retired_jamjam1

October 2007:

League:
Liverpool 0 - 3 Arsenal : Baptista, Tevez, Henry
Ribery is still suspended so Reyes keeps his place in the starting 11. Arsenal play well from the kick off and in the 23rd minute Baptista scores a wonderful twenty yard strike to make it 1-0 to Arsenal. Arsenal continue to push and Tevez continues his great form with a goal in the 33rd minute to make it 2-0. Arsenal come close to getting a third but by half time it’s 2-0. Arsenal continue to play well in the second half and Henry who comes close on a few occasion finally finds the back of the net in the 71st minute to make it 3-0. In the 82nd minute Walcott comes on and replaces Tevez , Van Den Berg comes on for Henry and Rosicky replaces Reyes. The match finishes 3-0. What a performance and what a win

ECC Group Stage Matchday Three:
Dinamo Kiev 0 - 2 Arsenal : Henry, Silva, [(Belkevich sent off), (Goran Gavrancic sent off)]
Henry gives Arsenal the perfect start with a goal in the 3rd minute. Kiev push for an equaliser but they shoot themselves in the foot when Valentin Belkevich gets sent off in the 17th minute for a cynical foul. Silva gives Arsenal a 2-0 lead with a goal in the 20th minute. Tevez goes close but the woodwork denies him. 2-0 to Arsenal at half time. Kiev are reduced to nine men early in the second half when Goran Gavrancic is sent off for kicking out at Henry in the 52nd minute. In the 79th minute, a returning Ribery comes on for Reyes, Rosicky replaces Silva and Walcott comes on for Hleb. Arsenal can’t take further advantage of the extra two men and it finishes 2-0 to Arsenal

Henry picks up an injury playing an international and he will be out for around a month

League:
Arsenal 1 - 0 Bolton : Hleb
Henry is injured so Reyes partners Tevez up front, Ribery is on the wing instead of Reyes. Hleb scores a goal in the 10th minute to make it 1-0 to Arsenal and they pile on the pressure, with Ribery coming close but at half time it’s 1-0 to Arsenal. The second half sees Bolton try and score an equaliser but Arsenal have their chances to. In the 70th minute Adenbayor is brought on for Reyes, Boa Morte replaces Ribery and Walcott replaces Tevez. Adenbayor goes close twice, hitting the crossbar and having a goal disallowed, which replays should it shouldn’t have been disallowed, Anelka has a chance to make it 1-1 in stoppage time but he hit’s the ball over the crossbar and Arsenal hold on for the win

League Cup 3rd Round:
Arsenal 2 - 0 West Ham : Hleb, Walcott
Arsenal field a full strength team for this match apart from the injured Henry and Ljunberg, showing their intent to win the competition. Arsenal dominate the first half with ten shots on goal but they fail to find the net. 0-0 at half time. Tevez has picked up a knock so Adenbayor replaces him at half time. Arsenal continue to pressure West Ham in the second half and Hleb scores in the 69th minute to make it 1-0 to Arsenal. Ribery is replaced by Rosicky and Walcott replaces Reyes in the 83rd minute. Walcott has a goal disallowed but then he finds the net in the 90th minute to make it 2-0 to Arsenal and to seal the win

League:
West Ham 3 - 0 Arsenal : [Modric(2), Benayoun]
The two teams meet for the second time in three days. Luka Modric makes it 1-0 to West Ham in the 13th minute and the score line remains 1-0 until half time. Modric gets his second of the game in the 59th minute. In the 78th minute Adenbayor comes on for Silva, Rosicky comes on for Ribery and Walcott replaces Hleb and Arsenal go to a 4-4-3 formation. In the 80th minute Tevez has a goal disallowed for offside. Benayoun scores in the 90th minute to give West Ham a shock 3-0 win

ECC Group Stage Matchday Four:
Arsenal 4 - 1 Dinamo Kiev : Hleb, Tevez(2), Toure, (Baptista sent off), [Correa]
Hleb gives Arsenal a dream start with a goal within the 1st minute of the match. Tevez scores two in five minutes to make it 3-0, the first goal came in the 31st minute and the second in the 36th minute. Baptista gets sent off for kicking out a player in the 44th minute. At half time Arsenal are 3-0 up but also down to ten men. Correa gets one back for Kiev in the 52nd minute. In the 79th minute Adenbayor replaces Tevez, Walcott replaces Reyes and Rosicky replaces Ribery. Toure makes it 4-1 in the 84th match. Arsenal dominated from the start and deserved their 4-1 win

Baptista is banned for one match

October Notes:
A 3-0 win against Liverpool was a great way to start October
Arsenal will face Newcastle in the fourth round of the League Cup. Newcastle knocked Arsenal out of the cup last year and they went on to win it.
Arsenal have qualified from Group E of the ECC with two games still left to play
Silva wins player of the month for October
Arsenal are 2nd in the league at the end of October, one point behind leaders Liverpool

November 2007:

League:
Leicester 0 - 3 Arsenal : Baptista, Reyes(2)
Despite Arsenal totally dominating the game there are unlucky to only be 1-0 up at half time. A goal from Baptista in the 37th minute gives them the lead going into the break. Reyes must have come out fired up at half time because he scores in the 47th and in the 55th minute he gets his second and Arsenal’s third. In the 74th minute Rosicky is brought on for Ribery, Adenbayor replaces Tevez and Walcott comes on for Hleb. Arsenal deserve their 3-0 win here with another great performance

League Cup 4th Round:
Arsenal 2 - 1 Newcastle : Reyes, Hleb, [Ameobi]
Reyes scores in the 5th minute to get Arsenal off to a fantastic start. Arsenal dominate the first half and Tevez goes close on two occasions but the score line remains 1-0 at half time. Ameobi gets Newcastle off to a great start to the second half with a goal in the 47th minute. It doesn’t take long for Arsenal to regain the lead, Tevez is brought down in the box after a clumsy tackle and Hleb steps up in the 50th minute to make it 2-. Eboue saves Arsenal in the 61st minute by clearing a Michael Owen goal bound shot off the line. In the 74th minute Walcott replaces Hleb who picked up a knock, Rosicky replaces Ribery and Adenbayor comes on for Tevez. Arsenal get off lucky when Owen misses an easy chance and they told on for the win and they advance to the next round

ECC Group Stage Matchday Five:
Schalke 4 - 3 Arsenal : [Lincoln(2), Lauren OG, Kobiashvili] , Reyes(2), Adenbayor
Toure, Eboue, Silva and Tevez are away on international duty and Baptista is suspended so Arsenal field a weakened team to place Schalke but they have already qualified for the next round of the ECC. Reyes gets Arsenal off to a great start with a goal in the 8th minute. Adenbayor makes it 2-0 in the 27th minute. Lincoln pulls one back for Schalke in the 42nd minute and then disaster strikes when Lauren scores an own goal in the 45th minute. 2-2 at half time. Reyes gives Arsenal the lead in the 46th minute with a great goal. Kobiashvili scores in the 52nd minute and Lincoln gets his second in the 82nd minute to give Schalke a 4-2 win. Arsenal certainly missed the 5 first team players that were unavailable

Ljunberg has returned for his injury, he will play a few matches for the reserves and he should be called to the main side within a month

League:
Arsenal 3 - 1 West Brom : Reyes(2), Silva, [ Karadas]
Tevez is jaded and in need of a rest so he has been allowed a weeks holiday. Henry is still injured and Ljunberg is far from match fit. Reyes scores in the 17th minute to make it 1-0 to Arsenal. In the 35th minute Silva makes it 2-0 with a well place header. Reyes gets his second in the 37th minute and at half time it’s 3-0 to Arsenal. West Brom play much better in the second half but the damage is done, in the 72nd minute, Rosicky replaces Silva, Boa Morte replaces Ribery and Walcott replaces Adenbayor. In the 83rd minute Azar Karadas pulls one back or West Brom but it finishes 3-1

League:
Blackburn 0 - 2 Arsenal : Van Bronckhorst, Adenbayor
Blackburn dominate the majority of the first half but following a push on Adenbayor inside the box, Van Bronckhorst steps up and slots home a penalty in the 34th minute and so Arsenal lead 1-0 at half time. Ribery appears to have taken a knock so Rosicky replaces him at half time. Arsenal play better in the second half and in the 69th minute an Adenbayor header gives them a 2-0 lead. In the 80th minute Lauren comes on to replace Eboue and Ljunberg steps onto the field in an Arsenal jersey for the first time in two months when he replaces Hleb. The remainder of the match is uneventful and Arsenal win 2-0

November Notes:
Arsenal will play Man Utd in the quarter final of the league cup in December
Arsenal sign Paolo Maldini on a free transfer, he might not feature much but he’s a good experienced player to have around in case of injuries etc.
The stadium expansion has been complete the new capacity is 75,000
Arsenal finish November on second in the League two points behind Liverpool but Liverpool have played a game more than Arsenal
Baptista wins Player of the month for November, Hleb comes second


December 2007:

League:
Arsenal 6 - 0 QPR : Ribery(2), Reyes, Gregg OG, Walcott(2)
Ribery gets Arsenal off to a great start with a goal in the 2nd minute. Arsenal are dominating the match in the first half and Reyes makes it 2-0 in the 35th minute. A Patrick Cregg own goal in the 37th minute makes it 3-0 to Arsenal. 3-0 at half time. Following a bad tackle in the penalty box, Ribery steps up in the 54th minute and scores a penalty. In the 77th minute Ljunberg replaces Hleb, Boa Morte comes on for Silva and Walcott replaces Adenbayor. In the 87th minute Walcott scores following great work from Ljunberg and Walcott does his push for a regular spot in the Arsenal team a favour when he scores his second in the 90th minute. 6-0 to Arsenal

ECC Group Stage Matchday Six:
Arsenal 2 - 2 PSV : Rosicky, Tevez [Kone, Eboue OG]
Baptista is suspended and Tevez returns from his holiday ahead of the match. Tevez will partner Reyes up front with the returning Henry on the bench for the match, Rosicky replaces the suspended Baptista in the starting eleven. In the 10th minute Rosicky fires Arsenal ahead with a great strike from well outside the box, 1-0 to Arsenal. Kone pulls one back for PSV in the 35th minute. 1-1 at half time, Rosicky appears to have taken a knock so he is replaced by Walcott during the half time break. In the 50th minute Tevez makes it 2-1 to Arsenal. In the 77th minute Ljunberg replaces Ribery and Henry returns to action for Arsenal having missed ten matches by replacing Reyes. In the 79th minute disaster strikes for Eboue when he puts the ball into the back of his own net. The match finishes 2-2.

