Arsenal face Aston Villa in their FA Cup 4th round clash at the Emirates on Sunday, and for Arsene Wenger, this competition holds significant value. The Gunners have triumphed four times during his 15 year tenure, with Wenger aiming for another success in the world’s oldest cup competition. Villa will not make it easy for Arsenal, the two sides met in the Premiership just before Christmas, with a late winner from Yossi Benayoun at Villa Park needed for Wenger to claim a well earned victory. Just to put things into perspective however, Wenger’s aim has always been a top four finish, and winning the FA Cup, but finishing out of the top four in the Premiership would not represent success in Wenger’s eyes. The fans could argue differently on that.
When Arsenal hosted Manchester United, it was to be a battle of the two longest serving managers in the Premiership. Arsene Wenger has been at the helm in north London for 15 years, with Sir Alex Ferguson preceding him by 10 years at Old Trafford. Gone are the days when two used to snarl at each other and could barely bring each other to smile let alone shake hands with one another. Over the years, their relationship has mellowed, and is now one of respect as was witnessed with Wenger’s pitch side move to the United dug out to offer a pre-match smile and a strong handshake to Ferguson ahead of the two sides clash at the Emirates. After a poor league start Wenger has been under pressure this season, with sections of Arsenal fans voicing concerns at the club’s transfer policy and the direction that the club is now pursuing.
It was a game that Arsene Wenger would describe as one that Arsenal “couldn’t afford to lose.” When Robin Van Persie scored his 19th Premiership goal to cancel out Antonio Valencia’s first half opener in time added on for Manchester United, the manner of the Gunners response suggested that indeed Arsenal would prevail, and especially given the skill, the tenacity and desire from 18 year old Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. He had the assist for Van Persie’s goal and just as he threatened to explode through the tiring United resistance, Wenger hauled him off and replaced him with the misfiring Andrey Arshavin.
Arsenal 1 Manchester United 2
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is a young player very much on the up. His £12 million capture last summer was another feather in Arsene Wenger’s cap and cemented his accepted held belief that Arsenal invest in youth and give their young talent the chance to flourish. Oxlade-Chamberlain has seen Theo Walcott become a first team regular, and his own ambition to break into Wenger’s side has been something that the forward has relentlessly pursued. His first Arsenal Premiership start against the reigning champions Manchester United, and the world got to see the talent on display. Too bad then, with the scores level at 1-1, Wenger chose to remove his teenage prodigy a move that not only confused the 63,093 at the Emirates, but also cost Arsenal the game. The worse decision Wenger has ever made in 15 years at Arsenal ? Absolutely!
Arsene Wenger is not a lover of the January transfer window, and he is not alone there. Having to do your trade in a narrow window of opportunity would be a breach of European law in any other business, but alas it is what football has to put up with. Previously players could move at will, but with some obvious cases of players being continuously tapped up, the January and summer transfer windows would act to provide stability at all clubs, where all too often the players and their against hold all the aces. Wenger did splash out £16 million for Andrey Arshavin in the January transfer window of 2009, and having come so highly rated, Arsenal fans have never consistently seen the best of the talented Russian.
No team has the right to beat any team in the Premiership, that is a given. But when Arsenal travelled to Swansea on Sunday, not many would have predicted that the Gunners would come away from South Wales empty handed. A combination of collective mistakes and tactical naivety were to cost Arsene Wenger’s men, and aptly summed up with the scores at 2-2. Sixteen seconds after the re-start, and Arsenal switched off for Danny Graham to grab the winner to stun Wenger. As with the late loss of Fulham, Arsenal conceded swathes of midfield possession, and couldn’t get the basics right. Having cemented his place between the sticks, Wojciech Szczesny will look back at errors of judgement at the Liberty Stadium and at Craven Cottage, and will learn. Perhaps he could start by spending more time on improving his game then controversially posting on Twitter.
Swansea 3 Arsenal 2
It was a clash of two footballing sides, and when Robin Van Persie scored after only five minutes at the Liberty Stadium, it seemed that Arsenal were on track for a vital away win. Playing with composure and their own passing game, and with more than a hint of luck however, the home side levelled through a controversial Scott Sinclair penalty. Swansea then took the lead after the break through Nathan Dyer, and although Theo Walcott drew Arsenal level on 69 minutes, a sloppy and immature lack of concentration allowed Danny Graham to get the Swans an immediate response with a third. Thierry Henry came on after 63 minutes, and the Gunners had enough chances to at least level again, but surprisingly were unable to fire again when it was needed most.
It was a goal to light up the season for any Arsenal fan, and when that Arsenal fan happens to be Thierry Henry then you just knew that the actions and the volume on netting during his second Gunners’ debut in the FA Cup 3rd round against Leeds would leave no one in doubt of the significance of what had happened. The King was back and once again the owner of all he surveyed. Only times have changed considerably during the four years of Henry’s absence, and given his avowed desire to never play in Europe again, it was always going to be something special that would coax the World and European Cup winner out of his MLS hiatus.
It was a dream return to Arsenal for Thierry Henry, the stuff of legends, fantasy football if you will – call it what you like, but when he struck the only goal to see Arsenal progress 1-0 to the FA Cup 4th round, Arsenal’s record goal scorer showed the raw emotion in his celebration, rushing to the fans, and then finding Arsene Wenger with a celebratory hug. How special was that goal ? Well, just watch Wojciech Szczesny sprint off his line to the dug out to join in as the whole Arsenal team and substitutes crowd Henry in congratulations.
Arsenal 1 Leeds United 0
It was to be a night of pure raw emotion at the Emirates. After an absence of seven years, Thierry Henry returned to north London to score his 227th goal for Arsenal, and that was to prove to be the winner against Leeds in the 3rd round of the FA Cup. Arsenal is the club he calls home, and for Henry it was a real welcome home from the fans to the player they are calling “the King.” On a tense night and with the Gunners lacking any early incision or cutting edge, and frustrated by a disciplined Leeds side, the game was headed for a goal-less draw and a replay at Elland Road. That dynamic was to change on 68 minutes however, when Henry came on from the substitutes’ bench.
