Arsenal Keeping Tabs On Bayer Leverkusen Goalkeeper Rene Adler

Arsenal are monitoring the progress of Bayer Leverkusen goalkeeper Rene Adler with a view to signing him, according to a report from German newspaper Bild.

The 25-year-old is rated as one of Germany's top keepers, with the kind of ability to command his penalty area that Gunners keepers have lacked at crucial times this season.

He is contracted to Leverkusen until the end of the 2011-12 season and is currently sidelined with a broken rib.

It is believed that Arsenal's chances of signing him may well hinge on whether his current club reach the Champions League or not.

They are currently fourth in the Bundesliga, a point ahead of Borussia Dortmund.

Arsenal plotting £8million summer move for Joe Hart..

Joe Hart is a potential £8million target as Arsene Wenger steps up his search for a new goalkeeper.

Arsenal manager Wenger is also looking for a central defender and a midfielder to add to the arrival of striker Marouane Chamakh on a free transfer from Bordeaux.

Cash is available to strengthen a squad which has been depleted by the absence of six key players as this season approaches its finale.

The 2-1 defeat to Tottenham last week means Arsenal are set to finish a fifth successive season without a major trophy – and Wenger wants to ensure his squad is equipped to deal with future mishaps.Hart is on loan at Birmingham from Manchester City.

He is due to return to the North-West at the end of the season but will find himself behind Shay Given in the pecking order at Eastlands.Hart’s form has been so impressive with Birmingham that he has been talked about as a possible for Fabio Capello’s England squad for the World Cup finals.At 23, Hart will not be happy to be the understudy to Given and Wenger will have him watched in the closing matches of the season..

ROFL Joke about Manchester United Team..

Once terrorists barged into Old Trafford and took the Man U players as hostage. The whole stadium was under seige as the fans watched hopelessly. The negotiator pleaded with them to release women and children first.
They duly obliged and set Ronaldo free

Seeing this Gary Neville started running towards the exit. One terrorist went to shoot him when the leader stopped him saying,"You fool ! Handle the others first , we can catch him even after 3-4 hours , I bet he wont reach the exit till then !"

One of the terrorist was feeling hungry. The leader glanced towards Rooney and said to his comrade."Take a bite off him , pork is good"

Berbatov and Anderson were trying to escape when the terrorists caught them. The leader said,"Ok , you get to take unlimited shots on that open goal. The first one who scores is set free , the other dies !". They both survived the incident since none of them could score !

The same challenge was given to Scholes to which he retorted,"You bastards ! How can I score when you have tied my hands ?"

One of them went to kill Hargreaves when the leader shouted,"Don't kill him ! Never injure the handicapped !"

Another one shot at Giggs 3-4 times on his chest , but he wasn't affected even a bit. The leader scolded his comrade,"Fool , how can you expect that bullet to penetrate that thick layer of hair ? Only a headshot may kill him !"

So then he went on to shoot Ferguson to which the leader said,"Just take his chewing gum away and he may die !"

After a long siege , all the terrorists were found dead. Reports suggest that Rio Ferdinand farted and the air was full of drugs to which the terrorists fainted and died !

Wenger Battles Fergie for Sebastien Frey

ARSENAL face a battle with Manchester United over Fiorentina keeper Sebastien Frey.

A replacement for under-fire number one Manuel Almunia will be a top priority - but Wenger could find himselfin a bidding war with Sir Alex Ferguson for Frenchman Frey, 30. The £8million-rated keeper - who Wenger tried to buy in 2006 - is also a target for United boss Fergie as he looks for Edwin van der Sar's successor.

Although Wenger will not agree publically that his priorities are a top class keeper, centre half and centre forward those are the positions he knows must be strengthened if Arsenal are to move up a level next season.

Despite defending current No1 Manuel Almunia, Wenger realises the Spaniard is not of the required standard for a top-four side and knows he needs a top-class keeper if the Gunners plan to challenge for honours next season.

Vermaelen out for the Season..

Thomas Vermaelen is likely to miss the rest of the season with the calf problem he picked up in the defeat at Tottenham.

"I have no more news about him today. But it looks like three weeks and that means the season is over for him."

