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The last seven days at Emirates Stadium
Kick-off times confirmed for pre-season games.
The following times have been confirmed for Arsenal's pre-season games:
Hangzhou Greentown v Arsenal
Saturday, July 16 2011
Meihu Sports Center, Yiwu City
Kick off: 7.30pm local time (12.30pm UK time)
FC Cologne v Arsenal
Saturday, July 23 2011
RheinEnergie Stadium, Cologne
Kick off: 3.30pm local time (2.30pm UK time)
Benfica v Arsenal
Saturday, August 6 2011
Estadio da Luz, Lisbon
Kick off: tbc (will be an evening kick off)
All matches will be live on Arsenal Player.
Arsenal reveal 125th anniversary away kit.
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The Club have revealed its 125th anniversary away kit for the 2011/12 season. Capturing the spirit and history of Arsenal Football Club, the new away shirt features a specially designed crest to highlight the proud origins of the Club 125 years ago.
Arsenal Dream Team: Back four and keeper revealed.
Arsenal Dream Team: No 1 David Seaman
It’s time to unveil the Arsenal Dream Team.
This summer we asked the fans to choose their all-time XI and we got a tremendous response. More than 12,000 teams were submitted as supporters all around the world had their say.
There were only two rules: no current players could be included and the formation would be a traditional 4-4-2. That gave the fans a difficult task - how would they fit their favourite players into the side and find the perfect blend?
We’ll reveal the Dream Team position by position, starting today with a goalkeeper who was selected in 80 per cent of the submitted line-ups.
NO 1 DAVID SEAMAN
Goalkeeper
Appearances: 564
Goals: 0
From the moment David Seaman arrived at Arsenal, he was a hit with the Highbury crowd.
The goalkeeper’s sustained excellence saw him become the cornerstone of a rock-solid defence and he’s the obvious candidate between the posts for our all-time Arsenal XI.
The Yorkshireman’s qualities were manifold - he had sharp reflexes, excellent positional sense, great judgement from crosses and bags of courage. Attributes that ensure the Dream Team is in safe hands.
Seaman started his Arsenal career behind the Back Four of Lee Dixon, Nigel Winterburn, Steve Bould and Tony Adams - which kept 24 clean sheets and conceded just 18 goals en route to the 1990/91 League title. It would not be a surprise if some of those stalwarts join the keeper in the all-time XI.
Seaman's heroics were a feature of Arsenal's unprecedented domestic Cup double in 1993 - he saved three penalties in a shoot-out at Millwall in the League Cup – and he was at it again a year later as Parma’s stellar cast of Zola, Brolin and Asprilla were kept at bay in the Final of the European Cup Winners' Cup.
Making crucial saves at vital times is a key characteristic of any world-class custodian and Seaman maintained his fine form under Arsène Wenger as Doubles were secured in 1998 and 2002.
Even when he was apparently on the wane, Seaman’s reflexes and judgment silenced the critics. During the 1,000th appearance of his career, he produced arguably his finest save to deny Sheffield United a late equaliser in the FA Cup Semi-Final at Old Trafford.
It’s moments like this that earned him a place ahead of Bob Wilson and Pat Jennings. Arsenal’s all-time XI has its No 1.
WHAT THEY SAID
"We all know we're losing a great player but what you maybe don't know about David is that he's a great human being. He was more than a player - he was like a dad to all of us. What we'll miss most is him in the dressing room. It was great for me to have him around. I talked with him a lot after lunch or dinner and that did me good because he knows about football and has had a great career." - Thierry Henry
"People forget but he works hard in training and he gets the reward for that. He is an example of professionalism and a great example for the young goalkeepers.” - Arsène Wenger
Arsenal Dream Team: No 3 Nigel Winterburn
NO 3 NIGEL WINTERBURN
Left back
Appearances: 584
Goals: 12
Nigel Winterburn is the first member of our Dream Team who had a real fight on their hands to earn a place in the starting XI.
