Thierry Henry's Arsenal return has no downside, insists Arsène Wenger

Arsène Wenger has insisted that there is no downside to his decision to re-sign Thierry Henry on a two-month loan from the New York Red Bulls. Henry has been training at Arsenal during the MLS close-season and Wenger said that he knew after the striker's first session that he could still contribute at Premier League level.

Henry will officially rejoin on New Year's Day and although Wenger feels he needs "two good weeks' work" to get match fit, there is the possibility that he could be considered as a substitute for the visit to Fulham on Monday. Henry will hope to start in the FA Cup tie against Leeds United at Emirates Stadium on Monday week.

"I have done this for footballing reasons because I need a striker for two months and I don't have one at the moment," Wenger said, with a nod towards the looming departures of Marouane Chamakh and Gervinho for the Africa Cup of Nations. "Thierry's value is on the pitch. I felt that at the World Cup [last year], when he came on for France against South Africa, he gave something to the team. He has something. He knows where to be. He knows how to give a problem to the opponent. You never lose that.

"He has the quality and capacity to help us out. You do not find players on the planet of this quality who are available for two months. Was there a moment in training when I realised he could still do it? Yes, the first day. There are no risks. I met Thierry when he was 17 years old [at Monaco] and I had him here at 22 so I know every movement that he can make. He is a super-intelligent guy and he is a special talent."

The 34-year-old Henry is a different player to the one who terrorised Premier League defences for eight seasons from 1999, having lost most but not all of his pace. Wenger said that he could play him up front, on either flank or even behind the striker, and he suggested that his role would most likely be as an impact substitute. "He and I are conscious that he is 34," Wenger said, on the issue of Henry's pace. "But he has not lost his class or brain. He is here to help, nothing else. When we need him, he will come on."

Wenger attempted to downplay the significance of a comeback for arguably the finest player in the club's history. "What is important is to keep this story as quiet as possible," he said. That got a laugh. Wenger is keen not to put Henry under pressure – "He is not here suddenly to be the leader," he said – and no matter what nothing could tarnish his legacy, because "you can never take away from people what they have done".

Wenger said that Henry was "very happy and modest" about his return, and he wanted to be "as discreet as possible" but he predicted that the player's pride would drive him, as it did for Sol Campbell and Jens Lehmann, two other stalwarts who came back on short-term deals.

"I remember when we went to Tottenham [in April 2010], Sol was absolutely amazing," Wenger said. "He had such a capacity to fight and it's important to bring that out. Sol is like Thierry. Once they are committed, you know you can rely on them."

Wenger has not yet decided whether to register Henry in the Champions League squad and he said that he was "not looking for permanent strikers or players unless we lose players [to injury]". He also said that he might not take a left-back on loan because Kieran Gibbs and Bacary Sagna should be back from injury by the end of January.

Jack Wilshere is fighting to return before February from his ankle problem but Wenger could not put a date on a comeback for the injury-jinxed Abou Diaby.

Source: David Hytner, The Guardian on 30 Dec 11

Thierry Henry is not the egocentric striker who left Arsenal behind

When Henry left Arsenal in 2007 he was almost bigger than the club, but Barcelona and New York have changed him

Thierry Henry can not only show his medals to the Arsenal dressing room, he can show his statue. The striker welled up at the unveiling of his bronze likeness at Emirates Stadium this month and it seemed unkind to wonder whether he had been commemorated before his time. But the feeling will gather strength if and when the 34-year-old completes a startling return to the club, and pulls on the red-and-white jersey in the new year. Reports on Thursday night suggested it will happen in the next two days.

It is doubtful that Arsène Wenger had considered re-signing Henry on a short-term loan from the New York Red Bulls when the sculptors received their commission as part of Arsenal's 125-year anniversary celebrations. The manager, incidentally, came over all self-conscious when a bust of himself was sited at the players' entrance to the stadium. "I thought I was dead when I saw it," he said. Yet the curious prospect of the return of a legend who is not only alive but still kicking beckons.

It feels risky. When Henry left Arsenal for Barcelona in 2007, after eight glorious seasons in north London, the joke was that he needed an additional business-class seat for his ego. He had almost transcended the club with his personality and status, and his departure was considered by some as necessary for the younger players to blossom. Henry had become such a focal point that his team-mates would feel compelled to seek the pass to him even when it was not on.

One story from his final season sticks in the memory. Arsenal had lost at Fulham at the end of November and Wenger had substituted Alex Song at half-time after the midfielder had endured a dreadful game. In front of the rest of the squad Henry castigated Song, which deeply upset Wenger. Henry was suffering from sciatica and Wenger told him that he was taking him out of the firing line, starting in the next game – the derby against Tottenham Hotspur. Henry left the training ground in a rage. Due to injury problems, he played only a further 10 times for the team.

Song, of course, remains at the club, together with a clutch of others who worked with Henry in the first-team squad – Manuel Almunia, Johan Djourou, Tomas Rosicky, Abou Diaby, Theo Walcott and Robin van Persie. What impact Henry would have on the chemistry of the match-day dressing room is the greatest intangible, particularly as he would most likely be a mere squad member, fighting with Park Chu-young for the right to understudy Van Persie.

The notion of Henry as a cheerleader on the bench does not sit easily with the memories of him in his va-va-voom pomp, when he was arguably the finest player in the country, an explosive package of pace, skill and ruthlessness who celebrated by sliding on his knees after putting opponents on theirs. Henry scored 15 times in 29 games for the Red Bulls last season but he is obviously no longer the same player. Nobody, least of all himself, would want him to sully his Arsenal legacy.

A section of the club's dressing room would be caught in two minds were Henry to return on a permanent, longer-term contract. Privately, one or two of them wonder why Ian Wright was not selected for the statue and there is the media circus that may accompany Henry. But the prospect of a quick fix appears to suit, with the positives vying for prominence. Wenger needs temporary cover for Marouane Chamakh and Gervinho, who are bound for the Africa Cup of Nations, and Henry may also offer an emotional lift.

He has been training hard and impressively with the squad during the MLS close-season and, as importantly, he has clicked with the key characters. Henry is a different person to the one who left Arsenal, having become less egocentric, possibly as a result of him not being the main man at Barcelona. In New York he has faded from the European consciousness.

Wenger's Arsenal squad is also different. Players such as Song and Van Persie have matured into leaders, there are international captains aplenty and the transfer deadline day signings have brought further worldliness. It is not a dressing room to cower before Henry.

Wenger has gone back to the future in the second half of the past two campaigns, giving Sol Campbell a short-term deal in January 2010 and signing Jens Lehmann towards the end of last season. Wenger might remember how Campbell, despite some difficulties, played like the defensive titan of old in the derby at Tottenham and how Lehmann made vital saves in the victory at Blackpool. There is the recognition within the squad that increased fire-power is required and if Henry could make a couple of decisive contributions, then he would be feted once again.

Henry has been back to Arsenal since his departure. He appeared as a substitute for Barcelona in the Champions League in March of last year and this past summer he played for the Red Bulls against Arsenal in the Emirates Cup. There had been a plan for him to swap sides and play for his former team in the second half but, to his disgust, it was vetoed by the referee.

"They have some stupid rules," Henry said. "I'm sure the fans would have loved that and I would have loved that." His dream may yet come true.

Source: David Hytner, The Guardian on 29 Dec 11

2011 Review: Arsenal’s 10 defining moments

Optimism abounds as Arsenal’s year draws to a close but there have been numerous peaks and troughs along the way. As 2012 edges closer we look back at some of the defining moments from an extraordinary 12 months for the Club.

DECEMBER 10 - THE CLUB'S 125 CELEBRATIONS
Arsenal celebrated their 125th anniversary by paying tribute to heroes past and present on an emotional day at the Emirates. After unveiling statues of Herbert Chapman, Thierry Henry and Tony Adams, the Club welcomed Everton for the commemorative game. A number of Arsenal legends were presented to a packed stadium, referee Howard Webb used a sixpence to decide the kick-off and the great grandchildren of Club founder David Danskin took out the match ball. To cap off a memorable occasion for everyone associated with the Gunners, Van Persie fired in a sublime volley to claim three points for Wenger’s side.

OCTOBER 29 - CHELSEA 3-5 ARSENAL
The Gunners’ revival had started to build momentum after four successive victories, but the acid test of how far they had progressed would come at Stamford Bridge. Despite trailing 2-1 at half time, a reinvigorated Arsenal stormed out after the break to take the lead through goals from Santos and Walcott, before Mata fired in a late equaliser. However, a Terry slip gifted Van Persie the chance to put Wenger’s men ahead again, and the Dutch striker completed a wonderful hat trick with a last-gasp strike. Arsenal truly were back.

SEPTEMBER 25 - ARSENAL LADIES COMPLETE THE TREBLE
Laura Harvey’s side secured an historic Treble with a 4-1 victory against Birmingham City in the Continental Cup after goals from Ellen White, Jayne Ludlow and a Rachel Yankey brace. In an incredible season, Arsenal beat Birmingham to the Super League title by three points and won the FA Women’s Cup too. “These are really exciting times - we have a batch of young players who have stepped up this season and they will get better and better,” Harvey said.

AUGUST 30/31 - WENGER'S LATE SUMMER SIGNINGS
With the clock ticking down to the transfer deadline, Wenger made a number of late moves. The signings of Santos, Mertesacker, Arteta, Benayoun and Park - all full internationals – immediately injected greater depth and experience to Arsenal’s squad and led to a major upturn in form as the team climbed the table.

AUGUST 28 - MANCHESTER UNITED 8-2 ARSENAL
An injury-hit, depleted Arsenal side suffered the worst defeat of Wenger’s reign at Old Trafford. Despite the painful nature of the result, the Gunners’ travelling fans were widely praised for their vociferous support. Afterwards, Wenger admitted his squad was short in key areas, prompting him to re-enter the transfer market.

