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Walcott saves a point as Arsenal fans make a point

May 23, 2011 5 Comments

Fulham 2 Arsenal 2

Sidwel 26, Zamora 57; Van Persie 29, Walcott 89

Arsenal ended their agonising 2010/11 campaign by twice coming from behind to scrape a point at ten-man Fulham. It brought their season full circle, having also scrambled a late equaliser away from home against ten men on the opening weekend at Liverpool. Some things never change, it seems.

With Manchester City winning at Bolton, the result was effectively meaningless as Arsenal finished fourth, 12 points behind Premier League champions Manchester United and with the second-lowest points total of Arsène Wenger‘s 15-year tenure. A disastrous post-Carling Cup sequence which saw them gain just a dozen points from their last 11 games put paid to their title challenge, and is likely to prompt a summer of intense navel-gazing and change.

Needing to win at Craven Cottage and then hope that City slipped up at the Reebok, Arsenal made three changes to the side which surrendered to Aston Villa last week. Out went Alex Song (knee), Sebastien Squillaci and Andrey Arshavin (both dropped), with Johan Djourou, Abou Diaby and Marouane Chamakh returning to the starting line-up.

Szczęsny

Sagna – Djourou– Vermaelen – Gibbs

 Ramsey – Diaby – Wilshere – Nasri

Chamakh – van Persie

Arsenal had won the reverse fixture at the Emirates in December 2-1 thanks to a spectacular brace by Samir Nasri, a result which had put them top of the Premier League.

The season in microcosm

It was perhaps fitting that this final game pretty much summed up Arsenal’s season. The visitors dominated possession and played their usual aesthetically pleasing game for 25 minutes, but had little other than a Kieran Gibbs header, well saved by Mark Schwarzer, to show for their efforts. Then, almost on cue, they fell behind.

Van Persie finished the season on a personal high (image courtesy of arsenal.com)

As has so often been the case, particularly in the last three months, they were the architects of their own downfall. Just inside the Fulham half, Aaron Ramsey attempted to back-heel the ball to Jack Wilshere. However, the ball was stolen by the alert Clint Dempsey, whose penetrative pass sent Bobby Zamora racing away down the right. With three white shirts arriving at speed in the box, the striker had a straightforward task of finding a teammate with his pull-back, and Steve Sidwell duly applied the finish.

Stung, Arsenal responded quickly and were level within three minutes. Diaby won possession in his own half, interchanged quick passes with Chamakh, and fed Robin van Persie with a first-time through ball. The Dutch striker advanced into the area and made no mistake sweeping the ball past Schwarzer. It extended his Premier League record streak of having now scored in nine consecutive away matches, and matched the record of Cristinao Ronaldo and former teammate Thierry Henry of scoring 18 league goals between the turn of the year and the end of the season. In total, it was his 21st goal in his last 23 games.

Characteristically, though, Arsenal’s defence looked fragile, and they were grateful to Thomas Vermaelen, making only his second start after a nine-month absence, for maintaining parity at the interval. Zamora provided a simple lay-off direct from a throw-in, and sprung Danny Murphy through on goal, only for Vermaelen to lunge in with an interception just as Murphy was about to walk the ball over the line.

The second half opened with Nasri bringing a full-length save out of Schwarzer with a testing free kick, but it was Fulham who broke the deadlock. Jonathan Greening found himself in acres of space on the left, and Zamora ensured his head was first to his fine centre.

Walcott's fine individual goal ensured Arsenal avoided a season-ending defeat (image courtesy of arsenal.com)

With the visitors’ vocal support reduced to a pointed chant of “Spend some f***ing money”, Arsenal looked to be heading for a third straight defeat. But then substitute Zoltan Gera – who had only been on the field for three minutes – was sent off for a sliding two-footed tackle on Vermaelen. It was the ninth time an opponent had been sent off against Arsenal this season; all nine have been straight reds.

It set up a tense final 15 minutes as Arsenal poured forwards in search of an equaliser, and Theo Walcott duly obliged a minute from time with a real beauty. Stationed wide on the right, he collected a long diagonal ball on his chest and accelerated away from young left back Matthew Briggs before firing a low shot across Schwarzer which the goalkeeper could only touch onto the inside of his post and watch rebound over the line.

In a performance which was nothing to write home about, Arsenal had at least produced two goals worthy of winning any game. The only problem was: they didn’t win. And therein lies the problem with Arsenal.

Post-match reaction and analysis

After the match, Arsène Wenger reflected on what had turned out to be a meaningless game at the end of a season which had promised so much for so long:

I thought it was an average game. In the end, we felt fourth place was disappointing because, three weeks ago, we were in a position to win the league. We didn’t lose third place today, we lost it last week.

