Arsenal coast past Reading

Football is a strange old game. A month ago we would have considered this a simple three points to carry on in our relentless bid to win the Premiership title. Yesterday morning, I was hoping for a win just to make sure third place was more or less sealed…

And while we did play well enough to beat a poor reading side, I can’t help feeling that the whole match just proved one of our main weaknesses in the past few months - our conversion of chances. We had 68% possession, 20 shots and 12 corners. How many goals did we score? 2. That is simply not good enough for a top four team, and I’m not sure how we can really improve this ratio. Is it just the fact that some teams have better luck? Or is it that we have appalling finsihers up front? I think that certainly van Persie should have scored a couple, but he did hit the bar and the post with one shot, and we had a ball cleared off the line, while Walcott also hit the bar in the match. It is those tiny differences that have caught us out this season, yesterday it was only the difference between 2-0 and 6-0, but at places like Birmingham, Old Trafford and Anfield, it has proved the difference between taking all three points or not, and also the difference between a successful side and a side whose season has finished in April.

Nevertheless, there were other positive things to take out of yesterday’s game. Theo Walcott proved that he can make a difference as a starter, skipping past Reading players and causing them problems. Adebayor showed the doubters once again that he can be a top striker. And Alex Song definitely illustrated what a changed player he has become this season, even in his less favoured position of centre back.

Having pressured for the first half, we found ourselves 2-0 up with goals from Adebnayor and a deflected Gilberto effort at half time, and we never looked like giving up the lead from there. The second half continued in the same fashion throughout the second half as well, with van Persie’s superb free kick that came off the bar and then the post being the closest Arsenal came to a third goal, although as I mentioned earlier, Theo Walcott was played through only for his left foot shot to hit the top of the bar, and when Fabregas was put one-on-one with the goalkeeper for the second time in the match, he too couldn’t convert, with Duberry blocking his shot on the line and leaving Arsenal settle for the 2-0 result.

Alexander Hleb could well be in trouble after he petulantly slapped Graham Murty in the face in an off-the-ball incident, and if he is banned for three games, it is all that he deserves for the blatant stupidty that he showed in doing that. It’s a shame that such a good player feels the need to do that sort of thing with the game won, and he will be punsihed deservedly for it.

Why?!

I really still don’t understand, and its been almost 24 hours since the game began, how we managed to lose that tie. I haven’t got a clue where to begin, but begin I shall.

The match started with only one team in it, with the fantastic atmosphere we can only dream of hearing at the Emirates giving us the impetus it seemed, rather than intimidating the players. This was just as I had thought, and as we ran rings around the far less technical Liverpool players I thought we were in for a fantastic European night for Arsenal. This feeling was strengthened further when Diaby deservedly gave Arsenal the lead, with fantastic one touch build up play leading to Adebayor’s cut back being smothered by Reina, but only as far as Flamini, who expertly controlled and distributed to Fabregas, who passed to Hleb who passsed to Diaby who scored. 1-0 to the Arsenal then, and we didn’t stop there.

Oh no, we started to humiliate our opponents with our sublime range of passing into feet, working the ball wide, working the ball left and creating a couple of decent chances, and with another couple of nearly-chances with the final ball just not appearing. But, just as with Arsenal’s season, as it started to look too good to be true, it was bought crashing down to Earth. Liverpool had a corner swept into the middle to Hyypia, who had somehow outfoxed Senderos to head home completely unmarked, despite Fabregas’ best efforts to block the ball with his head on the line. Flamini then was forced off with an injury, and replaced by Gilberto, making Arsenal seem to have something missing in the midfield, with the mobility of that area of the pitch halved by the Brazilian’s introduction. Liverpool had some possession, and a lot of long balls that were coming back to Liverpool players, but they couldn’t muster a chance between them, and so the half ended all square.

The second period started how the first had ended, plenty of possession for Liverpool with the ball seemingly unable to stick to an Arsenal player for longer than a few seconds at a time. But Liverpool lacked the invention to harm Arsenal and Eboue could and should have made them pay when played into the area by Toure, but for some reason Eboue found himself lacink any footballing intelligence, something which is vital in these situations, and duly shot from an impossible angle rather than cross the ball with reina out of position. Of course, as has been the case in the last month or so, we are inevitably punished for these misses, and when Torres recieved the ball in the area, who then swivelled and shot in to the top corner with barely a hint of movement from either the two Arsenal players with him or the Arsenal keeperit seemed as though we didn’t actually want to stop him from scoring.

