Arsenal

Adebayor doubts Arsenal title bid
Arsenal striker Emmanuel Adebayor has questioned his side's ability to win the Premier League, unless they start to develop a winning mentality. The Gunners appeared to be heading for victory over arch-rivals Tottenham on Wednesday, but conceded two late goals to draw the game 4-4. The 24-year-old suggested his team-mates thought the game was won and was at a loss to describe what went wrong. "To be champions in this way? You can never be a champion," Adebayor said. Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger was furious at his side's capitulation at the Emirates Stadium and Adebayor echoed his manager's sentiments. The Togo international added: "There is a lot of disappointment. We are down at the moment because we did everything to get the three points and we ended up with one. "We feel very sorry for ourselves that the things are not going the right way. "It was one of the most difficult games in my life because I cannot understand that after 90 minutes we were leading 4-2 - I don't know how we finished with a draw. "It's very easy to give up because we were 4-2 up and maybe thinking the game was finished. With five, six or seven minutes to go, maybe in our head the game was over." Going into this weekend's game away at Stoke, Arsenal are six points behind leaders Liverpool and have drawn two and lost two of their opening 10 games so far this season. They had also looked in control against Hull earlier in the season, but after taking a second half lead they failed to close out the game and goals from Geovanni and Daniel Cousin secured a memorable win for the Premier League new boys. That followed defeat away at Fulham in August, while last season their title challenge fell apart after Birmingham secured a late draw at St Andrews.

Adebayor injury blow hits Arsenal
Arsenal striker Emmanuel Adebayor has been ruled out of action for three weeks with an ankle injury suffered in Saturday's 2-1 defeat at Stoke. The 24-year-old sustained the injury after a tackle from Ryan Shawcross. The Stoke defender's challenge drew a furious response from Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger who accused the home side of overly aggressive tactics. And Adebayor will now miss league games against Manchester United, Aston Villa, Manchester City and possibly Chelsea. The Gunners are due to play fellow Londoners on 30 November. The Togolese striker will also miss the Champions League games with Fenerbahce and Dynamo Kiev. Stoke City chairman Peter Coates strongly rejected Wenger's claims that his team played in a dirty manner. "I'm sure that none of our players would deliberately go out to injure anyone," Coates said. Fellow forward Theo Walcott was also injured in Saturday's defeat. Adebayor has nine goals this season, five in the league, and is Arsenal's top scorer.

Essien questions Arsenal strategy
Chelsea midfielder Michael Essien believes Arsenal's stylish brand of football is ultimately self-defeating as it does not produce enough results. He told the Inside Sport show: "Arsenal is one of those teams that just plays beautiful football, but they don't get the points they want to. "To play beautiful football without points, is I don't think, worth it. "To be rough and get three points, or play well and get three points - win ugly or beautifully - I don't care." Essien had knee surgery in September and is set to be out for five months. The midfielder suffered the injury during Ghana's World Cup qualifier against Libya on 5 September. He has been a regular for Chelsea since his £24m move from Lyon in 2005, scoring 14 goals in 132 appearances. On Saturday, Arsenal beat Manchester United 2-1 at The Emirates, a result that leaves Arsene Wenger's side six points behind leaders Chelsea. Wenger's side last won a trophy in 2005 when Arsenal beat Manchester United on penalties to claim the FA Cup.

Walcott ruled out after surgery
Arsenal winger Theo Walcott has undergone surgery on his dislocated right shoulder and will be sidelined for at least three months. Walcott, who has a hereditary shoulder problem, suffered the injury in training with the England squad ahead of Wednesday's friendly with Germany. Gunners boss Arsene Wenger said: "After three months he can play but it takes longer to be completely competitive. "After this injury it takes a while for a player to use his shoulder again." Walcott, 19, has suffered from a series of shoulder injuries in his career. He had his left shoulder pinned in 2007 and had to be stretchered off during Arsenal's recent game with Stoke after he fell on it and suffered spasms as a result. The operation was carried out by the same surgeon who operated on Walcott in 2007. The winger had been due to play in England's friendly against Germany in Berlin, a match that Fabio Capello's team won 2-1. Walcott has been a regular for the Gunners this season and, having seen his team collect just four points from their last four league games, Wenger must do without one of his most potent attacking players. Last season the Derby midfielder Stephen Pearson was ruled out for a month after suffering the same injury. But Walcott is not expected to return until 2009 - ruling him out of the remainder of Arsenal's Champions League group campaign as well as at least seven Premier League games. "During Tuesday's training session Theo Walcott dislocated his right shoulder after falling on the pitch," said an FA statement. "Arsenal's medical staff were advised of the injury soon after the incident." Speaking on Tuesday prior to learning of Walcott's injury, Wenger expressed his displeasure at the timing of the international break. "It is particularly not welcome at the moment because it is at a period where you want your players to recover a little bit," he told the Arsenal website. "I don't see what you gain from this friendly because there is no game. You can explain a friendly to prepare for an official match but after this there is no international game for four months."

