All us Arsenal fans will be jumping for joy at the thought of a cup final. We are playing at Wembley yes, but there's still just one more cup game to play against Wigan before ensuring our cup final place. But what an opportunity we now have to end our run of nine years without a trophy.
The holders Wigan beat Manchester City 2-1 earlier today (Sunday 9/3/2014) which is obviously a huge shock. It now makes us the favourites to win the competition but we will have to be on top of our game and be wary of Wigan's confidence after their win against City.
We've had a tough looking cup run this year which shows just how well the players have done. I was at the Emirates for the third round tie against Tottenham where playing Walcott up top seemed to do the trick.
It was more of a straight forward task against Coventry as we beat them 4-0 to set up a place against Liverpool. The difficulty of that tie was increased as it came a week after we were thrashed 5-1 by Brendan Rodgers' side but they showed character and determination to ensure there would be no repeat defeat. That win consequently set up yesterday's tie against Everton who we eventually saw off thanks to a Giroud Brace and a man of the match performance by Mesut Ozil.
Memories of the League Cup final in 2011 will still be fresh in the minds of Gooners worldwide, of course that was the last time we played at Wembley. Birmingham City grabbed a last minute goal thanks to a Szczesny-Koscielny blunder and we must cut out any of that kind of rubbish. We will have to be on top of our game and treat this semi-final like THE final, and ensure Wigan don't beat us like they did City.
The Wigan v Arsenal semi-final will be held at Wembley over 12th/13th April. The other cup tie sees Hull take on Sheffield United.
Showing posts with label F.A Cup. Show all posts
Showing posts with label F.A Cup. Show all posts
Sunday, 9 March 2014
Sunday, 16 February 2014
Arsenal/Liverpool to face Everton in FA Cup quarter-finals
Just a quickie before the game kicks off then...
As I am sure most of you will have just seen whoever progresses to the next round of the FA Cup will play a home tie against Everton.
That's the FA Cup proving it is no easy trophy to win I guess! Everton have been in good form generally this year considering the departure of David Moyes who we all know has been pretty much a flop at Manchester United.
So will we be hosting the Toffees at the Emirates in the quarter-finals? Or will it be a hotly contested Scouse derby on the TV? Here's hoping we put in a wonderful performance today though I have heard Wenger may be putting out a slightly weakened side considering Bayern Munich's visit to our place later in the week!
Let's just hope tonight is no repeat of last weekend ey! Our fate will be decided come this evening while Everton beat Swansea 3-1 at Goodison Park earlier today
Enjoy the game.
As I am sure most of you will have just seen whoever progresses to the next round of the FA Cup will play a home tie against Everton.
That's the FA Cup proving it is no easy trophy to win I guess! Everton have been in good form generally this year considering the departure of David Moyes who we all know has been pretty much a flop at Manchester United.
So will we be hosting the Toffees at the Emirates in the quarter-finals? Or will it be a hotly contested Scouse derby on the TV? Here's hoping we put in a wonderful performance today though I have heard Wenger may be putting out a slightly weakened side considering Bayern Munich's visit to our place later in the week!
Let's just hope tonight is no repeat of last weekend ey! Our fate will be decided come this evening while Everton beat Swansea 3-1 at Goodison Park earlier today
Enjoy the game.
Saturday, 15 February 2014
Will Arsene Wenger bid for Mario Balotelli in the summer?
However much truth may or may not be in this, I can certainly say either way that I didn't see this one coming. Various sources have been linking us with the former Manchester City striker / thug that is Mario Balotelli.
The 23-year-old currently plays for Italian outfit AC Milan but is rumoured to be wanting a move potentially back to England after suffering racist abuse in Italy.
Despite the arrogance and aggressive nature that he possesses, the striker is exactly the type of player we need to lead the line. I would much rather see him grabbing goals for Arsenal which is what Giroud has been lacking. Football fans will remember Balotelli's eye for goal and his physical strength which makes him a great striker; he certainly proved this at Manchester City.
