Arsenal Face a Familiar Foe

Some rivalries live forever.  There are those which fizzle out and are forgotten, and some so ridiculous that not even those involved ever reconcile.  Then there’s the rivalry between Patrick Vieira and Roy Keane. 

Arsenal face a familiar face on Saturday when they travel to Villa Park to take on Paul Lambert’s red-hot Aston Villa side.  The two clubs don’t necessarily have a heated rivalry, but one of the men on the Villa touchline has quite a history with the North London club.

For nine intense years, Roy Keane and Patrick Vieira gave fans some of the most intense matches to date.  The two captains simply hated each other and had a hateful playing relationship to put it lightly.  The Battle of Old Trafford amidst Arsenal’s unbeaten 2003/2004 season comes to mind, as does the famous tunnel incident that took place before the opening whistle had even blown. 

It’s in Gooners’ blood to hate Keane, and it’s in Red Devils’ to hate Vieira.  There isn’t a personal rivalry in the league today that even sniffs at the feuds between these two giants of the past.  For Keane though, his new position as assistant manager at Aston Villa gives him a chance to exact some more pain on Arsenal. 

Defender Alan Hutton recently hailed the influence Keane has had on the squad, citing the former Manchester United man’s motivational skills and belief he holds in his players.  Similar to how Steve Bould has transformed the Arsenal back line in the last few years, Keane has added an extra bite to a side who feeds off positive energy and momentum. 

Fabian Delph is the poster-child for the club right now, as he recently won his first caps with England.  Delph’s call-up is indicative of the work the entire club has put in.  His inclusion in Roy Hodgson’s squad for Euro qualifiers gives hope to Tom Cleverley, whose once promising career spiraled and spiraled downward until he was promptly loaned to Villa on deadline day. 

Always lacking confidence with United, it will come as no surprise to see Cleverley reinvent himself under the tutelage of Lambert and Keane.  Often the scapegoat to supporters, the Englishman was never going to succeed at a club whose supporters want absolutely nothing to do with him.

Under Sir Alex Ferguson, Cleverley saw limited playing time in his favored position, and as a result his form and confidence were shot.  Keane, who less then a year ago called Ferguson ‘egotistical,’ will instill the same rebellious and fiery approach in Cleverley that he abided to in his playing days. 

Last December, Keane and Vieira together reconciled and re-lived all the epic battles in which they were involved.  In essence, this rivalry embodies the perfect personal rivalry in sports; two men who hate each other on the field, but one day have the respect and intelligence to acknowledge his counterpart’s passion and ability.

The Frenchman now manages the reserve squad at Manchester City, while the Irishman no longer associates himself with Manchester United.  The intensity of these two men’s rivalry will likely never be replicated in today’s more harshly policed style of play, but on Saturday expect every bit of Roy Keane’s hatred for Arsenal and passion to be injected into a hungry Aston Villa side.

The NFL's Starting XI

Suppose the NFL one day says to it’s athletes “we are closed for business, you guys have to find jobs elsewhere.”  That would really stink for the players, coaches, staffs, fans, and even the guys who sell churros at games.  I might add that this is not out of the realm of possibility given the recent “incidents” involving just about everything to do with the NFL.  

I have to warn you this is a hypothetical fantasy that you are about to read.  It's one of those things you think of when it's late at night and you're just about to go to bed, but all of the sudden you think "wow...what if?"   The talent that the NFL has on the field is unprecedented.  Consider all of these guys were born into soccer instead of football (I’ll use ‘soccer’ to avoid confusion); here’s how I would set them up.

GK: Jimmy Graham

Graham, a college basketball star at the University of Miami, is one of the better athletes in the NFL.  His recent emergence as the harbinger of the Saints' offense after just one year of college football is indicative to how skilled this guy really is.  At 6'7, he has the stature of Fraser Forster but with a 38 and a half inch vertical leap also has the athleticism of Jerome Boateng (see this picture from Wednesday and tell me the German wouldn't make a great tight end)

RB: Patrick Peterson

Peterson embodies what a traditional fullback is all about.  He is consensus world-class at his position, consistent, and has exceptional work rate.  Not only is Peterson an accomplished defender, he is always dangerous on offense at times, like he would be in soccer, storming up the pitch and helping out on the attack at times.  Peterson’s freakishly athletic abilities would only help him on set pieces, and his speed tracking is excellent.  It’s also worth noting that the picture above, taken last season, will go down as one of the most iconic pictures in NFL history; a matchup of the game’s best corner and the game’s best receiver.  

