Get Updates Live on Fab 4 Arsenal Twitter & Villareal Preview

I was never going to have the time to write a full match preview for Villareal tonight, but I feel as though I have a duty to do a small one. But first, the news of this post.

For tonight's match and some other select fixtures, you will be able to read some Fab 4 Arsenal liveblogging on our Twitter page. I'll be posting small updates and thoughts on the match as it is in progress, and if you're interested, there are three ways to see the updates.

First, you can follow us on Twitter. As long as you're signed up for the service (registration is free and fast), you can "follow" us and see all our updates on your home page. This includes not just the liveblogging action, but also all the other posts in between matches. So if you've got a twitter, follow us at http://twitter.com/Fab_4_Arsenal.

Secondly, you can simply visit the page and see the updates by reloading the page whenever you fancy it. The Twitter page is completely public, and everyone can see it, member or not. So visit the site and enjoy!

The third way to follow the action is simply to visit the blog itself. On the right-hand column underneath the blog archive, you can see (with Flash) a small application which shows all our twitter posts in real time. Also, you can see every update we make by the same method.

So hopefully you'll take advantage if this new thing we've put together for the blog, but in the meantime, let's have a look at the fixture tonight.

We take on Villareal at the Emirates, and it should be a cracker. As much as I wish we would sit back and take a 0-0 draw, I know it won't happen. And Arsene Wenger seems to agree with me. So since Villareal must get a goal, and we will be trying to get a goal, I expect an entertaining affair. Hopefully we will prevail, but there are reasons why I fear we may not.

First of all is the obvious reason: our defense is in tatters. Sure, Toure and Sanga are still on form, and Fabianski has bee good, but Silvestre and Gibbs are two players I would never want to depend on to keep a clean sheet. The comedy of errors from the two of them over the weekend at Wigan has made me wonder how they'll play against a decent attacking team like Villareal. I'll admit, I'm worried.

I do think we'll concede, but I also think that with the attacking players we've got we should score a few against a Villareal side lacking the services of Marcos Senna (now out injured). The scoreline? 2-1 to the Arsenal I expect, but I sincerely hope it's more (or less goals conceded!). Here's hoping for the best, and hoping to have you following us during the liveblogging on Twitter!

Fab 4

The Score Flattering, The Performance Outstanding

We probably didn't deserve 4-1, but who could deny the team a rampant scoreline when they mounted such a spectacular comeback Satuday afternoon to win at Wigan. The lads turned a dreadful match into one to remember, and gave us probably the best comeback win so far this season.

For those who remember last season, this game against Wigan was the Bolton match of this season. Last season of course we travelled up north to Bolton, when 2-0 and a man down by halftime, and somehow pulled it back to get a memorable 3-2 win. Saturday's game against Wigan was very much the same match.

We were lucky to only be one goal down at halftime, and indeed very lucky not to be a man down as well. To be honest, Gibbs' professional challenge deserved a red, but the referee was feeling lenient on the day, and thank goodness. So at halftime we were down, couldn't put three passes together, and our plans of simply sweeping aside this match in preparation for the week to come were ruined. Wigan were going to make us fight for it.

We started badly in the second half as well and I genuinely thought we were headed for yet another loss this season when Theo Walcott grabbed us an unlikely lifeline as he equalised. Then on came Adebayor and Van Persie, and we were a changed team. The passing was crisp and smooth, Adebayor was taking on everyone in his way and playing with great confidence, and that confidence rippled through the team.

Before we knew it we were 2-1 ahead, catching everyone (including the goalscorer Silvestre) by surprise, then we added two more at the death to give us the flattering scoreline. But we had to fight for this, and at the final whistle I couldn't have been more proud of the team. Just five months ago a result like this would never have been possible, and we probably would conceded another goal and lost. But now the team is so sure of themselves and full of confidence that they are able to turn it around in such spectacular fashion and snatch a victory.

There were those over Christmas who said that we would never be anything like the invincibles. That to ever be like them we would have to scrounge wins out of nothing and get all three points on the days when we deserved to lose. Against Wigan it was just such a day, and we not only got all three points, but we did it in style. Perhaps this side have finally grown up. Perhaps there is the potential for greatness after all; the same potential that Arsene Wenger has always seen and we are now being treated to as well.

