Weary Wigan surrender to fate

L for Latics

A wet Tuesday evening in North London was the backdrop to what finished as a comfortable win for Arsenal but what, up to the hour  mark was a keenly contested game.

Playing for an essential three points to keep up hopes of winning the soul destroying race for Champions League Football, Arsenal started brightly when Lukas Podolski opened the scoring with a header. With the Gunners well in control a jaded Wigan looked to have run out of gas after their awesome FA Cup win last Saturday.

Having been applauded onto the pitch by all corners of the stadium the small knot of Latics fans, penned appropriately in a small L shaped section of the normal away end, comfortably made themselves heard, and as complacency crept into the Arsenal ranks, Athletic began to get into the game.

Failing to score a second that would have killed off the game, Arsenal began to sit deeper and become preoccupied with referee Mike Dean's decisions. An athletic toe poke by Laurent Koscielny saved the blushes of Wojciech Szczesny when he came out late to challenge Arouna Kone and it was no surprise when Shaun Maloney levelled the score with a delightful free kick just ahead of half time.

At half time a pitchside interview with ex Gunner Brian Talbot introduced some perspective to the argument about squad rotation as his remarkable feat of being on the pitch for every second of Arsenal's 70 matches in the marathon 1979-80 season was recalled.

After the break Wigan continued to show the spirit and invention required to win the match and with Arsenal also needing to win an open game ensued. It was clear that the next goal was going to be crucial and the tide turned in Arsenal's favour when Szczesny pulled off a decent save from Kone. The sorcery of Santi Cazorla then paid divdends as the Spaniard set up three goals in nine minutes for Theo Walcott, Podolski and Aaron Ramsey the latter seeing the Welshman cap another solid game with a deft finish.

At the final whistle Wigan dejectedly plodded over to thank their supporters. Although many sounded the death knell for the club following their failure to once again save themselves at the last from relegation its timely to note that it was Paul Jewell who led them to promotion into the Premier League. There are plenty of managers of Jewell's ilk around for manager Dave Whelan to appoint should Roberto Martinez leave, and with the club's financial structure still in place there is no reason to doubt that they will be challenging for a return to the top flight next season. Arsenal in the meantime made preparations for a lap of appreciation although I opted to trudge off to the tube in the pouring rain, a prospect preferable to saluting the possibility of  the pseudo achievement of another Champions League qualifying place.

Mustard finish sees off negative Norwich

A funny day at the Grove yesterday which began with a massive sigh of relief when I discovered that the Maidenhead game at Dorchester had been called off at 2.45 pm. But for an early evening engagement, I would have made the pointless trip, but at least those that did could drown their sorrows with £1.50 bottles of Carlsberg.

As for the game in front of me, despite Arsenal's strong Spring league form I was full of worry about the result. I was sat in the North Bank where I rarely see Arsenal win, indeed I can remember watching Chris Hughton's last visit in 2010 when his Newcastle team won a dour game 1-0, shortly before he was sacked. Still at least the prospect of goals were on offer, having sat nearby when almost a year ago Norwich shared six goals in a great game of football, and also earlier this season when a late penalty missed by Mikel Arteta prevented the Fulham game being settled by the odd goal in seven.

The last ten minutes aside though what transpired was an awful game of football to match the miserable weather which even seem to dampen the spirit of the foam finger wearers and split scarfers. With Norwich struggling on the brink of the relegation zone, their approach to the game was entirely understandable putting ten men behind the ball. Arsenal's starting eleven was unable to break them down, with Gervinho lacking guile, Wilshire match fitness and Cazorla stuck out of position on the wing. With Giroud seeming to play in a withdrawn role (false nine? - cue joke), Arsenal offered little promise of scoring whilst the game remained goalless.

As usual it took an opposition goal from a set piece by Michael Turner to spark the Gunners into life, with at least Wenger having the option to bring on some quality attacking players in Walcott, Podolski and Chamberlain. With the first two of the three returning to fitness it was good to see the impact they had on the game and hopefully they will be deemed ready for selection in the crucial game against Everton on Tuesday night.

However Arsenal's salvation was late coming and in the time between the Norwich opener and the equaliser, the Canaries demonstrated some cynical gamesmanship to slow the game down and waste time. I have no problem with the goalkeeper moving the ball across the six yard box or waiting for an attacker to challenge before picking it up but I really detest the antics of Grant Holt who when on several occasions a throw was clearly awarded to Arsenal did everything to obstruct a resumption of play. Norwich were helped by a weak referee who acquiesced with their tactics as the temperature grew in the stadium with the boiling blood of the Gooners.