CB: JJ Watt

Standing 6’5, JJ Watt has exceptional height for the European game.  He definitely has the size and strength…he is a beast put it that way.  Watt is a captain on the Texans defense, which is led by this bullish pass rusher.  His athleticism is freakish, and he can score touchdowns as he proved in week two.  Of the two center backs, Watt is probably the less mobile, but the speed of Patrick Willis would more than cover for his lack of recovery speed on the soccer field.  

CB: Patrick Willis

Like Watt, Willis is a captain on defense, and like Watt, is one of the finer players in the entire league.  Willis is in the mould of a speedy sort of center back.  At 6’1 and possessing tremendous pace, it isn’t uncommon to see Willis chase down wide receivers easily.  He would make an outstanding center back, and would be a capable foil to the limited open-field mobility of Watt.  His leadership on the field, his ability to cover for teammates, and general habit of simply not letting anyone past him.  

LB: Richard Sherman 

Regularly patrolling the left half of the defense, Sherman is adept at shutting down an entire flank, but he doesn’t follow the best receiver around the field.  He is a spectacular defender no doubt, but for me would be the second best fullback on this team.  However, he is an offensive weapon equipped with the ability to quickly turn defense into offense.  A wide receiver and all-Pac-12 sprinter during his Stanford tenure, Sherman’s skill set and athleticism are world class, no doubt.  

LDM: Earl Thomas

Earl Thomas’ role on the soccer field would be near identical to his role on the football field.  Thomas isn’t the biggest guy at 5’10, but his ability to read the game and make plays would make him the perfect defensive midfielder.  In Seattle’s zone defense, Thomas plays a centerfield role, always cleaning up and providing support for his teammates.  On the soccer field, Thomas makes for the atypical security blanket to protect the back four, breaking up attacks and always strong in the tackle.  

RDM: Peyton Manning (captain)

One wouldn’t necessarily think “defensive midfielder” when they think Peyton Manning, but his role on a soccer field would be similar to that of Andrea Pirlo.  With proper protection from his midfield mate Thomas, Manning sits deep in the field and controls the flow of the game.  His ability to read the defense and go elsewhere with the ball is impeccable, as is his leadership.  Pirlo’s role doesn’t require him to make a lot of tackles or run a lot, so this position would suit the sheriff perfectly.

CAM: Andrew Luck

Imagine having the minds of Peyton Manning and Andrew Luck in the same XI…scary thought.  Luck gets the number ten role for his versatility in the offense.  Luck can lower his shoulder and pick up short yardage, his speed is underrated in the open field, and is already one of the finest pocket-passers in the NFL.  Since his freshman year at Stanford, Luck has been calling his own plays, so giving him the keys to the engine room in the attacking half wouldn’t be such a bad idea.  

LAM: CJ Spiller

Assuming he is right footed, Spiller has the illusiveness and quickness to be an effective left-sided winger who can cut infield.  Running between the tackles has never been Spiller’s strong suit, but his big-play potential always has defenses scrambling to contain his explosiveness.  In this XI, Spiller would be given a license to cut inside and interchange with the mobile Andrew Luck, whose team mentality makes it no problem to sacrifice space for this tricky winger.  

RAM: Chris Johnson

Johnson gets the spot in my XI solely because of his blistering pace.  Johnson’s 4.24 40 yard dash is an NFL combine record, a number better than Theo Walcott’s 4.42 result.  In his younger years, Johnson was a menace in the open field, gliding through challenges once he broke the first level of the defense.  Johnson has the pace and acceleration to be a terror down the right wing, and the timing of his runs bodes well for beating the offside trap.  

