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Arsenal 4 - 4 Spurs (DVD)
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It was always going to be a dramatic night at the Emirates Stadium; with Harry Redknapp’s recent appointment as manager, the Spurs players with a point to prove and an Arsenal team looking for revenge following the 5-1 humiliation at the hands of Tottenham earlier in the year. The stage was set for a classic encounter and it didn’t disappoint.

David Bentley set the tone of the game with a dipping swerving 40 yard wonder strike early in the first half, but Arsenal fought back to lead 3-1 in what was a pulsating rollercoaster of a game.

With seconds remaining of normal time Spurs were 4-2 down and seemingly heading for defeat. The team; infused with a renewed sense of belief and never say die attitude drove forward and a last-minute double salvo from captain Jermaine Jenas and substitute Aaron Lennon leveled the match and stunned the Emirates Stadium.

It was night to savour for David Bentley, returning to his former club with magical inspiration. For Harry Redknapp and all associated with the club there was a great sense of unity and pride as Spurs ushered in a new era with a memorable and explosive evening of football.

Arsenal defender Kolo Toure is set to start against Stoke City on Saturday after skipper William Gallas sustained a hamstring injury during last nights North London derby with Spurs.

The 27-year-old Ivorian hasn’t played a competitive match since the Gunners’ 1-1 draw with Sunderland at the Stadium of Light. Gallas’ injury looks to have given Toure a chance in the centre of Arsenal’s defence, and it’s likely that he’ll also skipper the side.

Toure’s fellow countryman Emmanuel Eboue is another likely to miss out due to a knee injury. Arsene Wenger told Arsenal TV Online.

“It looks like Gallas will be out and maybe Eboue too,” Wenger told Arsenal TV Online on Thursday lunchtime. “We’ll assess him tomorrow.

“It is a little recurrence of the hamstring for William and for Manu it is his knee. He is not running properly at the moment. He still has pain there.”

Don’t forget, you can catch all the pre-match build-up to the game here on Gooner Talk. A match report will be posted immediately after the full time whistle is blown at the Brittania Stadium.

Gooner Talk have found an exclusive pic dug up from last season of William Gallas smoking on Birmingham’s pitch - well, maybe not, but after last nights draw, who’d blame him?!

Thanks to Vince from ASCFR for the gem.

Harry Redknapp brought his bottom of the league Spurs side to the Emirates Stadium knowing a point was desperately needed - and boy, did he get his wish.

Brazilian midfielder Denilson, fullback Bacary Sagna and striker Emmanuel Adebayor were welcomed back into the Arsenal XI by Arsene Wenger.

Arsenal Starting XI

Almunia
Sagna - Gallas - Silvestre- Clichy
Walcott - Fabregas - Denilson- Nasri
Adebayor - van Persie

Spurs Starting XI

Gomes
Hutton - Corluka - Woodgate - Assou-Ekotto
Bentley - Jenas - Huddlestone - Bale
Modric
Pavlyuchenko

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Former Gunners midfielder Freddie Ljungberg visited Arsenal’s London Colney training ground last month, just weeks before he made his move to MLS minnows Seattle Sounders.

The 31-year-old Swede was present at the Gunners’ Hertfordshire-based centre and visited Head Chef and close pal Rob Fagg.

Infamous for his underwear exploits with Calvin Klein, Freddie admitted at the training ground that he still has high hopes for his footballing career - something that we’ve recently seen with his surprise transfer to Seattle.

Before last season, Ljungberg spent nine years with Arsenal, where he scored 46 goals in 216 regular-season appearances.

Injuries have affected his production in recent years, and Ljungberg retired from international competition, which makes him a good fit with Sounders FC because he wouldn’t be leaving the team in midseason for Swedish national-team games.

Ljungberg is set to join much-travelled goalkeeper Kasey Keller, midfielder Sanna Nyassi and forward Sebastien Le Toux as the first four players on the Sounders FC roster for the inaugural season, which begins in March 2009.

