EPL - Fabregas: Arsenal are the kings of the cock-up!
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Fabregas: Arsenal are the kings of the cock-up!
Model professional: Cesc Fabregas takes part in Naomi Campbell's Fashion for Relief show in London.
Saturday, 20 February 2010
Channel 22: "Live"Arsenal - Sunderland - 11:00 pmCesc Fabregas last night admitted Arsenal make more mistakes than their Premier League title rivals. But Fabregas has given his support for error-prone keeper Lukasz Fabianski after his double mistake gifted Porto a priceless first leg Champions League win over Arsenal.
It leaves Arsenal's whole season in the balance as they are six points behind leaders Chelsea in the title race and now have just 90 minutes to save their European campaign.
Fabregas admits it is make-or-break time for the Gunners but confesses that a catalogue of errors in the reason behind their faltering campaign as Arsenal look to end a five-year wait for a trophy.
Gunners captain Fabregas, 22, said: "Sometimes we make mistakes that at the top level you pay for and Porto was one of those nights when it happened.
"It happened against Chelsea and Man United and now again so I think we have to try to find the solution to these problems because it is costing us many, many things.
"The other top teams don't make these mistakes as often as we do. We can only change it by working and training I guess."
Fabregas was scathing about Arsenal's "schoolboy defending" at Porto on Wednesday night and, after reflecting on another disappointment, the Spanish midfielder was also more supportive about under-pressure Fabianski.
Fabianski, 24, was at the centre of both Porto goals and his blundering performance only heightens the pressure on Wenger to buy a new, top class number one.
First choice Manuel Almunia has suffered an indifferent season while Fabianski has also come unstuck in a string of big games as Porto was his latest nightmare after last season's FA Cup semi final defeat to Chelsea, the FA Cup exit at Stoke and the Carling Cup loss at Manchester City.
But Wenger insists it is "completely out of the question" for him to buy another keeper as Vito Mannone has signed a new long term contract and youngster Wojciech Szczesny, 19, is earning rave reiews on loan at Brentford.
Arsenal were offered keepers in January but Wenger has insisted both publicly and privately that he is happy with his four keepers.
Almunia is expected to be back to face Sunderland because the Spanish keeper has bravely volunteered to play through the pain barrier, even having pain killing injections for three recent games.
That comes as a huge relief for Wenger who is spared a dilemma over whether to stick with Fabianski who has been left shattered after Porto while the defence is also lacking confidence in him.
But Fabregas insists they are right behind the under-fire Polish keeper and Fabianski has the squad's support. Fabregas said: "He is strong and we have to be there for him. We have to be next to him. Sometimes when you are young in a big game, these things happen to you.
"You can be a little bit down but the team will be 100 per cent behind him and help him in the next game to come back to his best.
He is a very good keeper. He had his chance today and sometimes it doesn't go your way. It didn't go his way but we will stand up and support him until the end because he is a good character and I am sure he will be back. Whenever he has to play, I am sure he will do well."
Fabregas also insists that Arsenal can beat Porto in the return leg and still reach the Champions League quarter finals.
Fabregas added: "There are no favourites in football. They are winning so if you want to call someone favourites, they are because they are winning 2-1. But we don't look at it that way, we just want to play the game.
"We have to consider the Premier League again, then the national team, the League again and then the Champions League. Then we will talk about the second leg."
Arsenal have been dealt another injury blow after midfielder Abou Diaby is out for tomorrow after hurting knee ligaments but Alex Song returns. But William Gallas, Andrey Arshavin an Eduardo are still out. Sol campbell is set to continue in defence.
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Arsenal
Subs from Fabianski, Mannone, Traoré, Silvestre, Ramsey, Eboué, Mérida, Vela, Rosicky, Eastmond, Coquelin, Cruise
Doubtful Almunia (finger), Mérida (foot), Song (knee)
Injured Arshavin (hamstring, 27 Feb), Diaby (knee, 27 Feb), Eduardo (hamstring, 27 Feb), Gallas (calf, 6 Mar), Djourou (knee, Apr), Van Persie (ankle, Apr), Gibbs (foot, May)
Suspended None
Leading scorer Fábregas 11
Sunderland
Subs from Fulop, Ferdinand, Bardsley, McCartney, Zenden, Malbranque, Benjani, Liddle, Reed, R Noble, L Noble
Doubtful Ferdinand (ankle), Malbranque (chest), Mensah (hamstring), Richardson (calf)
Injured Reid (hamstring, 6 Mar), Henderson (ankle, Apr)
Suspended Cattermole (one match), Meyler (first of three)
Leading scorer Bent 15
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mi juz think that Bent would score agn arsenal
juz hope arsenal can win tis game