But soon we had a chance to equalise. The goal had spurned us on to play better once again, and Adebayor should have scored when a ball towards van Persie ran on into the box to the unmarked Adebayor, who took a hopeful swipe at the ball which, obviously, missed the target hopelessly. But all was not lost (yet) as Walcott had other ideas. Up against the team he supported, he recieved the ball on the edge of his own box, before skipping past one challenge after another, showing lightning pace, before cutting the ball back in the opposite box to which he started the move from, into Adebayor’s path who couldn’t possibly have missed if he had tried. Arsenal should have then closed out the game, Theo Walcott playing on the counter for a killer goal to seal a momentous victory that would have seen the teenager finally hailed for what he is - a potential star of the world game.

But again as with the latter part of this season, nothing ever goes according to plan - within a minute of Theo’s wonderful assist, we were behind again, and there would be no going back this time. Toure was pointlessly jumping around behind Babel when there was a covering Arsenal defender who could have dealt with the situation almost certainly, and Babel, an Arsenal fan, took the decision of falling down. Had this been at the Emirates last week, Babel would have had more chance of a yellow card for diving than a penalty for his fall, but up stepped the referee to deliver the killer blow to Arsenal’s hopes this season.

Gerrard shot and Almunia got absolutely nowhere near a fantastic penalty, and with time running out we were found with all our players in Liverpool’s box bar Fabregas, who was on the right wing just inside his own half, the ball wasplayed through and Babel, despite having a huge advantage over Fabregas in terms of pace, only just managed to get to Almunia to stroke it past him before the young Spaniard arrived to see all Arsenal hopes diminish.

Match ratings: Arsenal 1 - 1 Liverpool

Seems a bit pointless to do a match report for such a half hearted match, so i will instead just post match ratings.

Manuel Almunia - 5 - Did well enough, maybe could have done more with the goal though.
Justin Hoyte - 4 - Just not at it for mst of the match, needs games to improve and while he’s not getting games he won’t improve, so at the very least a loan spell is a must.
Kolo Touré - 4 - Keeps making little mistakes we’re not used to seeing from him.
William Gallas - 6 - Did alright, our most solid defnder easily.
Armand Traore - 5.5 - Terrible first half, much better in the second half. As I write this he is battering Tottenham’s Reserves on the left wing - he needs playing time but has massive potential. 

Gilberto Silva - 6 - Did a tidy job in the second half, far better than he has done in other games he has featured in.
Mathieu Flamini - 6.5 - Tried very hard as ever, didn’t look half as tired as Fabregas did, but didn’t quite cut it going forward.
Cesc Fabregas - 5.5 - Drifted in and out of the game, glimpses of the real Fabregas but generally poor. Must do better on Tuesday.
Emmanuel Eboue - 3 - Terrible yet again - doesn’t protect the defence enough, hasn’t got the quality at the other end either.
Theo Walcott - 6 - Poor first half, but did well in the second half once again.

Nicklas Bendtner - 6.5 - Should have scored two, but held the ball well and a good header for the equaliser.

Subs
Emmanuel Adebayor - 6.5 - Ran and ran, but didn’t really offer that much of an attacking threat.
Gael Clichy - 6 - Not much to say, wasn’t spectacular but wasn’t bad either.
Alexander Hleb - 5 - Vital moment to win the game and is control let him down for once. Typical.

Unlucky Arsenal can’t get around the parked bus

Arsenal were robbed yesterday. We had 58% possession, thirteen shots and six corners to Liverpool’s meagre 42% possession, just four shots and three corners.

Yet we drew the game 1-1.

Yes Liverpool played the game with as much purpose as you see teams have in pre-season friendlies, but we let this style of football beat us by not getting the result that we wanted, and perhaps even needed ahead of next weeks return leg at Anfield. We have simply got to improve our conversion of chances that come our way if we are going to progress, and a little bit of fortune to favour us would be nice after seeing numerous obvious decisions somehow not being noticed in the last month or so.

We started well and van Persie had a couple of shots go close, Adebayor also getting half chances. And with 24 minutes gone it was looking good for the Gunners, having scored our first, first half goal since the game against Blackburn in early February, with Adebayor heading home a great ball from van Persie indirectly from a corner. Another surprising statistic (I’m on a bit of a run with stats today) is that the goal from the corner is the fourth successive game in which we’ve scored from that particular type of set piece, which is an encouraging statistic. Now all we need to do is remember how to score from open play and we’ll be alright….

