West Bromwich Albion 2 – 2 Arsenal
1 – 0 Reid (3)
2 – 0 Odemwingie (58)
2 – 1 Arshavin (71)
2 – 2 van Persie (78)
Arsenal showed the character that is so often deemed to be missing in retrieving a deficit that arose through the flaws that have so often been shown in the past. Arguments will be made for this being two points dropped or a point gained, the dominance of either view depending on your outlook for the season.
Albion were two goals ahead but had been pummelled. At the end of the match, Arsenal had over sixty per cent of the possession and eighteen attempts on goal to the hosts four. Arsenal made two defensive mistakes and were punished. The Baggies might be a yo-yo team but are not going to return to The Championship without a fight.
Arsenal have wobbled but like the Weebles of yesteryear, refuse to fall down. Defeated in domestic cup competitions, ousted from Europe’s top table, the battered and bruised visitors refused to cower as the title race seemed destined to move out of their control.
West Brom came out of the traps quickly and within three minutes were ahead. Brunt’s corner found Reid to power home a header from point blank range. The returning Aaron Ramsey had been assigned the task of marking the Albion midfielder but failed to track his man effectively. One goal down but most of the match remained to retrieve the deficit.
Dusting themselves down from the set back, Arsenal gradually assumed a control of the game that reflected the two teams relative positions in the Premier League. Albion were assiduous in their defending, banks of four and five confronting the Arsenal players, stifling any attempts to stretch the play.
On one occasion in the first half, Arsenal found width. Clichy broke on the left, his cross met by a looping Robin van Persie header which bounced off the crossbar into the path of Aaron Ramsey. The Welsh youngster attempted to find redemption via the back of the net, instead found Carson blocking his way to goal.
Arsenal’s dominance required more attacking nous; it arrived in the form of Marouane Chamakh at half-time, Denilson withdrawn as the visitor’s sought to turn possession into points. It did not bring about immediate dividends.
Albion threats were few and far between. As the pitch churned, Brunt wasted a good opportunity to increase the lead before the fickle finger of fate turned on Arsenal once more.
Mulumbu hoisted an archetypally English ball over the top of the defence. Odimwingie gave chase with Squillaci and as the two seemed destined to tangle for possession, Manuel Almunia met them, almost collided with Squillaci and left the Albion forward a straightforward finish. No hiding for Almunia, his rashness had cost a goal and the withering look of Squillaci said it all.
There can be no excuses from the Spaniard, his view unimpeded as the ball came over the top of the defence. The bounce spat the ball into an alternative course than one might have expected but even the deceptively slow Squillaci was in control of the situation enough to force Odimwingie toward the touchline. Quite simply, the goalkeeper should not have been in the position that he found himself.
It mean that a small hill became larger yet nowhere near mountainous in its size. Bendtner came on for Ramsey, Wenger deciding that the lead was retrievable and Albion unlikely to hold out against an attacking onslaught. It was a substitution which would prove rewarding.
The players needed to regather their strength, physically and mentally. A quick response would have refilled energy levels, drained through the deflation of the host’s second. van Persie provided a small tonic but his free kick drifted harmlessly past the post.
With twenty minutes to go, Arsenal gained the necessary foothold. Chamakh is following the path trodden by Arshavin in regaining form, emerging from the bench to provide assists, followed by goals. It would be a timely return if that is the case. The Russian picked up the ball in midfield and laid it wide to Chamakh. His measured pass found Arshavin’ bustling run into the box, the power built by the pocket dynamo unleashed in his shot.
Back in the game, Arsenal turned the screw. The Albion defence, already stretch buckled once more, breaking point reached. Arshavin’s cross swirled to the far post where Bendtner returned the ball into the goalmouth. Dithering Albion defending was punished by an incisive Robin van Persie tackle, the ball poked into an empty net as Carson looked on despairingly.
