Arsenal v. Stoke 4-1 24/May/09

Gossips, rumours and all kind of machineries and plots will be the main talk for the following three months. Here at Deviations we will always keep you posted and debriefed as the season comes close to mid July to see the formal kick off of preseason. Regarding the main topic of our post, the Gunners confidently won against their tormentors that earlier this season won two-one at Brittania Stadium. If you remember, dear reader, Rory Delap made his famous throw-ins to earn the Potters the home victory. This time at Ashburton Grove things resulted quite differently as the home side rose above level in the first half to give the shaky atmosphere (Regarding the stay of Wenger) the season finale worth of a team of this magnitude. All we can do is wait until next July 18 (one day past my birthday) when Arsenal face Barnet in the first preseason match.



It has been a tough but delightful year and as always I would like to thank you, dear reader, for your preference. Jav's Arsenal Awards 2008/2009 edition will eventually come along with the full coverage of UEFA U-21 championship, Gold Cup, Confederations Cup and World Cup Qualifiers. At least a taste of some football will come to us in what promises to be a long summer regarding transfer speculations.







Fortunately enough Arsene decided to play an alternative side, mainly because of a lack of firepower due to injuries. At least the manager decided to put more attention to the last game of the season, which in previous years had not been one of the most necessary tradition. And the early higlights were brought up by Denilson; a volley at 10' that became a corner. In that particular corner kick Cesc crossed, after a combination with van Persie, and Beattie wrongly netted against his team.
Five minutes later, the Dutchman fabricated one of that plays that suddenly inspire teengaers to become footballers: with a lovely back flick he tricked two defenders, just to be thrown by the second to give Arsenal a kick from the spot. And as if it were not enogh suffering for the Potters, on the pitch and the few brave who made the travel, Abou Diaby headed three minutes past van Persie' goal. The service, from the right, was half goal and the other half can be attributed to Stoke's defense. Stoke had to replace Simonsen for Sorensen due to an alleged hip injury. Manone's calm evening came along with Beattie futile spot attempt but was spoilt by the penalty that Fuller converted later on, in the 30th minute.
Robin van Persie could have made the gap wider with a freekick on the bar the following minute and Arshavin too but Sorensen's determination kept the ball off the mark. The Londoners kept track of Stoke efforts and nearly scored through Diaby and Arshavin but it was again van Persie who put the final touch of defeat in Stoke's face, when Rory Delap mistakenly headed the ball towards the Dutchman who, with a lovely chest control, finished bottom corner. The final minutes were a nightmare for the Potters who supported the siege kept by the young guns.







If anyone thought that an onslaught was supposed to take place in the following forty five minutes, a sea of tranquility saw the Gunners cover their current quota of goals to end the season in a swift fashion. From the beginning through the 60' the siege displayed by the home side saw a wide array of attacking options: from header to shots and walls. Sagna, Toure, Arshavin and Cesc, all proved Sorensen, unfortunately. Andrey's contribution in the 63' was outstanding, with Diaby and Cesc building a play, just to van Persie to put it on the farthest stand of the Emirates.
While the Gunners relied on one-two plays, the Potters replied with denial after denial, either by the result of a solid defense or by the pure grace of a higher power. With Vela's entrance, at the 72nd minute, the main concern for the Gunner watching was if van Persie was going to end his run with a hattrick or if any of the other players should score. None of those happened as the minutes passed on, while more of the same came from both sides; from the home, attacks from all places and the visitors, a defensive wall.

UCL Final Preview

Tomorrow the most important game in Europe's football take place: the two best teams of the season play in the City of Light.

Full of history from primaeval ages the world's eyes will turn for ninety or more minutes to this clash of giants: FC Barcelona seeking their third European title whilst the Mancunians their fourth which could narrow the difference from Livepool, with five. Obviously we could all be more happy if the Gunners, among myself, were travelling to such beautiful city.


From comments on both sides of course prudency and humbleness have prevail. I still, disgracefully enough, that Utd have the edge, with both flanks of the Spanish side diminished due to the absences of Abidal and Alves. Rather strange have been the results of the campaign raided by different sites and media sources regarding CR7 and Lio Messi. I dare not to make a judgment over such gigantic pair of c*nts. Anyway you know that I hate both teams but with respect to football this is a match that cannot be missed.

Of course we will have the final review here as always and also in our Spanish site. I am thinking of making a post regarding ceratain European Awards, meaning sort-of-Arsenal regular Awards but for Europe's best goals, games and so but that will need feedback from the readers, which is rare.

Remember dear Platini, be careful with what you wish!

Again, dear reader, obviously I will post as soon as possible the last match of the season followed by Jav's Arsenal Awards. Again, as the previous summer, here at Deviations we will have a busy time covering the Gold Cup, Confedarations Cup, UEFA U-21 Championship and as always pre-season.

Sweet and tender cares from Joppie

Usually when Johan Cruyff speaks, he tends to deliver a direct-speech, without any difficult metaphors while performing with such intelligence in few words. One has to take his newest declarations with care: only when smashing against the British football style, English press hears and speaks of him.

In the note he makes a judgement regarding the famous 6+5 rule. I am afraid that in certain amtches he only featured three of four Spaniards, the same numebr he is arguing Utd has: "The English national team - missing out on the last European championships - and football in general suffers as a result of them signing so many foreign players.

Make no mistake, this does not have anything to do wuith the current series of attacks that UEFA and high football comissioners are making upon English football.