CF: Calvin Johnson

For fun, go tell a soccer coach you know of a guy that’s 6’5, runs a 4.5 40 yard dash, and can jump 42 and a half inches in the air and see what he says.  Those are Calvin Johnson’s numbers from the NFL combine, and all those say is that this guy is a freakish athlete.  He would be the perfect center forward because of his pace, understanding of diagonal routes and timing, and the fact that he’s an excellent finisher.  It’s a consensus that Johnson is the finest receiver in the NFL, and his ticket to the hall of fame is likely already punched.  

Injury Concerns for Liverpool

Tuesday was a monumental moment in recent history for Liverpool.  It had been 1,742 days since the men in Red had heard the Champions League anthem, and the display Anfield put on for the return of Europe’s flagship club competition was nothing short of spectacular.  

Liverpool marked their return to the Champions League with a 2-1 win over minnows Ludogrets on Tuesday, and travel to Upton park to take on Sam Allardyce’s struggling Hammers squad.  

However, the injury concerns continue to mount for Brendan Rodgers.  Albeit his squad remains deep, injuries to critical players mean new ones will have to step in big games.  

Daniel Sturridge looks read to return to full training next week, but there’s no guarantee that will be the case.  The club is in desperate need of some stability leading the line, so now is the time for Mario Balotelli to step up.  

Balotelli’s goal in his Champions League debut for Liverpool was well-taken, controlling a cross in the box and calmly slotting home to give the Reds a late lead they would eventually squander, but regain on a Steven Gerrard penalty.

Coutinho’s form has been subpar so far this season, unable to replicate the dazzling displays he put out in preseason.  Between Sturridge’s injury, Luis Suarez’ defection to Barcelona, and the Brazilian #10’s recent dip in form, three out of four of Liverpool’s incumbent goal-creators are all either out of form, out of the country, or out of fitness.

It’s imperative that whoever Liverpool play up front take their chances, whether it be Balotelli and Sterling, Sterling and Lambert, or just one of them.  Last week’s 1-0 loss to Aston Villa was a far cry from the goal-happy home fixtures we are so accustomed to seeing, so new faces have to step up. 

Even more concerning for Liverpool is news of the long-term injuries to Joe Allen and Jon Flanagan.

I would rate both Allen and Flanagan as two of the more underrated big-game performers in the league.  Flanagan plays the fullback position as good as anyone at the club; he can play on both sides of the pitch, and on both sides of the ball.  His inclusion was a mainstay in big games last season, and has yet to feature in the premier league this year.

Javier Manquillo is unproven and has yet to show proper positional discipline.  Meanwhile, the return of Glen Johnson to the squad is a frightening concept to Liverpool supporters who are fed up with his lazy defending and spineless long-range attempts on goal.  Regardless, one of them must step up and make it hard for Rodgers to pick the other.  

Rodgers made a point of signing Allen from Swansea upon his arrival to Anfield from the Welsh club.  Last season, Allen was often deployed in place of either Raheem Sterling or Coutinho in big games, showing the confidence his manager has in him.  Like Flanagan, he is a reliable footballer with excellent work-rate and versatility.  

Emre Can would be a capable replacement for Allen’s void in midfield, but the German has been ruled out until October.  Thus, the time is now for the new boys to step up and prove their worth. 

If last weekend yielded a chance for Mario Balotelli, this fixture with West Ham is surely more of an exam since he has had another full week to acclimate himself with his teammates.  If the likes of Balotelli, Coutinho, and whoever else gets the nod up front can produce, Liverpool will bounce back with ease.  

Pace is the key for Arsenal

Manchester City have had a curious start to the season.  After thrashing Liverpool at the Etihad Stadium, City turned around and lost to Stoke City on the same field a week later.  Arsenal have been mediocre at best, taking five points from two easy fixtures and an away trip to Everton.  

Similar in table position, Manchester City and Arsenal did not have similar summers.  Since the deadline-day purchase of Mesut Ozil just over a year ago, Arsenal have put the rest of Europe on alert as a club willing to part ways with loads of money.  

