ARSENAL VS CHELSEA 1-2 REPORT

Arsenal slipped to their first defeat of season as they went down 2-1 against Chelsea at Emirates Stadium on Saturday.

Both the visitors’ goals from came from Juan Mata free kicks. The first was prodded home by Fernando Torres after 17 minutes, the second drifted in directly just after half-time.

Shortly before the break, Gervinho had expertly equalised from a low cross by Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

Arsène Wenger’s side tried to salvage a draw in the second half but, somehow, Chelsea always seemed to have this game under control.

Arsenal have won plaudits for their style and steel this season but they were not at their best in this game. Chelsea snuffed out their threat and took two of the chances that came their way

This was the first bump on the long, hard Premier League road this season. And every side will suffer them.

As always, the recovery will decide a team’s destiny. And Arsenal have already showed their have plenty about them this season.

There was a medium-sized surprise in Wenger’s line-up before the game. Per Mertesacker had been one of Arsenal’s most consistent performers this season but it was he, not Laurent Koscielny, who made way for returning skipper Thomas Vermaelen. Not a happy birthday for the German.

Apart from that, Arsenal were unchanged from the draw at Manchester City last Sunday. That meant Aaron Ramsey continued on the right and Gervinho was the spearhead striker.

In previous weeks, the manager had talked about the difference between “the Premier League games and the big games”. This was most definitely one of the latter - and the first at the Emirates this season. 

Arsenal played with confidence in the early stages. Santi Cazorla fizzed a shot over the bar and Abou Diaby thumped an effort into the chest of Petr Cech.

It would be the Frenchman’s last meaningful contribution; he was replaced by Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in the 17th minute, presumably due to injury.

The new addition went wide on the right and Ramsey pushed into the middle.

Before the switch in formation had settled Arsenal were behind. Mata floated over a free-kick from the right and, as Torres and Koscielny tussled, the Spanish hooked a shot behind the Frenchman and into the net at the near post.

In the context of the game it was bolt from the blue - and, indeed, for the Blues.

Arsenal sought parity immediately and it was that urgency which may have led to Chelsea’s penalty shout shortly afterwards. Referee Martin Atkinson shrugged off Cazorla’s assertion that he been baulked by John Obi Mikel and the visitors fled to the other end.

Torres escaped to go one-on-one with Mannone. The backtracking Koscielny certainly made contact with the striker but the referee deemed that the Chelsea man had kicked the back of the defender’s leg.

The goal, followed by the scare, sent Arsenal into a ragged period and they struggled to recover their composure. It looked like they had settled for regrouping at half time when the home side grabbed the equaliser.

Oxlade-Chamberlain again found space on the right and whipped in a low cross. An unmarked Gervinho controlled it with one touch on the edge of the six-yard area and swiveled to fire fiercely into the top of the net. It was his fourth goal of the season.

Oscar blasted wide and Torres found the sidenetting in the dying minutes. It had been a first half without a discernable pattern but at least Arsenal had parity.

Wenger’s side seemed to fancy their chances at the start of the second period. Podolski burst through and his cross rebounded off Gervinho for Cazorla to slash a shot wide.

However, in the 53rd minute, Arsenal felled behind to another set-piece. Vermaelen clipped Torres as he galloped through and Mata’s free-kick missed the onrushing hoards in a crowded area and found its way just inside the far post.

Just before the hour, Podolski guided his header towards the far corner only for Cech to bat it aside. Ramsey flashed a shot wide from the rebound. 

As we reached the midway point of the second half, Arsenal were pressing and pressing. Chelsea were happy to soak up that pressure and snatch opportunities on the break.

Wenger made his final changes - Olivier Giroud and Theo Walcott for Podolski and Ramsey.

The Frenchman nearly squeezed the equaliser when his deflected drive forced Cech into a twisting save.

Seven minutes from time Koscielny headed Cazorla’s free-kick against the far post. In between those efforts, Chelsea had their fair share of breakaways. Mata’s free-kick found the wall and substitute Victor Moses volleyed over.

Arsenal tried to rouse themselves for one final foray. Cazorla sidefooted a shot over the bar from Gervinho’s pass.

As injury time began, Cazorla and Oxlade-Chamberlain combined to send Giroud through. He breezed past the keeper but, with the angle narrowing, could only find the side-netting.

It was Arsenal’s last chance of a disappointing afternoon.

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DI MATTEO: SAME OLD ARSENAL

Roberto Di Matteo has experienced a range of results as a manager visiting Arsenal. He suffered a League Cup defeat there in his first meeting there when in charge of West Bromwich Albion but followed that up with a memorable win after taking the Baggies into the top-flight.

Last season with Chelsea, there was a goalless draw at the Emirates just prior to flying to take on Barcelona.
So the Italian understands the Gunners threat well and although our London rivals are adjusting to the departure of former skipper Robin van Persie, there are no great changes to the tactics needed to counter them according to Di Matteo.

'It makes them more unpredictable because the goals are coming from more players,' he says,' but I don't think they have a different pattern of play. It is quite the way that Arsenal have been playing over the years with a lot of possession and rotation in midfield.

'Lukas Podolski has been scoring goals, and Gervinho and Santi Cazorla have been scoring goals so they have a lot of players that are a danger. The personnel have changed but I don't think the philosophy of the way Arsenal play football has changed.

