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Johno
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Arsenal 1-0 PAOK, Champions League Qualifying
Gunners wasteful in narrow victory
ESPN Staff
August 21, 2013
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Arsenal will take a lead to Salonika into the second leg of their two-legged play-off tie next week but will wonder what could have been after an evening of dominance bore little fruit for the Gunners.
Theo Walcott struck for the home side just before the half-hour mark but a series of missed chances means they will travel to Greece in the knowledge that the tie is far from decided.
The performance as a whole was an impressive one from Arsenal with the likes of Walcott, Santi Cazorla and debutant Julian Draxler causing the PAOK defense problems from the first whistle to the last. Mesut Ozil, who assisted and scored in the club's opening Premier League match with Cardiff at the weekend, missed the match with a minor foot injury but watched on from the stands.
Draxler nearly made a dream start in his first start for his new club after he was able to find some space on the edge of the PAOK area after a well-worked move from his temmates. Some quick feet from the German allowed him to free up a bit of space but his shot was scuffed and tamely rolled past the post.
Arsenal continued to threaten and eventually got the breakthrough. Theo Walcott, who had looked like the Gunners' most dangerous outlet from the start, was able to pick up the ball inside the area after some clever work from Cazorla on the right wing.
Having taken the ball into his stride, Walcott was able to wrong foot the oncoming defender before blasting the ball high into the roof of the net from a tight angle. The goal was no more than what the home side deserved.
However, despite their dominance Arsenal failed to finish other chances that fell their way between the goal and the second half. Olivier Giroud came closest to doubling the lead but his close range header was well saved by Tim Wiese in the PAOK goal, who was superb throughout.
The second half brought more of the same as the Gunners peppered the Greek side's goal with shots yet Wiese stood form. On the one ocassion where the German keeper was beaten the post came to his rescue as Jack Wilshere's effort cannoned off of the frame of the goal.
In the end the match demonstrated the vibrant attacking football Arsene Wenger demands at the Emirates Stadium but the poor finishing could end up costing his side a place in the Champions League group stages should the return leg not go so smoothly.
Arsenal travel to Salonika for next weekend's game after facing Crystal Palace this weekend.
Scorers
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© ESPN Sports Media Ltd
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Bacary Sagna signs new contract at Arsenal
• New deal includes significant wage increase
• Atlético had been interested in buying the Frenchman
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Louise Taylor
The Guardian, Friday 23 August 2013 18.01 BST
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Bacary Sagna has ended speculation that he could seek a move away from Arsenal by agreeing a new three-year extension with the club.
Rumours had been rife that the 30-year-old could soon be departing North London as his previous deal only had one year left to run and the club were originally reluctant to give the player the three-deal and wage hike he demanded.
However, after over a month of discussions an agreement was met after the club decided that they could not afford to let one of their longest-serving and consistent performers leave.
Sagna, who will be 34 when his new contract ends, has been at the club since 2007 when Arsène Wenger bought him from Auxerre for £6.25m. During him time in the Premier League he has established himself as one of the best full-backs in the country and has shown no sign of slowing down in his later years.
The Frenchman is expected to feature in the club's second Premier League match at home to Crystal Palace this weekend.
Johno
Johno
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I was tempted to look elsewhere but I'm confident he still has some good years left.
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Arsenal 3-0 Crystal Palace, Premier League
Palace brushed aside as Ozil dazzles again
ESPN Staff
August 24, 2013
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Mesut Ozil gave the Arsenal fans a taste of what's to come this season after two assists on his home debut helped the Gunners record a comfortable 3-0 victory over Crystal Palace.
After assisting and scoring in his new side's 3-2 victory over Cardiff City on the opening day the German international was the key man again as the home club dominated the match from start to finish.
The goals, however, were to come from unlikely sources as Per Mertesacker and Nacho Monreal hit the back of the net in the second half after Oxlade-Chamberlain had given Arsenal the lead with a header just before half-time.
Arsene Wenger had made numerous changes to his starting eleven with this match sandwiched between both legs of his side's Champions League play-off tie with PAOK Salonika, the first leg of which they won 1-0.
Crystal Palace travelled across the capital with Marouane Chamakh returning to the side he left in the summer, yet the Moroccan was almost anonymous throughout the game as Arsenal exerted their quality from the opening minute to the last.
Arsenal could have taken the lead as early as the fourth minute after Lukas Podolski broke through on goal after receiving Olivier Giroud's through ball. The German, who is normally so proficient in front of goal, failed to take advantage however and blasted the ball over the bar after Julian Speroni came to shut him down.
The home side did get the ball in the next just before the twentieth minute but Giroud's close range strike was chalked off for offside. The Frenchman had received the ball from Podolski after some good work from the Germans and the replays showed that the officials may have got it wrong.