I think I am responsible for the results and I am very disappointed. The players have had an outstanding attitude. We have accumulated disappointments that have had a big impact on the moral of the team. We have played 58 games. Fabregas has played 22 games, Van Persie 18 or 19 games and Vermaelen has played four or five games. In decisive moments, we have never had the whole team together. We have to rectify some things in our squad and we will try to do it. But it is not easy, even with money.

But he did have time to praise the fans’ travelling support, despite their obvious frustration:

Our away fans have been outstanding all season and we would like to thank them. They are not happy, I am not happy, and we have to accept that. But we are not to go overboard. We cannot buy players for £50 million and, even if we try to strengthen our team and spend money if needed, that is fact.

On his rebuilding plans for this summer, he added:

We will try to do the right thing. We will try to buy the right players. The amount of money is not always linked with the quality of the player. We will spend the needed money but you first have to find the right players and then turn up with the money. If we find the right players we will spend the money.

And so ends another season, one which – as pundits have so frequently and gleefully reminded us – marks six years without a trophy. There is certainly a significant war chest available for Wenger to spend in the summer, which is likely to be supplemented with outgoing player sales. No Arsenal fan is expecting the club to go out and spend £50m on one player, but certainly there will be an expectation that new signings with both experience and quality will be recruited in time for next season. Having come close on multiple fronts and yet faded so badly this year, it will no longer be enough to recruit just young players with potential or 30-something journeymen like Squillaci. In an era where the traditional ‘Big Four’ has effectively become a Big Six with the inclusion of Manchester City and Tottenham, Arsenal will need to take significant steps forward just to stand still, let alone win a trophy.

In the meantime, we can close the book on 2010/11. Roll on next season.

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Arsenal the villains as Villa show the value of being Bent

May 16, 2011 6 Comments

Arsenal 1 Aston Villa 2

Van Persie 89; Bent 11, 15

Arsenal lost their last home league fixture of the season for the first time in 14 years as Darren Bent made them pay for two sloppy early defensive errors. Aston Villa were subsequently able to repel the home side’s laborious attempts at a comeback, aided by a series of questionable officiating decisions. The only bright points for the home side were yet another goal for the prolific Robin van Persie and the successful return of Thomas Vermaelen after nearly nine months out through injury.

A reshuffled central defence saw Vermaelen and Sébastien Squillaci start after Johan Djourou (ankle) and Laurent Koscielny (thigh) were ruled out. Other than those two enforced changes, this was the same side which capitulated so tamely at Stoke last week.

Szczęsny

Sagna– Squillaci – Vermaelen – Gibbs

Song – Ramsey

Wilshere

Walcott – van Persie – Arshavin

Two basic errors, two goals

Let’s get the excuses out of the way first. On another day, Arsenal could easily have won this game against a Villa side which did little aside from their two goals. Referee Michael Oliver blew for questionable fouls in each half by van Persie and Marouane Chamakh which denied them a pair of seemingly legitimate scores, and a first-half lunge by Richard Dunne on Aaron Ramsey in which the defender made contact with player not ball also went unpunished.

Having said all that, Arsenal did not deserve to win.

Squillaci had a terrible game and was directly responsible for conceding the opener (image courtesy of arsenal.com)

After a lethargic start in which neither team distinguished themselves but the visitors had been the more industrious, two basic carbon-copy errors gifted Bent – who is increasingly looking like a January bargain at £24m – a pair of chances which he took with some aplomb. First a ball-watching Squillaci played Bent onside, and the England striker chested the ball and struck a fine volley with the outside of his right boot. Then, four minutes later, Bacary Sagna did likewise, allowing Bent a one-on-one chance which he finished with casual ease. It was his fifth goal in his last five starts against Arsenal.

15 minutes gone. 0-2. They would be Villa’s only goal attempts in the half.

As has been the case too often this season, Arsenal’s response to going behind was tentative at best. In the first half-hour, a couple of crosses from Theo Walcott and Sagna was the sum total of Arsenal’s threat.

But then Jack Wilshere and Ramsey, both industrious throughout, combined to create the game’s first moment of controversy. Ramsey darted towards the Villa box. Wilshere spotted his run and lifted the ball over the top. Dunne came across and lunged in desperately just as the Welshman was about to pull the trigger. He missed the ball altogether and appeared to touch Ramsey. Referee Oliver waved play on.

Three times in the final 15 minutes of the half Arsenal had opportunities to pull one back, and it was no coincidence that it was two of their most committed players, van Persie and Vermaelen, who were at the heart of things. First van Persie wriggled free in the box and lashed his angled drive against the bar. Shortly after Vermaelen’s determination ensured he was first to meet a corner, but his powerful header went just over. And finally, on the stroke of half-time, van Persie spun away from Dunne who, having stuck his foot between the Dutchman’s, appeared to trip himself up. Van Persie advanced and squared to offer Ramsey an easy tap-in, but the defender’s tumble was adjudged to have been the result of foul play. It looked a harsh decision.

