Posts filed under 'Premier League'
December 5th, 2011
Gervinho celebrates his third Arsenal goal
Wigan 0 – 4 Arsenal
Match Report | Highlights | Arsene’s reaction
Arsenal are finally sharing the goals around…
Although Robin van Persie did grab his expected goal, he was joined by three other less familiar names on the scoresheet. Gervinho, Arteta and Vermaelen are all players capable of lessening the burden on the Dutchman, and it’s fantastic to see them finally beginning to do so. One only wishes that Park and Chamakh were capable of doing the same.
Thomas Vermaelen has a poacher’s instinct…
It’s remarkable that one of the players we’re looking at to take up some of the goalscoring burden is a centre-back. But then, Thomas Vermaelen is a remarkable footballer. Over his entire Arsenal career to date, he has a strike rate of almost a goal every four games. One need only see that when Arteta’s long-range strike hits the net, it is the Belgian who is following up in case of any rebound. The man simply loves a goal. As Arsene commented after the game, “I still don’t know if he came to replace Toure or Adebayor”.
Gervinho’s goal was much more than a tap-in…
Admittedly, it was a simply finish – and one which the erratic Ivorian almost miscued – but in some respects this was a spectacular goal. Excluding Ali Al-Habsi’s parry on Robin van Persie’s shot, this was a move that included a mammoth 33 passes. Take a look:
WigvArs 33 passes by Vineeta_Nair
Admittedly, Wigan’s defending is poor, but our use of the ball is as good here as it has been all season. Promising indeed.
Theo Walcott is becoming a true team player…
His unselfish square for Van Persie spoke volumes, as did his obvious delight at getting an assist. Walcott’s good form has been one of the highlights of our season thus far, and one only hopes he and Van Persie can remain fit enough for their fruitful relationship to continue. Walcott has now assisted 11 goals for RVP – that’s as many as Dennis Bergkamp provided for Thierry Henry in their entire time at Arsenal.
Szczesny is part of a new core…
I expect by now you’ll have seen the clips of Wojciech Szczesny singing Arsenal songs at the top of his voice in the aftermath of Saturday’s game. His love for the club is palpable, and along with the likes of Vermaelen, Wilshere, and Frimpong, he is helping to forge a new spirit in the squad. These players seem to take genuine pride in representing Arsenal, as the treatment dished out by Frimpong towards deserter Samir Nasri shows. It’s heartwarming stuff, but there’s a serious side to it too – it’s a sign of the kind of spirit you find at many trophy-winning teams.
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Arsenal fly to Greece later today for their dead rubber tie with Olympiacos. I won’t be able to watch the game live, but I’ll hopefully provide some thoughts once I’ve caught up on Sky+.
November 27th, 2011
I can’t be the only Arsenal fan struggling to find the will to dissect our 1-1 draw with Fulham today. Bill Shankly is often quoted as having said that football is more important than life or death. On the page, it’s easily forgotten that Shankly’s tongue was firmly in his cheek, and this morning affairs on the pitch paled in to insignificance with the news about the passing of Gary Speed.
Football is, as a sport, not just in mourning but in shock. Speed, 42, had everything going for him: a beautiful wife, a young family, and a burgeoning career as an international manager. As recently as Saturday he was a lively and engaged participant on the BBC’s Football Focus, and had been discussing plans for the immediate future with friends and colleagues. I won’t pretend to know anything about the circumstances which led to Speed taking his own life, but I would imagine that after a career spent in a world still characterised by ill-conceived ideas of ‘machismo’, the Welshman would be well practised in covering up any underlying mental health problems with which he may have been suffering. One hopes that if any good is to come from this horrible loss, it’s that the sport will begin to recognise this kind of illness and offer more support to individuals who are silently suffering. That said, speculation on what could have led to this tragic event is probably best avoided: the priority must be to allow his family to grieve with the privacy they deserve. Rest in peace, Gary Speed.
