Lehmann Not Giving Up

The German international kept a clean sheet against Newcastle in the Gunners 3-0 win and is determined to appear on a more regular basis.

Lehmann lost his place to Manuel Almunia earlier this season and passed up the chance to join Borussia Dortmund, saying that he would prefer to stay in London until his contract expires in the summer.

"If I still see a chance to get in the team, why should I give up?" Lehmann said in the Arsenal programme ahead of the Newcastle cup tie.

"The pressure comes into play from this point of the season and I know that experience can be very valuable, we all have a role to play.

"First of all, I like it here, I like the club, I like the fans, I like the team and the way we are playing football. I think that I still have a chance to win things here. I would not have had this chance somewhere else.

"Then it is true that I had to consider my family situation, my boys like going to school here and they have a lot of activities ahead of them before the end of the academic year.

"Then there is the fact that I am a competitor. Those are the reasons why I decided to stay.

"I have always liked playing here and it is not something I could just give away through not playing a few games, things can change very quickly in football" he added.

"I believe in this team's ability to win things and I believe in my ability to be part of that, so I can't give it up quickly."

Wenger: Merida Will Become A Great

Fran Merida has followed in the footsteps of Cesc Fabregas - joining Arsenal from Barcelona with a big reputation and even bigger expectations.

He is eventually expected to emulate the achievements of Fabregas, but not just yet.

Fabregas made his Arsenal first team debut as a 16-year old in the Carling Cup, while for Merida the start of his Gunners career has been more low-key - and now he is heading to Spain for a six-month loan spell in the country's second division.

But Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has reassured the club's fans that they have not seen the last of the 17-year-old playmaker.

Wenger is convinced Merida can make a big impact at Arsenal.

“He is a great player,” Wenger told the club's official website.

“He has a good opportunity to play there and he should be at Sociedad for six months.

“At the moment we play the young players so quickly in the reserve team – at 16 or 17 – that at 18 and 19 there is sometimes no challenge for them anymore.

“It is still a little bit too early for them to play in the first team so there is a little gap period.

“One of the solutions is to get them into clubs where they can get first-team experience.”

Merida has currently made three substitute appearances for the Arsenal first team.

Wenger Keen On Freeman

The Gunners boss has become famous for brining in young players and turning them into world class players and he has spoken of his admiration for Freeman. The Gillingham striker made history and became the youngest player to feature in the FA Cup when he played in the first round against Barnet.


It seems as if Arsenal will try and offer Gillingham some money in order to seal a potential deal for the young starlet. Wenger has recently come under fire for a lack of home grown talent in his Arsenal squad and it seems as if the Frenchman is finally changing his ways as he looks to bring in young English players.


“I met the boy, I like him, his personality, he looks alert,” Wenger said. “He is a striker and at 15 years of age to play for the first team sometimes is something special.”

Wenger also warned that he will be moving quickly to try and ensure he lands his man before any other clubs come along to try and steal him. “When a good player comes out you know you are not on your own, so even if ideally you would wait one or two more years, you cannot any more.”

Gallas: It's In Arsenal's Hands

With Arsenal currently leading the Barclays Premier League by two points from champions Manchester United, and with Chelsea a further four points adrift. Arsenal captain William Gallas expects the race for the Premier League title to go right to the wire - but he's confident his team-mates can maintain their strong first-half performance in the second-half of the season.

Gallas is set to return to the starting XI for Saturday's Premier League fixture against Birmingham City at the Emirates Stadium, after having been rested - along with many other first team regulars - for the cup clashes against Burnley last Sunday and Tottenham on Wednesday.

And he said: "The fact we are still top sends a message that we are strong, but we know that Manchester United and also Chelsea are still there also.

"It will be close all season, but we must realise everything is in our hands.

"I hope to be back in the team for the Birmingham game, and I think that we will be really fresh for that, having missed the last couple of games.

"We still have a long way to go this season and I am sure everybody will be ready for it, because we have to be."

Wenger Reflects On Carling Cup Outcome

Arsene Wenger declared: "I believe it's a good result for us considering Tottenham created more chances tonight. We had a good start for thirty minutes and after we gave a goal away and just before half time they created two or three really good chances, you know, they didn't take.

"In the second half I feel we were a bit... we were better defensively but we didn't create many chances but we had resilience and didn't give in, and in the end we came back to one-one, that is a good result for us."

Regarding Spurs, Wenger commented: "They are on their way up, yes, they have played well tonight, but you need consistency in your results to know that, I feel quality is first down to consistency.

"That's why they played well tonight, I don't deny that at all, but we have to repeat the same performances every three days, and every four days, and that is very difficult."

Looking ahead to the second-leg, Wenger said: "In two weeks it can change completely, I feel we are in a good position, considering the game tonight, to make it.

"At two-nil it would have certainly have killed the game for us and the chance to qualify maybe, but a one-one - we are in a good position, a good opportunity. "

Were his young players tired after beating Burnley on Sunday in the FA Cup? Wenger replied: "I feel we were not at our best physically tonight, I feel we had not recovered completely from our Burnley game.

"Tottenham was sharper than us tonight but we have shown mental resilience and strength and for such a young team that is a positive attitude."

Wenger also discussed the club's injury situatiopn, revealing: "Djourou was injured, Senderos is injured, Van Persie got injured. So, we had no injuries before the game started but tonight considering that we lost three players, and we lost three players in the African Nations Cup, we lost suddenly in one night six players... basically in two days - that is very difficult for us."

