The Reality of Fabianski hits home
30 comments November 8th, 2010
Arsenal 0 – 1 Newcastle (Carroll 44)
Highlights | Arsene’s reaction
In the last few weeks, Lukasz Fabianski has been the subject of not undeserved praise from Arsenal fans. There have been impressive performances against Chelsea and Manchester City, and a run of consecutive games, as well as Almunia’s continued absence through “injury”, have seen Fabianski establish himself as the number one goalkeeper
However, yesterday the Polish goalkeeper produced a familiar flap which ultimately cost us the game. Up until now we’ve been pleasantly surprised by his performances, simply because last season he was making that sort of rick in each game he played. I suppose the law of averages suggests that eventually he would have a few games without a calamitous error. And he managed it. Against Newcastle, that run came to an end.
When a free-kick was launched fully forty yards in to our penalty area, Fabianski came to claim but lost out to an impressive leap from Andy Carroll, allowing the ball to bounce in to the goal. If a goalkeeper comes, he simply has to get something on the ball. Even if he can’t catch it, a punch will suffice. If Fabianski just remains on his line Carroll has to produce a quite incredible header to score. As it was, with the Pole charging recklessly out of goal, all Carroll had to go was get a nick on the ball.
The mistake is just cause for a reassessment of Fabianski’s status – and, perhaps, for swallowing a nice cold cup of realism. At the start of the season he was considered a joke. It’s going to take more than going a few games without chucking the ball in to his own net to change that.
Of course, the defeat wasn’t entirely his fault. We didn’t, after all, manage to score a goal ourselves. I didn’t see the full ninety minutes, but the sparse ‘highlights’ suggested that we never really managed to put a well-organised Newcastle side under a concerted period of pressure.
It’s a hugely disappointing result, especially in the light of losing to West Brom just a few weeks back. Arsene promised we wouldn’t be so complacent this time round, but it sounds as if that’s exactly what happened. Koscielny was sent off late on, and we can have few complaints. Had it been Chamakh rather than Nile Ranger brought down, we’d all have been baying for the red card. Though a few pedants would be asking just why Koscielny had fouled Chamakh.
Chelsea, it turns out, went on to lose at Anfield. I felt an unusual concoction of relief and frustration. Relief that we remain just five points behind, doused in exasperation with the fact we so carelessly threw away a chance to move within two points of the league leaders.
With respect to Newcastle and West Brom, both of whom were excellent at the Emirates, there is simply no excuse for losing those games. It leaves us with barely any margin for error at home – and that means it’s even more imperative we beat Chelsea and United on our own turf. Frankly, it’s about time.