Notwithstanding their late chances, Arsenal were booed off by an Emirates crowd featuring a fair number of empty seats. It’s hard to argue they didn’t deserve it.

Too little, too late

Squillaci’s reward for a half in which he had been back on his heels throughout and directly responsible for conceding the opener was to be replaced by Chamakh, with Alex Song moving into the back four – although the Cameroon international would effectively remain in midfield as Villa were increasingly content to leave ten men behind the ball at all times.

With the added firepower up front, Arsenal started the second half with more urgency but without end product. The disappointing Andrey Arshavin shot straight at Brad Friedel. Walcott whipped in a superb cross which just evaded Chamakh. Nicklas Bendtner replaced Arshavin and immediately teed up Walcott, who spun and shot wide from five yards.

The home fans, growing weary of their team’s lack of cutting edge, broke into a chant of “6%? You’re having a laugh!” in reference to the club’s untimely decision to increase season ticket prices.

Van Persie's 17th league goal was little more than a consolation (image courtesy of arsenal.com)

The closing minutes saw Arsenal pressing forward with increasing desperation, and they should have been rewarded with a goal in the 76th minute. Walcott whipped in a delightful cross which Chamakh rose to head in at the far post, but the officials called it back for the slightest of pushes. Again, it looked awfully harsh.

Half-chances came and went. Song and Ramsey saw shots blocked, and Friedel did well to block another effort by van Persie. But the Dutchman was not to be denied, tapping in from five yards out with a minute left in normal time after great persistence by Bendtner in the box. It was no more than a consolation, but it was nonetheless van Persie’s 17th Premier League goal of the season, all of which have been scored since the turn of the year. As the rest of the side has crumbled around him, the striker has been Arsenal’s one shining light in the gathering gloom.

However, the final whistle confirmed another home defeat – Arsenal’s fourth at the once impregnable Emirates – and Manchester City can now push the Gunners down to fourth with victory over Stoke in mid-week. The players’ reward for their lackadaisical and frankly unprofessional approach to the title run-in will now most likely be a truncated summer break and the prospect of a potentially awkward Champions League qualifier at the start of next season. For that, they have no one to blame but themselves.

Post-match reaction and analysis

After the match, Arsène Wenger bemoaned his team’s sluggish start to the game:

We dropped three points today which could cost us the automatic qualification for the Champions League.

We were punished because we went into the game too tentative. We were not dominant enough in anything we did and we were on the back foot at the start. After that we battled to get back into the game but we were a bit unlucky. I feel we had a penalty, a goal that I have not seen cancelled often away from home. Overall of course we are frustrated and I am frustrated by the performance.

And he commented on whether he feels pressure from the fans to spend in the summer:

The fans want to win football games. They will not check how much money we spend, they want to win football games. When we don’t, they are not happy and that is completely normal. We will try to strengthen our team, of course, but the best way to keep our fans happy is to win the games.

I have written at length over the past few weeks about the lack of a winning mentality and the ‘right’ attitude in too many of Arsenal’s players, but yet again it was two basic defensive errors which cost them dear. Squillaci in particular has shown himself over the course of this season to be a passive, positional defender who lacks aggression – he is simply not good enough – but as a team Arsenal defended poorly. Sagna’s error was uncharacteristic and Vermaelen looked surprisingly sharp after his long absence, but Kieran Gibbs showed flashes of both brilliance and naivety – as he has done all season – which suggest he is not yet ready to step up to the first team permanently. Gary Cahill has often been mentioned as a transfer target, but I’m a fan of Blackburn‘s Christopher Samba. And if Gaël Clichy should move on in the summer, I would love to see Leighton Baines offered the chance of regular European football.

In midfield, Song has had an up-and-down season and I cannot help but feel the balance is wrong. An experienced hand like relegated West Ham‘s Scott Parker would add considerable steel to Arsenal’s midfield and complement the talents of the existing players well.

Up front, although van Persie has been on an incredible scoring streak since January, I wonder if he would be more effective playing in the Bergkamp role behind a powerful number nine. Whether either Chamakh or Bendtner have sufficient quality to be that front man is debatable. But what about Asamoah Gyan, who combines pace and power with a decent scoring record – ten goals in 30 league games – at far-from-prolific Sunderland?

For van Persie to play in the Bergkamp role would be contingent on either Cesc Fàbregas‘s departure – which may well happen, but I’m not advocating it – or a change in formation. Should Fàbregas leave, I would like to see us experimenting with a 4-4-1-1 which could look something like this:

Szczęsny

Sagna – Samba – Vermaelen – Baines

Walcott – Parker – Wilshere – Nasri

van Persie

Gyan

It’s just a thought, anyway, and one of a number of possible permutations. The only certain thing is that this will be one of the most important summers in Arsenal’s history. With Manchester City breaking into the top four, Liverpool resurgent and Tottenham likely to bounce back, the club will need to take a couple of steps forward just to stand still, let alone compete for silverware deeper into the season.

