Vietnam 1-7 Arsenal

 

By Nick Lander

 

Arsenal bagged seven goals in successive matches, as they romped to a comfortable victory in Vietnam. Playing a team ranked 145th in the world by FIFA, there was only going to be one outcome, but it was a momentous occasion for Vietnamese football, as the Gunners became the first Premier League team to visit the country.

 

Olivier Giroud opened the scoring on five minutes, as he took his shot early, having made a good run. Fifteen minutes later, Lukas Podolski almost doubled Arsenal's advantage, as he headed narrowly over from Serge Gnabry's cross. Podolski had another chance soon after. He took on the Vietnam defence in the penalty area, beating two players (much like Samir Nasri against Fulham a couple of seasons ago) but tried to set Giroud rather than taking the shot himself.

 

Podolski then spurned a third chance before the break, hitting the post after a through ball split the Vietnamese defence, with the goalkeeper saving well from Gnabry's follow up.

 

Just when it was beginning to look like Arsenal might only head into the break one goal to the good, up stepped Giroud. Vietnam only half-cleared Carl Jenkinson's cross and the big Frenchman curled it home from inside the D.

 

Three minutes later, he completed his hat-trick, sumptuously lifting the ball over the onrushing goalkeeper after Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain's through ball again split the Vietnam back line. Three-nil at half time then.

 

A raft of changes at the break followed, but it was one of the few surviving players from the first half who got the next goal, as the Ox slammed Theo Walcott's cut back into the top left corner from just outside the box.

 

Chamberlain was not finished there, moments later he surged forward and played Chuba Akpom in, but the young striker could not quite shape his shot around the goalkeeper. On 55 minutes though, Akpom made no mistake. Vietnam tried to spring the offside trap, but Aaron Ramsey's through ball for Akpom was perfectly timed and this time the ball did curve around the goalkeeper and into the back of the net. Five-nil.

 

Akpom's second was created by 16-year-old Gedion Zelalem who had great vision to pick out Oxlade-Chamberlain's run. The Vietnam defence again beaten by a through ball, Chamberlain squared the ball back to Akpom, who fired the ball home with the outside of his boot.

 

Akpom could have had a hat-trick too, Zelalem unselfishly cut the ball back for the Englishman, who tried to put the ball in the top corner, but it deflected over for a corner. Walcott took the resulting set piece and Mertesacker's header was well saved by Tran Buu Ngoc in the Vietnam goal.

 

The Gunners' last of the game was one of the best worked, Ignasi Miquel interchanged well with Thomas Eisfeld on the left wing and coolly slotted home.

 

The stadium erupted soon after though, as Tran Manh Dung excellently turned home. A cross came in slightly behind him but he still managed to superbly loop it over Damien Martinez's head. A brilliant finish.

 

That was not the end of Martinez's work either, Le Cong Vinh struck a good free kick minutes later, which the Argentine goalkeeper saved well. His opposite number's night would not end so glamorously however, as Buu Ngoc was shown red when he saved one-on-one with his hands outside of his area. He had to walk, friendly or not. A substitute himself, Vietnam had no 'keeper left on the bench and had to give gloves and a bib to one of their outfield players, who, perhaps ironically, was the only Vietnam goalkeeper to keep a clean sheet on the night!

 

There were to be no more goals though and Arsenal recorded another comfortable victory. The game however, is unlikely to be the most remembered part of Arsenal's time in Vietnam. That honour is more likely to go to 'The Running Man' who chased the Arsenal team bus on foot for around 5km, before being allowed on board! You can view the video here.

 

The squad are now in Japan, as their Asia tour continues with games against Arsene Wenger's former club Nagoya Grampus and then Urawa Red Diamonds.

 

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Indonesia Dream Team 0-7 Arsenal

By Nick Lander

Arsenal romped to a comfortable seven-nil victory in the opening game of this year's Asia Tour.

Theo Walcott got the gunners underway in the first half, slotting home with composure from Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain's pull back. Kieran Gibbs then spurned a golden opportunity to double the Gunners' lead scuffing his shot into the side netting when he really should have scored.