Arsenal top Group E of the ECC with 13 points, following four wins, one draw and one defeat, Dinamo Kiev finish second on 9 points

League:
Man Utd 0 - 2 Arsenal : Henry(2)
Baptista returns so Rosicky is back on the bench, Tevez and Reyes continue their partnership up front with the fit again Henry resigned to the bench. The scoreline is 0-0 at half time, Man Utd and Arsenal both have their fair share of the chances. Arsenal go close but Tevez is denied by the post. In the 70th minute Rosicky comes on for Ribery, Ljunberg replaces Hleb and Henry comes on for Reyes. Henry quicky repays his manager by scoring twice, in the 80th minute and in the 86th minute and Arsenal hold on and win the match 2-0. Henry the super sub

League:
Arsenal 0 - 0 Everton :
Henry replaces Reyes in the starting eleven. The first half is uneventful but Henry does come close on one occasion. 0-0 at half time. The second half is just as dull as the first one, in the 70th minute Reyes comes on for Ribery, Ljunberg replaces Hleb and Rosicky comes on for Silva. The match ends 0-0, in truth it was a poor match

League Cup Quarter Final:
Arsenal 4 - 2 Man Utd : Henry(2), Baptista, Reyes [Heinze, Yakubu]
Heinze gives Man Utd the perfect start with a goal in the 10th minute it followed a mistake by Eboue, who seemed to pick up an injury in the incident and he had to be replaced by Lauren in the 11th minute. In the 21st minute Yakubu gives Man Utd a 2-0 lead. Arsenal will have their work cut out for them to try and salvage something. Henry leads by example when in the 41st minute he slots home a well executed shot from outside the box. 2-1 at half time to Man Utd. The team’s passion is questioned at half time and they come out with new found enthusiasm. Baptista makes it 2-2 in the 59th minute with a great header. Both teams go in search for the winner but by full time it’s still 2-2 so extra time is needed. Tevez who is tired is replaced by Reyes at the end of the ninety minutes. Reyes is brought down by Silvestre in the box and in the 93rd minute Henry slots home the penalty. 3-2 to Arsenal. At half time in extra time Ljunberg comes on to replace a tired Hleb. Ronaldo goes close for United in the second half of extra time but Lehmann keeps Arsenal’s lead safe. In the 116th minute Reyes scores having beaten to defenders to make it 4-2 so Arsenal advance it what was a tough match. What a performance to go from 2-0 down to win 4-2

Alex Ferguson is warned by the FA following his comments that Arsenal should never have gotten the penalty at the start of Extra time. All the replays show the official was right to give it
Eboue’s injury is a bruised rib and he will be out for a week

Peter Hill the chairman is apparently looking to step aside. What impact this might have on my future at the club I will have to wait and find out

League:
Wigan 1 - 3 Arsenal : [ Caracciolo], Hleb, Adenbayor, Gallas
Eboue is injured so Lauren takes his place in the team. Hleb opens the scoring for Arsenal in the 13th minute to make it 1-0. Andrea Caracciolo makes it 1-1 in the 21st minute. Henry is injured in the 31st minute and Adenbayor comes on to replace him. In the 39th minute Adenbayor scores a goal to make it 2-1 and it stays 2-1 until half time In the 64th minute Gallas makes it 3-1 to Arsenal. In the 74th minute Ljunberg replaces Hleb and Reyes comes on for Tevez. Ljunberg goes close just before full time but the crossbar denies him. It finishes 3-1 to Arsenal

Henry will be out for a week

League:
Arsenal 1 - 0 Tottenham : Ribery
Henry is still injured so Reyes will partner Tevez up front. Eboue is not 100% so Lauren remains at right back for the match. The first half is end to end action, Tevez and Reyes go close for Arsenal and Keane goes close on two occasions for Tottenham, it looks like it’s going to be 0-0 at half time but then Ribery scores in the 45th minute with a header from a corner, 1-0 at half time. The second half sees Keane go close on an occasion and Arsenal have Tevez shot cleared off the line. In the 75th minute Adebayor replaces, Boa Morte replaces Baptista and Ljunberg comes on for Hleb. Arsenal finish the match with 10 men following an injury Lauren picks up in the 80th and he can’t be substituted so he is taken off the field. Arsenal hold on for the 1-0 win

Lauren will be out for around two weeks following his injury
It’s being rumoured that a consortium are planning to take over the Arsenal club

League:
Charlton 2 - 2 Arsenal : [Gibbs, Reid] Tevez, Reyes
Eboue comes back into the squad at right back and Henry is on the bench ahead of the match. Tevez and Reyes go close early on and Tevez eventually opens the scoring in the 30th minute with a great curling shot. The lead is short lived with Cory Gibbs scoring in the 36th minute to make it 1-1. It’s 1-1 at half time. Reyes makes it 2-1 in the 49th minute. Andy Reid makes it 2-2 in the 60th minute with a great header. In the 73rd minute Rosicky comes on for Silva, Ljunberg comes on for Hleb who appears to have taken a knock and Reyes is replaced by Henry. Neither of the teams can find and winner and both earn a point 2-2

Hleb will be out for a week following a knock he picked up

Loans Out:
Paul Rodgers - Tranmere

December Notes:
The 6-0 win at home against QPR is a new record for the club
Arsenal will play League Two team Grimsby Town in the FA Cup 3rd Round in January
Arsenal will play AS Roma in the ECC First knockout round in February
Arsenals comeback from 2-0 down to win 4-2 in extra time against Man Utd in the League Cup Quarter Final really shows me the team’s commitment
Arsenal will play Bolton in the League Cup semi final. Liverpool take on Chelsea in the other semi final
A possible takeover is quite worrying for me, It’s been known that new chairman’s can sometimes fire the manager. I’ll have to see how things work out

retired_jamjam1

January 2008:

Jlloyd Samuel and Aaron Hughes but arrive from Aston Villa, their to improve the defence part of the squad

League:
Fulham 1 - 0 Arsenal : [John]
Van Bronckhorst is tired so Samuel gets his debut at left back. Hughes will start on the bench. Hleb and Lauren are injured, Ljunberg starts on the right instead of Hleb. Henry replaces Reyes up front, Reyes is dropped to the bench. Neither team can find the net in the first half but both teams do go close. The second half see Fulham playing well and in the 70th minute Collins John makes it 1-0 to Fulham. In the 71st minute, Rosicky comes on for Ribery, Reyes is brought on for Henry and Adebayor comes on for Tevez. Fulham hold out for the shock win

Arsenal are approached about a takeover

FA Cup 3rd Round:
Arsenal 5 - 0 Grimsby : Reyes(2), Baptista, Adebayor, Forbes OG [Ravenhill sent off]
Tevez is away on international duty so Adebayor starts up front with Reyes, Henry is on the bench if the opponents were tougher he would have started. Van Bronckhorst is called back up to the left back position. Arsenal dominate from the start and Reyes opens the scoring in the 20th minute, Reyes gets his second in the 33rd minute. Baptista makes it 3-0 in the 44th minute and to make matters worse from Grimsby, Ricky Ravenhill is sent off in the 45th minute for a cynical tackle. At half time there are changes Aaron Hughes makes his debut he replaces Eboue and Ribery seems to be in poor condition so Rosicky replaces him. Adebayor scores in the 50th minute to make it 4-0, Adrian Forbes scores an own goal in the 54th minute to make it 5-0. Van Bronckhorst picks up an injury and is replaced by Boa Morte in the 57th minute. Arsenal will finish the match with ten men as Reyes picks up a knock in the 74th minute and he has to be taken off with a player coming on for him. Arsenal will actually finish the match with nine men, Rosicky has to be taken off in the 91st minute following a bad tackle

Rosicky will be out for a week following the injury picked up
Reyes will be out for between a week and two weeks
Van Bronckhorst will be out for three weeks

League Cup Semi Final Leg One:
Arsenal 5 - 0 Bolton : Adebayor(2), Henry(3)
Rosicky, Reyes, Bronckhorst miss out through injury, Tevez is away on international duty and Samuel is cup tied. Adebayor who rarely starts gets a goal in the 9th minute to make it 1-0. And Adebayor does his search for regular football a huge boost by netting a second goal in the 19th minute. 2-0 to Arsenal at half time, Ribery has picked up a knock and Ljunberg replaces him. Henry makes it 3-0 in the 62nd minute and he makes it 4-0 in the 68th minute. In the 72nd minute Hughes comes on for Toure and Boa Morte replaces Ljunberg. Adebayor is brought down in the penalty box and Henry steps up in the 90th minute and he coverts the penalty to get his hat trick and to make it 5-0

Ribery will be out for two to three weeks following the injury he picked up

League:
Arsenal 1 - 0 Portsmouth : Silva
Arsenal dominate the first half and they come close on a few occasions but they can’t find the net. 0-0 at half time. Ljunberg has picked up an injury and Rosicky comes on to replace him for the second half. In the 71st minute Boa Morte comes on for Baptista and Aaron Hughes replaces Eboue. In the 87th minute Silva scores the winning goal with a great header from a corner. Arsenal deserved to win by more but at the same time 3 points is 3 points

Henry picks up a knock in the match and he will be out for a week

Van Bronckhorst returns from his injury

League:
Arsenal 1 - 1 Chelsea : Reyes, [Sahar]
Toure, Eboue, Tevez and Adebayor miss out as their on international duty. Both teams have good chances in the first half, Henry finds the net but the goal is disallowed because he was deemed offside, 0-0 at half time. Ben Sahar gives Chelsea the pefect start to the second half with a goal in the 50th minute. In the 53rd minute Baptista is sent off for kicking out at a Chelsea player. 10 men and 1-0 down it doesn’t look good for Arsenal. In the 73rd minute Ljunberg is brought on for Hleb, Rosicky comes on for Ribery and Samuel replaces Van Bronckhorst and Arsenal are told go all out attack and find an equaliser. In the 79th minute Arsenal earn themselves a point thanks to a Reyes goal. 1-1 at full time. Arsenal can count themselves lucky

Arsenal will play Luton Town in the FA Cup 4th Round

League Cup Semi Final Leg Two:
Bolton 1 - 1 Arsenal : [Lauren OG, (Pedro Rios and Andranik Teymourian sent off)], Henry,
Toure, Eboue, Tevez and Adebayor miss out as their on international duty and Samuel is cup tired while Baptista is suspended but with a 5-0 lead only a major disaster would cost us a place in the final and a chance at some silverware. Bolton need a miracle to progress but they shot themselves in the foot when Pedro Rios is sent off for kicking out at Henry in the 11th minute, things go from bad to worse for Bolton when Andranik Teymourian is also sent off for a cynical foul 20 minutes into the match. Arsenal now have a five goal advantage as well as a two man advantage. An Arsenal goal can’t be too long from coming and Henry takes advantage of poor defending in the 32nd minute to make it 1-0. Bolton are lucky to be going into the second half only 1-0 down. In the 48th minute a poor back pass by Lauren goes into his own net it’s 1-1. In the 79th minute Tevez is brought on for Reyes, Boa Morte for Ribery, Rosicky for Silva. 1-1 is the final score, surprising considering the two man advantage but Arsenal progress to the final with a score line of 6-1 over the two legs

