LATEST NEWS ON 'The Royals'
March 2007
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  • 31st March 2007 - Spurs Preview

    • Aaron Lennon believes Tottenham need to qualify for Europe next season to continue their progress since he arrived at White Hart Lane. Spurs have reached the latter stages of three trophies this season which boss Martin Jol feels is improvement as they are still in the top half of the Premiership, but reaching the UEFA Cup again through their league place is far from certain.

    Manchester United and Chelsea remaining in the FA Cup means finishing seventh could be enough, and defeating Reading on Sunday will keep them on track. "It will be a step back if we don't qualify for the UEFA Cup," said Lennon. "With the team we have and how well we've done this year it would be a step back."

    Spurs were a win away from a Champions League place in Lennon's first season at the club, a campaign that ended with the winger being called into England's World Cup squad. "In the first season people didn't know who I was, this season teams have been doing their homework on me and a lot of times I'll have a couple of players marking me, maybe even three," he added. Despite the extra attention, Lennon has helped Spurs into the quarter-finals of the UEFA Cup, their consolation for dropping out of the top four on the final day of last season with defeat at West Ham. "It hurt the lads a lot," admitted Lennon. "Especially when they were celebrating after the game."

    After the Reading game, Spurs face Sevilla on Thursday in Spain before switching their attention back to the Premiership with a clash at champions Chelsea. Lennon moved in from the flanks and had a central role in the 3-3 draw at Stamford Bridge in the FA Cup, one of the recent high-scoring games when the Spurs attack has impressed. "With Spurs I want to win the UEFA Cup and qualify for Europe," Lennon said. "The Champions League will obviously be difficult but we definitely want to qualify for UEFA Cup again." He added: "The players we have are always capable of scoring goals, so we've had some exciting matches this season. On our day we can match the top teams. We always get it down and play good football, sometimes it doesn't always work but it's what we always try to do."

    Reading manager Steve Coppell admits international weeks leave him not only feeling uncomfortable but also jealous. The Royals' preparations for Sunday's trip to UEFA Cup qualification rivals Tottenham has been hampered by the absence of eight players called up for action by their respective countries.

    Irish trio Kevin Doyle, Stephen Hunt and Shane Long helped the Republic beat Wales and Slovakia, Ivar Ingimarsson and Brynjar Gunnarsson racked up more caps for Iceland, while Seol Ki-Hyeon and Ulises de la Cruz had to travel even further to answer the call of South Korea and Ecuador respectively.

    While those players returned unscathed, skipper Graeme Murty came back with a calf injury from his time with the Scotland squad and will almost certainly be unavailable for the White Hart Lane clash.

    Coppell said: "To have eight away and one come back injured is probably about par for the course. It has never really happened to us before. We have had threes and fours away before but this time has been the most we have ever had and has been a little bit weird. Obviously it is a sign of the progress the club is making and the impact the players are making at Premiership and international level. But is just another opportunity for them to be injured as far as I am concerned. On international weeks I get really jealous. They are our players yet they are playing for someone else with a risk of being injured. As a player myself it really was the icing on the cake to play for your country but as a manager now, on the other side of the fence, it is uncomfortable."

    Reading will kick off in the knowledge that victory would take them above their hosts and should other results go their way they could even rise to fifth.

    Spurs will be favourites to take the points, however, especially as striker Dimitar Berbatov is in such white-hot form at the moment, with seven goals in his last eight games. Coppell added: "I haven't seen much of him to be honest. He is obviously a good player but so is (Robbie) Keane and so is (Jermain) Defoe. You go through their whole squad and it is certainly one of the most attractive in the Premiership."

    With Murty sidelined, record signing Greg Halford stands by to make his first start since making a #2million switch from Colchester in January.

