Vermaelen rallies the troops

Defender Thomas Vermaelen has urged Arsenal to put their San Siro nightmare behind them if they are to get the season back on track with FA Cup victory at Sunderland on Saturday.

GettyImagesThomas Vermaelen has called on his team-mates to bounce back in the FA Cup on Saturday

The Gunners were thumped 4-0 by a well-drilled AC Milan side in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie, which all but put paid to any hopes of progress.

A place in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup - which is now the only trophy Arsenal have a realistic chance of winning - would certainly be a welcome tonic and renew belief.

"When you are a professional you put the bad things that happen behind you," Vermaelen said. "We will have to learn our lessons from what happened in Milan, but it is important at times like this to remain mentally strong and focus on the next game."

While the second leg at the Emirates Stadium in a fortnight is almost redundant, Vermaelen insists the players owe it to the Gunners' fans to produce a performance.

"The only thing we can do is remember that we've still got another game to go. Now we have to show some pride and give 100% in the return leg," Vermaelen said.

"We have to give something back to all those Arsenal fans who came all the way out here to this stadium, here in Milan, only for us to disappoint them. We must think of them now because what happened was not good. The only thing we can do is give them a good result in the home game."

Despite a testing playing service, with the turf on the flanks at the Stadio Guiseppe Meazza having only just been relaid, Arsenal were simply not good enough in every department and were not able to limit the damage.

No side has recovered from such a first-leg drubbing in the history of the Champions League.

Midfielder Mikel Arteta called for Arsenal to make an early breakthrough when the teams meet again in an attempt to launch the most unlikely of recoveries.

"I will never say never in football because you never know," he said. "If we score two goals in the first half at the Emirates then it is game on. However, it will be very difficult to get through and we all know that."

Goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny also feels if Arsenal can come out of the blocks quickly then there could still be hope.

"It is not impossible to come back, but it is going to be very difficult," he told Arsenal Player. "We showed [in the 7-1 win] against Blackburn how good we can be if we are on the front foot, and if we manage to score an early goal then anything can happen.

"We have quality attacking players and we can score goals so why not? But we have to realise that it is going to be really, really difficult."

Szczesny urged his team-mated to regroup and deliver a performance when their domestic campaign resumes - with arch rivals Tottenham set to head to the Emirates Stadium on February 26.

"We are full of belief that we can still have a successful season," the 21-year-old Poland international said. "The Milan defeat is a big blow for us, but I am confident we will pick ourselves up and do our best in all the games we have coming up."

Cesc: Wenger lowered asking price

By ESPN staff

Barcelona midfielder Cesc Fabregas has continued his impassioned defence of Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, insisting the Frenchman is the only reason he is now playing for his boyhood club.

GettyImagesCesc Fabregas has much respect for his former boss Arsene Wenger

• Barcelona: Fabregas worth £53m

Fabregas, who has made a flying start to his second stint with the Catalan giants, had to bide his time before being granted a move back to Barcelona, after the two parties took over a year to reach an agreement over his eventual £25 million initial transfer fee.

Wenger is still widely criticised among the Spanish club's fanbase for 'abducting' Fabregas as a youth player, but the 24-year-old insists that is an unfair assessment - revealing that it was actually Wenger who played a crucial role in forcing down Arsenal's asking price so he could leave.

"That is the wrong picture of him, had it not been for him, I would not now be a Barca player," Fabregas told El Pais. "Without him I would not have made my debut by 16, played in the final of the Champions League at 18 and been team captain by 20.

"Without him I would not be a Barca player now, he convinced the owners of Arsenal, who would not sell under any circumstances, to lower the price."

Returning to Barcelona having come up through their fabled La Masia academy before heading for London, Fabregas admits that he still has some work to do to get up to speed with his team-mates, both tactically and technically.

"I feel I still have much to learn, this team is highly mechanised and there are things I have to catch up on particularly in defence," he said. "I have never seen a team that is so focused on the attack-defend transition - playing against Barcelona is very complicated but playing at the club is not so easy and that is the challenge.

"I honestly feel that at times I may hinder them, but they are good at fixing it and hiding it, I must adapt to them and learn.

"It is the most beautiful thing I have seen in my life, all you hear is the ball going - tap, tap, tap - I have never seen so much training at this level."

Observers had initially suggested that, with the likes of Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Lionel Messi already in the squad, Fabregas would have to bide his time and wait for first-team opportunities. So far that has not proven to be the case, with Fabregas slotting in at a number of positions in most games, but he is willing to make way if any of the three start to get frustrated with being asked to make way.

"It is clear that only players like Xavi, Iniesta and Messi could complain about a lack of playing time, and if they did complain I would respect that, so I will play when I play," he said.

arsenal leyton orient

Arsenal

5 : 0

Kick Off:

19:45:00

Half-Time:

3 : 0

Full-Time:

5 : 0

Date:

03/02/2011

Leyton Orient

Gunnerz5 - Funny bloopers R us

Henry: I want to come 'home' to Arsenal

By ESPNsoccernet staff

Arsenal legend Thierry Henry has revealed his intention to return to the club, saying: "If, one day, they want me, I will come back. When, I don't know, I just want to be back."