'They will have a lot of possession as well as a lot of rotation so you have to try to limit their threat but also we want to try to impose ourselves and try to play our football.'

Many are describing today's game as chance to measure how Chelsea with new players on board are shaping up, and Di Matteo is not disagreeing.

'It is certainly going to be a big test,' he says. 'Arsenal away in any season is a big test so it is a big challenge for us, but so it is going to be for Arsenal because we are a big team as well.'

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ARSENAL VS CHELSEA PREDICTION

Arsenal play host to table toppers Chelsea this weekend, and Gunners Gaming make them 21/20 chances to beat the Blues. 
Arsène Wenger's side have started the season well, and The Football Predictor suggests they have a 63 per cent chance of coming out on top on Saturday.

The Gunners are currently fifth in the Premier League, and were impressive in their 1-1 draw away at Manchester City last weekend.

The Predictor reveals that they have failed to score in just 10 per cent of their last 20 home games, while Chelsea have not found the net in 30 per cent of their away matches in the same period.

Arsenal have opened the scoring in 65 per cent of their last 20 games on their own patch, and are 10/13 to do so against Chelsea.

The last 20 matches at Emirates Stadium have produced an average of 3.1 goals a game, and Gunners Gaming have priced over 2.5 goals being scored on Saturday at 13/15.

The Predictor reveals that 53 per cent of the 45 goals scored at home in the last 20 games have come from forwards, with midfielders netting 29 per cent.

Two men to watch out for are the in-form Lukas Podolski and Santi Cazorla.

Podolski has already scored three goals for Arsenal and is priced up at 5/1 to net first against Chelsea.
Meanwhile, Cazorla has looked a real threat in front of goal all season and can be backed at 8/1 to break the deadlock.


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PRE-MATCH BRIEFING: ARSENAL V CHELSEA

TALKING POINTS

The first big 'capital classic' of the year is upon us. Both sides enjoyed confidence-boosting wins against lower league opposition in midweek, with visitors Chelsea having one day more to rest and prepare for the early kick-off.

This fixture will not be the same without a certain Ivorian, of course. 'I don't know if Chelsea miss him, but we don't miss him. He did a lot of damage against us,' said Arsène Wenger this week. He was referring to Didier Drogba, maestro of Munich, king of Wembley, spiker of the Gunners.

There is no doubt that the striker, now in China, had the number of Wenger's side, scoring an extraordinary 13 times in 10 matches. He failed to hit the net in just five of the games he started against Arsenal, and in three of those he set up a goal for someone else.


The north Londoners' defence may sleep more peacefully on Friday night in the knowledge they will not join Philippe Senderos and others as gibbering wrecks in the psychiatrist's chair at London Colney.

Yet as Wenger also conceded, the likes of Eden Hazard, whom he admires, are ushering in a new era at the Bridge. Now that the Frenchman has had laser treatment on his eyesight he might even concede the Belgian playmaker and Brazilian Oscar are being denied the type of penalties others seem to be awarded.

The Blues' transition under Roberto Di Matteo is still in its formative stage but the midweek League Cup showed the exhilarating potential of Chelsea's younger talent as we are weaned off Drogs.

Since 2004/05, the only Blues starting line-up with a lower average age than the 24.27 against Championship Wolverhampton Wanderers on Tuesday was that which beat Zilina 2-1 in the 2010/11 group stage of the Champions League. The average age of players who kicked off in that match was 23.91.

The evolution from power to prowess on the ball was evident in the 6-0 thrashing of a weak Wolves, but the trick is to turn entertaining football into triumphant football. For seven years Arsenal have been masters of dazzle with accounts to gaze at but no silverware to polish. A load of goals past League One Coventry City is not yet enough to convince everyone they have kicked their habit.

There are signs they have tightened up the traditionally vulnerable defence, though, and Chelsea will hope to test that severely this weekend.

New boys Lucas Piazon and Cesar Azpilicueta slickly impressed on their debuts on Tuesday. Oriol Romeu bagged his first Chelsea goal with a well-executed penalty, won by Victor Moses, making his first start and running powerfully, then scoring his first too.

Fernando Torres, Drogba's successor as top dog, netted his first goal in five matches from a Juan Mata delivery, the Spanish midfielder in imperious form. Marko Marin, Mata's replacement from the bench, had a hand in the sixth and what should have been a seventh, for Torres.

The Blues' rearguard is also weighing in with unexpected regularity at the other end of the field.
Eight of the total 20 goals scored in all competitions have come from defenders. Members of the back four hit the first two goals in the midweek rout of Wolves. They were followed by two midfielders, then two forwards.

This was the first time Chelsea have ever won 6-0 with six different scorers, but not the only time half a dozen have hit the net in one game.

The first time was against Burslem Port Vale in March 1906, a 7-0 Division Two romp in which one player, Jack Kirwan, hit two. Martin Moran, Jackie Robertson, Frank Pearson, James Robertson and Bob McRoberts were the others.

In September 1971 in the Cup-Winners' Cup Jeunesse Hautcharage were slaughtered 13-0 and seven individuals hit the net - the highest number in any official Chelsea match - Peter Osgood, Tommy Baldwin, Ron Harris, Dave Webb, Alan Hudson, Peter Houseman and John Hollins.

The most recent occurrence was an FA Cup 6-2 victory in January 1978 over Burnley. The scorers then were Mickey Droy, Steve Wicks, Ray Wilkins, Tommy Langley, Kenny Swain and Clive Walker.

