Where Next For Arsene Wenger and Arsenal?

Within the space of just 14 days, Arsene Wenger has seen his Arsenal side's chances of a historical quadruple devastated by the boys from Birmingham, Barcelona, and Brazil.

The Gunners' season is now in real danger of being fruitless yet again, and if it does, questions will be asked about the great Frenchman like never before.

Barcelona Move For Cesc Fabregas and David Villa Leaving The Door Open For Arsenal To Move For Ibrahimovic or Toure

Barcelona are on the verge of a sensational double signing after the Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas told Arsene Wenger that he wanted to return to his spiritual home. The Catalan side have now opened talks with the adviser's of Fabregas and David Villa over proposed moves to the Nou Camp, while Barca also made it known that Zlatan Ibrahimovic has an escape clause in his contract if an English Premier League team places a bid for him.

The highly ambitious move to sign two of Spain's best players came mere hours after Barca claimed their 20th La Liga title with a record 99 points. It is believed the transfers were sparked byLa Blaugrana's exit from the Champions League at the hands of Jose Mourinho's Inter Milan side.

Ibrahimovic was widely criticised for his lack of effort in the Champions League games against Arsenal and Inter Milan where statisticians were able to point out that at the Emirates he ran for only 450m when the average is over 10,000m and that against Inter Milan Victor Valdes, the Barca 'keeper, actually ran further than the striker.

From then on, the giant Swede found himself on the bench and was little more than a spectator as La Blaugrana closed in on the title.

Ibrahimovic was supposed to be "Plan B" if their fluid passing game did not work. However, his shocking performances against Inter Milan left Pep Guardiola, Barcelona's manager, highly unhappy, especially as he had paid Samuel Eto'o plus £47 million for his strikers services.

This defeat to Inter has caused Guardiola to move quickly in an effort at re-building his team with winning the Champions League in mind.

When their backs were against the wall against the 10-men of Inter Milan Barcelona struggled to create anything of real note. Having been robbed of the sublime Andres Iniesta through injury all Inter Milan had to do was shut Xavi out of the game, with the Spanish international in shackles the supply route to Lionel Messi was effectively shut off.

Cesc Fabregas' signing would repair this immediately. The Arsenal midfielder weighed in with a highly impressive 19 goals and 19 assists before his season was ended with injury, somewhat ironically against Barcelona which could turn out to have been his last game in the red and white of the Gunners .

The ties between Fabregas and the Catalan side are well known and it is generally accepted that it is only a matter of time before he returns to the team where he began his career. Such is Fabregas' stock in Catalunia that the youth side he played for is still referred to as the dream team or class of '87.

Gerard Pique and Lionel Messi who have progressed to the first team are also noteworthy graduates from the conveyor belt at La Masia.

David Villa's move to the Camp Nou makes a lot of sense when you realise that Zlatan Ibrahimovic is unwanted by Guardiola. He is probably the best striker in the world at the moment and is one of the first names on the team sheet for Spain.

He was on the verge of a move away from Valencia last year but chose to stay and help the Mestalla based team to finish a highly impressive third in La Liga this season, and in effect has secured the financial future of the club.

The 28 year old has been in blistering form for Valencia over the last five seasons, scoring 108 goals in just 168 league games and is only moving into his prime now. At a believed £30 million he would be a far cheaper and better option than Barcelona's Plan B, the injury prone £50m rated Fernando Torres.

His signing will prompt Barca to offload Ibrahimovic. La Blaugrana have just announced that the Swede has an escape clause in his contract whereby he can be sold to a team in the English Premier League if they agree to pay a certain fee for the player, clubs in Italy or Germany would have to pay far more.

With that in mind, Ibrahimovic could become a pawn in the transfer of Fabregas if Barcelona can convince Arsene Wenger to take the striker.

It could be a good option for the Gunners who really struggled for goals when the injury prone Robin van Persie missed almost half the season with ankle problems.

The Dutch striker only averages 25 games a season at the Emirates and Wenger could look at the extra options Ibrahimovic could bring.