In other news, I am afraid that Adebayor has lost his remaining temper and with his recent declarations will not regain the hearts and minds of even the Gunners' most faithful. Now that we are on the subject of Joppie, remember dear reader, that "no one is above or greater than the club."

In this unbearable torment of gossip the intelligence of one of the best players this season for the Londoners was heard, and who else but Samir Nasri. The problem is that many supporters, and even Wenger himself, does not clearly see the end of his project or in any case a short-term project.

Regarding Arseblog request I do agree, because we have played that way in the past but avoid, please the horrid and wretched comparissons: "Would he be inclined to look at Barcelona's 4-3-3 and have a go at that? Alex Song as the Toure-like holding player, Cesc and Nasri as the Xavi and Iniesta, then any 3 from Arshavin, Eduardo , Bendtner, van Persie, Walcott, Vela as the forward players? It would make sense with the players we have, plus it allows us to sell Adebayor and reinvest his money in some players who can defend."

Man Utd v. Arsenal 0-0 16/May/09

TRIPLE UTD FEATURE: PART THREE





If the spotlight two weeks before yesterday was what could Arsenal achieve against Utd, this time it was if the Red Devils could lift the trophy against the hated rivals or at Hull next week. It was supposed to be the Gunners who at least could delay the crowning but a goaless draw proved it was worth of something. In anycase that did not happen and the eventual champions of England are Ferguson's men.
The prospect that Arsenal could spoil and delay Man Utd's dream party were faint enough as in the two previous weeks in the third part of the TRIPLE UTD FEATURE. Now that Gunners woes are solely put in transfer talk, rumours and the weight of criticism on Wenger's shoulders the match seemed just another torment to the already tormented Arsenal players and suporters. I do not have the need to repeat the horrid results and statistics past weeks and past times, that will just take a few clicks on the sidebar.







With all this tenures the match commenced if not radically different to the other two games, obviously with some degree of variation regarding the visitor's attitude. Both teams shared possesion and while Arsenal entertained themselves with the control of the ball it was the home side that put up at least three clear chances in front of Arsenal's goal. Nasri's efforts to made a built play were completely vanished by the workmanship of Fletcher. Against the best team of the world and virtual champions of England there was not too much that Wenger's side could manage to do.







The Gunners' efforts showed little impact. Again the referee showed his strong arm booking three players who tackled the same player, Evra. It was evident that spoiling the party for Utd will have to take place yet another time. Full-attack powers were unleashed by Nasri, such as Gibbs shot at 59th. The Red Devils waited, for there was no more for them to hold into after a rough season. As previous games, substitutions proved to be useless. The final minutes were a consolation for Arsenal's whole-match efforts. Again Utd won the league title equalling Liverpool's numbers.

Arsenal v. Chelsea 4-1 10/May/09

Indeed Tito, it is a disgrace but for us!


In the final stages of this torrid tournament Arsenal again felt the sledgehammer of an outstanding Chelsea raising the tally to eight goals received in three matches. That would seem really unimportant to certain aspect of the crowd at the Emirates today. If anyone considers a draw a positive result it would seem fair enough to face any opposition in that terms in the ending phase of the tournament but again getting beaten by Chelsea just after the massacre in the same venue against Manchester seems a fairly unfavourable prospect for Wenger's men, and even thougher when these same eleven players face Utd in the third part of the TRIPLE UTD FEATURE. I hope that all gets squared up and at least not another three or four goal batter take place since the morale of both players and supporters has reached its lowest point in years if not decades. The only thing expected from a Gooner is a two-goal gap advantage from the Mancunians, a draw or even a win seems unreachable and highly unlikely as the final parts of the season approaches.
I still cannot believe the fact that this team has lost two semifinals against Chelsea and Utd and will probably loose the other two matches, in the same horrid fashion against both teams in the laegue.







The way the team played in the initial parts of the first half gave the home spectators at least a feeble hope of getting an early lead. Just in the first minute Arsenal had produced one wide shot courtesy of Theo Walcott. Home support were at their best as the team performed excellent with Nasri's loose position. The Blues were overwhelmed by the touch and strange physical shape the London side put them in. Walls, overlappings and even shots on goal were among Arsenal's repertoire. The Gunners' features were enough to add a goal on the scorecard but it was the opposition, through Alex, that silenced the public at the Grove. Again Silvestre's rout defending gave the Brazilian defender a whole avenue to score. With moral untouched, Wenger's men rushed towards Cech's goal to find yet another goal against, now in the boots of Anelka ten minutes to go. Silvestre again left the French striker the liberty to shot. Arsenal superiority seemed frail entering the dressing room with two goals on their backs.







Five minutes past the beginning of the following half Toure's own goal dilapidated Arsenal's efforts, whatever they were. Substitutions and infinite chances proved to be a mortification rather than a one-way exit to equalize. Next fifteen minutes, reaching the 65th, proved to be a full effort from the Gunners to obtain a frail hope to equall the game. The pressure began to show cracks in both the team's patience and the supporrter's. Bendtner, with his trademark header, scored to give the Gunners the first mark in their scoresheet but too vage and dismal were the chances to equalize that even the most positive of supporters could not think of a comeback. With the full rampage of the Gunners on Cech's goal Adebayor wasted a precious opportunity diving inside the box. The final laugh of Chelsea supporters came when Malouda scored the fourth goal. Pure missery for the north Londoners, the final result was a thunderous four-one.