Unforgiveable sloppiness almost immediately gave back the initiative to Liverpool, three minutes after the opener Toure and Eboue both got clear chances to tackle Steven Gerrard before the Red’s captain entered the penalty area and crossed for Kuyt to bundle the ball home to equalise. Liverpool then put a bit of pressure on Arsenal before half time, although no clear cut chances were made by them really.

The second half belonged to Arsenal with Liverpool retreating so far back into their shell I doubt they will be coming back out again until next weeks match, meaning we’ll get exactly the same situation to deal with on Saturday, which will be more good practice for playing against lower opposition. Walcott had replaced van Persie at half time and showed more reasons why Eboue should be dropped in favour of the young Englishman, out on the left he created several moments of danger including a brilliantly hit drive going narrowly wide.

Then the most controversial part of the match happened. Hleb skipped past the challenges of about half the Liverpool team and was bearing down on goal when Kuyt clearly caught hold of Hleb, bringing the Belurussian to the ground. Clear penalty, but not as the referee saw it, who had decided to keep out of any situation that may force him into action of any kind. He could and should have dished out several cards to Arsenal and Liverpool players but bizarrely didn’t, presumably thinking the game would flow better if there were no cards, but if there was no point to booking playersthen surely Fifa would get rid of cards altogether?

After that Arsenal fizzled out to a large extent, with only one more clear cut chance falling to Fabregas, who duly got the ball beyond Reina but somehow Bendtner managed to stop the ball on the line and was subsequently ruled offside.

So all to do at Anfield, but with the showing yesterday I believe that we have what it takes to score at least one goal there, particularly if the mighty Reds venture out of defence….

Tired Arsenal produce a stunning comeback

 

Yesterday really felt like a do or die game for Arsenal’s season. I know that Bolton are a fairly poor team this year, and that the Premiership is no longer in our hands bar a miraculous turn of events, but like when we finally lost our unbeaten run in 2004, if we’d lost yesterday you could see us losing another four on the trot, with the trio of games against Liverpool followed by the game against Manchester United coming up next.

And at 2-0 down at half time, we looked down and out, despite dominating most of the half. We had spurned several good chances in the first twenty minutes or so, with van Persie looking direct and shooting on site, and Bendtner also getting chances, when Steinsson produced a great cross for the home team, which Taylor headed home having lost Toure at the back post. It got even worse soon, Diaby lunging in desperately in an effort to win possession after a scrappy period of play, but only succeeding  in getting sent off for his crude challenge. And by the time Flamini dwelt on the ball for 5 seconds too long and gave Taylor the opportunity to put Bolton 2-0 up, which he duly did, Arsenal looked tired and forlorn. Even when Flamini was given a fairly straight forward chance to amend for his error which he skied, there seemed little hope of a comeback - Bolton had the game in the bag.

Or so it seemed, especially when they then dominated the possession and threat against the ten men of Arsenal, and with half an hout left to play Wenger went to three at the back, throwing on Adebayor and Walcott in a last attempt to salvage something.

Within a few minutes Fabregas’ good delivery was flicked on by Campo straight to Gallas who made no mistake. Having held the lead comfortably for so long, somehow Bolton managed to self destruct as soon as Gallas’ shot hit the back of the net, and it wasn’t long before the Gunners were level. A lovely backheel from Adebayor set up Flamini whose shot was saved, but came out to the onrushing Hleb who was brought down by Cahill for a penalty. Up stepped van Persie who made absolutely no mistake.

And having got the second, a third seemed like it was destined to come, van Persie going close again and again, once after fantastic work by Walcott which highlighted his immense potential once more. And in the final seconds of normal time, Hleb darted into the area, slipped the ball to Fabregas, who, with the aid of two deflections scored a wondefully scrappy goal against the kings of winning ugly.

That win keeps us fighting in the league, but more importantly gives us belief and confidence ahead of the Liverpool triple header. I just hope that the players’ fitness can hold up with the fixture list, as key players’ absences or fatigue could cost us the season.

Arsenal 1 - 1 Middlesbrough

Four points in twelve games is clearly not title winning form, and when you look at the fixtures that we have had: Birmingham City, Aston Villa, Wigan and on Saturday the 1-1 draw against Boro’, these are all fixtures that we have gone into the match thinking that the most likely outcome would be three points. The fsum total of four points that we have got, then, are more than just disappointing - they are bordering on disaster.

