Wenger: Arsenal are tougher

Arsene Wenger believes Arsenal have a squad that is more adept at dealing with the physical nature of English football.

The Gunners' fluid passing style is well documented but so too is their inability to hold firm when the going gets tough, as it can against a number of less technically-adept Premier League teams.

But Wenger believes that previous soft core is starting to show signs of changing, as epitomised by Saturday's hard-fought 1-0 victory against Stoke.

Wenger said: "In England you have to cope with all kinds of football without losing the quality you want to play.

"That is not always easy because if you have 10 Santi Cazorlas, you would have a very good technical team, but against Stoke you would struggle.

"I think it is more mental preparation. You tell your central defenders you have to be ready and they are good on the second ball too, so your midfielders have to be good on the second ball, to fight for it and let you play your game.

"We played Abou Diaby at home and away against Stoke because in front of the defence he can win some headers.

"We are a bit more mature now, but we dealt with it well. In the past, we were a bit younger as well, more inexperienced.

"But defensively, Bacary Sagna, Nacho Monreal, Laurent Koscielny and Per Mertesacker have some experience, some stature, they are not small at the back."

As well as toughening up as a unit, Wenger believes Theo Walcott is now more adept at dealing with the attention he gets.

"He is 23 years old," Wenger added. "There is always a change at that age. I am a great believer in that. What people forget is that he does everything at 100mph, and when you get hit at 100mph it hurts more than if you're slow.

"That is why we never had a problem when we played. But he plays at high pace. But now you learn to escape and when he imposes himself more, you learn to use your body better."

Owen facing FA rap

Michael Owen could face action from the Football Association after reacting badly to a challenge by Mikel Arteta during Stoke City's defeat at Arsenal.



Owen appeared to thump Arsenal midfielder Arteta on the back towards the end of the 1-0 defeat at the Emirates.

The striker was not booked but the FA could investigate after it was caught on camera.

Stoke boss Tony Pulis said: "Arteta's challenge was poor, but Michael should not do that."

The Potters had fallen behind to Lukas Podolski's deflected free-kick when Arteta challenged Stoke substitute Owen.

Former England international Owen reacted angrily and appeared to lash out at the Spaniard, but referee Chris Foy did not book the 33-year-old.

"If Michael has done what he has done and they look at it, then they will deal with it," added Pulis.



"We'll see what they say. Obviously I am going to be biased as it is my football team."

Wenger rules out Villa/Becks

Arsene Wenger is still in the market for new players this week, but neither David Villa nor David Beckham will be joining Arsenal.



Beckham has asked to train at London Colney as he continues to assess offers from clubs in Europe and elsewhere, while Villa has been linked with Arsenal since the transfer window opened.

But Barcelona have consistently said they will not sell the striker this month and, according to Wenger, there is no room for further negotiation.

He said: "Barcelona don't want to sell, they've made that very clear."

As for Beckham, Wenger said: "He has asked to come here and to work on his fitness. He has not done anything for a long, long time.

"It's purely for fitness. There's no speculation about signing or anything."

Asked what Arsenal are getting out of the arrangement, he said: "Nothing. Questions in a press conference!"



There have been no new arrivals at the Emirates this month despite Arsenal's position outside the top four and the departures of Marouane Chamakh and Johan Djourou.

Wenger said: "We are still trying, but it's hard to sign players in January who can improve you."

Giroud vows to stay determined

Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud has insisted that his recent scoring run is down to his hunger to fight for a first-team place at the Emirates.

The French international scored twice against West Ham United last week and matched that performance with a brace against Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday.



Giroud conceded that he has been pleased with his form in the last fortnight but believes that he must stay hungry and maintain a determined edge to keep scoring in the Premier League.



He told the club's official website after Brighton match: "We always need the determination, I think it's a very important thing in football. When you don't have It, you can't play very well, because you need it. It's important for me and all the team. We showed it against today.



"[For the first goal] Lukas gave me [the ball] in the right position and I just tried to hit the target and not to shoot too strongly. I liked it. I've tried to work on it in training.