David Seaman was a shoo-in for the goalkeeping spot and Lee Dixon comfortably saw off Pat Rice at right back, but Nigel had much stiffer competition. The manner of Ashley Cole's departure in 2006 angered many Arsenal fans but he pushed his predecessor all the way in our summer poll.
Ultimately Nigel pipped the 'Invincible' by 46 per cent to 38 and he is well worth his place in our all-time XI. After all, who on earth would have wanted to face Winterburn at his peak?
Influenced by his childhood admiration for Leeds United and toughened by four years with Wimbledon's 'Crazy Gang', Nigel arrived at the Club in 1987 and replaced a veritable Arsenal legend, Kenny Sansom, within a year.
Like the England international, Nigel loved to get forward and he enjoyed a particularly productive left-flank partnership with Marc Overmars later in his career. His early years were notable for his finest goal in a red and white shirt, a vicious long-range effort against Wimbledon with his (usually) weaker right foot.
Chelsea were other notable victims of Nigel's penchant for spectacular shooting but, of course, the Dream Team's No 3 did his best work at the other end of the pitch. You'd be hard pushed to think of a more tenacious defender, a more determined character and a better tackler than the long-serving left back.
Nigel gave 13 years to Arsenal, won a hatful of medals, never let the Club down and fully deserves this latest accolade. The all-time XI's full backs are firmly in place.
WHAT THEY SAID
"Nigel is a consummate professional and to lose a player who has dedicated 13 years of outstanding service to this club is a great loss. In an age where many players are eager to move from one club to another, Nigel has shown remarkable commitment to us. Nigel is a special character and I have to say that I, and undoubtedly the fans, did not want him to leave." - Arsène Wenger in 2000
"There is a tradition that comes with playing for Arsenal and that always drove me on to play my very best. The like of Tony Adams, Steve Bould and Lee Dixon were winners who knew what it meant to play for the club, knew what it took to be successful." - Nigel on his commitment to the Club
Arsenal Dream Team: No 2 Lee Dixon
NO 2 LEE DIXON
Right back
Appearances: 619
Goals: 28
With four titles, three FA Cups, a League Cup and a European Cup Winners' Cup to his name, Lee Dixon is one of the most decorated footballers in Arsenal's history.
He was also one of the most reliable and that makes him a perfect addition to our Dream Team.
It's rare that a player moves from the lower leagues to a top-four club these days - Carl Jenkinson is the exception not the rule - but that wasn't the case in the 1980s and Dixon made the leap with distinction. Signed from Stoke by George Graham, he became a vital cog in the defensive machine that helped secure titles in 1989 and 1991.
Dixon was a tough opponent. Though hardly a man-mountain he could tackle fiercely, his positional awareness was second-to-none and he relished a physical battle. Just ask David Ginola - how Dixon would love him to be his direct opponent if our Dream Team ever took to the field.
It wasn't all about defending though. Dixon was an energetic overlapping full-back too, linking up well with David Rocastle, Paul Merson and Freddie Ljungberg at different stages of his Arsenal career. He scored the odd goal too - one screamer at Chelsea springs to mind - and had the guts to take on penalty duties before Ian Wright joined the Club.
Our all-time XI will have plenty of consistent performers but perhaps none as trustworthy as Dixon. He was rarely spectacular but every team needs solidity and pragmatism and the right back showed that in spades over his 619 appearances.
Oh, and if the Arsenal Dream Team ever needed to win by two goals to snatch the league title from, let's say, a Merseyside club, there's no one better for belting an accurate long pass to the centre forward to help set up the decisive goal.
WHAT THEY SAID
"When I first switched to full back I spoke to Lee Dixon because he played in that position for 15 years and knows so much. I wanted to know about the movement that is needed and the positions that you have to take up and he was really helpful. Whenever I asked him for advice he would talk to me and help me." - Lauren, who succeeded Dixon as Arsenal's right back.
