Will Toffees prove sticky opponents for Arsenal?

I’ve been on shutdown over the Xmas period, so I apologise to our regular readers for the lack of activity over the past week or two. Here is an all too brief review of Tottenham, Portsmouth and Everton.

Tottenham – I’m not going to linger on this. We beat Tottenham, as we always do, although it was touch and go for a few minutes. Adebayor had one of his unplayable games, and Clichy generally got the better of a lively Aaron Lennon. Eight years and counting, although the Carling Cup might prove to be slightly tougher…we’ll see.

Portsmouth – as per usual, we started brightly, but rather worringly we looked like the Arsenal of last season for large parts of this game, trying to dance our way through the middle, often hitting a solid brick wall of a certain Sol Campbell – it’s good to see Sol playing so well, just wish it hadn’t been against us. Too many of our creative players lacked edge, although Rosicky looked sharp at times, and Emmanuel Eboue, as often is the case, zoomed out of the blocks, smashed a couple of shots over the bar, and disappeared on the hour mark. I can now set my watch by Eboue’s performances – if Eboue stops running, Arsenal have been playing for 65 minutes. Unlike Emmanuelle the pornstar, he will tease us with some racey foreplay before he loses steam half-way through, misfires and can't finish the job, leaving me unsatisfied and rigid, rather than content and relaxed…I’ll leave it at that, but you get my drift. If he could bang one in on the odd occasion he could be an incredibly effective player, but he just doesn’t have enough guile, or a footballing brain for that matter, to be a permanent fixture in the Arsenal team. When RVP is injured, we should resort to Bentdner, who is looking better and better. When Adebayor isn’t getting the better of the defence, he needs someone else to take some of the pressure, and Hleb as a second striker simply doesn’t do that. As a centre-back myself, I can assure you that I would not look forward to playing St Nicklas Bentdner and Emmanuel Adebayor, who are both big and strong, but also fast and unpredictable.

This has been a tough Xmas period so far for Arsenal, and it is only going to get tougher against Everton. I’m a big fan of David Moyes and his Toffees. They are tough and gritty, but also have pace and talent. Cahill is a fantastic footballer, as is Arteta, and they will prove a handful for Flamini. Let’s not forget we have Rosicky, Fabregas and Hleb. If that trio clicks tomorrow, we will win, if not, we could be looking at a point or less.

Hope you have all had a great Xmas and have a fantastic new year. We’re having a war themed party for NYE, I just hope the squad make use of their deadliest weapons (General RVP and Commander Cesc) and gun down their opponents over the next few days. (Apologies for over-punnage this year, but I suspect it might get far worse in 2008).

Martin Webb

Blackburn 2 Arsenal 3

I approached last night’s game fearing the worst, for this incredibly young and patched together Carling Cup side going to Ewood park always looked like their hardest test yet. Say what you like about this competition, but for Blackburn this was their only realistic chance of silverware, with Hughes opting for his first choice 11. The self-appointed underdogs were in actual fact slight favourites, the more discerning of football fans (myself and Martin included) would certainly have not been surprised to see a Blackburn victory, and so the first 45 minutes were a slightly surprising joy to behold.

Watching Arsene F.C. Mk.3’s B side completely out-pass, out-run, out-think, out-tackle and out-score a seasoned and consistent premiership side in the first half, was a magnificent testament to the deeply ingrained application of Wenger’s footballing philosophy. Short quick passes out of defence; prolonged periods of midfield possession punctuated by sharp one twos; penetrative full back play; a willingness to provide physical presence and flair in equal measure from central midfield; and clinical and precise finishing are just some of the qualities that define the aesthetic brand which sees Arsenal at the EPL’s summit. Precisely the same methods and precisely the same results were in evidence during that mesmerising first 45 at Ewood park. It was a case of same system; different personnel, as Arsenal’s youngsters emulated their (only slightly) older colleagues.