Wenger plays down Gallas absence
Arsene Wenger says that William Gallas has a future at Arsenal after the defender was stripped of the captaincy before the 3-0 loss at Manchester City. After accusing his team-mates of lacking courage this week, Gallas was omitted from the side that slipped to a second successive defeat. "Of course he has a future at the club, but the less we talk the better it is," manager Wenger told BBC Radio 5 Live. "We can change a captain without having to make a political issue of it." Gallas, 31, was axed for the trip to face Mark Hughes' side, with Manuel Almunia named captain in his absence. The Frenchman trained at the Gunners' London Colney complex on Saturday, as Arsenal slumped to their fifth Premier League defeat this season. Wenger would not be drawn further on Gallas, the club captain since August 2007. "I will not speak about William Gallas in a post-match interview. He is a player who did not play today, so what can he do? Nothing," he added. "Why should we not talk about (Cesc) Fabregas and the other nine players who are not here? "We can go on until midnight and I will give the same answer to the same question." Arsenal now have to prepare for the visit of Dynamo Kiev in the Champions League on Tuesday, but remain on course for qualification for the knockout stages of the competition. "We have had difficult times," admitted Wenger. "We have always been strong enough to deal with it and we will be strong again to deal with it." In addition, the Gunners have a host of injury worries with key players, Theo Walcott, Emmanuel Adebayor, Kolo Toure, Eduardo, Tomas Rosicky and Emmanuel Eboue among the absentees. Walcott is out for three months after suffering a dislocated shoulder while training with the England squad. Adebayor, meanwhile, is a doubt for the game against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on 30 November.

Injured Rosicky out until March
Arsenal's Czech Republic midfielder Tomas Rosicky faces at least another three months on the sidelines because of a damaged hamstring tendon. The 28-year-old, who has not played since January, had further surgery on the problem in Germany on 11 November. Gunners boss Arsene Wenger told his club's website: "He is doing rehab and is back here on 16 December when hopefully we can start work with him. "But it's a long-term prospect - maybe March at the earliest." Rosicky suffered the injury in his last game for Arsenal, an FA Cup match against Newcastle, which the Gunners won 3-0. He first went under the knife in May but needed another operation and Wenger says his recovery has been "slower than expected". Rosicky has made only 61 first-team appearances for Arsenal since arriving from Borussia Dortmund in May 2006.

Eduardo ready for Arsenal return
Eduardo says he is ready to return to Arsenal's first team after playing the full 90 minutes for the club's reserves against Stoke on Wednesday. It was the first time the 25-year-old striker had completed a match since he suffered a career-threatening injury against Birmingham last February. The Croatian told Arsenal's website: "In my head and everything I am ready. I feel much stronger. I am happy now. "I think I am ready for the first team but you would have to ask the boss." There had been fears for Eduardo's career when he suffered a fractured left fibula and an open dislocation of his left ankle after a tackle by Martin Taylor during the 2-2 draw at St Andrew's on 23 February. The striker, who had surgery on the same day, missed the remainder of the season and Euro 2008 but has been undergoing an intensive rehabilitation programme that included spells in his native Brazil. He returned to action in a reserve game against Portsmouth in December, but had not played for 90 minutes until Wednesday's 2-2 draw against Stoke at the Britannia Stadium. "It has been a long time since I've played 90 minutes and now I feel better knowing that I can play a whole game," he added. "The plan against Portsmouth reserves was to play an hour but we decided with the small injury that I should go off because of the risk in continuing the game. But I am happy now, I played 45 minutes of that game which was good for my confidence. "I feel very well and I'm training hard every day. Of course I want to come back quick and strong. Now, every game for me is a big step. "I am happy with the 90 minutes on a very hard pitch with all the hard rain. I needed time in the reserves to get my match fitness back. "But playing my first game for the first team, I am ready now and I am just waiting for my chance."

