Flamini and Ozil to find themselves leading the pack in October. However, before we begin to wax lyrical about the Gunners and their prospects, we must all remind ourselves that this could be classic Arsenal, terrific start, but mess ups at key moments. And of course, one or two signings cannot really paper over the cracks of a squad that just about managed to finish 4th last season, or can it? Which leads us to the topic of the latest installment of our debate feature: Can Arsenal win the Premier League?” Outside of the Boot
“There could be a goalfest at the Emirates; Paul Lambert’s Hi Viz army will be out in force; Fernando Torres can continue his form; and Joe Hart faces an anxious wait” Guardian
“In a match that, at best, looked like it could be heading for a 1-1 draw, Borussia Dortmund found a Lewandowski goal on a stunning counter to win 2-1 in north London at Arsenal’s home ground in Champions League play on Tuesday. For BVB, a massive win and, for Arsenal, a disappointing and unexpected loss. Entering the contest, Arsenal led Group F with wins from its first two matches, while Dortmund sat in the group’s middle, thanks to its loss (against Napoli) and win (against Olympique Marseilles). Moreover, Arsenal also entered the match as the Premier’s hottest club, sitting atop the table on 19 points – unbeaten for seven matches now in domestic play. While many predicted a goal-fest – thanks to the attacking firepower on both rosters – these same folks also forgot that both clubs are also very good defensively, in terms of shots and goals conceded. After today’s result, Group F – the ‘group of death’ – has been blown wide open.” Bundesliga Fanatic
“It was August 1995, and Dennis Bergkamp had just played his first game for Arsenal at the club’s cosy, iconic Highbury Stadium, a friendly against his old club Internazionale. Afterwards, two Dutch journalists and I snuck into Highbury’s marble halls to wait for the great man. Bergkamp’s family was already there, hanging around while Dennis got changed. The father, an electrician, was standing with his hands folded behind his back studying framed pictures of Arsenal greats. He would have known most of them; like many Dutchmen of his generation, Bergkamp Sr. was an Anglophile, who named his youngest son after Manchester United hero Denis Law. The father and a Bergkamp brother greeted us shyly. This was not a loud family.” askmen
“Mesut Ozil scored his first two Premier League goals with two classy, well taken finishes against Norwich. Initially an injury doubt for the game, the German lined up from the start to gain his side another two points. His first goal was an excellent finish early in the second half, and he then sealed the game of with an eighty-eighth minute finish. The goals cap of an exceptional start to his Arsenal career. A start that has propelled the Gunners to top of league.” Beyond The Ninety Minutes
“It’s the summer of 1980, and a decade that started with England as the champions of the football world has just ended in a manner that few would have predicted ten years earlier. The national team’s arrival back in tournament football had ended in every conceivable flavour of defeat at the 1980 European Championships. The team itself found itself eliminated from the competition with a game to spare, and rioting supporters who faced tear gas in Turin as the team drew its opening match against Belgium. Perhaps the only consolation that could be taken from the whole dismal episode was that, having missed out on the previous two World Cups, at least the team had managed to find its way there in the first place.” twohundredpercent (Video)
“In the end, it was the only thing Mesut Özil had to break sweat to do. Not the finish – which was a master class in watching the ball all the way and not hurrying the technique – but actually getting there, as he was still a long way away from play – the only time in the match – and as he reached Aaron Ramsey’s cut-back, he expertly guided on the half-volley into the top corner.” The Arsenal Column
“Arsene Wenger fielded five natural central midfielders, but Napoli were opened up repeatedly in their left-back zone. Wenger was without a variety of players comfortable in wide roles – Theo Walcott, Santi Cazorla, Lukas Podolski and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain – while Jack Wilshere was rested, with Mikel Arteta coming into the side and Arsenal’s three attacking midfielders playing fluid roles. Rafael Benitez was still without Christian Maggio, and also lost Gonzalo Higuain through injury. Arsenal were dominant from the first whistle, and Napoli rarely offered a goal threat.”