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As regards the Fulham game: a draw is never a disaster. After the run we’d had, we were due a little bit of ill-fortune, and we got it in the form of Thomas Vermaelen’s own goal. That said, there are very few things I enjoy more in football than a player who has put the ball in to his own net redeeming himself at the other end, and the fifty yard run Vermaelen made up the pitch to meet Theo Walcott’s cross was indicative of his desire to put things right.
We had other chances, and on balance should have won the game, but Fulham deserve enormous credit. They started with a very positive formation, with Clint Dempsey, Bryan Ruiz and Moussa Dembele all playing off the outstanding Bobby Zamora. Zamora gave Vermaelen a torrid time all afternoon: the Belgian tried his usual trick of attacking the ball early and nipping ahead of the striker, but Zamora’s upper body was consistently too strong and his touch too good.
A former Arsenal man at the back also warrants praise: Philippe Senderos looked a million miles from the Bambi-esque figure we saw in his latter days at Arsenal. After the injuries and setbacks he has suffered in his career, I can’t begrudge him a decent point on his return to the Emirates.
For our part, we looked a little tired playing our third game in seven days. The likes of Danny Murphy were given a little too long on the ball in midfield, and our first-half attacks lacked urgency. Andrey Arshavin had been afforded a rare start ahead of Gervinho, and seems to have taken a lot of flak for his performance. I have to say that by his (admittedly low) recent standards, this was a decent display – he was involved with much of our positive work, and scored a goal when marginally offside. His tendency to drift in to the centre, however, meant we did not stretch the play as much as we were able to when Gervinho was introduced.
On the other flank, Theo Walcott was again outstanding. His continued good performances lead me to believe that an injury must be right around the corner.
A draw wasn’t ideal, but it’s no nightmare, and keeps our unbeaten run going. And, much as you might feel aggrieved, there are simply more important things to reflect on today.
November 21st, 2011
Match Report | Highlights | Arsene’s reaction
For the second time in consecutive away games, Arsenal came from behind to take all three points. Â Carrow Road isn’t quite Stamford Bridge, but the significance of that achievement cannot be underestimated. Â A previous Arsenal side might have crumbled when Per Mertesacker’s clanger gifted Norwich the lead against the run of play. Â A previous Arsenal side might have consigned it to being “one of those days” when they saw good chances come and go. Â In the game’s dying moments, they might have naively overcommitted chasing a third goal, or wilted after the introduction of the bullish Grant Holt.
Not this incarnation. Â The XI players on the field at full-time had an average age of almost 26: this is a more mature outfit, with players more psychologically prepared for the rigours of Premier League football. Â It seems that finally Arsene’s boasts of “mental strength” might actually have some substance.
“Physical strength” was more the problem for Per Mertesacker in the early stages. Â Steve Morison is one of the Premier League’s more agricultural strikers, and as such was always likely to prove a test for the German. Â That said, the main issue with the opening goal was a moment of hesitation. Â With the ball bouncing beyond him, it looked as if Mertesacker was waiting for a call from Szczesny. Â When that didn’t come, he attempted the clearance – but by that time, it was too late: Morison has stolen the ball and given Norwich the lead. Â It was a rick, certainly, but in my opinion he is good enough to learn from it.
By that time Arsenal should already have been a couple of goals to the good. Â If there was one area in which you’d criticise the team’s performance, it was in their erratic finishing. Â The Ivorian Gervinho, for whom the epithet ‘erratic’ might have been specially invented, was particularly guilty. Â Indeed, even our equalising goal spared his blushes. Â Theo Walcott, who was absolutely outstanding on the right wing, skipped past his man and fired in a great low cross which Gervinho attempted to back-flick in to the net. Â Instead, he managed to miss the ball entirely. Â Fortunately, Robin van Persie was on hand to stab in to the empty net.