On Van Persie's problem, he said: "We have to see tomorrow morning, is it just scar tissue? Sometimes, you know, when you come back after a long time, is it just a question of two days or is it longer, we'll see that tomorrow."

And regarding the two central defenders, he revealed: "Djourou is a problem we had already at Birmingham so that means for me it came back, a groin problem, you know?

"Senderos, a little mid-knee ligament he got in the first half, so we'll see. We have to assess all that, I cannot tell you how long they will be out, it can be one, two days, it can be two weeks! It's difficult to assess tonight. Hoyte, Gilberto, Sagna can play in there, we still have solutions."

Bendtner: Nobody's Greater Than Wenger

Nicklas Bendtner has had limited first team opportunities in his Arsenal career so far, but that doesn't mean the young striker international is looking for a move elsewhere.

With the club in its best shape for several years and Arsene Wenger the best in the business, Bendtner believes it's impossible for him to have it any better.

"I give 100 percent so [Wenger] can see that is the right decision that he gambles on me," Bendtner told Danish newspaper BT.

"That's what I think he thinks it is, a gamble. He is the world's best trainer, the best I've had. He talks to us young players and he believes in us.

"For me his playing style is key and his continued belief in me. His faith in me has been fantastic," continued the youngster, who came off the bench to hed the winning goal against Tottenham last month.

"Wenger has given me the chance, and I feel in myself that I have paid him back on this belief by scoring so many goals in my half year at the club."

Keown Joins Almunia For England Camp

New national team coach Fabio Capello will not exactly be spoiled for choices when it comes to handing out the number one jersey, and there is a growing clamour for Almunia to take on dual citizenship in order to be eligible for the Three Lions.

“Without doubt Manuel Almunia is an outstanding goalkeeper and he would raise the bar if he came into the England set-up,” said Keown.

“He’s on a par, if not better, than the goalkeepers that are there at the moment,” he added, referring to the error prone trio of Paul Robinson, Scott Carson and David James

“If you’re asking whether it’s morally right, well the national team has a foreign manager and this type of thing already goes on in other sports like cricket and rugby.

"So I’m not dead against him playing for England when he becomes eligible.

“At the moment the talk is a bit premature — he’s been outstanding for Arsenal but he’s only just wrestled the first-team jersey away from Jens Lehmann.

“But if the opportunity came up for him to play for England, I’d not have a problem with that. Spain don’t seem to want him so their loss would be our gain.”

Almunia himself has admitted that he would have a tough time saying no if Capello were to come calling. There will be no immediate action in any case, however, as he is still a year away from being eligible to become a British citizen.

Carling Cup Preview: Arsenal - Tottenham Hotspur

We'll Meet Again

Eighteen days after they met in the Premier League, Arsenal and Tottenham clash again, also at the Emirates Stadium, but this time in the first leg of the semi-final of the Carling Cup. Will it make any difference to the outcome, given that Arsenal are unbeaten in the last 20 meetings in all competitions between these two bitter rivals?

Indeed, Spurs - without a win against their hated neighbours this century - last tasted victory on 6th November, 1999, at White Hart Lane.

But a year ago, at the same stage of the Carling Cup, Tottenham led 2-0 at White Hart Lane in the semi-final first leg, only to experience the familiar heartache of the Gunners coming back at them to draw 2-2, then going on to win the second-leg 3-1 after extra-time at the Emirates.

For Spurs it was a case of deja-vu in this competition - and something they will be desperate to avoid again this season. For this will be the fourth time these rivals have clashed in the two-legged semi-final of the Football League Cup, currently sponsored by Carling. And Arsenal have triumphed on each of the three previous occasions.

The first meetings were in the 1968-69 season, when Arsenal won 1-0 at Highbury on 20th November 1968, John Radford hitting the injury time winner to prevent what would have been a first-ever goalless draw between the Gunners and Spurs.

Arsenal (manager Bertie Mee): Wilson, Storey, McNab, McLintock, Ure, Simpson, Radford, Court, Sammels, Graham (Gould), Armstrong.
Spurs (manager Bill Nicholson): Jennings, Kinnear, Knowles, Mullery, Collins, Beal, Pearce, Greaves, England, Venables, Gilzean.

The second leg at White Hart Lane finished 1-1, so Arsenal won 2-1 on aggregate. The Spurs side was unchanged from the first leg, while for Arsenal, Bobby Gould replaced George Graham at inside-left. Graham came on as a substitute for Bob McNab during he game, which saw Jimmy Greaves level the ie on aggregate before Radford headed an 87th minute winner for the Gunners.

After Spurs won a 4th Round tie 1-0 at White Hart Lane in 1980-81, and Arsenal won 2-1 at the Lane in the 3rd Round in 1983-84, the teams met again at the semi-final stage in the 1986-87 season.

Tottenham won 1-0 at Highbury in the first leg thanks to the prolific Clive Allen - one briefly on Arsenal's books but sold to Crystal Palace without playing a competitive game for the Gunners in the deal that brought Kenny Sansom to Highbury. Allen was delighted to score six minutes before half-time as Tottenham inflicted the first home defeat on Arsenal since George Graham (later to manage at White Hart Lane) had been appointed Gunners' boss in Summer 1986.

