Aston Villa 10-1 Arsenal: Gunners Battered By Villa

Arsenal began 2011 with a crushing defeat at the hands of Aston Villa in the Premier Reserve League this evening. Five goals in each half added to an early red card for George Brislen-Hall saw the champions put themselves in the driving seat for a fourth successive title.

Neil Banfield was without a selection of his usual first choice options, including captain Ignasi Miquel, so rotated. Rookie centre back Elton Monteiro made his first start at this level alongside Danny Boateng, while Nico Yennaris was forced to fill in at full back.

Villa on the other hand boasted solid experience at this level, with American international Eric Lichaj starting alongside first team players Chris Herd, Isaiah Osbourne and Nathan Delfouneso. Manager Kevin MacDonald also fielded a number of players who are on the fringes of Gérard Houllier’s team.

ARSENAL: Shea; Eastmond, Boateng, Monteiro, Brislen-Hall; Ozyakup, Yennaris, Henderson; Aneke, Sunu, Emmanuel-Thomas.

Subs: Martinez (GK), Angha, Rees, Deacon, Freeman.

Arsenal went straight for their hosts right from the offset. Jay Emmanuel-Thomas surged onto the ball and, after cutting inside, he flashed a warning shot just wide of Parish’s goal. It would prove to be the only real chance of the first half for the boys in yellow.

Aston Villa then found their feet and grabbed a stunning opener from nowhere. James Shea’s hacked clearance went straight to Gary Gardner, and from all of 40 yards, he smashed the ball into the empty net. 1-0.

It shelled shocked the Gunners, but they reacted in the worst possible way. George Brislen-Hall went in hard on Jonathan Hogg in the middle of the park. A coming together from both sets of players ensued, and Brislen-Hall was dismissed with little complaints. It was massive challenge for Banfield boys from here on.

Villa pressed on and were soon out of sight. Weimann side footed home from close range for 2-0, then Gardner’s free kick was headed in by Chris Herd for 3-0, and before Arsenal could even react, Hogg cracked home a fourth in epic fashion. 4-0 and Arsenal were heading for a mauling.

Just before half time, things went from bad to worse. Özyakup handled Gardner’s corner for a penalty, and Gardner stepped up and stroke the ball home. 5-0 at half time.

Banfield switched the team at the break, bringing on Josh Rees and Freeman, and it appeared to work. Arsenal improved and showed good defensive quality but eventually Villa got their sixth. Herd turned in Harry Forrester’s ball and then Weimann took the ball off the awful Monteiro and picked out Delfouneso for 7-0.

The same man made it 8-0 shortly after, turning in Berry’s cross. Roarie Deacon pulled one back with a header from an Emmanuel-Thomas free-kick, but it made little difference.

Chris Herd wrapped up his hat-trick by bagging the ninth, then Delfouneso joined Herd on a hat-trick with a quality finish for number 10.

There was just time for a nasty looking brawl on the far side of the pitch before the game came to a close, but nobody was booked. A crushing night for Arsenal, which leaves Neil Banfield with work to do with his latest crop.

Barazite Rejoins Vitesse Plus Loanees Round Up

Nacer Barazite has rejoined Vitesse Arnhem on loan until the end of the season. Barazite was previously on loan with the Eredivise outfit, but his spell with his home town club was cut short by mutual consent.

Vitesse held meetings with the 20-year-old and, after re-negotiating fresh loan terms with Arsenal, the Dutchman has agreed to see out the remainder of the season in Holland. Technical director Ted van Leeuwen confirmed to the media he had thrashed out fresh terms, but a large loan payment was made to Arsenal.

Welcome to this weekends Loanees Watch – Young Guns’ analysis, reports and updates on the progress of the young starlets currently plying their trade away from the Emirates Stadium. You can read all the latest reports below.

Sanchez Watt started and played 75 minutes in a 1-1 draw with parent club Arsenal at the Emirates. Watt began on the right of midfield and turned in a decent shift, shooting over twice and having a few good runs at Kieran Gibbs. He was substituted late on to mass applause as the fixture went to a replay.

Vito Mannone has extended his loan with Hull City until the end of the season, but will not be fit until February. He subsequently did not play as Hull City were dumped out of the FA Cup by Wigan Athletic.

Kyle Bartley played the full 90 minutes for Sheffield United as they crashed out of the FA Cup against Aston Villa. Bartley was arguably United’s most impressive player, and despite Kyle Walker cutting inside him and shooting for the opener, the made amends with a selection of dangerous balls out from the back and important blocks.

Benik Afobe was not able to complete his loan spell with Huddersfield Town against Dover, as he continues to nurse a knee injury. Talks are on going for Town to end Benik’s loan spell until the end of the season.

Cédric Evina re-signed for Oldham Athletic just in time to play against Swindon Town in League One. Evina played 75 minutes on the left of midfield and did well, as Oldham won 2-0.

Thomas Cruise started and played 72 minutes for Carlisle United, as they went out of the FA Cup against Torquay. Cruise had a quiet game but poor defending cost United, as they lost 1-0.