It’s no surprise that Van Persie went on to grab the winner too. Â When Song and Arteta won the ball back in midfield, the Cameroon midfielder embarked on a sprint towards goal with the ball at his feet. Â Ahead of him, he had two options: Gervinho, central and devoid of any marking, and Robin, stationed wider and on his weaker right-foot. Â Song, in his wisdom, opted for Van Persie, and the Dutchman’s subsequent finish was masterful, clipping the ball delightfully over the advancing Ruddy with his supposed ‘chocolate leg’.
It was his fifteenth goal of the season. Â In the calendar year of 2011, he has now scored 31 goals in 29 league games. Â In the history of the Premier League, only Alan Shearer (36) and Thierry Henry (34) have managed more. Â It is an extraordinary run, and one that surely confirms his place as one of Europe’s greatest strikers. Â What’s particularly fascinating is that he doesn’t have the electrifying pace of Henry, or the brute strength of Shearer. Â He is a pure footballer, and it is a combination of intelligent movement, breathtaking technique, and devastating finishing that is seeing him ascend these heights.
The feats of Messi and Ronaldo have made this kind of goal ratio seem less out of the ordinary. Â But this kind of stat (1.07 goals p/game) simply hasn’t been achieved over such a long spell in English football before. Â He owes something to the work of his team-mates, undoubtedly – Theo Walcott, in particular – but it’s clear Robin is the star turn in this Arsenal side. Â Worrying about contracts and what might happen in twelve or twenty-four months seems to me to be an unnecessary distraction from watching a world class performer at the peak of his powers.
I couldn’t possibly let the weekend pass without some comment on Arsene Wenger’s interview with L’Equipe. Â You can read the full transcript here, and I suggest that you do just that. Â Arsene says he’ll review his position at the end of the season, but I suspect every vaguely ethical manager at every top club will do just the same. Â Whatever your views on the disaster that was the summer, the way he has steadied the ship has been mightily impressive – helped, in now small part, by a Dutchman who is, like Davy Jones’ ship, Flying.
November 6th, 2011
Thomas Vermaelen celebrates his first goal of the season
Match Report | Highlights | Arsene’s reaction
The most immediate way in which to convey the ease with which Arsenal dispatched West Brom in this game is to the tell you that, in the second half, the man sat next to me began doing his Sudoku. Furthermore, from the looks of thing, he had a good deal more trouble solving his logical based, combinatorial number-placement puzzle than Arsenal did in unpicking a W.B.A. side in abject form.
Arsenal started with a very strong team, reintroducing Robin van Persie at the expense of Park Chu-Young. Expecting the pacy Odemwingie to start, Arsene opted for Koscienly and Vermaelen at the back, with Per Mertesacker afforded a rare rest. As it happened, Odemwingie was nowhere to be seen – and neither was any real attacking threat from Roy Hodgson’s side.
When we took the lead, it was no surprise Aaron Ramsey was the heart of it. I was quite critical of him in the early part of the season, but he seems to have found his rhythm and an eye-catching, defence-splitting pass released Theo Walcott on the right. When his shot was saved by Ben Foster, it fell kindly to Robin van Persie to tuck home his 13th goal of the season, and eighth in his last four league games.
Before half-time we had doubled the lead. Again, Robin van Persie was at the heart of it. When he cut the ball back from the byline, it evaded Gervinho and Thomas Vermaelen, on one of his many forays forward, arrived to fire home. The goal was just desserts for an excellent performance from the Belgian. His urgency and willingness to get tight and win the ball early enables us to get it back quicker. The fact he’s then able to stride forward and help take part in the attack is an added bonus.
In the first half, we had 71% of possession. West Brom, conversely, had not yet managed a shot. Vermaelen was a more potent attacking threat than anyone in the Baggies’ line-up. The second half was similarly one-sided, though probably less eventful – hence the introduction of a Japanese puzzle-game by my disgruntled neighbour. Vermaelen and Van Persie both had chances to extend their tallies, with the Belgian heading just wide and RVP firing over from Walcott’s cut-back.