    Tottenham Hotspur V Reading
    Top Lge Scorers Goals Sunday 1/4 @ 4pm Top Lge Scorers Goals
    Berbatov 8 Referee: Alan Wiley (Staffordshire) Doyle 10
    Defoe 8 Games: 33  Yellows: 105   Reds: 3 Lita 7
    Jenas 5 Last 4 Meetings Sidwell 4
    Keane 4 12/11/2006 Reading 3 1 Tottenham Seol 3
    Lennon 3 27/12/1930 Reading 1 2 Tottenham Harper 3
    Lge Discipline       30/08/1930 Tottenham 7 1 Reading Lge Discipline      
    Total Fouls 337 12/04/1930 Reading 3 0 Tottenham Total Fouls 321
    Yellows 40 Yellows 31
    Reds 4 Head to Head Reds 3
    Lge Goal details:     Tottenham Draws Reading Lge Goal details:    
    For 43 League 2 2 3 For 43
    Against 44 FA Cup 2 1 2 Against 38
    Ave scored per game 1.43 League Cup 0 0 0 Ave scored per game 1.43
    Shots / Goals 357/43 Total 4 3 5 Shots / Goals 261/43
    Left Foot 11 Left Foot 10
    Right Foot 27 Games Since Right Foot 18
    Headers 5 1 a win 3 Headers 14
    0 - 10 mins 3 1 home win 1 0 - 10 mins 3
    11 - 20 mins 6 1 away win 2 11 - 20 mins 5
    21 - 30 mins 4 0 a defeat 1 21 - 30 mins 4
    31 - 40 mins 4 0 home defeat 5 31 - 40 mins 6
    41 - 50 mins 6 5 away defeat 0 41 - 50 mins 8
    51 - 60 mins 5 3 a score draw 7 51 - 60 mins 3
    61 - 70 mins 5 17 a no score draw 0 61 - 70 mins 2
    71 - 80 mins 2 0 conceding a goal 1 71 - 80 mins 4
    81 - 90 mins 8 0 scoring a goal 1 81 - 90 mins 8
    Current Form (last 3 games - all competitions)
    19/03/2007 Chelsea Home Lost  1:2   17/03/2007 Portsmouth Home Drew  0:0
    17/03/2007 Watford Home Won  3:1   03/03/2007 Arsenal Away Lost  1:2
    14/03/2007 Braga Home Won  3:2   27/02/2007 ManUtd Home Lost  2:3


  • 27th March 2007 - New Kits Deal

    • Dave Kitson has offered his gratitude to Reading for rewarding him with a new contract. The striker has signed a deal to stay at The Madejski Stadium until 2010 after missing the first half of the season due to injury.

    Though Kitson scored the club's first Premiership goal on the opening day of the season, he did not play again until January. He is still returning to peak fitness and has yet to add to his league tally, although he notched twice in Reading's FA Cup run.

    Kitson was delighted to sign the new deal and has thanked the club for standing by him while he experienced several injury troubles. "Not playing for six months was hard enough to take anyway," Kitson told Sky Sports News. "From the club's point of view it's very difficult. Do they go and buy a new striker or do they stick with it? To give me a new contract after playing only a handful of games is fantastic on the club's part and I'm very grateful for that - and three years as well. I just want to get out there and do the best I possibly can and start scoring all those goals again."

  • 26th March 2007 - Gaffer Takes Two

    • Reading chairman John Madejski has told Sky Sports News he was keen to sign Steve Coppell to a new two-year deal to ward off potential interest in his manager.

    Coppell penned a contract extension on Monday after a campaign in which Reading have performed superbly in their first season in the Premiership. Madejski has now conceded that the fear of losing Coppell to one of England's bigger clubs convinced him to secure the boss to a longer agreement. "You know what it is like, it's a bit of a merry-go-round at the top in terms of management and so on, and there are some big glamour clubs who will probably be looking for Steve's signature," Madejski told Sky Sports News. "But I think now that he has signed for Reading for two years he has showed his commitment here to Reading and nowhere else which is great for Reading. In the past Steve has only signed one-year contracts but now he has signed for two and he will stick to it, that is what is so wonderful. It puts down a very good marker for the world outside to see where Steve Coppell's commitment is and enables him to get on with the job."

    Coppell has carved out a reputation as one of the brightest managers in the Premiership but the former Crystal Palace boss insists he had no thoughts of leaving The Madejski Stadium. Indeed, Coppell feels his current work environment would be hard to replicate in many clubs. "When it was put to me to sign for two years I thought, well I'm lucky at Reading because I enjoy the people I work with, the staff who support me 100 per cent, the players, and I enjoy working for the people I work for," said Coppell. "I have a good relationship with the chairman and the board, he lets me get on with the job, there is little interference and that was very important. I just thought from my point of view I'm not going to better that in many places so it is an ideal time, everyone is talking about the difficulty of the second season, to make more of a commitment. I'm having a great time here, we have had a great time, and I hope it is just ongoing and we can continue."

  • 22nd March 2007 - Magpies Switch For Sky

    • The Royals' home fixture against Newcastle United has been moved for live coverage on Sky Sports. Originally scheduled for Saturday 28th April, the game will now be played on Monday 30th April with an 8pm kick-off.

  • 22nd March 2007 - Henry's Forest Loan

    • James Henry has today joined Nottingham Forest on loan.

    The promising 17-year-old winger has made a big impression for the reserves at late, and was watched in last night's 1-1 draw at home to Fulham by Forest boss Colin Calderwood. He has put pen to paper on a loan deal at the City Ground until the end of the sason, which means he is available for Forest's crucial promotion run-in, starting with their home game with Cheltenham Town on Saturday. Straight after Saturday's game, Henry will then join up with the England U18 camp for the game with Holland next Tuesday evening at Yeovil Town's Huish Park Stadium.

