Kvällens Arsenal - 14 februari
Nu är det snart dags till mötet med Barcelona. Det märks i dagens Arsenal där Fabregas, Walcott och Song pratar om lagets chanser. Wenger berättar också att det finns en chans till spel för Samir Nasri.
Wenger
Om mötet med Barcelona
Förra säsongen när Arsenal mötte Barcelona hemma på the Emirates så gjorde katalanerna sin bästa halvlek för säsongen. Chockerande nog så har laget blivit ännu bättre till den här säsongen med bland annat 16 segrar i rad i ligan och final i spanska cupen och lätt vidare till åttondelarna i Champions League. Arsene Wenger menar dock att Arsenal också har blivit bättre i år. Samtidigt som laget är i en bättre form med mindre skador.
“We are different because we are in better form going into this game than we were last year and in a better shape physically. Going into this game last year we had some players who were not available, some who were not 100 per cent going into the game. I believe we are more mature as well. Having said that, I concede as well that Barcelona is even stronger than last year. But I think we can give them a very interesting test. They got better as a team, that doesn’t mean they produce every week the 45 minutes they produced against us at Emirates Stadium last season. I believe I don’t want to deny anything of their quality in their first 45 minutes against us. I believe as well that we were spectators of their game in the first half and that’s what we want to stop.”, säger Wenger.
Just dom 30 första minutrarna i mötet på Emirates var nog bland det värsta man har sett ett lag prestera enligt Wenger är det den bästa fotbollen han har sett från motståndarsidan i sin tid som tränare. Men matchen slutade 2-2 efter storspela av Almunia(!) och ett fint inhopp av Theo Walcott.
“It was the best I have played against, personally in the first 30 minutes. Despite all that, I have regrets because we finished the game 2-2. I think we could have won the game if we had been a bit more focused in the first ten minutes of the second half. We conceded two goals at a moment where we were not under pressure and we were not at all in a position where we needed to concede these two goals. If we had conceded in the first 20 minutes I would have said we deserved them, we deserved more than two. But after that you had regrets for not having won the game. It will be a very interesting test on Wednesday, we are waiting passionately for it.”, säger Wenger.
Wenger pekar också på att Arsenal kommer nog bara sakna Samir Nasri på onsdag vilket är ett mycket bättre skadeläge än det senaste mötet. Robin van Persie lyfts fram som en stor del i det.
“Personally I believe we go into the Barcelona game in better shape than last year and Robin is part of that. We had many uncertainties [last year], the team for me had less confidence. Now we have matured better and we can certainly compete technically better with them. In the first game last season, Robin was injured, Gallas went off at half time, Arshavin went off after 15 minutes while Song and Fabregas [didn’t play] in the second game. We are in a better shape this time.”, säger Wenger.
De enda som tror(och hoppas) på Arsenal i nuläget är Arsene Wenger, spelarna och fansen. Det ger utgångsläget att pressen ligger på gästerna på onsdag något som Wenger hoppas kan ge Gunners krafter att vinna matchen.
“Anybody who beats Barcelona and knocks them out is straight away favourites for the competition. It would be a fantastic boost to beat them, that tells you how big this game is. We are not favourites so it takes a little bit the pressure off our shoulders. On the other hand we are very ambitious and we want to show that we can knock them out.”
På hemmaplan kommer Wenger att satsa allt framåt men på Camp Nou kan det fråga om att parkera bussen beroende på onsdagens resultat.
“I believe, if we manage to get them under pressure, we will create chances. Ideally that is something we can work on before the game. Sometimes you have that extra special focus in these kind of games which makes you more efficient, so hopefully we have that. The question at the Nou Camp you can wonder is will we change the way we play? But here at Emirates Stadium, we will try to play to our strengths. We will try to attack the other team. If we play in the final third defensively, we will not only be happy, it will not be our game.”
Nasri kommer inte att riskeras
Jag har suttit stora delar av dagen och uppdaterat news now för att se om Nasri är spelklar för Barcamatchen. Men inget av värde har dykt upp. Fransmannen har haft ett test i dag och kommer ha ett imorgn för att se om hans lår håller för spel. Wenger sa efter Wolvesmatchen att han inte tänker chansa med Arsenals bästa spelare för säsongen. Vilket kan vara klokt med tanke på att det kommer fler viktiga matcher som man Nasri ska vara på planen istället för på massagebänken.
“He’ll have tests. One on Monday, one on Tuesday. He has worked very hard in the last week. Physically he is ready, just is there a risk to have a setback. I will not take a crazy gamble. Who isn't desperate to play. But there is another game in three weeks. We also have Leyton Orient, the Carling Cup Final, we have so many games coming up it is important not to be stupid.”, säger Wenger.
Spelarna
Wilshere vill spela fysiskt
Jack Wilshere tror att Arsenal måste vara lite "nasty" i matchen mot Barcelona. Med det tror jag inte att man kommer köra någon benbrytarstil utan snarare att man måste se till att stå upp och spela fysiskt hela laget.
"We need to get in their faces and when we've got the ball try to keep it. We've got to change our game a bit to play against Barcelona. We'll learn from last year. We need to be a bit nasty with them and get the ball back. We have to press them as a team, there's no point one of us going after them."
"I remember we played our game basically, passing it around, and this year we have to show them what we're about. When we've got the ball, we've got to keep it as well as they can. Barcelona were great last year, especially in the first half at the Emirates. That's the game we want to play and they played us at our own game and they were brilliant. But you want to win every game, so we'll go into the Barcelona match looking for the win. It's important we get a win to take to their place in the second leg."