In the second leg at the Lane it looked all over for Arsenal when Allen scored early to make it 2-0 to Tottenham on aggregate. At half-time the PA announcer informed the Spurs fans of ticket arrangements for the final. The Arsenal players heard the announcement from their dressing room and were suitably motivated. Viv Anderson halved the aggregate deficit and Niall Quinn scored a second for the Gunners to force the tie into an inconclusive 30 minutes of extra-time.

That meant a replay was required, and Spurs won the toss for home advantage, so it was back to the Lane three days later on Wednesday, 4th March. The remarkable Allen yet again broke the deadlock, netting after 62minutes - his 39th goal of a highly productive campaign. But again Arsenal fought back - and with two goals in the last eight minutes they won the semi-final, going on to defeat Liverpool (again from one down) in the Wembley final. This time substitute Ian Allinson got their equaliser before David Rocastle score the late, dramatic winner.

Arsenal players used over the three games (manager George Graham): Lukic, Caesar, Sansom, Williams, O'Leary, Adams, Groves, Davis, Quinn, Nicholas, Hayes, Michael Thomas, Rix, Anderson, Rocastle, Allinson.
Spurs (manager David Pleat): Clemence, Danny Thomas, Mitchell Thomas, Ardiles, Gough, Mabbutt, Clive Allen, Paul Allen, Waddle, Hoddle, Claesen, Galvin, Stevens.

Then came last season's two classic encounters. At the Lane on 24th January 2007, Dimitar Berbatov put Spurs ahead on 12 minutes and Julio Baptista inadvertently put through his own net on 21 to put Tottenham in command. But an injury to Berbatov disrupted Spurs and, in the second half, Arsenal roared back, Baptista making amends by scoring in the 64th and 77th minutes to leave the tie nicely poised for the return leg.

Spurs (manager: Martin Jol): Robinson, Chimbonda, Assou-Ekotto, Zokora, Dawson, Gardner, Lennon, Huddlestone, Berbatov (Keane), Defoe (Mido), Malbranque.
Arsenal (manager: Arsene Wenger): Almunia, Hoyte, Traore, Diaby (Hleb) (Flamini), Toure, Senderos, Denilson, Fabregas, Aliadiere (Eboue), Walcott, Julio Baptista.

The second leg at the Emirates on 31st January remained goalless until the 77th minute, when Emmanuel Adebayor made the breakthrough for Arsenal. But Spurs substitute Mido conjured a dramatic 85th minute equaliser to send the Spurs fans into raptures and the tie into extra-time. Goals from Jeremie Aliadiere (105) and an own goal by Chimbonda from a Tomas Rosicky shot (113) again settled things in Arsenal's favour - 3-1 on the night, 5-3 on aggregate.

Arsenal: Almunia, Hoyte, Traore (Clichy), Gilberto Silva, Toure, Senderos, Walcott (Rosicky), Denilson, Adebayor, Aliadiere, Diaby (Fabregas).
Tottenham: Robinson, Chimbonda, Assou-Ekotto, Zokora, Dawson, Gardner (Rocha), Ghaly (Huddlestone), Jenas, Keane, Defoe, Malbranque (Mido).


Revenge, Berbatov & The Ramos Factor

Spurs are long overdue a semi-final victory over the old enemy in this competition, and midfielder Jermaine Jenas emphasised the point. He stressed the desire among the Tottenham players to exact revenge for last year's disappointment.

"I have sore memories and we want to have the opposite feeling this time around.
"We must be positive, this tie is the other way around and it might help us that we can bring them back to the Lane for the return game, unlike last year.

"I am very confident that we can score goals whenever and wherever we play."

Indeed, scoring goals is unlikely to be a problem for Tottenham, with Berbatov, Robbie Keane and Jermain Defoe all in prolific form lately.

Even Arsene Wenger has described Spurs striker Berbatov as "top class", and revealed that he once considered bringing the Bulgarian to Arsenal.

The future of the 26-year-old remains the subject of speculation – with Chelsea said to be ready to launch a £30million bid – and the player claims this has left him "fed up," but Wenger is a long-time admirer.

He told Arsenal TV Online: "He is top class. He always has time on the pitch and when you play against him he is always in the places you don't want him to be.

"He is what I call a top class striker because he can provide, he can score, he can be at the start of the move and at the end of it. That is a sign of quality."

Asked if he had ever considered a move for Berbatov, Wenger said: "Yes, when he played for Bayer Leverkusen. I noticed him once when he played against Real Madrid. He was a young boy at the time, but we were never in need of him. We had Thierry Henry, we had Robin van Persie. Then we got Adebayor, but I have known about him for a long time."

Berbatov scored both goals against Reading in the FA Cup on Saturday, to add to the four he claimed against the Royals a week earlier, and despite the transfer speculation - he has said he wants to stay, his agent keeps spinning otherwise - this is the perfect opportunity for him to make himself a Spurs legend by helping, finally, to beat Arsenal.

Juande Ramos too will be keen to become the first Tottenham manager since (ironically) George Graham to celebrate victory against the Gunners. Ramos has a great recent record in cup competitions and over two legs, with the second at home, he will fancy his chances.

His side pushed Arsenal all the way in their recent Premier League meeting just before Christmas, Spurs coming from behind to equalise Adebayor's goal through Berbatov, who was then up-ended in the box for a Tottenham penalty. The normally reliable Keane saw his spot-kick saved by Manuel Almunia, then Wenger sent on substitute Nicklas Bendtner who scored the winner with his first touch - a powerful header from a Fabregas corner.

