Monday 30 April 2012

Podolski signing confirmed!

Arsenal have today ended months of speculation by confirming the signing of Lukas Podolski.

Speaking to the offical Arsenal website: Manager Arsène Wenger said: “We are delighted to secure the deal for Lukas and see him as an important part of our future. He is a top-class player, a very good finisher and a proven performer at club and international level. He is a very strong player and will provide us with good attacking options."We are happy to have made this signing early and we are looking forward to watching Lukas contribute at the European Championships over the summer, a level where he has already made 95 caps at the age of 26. That is a phenomenal record and just shows his quality as a player.”


 
Speaking about his move, Podolski said: “I’m so happy to be joining Arsenal Football Club and to play in the Premier League. Arsenal is one of the top clubs in Europe with a huge history. There are many top quality players at Arsenal and the style of football which the team plays is fantastic. I’m proud to become an Arsenal player and am looking forward to playing my first match at Emirates Stadium and doing my best for all the Arsenal fans.“I am looking forward to becoming an Arsenal player, but at the moment, my focus is with my current club Cologne. I will give everything I have until the end of season to make sure the team finish as high as possible in the Bundesliga. There will always be a place in my heart for FC Köln.”

Follow the link below to read my thoughts on the move when speculation first arose:

http://www.arsenalpitchside.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/arsenal-to-sign-podolski.html

Point a-piece at the Potteries

Stoke 1-1 Arsenal

Saturday’s battle away to Stoke followed a similar pattern to Arsenal’s recent matches, with the Gunners left extremely frustrated at the final whistle. While Stoke scored with their very first effort on goal, Arsenal played some exquisite football in the first half, but just could not get the second goal to seal all three points. Despite Stoke approaching the game as if it were a cup final, with their players and fans exuding  100% commitment, Arsene Wenger’s side were still able to demonstrate the vast chasm in class and ability that exists between the two sides, despite ultimately failing to win the game. The home support were in fact so pumped up for this game, they managed to leave all decency and decorum behind them as they entered the ground.   Throughout the game they decided to mirror their team’s ugly football by despicably booing Aaron Ramsey for having failed to get his ankle out of the way of Ryan Shawcross’ sickening tackle a couple of years ago. Their behaviour was simply disgusting.
The Gunners begin the game extremely well, pressing the ball high up the pitch and placing the Stoke defence, especially Ryan Shotton, under great pressure. It was Yossi Benayoun’s pressing which led to the first chance on goal in only the sixth minute of the game, as the Israeli stole possession from the Stoke defence before laying the ball off to Van Persie. The Dutchman returned the ball back into Benayoun’s path, however the man on-loan from Chelsea could not connect cleanly with the ball and his shot was easily saved by Begovic. A few minutes later Rosicky’s wonderful cross found the head of Van Persie at the back post, but his downward header was somehow saved by Begovic’s outstretched leg and went behind for a corner. At this stage of the game, with Arsenal moving the ball so slickly there appeared to be only one team who would score first, however a lapse in concentration allowed Stoke to take the lead against the run of play. Sagna, who has not been at his best recently, saw his loose forward pass intercepted and played out wide to Etherington, who had far too much time to pick out a cross. Peter Crouch meanwhile had drifted into the six yard box and was perfectly placed to head the ball past Szczesny, who didn’t even dive.
At a ground where Arsenal have come unstuck so often, it would have been easy for the Gunners to feel sorry for themselves, especially after such a promising start. However the away side refused to give in and continued to play their own game. Within five minutes parity would be restored. Having identified Shotton as a weak link in the Stoke defence, Benayoun pressured him into losing possession once again before releasing Rosicky with a wonderful reverse ball. The Czech international again produced a wonderful cross to pick out Van Persie’s forward run and this time the captain would not be denied, forcing the ball home to level the score.