"I liked the second one because I made a good run and Abou gave me a wonderful assist. I did not have a lot of time to finish, and I finished very well. I was not so far from the hat-trick again. I want to continue to work hard, to succeed and get my first hat-trick soon."



Giroud has scored 13 times in all competitions for the Gunners in his debut season following a summer move from French champions Montpellier.

Wenger eyes Edinson Cavani and Wilfried Zaha

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has revealed that Napoli striker Edinson Cavani and Crystal Palace forward Wilfried Zaha are on his transfer wish list.

The Frenchman has focused much of his attention over recent months on transfer negotiations with Theo Walcott but, with those talks believed to be nearing a positive conclusion, he has now started to look elsewhere.



Wenger is renowned for his reluctance to spend big on new recruits, with balancing the books as important to the Emirates boss as generating results on the field.



He is, however, aware of the need to strengthen during the winter window, helping to appease a disgruntled fan base, and has admitted that Cavani and Zaha are among those currently under consideration.



Wenger said: "Cavani is a player that I like.



"Will he cost a lot of money? That's for sure. Nobody would deny that. Our banker lives just next to me at the moment and he is ready if we find the right player."



On Zaha, who is also a target for Manchester United, he added: "We are looking at him, but at the moment we have not made any bid for him.



"I don't know if Manchester United are in for him. Anyway, if you call any club for any player, they will tell you Man United, Milan, Real Madrid are as well in for him, but it is always difficult to know if it is true or not."



On Zaha, he said: "We are looking at him, but at the moment we have not made any bid for him.



"I don't know if Manchester United are in for him. Anyway, if you call any club for any player, they will tell you Man Utd, Milan, Real Madrid are as well in for him, but it is always difficult to know if it is true or not."



Wenger is prepared to be patient in his pursuit of fresh faces, with it is opinion that it is often best to wait until the end of the window before making a move.



He said: "The prices always go up at the start of the transfer market and go down in the last week.



"Sometimes as well they go up in the last week, but it depends. Most of the time they go down in the last week and you know as well that 90 per cent of transfer activity happens in the last week, if not in the last 48 hours."

Walcott close to signing

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger believes Theo Walcott is poised to end the uncertainty regarding his future by signing a new contract.

Discussions regarding a new deal have dragged on for some time, sparking speculation that Walcott was readying himself for an exit from The Emirates.

With the England winger set to become a free agent at the end of the season, the likes of Liverpool and Manchester United were said to be closely monitoring his situation.

Arsenal have, however, remained optimistic throughout regarding their chances of putting fresh terms in place.

It has taken longer than both sides would have liked for a compromise to be reached, but it would appear as though Walcott is set to put pen to paper on a lucrative new deal.

That is the indication Wenger has been given and he will continue to put all of his efforts into convincing Walcott to commit his future to Arsenal before dipping into the January transfer market.



He said after Wednesday's 1-0 victory over Swansea in an FA Cup third round replay: "Let's first try and finish the deal and see what we can do from there.

"I hope it will be soon. Very, very soon now."


-->

Wenger eyes Cesc return

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger insists that he can see former captain Cesc Fabregas playing for the club again.

Fabregas departed Barcelona aged 16 but then returned to the Nou Camp eight years later when he signed for them in 2011 after over 200 first-team appearances for Arsenal.



Wenger was loathed to lose Fabregas at the time, but he still believes that a return to North London is not out of the question.



"I'm not convinced that he won't come back here one day," Wenger insisted.



"He is really an Arsenal man. He loves Arsenal and watches every game of Arsenal.



"But of course Barcelona was his home town where he grew up and you have to accept that will come into it, especially with them having the best team in the world.



[Fabregas would not come back] in the next two, three years, certainly not, because he is linked with Barcelona. But maybe later."



Wenger admits he would love to find another top youngster like Fabregas.



"Fabregas is an exception that I would try again, a world-class player you don't easily find," he said.



When Fabregas left he was the latest in a long-line of high-profile departures from the club, but Wenger is now looking at a British spine with Jack Wilshere, Kieran Gibbs and Alex Oxlade‑Chamberlain all recently extending their deals and he feels it is easier to keep them.