Tottenham Hotspur vs Arsenal Player Ratings..

Almunia-6-Could have easily caught that cross, he didn’t- he punched it 30/40 yards which is fine too. Amazing/flukey shot caught him out, not sure if he should have done better- difficult to tell exactly what the ball did...one good save, decent distribution..

Sagna-4- Played the whole world onside for their 2nd Goal.

Campbell-10-Faultless..Won every header, great passing, great attitude, was outsprinting bale in the 85th minute- nearly scored twice.

Vermaelen-6-One block, hope he comes back early

Clichy-6- Mostly good, but switched off completely for their second..

Denilson-7-Ran the show, was strong and distributed the ball well but sometimes looked for the most obvious passes.

Diaby-2-Stupid, Slow, Indecisive, off the ball he wasn’t there, liability, head dropped, shocking, go away and don’t come back before you grow back your afro..

Nasri-6-Tried, but there was nothing he could do- there was nothing on when he got the ball

Eboue-5-decent all round in both positions

Rosicky-4- Nothing great, few bursts of speed, especially in the first half. Rubbish shooting.

Bendtner-6-Scored a Goal! Cant argue with that, looked much better with robin up with him. Couldn't win any headers that caused problems..

Subs:

Silvestre-3-Fell asleep for the goal.

Theo-5-one great ball, 35 minutes of shit..

RVP-9-Changed the game, could have got 2 goals if t wasn’t for some late world class goalkeeping, caused the goal. Makes average players around him look good.

Tottenham Fans before the loss to Portsmouth..

"We're gonna thrash them 5-0",
"Who's going to score the goals?",
"All of them, one each"
Sorry WHAT? I didn't know it is five-a-side.
Smartest bloke has to be the 2nd one.
"what's the score going to be?"-"3-0"
Who's going to score"-"Defoe"
"Hat-trick?"-"probably"
Hahaha fooking hell Tottenham fans are thick as fook.
Well done Pompey, hope you beat chelscum in the final..

LOL, ROFL, LMAO at the Spuds Fans..

Song ruled out for next 2 Games..

The Cameroon international was a surprise absentee when Arsène Wenger's side travelled to Barcelona last week after a scan showed an inflamed cartilage in his knee.

Song was hoping to return for Wednesday's North London derby at Tottenham but he is now likely to miss that game and the trip to Wigan on Sunday as well.

"Song is out. Definitely out," confirmed Wenger at his pre-match press conference. "He looks like he will be out for the whole week and over the weekend he will not play as well."

Tottenham Injury Woes..

Harry Redknapp (droopy) is without key players for Wednesday night's huge North London derby at the Lane. Droopy has ruled out any possible return for both Aaron Lennon (groin) and Jermain Jenas (groin) while Niko Kranjcar joins the injury list after damaging his ankle against Portsmouth on Sunday.

Wilson Palacios also misses out as he's suspended for two matches after picking up a 10th yellow card in the FA Cup semi-final defeat at Wembley.

"We've a few injuries and we'll have to wait and see who is available," said Harry Redknapp (the spuds boss) before training. "There might be an opportunity for one of the younger lads, that's in my mind at the moment. But we'll be okay, whoever plays." (hahaha..you won't be okay after this match)

He didn't completely rule out Ledley King, who has been out since February 14 with a thigh injury. "He hasn't trained this week, but he's coming out this morning to see how he is."

(Show King the 11 Second Derby video, and he'll die of shame)

Robin Van Persie back in Squad to face Tottenham..

Arsene Wenger confirmed today that Robin Van Persie is back in the Arsenal squad for the North London derby at Tottenham.
The Dutch striker has been sidelined since mid-November with ankle ligament damage but is expected to feature at White Hart Lane on Wednesday night - albeit from the substitutes bench.

"He is in the squad for tomorrow's game," revealed Arsène Wenger at his pre-match press conference.

"It's a bit premature maybe [for Van Persie to start the game] so I will see but he is in the squad. I haven't picked the team yet.

"When I pick a player it means he is fit and sharp and has worked very hard. Of course he lacks match-practice but physically he is ready, he is fit."