"We all know the esteem in which Herbert Chapman is held but I don't think anybody has achieved what Arsène has. He was the inspiration behind the training facilities; his input into the Emirates and the success on the field is just unequalled. And he's a nice bloke as well." - Dixon on Arsène Wenger.
Arsenal Dream Team: No 6 Tony Adams.
NO 5 TONY ADAMS
Defender
Appearances: 669
Goals: 48
Fourteen years as captain, 669 appearances and 10 major trophies, including League titles in three different decades. It's no surprise that 'Mr. Arsenal' himself has made it into our all-time XI.
Adams was the ultimate one-club man and a rock at the heart of Arsenal's defence. He thrived as the leader of the famous Back Four, developing an instinctive understanding with Steve Bould and Dream Team full-backs Lee Dixon and Nigel Winterburn.
On an individual level, it's hard to think of a more committed, more gutsy and more inspirational footballer in Arsenal's history.
Technically, Adams was a supreme defender - the timing of his tackles, his reading of the game and his aerial ability just some of the qualities he showcased in a regular basis.
Add to that his insatiable appetite for a battle, his mental and physical resilience, his desire and, of course, his leadership, and it's easy to see why Adams has been selected by the fans.
Whereas George Graham favoured a more direct style, Arsène Wenger encouraged Adams to be more expansive. He flourished, showing more poise in possession, initiating attacks from the back and even getting forward when he could.
His transformation under the Frenchman is a tribute to Adams’ quality and adaptability and underlines why he is the perfect candidate - and dare we say captain - for the Arsenal Dream Team.
WHAT THEY SAID
“I never really saw him play because I was too young but from what people say he was amazing and everybody says amazing things about him. Hopefully one day - not so much be like him, because I like to be my own player and person - but of course I want to achieve the things that he achieved.” - Cesc Fabregas
"My colossus." - George Graham
"A professor of defence." - Arsène Wenger
Arsenal Dream Team: No 5 Sol Campbell.
Hello Sol. I miss seeing you in the Arsenal Jersey!
NO 5 SOL CAMPBELL
Defender
Appearances: 211
Goals: 12
Rarely has an Arsenal defensive duo shown the physical and mental strength of Sol Campbell and Tony Adams so it’s fitting that the pair will resume their partnership in our all-time XI.
During his first season at the Club, having crossed the North London divide from Tottenham, Campbell thrived alongside the outward-bound Adams at the heart of the Arsenal back four.
The Dream Team now has two inspirational leaders, who captained both club and country, as the bedrock of the side.
After that short trip down the Seven Sisters Road, Campbell grew into one of the game’s finest centre backs. He was impregnable at times, even when he made a daunting return to White Hart Lane with his new club for the first time.
Campbell was strong but he was also athletic. His bludgeoning power and fearsome frame worked in tandem with fast-moving feet. And there was, strangely for a man of his build, serenity in the way he carried himself too.
He was never willing to throw in the towel and often appeared visibly hurt in defeat - characteristics that endeared him to the fans and earned him a place ahead of Martin Keown, David O’Leary and Steve Bould in the Dream Team.
A ‘super rock’ according to Arsène Wenger, Campbell was a lynchpin in the ‘Invincibles’ side of 2003/04, a campaign in which the Gunners conceded just 26 goals.
His resoluteness, alongside Adams, Nigel Winterburn and Lee Dixon, make our all-time XI’s back four a frightening prospect for even the most potent of strikeforces.
WHAT THEY SAID
"Sol was at the heart of our defence and he will take away with him many fantastic memories, which he richly deserves. I would like to thank Sol for his tremendous contribution. His commitment, stature and strength of character have served us remarkably well, both individually and as a team player who captained the side.” - Arsène Wenger, speaking in 2006.
I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the Late Danny Friszman...'Lest We Forget' his Love & Loyalty to the Arsenal.