"What you want is the players to grow up together and say, 'We will be successful together.' We had that before. We had the period where we kept our players together for eight, nine years, with Henry, Vieira. Now it is a bit easier to keep them if they are British," he added.

Arsenal told to forget Villa

Barcelona president Sandro Rosell has said David Villa 'is ours and we need him' as he warns Arsenal to forget about signing the striker in the January transfer window.

Having already offloaded Marouane Chamakh, Arsenal are expected to strengthen their squad this month, with manager Arsene Wenger said to be keen on the Spain international.



Rosell, however, has said the 31-year-old, who signed for Barcelona in a £31m deal from Valencia in 2010, is strictly off-limits.



Speaking to Catalan radio station RAC, he said: "I completely rule out the transfer of Villa during the winter market.



"He is ours and we need him, there is a lot of the season left."



Other names reportedly on Wenger's hit list include Atletico Madrid frontman Adrian Lopez as well as Argentina midfielder Luca Biglia.



Wenger's men have been left to contend with a busy schedule over the next few weeks, with an FA Cup replay against Swansea as well as a rearranged Boxing Day fixture with West Ham among their regular league matches.



Defender Per Mertesacker feels the Gunners can meet their busy schedule head on.

He said: "We are in a good way but we have to keep our focus on these games [against Manchester City and Chelsea] and the knockout stages of the Champions League. We have to win those games now.



"We are always looking to win something and we can achieve something with this group. We have a lively group so our thoughts are now on the next match, that is the most important thing for us, not what's going to happen in May.



"We have a few targets in our team that are possible this year. We won't talk about it, we'll just see what happens in the next few important weeks on the pitch."

Walcott edging towards Arsenal deal

Theo Walcott looks closer to signing a new contract as the striker's representatives reportedly meet with Arsenal in the latest of a series of meetings.



With his contract expiring at the end of the season, speculation has surrounded Walcott's next move after he failed to sign an extension. Arsenal's top goalscorer this season, Walcott scored a hat-trick in the 7-3 win over Newcastle last Saturday to bring his total to 14 in all competitions this term.



Walcott said after that game: "I'm sure that something will be sorted very soon.I've always said I wanted to stay and I enjoy playing for this team. Now we will just see what happens.



"I will continue to play my football and let the people who look after me and the club talk to each other and go from there."



Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger made his feelings towards the striker's future clear, saying: "My desire is to extend his contract. He belongs here and hopefully we can do it."

Wenger rules out Henry loan move

Arsene Wenger has confirmed record goalscorer Thierry Henry will not be returning to Arsenal on loan this month.



The 35-year-old scored 228 goals in 337 appearances for the Gunners and now plies his trade with New York Red Bulls in the United States.



Henry returned to the Emirates Stadium on a short-term loan this time last year and had been lined up for a similar move this January.



However, after much talk, Wenger has revealed he will not be returning to the club.



"I think he goes away somewhere," the Arsenal boss said after the 1-1 draw at Southampton.



"He is not ready, he has just come back from holiday anyway. At the moment we are not on that case."



Asked for clarification, he said: "No [it is not happening]".

Five sign new Gunners deals

Jack Wilshere, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Aaron Ramsey, Kieran Gibbs and Carl Jenkinson have all signed new deals at Arsenal.



Gunners boss Arsene Wenger, who is hoping to tie down Theo Walcott on an extended contract, admits he is hoping the five players will form the spin of his team for some time to come.



Gibbs is the oldest of the bunch at 23 and he has already received international recognition along with Ramsey (21), Oxlade-Chamberlain (19), Wilshere and Jenkinson (both 20) at various levels.



Wenger said: "We are delighted that these five young players have all signed new long-term contracts.



"The plan is to build a team around a strong basis of young players, in order to get them to develop their talent at the club.



"Jack is certainly the best known, the leader of this group - but the other four players are exceptional footballers, and we're very happy that we could conclude their new deals at the same time.



