It's hard to say how I feel like right now. On one hand, I can be relatively content seeing Chelsea and Sp*ds go down to 1-0 losses each. I can also be relieved that I did an honest shift of studying today (Yay Bio). Then again, I could be understandably just as wound up and bonkers as much as I am composed right now. The only reason I'm not jumping about and cursing excessively is because my fingers are doing so, on the keyboard, and with the mouse. The Arsenal, what can we say about you? One day you thump Braga for five. Then you go and let 30 seconds of insanity drop 2 points at the feet of a player whose name I can't and shan't even try remember. Beach balls. It doesn't stop there, a few days later, you (quite luckily, considering how an irishman almost took it all away in the dying minutes) make a Sp*ds team weep the cry that the League Cup is nothing of significance. Then you go and lose to a Baggies side .___." . What is it with Arsenal and promoted sides. Do we really take them for granted?
I could go on and on all night about the performance. It's hard to say I don't want to point the finger and fault anyone in particular, when I really want to. The team save for Samir Nasri all looked lackluster and it needed them to go down by 3 before they starting pumping up the tempo to a level we're so used to see on a regular basis at The Emirates. Firstly, I believe Wenger might have chosen the wrong 11 to begin with. Not saying that I would've doubted the strength of the team he put down. On any other day, I would've agreed it was the right thing to do. The return of Song and Diaby in the center of midfield were no surprise. I wouldn't have disagreed with his choices either. I guess he kind of rushed Diaby's comeback from that potentially fibula breaking tackle. Although, considering that Denilson (who has been out for so long) and Wilshere played 120 minutes in midweek, even I'd be reluctant to play either of them. As for other players who under performed, we could name a couple.
The first goal was a result of Sagna being sold too easily for my liking. All Thomas did was look right, he didn't even drop the shoulder or anything fancy, he just left Sagna for dead. The second goal was all about Clichy getting nutmegged with a backheel O_O + Koscienly not closing down the striker enough + Almunia not knowing how to control his eye-hand coordination. And lastly the third, I wouldn't say it was Almunia's fault....totally. Some might argue that he should have stayed on the line, which in truth, would have been the right thing to do considering the player running onto the ball was Brunt, who is a very left footed player, and I believe wouldn't have even gotten his shot on target. So lets give Almunia the benefit of the doubt that he didn't know Brunt couldn't shoot with his right foot, he came off his line but wasn't sure if he could make the tackle. At least he pushed the striker wide. That was probably the best he could have hoped for minus committing himself and smothering the ball from Brunt's feet. The defenders must have been ball watching because no one seemed to pick up Jerome Thomas who slotted it home. In the first place, Brunt shouldn't have been allowed a run at goal. Clichy's lapse in concentration allowed a loose ball to roll past him after committing to the interception too quickly.
Overall I'd say Arsenal just seemed to lack that steel and urgency. From Clichy's lapse in concentration for the second and third goal, Koscielny's error in trusting that Almunia could even accomplish the unthinkable task of covering his near post (shades of Cristiano Ronaldo's freekick in the UCL a few years back) to Eboue's ineffectiveness down the right hand side and Arshavin being a total pedestrian during most if not all of the match (save for his assist for Nasri's second). It's almost impossible to say Wenger could've picked an alternative side with so many out injured. Walcott's out so no one to replace Eboue. Chamakh needed help dealing with the two center backs and Arshavin was as oblivious as ever up to the last minute of the game. RVP is out so nothing here again. Diaby was off the pace, Fabregas to come back. Clichy really needs Gibbs to push him back into top form because the young englishman looks a safer prospect than his much experienced colleague. Vermaelen would sure up any defense when he comes back fit. We don't have anyone else to turn to in goal, I think if we kept Senderos, he'd be playing there right now. Just saying....
As for the whole keeper situation, I would really love to see Szczesny have a run out in the side now. If not, at least Vito Mannone. Almunia's lack of reassurance must be demoralizing for the back four. And I wouldn't want Fabianski anywhere nearer to the first 11 than he already is. It's a shame Gibbs is out for a 'supposedly' shorter period than expected, but I think Clichy has been prone to losing his concentration during certain periods of a match. Hopefully the return of Verminator and Fabregas for the Chelsea game could change the nature of things. Letting Arshavin start on the bench and moving Nasri out on the wing to torment Ivanovic. All we can do now is hope. What's done is done. Hats off to Samir Nasri who was the glow in an extinguished Arsenal side. What's more is that he played 90 minutes at Sunderland, 120 minutes at WHL and another 90 minutes at The Emirates. Being the spearhead of Arsenal's attack in two of those two matches. He is a trooper. And probably another reason why I love Arsenal all the more. Not because of him exactly, that'd make me a poof. No, I'm certainly not one, but I do love his spirit. That's 4 goals in two matches. Keep it up. That's all for now.
Arsenal for life.
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