Will Hull City Be Dirty against Arsenal: Let’s look at the Statistics?

Hull City is currently standing 19th with 10 matches to go until the end of the season. Arsenal, on the other hand, is third and in the eyes of many pundits, potential champions. Both teams have all to fight for—different goals but equally determined to achieve them—which further emphasizes the importance of this clash on KC Stadium.

A further glimpse at the statistics also shows that Hull has managed to gain only four of their total 24 points playing away from home. They are strong performers when they are playing in front of their own fans.

Despite that, their defense is also one of the weakest in the league having let the ball roll past their goal line for 59 times so far—only Burnley has a worse defense with 61 goals.

On the other side of the river, Arsenal is flying high at the moment. The Chelsea and Manchester United defeats are surely beginning to fade in the midst of their last four victorious matches in the league.

Their goal-scoring joy against Porto at the Emirates stadium and the qualification for the quarter-finals of the Champions League will give them further moral boost for sure.

Still, the match is expected to be a hard fixture for the Gunners. Hull City are traditionally inconvenient opponents due to their physical no-nonsense style of play—an approach that Arsenal has been having its share of problems with.

In the last match between the two teams in December, when Arsenal won 3-0, the tension was evident.

Hull City’s manager Phil Brown used tactics which aimed to leave no room for the technically-talented Arsenal players. An occasional attempt to provoke the more impulsive players of Arsenal was a bit unconventional but actually made sense from the weaker team’s point of view.

The technically less talented team has no choice but to do exactly that in the hope to snatch some valuable points to help them in their battle for survival.
Logical as it is, however, there are limits and I’m sure most of us know them. Referees are usually the ones who decide what’s allowed or not, what’s right or wrong.

Another interesting statistics that may help us to determine the fashion this match will be played in is the Fair Play table on the official website of the Premier League.

Arsenal are currently placed first, which means they are the fairest team; Hull City are placed 19th, same place as their actual position in the league table. That raises the question: Just how efficient are the physical-approach tactics?

The importance of the match puts some doubts as to whether Phil Brown will deviate from his ordinary slightly-dirty, as I may call them, tricks. Still, as their actual league position reveals the inefficiency of such approach, will we see something different from the Tigers?

Despite his confrontations with manager Phil Brown, Arsene Wenger recently stated that he holds much respect for him as a manager—a statement that shows that Wenger is ready and will prepare his team for the occasional harder than usual tackle that may come out of over-commitment.

But the referee will have the final word on just how much aggression is considered acceptable. The tension is there and both teams have all to play for: the right conditions for an electrifying clash are there. I, for one, hope it all goes in favour of football.

Do you think Phil Brown will adopt the same techniques as last times, or will something change?

Arsenal’s Britannia Stadium Battle: A Catalyst for Reinstating Self-Belief

I am not going to talk about Aaron Ramsey’s injury—all kinds of opinions have flown around the web so far. I am not going to talk about the result and the three points that Arsenal managed to snatch from that battle—and I mean the literal meaning of the word battle—on the Britannia Stadium either.

I am going to talk about team spirit, change, experience, motivation, and mentality.

Just before the game with Stoke, it was believed Arsenal had a chance for the title. And why wouldn’t it? They had the easiest match program of all their title-rivals with only one potentially harm-causing game—the one against fierce rivals Tottenham Hotspur on their own stadium.

While it was expected the match against Stoke to be a hard one, no one really believed that it would be much harder than what their first initials impressions were.

Arsenal was, literally, in for a battle.

It did not come as a surprise to see Stoke fighting in all areas of the field, causing all kinds of troubles to Arsenal. Then something happened, something familiarly—if I may call it this way—horrific.

Another terrible leg-break—this time to youngster Aaron Ramsey.

It was an event that revealed the real growth of maturity of the Arsenal players.

Facing yet another shocking sight, it was normal to see scared, distraught, and filled with ghastliness faces. The reactions were expected, but how the players responded was a completely different thing.

Nicklas Bedntner, still visibly shocked, stayed with Ramsey along with Stoke’s Glenn Whelan, and tried to comfort him. Emmanuel Eboue joined him only seconds later. Thomas Vermaelen was holding his face trying to make sense of the horror he had just witnessed. Later in an interview, he said: “I heard a strange noise and after that I saw his [Aaron Ramsey’s] leg.”

The shock was everywhere. Cesc Fabregas, the team captain, was angry at first, then confused, and then worried. Almost all players were holding their heads.