AUGUST 15-24 - CESC FABREGAS AND SAMIR NASRI LEAVE
After long-term speculation over his future, Fabregas returned Barcelona just two days after the start of the new season. The Spaniard made 303 appearances for the Club after joining in 2003, scoring 57 goals, and is widely regarded as having developed into one of the world’s best midfielders under Wenger’s tutelage. A week later Nasri also left the Emirates, moving to Manchester City in a big-money deal.

APRIL ONWARDS - STAN KROENKE INCREASES MAJORITY SHAREHOLDING
An Arsenal director since September 2008, Mr Kroenke made an offer for the Club in April. He had increased his majority shareholding to 66.64 per cent by June and it now stands at 66.82 per cent. Mr Kroenke purchased the shares of Danny Fiszman, shortly before the long-serving director’s tragic death at the age of 66 in April.

FEBRUARY 27 - ARSENAL 1-2 BIRMINGHAM
Wenger’s side were heavy favourites to win their first trophy in six years against struggling Birmingham in the Carling Cup Final, but they went behind to Zigic’s 28th-minute strike. Van Persie restored parity on the stroke of half-time with a sublime volley, but much as Arsenal pressed in the second half, they could not break down the stubborn Blues. With the game seemingly destined for extra-time, a defensive mix-up gifted Martins a heartbreaking late winner. It proved to be a turning point, as the Gunners won just three times in their last 14 games.

FEBRUARY 16 - ARSENAL 2-1 BARCELONA
Coming just 11 days after the result at St James’ Park, few gave Arsenal much hope against the imperious Catalans in their Champions League last-16 first leg. David Villa fired Barcelona in front after 26 minutes but the resilient Gunners refused to buckle. With Jack Wilshere in dominant form, Wenger’s side stormed back to claim a famous victory with goals from Van Persie and Arshavin. The Gunners went on to lose the second leg at the Nou Camp but proved they could beat the cream of Europe.

FEBRUARY 5 - NEWCASTLE 4-4 ARSENAL
Arsène Wenger’s side raced into a four-goal lead after just 26 minutes following strikes from Walcott, Djourou and a Van Persie brace. But Djourou’s injury and Diaby’s sending off five minutes after the break changed the course of the game and Newcastle took advantage to complete a late comeback in a result that showed both the best and the worst of the Gunners.

Source: Rob Kelly, Arsenal.com on 30 Dec 11

We can’t afford to have ‘one of those days’

It’s easy to write off the Wolves match as ‘one of those days’. One where we have a large number of shots, the visiting goalkeeper plays a blinder and we find ourselves generally lamenting the lack of a plan B.

Ordinarily, we’d just accept that whatever we tried, we just weren’t going to score. However the position we find ourselves in at the moment means we can’t afford to have ‘one of those days’. With Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester City dropping points the day before the Wolves game, it was the perfect opportunity to move into the top four, and put some pressure on Tottenham.

Whilst Wayne Hennessey did have a superb match, the lack of a plan B when Robin van Persie couldn’t find the net continued to be a worry.

Given we were on the front foot for the majority of the second half, Marouane Chamakh was only introduced as a second striker near the end of the game. Usually, when you’re chasing a goal, you’d send a second striker on earlier than the 85th minute. It either shows a lack of trust from Wenger in Chamakh, or that there really is too much reliance on Robin van Persie to score. It also makes you wonder why Ju-Young Park hasn’t yet made his Premier League debut. He could offer something different, but we’ve seen so little of him, it’s hard to know. I think Chamakh or Park will start against QPR on Saturday because of playing Fulham on Monday as well.

With Chamakh going off to the African Cup of Nations, we’ll be only one injury away from having one striker, hence the substantial need for one, or two forwards. The rumours are intensifying about the short term return of Thierry Henry, and I think that would be brilliant. He’d only be signed as a short term solution because of having to go back to America in March. We still need a long term solution as well, however as cover for Chamakh when he’s away, I doubt we could get a better striker on loan than Thierry Henry. Even when Chamakh returns, I think most Gooners would take a 34 year old Henry over the Moroccan.

Henry’s role in the team would be different as he wouldn’t have to be the creative player he used to be. He wouldn’t necessarily be needed to fly down the left and cut inside as his pace has decreased, although that isn’t out of the question with Gervinho also going to the African tournament, but he’d just have to be there as a finisher. The likes of Walcott can do most of his running, but Henry just needs to find space in the box and add the final touch. I’m certain he’d still be able to do that.

The other long term solution is more difficult. Of the names mentioned in the press, I think Lukasz Podolski would be a good signing, and with his contract situation at Cologne, we could get a good deal. He’s also able to play as a winger so could get into the side that way if he can’t get past van Persie as the main front man. Whether we actually sign him in January remains to be seen. Personally, I’d be surprised if we signed two strikers in January because it’s unusual for Arsene Wenger to do so, however I think it’s what is needed.

Against Wolves, it was noticeable how we missed both Walcott and Ramsey. Their replacements, Benayoun and Rosicky, didn’t have bad games, and were heavily involved in the build up for the goal, however we missed the pace of Walcott and direct passing of Ramsey. The Welshman’s form may have tailed off in recent weeks, but I think he adds a more direct nature to our style of play as he’s always got his head up and is looking to supply either van Persie or the wingers. Although Wolves were sitting deeper, Ramsey did have a positive impact in driving the team forward when he came on. It was the sort of match that we really missed the inventive and driving nature of Jack Wilshere. Hopefully he’s entering the final stages of his recovery and we won’t have to wait ages in 2012 for him to make his first appearance of the season.

Defensively, it was disappointing to concede following a corner. It’s an area of the game that we’ve improved massively on this season with the improvement of Laurent Koscielny, the return of Thomas Vermaelen, the signing of Per Mertesacker and the organisation of Wojciech Szczesny. At 1-0 up, we should have stayed focussed at the back, and we were punished for not doing so. Even after that goal though, we still should have been able to do enough to win the game.

The draw with Wolves means it’s almost vital that we pick up six points from the two games in three days over the weekend. QPR will be difficult because of the likely rotation, and Fulham will be difficult because generally they’re hard to beat at Craven Cottage. How we come out of this three day period will go a long way to dictating our actions in the January transfer window. With Manchester United coming to the Emirates in January, some momentum going into that match will be important, plus we don’t want to have further points to have to try and make up on those ahead of us. Having worked so hard to get ourselves back within striking distance of the top four, we don’t want to see that unravel in three important days.

Hopefully, day one will see us collect three points against QPR, day two will have the return of the King, and day three will finish the festive period with three points at Fulham. Football is never that straightforward so hopefully it’s doable for this team and that some of them don’t turn out to be ‘one of those days’.

Source: Sam Limbert, ESPN Soccernet on 29 Dec 11

Realistic resolutions needed at Arsenal

The cards could not have been stacked more heavily in Arsene Wenger's favour as his side aimed to reclaim their place among the Premier League's top four, yet Arsenal's year from hell had another nasty surprise up its sleeve.

This was billed as the day when skipper Robin van Persie had history in his sights as he eyed Alan Shearer's record of 36 Premier League goals in a calendar year, with the added bonus of Chelsea and Liverpool's failure to win their Boxing Day matches seemingly paving the way for the Gunners' return to the top four.

Such an upbeat finish to 2011 appeared to be improbable for much of a year that has seen this club constantly dazed by a series of hammer blows, yet it seemed as if the black mist that has clouded Wenger's annus horribilis was beginning to clear for a remodelled Arsenal before Wolves pulled the rug out from under their feet once again.

A world-class display by Wolves 'keeper Wayne Hennessey earned his side a point after a below-par Arsenal were given a huge helping hand by the latest lamentable refereeing performance from Stuart Attwell, but the truth was that Arsenal lacked the killer touch to put their 10-man opponents to bed.

An eighth-minute Gervinho goal should have paved the way for the floodgates to open for Wenger's side, but an equaliser from Steven Fletcher seven minutes before half-time proved to be the final scoring action of a game that was captivating despite its lack of quality.

Hennessey's sublime display between the sticks meant that Wolves deserved their point after hapless official Attwell sent off Wolves midfielder Nenad Milijas for a challenge on Mikel Arteta that was barely worthy of a free-kick, never mind a card, 15 minutes from time. The setback would not deny McCarthy's warriors and, as ever, his press briefing was loaded with dry wit and humour as he attempted to give his overview of a game that saw his side defy the odds once more.

"It was never a red card so long as I have a hole in my bum," was McCarthy's typically forthright offering on the red card incident. "I've not spoken to the referee, but I will because Milijas' foot is on the ground, he gets his foot on the ball and clearly the official was affected by the pressure of the moment. We will appeal it obviously.

"Taking that decision into account, I feel pride and delight at this performance. Wayne Hennessey produced another fantastic performance, but that should not surprise anyone as he is one the best keepers in the Premier League. He gets a bit too much work playing at the back of our team, but he does it job so well.

"It's a great point for us and Arsenal must be devastated. Held to a point by lowly Wolves at home, how bad must they feel? It must be terrible for them. Our performance meant we deserved a point."

It was always likely to be impossible for Wenger to find a miracle cure for a side that sank to unimaginable depths of despair in 2011, yet as the year that pushed him to the very brink edges towards a conclusion, some perspective needs to be sprinkled on this disappointing result.

While relying on Van Persie's goals has proved to be a successful gameplan for Wenger in recent months, the talisman of this team had a rare off-day against Wolves and yet his boss is not ready to hit the panic button any answer the calls from fans for him to re-sign club legend Thierry Henry on a temporary loan deal from MLS side New York Red Bulls.

"There are no further developments with Henry and I don't expect there to be any in the near future," was Wenger's response to questions about a possible return for his greatest ever recruit and yet, on this evidence, the temporary signing of such an iconic figure can only help the Gunners.

