Arsenal
Why this injury-prone West Ham star could see himself back in the English national team contention by staying fit
Shere-Wil power could see Jack back in the England squad
Jack Wilshere has left the Emirates after a 17-year association with Arsenal and has now joined West Ham United on a free transfer. Former Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini has now taken the reins at the London Stadium which could see Wilshere revive his career.
Wilshere also hopes to revive his chances of playing for the Three Lions after the midfielder was utterly disappointed to be left out of Gareth Southgate’s 23-man squad for the World Cup in Russia.
England were impressive in the campaign but ultimately fell short against Croatia in the semi-finals, finishing 4th behind Belgium, who beat them to the third spot. The former Arsenal midfielder will now be aiming to make it back to the England squad this season. But can the West Ham man do it, given his horrendous injury record at Arsenal?
Jack Wilshere is class and quality on the ball but the midfielder tends to get injured way too often and for way too long. He made a total of just 20 appearances for the Gunners last season as he was sidelined for the majority of the campaign.
Jack Wilshere
Although the 26-year-old impressed during his loan spell with Bournemouth in 2016/17 which saw him complete a total of 29 Premier League games and provide 2 assists. But the season before that, the midfielder was only able to muster a measly 3 league appearances.
Wilshere has represented the Three Lions 34 times, which saw him score 2 goals. He was also a part of the England U-16, U-17, U-19 and U-21 setup during his youth days.
Wilshere made his debut for England in a friendly clash against Hungary which saw him come on as a substitute for Steven Gerrard, making him the 10th youngest player to ever play for England, at the age of 18 years and 222 days.
He made his first start against Brazil in 2013 and finished the game as the man of the match. The 26-year-old represented the Three Lions in the Euro 2016 and at the FIFA World Cup 2014. He was initially a part of Southgate’s squad during the friendlies but the midfielder was left out of the final squad.
Jack Wilshere
Jack Wilshere has made a total of 166 appearances in the Premier League, scoring 8 goals and providing 17 assists. He is one of the most talented central midfielders in the league and if it wasn’t for his frustrating long spells on the sidelines, he would be the main man for England.
But at this moment, only Wilshere can help himself. The midfielder is going to need sheer willpower and dedication to make it back to the national team squad. He certainly possesses all the traits and qualities to do so but he’s going to have to show Southgate that he’s capable of staying fit for a prolonged period.
Arsenal Women surrendered a commanding two-goal lead at the Allianz Arena, collapsing spectacularly after dominating the first half. The defeat represents an early blow to the holders’ Champions League defense and exposes fundamental weaknesses in Renee Slegers’ side.
Defensive High Line Proved Disastrous
Arsenal’s backline held an extremely high defensive position throughout, which Bayern ruthlessly exploited during their second-half comeback. Stephanie Catley and Lottie Wubben-Moy were caught flat-footed for Alara Sehitler’s 67th-minute goal, with Bayern breaking quickly while Arsenal pushed high up the pitch.
Sehitler found herself in acres of space to clip past Daphne van Domselaar, highlighting catastrophic positioning from Arsenal’s defenders. The same defensive naivety appeared for Pernille Harder’s equalizer, with both center-backs standing off and allowing the substitute uncontested shooting space on the box edge.
Read More: Experienced Vet Wins Arsenal Women’s October Player of the Month After Breaking Goal Drought
Second-Half Tactical Capitulation
Arsenal dominated the opening 45 minutes completely, making Bayern look ordinary through high pressing and controlled possession. But Slegers failed adjusting tactically after halftime, allowing Bayern to completely dominate proceedings and turn the match around.
The manager receives a damning 4/10 rating for her inability to respond as Bayern’s momentum grew. Her substitutions failed stemming the tide, with Chloe Kelly and Frida Maanum making minimal impact. Maanum particularly disappointed by squandering a glorious opportunity with 10 minutes remaining after excellent Alessia Russo work.
Pernille Harder Continues Arsenal Curse
Harder’s 80th-minute equalizer marked her seventh goal against Arsenal following her Chelsea career. The Danish striker’s unorthodox but brilliant looping shot over Van Domselaar demonstrated her instinctive finishing ability that has consistently punished the Gunners.
Arsenal’s inability to handle Harder’s movement and shooting prowess reflects deeper issues defending against intelligent forwards who exploit space between lines. Her goal sparked Bayern’s late surge, with Glodis Viggosdottir completing the turnaround four minutes later following another Klara Buhl assist.
