Reserves Preview-Extra incentive for Arsenal in top of the table clash

Arsenal Reserves take on their Aston Villa counterparts at Underhill this evening knowing that victory would be sufficient to send them top of the Reserve League South. However, for many of the players on show in red and white there is the added incentive that a good performance will strengthen any claims for participation in next week’s mouthwatering Carling Cup tie away to Manchester City.

Arsenal have named a strong squad for tonight’s fixture. Jack Wilshere plays at this level for the first time this season, whilst fellow first-team squad members Lukasz Fabianski and Fran Merida also included. Jay Emmanuel-Thomas, recently returned from a loan spell at Blackpool, will be involved with a trio of players returning from injury in Luke Ayling, Thomas Cruise and James Shea. Another notable inclusion is Benik Afobe, who has hit eight Premier Academy League goals so far this season and has been rewarded by Neil Banfield for his impressive recent form.

Villa are two points ahead of Arsenal having played a game more and will be going all out for the win tonight in what is expected to be a fascinating spectacle. They have also named a strong team with Stewart Downing, Fabian Delph and Craig Gardner all starting and Samir Carruthers, who left Arsenal in the summer, on the bench.

Predicted team:

Fabianski

Gilbert-Bartley-E.-Thomas-Cruise

Coquelin-Eastmond

Wilshere-Merida-Sunu

Watt

subs: Shea, Randall, Afobe, Frimpong, Ayling.

Murphy joins Brentford on loan whilst Watt extends contract

Two of Arsenal’s most promising young strikers have put pen to paper on contracts today, with Sanchez Watt extending his deal at the club and Rhys Murphy joining League One side Brentford on loan.

Watt has become one of Arsene Wenger’s favourite young players following his key role in the FA Youth Cup success last season and has took his talents on to the first team stage this campaign, finding the net against West Bromwich Albion on his debut in the Carling Cup. He was also named on the bench for the UEFA Champions League group stage match away to Standard Liege in September and appears to be part of Wenger’s long-term plans.

Murphy, in contrast, has endured a difficult start to the season, but will relish the opportunity provided to him at Griffin Park. A clinical goalscorer, he follows Polish goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny to the club and could make his debut as early as tomorrow. Upon signing him on a three month loan that will run until February 24th, 2010, Brentford boss Andy Scot said:

“Rhys is another good signing for us. He has a lot of potential, so much so he is seen as a future First Team squad member at Arsenal. This opportunity is good for both ourselves and Rhys as it will allow him to blossom under our guidance. In that respect it also confirms that Brentford is seen as a club that can help the progress of young up and coming Premier League players.”

Murphy will wear no.37 at Griffin Park and is one of several 2007 scholars who will be enjoying loan spells in the coming months.

Hard-working Freeman showing real signs of improvement on left flank

Arsenal under-18s have shown great strength to overcome a recent sticky patch and one player in particular has enjoyed an upturn in his performances this campaign.

Signed to a fanfare of publicity from Gillingham in January 2008, Luke Freeman took considerable time to adapt to his new surroundings at London Colney but is now fully settled in and blazing quite a trail for Steve Bould’s Group A-topping outfit.

Freeman is the only Arsenal player to have started every Premier Academy League game this season and is also the side’s top scorer with nine goals, a commendable feat given that the vast majority of his strikes have come from his now accustomed position of the left side of Arsenal’s attacking trio behind the main striker.

His ability to link up play has improved and he is now weighing in with a considerable amount of assists, as illustrated in his cross for Chuks Aneke to head home the opener against Southampton on Saturday. He is on the fringes of the Reserves side and will be looking to earn his first start of the season for Neil Banfield’s team before the campaign is out.

The attacking part of Bould’s setup seems to have gelled in recent weeks and are fully accustomed to the 4-2-3-1 formation that is predominantly used. Roarie Deacon on the right flank offers a direct approach, whilst the aforementioned Aneke acts a good linkman between midfield and attack. Up front, Benik Afobe is one goal behind Freeman with eight, having played two games less and, even in the games in which he doesn’t score, is increasingly showing signs of working hard for the team and improving his co-ordination with others.

The holding midfield partnership of Nico Yennaris and Oguzhan Ozyakup, whilst not physically the strongest, is adept and provides a platform for Bould’s side to push forward. The full-backs also often overlap, with captain Cedric Evina and right-back Sam Byles excellent at this. Central defence remains something of a concern, although this could be put down to the fact that there is not a regular pairing in that position. In goal, James Dunn has settled in well after a difficult start and has kept clean sheets in each of his past two matches.

Arsenal under-18s swept the board last season and, with so much talent and attacking flair available this time around, surely further honours will be just around the corner.

Wenger’s faith presents Vela with massive opportunity

Arsene Wenger is renowned for putting faith in players at a young age and he is not about to buck this trend with Carlos Vela. Vela has been carefully nutured since he was first signed over four years ago and is now in a position to fight for a regular place in the starting line-up.