In the latest edition of the transfer window, 35 million pound man Alexis along with Mathieu Debuchy, David Ospina, Danny Welbeck, and Calum Chambers have joined for considerable amounts of money.  

Dissimilarly, Manchester City had a quiet summer in the transfer window.  Bacary Sagna and Frank Lampard, former servants of Arsenal and Chelsea respectively, joined on frees, while prolific front-man Alvaro Negredo left the club for 27 million euros.  

Eliaquim Mangala rounds out the summer recruits, but for the most part the usually trigger-happy Citizens holstered their guns for once.  This is an interesting matchup of two clubs moving in different directions, but the right directions.  

Arsenal are joining the party of clubs which part ways with large sums of cash, while City are coming down to earth from a spending point of view.  Thus, it should be a tight contest between two top teams who have endured mixed results so far.

One thing Arsenal bring to the pitch that they didn’t necessarily have for all of last season is pace.  His pace was one of many reasons Alexis was signed, Danny Welbeck brings a new dimension to the Arsenal forwards, and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain impressed for England with his speed and driving runs.  

It would be a surprise to see new boy Mangala make his debut in such a big game on the road, so Vincent Kompany will likely line up next to Martin Demichelis.  Sagna has never been the quickest fullback, but he is always reliable to put in a good shift.  

Again however, pace is where Arsenal can expose Manchester City the most effectively.   The few days in training that Danny Welbeck has had to gel with his new teammates are crucial to the Gunners success, as will be Mesut Ozil’s attempts to crack the Manchester City defensive midfield.    

Aaron Ramsey may not be fit for the contest, and Mathieu Flamini’s combative style of play should earn him a spot in the holding role.  In big games, Flamini is disciplined in his positioning, and often the midfield leader without the ball.  

That leaves Jack Wilshere to line up in the center as well.  Wilshere’s habit to holding the ball on his boot and drawing in tackles is something that still hurts his game fitness.  In order for him to play in a more sustainable style, he needs to be confident in his long passing and keep his head on a swivel when he makes his driving runs.  

Coming off a very disappointing loss at home to Stoke City, Manchester City will line up with two of Fernando, Fernandinho, and Yaya Toure.  A crowded midfield with Arsenal is always a must in order to win, but the pace Arsenal can field in the absence of Giroud could throw a wrench in that strategy. 

If Arsenal can utilize their pace and try to be move through the wing and be direct in the final third with Alexis, Chamberlain, and Welbeck, they can beat City.  If City can stay organized defensively and do what they do best, which is turning defense into lightning quick offense, they can spoil the Gunners return to the Emirates.  

Same Old Wenger

A year ago, Arsenal fans were treated to one of the most memorable deadline days in history.  Arsene Wenger shattered the club transfer record and brought in Mesut Ozil from Real Madrid, but there was no repeat of last years drama this time around.  

Arsenal have become accustomed to being linked with big names recently, so the ‘breaking news’ that Danny Welbeck had joined the Emirates was underwhelming to say the least.  Welbeck is a good buy though, because at the moment Yaya Sanogoals is living up to his unfortunate nick name.  

At Manchester United, Welbeck was usually deployed on the left instead of his preferred position at center forward.  At Arsenal, his wish will be granted and could yet blossom under Arsene Wenger.  At just 23, Welbeck joins an already strong core of British players.

People were understandably upset after the transfer window closed.  Danny Welbeck was not what they wanted, but this is nothing new from Wenger.  While most fans prefer to live in the moment and focus on the most readily available sources of banter, Wenger is always thinking about the future.  

From Wenger’s point of view, he has a few reserve players who he’s willing to bet can challenge for the first team within a year or two.  Isaac Hayden is an excellent example of a young player Wenger rates very highly.  

Hayden possesses the exact skill set that Arsenal fans have been calling for; he’s a big and physical center back who can play defensive midfield too.  In the market, Wenger must weigh whether or not he wants to pay a transfer fee and dish out long-term contract for a player he reckons is already at the club.  