Arsenal finish next Sunday with the short trip across town to Fulham with third spot now in the balance, but out of their direct control. I suspect most fans now cannot wait for a season which promised so much in its first six months to end.

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Arsenal’s attitude problem ensures tame defeat at Stoke

May 9, 2011 4 Comments

Stoke 3 Arsenal 1

Jones 28, Pennant 40, Walters 82; van Persie 81

A week after deservedly beating champions-elect Manchester United, Arsenal surrendered meekly to a Stoke side with one eye on next Saturday’s FA Cup final. Defeat underlined that Arsenal, for all their undoubted talent, remain sorely lacking when it comes to matching the work-rate and desire of so-called lesser teams week in and week out.

Gaël Clichy and Samir Nasri both missed out with hamstring problems, resulting in call-ups for Kieran Gibbs and Andrey Arshavin. And with Cesc Fàbregas still sidelined, Aaron Ramsey continued to deputise in midfield on his return to the ground where he had his leg broken in a tackle with Ryan Shawcross 15 months ago.

Szczęsny

Sagna– Djourou– Koscielny – Gibbs

Song – Ramsey

Wilshere

Walcott – van Persie – Arshavin

Arsenal had previously won 1-0 at the Emirates, courtesy of an early goal by Sébastien Squillaci – the last instance of a headed goal by an Arsenal player. It was, of course, also the last match before the fateful Carling Cup final defeat – since when they had won just two out of eight in the Premier League (and three out of 12 in all competitions).

The same old story

With a stiff wind at their backs, Arsenal played the prettier football and dominated possession in the first half, but went in at the interval 2-0 down. It was a not unfamiliar story which typified this up-and-down season.

Arshavin could have put Arsenal ahead in the first minute (image courtesy of arsenal.com)

They could have scored twice in the first six minutes. The game was less than a minute old when Jack Wilshere‘s determination carved out an opening for Arshavin, only for the Russian to drag a shot from 12 yards wide. Leading goalscorer Robin van Persie then fired over from an angle.

Meanwhile the home side, while enjoying less possession and resorting to a more direct approach, nonetheless gave Arsenal’s back line plenty of cause for concern, particularly from set-pieces and throw-ins. Wojciech Szczęsny was the busier of the two goalkeepers as he faced an intermittent aerial bombardment. Indeed his counterpart Asmir Begovic had still not had to make a save when Stoke took the lead in the 28th minute.

Jermaine Pennant, who put in a man-of-the-match performance, drew a needless foul from Arshavin near the corner flag. He whipped the free kick into the six-yard box where Kenwyne Jones, who had eluded Johan Djourou far too easily, bundled the ball in with his chest. It was Stoke’s division-leading 22nd goal from a set-piece this season.

Arsenal’s response was tepid. With Begovic an unoccupied spectator, they counter-attacked ponderously, walking the ball up to the edge of the area. Too often they allowed themselves to be funnelled inside, where attacks repeatedly ran aground against the rocks of Shawcross and Robert Huth. And when they did get the ball into profitable wide positions, the final ball was frequently aimed at a single yellow shirt and then horribly errant.

Five minutes before half-time, with Arsenal seemingly confounded by their opponents’ solid rearguard, Stoke doubled the advantage. There was a large slice of luck, but it was preceded by yet more lackadaisical play by the visitors. Possession was given away sloppily in midfield. Pennant was allowed to advance unobstructed with the ball as Djourou needlessly backed off, and his shot from 22 yards deflected off the Swiss defender’s outstretched leg and looped over Szczęsny’s outstretched glove.

Things could have been worse. A minute later, with Arsenal’s heads still spinning, Jonathan Walters easily eluded Alex Song on the byline and saw his shot from a tight angle cannon back off the bar.

57 seconds of hope

Wenger responded at half-time by sending on strikers Nicklas Bendtner and Marouane Chamakh for Arshavin and an ineffective Ramsey. If anything, the move disrupted what little attacking rhythm Arsenal had. Bendtner looked lost stationed out on the left, and Chamakh linked up well from deep but looked increasingly fearful the closer he came to goal.

Indeed, Huth was unfortunate not to kill the game off almost immediately as he powered a header just over from a corner. All Arsenal could muster in reply was a Bendtner 25-yarder which Begovic was happy to watch drift wide and a weak shot by Chamakh which barely made it to the byline before going out. Indeed Arsenal’s first shot on target did not come until the 58th minute, an off-balance effort by van Persie which Begovic casually snaffled.

