It’s all so simple. Win two games, and third is ours. Other teams’ results can do nothing about that single, unalterable fact. It should be utterly reassuring. And yet…
I must confess that I am an anxious Arsenal fan. If you’re a regular reader of the blog, that won’t surprise you: the enormity of wrenching third place from this most nightmarish of seasons, and the potential heartbreak of handing it back to Tottenham on the final day have combined to fray what little nerve I ever had. It seems it’s catching, too. Amusingly, after Newcastle and Spurs both picked up impressive wins in midweek, a reader tweeted me declaring the results were my fault, as I’d been giving out “negative vibes†all week. I question his reasoning, and yet apologise profusely.
I appreciate the arguments against anxiety. We’ve only got to play Norwich and West Brom. The Canaries seem to have preempted their summer holidays, losing three on the bounce and conceding an average of almost four goals p/ game across those fixtures. West Brom, meanwhile, are also playing for nothing, and are led by a manager who has admitted to the press he would have preferred to resign in order to focus on his forthcoming responsibilities as England manager. On paper, these are distinctly winnable fixtures.
The problem is that Arsenal have a habit of losing distinctly winnable fixtures. Even in the midst of our best run of the season, we managed to come unstuck against Wigan and QPR. Common perception is that we’ve stalled; our positive momentum halted by an unshifting metaphorical handbrake. We’re all looking nervously towards Robin van Persie, a figure whose form this season has been so stupendous as to take on a mythical quality. He, we all hope, is the Arthurian figure who can release the handbrake from the stone and set us on the roll again.
My panic reached its peak on Wednesday night. Whilst things have been in our own hands for a while now, I can’t help but hope for favours from others. Going in to the game, we knew that a draw between Chelsea and Newcastle, coupled with defeat for Spurs, would leave us needing to win just one of our two remaining games to guarantee third spot. At a certain point, it looked as if we might get our wish: Newcastle held a slender 1-0 lead at Stamford Bridge, as Bolton equalised against Tottenham. However, Papiss Cisse’s wonder goal and Bolton’s defensive collapse soon put an end to that. Spurs and Newcastle have now closed to within a point of us, and suddenly we’re under the cosh.
After a brief period of catastrophising, during which I began to cancel all my post-August appointments for Thursday nights, I consoled myself with the thought that in these end-of-season tussles for league positioning, the dynamic can shift very quickly. Look at the battle at the bottom: the favourites to join Wolves in the Championship seem to change on a week-by-week basis. This Saturday, Arsenal have a tremendous opportunity. Beat Norwich – as we know we must – and suddenly the pressure piles back on to the chasing pack. They would know that defeat on Sunday, when Newcastle face title-chasers Man City and Spurs travel to a relegation-threatened Villa, would leave us out of reach.
There is no reason we shouldn’t do it. When you take a step back, talk of our ‘poor form’ is somewhat overblown. Yes, we haven’t won in three, and the defeat to Wigan was very disappointing, even taking in to account their recent giant-killing exploits. Draws against Chelsea and away to Stoke, however, are creditable results. At the Britannia, there were signs that the fighting spirit so crucial to our second half of the season resurgence is returning.
We have all the ingredients to win both remaining games. Our first-choice back four is fit and in form. We have the league’s best player, and he’s back among the goals. And, as supporters, we have the reassurance provided by having been in this situation before, and come out on top – albeit with a little help from a dodgy lasagna and a certain Yossi Benayoun.
The squad must know now that there is absolutely no margin for error. Spurs have had their dip, and are now right back in form. Newcastle’s dip came and went months ago, and they look like they could overturn anyone at the moment. The pressure is back on us now, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. It’s when we were comfortably clear that we began to look a little complacent. Beat Norwich tomorrow, and the pendulum swings once again.
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.
You can come out. The interlull is over, and between now and Christmas, there’s a veritable flurry of football. Here’s some of what I’ve been thinking about:
…Joel Campbell
As some of you know, I spent a good deal of my summer following the trail as Arsenal pursued Costa Rican striker, Joel Campbell. Whilst a deal was ultimately agreed, Arsenal were forced to send the player on loan to Lorient after his application for a work permit was rejected.
If he continues to rack up international caps he has a chance of qualifying for a permit next summer.
…Thierry’s return
Despite his relative success at Lorient, Campbell will be kicking himself that he’s not in London at the moment. If he were, he’d be able to pick up a few tips from one of the game’s true greats. Arsenal’s record goalscorer, Thierry Henry, is training with the club to keep himself fit in the MLS off-season.
The sight of Thierry in an Arsenal training strip is enough to make me feel all fuzzy inside, like the mouth of person suffering from flu. So, in the hope of giving you the same on this cold Friday morning – the nice feeling, not the flu – here’s a picture:
The blonde man behind Henry is American Brek Shea, who is here not only to keep fit, but also to try and impress Arsene enough to earn a move across the Atlantic. By the looks of things, he’d instantly take Gervinho’s crown as possessor of the worst haircut at the club.
Whilst I don’t think anyone would realistically want Henry to come back and sully his record and reputation, but at times Arsene must be tempted to bring him back to the club on loan. This January will leave us with only the injury-prone van Persie and anonymous Park as striking options. Tempting, isn’t it…
…Gervinho’s assists
Whoever plays up front for Arsenal will be able to rely on a decent supply from Gervinho. In ten starts, the Ivorian has created six goals. It’s an impressive return, and suggests his record as the most productive attacking player in France last season was no fluke. The challenge now is to improve his own finishing and take some of the goalscoring burden off RVP.
…Kieran Gibbs
Yesterday saw Jack Wilshere tweet the following:
It doesn’t take Jonathan Creek to work out that Gibbs must have been going some sort of surgical procedure, and the whispers are that it was for a troublesome hernia. If that is the case, I’d expect him to miss a further month. Still, at least Andre Santos has been working hard on his new fitness regime:
…Norwich
Our next game is away to Norwich tomorrow lunchtime. I’ve been really impressed with both the Canaries and Swansea, who’ve managed to combine decent results with attractive, enterprising football. Any lapse in concentration will doubtless be punished, so we’ll need everyone to refocus immediately after their international exploits.
…the Arsecast
In order to celebrate the return of proper football, I had a chat with Arseblogger for today’s Arsecast. Why not head over to www.arseblog.com and have a listen? On the agenda: Injuries in defence, Koreans in Sunderland, and racism in football. Enjoy.
