Arsenal 3-0 Genclerbirligi Match Report

New signing Eduardo made his Arsenal debut against GenclerbirligiAttackers impress in Arsenal win

Eduardo Da Silva and Bacary Sagna had yet to don an Arsenal shirt, but this evening gave both the chance to experience competitive action with the Gunners.

The opposition only managed sixth place in the Turkish League last season, and it’s true to say that there will be sterner test ahead for the pair in the Premiership season. But both came through the test unscathed, and will hope to build on their performances.

In humid, difficult conditions, Arsenal began to show their ease on both ball and eye in the 3-0 victory. Adebayor, Walcott and Van Persie all impressed in the game, with the former showing a maturity that would encourage Arsenal fans in the absence of Henry.

The first goal came from young Walcott moments before half-time, using his speed well on the wing, before drifting a ball to the far post where Van Persie was waiting to execute a low finish.

Half-time rang in the changes for Arsenal, with Sagna coming off for Eboue after a solid first half. In all, Wenger made twelve changes throughout the game, evidence that this fixture was intended to stretch the legs, rather than the strategic intelligence of the players.

After the break, the Gunners soon settled in to a rhythm, with Denilson and Adebayor combining well after six minutes of the half had passed, to set up Walcott for the second, who was clearly enjoying his opportunity to shine in the absence of his mentor.

Adebayor also played well, holding up the ball nicely whilst Van Persie got in the ideal position to send the ball into the back of the net for Arsenal’s third just after the hour.

Eduardo came on for a fully-fit Van Persie for the last twenty minutes, but by that time the game was over and Arsenal could relax safe in the knowledge that there is life after Henry after all.

Match report thanks to Goal.com

Have your say on Arsenal’s win over Genclerbirligi by leaving a comment.

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Comments

  1. Its officiall!
    Vela will not play on Arsenal this season.
    he will be in loan at Osasuna in the first division of Spain.

  2. I dont like Almunia but he looks good in this game and I hope Rosicky play this season at the same position (as creative midfielder, behind the strikers) that he plays in his national team because hes not very good fixed to the line.

    and I love the new away shirt unfortunatelly the fly emirates logo is still too big could be great if the logo was small. I hate big sponsors.

  3. I hope Arsene manage to bring Di Maria to the Emirates to solve our LM problem. At 19, I think he is big enough to be given a chance.He can be brought in as a special talent like Denilson, otherwise having seen Traore, I believe he can be pushed forward.

    KROENKE
    This guy is becoming a problem for Arsenal now, since he expressed interest in the Arsenal the club hasn’t known peace. He created a whole lot of instability when he purchased those shares, then Dein left, later TH14 siting Dein also left then rumours of AW and some players leaving. The club seems to be returning to normalcy now but the man is trying to bring another instability by talking about meeting other members of the Board. Is this guy Arsenal’s ‘Hitler’ ? I pray that the Board won’t sell to the guy. Arsenal don’t need KROENKE to make it. He can go for SPURS. Surprisingly, he seems to have got Arsenal News Review and Arsedup on his side, who are doing PR for him. WE DON’T NEED KROENKE, with increasing inflows in a year’s time Arsenal fans won’t borrow for him to buy the club and saddle the club with huge debts, no way for him.

  4. Harlan – You’re right; Arsenal don’t need Kroenke. Quite frankly, the whole situation is annoying me. Please leave us alone.
    MexicanGunner – Playing Rosicky behind the strikers is an interesting idea. There’s no doubt that he would do well there because he’s played there many times before. He’s definitely better central in my opinion – that’s why I would like to see him and Fabregas in the centre of a 4-3-3 formation. We’ll have to see how it pans out.