Van Persie looked laboured when trying to convert the chances that came his way against a dogged Wolves, with Wenger conceding his opponents were worthy of the point they toasted with glee.

"I give credit to Wolves because they battled hard, fought for every ball and their keeper was exceptional," added Wenger. "The frustration for us is that we have missed a great opportunity to make up ground on the teams ahead of us and that is difficult to accept.

"At 1-0 up, we became a little too comfortable. We lost our way, an got caught out. The keeper played the game of his life, they fought like mad and well done to them. If you play that game 20 times, we will win 19 and draw one. Sadly this was the day we couldn't afford to slip up, but we did."

McCarthy's ambitions for 2012 could not be easier to define: survival in the Premier League is his sole target. Arsenal's ambitions for the New Year, on the other hand, are a little more complex to comprehend.

Convincing the sceptics that fourth spot in the league should be hailed as success for Arsenal this season will be a hard sell, but this stalemate provided further evidence that the second phase of the biggest revolution he has undertaken as Gunners boss may take a little longer than some might appreciate.

If a remodelled Arsenal bounce back from their nightmares of 2011 to claim a top four finish and enjoy half-decent runs in the Champions League and FA Cup, Wenger would have every right to label this season a triumph.

Anything more impressive would exceed reasonable expectations.

MAN OF THE MATCH: Wayne Hennessey
The Wolves keeper pulled off a series of spectacular saves as he kept his side in the game. This was a world-class performance.

ARSENAL VERDICT
They need to set their targets at realistic levels, with fourth place in the league a viable goal for 2012. The re-signing of club legend Thierry Henry would provide a welcome, temporary lift and Wenger should consider pushing a deal through.

WOLVES VERDICT
The Wolves fans who questioned whether their team was playing for their manager a few weeks back needed to be here at Emirates Stadium to witness this display. Oozing with passion and character, this was a Mick McCarthy team cut from his own soul. It was stirring stuff, especially after they were reduced to ten men.

ATTWELL NIGHTMARE
Trouble seems to follow this ref with annoying consistency and he was centre of attention again in North London. He lost control of the game in the second half and confirmed as much when he got in Van Persie's way as he attempted to take a free kick.

Source: Kevin Palmer, ESPN Soccernet on 27 Dec 11

Wayne Hennessey frustrates Arsenal as 10-man Wolves make their point

Arsenal will wonder how what amounted to a second-half siege failed to yield the victory that would have lifted them into the Premier League's top four. Mick McCarthy, the Wolverhampton Wanderers manager, might have similar thoughts in private. But when the dust had settled on a pulsating game, which was marked by thrills, spills and controversy, he and his visitors could savour a point that came coated in endeavour.

McCarthy punched the air at full-time as though relegation had been avoided. It was a release of so much emotion. He had raged at Stuart Attwell's decision to dismiss Nenad Milijas in the 75th minute; the midfielder had merely stretched into a tackle on Mikel Arteta with one foot and McCarthy might have been justified in asking why Attwell, who endured another of those days, had permitted Alex Song to remain on the field.

The Arsenal midfielder lost his cool in the 70th minute and lunged into Steven Fletcher and then Stephen Hunt, leaving both Wolves players on the floor. Attwell, though, brandished only one yellow card. Arsène Wenger, perhaps sensing that Song had become a liability, substituted him moments later. To his credit, McCarthy did not moan about that. As he pointed out, anybody who had seen him play would know that he would not want rumbustiousness to be outlawed.

It is hard enough for visiting teams with 11 men at the Emirates Stadium. But, happily for McCarthy, he had his goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey performing the job of several. To describe his efforts as heroic would be to grossly undersell them. The Welshman made a string of breath-taking saves, the pick of them the ones that repelled Per Mertesacker's header and Thomas Vermaelen's stab from point‑blank range at the death.

Wenger rued the dropped points, particularly as this had been an opportunity to make up ground on rivals in the Champions League places. "Play this game 20 times," he said, "and you win 19 and draw one." Nobody was arguing. But nothing could detract from the bodies-on-the-line splendour of the Wolves defensive effort. There is something exhilarating about the chiselling of an unexpected point, in the face of an onslaught and McCarthy revelled in it.

"I'm extremely delighted and proud," McCarthy said. "It's a difficult old place to come and play. I think Wayne is one of the best keepers in the league and he gets a bit to do at times playing behind us. But we know we can rely on him and trust him."

Arsenal might have won this game several times over and Robin van Persie could have done so by himself and, in the process, moved past Alan Shearer's record of 36 Premier League goals in a calendar year. Thanks to Hennessey, the Dutchman remained on 34, with only Queens Park Rangers on New Year's Eve to come. Wenger did not disagree that Van Persie might have felt the burden of expectation. "Maybe we wanted it too much," he said of his players' finishing in general. "We were a bit too much in the wanting zone and not enough in just the technical zone."

Things had started well for Arsenal, with Gervinho scoring his fourth goal for the club and Wolves enduring shaky moments at the back. Gervinho has sometimes struggled to furnish his quicksilver all-round game with an end product and when he darted clean through onto Yossi Benayoun's pass, with Ronald Zubar playing him onside, it felt as if he had too much time. But he jinked sharply to his left, taking Hennessey out of the picture and he kept his cool to cut his shot back into the corner.

Wolves, however, refused to lie down. The winger Matt Jarvis epitomised their first-half positivity and with Arsenal allowing their focus to dip, McCarthy's men entered the interval on terms. Johan Djourou headed Milijas' corner as far as the edge of the area, where Hunt got around Tomas Rosicky too easily and shot. Fletcher read the subsequent deflection and headed his seventh of the season inside the far corner.

Wolves lost Zubar to a knee injury early in the second-half but their battle lines were drawn. With Hunt dropping back to bulk up the midfield, Arsenal, missing Theo Walcott because of illness, faced a test of their creativity. It was increasingly dramatic and fractious. Arsenal thought that they should have had a penalty when Laurent Koscielny's cross struck Christophe Berra's arm while Hennessey distinguished himself with save after save.

Arsenal cranked up the pressure in the furious closing stages and, after the sending-off, McCarthy's mind went back to April 2010 when Karl Henry's red card here was the precursor to a last-minute winner from Nicklas Bendtner. This time, though, as the substitute Andrey Arshavin shaved the far post and Van Persie did everything but score, the frustration belonged to Arsenal.

Source: David Hytner, The Guardian on 27 Dec 11

Wenger's reaction to the Arsenal 1-1 Wolverhampton Wanderers match

on the result...
It is frustrating but I am more frustrated by the result than the performance and the spirit. You cannot fault the attitude or the commitment or the desire to win the game. We missed a great opportunity but we just have to keep going and take the positives out of the game today.

on letting the lead slip...
At the moment what we have to learn is that when we are 1-0 up in some departments we cannot be too comfortable. We were caught in a position where we can only blame ourselves. Apart from that their keeper had the game of his life, Wolves fought like mad and well done to them. I don't know how many shots we had on goal and how many they had, but it was the kind of game that if you play it 20 times you win 19 and you draw one - and it was today. On the day we couldn't afford it, it was today.

on missing chances...
Their keeper had a good performance, they saved a few on the line, they did fight like mad. It was more important for us to go in 1-0 up at half-time because I know with the way they defend they would not survive like that for 90 minutes and we would have much more space in which to play. At some stage they would have had to come out. But I felt we lost our way a bit between 30 and 40 minutes and on that occasion we were caught. The only thing we can learn today is to keep the spirit and when you're 1-0 up to keep our level up.

on a possible penalty…
I have heard that, yes, but what can I do? It looks like, for us, to get a penalty we will have to fight very hard. I have seen the handball at Man City and it was definitely handball.

on Vermaelen being penalised…
I personally am responsible for the performance of my team, that's personally a lot. Not for the performance of the referee, I have no influence. I think despite that we could have won the game today and that's what we have to look at. I can complain about the referee or not. We had enough to win the game without these decisions.

on his side not being given penalties…
I don't say they [the referees] are reluctant, I just say that there should have been a penalty in the Man City game. Today I have not seen it, that's all I can say at the moment. The decisions did not go in our favour but we do not blame them today. We blame nobody in fact, it was a game we could have won anyway.

on chances to score a winner...
Gervinho scored today and we had other opportunities, Arshavin was very close, Rosicky was close, Mertersaker was close. It was the kind of day where maybe we were not relaxed enough, maybe we wanted it so much, that we were a bit too much in the 'wanting zone' and not enough in just the technical zone.

on rivals dropping points...
There are going to be a lot of twists and turns, but unfortunately we could not take advantage of that, which is the real frustrating thing today. When you have the luck of the results yesterday and you play today, you can take advantage of it, that is where the worrying thing is because in the season you have to take your opportunities.

on the prospect of signing Henry...
No, nothing has happened since last week. I expect nothing at the moment, just to calm down.

on Walcott's absence...
Walcott is sick, he has a stomach problem. He is already better today. He could not come to training yesterday, but should be available for Saturday's game.

Source: Arsenal.com on 27 Dec 11

27 December 2011: Arsenal 1-1 Wolverhampton Wanderers, The Emirates

Arsenal endured festive frustration as ten-man Wolves held out for a point at Emirates Stadium on Tuesday.

Arsène Wenger’s side looked set to dominate after Gervinho fired them in front after just eight minutes but, despite numerous chances, they could not grab a second.

Steven Fletcher punished them with an opportunist equaliser just before the interval and, though under incessant pressure throughout the second half as well as losing Nenad Milijas to a straight red card, Wolves held out.

Their keeper Wayne Hennessey made stunning saves from Per Mertesacker, Thomas Vermaelen and Robin van Persie twice. Referee Stuart Attwell also turned down a strong penalty appeal after Christophe Berra appeared to handle.