That the equaliser came from a controversial penalty made it all the sweeter although the controversy was somewhat manufactured as it centred on how far away the linesman was when he made the award rather than the actual foul itself. The game then threatened to descend into pantomime as the Norwich players refused to conclude their heated debate with the officials in the corner, and then goalkeeper Mark Bunn stormed off in a huff to leave an empty net. The referee would have had a lot of sympathy for allowing Arteta to put the ball into the unguarded goal but he waited for Bunn to return before the midfielder delightfully placed the ball just beyond the keepers reach in the far corner.

The last few minutes then made up for the dross that had been on show before with Arsenal taking the lead with what looked like an own goal claimed by Giroud, and Fabianski making a superb save with his feet from Howson in a Norwich move direct from the restart. Podolski then completed the scoring with the goal of the game, a computer style turn and Howitzer shot which gave the goalkeeper no chance.

Job just about done as the Gunners rise to third place in timely fashion, looking good to stay there with a lot of important squad members returning from injury.

Revenge of Plastic Fan

A strange night at the Grove on Wednesday, a evenly contested first half, a spectacular opening to the second which decided the game, and a training style end following a long stoppage for a head injury.

It was eventful off the pitch too, at least in the section of the Upper tier of the Clock End where I was sitting where a boisterous young man a few seats along my row decided that his vocal support was not enough when West Ham took the lead. Indeed Arsenal's inability to only go into the break on level terms thanks to Lukas Podolski's equaliser hit like a kicking horse, was supposedly down to everyone's failure to match his volume and veracity of support. With no one rising to his bait, allegations that we were all plastic fans and responsible for Arsenal's demise in recent seasons soon turned into more personal abuse which crossed the line and he so he found himself put in his place by all around him.

The cameradarie engendered by the feeling that none of us were like him was boosted when he failed to return for the second half and thus missed the enthralling ten minute spell when Arsenal scored four times through Olivier Giroud (with two), Santi Cazorla and Theo Walcott to make it game over.

Santi the Red decapitates Royals

Off to Reading after a football free weekend to watch an important game for both the Royals and their visitors from North London, with the home team having hit the bottom of the table and the Gunners reeling from their humiliating League Cup defeat at Bradford City.

Despite the fact that the two clubs have spent the majority of their history in different leagues the fixture has a rich history as detailed in the excellent match programme. It even has a place in popular culture as the scene of Nick Hornby's unmasking as fake Londoner when he attended the clubs' FA Cup tie at Elm Park in 1972. Currently though it is Brian McDermott who is the prime link between the two clubs, the programme featuring cuttings from the Arsenal programme when McDermott was still a Gunner. Although too kind to mention it, these cuttings came from the 1983-84 season when Arsenal last suffered a League Cup defeat to a team from the lower reaches of the Football League when Walsall won at Highbury. This bona fide shock led to the demise of manager Terry Neill and the lead up to last night's game was not shy of predicting a similar fate for both managers, though once again the programme was replete with statistics to argue against such a drastic option.

So plenty to ponder on the trip to that most loathsome of locations, the out of town football ground. With Reading station quickly reached, and plenty of help at hand to direct me to the waiting football special buses, a lengthy queue caused by the driver having to deal with cash was followed by a slow half an hour crawl through the rush hour traffic to Small Mead. Fortunately it was quite easy to locate my seat in the unofficial neutral section next to the Arsenal fans, which afforded me a magnificent view of a sold out ground which nevertheless seemed to have plenty of Emirates style paid for but empty seats.

Earlier in the season I had seen Reading do all but beat QPR at Loftus Road as the well organised Royals comfortably dealt with Rangers' attacks, yet this fortitude was mysteriously absent as the home team offered up an odd strategy of sitting back and allowing Mikel Arteta to bring the ball forward from deep in his own half. By the time a challenge arrived the mercurial Santi Cazorla had inevitably moved into a position which allowed him to cause havoc in the Reading defence all night. By the time Arsenal opened the scoring with a great finish by Lukas Podolski, the Spaniard was already giving the best live performance I had seen of his. With Kieran Gibbs also looking good on the left wing the stage seemed set for Theo Walcott to back up his claim that the central attacking role should be his, but he fluffed his lines on several occasions before scoring what proved to be the final goal of the game ten minutes from the end.

