Arsenal Cruised Past Villarreal 3-0

Arsenal cruised past Villarreal 3-0 at the Emirates Stadium to make it through 4-1 overall and set up a mouth-watering tie between the two Barclays Premier League sides.

Theo Walcott, Emmanuel Adebayor and Robin van Persie (penalty) were on the scoresheet as Arsene Wenger's youngsters defied their injury worries in defence to wrap up the tie.

The Spaniards then had Sebastian Eguren dismissed and the hosts were able to conserve energy for their FA Cup tie against Chelsea at the weekend.

So now old rivals Sir Alex Ferguson and Wenger must battle it out over two matches for the right to go to the Rome final on 27th May. Chelsea play Barcelona in the other semi-final tie.

Liverpool 1 - 1 Arsenal

Arsenal 1-1 Liverpool
Barclays Premier League leaders Liverpool fought back to take a 1-1 draw from a high-octane match with Arsenal.

Robin van Persie had fired the Gunners ahead with a fine strike on 24 minutes, only for former Tottenham Hotspur striker Robbie Keane to equalise.

Adebayor was shown a second yellow card by referee Howard Webb on the hour mark, and the Gunners had to settle for a draw which further dents their fading title aspirations.

Arsenal beat Manchester United 2-1 at the Emirates Stadium

Arsenal 2-1 Manchester United

Arsenal beat Barclays Premier League champions Manchester United 2-1 at the Emirates Stadium.

Arsene Wenger got the response he wanted as Arsenal bounced back from last week's defeat to Stoke City, with victory over United.

Gunners manager Wenger admitted dressing-room morale was low after their draw with rivals Tottenham Hotspur and defeat to Stoke - but Saturday's win breathes life into their campaign and lifts them above United in the Barclays Premier League table.

Goals from Samir Nasri provided the attacking threat, taking advantage of slack marking in each half to grab his fourth and fifth of the season.

Rafael da Silva, on as a substitute, volleyed home to give Sir Alex Ferguson's men hope, but it was not enough as Arsenal claimed the points.

Ten-Man Arsenal went Down to a 2-1 Defeat at Stoke City

Stoke City 2-1 Arsenal

Ten-man Arsenal went down to a 2-1 defeat at Stoke City on Saturday afternoon.

Long-throw specialist Rory Delap continued his domination of Barclays Premier League defences, setting up both goals as Arsenal's season took another turn for the worst.

Delap found Ricardo Fuller after 11 minutes, then helped set up Seyi Olofinjana for the hosts' second before a deflected Gael Clichy effort reduced arrears.

It was a case of bad to worse for Arsenal after the dramatic 4-4 draw with Tottenham Hotspur in midweek and a red card for Robin van Persie, coupled with injuries to Emmanuel Adebayor and Theo Walcott made it a grim day indeed for Arsene Wenger.

Sunderland 1-1 Arsenal

Arsenal left it late to earn a point at the Stadium of Light on Saturday afternoon.

Arsenal's bid to go top of the Barclays Premier League foundered at Sunderland but they were lucky to escape defeat as Cesc Fabregas' 93rd-minute header salvaged a 1-1 draw.

Having been beaten by Hull City last week, the Gunners have now dropped five points in two matches.

Arsene Wenger's side appeared to have been beaten by Grant Leadbitter's stunning 86th-minute strike. The midfielder picked the ball up 25 yards out and smashed a shot in off the underside of the crossbar.

Spain midfielder Fabregas rescued the Gunners with a close-range header from a corner in the third minute of added time.

Hull City Defeated Arsenal 2 - 1

Hull City registered their first historic win against Arsenal in a exciting Premier League Match. The win did really make them proud. Beating a team like Arsenal who is standing at the top of the points table, is something the entire team is going to cherish for a long time.

Arsenal Top the Table with 3-1 Win Against Bolton Wanderers

Bolton Wanderers 1-3 Arsenal

Arsenal moved top of the table with a 3-1 win against Bolton Wanderers at the Reebok Stadium.

Goals from Emmanuel Eboue, Nicklas Bendtner and Denilson sealed the victory.

However, the Gunners had to work hard for their win with Kevin Davies having initially made the breakthrough for Bolton.

Eboue grabbed the equaliser after an immense spell of pressure then Bendtner extended their lead before Denilson sealed victory.

Arsene Wenger saw his Arsenal side move to the top of the Barclays Premier League with a mix of breathtaking skill and a solid work ethic as they defeated Bolton 3-1.

It was just the result the Gunners manager craved with Liverpool being held to a draw and Chelsea not playing until Sunday.

Bolton, however, made a decent fist of it and went ahead through Kevin Davies.

Arsenal's response was swift and majestic. Emmanuel Eboue and Nicklas Bendtner turned the game on its head with two goals in two minutes.

Then Denilson secured the points late on after another decisive counter-attack.