Benayoun and Van Persie celebrate the captain's equaliser

Arsenal then took control of the game, creating a host of chances, the best of which fell to Gervinho. Bacary Sagna’s excellent cross into the box, only needed a touch from the Ivorian, but with Begovic rushing forward, Gervinho seemed to pull his head away at the last minute and the chance was gone. Then towards the end of the first half, Gervinho burst through on goal but showed a distinct lack of composure as he blazed his shot high and wide. The summer signing from Lille clearly needs to work on this aspect of his game in pre-season as his approach work is very promising; however he does not yet have a killer instinct when in front of goal and tends to miss extraordinary chances.
Although in the second half the Arsenal faithful would have expected their side to kick on and take all three points, the Gunners seemed to run out of steam. They created one glorious opportunity following another cross into the box, however Van Persie could not steer his header wide enough of Begovic and the Stoke goalkeeper was able to gather the ball with ease. Referee Chris Foy then became the centre of attention, missing a clear hand ball on the edge of the box by Shawcross and then denying Arsenal a penalty for a shove on Benayoun as he attempted to run onto a Van Persie pass. With the referee having a clear view of the incident I still cannot understand why he did not award the away side a penalty.

Benayoun appeals in vain for a penalty

Yet despite Chris Foy’s incompetency, Arsenal did not really do enough in the second half to win the game. The high tempo of the first half was no longer there and Van Persie became more and more isolated upfront, making it increasingly harder for him to maintain possession and so the ball kept on coming back at Arsenal. Whenever the Gunners did have possession, Stoke would bring everybody back and defend with ten or even eleven men behind the ball. In such instances it is imperative for Szczesny to release the ball quickly so Arsenal can hit the opposition on the counter attack. However time and time again, the young Pole seemed to hang onto the ball for far too long on Saturday, allowing Stoke’s players time to get back and defend. Also with the game becoming stretched in the final few minutes, Oxlade-Chamberlain should have been brought on to exploit his pace on the wing, yet Wenger opted for the safer option of Andre Santos instead.
In the end, a wonderful goal line clearance from Saga, following a long throw (what else?) from Rory Delap, enabled Arsenal to leave the Potteries with a point. It may well prove to be a vital point too, as the Gunners still have third place in their own hands. Win their last two games against Norwich and West Brom and third place is ours. One thing is certain however, Arsenal simply cannot afford any more slip-ups.

Monday 23 April 2012

Stalemate at the Emirates

Arsenal 0-0 Chelsea

Arsenal and Chelsea played out a drab 0-0 draw on Saturday, with only the home side creating the few note-worthy chances as the visitors replicated their mid-week performance against Barcelona, by defending deep and in numbers, in the hope of catching the Gunners on the break. Although Roberto di Matteo did make eight changes to the team that had defeated Barcelona, it was a surprise to see Chelsea employ such tactics, given that victory would have propelled them right back into the fight for third place. Despite the negative tactics, it was still extremely disappointing for the Gunners faithful, to witness their team unable to break the deadlock against a side which had rested so many of their first team regulars.

Many would have expected to see a great reaction from the Gunners following their poor display in the defeat to Wigan, as had happened against Manchester City following defeat to QPR. However for most of the first half, they did not impose themselves on the game, as they did not place any pressure on the Chelsea defence when they had possession. The Arsenal players instead stood off them, allowing the visitor’s back line time and space to pass the ball among themselves and effectively slow the game down. Whenever the Gunners did have possession they struggled to create anything of note, greatly missing the injured Arteta, as they lacked the vision and speed of thought to play the right pass at the right time to dissect the Chelsea defence. Aaron Ramsey, who many observers have indicated, looks jaded, continually passed the ball square or back to the defence, negating any potential momentum and allowing Chelsea to get back in numbers and defend. On one of the few occasions he did play the ball forward, in the second half, his perfectly placed cross field ball landed perfectly for Van Persie’s lethal left foot, but the Dutchman did not catch it as he would have wished and sliced his shot harmlessly wide.

This miss epitomised the captain’s day as Arsenal’s best chances seemed to all fall to him, only for Van Persie to miss each and every one. In the first half in particular, Walcott’s inviting cross from a free kick, saw the Dutchman arrive unmarked at the far post. It seemed all he had to do to give the Gunners the lead, was make contact with the ball, but his effort somehow managed to hit the outside of the post.