Van Persie and Marouane Chamakh nearly knocked each other out going for a far-post header in the final seconds. It was indicative of Arsenal’s commitment this afternoon.

Just to put the cap on an agonising afternoon, the Emirates Stadium side stay fifth when they knew a win would have put them properly, undeniably fourth for the first time this season.

Reactions at the final whistle are always indicative. Wolves manager Mick McCarthy punched the air while his players ran in jubilation to their keeper. The Arsenal players, of course, had the opposite emotion.

They must just dust themselves down and move on to QPR on New Year’s Eve.

Nine times out of ten, this amount of effort and ingenuity brings three points.

Not today.

Wenger made four changes from the side that had sneaked an important win at Villa Park just before Christmas. Johan Djourou had recovered from his groin problem sufficiently to resume his role at right back. Francis Coquelin dropped to the bench. Emmanuel Frimpong was replaced by Alex Song, who had served his one-match suspension.

Theo Walcott was ill so the scorer that night, Yossi Benayoun, started on the right-hand side of midfield. Finally, Tomas Rosicky for Aaron Ramsey was a straight swap in central midfield.

This game had been postponed from Boxing Day due to strike action by transport workers. The change meant Arsenal would be once more defending a 45-year unbeaten run on December 27.

And they looked dominant from the eighth minute onwards this afternoon. But only after they had suffered a couple of scares – both provided by Matt Jarvis.

First he weaved inside and got a powerful shot away, only for Mertesacker to time his blocking tackle to perfection. Then the winger beat Djourou on the byline but Arsenal smuggled away his dangerous cross.

The home side used the space created from that last attack to go ahead. A quick counter saw Benayoun thread a pass through for Gervinho, who timed his run to perfection. The Ivorian raced clear, steadied himself and fired home his fourth goal of the season.

Not surprisingly, the strike turned a sluggish start into a sprint. On the quarter-hour, Gervinho prodded Van Persie clear and the sliding Dutchman hooked his shot past the far post. Unbeknown to the captain his marker, Roger Johnson, had slipped so he had more time than he realised. Seconds later, Benayoun went through but stumbled as he dithered with defenders in close attendance.

Wolves were losing but still displayed a positive approach. Ronald Zubar darted to the byline on the right-hand side and his cutback eventually found Stephen Hunt. However, the Irishman could not get his shot away.

But, as the game went past the half-hour, Arsenal were threatening to take over using their usual method - the talent of Van Persie.

First he robbed Karl Henry and, via Rosicky, set up Arteta to fire wide. Then he had a crack from distance himself and forced a fine save from Hennessey.

In the 32nd minute, he burst through and was brought down by Johnson just outside the area. Arteta could only clip the ball into hands of the keeper.

Arsenal were utterly on top and looking to takeover. But minutes later they were staring blankly at each other as Wolves equalised.

Mertesacker conceded a corner, which was cleared to Hunt on the edge of the area. His shot deflected off Vermaelen towards Fletcher, who showed admirable alertness to steer a header into the far corner.

The goal brought back all of the confidence Wolves had displayed early on but Arsenal were rejuvenated by the interval.

However, for all their energy, some of the first-half slickness was lacking.

Just before the hour, Vermaelen was booked for protesting after referee Stuart Attwell turned down his appeals for a penalty. Certainly Koscielny’s cross had hit the hand of Christophe Berra. The only issue was how much the Wolves defender knew about it.

As Arsenal’s early second-half impetus started to die out, Wenger replaced Benayoun with Andrey Arshavin.

The change helped the home side build up a proper head of steam for the first time since midway through the first half. Gervinho was clipped and Van Persie’s subsequent free-kick was tipped over then Mertesacker met Arteta’s cross with a towering header - but Hennessey pulled off a stunning save.

The game was now being played at a frantic pace and frustrations were rising on both sides. Wolves were reduced to ten men with 15 minutes left when Milijas went through on Arteta just outside the area.

Even before the reduction the visitors had been on the back foot while the introduction of Aaron Ramsey had given Arsenal something extra.

Immediately the Welshman stole the ball and Rosicky dragged a shot wide. Then, after Van Persie pulled his own effort past the post, Arshavin fired a rising, rocket of a shot inches past the upright.

As we entered the final 10 minutes, Arsenal were camped just outside the Wolves area prodding and poking for opportunities.

Van Persie saw a free-kick palmed away by Hennessey and then a near-post drive trapped by the keeper’s legs.

Wenger brought on Chamakh as Arsenal just kept battering on Wolves defence. Koscielny and Vermaelen both had near-post efforts saved by Hennessey, while the ball would not fall for Van Persie on a couple of occasions.

Arsenal kept thundering forward until the final seconds but, by now, the visitors had little offensive ambition.

When the final whistle went, Wolves were jubilant, while the Arsenal supporters did not know what to feel.

Their side had been kept at bay.

Source: Richard Clarke, Arsenal.com on 27 Dec 11

Yossi Benayoun's late header for Arsenal breaks Aston Villa

On a night of landmark goals, Yossi Benayoun upstaged Robin van Persie and Marc Albrighton to head home three minutes from time to haul Arsenal level with Chelsea and pile more misery on Alex McLeish and Aston Villa. Benayoun came off the substitutes' bench late in the second half to strike a blow that felt cruel on a Villa side who had produced an impressive performance that deserved so much more than a fourth home defeat in five matches.

Arsenal's winner came after Albrighton had etched his name into the record books with the 20,000th Premier League goal, the winger capitalising on a defensive mix-up between Thomas Vermaelen and Per Mertesacker. At that point Villa looked the more likely to go on and win the game, as an Arsenal team who had taken the lead through Van Persie's 34th Premier League goal of the calendar year – he has now equalled the club record Thierry Henry set in 2004 and is only two behind Alan Shearer – were pinned back for long periods.

Yet Villa's inability to defend corners resurfaced when Van Persie swung in a kick that Benayoun, one of the smallest players on the pitch, met with a free header to beat Brad Guzan. It was the ninth goal that Villa have conceded from a corner this season – both Liverpool's came via that source on Sunday – and allowed Arsenal to celebrate a win that even Arsène Wenger conceded was fortunate. "I can only congratulate Villa, they played well and gave everything," the Arsenal manager said.

"We got a very late three points that are vital for us. We were a bit unlucky on Sunday [against Manchester City] and today maybe a bit lucky. You could see that some legs were jaded from Sunday and some minds as well in the speed of the decision-making. But we kept going and there is an exceptional attitude and spirit in the side. And tonight, very unusually for us, we scored from two set-pieces. That is basically historical for us."

To rub salt into McLeish's wounds, Villa had Alan Hutton sent off in the closing seconds after the Scotland international picked up two yellow cards in the space of little more than a minute in stoppage time. Hutton became embroiled in a flare-up with Van Persie, for which he was cautioned, and then collected a second yellow followed by a red when he recklessly brought down Vermaelen. McLeish was particularly annoyed with the first incident. "Alan has just got to walk away from that," he said.

The Villa manager could, however, take great encouragement from a team display that galvanised their supporters. Villa played at a high tempo, pressing Arsenal when they were without the ball and attacking with purpose whenever they broke forward. Albrighton and Charles N'Zogbia in particular looked particularly dangerous on the flanks against a makeshift Arsenal back four that saw Francis Coquelin, a 20-year-old Frenchman who is a holding midfielder by trade, deployed at right‑back.

Villa had made the better start, as N'Zogbia created two chances for Gabriel Agbonlahor inside the opening 11 minutes, yet it was Arsenal that drew first blood. Theo Walcott turned Ciaran Clark with a neat piece of skill and the Villa midfielder, who was one of four changes from the side that lost so meekly to Liverpool, tugged at the shirt of the Arsenal winger, leaving Jonathan Moss, the referee, with no option but to point to the spot. Van Persie dispatched his penalty high into the roof of the net.

Although Walcott and Ramsey both had chances to double Arsenal's advantage, Villa finished the first half much the stronger and it was no surprise when they equalised shortly after the restart. It was a poor goal for Arsenal to concede, Vermaelen's header from Guzan's long punt upfield dropping a little short of Mertesacker, who was caught on his heels. Albrighton nipped in front of the central defender and beat Wojciech Szczesny with an assured finish.

Within the blink of an eye Mertesacker was denied at the opposite end and Van Persie was later booked for diving, when Moss adjudged the striker was falling to the ground before Stephen Warnock made contact with him in the area. That was a measure of Arsenal's desperation at a time when Villa were largely in control, although Benayoun's introduction nine minutes from time provided the late twist that left McLeish cursing what might have been. "If we play like that every game, I'll be quite confident," the Villa manager said.

20,000th Premier League goal to Albrighton
Marc Albrighton registered the 20,000th Premier League goal, 19 years after Brian Deane scored the first, to write his name into the record books on Wednesday night. The Aston Villa winger pounced following a defensive misunderstanding between Thomas Vermaelen and Per Mertesacker to score Villa's goal in their 2-1 home defeat against Arsenal. Ryan Giggs had scored the 19,999th in Manchester United's 5-0 win at Fulham, paving the way for Albrighton to make the headlines when he beat Wojciech Szczesny. "It was great to score the goal," said Albrighton, who has donated the £20,000 cheque pledged by Barclays to Villa's official charity partner, Acorn's Children's Hospice. "It's one of those things you will remember for the rest of your life and people will remind you of for years to come. It's been soured slightly by the fact we lost but it was a great feeling to score it in front of the Holte End."

Source: Stuart James, The Guardian on 21 Dec 11

Wenger's reaction to the Aston Villa 1-2 Arsenal match

on the result…
Villa were dangerous but first I must say two things. We had two difficult away games where we had to give absolutely everything just over Christmas, physically. In the first half we controlled the game quite well and in the second half when they came back to 1-1 we had quite a difficult period. Then we stabilised the game and in the last 15 minutes you could feel we were on top again.