"It's been a tough time," admitted Wenger. "When you know how much Robin loves football it's been a very tough time I tell you but he has certainly come through with a different appetite and stronger as well for the future of his career so I am very happy that he is back.

"What is the most satisfying for me is that he looks in training like he has never been out."

Arsene Wenger also said that despite a run of injuries up front, he did not coerce Van Persie's comeback.

"I have never forced anybody to play," he said. "My job is to allow players to play. But he feels ready and fit and is happy to contribute."

Reasons why Arsenal can still win the Title..

If Arsenal are to win their first Premier League title since the ‘Invincibles’, they are going to have to do so without their talisman Cesc Fabregas and possibly William Gallas and Andrey Arshavin, too..But there are reasons to be positive.

1. Return of Robin Van Persie:

Robin van Persie’s imminent return after five months on the sidelines offers hope that he can kick-start the creaking machine.The Dutchman has returned to training and, assuming he comes through unscathed, will be expected to play some part in Wednesday’s north London derby against bitter rivals Tottenham Hotspur.

As far as manager Arsene Wenger is concerned, once a player starts full training, he is fit to return to the first-team squad.

What the Dutchman lacks in match fitness, he can make up for with an eye for the unexpected and a freshness that could help his team-mates rediscover their zest.

Van Persie’s ability to play anywhere across the front three will also help rejuvenate an Arsenal forward line that has been unreliable in Fabregas’ absence.

The classy forward's imminent return is one of several reasons why, in less than a week, events have conspired to leave even the most cynical Arsenal fan dreaming of silverware in May.

2. Eight days to get over the Messi masterclass:

By the time Arsenal stride out at White Hart Lane on Wednesday night to a backdrop of lilywhite hostility, the players will have had eight days to recover from the Lionel Messi masterclass in the Nou Camp. The break afforded Arsenal by the FA Cup semi-finals has enabled the players to get Barcelona out of their systems, lick their wounds, put their feet up and concentrate on what remains a realistic assault on the title.

3. Tough Fixture list of Rivals:

Gunners will also have an eye on the fixture list of Chelsea and Manchester United, Chelsea play Liverpool and Tottenham during their run-in, while the Red-Devils, who were held to a draw at the Ewood Park, will face rivals Manchester City in a thrilling derby match.

Arsene Wenger interested in Martin Caceres & Cristian Zapata

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has made the centre-back pairing of Barcelona’s Martin Caceres and Udinese’s Cristian Zapata his priority when the transfer window re-opens in the summer.

Martin Caceres, who is on loan at struggling Serie A giants Juventus and is set to return to Barcelona in the summer where he is deemed surplus to requirements. Wenger is said to be reluctant to pay the £10 million asking price, however it is thought the Catalan club will be open to offers for the international who has 18 caps for Uruguay.

The Arsenal Manager is also ready to make an offer for Udinese centre-back Cristian Zapata the other defender high on Wenger’s summer transfer shortlist. The Colombian international has interested a number of top European clubs, with his summer value set to be in the region of £6 million.

Last summer the centre-back revealed Wenger had asked for information on his services.

He said: "Juventus, Fiorentina, Milan, Arsenal and Villarreal have requested information about me," said Zapata. "There are many teams that are keen to sign me but an official offer has not been made so far.

Robin Van Persie Could return for North London Derby.

Striker Robin van Persie, sidelined by an ankle injury that has kept him out since November, could make a return to the side in time for the North London derby on the 14th of April.

van Persie suffered an injury to his ankle ligament in an international match between Holland and Italy, and had been ruled out for the rest of the season, ironically being fit in time for the World Cup.

The Dutchman has however made good progress with his recovery and physio Colin Lewin says that "he would be returning to training imminently".

Arsene Wenger - Reactions.

MOTD :2 Good 2 Bad 4th April, 2010

ENJOY..

Tottenham Hotspur vs Arsenal | 14th April |

There are time when players and fans alike feel a pain. The pain of being outplayed, outclassed and eventually outgunned. The pain of watching our beloved team taken to the cleaners by a 22 year old. The pain of knowing that a certain manager, Harry Redknapp, is making strategies to stifle us.

