...with an Unconvincing European Record
Manchester United were unlucky to exit the Champions League, suffering a 2-1 home reverse in the second leg that saw them lose out 3-2 on aggregate.
Mourinho's Real Madrid toiled without much by way of inspiration until Nani's deeply contentious red card. By that point, United were leading 1-0 through Sergio Ramos's own goal. They had defended in an organised and resilient manner, and looked capable of producing more of the same, until Modric weaved past a couple of challenges and belted in a sensational equaliser. Minutes later, still reeling, United succumbed to something that these days, seems inevitable: a Cristiano Ronaldo goal.
A man down, a mountain to climb. But still, with the situation now apparently favouring Madrid's counter punching style, United attacked with vigour and might even have plundered the two goals they needed only for some wayward finishing.
The most entertaining thing about an entertaining night was the look of helpless rage on the face of Alex Ferguson after Nani's harsh dismissal for a high foot.
Ferguson's team are the perennial beneficiaries of contentious decisions at Old Trafford in domestic games as referees bow to the pressure of United's standing in the game and to the fearful rages of their manager.
But in Europe, United and Ferguson don't have quite the same sway. Ferguson's face was the face of a man not used to such obstacles. Welcome to everyone else's world Mr. Ferguson.
It was back to normal, however, in the FA Cup game against Chelsea. Rio Ferdinand was not called up at the time when he needlessly tripped Fernando Torres from behind, off the ball, an offence that should have resulted in a red card.
And though a player in another shirt would doubtless face retrospective punishment for less, Ferdinand has gotten away with it.
Despite this, Ferguson persists with the laughably deluded idea that the FA seek to persecute Manchester United. He might have bullied most of Britain into submission, but his haul of only two Champions League titles shows that European competition is a different proposition.
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Thursday, March 7, 2013
Forget Fourth: Spurs 2-1 Arsenal
Progress at last... from bad to worse.
After seeming to stand still for so long, Arsenal are now clearly going backwards.
Barring an absolute collapse from Chelsea, Arsenal will not play in the Champions League next season.
Ignoring for a moment the bigger picture, the derby was far from Arsenal's worst performance of the season, but it was compromised completely by goal-costing errors at one end, and absolute toothlessness at the other.
For the first part of the game, up until the opening goal, Arsenal were quite dominant without creating much of note. Giroud and Walcott both threatened but were denied by late saving tackles. As so often this season, they were failing to threaten the opposition goalkeeper.
Then, when Arsenal's pressing slackened, Spurs took ruthless advantage. Sigurdson slipped through a simple ball, the Arsenal back four stood and watched, and Bale ran on to knock tidily past Szczesny.
In typical fashion, Arsenal were stupid enough to repeat the same mistake a couple of minutes later. Parker bombed forward, and this time it was Lennon who ran through unmolested onto the midfielder's pass. Szczesny's rash charge out of goal made it so easy for the winger, who took a simple touch around the keeper and slipped the ball into the open net to double the home side's advantage.
There's been plenty of talk already about Arsenal's suicidal high line, inviting punishment by the pace of Bale and Lennon. But there was plenty more about the game to worry about.
Second half, Arsenal seemed to have grabbed a lifeline when Mertesacker's near post header flicked in off Bale. But after a brief period of danger, Spurs composed themselves again, and saw out the game with minimum fuss. Wenger's changes seemed to take the wind out of his own team's sails. Spurs made chances on the break, Arsenal created little.
Jack Wilshere was peripheral. The danger here is that Wenger is repeating a mistake he arguably made with Arsenal's last great central midfielder. After changing to 4-5-1/ 4-3-3, Wenger shifted Cesc Fabregas further forward, and while the captain scored more goals, he also lost some of his usual influence, especially in big games.
Wilshere needs to be in the centre of the pitch. He is a creative player and the temptation, with the current formation, is to play him in a position from which he is relatively free to roam. But when Wenger plays Wilshere in the hole, and Cazorla wide, he takes Arsenal's best two players out of their best positions.
Arsenal now lie well adrift of Spurs, five behind Chelsea, and showing no signs of putting together the sort of run they now need. The impression is that they are finally arriving at a nightmare destination that has threatened them for a long time. Wenger has done well in recent seasons to keep Arsenal in that top four, but he has also shown incredible hubris in refusing to alter his methods, inviting the very situation that the club now finds itself in.
