Seven reasons to be cheerful

1 - Robin van Persie, 2 - Robin van Persie, 3 - Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, 4 - Mikel Arteta, 5 - Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, 6 - Robin van Persie and 7 - Thierry Henry

The last few weeks have been extremely trying for Arsenal fans. We were in serious need of a lift, and three points against Blackburn, however they came, were going to be the only way for some of the unrest amongst supporters to quieten, even if momentarily. The aforementioned seven reasons should give the team some deserved leeway with fans, as they finally showed, for the first time in the league in 2012, that they aren't going to give up easily in the battle for fourth.

With the other results from the weekend, we're now three points behind Chelsea in the race for the Champions League, plus they still have to come to the Emirates. There is a lot to happen between now and then, but we're hardly in a disastrous position. I mentioned in my last blog that failure to beat Blackburn might lead to a change needing to be made, not necessarily of manager, but a change. The 7-1 thumping was proof that the Arsenal style can still rip teams apart.

Being honest, Blackburn offered very little resistance. As much as it’s tempting to get over excited by winning 7-1, after Wednesday’s draw, there was some serious displeasure from some fans. One big win doesn’t mean everything will be alright for the rest of the season, we can still only take things game by game, but that one win will give the team a massive confidence boost.

It was so refreshing to not focus on the negatives around the team for 90 minutes. There were a few rumblings of discontent when Morten Gamst Pedersen equalised, but we created so many holes in the Blackburn defence that the result was rarely in doubt. Walcott and, particularly, Oxlade-Chamberlain were seriously stretching the Rovers defence and helped us finally find a ruthless streak. When the fourth goal went in, I expected the side to ease off, but they were relentless. I think there was also a small element of revenge. When this team were first coming together, the 4-3 defeat to Blackburn in September really hurt. 7-1 will mean that any lingering mental problems from that game will have been banished.

Looking at the seven reasons in details, number one was arguably the most important. Given that we were desperate for the win and failed to score at Bolton, if the game had been goalless for a long time, the nerves would have increased and the fans would have got restless. It was probably Robin van Persie’s easiest goal for Arsenal, but in the context of turning our season, it was very important.

Number two was arguably as important as number one. Had Blackburn held out until half time, we’d have been facing problems again. However we wasted no time in hitting straight back after conceding. As soon as we had to score after the equaliser, our passing became more direct again. Song’s through ball for Walcott was excellent and then Walcott just had to find van Persie, and with the Dutchman’s movement, that wasn’t difficult.

The third goal oozed quality. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was the one bright spark in our dark January, however he hadn’t found the net. His diagonal run, control and finish was reminiscent of some of the old wingers we had in Wenger’s era. It’s been a while since we’ve had a winger that can make that sort of run and have the speed, confidence and ability to round the goalkeeper and score. In terms of a winger consistently doing that, I can’t think of anyone since Freddie Ljungberg. Having a winger that can contribute more goals will be vital for the rest of the season as we’re still too reliant on Robin van Persie.

Reason four to be cheerful was another goal that gives us encouragement for the rest of the season as we have to ease the goal scoring burden on RvP, especially as we didn’t do so in the transfer window. Mikel Arteta controlled the game well from midfield, and was often sitting deeper than Song, however he can strike the ball well from around the box. It’s an element of his game that he seems to have sacrificed for the team this season, but it’s one most fans would like to see used more often. Although his goal took a deflection on the way in, Arteta’s strike was powerful. He was almost on the end of one of the goals of the season had his volley gone in at the back post following Oxlade-Chamberlain’s run. I’d like to see Arteta move forward slightly more than Song does as he clearly has talent going forward. However it’s hard to criticise him too much as we’re so much more stable as a team when he sits alongside Song.

The fifth highlighted Blackburn’s interesting defending, but also the pace and finishing of our wingers. Walcott’s pace took him into the box, and Oxlade-Chamberlain showed him how to finish. All of Blackburn’s back four went towards Walcott, but surely the danger was Oxlade-Chamberlain. However we still had to be clinical and take advantage of the situation. The Ox’s finish was sharp and gave Robinson no hope. We shouldn’t put too much pressure on Oxlade-Chamberlain, although so far he has dealt with it brilliantly. He could be the difference between getting in the top four or not.

Robin van Persie’s hat-trick for number six looked simple, but was another superb finish from the Dutchman. Francis Coquelin, who put a good shift in, did well on the right but the finish from van Persie was so nonchalant with his weaker foot. Van Persie can ask for any superlative he wants because he deserves most of them. I was surprised he wasn’t substituted after netting his third as we have to keep him fit for the rest of the season. If we do, whatever the state of the rest of the team, we’ll always have a chance to climb the table.