Serge Aurier looked Emirates-bound early on in the transfer window, but Debuchy’s signing proves Wenger knows what he’s doing.  With Bacary Sagna gone, the attractive option would have been to bring in the speedy Ivorian.  However, Wenger has Hector Bellerin coming through the ranks.

Bellerin impressed at the Emirates Cup and could make the right back spot his for the future.  Two years from now, Bellerin will be 21, Debuchy will be 31, and Carl Jenkinson will have picked up two years of premier league experience.  This is the best and most recent example of long-term plans being executed by Wenger.  

More immediately, Arsene Wenger is putting all the trust in the world in Calum Chambers.  Deemed ‘one for the future,’ Chambers is making his mark already at Arsenal.  His mistakes will become less and less frequent the more he plays.  Chambers offers cover in the defense and the midfield making his immediate value very high at Arsenal.  

Had Olivier Giroud not been injured, Arsenal could very well have not signed anyone on deadline day.  For who was available, and considering the business completed already, it isn’t too surprising that Arsenal ended up securing just Danny Welbeck.  

As a fan of the club myself, I was adamant that the boss needed at least one signing of a defensive player, whether it be in the midfield or back line.  The cruel nature of being an Arsenal fan however, is that Arsene Wenger doesn’t do it your way.  He does it his way, and this could be the best explanation for the lack of action in North London yesterday.  

Blind, Welbeck, Alderweireld, and Falcao Join on Deadline Day

Daley Blind, Manchester United

This one just had to happen.  It made too much sense for it to not happen.  Daley Blind bid farewell to his boyhood club Ajax and arrived for a fee in the region of 16 million pounds.  Pound for pound, Blind is United’s best value signing of the summer.  He plays two positions excellently, and playing under Louis Van Gaal will undoubtedly see him integrate smoothly with the system.  

Danny Welbeck, Arsenal

One of those deals that benefits all parties, but for Welbeck this is an enormous chance to prove himself.  Unless you’ve been under a rock for the last week or so, you’ve probably heard about Olivier Giroud’s issues.  Welback arrives with one job, and one only; play center forward.  Supporters will applaud his work rate, and aged only 23, the Englishman has a chance to re-vamp a sputtering career on the bench at Old Trafford.  

Toby Alderweireld, Southampton

Ronald Koeman was a deciding factor in the 25 year old’s decision to join Southampton.  Alderweireld can play center back or right back, and has won trophies at Athletico Madrid most recently.  After losing Dejan Lovren, Calum Chambers, and Luke Shaw in the summer, Koeman needed a proven versatile defender at the right price.  He got exactly what he wanted in Alderweireld.  

Falcao, Manchester United

The summer of 2014 has seen Nani, Shinji Kagawa, Danny Welbeck, and Chicharito leave Old Trafford among others.  A bizarre deal to me, Falcao earns roughly 350,000 pounds per week, 200,000 of which will be paid by United.  I would have thought Van Gaal needed a hard man at the back more than a striker, but Falcao is undoubtedly world-class.  Falcao and Rooney? Falcao and Robin Van Persie? Or boring old Van Persie and Rooney?  Ed Woodward may have gotten this idea from playstation, but it definitely makes United more dangerous in the final third.  

Power Rankings Going into Week Two

1-  Chelsea: The additions of Cesc Fabregas and Diego Costa have given the Blues an immediate boost.  More is yet to come from this squad who has yet to solidify why will start from a deep pool of players.

2-  Manchester City: Manchester City were my favorites to win the title two weeks ago, but Chelsea’s ruthless span of football and solidarity in the second half put them ahead of a City side which allowed a great deal of pressure from Newcastle.

3-  Liverpool: More is also yet to come from this squad who have yet to feature Mario Balotelli, Lazar Markovic, Alberto Moreno and Emre Can.  Expect minor changes to the squad as they look to reek havoc at the Etihad Stadium on Monday.