"I'm a strong believer in stability and I believe when you have a core of British players, it's always easier to keep them together and that's what we'll try to achieve going forward."

Song keen on Arsenal reunion

Alex Song would welcome a return to Arsenal when the round of 16 draw is made in Nyon on Thursday.



The Spanish giants are one of six teams Arsene Wenger's group runners-up could face, alongside Paris St Germain, Malaga, Borussia Dortmund, Juventus and Bayern Munich.



Song swapped the Emirates Stadium for the Nou Camp when he joined the Arsenal exodus during the summer and expects only one outcome if they meet for a place in the quarter-finals.



"Of course I would like to play against Arsenal. For me to go back there, where I had seven magnificent years, would be something very special," the 25-year-old said.



"If we draw Arsenal I'd be happy to see the fans again and go back to the club, even though if we go there it will be to get the best result possible.



"Arsenal's a big club, but Barcelona's a level above because of the talent of the players there.



"That's no disrespect to Arsenal because they have talented players, but I think the Barcelona players are above them. I saw a lot of people come and a lot of people go at Arsenal."



Song's desire will not be shared by the Gunners, who will be desperate to avoid a team that has been hailed by some as the greatest of all time.



Having finished second in Group B, the possibilities facing Arsenal are alarming and Wenger will also be anxious to evade last year's beaten finalists Bayern Munich and Serie A leaders Juventus.



Manchester United are the second Barclays Premier League side to make it through to the knockout stages after defending champions Chelsea and Manchester City failed to progress.



Real Madrid may be trailing Primera Division leaders Barcelona by 13 points but they are still the team Sir Alex Ferguson will want to avoid most, knowing only Champions League glory can redeem Jose Mourinho.



Porto, AC Milan, Shakhtar Donetsk, Valencia and Celtic are the other possibilities, with the latter setting up a fascinating Battle of Britain contest.



Celtic defied all expectations to qualify as group runners-up behind Barcelona, in the process securing more points than any other Scottish team in the Champions League pool stages with 10.



Other than United, they could meet Malaga, Juventus, Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, Schalke or PSG.



Barcelona are favourites to claim their fourth Champions League title since 2006, followed by Real and Bayern, and Chelsea interim manager Rafael Benitez expects one of the heavyweights to be crowned winners.



"Barcelona, Real Madrid, the English teams, Bayern Munich and Juventus are strong teams," said Benitez, winner of the competition with Liverpool in 2005.



"Obviously they're the big names and they'll be there again, it won't change too much.



"You can find a surprise in some seasons but because those teams are so strong, I don't see there being any surprises this year."



Chelsea are second favourites behind Atletico Madrid to win the Europa League, their reward for finishing third in their Champions League group.



They are joined in the round of 32 by Liverpool, Tottenham and Newcastle, although none of the Premier League rivals are able to face each other at this stage.



Atletico are a possibility for Chelsea and Liverpool, while big names such as Inter Milan, Napoli, Benfica and Ajax remain in the competition.

Tuesday's round up of the top transfer stories

- Newcastle striker Demba Ba, who has been linked with Arsenal and Liverpool, has hinted at a move to the Gunners, telling Canal+: "Arsenal are one of these teams who make you dream. The press know Arsenal need another striker and also know about my release clause, and make their own mind up about it."



- Chelsea will launch a £20million bid for Everton midfielder Marouane Fellaini when the transfer window opens next month, according to the Daily Mail.



- Chelsea legend Didier Drogba has 15 days to decide whether to join AC Milan, according to reports in Italy.



- Chelsea boss Rafa Benitez has offered no guarantees that Frank Lampard will see out the season at Stamford Bridge.



- Roma midfielder Miralem Pjanic is 'flattered' by reports suggesting he will be targeted by Chelsea as a replacement for Frank Lampard.



- Theo Walcott's contract stand-off at Arsenal will not be resolved before the winter transfer window closes at the end of January, according to the Daily Mirror.



- Arsenal target Karim Benzema has no intention of leaving Real Madrid, according to reports in his native France.