It's been a long time coming. Arsenal are heading for the Europa League, and what lies beyond may be mere mediocrity. Is this the monumental kick up the arse that the club and the manager have needed? Is he still capable of leading the club out of trouble? Even if he does now choose to spend proactively, can he no longer be trusted to spend well?
After seeming to stand still for so long, Arsenal are now clearly going backwards.
Barring an absolute collapse from Chelsea, Arsenal will not play in the Champions League next season.
Ignoring for a moment the bigger picture, the derby was far from Arsenal's worst performance of the season, but it was compromised completely by goal-costing errors at one end, and absolute toothlessness at the other.
For the first part of the game, up until the opening goal, Arsenal were quite dominant without creating much of note. Giroud and Walcott both threatened but were denied by late saving tackles. As so often this season, they were failing to threaten the opposition goalkeeper.
Then, when Arsenal's pressing slackened, Spurs took ruthless advantage. Sigurdson slipped through a simple ball, the Arsenal back four stood and watched, and Bale ran on to knock tidily past Szczesny.
In typical fashion, Arsenal were stupid enough to repeat the same mistake a couple of minutes later. Parker bombed forward, and this time it was Lennon who ran through unmolested onto the midfielder's pass. Szczesny's rash charge out of goal made it so easy for the winger, who took a simple touch around the keeper and slipped the ball into the open net to double the home side's advantage.
There's been plenty of talk already about Arsenal's suicidal high line, inviting punishment by the pace of Bale and Lennon. But there was plenty more about the game to worry about.
Second half, Arsenal seemed to have grabbed a lifeline when Mertesacker's near post header flicked in off Bale. But after a brief period of danger, Spurs composed themselves again, and saw out the game with minimum fuss. Wenger's changes seemed to take the wind out of his own team's sails. Spurs made chances on the break, Arsenal created little.
Jack Wilshere was peripheral. The danger here is that Wenger is repeating a mistake he arguably made with Arsenal's last great central midfielder. After changing to 4-5-1/ 4-3-3, Wenger shifted Cesc Fabregas further forward, and while the captain scored more goals, he also lost some of his usual influence, especially in big games.
Wilshere needs to be in the centre of the pitch. He is a creative player and the temptation, with the current formation, is to play him in a position from which he is relatively free to roam. But when Wenger plays Wilshere in the hole, and Cazorla wide, he takes Arsenal's best two players out of their best positions.
Arsenal now lie well adrift of Spurs, five behind Chelsea, and showing no signs of putting together the sort of run they now need. The impression is that they are finally arriving at a nightmare destination that has threatened them for a long time. Wenger has done well in recent seasons to keep Arsenal in that top four, but he has also shown incredible hubris in refusing to alter his methods, inviting the very situation that the club now finds itself in.
It's been a long time coming. Arsenal are heading for the Europa League, and what lies beyond may be mere mediocrity. Is this the monumental kick up the arse that the club and the manager have needed? Is he still capable of leading the club out of trouble? Even if he does now choose to spend proactively, can he no longer be trusted to spend well?
Monday, February 25, 2013
Well Beaten by a Better Side...
... and then they Scrape a Win against a Rubbish One.
Arsenal 1-3 Bayern Munich
Arsenal 2-1 Aston Villa
Arsenal came perilously close to repeating their familiar and unwelcome trick of allowing a whole season to crumble in the space of a week.
Defeat to Bayern was expected, but the performance didn't get half the criticism it deserved. It was another exhibition of naive defending, the self-destruct button pressed yet again on the big occasion.They play like a team that knows it's not good enough. The lack of belief in whatever it was they were supposed to do was painfully clear.
Anything less than a win against Villa and Arsenal's top four hopes would have been hanging by a thread. Cazorla scored early; they failed to build on it. Yet another soft concession to add to the collection, and it was 1-1 without much time to change things. It was some relief when Wilshere scooped a super pass through to Monreal down the left, and the new boy conjured a clever cut back for Cazorla to slide in his second of the game.
Back to Bayern. The manager, and many pundits, were happy to shower the impressive German side with praise, rather than spotlighting Arsenal's failings. Maybe it's because those failings have been evident for so long. Maybe people are tired of talking about them. But that doesn't mean we shouldn't acknowledge that Bayern didn't have to be particularly impressive to kill the tie at the Emirates. And that, for a club of Arsenal's stature, is embarrassing.
