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The 2009/10 was a second-rate one for Arsenal by the high standards that the fans have come to accept, but overall it was not a bad year. Arsenal achieved a 13th consecutive year in the Champions League with a young and developing team. That’s a great achievement. The Arsenal team also continued to play some exceptional football.

Arsenal went into the new season with a new facelift, two out and one in during the summer of 2009. We sold two players and only saw Thomas Vermaelen come in  Manchester City clearly had too much spending £25 million for the Adebayor. City and £16 million for an out of sorts Toure

Before the opening day of the season we were widely tipped to miss out on the top four, Liverpool were expected to go one better and win the title for the first time in ages whilst Man City had spent huge amounts from which big things were expected. It didn’t work out that way.

The first game of the season was a tricky one away at Everton, the result was something nobody expected as we handed out a 6-1 beating with Cesc Fabrefas running the show and getting one great goal. A fantastic start to the season for Arsenal football club fans.

Champions League qualification was not yet certain, we to beat over two legs. A muscular performance at Parkhead with Thomas Vermaelen looking like a pillar of strength at the back and slotting into the Arsenal side well. A deflected Cesc strike off the back of William Gallas just before half time and then a late own goal. In the return match Arsenal scored three past Celtic to put us into the Champions League proper.

We then hammered Portsmouth at home and went up north to Manchester United where a sensational Arshavin strike was canceled out by a Diaby own goal and a Wayne Rooney goal. After that we went unbeaten until the end of November in the league, pounding in the goals and looking very solid.

December was gritty, we had to grind out wins, not pretty, but it showed good spirit in the squad, and we got those results. Cesc Fabregas started coming into his own, scoring goal after goal after goal. Then game the tough run, four games – Villa (away), United (home), Chelsea (away), Liverpool (home). We needed about six points at least from those games to stay in contention, but we only got four, we had had injuries all season and they were starting to affect us, and our season started to flag.

Then came the moment that our season took a turn, Robin Van Persie had played in a meaningless friendly for his country, Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini took out Van Persie and his ankle. Persie was out for seven months.

When Barcelona came to the Emirates it was a great game  45 minutes of fantastic football, yet they still couldn’t score. Then, in the second half they scored two goals in quick succession. Arsenal had a half-fit Cesc and an injury ravaged side, Walcott equalised and we won a penalty in the last minute. Cesc, with a broken leg scored the penalty to make it 2-2. It marked the end of Aresenal’s season, with our best player out for the rest of the season with a broken leg, and Arshavin  out with a muscle injury. The chances of winning the Champions League or the Premiership disappeared.

Injuries, players that were not good enough and managerial faults… are all to blame for a disappointing season. A season that started so fantastically well had crashed in slow motion by the end of the season. A young team, hungry and ambitious had changed by the end. It is easy to forget everything that happened before the last six weeks of the season, but we had remained in touching distance with the eventual winners the whole team. Over the summer investment into the Arsenal squad looks certain. There has been progress over the past year and, should the core of this squad be improved by one or two decent signings, there is a good chance that Arsenal could overhaul the ageing Chelsea and Manchester United teams next season. Lets hope that season 2009/2010 was the last building year before winning some big trophies next season. Arsenal football club fans get ready for an exciting new season.

Soccer City is the gem in South Africa’s crown, built in 1987 and with a capacity of 94,700 (excluding Media and VIP’s) it is sure to offer an eminent atmosphere for the lucky few thousand that manage to buy their tickets and hopefully as the stadium to be used for the first game, provide an excellent springboard for a magnificent tournament.

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Wayne Rooney won the PFA Player of the Year award on Sunday and later vowed to be fit for the World Cup this summer.

The Manchester United striker lately recovered from an ankle injury, only to pick up a groin strain in training which may force him to miss the rest of the season.

This will have been a worry for Fabio Capello, but the England striker has declared that he is targeting United’s final game of the season on 9th May as a possible date for his comeback.

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Concerns over the approach that Arsenal and Barcelona might adopt in their Champions League tie to lean towards safety might have been assuaged by the teams’ coaches before the match. Barcelona will not change their style in order to win because their present methods have already proven effective. Guardiola is confident that regardless of who plays in the team, the Spanish giants will have the means of stopping the Gunners.

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