Bendtner is expected to start tonight alongside Eduardo, the pair having bagged a goal apiece on Sunday as Arsenal beat Burnley 2-0 in the FA Cup third round.

Arsenal also won then they took on Spurs at White Hart Lane in September. Adebayor scored twice and Fabregas once to cancel out an early Gareth Bale free-kick as the Gunners - who have amassed more than twice as many League points as Spurs so far this season, ran out 3-1 winners.

However, Wenger and his troops will know that in both this season's games, the games have been tighter than he scorelines might suggest, and Spurs have been getting closer to breaking their wretched eight-year hoodoo. Arsenal will need to be on their mettle to ensure it doesn't happen tonight.


FORM GUIDE

Arsenal

06 Jan (FA Cup) v Burnley (A) WON 2-0
01 Jan (Prem) v West Ham (H) WON 2-0
29 Dec (Prem) v Everton (A) WON 4-1
26 Dec (Prem) v Portsmouth (A) DREW 0-0
22 Dec (Prem) v Tottenham (H) WON 2-1
18 Dec (Carling Cup) v Blackburn (A) WON 3-2


Tottenham

05 Jan (FA Cup) v Reading (H) DREW 2-2
01 Jan (Prem) v Aston Villa (A) LOST 1-2
29 Dec (Prem) v Reading (H) WON 6-4
26 Dec (Prem) v Fulham (H) WON 5-1
22 Dec (Prem) v Arsenal (A) LOST 1-2
18 Dec (Carling Cup) v Man City (A) WON 2-0


TEAM NEWS

Arsenal

Striker Robin van Persie is fit again, Wenger saying: "Robin had a slight set-back after his knee injury in that he picked up a muscle problem. But on a positive note he could forget about his knee and work on his fitness.

"Johan Djourou and Theo Walcott are available and apart from them it will be the guys who played in the last round. It'll be another young side."

Lukasz Fabianski plays in goal and Theo Walcott will probably feature.

Last Starting XI (v Burnley): Lehmann, Sagna, Toure, Senderos, Traore (Justin Hoyte 71), Eboue, Silva, Denilson, Diaby, Bendtner, Eduardo. Subs Not Used: Fabianski, Djourou, Randall, Lansbury.

Squad: Fabianski, J Hoyte, Senderos, Djourou, Traore, Diaby, Gilberto, Denilson, Diarra, Eduardo, Bendtner, Mannone, Walcott, G Hoyte, Randall, Lansbury, Gibbs, Perez, van Persie.

Probable Starting XI: (4-4-2): L Fabianski - J Hoyte, J Djourou, P Senderos, A Traoré – T Walcott, Denilson, L Diarra, A Diaby – N Bendtner, Eduardo da Silva.


Tottenham

Ramos will be without Didier Zokora as he is on international duty, while Tom Huddlestone begins a suspension.

Younes Kaboul and Darren Bent are doubts and Gareth Bale, Anthony Gardner and Benoit Assou-Ekotto are all out.

Last Starting XI (v Reading): Robinson, Chimbonda, King, Dawson, Lee, Lennon, Zokora, Jenas, Malbranque (Huddlestone 79), Keane (Taarabt 63), Berbatov.
Subs Not Used: Cerny, Defoe, Gunter.

Squad: Robinson, Chimbonda, Dawson, Lee, King, Rocha, O'Hara, Jenas, Malbranque, Boateng, Lennon, Keane, Berbatov, Defoe, Cerny, Taarabt, Bent, Kaboul, Stalteri, Tainio.

Probable Starting XI (4-4-2): P Robinson – P Chimbonda, L King, M Dawson, Lee Young Pyo – A Lennon, J Jenas, K-P Boateng, S Malbranque – D Berbatov, R Keane.


PLAYERS TO WATCH

Arsenal

Eduardo is the man in form at he moment. After a slow start following his arrival in English football, Wenger was relaxed and predicted he would probably need six months before he became acclimatised and started to show his worth. That has happened a little ahead of schedule - the Brazilian-born Croatia international has scored 11 goals altogether for the Gunners, including six in his last four starts.


Tottenham

Robbie Keane will be itching to maker an impression against Arsenal, particularly after failing to convert that penalty at a pivotal moment in the League game just before Christmas. Keane has an impressive strike rate and his all action, tireless work is a boon to the Spurs side. He has developed a highly productive partnership with the dangerous Berbatov, and Arsenal, without Africa-bound Kolo Toure, will need to keep very close tabs on the Irish goal poacher.


PREDICTION

Current form, recent meetings, history in this competition, Spurs' defending and home advantage all point to an Arsenal win. On the other hand, Tottenham will be fielding the more experienced side - one that is in prolific goalscoring form - have a shrewd cup tie manager and are so long overdue a victory against Arsenal that the law of averages is now on their side. And yet it is still hard to bet against the Gunners. A narrow home win could be on the cards, begging the question will it be enough for them to protect at White Hart Lane in the return?

Arsenal 2-1 Tottenham

Wenger's Faith In Young Carling Cup Team

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger can add Robin van Persie to his squad for tonight’s Carling Cup semi-final against local rivals Spurs.

The Dutch striker has made only two appearances since injuring a knee on international duty with Holland in October.