GettyImagesThierry Henry became Arsenal's all-time leading scorer before joining Barcelona in 2007

Henry, 33, scored 226 goals and earned the adoration of the Gunners' faithful during a successful eight-year spell with the club, before moving on to Barcelona in 2007.

The striker had some success at the Camp Nou but his time there was ultimately frustrating as he struggled to make as significant an impact on the Barca side, and in 2010 he moved on to MLS team New York Red Bulls.

Henry is contracted to the Red Bulls until 2014, but after having a taste of life back at Arsenal in January, when he trained with Arsene Wenger's side to mainatin his fitness during the MLS off-season, the former Gunner is happy to entertain talk about a possible return.

"I love the club," Henry said. "Unfortunately we know I had to leave but although I left Arsenal you never really leave. Whenever I go back I feel like I have gone home.

"It goes without saying I would love to go back there. I hope one day I can go back. I love that club and I just want to give as much as possible to them, after what they gave me."

Whether Wenger would ever welcome Henry back as a player remains uncertain, as it would be at odds with his policy of nurturing the club's young talent - though Wenger did sign veteran Sol Campbell for a second time last season.

A coaching role would appear a more likely route should Henry return to the Gunners, and he even suggested he would be willing to put himself forward as a candidate to replace Wenger when he eventually leaves the club.

"I know the day Arsene leaves is going to be a difficult one and I don't know who can replace him," Henry said. "That is going to be hard but if, one day, they want me I will come back. When, I don't know, I just want to be back."

Wenger - Wilshere can handle the fame

By Chris Harris

Jack Wilshere can avoid the traps of the old English culture, according to Arsène Wenger.

When the Frenchman arrived in north London in 1996, drinking was a popular pastime within Premier League squads. The introduction of better diets and advanced training methods have changed that but, as you'd expect with wealthy young men, there is still temptation.

The media coverage of football and footballers amplifies everything - on and off the pitch - but Wenger believes that Wilshere can avoid the excesses of some of his predecessors in the English game.

"The future will decide that," said the manager. "One of the things you need to handle in England is the media projection, the fame, money. Everything excessively in an excessive way.

"If you make a mistake in your off-the-field life it's in excess in the papers. If you play well it's in excess in the papers. If you don't play well it's in excess as well so you have to be able to handle the passion of English football.

"He looks to have his feet on the ground and still lives with his family who will help him to deal with that. It's not easy and I'm not sure that I would be able to handle that at 19. Until now Jack has and I'm confident he will have a great career."

Wilshere was just four years old when Wenger took over at Arsenal. And according to the manager, English culture has changed a great deal since the mid-1990s.

"When I arrived here in October 1996 you would look around at the players during breakfast and you look around today and it has completely changed. The drinking culture still exists for some people when they are young but in France that exists also," he said.

"You can open any paper today and you will see a different diet in there and that has an influence on people.

"The whole culture has changed in England. People are more health conscious now. People like Lee Dixon and Steve Bould could see with the influx of foreign players that things should change. Every year gained was vital for them."

Arshavin: Barca goal a career-defining moment

By Giuseppe Muro

Andrey Arshavin says his goal against Barcelona was a "crucial moment" in his career.

Never one to shy away on the big stage, the Russian curled home Samir Nasri's cut-back with seven minutes remaining to give Arsenal a 2-1 victory over the Spanish champions and spark pandemonium inside Emirates Stadium last Wednesday night.

The goal gave Arshavin's side a crucial first-leg lead in the Champions League last-16 tie and he knows his strike, and the celebration that followed, will live long in the memory.

"To score against Barcelona for any player is a very crucial moment, maybe in your career," said Arshavin. "It doesn't happen a lot, especially [because] it brought a win.

"When I came on I didn't feel special, I was just calm and when I had a chance I scored the goal. I did not change the game, I just took my chance. If I changed the game I would say.

"When I was sitting on the bench it looked very tough for us because Barcelona always have a lot of possession, that is why you must be patient.

"After the game I was very excited but now it is in the past and we have to be focused on the next game."

Van Persie and Koscielny out of Stoke game

By Richard Clarke

Robin van Persie and Laurent Koscielny will miss the crucial Premier League game with Stoke on Wednesday night.

The Dutch striker has a hamstring problem while the French defender is suffering from a back complaint. However both injuries are short-term and the pair may recover in time for the Carling Cup Final on Sunday.

Abou Diaby (calf) is injured but he is still suspended anyway.

“We don’t have Van Persie, Diaby and Koscielny available,” Wenger told TV Online on Tuesday. “Everybody else is fit.

“Diaby is suspended. Van Persie has a hamstring problem and Koscielny a back problem. Both are short term and they have a chance for the game on Sunday.

‘Any team that beat Barca become favourites’

By Giuseppe Muro

Arsène Wenger thinks any team that beats Barcelona will immediately become favourites to win the Champions League.