Tevez is jaded and in need of a rest, he is sent on holiday for a week

FA Cup 4th Round:
Luton 0 - 3 Arsenal : Henry, Reyes, Van Bronckhorst
Toure, Eboue and Adebayor are on international duty while Tevez is away on holidays. Henry gets Arsenal off to a great start with a goal in the 3rd minute. Reyes makes it 2-0 in the 11th minute with a cheeky lob. Henry is injured in the 15th minute and he is replaced by Ljunberg, Baptista goes up front with Reyes while Ljunberg goes into midfield, 2-0 to Arsenal at half time. Van Bronckhorst makes it 3-0 with a goal in the 52nd minute. The rest of the match is dull with Arsenal having done all the hard work already, they progress to the next round, 3-0 the final score

Henry will be out for two to three weeks with an injury picked up in the match against Luton

League:
Man City 2 - 1 Arsenal : [Samaras, Vassell], Walcott
Toure, Eboue, Adebayor are on international duty, Tevez is on holidays, Baptista is suspended while Henry is injured. Walcott gets to play for the senior team for the first time in a while he partners Reyes up front, Rui Fonte and Van Den Berg are called up from the reserves also, they take their places on the bench. Man City play well in the first half but a Walcott goal in the 42nd minute separates the teams, 1-0 to Arsenal at half time. In the second half Samaras has a goal disallowed for offside but then in the 66th minute he gets himself on the score sheet this time there is no offside. 1-1. In the 76th minute, Ljunberg replaces Hleb, Rosicky comes on for Ribery and Van Den Berg comes on for Reyes. Vassell gets the win for Man City in the 81st minute following a mistake by Lehmann.

Transfers In:
Aaron Hughes - 1.7m - Aston Villa
Jlloyd Samuel - 1.6m - Aston Villa

Loans Out:
Denilson - Ascoli

January Notes:
A great win against Grimsby in the FA Cup but the three injuries were just bad luck
Arsenal will play Chelsea in the League Cup Final, Chelsea won 4-1 on aggregate against Liverpool. What a final it will be.
A major shock in January is Chelsea getting dumped out of the FA Cup in the 4th round by Millwall
Arsenal will play Preston North End in the FA Cup 5th Round
Arsenal end January 3rd in the league, 3 points behind leaders Liverpool but with two games less played. Chelsea are in second two points ahead but they have played a game less than Arsenal


February 2008:

Tevez returns from holiday but he is still jaded and in need of a rest, he is sent away for one more week but he won’t be sent away again regardless if he is still tired after his second week off in a row.

League:
Arsenal 1 - 1 Liverpool : Ribery, [Gonzalez]
Toure, Eboue, Adebayor are still on international duty, Tevez is on holidays, Baptista is suspended while Henry is injured. Liverpool dominate the first half and Mark Gonzalez gives them the lead in the 42nd minute. 1-0 to Liverpool at half time. The second half sees Arsenal play better and Ribery makes it 1-1 in the 63rd minute with a well taken goal. In the 79th minute Ljunberg comes on for Hleb, Rosicky comes on for Ribery and Samuel comes on for Van Bronckhorst. The match finishes 1-1

James Robinson has made a formal proposal to purchase a controlling stake in Arsenal the deal is worth 223m . There is now a transfer embargo on the club

League:
Bolton 0 - 2 Arsenal : Van Bronckhorst, Reyes
Toure, Eboue, Adebayor are back from international duty, Baptista and Henry are also available again. Tevez is on holiday so is unavailable. Arsenal dominate in the first half and they go 1-0 up in the 20th minute thanks to Van Bronckhorst. It’s 1-0 at half time. The second half is a quiet affair, in the 73rd minute Rosicky is brought on for Ribery, Ljunberg comes on for Hleb and Boa Morte comes on for Silva. In the 81st minute Reyes secures the win with a goal, 2-0. In the 90th minute Baptista is yet again sent off

League:
Aston Villa 2 - 4 Arsenal : [Baros, Moore], Henry(3), Tevez
Tevez has returned from holiday and he will partner Henry up front, Reyes will take his place in the midfield for the suspended Baptista. In the 33rd minute Baros gives Villa the lead, 1-0 to Villa at half time. Henry draws the teams level when he scores in the 64th minute, Tevez makes it 2-1 in the 67th minute. Moore makes it 2-2 in the 73rd minute. But Henry gives Arsenal the lead in the 76th minute, 3-2. Henry gets his hat trick in the 89th minute and Arsenal win the game 4-2. They were lucky to win here, Villa deserved at least a point

Reyes picked up a knock in the match and he will be out for around a week

FA Cup 5th Round:
Preston 1 - 1 Arsenal : [Ryan], Ribery
Reyes misses out through injury. Tevez is in poor condition so he is rested for the match, Adebayor will partner Henry up front. Ribery makes it 1-0 to Arsenal in the 15th minute. Despite Arsenal totally dominating the match it’s only 1-0 at half time. The second half is quiet but Preston don’t really create any chances for themselves, in the 79th minute, Toure is replaced by Hughes, Ljunberg comes on for Hleb and Ribery is replaced by Rosicky. Curtis Ryan shocks the Arsenal crowd when in the 91st minute he gets a goal, the match finishes 1-1, we will need a replay now

ECC 1st Round Knockout Leg One:
Roma 1 - 4 Arsenal : [Fabianio, (Perrotta sent off)], Henry(3), Silva
This my 100th game in charge of Arsenal. Arsenal take the lead thanks to Henry in the 23rd minute. Henry gets his and Arsenal’s second in the 27th minute. Luis Fabiano gets one back for Roma in the 43rd minute. Silva restores Arsenal two goal lead with a goal in the 45th minute. 3-1 to Arsenal at half time. Henry gets his hat trick in the 54th minute. 4-1 to Arsenal. In the 74th minute Walcott replaces Reyes, Ljunberg replaces Hleb and Rosicky replaces Ribery. Simone Perrotta is sent off in the 78th minute for pushing Henry. The match finishes 4-1 to Arsenal, a great night for Arsenal

League Cup Final:
Arsenal 0 - 2 Chelsea : [Drogba, Riquelme]
Drogba gives Chelsea the lead in the 14th minute. Arsenal go close with an Henry shot cleared off the line by Terry but as it stands it’s 1-1 at half time. Chelsea get off to a flyer in the second half with Riquelme getting a goal in the 47th minute. In the 50th minute Ljunberg is brought on for Hleb and Rosicky replaces Ribery, Arsenal are told it’s do or die and go all out attack. In the 74th minute Silva is taken off and on comes Adebayor, Arsenal have gone to a 4-3-3 formation. Arsenal can’t find the net and Chelsea win the cup

Gallas and Van Bronckhorst reach the yellow card limit and will miss the next match

FA Cup 5th Round Replay:
Arsenal 1 - 0 Preston : Reyes
Gallas and Van Bronckhorst miss out through suspension, Samuel and Hughes brought into the first 11 to replace them. Arsenal get the deserved lead in the 24th minute thanks to a Reyes goal. 1-0 to Arsenal at half time, they are totally dominating Preston. Arsenal dominate the second half and Henry goes close but it remains 1-0, in the 79th minute Adebayor is brought on for Henry, Rosicky replaces Ribery and Hleb is replaced by Ljungberg. Hugent goes close for Preston but Arsenal hold onto the 1-0 lead and win the match. In truth they should have won by more

Silva will miss the next match as he reaches the yellow card limit

February Notes:
Arsenal will play Middlesbrough in the FA Cup 6th Round
Arsenal finish February 3rd in the league, 4 points behind leaders Liverpool but they have played three games less than Liverpool. Chelsea are ahead of Arsenal by two points in second

March 2008:

League:
Arsenal 1 - 0 Leicester : Reyes [Johansson sent off]
Gallas and Van Bronckhorst return to starting 11, Silva misses out through suspension he is replaced by Rosicky. Arsenal are totally dominating in the first half and they go close on a few occasions. Reyes finally finds the net in the 39th minute to make it 1-0. Arsenal also dominate the second half but they can’t seem to find a second. In the 80th minute Boa Morte replaces Ribery, Ljunberg replaces Hleb and Adebayor replaces Henry. Nils-Eric Johansson is sent off in the 89th minute for his second yellow of the game and Arsenal win the match 1-0

James Robinson completes his takeover of Arsenal replacing Peter Hill-Wood in a deal worth 223 million pounds. It's also revealed the club could be floated on the stock exchange

The club become a PLC and I now 44 million has been raised for the club

ECC 1st Round Knockout Leg Two:
Arsenal 2 - 0 Roma : Henry(2)
Samuel and Hughes are ineligible for the match. Tevez is call back into the squad after being rested he takes his place on the bench. Henry gives Arsenal a 1-0 lead with a strike in the 21st minute, he makes it 2-0 in the 25th minute with another great goal. It’s 2-0 at half time. Matteo Brighi is sent off in the 49th minute following a bad tackle. In the 70th minute Tevez replaces Henry, Adebayor comes on for Reyes and Walcott replaces Hleb. The match finishes 2-0 and Arsenal progress 6-1 over the two legs

Julio Baptista will miss the next European match as he reaches yellow cards limit
Ribery is injured in the match and he will miss four weeks of action
The gate receipts of 4.1m from the game against Roma is a new record high

FA Cup 6th Round:
Arsenal 2 - 0 Middlesbrough : Henry, Hleb [Rochemback sent off]
Ljunberg replaces the injured Ribery, Tevez and Henry start up front with Reyes on the bench. Arsenal dominate the match and in the 37th minute Henry makes it 1-0, Arsenal deservingly lead at the half time break. Hleb makes it 2-0 in the 73rd minute with a great header . In the 75th minute Reyes replaces Ljunberg, Silva comes on for Rosicky and Samuel replaces Van Bronckhorst. Arsenal finish the match with ten minutes when Silva is injured in the 81st minute. Middlesbrough also finish the match with ten men when Rochemback is sent off in the 83rd minute for his second yellow card. Arsenal deservingly win the match 2-0 and they advance

Silva will be out of action for two months and Ljunberg for a week following injuries picked up in the match