Eboue's equaliser came after some intense pressure with Emmanuel Adebayor and Alex Song both hitting the post with their efforts.

It was Bolton who almost took the lead in the third minute with a wonderful piece of vision from captain Kevin Nolan.

He spotted Manuel Almunia marginally off his line and tried to chip him from 30 yards.

US Sports Tycoon Stan Kroenke Joins Arsenal Board

U.S. sports tycoon Stan Kroenke is to join the board of Arsenal as a non-executive director, the UK football club said on Friday as it announced full-year profits jumping on growing stadium and broadcast revenue.

The club said that Kroenke, owner of the U.S. Colorado Rapids soccer team, has confirmed he will not increase his shareholding above 30 percent in the next year.

Kroenke holds a 12.4 percent stake in Arsenal but says he is not interested in pursuing a full buyout.

The Premier League team has been the centre of takeover speculation since Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov and London-based Fahrad Moshiri built a 24 percent stake in the club.

Arsenal board members owning about 46 percent of the club have jointly agreed not to sell their stakes in an effort to stave off a takoever. Kroenke is not part of this shareholder pact.

Arsenal Chairman Peter Hill-Wood said that Kroenke "brings with him a wealth of experience through his direct involvement in sports clubs in the U.S. and we expect to benefit from his commercial insights and knowledge."

The plus-listed company reported pretax profit for the year ended May 31 of 36.7 million pounds against an underlying pretax of 26.9 million pound the previous year. Turnover rose to 223 million pounds from 200.8 million, driven by a 50 percent rise in broadcast income and a five percent rise in matchday income.

The club, which disappointed fans by finishing third last season, said Premier League TV contracts and its core business offset lower sales and its property development business. (Reporting by Lorraine Turner; Editing by David Cowell)

Manchester United and Arsenal Played Out Draws in their Champions League Ties

Captain William Gallas bundled in a late equaliser to make it 1-1 and rescue a point for Arsenal from their opening Champions League Group G match against Dynamo Kiev in Ukraine.

Emmanuel Adebayor, Robin van Persie, twice, and Cesc Fabregas all had good first-half chances for the Gunners, who still have yet to win a European tie in the former Soviet Union.

Kiev made them pay when Bacary Sagna was adjudged to have pushed over Ognjen Vukojevic and Ismael Bangoura scored a 64th-minute penalty - only for Gallas to net two minutes from time at close range.

The return of Cristiano Ronaldo as a second half sub saw Manchester United begin the defence of their crown with a 0-0 draw against Villarreal at Old Trafford.

United could come no closer than a late Jonny Evans diving header that bounced back off a post as their 12-match winning streak on home soil in the competition was brought to an end. The Yellow Submarines almost sank Sir Alex Ferguson's men altogether when Guille Franco hit the woodwork as well.

Chelsea Arsenal Targeting Steven Appiah to Sign-In

Chelsea are to join the race to sign Arsenal target Steven Appiah. The former Fenerbahce midfielder left the Turkish club earlier this summer and is keen to come to England, with Arsene Wenger and now, Blues boss Luis Fillipe Scolari keen to offer him that chance to come to the Premier League.

The Ghana international could fit straight into Scolari's starting eleven with current holding midfield player Michael Essien likely to be out for up to six months. The 27-year old has earned the nickname "Tornado" due to his dominance in the midfield and is widely regarded as one of Africa's finest talents.

If either side were to sign Appiah it would be magnificent. He is a superb player who, I feel would prove a massive hit in the Premier League and his price-tag isn't bad, £0. I think Arsene Wenger is very short in the midfield department and he should do all he can to capture the former Juventus man.

Emmanuel Adebayor Bagged a Hat-Trick as Arsenal Defeated Blackburn Rovers 4 - 0

Emmanuel Adebayor bagged a hat-trick as Arsenal ran out comfortable 4-0 winners over Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park.

Robin van Persie put the Gunners ahead after just eight minutes following good work by England hat-trick hero Theo Walcott and Adebayor added a second on the stroke of half-time.

Adebayor claimed his second from the penalty spot after Stephen Warnock fouled Emmanuel Eboue and then wrapped up the scoring in the last minute.

Blackburn manager Paul Ince said: "Up to half time, I thought it was close. We were creating chances and playing well but we fell asleep. When you play Arsenal you need to be switched on for every second and it's disappointing that we didn't do that. We need to stop leaking goals because we're doing okay at the other end. The good thing is that we won't be playing Arsenal every week."

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger added: "It is always good when you're clinical and efficient and that's what we were today. We played well but, more importantly, we took our chances when they came. It is always interesting at the top of the table and today's results show that this promises to be a very interesting Premier League again."