I can only congratulate Villa - they played well, gave everything and again it was a very intense game. In the end we got three very late points that are vital for us. We were a bit unlucky on Sunday and today maybe a bit lucky. Overall it was important to re-start with a win tonight. But if Villa continue to play like that then they will go up in the table, they had an outstanding game.

on the team spirit…
Our spirit is exceptional and that's why we came from a bad start to the season to such a strong run. You could see that some legs were a bit jaded from Sunday, and some minds in the speed of the decision making. But we still kept going and there is an exceptional attitude and spirit in the side.

Tonight, very unusually for us we scored from two set-pieces, that is basically historical!

on Robin van Persie…
He keeps going. Of course you always have that question when he plays against Manchester City and then again with that intensity, do I rest him? At the moment he feels alright so I just take a gamble. Now we have a little breather to prepare for our home game and let's hope we can win then.

We have to give credit to Villa tonight, we know they always give us a good reception here. They always make it very difficult for us.

on approaching Alan Shearer's record…
Now I will start to rest him!

on his booking...
My press officer told me it was a penalty. He is very objective, believe me! From outside I must say it didn't look like a penalty but maybe he has been touched, I don't know. It didn't look like a penalty to me. I don't know [if he was disappointed], I haven't spoken to him about it.

on Yossi Benayoun…
We have him on loan until the end of the season so we do not need to decide [on a permanent transfer] tonight.

on Kieran Gibbs' injury…
Gibbs sees a specialist tomorrow, he had a setback. We will know more about it tomorrow morning.

on going into the market…
Frankly I don't know yet, it depends on what happens to Gibbs. Vermaelen does quite well at left back, it is not the position where he feels happiest but he does it with a good spirit. On the right side tonight I played a midfielder [Francis Coquelin], who I feel has done quite well.
 
Source: Arsenal.com on 21 Dec 11

21 December 2011: Aston Villa 1-2 Arsenal, Villa Park

Substitute Yossi Benayoun grabbed an 87th-minute winner as Arsenal started their festive fixtures in fine style at Aston Villa on Wednesday night.

In truth, the Israeli has been a largely peripheral figure at Emirates Stadium since signing on loan from Chelsea in August but his stooping header provided a crucial three points for Arsène Wenger’s side this evening.

It was a nice moment for one of the team's truly nice guys.

Robin van Persie fired Arsenal in front from the penalty spot in the 17th minute after Ciaran Clark tugged Theo Walcott. It was his 34th Premier League goal in 2011.

Villa were probably worth more at the interval and grabbed the equaliser just before the hour when Marc Albrighton stole in before slotting past Wojceich Szczesny.

In all honesty, this was not Arsenal at their best or their most fluent. But this newly-formed side has spirit.

Wenger’s second-half substitutions were crucial. Tomas Rosicky put the visitors on the front foot for the first time in the game and Benayoun added the energy.

Alan Hutton’s late red card made it a miserable night for Villa.

But, after having their long unbeaten run ended at Manchester City on Sunday, Arsenal are on the march again.

Wenger made two enforced changes from the side narrowly beaten at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday. Emmanuel Frimpong replaced the suspended Alex Song in central midfield while Francis Coquelin filled at right back following Johan Djourou’s groin injury.

Arsenal came into this game with a mighty record at Villa Park - six wins and six draws in their last 12 visits.

They had played well in defeat at Manchester City on Sunday but, with Villa struggling for form, they need a replenishing three points this evening.

However, McLeish’s men had not read the script. They tore into Arsenal in the opening stages and should have taken the lead.

In the sixth minute, Charles N’Zogbia’s cross was met at the far post by Gabriel Agbonlahor's header and Szczesny threw himself to his right to bat the ball off the line.

Five minutes later, N’Zogbia jostled Coquelin off the ball near the left-hand byline and, although Agbonlahor met a low cross just four yards out his bobbling shot bounced over the bar.

Villa were having joy down the flanks and Arsenal were struggling to stop them firing penetrative crosses into the box. Szczesny’s hands were warmed with regularity but Koscielny’s head was ice-cool in a sometimes congested area.

Arsenal had only just grabbed a foothold in the game when they took the lead. Walcott darted inside from the left-hand side and Clark threw out a grabbing arm and hauled him back. Van Persie fired a confident penalty into the top corner.

It equaled Henry’s Arsenal record for Premier League goals and, incredibly, was his first at Villa Park.

The lead had been stolen but, seconds later, it was nearly doubled. Walcott went through again on the right this time but his shot deflected off the onrushing Brad Guzan.

Just past the half-hour, Gervinho and Van Persie prodded Aaron Ramsey clear momentarily but, with defenders closing in, the stretching Welshman slashed his shot well wide.

By now Villa’s early thirst had been quenched and Arsenal began playing the game in their half for the first time. As is the Wenger way, they had imposed their will with patient passing and Mikel Arteta was the orchestrator.

Shortly before half-time Barry Bannan replaced Stephen Ireland and, with his first touch, curled a free-kick into the side-netting.

Villa went for Arsenal again at the start of the second half but it was all a bluster.

Ironically their goal came when they were just starting to run out of steam. Vermaelen nodded Agbonlahor’s flick-on towards Per Mertesacker but Albrighton nipped in, raced through and slotted his shot past Szczesny.

The goal stung Arsenal. Wenger brought on Rosicky for Frimpong and the visitors started to sustain pressure for the first time in the game. They forced a flurry a corners and, from one, Mertesacker’s drove a drop-down goalward. Guzan made a fine save.

As we approached the final 15 minutes, the game was on a knife-edge. Villa continued to throw probing crosses into the box, Arsenal started to exploit their pace in wide areas.

In the last 10 minutes, Wenger introduced Benayoun and Andrey Arshavin. It upped the ante immediately and one fluent move saw Rosicky’s drive blocked.

The visitors were asking all the questions and the Israeli finally answered by nodding home at the far post from Van Persie’s corner. It was cruel on Villa but they had lost concentration at the vital time and Wenger's side meted out football's punishment.

Hutton’s two yellow cards in the final minutes showed how much the goal had hurt Villa.

Arsenal, on the other hand, had bounced back in style.

Source: Richard Clarke, Arsenal.com on 21 Dec 11

Not eclipsed by the blue moon

Our last visit to Manchester was forgettable to say the least, and considering the way Manchester City destroyed their neighbours, who had subjected us to the horror of 8-2, fear of a thrashing on Sunday would have been understandable. However the team showed that the horror showing in late August is miles behind them.

Yet us fans were still left frustrated. The performance was very good, although there was a feeling that one, even three, points were there for the taking.

I was worried before the match that I was confident we’d win the game, fearing my confidence could lead to an embarrassing defeat. We definitely weren’t embarrassed, but it seems that all too often in the big games in recent years, we’ve come out of the match with a lot of credit, but no points.

I’ve left it a couple of days to write this as initially after the match I was seriously frustrated and annoyed that we hadn’t got anything from the game. I wasn’t necessarily frustrated at the team, but given how far we’ve come since the start of the season, I thought we deserved to get something from the match. Looking back, there were plenty of positives to take that can give us confidence for the rest of the season, knowing that all the top teams still have to come to the Emirates.

We all know that we’ve had difficulties in defence this season. Part of this has been down to injury. We’ve been unable to consistently select the same players in the same positions as most have been unavailable at different times. Usually, four full backs in a squad should be enough. There’s not much point in moaning at Wenger for not having enough full backs as it’s unprecedented to have all of them out. It came as no surprise that we only conceded when we had to have another defensive reshuffle. Koscielny hadn’t adapted to shifting to right back so was out of position, allowing Balotelli to shoot before Silva subsequently scored. Otherwise, our back line did a good job against the expensive strike force.

Thomas Vermaelen was superb. He could probably play anywhere and have a good game. Plus he was unlucky not to score the equaliser late on. To have a defender with the ability to shoot from distance like that is fantastic. As much as it’s frustrating to have another injury with Djourou out, I’m glad Vermaelen will be back in the middle as he’s able to dominate in the air there and is more dangerous attacking centrally than when he’s at full back. Behind him, Wojciech Szczesny made some excellent saves. Joe Hart grabbed most of the headlines, but some of Szczesny’s stops were just as difficult, yet the Pole made them look like easy and regulation ones. The smothering stop from Balotelli in the first half was particularly impressive.

Mikel Arteta was excellent in midfield. He might not be showing the attacking flare and be playing up behind Robin van Persie as we all expected him to do when he signed, but the work he does for the team has been invaluable. His reading of the game and conducting of the play from deep has been integral to our improvement, and he was definitely unlucky to be on the losing side on Sunday. He just keeps the team ticking over in midfield and never has a bad game.

The other player that impressed me on Sunday was Gervinho. He’s divided some opinions amongst Arsenal fans this season, but he wasn’t afraid to try and take on arguably the best right back this season in the Premier League in Micah Richards. He was a constant threat and has been a big part of our subtle change of style this season. The team have been looking to attack with more pace by utilising Walcott and Gervinho, and but for some of his finishing, I’ve been impressed with how the Ivorian has adapted to the pace of the Premier League. He’ll be a big miss when he’s at the African Cup of Nations.

Obviously to win the big games, along with playing well, you need some luck. We didn’t get it when van Persie was deemed to be offside before chipping the ball over Hart, or when Micah Richards handled in the box. The offside was marginal, and the handball could have been seen as accidental, but on another day both would have gone in our favour.

There were some causes for concern. Theo Walcott wasn’t as effective as he has been in recent weeks as he was doubled up by Zabaleta and Kompany. He also wasn’t helped by not having an attacking full back behind him to support him and runs forward so as not to be isolated. Also, our attacking substitutes that came on didn’t add anything to the team. Chamakh did win a free-kick from Richards, but didn’t look much of a threat in the box, whilst the less said about Andrey Arshavin the better. I’ll be very surprised if both are Arsenal players this time next year. A striker must be a priority in January, whilst Arshavin needs to seriously re-find his mojo for when Gervinho is playing in the African Cup of Nations. Hopefully we’ll see a bit more of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain during the busy next two months.