- Arsene Wenger is eyeing up a transfer window swoop for Barcelona's out-of-favour right-back Dani Alves, according to Dailymail.



- Everton ace Seamus Coleman is close to agreeing a new deal at Goodison Park.



- Former Everton goalkeeper Neville Southall believes defender Leighton Baines could be the player to be sacrificed in order to fund the club’s bid for Champions League football.



- Manchester City target Stevan Jovetic is flattered by the Premier League champions' reported interest and admits his future is uncertain.



- Manchester City are considering a move for David Villa - possibly as a January replacement for Mario Balotelli, according to reports in Spain.



- Kolo Toure would welcome the opportunity to prolong his association with Premier League champions Manchester City.



- Corinthians midfielder Paulinho, who has been linked with a move to Chelsea, has reiterated his desire to remain with the newly-crowned Club World Cup champions.



- Jose Mourinho and Cristiano Ronaldo are top of mega-wealthy Paris Saint-Germain's wishlist.



- Liverpool have been warned that Birmingham goalkeeper Jack Butland won't come cheap, with manager Lee Clark telling to theDaily Mirror: "We would be looking for an even more substantial figure than we were offered in the summer - even though I certainly don’t want it to come to that."



- Speaking to talkSPORT, former Chelsea striker Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink has urged his old club to sign Atletico Madrid forward Radamel Falcao in January to get the best out of Fernando Torres.



- Barcelona have announced they have signed Lionel Messi to a new long-term deal, while Xavi and Carles Puyol have also penned new deals.



- Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Javier Pastore has opened the door to a possible move to Serie A club AC Milan after criticising the French media.



- Roma president James Pallotta claims star midfielder Daniele De Rossi will, under no circumstances, be sold in January.



- Fernando Llorente has once again hinted he could be bound for the Premier League in the New Year.



- Ajax playmaker Christian Eriksen claims there is no substance to reports linking him with a move to Tottenham Hotspur.



- Robbie Keane has made it clear that he intends to use the next few months to recharge his batteries and get ready for the new Major League Soccer season, rather than take in a spell on loan in the Premier League.



- São Paulo have completed the signing of the former Inter and Juventus defender Lúcio. The official São Paulo website confirmed the defender has signed a two year contract with the club.



- That hardy perennial of the transfer window Wesley Sneijder is set to spark another set of rumours after he embarked upon his Christmas break ahead of schedule.



- Nottingham Forest striker Matt Derbyshire wants a permanent move away from the City Ground.



- Manager Stale Solbakken has confirmed Wolves have opened contract negotiations with Christophe Berra.



- Derby have recalled teenage defender Valentin Gjokaj from his loan spell at Carlisle.



- Preston have completed the signing of former Rotherham defender Luke Foster on non-contract terms.



- Mexico defender Diego Reyes has signed a five-year contract with Porto and will move to the Estadio do Dragao for an undisclosed fee in the northern summer.



- Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has revealed that he expects a lot of interest in Vegard Forren during the transfer window, but says there have not yet been any bids.



- Sporting Kansas City announced Tuesday that it has signed striker Claudio Bieler as a Designated Player.

Players's Wenger has bought in so far.

Arsene Wenger is set to have in excess of £70 million to spend next summer. 

But has a recent track record of wasted money and has never won a trophy with a team consisting of players solely signed by him. We want to know if you think the Frenchman can be trusted to spend the money wisely?

Wenger: I'm still Arsenal's man

Arsene Wenger has no doubts he remains the best man to turn Arsenal's season around after shrugging off more question marks over his future.



The French coach, 63, has come under intense scrutiny in recent weeks, which intensified following the Capital One Cup defeat at League Two Bradford.



Wenger has not won a trophy since the 2005 FA Cup and there have been calls for him to step aside.



However, the long-serving Gunners boss, whose current deal runs until the summer of 2014, insists he is as hungry for success as ever.



"My job is to be determined and give importance to what is important. What is important is I love football, I love this club and I give my best for this club. The rest, I cannot interfere with," Wenger said on Friday ahead of the Premier League game at Reading on Monday night.