Arsenal continued to press but it looked like both sides would go in at the break on level terms after Palace kept it tight at the back. The breakthrough came at a sickening time for the Eagles as Oxlade-Chamberlain headed in a superb Ozil corner after not being picked up by the defense.
Oxlade-Chamberlain celebrated his first ever headed goal and made Arsene Wenger's half-time team talk significantly easier.
The Gunners flew out of the blocks in the second half and all but sealed the win through Per Mertesacker who turned in an Ozil cross. The goal made it three assists in two games for Arsenal as Ozil's drilled ball was turned in at the far post by his German compatriot, who had stayed up after a corner.
Nacho Monreal then iced the cake for the home side after his cross from deep deceived Speroni and flew in off the back post. The goal was the left-back's first at the Emirates Stadium and from that point on the game petered out as Palace were happy to leave without conceding anymore.
Scorers
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© ESPN Sports Media Ltd
Dan
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PAOK 0-1 Arsenal, Champions League Qualifying
Gunners ease into Champions League group stages
ESPN Staff
August 27, 2013
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Arsenal qualified for the Champions League group stages for the 14th consecutive season after an accomplished performance in Salonika secured a 1-0 victory on the night and a 2-0 scoreline over both legs.
After scoring just the one goal in a dominant display at Emirates Stadium in the first leg, there were some fears that PAOK would offer more in their own backyard tonight but in the end a glanced header from Olivier Giroud was enough to secure a comfortable victory.
The game was much like the first leg in terms of the amount of possession enjoyed by Arsenal as well as the amount of chances, and by the end of the tie PAOK will have come away wondering how they only conceded two.
Arsenal flew out of the blocks from the get go and could have been 1-0 up after 28 when Mesut Ozil forced a vital save from Tim Wiese who had frustrated the Gunners so often in the first leg. That chance would prove to be a taster of what to come as Arsenal piled on early pressure.
Wiese continued to be a pain in Arsenal's side as he miraculously saved Giroud's close range effort on twenty minutes after the Frenchman latched onto Kieran Gibbs' cross, yet a minute later he was beaten.
Giroud, who had his head in his hands following the miss, was offered an immediate opportunity to atone. Bacary Sagna played a one-two with Aaron Ramsey on the right wing and fired in a fizzing cross towards Giroud who rose above the PAOK defense to glance home a well taken headed goal.
The goal meant that the home side would now have to score three times to progress but they failed to ever really test Wojciech Szczesny's goal.
Arsenal continued to press hard into the second half and should have scored more. Wiese continued his heroics to deny Ramsey a long range goal and he would go on to deny Walcott from a tight angle.
As the game petered out the misery continued for PAOK as Sotiris Ninis was given a straight red for a late tackle on Sagna.
Scorers/ Cards
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© ESPN Sports Media Ltd
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Arsenal draw Juventus in Champions League group stage
• Group H also contains PSV and FC Copenhagen
• Arsenal travel to Turin on 17 September for opening game
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Amy Lawrence
The Guardian, Friday 30 August 2013 11:45 BST
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Arsenal have been drawn into Group H of this season's UEFA Champions League with a mouthwatering double header against Italian champions Juventus the stand-out fixture.
The two clubs will be favourites to qualify from the group but they both with have to get the better of Eredivise runners-up PSV Eindhoven and Danish champions FC Copenhagen if they are to progress to the knock-out rounds of the competition.
This is the third time the Gunners have been drawn with Juventus in the of the Champions League, meeting them in the group stage in 2001 and in the quarter-final in 2006 on the road to that season's final. The latter was particularly notable as it marked the return of former captain Patrick Vieira to Highbury as the Gunners ran out as 2-0 victors over both legs.
Elsewhere in the draw, Chelsea face a tough task in qualifying from Group A with Altetico Madrid, Borussia Dortmund and Steaua Bucharest standing in their way, whilst Manchester City will have an equally tough time getting through a Group D that also contains Real Madrid, Napoli and Marseille.
David Moyes' first crack at the Champions League looks more straightforward as Manchester United were paired with Schalke, Zenit St. Petersburg and Viktoria Plzen in Group 6.
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Cardiff and Arsenal paired in Capital One Cup
• Fixture to be played at Cardiff City Stadium on 14 September
• Also - Man Utd vs. Everton; Aston Villa vs. Chelsea
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Jamie Jackson
The Guardian, Friday 30 August 2013 14:12 BST
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Cardiff City will host Arsenal in the third round of the Capital One Cup in a repeat of this season's opening day fixture which ended in a 3-2 win for the Gunners.
Both sides will be disappointed to have been given a harder draw than desired yet Arsenal will go to Cardiff confident that they can progress to the next round. The tie will be played on Tuesday 14 September.
Elsewhere in the draw, David Moyes was offered the chance to square up against his former side as Everton were paired with Manchester United in a game that will take place at Old Trafford. Manchester City will travel east to play Sunderland whilst Chelsea head north to Aston Villa.