Each of those featured one penalty goal; our famous 8-0 May 2010 demolition of Wigan featured five different names on the scoresheet and two spot-kicks.

Never before have three different non-British players of the same nationality scored in one game for the Blues: the Spaniards Mata, Romeu and Torres now share that small honour.

While on defenders, Ryan Bertrand's sweetly executed finish past Dorus De Vries meant Blues left-backs had scored in successive matches for the first time since Graeme Le Saux and Danny Granville netted against Crystal Palace in the league (2-0) and Cup-Winners' Cup opponents Slovan Bratislava (3-0) respectively in September 1997. By coincidence the Blues then faced Arsenal straight afterwards.

Ahead of the same fixture Chelsea will fans need no reminding of the damage those rare full-back goals, especially late ones, can inflict: we think of Lee Dixon in 1995, Nigel Winterburn in 1997, or Silvinho three years later.

But the Blues boast the ultimate example: Highbury Stadium, 6 April 2004, Champions League second leg, Wayne Bridge, pandemonium. (The hosts may just be reminded on Saturday that more recently we have become London's first European champions in that competition.)

Barclays Premier League fixtures
SaturdayArsenal v Chelsea 12.45pm - Sky Sports
Everton v Southampton 3pm
Fulham v Manchester City 3pm
Norwich v Liverpool 3pm
Reading v Newcastle 3pm
Stoke v Swansea 3pm
Sunderland v Wigan 3pm
Manchester United v Tottenham 5.30 - ESPN
Sunday
Aston Villa v West Brom 4pm - Sky Sports
Monday
QPR v West Ham 8pm - Sky Sports

Barclays Premier League table top 10
		Pld	Gd	Pts
1	Chelsea	5	7	13
2	Man Utd	5	6	12
3	Everton	5	4	10
4	West Brom	5	3	10
5	Arsenal	5	7	9
6	Fulham	5	5	9
7	Man City	5	3	9
8	Tottenham	5	2	8
9	West Ham	5	1	8
10	Newcastle	5	0	8

Premier League Golden GloveClean SheetsCech (Chelsea) 4
Foster (West Brom) 3
Jaaskelainen (West Ham) 3
Howard (Everton) 2
Mannone (Arsenal) 2
Schwarzer (Fulham) 2
Vorm (Swansea) 2
Click on tabs above for more briefing.

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Wenger - Chelsea’s experience was crucial

Arsène Wenger believes European experience was key in helping Chelsea to win the Champions League for the first time last season.

Chelsea had come close to winning the competition in recent seasons, losing to Manchester United in the final in 2008, and have reached the semi-final stage on four occasions since 2004.

Wenger says that experience was vital in helping Roberto Di Matteo’s team to win the tournament at the expense of Bayern Munich in May.

“They were efficient. Some years before, they were closer to win it than last year, but accumulated experience, tenacity and a bit of luck as well, got them the trophy. You have to congratulate them for that,” he said.

Chelsea overcame the likes of Napoli and Barcelona to take the trophy - though they rode their luck on occasions. Wenger was impressed by the attitude and application of Di Matteo’s side.

“Last year they had that kind of luck and you must give them credit as well, for the consistency and attitude they showed in the games where they were dominated, and the mental strength to have shown in these games to finally win it,” said Wenger.

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Loan Watch: Joel Campbell sent off for Betis

Every season a number of Arsenal players go out on loan to gain valuable first-team experience. With the 2012/13 campaign now underway, 12 Gunners are currently away from the Club.
Arsenal.com tracks their progress throughout the season. Our Arsenal's Loanees page offers an overview and below is the latest instalment of our Loan Watch.

Joel Campbell
Real Betis 2-4 Atletico Madrid
Wednesday, September 26Joel Campbell was sent off in Real Betis’ defeat to Atletico Madrid on Wednesday. The Costa Rica international had been brought on just before the hour mark, but was shown two yellow cards in 19 minutes.

Ryo
West Ham 1-4 Wigan
Tuesday, September 25Ryo impressed during Wigan’s 4-1 Capital One Cup win at West Ham. The Japanese international played the full 90 minutes at Upton Park.

Philip Roberts
Stenhouemuir 1-1 Inverness CT (ICT win 6-5 on penalties)
Tuesday, September 25Philip Roberts came on as a substitute in Inverness’ Scottish Communities League Cup win over Stenhousemuir. The striker came on after 102 minutes and converted a penalty in the shootout.








Nicklas Bendtner
Fiorentina 0-0 Juventus
Tuesday, September 25Nicklas Bendtner was an unused substitute in Juventus’ goalless draw against Fiorentina.

Conor Henderson
Arsenal 6-1 Coventry
Wednesday, September 26Conor Henderson was not eligible to play in Coventry City’s 6-1 defeat against Arsenal in the Capital One Cup.

DI MATTEO: CASE FOR THE DEFENCE

Roberto Di Matteo has hailed our impressive defensive record as we approach tonight's Capital One Cup clash against Wolverhampton Wanderers.

The Blues currently top the table having picked up 13 points from our opening five league games, but while the likes of Eden Hazard, Oscar and Juan Mata have received plenty of plaudits for their influence in the final third, the manager believes our current position as league leaders has as much to do with the way we've defended in the opening month of the season.