    Henry admitted he was looking forward to the loan at Forest. He said, "It's a great opportunity for me to gain some experience of first team football. I first heard about Forest's interest about a month ago, but I had a niggling injury on my ankle so it couldn't happen then. But I found out on Wednesday that I'd be leaving after the reserve game with Fulham so it was a sudden move really. Forest are a massive club and they're only four points behind Bristol City for an automatic promotion space, so they are going to be really competitive games in front of big crowds - I'm really looking forward to that. Hopefully I can go and have an influence on their season by playing well for them. It's going to be totally different for me being involved in games which mean a huge deal to the fans and club. Academy and reserve games are important for development, but there's nothing like the first team. There are huge things at stake for Forest and I'll be giving everything to their cause."

  • 19th March 2007 - Navas Interest

    • According to Skysports.com, both Reading and Sunderland are taking a keen interest in Gimnastic de Tarragona defender Cesar Navas.

    The central defender is currently on loan at the Primera Liga strugglers from Malaga but the possibility of a switch to English football could well reappear when the transfer window opens.

    Navas was linked with both Aston Villa and Charlton last summer, with a move to The Valley reportedly falling through due to the clubs' inability to agree on a transfer fee.

    However, Reading and Sunderland have now emerged as possible suitors after sending scouts to watch the 25-year-old in action in recent weeks.

    The former Real Madrid defender insists he knows nothing of any interest, and is currently focused on dragging his side out of the relegation zone. "Sincerely for me this is the first news I have heard but it is certain that in the past Malaga have received an offer and rejected it," Navas told skysports.com. It is flattering but I only desire to work hard to help Nastic in the fight for safety."

    Navas's last Liga outing ended in disaster as he was dismissed after just six minutes of Gimnastic's 2-0 defeat to Real Madrid on Sunday.

  • 17th March 2007 - Pompey Hoodoo Goes On

    • The Portsmouth hoodoo over Reading continued as the two sides battled to a dour goalless draw at the Madejski. The result means that the Royals have only managed 1 victory over their South Coast rivals in 18 attempts stretching back 25 years. And it was the visitors who nearly snatched victory from this latest encounter.

    The visitors' form had faded over recent weeks and they had slipped out of the top six of the Barclays Premiership as a result. However, Harry Redknapp's men were much improved this time and would have taken all three points but for the width of a post when Richard Hughes struck the upright with nine minutes left.

    Reading, who have already surpassed all expectations on what has been a remarkable first season in the top flight, promised much - but were unable to find a finishing touch after spells of dominance. Both these sides still harboured European ambitions, with even seventh in the Premiership likely to secure a place in the UEFA Cup next season.

    It had been a positive start to the match by the hosts, who had been given some extra time off during the break in Premiership action by manager Steve Coppell. A poor back-header by Glen Johnson put Royals striker Leroy Lita away into the left side of the area. However, the ball would not drop for him, with Linvoy Primus - against his old club - and Sol Campbell eventually combining to scramble it behind for a corner.

    There was an opening for Pompey after eight minutes. An attempted headed clearance by Michael Duberry dropped to Arnold Mvuemba at the edge of the box, but the on-loan Rennes midfielder - making his first start for Pompey - drilled his shot just over the top-right corner. The match was delicately balanced, with both sides not afraid to go forwards. A deep cross from Stephen Hunt out on the Reading left was almost turned in by Dave Kitson, who arrived at speed in the six-yard box. Pompey goalkeeper David James, though, showed quick reflexes to collect the low ball first.

    Glenn Little then headed wide at the near post from another left-wing centre as Reading upped the tempo. However, it was Pompey who came close to taking the lead on 23 minutes when Gary O'Neil's curling 20-yard volley dipped just inches over the crossbar.

    After such a positive opening to the match, both teams were then guilty of giving away possession following some promising build-up. With 12 minutes to go before half-time, there was a break in play as Hunt received treatment to his ankle after an awkward fall. The Reading forward was, though, soon back in the action. James Harper tried his luck from a full 25 yards, but spooned his shoot well wide. As half-time loomed, it needed a brilliant saving tackle from Campbell to deny Kitson - just when the Reading striker looked set to pull the trigger in the six-yard box.

    As the match entered the final 20 minutes, a promising run from Kanu run down the Reading right was blocked by Nicky Shorey and the foul was signalled by the assistant. After a short delay referee Steve Bennett showed a yellow card to Duberry, presumably for protesting the decision. Niko Kranjcar struck the resulting 22-yard free-kick just wide.