“This bridge is dedicated to Danny Friszman in recognition of his immense contribution to Arsenal Football Club and the move to our new stadium.”
Cheers.
The last seven days at Emirates Stadium
Kick-off times confirmed for pre-season games.
The following times have been confirmed for Arsenal's pre-season games:
Hangzhou Greentown v Arsenal
Saturday, July 16 2011
Meihu Sports Center, Yiwu City
Kick off: 7.30pm local time (12.30pm UK time)
FC Cologne v Arsenal
Saturday, July 23 2011
RheinEnergie Stadium, Cologne
Kick off: 3.30pm local time (2.30pm UK time)
Benfica v Arsenal
Saturday, August 6 2011
Estadio da Luz, Lisbon
Kick off: tbc (will be an evening kick off)
All matches will be live on Arsenal Player.
Arsenal reveal 125th anniversary away kit.
Arsenal Dream Team: Back four and keeper revealed.
Arsenal Dream Team: No 1 David Seaman
It’s time to unveil the Arsenal Dream Team.
This summer we asked the fans to choose their all-time XI and we got a tremendous response. More than 12,000 teams were submitted as supporters all around the world had their say.
There were only two rules: no current players could be included and the formation would be a traditional 4-4-2. That gave the fans a difficult task - how would they fit their favourite players into the side and find the perfect blend?
We’ll reveal the Dream Team position by position, starting today with a goalkeeper who was selected in 80 per cent of the submitted line-ups.
NO 1 DAVID SEAMAN
Goalkeeper
Appearances: 564
Goals: 0
From the moment David Seaman arrived at Arsenal, he was a hit with the Highbury crowd.
The goalkeeper’s sustained excellence saw him become the cornerstone of a rock-solid defence and he’s the obvious candidate between the posts for our all-time Arsenal XI.
The Yorkshireman’s qualities were manifold - he had sharp reflexes, excellent positional sense, great judgement from crosses and bags of courage. Attributes that ensure the Dream Team is in safe hands.
Seaman started his Arsenal career behind the Back Four of Lee Dixon, Nigel Winterburn, Steve Bould and Tony Adams - which kept 24 clean sheets and conceded just 18 goals en route to the 1990/91 League title. It would not be a surprise if some of those stalwarts join the keeper in the all-time XI.
Seaman's heroics were a feature of Arsenal's unprecedented domestic Cup double in 1993 - he saved three penalties in a shoot-out at Millwall in the League Cup – and he was at it again a year later as Parma’s stellar cast of Zola, Brolin and Asprilla were kept at bay in the Final of the European Cup Winners' Cup.
Making crucial saves at vital times is a key characteristic of any world-class custodian and Seaman maintained his fine form under Arsène Wenger as Doubles were secured in 1998 and 2002.
Even when he was apparently on the wane, Seaman’s reflexes and judgment silenced the critics. During the 1,000th appearance of his career, he produced arguably his finest save to deny Sheffield United a late equaliser in the FA Cup Semi-Final at Old Trafford.
It’s moments like this that earned him a place ahead of Bob Wilson and Pat Jennings. Arsenal’s all-time XI has its No 1.
WHAT THEY SAID
"We all know we're losing a great player but what you maybe don't know about David is that he's a great human being. He was more than a player - he was like a dad to all of us. What we'll miss most is him in the dressing room. It was great for me to have him around. I talked with him a lot after lunch or dinner and that did me good because he knows about football and has had a great career." - Thierry Henry
"People forget but he works hard in training and he gets the reward for that. He is an example of professionalism and a great example for the young goalkeepers.” - Arsène Wenger
Arsenal Dream Team: No 3 Nigel Winterburn
NO 3 NIGEL WINTERBURN
Left back
Appearances: 584
Goals: 12
Nigel Winterburn is the first member of our Dream Team who had a real fight on their hands to earn a place in the starting XI.
