With Brazil facing Ireland next week in an International friendly at the Emirates, the Arsenal people will be happy to welcome Gilberto Silva back, who left the North London Club in 2008 to join Greek side Panathinaikos.

Speaking of his time with the Gunners, the 33-year old admitted it was one of his best moments in his career, adding how he has great memories of Arsenal, an atmosphere where people always smile and are ready to help.

Speaking to the club’s s official website, the Brasilian said:

I miss the good atmosphere within the team. But to be honest, I miss everything about Arsenal! The time I had at Arsenal was amazing and I miss everything. But I have great memories about Arsenal, memories I will never forget.

For me, Arsenal was a big school, as I learned so many things at the club. I am very thankful for everything, the club, all the people at Arsenal, they were so nice to me and very helpful during my time there.

Everyone was always smiling, always there to help me. It’s impossible to point to just one thing I miss because I had a great time at Arsenal. I fitted in well with the culture at Arsenal.

When I came to Arsenal I had on my mind that I had to start from zero again with many things in my life and my football career, and I started at this point from zero. When I started from there I think it was a chance to learn. I always had on my mind that I had so many things to learn.

On the title race...
"We were in it before the game and mathematically we got closer to Chelsea today because they dropped points. It strengthens our belief and our determination. We will fight until the last game of the season."

On Aaron Ramsey's injury...
"I would like to say that it was a committed game. I didn't see many bad tackles in the game. But this one was horrendous and I am very sad. I am proud of my team today and sad as well because to lose a player of that quality at 19 years of age when he is just starting his career is just horrendous. It is difficult to accept.

"He is the third player we have lost to tackles that are not acceptable - Abou Diaby, Eduardo and now Ramsey today. That is not football for me and I refuse to live with that.

"I cannot do anything about it. The players are professional they have to respect the rules and each other. The players who don't do it have to be punished. Ramsey is a young, fantastic talent."

On Ryan Shawcross' punishment...
"A three-match ban is just ridiculous. But I would prefer to give my support to Ramsey rather than to play the judge. For a boy of 19 with his talent to be kicked out of the game like that is beyond words. I cannot even enjoy the win tonight because it is so sad to see that."

On the reaction of his team-mates...
"The players were shocked. You could see that they moved away from him. For five minutes, we did not go anywhere because we did not play. After that we got back into the game."

On the injury itself...
"It is a bad fracture. He will be transferred to London tonight to see if he needs emergency surgery. He will be out for a long time."

The England U21 manager Stuart Pearce only gets interviewed in the run-up to the U21 matches, and he usually manages to upset a few people when he is given the chance.

He has had an ongoing battle with Arsene Wenger ever since he picked Theo Walcott for last summers U21 Championship, and he is still carping on about it. In fact he thinks it was actually GOOD for Walcott!

“I don’t agree with Arsene at all,” Pearce said. “He didn’t play for long periods of last season, but he was fully fit at the end so he came with me to the Championships. It was a great experience and his first participation in a major international tournament, but then he hasn’t featured a great deal this year.

“When he left me he was fully fit. I can’t be responsible for him picking up an injury at Arsenal. Most of the injuries Theo has picked up have come while playing for his club so I don’t really understand where Arsene is coming from. Theo has not been over-extended in playing too many games.

“Two years ago, when Theo played every match for the Under-21s, it built his confidence up when he wasn’t playing so well for Arsenal, they benefited and I didn’t hear Wenger complain then.”

Pearce then decided to give his view on the tackle by Ryan Shawcross on Aaron Ramsey, and he is certain that it was a just a freak accident, and Shawcross was not at fault in any way.

“You have to look at it and say how much intent was there to really go and injure the opposition and I don’t think there was any,” Pearce said.

“After the game Tony Pulis mentioned the knowing of the player and what he was like as an individual.

“Having worked with Ryan as well and having watched the incident again I am pretty sire there was no intent there to really go and do damage.

“Probably you would have seen the sole of his foot making contact with his shin or even higher on the opponent’s leg and I don’t think that was the case.”

When it was pointed out that Shawcross has a history of crunching tackles to his name, Pearce said that the same thing could be said about everyone who plays football.