After a promising, high tempo start by the home side, the inevitable sucker punch wasn't long in coming. Muller's cross from the right seemed harmless enough, but bounced beyond a flat footed Ramsey, and Kroos drove an emphatic, demoralising shot past Szczesny. A brilliant finish, but the chance came so easily.
The second was even more disappointing from an Arsenal viewpoint. A corner, a painfully free header, Szczesny scrambling the ball out only for Muller to knock the ball in from point blank range.
Arsenal toiled to almost zero effect for the rest of the opening period, could have been three down by half time. A glimmer of hope was gifted to the Gunners when a wrongly awarded corner was inexplicably allowed to bounce in the goalmouth and Podolski simply nodded the ball in.
There was something of a revival, and sub Giroud might even have equalised. He was unlucky that his instinctive right footed strike from Walcott's cutback was straight at the keeper. Soon after, it was game over, tie over: Arsenal undermanned at the back, Lahm overlapping Robben, Mandzukic scooping the low cross into the net.
Some people are saying that Arsenal simply lack for quality. I don't think there are many poor individuals in the team though. They are poorly organised and tactically inept. And even if they lack for stars compared to Arsenal teams of the past, they should be able to recognise a superior team, and play with a suitable plan. AC Milan have less quality than Arsenal but were able to beat Barcelona. Arsenal should at least be able to give Bayern a game.
The fact that they didn't is down to the manager.
Arsenal 1-3 Bayern Munich
Arsenal 2-1 Aston Villa
Arsenal came perilously close to repeating their familiar and unwelcome trick of allowing a whole season to crumble in the space of a week.
Defeat to Bayern was expected, but the performance didn't get half the criticism it deserved. It was another exhibition of naive defending, the self-destruct button pressed yet again on the big occasion.They play like a team that knows it's not good enough. The lack of belief in whatever it was they were supposed to do was painfully clear.
Anything less than a win against Villa and Arsenal's top four hopes would have been hanging by a thread. Cazorla scored early; they failed to build on it. Yet another soft concession to add to the collection, and it was 1-1 without much time to change things. It was some relief when Wilshere scooped a super pass through to Monreal down the left, and the new boy conjured a clever cut back for Cazorla to slide in his second of the game.
Back to Bayern. The manager, and many pundits, were happy to shower the impressive German side with praise, rather than spotlighting Arsenal's failings. Maybe it's because those failings have been evident for so long. Maybe people are tired of talking about them. But that doesn't mean we shouldn't acknowledge that Bayern didn't have to be particularly impressive to kill the tie at the Emirates. And that, for a club of Arsenal's stature, is embarrassing.
After a promising, high tempo start by the home side, the inevitable sucker punch wasn't long in coming. Muller's cross from the right seemed harmless enough, but bounced beyond a flat footed Ramsey, and Kroos drove an emphatic, demoralising shot past Szczesny. A brilliant finish, but the chance came so easily.
The second was even more disappointing from an Arsenal viewpoint. A corner, a painfully free header, Szczesny scrambling the ball out only for Muller to knock the ball in from point blank range.
Arsenal toiled to almost zero effect for the rest of the opening period, could have been three down by half time. A glimmer of hope was gifted to the Gunners when a wrongly awarded corner was inexplicably allowed to bounce in the goalmouth and Podolski simply nodded the ball in.
There was something of a revival, and sub Giroud might even have equalised. He was unlucky that his instinctive right footed strike from Walcott's cutback was straight at the keeper. Soon after, it was game over, tie over: Arsenal undermanned at the back, Lahm overlapping Robben, Mandzukic scooping the low cross into the net.
Some people are saying that Arsenal simply lack for quality. I don't think there are many poor individuals in the team though. They are poorly organised and tactically inept. And even if they lack for stars compared to Arsenal teams of the past, they should be able to recognise a superior team, and play with a suitable plan. AC Milan have less quality than Arsenal but were able to beat Barcelona. Arsenal should at least be able to give Bayern a game.
The fact that they didn't is down to the manager.
Monday, February 18, 2013
Bayern: No Expectations
You could scour London looking for a sane man to support the notion that Arsenal will progress beyond the second round of the Champions League; it would be a forlorn search.