Arsenal sought a winner, the urgency missing for big parts of the game now evident. In truth it was much as before. Albion riding their luck, Carson once more called into action displaying the inconsistency which saw his international career end before it started; culpable in van Persie’s equaliser, the Albion custodian redeemed himself with a save from Clichy as the pressure grew.
The final whistle brought relief for the home fans, an emotion matched by Arsenal’s less the elation. Dropped points because of defensive errors will bring forth criticism, bearing the brunt will be Manuel Almunia.
Goalkeeping is a touchy subject. Almunia had won plaudits in Barcelona, one of only two players to emerge with any credit from the Champions League exit. That has quickly evaporated and the welter of abuse towards him is swelling. He made the mistake but Wenger’s options are limited. Were there a match this week, I wonder if the manager would have taken a risk and played Lehmann.
As it is we go into the international break which allows him and his staff to work on the Spaniard, rebuilding his confidence following yesterday. It will be necessary; no matter what you think of Almunia, to play Lehmann is a huge risk. With a respect to the German, some reserve matches over the next fortnight would not go amiss. Training is one thing but match sharpness another.
The Premier League table identifies one thing, a point not to be forgotten. Arsenal sit second, one game in hand, five points behind Manchester United, the two sides still to meet at The Emirates. The destiny of the title is in their hands, the grip loosened a little but not wrenched out of their control.
’til Tomorrow.
“Brian Spencer, 61, said that the behaviour of the 19-year-old England star was “the worst I’ve ever seen in my 38 years as a cabbie.”"
What sort of cabbie thinks someone spitting is the worst thing to happen in London for 38 years. I bet he does not get out much
Jack is absolutely legend.
You heard it here first. Our next game is in 2 weeks. Walcott, Song, Cesc will all be fit. We’re going to win this league.
Mark my words.
Dups
I’d be really proud of either of my sons if they behaved that way. Still, I’m damn sure that the cabbie in question would not run to the Mirror in the hope of making a quick quid or two if that’s the case.
Yes, I am disappointed in Jack’s behaviour if true but let’s look at the behaviour of the cabbie as well. Quick to condemn celebrities and quick to take the cash because of cult of celebrity. And I bet his children were all angels…a hypocrite of the highest order.
YW
Sorry Cbob it was supposed to be for inexpensive American pasties.
YW
“a hypocrite of the highest order”. Very true.
Limestone…
I agree with you totally. It is not just unnecessary but in fact plainly untrue to pretend that we were not a big club before Wenger… even Wenger acknowledges that he has built on foundations laid by others. I really don’t think that the point is even arguable.
It is also true that our big club status prior to Wenger’s arrival guaranteed us nothing in the EPL era and the fact is that we were regressing rather alarmingly. For me there are two things that absolutely stand out with Wenger
1) The fact that he has been able to compete and triumph (people forget that even when we were winning we were still being heavily outspent) with a vastly inferior budget.
2) That he was willing to give up winning trophies for a time at least in order to see us build the stadium.
When I think of the modern Arsenal and the present day EPL those two facts are just mind blowing. In today’s world where a man like Rafa Benitez spent his entire time at Liverpool asking for more money, when Mourinho regularly threatens the owners of his clubs for not spending ever more dosh… when Spurs are willing to leave North London in order to cut the expense on their stadium to have a manager give up the chance of personal glory just so that he can lay foundations for others is just unbelievable. Wenger could have pushed for us to build the stadium somewhere on the M25 corridor and save money for example but instead he understood the need to remain in Islington as close to Highbury as possible! It is amazing really.
Don’t get me wrong… Wenger is well remunerated for what he does (although he could conceivably earn more elsewhere and have a bigger transfer kitty too) and he isn’t a saint or an angel… but his whole attitude is still so at odds with the spirit of the times we live in that in some ways it is not a surprise at all that idiots like Spectrum don’t get it.