Pep Guardiola’s side are understandably fancied to conquer Europe this season having remained unbeaten in the Group Stage, won 16 successive La Liga matches and provided the final trio listed for the FIFA Ballon d’Or award.

Arsenal have been drawn against Barca in the last 16 and Wenger says the Gunners will be installed as front-runners if they defy expectations and go through. With that in mind, he says his players go into the tie with nothing to lose.

“Anybody who beats Barcelona and knocks them out is straight away favourites for the competition,” insisted the manager.

“It would be a fantastic boost [to beat them], that tells you how big this game is.

“We are not favourites so it takes a little bit the pressure off our shoulders. On the other hand we are very ambitious and we want to show that we can knock them out.”

TV Online: Fabregas - No fear for Barca tie

Cesc Fabregas is looking forward to a pivotal week.

It began with the 2-0 win over Wolves on Saturday and continues on Wednesday when Barcelona visit Emirates Stadium.

After the weekend game, the Arsenal captain spoke exclusively to TV Online about the Champions League and Premier League games.

He discussed:

• what his side learnt from last season’s tie against Barca
• what Arsenal did wrong
• the strength of the Spanish champions
• the win over Wolves on Saturday
• the title contenders now

Loan Watch: Miyaichi scores for Feyenoord

LOAN WATCH

Ryo Miyaichi... on loan at Feyenoord

Every season a number of Arsenal players go out on loan to gain valuable first-team experience.

The 2010/11 campaign is no different and eighteen young Gunners have already linked up with their loan clubs.

Arsenal.com will be tracking their progress throughout the season. Our 'Arsenal's Loanees' page provides an overview of all the relevant players and below is the latest instalment of our regular 'Loan Watch' feature, which brings you brief reports from their latest fixtures.

Ryo Miyaichi completes move to Arsenal

Arsenal Football Club is delighted to announce that young Japanese forward Ryo Miyaichi has joined the Gunners on a long-term contract.

18 year-old Miyaichi has just completed taking part in the All Japan High School Soccer Tournament in his home country, where he represented Chukyodai Chukyo High School.

In order to gain valuable experience, Miyaichi has joined Dutch Eredivisie side Feyenoord on loan for the remainder of the 2010/11 season to further develop his game.

Arsenal Manager Arsène Wenger said: “We’re delighted that Ryo Miyaichi has joined us. He trialled with us in the summer and has raw ability which has attracted many clubs around the world. We wish him luck in Rotterdam with Feyenoord and we look forward to helping him with his continued progression when he returns to Arsenal.”

Everyone at the Club welcomes Ryo to Arsenal and wish him the best of luck during his time with Feyenoord.

FA Cup: Arsenal v Huddersfield Town - Preview Wenger: 'We have a good confidence level and a good attitude'

By Richard Clarke

“We can call him a ‘super pioneer’ because he really turned this Club into one that was ready for the modern era. He was ahead of his time and he was certainly the most influential manager.”

Surprisingly those words were spoken by, not about, Arsène Wenger this week.

The Arsenal manager was actually referring to Herbert Chapman, a man who brought the first real success to the newly-installed North London side when he arrived from Huddersfield in the summer of 1925.

The Yorkshireman won four League titles – two with each team – and two FA Cups, the second of which, in 1930, was Arsenal’s first major honour.

The side they beat in that final was Huddersfield Town so the Terriers’ visit to Emirates Stadium on Sunday for a Fourth Round tie in the same competition is heavy with history.

“It is a big tradition,” admitted Wenger at his press conference on Friday. “We even went to play a friendly with them in pre-season [in 2008] on the demand of our chairman because there is a long traditional link between Huddersfield and Arsenal.

“We are a modern club but have as well a big respect for tradition. It has a special meaning because Chapman was the most influential manager at this Club. So we have of course big respect for that.”

The current Huddersfield side are third in League One and gunning for promotion under Lee Clark. They have lost only once in their last seven games and beat Cambridge, Macclesfield and Dover to reach the Fourth Round. Arsenal’s 17-year-old striker Benik Afobe is about to start another loan spell at the Galpharm Stadium but is ineligible for this game because, unlike Sanchez Watt in the last round against Leeds, his deal was not for a full season.

Arsenal have had trouble negotiating Championship sides recently but they have not lost to a side outside the top two tiers since Wrexham in 1992 – which was historic for entirely different reasons.

Wenger’s side is likely to be much-changed from one that beat Ipswich to reach the Carling Cup Final on Tuesday. After that game, the manager said he would like to play one side against Huddersfield and an entirely different one against Everton in the Premier League 48 hours later.

He is a few players short of being able to do that but the return of Tomas Rosicky (sickness), Abou Diaby (calf), Manuel Almunia (ankle) and Sebastien Squillaci (hamstring) means he has more options at his disposal.

The Spaniard’s comeback after fourth months out is particularly intriguing given that, on Friday, Wenger said Wojciech Szczesny was the current No 1 and the gloves were his to lose. A decision on Sunday’s custodian will be made on the morning of the match.