"Believe me, I am highly focused on doing that and all the rest, that doesn't interfere with my thinking at all.



"I am very determined and very hungry and if I wasn't, I wouldn't sit in front of you."



Wenger, who sits on board meetings, has been criticised as being too powerful within the club - branded "a dictator in many ways" by one former Arsenal player, and now media pundit, Stewart Robson.



The Gunners boss, however, feels his experiences give him a position of strength.



"I can understand that people criticise when the results are not as expected, but it looks like it has become the modern way to think," he said.



"You say that 16 years can be a handicap, but as well it can be an advantage because you have experience, you love the club.



"If I sit here, it is because I have really shown how much I love this club.



"Also, you know you have gone through difficult periods before and you know how to turn it around."

Thursday's round up of the top transfer stories

- Manchester United are ready to enter the race to sign Arsenal contract rebel Theo Walcott, according to the Daily Mirror.



- Manchester United will use funds generated from the sale of Nani to move for two new players in the January transfer window, according to the Manchester Evening News.



- Manchester United target Mats Hummels admits it is an "honour" to be linked with Spanish giants Barcelona.



- Manchester City are preparing to step up their interest in Barcelona midfielder Sergio Busquets, according to AS.



- Brad Jones has signed a new long-term contract with Liverpool after impressing for the first team this season.



- Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has refused to give Joe Cole any guarantees about his future at the club, telling the Liverpool Echo that the midfielder's future is being assessed from game to game.



- Martin Jol does not believe Brede Hangeland will leave Fulham despite the latest speculation surrounding the defender's future.



- Swansea City defender Neil Taylor is poised to sign a new deal with the Premier League club.



- Jan Vertonghen claims he opted to join Tottenham Hotspur over Arsenal as Arsene Wenger wanted to play him in midfield.



- Barcelona have scuppered Liverpool's hopes of signing Spanish starlet Cristian Tello by handing him a new deal - but the Reds will be encouraged by his £8m buyout clause.



- Queens Park Rangers midfielder Esteban Granero is a £5.6million target for Fiorentina, according to the London Evening Standard.



- Midfielder Owen Hargreaves has said he could move to an MLS club as he seeks to reignite his injury-plagued career.



- Athletic Bilbao outcast Fernando Llorente declared it is “totally untrue” that he has agreed a move to Juventus, as his options are open ahead of the January transfer window.



- Malaga will offer Isco a bumper new deal to ward off interest from Manchester United, Manchester City and Chelsea, according to reports in Spain.



- Newcastle face a battle with AC Milan to clinch the signing of Anderlecht midfielder Lucas Biglia.



- Roma are leading the chase to sign Manchester United winger Nani when the transfer window re-opens in January.



- Roma could steal a march on Chelsea and AC Milan in the chase to sign Romania international Vlad Chiriches.



- Miralem Pjanic claims he would be happy to remain at Roma as speculation regarding his future intensifies.



- Robinho's father and agent Gilvan de Souza has rubbished rumours that the Brazilian star could leave AC Milan in January.



- FC Twente are expected to cut short their loan deal for defender Dedryck Boyata and send him back to parent club Manchester City after failing to make an impact for the Dutch outfit.



- Reading striker Pavel Pogrebnyak says he may need to hold talks over his future as he continues to struggle to hold down a regular place in the first team.



- Crystal Palace manager Ian Holloway believes Wilfried Zaha may be distracted by the club's wish to keep him beyond January.



- Bundesliga outfit Greuther Furth have completed the signing of Serbian striker Nikola Djurdjic from Haugesund.



- Eintracht Frankfurt midfielder Alexander Meier says he would be willing to stay with the club beyond the end of his current deal.

Arsenal chief : Not good enough

Arsenal chief executive Ivan Gazidis issued an apology to the club's supporters after the Capital One Cup defeat by Bradford.

Gazidis addressed fans groups at a meeting on Wednesday night - which had been arranged before the shock 3-2 penalty shoot-out exit 24 hours earlier at Valley Parade.