And despite the three previous draws, I still travelled to the Emirates with all the optimism you could possibly want or need - the three points were virtually ours from where I was standing. And in the first ten minutes, we all but blew Boro’ away, with fantastic passing allied to direct running making Middlesbrough cling on to the match desperately. Adebayor had the ball in the net and the goal without a doubt should have stood - how you can be offside having been played through by an opposition player I will never know. Eboue then had a cross hit the crossbar and from that point you could see that luck was not with us.

But with Boro struggling to get out of their half, even with Arsenal’s passing and movement not flowing at its brilliant best we seemed assured of the win. But then we gave away a dubious free kick, which Schwarzer hit long towards the offside Aliadiere and the onside Tuncay, with the Turkish winger latching onto the ball and crossing for the now (apparently) onside Aliadiere to score against us, his former team.

The sighs were audible around the ground, and a familiar story that was repeated every week last season began to take shape as the first half slowly drew to a close.

Arsenal had all the pressure for all the second half, but were somehow kept at bay by Middlesbrough, while the referee showed signs of increasing incompetence. And I am not complaining about the ref because the result went against us - he made some terrible decisions against Boro as well, although as we had all the pressure obviously we had the worst of it. Van Persie came close with a left foot strike from outside the area, Fabregas had a header shave the post but the pressure still didn’t have any effect on the scoreline.

With five minutes remaining we got an undeserved corner as Eboue clearly fouled Young heading towards the by-line, and from the resulting superb delivery that Fabregas gave Toure was there to head in past the obstructed Schwarzer (obstructed by his own player I’d like to add). It was less than Arsenal deserved, but if you can’t take chances you will slip up again and again and we did that on Saturday. One thing is for sure - if we do not rise to the challenge of Chelsea with some effective football, we’ll be found dumped out of the title race before we play Liverpool in the Champions League in three weeks time.

Perfection……

Last night was billed as a triumph of youth over experience, but I think that Wenger has built a side that has both of these qualities, and that factor coupled with Wenger’s brilliance has given Arsenal a third famous win in Europe in as many years. While before in Turin and Madrid we did have the semblance of seasoned players such as Henry, Pires, Ljungberg and Campbell, this victory was achieved entirely by Arsene’s third generation team, and from last nights performance every other team in world football can be fearful of how good this side could be.

It could have been four. That is quite a statement to make about a game with the current European champions on their own patch, and it is even more shocking when it is completely and utterly true. The first fifteen minutes were unsurprisingly edgy and tense, Arsenal having the front foot, then Milan making a counter attack, only for Arsenal to do the same, but despite the franctic energy of the opening minutes, only one really clear cut opportunity was made, with a Milan corner deflected goalwards before Fabregas, on the line, kicked the ball clear of danger.

Milan then had their best period of possession in the whole game for five minutes, but there were only glimpses of chances for Inzaghi and Pato, although the Brazilian starlets chance was perhaps better than his attempt at converting it suggested it was.

And then it was Arsenal’s turn to shine. Fabregas, Hleb and Flamini ran the show from then on, passing around the masters of such football in a way which was almost humiliating for the home side. And just after the half hour mark in the game, Arsenal’s probing pressure brought about a clear cut chance. Adebayor’s tireless running made the chance, cutting inside three Milan players and squaring to Fabregas, whose powerful swerving strike could only rebaound off the bar. Milan did try and counter throughout the Gunners’ spell of pressure, but as soon as Kaka got the ball Flamini or Fabregas would be right next to him, coming in with a decisive challenge to end the playmakers immediate threat.

Arsenal did not get the goal they wanted and looked like they needed before half time, but quick out of the blocks they looked to correct this detail in the opening minutes of the second half, creating two massive chances that agin Arsenal failed to convert. The first fell to Senderos at the back post from a corner, somehow failing to direct the ball past Kalac from six yards out. Then it was Eboue’s turn to miss a gilt edged chance, being played through brilliantly after lovely build up play, before the Ivorian blasting the ball wastefully wide with just the keeper to beat.

With twenty minutes left, Wenger through on Walcott in a do or die move for Arsenal, and it seemed to do the trick. The diminutive Englishman was amongst the action pretty soon, getting the ball from a fantastic Hleb throughball, but was just unable to lay the ball off to Gallas for what would have been an easy tap-in had Kalac not jumped on the ball to intercept a certain goal.

But with five minutes left we finally got what the players so clearly deserved: A goal. And when it came, it could not have fallen to a more deserving player, as Cesc Fabregas let fly from 30 yards to grab a vital goal. And when Walcott raced away and beat the Milan defence for pace before laying off a beautiful ball for Adebayor to get his first Champions League goal, it was no less than Arsenal deserved.

