Arsenal Awards 2010: Nasri Bags Best Goal, Player; Fabregas Bags Worst Error
At the very beginning of this article, I apologize for the ambiguity of the title and will explain it here. This article picks out the best candidates from different criteria on the basis of their performances from the beginning of the season (the game against Liverpool) 'til the game against Manchester United, which is almost half of the season.
Arsenal has been very inconsistent this season and is fortunate to remain in the title race despite three home losses and defeats in crucial games against Manchester United and Chelsea. However, most of the teams have suffered from inconsistency and have not produced the desired results over the course of the season.
Manchester United are the favourites as far as the title race is concerned as they generally do well after Christmas. They are currently the leaders having two points and a game in hand against Arsenal. Chelsea and Arsenal are expected to push them for the title while Tottenham and Manchester City are the outside bets for the title, though both of them would be satisfied if they can book a slot in the top four.
In this article, I shall spell out the half yearly awards with different Gunners awarded for their achievements in different fields. I would be glad to have your feedback and give our opinions/suggestions on the article.
If possible, take a look at The Invincible Gunners, my blog on Arsenal and other football news
Best Player Award: Samir Nasri
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Contenders for the Award
1. Samir Nasri
2. Alex Song
3. Marouane Chamakh
This is probably one of the easiest decisions to make this season considering Samir Nasri's superb form, which has made him a strong early contender for the EPL player of the season. Nasri has been outstanding this season and has already scored 12 goals.
He has always had a lot of potential but the Arsenal supporters are only starting the best of him. He has been inspirational to the Gunners and in the absence of many key players, Nasri has shown that he is ready to take the mantle.
Alex Song and Marouane Chamakh are two more players who have been quite consistent this season. Chamakh has adjusted to the rigours of the Premiership quite well and has already notched 10 goals this season. Alex Song was one of the best performers in the previous season and in this season he has developed good attacking skills as well. He has scored some important goals for the Gunners in addition to performing well in his holding midfield role.
Most Improved Player: Lukasz Fabianski
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Contenders:
1. Samir Nasri
2. Theo Walcott
3. Lukasz Fabianski
Lukasz Fabianski was amongst the most maligned Arsenal players at the end of the last season because of his high profile blunders in many games. After Manuel Almunia's horrendous performance against West Bromwich Albion, Fabianski has been entrusted with the goalkeeping duties. He started off nervously against Chelsea and Partizan in which he had decent games, and as the season has progressed he has gradually showed critics why Arsene Wenger had immense faith in him.
In the last slide, I had named Nasri as the player of the season so far. He was a good player in the last season but he has been more influential than ever for Arsenal in this season. His body strength has improved and his diagonal runs have provided him opportunities to get into the box and score goals.
The third contender may be a slightly contentious choice because Theo Walcott is only used as an impact substitute at present, but he has certainly improved some of his skills, especially his composure in front of goal. He was very impressive at the start of the season but could consider himself extremely unfortunate for being injured just as Arsenal supporters were starting to see the best of the England winger, who has immense potential.
Least Improved Player: Andrei Arshavin
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Contenders:
1. Manuel Almunia
2. Andrei Arshavin
3. Denilson
Andrei Arshavin was one of the most important players from the time he joined the Gunners but his alarming dip in form is a cause for concern. The diminutive Russian was expected to step up after his first full season but has been far from his best. He has not shown any improvement at all and the fact is that he has not looked as threatening as he was in the previous season. The statistics are decent but his performances in some encounters have drawn a lot of criticism.
Manuel Almunia was handed the No. 1 shirt for this season as well and he started the season ahead of Lukasz Fabianski and Wojciech Szczesny. However, he failed to keep his place in the team because of the horrendous performance against West Bromwich Albion and many injuries.
Denilson has fallen behind Jack Wilshere and Abou Diaby in the pecking order and will not too be happy with the progress he has made this season. He has not established his place in the team and has managed some appearances in the Premiership only due to injuries and suspensions to the other players.
The Hospital Bill Award: Thomas Vermaelen
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This award is designed for the player who has spent most time in the hospital room this season. Arsenal has always had a few players injured but this season seems to be relatively better compared to last time around.
The Contenders
1. Thomas Vermaelen
2. Kieran Gibbs
3. Robin van Persie
It is not a huge surprise to see Robin van Persie's name on the list considering he has been injured a lot of times in his career. It was a fairly innocuous tackle which made him miss around three months of action. Even after he recovered, Wenger has been cautious in using his services and has given him many weeks to regain his full fitness.
