Arsenal prepare to get back on the horse
147 comments February 21st, 2013
Realistically speaking, Arsenal have one remaining target this season: to qualify for the Champions League. That battle recommences this weekend as Arsenal host an ailing Aston Villa side.
It’s ostensibly a good chance to get back on the good foot. Despite recent positive results against Everton and West Ham, Villa are remain right in the relegation mix. This is a side that we should be beating, and the odds reflect that: Ladbrokes has Arsenal as 1/3 to win the game.
It’s also a weekend that could see us make ground on our rivals. Chelsea travel to Manchester City, while Tottenham face a tricky London derby at Upton Park. If results go our way, we could go in to next week’s crucial North London derby just one point behind Spurs.
The next few games will have a huge say on our ultimate league position. After Villa, we face Spurs, Everton and Swansea in succession. We simply cannot afford to allow our downward spiral to continue.
In an effort to bring some spark back to the side, I’d advocate the reintroduction of Tomas Rosicky. Last season, when things were similarly precarious, his energy and drive was essential in dragging us towards the top four, and his recent cameos suggest he’s capable of making a similar impact in the latter portion of this season.
We are entering that period of the campaign when performances cease to matter: it is all about results. We need to grab every point we can between now and May, and hope that Spurs combust in their own inimitable style. An injury to Gareth Bale would probably help, too.
Finally, at a time when the world and his wife seem to writing letters (either open, closed or slightly ajar) to significant figures at Arsenal, it’d be remiss of me not to mention this piece of musical correspondence between Arsene Wenger and Stan Kroenke. It’s worrying how much of it is still relevant.