'Some people like to highlight it every time we concede a goal, but they never talk about our league record,' said the Chelsea boss. 'It might change but, at the moment, we've got four clean sheets from five matches.

'The secret is the magic formula of defending as a team, finding the right balance and, at the moment, we seem to be finding the right balance.'

Victor Moses, meanwhile, could be in line to make his first start for the club following his switch from Wigan Athletic last month.

The 21-year-old has come off the bench in our last two league games, impressing out wide on the right with a combination of pace and trickery, and Di Matteo is confident he can become a vital member of the squad.

'He's still young, but he will improve and develop, he's an exciting player,' says the Italian. 'I tried very hard to sign him, not just this year but previously as well, so he's a player I like very much and he will have a big influence on our season.

'He's strong at holding the ball, his dribbling ability is very good and he can go past defenders, which not many players can do. He has pace, he's good at making runs in behind as well, he's a very good player.

'Probably last season was his best season, he was more consistent, and the back end of the season was the best he's played. He's still young but it's good that nobody else noticed him.'

On tonight's game itself, there is no doubt the Blues will be taking it seriously, but as so often with the competition nowadays, supporters should expect to see a side featuring a blend of youth and experience.

'I'm sure there will be one or two that haven't had much time on the pitch who will be playing,' said Di Matteo.

'We'll mix it up. There are a few players who have played one or two games before that deserve a chance and there will be some senior players too.'

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MOSES: THE RIGHT APPROACH

Our Capital One Cup campaign gets underway with the visit of Wolverhampton Wanderers to west London tonight, and Victor Moses, our most recent addition to the squad, believes success in the competition can help lay the foundations for the remainder of the campaign.

Having signed for the Blues from Wigan Athletic shortly before the closure of the summer transfer window, Moses is in line to make his first start for the club against Stale Solbakken's men, and deservedly so.

Two impressive substitute appearances - against Queens Park Rangers and Stoke City - have given Chelsea supporters a taste of what they can expect from the 21-year-old attacker, who provides pace and an inventive streak in wide areas, and the youngster is pleased at the manner in which his career at the club has begun.

'Everything is going well at the moment,' Moses tells the official Chelsea website. 'I'm enjoying life at the club. It's exciting for me to be back in London and playing for a massive club such as Chelsea, particularly as I'm a London boy, I'm just delighted to be here.

'It's a quality feeling to be playing alongside some of the most talented players in world football at the moment, and that's what you need around you. The more you play with these type of players, the more you improve and the more experience you gain.'

Tonight's opponents, now playing in the Championship having been relegated from the top-flight last May, head into the game in a rich vein of form and fresh off the back of a 2-0 weekend win at Peterborough, their third straight win.

Moses played for former club Wigan in a five-goal thriller against Wolves on the final day of last season, and he is expecting another tough encounter tonight.

'I remember the game, we won 3-2 at the DW Stadium,' he says. 'We went into a 3-0 lead but then Wolves came back and scored twice, but luckily we managed to hold on for an important win.

'They are a good side, it's not going to be an easy game, but we've started the season well. It's important we keep doing what we've been doing, approach the game in the right way and get the win.'

In recent years, this cup has become a tournament where youngsters and fringe players are often given an opportunity to force their way into the manager's reckoning.

Our opening game in last season's competition - a penalty shoot-out win against Fulham - saw the likes of Ross Turnbull, Ryan Bertrand, Josh McEachran and Romelu Lukaku all feature, but although Moses is grateful for the chances he was afforded as a young player, he insists it's a trophy which should be taken seriously.

'When I was at Crystal Palace and Wigan I played in most of the League Cup games, it's a good experience for younger players to play in competitive matches,' Moses explains.

'It's a big opportunity as a young player to show the manager that you're good enough to hold down a regular place in the side.

'It's an important trophy to win. Winning trophies can help give you the mentality to push on and do well in other competitions such as the Premier League and Champions League, so we just need to keep on winning games.

'It's a few years since Chelsea have won the competition, so it would be great for the club and the players if we could win it and get it in the trophy cabinet.'

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Ramsey - Olympics will always stay with me

Aaron Ramsey says that the experience of playing for Team GB at the London 2012 Olympics will live with him for the rest of his life.

The 21-year-old was part of the Great Britain squad that reached the quarter-finals of the football tournament, only to crash out on penalties to Ju Young Park’s South Korea.

Despite that disappointment, the Welsh midfielder savoured every moment of the Games.

“It was a really great experience for me personally. It was good to play in that tournament mode - I haven't done that before,” Ramsey told Arsenal Player.

“We were disappointed with the way it went in the end but it went to penalties and anything can happen there.

“Overall it was a great experience and all of the athletes did tremendously well. It will stay with me now for the rest of my life.”

Ramsey says the whole Team GB squad got caught up in the excitement of the Olympics, and he looked to fellow competitors like Mo Farah and Jessica Ennis for inspiration.

“Absolutely [we got caught up in the buzz],” he said. “Reading the papers every day, it was a great event and it was hosted really well. Everyone enjoyed themselves. It was just a great occasion for us and for the country.

“We went out there to try to win a medal. We thought we had a good chance of doing that but it wasn't to be.

“But we recognised the amount of effort and training that is required for people like Mo Farah and Jess Ennis to win a gold medal. We are inspired by them.”

Aside from the excitement of competing in his first international tournament, Ramsey says it was an invaluable learning experience.

