FOOTBALL CLUB WORLD

William Gallas equalised in injury-time to salvage a draw and keep Arsenal Club on top of the Premier League after an absorbing clash with Manchester United Club.

Gallas turned Wayne Rooney's half-hit effort into his own goal on the stroke of half time to give United Football club the lead.

Cesc Fabregas' cool finish put Arsenal Club level two minutes after the break, but Cristiano Ronaldo slid home Patrice Evra's cross nine minutes from time. But Gallas then scrambled in Gael Clichy's cross to earn a point.

Arsenal still on the top of the Premier League.

Keeper Jens Lehmann expects to return to the Arsenal team for the Premier League game against Bolton on Saturday. The 37-year-old's mistake in his last Arsenal appearance on 19 August led to a Blackburn equaliser and he has not played the last 10 games in goal.

He played for Germany in the draw with the Republic of Ireland on Saturday and claims his absence for the Gunners was an injury and not a selection issue. "I am fully fit and expect to be back against Bolton," said Lehmann.

"Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has not told me anything but I am here now and I expect him to play me, so no worries."

Manuel Almunia has played in nine of the last 10 games for the Gunners, with Lukasz Fabianski featuring in the Carling Cup win over Newcastle.

Lehmann aggravated an Achilles tendon problem when on international duty for Germany in August but has since has treatment for an elbow problem.

[Source from; news.bbc.co.uk]

Arsenal have signed Auxerre defender Bacary Sagna for an undisclosed fee. The 24-year-old, who was in the last France squad but is uncapped, has signed a long-term deal and said: "It is great to be joining Arsenal."

Gunners boss Arsene Wenger told the club's website: "He is a very capable defender and has played consistently well for Auxerre in recent seasons. "He plays mainly at right-back, but can also play along the defence or in midfield. He is strong and quick."

Sagna, who will wear the number three shirt, has been a regular in the Auxerre team for the last three seasons and won the French Cup in 2005. And Sagna added: "I know Abou Diaby from our time together at Auxerre and also Gael Clichy and Mathieu Flamini from the French Under-21 team.

[Source from; news.bbc.co.uk/]

Arsenal Club moved up to third above Liverpool Club in the Premiership table after sinking hard-working Manchester City Club at the Emirates Stadium.

Tomas Rosicky fired the Gunners Team into a 12th-minute lead when he slotted home Emmanuel Eboue's right wing cross. But Man City hit back when DaMarcus Beasley finished well just before the break.

The visitors looked the better side early in the second half but were undone when Cesc Fabregas and Julio Baptista netted with two fine strikes.

Arsenal Football Club 3-1 Man City Football Club

Newcastle Football Club and Arsenal Football Club were both well below their best in a dull draw. The closest Newcastle Club came to breaking the deadlock was when James Milner's looping cross cannoned back off the bar with Jens Lehmann groping the air.

Arsenal Team were just as poor, but almost snatched a win when Gilberto Silva had two successive efforts cleared off the line by Nolberto Solano.

A major concern for Newcastle will be the groin injury to keeper Shay Given, which forced him off after 25 minutes.

[Source from; news.bbc.co.uk]

Arsène Wenger laments the loss of William Gallas for so much of this season. The central defender arrived on transfer deadline day in August and seemed the perfect replacement for Sol Campbell, who had left the Arsenal Club in the summer.

He slotted in quickly but his season changed with the last kick of training on the eve of the Champions League game with Hamburg in November. Gallas hurt his groin in the process of striking a ball. He would not play again until February 17.

“He was out for three months at a very important period of the season,” said Wenger. For me he is very big player for us. Firstly because he is a winner and he is ready to die on the football pitch to win.

“Secondly because he is good reader of the game, good tactically and can bring a lot to this team “He was very unsettled by his injury and he was desperate to play and come back. It was a big, big blow to him.”

[Source from; arsenal.com]

PSV Eindhoven defender Alex threw Arsenal Club a Champions League lifeline with an own goal - then sent them crashing out with a superb late header.

Arsenal Team needed to score twice to reach the last eight, and looked on course when Alex diverted Denilson's corner into his own net after 58 minutes. Arsene Wenger's side then paid the ultimate price for missing chances.

Alex, on loan from Chelsea Club, headed in Edison Mendez's free-kick with eight minutes left for the vital away goal.