Towards the end of the first half, Alex Song chipped a ball into the path of Van Persie, whose movement away from the Chelsea defence was magnificent. The Dutchman controlled the ball on his chest, but could only fire his shot straight at Cech. In the second half, Song’s wonderful arched forward ball, took John Terry out of the game and found Van Persie bearing down on goal, but for some strange reason, the Dutchman, usually so calm in front of goal, seemed to panic and rushed his effort when he had time to take a more measured approach. His rushed shot did not even force Cech into a save as it sailed harmlessly and disappointingly wide. Before the end of the game, Arsenal’s talisman for so much of the season would squander another golden opportunity. This time played in by Gervinho on the left hand side of the box, Van Persie feigned to shoot and turned inside Jose Bosingwa. With the goal at his mercy the Emirates crowd were expecting him to shoot, but he instead turned back onto his left foot, subsequently narrowing the angle and allowing Cech to make the save.  Maybe it is a sign that Arsenal rely far too much on their captain to provide the goals, as with the Dutchman seemingly off-form, it is hard to see where the goals will come from. Theo Walcott, who had yet another quiet game, is now injured for the rest of the season while Ramsey has not been able to chip in with his fair share of goals this season despite numerous opportunities. Then there is the fact that Arsenal do not have any back up options for Van Persie, as we all know Chamakh and Park no longer have the confidence of the manager, to produce at this level.

Ultimately, Arsenal’s best chance of the game fell to a central defender. Before the end of the first half, Van Persie’s wonderfully lofted free kick found Koscielny in acres of space in the box. The French international probably had time to bring the ball down and fire home, but he elected to attempt a looped header over Cech. With the Chelsea goalkeeper rooted to the spot, it seemed the ball would sail over him and into the goal, but unfortunately, it hit the crossbar instead.  At the final whistle, the Arsenal players were clearly disappointed and frustrated, as Chelsea had shown no ambition and had been there for the taking. If only the home side and pilled on more pressure then maybe the away side’s stubborn defence would have been breached.

As it is, with Tottenham losing to Queen’s Park Rangers, Arsenal are six points ahead of their North London rivals, although Spurs do have a game in hand. Newcastle are now only three points behind the Gunners, also with a game in hand, although they still have to face Manchester City and Chelsea before the end of the season. The Gunners cannot look for the other teams to drop points in the race for fourth place as there are far too many permutations. All Arsenal can do is regroup and try to win their remaining fixtures which will not be an easy task by any stretch of the imagination, unlike at the end of Saturday’s game, come the end of the season the Gunners must not have any regrets.