Zonal Marking
Arsenal 2 Napoli 0: Mesut Özil sets the tone as Arsene Wenger’s side turn on the style against Napoli
“When Arsenal play with the precision, pace and elegance that spiced some of their mesmerising first-half movement here the feeling grows stronger and stronger that the long, soul-searching, inquisition-scarred wait for a trophy might yet end this season. If it does, the player who should touch the trophy first should be Mesut Özil, who impressed again in a 2-0 victory. The German has strengthened Arsenal psychologically and as an attacking, trophy-threatening force. He has brought belief, assists and now his first goal for the club, a strike that celebrated his sumptuous technique. Özil was almost unplayable at times, gliding hither and thither, twisting away from opponents, the ball merrily snuggling his left foot, leaving Napoli bewildered and bewitched. Telegraph – Henry Winter
“It hasn’t exactly been a scintillating start to the Premier League season. With 40 games played, there have been a grand total of 78 goals scored. That average of 1.95 goals per game is significantly behind last year’s average of 2.80, and also below the Premier League’s historic average (since 1992) of 2.63. It’s been particularly disappointing, given the preseason story lines that focused on new exciting, attacking teams. This raises the question: Why has scoring dried up in the Premier League?” Grantland
““They won’t go far. They needed a player in the middle of the park with grit, determination, someone who can get stuck in.” Sound familiar? Arsenal fans like myself have been subjected to such warnings from rival supporters. Sceptics who have been eager to assert that while the purchase of Ozil was admirable, what Arsenal really required was some “steel” in the midfield. It has even been suggested that instead of going all out to capture the “the best Number 10 in the world”, Manchester United new boy Maroune Fellaini was the player that Arsenal should have gone all out to buy. Surely he would have added much needed bite and steel to what appears to be a lightweight midfield.” Think Football
“… Arsenal recorded a narrow victory in the north London derby. Arsene Wenger was still without Mikel Arteta, Lukas Podolski is a new injury blow, while Bacary Sagna was unwell so Carl Jenkinson played at right-back. Andre Villas-Boas was without Gareth Bale ahead of his departure to Real Madrid, while Erik Lamela was only just signed in time and was on the bench, while Christian Eriksen wasn’t yet under consideration. In terms of tactical analysis, this was a remarkably simple game based entire around two concepts (and how those two concepts worked together).” Zonal Marking
Arsenal 1-0 Tottenham: Tactical Analysis
“The second installment of Super Sunday was the North London Derby, to be played at the Emirates. This fixture is always exciting, and carries an edge, but today was a little extra special, as it was a clash of two teams that will surely be gunning for 4th place, and two teams that have had slightly different transfer windows. Arsenal came into the game with a lot of familiar faces in the side. Koscielny was back from suspension and injury, but Sagna was missing and Jenkinson started. Gibbs was on the left hand side of the defence, and ahead of him was Cazorla, who was given a free role. In midfield, Arsenal started Wilshere, Ramsey and Rosicky, who was furthest forward in the triangle. Giroud was the lone man up front, with Walcott looking to use his pace to penetrate from wide areas.” Outside of the Boot
What conclusions can we draw from Arsenal’s 1-0 victory over Spurs?