“It was definitely different [to playing for Wales],” he said. “Obviously Wales haven't made the finals of a competition yet so it was different playing three games in a week.

“Just the whole tournament mode is different. One of the things I have learned about is how to manage yourself when you are in that mode.

“Hopefully Wales can do that one day and we can qualify for a championship. There will be a few Welsh players who know what is required to handle that situation now.”

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THE MOST IMPORTANT WAR B/W ARSENAL & CHELSEA

Undefeated in 5 matches and currently with 9 points in 5 games, Arsenal are hosts to #1 ranked Chelsea who have 4 wins and a tie so far in the Barclay's Premier League.

Chelsea are coming off a 1-0 win vs. Stoke and also a 2-2 tie vs. Juventus in the UEFA Champions League.

Arsenal tied vs. Manchester City and won vs. Montpellier in the UEFA Champions League.

This will be the match to watch this coming weekend.

Last time these two teams met at the Emirates Stadium in April, the score was 0-0.

At the bookies Arsenal are slight favourites to win.           

Arsenal

Manager: Arsene Wenger

Current form

Last six matches
drawn	1 - 1 v Man City (A)	23 Sep 2012
won	6 - 1 v Southampton (H)	15 Sep 2012
won	0 - 2 v Liverpool (A)	02 Sep 2012
drawn	0 - 0 v Stoke (A)	26 Aug 2012
drawn	0 - 0 v Sunderland (H)	18 Aug 2012

Last win/defeat
won	6 - 1 v Southampton (H)	15 Sep 2012
lost	1 - 2 v Wigan (H)	16 Apr 2012

Chelsea

Manager: Roberto Di Matte

Current form

Last six matches
won	1 - 0 v Stoke (H)	22 Sep 2012
drawn	0 - 0 v QPR (A)	15 Sep 2012
won	2 - 0 v Newcastle (H)	25 Aug 2012
won	4 - 2 v Reading (H)	22 Aug 2012
won	0 - 2 v Wigan (A)	19 Aug 2012

Last win/defeat
won	1 - 0 v Stoke (H)	22 Sep 2012
lost	4 - 1 v Liverpool (A)	08 May 2012

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In safe hands: Taking care of player safety

Find out how the work of club medics has changed over the last 20 seasons of the Premier League

There is an argument for saying nothing has changed across the 20 seasons of the Premier League: it’s still 11 v 11 and the Premier League trophy of the first season season doesn’t look that different to the 20th. But behind the scenes much has changed, particularly in the support given to the players. To see why this is the case we look at the work of three men whose professionalism affects what happens on every Premier League match weekend.

In our second feature, we hear from West Bromwich Albion's head of medical services Mark Gillett, who has also worked for Chelsea and the English Institute of Sport.

Gillett helped to draw up guidelines for the medical treatment of footballers after Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech suffered a fractured skull in 2006 against Reading, who are West Brom's opponents this Saturday, talks about how things have changed and how what he suggested helped to save the life of Bolton Wanderers' Fabrice Muamba.

"I have been working in this field for 15 years now.

In the early stages, football was always considered to be a long way behind Olympic sports in terms of the professionalism of what it provided for the players from a science and medicine perspective. I am pretty confident now that we’ve matched and gone past them.


"The pace of the game is so different now, 

and there will possibly be less contact injuries because of the way people tackle these days. But what has improved is our ability to impact on the injuries and get the players back in a really quick time frame. That’s thebig difference for us.

"What happened with Petr Cech was a warning sign.

He had quite a nasty head injury that got picked up in an appropriate time frame, but there wasn’t really the infrastructure and process to make sure that if that had happened somewhere else there would have been the same outcome.

"In terms of the Fabrice Muamba incident,

I have absolutely no doubt that the changes that were made post-Cech – and the level of awareness, training and equipment – were a massive factor in him having such a good outcome.

"They picked up what had happened with Fabrice

as quickly as possible and gave him the best possible chance of survival, so that’s a massive credit to the Premier League. Itwas the speed of diagnosis, the understanding of what needed to happen. One of the fundamental changes was making sure that there was an ambulance devoted to the players.

"The medical provision in the Premier League has changed massively. 

You generally have a couple of physios sitting on the bench. If something happens you get to players very quickly and start the treatment as soon as they are injured, so you minimise the damage to the player.

"The equipment, the exit routes, who does what

in terms of taking people to hospital, and how that works, is now very clearly prescribed by the Premier League. It’s not left to the discretion of clubs.

"The Premier League supports the baseline work that we need to do.

For instance, if you are applying for a UEFA licence via the Premier League but your doctors have not passed an area course, and you don’t have cardiac screening records, you can’t get it. They have put medical criteria higher up the agenda so the clubs have to take them seriously."

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CLUB WORLD CUP QUARTER-FINAL DRAWN

Our path to glory at the Fifa Club World Cup is now a little clearer following Monday's quarter-final draw in Zurich.


Chelsea will not enter the competition until the semi-final stage, when we will play the yet to be decided winners of the Asian Champions League, or Mexican side CF Monterrey, on December 13 in Yokohama.

With only seven teams in the entire competition (six continental winners, plus the champions of Japan's J-League), there will be a play-off between New Zealand's Auckland City and the Japanese champions for the final quarter-final spot. The winner of that game will face the winner of Africa's Champions League, which is currently at the semi-final stage.