Tuesday 17 April 2012

A week is a long time in football

Arsenal 1-2 Wigan
What a difference eight days make. On Sunday 8th April, the referee’s final whistle at the Emirates was greeted with cheers and wild celebrations as the Gunners defeated the world’s richest club. Yesterday’s final whistle only prompted those very same supporters to shake their heads in disappointment and disbelief, having witnessed their side’s defeat to one of the Premier League’s smallest clubs. While Arsenal had been absolutely outstanding against Manchester City, their performance last night was nothing short of abysmal. Not one of those players in red and white could emerge from the game with any credit whatsoever and each and every one of them should hang their heads in shame. The sheer lack of effort was disgraceful and the arrogant approach to this game from the home side was quite frankly disgusting. It’s all well and good geeing yourselves up for a massive game against Manchester City but you have to show every single team in this league respect, you cannot just turn up on the day and expect to win the game, you have to earn the right to play your football and you can only do this by showing passion, commitment, grit and determination.  What makes matters even worse is that this was not a Wigan team who produced a fantastic performance out of the blue; they have been playing extremely well for several weeks now, only losing two of their last eleven games and one of those, against Chelsea, was down to poor offside decisions. In fact Roberto Martinez’s side had also just beaten title chasing Manchester United during the week, so what more of a warning did Arsenal need that this side are no push overs?
The main problem with this Arsenal team is that there are far too many individuals who talk a good game in the press, but then fail to back it up on the pitch. In the build-up to this game I lost track of the amount of times I saw an Arsenal player profess their desire to seal third place and not let the gap between the Gunners and Tottenham disintegrate. Players such as Theo Walcott, who never lives up to any of the numerous statements he makes to the press. For the past week we read this nonsense time and time again, but then come kick-off it was like watching rabbits caught in a car’s headlights as Arsenal just watched Wigan run riot. Bacary Sagna in particular, had his worst game in an Arsenal shirt, allowing Victor Moses to do anything and everything he wanted. Almost every time Moses had the ball, he was able to simply glide past the French right back as if he wasn’t there.
The visitors did not waste any time, racing into a two goal lead within eight minutes and stunning the Emirates crowd. The first goal came as a direct result of an Arsenal corner, something that the Gunners have been susceptible to all season, but Wenger has still not addressed it. A poor Van Persie corner was cleared at the near post to Sagna, whose attempt to head the ball back to the Dutchman was easily cut out, allowing Wigan to counter attack, on the left flank through Jordi Gomez. Although the Arsenal players chased back, they had been caught and no one could get back in time to prevent Gomez from slipping the ball through to Franco Di Santo, who was in acres of space bearing down on goal. Out came Szczesny, to narrow the angle, but rather than stand up until the last possible minute and make himself as big as possible, the Polish international went to ground far too quickly, allowing the ball to flick off his trailing leg, loop over him and back into the path of Di Santo to tap into the empty net. Barely a minute later and it was two-nil, as Moses tormented Sagna once more before playing a low ball into the box, which Szczesny seemed to dive over, allowing Gomez to fire home from close range. With Wigan’s supporters barely totalling 200, each goal was greeted with an eerie silence, as the visiting players celebrated wildly, while the home supporters could not believe the nightmare unfolding before their very eyes. Although several newspapers today have highlighted the fact Arteta was not on the pitch for either goal, due to an ankle injury, and so Arsenal were down to ten men, this is not an excuse for the woeful defending which led to both goals.
Although the home side did seem to respond well to conceding the second goal, as Al-Habsi saved well from a Benayoun header and Vermaelen reduced the deficit with a good headed goal from Rosicky’s cross, before Djourou narrowly volleyed wide, Arsenal did not create anything of note after this short flurry. In fact Al-Habsi did not have to make a save in the entire second half, as the Gunners dominated possession but did very little with it, while Wigan posed the greater threat on the break. Arsene Wenger described his side as running out of petrol in the second half, saying they have given so much over the last few weeks that they simply ran out of steam. Well this excuse doesn’t wash with me, after all on the previous Wednesday, while Wigan fought tooth and nail to achieve an historic 1-0 win against Manchester United, Arsenal had their game, against Wolves, effectively won inside the first ten minutes. Wigan, like QPR before them, simply wanted it more. The Gunners are far too busy congratulating themselves for saving a season which started so badly, with the irony being they haven’t actually achieved anything yet.  If they continue to take their eye off the ball, the hurt and disappointment of failing to qualify for the Champions League will greatly overshadow the optimism which accompanied their recent resurgence. There were times last night when the Arsenal players looked like they were moving in slow motion as Wigan players would knock the ball past them and simply glide effortlessly past and regain possession. Wenger, rather than looking for feeble excuses, complaining about time wasting and then ludicrously not shaking Martinez’s hand at the end of the game, should castigate his own players. “Never again” came the cry following the debacle at Loftus Road, but yet just over two weeks later here we are again. 
Yesterday’s defeat now simply piles more pressure onto the next game against Chelsea. Defeat in this fixture would plunge Arsenal right back into the desperate four way scrap for the two remaining top four positions, just when they had been threatening to pull away and secure third spot. Mikel Arteta seems to have suffered a serious ankle injury which could leave Arsenal having to field Ramsey in the middle of the park. The young Welshman is desperately short of form, appearing to be a fraction slower than everyone else around him and so effectively slowing the game down and not possessing the speed of thought to provide killer through balls. Meanwhile, Robin Van Persie, who has obviously been phenomenal all season, has recently seen his form dip slightly. As the team captain, the Dutchman now needs to come to fore once more and lead his team into the Champions League. Failure to do so now, having fought so hard to recover from such a dreadful start, would be utterly demoralising.