Arsenal 1 - 1 Aston Villa: Bendtner keeps Arsenal top

 

Arsenal quite simply, got out of jail on Saturday. But because of this I almost feel positive about the result rather than frustrated as I would have been if Arsenal had drawn but performed brilliantly throughout.

But there is one certainty - Arsenal need to start to replicate their form from the start of teh season if they are to put the run together that we need to bring the title back to the Emirates Stadium come the end of the season.

Arsenal started the game off brightly enough, Walcott looking particularly bright after his first two Premiership goals the weekend before, and he went close with Carson preventing the speedy Englishman from scoring in consecutive games, and Adebayor alsohad a decent chance from a free kick. But to be truthful, Arsenal were not at the races either in the first half or the second, with Agbonlahor being prevented from a one on one with Almunia by a superb challenge from Gallas. Senderos could have scored after a scrappy corner fell to him, but he produced a woeful finish with Carson out of goal. And the Swiss defender was soon to be cursing his luck further, as Gallas stood off Agbonlahor far too much and he delivered for the arriving Senderos to deflect the ball into his own net.

Then came very possibly the best move of the whole game for Arsenal, in stoppage time of the first half, Walcott and Adebayor combining excellently to leave Fabregas a fairly straight forward chance to equalise, but the young Spaniard messed up the finish badly.

Like in the first half, Arsenal started reasonably brightly, Walcott again bringing a save from Carson, but it was seeming even then that it was inevitable Arsenal were going to lose this match. Yes, Arsenal had plenty of possession, and Aston Villa were dropping steadily further and further back in their own half, but Maloney was prevented from doubling Villa’s lead by a push onto the post by Almunia, and Harewood also went close. At the other end Arsenal were struggling to muster up one proper chance.

But fortunately they did manage to create one final chance, in the final seconds of stoppage time, Clichy whipped in a ball to the far post, Adebayor nodded down to Bendtner and the big Dane made no mistake from 6 yards out with his finish to get a share of the spoils that Arsenal needed so much.

Shocking….

 

Yesterday could well be a milestone in the title race to look back upon and wonder about what could have been. But I don’t care. The career of Eduardo, if not completely finished, will at least be heavily damaged and as Arsenal fans the injury to a very promising player is without doubt the most important thing to reflect upon.

 I will cover the Eduardo incident in far more detail in another post later on, and try and keep to an accurate account of the match for this article, as difficult as that is given the bearing the injury had on the match.

When Taylor got shown the red within three minutes I thought that the game was in the bag, the three points guaranteed, but when it became clear the effect of the challenge on not only Eduardo but his stricken team mates around him,the game suddenly seemed far less important to both the fans and the players, and this showed in the first half. It took twenty minutes for Birmingham to capitalise on Arsenal’s shock, with Birmingham getting a free kick on the edge of the penalty area after a 50:50 challenge from Flamini that could have gone either way. Mcfadden stepped up and showed his class by curling the ball into the top right corner of the net. In a disjointed and poor first half, Muamba was immense in central midfield for 10 man Birmingham, and McFadden also showed glimpses of class, and probably should have doubled his tally one on one with Almunia, but bizarrely mis kicked the ball wide.

The second half couldn’t have been more different though, with Arsenal seemingly resolved to win the game for Eduardo. Fabregas and Hleb picked up the pace in particular, with both being denied by the diving Taylor from outside the box. Hleb also had a well struck shot from the edge of the area turned over by Taylor as Arsenal pressed. From the corner Taylor could not grab the ball off Adebayor’s head, and the Togolese strikers header fell to Walcott whose neat finish gave the young Englishman his first Premier League goal. Walcott’s new found confidence from the goal told immediately as his brilliant first time ball set up Fabregas only for the Spaniard to hit the post. And Walcott was again at the heart of the action moments later, picking the ball up at speed, going past one defender before slotting home from the edge of the box. 2-1, and seemingly job done, with Arsenal going close repeatedly from Adebayor and co. but unable to get the third and decisive goal. Then, with just moments left, disaster struck as Arsenal’s reluctance to hoof the ball clear got Clichy into trouble, and as the Frenchman dallied he was force into a challenge with Parnaby, but despite getting the ball the referee pointed to the spot. With 94 minutes on the clock McFadden stepped up and cooly converted, leaving Man United only three poins behing the Gunners with eleven games left to play.