The second half was a reality check. Buoyed by a highly dubious Santa Cruz poke just before half-time, Blackburn came out fighting as the inevitable headed goal came, courtesy of a Bentley free-kick met with precision by Santa (which sparked numerous seasonal puns). Having been under the cosh for so long Denilson’s sending off could have finished us off, but it conversely placed extra pressure on the opposition, whose increasingly committed attacks allowed Song and Eduardo the space to craft the winner. I believe that no team is better than Arsenal at playing with ten men, in the premiership fixture at Ewood last season Gilberto’s sending off broke Blackburn’s game plan and gave us the room we needed to play our natural game (remember that Henry goal?!). Going as far back as the trip to Anfield in the 2001-2002 season, a combination of the style and spirit of Wenger’s Arsenal sides has meant that a sending off is never as catastrophic as it could be.

This performance was down to a number of individuals, here’s a myarsenalbloggers player-by-player:

Fabianski: Some shaky moments, could do nothing about the goals and made an excellent save from Dunn early on. Grew in stature as the game progressed.

Hoyte: One of the best games I have ever seen from our token Englishman, was an absolute colossus at the back, and looked good going forward. His double tackle/block against McCarthy in extra time exemplified his commitment. It was great to see a more senior member of the side lead by example.

Traore: Excellent. Pacy; skilfull; increasingly comfortable defensively, and a good crosser - one second half ball whipped in at pace was particularly mouth-watering.
Senderos: Made some excellent defensive headers and clearances but his positioning was still incredibly poor, could have easily been caught out on a number of occasions, and could have done better for the second. Though it was heartening to see him visibly supporting the injured Barazite towards the end.

Song: What can I say? Other than a misplaced clearance in the second half which could have proved costly, this was a near perfect centre half performance. Excellent in the air, quick; skilful and strong in the tackle, a much-maligned player came of age at Ewood park last night. What was particularly encouraging were the Toure-esque forays forward, which grew increasingly frequent with Denilson’s untimely departure, and bore great fruit with his excellent run and pass for the winner.

Randall: Some shaky moments but a solid debut. Integral part in the first goal, showing that English youngsters can play with craft and subtlety, also got me purring with a couple of Hleb like touches early on.

Diaby: Superb in the first half, less involved in the second as we put our defensive cap on. Mesmerising ball retention and physical strength were again the defining features of his performance, beat upwards of three Blackburn players on more than one occasion and took his goal with aplomb.

Diarra: MAN OF THE MATCH – This guy is incredible, he was everywhere last night: matches superb work rate and defensive ability with an instinctive attacking mindset. Please Arsene, do everything to keep him.

Denilson: His short passing game was integral to our early dominance, came deep for the ball and linked defence and attack with fluency and skill. Was less prominent in the second half, and was rightly sent off for a two-footer. His corner taking is woeful, even by Arsenal’s standards.

Bentder: An untameable threat, leading the line with aggression and selfless vision. Was extremely unlucky not to score on two occasions, but he is so much more than a goal scorer, as his cross for Diaby’s opener showed.

Eduardo: He is no Baptista, and he will come good in the premiership. Took his goals with the accuracy and sharpness we have already come to expect. Don’t listen to pundits who said he did little else, he was constantly chasing down their defenders and midfielders, and I wasn’t surprised when cramp got the better of him towards the end.

Subs

Barazite: Some nice touches and tackles but his miscontrol created the situation which resulted in Denlison’s red card. Hugely disappointing for him to get so badly injured.

Merida: Some very good touches, and some useful passes. Did not look out of place.

Gibbs: Looked tidy and competent in the 5 minutes he got.

David Forrest

Football 1 Non-Football 0

In the last four games Arsenal have played Newcastle, Boro, Steaua Bucharest and Chelsea. For some reason, of all those games, I was most confident about Arsenal beating Chelski. Without Drogba and Essien, who are both truly world-class footballers, I knew that Arsenal would be techinically, and in Wenger’s words “footballistically”, far superior.

The gulf in technical ability between the two sides was comparable with England’s defeat to Croatia. Like England, Chelsea have lots of top players who play at the highest level of competition week in, week out. Also like England, Chelsea are predictable, slow, and they are smothered in a culture of player power that is very unhealthy for a club/country to progress.