Limestonegunner | March 20, 2011 at 7:09 pm |
I hear what your saying believe me I’m not running down the club, but when I was growing up there were only two “big clubs” Utd and Liverpool. I dont think despite Chapmans legacy that Arsenal were viewed on that level. Now we are viewed not just domestically but also in Europe as a massive club helped obviously by our yearly appearances in the Champions League. I wasn’t using our perceived status now as a defense for Arsene, the manager is incredible and we are lucky to have him. The point I was making was from the mid 50s onwards despite a brief spell in the early 70s until the Graham era as a supporter we weren’t on the level we are now, I think its fair to say weve grown as a club in recent years.
Brady- Arsenal were among the most successful teams in England . . even before Wenger but he took us to a different level, he changed the style of football , now the ” Arsenal way ” is admired worldwide. Despite united huge recent success in terms of titles, we are only 5 behind . Liverpool 18. United 18, Arsenal 13. It is unfortunate that few Billionaires came to the premiership as we just moved to an new stadium and that made winning the title even harder. We are getting close every year. We still have a chance this year and I can’t see us getting any worst next season. So things are on the up finacially and on the field. It is a matter of time before we over take them
I’m getting a fair amount of stick for saying and I quote,
“Post Chapman we were never a “big team” even under Graham. We are only a “big team” because Wenger has brought us success during the premier league years.”
I stand by the sentiment although I should have mentioned Mee. You’ve got to ask yourself If we were not successful in the premier league era from 92-93 onwards how would we be viewed. The narrative of the club would be completely different and you can point back to the legacy of Chapman, Alison, Shaw and Whittaker but two generations of fans had been born and bred going to Highbury until Bertie came along, and another two generations until Graham. If we hadn’t have been successful in this modern era we wouldn’t be viewed as a big club despite our rich heritage. For those old enough to remember Wolves were once a massive club not anymore. A much closer parallel would be the Tofees, If we hadn’t have been successful in the modern era we may well have been viewed in a similar way to the fourth most succesful English club of all time. I respect their heritage but wouldn’t consider them a big club anymore.
Brady, fair enough and thanks for clarifying. Joshua and 1 loose, I agree fully. The man transformed the club. My hope is that this second phase of growth, along with fair play rules, will lead to a period of dominance during which Wenger’s genius will be universally recognized for not only its unique approach but for its resounding success as well. I enjoyed all those posts a great deal, thanks!
Nice one Limestone, I hope we can do it this year it would mean alot.
RVP is really a gem of a player. I truly believe that you can show me any goal in the world and RVP could score it as well. He is the one player, even more than Cesc, that I hope will stay with us until his career ends.
Joshua: “Don’t get me wrong… Wenger is well remunerated for what he does (although he could conceivably earn more elsewhere and have a bigger transfer kitty too) and he isn’t a saint or an angel… but his whole attitude is still so at odds with the spirit of the times we live in that in some ways it is not a surprise at all that idiots like Spectrum don’t get it.”
If Wenger were anything like spectrum and his ilk he’d be sitting pretty at the Bernabeu throwing around cash for the fuck of it. He’s here to finish the project he started. Instead these morons think he’s making a buck off the players he buys and is involved in some sort of conspiracy to leave Arsenal cash rich so the club could be sold without debt. Seriously. Who the fuck would sell off a club like Arsenal when it’s debt free? Man IOU and Liverpool would give their left nut to be operating debt free right now.
Spectrum/pharo9ja,
I think you boys are letting your frustrations blind your reason. When intelligable, you arguments fly in the face of history and actual achievements. When not, your youth or frustrations (or maybe your ‘youthful frustrations’) shine through.
To make contributions that add nothing is, I suppose, an art of sorts and I congratulate you on that alone. Read, watch and think more: the truth is out there (if not necessarily in the red top tabloid punditdumb(!
Humph.
Inexpensive American pasties manufactured in some redundant Ford factory in Cleveland and packaged with a cheap toy and Clotted Cream Slushpuppy no doubt.
@dgob that is usually the truth about all the doomers.
Our situation summed up very nicely by Arseblogger this morning.
Right GA! This team does leave you confused!
We can be like a bag of Revels. So good, but equally cabable of being just as bad.