“1) Arsenal are not as bad as some will have you believe. After a poor display against (a strong) Aston Villa side on the opening day of the season, despite having ten men, many people began to write Arsenal off. Arsenal are a team that polarize opinion- many fans feel they can win the title, whilst neutrals often feel they’ll finish in sixth or seventh place. The truth of what Arsenal can achieve is somewhere in the middle. A title bid sounds very premature considering how their rivals have strengthened and the fact that Arsenal have been so far off the pace for many years now, but writing the side off as having no chance of finishing in the top four is ridiculous. …” Think Football
“You know the cheap thrills that come with looking at box office returns on a Monday to see if a movie was a blockbuster or a flop? You don’t feel particularly proud of it, of course — after all, what does art have to do with money … wait, why are you laughing? — but you do it just the same. Now imagine those box office reports reflected movies that had been shot, edited, and marketed the day before they were to hit theaters. That would be funny. And that’s European football’s transfer deadline days. Incredibly rich football clubs making enormous decisions at the very last minute, buying and selling football players.” Grantland
“With its 21st season under way, here’s a highly selective, wholly subjective refresher guide to the English Premier League, from A to Zed…” SI
“Imagine you hadn’t heard the final score. You pick up the basic match facts and you see that Arsenal had 64% of possession on Saturday. You look at the pass completion rates and see that while Arsenal’s was 87%, Aston Villa’s was only 70%. At first glance it seems like a fairly standard Arsenal home performance. Not too much to worry about there. But then you look at the number of shots each side had: Arsenal had 15 to Villa’s 11. The picture begins to emerge of Arsenal being watchful in possession, Villa more direct. The really telling stat, though, is that Villa had six efforts on target to Arsenal’s four. Villa, in other words, were far more efficient with the ball.” WhoScored
“A survey of the players, managers, ideas, tactical developments, and themes to watch out for in the 2013-14 Premier League season. Chris Ryan: The above video is of William Gallas scoring a game-winning goal for Chelsea, against Tottenham, back in 2006. Chelsea won the league that season, finishing eight points clear of Manchester United. Spurs keeper Paul Robinson likely spent three months in a room, by himself, with a roast beef platter and a copy of The Queen Is Dead after this goal, but it’s not the goal that Gallas scored that interests me, it’s who he celebrated it with. …” Grantland (Video)
Premier League 2013-14: Phil McNulty’s predictions
“The Premier League’s top three – along with Everton and Stoke – are under new management, star players at Manchester United, Tottenham and Liverpool are under a cloud and Cardiff, Hull and Crystal Palace will all be experiencing the anticipation and trepidation of newcomers. The new season starts on Saturday. Can Manchester United win their 21st title? Can Manchester City wrestle it back from Old Trafford? Can Jose Mourinho recreate former glories at Chelsea?” BBC
“I spent the weekend in the most pleasant way an Arsenal fan can spend a weekend that falls within the summer transfer window: perusing YouTube for a contact high off the fumes of past glories. The complete Invincibles season. The wizardry of Dennis Bergkamp. Legends of the Premier League: Thierry Henry. Cesc Fábregas ‘Pass Master’ compilations. Michael Thomas’s stoppage-time goal-into-breakdance-windmill/caterpillar-celebration as Arsenal win the league over Liverpool at Anfield on the final day — the final seconds! — of the 1988-89 season.” Grantland
“Arsenal’s transfer strategy this summer has left the vast majority of their fans perplexed. While the seemingly interminable Luis Suarez saga has grabbed most of the attention, allied with the failure to secure Gonzalo Higuain when the deal appeared done and dusted, the stark reality is that Arsenal have not bought anybody yet, let alone the marquee signing that the supporters crave. Yes, they have acquired the services of French U20 international, Yaya Sanogo, but he arrived on a free transfer from Auxerre in the French second division.” Swiss Ramble
“In a world in which the rich are getting even richer and success seems increasingly the preserve of a select handful of clubs, this season’s Premier League promises a rare openness, with the big three of Manchester United, Manchester City and Chelsea all changing manager. It is an instability that could just open the door for Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and, with a couple more signings, perhaps Liverpool.” World Soccer – Jonathan Wilson
“The 2013-14 Premier League season could be one of the most unpredictable to date with so many changes at the top. This will be the first Premier League campaign without Sir Alex Ferguson in charge of Manchester United and there are at least four teams hoping to take advantage of David Moyes’s inexperience of winning trophies. Manchester City and Chelsea, both also under new management, and Tottenham have all spent big this summer, while Arsenal have kept hold of their key players and still have money to spend.” BBC