As the commotion of the initial shock started to fade, the players on the field were left with questions. What were they to do now? It is then when signs of maturity and mental strength began to spring up in the Arsenal team.

Gael Clichy, calmness returned, started to rally the troops up. He patted Vermaelen on the stomach saying, “Come on, come on!”

As Ramsey was still being tendered the Arsenal physios, Vermaelen was trying to regain control of himself. What I saw seconds later startled me. Still covering his mouth with his hands, thoughts visibly flying in the Belgian defender’s head, he frowned, picked his head up, and all was gone except determination.

There was not a trace of emotion left on his face. He was once again the Verminator.
The match resumed and there was work to do.

Wenger’s men knew that they had to overcome the shock. Memories from the match against Birmingham two years ago when Eduardo da Silva’s leg was almost split in two still haunted them. They weren’t able to recover from the shock then, played with lack of desire caused by the fear that the sight of an open fracture instilled in them.

This time it was different. They put their fears aside and finished the game off.
Close to the end of the game, Cesc Fabregas demonstrated why he is captain of this team.

He took the penalty that was given by referee Peter Walton with composure that a stone would have been proud of. Later, he even dared to demonstrate just how Tony Pulis’s tactics worked, which earned him a few colorful phrases from the Stoke city manager—an action that might as well have earned him a yellow card.

Thomas Vermaelen capitalized on his determination by scoring a goal. You could see just how much this game meant to the Gunners as they celebrated the goal in a fashion much similar to the celebrations of goals scored in the final minutes of the Champions League final.

It meant a lot. And how couldn’t it?

It wasn’t just goal. The meaning was much deeper.

It was a triumph of their characters over the most difficult of obstacles—the fight with oneself; it was a reinstatement of their self-belief.

The goal was the climax of a test of mentality. Arsene Wenger was right: His team is much more mentally tough than one year ago. The unity is unbelievable.

The smiles were for all to see. Team captain Cesc Fabregas went on to congratulate his team-mates on a job well-done, and then he and Clichy called everyone over and had a group hug.

Britannia Stadium was a battle ground. Arsenal left casualties there, but they came out of the skirmish stronger. Aaron Ramsey is a cause now. And the Premier League title still waits for its next engraved name.

It might just be Arsenal FC.

Chelsea’s Devastating Home Defeat Revives Rivals’ Title Hopes

Today, at Stamford Bridge, we found out just how important really Petr Cech is for Chelsea. The myth that Chelsea is different than the others teams from the Big Four when it comes to the presence of more than one key players in the quad was screamingly busted.

We witnessed just how important the role of the imposing goal keeper of Chelsea is, just how much influence he has on the defense, and how different the team looks without his presence.

Mancester City played it really smart. They used counter-attacks.

In one of those, it was diminutive Carloz Tevez who scored to level the earlier opener of Frank Lampard. The first half was Chelsea’s; well, at least when it came to statistics.

Not much time passed after the second half had resumed and another illogical thing happened: Craig Bellamy took full advantage of his speed on yet another counter-attack by the Blues (light blues) and made Cech’s unfortunate substitute Henrique Hilario look bad for the second time in the match.

Petr Cech’s substitution should have done better—there was no doubt.

Seventy-six minutes of statistic-defying ended when Juliano Belletti deservedly earned a red card by tripping Gareth Barry inside the penalty box. He was the last man – a red card was mandatory. Tevez further strained the nerves of the Chelsea players by materializing the penalty—3:1 for Manchester City.

The final part of the match was basically a demonstration of frustration and inability by the Chelsea side to counter the unfavorable fate that befell them on the day.

Michael Ballack’s nerves gave way, earning him another red, after a hack on double-scorer Carlos Tevez which brought the desperation of his team-mates to a maximum. It was then absolutely logical for Manchester City to score a fourth. Bellamy was the one who did it.

In the end, Mike Dean decided that two red cards were too much and presented Chelsea with a penalty. Too little, too late though. The final result 4-2 is just what Arsenal and Manchester fans (both big clubs) have been waiting for.

In case Manchester United and Arsenal succeed in their challenges this weekend, they will be one and three points, respectively, from the currently-in-pain leaders Chelsea.

The defeat was surprising, but predictable, in a way.

The statistics were firmly in favor of Chelsea, whose Stamford Bridge was like an unconquerable fortress up until now. Other teams have managed to defeat Chelsea in front of their own fans only three times in the last 97 games—defeats at the hands of Liverpool, Arsenal, and Manchester City.

These are numbers that defy the events of today, but numbers that cause both pain and joy to football fans—pain to Chelsea’s fans and joy for those who may see this as an opportunity.

