A new deal for Bacary Sagna (31st of October 2013)
Sagna is a very good player and I absolutely want to keep him. He is experienced and he has been loyal to the team. It won't sound right to let him leave especially after considering that he has won nothing at Arsenal.
Our second right back, Carl Jenkinson, needs to learn a lot in order to become a regular choice and I don't want to gamble on my defense, he still needs time.
I think I should give Sagna what he wants. I'm not a big fan of giving the older players long term deals because it will be a huge risk, everybody is speculating on the situation I shall not let anything disturb the rhythm of this team.
During the invincibles era, we all noticed the togetherness and pure understanding between the players.. It's something that the club has missed for so many years or during the so called 'Arsenal's Eight years trophy-drought'. But this year, something is different.. Sagna must not leave.
Jeremy James: Good morning Mr.Wenger! I'm delighted to be here once again. Arsène Wenger: Good morning Mr.James! Jeremy James: Before we start negotiating.. Arsène Wenger: I've been thinking about meeting Sagna's demands, I decided to agree on all of them but except for one. Jeremy James: Oh um, Which one? Arsène Wenger: The contract's duration. Four years is a bit long, maybe we can lower that a little bit. Jeremy James: I must tell you that my client is very happy at Arsenal and doesn't have the intention to leave, he wants to stay here for as long as possible. Arsène Wenger: I'm really glad to hear that but I cannot offer more than 3 years for the time being. Jeremy James: I'm afraid that's much less than my client's minimum expectations. Arsène Wenger: Yes you are right and I'm not surprised at all. I understand that Bacary Sagna is one of the fittest players in the league but we also should consider his age and where he plays. Jeremy James: I understand that you are trying to lower the duration but that will require some changes in other areas. We will discuss that as soon as my client arrives. Arsène Wenger: Sure, let's wait then. Jeremy James: I will meet him outside the office and then get back to you soon.
(25 minutes later..)
Jeremy James: I'm back. Arsène Wenger: Welcome back, so any updates? Jeremy James: My client agreed on the new contract's duration without any other changes, he will be here shortly to sign the contract, it's settled. A Three year extension earning 83,000 Pounds a week with bonuses. Arsène Wenger: I'm very glad to hear that. I will start preparing the papers and documents then. Let's finish the papers today because I'm a bit busy in the coming days. Jeremy James: Sure, why not!
Maybe I should've done this a while ago, but it's done now anyway.. I cannot let the papers get to my players' minds, especially if I want them to stay focused in each match in order to win the title.
(hours later on Arsenal.com)
Arsenal Football Club is delighted to announce the agreement on a new deal for the French defender Bacary Sagna worth 12,000,000 Pounds. The 30 year old will stay with the club for Three more years.
Bacary Sagna revealed that he is delighted to stay with the gunners due to a long-held passion for the club. "I'm really delighted to have signed a new contract, I've always loved the atmosphere in this club and I'm sure if we keep our heads up we will win the league this season."
"I'm happy at Arsenal and there is no reason why to leave."
Arsène Wenger also revealed his happiness with the contract extension. "Bacary Sagna is one of the best defenders in the league and I've always trusted in him, he exactly met my expectations when I bought him from AJ Auxerre in 2006."
"He is also very versatile, he can play on the right, left and the middle. We need these kind of players in our defense."
Bacary Sagna has made about 178 appearances so far with the gunners, everyone at Arsenal is looking forward to Sagna's contribution especially for this season.
Arsenal are currently in the first place, both in the Champions League Group A & the Barclays Premier League.
Arsenal were knocked out from the Carling cup after they lost 0-1 against Newcastle in the Fourth Round.
Despite not having the usual possession on the ball, Arsenal delivered a very good performance. Powerful striker Olivier Giroud gave Arsenal the lead in 27th minute by a well timed close finish. Rickie Lambert later on wasted a penalty. Artur Boruc gifted Arsenal an own goal in the 58th minute. Then lastly Olivier Giroud added another goal with a placed shot from long range which deflected off the inside of the post before crossing the line in the 77th minute.