League:
Arsenal 1 - 0 West Ham : Reyes
Silva, Ljunberg, Ribery all miss out through injury. The first half is a quiet affair with neither team getting on the score sheet, West Ham came close but luckily Lehmann was on hand to save. 0-0 at half time. The second half is also a quiet affair in the 74th minute Samuel replaces Van Bronckhorst, Hughes replaces Eboue and Boa Morte replaces Rosicky. Arsenal finally find the net thanks to Reyes who started on the left wing, he slots home a well placed shot in the 84th minute. West Ham can’t find the equaliser and the match finishes 1-0. Arsenal were lucky to get the three points

League:
Newcastle 1 -1 Arsenal : [Solano] Reyes
Silva and Ribery are injured for the match, Ljunberg returns but he is on the bench Reyes starts on the left wing. In the 13th minute Reyes brings Duff down in the box and Solano steps up to take the penalty and he fires past Lehmann 1-0 to Newcastle. It’s 1-0 to Newcastle at half time. Tevez and Henry both appeared to have picked up knocks so at the half time break Tevez is replaced by Ljunberg and Henry by Boa Morte. Baptista and Reyes are moved up into attack. Following great play by Toure, Reyes gets an equaliser in the 69th minute, despite trying their best to score a winner it finishes 1-1
League:
Middlesbrough 0 - 3 Arsenal : [Luccin sent off] , Hleb, Riggott OG, Tevez
Silva and Ribery are still injured, the starting 11 remains unchanged. Hleb gets Arsenal off to a great start with a goal in the 2nd minute. Luccin is sent off for a bad tackle which causes Henry to be injured. In the 18th minute Henry is injured so he is replaced by Ljunberg who goes to the left of midfield Reyes joins Tevez in attack. A Riggott own goal in the 35th minute makes it 2-0 to Arsenal. It’s 2-0 at half time. Arsenal continue to dominate in the second half and Tevez makes it 3-0 with a goal in the 62nd minute. In the 71st minute Boa Morte replaces Rosicky and Lauren comes on for Eboue. It finishes 3-0 to Arsenal

Henry will be out for a week following an injury picked up in the match

League:
Arsenal 0 - 0 Aston Villa :
Silva, Ribery and Henry are out through injury, Reyes joins Tevez up front, Ljunberg starts on the wing instead of Reyes. Despite Arsenal dominating and both Reyes and Tevez going close and Barry going close for Villa it’s 0-0 at half time. The second half is a quiet affair and in the 82nd minute Tevez is replaced by Boa Morte with Baptista going up front. Samuel comes on for Ljunberg and Lauren replaces Hleb. The match finishes a dull 0-0

League:
West Brom 1 - 1 Arsenal : [ Makukula, Robinson sent off], Reyes
Silva, Ribery and Henry are still missing through injury. Paul Robinson is sent off for West Brom in the 5th minute following two early yellow cards. Arsenal take the lead in the 36th minute thanks to a Reyes goal. It’s 1-0 at half time, Reyes appears to have picked up a knock so Boa Morte replaces him during the break, Baptista is moved up front with Tevez. Makukula gives West Brom a perfect start to the second half when he scores in the 47th minute, Ljunberg is injured and is replaced by Samuel in the 52nd minute. Hughes comes on for Eboue in the 85th minute. It finishes 1-1 and that is defiantly two points dropped for Arsenal in the race for the title

Ljunberg is out for the rest of the season he will miss action for around four months.

League:
Arsenal 4 - 0 Blackburn : Tevez, Rosicky, Reyes(2), [Reid sent off]
Ribery returns to action as he replaces Ljunberg in the starting 11, Henry is also back and he starts on the bench. Tevez gets Arsenal off to a great start with a goal in the 9th minute, Rosicky makes it 2-0 in the 18th minute. In the 25th minute great work by Reyes makes it 3-0, In the 35th minute Reyes gets his second. 4-0 at half time. The second half sees Arsenal take their foot off the gas, in the 77th minute Henry comes on for Tevez, Boa Morte replaces Ribery and Samuel comes on for Van Bronckhorst. Steven Reid is sent off in the 82nd minute for a second yellow card and it finishes 4-0 to Arsenal

Transfers Out:
Flamini - 3.7m plus 20% of next sale Fiorentina (will go through in July)
Paolo Maldini - Released

March Notes:
Arsenal will play Man Utd in the ECC Quarter Final in April
Arsenal will play Tottenham in the FA Cup Semi Final, West Ham play Bolton in the other Semi Final
Paolo Maldini is released from the club, he was due to retire at the end of the season anyway
Arsenal finish March second in the league two points behind leaders Chelsea, but Chelsea have two games in hand

retired_jamjam1

April 2008:

ECC Quarter Final Leg One:
Arsenal 1 - 1 Man Utd : Rosicky, (Eboue sent off) [Yakubu]
Samuel and Hughes are ineligible for the match. Silva, Ljunberg are injured, Tevez is away on international duty and Baptista is suspended. Arsenal hit the woodwork early on. Eboue is sent off in the 22nd minute for a second yellow card. In the 22nd minute Boa Morte is replaced by Lauren as Arsenal need to fill the gap in defence. Yakubu makes it 1-0 to Man Utd in the 31st minute, it’s 1-0 at half time and Man Utd are dominating. In the 70th minute Walcott replaces Reyes and Adebayor replaces Henry. Rosicky makes it 1-1 in the 80th minute with an excellent free kick and it finishes 1-1. Arsenal can count themselves lucky as United could have won the game easily by two or three goals.

Eboue and Hleb will miss the second leg due to suspension

League:
QPR 0 - 2 Arsenal : [Radostin Kishishev sent off], Baptista, Henry
Arsenal dominate the first half and they should have scored earlier but in the 30th minute Baptista eventually finds the net. It’s 1-0 at half time. Radostin Kishishev is sent off in the 61st minute for his second yellow of the game. In the 70th minute Henry makes it 2-0 to Arsenal. In the 75th minute Adebayor comes on for Tevez, Reyes replaces Henry and Boa Morte replaces Ribery. The match finishes 2-0 but in truth Arsenal could have won by more

The loss means QPR are relegated from the league

ECC Quarter Final Leg Two:
Man Utd 2 - 1 Arsenal : [Saha, Rossi], Tevez
It’s 1-1 from the first leg but Man Utd have the away goal so Arsenal must score. Hughes and Samuel are ineligible for the match, hleb and eboue are suspended while Ljunberg and Silva are still injured. Tevez gives Arsenal the perfect start with a goal in the 10th minute, Man Utd are level in the 19th minute thanks to Saha. Saha has another goal ruled out because of offside in the 37th minute. It’s 1-1 at half time but Man Utd are defiantly the better team in the half. The second half is a more even contest and Henry goes close. In the 80th minute Boa Morte comes on for Reyes, Adebayor replaces Tevez and Walcott comes on for Ribery. The match is still 1-1 at the end of 90 minutes so extra time is needed. It’s still 1-1 at half time in extra time but Utd have been the better team in that half. The Arsenal players look tired. Rossie wins the game for Man Utd with a goal in the 116th minute. Arsenal never got into the game and Man Utd deserve the win

FA Cup Semi Final:
Arsenal 3 - 1 Tottenham : Tevez(2), Rosicky, [Berbatov]
Tevez gives Arsenal a dream start with a goal in the 2nd minute. Arsenal have two goals disallowed because of offside in the first half and at the end of the half it is 1-0. In the 51st minute Rosicky makes it 2-0 to Arsenal. Tevez makes it 3-0 in the 71st minute. In the 75th minute Reyes comes on for Ribery, Walcott replaces Henry and Lauren comes on for Eboue. Berbatov gets one back in the 88th minute but it’s too late and Arsenal go through to the final 3-1

League:
Arsenal 5 - 1 Newcastle : Tevez(2), Henry, Walcott(2) (Baptista sent off), [Duff]
A fantastic start for Arsenal as Tevez gives them the lead in the 4th minute. Duff makes it 1-1 in the 10th. minute. Tevez gets his second in the 37th minute. 2-1 to Arsenal at half time. In the 59th minute Henry is brought down inside the penalty box and he steps up and converts the penalty, 3-1. In the 71st minute Henry is replaced by Reyes, Tevez is replaced by Walcott and Ribery is replaced by Boa Morte. In the 75th minute super sub Walcott makes it 4-1 with a great curling shot. In the 77th minute Baptista is sent off for his second yellow card. Walcott gets his second in the 90th minute and the match finishes 5-1

League:
Everton 1 - 1 Arsenal : [Guerrero], Reyes
Baptista is suspended while Silva and Ljunberg are still out. The first half sees both Everton and Arsenal hit the post. Tevez and Henry appeared to have both picked up knocks Walcott replaces Henry and Boa Morte replaces Tevez. Boa Morte will be in the midfield Reyes will move up to partner Walcott . Reyes opens the scoring in the 54th minute. Guerrero equalises for Everton, Walcott hit’s the post in the 88th minute but the match finishes 1-1

League:
Arsenal 3 - 0 Wigan: Baptista, Eboue, Rosicky, [Michael Jansen sent off]
Silva and Ljunberg are still out, Baptista returns for the club and he opens the scoring in the 14th minute, Arsenal have a few more chances but at half time it’s 1-0. Toure picks up a knock in the 53rd minute and he is replaced by Lauren. Eboue makes it 2-0 in the 59th minute with a great header. In the 77th minute Michael Jansen is sent off for kicking out at Baptista. In the 80th minute Tevez is replaced by Reyes and Henry is replaced by Adebayor. Rosicky scores a wonderful free kick in the 89th minute and it finishes 3-0

The loss means Wigan are relegated
Eboue will be out for a week following the injury he picked up

League:
Tottenham 1 - 1 Arsenal : [Zokora], Eboue
Silva has returned from injury but he is not match fit so he won’t play. Arsenal dominate the first half and come close to scoring on two occasions but at half time the score is 0-0. In the 66th minute Baptista is replaced by Boa Morte, Adebayor comes on for Henry and Tevez is replaced by Reyes. Eboue scores with a header in the 73rd minute to give Arsenal the lead. Zokora earns Tottenham a point in the 89th minute the match plays 1-1

Baptista is injured in the match and he will be out for three weeks

I am handed a one match touchline ban for my post-match comments following a penalty decision that didn't go our way

April Notes:
It was disappointing to see the club knocked out by United in the Quarter final of the ECC
Arsenal have a chance of silverware with the FA Cup final fixture against West Ham
Arsenal finish April second in the league, five points behind leaders Chelsea but Chelsea have played one game less

May 2008:

League:
Arsenal 0 - 0 Man Utd:
My assistant takes over for the match as I am serving a touchline ban. Arsenal play well in the first half and have a few chances but the match is 0-0 at half time. In the 72nd minute Walcott is replaced by Lauren. In the 81st minute Adebayor replaces Tevez and Ribery is replaced by Reyes. The match finishes 0-0 but Arsenal should have gotten the three points.

