Newcastle United 0 - 4 Arsenal

Walcott at the double

England international Theo Walcott cemented Arsenal's place in the Carling Cup quarter-finals with a fine double as Newcastle's luck deserted them.
The Gunners surged into a 2-0 lead courtesy of an unfortunate Tim Krul own goal and a controversial second from Walcott to condemn the Magpies to a third defeat in four attempts at St James' Park.
If there was a touch of misfortune about the opening goal in first-half injury time - Ryan Taylor's defensive header hit the unwitting Krul and dropped into the net - there was more than a hint of injustice about the second when Nicklas Bendtner, who had run from an offside position, collided with Mike Williamson as he attempted to get to Walcott.
But Bendtner's 83rd-minute strike and Walcott's finish two minutes from time oozed class as the Gunners powered their way into the last eight.
Alan Smith had earlier hit the bar as the home side recovered from a whirlwind start by the visitors, but the home fans among a crowd of 33,157 left knowing their team had been out-played and hoping for a very different result on Sunday when arch-rivals Sunderland make the short trip to Tyneside in the Premier League.
Hughton, who went into the game with speculation over his future once again rife, had made no secret of the fact that the Carling Cup was little more than a pleasant distraction during a season in which the only objective is top-flight survival.
In the circumstances, it was little surprise that he rested nine of the men who fought out a 2-1 win at West Ham on Saturday evening with one eye on the weekend.
Arsene Wenger made the same number of changes, but the relative strengths of the respective squads was made abundantly clear when the Frenchman was still able to name the likes of Laurent Koscielny, Denilson, Walcott and Tomas Rosicky in his starting line-up.
Wenger has given the competition a higher priority this season and his side could have been all but in the last eight within five madcap minutes of a thrilling first-half.
Carlos Vela forced a save from Krul within 22 seconds of kick-off, and the Dutchman was in action again with five minutes gone to deny Bendtner, who had already seen Williamson block two efforts from the Dane.
In the meantime, Newcastle midfielder Haris Vuckic had shot into the side-netting, and as the half wore on, the Magpies started to come into the game.
Indeed, they could have taken the lead themselves with 14 minutes gone with the visitors' goal coming under intense pressure.
First Nile Ranger ran on to Danny Guthrie's ball over the top and rounded keeper Wojciech Szczesny, only for Koscielny to block his shot.
But Arsenal failed to clear their lines and when the ball fell to Smith 25 yards out, he unleashed a thunderbolt which looked destined for the back of the net - he is yet to score a competitive goal for the club - until Szczesny managed to tip it on to the bar.
As the game settled down, Newcastle were repeatedly at full stretch, but coping as they worked hard to close down space in midfield and plug the gaps at the back.
Bendtner twice shot straight at Krul and Emmanuel Eboue fired wastefully into the side-netting during the closing minutes of the half, and it looked like the sides would go in level at the break.
But with only seconds of added time remaining, the home side's luck deserted them. They half-cleared Walcott's corner, but when Rosicky helped the ball back into the danger area, Bendtner headed towards goal, where Taylor's attempted clearance hit Krul and rebounded into the net.
Newcastle went close to an equaliser four minutes after the restart when Ranger's persistence forced Koscielny to concede a corner. James Perch met Guthrie's set-piece with a firm header, but guided the ball just over.
But their hopes were dashed when the Gunners extended their lead in controversial fashion with 53 minutes gone. Walcott ran on to John Djourou's defensive header from an on-side position, but Bendtner, who had been offside, appeared to block Williamson as he attempted to cover across.
However, referee Andre Marriner allowed play to continue and Walcott calmly chipped Krul to make it 2-0 with Newcastle protests counting for nothing.
Ryan Taylor might have pulled one back eight minutes of time, but was denied by Szczesny from point-blank range, but Bendtner made sure seconds later with a fine right-foot finish.
Szczesny clawed away Taylor's 86th-minute free-kick to deny Newcastle any reward for their efforts, and Walcott wrapped up the win with a pacy run and finish two minutes later.