Marouane Chamakh will join the club on a free transfer from Bourdeaux, but he is more a right sided forward than the central figure the club require. Van Persie naturally drifts out to the left so a triumvirate with Ibrahimovic at it's centre could be highly attractive to Le Prof, especially if he is also given another £20million to £30 million for Fabregas. This would enable him to replace his captain immediately and with a player at almost the same standard.

However, the most likely situation to occur will be Barcelona offering Yaya Toure plus money for Fabregas' signature, but that could depend upon whether the Ivorian wants to leave or not.

The next couple of weeks will be crucial to Fabregas and Villa. Outgoing President Joan Laporta has told the fans he wishes to leave them a parting gift; Fabregas? The incoming candidates have all focused on either Villa or Torres as the centre piece of their campaigns and with Real Madrid expected to bring in a new manager, possibly Rafael Benitez , and spend another fortune La Blaugrana have made the first move.

The World Cup has yet to start and already the summer is shaping up to be one to remember.

Arsenal Mugged Again...at the Scene of a Previous Crime

Just like Bruce Wayne going back to Crime Alley to see where Batman was born in fire, Arsenal returned to St. Andrews—the very ground where the foundations for this current side were built when Eduardo broke his leg.

Just like Batman, there turned out to be a real Joker in the pack—Manuel Almunia.

Two years ago, Arsenal's title tilt faded badly after Eduardo broke his leg in a tackle with Martin Taylor. The club did not know how to deal with such a setback.

William Gallas, the captain at the time, made an absolute spectacle of himself by sitting in the centre circle in protest after the match.

Their manager, Arsene Wenger, castigated Martin Taylor in the press for the forceful nature of his tackle, but the French manager retracted his comments sometime later after he realised there was no real malice in the tackle.

Their young squad struggled to come to terms with everything falling apart around them.

Cesc Fabregas was eventually made captain as Gallas was stripped of the honor, and so the first few bricks were placed in the foundation of this current side.

Roll on two years, and Arsenal are very much contenders for the title.

While they may have a young squad, their players are incredibly experienced.

They have overcome many obstacles during this season, and their manager deserves a lot of credit for dragging the team into the ring for the title fight.

Many pundits had written Arsenal off at the start of the season. Almost everyone said they didn't have a chance when they lost Robin van Persie in November, and when Manchester United and Chelsea took them apart.

However, each and every time, their manager and captain have picked up their teammates, dusted them off, and gotten them ready for the next battle.

At the beginning of March, the club lost Aaron Ramsey to a horrific leg break in the game against Stoke City at the Britannia. As before, all the right elements were in place for their title challenge to capitulate once again.

Not this time.

Having suffered through crimes like this before, Arsenal knew how to deal with the situation, and turned the tragedy to their advantage—running out 3-1 winners.

No captains crying in the centre circle this time. No, this time around, Cesc Fabregas stood tall when his team needed him most and fired home a penalty when the whole world was watching.

Miss—and his mind was elsewhere. Score—and send a message that this team are real, and will not give up without a fight.

Fabregas scored.

Their birthing at St. Andrews was beginning to show.

Arsenal returned to the scene of the crime on Saturday...the scene of their birth.

It was a game where they did everything right. They played well, and on another day would have walked away with a win.

Media everywhere were in the middle of writing another list of plaudits for this newer, stronger, better Arsenal team when Kevin Phillips scored an equalizer in the 93rd minute—forcing a complete re-write.

Manuel Almunia's Joker act in goal costing his team an invaluable three points that very few teams take from Alex McLeish's team in Birmingham.

The 1-1 draw at St. Andrews puts a dent in their title hopes, but it has not extinguished that flicker of hope.

It will take more than that to beat this Arsenal team.

On Tuesday, the Gunners travel to Camp Nou to take on the most beautiful footballing side in the world—Barcelona.

It will be an epic battle, and will go a long way in declaring Arsenal's hopes for not only the Champions League but the English Premier League as well.