  5. if we play 4-3-3 our wing back will be very important though….

    angel di maria, i told you guys we will get him, maybe there is a special signing yet to come, maybe he is waiting to see if we get in the CL group stages

  6. angel di maria scored a stunning goal against chile under 20s

    on the volley and it hit the post and went in, smashing goal just around the penalty box

    this guy is going to be an amazing player, he can shoot, dribble, kinda strong on the ball too

    reminds me of kily gonzalez can you lot remember him

  7. GunnerShabz, i haven’t seen this dude play (di maria) and i might not know much about him but i think there are lots of factors to be considered before concluding that he’s going to fit like a missing piece of puzzle in emirates.i mean most players can shoot, dribble and be strong otherwise they wouldn’t be into pro soccer. He could be good too (am giving the benefit of doubt here) but u need more than that to convince wenger. just a thought.

    Anyone knows where i can get arsenal match torrents?

  8. kinghtman: surely buying him is a good indication wenger believes in him?
    kroenke: i personally do not like the idea of kroenke/dein taking over. dein was forced out for a reason. but together they own a quarter of the club and the board should go to them and say for the best of the club, they can make their quarter worth of the money (after debts are paid and the team is invested in) and a quarter of the board’s say. A hostile takeover isn’t going to help the club though, sure Henry had his links but the rest of the young team need stability that this isn’t going to give them. If Kroenke tries to sway the fans by saying he will invest big money in the club, it goes against our strict economic problem being sorted but more importantly, our youth policy. if we buy big names, it shows the kids that them working their arse off to make the bench is pointless, we’ll just splash the cash on someone who just likes the american money.

  9. KROENKE: If he was English, and had the cash available without borrowing, Im sure you guys would jump at the bit. I dont want him around the club either. He is skilled at taking sports teams to a new level, but we have the latent to do that aleady. If he didnt have to borrow, Im not so sure people would be against him,…

  10. nix: the nationality doesn’t bother me it’s the ‘had the cash without borrowing’. If he had it in his back pocket and us as fans didn’t effectively have to pay for it, i’d welcome him with no qualms. And none of his sports teams have proved to be as big as the lakers or the raiders etc.

  11. “if we buy big names, it shows the kids that them working their arse off to make the bench is pointless, we’ll just splash the cash on someone who just likes the american money.” So you assume that, If Wenger were given that moeny, he would all of a sudden become a frivolous spender?! Wenger in charge of more money only means better things. However, the money needs to come from the right place, and Kroenke isnt the right guy…

  12. True, they are not as big as the Lakers or Raiders. Raiders havent won anything in since Ive been alive. They sell shirts becuase their colour is black. When they switched to white for awhile, their shirt sales plummeted. Lakers are class, but all the teams around them have stepped up, while they havent. I lived in St louyis when he took over the St Louis Rams. He turned an historically pathetic team into the best team the NFL had seen in years and won the Super Bowl with a team full of strong players, not world beaters. The Denver Nugge5ts are all of a sudden not the laughing stock off the NBA. He knows how to make a club better. Fact.

  13. Oh yeah, he won the Stanley Cup at Colorado, a franchise team with no history and a miniscule fanbase…

  14. nix: Sorry, I have no knowledge of american football. I just assumed as the raiders sold collosal amounts of merchandise, they must do pretty well as a team.
    I just think he is not suited to Arsenal. The clubs he has already were bought as laughing stock teams as you say, and were made into good midlevel teams. We already are one of the best in the world, we don’t need a huge fucking investment, we already have it from our current board and by the highbury flats are sorted, it will pay off (our kids will have grown up too).
    On a different note, how much are Pedro and di Maria costing us?