    Pompey almost snatched a winner in the 81st minute when a fine first-time strike from midfielder Hughes, some 25 yards out, came back off the right-hand post. Victory would not have been unjust for the visitors against a Reading side who on a rare occasion this season failed to find top gear. As it was, a point maintains the hope of both clubs to stay in contention over the closing months of the campaign for what would be a dream UEFA Cup spot.

    Manager Steve Coppell maintains Europe is not on Reading's 'radar'. The Royals and today's opponents Portsmouth remain in the tussle for a place in the UEFA Cup next season after a goalless draw at Madejski Stadium. Seventh place could be good enough to qualify depending on the outcome of the FA Cup final. Coppell, though, insists it is something he and the squad are not making their sole focus.

    The Reading boss said: "We are not equipped for Europe and it is really not on our radar at the moment at all. The only way we exist is by trying to win the next game. That is our mentality. We do not set targets about where we want to be and what we want to do. All we are about is winning the next game."

    The Royals boss is also wary of how a UEFA Cup campaign has in fact been detrimental to other clubs in the past, such as Ipswich and, to an extent this season, West Ham. Coppell added: "Europe is too heavy a load for us at this stage in our development. Whether we do develop, only time will tell. Certainly at the moment, it would not be good for us - as [former Ipswich manager] George Burley told me last week."

    Reading have, nevertheless, already surpassed all expectations on what has been a remarkable first season in the top flight. The home side promised much but were unable to find a finishing touch after spells of dominance. Portsmouth would have taken all three points but for the width of a post when midfielder Richard Hughes struck the upright with nine minutes left. "If that had gone it, it would have been a travesty, but such is football," said Coppell. "From an effort and work-rate point of view, I thought our performance was good. They came to do a job and did that well. We found it difficult to break them down at times."

    Portsmouth have seen their own form falter following what was a brilliant start to the campaign, winning only one of the last nine Barclays Premiership outings. Today's battling goalless draw halted a run of two straight defeats. Manager Harry Redknapp said: "With a bit more quality on our final ball, we could have killed them off in the second half. It is not an easy place to come, so I was pleased with our approach on the back of a poor away game last time."

    For the Pompey boss, qualification for Europe remains very much a positive target. However, Redknapp knows all too well those outside the top four have to be grateful for any scraps. Redknapp said: "I would like it - but it may well be out of our radar too. If you look at the league, Bolton, who are fifth, have gone to Old Trafford and been smashed to pieces. The top four are just on another planet. There is such a gulf. The gap is enormous. For the rest of us, on any given day, anything can happen." Redknapp added: "I would always have a go at anything - and would love the opportunity to play in Europe with Portsmouth, if we could do it. We have tried to keep at it but have had some tough games. We want to finish as high as we can, the players have not taken their foot off the pedal - it is just that Premiership matches are so hard to win."



  • 17th March 2007 - Baggie Sodje

    • West Bromwich Albion expect to complete the loan signing of Reading defender Sam Sodje on Saturday morning.

    Baggies boss Tony Mowbray moved for Sodje after an injury curtailed the season of Curtis Davies and suspension then robbed him of Martin Albrechtsen. The Nigerian, a summer signing for The Royals from Brentford, is expected to pen a month-long loan deal at The Hawthorns. Sodje will be available for Sunday's top-of-the-table clash against Birmingham should the Baggies complete the formalities of the transfer by Saturday's deadline.

    "We need to bring in reinforcements in central defence," Mowbray told the club's official website. "Sam will bring both a real competitive edge and athleticism to the team. He's as big a presence in the opposition box as he is defending in his own penalty area because he attacks the ball exceptionally well. The Reading coaching staff speak highly of Sam. We're looking forward to him coming on board."

  • 16th March 2007 - Pompey Preview

    • Reading manager Steve Coppell has indicated that defender Andre Bikey will become a permanent signing in the summer. The 22-year-old is currently at the Madejski Stadium on a season-long loan from Lokomotiv Moscow.

    Since January, the Cameroon international has filled in at the back for injured first choice Ibrahima Sonko and, after a shaky start, appears to have convinced Coppell he is worth the #1.5million the Russians are demanding. But Coppell was reluctant to admit that in public to ensure the player maintained his standards, starting with the visit of fellow UEFA Cup contenders Portsmouth.

    He said: "He is still coming to terms with Premiership football but given his age and the quality of some of his performances he is getting there. With a lot of young players consistency is elusive and even within a game he can be inconsistent. He can do some superb things and then some naive ones. But as a raw material at 22 years of age he has a very bright future, with us I hope. I think we have probably made our decision but we are not going to say anything because hopefully he is still desperate to prove something."

    Bikey, who started his career in Europe with Espanyol as a 16-year-old, admitted he was keen to extend his stay. He said: "I have not spoken to the manager about my contract but somebody from the club has said that at the end of this month they will know if I am to stay or not. I want to stay here but it is a decision for the gaffer. My dream was always to play in England and now I am here I still can't believe it."