It was also predictable because of Petr Cech’s absence. The stability and calmness that he offers his team-mates will be hugely missed. Chelsea’s player can only hope for his speedier recover for them to keep their title-challenging chances alive.

Chelsea must now try their best to pick themselves up after this serious blow to their confidence, and Arsenal and Manchester United have all to play for, once again.

The title race is not over. It has just began.

Barcelona to Sign Francesc Fabregas in the Summer [Satire]

The headlines tell the whole story: "Francesc Fabregas is leaving for Barca", "Cesc reaches verbal agreement with Barcelona", "Fabregas will leave Arsenal for Barca", "Barcelona set for Fabregas swoop for 50 million."

The day is tedious. The office is tedious. Arsenal lost last night. Barcelona is the same old Barcelona. Francesc Fabregas was born in Barcelona. I have no ideas, but I have to come up with an article until the end of the day.

Hold on! I will write an article about Barcelona’s desire to get Fabregas. It won’t hurt anyone as they want him anyway, and my colleagues have wasted tons of paper on the story already. And it is the truth anyway.

“On Monday, Barcelona announced that they will sign Arsenal’s skipper Francesc Fabregas. The transfer is highly desired by all surrounding the club of Barcelona. The expected transfer sum is believed to be in the region of £27 million.”

Good start. Hey, I have learned my trade well. I could have revealed that Barcelona are to hold presidential elections in June and the Fabregas issue may just turn out to be the potential stimulus for a successful election of a new president.

Hm, how do I continue? Oh, yes, I remember; Xavi Hernandez said something about Cesc a couple of days ago. I can certainly squeeze that in. It will give more credibility to my article. Hey, I’m smart.

“Barcelona’s midfielder Xavi Hernandez urged the Arsenal play-maker to join Barcelona. He said , ‘We demonstrated in the final of the European Cup that it isn’t true [that they can’t play together].

‘I especially hope that Cesc comes. He is a football player with Barca DNA and he is showing at Arsenal that he is on another level."

Good. Oh, here is that new guy.

“Good morning, John...Nothing, writing an article. You know how it is...What are you writing about today? The train crash in Belgium? Oh, good luck with that then, John. Have a nice one.”

Rookie fool. Writing about the truth is an oldie. That’s not where the honey is. He will learn when he gets a couple of knocks on his thick head. Anyway, back to work. Where was I? Yes, Fabregas and Barcelona.

“Fabregas reaffirmed his love for Barcelona, making the possibility of the move highly probable.

"I have never hidden the fact that I want to return to Barcelona. Since I was nine months old, my grandfather would take me to the Barca stadium and all my life I have worn the Blaugrna colors.”

This tiny bit that I excluded about him coming back after he retires may come back at me, but hey, I guess no one will ever notice. And I quoted him in the accepted way. That’s what matters.

“Barcelona’s aspirations for Cesc started when the Spanish U-16 national, at that time, fit the shoes of injured midfield general Patrick Vieira, managing to impress everyone with stable, quality work.

“On top of that, he set a record as the youngest player ever to play first-team football for Arsenal at the age of 16 and 177 days.

“The deal is expected to materialize in the summer.”

Job done. Print this, Mr. Editor and give me my money. I have squash at five. Hell, yeah.

Will Arsene Wenger’s Avowal Lead to Changes in Arsenal’s Team for Sunday?

What a wonderful thing the truth is. It favors change for the better. What better basis to build on than the truth?

Arsene Wenger has taken a step towards building on the truth after frankly admitting he carried a significant part of the fault for the defeat at the hands of title-challenge rivals Manchester United.

The Gunners were defeated 3-1 in front of domestic crowd, but that was not the worst part for them. The worst part was they were tactically outplayed by a team that consists of, more or less, players of similar mould when it comes to talent.
Wenger stated on the club’s official website:

“I cannot say I got it right when you lose 3-0 [against Chelsea] and 3-1 [against Man United], I have to say I got it wrong,” he said. “But in terms of team selection, I’m not sure.

“We lost the games and I am responsible for the results of the team. When you lose a game, you feel responsible. Of course, I want our fans to go home and be triumphant. When they go home and cry you feel responsible.

“I don’t feel we have been overrun, I feel we have put ourselves in the position where we are open to counter-attacks.

“We lacked a little bit of patience as well. Even when we came out at 2-0 at half-time, we were in a rush to go forwards. Let’s get back to 2-1 and then we see. Even at 3-1, we could have equalized in the last ten minutes”

It must have come as a shock to many football fans to see such a statement coming out Wenger’s mouth. The man has been known as being stubborn to a fault, apart from being optimistic to a fault.