Rosicky will be out for three weeks

Chelsea retain the league title for the 4th time in a row

League:
Arsenal 1 - 0 Charlton : Reyes
Silva returns to the midfield for the final league game of the season. Arsenal dominate the first half and Henry goes close but it is 0-0 at half time. Arsenal dominate the second half too but they can't find the net. In the 81st minute Silva is replaced by Boa Morte, Adebayor comes on for Henry and Reyes comes on for Tevez. Reyes steals the win in the 90th minute with a great strike

FA Cup Final:
Arsenal 2 - 1 West Ham : Silva, Hleb, [Modric
Both teams looks for a goal in the first half and both come close but by half time it remains 0-0. In the 56th minute Javier Mascherano is brought down in the penalty box but he misses the penalty but Luka Modric scores the rebound. In the 64th minute Reyes comes on for Ribery, Samuel comes on for Van Bronckhorst. In the 76th minute Silva makes it 1-1. It is the end of ninety minutes and the match goes to extra time. At half-time in extra time Adebayor comes on for Tevez. Hleb gives Arsenal a perfect start to the second half of extra time with a goal in the 107th minute and Arsenal hold out for the win and they win the FA Cup

May Notes:
Arsenal finish second in the league, five points behind Chelsea
Arsenal Reserves have won the English Reserves Group 2 title
Arsenal U18's retain their 18's Group 7 title
Toure, Baptista, Lehmann, Gallas and Silva are name in the players team of the year
Baptista wins English Footballer of the Year
Man Utd with the ECC cup with a 4-3 win on penalties
Tevez, Toure, Baptista are selected in the ECC dream team

END OF SEASON INFORMATION:

Premier League Winners: Chelsea
Relegated: Leicester, Wigan, QPR
Promoted from Championship: Reading, Birmingham, Watford

FA Cup Winners: Arsenal
League Cup Winners: Chelsea
Community Shield: Man Utd

ECC Winners: Man Utd
Euro Cup: Lyon
Euro Supercup: CSKA Moscow


Thoughts on Seasons:
Overall it was a good season, all new signings impressed a lot especially Tevez
2nd Place in the league was good and to finish just 5 points behind Chelsea in comparison to 14 the year before is good
Reaching ECC Quarter Final I am proud of
Reaching the final of the League Cup I am also proud of
Winning the FA Cup was a much needed thing, I had stated that should I fail to win silverware I’d leave Arsenal

Thoughts of Next Season:
Again Silverware is a must no doubt, I'll leave the club should i fail to bring in trophies
The squad will need to be improved, Chelsea has such strength in depth that they can suffer injuries and suspensions and still field a decent team
Try and get a few good youngsters in the hope for building for the future
I want to win some more manager of the months awards
Win the league we have improved over the past two seasons and if we don’t draw as many games this could be our time to do it

- SEASON THREE COMING SOON -

retired_gboat235

Well done, I must say that I'm thoroughly enjoying this - Keep up the good work!

retired_jamjam1

Thanks. It's bloody hard to win the league or anything else for that matter with Chelsea as opponents lol. They have got some team in my game. next season will be better. I hope.

retired_jamjam1

.:: SEASON THREE ::. "The hunt for the title"

June 2008:

England win European Football Championship after a 1-0 win over Switzerland

June notes:
Arsenal have moved up two places to second position in the European club rankings
Henry is voted Player of the year by supporters

July 2008:

Friendly:
Arsenal 13 - 0 Arsenal U18’s : Silva, Hleb, Eboue, Ribery, Henry, Tevez(2) Baptista, Boa Morte, Adebayor, Lauren, Reyes, Edmilson
A match made for shooting practice for my players and to give them all a run out as well as inspect the U18‘s. 7-0 at half time.

Friendly:
Arsenal 3 - 2 Arsenal Reserves : Hleb, Gallas, Reyes, [Merida, Van Perise]
Another match made for shooting practice and to give all players a run out and to check on my reserve players.

Ljunberg picked up a knock in the match he will be out for between two to three weeks

Friendly:
Arsenal 1 - 2 Aston Villa : Henry, [Barry, Moore]
The rest of the pre-season matches will be more competitive fixtures like this one. 1-1 at half time

Boa Morte was injured in the match and he will be out for between a month or two months
Hleb is also injured in the match and he will be out for a month

Friendly:
Arsenal 2 - 0 Liverpool : Silva, Henry
A good win for Arsenal in a match that was anything but friendly

Friendly:
Arsenal 4 - 0 Dortmund : Ljunberg, Henry, Tevez, Ribery
Another good win in the pre-season build up

Transfers In:
Edmilson - Free
Antti Niemi 5M - Fulham

Transfers Out:
Van Persie - 11m - Inter
Flamini - 3.1m - Fiorentina
Djourou - 2.5m - AC Milan
Imudia - Free - Aston Villa
Muamba - Free - Middlesbrough -
Randall - Free - Birmingham
Almunia - Free - Alaves
Lupoli - Free - Roma
O Cearuill - Released
Ogogo - Released
Lokando -Released

Loans Out:
Bendtner - Middlesbrough
Adebayor - Paris
Boa Morte - Newcastle
Lauren - Alaves

July Notes:
Arsenal rise in the rankings moving from 6th to 4th in the richest clubs in the world list
Henry wins European Footballer of the Year
Arsenal are given odds of 8-1 to win the league this season
Arsenal will play KF Tirana in the ECC 3rd Qualifying Phase
A close eye will be kept on Adebayor, Boa Morte and Lauren while they are out on loan. They are still a major part of the squad in my eyes
The sale of Van Persie was a long time coming, he had performed well for the club while here but he was unhappy and it was agreed it’s time he moved on

August 2008:

Friendly:
Arsenal 1 - 0 Juventus : Henry
Another good win for Arsenal in their final pre-season friendly

ECC 3rd Qualifying Phase Leg One:
Arsenal 6 - 0 KF Tirana : Tevez, Henry(2), Gallas, Ribery, Rosicky
Edmilson is the only injury worry ahead of the match. Michael Owen is ineligible for the match. Tevez opens the scoring in the 16th minute to make it 1-0. Tevez is then sadly injured in the 20th minute he is replaced by Reyes. Henry makes it 2-0 in the 23rd minute. Gallas scores from a header in the 47th minute to make it 3-0 to Arsenal. 3-0 at half time. Henry makes it 4-0 in the 52nd minute. Ribery makes it 5-0 in the 66th minute. In the 71st minute Walcott comes on for Ljunberg and Rosicky replaces Baptista. In the 89th minute Rosicky the sub makes it 6-0 and that is the final score

The injury Tevez sustained will rule him out for a month

Community Shield:
Arsenal 1 - 3 Chelsea : Henry, [Terry, Ballack, Adriano]
Tevez and Edmilson are injured for the match and Baptista is suspended. Michael Owen makes his debut for the club. Terry gives Chelsea the lead in the 16th minute and it’s 1-0 to Chelsea at half time. In the 71st minute Walcott replaces Ljunberg, Rosicky replaces Ribery and Hughes comes on for Toure. Owen gets a red card on his debut due to kicking out at John Terry in the 73rd minute. Ballack makes it 2-0 in the 75th minute, Henry gets one back for Arsenal in the 81st minute but any chances of a comeback are dashed when Adriano makes it 3-1 in the 84th minute

League:
Aston Villa 1 - 2 Arsenal : [Moore], Eboue, Reyes
Edmilson and Tevez are injured and not available for the match. Baptista and Owen are suspended. Moore gives Villa the lead in the 24th minute. In the 42nd minute Eboue makes it 1-1, 1-1 at half time. Reyes makes it 2-1 to Arsenal in the 51st minute. Arsenal are dominating more in the second half. In the 81st minute youngster Barazite comes on for Henry, Rosicky replaces Hleb and Samuel comes on for Van Bronckhorst. The match finishes 2-1 to Arsenal, a good winning start to the season

ECC 3rd Qualifying Phase Leg Two:
KF Tirana 0 - 3 Arsenal : [Gjata and Hoxha sent off], Henry(2), Baptista
Arsenal are in control with a 6-0 lead from the first leg. Henry gives Arsenal the lead in the 20th minute. Henry makes it 2-0 in the 44th minute. 2-0 at half-time. Elvin Gjata sent off in the 49th minute for a second yellow card. In the 61st minute Ljunberg comes on for Hleb, Rosicky replaces Henry who has taken a knock and Hughes comes on for Toure. Xhevdet Hoxha is sent off in the 69th minute for kicking out at Baptista. Baptista makes it 3-0 in the 90th minute and it finishes 3-0. 9-0 over the two legs

League:
Man City 1 - 0 Arsenal : Samaras
Baptista and Owen are suspended and Tevez is still injured so all three miss the match. Man City play well in the first half and go close on two occasions, it’s 0-0 at half time. Samaras gives Man City the perfect start to the second half with a goal in the 47th minute. In the 56th minute Montolivo misses a penalty after Lehmann saves it. Lehmann had brought down Samaras. In the 61st minute Ljunberg comes on for Hleb, Samuel replaces Van Bronckhorst and Hughes comes on for Toure. In the 82nd minute Lehmann is injured and has to come off, Gallas takes his place in between the posts.

Lehmann as broken his ankle and he will miss three months of action.

League:
Arsenal 0 - 0 Fulham :
Lehmann and Tevez are injured, Owen is still suspended. It is a big day for Antti Niemi who makes his debut in between the posts. It’s 0-0 at half time but many would say Fulham have been the better team. In the 70th minute Baptista comes on to replace Rosicky, Samuel comes on for Van Bronckhorst and Ljunberg comes on for Hleb. The match finishes 0-0 a bore draw

Reyes picked up an injury and he will be out for two weeks.

