Tag: Arsenal

TOUGH FIGHT

    admin

Unlike in the previous seasons when Arsenal used to be in a strong position when it came to the challenge for the top four positions, the club are really facing a tough fight from Everton and Tottenham this season. There are only 13 matches left in the Premier league this season, and Arsenal are four points behind the fourth placed Tottenham. Finishing in the fourth position has always been viewed as the main priority for Arsenal in recent seasons because it helped them to compete in the group stages of the Champions League and walk home with all the riches on offer.

Arsenal recently managed to return to winning ways in the matches against West Ham, but the 2-2 draw with Liverpool hurt the chances of the club finishing in the top of massively. As a result, Wenger revealed that he wants his players against dropping any more points in the league if they are to finish in the top four ahead of the match with Stoke city during the weekend. It seemed to pay off after the club managed a slender 1-0 victory over Tony Pulis and his men. This victory meant that Arsenal stayed four points behind Tottenham, who managed a 1-0 win over West Brom.

“I said already before the West Ham and Liverpool games, that we are in a position where we cannot drop points. We dropped two points against Liverpool but we couldn’t do it again today. What is more important is the quality of performances is there. The spirit is there. The target to be in the top four and to focus on the two cups we are still in is very important now as we have strengthened our belief and our confidence,” said Wenger. Arsenal also have the European tie with Bayern Munich in the corner.

BARTLEY MOVES TO SWANSEA

    admin

Kyle Bartley was regarded as one of the promising youngsters to come out of the Arsenal youth academy in recent seasons, but a number of injuries have meant that he had been unable to break into the Arsenal first team. As a result, the 21-year-old decided to join Swansea on a permanent basis. Once again, injuries have prevented him from showing his full potential for his new club, but the defender is hoping that the second half of the season will be much better for him. He has made just one appearance is joining the club this summer.

However, he could be set for making an appearance against his former club when Swansea take on Arsenal at the Liberty stadium in the FA Cup third-round match on Sunday. Bartley has said that Arsenal have achieved so much this season had they been lucky with the injury to Jack Wilshere. The England international only recently returned to first team action after missing most than 17 months of football due to injury. He was initially earmarked as the replacement for Cesc Fabregas after the Spaniard left for Barcelona more than a year ago, but Wilshere has started showing his influence only recently. Bartley believes that Arsenal will make up the positions in the table sooner rather than later due to the return of Wilshere.

“I still speak to the likes of Jack Wilshere, Kieran Gibbs, Emmanuel Frimpong and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, all players that I got on well with during my time there. I played alongside Jack for the majority of my time at the club and he is a fantastic player. I’m glad he’s back to full fitness and you can tell from how Arsenal are playing now that they have missed him an awful lot,” said Bartley ahead of the match with Arsenal on Sunday.