A series of substitutions saw Arsenal’s style change – the pace and power of Ramsey, Walcott, and Gervinho was replaced by the tippy-tappy technicians: Rosicky, Benayoun and Arshavin. It was again Van Persie who made the biggest contribution to the build-up, turning in midfield, playing a one two with Rosicky, charging in to the area and laying the ball off for Mikel Arteta to sidefoot home from the edge of the area. The Spaniard’s goal capped an impressive display – some have been a little underwhelmed by his start at Arsenal, but it’s clear to me that he’s deliberately playing a more cautious, defensive game than he’d like. Hopefully as we become more secure, he’ll be able to get forward more and express himself – the composed finish showed that he certainly has plenty still to offer.
Arsenal eased off in the remaining minutes, but crucially did manage to keep a second consecutive clean-sheet – an important achievement after the defensive horror show at Stamford Bridge. Andre Santos had the expected heart-in-mouth moments, but was still good on the ball. In the first half alone, this guy produced two 360 degree pirouettes. That’s my kind of defender. On the other flank, Carl Jenkinson looked a million miles away from the player so cruelly exposed at Old Trafford. His response has been emphatic and impressive, and he’s clearly by far the best crosser of the ball at the club.
This victory avenged the 3-2 defeat in the same fixture last year, and moved us level on points with Liverpool – a team some pundits probably thought would have disappeared over our horizons by now. We’ve got a couple of weeks off now. Keep saying those prayers and let’s hope everyone returns from international duty in good health.
October 31st, 2011
Hello all. I wrote this in the immediate aftermath of Saturday’s game, but have only just found the WIFI signal required to get it up.
Chelsea 3 – 5 Arsenal
Match Report | Highlights | Arsene’s reaction
The early part of this 2011/12 season has been characterised by some extraordinary results. Arsenal fans know this better than any, having been involved in remarkable clashes at both Old Trafford and Ewood Park. Yesterday, for the first time, one of these bizarre scorelines fell in our favour.
The scoreline might have been freakish, but the result wasn’t. An Arsenal win surprised many, myself included, but it comes off the back of an impressive run of form – it’s now eight wins from nine games. Chelsea, meanwhile, had lost their last league game at QPR.
Despite that, I didn’t dare anticipate victory. But before the game, looking at our team it did strike me that we are looking stronger than we have in some months. Over the past eight weeks or so, a new team has begun to gel, and there is suddenly a degree of solidity and momentum behind them.
It was a sign of Arsene’s confidence that he was able to leave Thomas Vermaelen on the bench, opting to continue with Laurent Koscielny and Per Mertesacker at centre-back. Johan Djourou and Andre Santos continued at full-back, with the first choice midfield trio of Song, Arteta and Ramsey restored. Gervinho and Walcott were the pacy outlets on the flanks, whilst captain Robin van Persie lead the line from the front.
One of the discussion points of the season has been the poor standard of defending. One has reluctantly come to expect that from Arsenal; from Chelsea it is more of a surprise. However, this season Andre Villas Boas has liberated his full-backs with perilous consequences. John Obi Mikel, meanwhile, is simply not a Champions League quality holding midfielder. Had the unreliable David Luiz started the game would have been even more open.
As it happened, it was a miracle the game got as far as 14 minutes at 0-0 – it could easily have been 2-2. I was particularly staggered by one miss from Gervinho – Walcott did brilliantly to skin Ashley Cole and crossed for what seemed a simple tap-in. Somehow, the Ivorian sidefooted wide. I was infuriated, and didn’t feel any better when Van Persie volleyed over an opportunity which, for a player of his equality, was relatively presentable.
When Chelsea took the lead it was through a header from Frank Lampard. Andre Santos, who had looked vulnerable in the early stages, was beaten too easily by Juan Mata, and when he crossed in to the box Lampard eluded Per Mertesacker to nod past Szczesny.
