Carlos Vela profile
Name
Carlos Vela
Born
March 01, 1989
Cancun, Mexico
Position
Striker
Squad Number
12
Previous Club(s)
Guadalajara
Osasuna
Celta Vigo
Joined Arsenal
January 01, 2008
Arsenal Debut
Newcastle United (h)
Premier League
August 30, 2008
Won 3-0
First Arsenal Goal
Sheffield Utd (h)
Carling Cup
September 23, 2008
Won 6-0
Some stunning cameo roles during his first season in North London have made Carlos one of the Club’s most exciting attacking prospects.
The Mexican officially signed from Celta Vigo in 2007 but spent the subsequent 18 months learning his trade on the continent. First he featured for Salamanca in the Segunda Division before helping Osasuna avoid relegation from La Liga in 2007/08.
He announced his arrival in the Gunners’ first-team as early as pre-season, netting four times in two games, but he saved his best for a much bigger stage. On his full debut for the Club, Arsenal’s Carling Cup Third Round tie against Sheffield United, the striker hit a glorious hat-trick.
His second goal of the evening was a delicate chip over the stranded goalkeeper. It was a finish which would soon become his trademark. Another one followed as the Gunners brushed aside Wigan in Round Four before the Mexican repeated the trick against Plymouth in the FA Cup.
His first Premier League goal wasn’t long in coming either, with Carlos firing Arsenal’s third in a classy 3-0 victory over Portsmouth in May. That strike brought his tally to six goals in just 10 starts in 2008/09. Exemplary for a player who spent many of his minutes on the wing.
Assured in possession and blessed with bags of flair, Carlos could be the one to watch this season.
MY YEAR
October
Carlos' 90th-minute goal helped Mexico secure their place at next summer's World Cup with a 4-1 win over El Salvador. He missed the Carling Cup clash with Liverpool due to a knee injury and did not feature in the North London derby either.
September
Carlos shrugged off an ankle injury to come on as a substitute in the Carling Cup match against West Brom. The game was goalless when he was introduced, but 10 minutes later Albion keeper Dean Kiely saved a fearsome shot from the Mexican and the ball fell to Sanchez Watt who scored Arsenal's first. Vela added the second himself, following up a Mark Randall chip which bounced off the crossbar.
August
Carlos didn’t feature for the Gunners in August after returning from international duty with an ankle injury.
12. Carlos Vela - Full Arsenal Record
| Prem Lge | Europe | FA Cup | Lge Cup | C. Shield | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Ap | Gl | Ap | Gl | Ap | Gl | Ap | Gl | Ap | Gl | Ap | Gl |
| 2007-2008 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2008-2009 | 2+12 | 1 | 2+6 | 0 | 3+1 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 10+19 | 6 |
| 2009-2010 | 0 | 0 | 0+2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0+1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0+3 | 1 |
| Totals | 2+12 | 1 | 2+8 | 0 | 3+1 | 1 | 3+1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 10+22 | 7 |
Key:
- Prem Lge = Barclays Premier League
- C. Shield = Community Shield
- Europe = UEFA Champions League
- Ap = Appearances
- FA Cup = FA Cup sponsored by E-on
- Gl = Goals Scored
- Lge Cup = Carling Cup
Carlos Vela - News
-
Thu, Nov 5, 2009
FREE VIDEO: Vela and Traore close to return -
Tue, Oct 27, 2009
TV Online: Vela Carling Cup exclusive -
Mon, Oct 12, 2009
International Watch: Vela off to South Africa -
Fri, Oct 9, 2009
Vela - World Cup would be a dream come true -
Mon, Oct 5, 2009
TV Online: Vela - I'll make my mark this year -
Fri, Aug 21, 2009
Vela ruled out for a month with ankle injury -
Tue, Jun 23, 2009
GGG29: Carlos Vela v Sheffield United, 2008 -
Tue, Apr 28, 2009
Vela missed training over swine flu fears -
Mon, Mar 2, 2009
Vela - I have improved a lot this season -
Thu, Jan 15, 2009
Van Persie - Vela's impact is all-important