Over the last few years under Jose Mourinho, Chelsea have been the most pragmatic of teams, winning games through power and directness. Rather than the great European flair teams like Barcelona, Real Madrid, Arsenal and Manchester United, whose footballing mantra is more often than not “we’ll score goals than them”, Chelsea have stood firm and said “you will not score against us.” It has not been pretty to watch, but it has won them a lot of trophies in a short space of time. Thankfully, natural ability beat pragmatism yesterday, as Arsenal overcame their West London rivals, and could quite easily have scored four or five goals in the process.

There were many players worthy of note in this game and I will briefly mention the star performers.

Toure and Gallas were superb, under considerable pressure in the second half, and only allowing Chelsea two decent sights of goal in 90 minutes. Fabregas and Hleb, only just back from injury, reminded us that they are the main men, the magicians, the midfield maestros, as they quietly got on with what they do best, drifting past players, initiating attacks, and Fab4 even getting an assist from a corner! Adebayor was a colossus. Playing against Terry, Alex and Ben Haim, he took on some of the biggest and strongest centrebacks in the country, and he ran them completely ragged - all on his lonesome. And lets not forget that he wrongly had a goal disallowed when he outstrengthed and outpaced the Chelsea defence. RVP looked sharp and exciting when he game on, shooting on sight, setting up chances, and significantly raising the noise level in Ashburton Grove – he will score against Tottenham next week. Another very good cameo by Niklas Bentdner – although I had my reservations about him, I’m fast becoming a fan of the great Dane.

Now onto the stars of the show. Flamini, Sagna and Clichy. Flamini was absolutely outstanding. Playing against experienced internationals Lampard and Makelele and the giant Jon Obi Mikel, he bossed the central midfield area from start to finish, and even on a booking did not pull out of a single challenge. Diarra would do well to have a look at Flamini’s career (patience is a virtue, particularly at Arsenal). Sagna, as per usual, was fantastic. Playing against international wingers, and of course Cashley Cole, he nullified every attack that came his way – is he the best right-back in the premiership? Clichy brings a smile to my face every time I watch him play, because he is the best left-back in the world and he doesn’t even know it! He was solid at the back and a constant threat going forward, this kid is the real deal, and he is only going to get better, which is a frightening thought – make that an exciting thought.

Conclusions? As I suspected might happen, the better football teams won on “Grand Slam Sunday”, and I still think Arsenal will have to work very hard to beat Man Utd to the title, but this win and clean-sheet will have the confidence levels sky high again, and we will beat Tottenham this Saturday, because we are the better team. Another conclusion – RVP’s return from injury is massive, and he will make a huge difference over the Xmas period, including a brace against Spurs.

By Martin Webb

Robin Returns

Sunday’s game is massive. In the short term we need a league win following our near-barren sojourn to the North East. Looking at the bigger picture, a victory will damage a resurgent Chelsea, and if Man Utd don’t take all the points at Liverpool, we can reassert some kind of distance between us and them. And of course, Ashley Cole needs to realise he made a very stupid decision in August 2006.

How are we going to win? It’s difficult to second guess Arsene on the line-up, his cards have been kept close to his chest on the injury situation, will any of Hleb, Flamini or Cesc return? The line is: ‘wait and see, but probably not’. Frankly, I suspect all three could be involved, along with the returning RVP. If they don’t come back, we will still win, because Robin Van Persie is a superstar. 75% fit or not, a Drogba-less, Essien-less Chelsea have no one who comes close.

Martin and I often argue over Arsenal’s best player, I say it’s our number 11. Yes he goes missing from games, yes he occasionally misplaces or miscontrols a pass, but he is the sole player in our team who can, from nowhere; on his own, win us a football match. This is a man who has the potential to be one of the finest players in the world. Since his absence we have missed his shooting, his free-kicks (Can someone tell Toure he’s not Roberto Carlos?), his ability to link midfield and defence, and his mesmerising close control in the box. 4-5-1 only works with Hleb/fabregas/Rosicky working in tandem, taking the pressure off Adebayor and giving him consistent service and support, Van Persie makes it even easier; with the first choice 4-4-1-1 expect a more liberated, and less world weary Togonator over the next few months.

