The Arsenal Blog

It is obvious that Arsene Wenger had planned to build his Arsenal team around the tall frame of the French international Abou Diaby. Unfortunately for Wenger, Diaby and Arsenal, that frame has not been able to bear the weight and it is looking increasingly like it never will.

Even after an extensive list of injuries, Wenger has kept a place open for the 27-year old midfielder. It is probably why Arsenal did not sign a defensive midfielder in the summer or January, but that decision did cause problems for the Gunners and Wenger is going to have to accept the possibility, or probability, that injuury problems are never going to allow Diaby to showcase his undoubted talent on a regular basis.  ...........Read more

If Arsenal keep going like this they will win everything this season! Not long before the season started, Arsenal fans and pundits alike were predicting doom and gloom at the Emirates. Arsene Wenger had apparently lost the plot and the Gunners were going to struggle to make the Europa league. Robin van Persie and Alex Song were irreplaceable and Arsenal was being sold down the river.  ...........Read more

Poor Arsene Wenger. Three games to go in the Barclays Premier League, and down two of his top players.

Both Theo Walcott and Mikel Arteta are out of the remaining fixtures due to injuries.

Walcott suffered a hamstring injury in the recent match against Chelsea, meaning he will be out of action for about three weeks.

Arteta suffered an ankle injury in during the encounter against Wigan, putting him out for the remainder of the season also.

So its decision time, who should go on the pitch against Stoke in their place.  ...........Read more

All-in-all yesterday was a terrible day for Arsenal and their fans with the awful home defeat by Wigan, but the bad news started just minutes after the start of the game when Mikel Arteta started limping with an ankle injury.

While Arsene Wenger was thinking about what to do, Di Santo somehow managed to put Wigan in front, then just a minute later the visitors were two up thanks to Jordi Gomez’s scruffy goal, and Aaron Ramsey finally replaced Arteta with the Gunners facing a mountain to climb.  ...........Read more

Arsene Wenger admitted that the Gunners were awful in the second half against Wigan, but he also bemoaned the fact that Mikel Arteta’s injury left Arsenal with just ten players on the pitch when the first two goals went in although he was in no doubt that the defence was definitely at fault as well.

Wenger said after the game: We made it difficult for ourselves because we had quite a good start but we defended horrendously for the first and second goals. Everybody involved was included for the first and the second goals. On top of that we conceded a second goal with 10 men on the pitch.  ...........Read more

After the horror scenes Mikel Arteta provided on Saturday when he was pulled out of the pitch unconscious after a bad attack by Henderson, the Spaniard offered a very emotional interview saying that he has been touched by the way everybody at Liverpool and Arsenal alike joined hands to support him through the horrible period.

“I just want to take this opportunity to thank everyone for their help and friendship towards me on Saturday,”

“After my accident on the pitch, the Arsenal medical staff did a great job, together with everyone at Liverpool Football Club.  ...........Read more

The Arsenal midfielder Mikel Arteta agrees that Arsenal were beaten by the better team in Milan on Wednesday, but thinks that the Arsenal squad must get over it quickly and prepare for a hard game against Sunderland tomorrow and even more difficult games ahead (like Tottenham and Liverpool!)

“We have to try to digest this result,” Arteta said. “We have another great game on Saturday in the FA Cup and there are some big ones coming up soon.

“We have to be mentally ready when we get back because it will be a very tough game against Sunderland. It is very, very hard to take this one.  ...........Read more

Arsenal fans made their displeasure known to Arsene Wenger during and after the defeat by Man Utd on Sunday, but since then quite a few Arsenal players have made statements in support of their manager.

Robin Van Persie apologised to Wenger for questioning Wenger’s judgement when he brought on Andrei Arshavin for The Ox, and the latest one to call for the Arsenal fans to support Wenger is the Spaniard Mikel Arteta, who is also adamant that all the players are right behind him.

Arteta said: “All the players are supportive of Wenger — there are no divisions.  ...........Read more

The Spaniard Mikel Arteta was made captain of Arsenal, in the absence of Robin Van Persie and Thomas Vermaelen, against Leeds this week, and although Arsenal won the game in the end, he believes that the Gunners need to take their early chances to kill teams off.

Not just against Leeds, but recent games against Wolves and especially Fulham, Arsenal failed to build on an early lead to make sure of victory.

Arteta was very pleased to be made captain for the Leeds game but pointed out that it would have been much easier if the Gunners had pulled away early in the match.  ...........Read more

Arsenal’s Arteta was delighted about the interest Fabio Capello and the rest of England’s national squad showed in capping him, but he won’t be able to play for the Lions because of FIFA rules unfortunately.

“If it was any other country I would have had to say no, but because it was that one I said I would have to think about it,” he said

“England has been really good to me professionally and personally. In the end I didn’t have to make a decision because I wasn’t allowed to play because of FIFA rules.  ...........Read more