The North London Derby is a pain that couldn't have come at a wrong time for us.

A week for introspection of our players and the manager follows the Nou Camp howler. The soul-searching has begun.

Yet, a part of me is as excited as ever. Talk about the negative vibes that surrounds the club. But, come a local derby, everything is put to fire. Spurs, the name that evokes hatred among our fans. The memories of destroying them are etched in each and every mind. Bring them on!

The injuries to our players is the only part that worries me. Now, is the time that all our remaining players stay fit and take advantage of any slip-ups by the teams above us. That means, pragmatically, we have to win every game till the end of the season. There is no better place to banish all the thoughts of Barcelona, than the Lane.

Spurs haven't exactly got the result that would make us jump. Sunderland absolutely thrashed them at Stadium of Light and made everyone eat their words about Spurs finally being strong mentally. Also, they have got a small matter of travelling to Wembley on Sunday to face Portsmouth in the FA Cup semi's.

We will be fresh for this tie. So, the central defence pairing of Sol(he will have a hot reception) and Vermaelen should be employed. The main threat for Spurs comes from Defoe and the inform Pavlyuchenko. Also, Luka Modric is one player we have to watch out for. C'mon Sol, score a goal and shut their fans for good!

And remember,

DO IT FOR RAMSEY.

Previous Arsenal Result:

Arsenal 1-0 Wolves

Previous Spurs Result:

Sunderland 3-1 Spurs

Arsenal Player to Watch:

Samir Nasri

Spurs Player to Watch:

Niko Kranjcar

Venue:

White Hart Lane, N17

Capacity:
Car insurance, motor insurance, lawyer, financial help, student loan,
36,000 (Approx)

Arsenal vs Barcelona Player Ratings

Almunia 5- Possibly harsh but for 2nd and 3rd goals seemed to make it quite easy for Messi

Car insurance, motor insurance, lawyer, financial help, student loan,
Sagna 6- Did really well, couldn't attack as much as possible. Link up play was below par. Crucially played Abidal onside for their second
Vermaelen 5- Once again showed up by top quality forwards- still has a lot to learn- missed Gallas
Silvestre 0- Wow. I don't know what else to say
Clichy 7- Courage of a lion and a heart of a tiger. Burst up the wing at least four times. Let no one passed him. One occasion he was justified in long range shot, the other time not

Diaby 5- A peripheral figure, yet still had important bursts. Should be expecting slightly more. Was lucky to avoid a booking in the first minute when he flew onto Xavi's ankle. Didn't pass to attackers at the crucial time
Denilson 6- Kept things ticking over yet lost Messi numerous times; criminally for their third goal when he failed to track back in time. Not the first time this has happened this season
Nasri 6- Brilliant close control but was looking behind him for a pass instead of in front of him far far too often. Played more defensively

Walcott 6- Grabbed assist. Had a spell in the 1st half when his off the ball running was perfect yet only received the pass once. Barca handled him much better in the 2nd half. Can and will improove
Bedndtner 6- Fantastic anticipation for his goal as he quickly got back to his feet. Won far less headers tonight than in first leg. Was shackled well by the central defenders of Barca. Lost the ball twice in rare, promising build ups in the 2nd half
Rosicky 4- Seriously nothing come off for him today. I don't know if he was tired injured or just poor. It wasn't if he was being man marked closely he seemed on a different wavelength (maybe a superior one) to the rest of the team

Subs:-
Eboue 6- A few marauding runs. Beaten too easily by Messi for his 4th. Brilliant interception in last minute
Eduardo 5- Too meek

Barca Watch : Injuries

Zlatan Ibrahimovic

The world's most expensive striker, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, injured his calf in the warmup against Atletico Bilbao, and is a doubt for our match on Tuesday.

Yaya Touré and Suarez Busquets

Both Yaya Touré and Suarez Busquets started the match against Bilbao but asked to be substituted, having picked up injuries.

Andres Iniesta

The influential Andres Iniesta was initially ruled out of the tie, having picked up a hamstring injury before the first leg.

Chaos in the Spanish defence

The Spanish club will have problems in experienced personnel for Tuesday, with both Carlos Puyol and Gerard Piqué both suspended for the second leg.