This will be the ninth game of a massive January for Wenger’s side in every sense. In their 124 years, Arsenal have never played so many matches in the first month of the year. And, apart from a goalless draw with Manchester City in which they dominated, Wenger’s men have a 100 per cent record. Remember they may have lost to Ipswich and drawn with Leeds in individual games but the won both ties.

In those eight games they have conceded just three times (all in cup competitions) and have scored 16 goals – including three in each of their last four games.

“That's a consequence of our style which is always trying and go forward and score goals,” said Wenger. “Some periods we are a bit less successful at doing it. But not now.”

It may be ‘only’ the Carling Cup to some but Arsenal’s players have had a sense of euphoria all this week. How can you dismiss a trophy you have never won? Or, for many of them, how can you dismiss a trophy when you have never won one at all?

But one thing is certain - Arsenal’s season will not be judged on the Carling Cup alone when they are Manchester United’s closest rivals in the Premier League and the Champions League is in the Knockout Stage. That does leave two questions of course. Where does the FA Cup fit in? And can Arsenal realistically go for all four trophies?

“Well quadruple is not a bad word,” said Wenger, answering the second part. “It is a very good word but, of course, we are far from that.

“What is good is that we are involved in all competitions and we are hungry to do as well as we can.

“What can we do? We don't know. But we are happy because we won our last game. We are on a good run and feel we have a good confidence level and a good attitude in the whole squad.
“We are getting stronger and stronger, so this is what we want to do.

“Of course if we are involved in the four competitions we need a super-realistic approach, focus on the next game and just try to win it.

“You build the confidence in the team slowly and you lose it very quickly. One big bad result and you are down very quickly. So it's important to keep our feet on the ground and to show we have learned from Leeds and Ipswich how difficult these games can be.

“But the FA Cup is very important for us. Did you see the team we played at Leeds? That just means it has an importance, we could have gone to Leeds and said ‘OK, we go with a reserve team’.

“But we went with a first team squad and we had everybody fired up and playing. We had to fight to qualify and so we focus on Huddersfield right now.”

Of course, those were Wenger’s words but they could have easily come from Chapman.

It seems the ‘super-pioneer’s' legacy is in good hands.

Denilson - We must all take responsibility

Denilson has called for every Arsenal player "to take responsibility" as they chase silverware on four fronts this season.

The midfielder has been in the news this week after telling Brazilian TV that Cesc Fabregas was "not a leader". Speaking to the Official Arsenal Programme, Denilson clarified his comments in that interview and urged his team-mates to work together in the months to come.

"I want to tell everyone that I never said that Cesc Fabregas is a bad captain," said Denilson. "I never spoke about him [like that] because I like him and respect him, as I do all of the players.

"Sometimes the papers change a conversation and you never know whether it’s true. I am honest though, and when I came to the training ground on Wednesday, before going to Leeds on the train, I spoke to Cesc about it. He understood and was fine.

"I basically said that we have 25 players who should all take responsibility - I never talked about Cesc as captain. Unfortunately the papers like to change things. More important than that is to be together as a club. I respect Cesc, all the players and the staff too because we are all working for the same thing.

“This is a very young team, but we have quality, and we are in a very good position. Look at Chelsea – they have many experienced players but they are below us in the table. Cesc is the captain, and I respect him, but I think every single player needs to take responsibility on the pitch too.

“Me personally, I need to continue to work to improve as well. If we want to win this is what we have to do."

Wenger: 'We feel stronger in every game'

On Robin van Persie's form...
He is back in form. He was already fit and sharp last week and overall we had a good team performance so he could finish a hat-trick.

On not taking first-half chances...
The players were a bit frustrated because we did not take our chances but I felt in the first half we played outstanding football. We feel stronger and stronger in every single game. It is interesting the chance we have in front of us because we have an interesting game, the way we play is for me fantastic to watch. Let's just keep going.

On his attacking options...
Of course it is important to have Robin at this level but we have plenty of offensive players. First of all let's hope we can keep him fit until the end of the season. It is down to us to use him in the right proportion of the games we play.

On rotating the squad for Ipswich...
We will rotate, we have no choice. We play nine games in January, it's the most we have ever played. When you look at the fixtures we had in December it means we need to rotate from game to game. But we have fantastic players on the bench and it is very important because we cannot always play with the same XI.

On telling Van Persie when he will be rested...
He handles it alright. He is intelligent but of course he wants to play. He was at Leeds on the bench, he came on and scored.

On his penalty takers...
[Van Persie has] always [been the No 1 penalty taker]. What happened today will not change my mind. I find it's difficult to approve when the ball goes into the stand on the penalty, no matter how tolerant you are! I would have loved the ball to go in the net.

On keeping so many clean sheets...
We look more and more stable and defensively we were questioned a lot on that front. Maybe the fact you [reporters] ask me in every press conference 'do I buy a defender?' it keeps our defenders on their toes.

On the prospect of buying a defender...
I am open-minded on it and if the right opportunity turns up we will take it. We are not desperate, we have Vermaelen who can still play a big part in the end of the season and we have Squillaci who comes back maybe next Sunday. Song can play at the back too.