Watched the match live on Saturday. What angered me was that we seemed complacent until we went 2 down.
I think it’s pretty simple – we’re missing 6 of our first 11, down to our 3rd choice goalkeeper, 3rd and 4th choice CBs and are collectively trying to get over a couple of nasty shocks. Nasri and RvP haven’t quite found their pre-injury form yet, JW’s had to play more games than anyone would have wanted, and replacements like Denilson and Diaby, who have performed really well at times over the last couple of years, are stuck in the doldrums for different reasons.
The good part is that we showed some real fight on Saturday, should have players back soon and spring has just started.
Interesting thread by led by BRF, limestone, Joshua et al.
Everyday I learn more about this great club to whom I became attracted relatively recently and which I quickly began to appreciate was one of the greatest football clubs in the world. In my many years of playing (poorly) and watching football I have seen no other club with a philosophy of attractive football, openness to all talent regardless of nationality (I don’t check on passports when selecting my team) combined with fair-play and self-sufficiency. Trust me, by dint of experience and many sporting political heartbreaks, I am a hardened sceptic. Under Wenger, my faith in the sport of football, after the dirge I witnessed from the late 80s to the 90s, was fully restored.
OOU – I agree we did show some really fight to get back into the game. I actually thought we would go on and win it to be honest. But we also showed how slack we can be at the back for the 1st goal. The 2nd goal was just a clanger pure and simple.
We can’t do much about that anyway, GA – just hope that Almunia’s got it out of his system now!
And also, that bounce was totally fucked. It was almost the only place it could have gone to put Almunia in trouble, which sort of summed up our recent luck I suppose.
Our rebirth starts today!
OOU – Yeah hopefully. That type of incident is why he lost his place in the 1st place though. The bounce really had nothing to do with it, it should not have been there in the 1st place. Old argument though eh?
Hopefully it will focus him for the remaining games, as until the weekend he had been very good.
A goal from a set piece and then another Howler from the worst Arsenal goalkeeper since George Wood.
I could be describing any number of games from the last few years not just Saturday. Was anyone surprised? No. We have had these weaknesses for years and Wenger simply cannot solve the problems.
60% possession and one shot on goal in the first half, WBA scoring from their only attempt on target. Rubbish, utter rubbish. 1 point out of 6 v WBA, 2 points from Sunderland and we are the only team not to beat them in their last 6 games, 2 points from Newcastle, even though we were 4-0 up in the away game. 1 clean sheet in 12 with Kos and Squilacci at the back. Great teams don’t get results like this, but we are not a great team.
Let’s hope we can get some players back during the break otherwise we could find ourselves being overhauled by Chelsea for 2nd, never mind the title.
Ggreat comeback and a wonderful goal from Andrey but we should never have been 2 down in the first place.
AIC – None of what you said is wrong.
The more your look at Utd’s run-in the tougher it looks. Especially when you crowbar in cup games against Chelsea and City. Lots of teams fighting against the drop… plus some others like Everton and Fulham who are always harder to beat than you think. And they’ve got problems at centreback too.
Fabregas, Song and Walcott could be the difference. All match-winners. Get them fit for Blackburn and the momentum’s with us again.
finishing third isnt even worth thinking about..
if chelsea take us then this season has been a total disastor and serious questions need to be asked about this squad and the manager..
GA, Almunia’s only in the team because of bad luck; injuries to the two players ahead of him, both of whom performed well enough to nail down a starting spot. Fuck, even Mannone would have had a shout, but he’s also injured. So that’s three out of four out. At time like this you’ve got to take a different tack; he’s all we’ve got at the moment, so what’s the point in slating him?
we are having problems with our own fixtures theres no point looking too deep into utd’s
we are having problems with our own defence so theres no point looking too deep into utd’s
the leagues in our own hands…. fuck utd..
no excuses…
New post up
http://aculturedleftfoot.wordpress.com/2011/03/21/unpredictable-or-lack-of-quality-arsene/