David Seaman was a shoo-in for the goalkeeping spot and Lee Dixon comfortably saw off Pat Rice at right back, but Nigel had much stiffer competition. The manner of Ashley Cole's departure in 2006 angered many Arsenal fans but he pushed his predecessor all the way in our summer poll.
Ultimately Nigel pipped the 'Invincible' by 46 per cent to 38 and he is well worth his place in our all-time XI. After all, who on earth would have wanted to face Winterburn at his peak?
Influenced by his childhood admiration for Leeds United and toughened by four years with Wimbledon's 'Crazy Gang', Nigel arrived at the Club in 1987 and replaced a veritable Arsenal legend, Kenny Sansom, within a year.
Like the England international, Nigel loved to get forward and he enjoyed a particularly productive left-flank partnership with Marc Overmars later in his career. His early years were notable for his finest goal in a red and white shirt, a vicious long-range effort against Wimbledon with his (usually) weaker right foot.
Chelsea were other notable victims of Nigel's penchant for spectacular shooting but, of course, the Dream Team's No 3 did his best work at the other end of the pitch. You'd be hard pushed to think of a more tenacious defender, a more determined character and a better tackler than the long-serving left back.
Nigel gave 13 years to Arsenal, won a hatful of medals, never let the Club down and fully deserves this latest accolade. The all-time XI's full backs are firmly in place.
WHAT THEY SAID
"Nigel is a consummate professional and to lose a player who has dedicated 13 years of outstanding service to this club is a great loss. In an age where many players are eager to move from one club to another, Nigel has shown remarkable commitment to us. Nigel is a special character and I have to say that I, and undoubtedly the fans, did not want him to leave." - Arsène Wenger in 2000
"There is a tradition that comes with playing for Arsenal and that always drove me on to play my very best. The like of Tony Adams, Steve Bould and Lee Dixon were winners who knew what it meant to play for the club, knew what it took to be successful." - Nigel on his commitment to the Club
Arsenal Dream Team: No 2 Lee Dixon
NO 2 LEE DIXON
Right back
Appearances: 619
Goals: 28
With four titles, three FA Cups, a League Cup and a European Cup Winners' Cup to his name, Lee Dixon is one of the most decorated footballers in Arsenal's history.
He was also one of the most reliable and that makes him a perfect addition to our Dream Team.
It's rare that a player moves from the lower leagues to a top-four club these days - Carl Jenkinson is the exception not the rule - but that wasn't the case in the 1980s and Dixon made the leap with distinction. Signed from Stoke by George Graham, he became a vital cog in the defensive machine that helped secure titles in 1989 and 1991.
Dixon was a tough opponent. Though hardly a man-mountain he could tackle fiercely, his positional awareness was second-to-none and he relished a physical battle. Just ask David Ginola - how Dixon would love him to be his direct opponent if our Dream Team ever took to the field.
It wasn't all about defending though. Dixon was an energetic overlapping full-back too, linking up well with David Rocastle, Paul Merson and Freddie Ljungberg at different stages of his Arsenal career. He scored the odd goal too - one screamer at Chelsea springs to mind - and had the guts to take on penalty duties before Ian Wright joined the Club.
Our all-time XI will have plenty of consistent performers but perhaps none as trustworthy as Dixon. He was rarely spectacular but every team needs solidity and pragmatism and the right back showed that in spades over his 619 appearances.
Oh, and if the Arsenal Dream Team ever needed to win by two goals to snatch the league title from, let's say, a Merseyside club, there's no one better for belting an accurate long pass to the centre forward to help set up the decisive goal.
WHAT THEY SAID
"When I first switched to full back I spoke to Lee Dixon because he played in that position for 15 years and knows so much. I wanted to know about the movement that is needed and the positions that you have to take up and he was really helpful. Whenever I asked him for advice he would talk to me and help me." - Lauren, who succeeded Dixon as Arsenal's right back.