Van Persie scored for the eighth straight away game (image courtesy of arsenal.com)

Stoke’s Bosnian keeper was at least made to earn his pay in the 73rd minute, as Bendtner played in van Persie and Begovic charged alertly off his line to block. But nine minutes from time he was finally beaten. Van Persie picked up the ball midway inside the Stoke half and drove forward, shrugging off a challenge, before unleashing a shot which slipped under Begovic’s body. It marked the eighth consecutive away game in which the Dutchman has scored, extending his own Premier League record.

However, any glimmer of hope Arsenal may have been fostering was snuffed out 57 seconds later. From the restart, Stoke advanced menacingly. Andy Wilkinson tried a speculative effort and Djourou stretched out his foot in an attempted clearance, but succeeded only in teeing up Walters to put the game beyond doubt.

It was no more than Stoke deserved. They had defended obdurately and without resorting to excessive physical force. Indeed, most of the worst tackles were perpetrated by Arsenal players as frustration got the better of them. It was pretty much the only sign of fight we saw from the team all afternoon as their title challenge was mathematically ended.

Post-match reaction and analysis

After the game, Arsène Wenger did not attempt to disguise his disappointment:

Yes, it was a disappointing performance. The competitive level of Stoke was higher than ours. I think we lost the game because Stoke defended much better than we did and with much more purpose.

If you do not turn up with the same competitive spirit in every game you can lose games everywhere. Stoke defend well and make it difficult for you. The most important thing here is not to be 1-0 down and with the first free kick we were 1-0 down. In a game like that, we did not penetrate enough. At the end of the day we were not dangerous enough.

And he admitted his team’s fundamental weakness on set-pieces:

We [have] conceded, I think, 21 from set-pieces and only 17 in open play. Less than anybody else in open play [but] we have been caught on set-pieces. Today, [Kenwyne] Jones didn’t even need to jump to head the ball in. That is something we have to correct. It is the easiest thing to correct in the game but you still must understand the flight of the ball and want to be first to the ball. I feel we are sometimes a bit naïve.

There is clearly a technical or organisational weakness on set-piece plays, but more than anything there is a lack of burning desire to be first to every ball and to do some of the ‘dirty’ things that even the most elegant of defenders must do. That means doing the same bumping, barging, blocking off, and even shirt-pulling which every other team does as a matter of course.

Bacary Sagna summed it up well when he told Arsenal TV Online after the game:

I think we are too nice. We have to fight a bit more. We have to push them [opponents] as much as they push us and be a bit more ‘killer’. It can be put right on the training ground because it is in our mind. We know we are very good players but sometimes we have to fight a bit more.

We didn’t deserve to win on Sunday. We didn’t give enough, we didn’t play as we can and that’s what happens when you don’t give the maximum – you get beaten everywhere.

Johan Djourou is perhaps more guilty of this than anyone. A fine and elegant defender when on form, he is too easily lost by his opponent at set-pieces and beaten to the first ball. Jones’s opening goal here was a prime example of this. Djourou had a nightmare in this game, even though he has been generally very good since he came back into the team at mid-season.

Not all Arsenal’s problems are defensive, however. The attack can become too predictable against well-organised defences. Even with Theo Walcott in the side, they rarely force defenders to turn and chase down the channels, preferring instead to pass the ball neatly around in the centre of the field and allow opponents to set themselves comfortably. Of course, no one is advocating the direct approach. It is more that Arsenal seem to have lost the ability to attack at pace and (Walcott aside) run at defenders with genuine menace across the full width of the pitch in the manner that became customary in the days of Thierry Henry, Robert Pirès and Freddie Ljungberg.

There is much food for thought for Wenger over the summer, much of which I have already covered in greater detail elsewhere. But talent is not the problem here – attitude is. Pound for pound, Arsenal are at least a match for United or Chelsea. In terms of mentality, though, they fall well short. The ‘Invincibles’ of 2003/04 had both talent and toughness. Wenger’s task over the summer is to at least maintain the former while instilling a large dose of the latter. Answers on a postcard, please.

Arsenal conclude their home fixtures next Sunday against Aston Villa, with only the short trip across town to Fulham to follow thereafter. Realistically, four points should be enough to guarantee third place and an automatic Champions League place next season. There is still that not insignificant bonus to play for. But has anyone told the players that? Third place will not come automatically. It has to be earned.

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Rambo draws first blood as Arsenal keep title race alive

May 2, 2011 2 Comments

Arsenal 1 Manchester United 0

Ramsey 56

Aaron Ramsey – nicknamed ‘Rambo’ – scored his first goal in nearly 16 months as Arsenal deservedly beat Premier League leaders Manchester United to all but secure a top four finish and a Champions League berth next season. It was only their second league win since the Carling Cup final at the end of February. Although realistically too little too late in terms of their own title hopes, it gives Chelsea the opportunity to overhaul United at Old Trafford next weekend.

