Page 3 - Arsenal

25th September 2017. by Edward Stratmann.
With injuries meaning Danny Welbeck had been restricted to just 15 Premier League starts for Arsenal in the last two seasons, it was brilliant to see him begin the 2017/2018 campaign fully fit and firing.

Actually being able to enjoy a preseason has undoubtedly been hugely beneficial for him, something he duly noted after his impressive brace vs. Bournemouth. "The past two years I didn't have a preseason and that made it a bit difficult for me,'' he explained.

"I'm pleased to have a preseason. With some of the games that we've played at the start of the season it's not gone too well, but I'm pleased to be on the score sheet and long may it continue."

Arsene Wenger then made a point of praising the determined English international in the aftermath of the aforementioned win over the Cherries, asserting: "He gets stronger and stronger. Let's not forget that he was out for a long time. He's a team player, Danny Welbeck,

17th July 2017. By Edward Stratmann.
Alexandre Lacazette followed on beautifully from his memorable, goalscoring debut vs Sydney FC on Thursday by putting in another encouraging shift in Arsenal's second preseason friendly vs the Western Sydney Wanderers on Saturday.

Although he couldn't get his name on the score sheet during the 3-1 win in front of a packed ANZ Stadium, Arsenal's record signing, who cost a staggering £52.7 million, illustrated so many of his most endearing attributes from his interesting position on the left side of the Gunners' attack.

Using his intelligent movement, Lacazette was constantly able to find vacant space to receive possession or to create space for a teammate. The biggest beneficiary of his aptitude in this regard was certainly Arsenal left wing-back, Ainsley Maitland Niles, as Lacazette would occupy the left half space which drew his direct opponent, Josh Risdon, slightly infield, thus manufacturing space out wide for Maitland-Niles

28th June 2017. By Ryan Baldi.
With just one year remaining on his contract and high on the wish list of several of Europe's biggest clubs, Alexis Sánchez is unlikely to still be an Arsenal player by the start of the 2017-18 season.

The former Barcelona forward was the Gunners' outstanding performer last season, netting 24 Premier League goals and returning a career high total of 30 in 51 all-competitions games, including a crucial strike in the North London side's FA Cup final victory over champions Chelsea.

Sánchez was the shining light in an otherwise disappointing season for Arsenal which saw them fail to qualify for the Champions League for the first time in two decades. Currently on international duty with Chile at the Confederations Cup in Russia, the 28-year-old attacker is set to resolve his future upon his return, with all signs pointing towards an exit from the Emirates Stadium.

Arsenal would love to hold onto their

2nd June 2017. By Edward Stratmann.
Arsene Wenger would've felt a palpable sense of vindication in his decision to deploy his back three in the FA Cup final, which he's done throughout the closing stages of the season, as the Gunners recorded a famous triumph over imperious Premier League winners, Chelsea.

Despite Arsenal suffering a defensive injury crisis going into the game, that saw Laurent Koscielny, Gabriel Paulista and Shkodran Mustafi all unavailable, putting his capacity to play three at the back in doubt, Wenger stuck to his guns anyway. And his decision emphatically paid off, with Rob Holding, Nacho Monreal and Per Mertesacker performing brilliantly to nullify Chelsea's multidimensional attacking unit.

Mertesacker, in particular, deserves special mention, as he hardly put a foot wrong in what was his first start of the season. Playing ostensibly the role of a sweeper at the heart of Arsenal's

22nd May 2017. By Edward Stratmann.
With Laurent Koscielny, Rob Holding, Gabriel Paulista and the soon to be arriving Shkodran Mustafi all ahead of him in the central defensive pecking order going into the season at Arsenal, it made perfect sense for Calum Chambers to head out on loan.

Joining Middlesbrough presented him with a fantastic opportunity to prove himself at the highest level and obtain the vital game time he craved. And although he's had his troubles with injury, most notably when he missed a crucial two month stretch between February and April, the Englishman's time on Teesside has unquestionably been littered with upside.