Ignasi Miquel then almost let Boaz Solossa in for the home side, but the Indonesian captain struck tamely into Fabianski's arms.

Despite dominating possession and the having many more chances, Arsenal could only take a 1-0 lead into the break, but everything changed after half-time.

Chuba Akpom bagged Arsenal's second of the night on 54 minutes, deftly finishing a move he started, turning home Serge Gnabry's low cross.

Five minutes after his second half introduction, Olivier Giroud turned home fellow substitute Bacary Sagna's cross, netting his second minutes later, with an excellent turn in the box.

Four-nil Arsenal, but the Gunners were not finished there. Podolski hammered the ball home for number five just a few minutes later, after some good link up play with Tomas Rosicky. A minute after that, Kris Olsson poked home Rosicky's delicious deep cross.

Thomas Eisfeld then got Arsenal's seventh, slamming home left footed.

A good evening's work for the Gunners, who will now embark on the next leg of their tour, when they will be playing the Vietnam national team on Wednesday.

Keep up to date with all the latest Arsenal new by following me on Twitter - @nlander94 - and liking The N5 Blog Facebook page.

Mannone Joins Sunderland

 

By Nick Lander

 

Italian goalkeeper Vito Mannone has today finalised a move to the North East to join Paolo di Canio's Sunderland.

 

The 25-year-old has signed a two year deal for an undisclosed fee, said to be around £2million. Mannone, who made 23 appearances for the Gunners, will be a replacement for Simon Mignolet, who joined Liverpool at the end of last month.

 

The move brings to an end an eight year association with the club he joined as a 17-year-old from Atalanta. He impressed many, with a sterling performance at Fulham back in 2009, winning Arsenal the game, on just his third Premier League appearance. However, that was his peak, and some uninspiring performances, most notably as a substitute against Olympiakos in 2011/12, signalled that an exit was nearing. Mannone also experienced loan spells with Barnsley and Hull (twice).

 

As Arsene Wenger's clear-out continues, it is widely expected that Nicklas Bendtner will also depart this week, with Eintracht Frankfurt on the verge of agreeing a £4m deal.

 

Keep up to date with Arsenal's transfer window dealings by liking The N5 Blog on Facebook and by following me on Twitter - @nlander94.

Hamburg Secure Djourou Loan

 

By Nick Lander

 

Arsenal defender Johan Djourou will be spending the season on loan at Hamburg.

 

The Swiss played the latter half of last season on loan with Hamburg's Bundesliga rivals, Hannover 96, and will be returning to Germany for at least another year, after Hamburg secured an option to buy the centre back at the conclusion of his loan deal in June 2014.

 

Talking to Hamburg's website, Djourou had this to say about his motives for moving: "It was a perfect fit. The sporting perspectives were very enticing. I could have earned a lot more money in London but that was not the main thing. I want to play as often as possible and I think I can do that in Hamburg."

 

Djourou joined the Gunners back in 2003 and has made 144 appearances for the club, scoring one goal. In addition to Hamburg and Hannover, the 26-year-old has also spent time on loan with Birmingham City.

 

He is the second central defender that Arsenal have parted company with since the end of last season, with Sebastien Squillaci having also departed the club, after his contract expired.

 

Keep up to date with all the latest Arsenal news by following me on Twitter - @nlander94 - and by liking The N5 Blog on Facebook.

Transfer latest: Gervinho, Rooney, Nani, Garcia, Williams & others

 

 



By Nick Lander

 

 

At the Back

It is being reported that Arsene Wenger's interest in Swansea's Ashley Williams has cooled, after the Welsh club demanded more than £10m for the centre half. It is however understood that the Gunners would be very much interested if the Swans would consider parting with their Captain for less than that £10m figure.

Another centre back that Arsenal have been linked with is Valencia's Adil Rami. The French international is likely to leave La Liga this summer, with Manchester City, Borussia Dortmund, PSG and Napoli all being linked with moves too. Valencia are understood to rate the 27-year-old at around £10m.