Car insurance, motor insurance, lawyer, financial help, student loan, mortgage

Barcelona vs Arsenal

Fantasy Battle - The sequel' is here. The first match did live up to its billing, though it was Barca who showed all the cavalier football. But, we had an inspired GK and a new found self belief to thank, for getting us a draw from the jaws of defeat. We now enter the lion's den to do the unthinkable - put Barca out of UCL at Camp Nou.

Car insurance, motor insurance, lawyer, financial help, student loan, mortgage

Though we had previously successfully executed the Italian job to dump the then defending champions Milan at San Siro, the current task at hand is much much more difficult. We go to Camp Nou with the first choice spine of the team missing - Gallas, Cesc and RVP. And whats more, we face the best team in the world at their home.

But we can take heart from the fact that though Barca created all the chances in the world, both their goals were down to individual errors. We need to cut those out, if we want to have any hopes of progressing. And oh yes, we need 'more of the same' performance from Almunia and the rest of the team, except Diaby. He needs to play his A game to contain the Barca attacks and also build attacks of our own.

Without Cesc and Arshavin, we are severely deprived in the attack. Gallas' absence makes defense vulnerable and shifting Song there, makes the MF vulnerable. Injuries have taken the toll on our players like never before. But this game is about each individual putting double the effort and making sure that no player is missed.

Nasri will play the play maker. What more, he can provide the defensive cover to Denilson as well. I would prefer Rosicky to be the third midfielder and he too has been tracking back wonderfully off late. Up front would like to see Dudu playing along with Bendtner. With the first choice CB pairing for Barca missing, I think Bendtner would get much more joy and having Dudu feeding off him could be a good ploy to employ.

I would like to see Diaby given a free role, running from box-to-box. He has been rested over the weekend and I expect him to be fresh and mobile, come Tuesday. He should be the one who should be closing down Barca in their own half and be additional defensive cover when needed. He needs to play the Flamini role at Camp Nou.

This guy possesses a very rare mixture of attributes - quick feet, pace, physicality and dribbling ability. With all due respect to Flamini, he was a primarily, a hard worker. But employing Diaby in that role gives us a chance to convert defense to attack instantly. Diaby winning the ball high up the pitch allows him to run at the defense and considering his pace and dribbling skills, that could prove to be a very important aspect for us.

The back four of Sagna-Song-Vermaelen-Clichy looks reliable. Vermaelen and Song need to be on the same wavelength. With Song in the back line, we need to play the offside trap more cleverly. Vermaelen needs to show his defensive organisational skills to manage Song.

Our last line of defence, Almunia, was nothing short of epic in the first leg, in spite of his obvious mistake resulting in the first goal. He needs to try and sort out the decision making part and continue showing off his shot stopping skills.

This is it guys, our crack at destiny is here. In spite of all the adversities faced and criticism and humiliation inflicted upon us by media and opponents alike, we have continued to fight on. This breed of Gunners have shown that they will fight till the very end. They have made us proud with their sheer determination, hard work, commitment and never-say-die attitude.

AW would never have thought that the team would respond like they did when he shouted 'You are not fit to wear an Arsenal shirt' at them. Almost every team member has contributed at one point or the other in our bid for CL and PL glory. The bench's celebrations when we scored the winner against Wolves has shown how much winning means to them. They really are giving it their all for Arsenal Football Club!

Now its our time to get behind the team, for they need all the support they can get. So what if we are down to bare bones, we want it more than the other teams. This team will fight till the very death, as shown by Cesc by playing on with a fractured fibula. This team has already made most of the Gooners proud and they are not finished yet.

Come Tuesday night, the whole Gooner fraternity will be behind you. So lets just go for it and beat them in their own backyard. Lets send out a message that this team has arrived and is here to stay. Lets just write off the opinion that we are not mentally strong. Lets just prove to the world that we indeed are worthy contenders for being the champions both domestically and in Europe. Lets just show the world 'What we are, Who we are and Who we Represent'! Just do it, Gunners!

