Robin Van Persie winning the PFA and FWA player of the year awards says everything about Arsenal’s season, and actually sums up both the strengths and the weaknesses of Arsene Wenger’s side. Individually brilliant, but as a team, a work in progress. Van Persie joins a very select group of players to have scooped both prestigious awards as voted for by his fellow peers, and then the written footballing media, with Thierry Henry the last Gunner to have been afforded such a honour.
Arsenal 0 Chelsea 0
Arsene Wenger could not quite put his finger on why Arsenal played such a drab 0-0 against fierce London rivals Chelsea. The Gunners have won their last two games against the Blues, but never really looked like making it a winning treble. “I felt we had a very solid defensive performance. Going forward we didn’t find our quick passing game and the regret we have today is that we played offensively with a handbrake and not as clean technically as we can do. That is why we didn’t open them up enough. It was a bit similar to what we saw against Wigan and that’s a regret I have today,” said Wenger.
It was the news that Arsene Wenger most feared, and coming on the back of Monday’s shock 2-1 home loss to Wigan, least needed and especially with Saturday’s lunchtime kick-off derby against Chelsea looming large on the horizon. Arteta rolled an ankle with the Gunners 1-0 down, and with ten men on the pitch as Wenger prepared for an unexpected substitution, Wigan grabbed what was to prove a deadly second goal to cap a thoroughly miserable night for the Gunners. As well as Saturday’s derby Arteta will miss fixtures against Stoke City, Norwich City and West Bromwich Albion.
Arsene Wenger revealed that Jack Wilshere will be out for the rest of the season, and will also play no part in England’s Euro 2012 campaign in Poland and Ukraine. Wenger had hoped that Wilshere would be back towards the latter part of this season, but his troublesome ankle has taken longer to heal than was first anticipated. On a night of a shock 2-1 loss to Wigan at the Emirates, Wenger slammed the visitors’ time wasting tactics, and revealed that he predicted the outcome of the late yellow card given to Ali Al Habsi. Mikel Arteta suffered an ankle injury and could also be set for a spell on the sidelines.
Listen to Wenger’s post match thoughts below
Arsenal 1 Wigan 2
Just when you think the Arsenal season will finish with a flourish, along came firstly QPR and at the Emirates on Monday night, perhaps the shock of the season, as an in form Arsenal side were not only out played but out fought and actually their deserved a win. For Arsenal fans it is rare to accept, but, in truth this result highlights that in their current guise, Arsenal unfortunately are capable of such results, a combination of potential and the poor.Should the Gunners harbour any future title ambitions, that will need to be remedied and quickly too.
Wolves 0 Arsenal 3
Arsene Wenger sat composed and relatively unanimated as Arsenal took apart a relegation threatened Wolves at Molineux. Goals from Robin Van Persie, Theo Walcott and Yossi Benayoun ensured Wenger’s and the Gunners comfort to remain at third place in the Premiership, but the Arsenal manager knew that having had that disastrous start, he could afford to smile that little bit easier. “I am very happy that we are in this position but I am also very cautious because some teams have been in that position before. We want to win our next game because where we have come from this season we must be focused. We have come from very deep and to stay in this position we have to focus on our next game,” stressed Wenger.
Arsenal 1 Manchester City 0
Mikel Arteta struck four minutes before time to grab Arsenal a vital three points to take the Gunners back to third place in the Premiership, and at the same time shatter Manchester City’s title ambitions. Having won earlier in the day with a 2-0 win over QPR, Manchester United are now eight points clear of their noisy neighbours, and the gloom will continue for Roberto Mancini who saw controversial striker Mario Balotelli see red in the 90th minute after a second yellow card. Arsenal will care not on that front, but given the start to their own season, lying in a Champions League place with six games to go will please Arsene Wenger no end.
We had consistent domination in the game. The team continues to grow. Arsene Wenger
QPR 2 Arsenal 1
Arsenal’s seven game winning run game to a shuddering and perhaps unexpected end at Loftus Road in a 2-1 loss. Fighting for their Premiership lives, Adel Taraabt gave the home side the lead, with Theo Walcott levelling before the break. Possession wise Arsenal enjoyed the lions share, but on a poor pitch, chances were few and far between. Just as it appeared as if Arsenal would get a second, Rangers hit again through Samba Diakite for what was to prove to be the winner.
Arsenal 3 Aston Villa 0
Arsenal stunned Aston Villa with a comfortable 3-0 win at the Emirates to record their seventh consecutive Premiership win. That sequence of results has been nothing short of sensational, and even more so given the Gunners’ horrific start this season. Kieran Gibbs and Theo Walcott got Arsenal off to a flying start, and two English players on the Gunners’ score-sheet for the first time since 1997. Mikel Arteta netted a stunning stoppage time free-kick for a win that consolidated the Gunners’ grip on third place in the Premiership.
Everton 0 Arsenal 1
Thomas Vermaelen struck for consecutive Premiership fixtures to secure Arsenal’s sixth consecutive Premiership victory at Goodison Park. The win takes the Gunners into third place and above Spurs who were held at home by Stoke. The solitary goal of the game came with the north London side in the ascendency, and despite the Toffees rallying late on, the determination,the desire and the willingness to fight for the team proved too much for the Merseysiders.