[Source from; news.bbc.co.uk]

Cardiff's Millennium Stadium gradually fills up prior to kick-off but many fans endure frustrating journeys after rail delays










The Gunners take a 12th-minute lead when Theo Walcott beats Petr Cech after exchanging passes with Abou Diaby










Chelsea equalise eight minutes later when Michael Ballack finds Didier Drogba who beats the offside trap to score










Disaster strikes for John Terry in the 56th minute - Diaby's attempted corner clearance accidentally hits him in the face










With the game in injury time, a mass brawl erupts and Mikel Jon Obi, Kolo Toure and Emmanuel Adebayor are all sent off

Tomas Rosicky's first Premiership goal broke Wigan hearts as Arsenal Team fought back from a goal down in the last 10 minutes to move back into fourth spot.

Wigan Team took the lead when Denny Landzaat crashed home a superb strike from 35 yards that gave Jens Lehmann no chance.

Emile Heskey hit a post and missed another good chance to extend the lead, while Thierry Henry was also wasteful.

But Fitz Hall put into his own net to concede the equaliser, before Rosicky headed in Julio Baptista's cross.

[Source from; news.bbc.co.uk]

Arsenal striker Thierry Henry rescued a point for his side after they were reduced to 10-men at Middlesbrough.

The game had been dominated by defences but sparked into life when Philippe Senderos was red-carded for hauling down Yakubu, who scored from the spot.

Boro Team threatened to increase their lead before Henry finished off a counter-attack with a shot across goal after 77 minutes. Arsenal Club pressed for a late winner but Boro held firm to earn a deserved draw.

Middlesbrough Football Club 1-1 Arsenal Football Club

Arsenal Club boss Arsene Wenger paid tribute to his "lions" for fighting back from a goal down to beat leaders Manchester United Football Club 2-1 at the Emirates Stadium.

"We won by never giving up," he said after Thierry Henry's stoppage-time winner gave his side victory.

"We began nervously and Manchester United Club started with maturity but I knew after the break we would have a go.

"They got their goal with their only chance of the half, but we fought back because we have lions in our team."

Arsenal Football Club 2-1 Man Utd Football Club

[Source from; news.bbc.co.uk]

Arsenal Team made light of the 12th-minute dismissal of Gilberto to deservedly beat Blackburn Team, thanks to goals from Kolo Toure and Thierry Henry.

Gilberto was shown a straight red card for flicking a leg out at Robbie Savage after the pair had tangled.

But the visitors managed to cope with the loss, and the swirling wind and rain, to go in front when Toure superbly headed in Henry's free-kick.

And Henry sealed the win when he unleashed a drive into the top corner.

Blackburn Football Club 0-2 Arsenal Football Club

It was the first time in nearly 77 years that Liverpool Club had conceded six goals at home and followed a remarkable contest, one that few would have predicted even despite the fact that, against expectations, Rafael Benitez opted to field a weakened starting XI.

Julio Baptista notched four as Arsenal routed Liverpool to seal a Carling Cup semi-final clash with rivals Tottenham. Jeremie Aliadiere ran on to Kolo Toure's pass to score the first, before Robbie Fowler flicked in to level. But a Baptista free-kick and tap-in either side of Alex Song Billong's smart finish made it 4-1 at half time.

Two more from Baptista, the first from 20 yards, sealed it after he had missed a penalty, though Steven Gerrard and Sami Hyypia notched late consolations.

Liverpool Football Club 3-6 Arsenal Football Club

[Source from; news.bbc.co.uk]

Arsenal v Tottenham Hotspur
Barclays Premiership
Sat, Dec 2, 2006, 12.45pm


Arsenal play local rivals Spurs in this Premiership football match at the brand new Emirates Stadium


Arsène Wenger is waiting on the fitness of Thierry Henry ahead of the North London derby on Saturday.

Th Arsenal captain has a problem with his sciatic nerve and tests will be conducted on Friday. Apart from that there were no new injuries in the defeat at Fulham on Wednesday.

“Thierry has to be assessed and we’ll make a decision on him tomorrow,” said Wenger in an exclusive interview with Arsenal TV Online on Thursday. “It is a problem with his sciatic nerve. Everybody else has come through the game well.”

The Frenchman rotated his squad for the fixture at Craven Cottage and pledged further changes for Tottenham's first visit to Emirates Stadium. He remain tight-lipped regarding the players who will go in and out but promised that the crucial Champions League game against Porto would have no influence.

“Not at all,” said Wenger. “The Tottenham game is the important game of the week now. It is in front of us. We must give everything to win this game then see what we do afterwards for the Porto match.”

( Edit Score )

Arsenal 3 Tottenham 0
Adebayor 20, Gilberto 42 (pen), 72 (pen)

[ Source : Arsenal.com ]

Arsenal club brushed aside Liverpool Club in clinical fashion to keep in touch with the Premiership pace-setters.