Fab 4

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Introducing the new Fab 4 Arsenal Twitter page! For those of you who are into the new internet phenomenon you'll already know that this is a great way to share your thoughts on any subject instantly. And true to the blog, you can find my (Fab 4)'s short 140-character thoughts any time a day on this blog's Twitter page.

So now you can see far more frequent smaller updates and my brief thoughts on Arsenal news before I ever post a full article. Plus, you'll find links to new full articles posted whenever I finish them and have them up.

So if you have Twitter, or are thinking about getting one, then please "follow" us and show your support. And even if you don't have or want to get a Twitter page, you can always bookmark it anyway and still read the updates whenever you fancy doing so.

Please visit: http://twitter.com/Fab_4_Arsenal or see the twitter application on the left-hand side of the page for more. See you there!

Cesc & Ade Are Magicians, No Doubt About It

Cesc Fabregas and Adebayor are no doubt the two players who have been the most influential over the last two games: and they were of course the first two games back from injury for the pair. And they have been absolutely magical. Now the question is twofold: where might we have been at this point in the season had these magicians been available, and will they do the job again on Saturday?

In answer to the first question, I honestly don't think it would've made a tremendous difference, mainly because neither player was on form when they were fit earlier this season. Fabregas was, to put it mildly, simply dismal and looked out of sorts early in the season. After he got the armband in November his performances started to pick up, but he still wasn't the same Fab 4 we all know and love.

I think the injury actually saved his season. He's come back as the Cesc Fabregas of old, placing perfect passes, killer through balls, and scoring assist after assist. Two games, three assists: tells the tale.

Adebayor has simply been lazy this season. His antics over the summer seemed to have really gone to his head: he believed he was as good at Theirry Henry, and so he didn't even try. And his performances suffered. He was caught offside surely more than anyone else in the Premiership, he was missing sitters, and was rarely in a good position to score.

But then the injury happened, and now that he's back he has played two games and scored three goals, all the type of goals I always knew we could get from him. The first was a classic Adebayor header, the second a cool and calm finish reminiscent of last season, and the third a spectacular bicycle kick that will live long in the memory.

So I think the injuries did both of them good as now they have returned and are back to playing the way they did last season when both were in imperious form. Just look at the stats to see that it's true: two games, three goals, three assists, and all from these two magicians. There can be no denying it; they're back, and we've missed them.

Will they perform again Saturday? I see no reason why not. I remember the 0-0 draw at Wigan last season, and if I remember correctly we almost had the ball in the back of the net within a minute; and it was due to a Fabregas pass and Adebayor shot. They did it last season, they have been doing it over the last two matches back from injury, and I see no reason why they can't do it again on Saturday.

Maybe all we needed was a little magic in our season, and there can be no denying that we've got it now. in Adebayor and Cesc Fabregas. Don't forget, you can get all the Fab 4 Arsenal news and views sent direct to your mobile phone for free, please Click Here for details on how to try out this great service! Until next time,

Fab 4

Questioning Theo Walcott? Unbelieveable.

This is an article from our guest writer Chris Rivers, a sports writer.

Questioning Theo Walcott? Can I be reading this right?

Taking my normal tour through the Arsenal forums I came across a thread that caught me off-guard. Someone had posted a message with the title ‘Is Theo Walcott good enough?’ The message got me to thinking whether other people felt like this about a 20-year-old lad who is currently at one of the biggest clubs in the world trying to make a name for himself.

Since moving to Arsenal in 2006, Walcott has enjoyed a remarkable rise to stardom, coming through the reserves to become a regular starter for both his club and country. To improve so quickly in such a high pressure situation is vastly impressive for a boy who has really only just become a man. To question whether Walcott is good enough shows just how impatient some of the Arsenal supporters have become.

Those Gunners who are demanding instant success from our current crop of youngsters are dreaming. Players rarely reach their peak until their mid-twenties no matter what position they play and for Arsenal to currently have youngsters who are better than a lot of seasoned professionals is incredible. Those who follow Arsenal have been blessed to see some great talent come through the ranks but previously there seemed to be a lot more patience amongst the supporters for a player to become good enough.