Transfers In:
Michael Owen - 13.5m - Newcastle

Loans Out:
Matthew Connolly - Rlymouth
Anthony Stokes - Notts Forest
Van Den Berg - Coventry
Walcott - Newcastle
Kerrea Gilbert - Norwich
Moses Barnett - Chester
Paul Rodgers - Leyton Orient
Nacer Barazite - Carlisle
Carl Parisio - Blackpool

August Notes:
Arsenal have been draw in Group H with Steaua, Benifca and Sparta Prague
Man Utd win the European Super Cup on penalties against Lyon
The injury to Lehmann is a huge blow. New signing Niemi will have to perform well over the coming months
I failed to sign another keeper before the deadline should Niemi get injured we are in trouble
A close eye will be kept on Walcott as he enjoys his loan spell at Newcastle, he is still a quad player but at least this way he can get more regular appearances

September 2008:

League:
Arsenal 2 - 0 Liverpool : Rosicky, Henry
Reyes is tired so Owen partners Henry upfront. Toure, Eboue are on international duty. Rosicky makes it 1-0 to Arsenal in the 32nd minute. It’s 1-0 at half-time. Henry makes it 2-0 to Arsenal in the 72nd minute. In the 74th minute Baptista replaces Silva, Tevez replaces Henry and Hleb replaces Ljunberg. A great performance from Arsenal seems them win 2-0

ECC Group Stage Matchday One:
Steaua 3 - 3 Arsenal : [Negru(2), Rus (Stoica sent off)], Owen, Henry(2) (Henry sent off)
Owen gives Arsenal the lead with his first goal for the club in the 17th minute. Henry makes it 2-0 in the 21st minute. Henry gets his second in the 36th minute, 3-0. Negru pulls one back for Steaua in the 41st minute. 3-1 to Arsenal at half-time. Henry is sent off in the 49th minute for a bad tackle. Negru gets his second in the 55th minute, 3-2. Stoica is sent off in the 58th minute for his second yellow card. In the 79th minute Tevez replaces Owen, Reyes comes on for Ribery and Ljunberg comes on for Hleb. Rus makes it 3-3 in the 84th minute. The match finishes 3-3 but Arsenal should have won.

Henry is banned for two European games

League:
Newcastle 2 - 2 Arsenal : [Ameobi(2)], Silva, Rosicky
Lehmann is the only major injury worry ahead of the match, Owen will partner Henry up front to face his former club. Owen sets up Silva in the 35th minute to make it 1-0 to Arsenal. Ameobi makes it 1-1 in the 43rd minute. It’s 1-1 at half time. The second half sees Newcastle play slightly better than they did in the first half. In the 74th minute Tevez comes on to replace Owen, Reyes replaces Henry and Rosicky replaces Ribery on the wing. Ameobi makes it 2-1 to Newcastle in the 78th minute with a well taken free-kick. But sub Rosicky is on hand in the 85th minute to make it 2-2 and that’s how the match finishes

League:
Arsenal 0 - 1 West Ham : [Noble]
Samuel replaces a tired Van Bronckhorst at left back. Tevez and Henry start up front. Summer signing Edmilson is on the bench and he should play some part in the match. The first half sees Arsenal dominate but despite this it is 0-0 at half-time. In the 51st minute Tevez is sent off for kicking out at a player. In the 67th minute a Noble free-kick gives the visitors the lead. In the 70th minute Edmilson replaces Baptista, Reyes comes on for Ribery and Ljunberg replaces Hleb. The match finishes 1-0 to West Ham, Arsenal should have won the match but Tevez’s red card was the turning point.

ECC Group Stage Matchday Two:
Arsenal 2 - 0 Sparta : Gallas, Owen, [Vrana and Hornak sent off]
Henry is suspended so Tevez and Reyes start up front, Edmilson is ineligible for the match. Van Bronckhorst once again starts at left-back with Samuel on the bench. Following a draw on me Matchday One Arsenal need all three points here. In the 35th minute a Gallas header gives Arsenal the 1-0 lead and that is the score at half-time. Vrana is sent off in the 50th minute for Sparta because he kicked out at Van Bronckhorst. Hornak is sent off for Sparta in the 68th minute for his second yellow card. In the 71st minute Owen replaces Tevez who has picked up a knock, Rosicky comes on for Ribery and Ljunberg replaces Hleb. Rosicky is injured in the 81st minute and Arsenal have to play the last nine minutes with ten men. In the 89th minute Michael Owen makes certain of the win with a goal, assisted by great play by Reyes

The injury Rosicky picked up will rule him out for three weeks

League:
Charlton 3 - 3 Arsenal : [Meira, Sorondo, Ambrose], Reyes(2), Baptista, (Gallas sent off)
Tevez is banned for the match so Reyes and Henry will start up front. Fernando Meira makes it 1-0 to Charlton in the 8th minute with a well placed free-kick. Reyes makes it 1-1 in the 45th minute so the teams are level at half-time. Baptista makes it 2-1 in the 50th minute. Sorondo makes it 2-1 in the 59th minute. Reyes scores his second in the 70th minute and it’s 3-2. In the 72nd minute Owen replaces Henry, Edmilson replaces Baptista and Ljunberg comes on for Hleb. In the 81st minute Gallas is sent off for his second yellow card. Ambrose scores in the 86th minute to earn Charlton a point

September Notes:
Arsenal are given odds of 14-1 to win the ECC title
Arsenal will play Luton in the 3rd round of the League Cup
Eboue had been saying for the last few months he wanted a new challenge and in January he will go to Roma for 10 million. He has been a great asset for the team.
Arsenal finish September shockingly in twelfth position, already ten points behind league leaders (you guessed it) Chelsea

retired_jamjam1

October 2008:

League:
Arsenal 2 - 2 Bolton : Toure, Owen, [Anelka, Vaz Te]
Lehmann and Rosicky are sill both injured. Gallas and Tevez are suspended. Toure makes it 1-0 with a fine header in the 22nd minute. Anelka makes it 1-1 just before half-time in the 42nd minute. It’s 1-1 at the break. Vaz Te makes it 2-1 to Bolton in the 55th minute. Hleb has picked up a knock so he is replaced by Ljunberg in the 66th minute. In the 81st minute Owen comes on for Reyes and Samuel replaces Van Bronckhorst. In the 85th minute Owen earns a point for Arsenal with a well taken goal.

Hleb will be out of action for a week following the injury he picked up.

Tevez doesn’t turn up for a training session and he is fined two weeks wages and he will now start on the bench against Benfica

ECC Group Stage Matchday Three:
Benfica 1 - 2 Arsenal : [Fonseca], Reyes(2)
Baptista, Tevez and Silva are on international duty. Henry is suspended. In the second minute Owen is injured and he is replaced by Samuel, Arsenal go to a 5-4-1 formation. Reyes makes it 1-0 to Arsenal in the 41st minute, Ribery makes it 2-0 in the 44th minute, it’s 2-0 at half-time. Fonseca makes it 2-1 in the 63rd minute. Benfica start to pile on the pressure. In the 80th minute Hughes comes on for Van Bronckhorst

Michael Owen will be out for four weeks following the injury he picked up.

League:
Arsenal 1 - 3 Tottenham : Henry, (Baptista sent off), [Ziegler, Crouch, Berbatov]
All players return from international duty but they all start on the bench, Lehmann and Owen are out through injury. Henry makes it 1-0 in the 16th minute. Arsenal dominate the first half and deserve their 1-0 lead at the break. Ziegler makes it 1-1 in the 65th minute with a superb free-kick. In the 70th minute Silva comes on for Rosicky, Baptista replaces Hleb and Tevez replaces Reyes. In the 84th minute Baptista is sent off for pushing Keane in the chest. Crouch makes it 2-1 to Tottenham, in the 86th minute and it’s 3-1 to Tottenham at full-time thanks to a Berbatov goal in the 90th minute

League Cup Third Round:
Luton 1 - 4 Arsenal : [Rose], Reyes(2), Henry(2)
Owen and Lehmann are injured and miss out. Baptista is suspended. Samuel, Edmilson and Hughes all get starts. Reyes gets Arsenal off to a great start with a goal in the 2nd minute, Reyes makes it 2-0 in the 16th minute. Henry makes it 3-0 in the 19th minute and it’s 3-0 at the half-time break. Henry makes it 4-0 in the 58th minute. Daniel Rose pulls one back for Luton in the 69th minute. In the 71st minute Gallas comes on for Edmilson, Tevez comes on for Hleb and Rosicky replaces Ribery. The match finishes 4-1 to Arsenal

League:
Birmingham 0 - 1 Arsenal : Baptista
Arsenal have a full strength squad minus Lehmann and Owen who are still injured. Arsenal dominate the first-half but it’s 0-0 at the break. Baptista makes it 1-0 in the 73rd minute. In the 75th minute Ljunberg replaces Ribery, Tevez replaces Henry and Toure replaces Rosicky. Arsenal win the match 1-0 but in truth it was a boring match but three points is three points

ECC Group Stage Matchday Four:
Arsenal 1 - 1 Benfica : Baptista, [Fiore]
Lehmann and Owen miss out thro injury. Henry is suspended. Baptista makes it 1-0 to Arsenal in the 27th minute. It’s 1-0 at half-time but it is a dull match so far. In the 71st minute Toure replaces Rosicky, Ljunberg replaces Hleb and Samuel replaces Tevez. Fiore makes it 1-1 in the 84th minute and that is how the match finishes

Baptista will miss the next European match as he reaches his yellow cards limit

October Notes:
Arsenal will play Everton in the fourth round of the league cup
Arsenal finish October ninth in the league, twelve points behind leaders Chelsea but with one game less played than the league leaders


November 2008:

League:
Arsenal 1 - 1 Chelsea : Henry, [Ballack]
Lehmann and Owen are still both injured but they will be back in action soon. Baptista is suspended. Ballack gives Chelsea in the lead in the 12th minute. It’s 1-0 to Chelsea at half-time and they are in full control. Arsenal start the second half much better and Henry makes it 1-1 in the 57th minute. In the 77th minute Tevez comes on for Reyes, Rosicky replaces Ljunberg and Samuel comes on for Van Bronckhorst. The match finishes 1-1 and Arsenal will be happy with the point

Henry and Ribery will miss the next domestic match as both reach their yellow cards limit

Lehmann and Owen are back from their injuries and will play a reserve matches until they are match fit

League Cup Fourth Round:
Arsenal 3 - 3 Everton (Arsenal win 3-1 on penalties) : Tevez, Van Bronckhorst, Baptista, [Beattie, Johnson(2)]
Ribery and Henry miss out through suspension. Tevez gets Arsenal off to a flyer with a goal in the 4th minute. Toure is injured in the 12th minute and he is replaced by Hughes. Van Bronckhorst makes it 2-0 in the 37th minute with a great long range effort. Beattie scores in the 45th minute so it’s 2-1 at half-time. Andrew Johnson makes it 2-2 in the 54th minute. A Baptista header in the 75th minute makes it 3-2 to Arsenal. A Andrew Johnson goal in the 80th minute makes it 3-3. The match now has to go to extra-time. Rosicky replaces Ljunberg for the start of extra time. The teams are still level at half time in extra time. Samuel replaces Van Bronckhorst during the break. The match goes to penalties. Johnson steps up for Everton and Niemi saves it. Tevez steps up and scores 1-0 to Arsenal. Babic steps up for Everton and scores 1-1. Baptista steps up confidently and makes it 2-1 to Arsenal. Simon Davies steps up for Everton and Niemi saves it. 2-1 to Arsenal it remains. Silva is the next penalty kicker for Arsenal and he misses the shot as he puts it over the bar. Phil Neville steps up and amazingly Niemi saves it. Arsenal win if Hleb converts his penalty and he does. Arsenal progress 3-1 on penalties. What a match!