The negative aspects of his character however is something I would hope Wenger could stamp out of the Italian forward which would make his overall game much better. If there is truth in a deal looking likely between Arsenal and AC Milan, the disappointment is that a deal for Balotelli would come too late considering we need a decent forward right now!
Wenger is surely ruing the missed opportunity to sign Schalke's attacking midfielder Julian Draxler in January but a deal for the 20-year-old German could also still be on the cards.
Schalke have revealed he may not be considered in next season's plans considering he wants a move away to further his career; £37m is the asking price that will activate his buy-out clause, and allow us to enter negotiations with the highly rated Draxler.
And our new deal with Puma will certainly help us to bid and negotiate for more high rated players in the summer. Of course, last summer we supposedly missed out on the likes of Rooney, Suarez and Benzema so we may have a little more luck this time around.
For now let us focus on what we do know and that's our opportunity to progress in the F.A Cup tomorrow. After last week's thrashing at the hands of tomorrow's opponent's, I am a little wary of facing Liverpool again. As much I do believe it was just a one-off I can't help but think we are on a downward spiral and be about to wave our season goodbye. It wouldn't be the first time we've done that around this time of the year!
Still I hope to be proven wrong. We're in front of our own fans tomorrow which should help, but I think the squad need a major boost and a kick up the backside if they are to prevent another disappointing fate against Brendan Rodgers' side tomorrow.
The game is live on BT Sport tomorrow, kicking off at 4pm GMT.
The 23-year-old currently plays for Italian outfit AC Milan but is rumoured to be wanting a move potentially back to England after suffering racist abuse in Italy.
Despite the arrogance and aggressive nature that he possesses, the striker is exactly the type of player we need to lead the line. I would much rather see him grabbing goals for Arsenal which is what Giroud has been lacking. Football fans will remember Balotelli's eye for goal and his physical strength which makes him a great striker; he certainly proved this at Manchester City.
The negative aspects of his character however is something I would hope Wenger could stamp out of the Italian forward which would make his overall game much better. If there is truth in a deal looking likely between Arsenal and AC Milan, the disappointment is that a deal for Balotelli would come too late considering we need a decent forward right now!
Wenger is surely ruing the missed opportunity to sign Schalke's attacking midfielder Julian Draxler in January but a deal for the 20-year-old German could also still be on the cards.
Schalke have revealed he may not be considered in next season's plans considering he wants a move away to further his career; £37m is the asking price that will activate his buy-out clause, and allow us to enter negotiations with the highly rated Draxler.
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| Arsenal to return for want-away Draxler? |
For now let us focus on what we do know and that's our opportunity to progress in the F.A Cup tomorrow. After last week's thrashing at the hands of tomorrow's opponent's, I am a little wary of facing Liverpool again. As much I do believe it was just a one-off I can't help but think we are on a downward spiral and be about to wave our season goodbye. It wouldn't be the first time we've done that around this time of the year!
Still I hope to be proven wrong. We're in front of our own fans tomorrow which should help, but I think the squad need a major boost and a kick up the backside if they are to prevent another disappointing fate against Brendan Rodgers' side tomorrow.
The game is live on BT Sport tomorrow, kicking off at 4pm GMT.
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| Mario Balotelli - Italy v England, Euro 2012 |
Wednesday, 12 February 2014
Arsenal v Manchester United: Opportunity to prove Liverpool result a one-off
Has it sunk in yet?
I was unable to get out a post after the Anfield demolishing, though I think I'd have struggled to find the words following that game.
It's a result the players need to quickly put behind them and I am sure it is simply a one-off. As much as we were far from a decent team on Saturday we did at least do a little better in the second half which in itself ended 1-1.
Looking at the month, the Liverpool match was seen as the start of a difficult period and the way in which we fell at their feet does not bode well for the forthcoming fixtures, but with Manchester United rocking this season, we have a great opportunity tonight to respond.
We have been playing good football on the whole this season and have done well to be in with a real chance of winning the Premier League for the first time in a while. Saturday lunchtime however showed why we may end up behind the likes of Manchester City and Chelsea though as collectively we just never looked up for it.