Share

Stoke City's Glen Whelan, The Only Player On The Pitch To Keep His Head Following Aaron Ramsey's Horror Injury

Ryan Shawcross clattered into Aaron Ramsey, his leg shattered and the promising youth lay screaming on the ground. His Arsenal team mates screamed, vomited, and held their heads, leaving Stoke's Glen Whelan as the only man cool enough to comfort the stricken youth.

While all around him lost their heads, Stoke City's Irish midfielder, Glen Whelan, was the first man to react in proper fashion to Ryan Shawcross' tackle.

The young Welsh midfielder was enjoying only his seventh start of the season, when "that tackle" ended the game prematurely for him. For many Arsenal fans and players alike, Ramsey represents the future of the club. He is expected to pick up the mantle of midfield maestro if and when Cesc Fabregas decides to go home to Barcelona.

As he lay on the ground, white with shock, his ankle dangling at an awkward angle, his Arsenal compatriots simply lost their heads.

For a few moments they forgot that Aaron was a team mate and player, that he was only 19, they only saw him as a symbol of the clubs future.

Some players chased after the referee demanding him to send off Shawcross, some actually turned and vomited, such was the devastation on show, some chased the Stoke defender seeking retribution.

Glen Whelan was the only player on the pitch who managed to show anything like composure. Compared to his fellow professionals on show, the Stoke player was literally the personification of cool.

He kneeled gently beside Ramsey cradling his head in one hand, clutching his hand in the other and whispered to him, telling him to "stay calm, everything would be all right."

His first task was to position himself in such a way that Ramsey could not see his leg, thus protecting the youth from certain shock. He then called to a motionless Nicklas Bendtner, getting him to snap out his trance and told him to help his stricken colleague.

Ten yards away a melee was ensuing...

"I was trying my best to take his mind off it, telling him not to think about it or to look at it."

"He knew straight away how bad it was, though. He just kept saying 'my leg, my leg'."

"I went there because I was closest to him. I had to."

"He held onto me with the pain he was going through. I think he went into a state of shock when it happened, so I was just trying to do what I could (for him)."

Whelan has defended his team-mate Ryan Shawcross, saying that the replays prove there was no malicious intent. "A hard tackle, but not a dirty tackle," he argued.

"The two lads could go into a tackle like that 100 times again, and nobody would come off injured."

"Well, I haven't seen it again and if I had a chance to see it, I'd turn the telly off," he said. "There's young people who couldn't stomach it.

"The Premier League and the two clubs need to sit down and watch it again. I think that's ok, but I think Sky were right not showing it because it can make people queasy. Of course, it's a contact sport and these things happen. Thankfully they don't happen too often."

Whelan had yet to sign for Stoke, when in October 2006, Rory Delap suffered the exact same injury against Sunderland. The Irishman returned to action as good as ever in July 2007 and went on to play 46 matches for Stoke the following season.

"It's the first time that I had ever experienced anything like that and, touch wood, I hope I never have to see anything like that again."

"First and foremost, I just hope that the young lad (Ramsey) gets back as soon as possible."

Share

Horrific Injury To Aaron Ramsey Mars Arsenal's Vital EPL Win Over Stoke

Arsenal showed the tough side of their character Saturday as they battled to a 3-1 win in the face of adversity at Britannia Stadium.

Having gone behind, the Gunners also had to deal with the loss of Aaron Ramsey with an horrific leg break, before scoring three unanswered goals for a win that moved them to just three points behind Premier League leaders Chelsea.

This was always going to be one of Arsenal's hardest games from their remaining fixtures. Britannia has never been a happy hunting ground for Arsene Wenger, and the Gunners knew they would have to overcome an intense physical battle if they were to maintain their title challenge.

Stoke City took the lead through a headed goal from ex-Manchester United youth Danny Pugh after he stooped to meet a headed flick on from another ex-United player, Ryan Shawcross.

Arsenal knew exactly what to expect, and when Rory Delap set himself up for the long throw, it was disappointing to see the Gunners deal with the set piece so poorly. Thomas Vermaelan played the percentages and dropped right off Shawcross, who was allowed to meet the ball unchallenged; the Belgian then played Pugh onside as he opened the scoring.

