2005-06 record
League Champions
FA Cup Semi-final
Carling Cup 3rd round
Champions League Last 16
IT REMAINS TO BE SEEN IF ARSENAL have the necessary mix of craft and graft to mount a sustained assault on the Barclays Premiership title, but as they proved by reaching the final of the Champions League against all odds last season, it is impossible to write off any side of Arsène Wenger’s.
Any neutral with a genuine appreciation for fluent, attacking football will hope that it is Arsenal, rather than Chelsea, who emerge triumphant come May. Indeed, if Arsenal needed any extra incentive this season, it comes in the shape of their new 60,000-capacity Emirates Stadium, a beautiful construction that, much to the embarrassment of Wembley, was finished on time and within budget.
Arsenal will play their first league game there against Aston Villa on Saturday, although there is a danger of the occasion being overshadowed not only by Martin O’Neill’s return to English football but also by Ashley Cole’s expected departure for Chelsea and the England full back’s soon-to-be published autobiography. All of which may not bother Wenger as much as the catalogue of injuries to his defence. Gaë l Clichy, Lauren and Philippe Senderos have been ruled out until October, although the £20 million-plus Arsenal are likely to receive from the sale of Cole would at least allow the manager to bring in reinforcements, which are now required as a matter of urgency.
Wenger may have splashed out £8.1 million on Tomas Rosicky, the Czech Republic midfield player, from Borussia Dortmund, but his biggest coup of the summer was undoubtedly tying Thierry Henry to a new four-year deal amid sustained interest from Barcelona, who beat Arsenal in the Champions League final.
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Henry’s importance to Arsenal cannot be underestimated, especially now that Dennis Bergkamp has retired, although Wenger will hope that Robin van Persie, impressive for Holland in the World Cup finals, and Emmanuel Adebayor, the Togo forward, can help to ease the France striker’s burden, if not José Antonio Reyes, who seems likely to leave the club.
It will also be interesting to see if and how Wenger uses Theo Walcott. It was apparently upon the recommendation of Wenger that Sven-Göran Eriksson opted to take the 17-year-old to Germany at the expense of Jermain Defoe or Darren Bent, even though he had yet to play for Arsenal. Having waited in vain for him to come off the substitutes’ bench in the World Cup, it will be fascinating to see how Walcott fares in the Premiership.
Henry is confident of challenging for honours, but while it is difficult to imagine them eclipsing Chelsea, or even Manchester United or Liverpool, as Paris proved, Arsenal have a habit of sticking around until the very end.
Manager Jose Mourinho, The Special One, admitted that on several occasions last season he considered walking away from Stamford Bridge, but the bullet is unlikely to be fired by Roman Abramovich
Player to watch Shevchenko scored 173 goals in 296 matches for Milan in establishing himself as Europe’s deadliest striker. With 52 goals in 90 Champions League appearances, he is also the record goalscorer in Europe’s premier club competition. Will be a dynamic force in the Premiership
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In an ideal world There is seemingly no end to Chelsea’s domination of the Premiership. Mourinho will be looking to maintain the clear distance that has been established over his club’s domestic rivals so that they can mount a concerted bid for success in the competition he most cherishes, the Champions League
INJURIES AND SUSPENSIONS Gaël Clichy (metatarsal, two months), Abou Diaby (ankle, two months), Lauren (knee, two months), Fredrik Ljungberg (ankle, two weeks), Philippe Senderos (shoulder, two months)
PRE-SEASON
Almost flawless, an 8-1 victory over Schwadorf being one of the highlights, although injuries, especially to his defence, have dampened Arsène Wenger’s optimism somewhat
TICKET SALES
42,000 season tickets have been snapped up for their new Emirates Stadium at Ashburton Grove and the first game against Aston Villa is a 60,000 sell-out
If they were a historical figure they would be...Joseph Stalin
All-powerful, unspeakably ruthless and they will murder the opposition