He suffered a setback in training last month which ruled him out of contention since Arsenal's 1-0 victory over Chelsea.

Van Persie is likely to start on the bench for the Spurs match, with Wenger wishing to keep faith with the bulk of the players who achieved a fine 3-2 quarter-final win against a full-strength Blackburn Rovers side at Ewood Park .

Arsenal are seeking to reach the final for the second successive year.

After returning from a loan spell at Burmingham City, Johan Djourou will make his first appearance of the season alongside his Switzerland international team-mate, Philippe Senderos.

And forward Theo Walcott has recovered from a virus.

“Robin van Persie is back in the squad,” Wenger said.

“He had a little setback coming back from his knee injury, it was a muscle problem. But the positive side of it is that he could forget about his knee and work on his fitness.

“Theo Walcott is available, while Johan Djourou and Philippe Senderos will play at the back. Apart from that, it will be the players who played in the last Carling Cup game. Basically, it will be a young side with one or two experienced players.”

Having used Jens Lehmann for the FA Cup third-round tie away to Burnleyt the weekend, when Arsenal won 2-0, Wenger will revert to Lukasz Fabianski in goal.

The young Pole has kept goal throughout Arsenal's Carling Cup campaign. And he is hoping to tak this opportunity to make an impact in front of the home fans in nwhat will be only his second appearance at the Emirates.

“It is a big, big game for me, the fans and for everybody who is a Gunner,” Fabianski said.

“I know that this is a London derby game and I spoke to Manuel Almunia, who saved a penalty against Spurs in the Premier League. He told me that if you save a penalty against Tottenham, then you are the biggest man in the world.”

Van Persie ready to return

Arsenal striker Robin van Persie could return from injury in Wednesday's League Cup semi-final against north London rivals Tottenham at the Emirates Stadium.

England forward Theo Walcott is also in the Gunners' squad after missing the FA Cup win away to Burnley with a shoulder problem.

But the Arsenal trio of Kolo Toure, winger Emmanuel Eboue and utility man Alex Song are all away on international duty at the African Nations Cup.

Tottemham too will be without Ivory Coast midfielder Didier Zakora because of the African Nations while Tom Huddlestone will be starting the first of a three-game suspension.

Chris Gunter is cup-tied, Younes Kaboul (ankle) and Darren Bent (knee) are doubtful for the match, while Gareth Bale (foot), Benoit Assou-Ekotto (knee) and Anthony Gardner (ankle) are out.

Chelsea play Everton in Tuesday's first semi-final.

Fabregas: I Can Still Improve

Cesc Fabregas has really come into his own in an Arsenal shirt this season, playing a significant role in a rejuvenated Arsenal side that tops the Premier League table.

The midfielder has torn opposition teams apart with his excellent passing and movement, but has also contributed his share of the goals, notching 6 in 17 starts in the Premier League and an impressive 4 in 5 games in Europe.

But the Spaniard isn't getting carried away just yet, reiterating that there is plenty more he can do to improve. "Well I'm only 20," he told the Daily Express.

Perfect Doesn't Exist

"I want to think I can improve, I want to think I can be better, of course, because I don't think there is such a thing as the perfect player. Not even Ronaldinho, Thierry Henry or Samuel Eto'o are perfect, they can always improve," he explained.

"That's the good thing about football, you can always get better. And hopefully, I will work hard to be a great player for Arsenal football club.

"But for me, the most important thing is to win trophies as a team. And let's see if at the end of the year we can get as many trophies as a team as we can."

Four Trophies

The Gunners take on Tottenham in the first leg of the Carling Cup semi finals on Wednesday, but Fabregas will aim to go one better this season by actually winning the final. What is more, the Emirates side remain in contention in all 3 of the other competitions, with many even tipping them to knock holders AC Milan out of the Champions League.

"If we keep winning games, that means we will win a trophy," said Fabregas. "And I hope that I don't get injuries so that I can keep playing for the team and help the team. If I can play every, well nearly every single game like last year, it will be good."

Eduardo Has Tottenham In His Sights

Arsenal host neighbours Spurs in the first-leg of their Carling Cup semi-final on Wednesday night, and their Brazilian-born Croatian striker Eduardo says he is prepared for the particular demands of a high-intensity local derby.

The Croatia international is enjoying a rich vein of form - six goals in his last four games in all competitions.

And he compared the north London derby to playing for his former club Dinamo Zagreb against their arch-rivals Hadjuk Split.

"The matches are similar and both full of intensity - but the fans in the North London derby seem to be more civil to one another, while in Croatia the segregation has to be very strictly enforced,” he said.

"I think my experience in matches like this does help when we come up against the likes of Spurs, so I'm looking forward to the Carling Cup game and hoping to feature again."

Eduardo is forging a productive strike partnership with Nicklas Bendtner, and believes they can help take Arsenal through to a second successive appearance in the final. Arsenal beat Spurs in the semi-final last year, too, before losing at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium to Chelsea.

The Eduardo-Bendtner partnership clicked at Turf Moor on Sunday, when the Croatian scored the first before setting up Bendtner for the second in the 2-0 FA Cup third round victory over Burnley.

"We've played together in The Carling Cup and Champions League, so we knew what to expect from each other,” said Eduardo.

"We have a decent understanding and I know what a big talent he is. We complement each other well."