Kieran Gibbs has been unbelievably unfortunate with his injuries and is currently injured. The England International is very talented but cannot seem to be fit long enough to challenge Gael Clichy for a spot in the first team. He has sustained many injuries and has played a very less number of games because of that.
Thomas Vermaelen was one of Arsenal's fittest players last season but this season he has been injured for a long time because of an Achilles problem. He is expected to return in January but Arsenal's defence has done quite well in his absence. If he can return in January, then Arsenal could receive a huge boost to their title hopes.
The Adios ( Farewell ) Award: Manuel Almunia
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This award is for the player who is most likely to bid goodbye to the Arsenal faithful in January.
The Contenders:
1. Carlos Vela
2. Nicklas Bendtner
3. Manuel Almunia
Carlos Vela and Nicklas Bendtner have slipped down the pecking order due to Marouane Chamakh's very consistent performances this season. Both young strikers have been linked with moves away from Arsenal but Bendtner recently said that he will stay and fight for his place this season. Vela is still the subject of speculation and could move on if the right offer comes.
Manuel Almunia is almost certain to move because Lukasz Fabianski has established himself as the No. 1 keeper and young talent Wojciech Szczesny has shown he is ready for the big stage. Szczesny will challenge Fabianski for the goalkeeper spot while Manuel Almunia is likely to move from Arsenal, having let down Arsene Wenger with some horrendous errors in the game against West Bromwich Albion.
Best Celebration: Eduardo Da Silva Against Arsenal
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Contenders:
1. Samir Nasri vs Tottenham
2. Alex Song vs Chelsea
3. Eduardo da Silva vs Arsenal
Nasri had a battle to win against William Gallas and there were some words exchanged and a handshake snub before the game. But just 10 minutes into the game, Nasri scored an excellent goal from a nearly impossible angle and was ecstatic in his celebration.
Arsenal has not enjoyed good times playing against Chelsea in recent meetings but the Gunners took the lead on the stroke of half time scoring a well taken goal. It was a show of unity as all the players celebrated hard and it was a sign that they were determined to win the game which they did.
There was a sense of disappointment when Eduardo left Arsenal having never produced his best form for the Gunners due to a ridiculous tackle in that fateful game against Birmingham. However, he remains close to the hearts of the Arsenal faithful and is a very adorable character. When Shakhtar met Arsenal at the Emirates and at their home, Eduardo scored goals in both games and did not celebrate. It was a gesture which meant so much to Arsenal fans and he will remain in the hearts of the Arsenal faithful forever.
Most Versatile Player: Emmanuel Eboue
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Contenders:
1. Alex Song
2. Samir Nasri
3. Emmanuel Eboue
Arsenal is a team which is normally affected by some injuries over the season and versatile players are generally useful to the squad considering they can provide depth in various positions. Alex Song, Emmanuel Eboue, Samir Nasri, Tomas Rosicky and some others are versatile players who have experience playing in positions other than their own.
Alex Song can play as a centre back though he played there only once this season. By the looks of it, it would not be surprising if he decides to take up the role of a attacking midfielder. He has shown excellent skill on the ball and has also scored extremely important goals for the side.
Emmanuel Eboue is an excellent squad player and though he prefers to play at right back, he has been utilized in a number of positions by Le Prof. He can play as a right winger and also at left back where he has played when Gibbs has been injured. Also, he has played as a midfielder for his country which provides so many options for the club.
Samir Nasri has excelled on the right flank this season and has made that place his own. However his versatility means Wenger has a lot of options to choose from. He can play on both flanks and also as an attacking midfielder. Nasri often swaps positions with his teammates in the fluid formation that Wenger employs and troubles opposition defenders with his movement.
Best Signing Of The Season: Marouane Chamakh
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Contenders:
1. Marouane Chamakh
2. Laurent Koscielny
3. Sebastien Squillaci
Arsene Wenger made three signings in the summer transfer window and all three of them have played an integral role this season.
Laurent Koscielny is a talented defender whose strength lies in making good interceptions and he can still improve. He has shown he can be an excellent defender in the future and will feel more comfortable with the return of Thomas Vermaelen.
Sebastien Squillaci is the most experienced defender at Arsenal and was signed as the fourth defender for the Gunners from Sevilla. The Frenchman has looked assured and his experience is vital for the Gunners. Squillaci has also been an intelligent signing by Wenger considering he cost quite less and is an excellent player to have for a third or fourth choice defender.
Marouane Chamakh was always the most likely signing by Wenger considering he allowed Eduardo to leave and Chamakh being an admirer of Arsenal was available for free. It has been surprising that he has played so many games for the Gunners but he has easily been the best signing and has contributed immensely to the team this season.
Best Individual Performance: Samir Nasri Against Fulham
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Contenders:
1. Samir Nasri vs. Fulham
2. Andrei Arshavin vs. Aston Villa
3. Marouane Chamakh vs. Wolves
4. Lukasz Fabianski vs. Wolves and Everton
Cesc Fabregas was Arsenal's best player by a distance last season as he shouldered much of the responsibility. He has had some good performances this season as well, and against Bolton and Braga he was easily Arsenal's best player as he influenced the game in a big way.
However Fabregas has been injured for many weeks this season and Samir Nasri has stepped up and performed immensely. His best performance has to be in the game against Fulham where he scored two sensational goals and looked threatening whenever he had the ball at his feet.
Andrei Arshavin has been rather subdued this season and he has not been at his best for most of the season. However he showed how devastating he could be in the game against Aston Villa where he scored one goal and created many more opportunities for his teammates. Arsenal will hope the Russian captain can find his form which could prove pivotal in the title race this season.
The Arsene Wenger Award For Worst Refereeing Decision In an Arsenal Game
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1. The yellow card for Carlos Vela for diving
2. The two yellow cards for Alex Song vs. Sunderland
3. Paul Robinson's bad tackle on Abou Diaby
Arsen Wenger has always had a go at the referee if he feels hard done by the decision. If those decisions have a huge role in influencing the result, you could expect Arsene Wenger to criticise that decision in the post-match conference. He has been incensed by bad tackles which has caused severe injuries to his injuries and has been criticised for it in some sections of the media.
Alex Song was sent off in the game against Sunderland which ultimately cost them as they could only draw the game. The first yellow card was wrongly awarded while in the same game, one of his other fouls went unpunished. The second one was quite frankly not worth a second yellow. He could not get out of the way and it was a soft one to show the second yellow card to the player.
Carlos Vela was introduced to provide some impetus to the team against Braga and he was quite clearly fouled by a Braga player when he was through on goal. However, the referee showed the Mexican a yellow for diving and it just summed up their day.
Gary Cahill had been sent off for a foul on Marouane Chamakh which looked a touch harsh on the England International. However, Paul Robinson made a tackle on Diaby which was a horrible one with studs showing and it shockingly went unpunished. Diaby sustained an injury and has only recovered recently after a span of around two months.
Best Team Performance: Arsenal 3, Chelsea 1
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The Contenders:
1. Arsenal 3, Chelsea 1
2. Everton 1, Arsenal 2
3. Manchester City 0, Arsenal 3
Arsenal was at its best as they finally ended their horrible run of recent results against Chelsea. It was a performance which had very few errors, one of which led to the lone Chelsea goal. It was a comprehensive win in a derby game which could yet prove to be a turning point for the Gunners. There was not a single player on the pitch who let the team down while some were brilliant on the day. But it was clear that everyone was determined to fight hard in this game.
The Gunners are known for their beautiful passing game which has got them decent results, and rarely do they fight very hard for a victory. That was the case against Everton as they showed excellent resilience to clinch three important points. Also, it was a victory coming on the back of two losses which meant more to the Gunners.
Arsenal had a bad time at City of Manchester Stadium last season as supporters were treated to a celebration they will never want to see again. But they were more determined this time around and the early red card to Boyata meant that Arsenal would have the upper hand in the game. Samir Nasri was excellent in the game and also scored as did Alex Song and Nicklas Bendtner. Clean sheets are hard to come by for Arsenal and Fabianski deserves extra praise for that special performance.
Worst Team Performance: Braga 2, Arsenal 0
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The Contenders
1. Braga 2, Arsenal 0
2. Arsenal 0, Newcastle 1
3. Arsenal 2, West Bromwich Albion 3
There have been a couple of games this season which should have been easily won by the Gunners. However, they have made a mess of it which could cost them over the course of the season. West Bromwich Albion and Newcastle have both been successful at the Emirates which is really poor from Arsenal's point of view.
In the WBA game, they were let down by the defence and horrendous goalkeeping and they did not create much until the 70th minute. Samir Nasri scored two good goals to give them a glimmer of hope but they emerged with nothing from the game. It was an abject performance from them against Newcastle and though they defended decently until the Andy Carroll goal, they did not create much during the match and they were clearly not at their best.
But the Braga game was even worse with them creating even less chances and they did not seem organised as well. Johan Djourou and Kieran Gibbs had decent games, but apart from that almost everyone including the captain Fabregas had a poor game. To make matters worse, they lost Emmanuel Eboue and Cesc Fabregas due to injuries in the game. Due to that insipid performance, they finished second in the group and have to face FC Barcelona in the next stage.
Worst Error By an Arsenal Player: Cesc Fabregas / Marouane Chamakh Hand-Ball
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1. Cesc Fabregas handball vs. Tottenham
2. Manuel Almunia howler vs. West Bromwich Albion
3. Sebastien Squillaci taking out Laurent Koscielny which led to equaliser for Fulham
Cesc Fabregas is one of the most experienced players at Arsenal and has performed extremely well for the Gunners. He is a leader in the team and is expected to show the way for others. But on this occasion, he had his arms raised well above his head for a Rafael Van der Vaart free-kick and since it was in the box, Spurs received a penalty shot. Tottenham equalised with the penalty and went on to clinch the game in the closing stages.
Manuel Almunia was given a reprieve in the summer as Wenger decided to keep the faith in the Spaniard. But the goalkeeper had a horrible game at the Emirates against West Bromwich which they lost. The goalkeeper made a horrible mistake to let in the second goal and was in no man's land for the third goal. He has not played since with Fabianski doing a consistent job for the Gunners.
The two new defenders have found it difficult to adjust immediately to the Premier League and they have both made some errors which have cost them some important goals. However, this goal they conceded clearly showed that the duo are yet to develop any sort of understanding. Squillaci had a weak header which meant they could not clear the ball immediately. Then he tried to make amends but could only take out his partner. Dempsey threaded the ball to Kamara who slotted it past Fabianski with Koscielny on the ground.
Best Substitute Performance: Theo Walcott Against Partizan Belgrade
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I could not find too many great substitute performances which is why I spare the list of contenders. But one substitute performance which was crucial from Arsenal's point of view was from Theo Walcott. The England winger has not played enough this season despite recovering from the injury he sustained on England duty.
However with around 25 minutes to go, Arsene Wenger introduced Walcott for the ineffective Arshavin and it immediately had an impact as he added energy to the team. He also scored the all important second goal for the Gunners which helped them take the lead against Partizan Belgrade. It was important that Arsenal won the match to qualify to the next phase of the tournament which they did thanks to his goal.
Another substitute performance which was good was from Johan Djourou who replaced Laurent Koscielny due to a concussion after his collision with Sebastien Squillaci. The Swiss International looked assured and was immense at the back. He was excellent in the air and helped Arsenal to clinch the three points they needed.
Best Goal: Samir Nasri's 2nd Goal Against Fulham
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The Contenders:
1. Samir Nasri (1st goal) vs. Fulham
2. Samir Nasri (2nd goal) vs. Fulham
3. Carlos Vela vs. Bolton
It is not often that you see two brilliant goals by the same player in a game but that was the case with Samir Nasri as he scored two wonderful goals. There have been many superb goals, but maybe Nasri deserves the accolade because of his superb consistency this season and those two goals were as fine as you can see.
Both the goals were a result of his brilliant footwork as he weaved past defenders to slot into the goal to provide Arsenal a huge boost. The second one in particular was better because he had to slot it from a very tight angle which he did in aplomb. He went past Schwarzer but had gone too far. So he came around and slotted it from an extremely tight angle.
Arsenal is a team who likes to pass a lot and the Carlos Vela goal was an exhibition of possession play from the Gunners. They had at least 25 passes and pulled 10-man Bolton out of position. Then captain Cesc Fabregas played a lovely chip over the defenders which was anticipated by Carlos Vela who had made a good run. He then slotted it past the Bolton keeper to seal the victory.
Arsenal Supporters Must Keep The Belief In The Gunners
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The Gunners might have lost matches in the last year but they are trying their best to secure a trophy for the team. Theo Walcott admitted that they were desperate to win against Chelsea for the supporters and it is important from all the supporters to keep the faith in Arsene Wenger and his men. They may or may not win a trophy this year but that should not influence the faith that supporters have in the team.
In Arsene We Trust
Let us hope we all have a good 2011 in our lives and the Gunners also win trophies this year. I hope that young Aaron Ramsey who had a bad 2010 will have a stunning 2011 to lead us to glory.
Thank you for reading this article and Happy New Year!
If possible, take a look at The Invincible Gunners, my blog on Arsenal and other football news.