Mathieu Flamini put Arsenal ahead from close range five minutes before the end of an evenly contested first half.

But Arsenal team moved into top gear after the interval, Kolo Toure racing on to Robin van Persie's clever pass to slide home a cool finish after 56 minutes.

William Gallas was then left completely unmarked to head in Van Persie's corner to seal the win with 10 minutes left.

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has been hit by the news that Freddie Ljungberg, Emmanuel Eboue and Julio Baptista are all facing spells out through injury.

"Freddie has a calf injury, Emmanuel will miss three to four weeks with a medial knee ligaments injury and Julio has a hamstring problem," said Wenger. "Unfortunately when you have so many players away on international duty you can have some bad news."

However William Gallas is set to be fit for Saturday's game against Watford. Wenger also had some positive news on the progress of Philippe Senderos and Gael Clichy, who have yet to figure in the first-team this season.

"They are making good progress, but I do not know when they will be in the team," added the Frenchman. "They could be in the squad for one of the next two games - but they are still a little bit short of match fitness really."

[Source from; news.bbc.co.uk]

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has compared international managers to joy-riding car thieves. Wenger has often expressed his frustration at seeing his players return tired or injured after international duty.

"Gerard (Houllier's) thoughts on the matter echo mine," Wenger said. "He thinks that what the national coaches are doing is like taking the car from his garage without even asking permission. "They will then use the car for 10 days and abandon it in a field without any petrol left in the tank.

"We then have to recover it, but it is broken down. Then a month later they will come to take your car again, and for good measure you're expected to be nice about it."

Wenger also complained that international managers fail to contact their club counterparts, with one notable exception. "Sven-Goran Eriksson was the only one who used to come and talk to me regularly," Wenger added.

[Source from; football365.com]

Arsenal midfield player Freddie Ljungberg will have tests on Monday to determine the extent of the calf injury he picked up during Sweden's 2-0 win over Spain.

Sweden skipper Ljungberg, 29, was forced off in the second half of his side's UEFA Euro 2008 qualifier on Saturday.

He is "highly doubtful" to face Iceland on Wednesday, according to a statement from the Swedish Football Association.

If the tests show Ljungberg cannot play, he will return to England to be treated by Arsenal's medical team.

The Gunners Club will be hoping he recovers in time to feature in their next Premiership game, which is against Watford at home on Saturday.

[Source from; news.bbc.co.uk]

Arsenal vice-chairman David Dein has promised Arsene Wenger a job for life as he celebrates his 10th anniversary as manager of the Gunners.

Dein said: "We want him for the rest of his career. If he wanted to give up the tracksuit he'd be invaluable in the boardroom in a technical role."

Wenger, 57, insists he has no thoughts of retiring, saying: "We have a young team and want to continue developing.

"Reaching the Champions League final last season gave us belief."

During his time with Arsenal, Wenger has won the Premiership three times and lifted the FA Cup on four occasions - including two Doubles.

He has also seen the club move to their new 60,000-capacity Emirates Stadium.

Wenger added: "I listened to Tony Blair on the television and when he said that '10 years ago we started' I thought for a moment he was talking about me!

"He talked about how the world had changed in that time and our world has changed here too. The stadium is a concrete sign that we are going in the right direction."

[Source from; news.bbc.co.uk]

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has conceded that defeat at Manchester United could have been "decisive" as far as their title chances are concerned.

However, the Gunners won 1-0, thanks to a late goal from Emmanuel Adebayor.

"A loss could have been decisive but this win reinforces the belief that we are a very strong side," said Wenger.

"I would never have thought that our challenge would have been over if we had lost but psychologically it might have been difficult for the players."

The Gunners had a great chance to take the lead earlier in the match but Gilberto had his penalty saved by Tomasz Kuszczak.

The Brazilian slipped as he took the kick, making it easier for the keeper to save the effort.

"I've seen a lot of big football players miss penalties," said Gilberto.

"Afterwards a lot of my team-mates came over and gave me support. It helped me keep calm.

"A lot of reports said that we were out of the title race but those people are completely wrong."

Meanwhile, Manchester United skipper Gary Neville said Arsenal made his side pay for their sloppy play.

"We are disappointed. When you make mistakes in midfield they are as good as anybody in making you pay," he said.

"Our passing wasn't good and we looked tired. We gave the ball away too many times. We would have accepted 0-0.

"We had two or three clear-cut chances, but didn't take them. They had three good chances too."

[Source from; news.bbc.co.uk]