Midfield Shields

With many fans having spent most of 2012/13 screaming out for a more defensive minded midfielder following Alex Song's departure to Barcelona, links to Everton's Marouane Fellaini have been welcomed.

The Belgian's £24m buy-out clause is said to be a big stumbling block to Arsenal's interest, who do not value him that highly. The 25-year-old has been on Merseyside for the last five years, but is reported to be keen on a move to London in order to secure Champions League football.

It has also been suggested that Wenger is considering expanding his Spanish contingent yet further, by bringing in Real Sociedad's Asier Illarramendi. The 22-year-old has just won the Euro u21 Championships with Spain, and has a release clause of €30m. Real Madrid are interested in him too, but feel that his release clause is too high and Arsenal will likely feel the same. It is possible that a fee might be agreed far lower than this though, with a number of sources quoting a figure closer to £10m.

With both Illarramendi and Fellaini being expensive options, Arsenal decide to look elsewhere. Whilst the club have not been linked with a move, and he is not a defensive midfielder, I understand that Japanese international Keisuke Honda is out of contract with CSKA Moscow, and would surely be worth a move. Wenger praised the 27-year-old widely during the 2010 World Cup and the Gunners were linked with a move at the time.

On the Wings

Arsenal have emerged as favourites to land Nani from United, with Galatasaray having announced that their interest in him is over. The Portuguese winger is understood to be available for around £8m, with just a year remaining on his contract at Old Trafford. Largely frozen out of the United side by Ferguson last season, because of contract disputes, the Gunners were reported to have been considering a move back in the January window, and could return this summer.

Nani is not the only winger who has recently been linked with a move to N5 though, with speculation still existing with regards to an £8.5m move for Levante winger Ruben Garcia. The 19-year-old chalked up an impressive 41 appearances last season, also bagging 4 La Liga goals, as Levante finished 11th. He has also previously been quoted as saying he is "interested in joining Arsenal."

Lille's Dimitri Payet has also been linked. The 26-year-old managed 10 goals and 10 assists last season, and Lille are said to be willing to consider offers of £15m, with Marseille understood to have already failed with an £8m bid. His record last season, however, is worse than that of Gervinho's over his last season at Lille, so perhaps the club should proceed with caution!

 

In a transfer that would likely be closely related to any move, it has also become increasingly likely that Arsenal winger Gervinho will be headed back to France, after two disappointing seasons in North London, with Marseille having confirmed their desire to take him back across the Channel.

Personally, out of those four wingers, I would prefer to see Garcia in the Arsenal squad next season. Despite being young, the Spaniard has already amassed good experience in the Spanish top-flight, and would slot nicely into the growing Spanish contingent at Arsenal. He would also likely be the cheapest option, both in terms of wages and transfer fee, something which would almost certainly appeal to the Gunners, despite their greater financial flexibility this summer.

Up Front

Speculation has been mounting over the past few weeks over Arsenal preparing a move for want-away Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney, who, according to his former manager Sir Alex Ferguson, has submitted his second transfer request inside of three years.

Rooney is said to be available for just £20m and both Arsene Wenger and Ivan Gazidis have passed comment on him in recent weeks. Wenger expressed his admiration for the Englishman, whilst Gazidis emphasised the club's ability to pay a transfer fee of that magnitude and meet his £200,000 per week wages.

Alternatively, Real Madrid's Gonzalo Higuain could be on the verge of joining the club, with some sources reporting that personal terms have been agreed. The deal is said to be worth in excess of £130,000 per week and Arsenal are trying to push it through before they depart on their 2013 Asia Tour in around three weeks. A fee of around £22m is reportedly close to being finalised with Real Madrid.

 

On Their Way Out

Danish flop Nicklas Bendtner is set to finally make a permanent move away from Arsenal, having spent the past two seasons on loan at Sunderland and then Juventus - where he scored a magnificent zero goals. Despite this he is said to have at least five offers on the table, with La Liga side Malaga and Eintracht Frankfurt of the Bundesliga both extremely interested in a cut price deal at around £2m.