With Flamini missing through suspension there was no cover or communication at the back while our back four were unable to cope with Liverpool's attacking threat. The midfield were undone and closed down at every opportunity by the hosts, Ozil looked particularly poor, and Giroud had no service to do any potential danger in their half.
For me Arteta proved exactly why he should not be a defensive midfielder but as I said, it was not an individual performance that let us down here - apart from Wilshere and Oxlade Chamberlain, nobody looked up for this and even with the lack of service for Giroud, as a Premier League forward he still isn't good enough to be a leading striker for our club. Ozil has continued recently to show he isn't worthy of the £42m price tag - is he missing the winter break he became accustomed to Spain? He looked to have settled in straight away when he moved to Arsenal on transfer deadline day but we've seen nothing of the player as we did then.
Fortunately, Flamini is set for his return against United tonight where our defence will be up against Rooney and Van Persie; no easy task after being undone against the attacking force of Liverpool just days before! Still, I believe that was a one-off, as for however good Liverpool were, we certainly played a part in their demolition job.
Still we have the chance to prove this as a one-off when Brendan Rodgers' side travel down to the Emirates Stadium for the F.A Cup on Sunday. But before then we have the big match tonight and a chance to gear ourselves up, and make the Emirates a real fortress this month!
I was unable to get out a post after the Anfield demolishing, though I think I'd have struggled to find the words following that game.
It's a result the players need to quickly put behind them and I am sure it is simply a one-off. As much as we were far from a decent team on Saturday we did at least do a little better in the second half which in itself ended 1-1.
Looking at the month, the Liverpool match was seen as the start of a difficult period and the way in which we fell at their feet does not bode well for the forthcoming fixtures, but with Manchester United rocking this season, we have a great opportunity tonight to respond.
We have been playing good football on the whole this season and have done well to be in with a real chance of winning the Premier League for the first time in a while. Saturday lunchtime however showed why we may end up behind the likes of Manchester City and Chelsea though as collectively we just never looked up for it.
With Flamini missing through suspension there was no cover or communication at the back while our back four were unable to cope with Liverpool's attacking threat. The midfield were undone and closed down at every opportunity by the hosts, Ozil looked particularly poor, and Giroud had no service to do any potential danger in their half.
For me Arteta proved exactly why he should not be a defensive midfielder but as I said, it was not an individual performance that let us down here - apart from Wilshere and Oxlade Chamberlain, nobody looked up for this and even with the lack of service for Giroud, as a Premier League forward he still isn't good enough to be a leading striker for our club. Ozil has continued recently to show he isn't worthy of the £42m price tag - is he missing the winter break he became accustomed to Spain? He looked to have settled in straight away when he moved to Arsenal on transfer deadline day but we've seen nothing of the player as we did then.
Fortunately, Flamini is set for his return against United tonight where our defence will be up against Rooney and Van Persie; no easy task after being undone against the attacking force of Liverpool just days before! Still, I believe that was a one-off, as for however good Liverpool were, we certainly played a part in their demolition job.
Still we have the chance to prove this as a one-off when Brendan Rodgers' side travel down to the Emirates Stadium for the F.A Cup on Sunday. But before then we have the big match tonight and a chance to gear ourselves up, and make the Emirates a real fortress this month!
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| Sturridge was one of the scorers in Liverpool's 5-1 win at Anfield. |
Sunday, 26 January 2014
F.A Cup fifth round draw: Arsenal to play Liverpool next month
The next round of the F.A Cup has a couple of truly exciting ties, including ours, and there certainly won't be any love lost between Arsenal and Liverpool, when they play each other at the Emirates Stadium over the weekend of 15/16th February.
Podolski's brace aided by second half goals from Giroud and Cazorla saw off Coventry's challenge on Friday night in the fourth round, keeping us in contention of three potential trophies this year.