Toure will be out for a week following the injury he picked up.

League:
Arsenal 2 - 1 Everton : Tevez, Henry, (Baptista sent off), [Johnson]
Owen returns to the bench for this match. Tevez makes it 1-0 in the 19th minute and then in the 27th minute Henry makes it 2-0. Baptista is sent off just before half-time for his second yellow of the game. In the 51st minute Johnson pulls one back for Everton. 2-1. In the 70th minute Reyes comes on for Ribery, Rosicky comes on for Tevez and Owen replaces Henry, Arsenal go to a 4-4-1 formation. Arsenal hold out for the win.

ECC Group Stage Matchday Five:
Arsenal 1 - 0 Steaua: Gallas
Lehmann returns to action for Arsenal. Silva and Tevez are away on international duty. Baptista is suspended. Owen starts up front with Henry. Despite Arsenal dominating and having the best chances of the half it’s 0-0 at half time. Henry has picked up a knock so he is replaced by Ljunberg during the break. Reyes moves up to partner Owen up front. Gallas gives Arsenal the lead in the 49th minute with a great header. In the 77th minute Ribery is replaced by Samuel and Rosicky is replaced by Hughes. The goal from Gallas is enough for the win

Arsenal have qualified from Group H to advance to the first knockout round

League:
West Brom 0 - 2 Arsenal : Henry, Tevez
Baptista is suspended for the match. Henry makes it 1-0 in the 16th minute. It’s 1-0 to Arsenal at half-time and they have been dominating. The second half sees Henry and Owen both go close but it remains 1-0. In the 73rd minute. Tevez comes on for Owen, Rosicky replaces Ribery and Ljunberg replaces Hleb. In the 91st minute Tevez makes it 2-0 and Arsenal hold on and win the match

League:
Arsenal 2 - 0 Portsmouth : Owen, Hleb
For the first time in a long while Arsenal have a full squad ahead of the match. Owen partners Henry up front while Baptista returns to the midfield leaving Reyes on the bench. Owen makes it 1-0 in the 34th minute after great play by Henry. It’s 1-0 at half-time. Hleb makes it 2-0 in the 66th minute with a great diving header. In the 75th minute Reyes replaces Henry, Tevez replaces Owen and Samuel replaces Van Bronckhorst. Arsenal win the match 2-0

Arsenal’s good form continues since Lehmann’s return. Three wins and Three clean sheets in a row

Ljunberg has injured himself in training and he will miss four weeks of action

League:
Watford 0 - 1 Arsenal : Henry
Ljunberg misses out through injury the line-up is the same as the one that beat Portsmouth in the last game. Baptista is injured in the 23rd minute and Reyes comes on to replace him. The match is 0-0 at half-time which is surprising considering it has been all Arsenal doing the attacking. Henry opens the scoring in the 64th minute with a great free-kick. In the 77th minute Tevez replaces Owen and Hughes replaces Toure. Arsenal hold out for the 1-0 win but to be honest they could have and should have won easily by more

The injury Baptista has picked up will rule him out for a month


November Notes:
I win manager of the month for November
Henry wins goal of the month for his strike against Everton in the league
Although Lehmann has returned to action Niemi has redeemed himself for some poor performances with the great saves he made in the shoot-out against Everton. But Lehmann still is by far the number one choice.
Arsenal will play Man City in the League Cup Quarter Final
November is a good month for Arsenal they do well in the league and in the league cup
Lehmann’s return has defiantly improved the squad and they are on form with the wins and the clean sheets adding up
Arsenal will play League Two side Oldham in the FA Cup Third Round
Arsenal finish November fifth in the league, nine points behind the leaders Chelsea but they have played a game less

December 2008:

ECC Group Stage Matchday Six:
Sparta 1 - 3 Arsenal : [Kurban], Owen, Henry(2)
Ljunberg and Baptista miss the match through injury. Owen makes it 1-0 to Arsenal in the 35th minute with a great strike. Henry makes it 2-0 in the 37th minute with a fabulous 25 yard strike. Henry gets his second in the 41st minute and it’s 3-0 to Arsenal at half-time. Van Bronckhorst picks up an injury in the 56th minute and he is replaced by Samuel. Kuban scores for Sparta in the 72nd minute to make it 3-1. In the 74th minute Hughes replaces Toure and Tevez comes on he replaces Owen. The match finishes 3-1, another vintage performance from Arsenal

Van Bronckhorst will be out of action for two months following the injury he picked up

League:
Arsenal 1 - 0 Blackburn : Owen, [Ryan Nelson sent off ]
Van Bronckhorst, Baptista and Ljunberg are missing through injury. Samuel starts at left back in place of Van Bronckhorst. Owen makes it 1-0 in the 8th minute with a superb volley. His goal means it’s 1-0 at half-time. Ryan Nelson is sent off for Blackburn in the 50th minute for a cynical foul. Arsenal dominate the midfield for the rest of the second half. In the 82nd minute Rosicky replaces Reyes, Tevez comes on for Henry and Hughes replaces Toure. The match finishes 1-0. Another good win for Arsenal in the league as they try to catch up with league leaders Chelsea

League:
Middlesbrough - Arsenal : [Euell] Henry(2), Silva
Van Bronckhorst, Baptista and Ljunberg are missing through injury. Edmilson is called up to take his place on the bench. Henry makes it 1-0 to Arsenal in the 9th minute with a nice strike. A 30 yard strike from Silva in the 33rd minute makes it 2-0. Jason Euell makes it 2-1 in the 43rd minute but Arsenal’s two goal lead is restored just before half-time when Henry gets his second in the 45th minute, 3-1 at half-time. Samuel has picked up a knock and he is replaced by Edmilson in the 67th minute. In the 76th minute Tevez comes on for Owen and Hughes comes on for Toure. The match finishes 3-1 to Arsenal.

Samuel will be out for about a week following his injury

League:
Reading 1 - 1 Arsenal : [Harper], Reyes
Van Bronckhorst, Baptista and Ljunberg are missing through injury. The first half is a pretty poor one with only one real chance in the half and Henry curled the shot wide. 0-0 at half-time. The second half is also a poor affair but it livens up when Reyes puts Arsenal ahead with a great 30 yard strike in the 71st minute to make it 1-0. In the 73rd minute Tevez replaces Owen, Hughes comes on for Toure and Edmilson replaces Gallas. Harper earns reading a draw with a goal in the 86th minute, it finishes 1-1 and it was a dire match

League Cup Quarter Final:
Arsenal 1 - 0Man City:
Van Bronckhorst, Baptista and Ljunberg are missing through injury. Tevez starts up front, Owen is on the bench. Rosicky starts in the midfield he replaces Reyes who is on the bench. The first half is a quiet affair with Man City having the best chance but good hands from Lehmann means it’s 0-0 at half-time. The second half is also a dull affair for the most part, Ribery picks up a knock and in the 75th minute he is replaced by Reyes. At the end of the 90 minutes it’s still 0-0 so extra time is needed. Tevez is replaced by Owen at the start of extra time. It is still 0-0 by the time half-time in extra time comes around. Edmilson replaces Rosicky during the break. The match looks like it is heading for penalties when a good pass from Silva sets up Henry to make it 1-0 in the 116th minute. Arsenal advance to the semi-finals
Arsenal’s good form in the league cup continues, under manager Brian Houlihan they have reached the semi finals and have been beaten finalists in the last two seasons and once again they’re in the Semi Finals

League:
Arsenal 1 - 1 Aston Villa : Owen, [Laursen]
Van Bronckhorst, Baptista and Ljunberg are missing through injury. Silva is in need of rest so Edmilson takes his place in midfield. Owen and Henry start up front. Owen gives Arsenal the lead in the 14th minute after good play by Henry, 1-0 to Arsenal. It’s 1-0 at half-time but only because of good goalkeeping by Sorenson who denies Henry and Owen on two occasions. Laursen scores a header in the 54th minute to make it 1-1. In the 71st minute Tevez comes on for Owen, Reyes replaces Edmilson and Hughes comes on for Toure. The match finishes 1-1 which is a fair result for both teams

Ljunberg is now back doing some light training. Silva has been sent on a holiday for a week to recuperate

League:
Fulham 1 - 0 Arsenal : [Diop]
Van Bronckhorst and Baptista are still injured. Ljunberg is fit again but he needs match practice so he is currently playing with the reserves. Silva is on holiday. Diop gives Fulham a 1-0 lead in the match. At half-time it’s 1-0 to Fulham who are playing well. The second half sees Arsenal waste a few chances to level the match. In the 70th minute Tevez replaces Owen, Reyes replaces Edmilson and Hughes replaces Toure. Fulham hold on for a hard earned win

The Arsenal players are given a week of rest from training ahead of the FA Cup Third round match. They have had a tiring season and they have earned a break

December Notes:
Arsenal will play Barcelona in the ECC first knockout round
Arsenal will play Aston Villa in the Semi Finals of the League Cup. Chelsea and Portsmouth are the opponents in the other final. Arsenal versus Chelsea final a huge possibility
Arsenal finish December in fifth place in the league, 14 points behind league leaders Chelsea but they have played a game less than Chelsea

retired_sachin_g006

Tough draw in ECC, should beat Aston Villa though, time to get revenge on Chelsea in the final

retired_jamjam1

Yeah I can see us beating Villa, Barcelona will be tough.

And well I could pull my hair out at the thought of Chelsea. They are in my game at least by far the best team going, they rarely slip up

retired_jamjam1

January 2009:

FA Cup Third Round:
Arsenal 2 - 0 Oldham : Henry(2)
Baptista and Van Bronckhorst are still both injured and miss the match. Toure has gone to right back after Eboue was sold to Roma, Hughes now takes Toure’s position in the centre of the defence. Henry makes it 1-0 in the 3rd minute. Amazingly it’s only 1-0 at half-time as Arsenal have totally dominated the match and they have had plenty of chances. Henry makes it 2-0 with a goal in the 52nd minute. In the 74th minute Ljunberg returns to action for the first time in a over a month when he replaces Hleb, Tevez comes on for Owen and Edmilson replaces Reyes. Arsenal win the match 2-0 but they should have won it by more.