    Bikey's Reading career almost ended before it began however as he was sent off for striking an opponent in a pre-season friendly in Sweden when he was a trialist. Coppell is a man who does not tolerate players who are indisciplined but realised at the time that the root of Bikey's indiscretion had simply been a desire to impress. He said: "When he first came in he was very raw and in his first game for us he got sent off. But that showed how important it was for him to come in and try to impress. He was very frustrated."

    Skipper Graeme Murty is a doubt because of a toe injury so record signing Greg Halford, who joined from Colchester for #2million in January, stands by for a debut.

    Portsmouth defender Linvoy Primus is not surprised in the slightest at how well former club Reading have adapted to life in the Barclays Premiership. The 33-year-old will come up against the Royals at the Madejski Stadium hoping to reignite Pompey's UEFA Cup qualification chase.

    Steve Coppell's team are two places and two points above Portsmouth and Primus, who played for the Berkshire side between 1997 and 2000, felt the Premiership newcomers were never going to struggle. "They were always going to do it. Everything around the club has been geared up for the Premiership," Primus said. "They have done fantastically well and the Madejski is a real fortress for them. It is going to be a tough game but we have to try to take advantage of the fact they have lost three on the bounce."

    Primus also warned against the menace of Reading's top scorer Leroy Lita. "He is similar in stature to (Lomana) LuaLua here and he has great pace," he added. "But you have to deal with this quality of player every week now and you tend to gauge new ones by their second season. The real test for him and Reading will be next year."

    Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp, whose side are on a run of just one win from nine matches and are without Pedro Mendes and Lauren through injury, clearly fears his squad will not last the pace of a tough run-in against the likes of Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal, Everton and Newcastle. He has admitted he would consider a back-door European route via the Intertoto Cup if Pompey fail to finish high enough but insisted: "I still think we have a shot at qualifying through finishing in the top six or seven. It will be a tough scrap now and finishing in the top 10 would still be a great achievement for us. Nobody expected that at the start of the season. Staying in the Premiership is very difficult in itself. Just go and ask West Ham. I'll be happy if we can finish high up and have another successful season next year."

    Reading V Portsmouth
    Top Lge Scorers Goals Tuesday 27/2 @ 8:05pm Top Lge Scorers Goals
    Doyle 10 Referee: Steve Bennett (Kent) Kanu 10
    Lita 7 Games: 38   Yellows: 123   Reds: 13 Taylor 5
    Sidwell 4 Last 4 Meetings Mwaruwari 4
    Seol 3 28/10/2006 Portsmouth 3 1 Reading Cole 3
    Harper 3 21/04/2003 Portsmouth 3 0 Reading LuaLua 2
    Lge Discipline       07/12/2002 Reading 0 0 Portsmouth Lge Discipline      
    Total Fouls 310 21/02/1998 Reading 0 1 Portsmouth Total Fouls 374
    Yellows 30 Yellows 37
    Reds 3 Head to Head Reds 1
    Lge Goal details:     Reading Draws Pompey Lge Goal details:    
    For 43 League 7 12 16 For 36
    Against 38 FA Cup 2 0 2 Against 31
    Ave scored per game 1.50 League Cup 0 0 0 Ave scored per game 1.20
    Shots / Goals 256/43 Total 9 12 18 Shots / Goals 355/36
    Left Foot 10 Left Foot 7
    Right Foot 18 Games Since Right Foot 16
    Headers 14 2 a win 2 Headers 13
    0 - 10 mins 3 0 home win 1 0 - 10 mins 4
    11 - 20 mins 5 2 away win 4 11 - 20 mins 2
    21 - 30 mins 4 0 a defeat 0 21 - 30 mins 4
    31 - 40 mins 6 4 home defeat 0 31 - 40 mins 2
    41 - 50 mins 8 0 away defeat 0 41 - 50 mins 6
    51 - 60 mins 3 6 a score draw 6 51 - 60 mins 4
    61 - 70 mins 2 12 a no score draw 4 61 - 70 mins 4
    71 - 80 mins 4 0 conceding a goal 0 71 - 80 mins 3
    81 - 90 mins 8 0 scoring a goal 2 81 - 90 mins 7
    Current Form (last 3 games - all competitions)
    03/03/2007 Arsenal Away Lost  1:2   03/03/2007 Chelsea Home Lost  0:2
    27/02/2007 ManUtd Home Lost  2:3   25/02/2007 Blackburn Away Lost  0:3
    24/02/2007 Middlesbrough Away Lost  1:2   10/02/2007 ManCity Home Won  2:1


  • 14th March 2007 - Wembley Beckons For Lita

    • Leroy Lita is set to be one of the first players to play at the new Wembley Stadium.