  15. Samuel: I couldnt agree with you more about his suitability to Arsenal. It may sound like I support his takeover, but | dont. just tryin to look at both sides of the argument.. As for the teams he hast taken over, they have all done very well. Thats is down to his ownership. However, Sky Sports has just said “Kroenke to launch takeover bid within days”. Ugh. Good thing i keep a lil flask of Whiskey close by…

  16. “Arsenal are paying around £2m to the Argentine club Rosario Central for Di Maria, who is known as “the Little Angel” and who has scored two goals in four games as Argentina have reached the last four of the tournament”.. from the independent, so im not sure how reliable…

  17. as i see theo walcott is going to be one of the best player of the world. he really has opportunities of scoring goals

  18. like i said i dont think we be signing players for the squad, maybe for the future i.e. angel di maria and pedro

    but i think one midfielder is need a wide player, and i thought angel di maria could been our left sided winger…

    but i just got a feeling freddie is going to be the main winger

    seen him yestaday, he looked sharp and healthy too, he seems to be determined

  19. If Ljungberg is fit then he has the ability to dominate the wing position. I think he can make a massive impact next season as long as he avoids injury. It’s a big ask – but who would bet against it?

  20. Shabz, if di Maria can get a work permit, he will be more than one for the future.
    Nix, I think Kroenke isn’t the sole reason a team would do well. Even with Abramovich, no-one succeeded at Chelsea until Mourinho came in and told them what to do. We already have Wenger, a proven champion who knows his plan better than anyone, and a takeover is the biggest threat to it been carried out. At the moment, I don’t care who owns the club, all I care about is Wenger achieving his vision and us hopefully paying off the debt. Liverpool and United are spending wild amounts of money hoping that you have to spend money to make money but that is the only plan they have and it really looks from someone with a good grasp of economics who isn’t biased that it’s going to go tits up.

  21. SF – He has lost a lot of his pace and can go down very easily now. I think confidence will be the biggest factor for him (and the rest of the team) whether he thinks he can go past defenders. This means regular starts and regular good performances from him and the players around him. If he starts badly, I’d say sell him. But the optimist in me says he could be good.

  22. Why Arsene Wenger should wait till next year before bringing in Angel Di-Maria,The guy can shoot,dribble,strong on the ball too,We need him this year.To me comparing Walcott to Henry is a mistake by now,but within 2 years to come we can compare him to Henry.

  23. Samuel: At no point have I said Kroenke was the SOLE reason for clubs’ success, but, success wasnt their before his arrival… Also, I re-iterate: Do you believe Wenger would lose control of the players he buys? Do you think he will all of a sudden spend money or moneys sake!?! Of course not.. And, if given more money, regardless of who its from, dont you think Wenger would make the absolute most of it? Chelsea is a bad exmaple because they went from a 5th place team at best to arguably one of the biggest clubs in the World. And they had to spend £300-400m on players. In 3-4 years. If you think we will have to do the same thing, your are mistaken. As for us “hopefully” paying off our debt, we are doing that with ease.

  24. “Even with Abramovich, no-one succeeded at Chelsea until Mourinho came in and told them what to do.” During Ranieri’s tenure, Chelsea finished sixth, sixth, fourth and second. The Blues reached the semifinals of the Champions League for the first time and were 11 points behind Les Invicibles. It was Kenyon who guided the club. Not Mourinho.

  25. And, if given more money, regardless of who its from, dont you think Wenger would make the absolute most of it?
    ——–
    I really don’t. I love Arsene but if he could he buy something properly or buy something cheap with potential, he will always go #2.

    Ok, I agree with you on Chelsea. Kroenke is inevitable whether we like it or not and that’s what I’m bitter about. The club is already in a fragile state when it comes to debt, I really prefer us not spending and staying 4th than doing a leeds. I know the leeds example is extreme, but it could so easily happen to like 5 or 6 clubs in the premierships in the next ten years and I don’t Arsenal’s name being on that list.

  26. Why Arsene Wenger should wait till next year before bringing in Angel Di-Maria,The guy can shoot,dribble,strong on the ball too,We need him this year.To me comparing Walcott to Henry is a mistake by now,but within 2 years to come we can compare him to Henry.

    Comment by Joshua Asante — July 20, 2007 #

    Work permit is the problem with di Maria. Walcott doesn’t have the Henry comparisons anymore, Wenger was smart enough not to shove him straight into the first team and now it seems a very long time since he went to the world cup. people have calmed down on him and because of this, i think he could surprise a lot next season.