Wenger’s admittance of past mistakes, gives the Arsenal fans some hope that he will probably tweak the team’s approach for Sunday’s game against current table leaders Chelsea.

Hope is also partially boosted by the fact Abou Diaby, whom is having a fitness test today, is likely to return to provide wider options in the midfield for Wenger. He can inject variety in both attack and defense with his box-to-box runs, strength, and size.

However, not Diaby but a more defensive style of play with the wise usage of counter-attacks, similarly to what United did in their Emirates conquest, could turn out to have bigger influence on a positive outcome for Arsenal.

Chelsea is a dangerous team which has a hefty number of potential match-deciding players—Frank Lampard, Diddier Drogba, Joe Cole and others— but a strong, organized defensive display rather than the usual of style of play may prove to be the more adequate approach to the game.

Potential problems might stem from individual errors of some of the Arsenal players – errors, however, which can be compensated by a strong team-work effort.
If Arsene Wenger goes into the game with the sword pointed at the right direction, the edge might as well sink into Chelsea’s heart in the end.

Otherwise, Arsenal will find themselves trailing by nine points and in a very difficult—and once again disappointing—position.

Come Sunday, Wenger will have his chance to redeem himself against another tactical mastermind—this time Carlo Ancelotti. He would certainly hope to postpone similarly baring acknowledgments of inferiority, which go inseparably with football, for other less-fortunate times.

Three Reasons Why Abou Diaby Has Been Underestimated

Abou Diaby has hit top form. His stellar performances are putting smiles on more and more Gooners.

But this has not been always the case. Not once have fans and pundits criticized him for lack of desire on the field, laziness, or inconsistency.

But why is he performing well now? More importantly, why haven’t we seen him play like that before?

To answer these questions, we must remind ourselves of his past.



Resemblance to Patrick Vieira

It’s hard to fill the shoes of all-time Arsenal legend Patrick Vieira. The ex-Arsenal captain was one of the best all-around footballers ever to play for the club.

Since his arrival from Auxerre in January 2006, the towering strong French midfielder Abou Diaby has had to experience an unfortunate turn of events due to his resemblance to Vieira—a physical resemblance coupled with a similar style of play—which led a whole lot of people to think that they have found the immediate replacement of the recently-gone-to-Inter Vieira.

Aged 19 at the time, it was hardly the best welcoming atmosphere for a player of this tender age to feel.

The expectations were huge. Who would fill the shoes of the one of the best players ever?

Abou Diaby was the main suspect. That, however positive in the minds of the fans, did not have a good influence on Diaby.

Not only it put great pressure on him to perform, but also it had the potential to restrict his development as a player. People were expecting him to fill Vieira’s position easily.

He had the physical attributes to do it. He was tall and strong. Even his style of play resembled Patrick’s. He kept the ball, had a good technique, and his height even signaled for potential aerial domination.

But that was not enough.

He had to demonstrate uncompromising and unwavering actions, distribute well-placed short passes and through balls, successfully keep the ball almost each and every time, and remain calm under all conditions. In the minds of the fans, he had to be Patrick Vieira.

It is a hard thing to do, especially, if you have just embarked on your journey called a football career, and you are still about to experience the taste of top-quality football.



Time Off Field

How can you prove your worth when you are not participating?

Another major reason, probably even a bigger factor for the underestimation of the quality of Diaby as a player, is the injury spells.

Having managed to participate in 12 games since his move from Auxerre in January, the French prospect suffered a fractured and dislocated ankle caused by a vicious two-footed tackle performed by Sunderland’s Dan Smith. The injury ruled Diaby out for a whole nine months.

Around February the next year, 2008, recently recovered Diaby sustained another injury, this time to his knee. During the same month he sprained his ankle.

An injury-ridden season that also included a concussion in April and sprained ankle in August allowed the Vieira-like footballer to record only 12 matches, a number that once again did not allow him to show his quality to a full extent.

Injuries continued to torment the tall midfielder even throughout the next season, 2008/09. He suffered an abdominal strain in November, a tight muscle strain, calf muscle strain, and another tight muscle strain in January, February, and April respectively.

Despite all those setbacks Diaby successfully formed a good partnership with talented fellow midfielder Alex Song when he had the opportunity to play, recording 24 matches and scoring three goals.

This year’s competition hasn’t differed a lot from the past seasons as well. Still, even though he has suffered injuries on three occasions so far, Diaby has managed to grab 18 starts and has contributed five goals.