"We all know the esteem in which Herbert Chapman is held but I don't think anybody has achieved what Arsène has. He was the inspiration behind the training facilities; his input into the Emirates and the success on the field is just unequalled. And he's a nice bloke as well." - Dixon on Arsène Wenger.
Arsenal Dream Team: No 6 Tony Adams.
NO 5 TONY ADAMS
Defender
Appearances: 669
Goals: 48
Fourteen years as captain, 669 appearances and 10 major trophies, including League titles in three different decades. It's no surprise that 'Mr. Arsenal' himself has made it into our all-time XI.
Adams was the ultimate one-club man and a rock at the heart of Arsenal's defence. He thrived as the leader of the famous Back Four, developing an instinctive understanding with Steve Bould and Dream Team full-backs Lee Dixon and Nigel Winterburn.
On an individual level, it's hard to think of a more committed, more gutsy and more inspirational footballer in Arsenal's history.
Technically, Adams was a supreme defender - the timing of his tackles, his reading of the game and his aerial ability just some of the qualities he showcased in a regular basis.
Add to that his insatiable appetite for a battle, his mental and physical resilience, his desire and, of course, his leadership, and it's easy to see why Adams has been selected by the fans.
Whereas George Graham favoured a more direct style, Arsène Wenger encouraged Adams to be more expansive. He flourished, showing more poise in possession, initiating attacks from the back and even getting forward when he could.
His transformation under the Frenchman is a tribute to Adams’ quality and adaptability and underlines why he is the perfect candidate - and dare we say captain - for the Arsenal Dream Team.
WHAT THEY SAID
“I never really saw him play because I was too young but from what people say he was amazing and everybody says amazing things about him. Hopefully one day - not so much be like him, because I like to be my own player and person - but of course I want to achieve the things that he achieved.” - Cesc Fabregas
"My colossus." - George Graham
"A professor of defence." - Arsène Wenger
Arsenal Dream Team: No 5 Sol Campbell.
Hello Sol. I miss seeing you in the Arsenal Jersey!
NO 5 SOL CAMPBELL
Defender
Appearances: 211
Goals: 12
Rarely has an Arsenal defensive duo shown the physical and mental strength of Sol Campbell and Tony Adams so it’s fitting that the pair will resume their partnership in our all-time XI.
During his first season at the Club, having crossed the North London divide from Tottenham, Campbell thrived alongside the outward-bound Adams at the heart of the Arsenal back four.
The Dream Team now has two inspirational leaders, who captained both club and country, as the bedrock of the side.
After that short trip down the Seven Sisters Road, Campbell grew into one of the game’s finest centre backs. He was impregnable at times, even when he made a daunting return to White Hart Lane with his new club for the first time.
Campbell was strong but he was also athletic. His bludgeoning power and fearsome frame worked in tandem with fast-moving feet. And there was, strangely for a man of his build, serenity in the way he carried himself too.
He was never willing to throw in the towel and often appeared visibly hurt in defeat - characteristics that endeared him to the fans and earned him a place ahead of Martin Keown, David O’Leary and Steve Bould in the Dream Team.
A ‘super rock’ according to Arsène Wenger, Campbell was a lynchpin in the ‘Invincibles’ side of 2003/04, a campaign in which the Gunners conceded just 26 goals.
His resoluteness, alongside Adams, Nigel Winterburn and Lee Dixon, make our all-time XI’s back four a frightening prospect for even the most potent of strikeforces.
WHAT THEY SAID
"Sol was at the heart of our defence and he will take away with him many fantastic memories, which he richly deserves. I would like to thank Sol for his tremendous contribution. His commitment, stature and strength of character have served us remarkably well, both individually and as a team player who captained the side.” - Arsène Wenger, speaking in 2006.
I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the Late Danny Friszman...'Lest We Forget' his Love & Loyalty to the Arsenal.
“This bridge is dedicated to Danny Friszman in recognition of his immense contribution to Arsenal Football Club and the move to our new stadium.”
Cheers.
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