Despite the result, we have to take the positives from Sunday. It was the first time that Manchester City were really attacked at home this season, and it’s been rare for opposing teams to have more possession than them this season. Despite City naming him as man of the match, Nasri was pretty ordinary, his pass for Balotelli near the end was woeful when he should have given the Italian a tap-in. Whereas the side used to have a number of egos like Nasri, I think the current team are much more together, and will be able to bounce back from the setback.

That’s the challenge for the team now. The Manchester City match was deeply frustrating because we played well, but we have to look forward and make sure our form doesn’t collapse because of it. The busy Christmas period could be just what we need to get the defeat out of the system, but equally, it can be the worst time to hit a poor run of form because the games appear so quickly after each other.

Aston Villa might be going through a rough patch themselves and are playing some indifferent football, however Villa Park is never an easy place to get three points from. A win on Wednesday is vital to set us up for the Christmas period as another poor result could see our form spiral downwards. It would be a massive shame to see the hard work the club have put in this season be undone, and I think this current team are made of sterner stuff. Now they have to prove it on Wednesday. Whilst we held our own on Sunday and could be proud of performance, we need points.

Source: Sam Limbert, ESPN Soccernet on 20 Dec 11

Manchester City grind any doubts about their resolve into the dust

After a first hint of adversity Roberto Mancini's team showed their mettle against Arsenal to keep their flawless home record

Roberto Mancini imposed only one special restriction on his players as they arrived at their five-star hotel on the eve of Sunday's match. "It was forbidden to bring with them fireworks," he said, clearly with Mario Balotelli's recent exploits in mind. The Roman candles and Catherine wheels were to be saved for the game itself, an affair of whooshes and starbursts in which Manchester City beat Arsenal by the only goal, thus putting their recent troubles firmly behind them.

After making their exit from Europe's top competition, then losing to Chelsea in the Premier League and seeing their local rivals briefly o'erleap them in the table on Sunday afternoon, City responded by hauling themselves back into the top spot. They will defend it‚ along with their flawless home record this season‚ against Stoke City on Wednesday in an attempt to be No1 at Christmas for the first time, historians say, since 1929.

Mancini laughed when he heard that on Sunday night but in the City manager's response to a question about Manchester United there was a serious acknowledgment of the direction from which he expects the main threat to come. "United are a strong team," he said. "We can't think we can win the title without fighting against them." On Sunday, in a match they might easily not have won, they showed the strength of their resistance to the season's first real hint of adversity.

As has become customary, the match was preceded by yet another marvellous story about Balotelli, who was said to have been spotted in the centre of Manchester on Saturday, wearing a blue Father Christmas costume and handing out bank notes. His manager could neither confirm nor deny the rumour. "I don't know," he said. "With Mario it's possible."

Balotelli, whose commitment was the equal of that of any player in an unremittingly intense game, took the pitch in SuperMario guise and saved his biggest and best Roman candle for the 53rd minute. Making the most of a defensive realignment forced on Arsenal by the departure of Johan Djourou two minutes into the second half, he advanced on to Samir Nasri's pass into acres of untenanted space on the left of the visitors' penalty area.

Shuffling towards the covering Alex Song, he suddenly darted inside his opponent and hit a fierce low shot which Wojciech Szczesny could only parry to Sergio Agüero, whose header across goal was prodded in by David Silva.

The game might have had half a dozen goals but there was no shortage of entertainment for the 47,303 in the ground and the millions watching around the world, who saw two of England's top sides produce yet another of this season's apparently endless string of absolute crackers. No 8-2 or 6-1 or 3-5, maybe, but nevertheless a classic of aggressive attacking football from both sides, the score restricted to a single goal by magnificent defending, particularly from the home side, and heroic performances from both goalkeepers.

Mancini sent City out in a 4-4-2 formation, with Balotelli and Agüero in partnership up front while David Silva and Samir Nasri attempted to pull at the loose threads in Arsenal's much‑darned defence.

The absence of four full‑backs forced Arsène Wenger to select a defence consisting of four central defenders, with Djourou and Thomas Vermaelen on the flanks, and when the Swiss defender had to be withdrawn, the only available replacement was another centre‑back, the 19-year-old Ignasi Miquel.

The newcomer went to left‑back, Vermaelen moved into the middle, Laurent Koscielny‚ outstanding in the first period‚ was switched to right-back, and they were still sorting themselves out when Balotelli, Agüero and Silva combined to strike what turned out to be the fatal blow.

The thrilling saves were evenly distributed, Joe Hart's from Gervinho, Robin van Persie and Vermaelen matched by Szczesny's stops from Balotelli and Agüero (twice), and so were the grievances. City felt that Mikel Arteta should have been given a second yellow card for clipping Gareth Barry barely a minute after being cautioned for tripping Yaya Touré, with a quarter of an hour to go.

Van Persie's chip over Hart was ruled offside by the finest of decisions in the 56th minute and the Arsenal captain was adamant that Micah Richards had stopped Koscielny's cross with his arm in the penalty area in the 78th minute.

Nasri, facing his former team-mates, was the sponsors' man of the match but dispassionate observers would have put his neat display some way behind the contributions of Hart, Kompany and particularly Pablo Zabaleta. Invited to switch to left-back in the absence of Gaël Clichy, the Argentinian blotted out Theo Walcott so thoroughly that the removal of the Arsenal winger after 70 minutes constituted the least surprising substitution of the season. Walcott's ineffectiveness was almost equalled by that of Aaron Ramsey, the team's only other British player.

The raised fist with which Zabaleta greeted the final whistle symbolised the unyielding attitude brought to the match by the whole City team, who took any doubts that might have arisen in the past 10 days and ground them to dust. Now for Stoke.

Source: Richard Williams, The Guardian on 18 Dec 11

Manchester City and Arsenal prove masters of cunning not crosses

Arsenal came away empty-handed from the Etihad Stadium but a game of patience and subtlety was a joy to watch

This developed into a wonderfully exhilarating game as Arsenal responded to Manchester City's goal with great resilience. The visitors had started with confidence as well, buoyed by a recent improvement which had carried them through eight matches without defeat, including three successive away wins.

But with David Silva coming off the line and finding space, City always offered the greater goal threat. City's best chances tended to fall to Sergio Agüero, having been created when Silva or Samir Nasri slipped the ball beyond Arsenal's back four. Wojciech Szczesny needed to be alert.

Thomas Vermaelen directed Arsenal's defence as they maintained a solid shape. The first half saw little raiding by their full-backs, as they concentrated on counteracting those shallow runs from Agüero and Mario Balotelli. Soon after half-time Johan Djourou, part of Arsenal's last, disastrous visit to Manchester, departed, which allowed Vermaelen to join Per Mertesacker in the centre. Ignasi Miquel came on at left‑back and his acclimatisation was hardly helped by Roberto Mancini's decision to switch Nasri to the right, where he slowly blossomed.

Balotelli's powerful movement, driving inside Alex Song and belting goalwards, gave Silva a simple chance to break the deadlock. Ebb and flow now, a warm game on a cold day. Defenders on both sides were a little nervous about tackling players with excellent touch.

What the match proved beyond doubt was that you do not have to get balls wide, or deliver incessant crosses, to create excitement or goal chances. Disregarding Joe Hart, the City goalkeeper, there were just three Englishmen on the field in this key period of the game. So it was perhaps unsurprising that there was little sign of that classic British tradition of throwing crosses into the box from wide positions. This was a game of high-speed attack and counterattack, and of subtle passing in threatening areas. Players from both sides, including Arsenal's Aaron Ramsey and Robin van Persie, patiently waited before sliding in colleagues for goal chances. There were few, if any, high and hopeful "fight balls" sent "into the mixer". Inventive players were key, people with the imagination and the vision to play a clever pass. This was a match to stir the memories of anyone old enough to have seen Johnny Haynes bisecting defenders to the exact blade of grass.

Hart was called on to respond magnificently to Vermaelen's late shot as Arsenal pressed in the closing minutes. The game will be remembered for the exquisite tight passing of City, and Arsenal's collective tenacity as they strove for an equaliser but most of all for the foreign brigade giving us a lesson in how to be patient yet progressive in the search of goals. For these teams, the game is all about cunning rather than crossing.

Source: David Pleat, The Guardian on 18 Dec 11

Manchester City v Arsenal: five things we learned

Manchester City showed they can handle pressure while Arsenal have clearly improved since their last trip to Manchester

Manchester City made their point
Nobody should question their nerve. Losing to Chelsea had been enough for Alan Hansen to talk on Match of the Day of a set of players that were going through their "blip". Roberto Mancini's team played as though affronted by the suggestion that they might be showing signs of strain. They did not reach their most exhilarating levels, Samir Nasri's man-of-the-match award seemed generous in the extreme and they found Arsenal difficult opponents but they still controlled large swaths of the match. Tuesday marks the point when they will be a year unbeaten at home, a run that incorporates 26 wins out of 28 matches and gives the Etihad Stadium legitimate credentials to be recognised as the most formidable stadium in the country. They have registered their first clean sheet in the league since 1 October and, in the process, they ensured that Manchester United's excursion to the top of the Premier League was only a brief one.

Arsenal take dignity in defeat
The last time they were in Manchester they sieved eight goals and the experience was chastening enough to harden the debate about whether the Arsène Wenger era gets the happy ending it deserves. Three months on this was another unhappy trip north but there was dignity in the defeat. Just because a team lose does not mean they played badly and, while Arsenal ultimately came up short, they were probably the best league team to come to the Etihad this season. They had togetherness, an order, the sense of a team that once again knows where it wants to be. They have lost twice now to City in three weeks, so there is a clear gulf between the sides. They are also relying too much on Robin van Persie's goals but equally they can reflect on how far they have come since that 8-2 embarrassment at Old Trafford and realise they are heading in the right direction. It was noticable that Wenger praised the performance. "We can take encouragement but what we need is encouragement and points," he said.