  27. Always signing big names doesn’t show a sign of a good manager or a profitable manager,But by signing talented players without big names and trained them to have a big names is an advantage to the club like Arsene Wenger signing players like,Walcott,Fabragas,Angel di Maria,Pedro,Vela,Denilson,Diaby,Adebayor,Bendtner,and Robin Van Persie!I see it as a great achievement to the club.
    Bravo Wenger!

  28. One other thought too Samuel.. Wenger hasnt ever really been given the finances to buy someone properly. Basically, weve always had to operate under the radar with understandably low funds. So maybe he needs a tru chance before we completely decide? I know there have been the flops(more recently reyes), but I still have faith that if wenger has no hands tied he would target the right people and get them. I dont think the arrival of any mega-bucks will drastically change the way Wenger operates in the transfer market. Dont think he wouuld sign a new contract if that were the case… Lets not forget he has tremendous leverage right now…

  29. Sam Nix

    ‘Wenger hasn’t really ever been given the finances to buy someone properly’ Its never true. I know that is the perception of most fans but its false. The Board has supported Arsene in all his programs, bringing in Wiltord, Reyes etc at an inflated prices at the time. This year the Board has put up 40+ for Arsene but he’s chosen not to use it. Always believing that players are overinflated especially English players.

  30. Harlan, im not suggesting the board hasnt supported AW. They have supported him with everything they could manage, but that was NEVER enough to target the top top players.

  31. And as for the £40m+ the board has graciously given him… he just sold £30m+ worth of players. So thats about a net donation of £10m to the cause…

  32. Sam you were talking about the unavailability of funds to AW and I’m saying is not correct, he chooses to buy youngsters and develop them albeit at cheaper prices. Even if you bring Abramovich’s millions, AW won’t spend but follow his own approach which has served him well over the years. Henry, Viera, Anelka and now RVP were made knowns by him but were unknowns when they were acquired. So Arsenal can afford Eto at 25+ but AW won’t buy him, It doesn’t mean he wanted the player and money wasn’t made available. I hope you get me. The guy will just not spend, he’s not Mourinho or Ferguson.

  33. Good to see this morning that Wenger has ruled out the possibility of signing Nicolas Anelka. Also good that Ljungberg will be in the squad and that Wenger values his “experience”. Things building up in quite a nice manner today 🙂

  34. Even if you bring Abramovich’s millions, AW won’t spend but follow his own approach which has served him well over the years…

    thats what i have been saying the whole time… read the thread.

  35. now I’m concerned about the defence, its so weak, apparently the weakest in the top four. Seems AW want to push Song there but all the two matches played so far questions AW decision in maintaining Song at the club. Don’t know why he keeps on trying Song when Djourou is available.

  36. I think Diaby is an absolutely class player-can any of you gunners tell me if you think he”ll be a starting player next season,because I was looking at him on the sun dreamteam player list and cannot decide whether he will get enough games.
    I don’t think Diaby will get ahead of Gilberto-Cesc Fabragas in the middle but he could play behind the strikers,on the lett as well.
    Adebayor and Dudu Silva I think will start upfront with Robin Van Persie in the left of midfield.
    Best option I think!

  37. Formula One kingpin Bernie Ecclestone is interested taking over arsenal, he is worth around the 3billion mark and i rather have him then stan geeza

    he is british and am sure the board would prefer to have him on board

  38. Someones nationality has NOTHING to do with buiyig the club. Thats the small minded thinking we dont need. Timing says that PH-W probably spoke with Bernie to help drive any price up… As for Diaby, he will play a massive role this year. Absolute class. As for our defence, maybe a commanding CB, but with Toure/Gallas/Djourou/Senderos, and the arrival of young Nortveidt, its unlikely. The frailties of the defence were often exacerbated by poor assistance from the midefield. I believe the combination of Gallas(prat that he may be…) can be as good as any pairing in the PL.