4-  Arsenal: Sluggish at times, but the return of Mesut Ozil will galvanize the Arsenal attack.  Alexis is still settling in, as are the players returning from World Cup layoffs.  Still in need of a couple more players before the window closes.  Everton will be eager for a result following their draw with Leicester, but it would be a massive result away from home for Arsenal if they were to win. 

5-  Tottenham: Is there the start of a new revolution at Spurs?  Eric Dier’s winner off of Harry Kane’s sublime pass could be symbolic of improvements in North Londoners.  Spurs play host to QPR on Sunday, who will be chomping at the bit to erase the home defeat to Hull City at Loftus Road.  

6-  Southampton: Tadic and Bertrand formed an exceptional partnership down the left, and Schneiderlin logged an impressive display in an opening loss at Anfield.  Another hard fixture awaits as West Brom visit Saint. Mary’s.

7-  Swansea: Soaked up pressure for much of the day but capitalized on two scoring chances.  Dealt Manchester United an opening blow in the league and should pick up all three points when they play host to Burnley this weekend.  

8-  Manchester United: Highlight of the match for me was watching Louis Van Gaal graciously sign those kids’ match day programs.  Reinforcements are on the way but a stern test away to a hungry Sunderland side awaits.  Marcos Rojo has been ruled ineligible for Saturday's clash, further complicating the situation for the Red Devils. 

9-  Everton: The loss of Ross Barkley shook the Merseyside club in the days leading up to Saturday, but Roberto Martinez is more than capable of turning things around.  They will be tested as they were against Leicester City when Arsenal come to town on Saturday.  

10-  Hull City: An opening win at Loftus Road saw the Tigers emulating manager Steve Bruce’s fiery approach he displayed as captain for Manchester United decades ago.

11-  Aston Villa: Winning at the Brittania Stadium against Stoke City is much harder than it sounds, and things are looking up for Aston Villa who just added Colombian Carlos Sanchez.  Sanchez, nicknamed ‘the rock,’ could feature right away against visitors Newcastle who showed promise in week one.

12-  Sunderland: Gus Poyet’s men delivered a hard-fought point at the Hawthorns as they look forward to hosing Louis Van Gaal and Manchester United at the weekend.  Coming off their season-defining win against the Red Devils last Spring, the Black Cats will be hungrier for more in week two.  

13-  Crystal Palace: Deserved a point against Arsenal in a game which saw Jason Puncheon sent off late and a stoppage-time winner from the impressive Aaron Ramsey.  Similarly, West Ham were unlucky in week one and should make up for an exciting affair.

14-  Newcastle: Fought valiantly against Manchester City and were unfortunate not to have grabbed equalizer.  Sergio Aguero’s late goal sealed a cruel fate for the Magpies who look to turn the tables on hosts Aston Villa.

15-  Leicester City: Everton were in for a long day when they played hosts Leicester City, who showed fight and spirit which culminated in a 2-2 draw.  It doesn’t get any easier in week two which sees them travel to Stamford Bridge for Diego Costa and Cesc Fabregas’ home debuts.

16-  West Brom: Saido Berahino was one of the stars of week one for a West Brom team which looked unusually weak in defense.  Sunderland really brought it in week one, and now the Baggies must head south where the resilient Saints await.

17-  West Ham: One could argue Sam Allardyce should have put on an extra striker a man up.  Maybe, maybe not, but Big Sam wasn’t happy to see his outstanding defense let Eric Dier slip through for the winner at the death.  West Ham are in for another fight when they play a spirited Crystal Palace side. 

18-  Burnley: Showed spirit against Chelsea, both in the opening sequence and parts of the second half.  A rough draw in week 1 sees them travel to Swansea as underdogs to an impressive side who won at Old Trafford on Saturday.

19-  Stoke City: Losing at home to Aston Villa won’t sit well with Mark Hughes and his men.  They go into a difficult matchup with Hull City, but expect a fight from the strong and resilient Potters.

20-  Queens Park Rangers: Harry Redknapp is back.  Awesome.  In other news, Loic Remy has re-joined his parent club which lost to Hull City 0-1 at home last weekend.  QPR must now march into White Hart Lane for Tottenham’s home opener and hope they can come away with a point.