Nothing like a Premier League weekend !

The English Premier League is undoubtedly the life and soul of my weekend. It's like a weekly pilgrimage to various stadiums, among the chanting fans and right there with the Game. Saturday mornings would be bleak without the EPL to look forward to in the evening. And the game never fails to deliver. Ever. There is always an amazing match/ goal / freaky event that just lights up the the day.

So its Saturday and I religiously do my work  (  something I dont do very often) and eagerly wait for the match to start. Ok its Kick-off time , I switch on th

Player Review: Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain

The "next Theo Walcott" as many people have dubbed him to be but I beg to differ. Yes, Alex is similar to Walcott but yet in a class of his own. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain packs that much needed strength and and power that make the 18 year old extremely effective on the left.
Arsene Wenger's wonderkid signing was brought into Arsenal for a reported fee of 12 million euros from Southampton in the footsteps of Theo.

And did he make a mark in his opening matches at Arsenal! A skillful strike against Olympiacos in the Champions League made Alex the youngest Englishman to score in CL succeeding none other than Theo Walcott. If you missed that goal then here is a quick highlight just for you .

Here's the link  http://arsenalist.com/video/?id=SRs5KdG3yEv6Ozgt&t=videa

Player Review: Andre` Santos

Arsenal signed the Brazilian ace for 6.2 million euros after the nightmare at Old Trafford in order to plug the ailing defence. A quality player, Santos figures well with the team as a left back with an attacking approach. The 28 year old defender has 22 Brazil caps and has found the net 10 times for the Corinthians.
Andre Santos made his debut for Arsenal in the 4-3 loss to Blackburn FC. He gave an exceptional performance against Olympiacos in the UEFA Champions League group match.


A known fact is that Santos has been known to play as a left winger too which has helped shape the left back's attacking bent of mind. His move to Arsenal to fill in for the absence of Gael Clichy was well appreciated by Arsenal fans.


Arsène Wenger (On Santos' move): “Santos is a quality player, with the ability to both defend well and get forward and help with attacks. He has experience in the Champions League and for Brazil and has proven he can deliver at the highest level. We welcome Santos to the Club and look forward to him having a big impact for us.”


On completing his move to Arsenal, Santos said to the media : "I am delighted to have signed for Arsenal. It was one of my dreams to play for a major European football club and I have accomplished this. I am very happy to be part of this team. All the Brazilians who came to this club spoke wonders about it and I am delighted to be part of the Arsenal family."


Santos is an experienced player with quick footwork and strong play. His presence will surely do wonders for the defence and help ease of the pressure of the injured prone Kieran Gibbs. His attacking skills have already been proved through the goal he scored against Olympiacos which shows that he can certainly be used as a winger if the need arises. I wish him the best of luck for his time at Arsenal .

Some facts about Andre` Santos


Born on             - 8 March 1983


Place of Birth     - Sao Paulo , Brazil


Playing Postiton - Left back/ Left Winger


Previous Club    - Fenerbahce (2009-2011)


Number             - 11

Laurent Kocielny and Johan Djourou back from injuries!

Both defenders have returned to full training after sustaining minor injuries .
(  Kocielny - ankle problem , Djourou - muscle strain )

Arsenal's depleted defense was aided by the presence of Alex Song who played as a center back in the North London derby .

The defensive duo had also missed the game against Olympiakos due to their respective injuries. Thankfully , both players would be available for Arsenal's clash with Sunderland on 15th October . However, Arsene Wenger might choose Djourou over Kocielny to play alongwith Mertesacker . The French defender hasn't had the best of matches defensively in the past few weeks which might create an opening for Djourou to get a first team start on Saturday.

Best of luck for Saturday's game Arsenal .

Robin van Persie steers clear from Questions on his Future at Arsenal

    Robin van Persie , who recently joined the elite club of having scored 100 goals for Arsenal FC , reaffirms faith in Arsenal and believes they have got the courage and strength to plow back to the top after a disastrous start to the season.Taking the positive points from the derby loss RVP promises lots of improvement from the Gunners in the coming games.

Van Persie told the Sunday Mirror: "I have every trust in the things we are doing within the club."

"There is only a fine line between winning and losing. Just look at our last match against Spurs. We could have won that game with the chances we had. There is no need to panic for anyone."

"Our start is not good. I would have felt better if we had won the derby. We didn't and right now there is a negative feeling. But I assure you, it is not all that negative."

"It is up to us, players and staff, to sort it out on the pitch," added the Netherlands international.

The Dutchman is rumoured to be considering an offer to extend his stay at the Emirates, but refused to discuss the issue, preferring to concentrate on his side's current fortunes.

He continued: "I am not going to make any statements about my future. Not now, not for a while."

"I've been at Arsenal eight years and that is quite extraordinary these days. Which is why I treasure this. What my future will bring, nobody knows."

"I can understand people are curious, but I am just dedicated to everything at Arsenal right now."

I guess as Arsenal fans we have to put our faith in the Dutch striker to pull Arsenal from its sticky spot and stay with the club in seasons to come. 

Source: ibnlive.com

Player Review: Mikel Arteta

Arteta in action.

So here he is . Arsenal's wonder signing in the dying moments of the transfer market. Brought onto the Gunner bandwagon for a fee of 10 million euros from Everton.

Mikel Arteta , who played a pivotal role for his previous team and thus cemented his presence in the premier league. Having made 4 appearances for Arsenal by now , Arteta has certainly impressed one and all with his excellent close control and game sense. 

In each appearance he has made for Arsenal FC, he has maintained a tight control on the flow game in the mid field working well with Aaron Ramsey by his side.

The good thing about Arteta apart from his football skills is that he never makes a rash move no matter what the situation. Over the last few months , Arsenal players have often gave in to their temper and frustration and due to which the referees happily flash their cards and ruin the match for the team. Arteta brings to the team a sense of quiet determination that stabilizes the game play and maintains equilibrium throughout the 90 minutes.,

Here a few important pointers worth knowing about the new mid-fielder-

Born on             - 26 March 1982


Place of Birth     - San Sebastian, Spain


Playing Postiton - Midfielder


Previous Club    - Everton (2005-2011)


Number             - 8

Keep the Faith

The new Arsenal logo to commemorate 125th anniversary of the club.

See the logo on the right? Recognize it?

It's the logo of Arsenal . And I am proud to say that I am an Arsenal fan. 

You think its amusing? Something I should be embarrassed of? To be loyal to a club which hasn't won a trophy in almost 7 years? 

Hell No. I don't think that as a supporter of a 125 year old club, I should be worried about 7 year trophy drought . I won't reminisce about how great it once was , how the Invincibles stood firm in 2003 - 2004 and how Thierry Henry , Fabregas , Nasri prospered in the club. It still is and always will be the club that gives meaning to Joga Bonito. I fell in love with their game , their style of passing and working the ball through the gaps. The way they score their typical Arsenal goals and how they absolutely dominate the mid field area and choke out the opposing team.