Walcott vill ha större roll i år
Walcott fick fint sitta på bänken tills andra halvlek då han kom in och såg till att reducera och få igång Gunners. I år tror Walcott att det kommer gå bättre, det kan iallafall inte gå sämre menar engelsmannen.
"We're looking forward to it, it's going to be a great, great battle. It's one of the games you want to play in and hopefully the result can be different from last year. I believe we can do much better than last season; we can't do worse to be honest. It's going to be an open game but these days when we lose the ball we try to get it back quicker. That's what we did against Chelsea and Manchester City and hopefully we can take that into the Barcelona game because it's a massive one this season, the biggest one I'm going to play in.", säger Walcott.
Som avbytare har Walcott gjort många matcher men den här säsongen har han cementerat en plats i startelvan sen jul. Från förra årets möte minns han att Maxwell nog blev lite förvånad av hans snabbhet.."As a substitute you want to make a reaction straight away and I think I surprised them with my pace. There's only so long they could last for, they lasted about 70 minutes but they couldn't last 90 minutes. I think I surprised Maxwell, came up behind him and tucked it away. That inspired us to get the result we wanted and I want to be doing that from the starting line-up now."
Även Walcott ser van Persie som en av nycklarna till att låsa upp barca."It's great to see him back fit. He's a great player and I link up well with him. He's banging in the goals now and making up for the time he missed. He's a dream to play with."
Song vill stänga ytor mot Barca
Alex Song vill att Arsenal spelar samma spel som i hemmamötet mot Chelsea i december där Gunners vann med 3-1 och inte lätt Chelsea skapa många chanser.
“The reference point for us has to be the Chelsea match from December, when we pressed them very high from the first minute and gave them no room. We need to do that to Barcelona – they have a similar style to us and it should be a pleasure for everyone to watch. I can’t wait. Everyone’s talking about it, not just here – a lot of my friends have been in touch wanting to come over and watch. It’s a very good tie, I think we took a lot from last year’s matches. Both of us are in good form and if we can keep as many players fit as possible for both legs then we can do something.”, säger Song.
Robin van Persie som missade förra årets möte på grund av skadar har gjort under det nya året 11 mål på nio matcher. Hans medverkan kan göra skillnad i årets möte menar Song.
“I’ve always said that Robin is one of the best strikers in the world – he’s had bad injuries but has come back so well. When Robin is 100 per cent fit, you know he’s dangerous at any time. He’s scored a lot of goals in the past few weeks and helped the team in other ways; it’s very important to have him fit, because he’s one of the guys who gives you a real chance.”
Song passar även på att berömma ynglingarna Walcott, Wilshere och Gibbs som han anser kan vara framtiden i Englands landslag. Extra beröm får hans mittfältskamrat Jack Wilshere som den senaste veckan debuterade från strart för England och var planens bästa spelare mot Wolves hemma i helgen.
“It’s always good to see your team-mates doing well internationally and I think England has a good future with Jack, Theo and Kieran around. Jack is an unbelievable young player – it’s hard to think that he is just 19 years old because he’s playing like a guy with 200 Premier League appearances. I’m very happy to play alongside him – he always wants to listen and learn, and I’m not surprised to see him in the England team.”
Fabregas om mötet
Att möta världens för närvarnade bästa klubblag är ingen lätt uppgift. Men motivation kan slå klass menar Fabregas.
"We know they are the best team in the world and it is a big task for us. We will do our best. We have a young team but one with a lot of quality and energy. We are very motivated.", säger Fabregas.
På frågan om vad man har lärt sig så påpekar Arsenals kapten att det ibland inte spelar någon roll hur mycket man vet och att Arsenal ska koncentrera sig på sitt eget spel istället för att oroa sig för vad Barcelona kommer hitta på.
"It is difficult to learn. They are such a good team that, even if you know everything, they have so many quality players that can make the difference. We don’t have to worry too much about them. We have to play with no fear. Last season in the first half [of the first leg] we respected them too much. We just have to play our game."
Reserver och juniorer
Arsenal U18 vann mot Crystal Palace
Steve Boulds mannar gjorde en av sina bättre matcher för säsongen när de bortaslog Crystal Palace med 0-2. Båda målen gjordes av Alban Bunjaku som sköt in ettan på halvvolley strax utanför Palace straffområde och tvåan kom på en fin framspelning av Jeffrey Monakana som Bunjaku avslutade kallt på inne i straffområdet.
Loaness
Ryo Miyaichi har fått en fin start på lån i feyenoord. I sin andra match för Rotterdamlaget kom japanens första mål när han satte 1-0 som de tillslut vann med 2-1 mot Heracles.
Även Henri Lansbury gjorde mål i helgen när han satte ettan när Norwich också vann med 2-1 mot Reading.
Kyle Bartley debuterade för Glasgow Rangers i helgen och spelade 70min och noterades för en assist när de slog Motherwell hemma på the Ibrox.
Aaron Ramsey spelade hela matchen medans Jay Emmanuel-Thomas blev utbytt i den 59min när deras Cardiff City vann med 1-0 mot Scunthorpe.
Mark Randall fick 90min i Rotherhams förlustmatch mot Oxford.
Gilles Sunu fick hoppa in för Lorient i den 52min när de förlorade med 3-1 borta mot Monaco. Francis Coqulein som har fått mycket beröm på sistone missade matchen på grund av en skada.
Armand Traore, Samuel Galindo, Wellington Silva, Vito Mannone, Gavin Hoyte, Carlos Vela, Sanchez Watt och Craig Eastmond spelade inte av olika andledningar i helgen.
Källor: arsenal.com, youngunsnlog.co.uk, theindependent.co.uk, skysports.co.uk, skysports.com.