Wenger hails Walcott impactArsenal boss Arsene Wenger believes Theo Walcott is ready to ''go to another level'' after his double helped the Gunners to a 4-0 win in their Carling Cup fourth-round tie at Newcastle.''Walcott is more composed in front of goal this season. His first touch is better. He is an intelligent boy and because of that he will always improve,'' Wenger told Sky Sports 2.''He was flying at the start of the season and now he is just coming back from injury. You can see today that he is ready to go to another level.''Wenger added: ''You are always happy when your strikers score. They got through the game without injury and now physically they have a couple of days to recover. I'm glad they both got through the 90 minutes.''Arsenal's night was soured by a knee injury to full-back Kieran Gibbs, who went off before the break with a knee complaint. Asked if it was serious, Wenger said: ''We hope not. It's a knee, we hope its not a twist of medial ligament. I'm cautious. The way he walks now doesn't look too good.''Walcott believes Arsenal will end their five-year wait for a trophy if they can continue to produce the same type of performance that saw off a Newcastle side that beat Chelsea in the previous round.''People may say that this is a Mickey Mouse cup, but we want to win trophies,'' he said. ''We want to look back on the trophies we have won in our career. At the moment it's none, but if we keep playing like that I'm sure it will come.''He added: ''I've come back from some long injuries before and it's nice to get some game time again. It's nice to be back playing with lads.''

Arsenal makin membara

FABREGAS berazam membantu Arsenal meneruskan rentak kemenangan, sekali gus merampas takhta selaku pendahulu liga daripada Chelsea.

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LONDON – Kapten Arsenal, Cesc Fabregas menganggap kemenangan 3-0 ke atas Manchester City dalam saingan Liga Perdana England Ahad lalu tidak berguna andai mereka gagal merapatkan jurang mata dengan pendahulu, Chelsea.
Skuad kendalian Arsene Wenger itu kini melonjak ke tangga kedua liga biarpun terpaksa berkongsi 17 mata dengan Manchester United yang menghuni tangga ketiga.
Justeru, Fabregas mahu rakan-rakan sepasukannya meneruskan rentak kecemerlangan tersebut sambil mengintai peluang bagi merampas kedudukan selaku pendahulu daripada Chelsea.
“Kemenangan ke atas City baru satu perlawanan dan masih banyak lagi perlawanan yang perlu diharungi.
“Masa untuk mengatakan sama ada kami bertambah matang atau lebih baik daripada sebelum ini hanya boleh dibincangkan pada penghujung musim nanti.
“Dalam bola sepak, kamu akan tahu apa yang bakal orang ramai perkatakan jika kamu menang dan begitu juga sebaliknya.
“Apa yang lebih penting, kamu perlu terus fokus terhadap apa yang kamu lakukan baik semasa latihan mahupun dalam perlawanan. Berjuanglah atas nama pasukan,” jelas Fabregas.
Sementara itu, penjaga gol Arsenal, Lukasz Fabian- ski berkata, kemenangan ke atas City membuktikan The Gunners masih berbisa.
Sebelum ini, Arsenal dilabel sebagai budak belasa- han apabila bertemu pasukan hebat seperti Manches- ter United mahupun Chelsea.
Namun, Fabianski percaya mereka telah menunjuk- kan potensi sebenar dengan meledak tiga gol pada pertemuan di Eastlands Ahad lalu, sekali gus melon- jak ke tangga kedua liga.
“Saya masih ada keyakinan yang tinggi dalam pasukan ini tetapi apa yang penting ialah keupayaan kami untuk memenangi perlawanan penting seperti ini,” kata Fabianski.
“Ia kemenangan penting bagi kami kerana sebelum ini kami berada di belakang City dalam liga. Sekarang kami di tempat kedua dan mengekori pendahulu, Chelsea.” – Agensi

Sumber dari KOSMO

Wenger - Keepers justifying my judgement

By Giuseppe Muro

Arsenal’s goalkeepers are repaying Arsène Wenger’s faith in them, according to the Arsenal manager.

