Arsenal Has Lofty Goals

Arsenal’s Kolo Toure believes that his current crop of stats can be as great as the 2006 team and be able to get into the Champions League finals. But they have to face the mighty Manchester United team at Old Trafford, with Kolo Toure the only remaining member of the “Invincibles” who ran through the 2003 to 2004 Premier League campaign nary a loss.

Thierry Henry, Robert Pires and Patrick Vieira are no longer on the team but in their place Emmanuel Adebayor and Samir Nasri have come of age to make a run at the Champions League contention. For this upcoming match, they are not the favoured as top scorer Robin van Persie is out with injury and Andrey Arshavin will not suit up due to suspension. As for their match, Kolo Toure said that they have “the same type of team as we both like to play but the team that would win will be the one which defends the best.”

Hull City 1-3 Arsenal

Arsenal left it late, but eventually prevailed over a battling Hull City in a Premier League game, Saturday.

The Gunners came into this game requiring 3 points to keep pace with Aston Villa in the race for 4th spot, and got off to a good start, Emmanuel Adebayor scoring from Robin van Persie’s deliverry to make it 1-0.

Hull fought back though in the second half, Daniel Cousin turning in Bernard Mendy’s cross on 64 minutes to level things up. Arsenal kept up the pressure, and just when it looked they would be held to another disappointing draw, van Persie found Samir Nasri with an intelligent pass, and the Frenchman scored with a nice low shot to give his side the lead.

And in the dying moments, van Persie again showed his class to find Nicklas Bendtner, who scored to confirm the result, condemning Hull to yet another defeat, and leaving them perilously close to the relegation zone.

Wenger confident Adebayor will stay

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has revealed that he expects Togolese international striker Emmanuel Adebayor to remain with the club amidst continued speculation over his future at the Emirates.

The striker scored 24 Premier League goals last season for the Gunners and has been linked all summer to transfers to Barcelona and AC Milan but Arsenal has maintained that the striker is not for sale and this was echoed by the Frenchman when he stated vehemently that “Adebayor is under contract.” “We expect him to turn up on Monday and practice with us.”

“And of course, I expect him to stay.” A young Gunners team edge past lower league Barnet with a narrow 2-1 pre-season friendly victory and concerns arised as to whether Adebayor will be at the Emirates next season. The Gunners have only managed two signings this summer; Samir Nasri’s arrival from Marseille and the capture of 17-year-old Welsh playmaker Aaron Ramsey from Cardiff City for a fee of around £5 million.

Wenger stated that more signings are expected before the transfer window closes at the end of August.

Arsenal completes Nasri signing

After more than a month of negotiations, Frenchman Samir Nasri has finally completed his move from Olympique Marseille to fellow Frenchman Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal.

The 21 year old attacking midfielder completed a move to the English Premier League for a speculated €14 million. Arsenal’s manager Arsène Wenger was quick to outline Nasri’s strengths telling Arsenal’s official website that, “He is young, quick and technically an outstanding player.”

Nasri will replace the Belarusian international Alexander Hleb who is currently in a contract negotiations with Barcelona. The creative midfielder stated that “I’m very happy to become an Arsenal player, it means such a lot to me,” the 12 times capped Frenchman told the Gunners’ website, “This is a very important step in my life as a football player because Arsenal is a massive club. I really hope everything will go well for me here. I will my best for Arsenal and its fans and I am honoured to be part of such a great football club.”

Nasri to Arsenal Eminent

French and Olympique Marseille midfield prodigy Samir Nasri who has for so long been linked with a lucrative deal to Arsenal seems destined to unite with Frenchman and Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger at the Emirates. The playmaker who has been compared to the legendary French player Zinedine Zidane has also attracted the interest of Juventus and Real Madrid in the past.

Arsenal stated their interest in the playmaker prior to the Euro 2008 campaign but put their efforts to lure the player on hold, however the transfer was not finalised. Marseille chairman Pape Diouf who secured Lyon’s Hatem Ben Arfa as Nasri’s replacement insisted that the ongoing transfer saga will soon come to an end.

Marseille chairman also stated that a few more days are needed to complete the deal with the Gunners.

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