Champions League draw Announced

Defending champion Manchester United will face British rival Celtic in the group stage of the Champions League. Sir Alex Ferguson's side, who beat Barclays Premier League rivals Chelsea on penalties in the final in Moscow in May, were also joined by Spanish side Villarreal and Danish club Aalborg in Group E.

Celtic met United competitively for the first time in 2006-07, avenging a 3-2 defeat at Old Trafford with a 1-0 victory at Parkhead.

Luiz Felipe Scolari's team will look to go one better than last season when they were beaten on penalties by Manchester United in the final. Chelsea, which lost May's final on penalty kicks to the Red Devils, also has a relatively easy group, featuring AS Roma, Bordeaux and newcomer CFR Cluj.

Arsenal have been handed a tough draw in Group G of the Champions League. The Gunners must face Porto of Portugal, Fenerbahce of Turkey and Dynamo Kiev of Ukraine. Arsenal reached the quarter-finals of last season's competition, losing to Barclays Premier League rivals Liverpool.

Five-time champion Liverpool have been drawn in Group D along with Dutch giants PSV Eindhoven and Spanish stars Atletico Madrid. French side Marseille make up a testing group for the Anfield outfit with the first matchday scheduled next month. Rafa Benitez's side will be hoping to improve on last season's semi-final appearance where they were beaten by Barclays Premier League rivals Chelsea.

Juventus has a tough return to the lucrative competition after a two-year absence. The Italians will have to overcome nine-time champion Real Madrid, UEFA Cup winner Zenit St. Petersburg and debutante BATE.

Two-time champion FC Barcelona will meet Sporting, FC Basel and Shakhtar Donetsk.

Fulham Defeated Arsenal 1 - 0

Brede Hangeland capped a fabulous personal fortnight as his solitary goal handed Fulham only their second victory over Arsenal in the Premier League.

Hangeland, who was appointed Norway captain earlier this month, prodded home the only goal of a fractious London derby which did little to dispel the doubters who believe Arsenal will fail to mount a serious bid to Manchester United and Chelsea's supremacy.

It was a measure of Fulham's early authority that it took Arsenal 12 minutes to fashion a chance of note with Emmanuel Adebayor fizzing a shot wide from 20 yards having been slid in by Robin van Persie.

Arsenal should have taken the lead seven minutes later when Theo Walcott's cross was miscued into van Persie's path by Samir Nasri, but the Dutch international fired wide of the near post with his usually reliable left foot.

And his error was punished within a minute as Arsenal's inability to deal with set-pieces reared its familiar head.

Jimmy Bullard fired over a corner from the left and Hangeland stole in unmarked to prod home his first goal in English football.

Arsene Wenger's side roared back up the other end and were unlucky not to draw level when Adebayor comprehensively beat Mark Schwarzer with a powerful header, but the outside of the post came to Fulham's rescue.

That effort aside, Arsenal were wretched, bereft of ideas, lacking in leadership and particularly the direction so regularly supplied by Cesc Fabregas, whose immanent return from a hamstring strain can't come soon enough.

The malaise lasted well into the second half, with Fabregas' Brazilian understudy Denilson out-manoeuvred by two Englishmen in Bullard and Danny Murphy.

Bobby Zamora had the chance to kill the game on the hour mark but could not divert Ki-Hyeon Seol's cross into the top corner from eight yards.

Van Persie cracked a shot wide from the edge of the penalty area with Schwarzer struggling and Nasri has a shot blocked by John Paintsil from point blank range as Arsenal belatedly cranked up the pressure.

But an equaliser failed to materialise leaving Wenger with much to ponder and one would have thought much business to conclude before the transfer window slams shut in just over a week's time.

Mikael Silvestre Joined Arsenal from Manchester United

MANCHESTER United's French defender Mikael Silvestre has signed for Arsenal on a two-year deal for an undisclosed fee. Silvestre had spent nine seasons under Sir Alex Ferguson at Old Trafford but his move south to North London means he joins up with manager Arsene Wenger whose defensive options will have increased with his signature.

The United contract of the 31-year-old, who missed a large part of last season with knee ligament damage, was set to expire next season. He had been linked with a move to Bordeaux and Manchester City during the summer but opted to move to the capital city instead.

With his contract set to expire in 2009 Ferguson has allowed Silvestre - who is the first player to leave United for Arsenal since Brian Kidd 34 years ago - to join one of their major Barclays Premier League rivals.

Arsenal though are short on experience and Wenger cited Silvestre's ability to fulfil several defensive positions as the two factors behind the deal.

“We have a strong squad but a young squad and Mikael's versatility, experience and calibre will provide the extra depth we need to reinforce our challenge for honours this season. His defensive adaptability will serve us well and it's a big plus that Mikael has top-level experience and a great understanding of football in the (Barclays) Premier League.” Wenger said.

Ferguson signed Silvestre from Inter Milan in 1999 after he began his career with Rennes who he left for the San Siro in 1998.