“If you look on the back catalogue of any player – and I am talking about any player – you can find instances of poor tackles,” he said.

“What we don’t like to see if players coming out of tackles with the ferocity of injury that Aaron has had. But I have seen worse challenges than that this season that thankfully have got away with not even a booking.

“One that springs to mind is Kevin Nolan who made a challenge on an Everton player (Victor Anichebe) which wasn’t the best. It looked far worse probably than that challenge.

“You are in the lap of the gods on a football pitch that hopefully on occasions you don’t come away with the sight that we saw with Aaron Ramsey.”

“I think the main things I that everyone is sad to see any player get that form of injury. The main thing for myself is that we wish Aaron a speedy recovery. He is a very talented player and has had a fantastic season for Arsenal and is maturing greatly.”

Arsenal star Tomas Rosicky has renewed a call for more protection from referees in the wake of the horrific injury to team-mate Aaron Ramsey.

The Wales international was stretchered off in Arsenal's 3-1 victory over Stoke on Saturday following a tackle from Ryan Shawcross, who was sent off for the challenge.

The Gunners have since confirmed the 19-year-old will miss the rest of the season after sustaining fractures to the tibia and fibula in his right leg.

Along with Eduardo and Abou Diaby, Ramsey is the third Arsenal player to suffer a broken leg in five years, prompting skipper Cesc Fabregas to call for more protection after the game.

Rosicky, who replaced Ramsey at the Britannia Stadium, also believes there should be more protection.

He told Sky Sports News: "I think you cannot blame the player (Shawcross) or to tell that he wanted to break his leg, of course not.
Operate aggressively

"But it's always against us. The teams operate aggressively against us, that's no problem for us, I think everybody copes with that but I think we have to be more protected from the referees. Because if you see, for example, how many fouls the opponents can do against us, five, six and after that it's a yellow card, we are making one or two fouls and we've got immediately yellow cards.

"So we have to be more protected as well."

Speaking of the injury to Ramsey, he added: "It is something horrible of course. Aaron is a huge talent and to see a young boy suffer like this is horrible. I saw it when it happened and you do not want to see these things on the pitch.

"(I) just have to wish him a speedy recovery because he's a great talent and such a young age. Of course, it's not easy."

The injury-plagued Rosicky knows what it is like to spend an extended period on the sidelines after only returning from more than 18 months out of action in September.

Support

The Czech Republic ace has offered words of support for the teenager, believing Ramsey can draw inspiration from his return, as well as that of Eduardo, who also spent months on the sidelines after sustaining a broken leg at Birmingham in 2008.

Rosicky added: "I think he can see that, he's two team-mates like Eduardo and me, we were out for a long time as well. So he can see that there are two examples that made it as well, so he's got it in front of his eyes.

"I'm sure that he will be back because he is obviously even younger than us, so the healing hopefully will be quicker for him."

On Cesc Fabregas' injury...
"He has a hamstring problem and we don't know how big the damage is yet because it is too early. We'll see tomorrow or Monday. We have to make a late decision over whether he plays on Tuesday, certainly. It is the same hamstring [he hurt against Aston Villa earlier in the season]."

On the nature of the game...
"It was closer than you and I expected but we had the chances to score plenty of goals. We didn't take our chances today and that's why I believe it was very tight until the end. It could have been four, five or six but as well they had a chance to make it 2-2 after a corner. In the end you are happy when you miss the chances we missed today but you get the three points.

On Arsenal's first goal...
"I believe the first goal was a great goal and after we created some magnificent chances in the way we created them, we just could not finish the game off. But the first ball from Nasri was fantastic, the finishing of Fabregas was class. We created plenty of chances today and Theo Walcott gave you the great response you waited for!

On if he asked Theo Walcott to be more assertive at half time...
"Yes, we were a bit minimalist in the first-half and in the second-half we came out with more purpose and put them under pressure. In the first-half we played a bit in between and did not push completely through. Football doesn't like that."

On Walcott's display...
"I think he does what a player has to do - not talk in the newspapers and let your performance talk on the pitch. He didn't answer any critics other than with a good performance today and that's what you want from a player. That shows he is mentally strong. I was interested to see how he would respond today. I was quite sure he would respond with a good performance but you never know, it affects you when you get criticised. The way he answered that at his age is remarkable."

