Champions League challenge becomes greater for Gunners

 

By David Lee Wheatley

 

Arsenal's defeat at the hands of Rafa Benitez's Napoli plunged the Gunners into serious danger of receiving a perilous task in the last-16 of the competition when the draw takes place on Monday, but it could've been so much worse.

 

Arsene Wenger's men travelled to Naples full of hope that they'd capture top spot in the group and therefore avoid the biggest names in European football, but they failed spectacularly and could now face a tricky tie with one of the tournament favourites.

 

However, they will be thanking their lucky stars that the Italian side didn't manage to score just once more, as that would have seen the expulsion of Arsenal from this year's Champions League altogether.

 

Gonzalo Higuain and Jose Callejon put paid to a poor Arsenal last night, but they couldn't quite force a third goal that would've seen them advance in place of the Gunners. Now Wenger's chances of lifting the trophy look vastly more difficult when compared with that of eventual group winners Borussia Dortmund.

 

Spanish giants Barcelona, Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid all lie in wait, while European champions Bayern and French league leaders Paris Saint-Germain are both in the frame to meet the north Londoners. It's a frankly frightening scenario whichever team Arsenal find themselves paired with and that daunting thought does nothing for their ambitions of claiming Europe's premier trophy.

 

Many will argue that a club with designs on winning the Champions League must first negotiate matches against the very best our continent has to offer anyway, so what does it matter if the sternest test arrives at the last-16 stage?

 

However, there is the notoriously hard slog over Christmas domestically to battle beyond before the next European round begins and then it's about getting up to speed at that supreme continental level once again after more than two months away. Surely it would be preferable to meet a lesser side on resumption of the Champions League to ease your players back into the swing of the competition?

 

Elsewhere, fellow group victors Manchester United, Chelsea and Dortmund join the aforementioned illustrious names in the hat with the prospect of meeting runners-up such as Milan, Zenit, Schalke, Manchester City, Olympiakos, Galatasaray or Bayer Leverkusen (dependent on teams from the same country being kept apart).

 

Nobody will fancy the prospect of butting heads with City after their heroics in Munich on Tuesday and dark horses Galatasaray pose a threat with superstars Sneijder and Drogba within their ranks. The draw will make for very interesting viewing next week when the Champions League finally reaches the nitty-gritty of the knockout stages.

 

Twitter: @davewh1980    

 

 

Are the wheels coming off for Wenger?

By David Lee Wheatley

 

 

With Arsenal losing key home contests twice in the space of a week, could it be that the red-and-white juggernaut has ground to a shuddering halt?

The Gunners went an impressive 12 matches unbeaten across all competitions, sitting pretty at the top of their tough Champions League group and the Premier League table to boot, when met by the prospect of facing last season’s European surprise package Borussia Dortmund at the Emirates.

A pivotal match-up that could have all but confirmed Arsenal’s spot in the knockout phase of the tournament turned sour when Dortmund deservedly took home the spoils thanks to a late Lewandowski winner.

Fast forward seven days and the League Cup clash between the Premier League’s top two teams took place at the Gunners’ north London residence, with a resumption of the intriguing battle of wills between Arsene Wenger and his arch-nemesis Jose Mourinho.

Portuguese tactician Mourinho hadn’t lost against his French counterpart during eight previous games and therefore the first meeting between the pair since his much-hyped return to Stamford Bridge was viewed as a prime opportunity for the Arsenal boss to begin setting that particular record straight.

However, the Blues had other ideas and took the lead midway through the first-half through Azpilicueta following an awful headed back-pass from right-back Carl Jenkinson under little pressure.

Matters worsened in the second period when stylish Spanish playmaker Juan Mata sealed Chelsea’s progression into the last eight with a swerving shot from distance that gave Fabianski no chance. It was a sweet strike to settle a tie that was reasonably even in terms of possession and shots at goal, but with the hosts severely lacking a cutting edge.

Star man Mesut Ozil and striker Giroud sat on the bench for three-quarters of the clash, as Wenger’s hopes of ending a long-running trophy drought were dealt a mighty blow. Even though the long-serving Arsenal supremo insists confidence within his squad remains firmly intact, his claims cannot disguise the fact his line-up looked fragile and thin on the ground without the likes of the missing Arteta, Walcott and Flamini, plus subs for the night Ozil and Giroud.