    The frontman has been named in the England under 21 squad for their friendly against Italy, which takes place on Saturday 24th March, kick off 12:30pm. The game will be played in front of a 60,000 sell-out crowd, with tickets having been snapped in a matter of hours.

    The under 21s will be managed by Newcastle coach Nigel Pearson for this historic occasion, and he has selected our frontman in the squad after he scored a late equaliser against Spain in the u21s' last fixture. Meanwhile, skipper Graeme Murty has been called up to the Scotland squad for their Euro 2008 qualifiers against Georgia and Italy and Ingimarsson and Gunnarsson are both in the Iceland squad to face Spain. Seol Ki-Hyeon has been selected for South Korea's friendly against Uruguay and Ulises De La Cruz will join up with Ecuador for games against U.S.A. and Mexico.

    Four Royals youngsters have also received international calls: Viktor Illugason (Iceland U17), Thomas Lyskov (Denmark U16 training camp), James Henry (England U18 v Holland) and Scott Golbourne (England U19 v Turkey). Several other Reading players will be hoping for international duty when further squads are announced.

  • 12th March 2007 - New Deal For Fed

    • Adam Federici has signed a new contract to stay at Reading until 2009.

    The Australian goalkeeper's previous deal was due to expire at the end of the season, but he will now stay for a further two years.

    He has impressed as Marcus Hahnemann's replacement in the FA Cup this term and produced a strong display in the 1-1 draw with Manchester United in the fifth round.

    Though he has yet to feature in the Premiership, he is highly rated at The Madejski Stadium after impressing Steve Coppell and his coaching staff.

    With his future now assured, Federici has been challenged to put the pressure on Hahnemann and continue the progress made this season.

    "Adam has worked extremely hard over the last couple of years and has thoroughly earned this opportunity," Reading's director of football Nick Hammond told the club's official website. "There's no doubt that he has a lot of potential and now he needs to take the next step and realise that potential."

  • 3rd March 2007 - Royals Leave It Too Late Again

    • Arsenal went some way to putting a troubled week behind them with a 2-1 victory over Reading at the Emirates Stadium.

    A run of three straight defeats coupled with the fallout from the mass brawl at the end of the Carling Cup final had left Arsene Wenger not only less than impressed with the powers at be in Soho Square, but also with more than one or two selection worries through suspension and injury. However, talk of a crisis proved unfounded as the patched-up Gunners proved too strong for the Premiership surprise packages and made the most of Liverpool's defeat to Manchester United by closing the gap on third place to just one point.

    After one of the misses of the season from Cesc Fabregas, second-half goals via Brazilian duo Gilberto, from a penalty, and Julio Baptista proved enough for victory. However, there was a tense finale when Fabregas put through his own net following a Reading corner. But now immediate attentions will turn to Wednesday night's crucial Champions League clash with PSV Eindhoven, when at least Wenger will be able to welcome back his suspended trio. Following this win, though, perhaps he will rest just a little easier.

    It had been a positive start by the hosts, Freddie Ljungberg almost getting on the end of a chip into the penalty area by Fabregas. Theo Walcott - who scored his first senior goal for the club in last weekend's Carling Cup final - was looking lively in attack. However, Arsenal lacked a telling pass to release the pacy teenager.

    After 13 minutes the ball broke to Baptista on the penalty spot following good work down the right. The Brazilian took a touch to find space, but could only drill his shot wide. A quick counter-attack from just outside the Arsenal area and a neat interchange of passes saw Ljungberg put clear through the heart of the Reading defence. However, his low strike from the edge of the Royals box was beaten away by keeper Marcus Hahnemann.

    Reading remained calm and slowly started to see more of the ball, if without really testing the Arsenal back line. The home side then somehow contrived to miss the best opening of the game on 30 minutes. Baptista stole possession off James Harper in the six-yard box. He drew the keeper before laying a pass back across to Fabregas. The ball was slightly behind his team-mate, who miskicked completely with the goal at his mercy and the chance went begging.

    The home side were now enjoying their best spell, but again could not find the telling pass to open up the Reading defence.

    At the start of the second half Fabregas saw his well-struck 25-yard effort turned away acrobatically by Hahnemann. On 51 minutes Arsenal were awarded a penalty. Gael Clichy got ahead of Andre Bikey on the edge of the area and the Reading defender clearly tugged at the Frenchman, with contact continuing well into the box before Clichy was nudged over. The referee had no hesitation in pointing to the spot. Gilberto had missed one at Bolton in the FA Cup recently - but the stand-in captain made no mistake this time, beating Hahnemann low into the right corner past the outstretched hand of the keeper.