Silvestre enjoyed considerable success with the Red Devils and won four Barclays Premier League titles, an FA Cup winner's medal and a League Cup winner's medal in his 361 appearances with the club.

But his final season at United was hampered by a knee ligament injury sustained against Everton in September 2007 which restricted him to just six competitive appearances.

Silvestre, who has also won 40 caps for France and was part of the squad which reached the World Cup final in 2006, is looking forward to a new phase in his career.

Silvestre looks set to go in to the Arsenal squad ahead of the side's Barclays Premier League match at Fulham on Saturday,

“I've spent a large part of my career at United, the last nine years, and I'll remember that time fondly but feel I'm ready for a new challenge. Arsenal is known for playing technical and skilful football, and has a young but experienced squad. I'm really excited about this next stage of my career, hopefully playing my part in helping the club to new successes.'' said Silvestre who has been handed the number 18 shirt.

Emmanuel Adebayor Signs Long-Term Contract with Arsenal

Arsenal striker Emmanuel Adebayor has ended any lingering doubts about his future by signing a new long-term contract with the Gunners.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has called for the club's fans to get behind striker Emmanuel Adebayor, who has ended speculation over his future by signing a new contract. After the 24-year-old put pen to paper on a new deal, Wenger said: "We have to get behind him and support him because he is a tremendous force and (is of) tremendous importance for the team - you want your own fans to be behind him. What happened in the transfer period did not always reflect his deep desire and there was manipulation from agents on both sides, but overall I am positive he will recover."

The 24-year-old Togo international had been strongly linked with a move to either AC Milan or Barcelona this summer, but Adebayor announced that he was set to pen a new deal at the start of the month. Adebayor's new contract is reported to be worth around £80,000 a week and is set to tie the striker to Arsenal until at least 2012.

He had told the club's official website: "Now I can tell everyone that, yes, I will sign a contract. I'm feeling very good here, very well here, and at the moment my heart is with Arsenal. I never told anyone I would be leaving this club, never ever. I'm very happy we've found a solution. I have three years left on my contract and I'm putting two or three years more, so I'm very happy being part of this family."

Adebayor has scored 47 goals in 107 appearances for Arsenal since his arrival from Monaco in January 2006.

Arsene Wenger: `Top Clubs `TAP-UP` our Players`

Arsene Wenger has accused Europe's leading clubs of 'tapping up' his players, just as Emmanuel Adebayor agrees a new contract worth around £70,000-a-week at the club.

Wenger is angry at repeated comments from the likes of AC Milan and Barcelona about players such as Adebayor, who has been linked with a move away from London for much of the summer.

"There is a game going on in Europe where the big clubs tap up our players," Wenger said in The Times.

"They let us do the work and develop the players and then they think they can just come in and offer them big wages, but after they cannot come up with the transfer fee. It should be the other way round."

Indeed, Barcelona sporting director Txiki Bergiristain continued their apparent pursuit of the Togo striker yesterday, when he told Sky Sports News:

"Adebayor is one of the biggest players in football at the moment. There are possibly four or five strikers who could come to our club, one of biggest in Europe, and of course Adebayor is one of them."

Liverpool and Arsenal Discover Opponents in the Champions League Third Qualifying Round

Liverpool face Standard Liege while Arsenal will play FC Twente in the Champions League third qualifying round.

Arsenal will face former England and Middlesbrough manager Steve McClaren's FC Twente in the Champions League third qualifying round this month. McClaren took the reins at the Dutch side earlier this summer and the Eredivisie outfit will make their Champions League debut after beating Ajax in a play-off last season.

Meanwhile 2005 winners Liverpool were paired with Belgian former European powerhouse Standard Liege. The English clubs managed to avoid Spain's Atletico Madrid, the strongest of the unseeded teams, as they were paired with German outfit Schalke.

The first matches of the round take place on the 12th and 13th August, with the second leg taking place on the 26th and 27th August. Both the Reds and the Gunners will be hoping to emulate Manchester United, after the Old Trafford outfit won the trophy last season with a win over Barclays Premier League rivals Chelsea.

Arsenal Completed Signing Weder Bremen Midfielder - Amaury Bischoff

Arsenal have today completed the signing of Weder Bremen midfielder Amaury Bischoff. The French-born Bischoff has signed for the Gunners for an undisclosed fee after weeks of speculation about the 21-year old's future at Bremen.

The Portuguese under-21 international admitted earlier this month that a chance to join the Premier League giants would be too good to turn down and so that has proved. He will link up with his Arsenal team-mates when the squad return from their pre-season tour of Austria.

I feel the signing of Bischoff is vital for Arsenal considering Arsene Wenger has let go of some many midfield players. I have seen bits of Amaury and I have also heard many good things about him so I, along with all the Gunners fans will be eager to see how he progresses at the Emirates stadium.