Thursday 12 April 2012

Gunners move five clear of Spurs

Wolves 0-3 Arsenal

Arsenal yesterday moved five points clear of Tottenham in the race for third place with a comfortable 3-0 victory away to relegation threatened Wolves.  Following Spurs’ defeat to Norwich on Monday, it was imperative for Arsenal to start the game well and take full advantage of their North London rival’s slip up and the game was effectively over as early as the eleventh minute as the Gunners raced into a two goal lead, while Sebastien Bassong was dismissed for his clumsy tackle on Theo Walcott.
Yossi Benayoun was rewarded for his excellent performance against Manchester City as he retained his place in the starting line-up, while Aaron Ramsey replaced Rosicky, who was rested. Wenger was also forced into making changes to the defence which has served the team so well in recent weeks as Koscielny’s suspension for receiving his tenth yellow card of the season, saw Djourou return to first team action and at left back, Andre Santos replaced Kieran Gibbs, following the young Englishman’s groin injury. Although this would be a very comfortable night for the Gunners, the defence did not appear as solid as it has lately, with Santos in particular, prone to defensive lapses.
However with only nine minutes of the match played, Arsenal were already one goal ahead and Wolves down to ten men. Fantastic interplay between Van Persie and Walcott saw the Dutchman loft the ball over the Wolves backline and into the path of the Englishman, who was then brought down by Bassong, just as he was about to soot. The referee had no option but to award a penalty and as the man on loan from Tottenham was the last defender and had denied a clear goal scoring opportunity, he had to be shown a red card. Up stepped Robin Van Persie to despatch a cheeky penalty past Wayne Hennessey, delicately dinking the ball over the Welsh international to give Arsenal the lead. The Gunners did not rest on their laurels at this point and within two minutes doubled their advantage. Van Persie and Walcott were again the main protagonists in the move, Walcott laying the ball off to the Dutchman, before timing his forward run perfectly to receive Van Persie’s return pass and calmly guide the ball past Hennessey.

At this point it appeared the Gunners would really go for the jugular and look to significantly increase their goal difference advantage over their rivals for third place. However they instead decided to take their foot off the pedal and began to pass the ball amongst themselves, often at walking pace. As a result of the sending off Wolves had decided to sit very deep, with two banks of four in an attempt to stifle Arsenal’s attacking play, but the Gunners did not really attempt to breach the Wolves defence, clearly believing the game had already been won at this early stage. This was in fact a very risky approach to take, as Arsenal became sloppy in their play, especially in midfield with a succession of stray passes giving the home side hope they could latch onto a mistake and get themselves back in the game. Wolves could well have reduced the deficit through Christophe Berra’s header which hit Djourou and was deflected narrowly wide, before Ronald Zubar’s excellent forward run and dangerous low ball across the face of goal.
Although Arsenal did strive to create more opportunities in the second half, as Ramsey took too long to shoot when sent clear through on goal and Vermaelen was denied a free header by Zubar, before Van Persie inexplicably fired wide when set up by Arteta;  at 2-0 Wolves were still in the game. On the hour mark, Matt Jarvis found space on the left and his cross to the far post found Doyle, who had easily escaped his marker. The Irishman’s header, back across goal, seemed destined for the back of the net, only for Szczesny to pull off an excellent save. With Wolves pressing forward in search of a way back into the game, Arsenal finally killed off any hopes of a remarkable comeback. Van Persie lost the ball, but then showed great desire to win it back, before releasing it to Song on the edge of the box. The Cameroonian international, who has set up so many goals this season, laid the ball back to Benayoun who shot low and hard into the bottom corner for Arsenal’s third. I would like to see Benayoun offered a permanent deal in the summer as he provides the team with another option in midfield with his ability to play out wide and also cut inside to help out in the centre of the park. He also has an eye for goal and his great experience at this level must be extremely beneficial in the dressing room.

With Arsenal now enjoying a three goal advantage, many would have expected Wenger to rest Van Persie and replace him with the likes of Park or Chamakh, both of whom were on the bench. This would have been the perfect opportunity to introduce the two strikers, with the game won and absolutely no pressure whatsoever, they may well have scored a goal, increasing their confidence should the time come when they are called upon in the last few weeks of the season. The fact Wenger declined this opportunity I believe tells us all we need to know about the manger’s opinion of both players and their respective future at the club.
As Tottenham are involved in the FA Cup semi-final against Chelsea this weekend, Arsenal will have the chance to further increase their lead over their North London rivals to eight points when the Gunners host Wigan on Monday. Following their great win against Manchester United, Wigan will definitely prove to be very tough encounter and Arsenal must be at their very best if they are to press home their advantage and further increase the pressure on Spurs.