On Nicklas Bendtner's missed chances...
"I believe at the surface he looks like 'okay, I missed the chances', but underneath he is really disappointed. Everybody has a different way to show his emotions, and he hides well, but he cares. Overall in his game, he was quite good. In his finishing, he missed chance after chance, but if you are a striker, it is like that. You think 'I missed the first one, but I will score the next one'. Once you have missed the second one, you are in trouble because after you do not know how to take the third one - 'do I really go for it, or wait for the ball?' That is what happened to him today.
I always feel sorry for someone who missed the chances. Sometimes you are angry with a guy who is not committed enough. You do not miss chances on purpose."

On the title race...
"It is down to our consistency. If we win our games, we will be there, that is for sure. But you have experienced again today that every game demands full focus and commitment. When you play against teams who fight not to go down, they will fight until the last minute. Next week we play at Hull and expect exactly the same type of game."

On Samir Nasri...
"He is improving, and in the last month, he is getting better. He had a good game today. The ball he gave to Fabregas to score was absolutely fantastic. He has a great work-rate and runs well with the ball. His passing is getting better and is really improving.

On the International Football Association Board's decision to rule out the use of goal-line technology...
"For me, it is difficult to understand, for one reason because you want as much justice as possible. I do not even think it is linked with the money factor - if you love football, you want the right decisions to be made. Today, there was an incident again at the Portsmouth game [in the FA Cup], and I just do not understand why we rule that out. It is beyond comprehension for me that you can do that."

On the impact of Aaron Ramsey's injury...
"It was still there in the first half. When we went into the tackles, it was still in our heads a bit."

The Daily Mirror has announced this morning that the Bordeaux striker Marouane Chamakh has confirmed that he is moving to Arsenal in the summer, and he will be facing “the biggest challenge of his career”.

The Morrocan striker refused to go into details as he says he prefers to concentrate on trying to win the Champions League trophy with Bordeaux. Of course with both clubs still letf in it, there is a possibility he could find himself playing against his future team-mates in the next round.

Chamakh said: “I have always wanted to play in the Premier League and any striker wants to meet that challenge and play in the league.

“I am prepared for a move even though I am completely focused on helping my current club. That is more important than my personal situation.

“It is not easy in England but the challenge in my career has always been to learn every day, keep improving and always help my club to success.”

Liverpool tried hard to steal Chamakh away from Arsenal, but Rafael Benitez admitted that he had given up on Chamakh, and said that he preferred to move to Arsenal instead.

So it seems that the pre-contract has been finalised, and Chamakh will be looking forward to the much-publicised £50,000 a week wages he will earn at the Emirates, and Wenger will have an extra striker in his arsenal if Van Persie gets injured again next season!

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has heaped praise on South Korean stars Park Ji-sung and Lee Chung-yong for their success in the Premier League.

Manchester United midfielder Park and Bolton Wanderers' Lee have shown that Asian players have the ability to shine in England.

This has prompted Wenger to take a closer look at some of the region's best players at the upcoming World Cup.

"I know that the Korean players in England are doing very well and of course it excites a little bit your curiosity," Wenger told AFP.

"The Korean players have done one important thing. There are very few Asian players who have made it in Europe and especially the Premier League but the Korean players look to adapt very well."

The Frenchman is no stranger to Asia's footballing talent having spent 18 months in Japan managing J-League outfit Nagoya Grampus Eight in the 1990s.

He signed Junichi Inamoto in 2001 but the Japan international failed to make an impact and left Arsenal the following season.

However, Wenger plans to use his time as a television analyst during the World Cup to cast his eye over potential signings.

"I will look at every single player I can find but I go more because I love football and it is a good opportunity for me to watch the games, the countries I like and the football I like as well, and to see the evolution of the game."

Cesc Fabregas has been ruled out of the Champions League Knockout Round second leg tie against Porto on Tuesday night.

The Arsenal captain suffered a recurrence of his hamstring injury against Burnley on Saturday. Fabregas fired the home side in front in the 34th minute then hobbled off five minutes later. Afterwards Arsène Wenger had said he would be happy to risk the 22-year-old if the odds were in his favour. At Monday’s pre-match press conference, he confirmed that they were not.