Ramsey, making only his second league start of the season, came in for the injured Cesc Fàbregas (thigh) as the only change from the side beaten in the last minute by Bolton the previous weekend.

Szczęsny

Sagna– Djourou– Koscielny – Clichy

Song – Ramsey

Wilshere

Walcott – van Persie – Nasri

The Bolton defeat had brought to an end an unbeaten league run of 16 games, but draws in five of the six games preceding it had already holed Arsenal’s title challenge below the water-line. In reality, they were playing for little more than pride and their Champions League place here.

A familiar first half story

Arsenal bossed the first 45 minutes without forcing United goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar into a single save.

Walcott was a constant threat from the right (image courtesy of arsenal.com)

Much of the home side’s early threat came down the flanks. As early as the third minute, Theo Walcott put in a dangerous cross from the right. The ball was half-cleared to Jack Wilshere, who screwed his hurried shot wide from just inside the box. Walcott was then unable to control a centre from the other side by Gaël Clichy, scooping over the bar at full stretch. And the England winger again was in position to latch onto a Wilshere cross from the left, only for Patrice Evra to intervene just in time.

Arsenal’s best chance of the half, however, should have resulted in a penalty just after the half-hour. Nemanja Vidić had earlier escaped without conceding a free kick after sliding into Wilshere on the edge of the United area when he stuck out a hand to prevent a Walcott cross from reaching the head of Robin van Persie. It was a clear penalty, but neither referee Chris Foy nor his assistant spotted the infringement.

United had clearly come to soak up pressure initially and were subsequently reduced to the occasional counter-attacking foray, with Javier Hernández frequently the target for quick balls out of defence, but it was not until a tame effort by Anderson two minutes before half-time that either side registered their first shot on target. It had been that kind of half – never dull, always tense, rarely thrilling.

Arsenal take the lead and successfully defend it – hallelujah!

The second half saw United pushing forward with a bit more adventure. Twice in the opening ten minutes of the half they earned free kicks in dangerous positions, but Wayne Rooney saw his effort pushed away by the diving Szczęsny, and then Nani fired wide.

Ramsey's deft finish was enough to secure all three points (image courtesy of arsenal.com)

But it was Arsenal who broke the deadlock with a typically incisive attack. Alex Song intercepted a long ball out of the visitors’ defence, van Persie surged forward, drawing defenders to him, before laying it back to Ramsey just inside the area. The Welsh captain’s precise low drive found its way just inside van der Sar’s right-hand post.

The goal forced United to come forward even more, but although they looked threatening on a number of occasions this was not the irresistible force we have seen so often in the past. Hernández narrowly failed to get his head to a cross. Another Rooney free kick floated straight into Szczęsny’s arms. Nani wasted a four-on-two break by placing his effort too close to the big Polish keeper.

Of course, Arsenal never make defending a lead look easy. Always willing to spring forward at pace, they twice wasted late opportunities to put the game beyond United’s reach. On both occasions van Persie was the culprit, first overhitting a cross as Ramsey and Andrey Arshavin (a half-time substitute for the hamstrung Samir Nasri) burst into the box, then wasting a four-on-three as he put too much weight on his through-ball for Wilshere.

And they always looked nervous when forced to retreat towards their own goal, having to survive two heart-in-mouth moments in the closing minutes. With just two minutes of normal time remaining, substitute Michael Owen raced after a through-ball and tangled with Clichy, with the left back appearing to step on his calf just inside the box. This was almost as clear a penalty as Vidić’s earlier handball, but again the officials missed it. As much as Sir Alex Ferguson complained about it afterwards, it was very much a case of two errors cancelling each other out. And finally, in the last of four minutes of added time, Ramsey conceded a free kick in a similar position (and at the same end) to the one which had led to Liverpool‘s last-gasp 102nd-minute equaliser a fortnight ago. This time, however, as the entire stadium held its breath, Nani’s shot flew harmlessly into the wall.

Despite a few scares, Arsenal had held on for what is likely to be little more than a Pyrrhic victory. But a small consolation is better than none at all.

Post-match reaction and analysis

Arsène Wenger was, for the first time in several weeks, unequivocally delighted with his team’s performance:

We had a good performance that had everything in it; discipline, fighting spirit and our usual passing game. Until we scored the goal, I feel we completely controlled the game. Then, because we have not won a lot recently, we tried to protect our advantage and were more under pressure. Overall, I believe we deserved to win the game.

He also singled out goalscorer Ramsey:

I am very happy for him, when you think his incident happened 14 months ago and he now looks to be back to his best. If you look at the age of the team today, I think it’s a big encouragement for the club and for the team. We had a very young midfield and were still very positive in our display.

