By Ian Grant
PLAYERS
Oleg Luzhny has received a four match UEFA ban for striking Joerg Boehme, the Schalke player during the 1-3 defeat on 30 October.
Thierry Henry drew level with Hasselbaink as the Premiership’s top striker with 11 and a goal/game ratio of 0.91. He tops the all competitions total with 13.
According to the Sunday Times, Dave Seaman may need a shoulder operation.
Freddie Ljungberg said of Sven Goran Eriksson: “Everyone at home was very proud when Eriksson took over as England manager – and they are no less proud now that he has qualified for the World Cup finals.”
Dennis Bergkamp has reaffirmed his pledge to end his career with Arsenal, dismissing talk of a switch to Fulham.
Bookies Blue Square put Sol Campbell at 2-5 to miss the match at White Hart Lane and 7-4 to make the starting line-up. Stefan Iversen hopes to return for the game.
Dennis Bergkamp is 24th in Sports Top Earners table, with £2.56m/year.
TEAM
Arsenal were booed off against Charlton after conceding four goals at home for the first time since their first game in the Premiership – against Norwich in 1992.
“Arsenal were like a swan carved from ice. They began to look the perfect team; elegant and eye-catching. But in the winter sun they slowly melted, their fine edges drooping as the onlookers lost interest,” said the Times.
More points have been dropped at Highbury this season (10) than in the whole of last term (nine).
Arsenal have been pushed out from 5-1 to 7-1 by Coral. Liverpool are 5/4 to win the title with Manu at 6/4 and Leeds at 3/1.
At least one of David Seaman, Steve Bould, Tony Adams, Lee Dixon, Nigel Winterburn and Martin Keown appeared in the Arsenal team for the last 16 years.
Arsenal are second to Leicester in the discipline league with 150 fouls, 20 yellows and three reds this season.
According to the Sunday Mirror, Star Alliance owns 26.4% of Arsenal.
WENGER
“It’s too early to say what is causing the problem. Since the beginning of the season we’ve not looked solid at home in defence and we need that at Highbury, because we play more open. But we will turn it round; we have done it before.”
Arsene Wenger said he was the French Bin Laden, after his protest about Arsenal stars going to Australia.
Wenger said about his contract:”There is a reason why it has not been done yet. It is a personal matter of small details which I cannot give out, but all the other things that people have been saying about it being linked with us building a new ground, our youth policy or the future structure of the club, are all not true. It is still more about timing than anything else. I have no problem with the financial terms that are being offered. I’m very comfortable with that.”
TRANSFERS/ RUMOURS
Arsenal have been told by Oxford chairman Firoz Kassam to forget any hopes of signing £1m rated striker Jamie Brooks.
According to the People, Arsenal are after One, the £1m trated u-18 French striker who moved from Nantes to Cambridge United. The paper also writes that Arsenal are interested in Spartak Moscow’s wing back, Igor Mitreski, 22.
The S. Mirror also says Arsene Wenger continues to monitor Trevor Sinclair’s situation at West Ham, with a swap deal with Ray Parlour not out of the question.
Arsenal youth player, Liam Chilvers has gone to Notts County on loan.
INTERNATIONALS
Junichi Inamato said:”We are determined to get a result [against Italy].” Japan’s last match against Italy was in the Berlin Olympics 1936 where they lost 8-0. They drew 1-1.
Giovanni van Bronckhorst, has been called up to face Denmark today.
Richard Wright and Martin Keown are the only Arsenal players in the squad to face Sweden. Sol Campbell will join the squad, unofficially.
Patrick Vieira, Sylvain Wiltord and Robert Pires are in the squad which flew to Melbourne for France’s friendly international against Australia. Thierry Henry took the Eurostar to Paris and was sent home with a swollen ankle.
Nigeria have added Kanu to their squad to face Jamaica for the friendly at Loftus Road.
GROUND
The Times reckon that the FA could do a deal with Arsenal, if there is no planning permission for Ashburton Grove to share Wembley, thus ensuring that at least 40 games would be played every year – a scenario that would satisfy City banks.
LADIES
Arsenal Ladies, Pealling, Banks, White and Stoney played in a 0-0 draw with Holland.
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
Wenger said on Group D Champions League: “It’s a big group – three teams from different championships in Spain, Italy and Germany (respectively). It means it will be very difficult but we know at some stage we have to play hard teams. We have the potential to come out of this group.”
On Deportivo, Wenger said:”They may not be as big a name as Barcelona in Spain, but for me they are a better team.”
In the Champions’ League, Marcello Lippi’s Juventus squad has not won away and have drawn four of their eight games in Serie A
Arsenal’s odds for winning the Champions League range from 14/1-20/1 with various bookmakers.
YOUTHS
Arsenal will begin their defence of the AXA FA Youth Cup with a home tie against Bristol Rovers or Colchester United.
“We probably have more younger players this year and four or five players who played last year,” Liam Brady said. “Maybe we are not physically as strong as in the past and that can count for a lot at this level.”
MISCELLANEOUS
“On the contrary, [his] Laurent Blanc’s introduction has added a certain amount of confusion, rendering the champions more vulnerable to pace on the counter-attack.” An article by ex-Arsenal and Hi&I columnist Alan Smith on Laurent Blanc, warranted the headline on Teletext: Leeds star lashes Fergie.
Joe Lydon (formerly Johnny Rotten) chanted Arsenal songs from his table at the Q awards last week.