Every so often an event rolls around that reminds you how lucky you are to be an Arsenal fan. This week, there were three.
It was a week that got off to an inauspicious start as we lost 3-1 to Olympiakos in a game that already feels further away than the 1500 miles we travelled to get there. I wasn’t watching live due to alternative commitments, though from what I can gauge the match was notable for two things: the riveting competition between Lukasz Fabianski and Vito Mannone to decide who could be our most flaptacular back-up goalie, and an injury to Andre Santos which, it has just revealed, will keep him out for three months.
It’s big blow to lose the bulky Brazilian full-back, but as bare as we are in both full-back positions we’re fortunate that we have riches in the centre of defence. We’re now able to field Thomas Vermaelen at full-back, leaving the middle in the hands of Laurent Koscielny and Per Mertesacker – two top-class international defenders. Hopefully the likes of Gibbs, Jenkinson, and even Sagna will soon be back to ease the burden on our versatile centre-halves.
As for Santos – well, he’s been outstanding in the early part of his Arsenal career. According to whoscored.com, he’s put in more tackles p/game than any other defender in the Premier League. That said, I’m told we ought to have expected this: it’s a stipulation of his contract that he never plays any games over the Christmas period. He calls it ‘The Santos Clause’ (I’ll get me coat).
The meaningless result in Greece would prove to be the low-point of my footballing week, which suggests the rest of it was pretty darn good. The following evening, around 500 Arsenal fans gathered to celebrate the release of Arseblog’s Arsenal Anthology – So Paddy Got Up. I only arrived late, as the crowds were finally beginning to dissipate, but it remained a tremendous occasion.
I have written a chapter for the book which attempts to depict how the digital world has changed things for Arsenal supporters, and without giving too much away it’s something of a sign of the times that you can put 500 strangers in a room together, with Arsenal as the sole bond between them, and witness such heartwarming results. I met some lovely folk from the Arsenal blogosphere (including Gingers4Limpar, whose recent piece on the use of the ‘Y’ word is essential reading), as well as several readers of this site, and marvelled at Arseblogger’s achievement in not just compiling and editing the book, but bringing together a community so full of support, goodwill and kindness.
The book, I should add, really would make a tremendous Christmas present for anyone with Arsenal in their height. Red and white are, after all, the most Christmassy of colours. You can order your copy here.
As if the cockels of my heart weren’t sufficiently warmed by that evening, by Thursday afternoon they were positively roasted. I was very grateful to be invited by Arsenal to attend the unveiling of three statues commissioned to commemorate the club’s 125th Anniversary. It was something of an open secret that the statue’s would be of Herbert Chapman, Tony Adams, and Thierry Henry. What I didn’t know was that Mr. Henry would be there in person, and that I would be stood just yards from the legendary striker when he broke down upon seeing his statue.
I was stood there alongside the venerable Goonerholic, and I don’t think he’d mind me saying that we too were a little choked by this obvious display of emotion.
Again, there were plenty of friendly and famous faces present. Special mention is due for Bob Wilson, who took the time to chat to fans and sign countless autographs, and Francis from ArsenalFrance, who is not only charming company but spends a lot of his own time helping Francophonic Gooners get to games.
As for the statues – well, for my money, they look magnificent, and are yet another fitting adornment to the stadium. A lot has been said about the ‘Arsenalisation’ of the Emirates, but for me the club deserve enormous credit for the way they have sought to make the ground feel like home. For me, at last, it does.
So by the time Saturday rolled around, everyone was in the mood for a party, and boy did they get it. The club handled the 125th Anniversary celebrations with the class you would expect, and thanks too are due to the BBC for the special attention we were afforded on Match of the Day:
As for the game itself – well, it wasn’t the most exciting, but as Arsene pointed out there was a certain poignancy in the scoreline: 1-0 to the Arsenal. And the goal scored was one that will be remembered well in to our next century.
It is a truly stunning volley from a player we are honoured to be watching this season.
This week ends with a trip to league leaders Man City. A positive result there and it might come close to matching the last seven days.
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:
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+.
When the Champions League draw was made, a lot of hullabaloo was made about the perceived difficulty of Manchester City’s group. So much so that our treacherous passage passed almost without mention, which was even surprising considering that, lest we forget, we were a club ‘in crisis’.
As United and Chelsea geared up for predictable processions, a shaken Arsenal side were set to face the Champions of both Germany and Greece. City’s ‘group of death’, it should be noticed, does not contain a single domestic Champion.
And yet this morning, Arsenal are the only English side qualified for the knockout phase. Not only that, but we can play our final group game away to Olympiacos safe in the knowledge that whatever happens, we will win the group, thus avoiding the likes of Bayern, Inter, Madrid and Barca in the last 16.
I’m sure I’m not alone in feeling tremendously proud, which is something that was difficult to envisage in the dark days of August. So much credit is due to Arsene Wenger and the team for the way in which they’ve turned things around. Hopefully reaching this milestone will provide a significant confidence boost as we chase our goals for the rest of the season: principally, making sure we’re back in the competition next season.
Dortmund started brightly, but their plans were disrupted by two injuries in quick succession. First, Sven Bender launched a tackle at Thomas Vermaelen. Against a mere human, Bender would doubtless have walked away unscathed. After tangling with The Verminator, however, he found himself with a jaw that was broken in two places. Ouch.
