Sep 15
Wenger: Worrying Times Ahead After City's Emergence
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has revealed the Gunners face much stiffer competition to qualify for the Champions League this season following the emergence of moneybags Manchester City.
The Gunners as part of the Premier League’s reported big-four have never struggled to gain entry into Europe’s premier club competition in recent years. However with City backed by Arab billions Wenger now believes they could look to gatecrash the party.
And the Frenchman has also identified that other emerging English teams, including arch-rivals Spurs could be involved in the mix come the end of the season.
“This year other surprise teams could come into it like Manchester City or Tottenham or Portsmouth,” Wenger told the Sun.
“It is certainly very interesting and very tight. Manchester City have an advantage because they do pay a lot of money. This year, for the first time, the January transfer window opens when we will have only played 19 games.”
“I have played seasons here when there were 24 games before then — the second part of the season is longer now. Teams can get that little bit more balance by buying players in the transfer window.”
Staying on the same topic, Arsenal midfielder Samir Nasri may not be fit in time to make the Gunners’ trip to the Ukraine for the Champions League clash against Dynamo Kiev.
The Frenchman, 21, will have his injured ankle checked before a decision on whether he travels.
Mikael Silvestre will return but Gael Clichy and Emmanuel Eboue have niggles which could keep them out of the important group stage tie.
Tags: arabs, arsenal, Champions League, europe, man city, money, premier league, robinho, takeover, Tottenham, Wenger
Lol…Spurs..Top 4, You gotta be kidding me Wenger.
Can't wait to seem them get battered tonight mate.
If we made a few buys then we woudn't face as much competition. Chelsea and Man United will qualify with ease, we are going to be left fighting for 3rd or 4th spot again
So many teams a capable this year. I don't see Liverpool ( apart from the obvious 3 or 4 excellent players) having the squad or even first team to finish ahead of us though. It is without doubt however, that, most of the challenging teams are easily able to beat the so-called lesser teams in the league. We beat a diminished Blackburn side 4-0. A great result but I would imagine that alot of teams will be taking 3 points away from Ewood park this year. Its hard to be certain of champers qualification but i am confident. We could find ourselves mounting a serious challenge for the title if we stay relatively free of injury. One thing is for certain… This is a very intregueing season we've just embarked upon.
Come on Arsenal.
I'm sure Bentley is “coming out”. His new barnet is dodgy to say the least !! – come on Villa let's have another
Hahaha
come on Villa, lets have 3 now
Tottenham had been looking for a replacement for Robinson for over a year – they did a good job less of a replacement and more of a duplicate. Sometimes think we under appreciate Almunia
I would be worried about ManUre. AIG seems to going tits up in America, so if they die, ManUre will lose a lot of revenue. Also all that money borrowed must be hurting lol.
The spuds never seem to learn. THERE IS ONLY ONE CLUB IN LONDON!!
….and Bent scores – trying to jump out of the way of the ball – could they be becoming the “Liverpool” of London ?
LMAO @ Sp*rs. ROCK BOTTOM!
oh dear oh dear mr ramos, the wonderful new spurs BOTTOM of the league.
Now that have me worried… with Nasri, Eboue out, and Theo probably not playing 90 mins, will we have enough MF to play on Wednesday?
City wont be great overnight, they will pose a threat next season but for now they will come 5th/6th. As for Tottenham, no worries
So we got another team in Premier League spending big hoping to “buy” silverwares… Since AW is so confidence Arsenal way of attractive football, why should he worry?! I thought he always have the confidence with those players that he got & he is gunning for silverwares this year?!
Worry Sp*rs no more:
SP*RS – 1 VILLA – 2
15 Sep 2008
YOU would like to think the only way is up after Tottenham’s poorest start to a season since 1974.
But after this defensive shambles maybe the worst is yet to come for a rock-bottom Spurs side who do not appear capable of hurting opponents.
Nigel Reo-Coker, once touted for Tottenham, put the boot in with Villa’s fifth-minute opener.