Brazilian side Corinthians, who also receive a bye to the semi-finals, will face either the African champions, Auckland or the J-League winners in the other semi-final, with both the third place play-off and the final taking place in Yokohama on December 16.

Further updates will follow as more finalists are confirmed.



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TERRY ENDS ENGLAND CAREER

John Terry has this evening (Sunday) announced his retirement from international football.

This was a personal and difficult decision for John to take as playing for and captaining his country was a boyhood dream.

John first represented England in June 2003 against Serbia and Montenegro.

He played 78 times for his country and scored six goals, including the first full England international goal at the new Wembley Stadium against Brazil in June 2007.

The 31-year-old was named England captain in August 2006 and went on to lead his country 34 times.
John also won nine caps at Under-21 level.

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'I hope that this will reinforce our belief'

on the performance...
I am pleased because [a point] was the minimum we deserved today. I am pleased also with the quality of our performance and our spirit. Also a bit frustrated because I feel there was room to do more. We had early chances and very late chances, especially Gervinho at the edge of the box where he missed the target. But overall I hope this will reinforce our belief and confidence and reassure us about our potential in this league.

on Vermaelen's absence...
He had 'flu yesterday, and we left him at home. But Laurent Koscielny had a great game and stepped in very well. We have three classy centre backs, and it is a very difficult choice. Koscielny, Mertesacker and Vermaelen - no matter who is left out can feel it is not right. But I will rotate them and take into consideration the strikers we will face.

on conceding from a set piece...
I take this criticism on board because we conceded the goal from a corner, but Man City are the team who score more goals than anyone else from set pieces. On the other hand it is true we missed chances, but when you have the basic quality that we showed today, the rest can improve.

on Mannone's late save...
He had a good game again today. He looks very solid. He made a little mistaken the corner [for Manchester City's goal] and was very frustrated with it, but overall I am happy that it didn't affect his game after. I like what he is doing.

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WIN A VIP EXPERIENCE AT THE BRIDGE

How does the idea of meeting a Chelsea superstar before being wined and dined at Stamford Bridge sound?

From now until the end of this month, supporters who sign up to Chelsea TV via this website have the opportunity to win just such a VIP Experience.

Subscribe to the official club channel now to be in with a chance of securing a prize for you and a friend, which includes the following:

- Meet a 'mystery player' in the Chelsea TV studio (with a autograph and photograph opportunity)

- Watch a player phone-in show behind-the-scenes in the Chelsea TV gallery

- Dinner at Marco's

- Stay at the Copthorne Hotel with breakfast

Click here to subscribe to Chelsea TV and be in with a chance of winning this fantastic prize.

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Wenger - What Sunday’s game will tell us

Arsène Wenger believes Sunday’s trip to Manchester City will reveal more about the strength of his squad.

Arsenal have enjoyed an unbeaten start to the Premier League season and got off to a winning start against Montpellier in the Champions League on Tuesday.

But Wenger believes this weekend’s game in particular is the ultimate test for Arsenal’s championship credentials.

“I am very ambitious and I know that before the game starts,” said the Frenchman. “It will tell us a lot about our quality. How we handle the big games will decide how well we do in the championship. That is why it is an interesting weekend for us.

“I have no doubt about the desire and hunger of my squad. It will just tell you how strong we are at the moment.

“I believe we are quite strong but we have some room for improvement. All is not perfect but the signs we are giving are very good and very strong.

“The hunger is massive in this squad. They want to do well. They are focused. They want to win. We want to continue to improve because we have many new players. It is a big test to see how strong we are.”

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Shelvey: That showed our spirit

Jonjo Shelvey was full of praise for the fighting spirit shown by a youthful Liverpool side as they came from behind to secure a 5-3 win over Young Boys in Switzerland on Thursday night.

The Reds twice took the lead in the first half at the Stade de Suisse thanks to an own goal from Juhani Ojala and a thumping header from Andre Wisdom.

Gonzalo Zarate then put Young Boys in front in the second half, before Sebastian Coates headed in to make it 3-3.
Shelvey then came from the bench to make the deciding impact on the game, striking twice in the final 15 minutes to ensure Brendan Rodgers' side returned to Merseyside with three points.

Afterwards, however, the 20-year-old was eager to highlight the role of his teammates on a memorable night in Bern.
Shelvey said: "It's not just about me - it's about the team and we won 5-3.

"It was good to come back from 3-2 down and great to get the win. We just need to start off in the Premier League now.

"The boss has installed a lot of character in us. We've shown a lot of fight and belief so far this season to come back from goals [conceded], against Man City and again tonight.

"I've got to thank Jordan [Henderson] for my goals. It was great to score two goals and win the match."


Rodgers selected a young side in Switzerland, with the likes of Wisdom and Suso making their first senior starts for the club.

At 34, Jamie Carragher was the oldest player in the Liverpool line-up - and he was left suitably impressed by the performance of his fledgling colleagues.

He said: "We're all pleased, it was a great result for us and I'm really pleased for the young players who came in. I think they acquitted themselves really well.

"It was a tough game out there at times. We got ourselves into the lead a couple of times and then went behind, and so we're disappointed at conceding those goals and we'll look at it. But great credit to the young players - they did really well."

Carragher was named captain for the night on his 705^th Liverpool appearance - and he was more than happy to draw on his vast experience to help guide the Reds over the line.