In between Arsenal seemed to have won the game before allowing Reading some late hope. Cazorla embodied the Gunners domination for the best part of the game by scoring a hat trick even show boating in the penalty area early in the second half. 

Just in case anyone had forgotten Arsenal's defensive malaise this season, they conceded two quick goals to halve the lead and hint at a repeat of the epic league cup tie here at the end of October. There was no danger of lightning striking twice though and the game ended comfortably enough for Arsenal no matter how frustrating it is that the clean sheet is fast becoming an anachronism in the Premier League.

Reading Buses were on top form to get me back to the station in time for the early train home after a match which was enjoyable in isolation and changed little long term. In a poor Premier League, Arsenal can go third if they win their Saturday lunchtime match at Wigan, but the background noise about Wenger's future will remain for the foreseeable future. In contrast Reading will travel to Eastlands at the weekend with little hope never mind expectation, but surely they must see the long term value in McDermott's management and back him to use what will almost certainly be a budget boosted by a parachute payment next season to build a stronger squad better able to sustain a Premier League place should promotion be won once more.

Allez Allez

Just how I like it on Wednesday night. I alighted for the first time at Drayton Park station which must be even closer to the ground than Arsenal underground station. Crossing over the railway on the bridge adjacent to the ground presented possibly the best approach to the Grove. I didn't realise the famous clock could be seen from the outside of the stadium too. 

A keenly contested game between two well organised teams ensued, with Arsenal's superiority telling in the second half, the much maligned Olivier Giroud setting up goals for Jack Wilshere and Lukas Podolski, whilst his replacement at Montpellier Gaetan Charbonnier looked like a French Dave Kitson. An Arsenal clean sheet completed a satisfying evening although the Podolski goal was so good it gave rise to pangs of loss, recalling as it did the magic of Robin Van Persie.

With the result settled long before the end entertainment was provided off the pitch by the excitable antics of the Montpellier fans. Having caused a stir on their visit to Olympiakos earlier in the season there were plenty of active stewards in what was a smaller than usual away section. Their attempts to prevent  the Frenchmen turning the block into a mosh pit proved fruitless, and for once a drum coupled with an original repertoire of songs provided some much needed atmosphere. As the game drifted into stoppage  time  they repeatedly launched crazy goal celebrations which eventually influenced every one else to join in as Arsenal qualified for the knockout stage once more.

Here Comes The Car Crash

The all too predictable decline of Arsenal continued apace yesterday with a result and performance which squarely places the Gunners in the growing pack of clubs secure in their Premier League status and chasing the fourth qualifying Champions League spot. 

Since moving to Ashburton Grove Arsenal have regularly lost world class players, with their good but not great replacements seeing a title challenge fade further onto the horizon. The presentation of the dates of trophy wins around the new stadium seems to have frozen the honour roll in aspic, as Arsenal have fallen victim to a modern football malaise, the fetishisation of history and tradition. In this way the club has become a theme park where spectators buy a ticket to bathe in the warm glow of history before watching the men in red destroy the opposition in style.

Unfortunately the latter half of the equation is becoming an increasingly rare occurrence as the current playing staff do not have the ability to work within a formation which puts a premium on attacking play. Thus when the much maligned centre forward Olivier Giroud and Lukas Podolski had propelled Arsenal into an early two goal lead, Fulham had no fear in their capacity for a comeback. With Bryan Ruiz and Dimitar Berbatov mystifying the Arsenal defence with their free running across the Arsenal half, and the painful exposure of the red flanks by Podolski and Walcott's defensive deficiencies when required to protect their respective full backs, Berbatov's swift response was met with a comment from a weary season ticket holder in front of me of "here comes the car crash".

His words were a response to not just the Schalke comeback in midweek but the regular house of cards quality Arsenal now display when they don't have the ball. Sure enough Alex Kacaniklic soon equalised and Fulham almost took the lead before half time.

However when Berbatov completed the fait accompli from the penalty spot Arsenal sparked back into life, equalising straight away when Giroud redeemed himself for hitting the post when well placed by getting on the end of a Walcott cross when the ball was put pack into the box. Yet although Arsenal looked capable of taking the lead the aforementioned defensive frailty and the way in which the central midfield pair Arteta and Ramsey were regularly caught in possession meant Fulham looked equally threatening. All of which might seem to have created an all action environment beloved of the champions of the greatest league in the world theory but left me mourning the domestic death of the art of defending. Then again judging by the criticism of Spain and their perfect game plan of keeping the ball to ensure the opposition do not score, whilst waiting for their opportunity to arise, I guess I'm of a minority view.