On finding the right player...
It is not two weeks to make your mind up, it is two weeks to find the right players. It is not just because you want to buy that you find exactly what you need. I think that if you look at the defenders who play the moment - we have Djourou and Koscielny, and Vermaelen who played before - we have always found the right players. Trust us - if the opportunity is there we will take it, if it's not we will play with the players we have, and I will not use that as an excuse if we don't win trophies.

On whether it is worth spending extra this time...
The question makes sense but practically it doesn't work like that. It is not because you have money available that you just find the player available, no? We have the needed money to spend if we want but the players you would want are not necessarily available. At the moment I feel that, unless we have a big problem at the centre back, we can deal with the situation.

On Cesc Fabregas' performance...
I think he was outstanding. At the end of the game he was frustrated because he didn't score but for me the ball he gave for the second goal was absolutely amazing. The second goal I could watch that and watch it and watch it again because it's just pure class from the pass to the finish.

Wenger - Ramsey progress is encouraging

By Chris Harris

Aaron Ramsey is closing on a first-team comeback but Arsène Wenger will not take any chances with the Wales midfielder's fitness following his long lay-off.

The 20-year-old was sidelined for eight months after breaking his leg at Stoke City last February but has made steady progress since returning in a Reserve League match in mid-November.

Ramsey went on loan to Nottingham Forest and, though frustrated by three postponements, completed 90 minutes for the Championship side on January 3. Five days later he was back in Wenger's squad for the FA Cup tie with Leeds but is still waiting to step onto the pitch in an Arsenal shirt.

"[He will play] when he is match fit," Wenger told Arsenal.com.

"He is getting better and better every day so we have to be a bit patient. And worst, he will have to be a bit patient. He has been out for nine months, the most important thing now is not to have any new injuries or setbacks while he is recovering.

“His progress is encouraging but it’s very difficult to say when I will play him.

"He had a setback because he did not have the number of games we expected him to get at Nottingham Forest. It was a very troubled period with a lot of snow and missing games and training. Now he looks better and better every day."

Wenger: 'At least we are still in the Cup'

On a tough FA Cup tie...
I must say at first that it was a very difficult game because it was a real Cup game and Leeds were up for it, they played well. It was the kind of game where you felt that it was important not to go 1-0 down. When we were 1-0 down I felt that Wojciech kept us in the game with a good save on the header [from Becchio]. We looked like we would come back but we were short of time and it was important to keep the momentum and not to go out today because that would have been a shocker.

On nearly scoring a winner...
Even when we equalised we still had three chances at 1-1 but we couldn't take them. At least we are still in the Cup and hopefully we can do it at Leeds.

On the inconvenience of a replay...
It was not exactly the wish I had before the game but it was the second worst wish. The worst would have been to go out. We go to Ipswich on Wednesday, we play West Ham on Saturday and then the replay of the FA Cup is after that.

On facing Schmeichel and Bruce...
Name-wise yes [I felt some deja vu]. I see today that Schmeichel and Bruce had a fantastic games, both Leeds centre backs did. Maybe these two names want to make my life difficult forever!

On how the draw might affect his preparation...
It is a good warning that we got today. But we knew before the game that Leeds went to Old Trafford last year and won, and they had a draw at Tottenham. Overall this team have belief in that competition, from last year certainly. They did very well, were very aggressive but in a good way, not a negative way, they closed us down everywhere and we had problems to pass through their lines. They were dangerous as well and it was important for us not to give a goal away, but we did.

On whether Leeds were more positive than Manchester City...
I don't know what I want to say there. They were positive, they played longer balls but on the second ball they were well-organised, they were quickly on us and maybe our game was not quick enough to get out of their pressure.

On his disappointment at the penalty conceded...
Yes [I was disappointed]. He is a right-footed player, very sharp and we knew that. We should not have dived in. We knew it would be difficult to go a goal down.

On the impact of Cesc Fabregas...
Straight away he gives us something in the speed of the passing that makes our game much quicker and more dangerous. It shows you how important it is to pass and see quickly in midfield.

On more speculation over Cesc's future...
I have a good sense of humour but I don't understand this one. I cannot see how people can say things like that without us knowing it. We have the contract of the player and we would inform you if we would sell the player. We sell nobody.

On leadership...
Fabregas does it. I felt today our game was a bit slow in our passing, we were not sharp in our decision-making, the rest is the credit to Leeds. They stopped us from playing more than [us lacking] leadership. When Cesc comes on he has that vision so even if he is closed down he doesn't have to run too much to make the game quicker.

On the penalty Arsenal didn't get...
I will be faithful to my reputation - I did not see the first one! The second one looked to be a penalty because he pulled Theo back, the first one was impossible to see from the bench.

On Roy Hodgson's departure...
I am shocked because I rate Roy Hodgson as a great manager. It puts our job into perspective because he was Manager of the Year in July. It shows you how quickly we lose our qualities because he had to go six months later. Of course it is a shock and I feel our job suffers today.