And Kolo Toure, who will miss the Spurs clash because of his African Cup of Nations duty with Ivory Coast, believes Eduardo can carry Arsenal while he is away in Ghana.

"Eduardo's finishing is unbelievable. It seems that every time he gets a chance he scores - and he also manages to score at very important times for us. His composure is outstanding when he is in front of goal,” said Toure.

"He has now played with Nicklas for some time and they know each other's games very well and they look a very good partnership.

"It is great for us to have them playing so well, especially as we have Robin van Persie and Emmanuel Adebayor ready to come back - it means we will have four top-class strikers."

Meanwhile, it is reported by Setanta Sports that young Arsenal forward Vincent van den Berg has returned to his homeland, the Netherlands, to join Eerste Divisie side Go Ahead Eagles on loan for the rest of the season.

The 18-year-old joined the Gunners from Heerenveen in the summer of 2006 and made 15 reserve-team appearances last season.

Wenger Tips Chelsea To Struggle

Earlier this week, Grant had suggested that Arsenal would suffer a dip in form and that Chelsea needed to be ready to grab the opportunity, but Wenger believes in quite the opposite.

With the African Nations Cup coming up, Chelsea will have to do without, Didier Drogba, Mikel John Obi, Salomon Kalou and Michael Essien, and the Frenchman believes the Blues will be hit hard

"I believe it will be Chelsea who suffers the most, though on the other had they can buy more can anyone else to correct that," he said.


"But losing Mikel, Essien, Drogba and Kalou, that's four main players. Nobody loses that many.


"We are just behind Chelsea and Portsmouth also - but I won't use it as an excuse if we don't win the title because I have known who we will lose since the start of the season.


"If they were injured, I wouldn't complain."

He insists, however, that this will not stop him signing Africans in the future, though the number of Africans in the squad could be something he would keep an eye on.


"When you do buy them, you have to consider how many to go for. If you lose four or five games at that time, you can't win the championship so you have to consider the balance," he added.


"You can afford to lose two maybe, but not five. It's certainly a problem you have to consider."

Cesc: Happy At Arsenal ... For Now

Francesc 'Cesc' Fabregas took up an interview with Spanish sports daily As, which can mean only one thing: much talk of a potential move back to Spain.

And the eventual outcome was that, while Cesc wouldn't rule out a move back to his homeland, he's happy at Arsenal and will fight for the Premiership.

The 20-year-old was asked if he'd relish the chance of a Champions League final against Real Madrid.

"Of course," he replied.

"However, I'd take Arsenal against anyone, as it still stings from when we lost to Barcelona [in 2006].

"At the time, the sense of loss was unbelievable. But a few days after, I realised that my attitude was stupid. I remembered: I'm 19, and I played a Champions League final. That's unimaginable, and I was lucky to take part."

As' interviewer then inevitably compared Cesc to Raul: a master of no particular style, but brilliant in versatility.

"Raul strikes me as an incredible player," replied Cesc.

"Everyone assumed that he had lost it, but now he's reborn. It would have been easy for him to give up, but his mental strength is tremendous.

"With eveything he'd had to endure, with all that he had to put up with, it's exemplary of him to lift himself up, take Madrid with him, win the league, and find goals again. This is what makes a player great. And I appreciate his delivery skills."

Could Cesc follow Raul in becoming a star of the Spanish league?

"I think I've learned a lot from the physical level of the Premiership," mused the former Barcelona youth.

"They have a work culture, and play very, very fast football. We need to be careful because they close down the man for almost the entire game.

"But the problem is, I've never played in the Spanish league. I can of course see it on TV and it looks easy, but from talking with Xavi and [Andres] Iniesta, I know that the teams are very intelligent, and close down with intelligence.

"I'm a Madrid target? I don't know about that. This is January, and I know of nothing. Everyone knows that a team like Real Madrid's interest would make me happy - it's a great complement.

"But I'm at at Arsenal and I want to win the Premiership with them. Right now, I'd die for Arsenal.

"Next season to the Bernabeu? With the age I am, and with all that's happening to me, and to see how much football can change in just two or three seasons, it's very difficult for me to say one way or the other. It depends on many factors. Right now I'm happy, but you never know what may happen.

"Who would I pick betewen Barça and Madrid? My family supports Barça, but I'm a football player and need to look deeper. But I can't talk about either team, out of respect. Time will tell."

Cesc also weighed in on the top players in certain positions, as well as his favourite teammate.

"I'd love to play alongside Samuel Eto'o," he said.

"As a central midfielder, to play alongside someone of his mobility, and with his space creation, would be incredible. He has tenacity and passion that I admire. He's back, and that's great news.

"Best goalkeeper? Iker [Casillas]. I find it hard to choose a defender. Kaka is the best midfielder. Eto'o is my weakness up front, but now [Ruud] Van Nistelrooy is unbelievable. Going back to defence - [Carles] Puyol, because of his status and he gives everything. Plus, he's my friend!

"My best teammate is Hleb. Without question. When he plays well, he makes me play better, too. He can improve me.

"When he doesn't play I need to change my approach. He and I can play together with understanding."

FA Cup Preview: Burnley - Arsenal

Will It Be Clarets - And Blues For Arsenal?

Burnley are going through a torrid time in the Championship, without a win in six, but they will be viewing the visit of Premier League leaders Arsenal as a welcome relief and an opportunity to put all that behind them and infuse Turf Moor with excitement and expectation.

