| Fabianski ready to unseat Almunia • Fabianski says he is ready to face Chelsea on Sunday• 'It's going to be an exciting match. We are in good condition'Lukasz Fabianski is ready to challenge Manuel Almunia for the first-choice goalkeeping position at Arsenal and hopes to start against Chelsea on Sunday.Fabianski went from Flappy Handski to Fab Handski after what Arsène Wenger described as a "faultless" performance during his side's 3-1 win away to Partizan Belgrade last night.The Pole saved a penalty and brilliantly palmed a late shot round a post, banishing some unfortunate memories of errors in Arsenal's goal and possibly persuading the club's fans to give him the benefit of the doubt.Fabianski started in Serbia only because Almunia, heavily criticised for his mistakes during the 3-2 home defeat by West Bromwich Albion, had been left at home, apparently nursing an elbow injury. With Almunia rated doubtful for Sunday's trip to Stamford Bridge, his former understudy is on stand-by. "I am ready to play against Chelsea," Fabianski said. "I am always ready, so we will see."The 25-year-old, signed by Wenger from Legia Warsaw three years ago, claimed to be immune to the criticism. "I was never really bothered by all the things said. I was always trying to focus on my job and my work. That is what I was always doing and that is why I am grounded."Fabianski would not be human were he not even a little hurt by the scathing analysis of his perceived blunders against Porto in the Champions League last year, during a 2009 FA Cup semi-final defeat to Chelsea and, just last week, against Tottenham in the Carling Cup, and he appreciates football's shades of grey. He stresses that goalkeeping is about more than pulling off show-stopping saves – or making the odd misjudgment. "Overall I am pleased with my performance," he said, well aware that rumour has it that Mark Schwarzer or Shay Given may be arriving at the Emirates in January."I am not just talking about saves but reading the game, coming for crosses or playing with my feet. Every aspect of goalkeeping is important for me, so I am pleased with my performance in general."Such perspective is all very well but is still hard to escape the feeling that a September Tuesday night in Belgrade could yet come to be seen as a watershed in Fabianski's career. Certainly Wenger could not disguise his delight at seeing the goalkeeping ability "we see every day in training" finally transported to the pitch. "I am confident he can come out as a great keeper," said Arsenal's manager, who will give the injured Cesc Fábregas and Thomas Vermaelen fitness tests before the trip to Chelsea. "I know it is in him."Fabianski hopes to be part of a winning side at Stamford Bridge. "We are playing really well this season," he said. "There was a big shock on Saturday [against West Brom] but I think you could see against Partizan we had learnt some things from Saturday. The performance was much better so we are looking forward to the Chelsea game. It's going to be an exciting one to watch – and we are in good condition."ArsenalLouise Taylorguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Inter Milan 4 Werder Bremen 0: match report In-form Samuel Eto'o bagged a hat-trick to help injury-hit holders Inter Milan rip apart a dreadful Werder Bremen 4-0. telegraph.co.uk |
Fergie refuses to reignite Rooney row Sir Alex Ferguson refuses to reignite the row over Wayne Rooney's fitness after the striker claimed he hasn't been injured. foxsports.com.au |
Arsenal 2-1 Birmingham City | Premier League match report Arsenal's early season stutter has been checked. A deflating run of three matches without a win was exorcised, albeit never comfortably, at Birmingham City's expense to restore much needed momentum to this team's challenge, though it still came tinged in controversy. Jack Wilshere's stoppage-time dismissal for a challenge on Nikola Zigic drew the focus just as the hosts were preparing to celebrate a welcome success.Perhaps there was an inevitability that, after so much debate over ugly and deliberate fouls, this contest would be marred at the last. Wilshere was late in his slide, making contact with Zigic's shin, with Martin Atkinson not hesitating to dismiss the young midfielder. Wilshere departed down the tunnel dismayed, though the sending off was valid. That prolonged the anxiety, though there was relief to be had at the final whistle.This was a tight victory against awkward opponents, Marouane Chamakh's goal early in the second period squeezing out the win with the home side, not for the first time, too often guilty of over-elaborating in their frequent and slickly constructed forays forward. Indeed, this had been fractious at times. The home side and support were exasperated that their early forays forward had yielded no reward – particularly with Sébastien Squillaci denied by a dubious offside decision – and then that their team's own resistance had been breached. Zigic, a giant of a centre-forward, hardly needed to leap to tower above the poorly positioned Gaël Clichy and Johan Djourou to thump a wonderful header back and across Lukasz Fabianski from Keith Fahey's centre and City, who had not won at Arsenal since 1957, had led from their first attack.The Serbian celebrated a first Premier League goal with gusto and, critically, should have registered a second moments later from Roger Johnson's nod across the box, with Clichy again cleverly exposed at left-back, only for Arsenal's route back into the contest to prove immediate. Chamakh exchanged passes with Wilshere and tumbled in the area, the grounded Scott Dann aghast at the award of a penalty with contact by no means clear, for Samir Nasri to convert.That raised the heckles, Alex McLeish exchanging furious words with the home support behind his dug-out having been incensed by Nasri's inadvisable flick out at Liam Ridgewell, and Johnson appearing to lead with his arm in aerial challenge with Chamakh in front of the home bench. The Moroccan saved his riposte for early in the second period, collecting Wilshere's pass and spinning away from Stephen Carr and around Dann and Ben Foster to poke in the hosts' second at the near post.For all the visitors' huff and puff thereafter, the sense persisted that the hosts were likelier to plunder on the break than City to prise parity, only for Wilshere to provide the contest's late sting in the tail. Arsenal survived, though the debate on ill-advised tackles will go on.Premier LeagueArsenalBirmingham CityDominic Fifieldguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Liverpool takeover: New owner John W Henry to meet Roy Hodgson and players New Liverpool owner John W Henry will visit the club's Melwood training ground on Saturday to meet Roy Hodgson and players. telegraph.co.uk |