And Ashley Young underlined the visitors’ vast superiority with a second after 54 minutes.
Darren Bent’s deflected consolation late on could not stop the stinging criticism that will be reveberating around White Hart Lane today as the inquest begins trying to separate fact from fiction.
FACT: Spurs have won just three times since their Carling Cup final victory over Chelsea in February.
FACT: It is now 11 games since Tottenham scored more than one goal in a game.
FACT: They have picked up just one point from the last 15.
FICTION: Spurs are capable of tearing up the old order and can gatecrash the top four. Yeah, right. Next I will be telling you Vedran Corluka was outstanding on his debut and Luka Modric has the physique to scare the pants off every midfielder in the league.
Corluka was awful and you have to hope for Tottenham’s sake it was a one-off.
The Croat was pulled out of position, exposed for pace by Ashley Young and did not appear to have much understanding with the rest of Tottenham’s backline.
Modric was snubbed by Arsene Wenger because the Arsenal boss reckoned he lacked the physical stature to cope with the Premier League.
Whisper it quietly at the Lane, but Wenger appeared bang on following Modric’s pitiful display against Villa.
He was taken off after just 29 minutes, holding his hip as he headed down the tunnel.
Maybe Modric was indicating he needed a hip flask because he certainly could have done with a stiff drink to forget this mauling.
How Villa fans loved it. ‘You’re going down with the Baggies’ rang out from their corner of the stadium and more sarcastically ‘Martin, Martin, Martin Jol’.
Around this time last season Juande Ramos replaced Jol at the Lane as boss but perhaps the Spaniard should glance over his shoulder now.
Jol took three points from 12 in the opening four fixtures of the last campaign, Ramos has taken one.
OK, there is a pot in the cupboard but already the lack of consistency is worrying.
Jol is looking down from the top of the German Bundesliga with his new club Hamburg.And things are looking up for Villa boss Martin O’Neill.
His vibrant, confident side shook Spurs rigid with power and panache. At the heart of it was England’s Gareth Barry who dominated the midfield with Stiliyan Petrov as his accomplished side-kick.
Villa arrived at White Hart Lane with an appalling record after failing to win in their previous eight trips.
Until last night’s cracker they had not taken three points out of London for four years.
You would never have guessed it from the way they shredded Spurs’ defence almost at will.
Whichever way Villa attacked, they looked irresistible.
Reo-Coker did the damage down the right, Ashley Young did the same down the left.
Gabriel Agbonlahor dominated the box and towering strike partner John Carew was a real nuisance.
Villa took the lead when Reo-Coker was left unmarked at the far post to stroke in Agbonlahor’s cross.
Tottenham’s attempt at covering the Villa break was laughable especially before Ashley Young fired in under Gomes.
Bent’s 87th-minute reply for Spurs was hardly deserved, with the England striker trying to get out of the way of Jermaine Jenas’ hopeful shot that was going wide.
His strike briefly lifted the home crowd but they really deserved more. Maybe they will get it against Wigan who are next up at the Lane — but I don’t think too many are holding their breath.
DREAM TEAM STAR MAN – Gareth Barry (Aston Villa)
TOTTENHAM: Gomes 6, Bale 6, Woodgate 6, Dawson 6, Corluka 5, Modric 5, Huddlestone 6, Zokora 5, Lennon 7, Pavlyuchenko 6, Bent 7. Subs: Jenas (for Modric) 6, Bentley (for Zokora) 5, Dos Santos (for Dawson) 5. Booked: Dawson.
ASTON VILLA: Friedel 7, Shorey 6, Laursen 8, Davies 7, L Young 6, A Young 8, Barry 9, Petrov 7, Reo-Coker 7, Carew 6, Agbonlahor 7. Subs: Milner (for Carew) 5, Harewood (for Agbonlahor) 5, Gardner (for Shorey) 5. Booked: Shorey, Carew, Agbonlahor, A Young.