“In a world in which the rich are getting even richer and success seems increasingly the preserve of a select handful of clubs, this season’s Premier League promises a rare openness, with the big three of Manchester United, Manchester City and Chelsea all changing manager. It is an instability that could just open the door for Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and, with a couple more signings, perhaps Liverpool.” World Soccer
“In most walks of life, if you can buy something for less than it’s worth, it’s considered a positive. If you see a painting in a second-hand shop, hand over $10 for it and it looks good in your hallway, you’ve done well; if it turns out to be by a noted artist and you can sell it at a profit, even better. If you find a grocery shop that sells vegetables a little bit cheaper than at the supermarket down the road, you shop there. Cheap is good. But soccer, especially in the transfer window, is a game of bluff and counter-bluff, when image is at least as important as the reality, and value seems something that is only considered long after the fact.” SI – Jonathan Wilson
“There is something about the transfer window that is like reading a complex spy thriller. Everywhere there is information and misinformation, unlikely alliances are formed and you never quite know who’s trying to bluff whom. Agents insist their clients are attracting interest from bigger sides to encourage buying clubs to act and to drive up wages. Selling clubs insist other clubs are interested to push up prices and to try to encourage a swift deal. But what’s really interesting is when buying clubs feign an interest in players they have no intention of signing.” SI – Jonathan Wilson
“Although I have previously posted a summary of the 2011/12 Premier League finances on Twitter, I have received numerous requests to include them in a blog post, so that people can refer back to them, so that’s what I am going to do here. No further analysis, just figures and graphs – well, they do say that a picture paints a thousand words. All these figures have been taken from the clubs’ published accounts, though I have made a couple of presentational adjustments in order to prepare like-for-like comparisons between clubs, e.g. they do not all use the same revenue classification. In this way, I have had to use estimates for QPR and Swansea City, who do not provide a full analysis of their revenue (the total figures are unchanged). Similarly, I have taken the Deloitte Money League revenue split for Manchester City, as the club accounts include some match day income in commercial.” Swiss Ramble
“The playmaker. The number 10. The trequartista. Whatever you want to call that mischievous player who lurks behind the striker(s), these are the players that get my pulse racing. It is a particular brand of ‘number 10’ that usually gets my footballing juices flowing, usually the sort playmakers that are less ‘all-action’ and instead seem to effortlessly stroll through the game, yet somehow dictating the whole pace of the game at the same time. Incidentally, one of my favourite footballers ever is Juan Roman Riquelme, a player who lumbered so slowly around the pitch it almost appeared like you were watching a game in rewind. Yet, he was a true genius of the game with talent and skill in abundance. A bit closer to home (well, in Europe) I believed there was a player of a similar ilk, a player that completely mesmerised me every time I saw him play. Yes, he had his flaws, but to me Andrei Arshavin was (is?) a genius, if a slightly unorthodox one.” Outside of the Boot
“The meltdown since the 2006 Champions League final in Paris continues at the Emirates Stadium, with the mighty Arsenal FC of North London ending yet another year without any silverware. That is of course if you ignore the preseason victories which included the Marcus Leibherr Memorial Trophy and some silverware on their South East Asian tour. This should partially be blamed upon the European Championships in the summer, which caused Arsenal to cancel their annual Emirates Cup tournament, a trophy they can at least call as a ‘serious something’. Well, well.” Outside of the Boot
“We kick off our Premier League report card with the top of the table. Click here for our evaluations of the bottom half. How did the season play out for the bottom half of the Premier League table? Our club-by-club reviews below tell the story of clubs that put in a consistent shift and clubs that barely stayed up. And then, of course, there was the train wreck that was QPR. Sorry, ‘Arry.” ESPN
Drama-lacking Premier League season sets up compelling 2013-14
“It was not a vintage season. By the final day, all that remained to be settled was whether Arsenal or Tottenham would finish in the top four and although there was drama at White Hart Lane, with Spurs battering on the Sunderland door for 88 minutes before it found a breakthrough, it was rendered largely irrelevant by the fact that Arsenal was 1-0 up at Newcastle. For the 18th season in a row, Arsenal finished above its north London rivals. Elsewhere, it was a day of goodbyes.” SI – Jonathan Wilson