With already five years at the club, Abou Diaby has amassed a total of 79 matches, suffering injuries on 13 occasions. It is not wonder that he has been underestimated. It actually comes as a surprise to some that Diaby is putting up some stellar performances this season.

Keeping him fit would be the key to unlocking his tremendous potential.



The Team Formation

On a number of times during the previous season, Diaby was played out of position. He was usually placed on the left wing, which up until the arrival of Samir Nasri was a position that caused Arsene Wenger big headaches.

According to Wenger, the placement of Abou Diaby on the left side of the midfield was part of his development as a player. But it was obvious this was not the position for him. He didn’t possess the necessary speed to be there and kept drifting to the centre, causing more problems and earning him the label of “undisciplined.”

Which, plainly speaking, was not true.

A tall, strong player’s more natural position would be the centre of the field, where he would be able to disrupt the oppositional game, keep the ball in possession, and do forward runs, which we all know Diaby can.

That is why the new system that Wenger incorporated into the squad, 4-3-3, was the best thing that ever happened to Diaby. If healthy, he would certainly be first choice to play alongside Song, with whom he has a great understanding, or/and with team captain Cesc Fabregas.

What makes him perfect for this formation is that he can both help Song with the defensive workload and Fabregas by drawing the attention away from him or by doing forward runs, thus adding to the variety of the attack.



Abou Diaby has had his share of hard times—hard times which have painted a different image than the one Diaby is supposed to have.

But one thing should be remembered when evaluating this embattled French midfielder. Whether injuries, bad influence, or being played out of position, the man has overcome it all. Resilience, when coupled with talent, the presence of which in Diaby is irrefutable, is the dough for a key player in the making.

Time to Give Thomas Vermaelen Some Well-Deserved Credit Again

Arsenal is a squad with predominantly young players.

In recent years, a wide variety of epithets have branded this same young side. They have been called green, talented, soft, lacking, prodigious, and a lot more—epithets that have become difficult for the Gunners to get rid of.

But one event in the summer is responsible for breaking the status quo, contributing to the destruction of the epithet “softness.”

The arrival of Belgian defender Thomas Vermaelen from Ajax highlights the intentions of Arsene Wenger to make his side tougher—to close the gap of this side and the side that was before Patrick Vieira’s departure.

Who is a better suitable man to help Wenger with this cause than the ex-captain of Ajax?

The guy has all that is needed. He has fit perfectly into the team, successfully striking a comfortable understanding with his defensive partner William Gallas. At only 10 million, Vermaelen looks like yet another one of Wenger’s trademark bargains.

The 24-year-old centre back has been able to offer the much-needed stability at the back with his quality positioning, which in turn is the basis for his superior aerial ability—something that Arsenal have suffered a lot from on countless occasions.

The reason for even more nods of approval is the fact that the Belgian defender seems to have a good taste for attacking, managing to produce some spectacular forward rushes. His five goals, emotional stability, never-ending energy resources, quality positioning and tactical knowledge, and great heading ability are exactly what Arsenal has needed since ex-team captain and midfield powerhouse Vieira left the club.

Even with emerging star in the squad Alex Song, who is currently on the radars of just about every pundit, Vermaelen has somehow managed to draw applause from the Arsenal faithful.

His stellar performances have earned him two consecutive player of the month awards. He has worked hard, and it looks like he is not content with his form but is willing to improve even more. His consistency has been a most welcome and calming balm for Wenger’s young side. What better than to have a player who gives his best in every single match?

This is exactly what Thomas Vermaelen has been doing. With his all-around abilities as a footballer and leadership skills, Thomas has become an irreplaceable ingredient of the first team. Only he and ex-captain Gallas have played in all of the 19 matches in the Premier League so far, and it is easy to see why.

Even though the Arsenal defense have allowed the ball to roll into their net a total number of 21 times, it is still one of the best among the teams in the Premier League. The only signing of the summer for the Gunners carries a good proportion of the responsibility for that to be true.

Song may be becoming a key player for Arsenal, but Vermaelen has already transformed into one.

The fact that it has taken him virtually no time to adapt to the significantly faster tempo and hard-tackles style of play of English football makes his progress look even more impressive.

If Arsenal is to win their first trophy in five years, the Belgian will be undeniably a major factor for this happening. It’s a question of time for his team’s successful trophy run to come true, just the same as it is only a matter of time for Thomas Vermaelen to earn his well-deserved glory at Arsenal.

He has all that it takes. Do not doubt that.