Goals: Oliver Giroud ,
Assists: Lukas Podolski 2, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain
Injuries:N/A
Substitutions: ( Aaron Ramsey | Mesut Ozil | 64th minute ) ( Carl Jenkinson | Mertesacker | 69th minute ) ( Santi Cazorla | Mathieu Flamini | 69th minute )
Suspensions : Mathieu Flamini , Jack Wilshere .
Player of the match: Oliver Giroud .
http://img30.imageshack.us/i/uj53.png/
Boss comments: "It was a very good match for us, we took our chances quite well and did a good job in general."
"I'm pleased with Giroud's performance today, he took his chances and hit the target most of the times. He is a very good player and I've always trusted in his abilities."
"We responded quite well to the defeat we suffered against Newcastle, this shows our determination to succeed and I'm very happy with that."
Arsenal have qualified so easily from Group A with a remarkable 2 games in hand. And it seems Arsenal got lucky for the second time against Schalke this season. Roman Neustadter gifted Arsenal an own goal in the 59th minute.
Goals: N/A
Assists: N/A
Injuries: N/A
Substitutions: ( Santi Cazorla | Lukas Podolski | HT ) ( Theo Walcott | Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain | 77th minute ) ( Yaya Sanogo | Oliver Giroud | 77th minute )
Suspensions : Arteta.
Player of the match: Wojciech Szczesny .
[/spoiler]
Boss comments: "I say it was a fair game, we could've gone out with one point but they made a mistake and that's unfortunate for them."
"I say that both teams were playing well, we dropped a little bit physically in the second half but so did they too."
"The squad is very happy to have qualified this early I must say. But we will take the next two Champions League matches seriously."
Arsenal failed to hit Chelsea on the counter for most of the times but maintaiend a very strong defensive shape that made it hard for Chelsea to break.
Goals: N/A
Assists: N/A
Injuries: N/A
Substitutions: ( Aaron Ramsey | Mathieu Flamini | 57th minute ) ( Theo Walcott | Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain | 71st minute ) ( Natxo Monreal | Kieren Gibbs | 76th minute )
Suspensions : Mesut Ozil .
Player of the match: Bacary Sagna.
[spoiler=Match statistics]
Boss comments: "It was a very tough match, both teams were doing their best and it ended with a fair result."
"We weren't offensive enough which was concerning but overall we did a good job."
José Mourinho: Arsenal didn't deserve to get the point
At the Press conference after the Chelsea vs Arsenal clash, Mourinho - who won five major trophies during his first spell as Chelsea boss, including the Premier League twice, between 2004 and 2007 - drew attention to Arsenal's current eight-year spell without a major trophy and comments on Arsenal's current standings.
"I'm not happy with the result and I don't think it was a fair one." Said the Portuguese manager
"Arsenal were lucky to get that point, we were attacking without hesitation, unlike the team who stayed back and attacked once in 20 minutes."
When asked about if Arsenal is considered as a serious title contender:
"I don't even understand how a team that plays like that will win the league. It will be about time for Arsenal to lose their spot in the league table, they are well known for that."
"They need to spend fortunes to become competitive again. They haven't won anything in the last decade and things will stay like this for the long term because they can't change that. Nothing has changed at all since I left England."
When asked about Chelsea's performance:
"I think we played very well, we were very offensive and we were very unlucky."
"My strikers did well too, it's Arsenal who somehow managed to defend."
José Mourinho maintained a successful unbeaten streak against Arsenal, is he right about Arsenal's chances or not? What's Arsène Wenger's reaction to these comments? Stay tuned to Sky Sports' news.
This is currently, one of the best stories on the website in my opinion. Neals is better but this one is still excellent. The detail of the updates is astounding! Good job man.
2014-03-07 17:46#164231Nathaniel :
This is currently, one of the best stories on the website in my opinion. Neals is better but this one is still excellent. The detail of the updates is astounding! Good job man.
I really appreciate your feedback, thanks a lot man! I'm really glad that you guys are enjoying it. These kind of comments will only motivate me to make the story even better
It didn't take long for an answer, Arsène Wenger responded to José Mourinho's comments on the Chelsea vs Arsenal clash in a press conference ahead of the Sunderland's match.
"I don't really know what to say." Said Arsène Wenger "I don't think we were lucky because we've worked hard for it and followed the plan."
"If you look at the statistics you can clearly see that Chelsea were much better offensively than us but in other aspects we were in the same level."