Wenger was consistently linked with a move for a stopper during the summer but regularly reiterated his confidence in the keepers already at the Club.

This judgement seems to be paying dividends with Lukasz Fabianski producing the best form of his Arsenal career.

The Pole made a number of vital saves against Manchester City in the 3-0 win on Sunday and seems to be showing everyone what the manager claimed to know all along. Not that Wenger is resting on his laurels.

“I think yes [my faith has been justified] - one thing you cannot fault is my faith,” said the manager.

“It is not won and we have still to show consistency in the performances but it’s good that the keepers are showing they are as good as I think they are.

“My faith has been questioned and I wouldn’t like to go overboard too much on what some people said but you just hope that what you believe is right comes out and recently we have made progress.”

‘Nasri is all that you dream to have’

By Giuseppe Muro

Arsène Wenger believes Samir Nasri has everything.

The French midfielder has been one of Arsenal’s most consistent performers this season, scoring seven times in his last seven appearances including the opening goal in the 3-0 win over Manchester City on Sunday.

Wenger insists Nasri’s impact at important moments added to his obvious natural ability mean he has become vital to the Arsenal team.

“When you analyse Samir Nasri he has all the qualities and he now adds efficiency to his game and that makes him a great player,” said the manager.

“He scores goals, he gives assists, he can go one against one, he can pass, he is all that you dream to have as a football player.

“I am convinced [he is a better player than when he came here] because he is more efficient in creating chances, in the final balls, his vision has improved and he is quicker playing forward.”

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Manchester City 0-3 Arsenal Barclays Premier League, City of Manchester Stadium Sunday, October 24, 2010, 16:00

By Richard Clarke  

Arsenal climbed back to second place in the Premier League with a crucial 3-0 win at Manchester City on Sunday.

Goals from Samir Nasri, Alex Song and Nicklas Bendtner secured the points in a confidence-boosting afternoon for Arsène Wenger’s side. However the turning point of the game occurred as early as the fourth minute when Manchester City defender Dedryck Boyata was dismissed for a last-man foul on Marouane Chamakh.

The red card certainly affected the Sky Blues but a highly-effective Arsenal side made them pay. They took the lead, recovered when Joe Hart saved a Cesc Fabregas penalty, withstood Manchester City pressure and then pushed on for the three points.

Make no mistake, this game was massive for Arsenal. They had something to prove to themselves as well as others after the defeat at Chelsea earlier in the month.
Although this was not exactly the performance of champions, it was the type of result champions pull off. 

At this rate, Wenger’s side WILL be part of the title race until May.

The manager made three changes from the side that has won so handsomely against Shakhtar in midweek. Jack Wilshere started his three-game suspension so Denilson came into central midfield. The fit-again Bacary Sagna was back for Emmanuel Eboue while Andrey Arshavin replaced Tomas Rosicky.

This was not a traditional ‘Big Four’ game but you could argue Manchester City had taken over the position vacated by Liverpool over the course of the last 18 months. And, of course, Wenger's men had built up a poor record in recent seasons against direct title challengers.

That simply had to change.
For all their possession at Chelsea, they had left without the points – and it was only those that would keep Arsenal in the title race.

However while Wenger's men started wonderfully in West London that day, the opening stages at Eastlands would belong to the home side. Manchester City were lively and vibrant – the exact opposite of the way they would end the game.

In the second minute, Carlos Tevez tricked Djourou in to a mistimed challenge on the right. The Argentinean scuttled to the byline and cut the ball back into the heart of the six-yard box. David Silva’s backflick was instant and goalbound. Fabianski thrust out his right hand and clutched the ball on the line.

A couple of minutes later, Yaya Toure broke down the same flank and Sagna hacked the ball away.

