Carlos Vela



Profile:
  • Name: Carlos Vela
  • Born: March 01, 1989 Cancun, Mexico
  • Position: Striker
  • Squad Number: 11
  • Previous Club(s): Guadalajara, Osasuna, Celta Vigo
  • Joined Arsenal: January 01, 2008

A succession of superb performances at the FIFA U17 World Cup in 2005 convinced Arsenal to pay £125,000 for the Mexican forward, and although he has shown flashes of genius, the onus is very much on Vela to demonstrate he is a valuable first-team member after inheriting Robin van Persie's No. 11 shirt at Emirates Stadium ahead of the 2010-11 season.

Vela was playing for Guadalajara when, at the age of 16, he won the Golden Boot at the youth tournament in Peru. After moving quickly to sign the striker, Arsenal were unable to immediately secure a work permit so Vela spent the next two-and-a-half years in Spain, experiencing spells with Celta Vigo, Salamanca and Osasuna.

He secured the necessary documentation to begin his Arsenal career prior to the start of the 2008-09 season and shot into the limelight when scoring a hat-trick on his full debut against Sheffield United. His second goal in the 6-0 Carling Cup rout was a cheeky chip over Paddy Kenny - an expert finish that was to become his trademark.

But Vela has only demonstrated sporadic glimpses of his talent in North London. His input has largely come from the substitutes' bench and his impact during the 2009-10 season was restricted by injuries. However, he ended the campaign with another lobbed finish, this time against Fulham's Mark Schwarzer, and played a prominent role in Mexico's World Cup campaign in South Africa.

Strengths: Pacy and alert, Vela is at his best when breaking through on goal and his confidence and composure is demonstrated by a succession of impudent finishes.

Weaknesses: Vela needs to be more clinical as he is prone to missing excellent chances. He also struggles to impose himself on games and his link-up play could improve.

Career high: Representing Mexico at the 2010 World Cup as Javier Aguirre's side reached the second round before being beaten by Argentina.

Career low: Missing out on Arsenal's Champions League trip to Barcelona in April 2010 after reportedly misplacing his passport.

Style: Inventive, audacious, direct, a predatory striker.

Quotes: "What he needs is to be injury free and get a good run of games. He is a very talented player who is maturing now. When you are 17, 18 it is easy. At 20 you realise it is not as easy as it looks. He has gone through that stage now and I am confident he will do well." Arsene Wenger, February 2010.

Trivia: His elder brother Alejandro represents leading Mexican club Cruz Azul. In his native land Carlos is known as 'El Bombardero'.

Source: Soccernet

Theo Walcott


Profile
  • Name: Theo Walcott
  • Born: March 16, 1989 Middlesex, England
  • Position: Striker
  • Squad Number: 14
  • Previous Club(s): Southampton
  • Joined Arsenal: January 20, 2006

“This year I’m just going to get out there and show people what I can do,” said Theo Walcott in pre-season. “It’s all I can do really.”

It was an admirable attitude from a player who will be motivated by his World Cup omission last summer.

Ironically, it was his selection for Germany 2006 that catapulted Theo into the limelight. Since then, his quick feet have slowly built his reputation as a top-level performer. And he has chosen some big Champions League games in which display his finest work – Barcelona 2010 and Liverpool 2008.

He remains a winger for now but Arsène Wenger still sees a striker in him. Wherever he plays there is more to come from Theo Walcott.

Ibrahim Afellay


Profile:
Date of birth 2/4/1986 
Place of Birth Utrecht, Nederland 
Height 1.80 m. 
Weight 76 kg. 
Nationality Nederland 
Marital status Single 
Debutmatch February 4th 2004, PSV - NAC Breda (0-1) 
Favorite sportsman Johan Cruijff 
Favorite stadium Philips Stadion, Eindhoven 
Drive Volkswagen Touareg 

Gregory van der Wiel



Profile:
First name:  Gregory
Last name:  van der Wiel
Nationality:  Netherlands
Date of birth:  3 February 1988
Age:  22
Country of birth:  Netherlands
Place of birth:  Amsterdam
Position:  Defender
Height:  181 cm
Weight:  68 kg
Foot:  Right
International caps:  17

Felipe Melo



Profile:
  • Felipe
  • Melo
  • Midfielder
  • 26 June 1983
  • Volta Redonda (Brasil)
  • Brasilian
  • 183 cm
  • 80 kg
  • 31/08/2008 Fiorentina-Juventus 1-1

Having moved to Turin a year ago, following his experience with Fiorentina, he is ready to contribute towards the Juventus midfield by means of his characteristics which made him a strong point in the Brazilian national team in the last two years.

Amauri


Profile:
  • Amauri
  • Carvalho de Oliveira
  • Forward
  • 3 June 1980
  • Carapiquiba
  • Brasilian/Italian
  • 1.86
  • 83
  • 14/04/01 Bari-Napoli 0-1
In his 3rd season with Juventus, the first as an Italian citizen after having obtained citizenship in the past few months, he starts-off with a great will to contribute with his goals and assists for his mates in attack.

Cesc Fabregas

Profile:
  • Name:  Cesc Fabregas
  • Born:  May 04, 1987 Vilassar de Mar, Casal de Curacion, Spain
  • Position:  Midfielder 
  • Squad Number:  4
  • Previous Club(s):  Barcelona
  • Joined Arsenal:  September 11, 2003
Along with Lionel Messi and Gerard Pique, Fabregas emerged from the Barcelona cantera but it is under the guidance of Arsene Wenger at Arsenal that he has become one of world football's most sought-after players. Barcelona, and his former colleagues, have mounted a relentless campaign to convince him to return to Camp Nou but Fabregas remains one of the Premier League's leading players at present. Unlike the aforementioned Messi, Fabregas left hometown club Barcelona at the age of just 16 when joining Arsenal in 2003 and it was a gamble that quickly paid off. After the club had gone unbeaten in 2003-04, Wenger could ignore the talent of Fabregas no longer and his stunning emergence the following season even convinced his manager to sell captain Patrick Vieira, such was his faith in the Spaniard who took the famous number four shirt.
An FA Cup final victory in 2005 aside, Fabregas may have been starved of silverware in North London but he is already regarded as one of the club's modern-day greats and has accumulated well over 200 appearances. The 2007-08 Young Player of the Year, Fabregas was installed as Arsenal captain in November2008 and has thrived in Arsenal's free-flowing formation as its creative lynchpin.
Fabregas also hit a rich seam of form in the 2009-10 season when operating in a more advanced role, scoring 19 goals in all competitions. He produced the assist for Andres Iniesta's winning goal in the 2010 World Cup final to become a world and European champion with Spain.
Strengths: A quite superb passer of the ball who possesses both excellent vision and the ability to dictate the pace and tempo of a contest. Has a strong character and mentality to complement his technical excellence and has become more potent in front of goal.
Weaknesses: Fabregas is largely impeccable but a lack of real pace is noticeable.
Career high: Poking the ball through for Andres Iniesta to score the winning goal in the World Cup final in 2010.
Career low: Defeat to his former club Barcelona in the final of the 2006 Champions League.
Style: Composed, cultured, creative, a wonderful passer.
Quotes: "His vision is comparable to [Michel] Platini, and that is a compliment. He is at the start of his career and we know that Platini has finished his. Cesc has it all in front of him, but he has a vision and he will develop still more." Arsene Wenger, September 2007.
Trivia: Fabregas became Arsenal's youngest ever player in any competition on October 28, 2003 when appearing in a League Cup tie against Rotherham aged just 16 years and 177 days.

Source: Soccernet