Apr 30
Podolski move confirmed by Cologne
Highly-rated Germany forward Lukas Podolski will join Arsenal in the summer after his transfer from Cologne was finally ‘rubber stamped’ by the Bundesliga side.
Archive for April, 2012
Apr 28
Usmanov wants bigger stake in Arsenal
Russia’s richest man Alisher Usmanov has admitted he is keen to up his stake in Arsenal by acquiring further shares in the club.
Usmanov, who controls 30 percent of the north London side with his business partner Farhad Moshiri, will seek to boost the stake, according to an interview broadcast on state television.
The 58-year-old oligarch is rated as the 35th richest person in the world and has previously been critical of Stan Kroenke’s current regime for what he sees as a lack of investment in the playing squad.
“When we invest in domestic sports – we do not expect an immediate return. We are prepared to wait for trophies and big successes”, Usmanov said in an interview with the Rossiya 24 channel.
“But the “Arsenal” – this is a real business. It generates about two hundred million dollars in revenue.
“This is a club that is worth more than a billion dollars today. When we bought it, it was worth about half. I am very pleased with our investment. And in any case, I will increase it [his stake in the club].”
Apr 27
Can Arsenal perform on a Saturday afternoon in Stoke?
Arsenal are a top priced 1.91 with Paddy Power to beat Stoke at the Britannia this weekend, and despite the stats being against them I fancy them to bag all three points.
The Gunners have lost three of their last four games at the Britannia and face a side who have secured 10 out of a possible 12 points on their own soil in recent weeks.
However Tony Pulis’ team are also the division’s lowest scorers with just 32 in total, and if Arsenal can grab the first goal it’s very hard to see them coming away empty handed.
Apr 26
Red Detective’s view: Thoughts on Ramsey, Possession and Counter attacks
In comparison to the majority of midfielders in competitive world football, Aaron Ramsey does most things better nearly all of them. He passes, tackles, shoots, competes. At Arsenal, at the moment, he is not doing them as well as he can – and not as well as Song, Arteta, Rosicky or Benayoun. Crippled by under confidence, made worse by the Arsenal crowds tendency to locate a scapegoat, he looks like a player struggling to make decisions wanting to revert to a safer style. His passes became shorter as he was appointed “duty pariah” for the night against Wigan, and consequently, his time on the ball became longer as he was distracted and trying to not make an error. Bereft of ideas he still did not hide and still asked for the ball which showed character.
Apr 25
Walcott ruled out for the season
Arsenal forward Theo Walcott has been ruled out for the rest of the season after limping off injured in Saturday’s Premier League stalemate with Chelsea.
Walcott, 23, is now in a race to get fit for England’s Euro 2012 pre-tournament training camp on May 20, with Arsene Wenger saying he ‘should be ok’ by those dates.
England have already lost another Arsenal midfielder in Jack Wilshere ahead of the Euros, although the youngster hasn’t played this season due to a troublesome ankle injury.
Added to that, Mikel Arteta won’t be available for the rest of the Gunners’ league campaign after damaging his ankle ligaments in the 2-1 defeat against Wigan.
Apr 21
Arsenal v Chelsea Preview
Arsenal are a top priced even money (2) with Boylesports and Betfred to do the league double over Chelsea this weekend and everything suggests they will do just that.
The Gunners have won 12 and lost just two of their last 16 league games at the Emirates (2 draws), and have scored in all those fixtures.