Arsenal had made a nervous start and needed a break.
In the fourth minute, they got one.

Fabregas sent Chamakh clear in the right-hand channel with Boyata in hot pursuit. The Moroccan poked the ball clear of the Belgian defender and was brought down just outside the area. As the centre back was the last man a red card was inevitable.

The sides swapped bookings in the minutes that followed. A tense affair was now becoming tetchy too.

Fabianski made a simple save after confusion in the Arsenal defence allowed Tevez a glimpse of goal.

In the 17th minute, Fabregas worked the ball wide to Sagna, whose cross was nodded over by the unmarked Djourou at the near post.

There was a feeling that Arsenal were settling down.

Something that was confirmed by the opening goal a couple of minutes later.

Nasri collected the ball on the right and played it to Arshavin before darting into the area. The Russian waited for his colleague to overlap then fed him the perfect pass. Nasri delayed his shot until Hart was committed and then lifted his shot over the stranded keeper. It was his seventh goal in his last six starts.

The game was now the polar opposite of the first minutes. Manchester City were nervous and inhibited, Arsenal composed.

However the home side might have been level just before the half-hour. James Milner’s ball sent Micah Richards clear on the right. The defender weaved inside and tried to curl a shot into the far corner. Fortunately for Arsenal he sliced his effort wide.

The chance was an anomaly. Broadly speaking the visitors were in command. And they had a chance to strangle the game six minutes from the break when Vincent Kompany clipped Fabregas just inside the area.

The Spaniard stepped up to take the spot-kick. His contact was decent but Joe Hart threw himself to his left to make a fine save. It was the third penalty Arsenal had missed this season.
It was also the shot in the arm that Manchester City had needed. Before half-time Kompany nodded narrowly over the bar from Silva’s corner and, just before the whistle, the Spanish striker miscontrolled a through ball when well-placed.
Both sides went into the tunnel with something to think about. Arsenal had the advantages of a goal and a man but, in reality, were not in complete control. Manchester City had limped through the first half after that double blow but they had created enough to feel they were in with a sniff.

However in the opening moments of the second half, that chance was almost extinguished. The visitors attacked with purpose down the left and, had the ball properly fallen at the feet of Fabregas or Chamakh, Arsenal would have grabbed an early second.

Mancini had made a change at the break – Wayne Bridge for Toure. Six minutes into the second half, he made another – Emmanuel Adebayor for the limping Tevez.
The latter move was guaranteed to shake up the match but it also heralded Manchester City’s best period. 

In the 57th minute, Silva darted into the area and, from an acute angle, let fly. It would have found the far corner but for a wonderful touch by Fabianski.

The Arsenal keeper was starting to be over-employed. A couple of minutes later, the Pole missed his punch and Adebayor nodded over the bar.

You sensed it was now or never for Manchester City. They had been chasing the game ever since the sending off and had to redress the balance at this point.

In fact Arsenal would double their lead.

In the 65th minute, Nasri and Fabregas combined on the right of the area and tried to slip in Chamakh. However Bridge got a toe on the ball and it turned into a perfect lay-off for Song, who fired first-time into the top corner.
The goal pretty much sucked the life out of Manchester City. They nearly got an immediate response when Adebayor’s header was brilliantly palmed away by Fabianski. Neither knew the chance had been flagged offside. Apart from that, the visitors were now exerting proper control.

Tomas Rosicky’s dangerous-looking cross toward Denilson was touched aside for a corner and Chamakh thundered a shot high over the bar.

Two minutes from time, substitute Bendtner raced clear on to Nasri’s through-ball and slotted his first goal of the season past Hart.

Fabianski saved wonderfully from Boateng to preserve Arsenal's first Premier League clean-sheet away from home for almost 10 months. In injury time, Sagna steered a shot inches past the far post. .

At the whistle, the home fans threw their anger at referee Mark Clattenburg. However this afternoon the official had got the key decisions right.

All Arsenal had done was take full advantage.
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