Arsenal latest: Including Mannone and Adams

Arsenal came through a tough test against Montpellier in order to get their Champions League campaign off to a flying start. Things did not immediately go to plan for The Gunners after Thomas Vermaelen was deemed to have fouled in the box and Montepllier were awarded a penalty in front of their incredibly passionate supporters. Younes Belhanda cooly chipped the ball down the centre of the goal to give them an early lead. However Arsenal answered quickly with good work from Olivier Giroud allowing Lukas Poldolski to pull them level, before Giroud again was involved in the build-up as Gervinho tucked away Carl Jenkinson’s low cross. Despite a peppering of long range shots Arsenal held on to claim a 2-1 victory.

England rugby union captain Chris Robshaw has revealed his admiration for England’s new change strip is mainly down to his similar feelings for a kit not too far from the image of the new national strip; Robshaw, who is an avid Arsenal supporter is talking about Arsenal’s 2005-06 commemorative Highbury kit. The kit was worn in order to mark their final ever campaign at the old Highbury ground before the move to The Emirates and was a redcurrant colour. Despite that kit being manufactured by Nike the resemblance is all the more striking as England’s new away strip is not; after the RFU ended their long association with the brand instead opting to have the Canterbury logo adorning the kit.

Vito Mannone believes he can claim the number one goalkeeper spot from Wojciech Szczesny and puts a lot of what he has achieved so far this season down to a loan spell at Hull City. After a calamitous display against Olympiakos last December he was farmed out to the Humberside club to gain some valuable first-team experience. He excelled while at the KC Stadium, keeping a club record six consecutive clean sheets. He has performed well while the Polish number one has struggled with injuries this term and hopes to be given an extended run in the team upon his return from an ankle problem.

Tony Adams has declared himself publicly unhappy with the way the club is being run calling them a ‘feeder club’ and insists they will not achieve Champions League success with their current mentality. He feels it is detrimental to the clubs credibility to continue sell their star players, especially to rival clubs such as Manchester United and Manchester City as has been the case in recent times with Kolo Toure, Emmanuel Adebayor, Gael Clichy, Samir Nasri and Robin Van Persie. Despite their so far brilliant defensive start to the campaign the club legend also called their defensive effectiveness into question believing it could not last.

Should Arsenal cash in on Theo Walcott? That is the question we are asking today, have your say in the debate here.

image: © wonker

Mathew Nash

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I’m Mathew Nash a 23 year old graduate in Sports Studies and I have an insatiable love for sport. With a particularly keen interest for the madcap world of football I have always been known amongst friends as a beacon for bizarre sporting trivia and knowledge. My other passion is for writing and hopefully combining the two will create a superb and entertaining marriage that will create, divide and share opinion.