Mark Randall was not in action this weekend, as Rotherham United play on Tuesday.

Gavin Hoyte started at centre back for Lincoln City in their re-arranged FA Cup second round tie against Hereford United. Hoyte went off injured after nine minutes and was missed, as Hereford took advantage of poor defending to win a thriller 4-3.

Francis Coquelin missed Lorient’s French Cup win over Vannes OC due to injury.

Armand Traoré started and played 45 minutes for Juventus against Napoli. Traoré turned in decent shift, but was at fault for Edison Cavani’s second goal. He was subsituted at half time.

Pedro Botelho played the full 90 minutes and provided an assist as FC Cartagena beat UD Salamanca 1-0. Botelho, who again continued on the left of a front three, claimed the Man of the Match award against his former side. Pedro clearly had something to prove, and set out to do maximum damage.

He smacked the post in the opening minutes of the game before providing the ball for what proved to be the winner just after the half hour mark. Botelho showed superb skill and then composure to beat his man and cross for Toche to slide home from close range. He couldn’t miss.

Samuel Galindo is current nursing a broken ankle and did not feature for UD Salamanca this weekend.

Huddersfield In Talks Over Afobe Extension

Huddersfield Town are in talks with Arsenal over extending Benik Afobe’s loan spell. The 17-year-old’s stint with The Terriers expired today, but manager Lee Clark is keen to keep the striker in Yorkshire.

Afobe has enjoyed a mixed time with Huddersfield, having failed to score in nine appearances in League One. However, the England Under 19 international has found goals elsewhere, bagging strikes in both the FA and Carling Cups. A knee injury picked up in training last week has curtailed his time with Town, but both Clarke and Benik are open to an extension.

The powerful front-man has previously admitted his frustration at the lack of playing time with Huddersfield, especially over the busy Christmas period. However, he later retracted the statement and confirmed his desire to continue to fight for the team, as the Yorkshire outfit push for promotion from League One.

It’s not yet clear whether Arsenal would allow Benik to spend the rest of the season with Huddersfield, but the striker will continue to be part of the Gunners FA Youth Cup side regardless.

Elsewhere, Hull City have re-signed Vito Mannone on loan until the end of the season, although he will not play for The Tigers until February due to injury. Cedric Evina also extended his spell with Oldham Athletic today, agreeing to stay for at least another month, on a youth loan.

Download The New Young Guns App

Young Guns is delighted to announce the latest way to catch our updates, with our brand new application for the iPhone and iPod. You can download the app, free of charge, from the app store from today.

The first version of the application features all the latest articles delivered in a stylish list format, for easy navigation and usage. Plans are afoot for further upgrades, including pages and extra content. Interest in the app has been huge, and should it take off as planned, a second paid version with exclusive add on’s for the iPad will also go live.

The technical content is being handled by the brilliant Simon Hume, life long Gooner and owner of Milk Bar Studios. You can follow Simon and Milk Bar Studios on Twitter for other releases, and contact them here if you need to report crashes or other problems.

You can download the application direct from the app store here.

Bolton Make Official Offer For Vela

Bolton Wanderers have made an official offer to Arsenal to take striker Carlos Vela on loan. Manager Owen Coyle spoke of his desire to take the Mexican to the Reebok earlier in the week, but only made the bid on Wednesday.

Arsène Wenger has already confirmed that the Gunners have received mass interest in Vela, after the Frenchman announced on Friday he would listen to loan offers for the player. Bolton were one of the first clubs to openly declare their interest, and are thought to be the only Premier League side who have made a bid.

Valencia and Espanyol are also said to be interested, but would prefer a cash deal. Young Guns reported on Friday that Arsenal are only interested in a loan, as Carlos is part of the long term future at the club. Wenger confirmed this two days later. Vela’s agent also admitted a return to La Liga is out of the question, due to ‘economic reasons’.

The key to Bolton signing the 21-year-old is found in the content of their bid. Arsenal were happy to do business with Jack Wilshere last season, because Coyle promised Wilshere regular playing time. With forwards Kevin Davies and Johan Elmander in good form this term, it’s unlikely he could offer the same assurances, despite admitting he wants to rotate his side in the second half of the season and only being able to name four substitutes in recent games.

However, Wenger’s positive relationship with Coyle, formed after the excellent treatment of Jack, could sway the balance.

Watt Granted Permission To Face Arsenal

Sanchez Watt will now be able to play against Arsenal for loan club Leeds United at the weekend, after being given permission to feature. Watt was told earlier in the week he was ineligible, but the decision has been back tracked.

A statement on Leeds United’s website this afternoon confirmed that, despite originally being informed the loan winger would not be able to feature, he is now able to play. The Yorkshire club did not provide a reason as to why the 20-year-old is now eligible.

Watt used his Twitter page to tell followers he would not be able to play earlier in the week, but spoke of his joy at the decision being over turned this afternoon. He admitted the game will be ‘the biggest of his career’. Watt is currently recovering from stitches in his head, needed after receiving a nasty blow during last nights defeat to Cardiff City.

Watt is expected to be part of the squad, however.

