Arsenal Hopeful of Ending Trophy Drought
Arsenal F.C. are hopeful of ending their 6-year wait for silverware this season. The Gunners have not won a trophy since they last won the FA Cup in 2005 when they beat archrivals Manchester United in the final.
Arsenal came close to tasting European glory when they reached the final of the UEFA Champions League in 2006, only to be denied by Spanish giants FC Barcelona.
This season, Arsenal are the favourites to win the Carling Cup in which they are tied with Football Championship side Ipswich Town FC.
The north Londoners beat Wigan Athletic at the Emirates Stadium, in the quarterfinals of the competition to book their place in the last 4.
Manager Arsene Wenger is confident that his side will continue to perform to their best throughout the season, and try to win a trophy at the end of the season.
He said, “We are in a strong position in every single competition - that means overall the attitude is right, the spirit of the squad is right. I am confident we have the necessary quality, so let's continue to improve.”
The French manager also commented on his squad’s current fitness problems.
He said, “Nasri has got a knock from Tuesday night. It is a knee problem but he should be all right. Apart from that, we do not have any fresh players injured. There are no other ins or outs. Diaby and Vermaelen are not available.
Fabregas is still injured, so it will be a similar squad to the Aston Villa game. However, I will see how Robin recovers. I rotate a bit from game to game at the moment, so I will see - but we have quite a strong squad available."
Arsenal have missed the inspirational presence of their captain Cesc Fabregas in the centre of the park; however, the midfield duo of Frenchman Samir Nasri and Russian Andrei Arshavin has filled his absence and chipped in with
crucial goals and assists. The Spanish international is out of action due to a hamstring injury and is targeting his comeback on 13th December, when his side plays Manchester United at Old Trafford.
The Gunners’ next match is in the English Premier League on Saturday when they host city rivals Fulham FC at the Emirates.
Nasri was initially thought to be out for a long time after picking up a knee injury, however the France international has made a quick recovery and will be fit to play Arsenal’s home match against the Cottagers.
Tags: