Arsenal’s pre-season really got going this afternoon as Arsene Wenger took a mixture of first-team and Reserves and Youth players to Underhill – for the 10th consecutive time.

Wenger began the fixture with arguably his strongest possible line up, with first-team members Manuel Almunia, Johan Djourou, William Gallas, Thomas Vermaelen, Mikael Silvestre, Tomas Rosicky and Andrey Arshavin all starting. There was a scattering of youth with F.A Youth Cup winning duo Emmanuel Frimpong and Sanchez Watt also lining up.

Almunia
Djourou – Gallas – Vermaelen – Silvestre
Wilshere – Randall – Frimpong – Rosicky
Arshavin – Watt

Subs: Mannone, Eastmond, Ayling, Cruise, Thomas, Henderson, Coquelin, Simpson, Barazite Sunu.

Sanchez Watt rolled the ball to Andrey Arshavin and the 2009-2010 campaign preparations were underway. In a confident start to proceedings, it was Arsenal’s two forwards who had the best chances of the opening stages. First Arshavin after cutting inside and shooting, and then Watt following a saved Arshavin effort.

Rosickythenhad the next chance, but he showed he’s still a little rusty with a tame finish after a bright run. The game then showed it’s true colours as a pre-season encounter as the pace started to die down. Both sides were probing each other but there was no major action. That was until the final 5 minutes of the half when Arsenal clicked and found the opener.

Watt received the ball down the left hand side and after looking up, he planted a superb cross right onto the foot of Arshavin. The Russian forward clipped home from 3 yards.

Goal – Andrey Arshavin – (43)

Arsenal barely had time to celebrate their goal before Barnet thumped a surprise equaliser. Ismail Yakubu climbed above Gallas and Vermaelen to nod his side level. It was a poor goal to lose and it was the final action of the first half.

Goal – Ismail Yakubu – (45)

The second period saw Wengershuffle his pack – as expected. 10 changes were made with only Thomas Vermaelen remaining on the pitch. This meant the lineup looked as follows:

Mannone
Eastmond – Ayling – Vermaelen – Cruise
Simpson – Coquelin – Henderson – Barazite
Sunu – Thomas

The young Gunners exploded out of the blocks at Barnet and could have restored the advantage instantly. Jay Emmanuel-Thomas teed up Barazite who elegantly lashed a drive which was unfortunately blocked by the out stretched leg of Gary Breen.

Nacer was all over the park, chasing every ball and getting stuck in. He soon had some reward for his hard work after receiving Emmanuel-Thomas’ back heel he raced into the area. After first having a shot blocked, the Dutchman shuffled his feet and unleashed a stunning curling effort right into the far corner.

Goal – Nacer Barazite – (51)

Barnet dug in after going behind again and turned up the pressure on their visitors. Craig Eastmond’s slip nearly allowed Joe Tabiri the chance to level before a late rally saw the Bees snatch the equaliser. A defensive mix-up allowed Elliot Charles the opportunity to slip home from close range to make it 2-2.

Goal – Elliot Charlie (83)

Emmanuel-Thomas thundered forward to slide a shot inches wide as the Gunners looked to finish with a flurry. Luke Ayling had the final chance – bursting forward from the back to hit a shot, but the game fell away in the final minutes. It finished 2-2.

Article By – J.Sanderson

Arsenal step up their pre-season preparations this afternoon with the first of several friendlies. Barnet are the opponents at their Underhill stadium which is used by the Gunners’ Reserve side.

Typically, Arsene Wenger has named a mixture of youth and experience in the travelling party. Expect a whole host of changes in the second half, but the XI below will begin the game at 15:00.

Almunia
Djourou – Gallas – Vermaelen – Silvestre
Wilshere – Randall – Frimpong – Rosicky
Arshavin – Watt

Subs: Mannone, Eastmond, Ayling, Cruise, Thomas, Henderson, Coquelin, Simpson, Barazite Sunu.

Article By – J.Sanderson

The future of wing-back Pedro Botelho looks set to be resolved next week with the teenage Brazilian penning a year long loan deal with Spanish Segunda outfit Celta Vigo.

Reports in the Spanish media claim that Botelho has already signalled his interest in joining Celta and they’re just waiting for the green light from Arsenal to tie up the deal. Supporter sites suggest the 19-year-old is currently in England training with Arsenal but this wide of the mark.

Young Guns can confirm that Pedro used one of four booked hotel rooms last week as he flew into London for talks with Arsène Wenger. However, he was only in the capital for two days before returning to Spain where it’s thought that he’s already undergone a medical and is ready to sign on the dotted line.

An experience building La Liga loan move to Xerez broke down due to a change of manager, which saw Carlos Vela’s former Osasuna chief Jose Ziganda installed. Sensing an opportunity, Celta, one of Arsenal’s former link club’s, have moved quickly – possibly in an attempt to reignite a relationship with the Gunners.

But away from that, Botelho, who made 27 appearances for UD Salamanca last season, is expected to join former Union man Vasco Fernandes in a new look Celta back-line early next week. As ever, Young Guns will be covering Pedro’s exploits on loan next season.

Make Sure You Check Out Pedro’s New Profile In Our Updated Player Profile Section!

Article By – J.Sanderson

Arsenal have wrapped up the signing of 16-year-old defender Sead Hajrovic from Swiss outfit Grasshopper-Club Zürich for a fee of around €300,000.

The Bosnian-born centre back has been training with his new team-mates since the start of the summer and was recently spotted taking part in the first-team training sessions. In a move believed to have been engineered by the Gunners’ first-team coach Boro Primorac, the Switzerland Under 17 international comes with a huge reputation.

Hajrovic was scouted playing for Grasshopper’s Under 18’s and has previously been courted by Manchester United and Everton. Interestingly, Sead has openly admitted his desire to turn out for his native Bosnia and Herzegovina but has never been contacted by anybody from that federation.

A tough, aggressive and combative defender, Hajrovic will go straight into Steve Bould’s Under 18’s ahead of the 2009-2010 campaign. His brother, 17-year-old Izet Hajrovic is also considered an exciting talent and is currently plying his trade with Grasshopper-Club Zürich II.

More to follow.

Article By – J.Sanderson

Young Guns’ search for the hottest new blogging talent is well underway, and after being inundated with applications, we trimmed them down to find seven of the best who were challenged to write a Player Profile to prove their worth. Well today, we’re proud to announce the three who have made the final.

Surprisingly none of the contestants chose the same player and each of the profiles had a different twist. Some opted to give facts and figures, whereas there was also the biography approach and one involving an entrants own personal story with the particular player. All of them were good enough to be published on the site but there had to be three names picked.

Ben Jones – Mark Randall
Joe Best – Francis Coquelin
Lee Hackett – Rhys Murphy
Kazeem Atanda – Jack Wilshere
Nick Love – Emmanuel Frimpong
Tom Quinn – Luke Ayling
Nick O’Doherty – Chuks Aneke

After a day of arguing and analysis, the whole judging panel agreed on the following three names to compete in the final. It was very tight and at one stage we had a completely different list to the one below. But the three who will contest the final are:-

Ben Jones

“Ben displayed fantastic knowledge of his chosen player. Offering a flowing mix of facts, opinion and a cutting edge writing style, he showed all the attributes we have been looking for. “

Nick Love

“Nick clearly did his research and thought about the subject and criteria before starting. He was the first to send his entry in, showing speed yet accuracy in his work. The judging team were particularly impressed with the depth of information he uncovered.”

Nick O’Doherty

“Nick chose one of the hardest players to write about but did it very well. His research of all aspects of his career caught the eye as did his description of his talents.”

You can view the trio’s Player Profiles by clicking Here. In the grand final, we’ll be providing the ultimate challenge. Ben and the two Nick’s will be thrust out into the world of Arsenal news and asked to write a news article which will be published on the site for everybody to view.

We’re looking for some news which either has had little coverage, or even better, an exclusive. This will be a real test of their ability to sniff out news, their contacts and what they can bring to the team. It won’t be easy, that’s why they’ve given them one week to get their entry in. It can be anytime within that deadline, and then you’ll be asked to vote for your winner. The competition is hotting up, so stay locked to Young Guns for all the action.

Article By – J.Sanderson

FK Bubamara striker Veljko Batrović is ‘almost certain’ to join Arsenal’s growing list of Academy talents when he arrives in London next week ahead of a 7 day trial.

The diminutive striker, who became the youngest ever captain of Bubamara’s youth side, has been courted by many of Europe’s biggest club’s including AC Milan and Real Madrid. However, they have never firmed up their interest with offers, although Marseille and Olympiakos are believed to have had bids turned down.

It seems Arsenal have been monitoring the youngster for a while and rate him very highly. So much so that Arsène Wenger and chief scout Steve Rowley travelled to Montenegro in March to personally scout Batrović, who will touch down in London next week enabling both parties to ‘take a look at each other’.

Chairman Budom Miranović confirmed to the sports website AHA Online that his player is ‘almost certain’ to be changing employers in the coming weeks. When asked if the deal was completed he had this to say:

“Nothing is specified, but it is almost certain that Veljko will soon become a member of Arsenal’s Academy.”

“Nothing is yet finished, but Veljko will go to a club with the strongest agreement, not only for Bubamara, but for Montenegro football in general. The details we’ll talk about when the time comes.”

Miranović is believed to be holding out for an arrangement similar to that which links Arsenal and UD Salamanca as part of the transfer, with the Gunners getting the first choice of any promising prospects coming through their Academy. Whatever happens it seems the striker nicknamed ‘The Wizard’ is only days away from becoming our latest Young Gun.

Article By – J.Sanderson

Arsenal’s pursuit of Fluminense striker Wellington has stepped up a gear after the Brazilian flew into London this week to have a look around the facilities at London Colney and begin transfer talks.

Young Guns reveled last week that the club had booked out four hotel rooms all for Brazilian youngsters, and we’ve since been able to confirm that one of the rooms was for the quick-silver front-man. However, a move appeared to be dead last month when Fluminense coach Carlos Alberto Parreira promoted the Brazil Under 17 international to his first-team squad.

The starlet, nicknamed Ciel, has quickly become one of the most sought after youngsters among European clubs. Real Madrid, Chelsea and Barcelona are among interested parties, while Manchester United are believed to have made inquiries recently. United scouts will know all about Wellington as he hammered one of the goals which saw Flu win the Nike Cup at Old Trafford last summer.

Yet Arsenal have always been the front runners after Wellington impressed during a 7 day trial around Christmas time. He played 45 minutes for the Under 16’s against Norwich and he made an emphatic impression, scoring 4 goals. This led to speculation that he had been signed, but those reports were wide of the mark.

But now it appears a deal could finally go through. Liam Brady has openly been looking for a young striker with Chelsea’s Frank Nouble the latest name to be linked. It’s unknown how a deal would be formatted as FIFA rules dictate Brazilian youngsters must be 18 before they leave their native country, although if the players family are open to moving before a switch is completed this can be got around.

Article By – J.Sanderson

If you’d like to read more about Arsenal’s young Gunners, then yesterdays unveiling of our 2009-2010 Player Profiles will defiantly interest you.

Not only has the section been updated with many new names, but even the layout and design has changed. The new squad consists of 39 profiles, including 3 goalkeepers, 15 defenders, 12 midfielders and 9 forwards. There is a mixture of professionals, scholars and a scattering of schoolboys – all names to watch out for in the future.

From last year’s profiles, Jack Wilshere, Jay Simpson, Aaron Ramsey, Kerrea Gilbert and Kieran Gibbs have been removed as they’re now considered first-team players or too old to feature in this section. Added to that, all the transfers have been updated, so any player from the Transfer Centre who had a profile has now been removed. New signings Sean McDermott and Jamie Edge have profiles, as does January arrival Martin Angha.

So feel free to explore them, if you haven’t already, and leave some feedback below. We’d like to know what you like, what you don’t like, and what we can improve for next year.

Click Here To View The New Profiles!

Article By – J.Sanderson

Young Guns is delighted to announce that our 2009-2010 Player Profiles will be available from tomorrow afternoon. After weeks of planning and designs, the section is having a complete revamp.

The new squad will consist of 39 profiles, including 3 goalkeepers, 15 defenders, 12 midfielders and 9 forwards. You’ll have to wait until tomorrow before their identities are revealed, but there is a mixture of professionals, scholars and a scattering of schoolboys.

From last year’s profiles, Jack Wilshere, Jay Simpson, Aaron Ramsey, Kerrea Gilbert and Kieran Gibbs have been removed as they’re now considered first-team players or too old to feature in this section. Added to that, all the transfers have been updated, so any player from the Transfer Centre who had a profile has now been removed.

New signings Sean McDermott and Jamie Edge have profiles, as does January arrival Martin Angha. We’ve decided to stray away from the ‘player picture’ side of the profiles and you can expect a completely new and hopefully improved design.

The Young Guns team will be working throughout the night to get this new service ready, so apologies if the current Player Profiles are unavailable for any period of time. We look forward to you joining us tomorrow to enjoy them and thank you for all the supportive e-mails received regarding them.

Article By – J.Sanderson

Arsenal are closing in on a deal to sign highly rated Chelsea winger Frank Nouble after he turned down professional forms with the West London outfit, with a lack of first team opportunities cited as the major reason.

Liam Brady has been an admirer of the powerful prospect for some time and previously tried to sign him as a 15-year-old. Frank is also known to be a fan of the youth system at Arsenal and is close friends with midfield maestro Jack Wilshere. However, Tottenham and Aston Villa have also been alerted and will offer serious competition should the Gunners make a bid.

The 17-year-old is regarded by many as one of the most promising forwards in the country. He featured 5 times for the Blues’ Under 18’s during their Youth Cup run during the 2007-2008 campaign and turned out 21 times in the Academy League. Last season he was more of a regular and cemented his place as ‘one to watch’ with a stunning volley at Old Trafford in the F.A Youth Cup.

After making his Reserve debut in 2007, he is now recognised as a regular and has played against Arsenal’s second-string on a handful of occasions. By Christmas he already had 11 goals for the Youth team and a handful for the Reserves. He’s been tipped by many Chelsea fans as one player who can really kick on into the first team.

Nouble is an avid Manchester United fan who was scouted playing for Millwall before switching to Chelsea as an 11-year-old. He’s level headed too and admits he would have been an accountant if his football career didn’t work out.

Frank is a powerful, aggressive, and pacy left winger who can play up front with ease. The Ivorian born starlet has also taken part in various athletics competitions with much success. Many have compared him to Liverpool’s Ryan Babel and in terms of playing style they are similar. It’s expected the 17-year-olds future will be resolved in the next two weeks with a transfer very much on the cards.

Article By – J.Sanderson