Gooner Talk would like to wish Gunners legend Freddie good luck at his new club and wish him many a success in the near future.

Portsmouth appointed Tony Adams as manager on Tuesday, giving the former England and Arsenal captain his first chance to lead a Premier League club.

Adams was often touted as a likely topflight manager during a playing career in which he became the only man to captain a team to the English league title in three different decades.

He had been assistant to Harry Redknapp at Portsmouth since June 2006 but was promoted to the top job on a 2 1/2-year contract following his former boss’s switch to Tottenham at the weekend.

Arsene Wenger, who managed Adams for the last six years of his career at Arsenal, thinks his former captain has the attributes to succeed.

“He is at the age now where you have to start in this job,” Wenger said. “I believe he has a good squad and he has worked a lot now in this job and I think he is ready. Tony has now much more experience because he has been abroad and has been at Portsmouth as an assistant.

“I believe he has the qualities and that is why I am very positive about it.”

Adams has won admiration for his character as well as his playing and coaching abilities.

In September 1996, following a lengthy drinking binge that followed England’s elimination from the European Championship semifinals, Adams publicly acknowledged that he was an alcoholic. He successfully fought an addiction that caused a four-month jail sentence for drunk driving.

His rehabilitation continued under Wenger, who built his first sides on Graham’s defence and whose introduction of a new dietary regime and training methods was credited with extending Adams’ career.

Such was his longevity that in 1998 and 2002 Adams added the double of Premier League and FA Cup to the league titles he won in 1989 and 1991.

“I spoke to Arsene last night to ask advice and he said, ‘Welcome to hell,”‘ Adams said. “I said, ‘Are you scared? Because I’m coming for you.”‘

Samir Nasri has heaped praise on the fantastic spirit currently in the atmosphere at Arsenal and even revealed he had to sing a French rap song after meeting up with his team mates for the first time in July.

Speaking to popular French TV channel ‘France 2′, the Gunners’ summer signing was interviewed about comparisons with former midfield maestro Robert Pires as well as his opinions on old club Marseille.

“At the start of the season, people said that I was the new Robert Pires. If it means I have the same acheivements and career as he did at Arsenal, I will be overjoyed.”

When a new signing arrives at the club, the inaugraul tradition is for the new-boy to sing a song infront of his team-mates - Nasri described his very own singing experience.

“I sang a French rap song (113 - Tonton du Bled) and although most of the players were making fun of me, the French players helped me. Bac (Sagna) did the instruments and he was very helpful!”

Nasri also brought back some praise for his former club Marseille and their loyal fan base. He admitted the Velodrome is probably one of the most hostile stadium’s in Europe, and he’ll never forget the support he had there.

“The atmosphere at the Velodrome stadium is still the best for me. Because here in England the fans make noise when somethings happening on the pitch. But at the Velodrome the fans never stop singing, and I think it’s the best atmosphere in Europe.”

“I could have stayed at Marseille but when a Club like Arsenal come to see you - a Club which trust his young players, with a great manager, and which play a great football - you can’t say no.”

Before the interview finished, Samir was questioned about driving in England.

“I already start learning at Marseille, and I just have to do the test. But, one thing is for sure, I will take a French car, not an English car!”

You can watch the full interview here (in French). With thanks to Vince from ASCFR for the translations.

Arsenal took on West Ham knowing that their title rivals Manchester United and Chelsea had earlier dropped vital Premier League points.

The surprise team news was that Emmanuel Adebayor rested to the bench following his midweek Champions League exploits while Nicklas Bendtner, Alex Song, and Mikael Silvestre were all handed starts.

West Ham:

Green
Faubert - Collins - Upson - Ilunga
Mullins - Parker - Bowyer - Di Michele
Bellamy - Cole

Arsenal Starting XI:

Almunia
Eboue - Gallas - Silvestre - Clichy
Walcott - Fabregas - Song Billong - Nasri
Bendtner - Van Persie

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