Having spent considerable time on loan in Spain, Vela knows all about the technical side of the game although it could be argued that he is still a little bit light-weight for the Premier League. Nonetheless, Wenger is adamant that he will come good, even going as far as saying that he was the sole reason for why Emmanuel Adebayor wasn’t replaced upon the Togo striker’s move to Manchester City.

That is a lot of pressure to put on a 20 year old, but Vela is determined to prove his worth. Having shown what he can do in the Carling Cup, he now wants to become an important and regular member of the squad. His international commitments with Mexico are a hindrance, but he is gradually becoming more involved and on a more regular basis. He came on in difficult circumstances at the Stadium of Light on Saturday and had a legitimate claim for a penalty turned down by Alan Wiley.

With Robin van Persie and Nicklas Bendtner currently sidelined with medium term injuries, Vela has a big opportunity. Eduardo hasn’t scored since September but once the Croatian finds the net again more goals are sure to follow. But Vela will be looking to prove that he can be an able deputy. He may get a chance, most likely as a substitute, against Standard Liege tomorrow and will be looking to assert himself the best he can.

The painstakingly long process that Arsenal endured to capture Carlos Vela and subsequently prepare him for the big time may be just about to pay dividends.

Loanees- Szczesny makes stunning save on debut, another assist for Lansbury

Wojciech Szczesny marked his Brentford debut with a stunning reflex save in the dying embers of the draw with Walsall in League One. With the scores tied at 1-1, Szczesny pulled off a superb stop to deny Troy Deeney and ensure that the game ended all square. Szczesny also made several other saves as he impressed on his debut at Griffin Park. Ben Strevens put the hosts ahead but Steve Jones’ low drive past Szczesny levelled proceedings.

Henri Lansbury set up a goal as Watford saw off his former loan club Scunthorpe with a comfortable 3-0 victory. Lansbury, who was booked in the second half for a rash challenge on George Friend, set up Danny Graham for the concluding goal after a Heidar Helguson brace had put the Hornets well on the way to victory.

Jay Simpson endured a frustrating afternoon as QPR were beaten 2-0 by Doncaster in the Championship. Simpson only had one effort, a shot which he dragged wide of the goal, before being replaced in the 63rd minute. Billy Sharp and former Gunner Dean Shiels struck for Doncaster.

Havard Nordtveit played the whole game as Nuremburg picked up a suprise 3-2 victory away to Bundesliga champions Wolfsburg. Albert Bunjaku put Nuremburg ahead before Ashkan Dejagah levelled. Bunjaku struck again only to be cancelled out once more, this time by the highly-regarded Grafite. However, Peer Kluge found the net late on to earn a famous win. Nordtveit made some well-timed challenges in midfield.

Gavin Hoyte missed out through suspension for Brighton, whilst Jay Emmanuel-Thomas didn’t feature for Blackpool. Pedro Botelho was once again left out of the starting line-up for Celta Vigo.

Aneke and Afobe in form as Arsenal u-18s torment Saints

Arsenal under-18s racked up their seventh win of the season with a comfortable 3-0 success over Southampton on the South Coast this morning.

Having arrested a dismaying slump with a thumping 6-0 win over Charlton last time out, Steve Bould’s side maintained their position at the top of Premier Academy League with another comfortable victory.

Bould made four changes from the win over the Addicks, with Sam Byles, Sead Hajrovic, Oguzhan Ozyakup and captain Cedric Evina coming in for Rhema Obed, Ignasi Miquel, Conor Henderson and George Brislen-Hall.

Dunn

Byles-Boateng-Hajrovic-Evina

Yennaris-Ozyakup

Deacon-Aneke-Freeman

Afobe

subs: Obed, Henderson, Meade

Arsenal clicked into gear early on and, after peppering a few shots at the Saints goal, took the lead on 9 minutes via a drilled strike by Chuks Aneke.

Despite a barrage of attacks from Southampton, the Gunners held firm and could be proud of their defensive performance. They were not exceptionally clinical in front of goal and should have had a larger lead at the half-time whistle but the signs were certainly promising for a fruitful second period.

And fruitful it was. Arsenal, who were marshalled in midfield by the impressive partnership of Nico Yennaris and Oguzhan Ozyakup, attacked well and doubled their advantage just before the hour mark with Aneke getting on the scoresheet once more for his third of the season.

Southampton, by this point, had almost resigned themselves to defeat and it was confirmed just four minutes later when Benik Afobe notched his first goal in over a month to move one behind Luke Freeman in the goalscoring charts.

There were opportunities for further goals but they didn’t come. However, Bould’s side can most definitely declare that they have turned a corner and are now on an upward ascent, something which is opportune given that the FA Youth Cup third round is just around the corner. Chelsea visit London Colney in a fortnight in what is sure to be a pulsating affair and, given their recent revival, Arsenal can go into the game brimming with confidence.

Szczesny loan departure means battle for Carling Cup place is between Fabianski and Mannone

Polish goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny has joined League One side Brentford on a month’s loan today, which will see him stay at Griffin Park until December 20th.

Having signed as a scholar in the summer of 2006 following a short trial, he went on to impress in the Premier Academy League before suffering a major injury setback last campaign when he broke both arms in a freak gym accident. However, he showed tremendous strength and courage to overcome his problem and was rewarded with a place in the first-team squad this summer.