“In the past few years there has been tremendous progress in football fans’ knowledge of their clubs’ finances. Some might say that this is not a good thing and we should focus on matters on the pitch. That’s perfectly fair, indeed I would also personally much prefer to watch a great game, such as Borussia Dortmund’s recent demolition of Real Madrid, rather than investigate the minutiae of their balance sheets. However, it is important that fans are aware of what is going on at their club, so that they understand the board’s strategy and any constraints that impact their activities, e.g. why a club might sell its best players every summer or why a club does not splash out on the world-class striker that might take them to the next level.” Swiss Ramble
“Despite having little to play for, Manchester United collected a point at the Emirates. Without Olivier Giroud, Arsene Wenger used Lukas Podolski as his main forward. Jack Wilshere was only on the bench. Sir Alex Ferguson named a strong starting line-up, with Rio Ferdinand returning to the defence alongside Jonny Evans. This was all about Arsenal’s strategy – Manchester United weren’t as uninterested as some predicted, but one suspects Ferguson didn’t spend too long working on specific tactics for a relatively meaningless game.” Zonal Marking
Fatih Terim
“By common consent, five of the eight remaining sides in the Champions League have a good chance of lifting the European Cup at Wembley in May. Barcelona, Real Madrid, Borussia Dortmund, Bayern Munich and Juventus — current league champions, imminent league champions or, in Juve’s case, both. The dark horse? Paris St Germain have performed well in Europe under Champions League specialist Carlo Ancelotti, and following their recruitment of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Thiago Silva and Ezequiel Lavezzi, their presence is no great surprise.” ESPN – Michael Cox
“‘Every remaining game is a Cup Final’ is a phrase most commonly used by teams in the bottom five of the table around this time of the season. But, the phrase is arguably applicable to Arsenal as well. Arsene Wenger has his work cut out just as much as the likes of Harry Redknapp, Paul Lambert and Roberto Martinez, as he too faces an uphill struggle to remain within a particular elite. Falling short of entering the European elite is something very difficult to recover from. Just ask Liverpool Football Club who have an illustrious history in the competition, yet finished 7th in the League in 2010, only to be followed by three seasons without Champions League football.” Think Football
“There seems to be a shifting of power in England’s capital city. With the ‘Lilywhites’ of North London rising high in the league and competing with London’s more dominating duo of Arsenal and Chelsea. Spurs faced their fierce rivals Arsenal on Sunday night. The game finished Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 Arsenal, a result which saw the home side leapfrog the Blues of London and extend their lead over the Gunners. The game strengthened Tottenham’s push for a Champions League spot and possibly 2nd as well (they are 2 points behind City who have a game in had). The win would particularly please young manager Andre Villas Boas who has won over the Spurs fan, and seen his side move above a club who only a year back had sacked him for a poor run of results. The game also highlighted Arsenal’s dip in form in the past few seasons with a push for a Champions League spot their only aim for the end of the season.” Outside of the Boot
“Tottenham recorded an important victory over their North London rivals, thanks to two identical goals towards the end of the first half. Andre Villas-Boas used Gylfi Sigurdsson rather than Lewis Holtby, while Jermain Defoe was fit enough for the bench. Arsene Wenger used Santi Cazorla on the flank rather than in the middle, which meant Aaron Ramsey played in midfield, and Lukas Podolski was on the bench. Arsenal actually started strongly and dominated possession for long periods, but as Wenger acknowledged after the game, Spurs were more efficient in the areas that mattered.” Zonal Marking
“Since the beginning of the World Cup competitions in 1930 up until WC 2010, four football nations made it consistently to the finals; Brazil, Argentina, Italy and Germany. Any world cup final had at least one team of that quartet. Brazilian football fans lazily labelled their football rivals. The Germans, as a ruthless tasteless well-oiled machine, the anti-football counter-attacking Italians, the heirs of the “catenaccio,” which translates literally to “door-bolt.” The Argentinians were not kindly branded after Maradona’s televised admission of sedating Brazilian players in WC 90 and an open court admission of a political deal between Peru and Argentina in WC 78 to knock out Brazil from the semi-finals. On both occasions Argentina knocked out Brazil out of the competition.” Think Football