Another striker who may not be at the club next season is Costa Rican Joel Campbell. Ian Holloway's Crystal Palace have been reported to be interested in taking the 20-year-old on a season-long loan. Having racked up 60 appearances on loan at Lorient and Real Betis over the last two seasons, along with 24 international caps, a work permit should no longer be a problem, but it remains to be seen if Arsene Wenger will decide that a third season spent on loan would be more beneficial than a season spent warming the bench, especially if one of Higuain or Rooney arrives.

In what promises to be an exciting summer, be sure to follow me on Twitter (@nlander94) and like The N5 Blog Facebook page.

Could Fabregas be set for Gunners return?

 



By Nick Lander

 

Cesc Fabregas' Barcelona future has become the subject of intense speculation over the past few days, with new Manchester United boss David Moyes said to have made him one of his top priorities.

 

Any possible move from Barcelona for the former Gunners captain is made significantly more complicated by the terms of his move to the Camp Nou in August 2011. It is understood that Arsenal inserted clauses in the deal to have first option were he to move on from Barcelona and also a sell-on clause of 50%.

 

As a part of the first option, or buy-back, clause, it is understood that Arsenal agreed a fee of between £20-25m to buy him back. Combined with the 50% sell-on fee this means that it would be difficult for Barcelona to sell Fabregas to anyone other than the Gunners. Having paid somewhere in the region of £35m to secure his signature two years ago, Barca must sell to the likes of Manchester United at £70m to even be able to break even, let alone make any sort of profit.

 

Since the 26-year-old left, Arsenal have signed midfielders Mikel Arteta and Santi Cazorla, which could have an impact on Arsenal's desire to sign the Spaniard. However, it was heavily rumoured that Wenger made a £30m move for Borussia Dortmund's (or should that be Bayern Munich's) Mario Götze back in January, so the club's desire to sign another midfielder (of an attacking mindset) is evident, despite those already at the club.

It has been reported by some reliable sources on Twitter have said that Arsene Wenger and his staff are working on a deal to bring Fabregas back to Arsenal. Because of the player already at the club and because of the clauses in place, any deal is likely to be highly complex and will take time to complete.

 

The Catalan club are also believe to still owe Arsenal £10m for the transfer of Alex Song last summer. This could mean that Arsenal would be able to resign their former talisman for less than £15m over the summer, and were he to re-join, Fabregas would surely remain with the Gunners for the rest of his career.

 

He is due to hold talks with Barcelona officials next couple of weeks with regards to his future, following the conclusion of the Spanish league season.

 

Keep up to date with the latest Arsenal news by following me on Twitter (@nlander94) and by liking The N5 Blog on Facebook.  

Giroud Happy with his Arsenal Stats

 

By Nick Lander

 

Olivier Giroud has come in for some stick since the start of the season. Accused of being an inadequate replacement for Robin van Persie, the Frenchman has quietly knuckled down and got on with the job of scoring goals; 14 so far this season for the Gunners, along with 11 assists.

 

When speaking to French paper L'Equipe, ahead of France's clash with Germany tonight, the 26-year-old revealed that he is content with his start to life in N5; "when I arrived at Arsenal, there were concerns [over how long it took to score], but they were quickly sorted." Since netting his first goal against Coventry City in the Capital One Cup, the 6' 3" striker has not looked back, "for the first season, [my stats] are better than Robin van Persie when he started, even if when he arrived at Arsenal he was younger."

 

Whilst hinting that he is a better player than van Persie may be stretching the stats a little, it is undeniable that Giroud has made a solid start to life in London, and looks set for a 20-odd goal season, which is nothing to be sniffed at. It is also worth noting the number of different scorers the club now has, Giroud's contributed 14 goals, Theo Walcott 18 and Lukas Podolski 12. The team finally seem to have managed to rediscover the art of sharing the goals around, something which should be a real positive as the Gunners look to put together a run of consistent performances and results to cement a top four finish.

 

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