His only outing to date for Arsene Wenger’s side in a competitive envrionment came against West Bromwich Albion in the Carling Cup third round. In that game, Szczesny made two stunning saves and kept a clean sheet although he was vulnerable at crosses.

It has been quite a week for Szczesny who made his debut for the senior Poland team in midweek as a second-half substitute and has now moved across London on a temporary basis to link up with Brentford. He could make his debut at home to Walsall tomorrow.

Szczesny’s departure means that it is now a two-horse race between Lukasz Fabianski and Vito Mannone for the goalkeeping gloves in the Carling Cup Quarter-final against Manchester City at the turn of the month. Fabianski has recently recovered from injury although he will not be on the bench against Sunderland tomorrow, whilst Mannone had a prolonged run in the side after number one choice Manuel Almunia succumbed to illness earlier in the campaign.

Reinvigorated Traore determined to make an impact

For a player who saw himself catapulted into the first-team spotlight whilst still technically a first-year scholar, Armand Traore must be somewhat perplexed with his current situation.

Having ended the 2007/08 campaign in good form, he embarked on a season-long loan spell with Portsmouth, which certainly proved useful in his development yet wasn’t helped by the revolving door system of managers during that spell at Fratton Park.

Now back in North London, Armand is a more serious and understanding individual than the 16 year old who made his first-team debut in the Carling Cup third roundaway to West Bromwich Albion. Ironically, his only first-team action to date this campaign came in exactly the same competition in exactly the same round against exactly the same opposition, the only differences being that this time it was at Emirates Stadium and he was playing on the left wing rather than at left-back.

Much has been said about Traore’s defensive deficincies, but the more he plays at left-back the more he learns and he is very determined to improve, having cut out his party lifestyle and become a more religious and rounded man. It is on the football pitch where he wants to make the biggest impression, however, and he has been presented with an opportunity given the current injuries to Gael Clichy and Kieran Gibbs, though the latter could return to action as early as next Tuesday against Standard Liege. Traore might not start against Sunderland at the Stadium of Light this weekend, with the experienced Mikael Silvestre likely to be preferred, but he is likely to be in the squad and will be looking to make an imprint on Arsene Wenger’s plans.

Traore’s career path may have taken a rather strange turn of late, but he is determined to ensure that he elevates to success from here on in.

Subotic could prove genuine option if centre-back fears fail to cease

Various newspapers have today linked Arsenal with a move for 20 year-old Borussia Dortmound centre-back Neven Subotic and, given the current situation surrounding players in that position at the club, the move would certainly make sense.

Arsenal have three centre-backs out of contract next summer, the most high-profile of these being former captian William Gallas. Gallas has reinvigorated his career commendably since being shorn of leadership duties 12 months ago and has forged an impressive partnership with new signing Thomas Vermaelen. However, given Arsene Wenger’s policy of only offering one-year deals to over-30s, Gallas, 32, may seek a move elsewhere.

The other two centre-backs out of contract in summer 2010 are Philippe Senderos and Mikael Silvestre. Senderos recently stated that he will be considering a move in January given his lack of game time at the club, whilst Silvestre’s age can be held against him and he is not exactly the most popular figure amongst Arsenal fans.

Should Gallas and at least one of the aforementioned duo depart then Subotic would prove a genuine option, providing Arsenal are prepared to invest in him. £15 million for a centre-back would be a lot of money by Wenger’s standards but, given the player’s potential and prospective future value, he could be prepared to indulge.

Subotic is highly rated at Dortmund, where he recently signed a contract extension to 2014. However, an offer, provided he is guaranteed regular playing time, by one of Europe’s leading clubs would be difficult to turn down.

World Cup success stands Hajrovic in good stead for Arsenal return

Arsenal defender Sead Hajrovic has picked up a winners medal after his Switzerland side reigned supreme in the FIFA U17 World Cup.

Though used mainly as a substitute throughout the competition, Hajrovic asserted himself well when called upon and now has bragging rights over Arsenal team-mate Oguzhan Ozyakup, whose Dutch side were eliminated in the group stage.

Hajrovic will now return to Arsenal ahead of this weekend’s Premier Academy League trip to Southampton. Hajrovic has made five starts so far this season and is virtually guaranteed a place in the starting line-up when available. He has won many admirers so far with his good tactical understanding of the game and his ability to break up attacks. Sead’s communication does need some work, but that is understandable considering he is new to this country.

With Ignasi Miquel pushing for a place in the reserves, Hajrovic will probably partner Daniel Boateng at the heart of defence against the Saints and his ability to perform on both the left and the right of central defence is another string to his bow. That said, it is evident that he is much more comfortable on the left, although if he plays there this weekend then he will most likely have a new companion at left-back in George Brislen-Hall, with Cedric Evina having stepped up to the second string on seemingly a regular basis.

Hajrovic’s start to life in North London has been impressive and now, buoyed by success in such a prestigious competition, he will be striving to make as big an impact as possible throughout the remainder of the season.