The final reason to be cheerful made me the most happy; not in terms of the team in the long term or even for the rest of the season, but just because it was Thierry Henry. It wasn’t a great finish and it needed a deflection, but no Arsenal fan cared. Whatever the score line, an Henry goal was always going to cheer up Gooners everywhere. If we don’t extend his loan move, although I hope we do, that was his last home game for Arsenal, so it was fitting that he netted. In keeping with the Leeds script, the win wouldn’t have been complete without a goal from Thierry Henry.

We face Sunderland next week, which will be a much tougher test. Their form has been incredible since Martin O’Neill took over, so going away to the Stadium of Light will really show how much we’re up for this fight for fourth. The 7-1 was fantastic and has made fans smile about Arsenal again. Like with other good results we’ve had this season, the challenge is to back the win up and turn it into a run of form. Apart from boosting the goal difference, the 7-1 will feel irrelevant if we don’t win at Sunderland.

The temptation to rest players will be there for Wenger with Milan lurking in the midweek after our trip to the North East. Hopefully he’ll play the same starting XI as started against Blackburn, apart from possibly the addition of Sagna. They’ve earned the chance to build on the momentum that they built, and surely will have the confidence to do so. They’ve shown they can be ruthless in a game when they’re dominant. Hopefully the players, other than Robin van Persie, will now believe they can take chances when the game is tighter. That’s what will make the real difference in this Champions League race.

Source: Sam Limbert, ESPN Soccernet on 8 Feb 12

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain shines as Arsenal crush 10-man Blackburn

Mutiny? What mutiny? For a change, Arsène Wenger was surrounded by nothing but jovial faces as his team, and their supporters, remembered what it is like to thoroughly enjoy a game of football. No pressure. No frustration. No embarrassment. Well, not in the home camp anyway. Against opponents who could not have been more accommodating, more ragged, more downbeat, Arsenal were able to put on an exhibition of the kind of quick-witted attacking football which been so frustratingly elusive of late.

Robin van Persie collected his second hat-trick of the season, Theo Walcott enjoyed as many assists, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain crowned another sparkling display with his first strikes in the Premier League, and even Thierry Henry chipped in with another one for the nostalgics in stoppage time, his last action in his last game here provided Arsenal do not get an extension on his loan.

On a weekend when Fabio Capello has more than his fair share of headaches, Oxlade-Chamberlain's performance gives the England manager a welcome injection of positivity. He has quickly become a symbolic figure this season at Arsenal and underlined why he has such backing with his most purposeful display yet. He has started 10 games this season and has scored in three different competitions. His finishing was impressively composed, although you sense Wenger is as pleased with the maturity of his all-round game, which has taken a giant leap in recent weeks.

He is making it difficult for Wenger to consider leaving him out, which could make life interesting when Gervinho returns from the Africa Cup of Nations. Asked if he expected the teenager to be called up for England's friendly with Holland at the end of the month, Wenger replied: "Would you be surprised? In a very short time he has been an important player who can make a difference. He made a big step in that he contributes in the team play. He is a fighter as well. He has improved so much."

This was the ideal opportunity for Arsenal's offensive players to express themselves. Blackburn, having kept unsettled Chris Samba out of the picture, were easily unstitched even before Gaël Givet got himself dismissed for a two-footed lunge just before half time. The French defender connected with Van Persie's ankle, which caused a particularly anxious moment for Wenger, and Givet felt remorseful enough to apologise to the Arsenal manager as he left the pitch.

Van Persie's stride was not so easily interrupted, though. He gave his team the early advantage with a pair of replica goals, tucked in after Walcott raced into space to cut back from the byline. The first came when the game was a two minutes old. The second helped Arsenal to regain the lead after Blackburn had plundered an unexpected equaliser from Morten Gamst Pedersen's beautifully struck free-kick. Wenger picked out the quality of Van Persie's movement as the key to it all. "Something to show in every football school," he said.

For all the applause that was due to their regular scorer, an even bigger cheer was on the way, as Van Persie turned provider to give Oxlade-Chamberlain something to chase. The young striker switched on his turbo and then showed excellent composure to flick the ball around Paul Robinson before steering it into an empty net.

Arsenal duly continued to rip into Steve Kean's depleted team after the break, scoring three more in an 11-minute blitz. "To compete against them with 11 men is hard enough," the Blackburn manager said. "It is the first time this season we have been really turned over. We lost Jason Lowe to what looks like ankle ligament damage and now miss Gaël for three games.

"It was a horrible afternoon. I can shout, and throw tea cups, and keep them in the dressing room for two hours but we'll be getting back to work and looking for a reaction." They need it. Their abject efforts in the second half were easy pickings for Arsenal.

Mikel Arteta drove in from a corner, before the two former Southampton prodigies combined to excellent effect. Walcott dribbled infield and delivered an inviting pass, which Oxlade-Chamberlain took with aplomb as he tricked his way past his marker to score. Next Van Persie swept in his 28th goal in 28 starts this campaign. Henry finished it all off in stoppage time, the old favourite clipping in with the aid of a deflection.