When all Wenger’s top men are fit and in place, they are an awesome side capable of defeating any foe; however, shorn of stellar names it’s a whole different story.

Twitter: @davewh1980  







 



Ozil Vindicates Wenger Patience

By David Lee Wheatley

Arsenal made the major transfer breakthrough they craved yesterday when securing Real Madrid and Germany star Mesut Ozil for a club-record fee. Arsene Wenger bided his time in the run up to deadline day, but finally signed the world-class operator for a massive £42.4million.

Many fans feared there'd be no established players coming in for the Gunners after mooted deals for Luis Suarez, Wayne Rooney and Gonzalo Higuain all hit the buffers. Arriving at the last chance saloon of this summer's transfer window, the situation suddenly took on a whole new promising outlook when it emerged Wenger was close to making Ozil the biggest signing in the club's history.

Despite long delays mainly caused by Ozil's involvement in the filming of an advertisement with the Germany national team in Munich, the move eventually went through to appease the hugely anxious Arsenal fans. Agreement on the fee came during the afternoon and a successful medical followed; it still took until approximately 9pm for the long-awaited official announcement, which coincided with the utter relief of those concerned.

It has since emerged that big spenders Paris Saint-Germain tried to turn Ozil's head during the course of the day, but the German international midfielder turned down their advances even in the face of a better contract package sitting on the table from the French side.

Ozil was the leading La Liga assist-maker last season and, at the age of 24, should be coming into the prime of his career as he embarks upon the first steps of an exciting new challenge in the Premier League. Plus, his unerring ability to pop up with an important goal every four or five appearances makes him an even more dangerous opponent for rivals to cope with. A regular at international level, Ozil is a man who can change the course of a match with a single pass.

Arsene Wenger looked simply shocked on the opening day of the league season when his Arsenal side were comprehensively beaten at home by Aston Villa, but he's slowly rebuilt confidence within his squad with league victories over Fulham and arch-enemies Tottenham Hotspur, as well as the relatively straightforward passage to the Champions League group stage when sweeping Fenerbahce aside. This latest boost is the cherry on the cake for the Frenchman, while placing Arsenal as serious contenders for a top-three position in the Premier League table this season.

Meanwhile, Ozil assumes the role of main man at the Emirates and he'll thrive in an environment where a side playing an attractive brand of football look to build the team around him. It was a surprise to many that Real Madrid chose to allow Ozil to move on in order to cover some of the cost of the mega-money Gareth Bale deal, when it was assumed lesser players would be sacrificed. Real's loss is most definitely Arsenal's gain and the Gunners can now look forward to witnessing one of the world's finest footballers showing his worth on behalf of their club.

Twitter: @davewh1980

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Please release me, let me go

 

By David Lee Wheatley

Controversial Liverpool striker Luis Suarez yesterday revealed his frustration at the perception that Brendan Rodgers and the club have gone back on their word.

He stated that last summer he was asked to stay on Merseyside for one more season in an effort to reach the Champions League. Suarez claims that his manager Rodgers insisted that if they failed to make it, he could leave for a new club that were participating in the competition.

Arsenal bid the unusual amount of £40,000,001 in a bid to activate what Suarez and the Gunners believe to be a minimum fee release clause in the Uruguayan's Anfield contract. However, Liverpool owner John W. Henry refuses to accept the offer and has told supporters he has absolutely no intention of letting go of the club's prized asset.

Now, things are threatening to get ugly, with the forward suggesting he'll take his case to the Premier League if Liverpool fail to let him move on. Arsenal believe they've bid enough to allow them to speak to the player and they won't be adding more weight to their offer at this stage, as they see no reason to do so. They're expected to remain patient, while the stalemate between Suarez and the Reds continues to fester.

The 26-year-old possesses undoubted ability, but a nasty streak marks him out as a troublesome character. Many observers have been surprised Arsene Wenger is so determined to add the former Ajax man to his squad, due to the considerable baggage that comes along with the Uruguay international.

However, Arsenal seem intent on getting their man and Liverpool may well find the terms of the player's contract coming under severe scrutiny over the next few days. If Suarez's revelations are proved correct, then Rodgers could be forced to concede defeat in his battle to hold on to the prolific marksman.

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