Despite defeat here, he still backed United for the title:

I still make Manchester United the favourites because when you play at home for the title you see an advantage. But if we want to have a small chance, it’s in our interest that Chelsea win [at Old Trafford] and for us to win our games. After that, we could be back mathematically but I still think Manchester United has an advantage playing at home.

Although they became understandably nervy towards the end, this was exactly the kind of solid Arsenal performance which has been lacking over the past two months. As a unit, the eleven worked hard to deny United time and space. Song, Ramsey and Wilshere formed an energetic trio in the middle of the field which complemented each other well and gave fans a glimpse of what a Fàbregas-less midfield might look like. Song’s defensive work-rate is a natural foil for his two British teammates. Wilshere has the greater range of passing at this stage, but Ramsey is the more likely goal-getter and neither is shy of making a challenge. Collectively, all three were excellent throughout.

Walcott’s pace also offered an excellent outlet, and on another day he could have been involved in at least two goals. And even Arshavin showed a great team ethic in his 45 minutes on the field – a willing runner in attack, and contributing at least three solid tackles to help his team out as United cranked up the pressure in the last half-hour.

Defensively Arsenal had a few scary moments, but the back four generally coped well, with Laurent Koscielny the pick of the bunch and Wojciech Szczęsny commendably calm and dependable behind them.

It was just a shame that it took United to bring this kind of performance out of Arsenal. If they had played at even 90% of this level throughout the past few weeks, then the home draws against Sunderland, Blackburn and Liverpool would have been victories instead, and they would be at least level on points with United at the top of the table. But what’s done is done. Or not done, as the case may be.

Although victory kept Arsenal’s title hopes mathematically alive – six points behind with three to play – it would be more realistic to say that it solidifies their prospects of a top three finish and the not inconsiderable bonus of automatic Champions League qualification which comes with it. Wins in two of their last three games will secure that objective. It isn’t silverware, but it is a worthy prize nonetheless.

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Coulda, shoulda, woulda, didn’t as familiar failings bite Arsenal once again

April 25, 2011 1 Comment

Bolton 2 Arsenal 1

Sturridge 38, Cohen 90; van Persie 48

Turn off the life-support machine. The patient’s condition is now terminal.

Arsenal‘s title challenge, which had been slowly unravelling ever since the Carling Cup defeat to Birmingham in February, finally came apart at the seams as they succumbed to two Bolton goals direct from corners, the second in the final minute of normal time. It is a familiar weakness which has cost them repeatedly this season, and it’s not unlike watching someone running full-tilt into a brick wall over and over again, and being surprised when they are knocked unconscious every time.

There can be no excuses. With the exception of long-term absentee Thomas Vermaelen, Arsenal were able to field their strongest possible XI at the Reebok Stadium:

Szczęsny

Sagna– Djourou– Koscielny – Clichy

Song – Wilshere

Fàbregas

Walcott – van Persie – Nasri

Despite a run of six games which had seen them win just once, the visitors arrived with a 16-match unbeaten run stretching back to a defeat at Old Trafford before Christmas. Arsenal had also won when the two sides had met at the Emirates back in September, where they emerged as 4-1 winners over ten-man Bolton in a game which was much tougher than the scoreline suggests.

The entire season in 90 minutes

This game represented Arsenal’s entire season in microcosm. They started brightly, became bogged down, missed enough clear chances to have won two games, then contributed to their own downfall by conceding simple set-piece goals aided and abetted by poor defending.

Theo Walcott dominated the opening few minutes, breaking free down the right and forcing an early save from Jussi Jaaskenlainen. Cesc Fàbregas, too, looked bright as Arsenal presented a constant threat with their fast counter-attacks. He regularly found space between Bolton’s defence and midfield, and brought another smart stop from Jaaskenlainen with a stinging 20-yard effort, but too often his final ball was inaccurate and opportunities went begging.

But Bolton are no pushovers, especially at home. They met Arsenal’s speed with a series of crunching tackles, with striker Kevin Davies putting himself about with some vigour. It was enough to gradually knock the visitors out of their stride, and the home side were soon in the ascendancy. In the space of three minutes, Chung-Yong Lee missed a glorious chance when he chose to pass rather than shoot when clean through, a missed clearance by Johan Djourou gifted another opening, and goalkeeper Wojciech Szczęsny fumbled a routine cross.

So it came as little surprise when Bolton took the lead on 38 minutes, and the source of the goal was equally predictable. On-loan striker Danny Sturridge was already proving himself to be quite a handful when his cross from the right picked out Lee, who brought a fine block out of Szczęsny. From the resulting corner, however, Gary Cahill rose almost unchallenged to power in a header which may have crossed the line before Samir Nasri cleared it. No matter, as an unmarked Sturridge nodded in the rebound.