"I think I am frankly tired of getting up here and delivering the same message," said Gazidis. "Tuesday night was not good enough and it made us all upset and angry.

"I would like to apologise to all of you, especially the fans who travelled up there. It was unbelievable support as ever and you deserved better.

"That is something we will work hard to put right. We all work here and are desperate to deliver the success and trophies we all want."

Meanwhile, the Arsenal Supporters' Trust claim under-fire manager Arsene Wenger will be given money to spend in the January transfer window.



"There is plenty of money there," said an AST spokesman. "That was the message that Ivan and his finance director were giving this evening."




-->

Bradford enjoy cup dreamland

Bradford City enjoyed one of the most famous nights in their history as they stunned an embarrassed Arsenal with a penalty shoot-out win in the quarter-finals of the Capital One Cup.

Shocking! : Gervinho missed a sitter   

Garry Thompson's first-half strike took the League Two club to within three minutes of winning the game in normal time before Thomas Vermaelen's late header.



But after no further goals in extra time, Vermaelen then missed the decisive penalty to ensure Bradford won a record-breaking ninth successive shoot-out and reached the semi-finals for the first time in their history.



For Arsenal, it was a humiliation of epic proportions in an already disappointing season after Arsene Wenger had named an almost full strength team when searching to end the club's infamous seven-year trophy drought.



The 23,971 sell-out crowd, Bradford's biggest since 1960, had groaned as the teams were read out but they were soon cheering when their top-scorer, Nahki Wells, out-muscled Vermaelen and forced a sprawling save from Wojciech Szczesny.



Hope turned to jubilation for the Bradford fans in the 16th minute when a free-kick led to Thompson's goal as he poked in at the back post.



As the temperature on an icy night dropped, so did Arsenal's spirits, with Per Mertesacker being regularly beaten in the air by James Hanson.



The Gunners' frustrations continued in the second half, with Jack Wilshere flashing a shot well wide, then Gervinho mis-controlling when through on goal.



But the desperation finally paid dividends with three minutes of normal time remaining, when Santi Cazorla whipped in a delicious cross for Vermaelen to head home from close range.



Extra time was required and Cazorla nearly won it with a swerving effort from fully 30 yards that struck the crossbar but Bradford held out for the shoot-out.



Arsenal were always on the back foot from when Cazorla had their first spot-kick saved by Matt Duke, even more so when Marouane Chamakh hit the post.



Bradford could even afford to see Szczesny deny Ritchie Jones and Stephen Darby before Vermaelen hitting the post sent Valley Parade into ecstasy.

Monday's round up of the top transfer stories

- Arsenal are interest in Lisandro Lopez, according to the Arsenal de Sarandi defender's agent.



- Arsenal are keen on signing Bayern Munich's Brazilian midfielder Luiz Gustavo, according to the Sunday Mirror.



- Lucas Biglia is set to leave Anderlecht this winter but the Manchester United and Arsenal target appears to be off to Wolfsburg.



- Stewart Downing is frustrated at his limited opportunities at Liverpool but he is in no rush to leave the club.



- Chelsea are set to rival Arsenal for Montpellier captain Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa after Stamford Bridge scouts were sent to monitor the defender last weekend.



- Chelsea interim manager Rafa Benitez could be forced to change his transfer targets after Paulinho indicated his desire to stay at Corinthians.



- Partizan Belgrade have not agreed a deal with Chelsea for Lazar Markovic - according to sporting director Ljubisa Tumbakovic.



- Real Madrid are plotting a staggering £45m move for Chelsea target Radamel Falcao and the club are confident he will turn his back on Atletico Madrid to sign for their bitter rivals.



- AC Milan have made Manchester United target Kevin Strootman their January transfer priority, according to reports in Italy.



- Arsenal target Jose Rodriguez is set to sign a new contract at Real Madrid that will include a £9.6m release clause.



- Manchester United defender Patrice Evra has dismissed speculation linking him with a move back to France with Paris St Germain.



- Manchester City have entered the running to sign Spanish star Pedro Obiang, according to talkSPORT.