Arshavin hopeful of Arsenal deal
Andrei Arshavin has said he believes he is an Arsenal player, with the outcome of his proposed transfer to the Gunners set to finally be revealed on Tuesday. The playmaker told his personal website that negotiations over his move from Zenit St Petersburg "came to a close". "Now I can say only one thing - that if I play for Arsenal, it will be at number 23," said the 27-year-old. It is believed all the relevant documentation is with the Premier League but has yet to be ratified. The Premier League told BBC Sport that Monday's adverse weather meant there were still outstanding transfers that needed approval from its board. Arshavin's agent Dennis Lachter claimed he was "very confident" the forward's move from Zenit St Petersburg will be ratified by the Premier League. "It was completed in extra time but we must wait for confirmation," he stated. On Monday, a Zenit spokesman claimed that the transfer had fallen through and the player was returning to the club. But Lachter told BBC Sport the deal had been agreed by all parties and only needed to be made official by the Premier League. Lachter added that "in 16 years this has been the most difficult transfer ever", without wanting to go into details of the sticking points in the deal. The clubs had been in discussions over the move for the duration of the transfer window but the 1700 GMT deadline passed on Monday without any official word on the player's future. It was understood that Arsenal had agreed a fee with Zenit, during which time Arshavin, one of the stars of Euro 2008, accepted personal terms and passed a medical. Reports suggested the deal collapsed when the clubs could not reach an agreement, with the claim being the move broke down over the size of the fee and compensation Zenit would be paid for allowing Arshavin to break his contract. But later on Monday Zenit spokesman Alexei Petrov was quoted as saying: "The deal was signed for three-and-a-half years and the financial details will be disclosed tomorrow." Another report claimed Arshavin had joined Arsenal "until June 2012 for £12m". Arshavin travelled to London on Sunday in order to complete the formalities of the move before the transfer deadline. However, after being pictured in Hertfordshire, key figures in the deal said that Arshavin had left for an airport and the move was off, amid suggestions that the two clubs differed in their valuation of the player. Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has remained hopeful throughout that he would land his man. "We are always confident, we try our best, if we can find an agreement, we will do it," he had previously remarked. "These kind of stories sometimes develop in the last minute on the final day of the transfer window. It is very difficult to predict."

Wenger fears attacks in football
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger believes football could be targeted by extremists and revealed his club had received terror alerts before games. The Frenchman's comments come a week after the attacks on the Sri Lanka cricket team bus in Pakistan. "We don't regard ourselves as terror targets but you wonder why not," said the 59-year-old. "It has happened to us, where we have had alerts before games that we played at home." He added: "We kept quiet about it. I wonder about this because in England, you don't get any police escort before games - they refuse, especially in London. Wenger believes it was the responsibility of governments to protect sporting teams. "You rely on the internal security of the country where you are," he said. Wenger recalled an incident that caused him concern while he was manager of Japanese side Nagoya Grampus during the mid-1990s. "I remember when I was in Japan, I had this problem as well because we had at that stage somebody who had all the machinery and they put sarin gas into the subway." Six police officers escorting the Sri Lanka cricket team were killed and seven players were injured in the shootings in Lahore last week.

Kroenke increases Arsenal stake
American tycoon Stan Kroenke has increased his stake in Arsenal to just over 20%, at a cost of £42.5m. He has purchased 5,000 ordinary shares at £8,500 apiece from fellow Gunners director Danny Fiszman. Previously, Kroenke had held a 12% stake in the club largely as a result of shares his firm Kroenke Sports Enterprises purchased from ITV in 2007. In September 2008, Kroenke accepted an offer to become a non-executive director of the Premier League club. "After having been invited to join the board last year I am delighted to be able to increase my shareholding in Arsenal," said Kroenke. "I will continue to work closely with my board colleagues to maintain the stable environment in which the club operates and to preserve the self-sustaining business model enjoyed by the club." If KSE - which also owns the Denver Nuggets basketball franchise, the Colorado Avalanche ice hockey team and Major League Soccer side Colorado Rapids - increases its stake to 30% it will be obliged to launch a takeover bid under financial regulations. However, the Arsenal directors have a "lockdown" agreement in place - which means they cannot sell their shares to anyone before April 2009 other than a limited number of people, such as family members. After that, until October 2012, they cannot sell to anyone else without giving the other directors the first option to buy. Kroenke is now the second biggest shareholder in the club behind Uzbekistani metals magnate Alisher Usmanov, whose Red and White Holdings group owns 25% after paying about £75m for the 14.65% holding previously held by former vice-chairman David Dein. Lady Nina Bracewell-Smith left the Arsenal board in December - thus freeing her from the directors' agreement - and could be willing to listen to offers for her 15.9% holding. Fiszman, whose stake now stands at 16.1%, declared himself pleased with Kroenke's commitment to Arsenal but revealed he would not be selling any more of his shares in the club. "I am pleased that Stan Kroenke has made a further substantial commitment to the club by acquiring approximately a third of my holding," stated Fiszman. "I will of course continue to work for Arsenal with the best interests of the club at heart and have no intention of selling any more of my shareholding." The Arsenal Supporters Trust (AST) holds 3% of shares through its members, but represent a collective of small shareholders who have about 12%. In a statement, it said: "The fact that Stan Kroenke is already a member of the board at Arsenal should ensure that this change does not create any instability. "We were supportive of him joining the board and welcome the sporting and commercial expertise he brings to the club. "If a sale had to take place, we are reassured that it is to Stan."