Arsenal were rocking, but before half-time had an equaliser. Aaron Ramsey, whose ninety minutes was typified by moments of enterprise and invention, played an exquisite through ball for Gervinho. This time, the winger knew better than to shoot, and squared to his skipper to tap in to an empty net.
Unfortunately, we couldn’t hold the lead until half-time, as John Terry bundled home a Frank Lampard corner at the near post. Again Mertesacker was at fault, and he and fellow new boy Santos were having a torrid time. As the half-time whistle blow, most of the talk among Arsenal fans was about replacing the Brazilian with Thomas Vermaelen.
Meanwhile, in the Arsenal dressing room, it seems Arsene Wenger was giving a speech to rival his rousing words at the AGM. With no substitutions made, Arsenal came out and attacked the second half with gusto. Within 4 minutes, we had our second equaliser of the game. And, of course, it was Santos who got the goal, racing on to a Song through-ball to tuck in to the near post and continue the fine tradition of left-backs scoring at the Bridge. From that moment on, he visibly grew in to the game, putting in several crunching tackles as well as marauding forward on the break.
Arsenal had momentum, and soon went ahead for the first time with the fifth goal of the game. Theo Walcott scooted inside from the right, tripped, fell over, clambered back to his feet, whizzed beyond two more defenders and thundered an effort in to Petr Cech’s increasingly vulnerably near post.
At this point, there were still 35 minutes to go, and I had little confidence in our capability to hold the lead. That said, when Chelsea did get their predictable equaliser, we were somewhat unfortunate. Andre Santos was fouled off the ball by Romelu Lukaku, allowing Juan Mata the space to crash in a phenomenal effort from fully thirty yards. At that point, it was easy to feel frustrated that we hadn’t paid the extra few million Euros to secure the Spaniard’s signature.
But there was still time for more late drama. John Terry, who looked at half-time as if he might prove to be the match-winner, inexplicably slipped when trying to reach a loose backpass from Florent Malouda. Robin van Persie raced on to the loose ball, and from then on there was only ever going to be one outcome. The Dutchman skipped past Petr Cech and tucked home to put Arsenal 4-3 ahead.
Chelsea were then left with no choice but to go for broke, and inevitably Arsenal created chances on the break. When Tomas Rosicky headed away an inswinging free-kick, Arsenal were able in break in numbers. Even so, when Van Persie received the ball from Mikel Arteta on the corner of Chelsea’ penalty area the outcome was far from certain. However, the Dutchman unleashed an unstoppable shot which flew past Cech at his near post. It was his hatrick, his tenth league goal of the season, and the eighth of a quite unbelievable game of football. One which we had won.
The celebrations for the fifth goal and the final whistle have have looked a little over-the-top to the neutral. They were more befitting of a side winning the league than a mere three points. However, for Arsenal fans, they require no explanation. After the horrors of Old Trafford, this game provided a necessary and hugely cathartic fillip. For the first time since the victory over Barcelona in spring, Arsenal fans are able to feel unapologetically proud of their team.
Granted, we weren’t perfect – in the first half the defending left much to be desired. But we played with a swagger that has been sadly absent since the summer.
Supporters and players alike seem to be slowly regaining faith in the potential of this club and team. Winning at Stamford Bridge was a slap in the face to those pundits who said Arsenal wouldn’t even challenge for the top four this season. We’ll certainly be there or thereabouts – the sheer brilliance of Robin van Persie alone ought to be enough to ensure that.
I can’t wait to see what the atmosphere is like at the stadium when Arsenal take on Marseille tomorrow. I hope the fans give the players the raucous welcome they deserve. And should the first goal go against us, I hope they remember the way in which we were able to twice come behind with such stunning effect over the weekend.
I think we’re all agreed that our season only started on September 1st. This weekend, it finally burst in to life. Let’s consign the pain of August to the past, and start enjoying it.
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