"We had to drop and keep the ball because we couldn't find chances, so we simply waited for them."
"Look, every team has it's own way to approach the game and I don't like speaking about how other teams should be playing because I'm not managing them. I'm only responsible for one club."
"I'm really disappointed with these comments, it will be about time to see who will lose their spot. We still haven't finished half of the season and there is a long way ahead of us, we should not judge because in any minute you can be in a crisis."
"One week you play extremely well then the next week you get knocked out of a domestic competition by a weaker club, it happens a lot especially in modern football."
Arsenal's winner was scored by Aaron Ramsey, the Welshman scored a deftly executed finish after the ball bounced to him in the 50th minute. Arsenal controlled the game very well and Sunderland's day couldn't get any worse after their fullback Craig Gardner was sent off in the 63rd minute.
Goals: Aaron Ramsey .
Assists: Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain
Injuries: N/A
Substitutions: ( Yaya Sanogo | Olivier Giroud | 67th minute ) ( Tomas Rosicky | Lukas Podolski | 70th minute ) ( Theo Walcott | Aaron Ramsey | 72nd minute )
Suspensions : N/A
Player of the match: Bacary Sagna .
[/spoiler]
Boss comments: "Good match and good performance, the score would've been bigger but we weren't very offensive. But overall we got the 3 points and that's what matters."
"Fabianski is back to the squad, Cazorla is ill and will be back in 5 days."
It was a very interesting match for both parties. Wesley Sneijder gave Galatasaray SK the lead from 13 meters in the 33rd minute. The game then went quiet until Olivier Giroud came with the equalizer in the 72nd minute with a placed shot from long range. Explosive and super-sub Theo Walcott scored two accurate finishes in the 74th and 79th minute, beating the offside trap brilliantly. Then in the 90th minute, Mikel Arteta commited a mistake that helped Drogba to score.
Goals: Theo Walcott , Olivier Giroud .
Assists: Mesut Ozil, Aaron Ramsey, Tomas Rosicky
Injuries: ( Tomas Rosicky: Pulled Hamstring | Will keep him out for Three weeks)
Substitutions: ( Mikel Arteta | Mathieu Flamini | 61st minute ) ( Theo Walcott | Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain | 61st minute ) ( Tomas Rosicky | Mesut Ozil | 73th minute )
Suspensions : N/A
Player of the match: Theo Walcott .
[spoiler=Match statistics]
Boss comments: "Personally this is the most exciting match I've seen so far in this season, we played brilliantly and offensively. Full credits to the squad, they showed exceptional character and quality performance."
"Roberto Mancini is doing so well in the Turkish League and I congratulate him on that, he is a good manager."
"Theo Walcott is back to full fitness and will be in the starting squad soon, I just don't want to rush him back."
"As I said before we won't take the remaining Champions League matches for granted, we will play them all and we will win them."
It was Arsenal who managed to triumph in the North London Derby. Arsenal's first goal came from an accurate finish from Theo Walcott in the 42nd minute. Then in the 61st minute Olivier Giroud scored a fine header from point blank range. Lastly, experienced striker Jermain Defoe scored the only goal for Tottenham Hotspur in the 73rd minute, hitting Arsenal on the counter.
Goals: Olivier Giroud , Theo Walcott .
Assists: Olivier Giroud
Injuries: N/A
Substitutions: ( Yaya Sanogo | Olivier Giroud | 64th minute ) ( Mathieu Flamini | Mikel Arteta | 64th minute ) ( Mesut Ozil | Santi Cazorla | 73th minute )
Suspensions : Jack Wilshere , Laurent Koscielny , Bacary Sagna .
Player of the match: Theo Walcott .
[spoiler=Match statistics][/spoiler]
Boss comments: "It was a very good match and I'm especially pleased for the fans. The players knew how important this was to the fans and they gave it all what they got."
"We dropped a little bit physically in the second half which influenced on keeping the ball but overall it was a good day."
Writer's note: Thank you guys so much for your support, this story has reached 2200+ views and that's a good achievement for me. I just wanted to tell you that the finals are ringing the door at where I'm living, so wish me luck! And yes unfortunately it might affect this story but I will do my best to keep it updated.