“Bayern Munich took took a big step in sealing qualification to the quarterfinals with an impressive away win against Arsenal. It was Bayern’s first ever win in London and thoroughly deserved on the run of play. Germany’s record champions dominated the majority of the match and again showed why they are one of the favorites to lift the trophy come May. Goals from Toni Kroos, Thomas Müller and Mario Mandzukic capped off a performance that further underlines just how focused and determined Bayern are to succeed this season, putting them firmly in the the driver’s seat in this tie. It took a fortuitous corner to get Arsenal back in the game in the second half with former Bayern player Lukas Podolski taking advantage of a rare lapse in concentration but the Bavarians gradually resumed control and didn’t let go until the final whistle.” Bundesliga Fanatic
Arsenal 1-3 Bayern: Arsenal outpassed and outpressed
“Bayern took a commanding lead following a dominant first leg performance. Arsene Wenger chose to leave out Olivier Giroud, using Theo Walcott as the primary striker with Santi Cazorla right and Aaron Ramsey in midfield. Left-back problems forced Thomas Vermaelen into that position. Jupp Heynckes was without Jerome Boateng and long-term injury victim Holger Badstuber, so Daniel van Buyten was forced to play at centre-back. Arsenal made another poor start at the Emirates, and despite a promising spell for Wenger’s side after the break, Bayern always looked the better side.” Zonal Marking
Comedy of errors leaves Arsenal with more questions to answer
“Realistically, Arsenal was never likely to beat a Bayern Munich side that is cruising to the Bundesliga title, but what Tuesday’s 3-1 Champions League loss might have offered was comfort. Yes, there was always the chance of an upset, but, realistically, a promising performance would have done, something that said, yes, this team isn’t perfect, but it is on the right track.” SI – Jonathan Wilson
Arsenal 1-3 Bayern Munich: Tactical Analysis of a Bavarian Battering
“Arsenal succumbed to a damaging 3-1 home loss to Bayern Munich on Tuesday night, leaving their hopes of advancing to the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals hanging by a thread. The Gunners enjoyed a 20-minute renaissance in the second half but only managed to carve out one real chance which fell to Olivier Giroud, and their consolatory goal was a product of a corner that shouldn’t have been awarded. Let’s take a look at how this game was won.” Bleacher Report
England should look to Germany for inspiration, coaches
“It would be unreasonable to use Bayern’s dismantling of Arsenal as sole evidence of the Bundesliga’s dominance over the Premier League, but among various other factors, it has become increasingly clear that Germany will imminently become European football’s true power base.” ESPN – Michael Cox
Arsenal put to the sword by Bayern Munich’s game intelligence
“At the stroke of half-time, Bayern Munich had the chance to go an unassailable three goals up instead of the 3-1 scoreline it eventually finished. The Germans had possession of the ball at the back before they quickly switched it forward to the on-rushing Philip Lahm. As the full-back picked up the ball, Jack Wilshere stretched his arms out as if to say ‘how did that happen.’ Bayern Munich might have felt the same sense of bewilderment when Mario Mandzukic flashed a header wide from Lahm’s cross.” Arsenal Column
“1. Bacary Sagna typifies Arsenal’s defensive performance. The referee had barely put his lips to the whistle when Bacary Sagna punched both arms in the air and let out a cry of both jubilation and relief. Wojciech Szczesny crashed to the floor and held the ball tightly to his chest, knowing that all three points were finally secure. Sunderland had just pelted their 48th cross into the box and a little less than that many long passes, and Arsenal survived them all. When one of them did get through, however, Arsenal had Szczesny to thank (he also made some crucial punches to go with his saves), some wasteful finishing – and Titus Bramble.” The Arsenal Column
“‘Spend some f****** money!’ Arsenal fans chanted as their team lost again last Sunday at Chelsea. The cry echoed around the world on Twitter. Its target, Arsenal’s manager Arsène Wenger, had heard the argument before. Wenger, now 63, arrived at Arsenal in 1996 and led the club for eight glorious seasons. He has since led them for eight inglorious ones. Arsenal have won no trophies since 2005, and now stand a miserable sixth in the Premier League. The Frenchman is becoming a figure of derision. Many fans complain that Wenger refuses to buy the expensive players who could compete with Chelsea, Manchester United, or Barcelona, even though Arsenal have £153.6m in cash, an unheard-of sum for a football club. (Management firm Deloitte estimated last year that Premier League clubs had cumulative debts of £2.4bn.) Supporters are urging him to buy before the winter ‘transfer window’ closes on Thursday. He stands accused of practising football’s version of austerity – at a club that looks a model of financial good health.” FT – Simon Kuper