Fabregas to miss tie with Celtic
Arsenal will be without captain Cesc Fabregas (hamstring) for Wednesday's Champions League second-leg clash with Celtic at Emirates Stadium. The 22-year-old Spaniard could, though, return for Saturday's Barclays Premier League trip to Manchester United. Czech winger Tomas Rosicky (hamstring) could also be match fit by the weekend. Striker Theo Walcott (back), goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski (knee), winger Samir Nasri (broken leg) and defender Johan Djourou (knee) are all still out.

Wenger hungry for further success
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger says his desire for success is stronger than ever having become the club's longest-serving manager. The Frenchman, who this week celebrates 13 years in charge of the Gunners, also revealed how he "questions himself every day" as he strives to improve. "There are still more targets to achieve, said Wenger, who turns 60 later this month. "I have not exceeded my expectations because I always expect much more." A European trophy is the one thing that is missing from Wenger's managerial CV after 13 glorious years at the club. But having not won a trophy in four seasons, Wenger is determined to bring silverware back to the club and it is this that still drives him on. "My expectation is to win every single football game I manage and I did not do that, so I can never exceed my expectations. "I try to assess my performance with what I do and on a positive note, and ask 'How I can be better? How can I improve? How can I get this team to achieve what I believe is in the team?" He added: "We were close to being crowned European champions (in 2006), but that is what is still to achieve. "Of course it drives me on, but the competition is very high with all the big clubs you have in Europe." "There are still more targets to achieve. "I believe we have consistently managed to be at the top level, within our resources and improving our structures. "The club is on a new platform and to reach many more targets. "I believe our structures - new stadium, new training ground, a very young team, a healthy financial situation, we play at the top - means we have all the basics to be successful." Meanwhile, Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has paid tribute to old rival Wenger and believes the Gunners owe a huge amount to Wenger's leadership over the last 13 years. Arsene Wenger and Sir Alex Ferguson Wenger (left) and Ferguson have rarely seen eye-to-eye The pair have feuded over the years but Ferguson said: "Arsene has brought the best out of Arsenal. "I read some quotes from his players that sum up it up pretty well - they owed him everything. That's nice to read." Arsenal have won 11 trophies under Wenger, with Manchester United runners up on five of those occasions. They include twice winning the Premiership and FA Cup double, in 1998 and 2002. Wenger's 2004 Premiership winning side remained unbeaten in the league all season. This was also the period of greatest hostility in relations between Wenger and Ferguson. Arguments over player discipline culminated in January 2005 when Wenger refused to answer questions about United's boss, while Ferguson said of Arsenal: "It's a disgrace, but I don't expect Wenger to ever apologise, he's that type of person." But their relationship has improved in recent years, and Ferguson added: "He sticks to what he believes in - and so do his players." Arsenal's record goalscorer Thierry Henry, now with Barcelona, has added his praise, saying: "He is the guy that makes you realise you can do anything you want." Current Gunners captain Cesc Fabregas was similarly generous, saying: "He has been the most important influence in my short career." Ferguson, who has managed United for 23 years, believes Wenger's success is further proof that "longevity brings rewards". He added: "His team play the right way and he has a stadium that is full every week. He has been an incredible manager for that football club. There is no question about that." Blackburn boss Sam Allardyce, whose side travel to the Emirates Stadium on Sunday, is another manager to have had a strained relationship with Wenger over the years. But despite their differences over the physical nature of Allardyce's teams, the former Bolton boss paid tribute to Wenger's achievements with the Gunners. "Anybody who can get into double figures (in years) as a manger these days is achieving a huge amount of success for their particular football club," said Allardyce. "There are few managers that can stay at a club that long. Arsene came from Japan and found his home at long last. He found he was allowed to do what he has probably always wanted to do, which was to run a football club his way. "I think probably elsewhere, outside England, you are not allowed to do that, but in England, and particularly at Arsenal as the years have gone by, he's been allowed almost total control of the development of the football there. "Both have benefited greatly from that so I'm not surprised that he's the longest-serving manager Arsenal have ever had."