West Brom's Starting XI: Foster, Reid, McAuley, Olsson, Popov, Morrison, Mulumbu, Yacob, Brunt, Anelka, Long West Brom's Subs: Myhill, Ridgewell, Jones, Dorrans, Amalfitano, Dawson, Lugano Manager: Steve Clarke
Arsenal displayed a confident performance when helped them to secure the Three points in the Emirates Stadium. An error from Youssouf Mulumbu allowed powerful striker Olivier Giroud to score a placed shot from close range in the 66th minute. Then wonderkid Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain finally rounded off their victory in the 93rd minute with a finish tucked away with consummate ease.
Boss comments: "We secured the Three points after a very good performance, we had to stay patient for the majority of the match and we finally scored."
"I'm delighted to have given a chance to Dan Crowley, he is a young kid with a lot of potential and I felt like it's the right time for him to get a chance."
"West Brom were very orginased which made it hard for us."
Manchester United 0 - 2 Arsenal (7th of December 2013)
Manchester United's Starting XI: De Gea, Smalling, Vidic, Evans, Fabio, Jones, Fellaini, Cleverley, Kagawa, Young, Welbeck Manchester United's Subs: Amos, Wilson, Carrick, Rafael, Hernandez, Giggs, Ferdinand Manager: David Moyes
Arsenal managed a triumph over adversity in this highly dramatic match after ill discipline and injury reduced them to Nine men. Arsenal somehow contrived to beat Manchester United 2-0 in what proved to be an enthralling encounter. Per Mertesacker gave Arsenal the lead with a well timed header from a corner in the 12th minute. Then Mathieu Flamini attempted a very bad tackle which earned him the second yellow card in the 29th minute. Laurent Koscielny scored the second goal with a powerful header from a corner in the 69 minute. Theo Walcott was injured in the 86th just after Arsenal used their last substitution
Goals: Per Mertesacker , Laurent Koscielny .
Assists: Mesut Ozil 2
Injuries: ( Theo Walcott: Fractured Arm | Will keep him out for Four weeks), ( Mathiue Flamini: Pulled Hamstring | Will keep him out for Three weeks)
Substitutions: ( Santi Cazorla | Lukas Podolski | 75th minute ) ( Jack Wilshere | Mesut Ozil | 75th minute ) ( Yaya Sanogo | Olivier Giroud | 84th minute )
Suspensions : Mathieu Flamini .
Player of the match: Mesut Ozil .
[spoiler=Match statistics]
Boss comments: "It was a nice win that's for sure, good Three points."
"Mathieu Flamini took a knock before his second yellow card, he will be out for Three weeks only."
"I saw the incident, it might be a controversial decision from the referee but we will have to move on."
"We had to drop and wait for the chances to come and we had a very high concentration level which helped us to score the two goals. Full credits to the team and their fighting spirit."
"We are in a very good position in the league table right now, we have to work hard in order to win the league. We have to fight with commitment without any kind of complancey."
Experienced spaniard Mikel Arteta gave Arsenal the lead in the 32nd minute with an accurate finish. Olivier Giroud added another goal with a placed shot after the ball bounced back to him in the 89th minute.
Goals: Mikel Arteta, Olivier Giroud .
Assists: Mikel Arteta, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain
Injuries: N/A
Substitutions: ( Olivier Giroud | Yaya Sanogo | 45th minute ) ( Emmanuel Frimpong | Mesut Ozil | 60th minute ) ( Serge Gnabry | Jack Wilshere | 70th minute )
Suspensions : N/A
Player of the match: Mikel Arteta .
[/spoiler]
Boss comments: "It was a very good match, we controlled the game and took our chances well."
"I'm very proud to have qualified for the knockout stages with 6 wins. We showed some exceptional quality performances."
"We have always been there[the knockout stages] for the last 15+ years, this shows our consistency as a team and our success in this continental competition."
Arsenal's standings
[spoiler=Barclays Premier League]http://img856.imageshack.us/i/8fne.png/
[/spoiler]
[spoiler=Group D]
[/spoiler]
[spoiler=Group F]
[/spoiler]
[spoiler=Group H]
FA Cup Draw (8th of December 2013)
The draw has been made for the Third round of the FA Cup!
Arsenal will play away from the Emirates against either Fleetwood or ScuntHorpe.