Wenger softens Taylor stance

Wenger softens Taylor stance

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has retracted comments calling for Birmingham City defender Martin Taylor to be banned for life following his horror tackle on Eduardo on Saturday.

Taylor was shown a red card in the opening moments of the 2-2 draw at StAndrews after he caught the Gunners striker, who apparently suffered a badly broken leg.

Immediately after the game, in which James McFadden equalised in injury-time, a furious Wenger said: 'This guy should never play football again. What is he doing on the football pitch?'

Blues boss Alex McLeish and former manager Steve Bruce jumped to the defence of the player, who was described as 'distraught', and Wenger has now softened his stance.

'It was a highly emotional afternoon and we were all shocked by the injury to Eduardo,' said Wenger, who expects the Croatian to miss this summer's European Championships.

'On reflection, I feel that my comments about Martin Taylor were excessive. I said what I did immediately after the game in the heat of the moment.'

Arsenal confirmed this evening that Eduardo had undergone surgery on a broken leg.

Taylor denies intent over Eduardo injury

Taylor denies intent over Eduardo injury

Birmingham City central defender Martin Taylor has insisted there was 'no malicious intent' in his tackle which has left Arsenal striker Eduardo with a suspected broken leg.

Click here
Eduardo, who will be 25 on Monday, was stretchered off after Taylor's third-minute challenge in the 2-2 draw at St Andrews and was immediately taken to hospital.

Taylor was given a straight red card and now faces an automatic three-match suspension.

But Gunners manager Arsene Wenger claimed the former Blackburn player 'should not be allowed to play again' in a blistering attack on the player.

Birmingham have responded this evening by issuing a three paragraph statement in defence of Taylor who was left 'distraught' by the extent of Eduardo's injury according to manager Alex McLeish.

The statement reads: 'The club are saddened that such a fantastic game of football has been marred by a serious injury sustained to Arsenal player Eduardo.

'But Martin Taylor is adamant there was no malicious intent in the tackle and he is deeply upset by the extent of Eduardo's injury.

'Having reviewed the incident, this (no malicious intent) is clearly the case. The club and Martin Taylor would like to send their very best wishes to the player for a speedy recovery.'

Wenger claimed: 'The tackle was horrendous and this guy (Taylor) should never play football again. It goes along with this idea that to stop Arsenal you have to kick Arsenal.

'That kind of thing was waiting to happen because many people got away with too many bad tackles. We escaped a few times but it's just not acceptable. If that is football, we are better to stop it.

'I am hugely disappointed and you cannot accept that on a football pitch.'

Portsmouth 0-0 Arsenal

Portsmouth 0-0 Arsenal

Portsmouth refused to allow Arsenal to climb back to the summit of the Premier League by holding them to a deserved 0-0 draw at Fratton Park.



The Gunners, who had not been beaten by Pompey since 1958, now find themselves playing catch-up with Manchester United, who are a point clear following their demolition of Sunderland.

Arsene Wenger's side spurned late chances to take the three points they required to go back top but were disappointing overall and a Pompey back line marshalled ably by ex-Gunner Sol Campbell refused to be breached.

• Campbell hails defensive effortIt was the fifth game in a row that Harry Redknapp's side had failed to give the fans a goal at home but the result could prove significant as the race for the title enters a significant phase.

Arsenal began strongly with Emmanuel Eboue causing trouble down the right flank. His first-minute cross just eluded the head of Cesc Fabregas right in front of goal but a one-two with Emmanuel Adebayor saw the Frenchman fire wildly over.

His next effort, from the edge of the box, was much better but home goalkeeper David James was able to get behind his low drive.

Pompey were guilty of playing too many nervous long balls in the opening exchanges but they soon calmed down once the recalled Kanu and top scorer Benjani began to link up regularly.

Benjani, who was required to operate as a right-sided midfielder when Arsenal were in possession, won a free-kick on the right when Gael Clichy was adjudged to have used an arm in the 18th minute.

The resulting free-kick, although initially botched by Sulley Muntari, led to the best chance of the first half. Muntari's second attempt at delivering the ball into a crowded box was brought down by Papa Bouba Diop, who lost no time in firing in a powerful drive that Manuel Almunia did well to divert round his right-hand post.

The Spaniard will soon qualify for England through residency rules and the away fans rewarded him with a chant of ``England's Number One''.

James still covets that accolade despite his advancing years and a period under Steve McClaren when he was ignored for international duties.

But the veteran showed he was still capable of a good-looking save when he threw himself skywards to stop Tomas Rosicky's curled effort from reaching the top corner in the 37th minute.

Niko Kranjcar had already fired an effort just wide at the other end having neatly turned Bacary Sagna to tee up his favoured left foot but the Croatian was involved in an incident just before the break that left Arsenal skipper William Gallas hurt. First Kanu and then Kranjcar challenged the Frenchman, who hobbled off with an ankle problem.

Gallas was able to continue wearing the armband for the second half and there was a nervous moment for the home fans when Hermann Hreidarsson made a full-blooded challenge on Kolo Toure in the Portsmouth area.