There is no reason to expect anything other than a clear defeat over two legs.
This is Wenger's worst Arsenal team by a distance.
The Blackburn defeat may well have been the result of complacency, and the Gunners may well raise their game for Bayern.
But after years of steady decline, the line between success and failure is no longer defined only by mentality and motivation, it is now a question too of quality.
Arsenal, though far from completely lacking in it, have far less than they did in the recent past.
If they weren't good enough then, they certainly aren't now. Because if not superior quality, what else do they have in their favour?
To beat better opposition, you need a plan, and you need a backbone.
But Wenger doesn't do tactics, and Arsenal are so often spineless on the big occasion.
This last point is a particularly painful one, because for so long youth and callowness could be used as a convenient and indeed convincing excuse.
Now, the squad and the first team boasts several experienced heads, but the old problems of complacency (against the poor teams) and a lack of belief (against the good ones) continue to surface.
Bayern are the should-be-holders after Chelsea's flukey win last season, runaway leaders of the Bundesliga and among the favourites to triumph in Europe. For them, the Emirates will hold no fear. They may be vulnerable to wily, resourceful opponents who will sit deep and disciplined and wait for a chance to strike on the break. But for Arsenal, there are no precedents for such a performance. If it comes, it will come from nowhere. They have had it done to them so many times, by the great and the good and even by Championship Blackburn, but they've never done it themselves
If today affords no optimism, we can search for it in memories. In 2006, Arsenal were enduring what was, at the time, a shockingly bad domestic season, struggling to win on the road and struggling to fill the Vieira-shaped void in central midfield. Fourth place would be secured eventually, on the last day, after Spurs had led the way for most of the season. When the Gunners were drawn against Real Madrid in the first knockout round of the Champions League, most expected a drubbing.
Arsenal plundered a memorable win at the Bernebeau, via Henry's classic individual goal, and then progressed after a bonkers, unbelievably goalless slugfest at Highbury.
Unfortunately, it's hard to envisage a similar outcome this time around. That was bloated, late Galactico era Madrid, still boasting legends like Zidane, Raul and an ever-inflating Ronaldo and celebrities like Beckham. They were lacking in hunger, lacking in organisation, and Arsenal took sweet advantage, to kickstart a run that brought them to the very brink of that elusive European success.
And Arsenal themselves, while in something of a transitional phase (one that's arguably continued ever since!) still boasted their own attacking riches. Henry was enjoying his last season of true greatness. Players like Pires and Ljungberg were now plainly saving their best for Europe. Gilberto Silva was a selfless World Cup winner who shielded the defence and left the fancy stuff to the others. Fabregas alongside him was busy announcing himself as one of Europe's great young talents.
That said, there were reasons to be very surprised by that European run. In league games, Arsenal's defending was often shambolic. Senderos sometimes appeared a liability, embarrassingly vulnerable to fleet footed attackers. Because both Cole and Clichy were injured, Flamini was playing at left back. And with Lauren also struggling for fitness and form, a lunatic called Eboue was marshalling the right side of the defence, in front of the similarly insane but sometimes brilliant Lehmann.
Somehow, this motley crew, along with the then still reliable Kolo Toure, conjured clean sheet after clean sheet. Arsenal, basically, need something that weird to happen again. Starting tomorrow night.
There is no reason to expect anything other than a clear defeat over two legs.
This is Wenger's worst Arsenal team by a distance.
The Blackburn defeat may well have been the result of complacency, and the Gunners may well raise their game for Bayern.
But after years of steady decline, the line between success and failure is no longer defined only by mentality and motivation, it is now a question too of quality.
Arsenal, though far from completely lacking in it, have far less than they did in the recent past.
If they weren't good enough then, they certainly aren't now. Because if not superior quality, what else do they have in their favour?
To beat better opposition, you need a plan, and you need a backbone.
But Wenger doesn't do tactics, and Arsenal are so often spineless on the big occasion.
This last point is a particularly painful one, because for so long youth and callowness could be used as a convenient and indeed convincing excuse.
Now, the squad and the first team boasts several experienced heads, but the old problems of complacency (against the poor teams) and a lack of belief (against the good ones) continue to surface.