Monday 9 April 2012

Arteta sinks City

Arsenal 1-0 Manchester City


Arsenal produced a magnificent display yesterday to re-claim third place in the league and effectively end Manchester City’s hopes of winning the title. The Gunners were absolutely fantastic, so much so , it was hard to believe that this was the same side who had been so abject the week before in their 2-1 loss away at Queens Park Rangers. Although Yossi Benayoun was brought into the starting line up to replace Aaron Ramsey, the main difference between the two games, was the way Arsenal’s players approached yesterday’s game.

From the very first minute it was evident that the home side wanted to right the wrongs of the previous game, where they had been listless and their desire had been found wanting. The Gunners completely dominated City as they fought for every ball in the heart of the midfield and moved it around the pitch quickly and with purpose as they created chance after chance. During the first fifteen minutes in particular, Arsenal hemmed City back in their own half and simply refused to allow the visitors to cross the half way line. Alex Song, a few stray passes aside, was absolutely magnificent as he controlled the midfield, flying into tackles to win back possession and completely nullifying any threat from the utterly useless Samir Nasri. The Frenchman’s £24million price tag now just looks ridiculous and the Emirates crowd delighted in making him aware of this as they continually chanted “What a waste of money!”

It wasn’t just Song, the whole team put in an excellent performance, Benayoun worked tirelessly on the left wing, Rosicky continued his fine recent form, while Arteta pulled the strings in the middle of the park. Then there was the defence who between them did not allow City even one clear cut chance on goal. As an entire unit the Gunners were just too good and too strong for the richest club in the world. Yet all the while the home side dominated they just could not seem to find the back of the net, with every glorious opportunity missed, the feeling grew that this would not be our day. Robin Van Persie was denied in the first half, when his goal bound header was somehow cleared off the line by Vermaelen and then in the second half another header by the Dutchman hit the post, with Joe Hart beaten all ends up. On reflection Van Persie had so much time and space in the box, he could have brought the ball down before rifling it past the England goalkeeper. The Premier League’s leading goal scorer did have the ball in the back of the net moments later but his effort was ruled out after he had narrowly strayed offside. This proceeded the miss of the game, which left most of the crowd open mouthed, arms on their heads as they were left unable to comprehend just how Arsenal were still not in the lead.

A low ball into the box had found Theo Walcott, whose first time shot across the goal was well saved by Hart. However as the ball hit the post it fell straight into the path of Vermaelen. With a gaping open goal, it seemed all the Belgian had to do to score, was make contact with the ball, yet with the Emirates ready to erupt, Vermaelen somehow slipped as he struck the ball, slicing his effort across the goal where a combination of Hart and Kompany managed to deny Benayoun a simple tap in. As one we all turned to the big screens to see the replay as we all tried to comprehend why we hadn’t seen the net bulge. As the time wore on, it appeared all the more likely that the game would end in a frustrating draw or worse, as had happened in their Carling Cup encounter, a lone City attack which would win them the game. Yet with only four minutes of the match remaining, all our fears were allayed. Mikel Arteta stole the ball from David Pizarro, the City defence ran towards him, looking to close down the Spaniard as he shaped to shoot. However their efforts were in vain, as Arteta’s wonderful strike flew past Hart and into the bottom corner to send the Emirates wild. All the pent up frustration which had built up throughout the game was removed in one glorious moment. The home crowd celebrated by performing their own version of City’s famous celebration the Poznan and then asking “Nasri, what’s the score?”

 In the dying minutes Mario Balotelli earned a second yellow card and his marching orders, for yet another foul on Sagna, although the Italian should have been sent off in only the 20th minute following a horrendous challenge on Song. Then with barely seconds remaining Arsenal broke in the search for a second, killer goal. The ball was fed through to Ramsey who had Oxlade-Chamberlain and Van Persie screaming for the pass which would set up a tap in for them. However the Welshman passed up this opportunity and instead decided to shoot on goal himself, wildly blazing his effort high and wide of goal. Luckily for Ramsey, the final whistle soon followed.

Arsenal’s performance yesterday was magnificent, enabling the fans to forget about the horror show at QPR. However the Gunners cannot now sit on their laurels in their next game away to Wolves. Despite their recent poor form, Wolves are a team who are fighting for their lives and Arsenal will have to earn the right to play. This fantastic victory will mean nothing if the Gunners do not consolidate it with another win at Molineux.