  39. After hearing Bernies words regarding Dein being unnecessarily “chucked out”, methinks PH-W and Bernie may not be that close…

  40. AW decision in maintaining Song at the club. Don’t know why he keeps on trying Song when Djourou is available.
    ———–
    Two friendlies and now he makes the first team? I think Song is being signed up as 5th place both in central defence and midfield.
    Nix: When Arsene came to Arsenal, he spent a fortune to turn the club around. Overmars, Anelka, Petit, Vieira, Grimandi, Vivas, lots of other players I am not remembering were all bought in the first six months he was here. He bought Jeffers for 9m, Henry for 10.5, Wiltord for 13m, Reyes for up to 16m, Walcott could end up costing like 12.5m, etc. etc.
    Bernie Ecclestone is a Chelsea fan but he has family ties to Dein and could afford to buy the club outright. He has a long line of being corrupt and what not (formula one has a dirty fucking background) but I’d still prefer him to Kroenke. PHW would be out on his arse, Dein would most probably even resent Wenger, I seem to think he has this mistaken belief that it was Dein who was the sole reason Arsenal are where they are. However it ends up, I’d prefer Hill Wood to Dein running the show.

  41. I question any resenment from DD to AW. They live next door, are very close, and even drive the same black S class Benz…

  42. Fenerbahce midfielder Stephen Appiah wants to join Arsenal,The Ghana international is hoping that Arsenal will come in for him.”I think stephen Appiah suits Arsenal’s style,”
    id love to see stephen Appiah at Arsenal!

  43. Why oh Why is everyone having a pop at Wenger for selling Freddy,Look at the facts and statistics Freddie was great but he has lost his game,26 appearences and 2 goals in two seasons isnt enough at any standard!!!”Experience or no experience”,Good luck Freddie,but dissapointed in people who were for the sale and now slagging it off.!!!

  44. Ljunberg: this guy has done us good but i got to agree with Asante that freddie should leave with our blessings

    Samuel: is di Maria still coming? 🙂 😉

    NIX: the nationality matters a lot. we’ve know this and have heard it over and over that if a club is bought by a ‘business’ minded tycoon, then all he’ll care about is making profit and more profit on the expense of the clubs integrity and future.. trust me, abramovich (is tht the spelling?) had everything to do with shevchenkos move to chelsea which we know, never made Jose a happy man but does abramovich giove a f*ck? NO

    ADEBAYOR: i see this dude making it this season plus wallcot and van persie. let’s watch them

  45. “We love you Freddie, because you’ve got no hair,
    We love you Freddie, because you’re everywhere,
    We love you Freddie, cos’ you’re Arsenal through and through”

    Freddie was one of my fav players.And even though he joined West Ham after saying all that ‘loyalty thing and not being able to play for another english club out of respect for arsenal fans’, i still HAD respect for him until he came out with his comments after signing for ’em.

    Whats wrong with these players??Aliadiere had a poke at us as soon as he left , Henry though he didn’t badmouth the club he did start the whole “instability crap”, and now its freddie. And all these players have spent a considerable time at the club and that makes it all the more painful.

  46. Honestly, Freddie may not be the loving guy some of us talk about, the opague attack he launched at Wenger was very unfortunate. Freddie seems angry for leaving Arsenal. His statement on Henry leaving and lack of big players etc were uncalled for. Don’t know if some of you heard it, now everybody wants to unsettle the club. The only good news coming today is the statement from Fiszman, he’s killed off KROENKE and BENNIE. In fact KROENKE should be looking to selling his small stake and running. It won’t happen like MANU and POOL ‘cos Arsenal is unique.

  47. OK guys – sorry about the massive delay but there is a new post up about Ljungberg’s exit. Absolutely gutted by the way, Ljungberg was my favourite player by a country mile.

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