He added: "I don't think I've got any option, I'm 34 now. Maybe that's the way we'll go now in the Europa League and if that's where I can get some games personally, that's great.

"I said if I can help them anyway that's great too, but they'll be helping me as well!"

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Loan watch: Wayne's world keeps getting better

            Wayne Bridge really does love to be beside the seaside!

On a season-long loan with Brighton, Bridge scored his second goal of the season for the Seagulls in a 3-0 win over Sheffield Wednesday last Friday and he also played in Tuesday’s 1-0 win over Watford as Gus Poyet’s side continued their impressive start to the campaign.

Bridge’s goal against The Owls came after 24 minutes, albeit with the aid of a deflection, but with two goals in the bag in five starts, he has already beaten his scoring record while with the Blues which totals zero in 58 appearances!

Not such good news in League One - quite the opposite in fact. Harry Bunn looks set for a lengthy lay-off after the City striker suffered a knee injury during Crewe Alexandra’s 0-0 with Tranmere.

Bunn, who moved to Crewe on loan until January, landed awkwardly for The Railwaymen and has now returned to the Blues.

Alex boss Steve Davis said: "We have been in dialogue with Manchester City and he will have the very best consultants and surgeons there.

"Everyone associated with the club wishes him a speedy recovery because is a good player and a smashing lad."

We will bring you an update on Harry’s progress soon.

Staying in League One, Reece Wabara joined Oldham Athletic just in time to play in the 2-2 draw with Keith Curle’s Notts County on Saturday.

The City defender has joined Paul Dickov’s side on a month-long deal and played the full 90 minutes as Latics snatched a point with a late equaliser.

Moving north of the border, Ryan McGivern was an unused sub in Hibs’ 2-1 win over Kilmarnock – a win that puts the Edinburgh side in second place in the SPL, a point behind leaders Motherwell.

Overseas, Dedryck Boyata came off the bench after 51 minutes of FC Twente’s 6-2 away win at Willem II as Steve McLaren’s side continue to set the pace in the Dutch Eredivisie.

Roque Santa Cruz also came off the bench - twice - for Malaga in their victories over Levante (La Liga) and Zenit St Petersburg (UCL), won by scorelines of 3-1 and 3-0 respectively.

Abdi Ibrahim came on as a second-half sub for Stromgodset’s 4-0 win over Aalesund and Omar Elabdellaoui was an unused sub during Feyenoord’s 2-0 win over FC Zwolle.

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OSCAR: HOPE AND PRIDE

As full home debuts go, there was plenty to enjoy for Oscar and the Stamford Bridge fans on Wednesday night, although injury and the final result stopped it short of being a dream start.

Speaking after the match, the young Brazilian midfielder was naturally satisfied that his Champions League bow had caught the eye.

'In Brazil, the people, the young boys, they dream about playing in the Champions League,' he said.
'For me to realise the dream, I am very proud of that.'

His first goal was a good shot, albeit one that took a deflection on its way in. His second is already guaranteed to be right up there when the Chelsea goal of the season is selected in May.

'As soon as I made the first touch and I shot, I knew that the ball was going in,' he revealed.

'I am very happy with the two goals but I would be much happier if the team had won the game. I hope that I can keep going and keep scoring goals like that.

'I have a lot of friends here and the Brazilian players are always together,' he added. 'I am very happy with my life and with the club.'

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‘We must dictate game against Man City’.....

Vito Mannone believes Arsenal must dictate play if they are to beat Manchester City in Sunday's crucial clash at the Etihad Stadium

Arsène Wenger’s side have been in fine form so far this season, and have won their last three games in all competitions.

But the trip north to face the Premier League champions is their biggest game yet, and Mannone feels they will have to control proceedings if they are to leave with a positive result.

“It is a tough test. I thought we were in a good state at Liverpool because we went to a big game in a big stadium and from there we really started our season,” he said.

“City are champions so we know we have to go there and prepare properly. We must dictate the game because they are a great team and it will be a top challenge.”

Mannone has played a key role in the Club’s fine start to the season, deputising for the injured Wojciech Szczesny and conceding just one goal in three appearances. And now he wants the No 1 spot on a permanent basis.

“I have always been focused," he said. "I had two clean sheets in the first two games I played and before the Southampton game [which saw Szczesny return] the boss talked to me and for the first time I felt he understood I was ready to be No 1,” he said.

“It went well [against Montpellier] so I am really focused on gaining the No 1 spot and keeping it. The boss had some nice words for me and he talked to me and said I am ready to be No 1.

“So I just need to show him what I’m doing and hopefully I can get that spot and do my best to help this team win some trophies.”

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Arteta - It was so vital for us to stay calm

Mikel Arteta believes a key factor behind Arsenal's victory in Montpellier on Tuesday night was their ability to stay calm under pressure.

Goals from Lukas Podolski and Gervinho helped the Gunners come back from one goal down in their opening Champions League Group B game to claim the three points.

But Arsène Wenger's side were put under intense pressure in the second half, and had to work overtime to secure the result at the Stade de la Mosson.

"We knew it was going to be tough, they were champions in France last year and that is no coincidence," Arteta told Arsenal Player.

"They work really hard, they have some talented players and scored the first one at home, which means it is always difficult to get back into the game.

"But we scored two brilliant goals and managed to get the result - it was vital for us to get the first three points away from home.