Bayern are the should-be-holders after Chelsea's flukey win last season, runaway leaders of the Bundesliga and among the favourites to triumph in Europe. For them, the Emirates will hold no fear. They may be vulnerable to wily, resourceful opponents who will sit deep and disciplined and wait for a chance to strike on the break. But for Arsenal, there are no precedents for such a performance. If it comes, it will come from nowhere. They have had it done to them so many times, by the great and the good and even by Championship Blackburn, but they've never done it themselves
If today affords no optimism, we can search for it in memories. In 2006, Arsenal were enduring what was, at the time, a shockingly bad domestic season, struggling to win on the road and struggling to fill the Vieira-shaped void in central midfield. Fourth place would be secured eventually, on the last day, after Spurs had led the way for most of the season. When the Gunners were drawn against Real Madrid in the first knockout round of the Champions League, most expected a drubbing.
Arsenal plundered a memorable win at the Bernebeau, via Henry's classic individual goal, and then progressed after a bonkers, unbelievably goalless slugfest at Highbury.
Unfortunately, it's hard to envisage a similar outcome this time around. That was bloated, late Galactico era Madrid, still boasting legends like Zidane, Raul and an ever-inflating Ronaldo and celebrities like Beckham. They were lacking in hunger, lacking in organisation, and Arsenal took sweet advantage, to kickstart a run that brought them to the very brink of that elusive European success.
And Arsenal themselves, while in something of a transitional phase (one that's arguably continued ever since!) still boasted their own attacking riches. Henry was enjoying his last season of true greatness. Players like Pires and Ljungberg were now plainly saving their best for Europe. Gilberto Silva was a selfless World Cup winner who shielded the defence and left the fancy stuff to the others. Fabregas alongside him was busy announcing himself as one of Europe's great young talents.
That said, there were reasons to be very surprised by that European run. In league games, Arsenal's defending was often shambolic. Senderos sometimes appeared a liability, embarrassingly vulnerable to fleet footed attackers. Because both Cole and Clichy were injured, Flamini was playing at left back. And with Lauren also struggling for fitness and form, a lunatic called Eboue was marshalling the right side of the defence, in front of the similarly insane but sometimes brilliant Lehmann.
Somehow, this motley crew, along with the then still reliable Kolo Toure, conjured clean sheet after clean sheet. Arsenal, basically, need something that weird to happen again. Starting tomorrow night.
Sunday, February 17, 2013
Eight Years: Arsenal 0-1 Blackburn
That's eight years without a trophy.
Forget about the Champions League. Forget it.
Arsenal produced close to their worst against Blackburn and were dumped out of the FA Cup.
Even if they produce their very best against Bayern, they are absolute underdogs.
Whatever happens over those two legs, the season is another write off as far as silverware is concerned.
Fourth place is still of paramount importance, but Arsenal's inability since the Birmingham League Cup final debacle two seasons back to even come close to competing for honours is a huge embarrassment to the club.
This season, they have exited both domestic cup competitions to lower league opposition; if they lose as expected to Bayern and fail to reel Tottenham in in the league, it will indisputably rank as Wenger's worst season.
Anger rises again in the stands, on phone in shows, on message boards, from the die hards and from the blowhards.
When the gleaming Emirates was opened for business seven years ago, this is not what they envisaged.
And selling the future is no longer a viable excuse. Suddenly the future looks quite murky. With the climate at the club as it is, it seems unlikely that Wenger will last beyond the end of his current deal. Who will come in? How long before "future captain" Jack Wilshere's head is turned? And if Arsenal fall out of the Champions League positions this season, will it prove the monumental kick up the backside that most people now feel the club needs? Or will it be just the beginning of the real decline?
Forget about the Champions League. Forget it.
Arsenal produced close to their worst against Blackburn and were dumped out of the FA Cup.
Even if they produce their very best against Bayern, they are absolute underdogs.
Whatever happens over those two legs, the season is another write off as far as silverware is concerned.
Fourth place is still of paramount importance, but Arsenal's inability since the Birmingham League Cup final debacle two seasons back to even come close to competing for honours is a huge embarrassment to the club.
This season, they have exited both domestic cup competitions to lower league opposition; if they lose as expected to Bayern and fail to reel Tottenham in in the league, it will indisputably rank as Wenger's worst season.
Anger rises again in the stands, on phone in shows, on message boards, from the die hards and from the blowhards.