Wolves, one of only four League 1 sides left in the competition, will host Premier League side Fulham, whilst the holders Swansea City will begin their defense of the trophy away at Newcastle.
The full draw is as follows;
Sunderland vs. Manchester City
Cardiff City vs. Arsenal
Wolverhampton Wanderers vs. Fulham
Reading vs. Millwall
Hull City vs. Southampton
Brighton & Hove Albion vs. Coventry City
Leeds United vs. West Ham
Leicester City vs. Sheffield Wednesday
Liverpool vs. Middlesbrough
Crystal Palace vs. Doncaster
Wigan Athletic vs. Bristol City
Norwich City vs. Tottenham Hotspur
Bolton Wanderers vs. Crawley Town
Newcastle Unite vs. Swansea City
Manchester United vs. Everton
Aston Villa vs. Chelsea
SpinSwimScream
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Juventus will be tough but I'd fancy myself against anyone at home. I go away to Turin in the first game so I can get the hardest fixture out of the way early.
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Hull City 2-4 Arsenal
Free-flowing Gunners blow Tigers away
ESPN Staff
August 31, 2013
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Arsenal made it three wins from three in this season's Premier League after a 4-2 victory over Hull City at the KC Stadium.
Goals from Santi Cazorla and Mesut Ozil, as well as a brace from centre-back Laurent Koscielny, were enough to grab all three points for the Gunners despite two goals from Shane Long for the home side.
Arsenal got off to a flyer after Santi Cazorla fired in a 25-yard free-kick just five minutes into the game. The Spaniard's effort flew into the top left hand corner of the net and left the scrambling Allan McGregor helpless to deny Cazorla from scoring his first game of the season.
Hull came close to an equalizer just minutes after but Nikica Jelavic was unable to captilize on Shane Long's deft through ball as his shot was well saved from Wojciech Szczesny from close range.
The home side would go on to regret that miss as Arsenal were able to double their lead soon after, with Laurent Koscielny nipping ahead of Tom Huddlestone at the near post to divert Mesut Ozil's corner kick. The strike delighted the travelling fans and helped add to Ozil's already impressive number of assists in English football.
However, Hull were not going to go down without a fight after they managed to pull a goal back five minutes before half-time. Jelavic received the ball from David Meyler after dispossessing debutant Alvaro Morata in the middle of the park, and the Croatian's through ball was dutifully accepted by Shane Long and diverted past Szczesny to score his first goal for his new club.
Fans inside the KC Stadium began to hope for a comeback but those hopes were soon dissipated by Mesut Ozil seven minutes into the second half. After linking up well with Aaron Ramsey, Santi Cazorla burst into the box from the left wing before pulling the ball back to Ozil, who fired in a low shot past McGregor to make it 3-1 to the visitors.
The game slowed and seemed to be edging towards a predictable conclusion until the seventy-third minute, however, as Long was able to take Elmohamady's driven free-kick into his stride and fire past Szczesny to send the home fans into raptures.
Unfortunately for the home fans, this joy was short lived as Koscielny again struck to put the result beyond Hull's reach. The defend made the most of a loose ball in the opposition area after Mikel Arteta's free-kick had bounced free in a mad scramble and the French centre-back merely had to smash home from ten yards to secure all three points for the Gunners.
Scorers
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© ESPN Sports Media Ltd
Dan
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Mesut Özil scoops Player of the Month award
• German scored twice and assisted five in three matches
• Club spent record £42.5m to bring Ozil from Real Madrid in the summer
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Amy Lawrence
The Guardian, Sunday 1 September 2013 15:25 BST
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Mesut Özil's scintilating start to life in the English football has resulted in the Arsenal playmaker being named the Barclays Premier League's Player of the Month for August.
Özil, who cost the Gunners a club record £42.5m in his move from Real Madrid, featured heavily in the club's opening three fixtures against Cardiff City, Crystal Palace and Hull City. Of the ten goals scored by Arsenal in those fixtures, he scored two and assisted five of them.
His manager, Arsène Wenger, heaped praise on the 24-year-old, claiming that despite his quality he did not expect such immediate fireworks from the German.
"I am delighted with how Mesut has started and already you can see why we paid the money we did for him" said Wenger. "His qualities are there for all to see but even I was surprised and how well he has done - two goals and five assists in three games is an amazing return".
"He has adapted quicker than I expected and every other player in the squad is happy to have a player as good as Mesut here".
Wenger himself missed out narrowly on the manager's award, being pipped to the punch by Jose Mourinho of Chelsea. Oscar, also of Chelsea, was named Young Player of the Month.
Telegram Sam
He's a beast from set-pieces!
Thanks mate, I appreciate the kind words. It does take some time but I'm enjoying it for now.
Jamie3
Charlie M
In some good form as well. Bonus.
SR67
bmg033
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Johno
VP.
Dan
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I wish it was.
Charlie M