"You can't panic, we knew in the last 25 minutes they were going to throw some bodies up front and create some problems. They missed a clear chance at the end but I am so glad to get the points, it is a brilliant way to start."

Arsenal now travel to Manchester City on Sunday and Arteta hopes the team can maintain the momentum generated after three successive victories.

"It is going to be tough, City have not lost at home for a long time," he said. "It is big test, [we must] show our character. Last year we went there and were unlucky to lose. It will be tough, but they are the champions."

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MEET BLUES LEGENDS AT CLUB MUSEUM

suporters have a unique opportunity to meet a couple of Stamford Bridge legends prior to Saturday's home game against Stoke City.

Ron Harris and Peter Bonetti were part of the Chelsea side which lifted both the FA Cup and European Cup Winners' Cup in the early 1970s, and the duo are held in high esteem by supporters of all ages.

Harris has made more appearances (795) for the club than any other player, and became the first man to lift the FA Cup for the Blues following the 1970 success over Leeds United.

Bonetti, meanwhile, our second highest appearance maker (729), kept 208 clean sheets over the course of his two spells in west London and was nicknamed 'The Cat' due to his outstanding reflexes between the sticks.

Harris and Bonetti will be appearing at the Club Museum, speaking about their respective Chelsea careers and entertaining supporters with stories and anecdotes from an era when players were able to share a pint with fans on the way home from the game.

With the demand for this event unsurprisingly huge, we advise you to pre-book your visit in order to avoid missing out.

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'It is fabulous to get an early away victory'

on the result...
I am really pleased. It was difficult. I thought we were excellent in the first half – we kept the ball and kept the crowd really quiet. The second half was tough and we looked physically a little bit tired. The crowd got right behind them and it is quite an intimidating place to come and play, so we’re glad to get the result.

on a positive start...
It’s fabulous to get an early away win. We’ve had a decent start to the season and we have kept the run going so it is important all round, not just for the Champions League. We have got some tough games coming up. We have got great team spirit and I think that was evident tonight. Everybody is digging in and things are looking OK.

on the enjoyment factor...
I’m not sure I enjoyed it - I’ve got a headache and a half! It is tough. It’s a different pressure than I’ve been used to taking the under-18s but we won and we had a great result.

on Lukas Podolski...
Podolski has made a real impact. I have to say, I’ve not seen many finishers as good as him – ever. In training, right foot, left foot - he goes in at 100mph, which is fabulous. He’s a good trainer, a good boy. He has really added something this year. I’m not getting involved in whether we are missing Robin, I wasn't involved at the time. Podolski is a good player.

on Olivier Giroud...
Olivier did a really good team job for us tonight. He is another one who works really, really hard for the team. At set-pieces he is fabulous. He defends and he works for the team. I think he only had one chance tonight at the near post that was difficult. He is a really hard-working boy and I’m sure the goals will come.

on defensive improvements...
Any coach will tell you it is about being good players and we have got some good players who want to work. So far, so good. Everybody has spoken about myself but Neil Banfield gets missed and he does a great job, too. There are a lot of good coaches, there are great players and everybody is working hard. I think that is why we’re doing OK at the minute.

on Sunday's trip to Manchester City...
Of course Sunday is a tough test. We certainly go in there with a bit of confidence, with everybody believing things are going OK. But it is a proper test and that is where we want to be. Hopefully we can come through the other side and say we have done OK again. Everybody is fine, touch wood. Things are looking quite bright.

on Montpellier's display...
I wouldn’t say Montpellier surprised us, they have got some very good players. Technically they are very, very high level. They kicked the second half off really well and got the crowd behind them. We are physically a little bit tired so it was tough. It wasn’t a surprise.

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Arsenal inspire Homeless World Cup stars

Over the summer, Arsenal in the Community has been working on an exciting pilot programme in conjunction with the Homeless FA, the national partner for the annual Homeless World Cup.

Together with fellow community departments from Manchester United, West Bromwich Albion and Everton, Arsenal in the Community delivered a five-day programme of specially-planned sessions for homeless men and women from London and the South East.

The participants were fighting it out for the honour of representing England at this year’s Homeless World Cup tournament in Mexico City, taking place between 4-15 October 2012.

The players came from many projects in the Homeless FA’s community, including Arsenal’s 2010/11 Charity of the Season, Centrepoint. In addition to football coaching, the groups took part in courses to aid their personal development, such as employability skills, first aid and time management.

Those individuals that had progressed well, based on commitment and attitude, were invited to a special ‘Team England’ day at Carrington and Old Trafford with Manchester United on September 5. From that the World Cup squads for both the men’s and women’s sides were selected.

After a rigorous selection process, no fewer than six individuals that had taken part in the Arsenal scheme were picked for England duty. Aaron Ranieri, Marco Ramos and Billy Wise were all called up to the eight-man squad, while Mauva Hunte-Bowlby, Jodie Osborne and Rosie Martin were chosen for the women’s team. It is the first time that England will have entered a women’s team in the tournament.

Arsenal in the Community will continue to link in with all programme participants over the coming weeks and months with a view to helping them gain employment with the Club’s stadium catering providers, Delaware North Companies. The Club will also offer them the chance to take part in other training, education and volunteering opportunities.

Arsenal Football Club thanks all participants for their involvement and wishes those selected the best of luck at next month’s tournament. For more information on the Homeless FA, and to follow Team England’s progress in Mexico, visit www.homelessfa.org.

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