“Chelsea took charge with a commanding start to the game, then held on in the second half. Rafael Benitez was without Victor Moses and Jon Obi Mikel because of the Africa Cup of Nations, and David Luiz was injured. This meant Ramires and Frank Lampard was the only possible midfield duo, with three creators ahead. Fernando Torres surprisingly started upfront, rather than Demba Ba. Arsene Wenger was without wide forwards Gervinho, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Lukas Podolski, as well as Mikel Arteta, so he started with the same XI that beat Swansea in the FA Cup in midweek. The game was all about the tempo of passing – Chelsea moved the ball quicker in the first half and dominated, then this suddenly dropped after half-time, allowing Arsenal back into the game.” Zonal Marking
“Sixty-two, it would appear, may just be the magic number. It is starting to feel as if battle lines are being drawn in the ongoing debate over the extent to which ticket prices for matches have spiralled out of all control, and if last Sunday’s match between Arsenal and Manchester City was notable for anything in particular, then perhaps two stories to have followed in its aftermath have proved to be particularly instructive in terms of showing us who will be on whose side as the argument rumbles on. First up is the small matter of the deselection of the referee’s assistant who seemed to summarise the frustration that so many supporters are feeling at the moment over not only the issue of ticket prices, but also concerning the attitudes of the people that have been the chief beneficiaries of the money that has poured into the game over the last couple of decades or so: the players themselves.” twohundredpercent
Revisiting the Price of Football
“There comes a point in every football fan’s life when the “sod it, I’m not going moment” occurs. For some Manchester City fans, contributing £62 to Arsenal’s coffers was a step too far. For me, spending £25 to sit in a rickety away end at Brisbane Road on a cold December afternoon watching Exeter toil against an equally uninspiring Leyton Orient side proved beyond even my levels of tolerance and fanaticism. Despite the game being only a short ride away on the Central Line and no other plans, it was too much. I stayed at home. But this isn’t about Arsenal, or Manchester City, or even Leyton Orient (although if Barry Hearn really wants to attract locals away from West Ham, he might want to consider lowering his prices a little), no matter how much the debate has descended into partisanship. While it’s quite easy to pick examples of equally high prices at Arsenal or, say, Spurs, this obscures the real issue – that ticket prices in general are too high and, especially in an age of austerity, risk pricing out the next generation of fans.” twounfortunates
Ridiculous! Ticket prices are getting out of hand.. but it’s not just an Arsenal problem
“The best thing to happen this week has been the highlighting of ticket prices in football. Make no mistake – it’s not just an Arsenal issue even though this Sunday’s game with Manchester City has put it on the agenda. City returned 912 tickets – priced at £62 – from their allocation of 3,000 for the game at the Emirates. I must admit that I find that remarkable. That City fans are staying away from a crucial game against one of their biggest rivals in a game which has significance in the title race. Football is like a drug. Following your team is expensive but it’s also addictive. The other team not to sell out at the Emirates on a regular basis has been Wigan. Not a major shock as they have a small fan base. Newcastle didn’t either last month. They, like City, have some of the best and most passionate fans in the Premier League. But it was December 29, just after Christmas and three days after another costly trip to Manchester United. It is expensive being a football fan. Ridiculously so. It’s getting out of hand. And most bloggers, tweeters and supporters point to Arsenal as being one of the most expensive.” Mirror
“1. Packing the midfield. Soccer formations are easy. You have to have a goalkeeper. That’s obvious. Forget three center-backs; a four-man defense works best. It’s in the balance between midfield attack that some coaches grown confused. The answer is to pick a five-man midfield to ensure possession and a two-man attack to make sure that possession is not wasted. A team playing that formation would win nearly every game. Some might object that this would be because it had 12 players on the field, but that’s the sort of stupid quibble with which small minds react to paradigm-challenging genius.” SI
“There was something refreshing about Arsene Wenger’s take on the red card shown to Laurent Koscielny nine minutes into Arsenal’s 2-0 loss to Manchester City on Sunday. For once — and this is a criticism directed at virtually all managers, not Wenger in particular — he didn’t take the easy way out and blame the referee. It would have been simple — justified up to a point, even — to say that the game had effectively been decided by Mike Dean’s decision to send Koscielny off. That the defender committed a foul by hauling Edin Dzeko down is beyond doubt, but there is a question as to whether Koscielny denied him a clear goal-scoring opportunity; Dzeko, after all, did not have control of the ball and would have had to bring it down before Wojciech Szczesny came to clear.” SI – Jonathan Wilson