    Arsenal were soon on the attack again. Walcott cut in from the left and curled just wide of the far post from 18 yards. On 60 minutes, a delicate chip from Fabregas picked out the lively England youngster in the penalty area - but Hahnemann was off his line quickly to make an important block.

    Baptista soon showed him how it should be done, as Arsenal doubled their lead on 62 minutes. A quick break following a Reading corner saw Johan Djourou release Denilson, who in turn picked out his fellow Brazilian making progress down the left. The striker - on loan from Real Madrid - carried the ball on towards the edge of the area, where he simply barged past Royals skipper Graeme Murty and blasted a low strike under Hahnemann from six yards.

    Reading were in danger of being torn apart on the counter-attack, but could have pulled a goal back when Sidwell powered his header over from a corner. Arsenal then failed to deal with a ball into the six-yard box - only for Sidwell to drag his shot across goal and wide of the far post. Reading were now in danger of being hit on the counter-attack. Baptista almost added a second, while substitute Jeremie Aliadiere saw his effort correctly ruled out for offside.

    Reading pulled one back with three minutes to go. A corner from the left was flicked on at the near post - and Fabregas stuck out a boot to divert the ball past Jens Lehmann. It needed a fine save at his near post from the German to keep out Sidwell's fierce drive, before Arsenal safely saw out four minutes of stoppage time.

    Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger admitted victory over Reading at the Emirates Stadium provided a welcome end to a difficult week. The Gunners boss had seen the fall-out from the brawl at the Carling Cup final rob him of three players through suspension and captain Thierry Henry was also out injured. But Wenger's makeshift side still had enough quality to secure a 2-1 win which closed the gap on third-placed Liverpool to a point.

    Wenger said: "After the week we have had, it was very important for us to get the win today. A bad result would have pushed us into a bit of a crisis, confidence-wise - but three points gets us into a good position in terms of qualifying for the Champions League [against PSV Eindhoven] and takes off some of the pressure. When we were two up, it looked like we could have won by three or four but by the end it could easily have been 2-2. We became shaky and we missed every time on our counter-attacks."

    The Arsenal manager added: "Reading are a correct side - they are one of the few teams who have come here and tried to play. They are very good passers, they are dangerous on set-pieces and in the top two or three in terms of their physical strength in the whole league."

    Manchester United further strengthened their grip at the top of the table with a late 1-0 win at Anfield. Wenger reflected: "It looks like it is their year and what is good for them is that their belief will be strengthened by their last two results."

    The Arsenal manager must now regroup his squad and prepare for Wednesday's European tie, when they must overturn a 1-0 deficit, but will be boosted by the availability of Kolo Toure, Emmanuel Eboue and striker Emmanuel Adebayor - all serving three-match domestic bans. Wenger said: "It is important we are relaxed against PSV and take our chances. We have to believe in what we do and play the football we can play. Hopefully that will be enough. They will be cautious, wait for us in their own half and hope we become impatient. We have to be dynamic and patient at the same time and that is not very easy, but I believe we can do it."

    Royals boss Steve Coppell said: "The one thing you have to remember here is that Arsenal will have more possession than you. Ironically, the bolder you are, the greater chance you have of getting a hiding. A lot of teams have shown that if you are circumspect, the more chance you have of frustrating Arsenal and winning the game. Both their goals today came from our attacks and that more or less proves the theory. If we had really gone for it, we would have been hammered. I have no qualms about the way we played or set ourselves up."

    The Reading manager accepted: "We are new kids on the block in this league and they are European Cup finalists, so it is not a level playing field. They are bigger and better than us and we can only aspire to be competitive. We have a long way to go."



  • 2nd March 2007 - Gunners Preview

    • Cesc Fabregas maintains it is 'the passion for football' which helps him keep up with Europe's more experienced campaigners. The 19-year-old Spain midfielder is set to return to Arsenal's side for Saturday's Barclays Premiership clash against Reading at the Emirates Stadium after sitting out the FA Cup defeat at Blackburn.

    It is sometimes easy to forget Fabregas is still in his teens, such has been his impact following the breakthrough into the first team three seasons ago. Manager Arsene Wenger has seen the partnership between Fabregas and experienced Brazilian Gilberto grow into one of the most formidable in both the domestic and European game. The Gunners boss believes Fabregas would not be the same player if he did not possess such a fierce 'winning mentality', which sometimes gets the better of him as highlighted in a recent touchline spat with Blackburn manager Mark Hughes and in the melee which marred last weekend's Carling Cup final.

    For Fabregas, however, it is the only way to be. "In football you have to be very strong otherwise someone will come and eat you," he said. "Age is not important. What is important is what you have inside - the passion you have for football." Fabregas added: "I was one of the first of the young Arsenal players like Mathieu Flamini, Philippe Senderos and Johan Djourou when I arrived here three years ago, and it has been so positive to see a lot more of the young lads come through. There is definitely a buzz here and we think we are capable of doing better in every competition."