So come Sunday, lets be thankful that Robin Van Persie: part Bergkamp, part Henry, is set to return and stick it up that horrible, deluded Championship Manger plaything, that calls itself a team.

David Forrest

Big hitters to "book-a-rest" against Steaua

There is a more important agenda to the game against Steaua tonight than winning the game. As far as I’m concerned, Arsenal are going to finish second, due to a gamble from Mr Wenger when he played a reserve side in Prague, which didn’t pay off. He will play a similar side against Steaua tonight, with the Chelsea game in mind – in this instance, I can understand resting some of the first-teamers.

Much more significant are the returns of Jens Lehman and Robin Van Persie. Unlike a lot of Arsenal fans, I have backed Almunia time and time again, when he has often come in for some unnecessary criticism. However, I have come to realise that Almunia will never be a match-winner for Arsenal, as Lehman was so often in the Champions League run of 2005/06 and for the great Invincibles. To win the English Premiership, you have to have a match-winning goalkeeper, and Manuel, unfortunately, isn’t it. The return of Jens will sit uneasily with many fans due to his moaning and jibes at Wenger, but a good ‘keeper needs to be arrogant, needs to believe he is the best, otherwise there is no point in being a no.1, so his moaning isn’t such a bad thing, he just thinks he is still the best.

For most Arsenal fans however, it is the return of RVP that will get the pulses racing. He isn’t certain to start tonight, but just having the Dutch prodigy on the bench is very encouraging considering the lack of natural attacking flair in recent weeks. Rosicky, a very technically gifted footballer, simply hasn’t been good enough in the absence of Hleb and Fabregas. This was a chance for him to make his presence felt as an Arsenal player, and impose his fantastic ability on the premiership, but he hasn’t delivered. He will always produce brilliant moments, but my worry is that he will never produce on a regular basis, and to win a premiership, consistency is a must. Adebayor can either be brilliant and unplayable, or dire and useless, not often does he play somewhere in between. Of late, his performances have resembled more of the latter description – again the lack of consistency is a worry. The return of RVP is massive to Arsenal’s season. He is world-class. He can dribble, create, and importantly, loves to shoot – and he is very good at it! With RVP in the side, I think we will beat Chelsea, simple as that. I can’t describe how happy I am that RVP is back in the squad.

Briefly on Capello – great manager, fantastic record, will not give two hoots about egos and wags, but one problem I have is the language barrier – his English is poor at best (could be a good thing, won’t understand the players’ moaning or the press!)

Last game of the season for Sparta Praguematic tonight, we have a great chance of finishing in our highest ever position of third, then onto the awards evening, I will give a run-down of the awards in the next post.

By Martin Webb

It is Diarra not Diaby who most resembles PV4

When Abou Diaby first arrived at Arsenal in January 2006, fans and pundits alike were quick to hail him as the new Vieira, the physical resemblance was obvious, but tellingly his penetrating central runs were highly reminiscent of our former talisman. Two years later the comparisons are looking nothing more than cosmetic. When Gilberto or Flamini have been unavailable in the time Diaby has been at the club Wenger has never entrusted him with defensive responsibilities, instead he has operated on the left wing, or inexplicably, as a second striker! Whatever Diaby’s future I can’t see him in the centre of the park long term.

Having watched Lasanna Diarra in the last two games in his preferred position of central midfield, I can safely say the opposite is true of this young man. At 22 he could play centrally at Arsenal for years to come. Diarra has comprehensively outplayed the older, more experienced Gilberto in both recent matches, passing with precision and accuracy and tackling with steel and timing. Central to his game is the ability to hold on to the ball in tight, restricted circumstances. His low centre of gravity, close control and considerable strength sees him resist countless challenges, drawing increasing numbers of opposition players in to his space, before relaying the ball into the vacated zones, thus liberating the creative central, or wide players in the side. This ability has a simultaneously destructive and constructive function, in the first instance the ball is won and retained in midfield, breaking the flow of opposition attacks; this ball retention then drives the team forward whilst destabilising the positional security of the opposing midfielders, providing the space that facilitates our expansive game. Vieira did a similar thing, his glue like ball retention literally created yards for the likes of Henry, Pires and Bergkamp, it’s a positive form of defensive play which symbolises the Arsenal way.