“Recent matches between the Premier League’s big clubs have often been goalfests, but Manchester City’s trips to Arsenal in recent seasons have been dreadfully dull. Roberto Mancini has always played remarkably defensive football, and his side haven’t registered a goal in three attempts at the Emirates. The 0-0 draw in April 2010 is a contender for the most underwhelming Premier League game of recent years: Arsenal’s title challenge had collapsed dramatically and motivation had vanished, while City made no attempt to win the game. Mancini was content to play out a goalless draw, confident his side would defeat Tottenham to secure a Champions League place — although that plan eventually backfired.” ESPN – Michael Cox
“Much talk has been made of Arsenal’s transfer options lately. M’Vila from Rennes has been consistently linked, with the club also constantly linked with strikers and attacking players. Whilst it is difficult to ascertain whether the club are going to get M’Vila, or even want him, the question remains, do Arsenal need to sign a defensive midfielder?” Think Football
“After enjoying a great season with Arsenal, Alex Song left London to join Barcelona, but as off yet the player is still trying to fit in at Camp Nou. New Barcelona manager Tito Vilanova paid £15 million to aquire the services of the defensive midfielder, in a move that surprise many of the clubs fans and many in the Premier League. Where was Song going to fit in, with a midfield that already consists of Anders Iniesta, Xavi, Cesc Fabregas, Thiago, and one of the bests holding midfielders in world football, Sergio Busquets? The answer is still to be found with the Cameroonian international unable to hold down a starting spot, and making many of his 17 appearances from the bench.” Think Football
“Normally, nostalgia is evoked by watching a movie, looking at photos or merely by way of conversation. It’s not, however, normal for someone to come back and do exactly the same thing again. That’s how it felt when Thierry Henry returned to Arsenal in the January of 2012 and, against Leeds United in the League Cup, scored in exactly the same way that he had made a trademark.” The Arsenal Column
“From astonishing last-gasp title victories to historic international success stories, 2012 has been a fascinating year of football — but not everyone has enjoyed it. Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have taken their performances to another level, but others will be pleased to see the back of this year. Here are 10 players who have underperformed in 2012 — and how they might turn their form around for 2013.” ESPN – Michael Cox
“You’re familiar with The Gaze, yes? It’s late in the match. Arsenal is trailing 2-1 to a beatable opponent. The Gunners are passing with urgency, doing everything but scoring, when suddenly some jumped-up Championship striker — let’s call him, I don’t know, Lee Stanhope, or maybe Robbie Davies — nabs the ball on the counter and goes barreling off toward Szczesny. He gets past Koscielny — it’s not hard — and finds an opening before Sagna can track back. Quick chip shot and … yes! It’s 3-1, just in time for the fourth official to hoist his little light board. The air sucks out of the Emirates. Game over.” Grantland – Brian Phillips
“Recent Arsenal teams are damned by comparisons with their predecessors. Arguably Arsene Wenger’s greatest side were endearingly revolutionary in their movement. As Villa halted the modern-day outfit, perhaps they were too predictable in their shape. Wenger’s finest front four contained Thierry Henry, a striker who drifted to the left wing; Dennis Bergkamp, the No. 10 who would wander deeper into midfield; and ostensible wide men in Robert Pires and Freddie Ljungberg who avoided the touchline to veer infield. As neither was a winger, they can’t be called inverted wingers, but Pires was a right-footed left-sided player who headed for the penalty box. Even last season, Robin van Persie called himself a nine-and-a-half; neither a No. 9 nor a No. 10, but a hybrid, who could lead the line and drop off.” ESPN
“For the third consecutive season, this fixture saw plenty of goals and featured an impressive comeback. With Wojciech Szszesny back in goal, Arsene Wenger played his expected side – Theo Walcott was fielded on the right, while Thomas Vermaelen continued at left-back. Andre Villas-Boas was without Steven Caulker, so shifted Jan Vetonghen into the middle and used Kyle Naughton at left-back. Upfront, he started Jermain Defoe and Emmanuel Adebayor together for the first time in the Premier League, in a 4-4-2. There were three separate tactical battles here. Stage one was the opening formation battle, stage two was Spurs’ reaction to Adebayor’s dmissal, and stage three was when Villas-Boas switched to a 3-4-1-1ish formation at half-time.” Zonal Marking
Scissors Kick 