Can Arsene Wenger have endured a more wretched week at Arsenal ? His side taken apart 4-0 by AC Milan in the Champions League last 16 first leg last week, was followed by FA Cup elimination at the hands of Sunderland a matter of days later. Wenger has always resolutely backed his players no matter what the circumstances, but even he seems to have reached his disappointment threshold with a reported dressing room no holds barred assertion of the facts that his players will have had ringing in their ears, but still the malaise was still evident at the Stadium of Light.
They are the words that Arsene Wenger would not normally reveal in public, preferring instead to air his team concerns to the confines and privacy of the Arsenal dressing room. After witnessing the catastrophic performance in the 4-0 thrashing by AC Milan, there was to be no hiding place for this Arsenal side or the strong but negative assessment from Wenger. Understanding as it is, this nevertheless signifies a huge diversion for the Arsenal manager who in 15 years perhaps could not cover up for his sides’ many failings on his worst ever European night
Arsene Wenger has maintained that Arsenal will need to show consistency from now on if their ambitions for Champions League football for next season are to be realised. Talk of a doom and gloom this has surfaced at odd times in a challenging season, yet to see the Gunners lying in fourth place in the Premiership table represents something of a minor miracle. Wenger has had his detractors, and talk of protests have never materialised – all the better really as given the Gunners’ current form, they would be made to look particularly silly just now. The manner in which victory was earned having gone a goal down at Sunderland showed all the fighting spirit that Wenger always alludes to, and the fact that the defence is very close to a first choice back four will not harm matters on bit.
It was an Arsenal performance that has been all to familiar at the Emirates, if say the end result may not have been. Play well, move the ball into all the right areas, but then not take the chances created, only then to suffer the consequences later. Against Blackburn Rovers on Saturday however, the sum of all the parts beautifully came together to see Arsenal crush their visitors 7-1, with the Gunners’ past present and future all combining in harmony.
That famed fighting spirit that Arsene Wenger likes to constantly remind us of well was alive and well at the Emirates on Sunday, as Arsenal overcame a two goal half time deficit to emerge 3-2 victors over a dogged Aston Villa. The result ensures the Gunners’ safe passage to the 5th round of the FA Cup, where either Middlesbrough or Sunderland await.
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.
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.
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.
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.