- Mario Balotelli refuses to be pushed out of Manchester City in January, despite being on the end of more criticism from manager Roberto Mancini.



- Aston Villa goalkeeper Shay Given will not be sent out on loan this season, manager Paul Lambert has insisted.



- Sunderland manager Martin O'Neill has confirmed he would like to turn Danny Rose's loan move into a permanent deal.



- Tottenham are set to make a £7.5 million bid for River Plate winger Carlos Sanchez in the January transfer window.



- A number of Premier League clubs are in the hunt to sign former Everton midfielder Tim Cahill on loan from New York Red Bulls in January.



- AC Milan forward Robinho has re-opened talk of his potential departure from the Serie A club in January ahead of Thursday's Coppa Italia last-16 clash against Reggina.



- Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon is close to agreeing a short-term contract extension with the Italian champions.



- Paris St Germain boss Carlo Ancelotti has dismissed speculation linking the Ligue 1 club with a January move for Holland midfielder Wesley Sneijder.



- France midfielder Franck Ribery wants to finish his career with current club Bayern Munich - ending the chances of a switch to the Premier League.



- Marseille goalkeeper Steve Mandanda has signed a new contract which ties him to the club until 2016.



- Porto striker Jackson Martinez, who has been linked with Chelsea and Liverpool, could be sold next month, according to Metro.



- Marouane Fellaini, who has been linked with Chelsea and Manchester United, has pledged his future to Everton.



- Celtic manager Neil Lennon has played down talk of Georgios Samaras joining Liverpool next month, insisting recent media reports are "just speculation".



- Fulham forward Lauri Dalla Valle has extended his loan spell with Crewe until January 8.



- Reading boss Brian Mcdermott has his staff working hard to unearth potential January signings as he aims to keep his side in the Premier League.



- FC Nordsjaelland goalkeeper Jesper Hansen has welcomed reported interest from West Ham and admits that he wants to leave Denmark in January.



- eports have spread throughout Mexico on Monday that Rafa Márquez is set to return to Mexican football with a supposed two-year deal with Liga MX side Club León close to being signed.

Sagna and Walcott face exits

Arsenal have reached an impasse in contract negotiations with Bacary Sagna as well as Theo Walcott, raising fears that two more first-team regulars will leave the club next year.

Sagna, who has twice been named in the Professional Footballers Association’s Premier League team of the year, has been offered only a one-year extension to his current deal at the Emirates Stadium, meaning that any renewed contract would take him until the end of the 2014-15 season when he would be aged 32.



Arsenal regard that offer as sensible but Sagna, who openly questioned the sales last summer of Robin van Persie and Alex Song, is understood to be disappointed and wants the security of a longer contract.



There is also still no further progress on Walcott, who has rejected a five-year deal worth £75,000 a week. Arsenal do retain hope of keeping both players but, following the departures over the past 18 months of Cesc Fabregas, Samir Nasri, Gaël Clichy, Van Persie and Song, it does increasingly look like there will be further major changes next year.



The uncertainty over Walcott and Sagna comes at a time when the team are clearly in transition and already struggling to adapt following the recent loss of key players.

Tomas Rosicky, the Czech international whose time at Arsenal dates back to Thierry Henry’s first spell at the club, believes that a lack of confidence and a loss in passing fluency are among the key explanations for the current difficulties.



“Maybe I can bring calmness,” Rosicky said. “Sometimes we don’t keep the ball as we used to. I still think we have some very good players and we are better than what we are producing. We are good enough. It is a matter of confidence.



“You can see there are more back-passes than we used to do. You have to gain confidence by winning the next game.”



Arsenal play West Bromwich Albion at the Emirates on Saturday and, after the boos that followed their 2-0 home defeat against Swansea City last week, Rosicky is calling for unity.



“I can understand the frustration as an Arsenal fan as well,” Rosicky said. “We have to know we have young guys and they feel frustration. We all have to stick together. That is what we did last season when ­everyone wrote us off and we came back stronger.

“If we are all on aboard, the ­Emirates is a great place to be and a great place to play football but we must stick together and fight.”