"Cesc is ruled out for tomorrow's game,” said the manager. “He has a hamstring problem and we could not even take a gamble with him.

"I was hoping [he would recover] after the game because we were cautious with him. He was not adamant about coming out of the team but still he has damaged his hamstring and we cannot take a gamble on him.

“However we have gained Sol Campbell back in the squad and Alex Song too, who was suspended against Burnley.”

Wenger added that William Gallas is still out with a calf problem. “And,” he added, “he has no chance for the Hull game as well."

Arsène Wenger has stood by his assertion that all three English clubs will progress to the Champions League Quarter-Finals, despite two of them holding first-leg deficits.

Manchester United were the only Premier League team to win their first-leg, defeating AC Milan 3-2 at the San Siro two weeks ago. Both Arsenal and Chelsea suffered 2-1 away defeats, with Carlo Ancelotti's men losing to Inter Milan.

Ahead of those games Wenger declared that all three English clubs will progress to the next round, and he remains unmoved on his prediction.

"Yes [they will all reach the Quarter-Finals], but it will be hard," he said. "Man United should not have a big problem to go through. Chelsea and Arsenal will be tight games but I think we can both make it."

Samir Nasri is getting stronger and growing in confidence with every game, according to Arsène Wenger.

The French international was one of the stars of Arsenal's win over Burnley on Saturday, setting up the opening goal for Cesc Fabregas with a deft chipped pass and then taking over the captain's creative mantle after he succumbed to a hamstring injury before half-time.

It's easy to forget that Nasri missed the first two months of the season with a broken leg sustained at last summer's training camp in Austria, but he has found his form in recent weeks and could deputise for Fabregas when Porto visit Emirates Stadium on Tuesday. Wenger is convinced Nasri has the talent and temperament to handle the occasion.

"He is the same as Cesc, 22-years-old so very young," said the manager. "But he has adapted very quickly. He is a very intelligent boy, a quiet boy. He analyses what is happening on the pitch very quickly. He has good technical potential.

"He is very versatile too. He can play defensive midfield, attacking midfield and on the flanks. We have a few players like that and I love that.

"Nasri started with a fibula fracture at the start of the season and after two months it took him a while to get back to his best. But in the last few weeks he has got stronger and more confidence."

The Frenchman's run into form is perfectly timed as they try to maintain their European dream without Fabregas. Nasri revelled in his central role against Burnley and Wenger admits his compatriot would like to play there more.

"If you ask any player where he wants to play, they will say in the middle," said Wenger. "He is happy to play there but I believe with the pace he has he can play on the flanks as well."

Arsène Wenger believes his decision to bring Sol Campbell back to Arsenal has been vindicated.

The centre-back provided the shock of the transfer window when he re-signed for the club he left in May 2006 but Campbell has already made four appearances and scored what could prove to be a vital away goal in Porto two weeks ago.

With William Gallas sidelined, Campbell is expected resume his first-leg partnership with Thomas Vermaelen on Tuesday night as Arsenal chase a place in the last eight of the Champions League. And Wenger is delighted with what he has seen from his January swoop.

"It was unexpected that Sol would play so many games, but it is also good because I think it was the right decision to bring him back," said Wenger. "Sol is a guy who gives everything when he is on the pitch.

"Can his body still take two or three games in a week? Who knows. But we have a good mixture with him and [Mikael] Silvestre because he is also a player who gives everything on the pitch, so we can rotate them. The only problem is that when you play with two left-footed players sometimes Vermaelen is not always in his best position.

''Sol wants to win and he can spread that through the team and give advice. We want to win this game [against Porto] but we also need to be patient maybe and it is important to keep your head. He gives us a good mixture, it is not only him, but there is a good blend of youth and experience."

Campbell will be 36 in September but, on recent evidence, few would bet against him staying in the Premier League. Could that be with Arsenal? Wenger refused to be drawn on the matter.

"As you [the media] say many times, we haven't won anything yet," he said. "So let's focus on that. Let's focus on winning something first and then we see what we do with the players."