When the gleaming Emirates was opened for business seven years ago, this is not what they envisaged.
And selling the future is no longer a viable excuse. Suddenly the future looks quite murky. With the climate at the club as it is, it seems unlikely that Wenger will last beyond the end of his current deal. Who will come in? How long before "future captain" Jack Wilshere's head is turned? And if Arsenal fall out of the Champions League positions this season, will it prove the monumental kick up the backside that most people now feel the club needs? Or will it be just the beginning of the real decline?
Monday, February 11, 2013
Comeback Draw, Jammy Win, Backs to the Wall Victory...
...is it the stuff that decisive runs are made from?
Arsenal came perilously close to losing at home to Liverpool, to drawing at home to Stoke, and to drawing away to Sunderland; but seven points from nine has kept alive genuine hopes of another top four finish.
The first hour or so in the Liverpool game was very depressing. Not only were Arsenal second-best, but the defence was in full-blown self-parody mode.
The goal from Suarez that opened the scoring came from a Sagna slip, a trademark botched clearance from Vermaelen, and some vintage penalty area ping pong. As well as a deflection on the striker's finish.
When Henderson profited from more madcap defending to slip the ball into an empty net, it looked like that was that, but Arsenal responded in rousing fashion.
First,Wilshere's inswinging free kick from the right was headed down and past Reina by Giroud. Game on.
Then, before Liverpool could catch breath, Cazorla slid a pass into Giroud, the Frenchman laid it off nicely to Walcott to his right, and Walcott confounded Reina by bulleting an early shot low into the far corner.
Both sides had chances to win it, but in the end a draw seemed fair.
Against Stoke, a draw might have been terminal to Arsenal's Champions League hopes. The Potters, typically, defended very well, and typically, too, were not averse to rough house tactics.
Arsenal needed a large slice of luck to secure the three points, with Podolski's late free kick deflecting heavily on its way into the net.
Against Sunderland, Arsenal hit their stride in the first half, but squandered opportunities to build an unassailable lead.
Leading at half time was a nice change in itself, and the lead was secured by a fine goal that saw Wilshere scoot forward in trademark fashion, then play a pass into the box for Walcott. The winger, who is showing sporadic improvements in his appreciation of team mates' positioning, laid the ball back for Cazorla, and the Spaniard angled a low, left-footed effort past the keeper in a flash.
While Arsenal should really have won comfortably, the ultimate nature of the win may prove more useful, morale-boosting even.
Koscielny had broken down in the warm up, and Wenger opted to move Sagna to centre half, and bring Jenkinson in at right back. With new boy Monreal playing on the left side of the defence, it was an unfamiliar backline, and one that Martin O'Neill's side would have expected to score against.
That they didn't should be viewed as encouraging, especially after Jenkinson was dismissed for a second yellow card and Ramsey was moved back to full back.
Sagna, who is a brilliant all-round defender,produced his best display of the season, as did Szczesny, making some vital saves.
Arsenal will want to be more ruthless in future, but a resilient defensive display was long overdue.
Arsenal came perilously close to losing at home to Liverpool, to drawing at home to Stoke, and to drawing away to Sunderland; but seven points from nine has kept alive genuine hopes of another top four finish.
The first hour or so in the Liverpool game was very depressing. Not only were Arsenal second-best, but the defence was in full-blown self-parody mode.
The goal from Suarez that opened the scoring came from a Sagna slip, a trademark botched clearance from Vermaelen, and some vintage penalty area ping pong. As well as a deflection on the striker's finish.
When Henderson profited from more madcap defending to slip the ball into an empty net, it looked like that was that, but Arsenal responded in rousing fashion.
First,Wilshere's inswinging free kick from the right was headed down and past Reina by Giroud. Game on.
Then, before Liverpool could catch breath, Cazorla slid a pass into Giroud, the Frenchman laid it off nicely to Walcott to his right, and Walcott confounded Reina by bulleting an early shot low into the far corner.
Both sides had chances to win it, but in the end a draw seemed fair.
Against Stoke, a draw might have been terminal to Arsenal's Champions League hopes. The Potters, typically, defended very well, and typically, too, were not averse to rough house tactics.
Arsenal needed a large slice of luck to secure the three points, with Podolski's late free kick deflecting heavily on its way into the net.