The Clarets will be hoping they can rekindle the spirit that saw them knock another of the Premier League's 'Big Four' - Liverpool - out of FA Cup on 18th January, 2005, thanks to a Djimi Traore own goal.

Their visitors on Sunday don't come much more illustrious than the Gunners. Only
Manchester United have won the FA Cup more times than Arsenal (11 to 10). And the last time Arsenal were knocked out of the Cup by lower league opponents was on 17th January 1996, before Arsene Wenger arrived as manager. On that occasion, Sheffield United beat Bruce Rioch's side 1-0 in a third round replay at Bramall Lane.

Since then, Arsenal have won three Premier League titles and four FA Cups. They've also reached the FA Cup semi-final seven times - eloquent testimony to how seriously Wenger takes the FA Cup, even though he is likely to rotate his squad significantly for Sunday's clash.

However, so impressive is Arsenal's 'second string' - youngsters and fringe players - that it has become something of a nonsense to talk about Wenger fielding a 'weakened' side in recent seasons. Indeed, it has been the Frenchman's policy to use the Carling Cup to give such players competitive big-match experience - and Arsenal have been semi-finalists in that competition in four of the last five seasons. They will be taking on Tottenham in another League Cup semi-final next week. That was their reward for beating Burnley's neighbours Blackburn 3-2 on a cup trip to Lancashire last month.

Nevertheless, despite being 31 places higher than Burnley in the league standings, the Gunners will not be taking this game lightly. Nor should they.

Burnley were FA Cup quarter-finalists in 2003, and reached the last 16 in 2004 and 2005, although they have not progressed beyond the third round in the last two years.

Burnley's FA Cup pedigree pales somewhat in comparison with Arsenal's, though they are past winners of the trophy. Their one triumph in the competition came 94 years ago, in 1914, when King George V became the first reigning monarch to attend a final. He saw the Clarets beat Liverpool 1-0 at Crystal Palace.

Since then Burnley have played in two more finals - in 1947 when they lost 1-0 to Derby County, and again in 1962 when holders Tottenham defeated them 3-1 at Wembley.

Their current manager, Owen Coyle - who replaced Steve Cotterill earlier this season - guided St Johnstone to the semi-finals of both of Scotland's major cup

competitions last season. And Coyle also scored against Arsenal for Bolton in the FA Cup in 1994 when Wanderers held the Gunners to a 2-2 draw at Burnden Park before winning 3-1 in the Highbury replay.

Arsenal do, though, seem more durable now. A 2-1 loss away to Middlesbrough on 9th December, is their only defeat in 10, and in fact they've lost just twice in their last 39 games in all competitions.

In the last two seasons, however, Arsenal were knocked out of the FA Cup at the fourth round stage in 2006 (by Bolton) and in a fifth round replay at Blackburn in 2007. So there may be some encouragement there for another Lancashire side beginning with the letter B.

Manager Wenger, having won the FA Cup with Arsenal four times, is only one behind the record held by Sir Alex Ferguson. As a club, Arsenal have appeared in 17 finals, one fewer than Manchester United, and the two clubs share the record for semi-finals appearances - 25 each.

The last time Arsenal beat Burnley at Turf Moor was 37 years ago when the Gunners, en route to winning the double, won 2-1 in the old First Division. Burnley's last home win against the Londoners was in December 1973 (2-1). Arsenal's last visit to Turf Moor was on the opening day of the 1975-76 season. The game finished 0-0 in what was the 17-year-old David O'Leary's League debut.

But Sunday's meeting will be the first between the two clubs in this competition since 1953, and Arsenal are aiming for a fourth straight FA Cup victory against the Clarets.


FORM GUIDE

Burnley (Coca-Cola Football League Championship )

01 Jan v Blackpool (A) LOST 0-3
29 Dec v Bristol City (H) LOST 0-1
26 Dec v Sheffield Wednesday (H) DREW 1-1
22 Dec v Ipswich (A) DREW 0-0
15 Dec v Preston (H) LOST 2-3
11 Dec v QPR (H) LOST 0-2


Arsenal (Barclays Premier League except where indicated)

01 Jan v West Ham (H) WON 2-0
29 Dec v Everton (A) WON 4-1
26 Dec v Portsmouth (A) DREW 0-0
22 Dec v Tottenham (H) WON 2-1
18 Dec v Blackburn (A) WON 3-2 aet (Carling Cup)
16 Dec v Chelsea (H) WON 1-0


TEAM NEWS

Burnley

1995 FA Cup winner David Unsworth misses out through suspension, while Clarke Carlisle (hamstring) is out for up to four weeks. Alan Mahon is rated doubtful with a groin strain, but Joey Gudjonsson and John Spicer return after bans.

Last Starting XI (v Blackpool): Kiraly, Alexander, Caldwell, Unsworth (Jordan 31), Harley, James O'Connor, McCann, Lafferty (Jones 71), Elliott, Gray, Blake (Akinbiyi 56). Subs Not Used: Jensen, Garreth O'Connor.