Previous Arsenal Result (CL)

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Arsenal 2 - 2 Barcelona (H)

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Previous Barcelona Result (CL)

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Arsenal 2 - 2 Barcelona (A)

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Arsenal Player to Watch:

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Abou Diaby. He could be the one, on whose performance, the tie could be decided. But the entire team as such, should perform collectively.

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Barcelona Player to Watch:

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Too many good players, but frankly, lets just deal with bloody everyone.

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Venue:

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Camp Nou

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Capacity:

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98,772 (Approx)

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Kick Off:

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Tuesday, 6th April - 19:45 BST

Arsenal vs Wolves Player Ratings.

Almunia 6 -

Sagna 8 - Winning cross.
Campbell 6 - Dealt with Doyle well
Vermaelen 6 - Needs to stop taking freekicks
Sylvestre 5 - Arsenal won: Mission failed.

Song 5 - Looked drained out there. Shouldn't have started.
Denilson 7 - Solid.
Rosicky 7 - Always busy.

Walcott 7.5 - All action display.
Eboue 4 - I love this man, but he looked exhausted from the first minute, shouldn't have started.
Eduardo 5 - Shadow of his former self. Let's give him 5 more seasons.

SUBS

Nasri 7 - Involved.
Vela 6 - Stretched Wolves by staying out wide.
Bendtner 8 - Got the winner.

Arsenal vs Wolves

Time to put our Champions league aspirations behind us for the moment and concentrate on the Premier league run in.

This weekend brings Wolves to the emirates who have been in some kind of an uphill ride with 2 draws and 2 wins in their last 4 games steering them clear of the relegation battle down below. Surprisingly, Wolves have already defeated 2 London teams this season (Sp*ds and Hammers) and would be looking for a 3rd this weekend but then Wolves have also lost their last nine meetings with the Gunners, and haven't won in 15 meetings stretching back to September, 1979.

Arsenal on the other hand have been in their own run of good form with a 7 game unbeaten run in the Premier league, the last blip came in our previous match against Birmingham which saw us drop 2 crucial points. However, we can't afford to drop anymore points if we are to maintain our challenge for the PL title (and of course, hope the above 2 teams to drop points).

Injuries have hit us big time with Fabregas & Gallas (ruled out for the entire season), Arshavin (hopefully 3 weeks) all being sidelined at one go. However, against Wolves i feel we do have the resources to cope up with these losses. Nasri replacing Fabregas, Rosicky for Arshavin and Sol filling for Gallas. Also hope to see Vela or Eduardo get a bit of 1st team action ahead of the 2nd leg.

Injury News: Arsenal (from last competetive game):

Arshavin out
Fabregas out
Gallas out

Injury News: Wolves:
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Who the hell cares??... Move on.

Apr 1 (2 days ago)

Previous Arsenal Result (EPL).

Birmingham City 1 - 1 Arsenal (A)

Previous Wolverhampton Result (EPL).

Wolverhampton 0-0 Everton (H)

Arsenal Player to Watch:

Samir Nasri

Wolverhampton Player to Watch:

Kevin Doyle

Venue:

Emirates Stadium, London

Capacity:

60,000 (Approx)

Arsenal vs Barcelola : Player Ratings.

Almunia 7 A brilliant 1st half. Gifted one of the two.
Sagna 6 Another solid performance. Hope he is okay.
Gallas 5
Vermaelen 5 Minded the store, but got caught out on the 2nd goal.
Clichy 6 Thought he did well enough, a couple of goof ups..

Diaby 3 Really disappointing. Hope he learned something.
Fabregas 5 A nightmare but he never gave up after his yellow. Brilliant penalty
Song 6 Mainly for his first half when his determination came through the TV screen and most of the team were like zombies.

AA 5 Thought if he had been able to continue, he would have done something, he seemed to be gradually working his way into the game
Bendtner 6 Disgraceful 1st half, inept, but made up for it with his assist and work rate
Nasri 6.5 Like Song he really was in the game for the 1st half.

Eboue 5.5 Flashes of making something happen
Walcott 8 The energizer bunny. Stepping onto the pitch changed the tenor of the game.
Denilson 8 Wow...His best performance in a long time. Won 50/50s, great great technique, played with heart, and covered the full back