Moments later, Mario Götze came off worse in a clash with the imposing Alex Song, and limped off. The playmaker had started brightly, and was naturally a big loss to a Dortmund side whose work ethic and incisive passing had made them a real threat early on.
Arsenal didn’t manage to carve out any clear-cut chances in the first-half, but within four minutes of the second they were ahead. Alex Song seemed possessed by the spirit of Thierry Henry, who was looking on from the upper tier, as he picked up the ball on the left-hand side and waltzed past four defenders before looping a wonderful cross to the back post. Predictably, the man there to meet it was Robin van Persie, who planted a firm header beyond the goalkeeper.
It was a fantastic piece of individual play by Song, and a telling contribution towards his man of the match performance. It’s somewhat ironic, however, that his most memorable moment was a piece of attacking play, because it was on the defensive side that he really excelled. He played deeper than usual, and did some superb work covering the forward forays of Andre Santos. It’s no coincidence that on a night where Song patrolled in front of the back-line so effectively, Santos had his best game in an Arsenal shirt.
The same should have been sealed shortly after. Aaron Ramsey, inventive and industrious in midfield, played in Gervinho. However, the Ivorian is clearly yet to find the shooting boots he mislaid so spectacularly at Carrow Road, and he rounded the keeper only to hesitate and allow the chance to go by. His finishing simply has to improve: at some point, misses like this will cost us.
Not last night, however – thanks again to that man, Robin van Persie. I had pleaded in my preview for someone else to step up to the goalscoring mantle, but it wasn’t to be. The Dutchman just cannot stop scoring. The goal that clinched the game typified the groove he is in – stepping away from his marker early to reach a Thomas Vermaelen near-post flick on and tap in to an unguarded net. He now has more than four times as many goals as our next highest scorer. And, at last, we’ve managed to score from a corner.
There was a late consolation for Dortmund, with Kagawa side-footing home after some slack defending from substitute Johan Djourou. Hearteningly, Thomas Vermaelen was furious and berated his team-mates. We’re beginning to take pride in the game’s less glamorous elements. Their fans deserved to see a goal. They were superb throughout the ninety minutes, even managing a chorus of “You only sing when you’re winning†in perfect English.
In recognition, Arsenal fans concurred “we only sing when we’re winningâ€. But last night, we had plenty to sing about. And, after all, we only needed One Song.
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It will be a cold, crisp night at the Emirates as Arsenal play host to Borussia Dortmund. The Champions of Germany are in terrific form, and it promises to be the sort of evening that makes this competition so alluring. The objective for Arsenal is simple: win, and achieve qualification. Failure to do so could leave us needing a result in Greece when we face Olympiacos: hardly a reassuring prospect. After the ill-fortune of drawing Barca last season, our focus should be not just on qualification, but on topping the group to ensure an easier passage in the next round.
Dortmund have plenty to play for too. Defeat could put them out of the competition; victory would leave them facing what would effectively be a play-off against Marseille. Like us, they had a slow start to the season but have recently found an impressive level of consistency, culminating with a 1-0 win away to rivals Bayern Munich at the weekend.
As a consequence of our own good form, I don’t expect Arsene to make any changes to the team that beat Norwich at the weekend. In the interim period, we have lost Tomas Rosicky to injury, but that bad news is tempered by the surprise inclusion of Abou Diaby in a matchday squad for the first time this season. I had genuinely begun to forget that he even played for us, so having him back as an option is a pleasant surprise.
Naming the same team will mean that Per Mertesacker will come up against a familiar foe. Arsene has yet again moved to defend his summer signing, saying:
“When Per came here he was not completely fit. But now he is getting stronger and stronger. I felt on Saturday he had not recovered from Germany’s game with Holland and looked tired. He has recovered now and will play tomorrow.
In England, when you’re in front of the striker you have not won the battle. In many countries you have. But they fight till the last second here.
Of course he is under pressure and scrutiny. Yet you don’t feel sorry for a situation like that because it’s what happens at a big club.
However he is intelligent and he will adapt quickly. He is very responsible as well. He didn’t complain about a possible free-kick [on the Morison goal] because he was pulled down. He just said he should have cleared it earlier.”
I have to say I think that, for the most part, Mertesacker has done very well. The Morison incident was undoubtedly a major error but all defenders are prone to that kind of nightmare once in a blue moon. In fact, I don’t think Arsene would be wise to carry on talking about the German’s ‘critics’ – it is reinforcing the idea of him as a dubious signing and potentially damaging the player’s confidence.
However you evaluate the acquisition of Mertesacker, it seems Arsene has his heart set on doing some more shopping in the Bundesliga. After Raphael Honigstein reported earlier this week that Arsenal had not yet abandoned their pursuit of Mario Götze, Arsene indicated to the German press yesterday that he might hold an interest in the Dortmund playmaker. I don’t expect any movement in January, but I can envisage us lining up an unusually high-profile attacking signing for next summer, to replace Fabregas and Nasri and allay the fears of Robin van Persie. Götze or Lille’s Eden Hazard would certainly fit the bill.
What both players would potentially add is goals from a source other than our skipper. Whilst it has been enthralling to watch him hammer the ball in to the net at such an alarming rate, it does slightly mask a dearth of goals from other attacking players in the team. RVP currently has 15, and our next highest goalscorer is Theo Walcott with 4. Gervinho, the third striker in our line-up, has just two – although he should have at least doubled that tally on Saturday alone. If we are to win tonight, it would be nice to share the goalscoring responsibility around somewhat.
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.