While Boro's campaign will end in relegation, Chambers is one of the few players that can hold his head high, as he's consistently shone brightly in their season of darkness. Incredibly, Chambers has already started more matches (23) this term in the league than he'd done thoroughout his entire time with Arsenal (20).

Chambers

17th May 2017. By Ryan Baldi.
Since moving to Arsenal from Southampton a week before his 18^th birthday in 2011, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has thrilled and frustrated fans inside the Emirates Stadium in equal measure.

His immense talent has never been in question and explains the £12million fee the Gunners initially forked out for the teenager, who had never played first-team football above the third tier of the English game at the time.

But, in a situational that for Arsenal fans will alarmingly draw parallels with another former Saints wonderkid, Theo Walcott, Oxlade-Chamberlain's slow progress raises concerns over whether his true potential will ever be realised.

A major part of the issue has been that, at 23, the England international has failed to settle into a defined position, flitting between both flanks, centrally as a No.10 and, earlier this season,

15th May 2017. By Edward Stratmann.
At this stage of the season, Lucas Perez, who joined Arsenal for a hefty £17 million in the summer from Deportivo La Coruna, would've been hoping he'd have more than a paltry nine starts, of which only two have come in the league, to his name for the Gunners.

It was never going to be easy for him to nail down a starting spot within Arsene Wenger's talented squad. But the fact he's never really been given enough opportunities to prove himself has been difficult for him to swallow.

The man who's impressively scored seven goals at an excellent rate of one every 135 minutes, including a statement hat-trick vs Basel in the Champions League, duly made his feelings felt in a recent interview with La Voz de Galicia, explaining: "This season has been difficult because I think I've deserved to play more. I may not have done as well as others, but if they'd have given me more minutes I'd have produced better numbers: more goals and more assists.

10th April 2017. By Edward Stratmann.
Arsenal's much needed win over West Ham was quite a night to remember for the mercurial Mesut Ozil. In what was his 150th appearance for the Gunners, he fittingly marked the occasion by bagging a goal and an assist. More than that, though, his aforementioned contributions also saw him equal his highest ever personal scoring tally in a single season (with 10) and move into sixth place on Arsenal's all-time list for EPL assists, joining Robin van Persie on 39.

Ozil's Performance May Determine the Clubs 2016/17 EPL Position

Ozil's performance extended far further than just his scoreboard impact, however, for the German international accompanied this milestone occasion with a performance to match.

From his nominal central attacking midfield role, the man who signed for a whopping £42.5 million from Real

1st February 2017. By Danni Biggs.
Arsenal and England legend, Kelly Smith confirms her retirement from football at the age of 38. With 117 games, 48 goals for her national team Smith said with no regrets "I've travelled the world and, at the age of 38, the body is telling me it needs to stop."

Kelly, 38, was awarded an MBE for her services in football in 2008, also winning numerous accolades and individual honours throughout her career including the FA Women's Players' Player of the year in 2006 and 2007. "Kelly Smith is the best women's player England has ever produced, and one of the foremost players in the history of the women's game," said Johnathan Pearce on BBC Match of the Day.

Ending her Career on a High

'The game is in a magnificent place at the moment and it's good to step away at the right time.' Smith said.

At the young age of 17, Kelly made her debut for

19th December 2016. By Edward Stratmann.
Although Mohamed Elneny's has never really completely managed to cement himself as a bonafide starter in Arsenal's ferociously competitive midfield since signing almost 12 months ago, he's still absolutely loving his time with the Gunners.

"I think the past 11 months have been the best of my life and hopefully I will keep getting better and achieve big things with Arsenal," he told the Arsenal magazine.

Competing against the likes of Santi Cazorla, Granit Xhaka, Francis Coquelin and Aaron Ramsey for a starting berth poses an inherently difficult challenge to the Egyptian, but it's something he's whole heartedly embraced. "This is an honest competition and all players fight for places in the first team. This applies to me also, especially when you play for a big club like Arsenal," he said.

"I want to do my