This was the fourth goal Arsenal have conceded from a Delap throw-in, so you would like to think that they would have learned their lesson by now.

The much-maligned Niclas Bendtner equalized with an exquisite lofted header, before Cesc Fabregas scored from the spot and then turned provider for Vermaelan, who tapped in from close range.

It was a vital win for Wenger's young guns. With Chelsea surprisingly losing 4-2 to Manchester City at Stamford Bridge, Arsenal needed to win.

The game, however, will be most remembered for the tragic injury to Welsh wunderkind Aaron Ramsey.

Shawcross was in possession and took a very heavy touch that opened the ball up to Ramsey to take. The young Gunner then showed his inexperience by pulling on the ball while the Stoke man went in to tackle, and with the ball having been cleared, Shawcross caught Ramsey just above the ankle and shattered it.

The injury was so bad that TV producers refused to replay the incident.

The Stoke player was distraught as Ramsey writhed in pain on the ground. It was an accidental tackle that the referee overreacted to by sending Shawcross off, the reactions of certain Arsenal players perhaps guiding the referee's decision.

With the game at 1-1 and with one of their star kids having gone off injured, Arsenal had every excuse to retract back into their shell and see the game out.

But not this one. Arsenal, quite rightly, have been criticized for a lack of character in tough situations. All too often over the last five years have the Gunners capitulated when excuses have presented themselves.

Having learned a valuable lesson from Eduardo da Silva's horrific leg break almost exactly two years ago, the Gunners rolled up their sleeves and battled to a much deserved win.

Led by the phenomenal Cesc Fabregas, Arsenal sprayed the ball around Stoke's 10 men with ease and stretched Tony Pulis' well-drilled side to such an extent that the scoreline could have been far greater.

It is most noteworthy that this was the first time Arsenal have won at Stoke since 1982. An impressive win that will go a long way in determining the title race.

Only three points separates Chelsea on top, with Manchester United and Arsenal at 60 and 58 points, respectively, to the Blues' 61. And with the Gunners having the easiest run in by far, they are very much potential Champions.

Share

Spanish Radio Station Claims Arsenal Have Agreed A Deal To Sell Fabregas To Barcelona

The news that every Arsenal fan is dreading may have moved a step closer today. The largest radio station in Spain, Cadena SER, have claimed that the deal to bring Cesc Fabregas to Barcelona in June is a done deal but that a price has yet to be agreed.

After the Chelsea Defeat, How Far Are Arsenal From Challenging For The Title?

Arsene Wenger must be wondering what he has to do after Chelsea and Didier Drogba produced a masterclass in efficiency, intelligence, and ruthlessness at the Emirates as they ripped Arsenal to shreds and in effect, ended the Gunners slim chances of becoming Premier League Champions.

Arsenal's Fans Found Guilty As Adebayor Walks Free, Will They Get Suspended?

Last night the FA handed Emmanuel Adebayor a fine and a suspended two game ban, but they also decided that Arsenal's fans had provoked him in the first place.

This was the second part of the FA's investigation into Adebayor's behaviour during Manchester City's 4-1 win over Arsenal at Eastlands in September.

Having being found guilty of stamping on Robin van Persie's face, and receiving a three game ban for that indiscretion, the FA met to discuss his provocative celebration. The resulting fine of £25,000 works out at one days pay for the striker, with the suspended sentence hanging over him until December 2010.

Barcelona Chases Key Trio, Claims Arsenal Is a Selling Club

Arsenal's resolve looks set to be tested in the summer, as Barcelona seem to have identified Robin Van Persie, Emmanuel Adebayor, and Cesc Fabregas as the key signings that they want to make over the coming season.

Arsene Wenger Contributes to Arsenal's Poor Display at Sunderland.

Arsenal's slim title aspirations all but disappeared at the Stadium of Light this afternoon. After losing twice in the opening six games, Arsenal had placed un-wanted pressure on their young shoulders.

After grasping a draw from the jaws of defeat Arsenal come away from Sunderland with a point, but the ramifications of the result mean that to win the league the Gunners will have to go the rest of the season only dropping six points if they are to be realistic title challengers...