Arsenal

German goalkeeper Jens Lehmann should get a rare start as Arsene Wenger shuffles his pack. Cesc Fabregas, Manuel Almunia and Gael Clichy will be rested while Alex Hleb (ankle) and Emmanuel Adebayor (hamstring) have only slight injuries but will not feature. There will be a late test on Theo Walcott’s shoulder and Mathieu Flamini is suspended. Robin van Persie (muscle) is still a week from fitness.
Lassana Diarra, Denilson and Abou Diaby could contest the midfield places, while Nicklas Bendtner is available after his ban and Johan Djourou is back from a loan spell at Birmingham. Kolo Toure and Emmanuel Eboue are likely to start in their last games before leaving for the African Nations Cup.
Last Starting XI (v West Ham): Almunia, Justin Hoyte, Toure, Gallas, Clichy, Eboue (Hleb 77), Fabregas, Flamini, Rosicky (Diaby 88), Eduardo (Walcott 63), Adebayor. Subs Not Used: Lehmann, Song Billong.

Squad: Lehmann, Sagna, Toure, Senderos, Traore, Eboue, Fabregas, Diaby, Eduardo, Bendtner, Almunia, Fabianski, Hoyte, Hleb, Walcott, Adebayor, Song, Djourou, Gilberto, Diarra.


PLAYERS TO WATCH

Burnley: Stanislav Varga joined Burnley from Sunderland on Friday on a month's loan from Sunderland. The 35-year-old completed the move to Turf Moor in time to be eligible to face Arsenal on his Clarets' debut, and manager Coyle said: "I have known him for years, both from when I played against him and during my time as a coach and manager. In the light of our injuries and suspensions, he will bring a physical presence to the backline."

Arsenal: Kolo Toure will be off to Ghana to link up with the Ivory Coast's African Nations Cup squad after this game, and will be keen to sign off with a victory in the hope that the Gunners will still be involved in the Cup on his return. Toure has been outstanding in the Arsenal defence this season, and his athleticism, pace and anticipation should help his team against Burnley.


PREDICTION

Cup upsets happen - there were several on Saturday - and Arsenal have suffered from them more than most in the past. But not under Wenger. And they have been in such consistent form this season that it is hard to predict an upset. They were drawn away to Sheffield United in the Carling Cup earlier this season, a similar sort of tie. But they went to Yorkshire with a young team and won 3-0 at a canter. So another Arsenal win looks probable.
Burnley 1-3 Arsenal

Lehmann Will Decide His Future 'Within Days'a

Germany's Numnber One Jens Lehmann is engaged in talks with Borussia Dortmund about a possible move back to the club from he joined Arsenal in 2003.
The Bundesliga side have offered him a contract offer, and now Lehmann must decide whether or not to bring an end to his time in England.

Lehmann is now behind Manuel Almunia in Arsene Wenger's pecking order at the Emirates, and with Euro 2008 getting ever closer, the veteran shot-stopper, 38, is anxious to secure regular first-team football.

Germany's goalkeeping coach, Andreas Kopke, has warned Lehmann that he needs to be playing regularly in the build-up to the Euro 2008 finals.

But the maverick Lehmann will not be rushed into making a decision that will affect the rest of his career.

"Since this is a difficult decision which affects my family above all, I need to consider and discuss a few things," he told Germany's Bild am Sonntag newspaper.

"I cannot name a definite date [when I will make my decision], but I think it will be within a few days."

Meanwhile, Lehmann is expected o make a rare start for Arsenal today against Burnley in the FA Cup third round tie at Turf Moor

Capello A Ruthless Winner - Wenger

There have been suggestions that Don Fabio will rate attitude and commitment highly, and not hesitate if he has to humble some big names.

Tough decisions over David Beckham, John Terry's captaincy, the central midfield partnership and the goalkeeping spot need to be made, and Wenger - who has faced Capello at club level - insists the Italian will keep emotions at bay.

"Capello will do the job seriously," said Wenger. "He will bring his experience and winning desire to the job.

"But he will also be ruthless. He is a winner and he will do the job in a straightforward way."

There has been much said about whether England actually have the quality in their ranks, with many suggesting that the players are hugely over-rated.

"You have the players," insisted Wenger. "OK, there are two or three positions that are too weak but there are others where England competes with the best in the world."

David Beckham is one of the players whose future will be a subject of much scrutiny. The winger is training with Arsenal, and wants to be fully fit for his 100th cap in February.

"David is not fit yet but he will get physically fit," he added. "He has a special regime run by our fitness coaches, so if he can pay us back by giving advice to our young players that would be great."

Wenger Tips Chelsea To Struggle

Earlier this week, Grant had suggested that Arsenal would suffer a dip in form and that Chelsea needed to be ready to grab the opportunity, but Wenger believes in quite the opposite.

With the African Nations Cup coming up, Chelsea will have to do without, Didier Drogba, Mikel John Obi, Salomon Kalou and Michael Essien, and the Frenchman believes the Blues will be hit hard

"I believe it will be Chelsea who suffers the most, though on the other had they can buy more can anyone else to correct that," he said.


"But losing Mikel, Essien, Drogba and Kalou, that's four main players. Nobody loses that many.


"We are just behind Chelsea and Portsmouth also - but I won't use it as an excuse if we don't win the title because I have known who we will lose since the start of the season.


"If they were injured, I wouldn't complain."

He insists, however, that this will not stop him signing Africans in the future, though the number of Africans in the squad could be something he would keep an eye on.


"When you do buy them, you have to consider how many to go for. If you lose four or five games at that time, you can't win the championship so you have to consider the balance," he added.


"You can afford to lose two maybe, but not five. It's certainly a problem you have to consider."