Arsenal responded positively before half-time, as Fàbregas struck a post from 25 yards, but they nearly found themselves two down straight after the restart. Sturridge spun away from Djourou and raced into the box. There appeared to be a slight contact between the two and the Bolton player went down. Referee Mike Jones pointed straight to the spot – replays suggested it was a soft penalty, to say the least – but justice was done as Szczęsny saved Davies’s weak shot with his legs.

Van Persie took his Premier League tally to 15 goals (image courtesy of arsenal.com)

90 seconds later Arsenal were level, thanks to a moment of rare penetration and clinical finishing. Van Persie exchanged passes with Fàbregas on the edge of the area before drilling a low shot beyond the reach of Jaaskenlainen. It was the seventh consecutive away game in which the Dutchman had scored – a new Premier League record.

The game appeared to have turned decisively in the visitors’ favour, but despite dominating possession for long spells chances were few and far between – a familiar story for Arsenal fans. Midway through the half, van Persie strode forward with the ball and hit a fierce shot just wide. Then, a couple of minutes later, he twice set up chances which should have put Arsenal in front. First a brilliant ball over the top set up Nasri one-on-one. But the Frenchman, perhaps more than any other player, has typified Arsenal’s decline in the last two months. Where before Christmas he would have placed the ball either side of Jaaskenlainen, he opted instead for power and offered the keeper an easy chance to parry, and Cahill completed the job by blocking the rebound. Seconds later, another through ball from the Dutch striker set up substitute Marouane Chamakh in the box, but the Moroccan international passed up the opportunity to shoot and misdirected his lay-off to Nasri. Nasri later spurned another, more difficult chance when played in by another substitute, Andrey Arshavin, but his hooked effort was weak.

The denouement had a certain air of inevitability to it. As the clock ticked into the final minute of normal time, Johan Elmander capitalised on a defensive mix-up and fired in a shot which Szczęsny turned behind. Tamir Cohen ran unchallenged across the face of the box with Djourou trailing in his wake, and placed his free header into the back of the net.

Shell-shocked, Arsenal could not offer a meaningful response. But it would have been a futile gesture anyway. Even a draw would not have been enough to keep them realistically in the title hunt. The loss of their long unbeaten run was really neither here nor there. Arsenal could and should have found a way to win this game. Yet again, they found a way not to. It has been an all to familiar failing not just this season, but over the last few. There will be no silverware at the Emirates this season.

Post-match reaction and analysis

Arsène Wenger did not attempt to hide the moribund condition of his team’s challenge in his post-match press conference:

It is true that we have dropped too many points today. It is very frustrating because we should have nine points from this week and we have two. That’s a little bit the story of our season.

But he refused to publicly blame his players:

If there is someone to blame, it is me. I pick the team and I choose the players. For me, the players [have] had an outstanding attitude all season.

Although there was no hiding from where the biggest issue on the pitch lies:

I am convinced we are a very good footballing side. We have not been stable enough defensively. The numbers are the numbers, we have conceded six goals this week at a moment where you cannot afford to concede six goals in three games and win the championship. We were too frail defensively during the season.

It is a statistic which I am sure will be trotted out ad nauseam over the coming weeks, but Arsenal’s clear weakness is on set-pieces. Of 36 league goals conceded this season, 20 have come from set-pieces. That’s 56%, the highest ratio of any team in the division. Is it a function of having too many short, physically slight players? Is it a question of poor organisation? Or is it a lack of concentration at key moments? In reality, it is a combination of all three. And this sort of thing becomes a self-perpetuating habit. Opposing teams know they have a good chance against Arsenal at set-pieces and free kicks. And the Arsenal players know they are vulnerable themselves, which affects their confidence and leads to hesitancy in a situation when decisive action is more important than ever. There is no easy answer. But Wenger needs to find one if this Achilles’ heel is to be remedied in time for next season.

I will not dwell overly on tactical analysis here. There is little to be said that has not already been said many times by countless people this season. Let’s just say that the crucial 1% or 2% that makes the difference between a champion and a contender continues to elude Arsenal at the business end of a season, and no one – with the honourable exception of Wojciech Szczęsny – emerged from the Reebok with any real credit. The talent is there. The results are not. A turnaround is needed, but sacking the manager or ditching half the players is no guarantee of that. Newcastle sacked Bobby Robson early in the 2004/05 campaign after taking them to a top five finish the season before, thinking his time had passed. Six managers and 4½ years later, they were relegated to the Championship.

Defeat leaves Arsenal nine points behind leaders Manchester United with four to play. Realistically, securing a top three finish must now be the club’s main objective. Manchester City are eight points behind, but have two games in hand. Next up are leaders United, who can mathematically eliminate Arsenal from the title race with victory at the Emirates next Sunday. A game which, a few short weeks ago, had all the makings of a title decider is now one which few Arsenal fans will face with much optimism. How quickly the winds can shift in football.

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