There was no margin for error but although the Arsenal man went down, the Iceland international had made enough contact with the ball for the liking of referee Steve Bennett, who then booked Lauren - another of Pompey's ex-Arsenal men - for tugging Rosicky back by the shirt.

Eboue was next in the book for a foul on Diop and, after Kanu had fired wildly off target on the turn, Arsenal swapped Eboue for Abou Diaby with 25 minutes still on the clock.

Almunia was required to get behind efforts from Benjani and then Kranjcar as the home side continued to believe the evening could yet be settled in their favour.

Indeed, Benjani, with eight goals to his name already this season, almost made it happen in the 75th minute when Kanu's superb through-ball put him clear of the Arsenal back line.

Almunia came out to meet him and succeeded in slowing down his path forwards as the man from Zimbabwe had to veer off at an angle.

And that was enough for Clichy, who used his prodigious pace to intercept and the chance evaporated as soon as it was clear that referee Bennett regarded the challenge as legal.

Benjani was replaced by John Utaka after Diop had been booked for a foul on Alex Hleb, who was swapped for Nicklas Bendtner, the goal hero of Saturday's 2-1 derby win over Spurs.

Gallas has also been a source of late goals and might have won it for the Gunners with three minutes remaining after he controlled a Fabregas shot and fired goalwards on the turn from six yards.

The ball flew just over and Portsmouth were fortunate referee Bennett did not penalise Campbell for has late challenge on the Frenchman.

Four minutes of added time followed but the game was destined to remain scoreless when Rosicky scuffed a great final chance wide.

# Campbell hails defensive effort

Sol Campbell savoured Portsmouth's hard-earned clean sheet against free-scoring Arsenal at Fratton Park tonight.

Arsenal needed a win to climb back above Manchester United to the top of the Premier League but could not find a way past a Pompey defence well marshalled by former Gunner Campbell.

'We had to battle hard because Arsenal are a great side,' England defender Campbell told Sky Sports 1.

'They had a couple of chances at the end but it was a great shift by the lads,' said Campbell.

'We wanted to get in their faces, put them under pressure and not let them settle on the ball. If you let them pass they will pass you to death.'

'We had a couple of chances of our own but it was not to be. Benjani had a chance but their `keeper came out quickly. It was a shame but that is the way it goes sometimes.'

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger admitted his side had been frustrated by Portsmouth's defensive approach but had no complaints.

Wenger told Sky Sports: 'They defended very well, they were organised not to concede.

'It was a very good defensive performance, their minds were completely on defending. We were not at our best today but gave absolutely everything.

'Credit to Portsmouth, they made it difficult for us. They played in one half of the pitch. I don't think offensively they had a special performance, they played with 10 players at the back and in the end they got the maximum they could from this kind of game.'

Wenger was disappointed to have lost top spot but was not overly concerned.

He added: 'We would prefer to be at the top but it is very tight - only one point.'

Portsmouth boss Harry Redknapp was delighted that his side had managed to blunt the Gunners and claim a point.

'A clean sheet against Arsenal is excellent. We worked our socks off. We worked hard and closed them down,' he said.

'We played the same system - one up front and others looking to join in - and I thought we had the best chance of the match when `Benji' went through.'

Redknapp bristled when told that Wenger had been surprised by Pompey's approach to the match and their reliance on solid defending.

'When you haven't got the ball you have to defend,' replied Redknapp. 'There is not a team in the country that is harder to get the ball off than Arsenal. You have to be disciplined and maintain your positions or you get ripped to pieces. Were we supposed to lie down and get ripped to pieces?'

Asked if Pompey's point had cheered him up after the defeats against Tottenham and Liverpool, Redknapp replied tongue-in-cheek: 'Yes, we've been on a real bad run at Portsmouth........11 games unbeaten (before the Spurs match). It was a great point for us today. Thoroughly deserved.'

Middlesbrough 2-1 Arsenal: Unbeaten record smashed

Middlesbrough 2-1 Arsenal: Unbeaten record smashed

Middlesbrough blew the title race wide open with a 2-1 win as Arsenal crashed to their first Barclays Premier League defeat of the season.

The Gunners, who went into the game boasting their best ever start to the competition, remain just a point clear of champions Manchester United as Boro ended their 11-match winless run.

It also lifted them out of the bottom three and eased the pressure on manager Gareth Southgate.

The home side were rewarded for their incredible work rate with an early Stewart Downing penalty and a second-half strike from Tuncay Sanli, who may finally be the solution to the club's goalscoring problems.

• Southgate thrilled with confidence boost

Tomas Rosicky maintained Arsenal's record of scoring in every Premier League game this season with a stoppage-time consolation but it was more than they deserved.

The result capped a miserable two trips to the north-east in five days for the Gunners, for whom the absence of talismanic midfielder Cesc Fabregas and other key players is beginning to tell.

Although under almost incessant pressure, they were uncharacteristically sloppy in possession and will surely need their better players available for sterner tests to come.

The Boro game looked a formality on paper, against a side they had beaten nine times in the last 12 meetings, losing only once.