The draw for the fifth round of the F.A Cup was made tonight which also sees Manchester City take on Chelsea. An Aguero hat-trick helped City on their way to overcoming Wigan 4-2, while Oscar's stunning free kick this afternoon was enough to edge birthday boy Mourinho's side past Stoke.
So February looks to be our toughest month of the season yet. We are now scheduled to play Crystal Palace (h), Liverpool (a), and then four home ties in a row against Manchester United, Liverpool (F.A Cup), Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League, and Sunderland. It is hard to say which will be our sternest test but hopefully we'll be out to prove everyone wrong who doubts us, and not let this time of the year crush our season - if history is anything to go by!
It's good to be in next round of the F.A Cup but we face a busy month in February as the business end of the season appears on the horizon. We do, however, have a great opportunity to make the Emirates Stadium a real fortress, and of course, playing at home should give us a certain edge during this difficult period.
Liverpool have had a strange winter period and have been scoring goals for fun at times but they could only muster one win in November. They also suffered defeats against the big sides of Chelsea and City last month, ultimately dropping away from us and they currently lie in fourth in the Barclays Premier League table. Of course this is still a great position to be in, but not so good considering they were in a battle with us for top spot and are now eight points behind.
They also haven't lost since the the turn of the new year but then neither have we. Our last loss came against City which was very annoying considering we still scored three goals in that game! We'll do well again though to stop the duo of Suarez and Sturridge, but we look to have strong-enough defensive capabilities to deal with them. They can still find goals however, even when having the quietest of games which we will need to be wary of.
Cazorla and Ramsey were on target at the Emirates last time we played each other back at the start of November. Let's hope we get behind the team again back on home soil again and get ourselves through to the quarter finals.
The complete F.A Cup fifth round draw:
Manchester City v Chelsea
Sheffield United or Fulham v Nottingham Forest or Preston North End
Arsenal v Liverpool
Brighton & Hove Albion v Hull City
Podolski's brace aided by second half goals from Giroud and Cazorla saw off Coventry's challenge on Friday night in the fourth round, keeping us in contention of three potential trophies this year.
The draw for the fifth round of the F.A Cup was made tonight which also sees Manchester City take on Chelsea. An Aguero hat-trick helped City on their way to overcoming Wigan 4-2, while Oscar's stunning free kick this afternoon was enough to edge birthday boy Mourinho's side past Stoke.
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| Youngster Gedion Zelalem (pictured central) made his Arsenal debut against Coventry. |
It's good to be in next round of the F.A Cup but we face a busy month in February as the business end of the season appears on the horizon. We do, however, have a great opportunity to make the Emirates Stadium a real fortress, and of course, playing at home should give us a certain edge during this difficult period.
Liverpool have had a strange winter period and have been scoring goals for fun at times but they could only muster one win in November. They also suffered defeats against the big sides of Chelsea and City last month, ultimately dropping away from us and they currently lie in fourth in the Barclays Premier League table. Of course this is still a great position to be in, but not so good considering they were in a battle with us for top spot and are now eight points behind.
They also haven't lost since the the turn of the new year but then neither have we. Our last loss came against City which was very annoying considering we still scored three goals in that game! We'll do well again though to stop the duo of Suarez and Sturridge, but we look to have strong-enough defensive capabilities to deal with them. They can still find goals however, even when having the quietest of games which we will need to be wary of.
Cazorla and Ramsey were on target at the Emirates last time we played each other back at the start of November. Let's hope we get behind the team again back on home soil again and get ourselves through to the quarter finals.
The complete F.A Cup fifth round draw:
Manchester City v Chelsea
Sheffield United or Fulham v Nottingham Forest or Preston North End
Arsenal v Liverpool
Brighton & Hove Albion v Hull City
Cardiff City v Wigan AthleticSheffield Wednesday v Charlton AthleticSunderland v SouthamptonEverton v Swansea City
Arsenal will play Southampton, away at St Mary's on Tuesday night (7:45pm GMT) as we turn attentions back to the Premier League.
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| Cazorla and Podolski pre-match. |
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