Arsenal Dragon
Arsenal Women Player Ratings vs. Bayern Munich: Pernille Harder Haunts Gunners as Champions Squander Two-Goal Lead
Arsenal Women surrendered a commanding two-goal advantage to lose 3-2 at the Allianz Arena, suffering a devastating Champions League defeat that threatens their title defense. Emily Fox and Mariona Caldentey established control before Bayern’s second-half onslaught overturned the deficit.
The Standout Performers:
Mariona Caldentey – 7/10 Thrashed home Arsenal’s second goal after capitalizing on dreadful Bayern defending. Shifted the ball brilliantly before unleashing an unstoppable 20-yard drive into the roof of the net.
Provided creative spark throughout, constantly threatening with technical quality whenever receiving possession.
Alessia Russo – 7/10 Deserved more for her efforts after seeing plenty of possession in dangerous areas. Forced excellent save from Mala Grohs with long-distance strike and created wonderful opportunity for Frida Maanum late on. Her attacking intent couldn’t prevent the collapse.
Emily Fox – 7/10 Opened scoring by capitalizing on goalkeeper error, heading home from close range after Beth Mead’s powerful shot.
Faced significantly more defensive work after halftime as Bayern dominated proceedings.
The Solid Showings:
Beth Mead – 6/10 Credited with assist for opener after her fierce low shot was palmed down into Fox’s path. Involved in buildup for second goal and shrugged off heavy challenge in the 50th minute. Productive evening overall.
Stina Blackstenius – 6/10 Nearly scored spectacular goal when fierce strike crashed off crossbar. Constant threat before 60th-minute substitution but couldn’t add to Arsenal’s tally.
Caitlin Foord – 6/10 Productive display cut short after hour mark when replaced by Chloe Kelly.
Katie McCabe – 6/10 Relatively quiet evening before 75th-minute substitution.
Victoria Pelova – 6/10 Covered significant ground with tireless running before replacement by Kyra Cooney-Cross.
Daphne van Domselaar – 5/10 Virtual spectator during dominant first half. Exposed completely for Alara Sehitler’s 67th-minute goal and helpless preventing Pernille Harder’s brilliant looping equalizer or Glodis Viggosdottir’s winner.
Stephanie Catley – 5/10 Caught flat-footed holding high line for Bayern’s opener. Stood off Harder disastrously for equalizer.
Lottie Wubben-Moy – 5/10 Similar struggles to defensive partner Catley. Slow closing down Harder for leveller after being caught off-guard by Bayern’s quick break.
Chloe Kelly – 5/10 Struggled making impact after 60th-minute introduction with Arsenal pinned back.
Frida Maanum – 5/10 Squandered glorious chance after excellent Russo work with 10 minutes remaining.
Renee Slegers – 4/10 Shell-shocked after watching commanding position evaporate. Failed adjusting tactically after halftime as Bayern completely dominated.
Arsenal Dragon
Dramatic Turn of Events That Led to Arsenal’s Underrated 2013 Signing, and how Fans Reacted to it Back Then
One of Arsenal’s unsung heroes in the club’s rather silent years was Spanish full-back Nacho Monreal. Any given match, the former Malaga man would give it his all. A solid player, and an even nicer man off the field.
Nacho Monreal Recently Narrated that Hilarious Morning he Signed for Arsenal
Monreal joined the club in the winter transfer window of 2013. And more recently, he narrated how dramatically things went down before he reached London to sign for the club. He told Ladbrokes in an interview:
“I was in Malaga, playing for Malaga, and I remember, I woke up, I checked the phone and I had, two phone calls from Santi Cazorla. So I was a bit surprised…So, I arrived to the training ground and I called back, Santi, ‘Santi, what’s happening? Why are you calling me so early in the morning?’
“‘Nacho, Nacho, be quick, do you want to join for Arsenal?’
“I said, ‘What?’
“‘Yeah, yeah, yeah, the club, Arsene Wenger asked me if you want to join the club.’
“I was like, ‘What, really?’
“‘Yeah, yeah, Nacho. Yeah, it’s 100% serious.’
“And I said, ‘Yeah, yeah, yeah, of course I want to go.’“
Monreal went on to add that it all happened so quick that he hadn’t even told his wife that he had signed for Arsenal.
Arsenal Fans Back in 2013 Had No Clue Who Nacho Monreal was
A boatload of Arsenal fans back in January 2013 didn’t have any idea about Nacho Monreal. Although, the Spaniard had been a regular in La Liga for over half a decade by then, he wasn’t popular among the Gooners.
Here are some tweets from 2013 about Monreal’s signing:
Monreal, after over 6 solid years with the club, returned to Spain to play for Real Sociedad in 2019. After three seasons, until 2022, he was a pretty regular starter. Monreal hung up his boots the same year.
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