Against Sunderland, Arsenal hit their stride in the first half, but squandered opportunities to build an unassailable lead.
Leading at half time was a nice change in itself, and the lead was secured by a fine goal that saw Wilshere scoot forward in trademark fashion, then play a pass into the box for Walcott. The winger, who is showing sporadic improvements in his appreciation of team mates' positioning, laid the ball back for Cazorla, and the Spaniard angled a low, left-footed effort past the keeper in a flash.
While Arsenal should really have won comfortably, the ultimate nature of the win may prove more useful, morale-boosting even.
Koscielny had broken down in the warm up, and Wenger opted to move Sagna to centre half, and bring Jenkinson in at right back. With new boy Monreal playing on the left side of the defence, it was an unfamiliar backline, and one that Martin O'Neill's side would have expected to score against.
That they didn't should be viewed as encouraging, especially after Jenkinson was dismissed for a second yellow card and Ramsey was moved back to full back.
Sagna, who is a brilliant all-round defender,produced his best display of the season, as did Szczesny, making some vital saves.
Arsenal will want to be more ruthless in future, but a resilient defensive display was long overdue.
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
A Glimmer of Hope for Silver Remains
Brighton 2-3 Arsenal
Unsurprisingly unconvincing, but job done.
The reward: a home tie in the 5th round against Blackburn.
Liverpool went out to Oldham. Spurs went out to Leeds. Chelsea were taken to a replay by Brighton.
It looks like four of the eight quarter-finalists will be Arsenal, Man City, Man Utd and Chelsea.
So let's not get too excited just yet.
But the FA Cup looks ever more important as chances of January reinforcements continue to recede.
Can Arsenal really expect a top four finish with this bunch of players??
One positive from Brighton, other than the victory itself, was the continued good form of Giroud. Two good, different goals.
The first came when Rosicky zoomed forward on the right, and passed inside to Podolski. The German looked to be running into trouble, turned and laid the ball off to Giroud. The Frenchman took a touch and curled a confident shot into the top corner from just outside the box.
Second half, with the score at 1-1, Giroud took down Diaby's pass over the top, held off a challenge and lunged to blast a shot high past the oncoming keeper.
Again, Arsenal succumbed to a headed goal to make the score 2-2. There have been plenty of occasions this season when I've wondered if Vermaelen would still be in the team if not for his status as club captain. But if this game was to be seen as an audition for Koscielny and Mertesacker, they flunked it. Arsenal's defensive woes just drag on and on.
This time, the story had a happy, if fortuitous ending. When a set piece was weakly punched clear, substitute Walcott was lurking on the edge of the area. He produced a tentative side-footed volley that looped nastily off a defender and into the net.
Job done, but it's safe to say Arsenal won't win the FA Cup by fielding a half-reserve side every round.
Unsurprisingly unconvincing, but job done.
The reward: a home tie in the 5th round against Blackburn.
Liverpool went out to Oldham. Spurs went out to Leeds. Chelsea were taken to a replay by Brighton.
It looks like four of the eight quarter-finalists will be Arsenal, Man City, Man Utd and Chelsea.
So let's not get too excited just yet.
But the FA Cup looks ever more important as chances of January reinforcements continue to recede.
Can Arsenal really expect a top four finish with this bunch of players??
One positive from Brighton, other than the victory itself, was the continued good form of Giroud. Two good, different goals.
The first came when Rosicky zoomed forward on the right, and passed inside to Podolski. The German looked to be running into trouble, turned and laid the ball off to Giroud. The Frenchman took a touch and curled a confident shot into the top corner from just outside the box.
Second half, with the score at 1-1, Giroud took down Diaby's pass over the top, held off a challenge and lunged to blast a shot high past the oncoming keeper.
Again, Arsenal succumbed to a headed goal to make the score 2-2. There have been plenty of occasions this season when I've wondered if Vermaelen would still be in the team if not for his status as club captain. But if this game was to be seen as an audition for Koscielny and Mertesacker, they flunked it. Arsenal's defensive woes just drag on and on.
This time, the story had a happy, if fortuitous ending. When a set piece was weakly punched clear, substitute Walcott was lurking on the edge of the area. He produced a tentative side-footed volley that looped nastily off a defender and into the net.
Job done, but it's safe to say Arsenal won't win the FA Cup by fielding a half-reserve side every round.
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