Ramsey Signs Off, Randall Scores Plus Miyaichi

Welcome to this New Year Day special Loanees Watch – Young Guns’ analysis, reports and updates on the progress of the young starlets currently plying their trade away from the Emirates Stadium. You can read all the latest reports below.

Aaron Ramsey played 35 minutes in his final game for Nottingham Forest against Barnsley. Ramsey struggled to get involved but did play some neat passes as Forest drew 2-2 despite being 2-0 down when Aaron came on.

Benik Afobe played 73 minutes for Huddersfield Town as they drew 2-2 with Tom Cruise’s Carlisle United. Afobe won the free-kick which led to the opening goal, and otherwise turned in another good shift on the left of a front three.

Sanchez Watt played the final 16 minutes for Leeds United as they drew 1-1 with Middlesbrough.

Kyle Bartley missed Sheffield United’s defeat to Burnley due to suspension.

In the lower leagues, Mark Randall came off the bench to play 26 minutes for Rotherham United. He managed to get on the score sheet, grabbing the fifth of The Millers five goals. Cedric Evina played 25 minutes for Oldham Athletic, and Gavin Hoyte played the full 90 minutes for Lincoln City against Bradford.

Elsewhere, Best Sportsbook Bonus‘ can be hard to find. Vito Mannone has returned to Arsenal early after suffering a thigh injury during last weeks draw with Reading. Hull City have moved to sign Brad Guzan from Aston Villa as replacement, so there is no opportunity for Mannone to return.

Ryo Miyaichi will fly to London on Monday after his Chukyo High School team were beaten 4-2 by Kumiyama High School in the opening game of the All-Japan High School Tournament.

Miyaichi did sign off in style, however, bagging a goal and assist as Chukyo took a well deserved 2-1 lead into the half time break. They couldn’t stave off a Kumiyama come back, though, and went down 4-2. You can watch video highlights of Ryo’s goal and assist here.

January Transfer Deadline 2011: Live Arsenal Updates

Welcome to January transfer deadline day 2011. With Arsenal are still in the market for new players, including Southampton’s Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, and with some potential outs on the cards, it promises to be a fantastic final day of the window.

You can follow live real time updates right here on Young Guns brought to you by two of the most well informed Arsenal writers around. Young Guns editor Jamie Sanderson, and editor of The Goon Blog, Martin Cafferty. The duo ran a similar service in the summer, where they exclusively announced the signing of Ryo Miyaichi.

Feel free to get in touch with the guys by leaving a comment in the live updates section. They’ll publish the best and hope to answer all your questions. Alternatively you can tweet Jamie at @YoungGunsBlog and Martin at @TheGoonBlog. Enjoy.

January Transfer Window 2011: Live Blog

You can also follow Young Guns on our Twitter and Facebook pages, and with our free application for iPhone and iPod Touch.

News Round Up

Championship loanees Vito Mannone and Aaron Ramsey are expected to learn the fate of their short term future in the next few days, as Arsenal make decisions on their loan status.

Mannone and Ramsey’s deals with Hull City and Nottingham Forest expire in January, and both clubs have already indicated they want to seal extensions until the end of the season. Arsène Wenger will have tough choices to make, as he balances the numbers and prepares his squad for the ‘business’ end of the campaign.

Ramsey made his first start for Forest on Wednesday night, playing an hour in a 5-2 win over Derby County. However, he has struggled for minutes due to postponements and manager Billy Davies’ concerns over pitches and how the Welshmen might react. The loan deal was fitness based, and with Aaron looking in very good shape, any further time spent on loan would be purley development related.

Mannone has had a fruitful time with Hull City, capping off what has been a fantastic spell with a penalty save from Reading’s Shane Long at the weekend. Vito has continued his 100% league record, having never been on the losing side with Arsenal or Hull. A selection of great stops and clean sheets have left The Tigers desperate to hang on to the Italian.

Wenger’s willingness to sanction that could depend on the future of fellow ‘keeper Manuel Almunia, who has been made available for transfer. Arsenal are not optimistic they can offload Almunia, due to his high wages, so may have to wait until the summer. It would mean Vito could stay with Hull, and return then to battle to be first choice.

News on the deals is expected shortly.

Elsewhere, Henri Lansbury’s hamstring injury sustained while on loan with Norwich City appears to have curtailed his loan spell. Manager Paul Lambert confirmed today that Henri is unlikely to play again for Norwich, as his deal expires in January, and talk of a Premier League loan is afoot.

Håvard Nordtveit has completed his transfer to Borussia Mönchengladbach. Nordtveit has signed a two and a half year deal, with reports that Arsenal have waved any fee, and have instead included a sell on fee in the deal. It would mean that if Mönchengladbach sell the Norwegian, a portion of the money would go back to the Gunners.

Håvard thanked Wenger for the opportunity to play for Arsenal, telling the German media that the Frenchman is ‘more than a coach, more a football professor’. He will go straight into the Borussia team where he will feature as a centre back.

Finally, Wenger also spoke about Emmanuel Frimpong on Thursday, saying he is a month away from a return to training with the football.