Praise for an unsung hero
Roberto Mancini is entitled to be concerned about the amount of time Yaya Touré will be away for the Africa Cup of Nations but Gareth Barry is doing his best to show City are hardly short of solid central midfielders. Barry has become one of the club's unsung heroes and at times in his first two years in Manchester, when his performances have loitered around six out of 10, he has invited legitimate questions about his value to the team. But this season he has shifted a few of those questions. Barry does all the muck-and-nettles stuff associated with being a holding midfielder but he is not restricted to winning the ball and laying it off and his pass in the ninth minute to send Pablo Zabaleta clear on the left was one of the game's outstanding moments.

Theo Walcott wasted his moment to shine
This should have been a day when Walcott reminded us how devastating his pace can be. Gaël Clichy's suspension meant he was facing Pablo Zabaleta, an accomplished full-back with caps for Argentina, but hardly known for his mobility and susceptible at times to fast, direct wingers. Yet the outstanding Zabaleta won the contest with an ease that will dismay Wenger. Walcott is still only 22 and, at that age, it is only normal there will be times when he is erratic and frustrating. Even so, it was disappointing to see him drifting to the edges of the game. He was a substitution waiting to happen and it was surprising he lasted to the 70th minute.

Mario Balotelli can manage a day without controversy
For City the most galling part of Mario Balotelli's latest bit of training-ground aggro was the way it was misconstrued in some quarters as a sign that they were fragile mentally in the wake of losing to Chelsea. For the record Balotelli's previous misdemeanours have all occurred when the previous matches ended in victory (this being his fourth incident of this type in a year). The lad, in other words, just likes the occasional barney. It can be exasperating, amusing and bewildering all at once but this is the weird and wacky world of Mario Balotelli and what really matters is whether he is contributing on the football pitch. It was his run and shot that led to David Silva's winner and, by Balotelli's standards, there were only brief complaints when he was substituted. Afterwards Mancini was asked about rumours that Balotelli, dressed in a Santa outfit, had spent Saturday night driving round Manchester giving money to homeless people. "With Mario, it's possible," he replied.

Source: Daniel Taylor, The Guardian on 18 Dec 11

Roberto Mancini praises Manchester City's 'important' win over Arsenal

Roberto Mancini believes his Manchester City side proved an important point about their competitive spirit by beating Arsenal to reclaim top spot in the Premier League from Manchester United.

David Silva's 52nd-minute winner means City are now unbeaten at home for a year and will lead the way at Christmas for the first time since 1929 if they beat Stoke City at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday.

Manchester United's 2-0 win at Queens Park Rangers earlier in the day had briefly put them top, and Mancini praised his team for their response. "For our character, this was a big test and we showed we are a strong team," he said.

"It was very important for us after the Chelsea game. In football every team loses eventually and it is the reaction to losing that separates good teams from others. We wanted to go back to the top but we also know that the season is long, and we can't win the title without having a fight with United.

"We know, too, there might be times when we are second but the important thing is where we finish and we have not lost any of our belief or confidence. We want to stay top for a long time now, not only for Christmas."

United's brief excursion to the top had been the first time since 15 October that City had dropped below their neighbours. "The important thing is to be there on New Year's Day," Sir Alex Ferguson, the United manager, said after goals from Wayne Rooney and Michael Carrick had helped the champions to a sixth win in seven league games. "If you're involved right at the top part then you know the second half of the season – we'll relish that."

For Arsène Wenger, though, there was an acceptance that his team are now out of the title race. "It was a game we couldn't afford to lose," Arsenal's manager said. "If we had won, the gap would have come down to six points and we would have players coming back from injury for the second half of the season."

Asked if that meant he was ruling out any chance of emulating their 12-point deficit to overtake United and win the title in 1998, he said: "At the moment, yes. It will be difficult to close the gap but we will keep trying."

Wenger felt his team were "unlucky" after a Robin van Persie goal was disallowed because of a contentious offside decision, and they could also have had a penalty for Micah Richards's handball. "I haven't seen it but Van Persie is adamant," Wenger said. "He says it was a 100% penalty."

Mancini, however, argued that it was a fair result. "I think we deserved to win," he said. "It was a good performance and for Arsenal, 12 points behind us, 10 behind United, seven behind Spurs, it is difficult for them now."

Source: Daniel Taylor, The Guardian on 18 Dec 11

Manchester City return to the top as David Silva goal sinks Arsenal

A club on course for the Premier League title must employ a variety of means. Manchester City, beaten at Chelsea in their last outing, could not show all of their previous wealth of creativity against a good and stubborn Arsenal side, but they did prevail deservedly through a David Silva goal and returned to the Premier League summit. Arsenal themselves were determined despite being pinned down for periods. City had twitches late in the match when the ball came off the arm of Micah Richards inside their penalty area, but the contact had been accidental.

There was greater alarm for the hosts when Thomas Vermaelen's fine drive from the edge of the penalty area had to be put over the bar with an outstanding save by Joe Hart in the 90th minute. Despite that, the gravity of this fixture had mostly prevented spirits from soaring. Each team looked as if it was burdened by seriousness. City strove to underline their intent all over again after the woe at Stamford Bridge and Arsenal wanted to show the effectiveness that has characterised them after the troubled start to the campaign.

It ought not to have been a surprise that, at the interval, there had been three bookings but no goals. If Arsenal had two of those yellow cards it reflected the fact that the pressure was on them, if only because City were bent on proving that they could recreate their fluency after that first league defeat at Chelsea. City did that to an extent, but Arsenal had more persistence than anticipated in defence even if the lack of available full-backs required Johan Djourou and Vermaelen, customarily centre-backs, to fill those posts.

It was the contribution of the goalkeeper, Wojciech Szczesny, that did most to leave the match goalless at the interval when he blocked an effort after Mario Balotelli had got behind the Arsenal centre-back Per Mertesacker in the 24th minute. The visitors, unlike City, remain in the Champions League and perhaps the endurance shown in the early exchanges helps to explain that. Arsenal also found moments of encouragement, but much of their energy still went into defending.

The goalkeeping was repeatedly excellent, but City could not be denied indefinitely. After 52 minutes, Balotelli was unmarked on the left and ran free for a drive into the six-yard box that broke free for Silva to escape the close attentions of Vermaelen and put City into the lead from close range.

Samir Nasri, facing his former club, could not quite set up chances, but that hardly mattered. Pablo Zabaleta came close to providing a second goal for City when hitting the post in the 67th minute. City, however, were ultimately relieved just to come through a late onslaught to instantly regain their place at the top of the table from Manchester United.

Source: Kevin McCarra, The Guardian on 18 Dec 11

City deal blow to resurgent Gunners

Exit Arsenal. A title challenge that appeared to have ended in ignominy on their last trip to Manchester is all but over after their return. But a departure in December, rather than during their awful August - and following an unfortunate 1-0 defeat, rather than the historic humiliation of an 8-2 thrashing - means they can take their leave rather more respectably. Another piece of silverware is set to elude them but, after seven wins and a draw in the eight preceding games, pride has been restored.

The conclusions drawn were the product of mathematics alone, rather than the damning verdicts on Arsene Wenger's side that summer produced. "It will be difficult to close a gap on City now," the Frenchman said, while Roberto Mancini added: "[They are] 12 points behind us, ten points behind United, seven points behind Tottenham. It is difficult for them."

It is a description that applies to the context and their afternoon at the Etihad Stadium alike. Arsenal's adaptability has been tested in adversity. In the process, they have revealed an unlikely, retro look. Wenger is a manager who has reinvented and rebranded an entire club. He is the clean break from history, not the link to it. There are contrasts with his predecessors, not comparisons. So while his tactic of fielding four central defenders was an approach that would surely earn an approving nod from George Graham, even then it was enforced by the absence of fit full-backs.

But as Arsenal's renaissance came to a halt, it was because of the introduction of a fifth central defender. Or, more to the point, the need for one. The makeshift right-back Johan Djourou's groin problem necessitated the introduction of Ignasi Miquel on the left. Five minutes later, with Arsenal still adjusting, a previously dependable defence was breached. David Silva scored the goal that restored City to the top of the Premier League.

"We were a bit unlucky with the fact we had to reshuffle completely at the back in a position where we were short," Wenger said. "I did feel at half-time we would win the game if we could stay stable at the back." They couldn't. Djourou limped off and Laurent Koscielny, surging alongside Sergio Aguero in a series of sprints, was shifted to the right. While he was caught out of position, Mario Balotelli exploited the space to shoot, Wojciech Szczesny parried, Aguero headed the ball up in the air and Silva applied the decisive touch.

It was the turning point. Yet, while City fielded £38 million of former Arsenal players, even the economist argued that this was the product not of prudence or poverty but of simple ill-fortune. "It is not only down to resources," Wenger added. "You cannot buy 17 full-backs anyway." A 25-man squad would have an unusual look if anyone did.

"I think we were really unlucky with decisions," Wenger said, reflecting upon the moment Micah Richards handled and the marginal offside decision given against Robin van Persie. Joe Hart thwarted Arsenal, too, although Szczesny also stopped City from scoring more - indeed, each manager praised the opposing goalkeeper, the sort of compliment intended to highlight the number of chances they created. Darting hither and thither, Aguero was the major threat, but the Argentine who came closest to scoring was Pablo Zabaleta, who drilled a shot against the post.