Gunners manager Arsene Wenger arguably did his best to soften up opposite number Southgate earlier in the week by including the Boro boss among his list of potential new England managers.

The tactic failed as Southgate's men began determined to emulate the high-intensity game that saw north-east neighbours Newcastle snatch a draw against the same opponents in midweek.

It paid off as early as the third minute when the recalled Gary O'Neil's ball sent Jeremie Aliadiere into the area and Kolo Toure clumsily brought down his former team-mate, who was going away from goal.

Referee Howard Webb rightly pointed to the spot and Downing applied just enough pace on his penalty to beat Manuel Almunia low to his left.

Arsenal were rattled but could have levelled when top scorer Emmanuel Adebayor was just beaten to Bacary Sagna's cross by the fist of rookie goalkeeper Ross Turnbull, who continued to deputise for the injured Mark Schwarzer.

Boro were pressing from front to back and it was hard to see how they could maintain such a frenetic pace.

They could have had a freakish second when William Gallas' attempted clearance cannoned off Aliadiere but straight to Almunia, while Fabio Rochemback fired over from long range.

Arsenal took until the 22nd minute to have a serious shot at goal, Rosicky scuffing wide from 18 yards.

The Gunners were being knocked off stride, demonstrated when Emmanuel Eboue looked set to free Adebayor in behind but the through ball hit the striker's heels.

Toure saw a free-kick blocked as he tried to make amends for the penalty, before Rochemback - who was popping up all over the place - volleyed over at the other end.

Adebayor then headed a flighted Eboue free-kick inches wide, which Turnbull seemed to have covered.

Downing's free-kick effort posed no threat to Almunia, who had to be more alert to clutch a fizzing cross from Tuncay.

The Turkish striker, rewarded for his first Boro goal last week with a start against Arsenal, then fluffed his lines looking to curl a left-footed shot into the far corner.

Boro, whose intensity had dipped a little, found a second wind to finish the half ahead.

Wenger wasted no time shaking up his misfiring Gunners, bringing on Nicklas Bendtner for the disappointing Eduardo da Silva.

Arsenal had scored in every Premier League game this season, so it was not quite panic stations from the manager.

But it might have been five minutes after the restart when Rochemback capped a thrilling run with the perfect through ball to Tuncay.

With only Almunia to beat, the Turk's cross-shot screwed agonisingly wide of the far post.

Gael Clichy was booked for a late tackle on O'Neil before David Wheater saw a vicious goal-bound volley blocked.

Arsenal were conceding too many free-kicks and becoming frustrated with their inability to dictate the play.

Indeed, Boro were even beginning to out-pass them, the move of the match seeing Tuncay release Downing.

His cross was met first time by George Boateng 20 yards out but the captain's well-struck finish was just wide.

Wenger had seen enough, throwing on Denilson for Lassana Diarra and Theo Walcott for Eboue.

With the visitors committing more men forward, Bendtner mishit one over the bar and Adebayor got in behind only to see his cutback intercepted.

The danger for Arsenal was leaving themselves exposed at the back and almost as soon as Robert Huth was brought on for Jonathan Woodgate 17 minutes from time, Boro scored again.

A corner was not cleared properly and O'Neil's first-time shot was too hot for Almunia, whose parry was powered into the roof of the net by Tuncay, via a slight nick off Gallas.

Boro had the points in the bag long before Rosicky turned in Clichy's cross deep into stoppage-time.

• Southgate thrilled with confidence boost

Middlesbrough boss Gareth Southgate believes their 2-1 win over Premier League leaders Arsenal will show to his players what they are capable of.

Stewart Downing put the hosts in front with a fourth-minute penalty after Kolo Toure fouled former Gunners striker Jeremie Aliadiere, and Turkish forward Tuncay Sanli added another in the second half.

Tomas Rosicky pulled one back in the dying seconds for Arsenal but Boro secured victory after 11 games without a win - and in the process ended Arsenal's unbeaten league run at 22 games.

Southgate told Setanta: 'Our approach to (the game) was fantastic. I felt Arsenal having three games in a week was a tall order for them and thought it might be a good day to get them.

'We worked and scrapped and gave a really good account of ourselves.'

Asked whether it was Boro's best display of the season, Southgate added: 'No question. We played very well here against Birmingham but the quality of Arsenal's team is there for all to see. Hopefully the players can see what they are capable of now.

'It's been quite depressing at times but we've tried to stay positive and one or two are starting to score goals now. But it's one afternoon and we have to be more consistent.'

Goalscorer Downing added: 'It's a massive win, and even better that it's come against one of the top teams in the league.

'The penalty was a bit nerve-racking - there were a lot of Arsenal fans around the goal but I picked my spot and luckily it went in.

'(Arsenal) let you play a lot so we moved the ball quite well. We seem to play well against the top teams. We need to get the consistency in our game and get up that league.'

Aliadiere said: 'I was very motivated and we needed those three points today.

'It's a good start, we have picked up a few points in the last few games. We wanted to work really hard and get three points and this builds confidence for the team.'