Arsenal will play Watford in the fourth round of the FA Cup later this month

League Cup Semi Final Leg One:
Arsenal 3 - 2 Aston Villa : Henry(2), Owen, [Johnson, Petrov]
Samuel has picked up an injury in the 6th minute and he is replaced by Edmilson. Henry makes it 1-0 in the 24th minute. Glen Johnson equalises for Villa in the 33rd minute. At half time it’s 1-1. Owen gives Arsenal a great start to the second half with a goal in the 46th minute. Owen picks up a knock and in the 54th minute he is replaced by Tevez. Petrov makes it 2-2 with a great header in the 72nd minute. In the 86th minute Rosicky replaces Ribery. Henry makes it 3-2 in the 89th minute and that’s how the match finishes. Arsenal will take a one goal lead into the second leg

The injury Owen picked up will rule him out for a month
The injury Samuel picked up will rule him out for between one month and two months

League:
Arsenal 1 - 0 Man City : Henry
Owen, Samuel and Van Bronckhorst are out through injury. Baptista returns from injury and he will be on the subs bench. Diaby is called up to the substitutes bench, he has made only nine senior appearances in the last two seasons. Reyes picks up a knock in the 14th minute and he is replaced by Baptista. The match is 0-0 at half-time a dull encounter with the only highlight of the first half being Henry’s shot that hit the woodwork. Henry makes it 1-0 in the 67th minute with a well taken goal. In the 73rd minute Rosicky comes on instead of Ribery and Diaby replaces Silva. Arsenal hold on for the win despite a lot of pressure in the dying minutes.

Reyes will be out for a week following an injury he picked up

Van Bronckhorst has now resumed training.

League:
Arsenal 2 - 0 Newcastle : Henry, Tevez
Owen and Samuel are injured for this match, Van Bronckhorst is on the bench. Both keepers are kept busy during the first half with chances for each time it looks to be heading for a goalless half when Henry slots home a nice curling shot in the 44th minute, 1-0 to Arsenal at half-time. Hleb has picked up a knock and he is replaced by Reyes for the second half. The second half is once again end to end with both keeprs having to make saves. In the 77th minute Tevez manages to squeeze a shot past Given and it’s 2-0 to Arsenal. In the 80th minute Van Bronckhorst comes on for Gallas and Rosicky replaces Ribery. The match finishes 2-0 and it was a hard fought victory

Baptista will miss the next domestic match as he has picked up 5 yellow cards
Reyes picked up a minor knock and he will be out for a week
Hleb also picked up an injury and he will be out for three weeks

League Cup Semi Final Leg Two:
Aston Villa 1 - 3 Arsenal : [Moore], Tevez, Henry, Ribery
Samuel, Hleb and Owen are injured and Baptista is suspended for the match. Reyes is short of match fit and he starts on the bench. Diaby starts in the centre of midfield. A mistake by Sorenson from a goal kick allows Tevez to score an easy goal in the 29th minute. 1-0 to Arsenal. Henry makes it 2-0 in the 35th minute. Villa need a miracle now to progress to the final. 2-0 at half-time. During the break Diaby who has picked up a knock is replaced by Van Bronckhorst. Moore gives Villa a dream start to the second half with a cheeky chip in the 47th minute to make it 2-1. In the 78th minute with the match dead and buried Reyes comes on for Tevez and Niemi comes on for Lehmann. Ribery gets his name on the score sheet in the 89th minute to make it 3-1 and the match finishes just minutes later. Arsenal have progressed to the final. 3-1 on the day and 6-3 over the two legs

Diaby was injured during the match and he will miss three weeks of action

FA Cup Fourth Round:
Watford 1 - 1 Arsenal : [King], Henry
Owen, Diaby, Hleb and Samuel are injured for the match. Baptista returns to the midfield after serving his ban. Henry opens the scoring in the 18th minute to make it 1-0 to Arsenal. Arsenal dominate the half and at half-time it’s 1-0. King makes it 1-1 in the 59th minute. In the 75th minute Reyes replaces Tevez and Edmilson comes on for Silva. Neither team can find the winner and a replay is now needed but Arsenal were the better team

League:
West Ham 2 - 1 Arsenal : [Aranburu, Cole], Henry, (Baptista sent off)
Owen, Diaby, Hleb and Samuel are injured for the match. Henry opens the scoring in the 32nd minute with a well placed shot. The lead is short lived though as Aranburu levels the game in the 36th minute. It’s 1-1 at half-time. Carlton Cole makes it 2-1 to West Ham in the 56th minute, In the 65th minute Baptista is sent off for his second yellow card of the game. In the 70th minute Reyes comes on for Tevez and Edmilson replaces Hughes. West Ham hold out for the 2-1 win. Arsenal fans will be disappointed with the performance

On the transfer deadline day
Arsenal have signed Geremi from Inter Milan
Arsenal have signed Sol Campbell from Wigan
Arsenal have signed Jermaine Pennant from Liverpool
Arsenal have signed Mark Viduka from Southampton

League:
Arsenal 0 - 0 Charlton :
New signings Geremi, Campbell, Pennant and Viduka start on the bench for the match. Arsenal are very poor looking in the first half with all the chances going Charlton’s way but it somehow manages to be 0-0 at half-time. Pennant comes on for Rosicky at half-time to make his debut. The second half sees Arsenal play a bit better but they still can’t find the net. In the 75th minute Tevez is replaced by debutant Viduka and Hughes is replaced by another debutant Geremi. The match finishes 0-0. A bore draw

Ribery will miss three weeks of action following an injury he picked up


Transfers In:
Geremi - 2m - Inter
Campbell - 3k - Wigan
Pennant - 4.1m - Liverpool
Viduka - 3k - Southampton

Transfers Out:
Eboue - 10m - Roma

Loans Out:
Carlos Vela - Valencia
Ljunberg - Juventus

Returning Players:
Nacer Barazite has returned from his loan spell at Carlisle. While there he played 26 times and scored 10 times. He also had 5 assists and 5 man of the match rewards.

January Notes:
Arsenal will face Chelsea in the League Cup Final
New signings Geremi, Campbell, Pennant and Viduka were all brought in as backup for the squad.
Arsenal finish January in seventh place, eighteen points behind leaders Chelsea but they have played two games less than Chelsea

February 2009:

Henry was injured while on international duty he will miss two weeks of action
Hughes was injured while on international duty he will miss a week to two weeks of action

FA Cup Fourth Round Replay:
Arsenal 0 - 1 Watford : [King]
Hughes, Ribery and Henry are injured. Baptista is suspended while Pennant and Viduka are cup-tied. Arsenal might have a weakened team on the pitch but they dominate the first half and they are unlucky that it is 0-0 at half-time. Watford play well in the second half and in the 69th minute Marlon King makes it 1-0. In the 72nd minute Sol Campbell replaces Toure, Diaby replaces Rosicky and Edmilson replaces Silva. The match ends 1-0 and Arsenal are dumped out of the FA Cup

League:
Liverpool 1 - 2 Arsenal : [Fowler], Tevez, Baptista
Hughes, Ribery, Diaby and Henry are injured, Viduka is on international duty. Tevez gives Arsenal the perfect start with a goal in the 2nd minute. Baptista makes it 2-0 in the 40th minute. 2-0 to Arsenal at half-time what a performance by Arsenal. Van Bronckhorst has picked up a knock and is replaced by Samuel during the break. In the 55th minute Reyes comes on for Owen who has picked up a knock. In the 64th minute Gerrard is brought down by Samuel in the box, Fowler steps up and converts the penalty. In the 80th minute Rosicky comes on for Hleb. Arsenal win the match 2-1

Van Bronckhorst will be out for a week following the injury he picked up

ECC First Knockout Round Leg One:
Barcelona 5 - 0 Arsenal : [Eto(2), Ronaldinho, Messi, Deco]
Henry is injured, Pennant is suspended and Geremi is ineligible for the match. Eto gives Barcelona the lead in the 3rd minute. Ronaldinho makes it 2-0 in the 13th minute. Messi makes it 3-0 in the 20th minute, what a horrible start for Arsenal. Deco makes it 4-0 in the 22nd minute, Arsenal are sinking without a trace. Eto makes it 5-0 in the 42nd minute. It’s 5-0 at half-time something drastic needs to be done to save face. During the break Campbell comes on for Hughes, Edmilson comes on for Tevez and Samuel comes on for Owen. Arsenal are going to defend as much as they can in the second half. Arsenal keep Barca at bay during the second half, Baptista is sent off in the 85th minute for his second yellow card. The match ends 5-0 all the damage was done in the first 22 minutes

Toure will be out for two months following a bad injury he picked up

League Cup Final:
Arsenal 0 - 0 Chelsea : (Chelsea wins 4-2 on penalties)
Toure, Campbell, Pennant, Viduka are unavailable for the match. Hleb is injured in the 10th minute and he is replaced by Reyes. Sahar is sent off for Chelsea in the 32nd minute for his second yellow of the game. It’s 0-0 at half-time. Arsenal play better in the early part of the second half with Owen hitting the woodwork. In the 75th minute, Henry comes on for Owen and Geremi replaces Hughes. At the end of 90 minutes it’s 0-0. Extra time is needed. Both teams have chances in the half but neither can convert them so at half-time in extra-time it’s still 0-0. By the end of the second half it’s still 0-0 and penalties are needed. What a final. Henry steps up and converts 1-0, Ballack steps up and he converts 1-1. Reyes steps up and it’s saved it’s still 1-1, Ballack steps up and converts 2-1 to Chelsea. Baptista steps up and he converts it’s 2-2, Carvalho steps up and scores 3-2. Tevez misses his penalty giving 17 year old Chris Flynn the chance to win it for Chelsea and he scores it confidently. Chelsea win 4-2 on penalties

Hleb will be out for a month following the injury he picked up

.:: MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENT ::.
Following the team’s loss to Chelsea in the league cup final I have decided that I will resign from the club and look elsewhere for a challenge. Having spent quite a bit of money in the past three seasons and having only brought in one domestic cup I think it’s time I moved on and let the club have it’s bright future under the guidance of someone else. I am sad to leave the club but I am doing it for them more so than me.

February Notes:
Getting dumped out of the FA Cup in the Fourth Round by Watford is a low point of my career at Arsenal
The 5-0 defeat to Barcelona was the worst game I have been in charge of during my spell here.
The loss to Chelsea in the league cup is the final nail in the coffin for my career at Arsenal

I will continue my story in a new thread once I find a job. Thanks for reading all.