What Diarra needs is games, and while I’m not about to suggest that he usurps the excellent Flamini as Cesc’s partner I would actively endorse him as our third choice midfielder. Gilberto looks a shadow of his former self and should be sold in the January transfer window, he’s been superb but players over 30 don’t survive in the post-invincible era.


David Forrest

An education in Arsenal's season

Journalists, arm-chair pundits and football fans in general tend to use the phrase “we will learn a lot about the club this week”, when their club has a week of tough matches. It was a phrase banded about when we played Liverpool and Man Utd in a week earlier this season. I felt this was inappropriate, as any team in Europe could lose to Liverpool or Man Utd on any given day, and Arsenal had a terrific record against the top three last season, and only finished third.
For me, this week was far more telling, as Arsenal had to play three such different games.

Wigan – people expected us to win, but they had a new manager, and as often is the case, there would have been a sense of galvanisation, Sevilla – Arsene opting to play some of his young guns against on of the best attacking teams in Europe, and away at Aston Villa, a cold evening against a young exciting team, full of verve, pace and confidence. In all of these games Arsenal were hampered by injuries, and if you can learn about a club in a week, for me, this was it.

We beat Wigan, as I expected, with Gallas proving once again why Mr Wenger is such a fantastic user of intuition and instinct. Many of us doubted Arsene’s decision to make Willie captain at the beginning of the season, assuming Gilberto Silva would be the most natural choice – few of us would doubt that decision now, not that we should ever doubt Mr Wenger’s instinct anyway. Rosicky scored the second goal, and it is an important time for the Czech captain right now, as Cesc and Hleb start to suffer from the countless hacks they receive, his influence from midfield will be incredibly important.

Sevilla was disappointing, but not altogether unpredictable. Arsene virtually fielded the Carling Cup side, but Arsenal weren’t playing Sheffield Utd. The disappointing aspect was not the loss, but the poor performances of Denilson, who looks very low on confidence, Senderos, who looked like he has barely played football before, let alone centre-back, and Gilberto Silva, who is showing the form that Mr Wenger and his coaches had witnessed in pre-season training, and will likely see him on the transfer train come January.

Aston Villa – this was an amazing match! When Arsenal went one-nil down, I wasn’t worried. As an Arsenal fan I am fast becoming used to such an occurrence, but also because I had seen in that opening ten minutes Arsenal rip holes in the Aston Villa defence with consummate ease. Alexander Hleb was simply unplayable, Eboue was tenacious and fiery, Diarra was snappy and zippy – Arsenal deserved to be ahead at half time, and both goals were excellent – a thunderous finish from Flamini, and a fantastic header from Adebayor after another flowing move – so we now have Plan A (pass the ball into the net), Plan B (long ball to Adebayor and see who he can bring into play) and now a good old fashioned Plan C (pacy winger crosses for centre-forward who heads home) The second-half said a lot about Martin O’Neill as a manager, and his fantastic young team. I have not seen a team (including Man Utd and Liverpool) put us under such sustained pressure for an entire half all season (in the Premiership). But Arsenal’s rearguard was just as impressive. Toure, Clichy, Sagna and Flamini were incredible, under pressure for 45 minutes, they refused to accept the inevitable – which didn’t come, and proved why this young team can win the premiership. It was joy to watch. Last season, we would have drawn this match. Now we have a team of leaders, a team of winners, who refuse to give up.

You can learn a lot in a week – this week I learnt that Arsenal can win the Premiership, that Flamini and Sagna will be very important players over the winter period, and that Senderos will make big mistakes if he plays in Toure’s absence. Newcastle fans should be very scared of Wednesday’s game, especially the way they have been defending of late.

I have my own big match on Wednesday - our 6-a-side team Sparta Praguematic are pushing for third place in Soccer Scene Sheffield Division 2, and have a very big game on Wednesday, in which nothing less than a win will do. More news soon.

By Martin Webb