Author: luke

Arsenal travelled to Galatasaray and swept the Turkish giant aside with a scintillating 4-1 win that included a goal of the season contender from Aaron Ramsey. The game encapsulated the enigma of this Arsenal team, able to lose so timidly to Stoke last weekend, but with the ability to visit one of the harshest cauldrons in world football and dominate the match.

It was a dead rubber game as the Gunners were already through to the next round, while Galatasaray’s Champions League season was coming to a close. However, Arsenal could have topped the group with a win, so the team threw caution to the wind and put in a memorable performance. As it was, top spot proved elusive as Borussia Dortmund drew at Anderlecht to ensure they held the position.

Arsene Wenger opted to travel without important figures such as Alexis Sanchez, Olivier Giroud, Santi Cazorla, Danny Welbeck and Laurent Koscielny. With several other players missing through injury, this was very much a second string Arsenal line up, with only a couple of regular starters. Yet it was enough to get the job done and in the third minute some neat build up play by Alex Oxlad-Chamberlain and the impressive Ramsey released Lukas Podolski. The German international fired his shot into the roof of the net to give the visitors the lead.

The advantage was doubled in the eleventh minute as Ramsey collected an Oxlade-Chamberlain pass and kept his composure to score past Sinan Bolat for 2-0. Galatasaray were providing the odd threat, but so far the Turkish powerhouse had been kept quiet and in the 29th minute the home fans were left shell shocked by one of the season’s wonder goals.

Joel Campbell’s corner was cleared out of the Gala area, but Ramsey was on hand to smash a left footed volley from 30 yards. Like a tomahawk missile, the volley arrowed straight into the top corner and was a sensational way to give Arsenal a 3-0 halftime lead.

Ramsey and Mathieu Flamini were replaced at halftime by Gedion Zelalem and Ainsley Maitland-Niles as Wenger opted to shuffle the pack and rest key men. The switch broke Arsenal’s rhythm temporarily and Galatasaray capitalized through Wesley Sneijder’s curled trademark free kick that sailed into the goal to make 3-1.

The rally from the home team was brief as Arsenal continued to control the game for the remainder of the second half. In the dying embers of the contest Podolski arrived with his second and the Gunners’ fourth as he nestled the ball into the net from just inside the penalty area, taking advantage of a Yaya Sanogo pass.

Arsenal’s frailties were shown again on Saturday and it is no irony that it was Stoke City that highlighted how the Gunners are still vulnerable against teams willing to dig their heels in and make the game a scrap. The Potters outdid Arsenal over 90 minutes to send the North London club packing from the Britannica Stadium pointless, with the hosts winning 3-2.

That Arsenal had only won a single game in their last eight attempts against Stoke showed that this would be no easy clash, but once again Stoke revealed why. It has become almost cliché that Stoke City are the team that expose Arsene Wenger’s newer teams with rough and tumble football, but it was painful reality again on Saturday.

Wenger said afterwards that his team had been dominated, and in the first half that was certainly the case as Stoke raced into a 3-0 lead. Peter Crouch opened the scoring in the first minute when he latched on to a Steven Nzonzi centre to tap the ball past Arsenal stopper Emiliano Martinez, after 19 seconds the Gunners were against the wall.

The home team doubled their lead after 35 minutes after dominating much of the first half. Bojan had been causing plenty of problems as a creative foil for Crouch, but he got his own rewards when he coolly finished a Jonathan Walters cross. Arsenal’s task had just got tougher, but it became all but impossible ten minutes later.

Bojan’s curled corner was guided to the free Walters by the head of Peter Crouch and he wasted no time in putting the ball into the net. It was Walters’ 100th club goal and Arsenal had been thoroughly punished in the first half.

The Gunners emerged in slightly better touch in the second half, with the newly introduced Danny Welbeck providing more impetus in attack. The action became more open as Alexis Sanchez hit the post after being clean through and Bojan scored only to be ruled offside. Arsenal’s breakthrough finally came in 68th minute when they were awarded a penalty which was converted by Santi Cazorla.

Two minutes later and the visitors made it a one goal game as Aaron Ramsey scored at the back post from a Sanchez corner. Arsenal pressed for the final twenty minutes, but Stoke remained in control while also providing plenty of threat and the Gunners could not find the breakthrough.

A seemingly tricky game on paper against Southampton at the Emirates on Wednesday proved to be just that for Arsenal, but the Gunners found the vital goal that handed them a 1-0 victory and all three points.

Despite another spell of confusion surrounding the North London club, they have just gone and won three games in a row and haven’t conceded a goal in the process. On top of that, the club now sits just three points behind Southampton in third place after tonight’s success. The Saints have been in good form this season and they provided a perfect test for Arsenal here, but the Gunners ultimately had too much for the south coast club, although it was a late show from Alexis Sanchez that secured the points.