Wenger excited by Arsenal future
Arsene Wenger believes his current Arsenal side can "go as far as they want" after watching them produce a stunning 6-2 win against Blackburn. The Frenchman, who is now Arsenal's longest-serving manager, said: "Our culture is about going forward and scoring goals - you saw that again. "The whole team goes forward and we can score goals from everywhere. "Their keeper made some fantastic saves but we scored great goals. This Arsenal team can go as far as they want." Wenger, who celebrated 13 years in charge of the Gunners in midweek, feels his side could be on the verge of something special. "They have fantastic potential. There are some amazing teams to compare them with and we still have it all to do of course, but the spirit and attitude is there. "I do not look back at my time at the club. Maybe I will when I have no choice, but now I look forward because there is so much to come from this team. "It is so enjoyable living with these players on a daily basis - to get them to improve and see how much they love the game." Rovers twice took the lead at the Emirates stadium, but found themselves on the back foot for much of the game as Arsenal played with verve and incision. Blackburn boss Sam Allardyce admitted: "We gave too many chances to Arsenal and their finishing was clinical. "If you look at quality of their finishing, Arsenal are unstoppable for anyone. "Paul Robinson pulled off some really good saves. We could have conceded more than six goals." And Allardyce was gracious enough in defeat to pay tribute to Wenger for his achievements since he arrived at Arsenal in 1996. "To football, Wenger has given a tremendous amount," he said. "He has showed everyone how to find young talent and develop it through their system. "We would all like to say we have 25% of our players from our academy, but he has 80-90% of his side through their academy." Thierry Henry is just one of the names who benefitted from the mentorship of Wenger. The French striker matured into one of the best players in the world after he signed for Arsenal from Juventus, where he had struggled to make an impact. The Barcelona forward was in attendance on Sunday to see his former side turn on the style and he was full of praise for Wenger. He said: "As you all know he's the longest-serving Arsenal manager. "It's tremendous and amazing and he deserves to be where he is. He's the right man here." Henry, who is Arsenal's greatest goalscorer, came on to the pitch before the match and was given a rousing reception from the home fans. "I was a bit embarrassed, I didn't know what to do," he said. "I have a special bonding with the club. I'm still in shock."

Sol Campbell to play for Arsenal reserves at West Ham
Defender Sol Campbell is to play for Arsenal reserves at West Ham on Tuesday as the 35-year-old moves closer to a permanent return to the Gunners. Former England defender Campbell has been a free agent since being released from his contact with League Two side Notts County in December. Arsenal say he is playing for the reserves "with a view to a permanent move back to Arsenal Football Club". Campbell played only one game for Notts County after joining from Portsmouth. The former Tottenham, Arsenal and Portsmouth defender joined County in August, but left less than a month into a five-year deal. Campbell, who was capped 73 times by England and played at two World Cups, was keen to resume his career as quickly as possible after settling his contract dispute with County. It is understood offers were also on the table from Hull and Newcastle, but Arsenal were always Campbell's first choice and he is still held in high regard by manager Arsene Wenger. "He has a fantastic attitude and good fitness," said Wenger last week. "Of course he is not the youngest, but he is in a very good shape. He can still play in the Premier League, I've said that many times. "He is important in the dressing room as well. He's positive with the young players. "Every year we have one or two like that and I think a Premier League club will sign him." Campbell spent five years at Arsenal between 2001-2006, during which time he won two Premier League titles, three FA Cups and scored in the 2006 Champions League final defeat by Barcelona. Wenger's decision to bring back the veteran defender, who will provide cover for Thomas Vermaelen and William Gallas alongside the 32-year-old Mikael Silvestre, will cast further doubt over the future of Philippe Senderos. Campbell is able to play for Arsenal reserves on Tuesday under a special registration.

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