However, this worrying example with Walcott shows the mentality of the supporters today, not just at Arsenal but at a lot of clubs. What are the football odds Federico Macheda, the 17-year-old striker who scored Manchester United’s injury time winner against Aston Villa on Sunday, will now be expected to become a world beater overnight?

Having watched Walcott’s progression carefully, the difference between the young boy that arrived from Southampton three years ago and the player we see today is impressive. He has moulded his game to suit the Arsene Wenger way of playing whilst retaining those elements that make him a fairly old-fashioned English winger.

I lost count of the number of times he used to get his head down and run with the ball before ending up down in a cul-de-sac, so to speak. Now he gets his head up early and there is a sense of purpose about his runs. Certainly Walcott is not the finished package yet but for fans to expect him to be ready by now is just silly.

For those supporters who question Walcott’s ability all you are doing is adding to what is already a pretty heavy burden to carry. England expects Walcott to be great, as do Arsenal fans, and that is a lot to deal with. So I ask you to keep giving him a chance and keep faith in him because given a chance he will become a legend.

The Media Turn Manchester Utd...Can You Believe It?

In a shocking turn of events today, the usual anti-Arsenal media have turned on Manchester United and given them the same sort of stick as we always get. Following are just a few snippets of this remarkable occurrence.

Apparently the recent bad run of form by Man Utd has prompted some players to start planning for next season. The international break has given them the time to fraternize and talk with representatives from other clubs, and it has done some damage. We all know about the C. Ronaldo to Real Madrid stories, but now it appears the Spanish giants have begun talking to Rio Ferdinand, the so often stand-in captain.

"They're a massive club," said Ferdinand. "I was called by them last summer but I didn't respond, however with our current run of form I'm not sure how high our ambitions still are and if we don't win something else this season I'll be off to Madrid."

And that wasn't it. Apparently AC Milan are lining up bids for Berbatov and Vidic, with 30m Euro to spend on them. And Barcelona have now entered the race for Ronaldo according to reports in the Spanish media. Whether either of these clubs will get their men is still to be determined.

And not even speaking of transfers, injuries have struck. Carlos Tevez and Wayne Rooney have both been injured on international duty, Ben Foster has come down seriously ill, Gary Neville is injured again and may not play for the rest of the season, Carrick and Scholes are major doubts for this weekend, and Rio Ferdinand picked up a virus which may not be cured in time to play on the weekend either.

So with all these players disturbed and injured, and the recent bad run of form, Red Devils fans are starting to question the manager. Many are asking if they need to take a hard look at Sir Alex Ferguson and assess whether he is the right man for the job. Said one supporter,

"Mr. Ferguson has been a wonderful manager for us, but we're beginning to wonder if he's lost his touch. Trying to build this squad around a core of young players while at the same time holding on to the rotting carcases that are Giggs and Scholes is clearly a seriously flawed strategy."
The unnamed supporter went on, "We think it's time for change. Ferguson may be a good manager, but when someone spends forever in one position they tend to stagnate. We feel it's time for some new blood in there to win us trophies, because Fergie has lost it. He doesn't know what he's doing anymore."

Even the supporters are losing faith. Add that to the players injured and wanting away and Liverpool closing in every week and Man Utd are a club in crisis.
...............
Sound familiar? April Fool's Day! If only the media did treat Man Utd the same as us, this is what it might look like right now, even if some of the stories are just recycled versions of Arsenal stories. The point is, we need to see through the bias and not let it get to us. Don't let the media make you think we're a team in crisis and Arsene Wenger is a duffer. There has been a lot of optimism in the last few weeks, so let's not let international break and the stories that go with it ruin that spirit of optimism.

Enjoy yourselves and be happy that it's almost over. And remember, you can always get an article on Arsenal's side right here at Fab 4 Arsenal! Don't forget, you can get all the Fab 4 Arsenal news and views sent direct to your mobile phone for free, please Click Here for details on how to try out this great service! Until next time,

Fab 4