    Wenger, meanwhile, enters a crucial stage of the campaign without a number of first-team regulars through injury and suspension. Defender Emmanuel Eboue, who had been carrying an ankle problem, was yesterday found guilty of violent conduct despite denying a charge of striking Chelsea defender Wayne Bridge late in the Carling Cup final. Eboue will now miss Premiership fixtures against Reading, at Aston Villa on March 14 and at Everton four days later. Centre-half Kolo Toure and striker Emmanuel Adebayor will be available for the trip to Goodison Park after their suspensions began ahead of Wednesday's FA Cup tie at Blackburn. Tomas Rosicky (groin) and captain Thierry Henry (foot) are still sidelined, which is of some concern ahead of next week's Champions League tie against PSV Eindhoven which Arsenal trail 1-0 after the first leg in Holland. Abou Diaby (ankle), Justin Hoyte (hamstring) and midfielder Mathieu Flamini (foot) are also still not match fit.

    Reading manager Steve Coppell admits he is 'in awe' of Arsenal. The Royals boss believes few teams in the world can match the Gunners when it comes to attacking football. And as for bringing through youngsters, he is convinced Wenger is ahead of the game on that score too. He said: "In many ways you are just in awe of teams like Arsenal when they are really flowing. You look at their ability going forward and you just think `wow!' And I am also in awe of what they are doing with their youngsters. It is a shame they are not English youngsters but you can only but respect the way he is nurturing players there and the way any combination can gel. It's terrific. You look at the Carling Cup final team and that's the development I'm looking at. There are English youngsters like Theo Walcott obviously and Justin Hoyte but their overall policy seems to be extracting the best from throughout Europe. I often think about their players and if you are training with Thierry Henry every day then it won't half make you a great defender if you are having to face him in five-a-sides. Just being there rubbing shoulders with the best, that's the benefit. It's an education even if you fail."

    Coppell refuses to admit publicly that UEFA Cup qualification is likely for his side despite their current sixth placing. He said: "We have a quarter of the season left and it will set our course for the summer, our plans for next season without doubt. So many people have said that if you are standing still in this division you are going backwards. We can't afford to do that. We have got to be planning, scheming and setting targets for next season."

    Striker Dave Kitson is set for his first Premiership start since suffering a serious knee injury on the opening day of the season.

    Arsenal V Reading
    Top Lge Scorers Goals Saturday 3/3 @3pm Top Lge Scorers Goals
    Van Persie 11 Referee: Chris Foy (Merseyside) Doyle 10
    Henry 10 Games: 31  Yellows: 92   Reds: 5 Lita 7
    Silva 7 Last 4 Meetings Sidwell 4
    Adebayor 6 22/10/2006 Reading 0 4 Arsenal Seol 3
    Flamini 3 29/11/2005 Arsenal 3 0 Reading Harper 3
    Lge Discipline       10/01/1987 Reading 1 3 Arsenal Lge Discipline      
    Total Fouls 240 05/02/1972 Reading 1 2 Arsenal Total Fouls 296
    Yellows 44 Yellows 29
    Reds 3 Head to Head Reds 3
    Lge Goal details:     Arsenal Draws Reading Lge Goal details:    
    For 48 League 1 0 0 For 42
    Against 22 FA Cup 3 0 0 Against 36
    Ave scored per game 1.80 League Cup 2 0 0 Ave scored per game 1.50
    Shots / Goals 368/48 Total 6 0 0 Shots / Goals 249/42
    Left Foot 13 Left Foot 10
    Right Foot 27 Games Since Right Foot 18
    Headers 8 4 a win 3 Headers 13
    0 - 10 mins 2 1 home win 1 0 - 10 mins 3
    11 - 20 mins 2 3 away win 2 11 - 20 mins 5
    21 - 30 mins 3 0 a defeat 0 21 - 30 mins 4
    31 - 40 mins 5 20 home defeat 0 31 - 40 mins 6
    41 - 50 mins 7 0 away defeat 0 41 - 50 mins 8
    51 - 60 mins 3 6 a score draw 2 51 - 60 mins 3
    61 - 70 mins 6 3 a no score draw 13 61 - 70 mins 2
    71 - 80 mins 8 0 conceding a goal 0 71 - 80 mins 4
    81 - 90 mins 12 1 scoring a goal 0 81 - 90 mins 7
    Current Form (last 3 games - all competitions)
    28/02/2007 Blackburn Away Lost  0:1   27/02/2007 ManUtd Home Lost  2:3
    25/02/2007 Chelsea Neutral