Southampton will probably feel like they deserved a draw, especially as Graziano Pelle provided a constant threat leading the front line. However, Arsenal had their own go to guys with Santi Cazorla once again pulling the strings from the middle of the park, while in Sanchez they have one of the form players in world football.

Arsene Wenger will be delighted that his charges restricted a slick Southampton unit to just six shots, but he could have rued missed opportunities at the other end. Arsenal had 19 shots through the game, but could not break the deadlock as Danny Welbeck struggled to have an impact up front on his own. During halftime Wenger shuffled the pack and moved the England man out wide left and brought in Sanchez from the wing to play upfront.

The payoff was not immediate, but when Olivier Giroud was introduced midway through the second half the Gunners seemed to have more cutting edge in the final third. The Frenchman combined well with Welbeck, Cazorla, and Sanchez, giving Arsenal a potent attacking threat. The dominant play finally paid off in the 89th minute when Sanchez found space in the box to slot home past Fraser Forster in the Southampton goal. The Chile international has been a revelation since arriving at Arsenal, and he made the most of Aaron Ramsey’s pull back here.

It was enough to hand the hosts the win and now Arsenal will look to this weekend’s clash on the road at Stoke City.

One thing that cannot be denied about this Arsenal team is that they do respect and have an affinity for Arsene Wenger. Whenever there has been mounting pressure on the manager in recent seasons the players have responded on the pitch, and this 2-0 home win over Borussia Dortmund proved that again.

A torrid run of results has put question marks firmly on Arsene Wenger’s future with many in and around the club claiming the Frenchman has taken the Gunners as far as he can. That, of course, is a debate for another day, but it is certain that he still knows how to motivate his troops, even if the quality is sometimes lacking.

Yes, Borussia Dortmund came to the Emirates in even worse form than Arsenal, third from bottom in the German Bundesliga and suffering key injuries to big name players. However, the Germans remain a dangerous and potent force, especially on the continent where they have already beat the Gunners in the reverse Champions League fixture.

Credit then must go to Arsenal for managing to defeat the team (at the fifth time of asking) to progress to the Last 16 of Europe’s elite competition. The hosts had a wonderful start courtesy of a second minute goal from French U21 international Yaya Sanogo, a late addition to the starting 11 after Danny Welbeck picked up a knee injury before the game.

Sanogo linked with Santi Cazorla for a tidy one two combination on the perimeter of Dortmund’s penalty area, before receiving the ball back and slotting home a cool finish past the visitors’ goalkeeper Roman Weidenfeller. Admittedly, replays showed that the striker was marginally offside, but it was a well worked goal with the impressive Cazorla the architect.

Alexis Sanchez has been a revelation since his summer move from Barcelona, and he continued his good form by securing Arsenal’s second and ultimately the winner. The Chilean curled a beautiful effort into the Borussia net in the 57th minute to claim his 13th goal in just twenty appearances for the North London club.

Dortmund of course proved a threat during the game, but Arsene Wenger will be pleased with the way his defence handled the German contingent. The second goal seemed to finish the contest against a team very low on confidence and the Gunners will now look to the final group game to ensure they finish top of the table.

Arsenal´s Premier League season is back on track after the Gunners eased to victory over Hull City on Sunday. The North London giants held on to fourth place, staying one point in front of Everton in fifth, with three games of the season remaining.

It was a comfortable afternoon for the team as Hull failed to mount any real danger. However, Arsene Wenger will be happy that the players put in a solid performance after weeks of indifference on the pitch. The cruising 3-0 win came over the clubs´ FA Cup Final opponents and it served as an encouraging dress rehearsal.

Indeed, if Hull plays like this in the cup showpiece in May it will be a very easy final for Arsenal as the club looks for its first trophy in 8 seasons.

Hull started well, but Arsenal recovered after a slow start and quickly put the hosts under pressure with slick passing and possession football.

Arsenal´s dominance was confirmed when the visitors took the lead in the 31^st minute when Aaron Ramsey fired the team in front. The Welshman was making his first start since returning from a hamstring injury suffered in December. Ramsey showed how important he is to the Arsenal midfield when he latched onto the end of a slick passing move from Mesut Ozil and Santi Cazorla to fire low past Hull´s Steve Harper.

The Gunners were in charge of the game, but there was enough about Hull on the break to suggest Wenger´s charges would need another goal. The second duly arrived on the stroke of halftime as Lukas Podolski scored from a Ramsey assist. The home team players were incensed as they felt a free kick should have been given, but Arsenal instead broke and Podolski doubled the lead.

The second half continued Arsenal´s hold on the game, with the away team playing some quality football. Podolski´s brace and Arsenal´s third goal did not take long to come when in the 54^th minute the German caught on to Ramsey´s assist and turned the ball into the net  to secure the win. The Gunner impressed for the remainder of the game and Ramsey had put in a game winning Man of the Match performance.