Deep into stoppage time it was Arsenal who were provided with the chance to take all three points, somewhat harshly it seems, when they were awarded a penalty for handball. This gave Arteta the perfect opportunity to redeem his sin of giving a spot kick to Fulham earlier, but his spot kick, although well directed into the corner, did not send Schwarzer the wrong way, and with the ball fizzing along the ground the keeper was able to keep it out with the final touch of the game.

This was a match neither team decided to win or lose, with the main conclusion being that they are two very equal elevens, with plenty of attacking flair but no security at the back.

Gervais of the Arsenal

After an exclusively non league season so far it felt strange to be heading up the Piccadilly Line to Arsenal and the heady world of the Premier League. A strange journey it seemed too for the Southampton fans in my carriage who were worried whether the train would be stopping at all stations and so missing the stop at Gillespie Road. Leaving the train I walked up the tunnel behind a Soccer! couple who enlightened me with the following conversation:

Woman: I don't actually know who we're playing today
Man: Neither do I, I don't know any of the players either

Emerging into the fresh air I saw the old adage about fools and money proved again as I followed a man in his 50s wearing a purple away shirt with Podolski 9 on the back. Grow up man! The rules of football merchandise are quite easy: adults should never wear replica kit unless actually engaged in sporting activity.  A scarf and woolly hat is permissible providing the temperature has fallen beneath 10 degrees celsius. Otherwise you run the risk of featuring in the hottest timeline on Twitter at the moment.

Most puzzling of all was the person sitting on my left wearing one of those split friendship scarves showing the colours of both teams. Rules are a bit different here: souvenirs scarves are permissible at a Cup Final with  details of the match but only the colours of one team.

Anyway onto the football and for the second Saturday in a row I saw a goal fest. Having lost in two winnable situations late on against Manchesters City and United, Southampton looked a bit more circumspect going forward but this only served to heap more pressure on their frail defence and it was no surprise when Arsenal took the lead, Lukas Podolski powering through the midfield having initially appeared to have lost the ball before laying a pass left to Kieran Gibbs whose return was bundled over the line by Jos Hooiveld. Podolski soon doubled the lead with the goal of the game, a free kick bent round the wrong side of the wall which left Kelvin Davis grasping thin air. With the Saints in disarray Gervinho collected Mikel Arteta's pass to charge at goal down the right wing beating the hapless Davis inside his near post. Gibbs then completed an usual double when another cross was diverted into the net for an own goal, this time by Nathaniel Clyne. At this stage I was seriously contemplating another 8-0 win but as half time approached Wojciech Szczesny decided to join in the fashion for defensive lapses by dropping a cross at the feet of Daniel Fox who fired the ball into the empty net.

This sparked something of a Southampton revival after the break but normal service was resumed with nineteen minutes to go when a superb piece of play by substitute Aaron Ramsey saw the Welshman turn his man and hare towards the byline where he squared the ball for Gervinho to add his second. The Ivorian departed soon after following the best performance I had seen from him in an Arsenal shirt. If you added his consistent wing play to Theo Walcott's pace you really would have a player. The programme revealed that Gervinho's real name is actually Gervais. I wish he would revert to it. It seems a suitable nod to the making of the Gunners in the 30s by Herbert Chapman.

Walcott himself scored the final goal picking up the loose ball after Thomas Vermaelen's shot was blocked. Speaking of the Belgian, it was impossible to see if he was wearing his captain's armband due to the blue band on the new Arsenal strip making it appear as if the entire team had entered into the kind of democratic Socratic experiment which the late bearded Brazilian embarked on at Corinthians in the early 80s.

The Southampton supporters reacted with little grace to their thrashing and it was a pity that Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain's last minute shot went narrowly past the wrong side of the post having been booed by some of the away fans throughout. Instead the Ox and Walcott showed real class at the end of the game by going over to applaud the followers of the club which gave them such a great foundation to their career.

Overall a good run out for Arsenal in a match trickily wedged between an international week and the first Champions League game. Aside from Gervais' performance the highlight was Per Mertesacker, so classy at the back and a real threat with his head from corners. Furthermore it was a million miles away from the last time I saw this fixture, a frustrating 1-0 win for Southampton at Highbury in a game where a young Niall Quinn faced the embarrassment of being substituted after he himself had come off the bench.