"It was a game that could have gone both ways," Wenger argued. Nevertheless, it was a fine response by City, under increased scrutiny after being defeated by Chelsea and, when United beat QPR, briefly losing the lead of the division. "After Chelsea, it was really important to beat Arsenal and to go again to the top of the table," Mancini said.

For Arsenal, the significant spot is fourth. Chelsea are its occupants, three points ahead of them. One was almost secured with a final flourish as central defenders almost proved their salvation. Initially left-back, then used in the middle and finally adopting a roving brief, Thomas Vermaelen struck two lovely long-range efforts. Hart saved one while the other went narrowly wide.

This is a centre-back capable of stroking shots from 30 yards. More Wenger's type of defender than Graham's, he missed the 8-2 at Old Trafford and has returned for the revival. "I feel the team has made a lot of progress since August and they can be proud of it," Wenger said, "but this was a game we could not afford to lose." The consequences were clear to him, and to others. The Invincibles will remain Arsenal's last champions for at least another year.

MAN OF THE MATCH: Pablo Zabaleta
The right-back deployed on the left - Arsenal are not alone in missing full-backs - got the better of Theo Walcott and advanced to provide both a wonderful cross for Aguero and a shot that struck the post. He also helped City keep a first clean sheet in nine league games.

MANCHESTER CITY VERDICT
The result was the all-important thing, but the performance was positive in an open game. City created several excellent opportunities and, with Edin Dzeko on the bench, prioritised pace and movement. The choice of Kolo Toure ahead of Joleon Lescott was a surprise, but the elusive clean sheet was achieved.

ARSENAL VERDICT
This was a rare game in which Van Persie did not score - though he finished superbly when adjudged offside - but the arrivals of Andrei Arshavin and Marouane Chamakh showed the department of the side Wenger wants to strengthen in January. He denied that midfielder Yohan Gourcuff will join on loan, and other attackers are wanted, but the performance drew praise from the manager, and rightly so. They are a much-improved team.

MARIO CHRISTMAS
There were reports that Balotelli had dressed as Father Christmas and gone around Manchester handing out presents. Mancini, well accustomed to the madness of his protégé, was bemused but did not deny them. "With Mario, it is possible," he said. With Mario, most things are, although the player himself denied it via the press officer soon afterwards.

Source: Richard Jolly, ESPN Soccernet on 18 Dec 11

Wenger's reaction to the Manchester City 1-0 Arsenal match

on a tight game...
I think it was a game that could have gone both ways. It was very intense with both teams going for it and I feel as well that we were a bit unlucky. Their keeper had a good game and we were a bit unlucky with the fact that we had to reshuffle completely at the back in a position where we are already short - we paid too much for that.

Overall I did feel at half-time that we would win the game if we stayed stable at the back. We lacked a bit of accuracy with our final ball in the final third as well because we had a few opportunities where we didn't pass the ball well. But overall we had a very positive performance, great spirit, quality, but we lacked a little bit of what is vital in the big games.

on resources...
I must say we have four full backs out and the first injury we get in the game is a full back. It's not only down to resources, you cannot buy 17 full backs anyway. That is why I think we were a bit unlucky today.

on penalty claims against Richards...
Yes [I thought it was a penalty]. Honestly I haven't seen it but Van Persie is adamant it was a 100 per cent penalty.

on Van Persie's offside 'goal'...
I haven't seen it again but we know that these decisions can turn the game and they didn't go for us today. We were unlucky with the decisions but we have to take it on the chin.

on the title race...
Unfortunately for us it was a game that we couldn't afford to lose because it puts us too much [behind Man City]. If we had won the game we would have come back to six points and with players coming back like our full backs and Wilshere and Diaby - we will have a better squad in the second half of the season. At the moment we are too far behind.

on Chamakh and Arshavin...
You can only try and they tried. They had chances, I think Arshavin had two good chances, Chamakh had very little time to have an impact on the game. We played at the end with four strikers, Ramsey and Arteta in midfield, so you know that when you lose the ball you could be in trouble every time. But we still had the chances to score. Even Vermaelen, at the end, I thought the ball was in when he hit it twice, the free kick first and then the one he hit outside the box.

on closing the gap on City...
It will be difficult to close the gap but we will try. This is a game we couldn't afford to lose and that's why it's very difficult to take. On the other hand we will continue to fight, there is a lot of positives. The team has made a lot of progress since August and they can be proud of it. The team has a fantastic spirit, we have shown that again today, and let's hope we can continue our progress and get closer to City.

on encouraging signs...
It is encouraging but at the moment we need encouragement and points, and we got only encouragement.

on the transfer window...
We hope to have Wilshere and Diaby back so in midfield we have the numbers required. But at the moment we are short at the back and if Gervinho and Chamakh go to the Africa Cup of Nations we are short up front more than midfield.

on Djourou's injury...
It is a groin problem. Usually that is 21 days.

Source: Arsenal.com on 18 Dec 11

18 December 2011: Manchester City 1-0 Arsenal, Etihad Stadium

David Silva struck the only goal as Arsenal went down 1-0 at Manchester City on Sunday.

The Spaniard scored seven minutes into the second half just as the visitors were settling down after a defensive reshuffle following the loss of Johan Djourou.

Mario Balotelli raced down the left flank that had been previously occupied by the Swiss international and, although his shot was saved by Wojciech Szczesny, Silva eventually scrambled home the rebound at the far post.

The visitors put in a decent response. Thomas Vermaelen saw an effort superbly saved by Joe Hart and, in the final seconds, curled an effort just past the post. But Arsenal were consigned to their first Premier League defeat since they lost 2-1 at Tottenham on October 2.

Manchester City were the more powerful side and worthy of their win. The little things went against the visitors, certainly when Micah Richards appeared to handle in the area towards end. But, on this showing, Wenger's men will have a major part to play at the top of the table this season.

Arsenal lost this afternoon but they were not beaten.

Before kick-off, Wenger kept faith with the side that had squeezed past Everton last weekend. There was no reason not to. Arsenal were the form side in the Premier League.

The hosts were not exactly faltering but had endured the closest thing they had come to a blip in an otherwise brilliant season so far. At the start of December, they had been knocked out of the Champions League and just a couple of hours before kick-off they were toppled from top spot by their cross-town rivals. They came into this game fresh from defeat at Chelsea – their first domestic reverse of the campaign.

However, the opening stages today suggested there would be no hangover.

Manchester City were the better side for the opening quarter of an hour. In the eighth minute, Gareth Barry released Pablo Zabaleta down the left. His low, curling cross was killed by Sergio Aguero with one touch at the far post but, as Laurent Koscielny and Thomas Vermaelen hared back in pursuit, the Argentinian crashed a cramped shot over the bar.

Manchester City were showing all of their power and class. They were first in the tackle and quick to win back the ball when they lost it.

Arsenal had to dig in. Fortunately, they were mentally ‘tooled up’ for the job.

Home keeper Joe Hart had been unemployed thus far but he would make up for it in the 18th minute. First he scruffily pawed behind an angled shot from Gervinho then, from the resulting corner, Aaron Ramsey’s snatched shot nearly caught him out at the near post.

They were decent opportunities that helped Arsenal find a foothold in the game. However, the hosts still had the edge.

Midway through the half, a combination of Per Mertesacker and Djourou failed to clear a curling cross from Micah Richards. The ball dropped nicely for Balotelli who swung a swivelling foot at the ball. Szczesny raced out to block.

However, Arsenal were brighter now and playing with more confidence. They were always prepared to play their way out of trouble and, at least metaphorically on this cold winter’s day, had rolled up their sleeves. Just past the half-hour, Gervinho and Van Persie combined for the Dutchman to feed Ramsey but Kolo Toure scrambled away the ball.

Manchester City bullied Arsenal a little as the whistle approached. Five minutes from time, Aguero robbed Alex Song just outside the area, exchanged passes with Silva before forcing a low save from Szczesny.

Djourou was the last down the tunnel at the break. The centre back was holding his groin as he went. Wenger gave the injury a couple of minutes after the restart before being forced into a change. The introduction of Ignasi Miquel caused a tactical switch. The Spaniard went to left back, Koscielny went to the right and Vermaelen joined Mertesacker in the middle.

The visiting back four had stood up to significant City pressure in the first half. Only one of them would be doing the same job in the second period.

However, in the 53rd minute, they would be breached.

Balotelli raced down the left in acres of space before Song came over to challenge. The Italian darted inside and fired low across goal. Szczesny made a fine low save but, although Vermaelen flicked the ball away from the stooping Aguero, Silva slid home the rebound at the far post.

There was nearly an immediate reply. Van Persie lifted a shot over Hart and into the net a couple of minutes later but he was flagged offside.

However, Manchester City sensed weakness about Arsenal and were not minded to show mercy.

Aguero fired a fierce low cross-shot inches past the far post, then Samir Nasri burst through but he failed to find the unmarked Balotelli 12 yards out.

Gervinho cut the ball back for Van Persie to fire low at Hart and, then in the 66th minute, the Ivorian’s cross was headed at the keeper by the Dutchman. Both were decent opportunities but the latter was flagged offside.

In between those efforts, the home side came closer when Zabaleta stole Koscielny’s clearance away from Walcott before rifling a shot against the post with Szczesny beaten.

Wenger threw on Andrey Arshavin and Marouane Chamakh in the latter stages. It made a difference.

Arsenal had a solid shout for handball when Koscielny’s cross hit the arm of Richards. In the final minute of normal time, Arteta played a short free-kick to Vermaelen on the edge of the area. The Belgian’s strike was fierce but Hart expertly tipped the ball over the bar.

After Eden Dzeko fired into the side-netting, Vermaelen sent a curling effort just past Hart’s right-hand post with virtually the final kick of the game.

At full time, Manchester City had proved themselves worthy to be restored as Premier League leaders.

But Arsenal had proved something too.

Source: Richard Clarke, Arsenal.com on 18 Dec 11