It was particularly pleasing for Wenger to see the goals shared out. "That has been the problem all season. If Robin doesn't score, who does? The wingers showed they can score and we need more from midfield," he said.

Defeat at Ewood Park in September had been arguably the lowest of Arsenal's low points this season. This meeting brought some much needed catharsis. With their biggest league win at the Emirates, it could not have been more emphatic but Wenger was not especially swayed by the scoreline. The most significant thing was the combination of result and performance - something he is desperate to build on next weekend at Sunderland. "If we win that 1-0 it will be fantastic," he said.

Source: Amy Lawrence, The Guardian on 4 Feb 12

Wenger's reaction to the Arsenal 7-1 Blackburn Rovers match

on a memorable afternoon…
I felt that recently we had quite good performances but did not get the results. Today we got the performance and the result, which is ideally what you want. I do not give much importance to the seven goals, it is just important we won and played well.

on Oxlade-Chamberlain and Walcott...
As you know, they are English! I feel providing today was as important as scoring. The flanks provided very well and scored through Alex. Robin is an exceptional football player and you could see that with his movement in the box, which could be shown in every football school. When you feed him in the box, he is deadly.

on why he didn't take Van Persie off...
Alex Chamberlain played three games for the first time in his career. He had a stiff neck at half-time, so I did not want to take a gamble with him. Then we had a problem with Koscielny, and I wanted to give some playing time to Benayoun.

on maintaining the pressure against 10 men...
We remained serious and were guided by the way we want to play football and not by any extravagant individualism. That is positive. We were mature and serious, we played together until the end.

on Oxlade-Chamberlain's pre-match knock...
I would not have taken a gamble today. In a very short period of time he has become an important player who can make a difference. I rested him in the last 20 minutes at Bolton, so he was not pushed to his limits. The medical staff said there was no risk he could damage his knee, so that is why I decided to play him.

on why he didn't use him sooner…
He was not ready earlier in the season. He has made a big step in the last months. He produces team play, he is not only going forwards, he is contributing to the defending and has improved very quickly. He is a fighter as well, with personality. He is much more mature now.

on whether he could get an England call-up...
Would you be surprised? I would not.

on scoring so many goals..
It was important to the confidence of the side that we win a game and get three points but the result in itself will not make us win at Sunderland. What will make us win there with the confidence we got today is to continue to play the way we did today. Every game is a new challenge and Sunderland are in a good spell as well. We have to be ready for that.

on fears that Givet had hurt Van Persie…
Yes I was worried because you never know how bad it is. That's something we cannot afford at the moment, to lose a player like Robin with Thierry going back to the States. Normally, Thierry today played his last game at the Emirates and in the last minute he scored his goal. So that is something special.

on whether Givet apologised…
Yes he did.

on whether he reads much into a 7-1 win...
No, as we said before we need consistency. Strangely I don't feel we played very badly at Fulham, nor at Swansea, nor against Manchester United - in the first half we were terrible but in the second half we should have won the game. But every time we just couldn't get the result and in the end if affects your belief. This will help us slowly to believe again that we could win. To win 1-0 at Sunderland would be fantastic and that's what we have to prepare for, to produce a good performance.

on sharing the goals around…
Yes, that was a problem I faced in all the press conferences at the start of the season. If he doesn't score, who scores, you know? It was right, I couldn't deny that. But I always felt that if you look at our numbers the trio of Gervinho, Walcott and Van Persie were involved in all the goals so they are more the providers because we play with two wingers. But the wingers can score as well, like today. It is something that is needed and we need some more goals from midfield as well.

on Henry's impact off the pitch…
Only positive. How much, you can never give a percentage, but he was very positive and everyone takes his advice on board because he has delivered here and they want to deliver too. He is respected and he was very positive. He is not going away yet, normally he stays until after the Milan game. So we go to Sunderland now and then we go to Milan - that is two massive games.

on whether he can extend Henry's loan deal...
I haven't looked at it, maybe the maximum possibility we have is two more weeks. Normally no [he would not be here for the Tottenham game].

Source: Arsenal.com on 4 Feb 12

4 February 2012: Arsenal 7-1 Blackburn Rovers, The Emirates

Arsenal signalled their return to top form with a record-breaking – and hugely satisfying – 7-1 victory over Blackburn Rovers on Saturday.

Robin van Persie struck his second hat-trick of the season as Arsène Wenger’s side recorded their best Premier League win at Emirates Stadium.

The Dutchman put Arsenal in front after 82 seconds and again in the 38th minute after Morten Gamst Pedersen had equalised with a pin-point free-kick.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s goal and Gael Givet’s sending off followed before the break as the hosts effectively secured the points. The youngster caught the eye once more and, after Mikel Arteta had made it 4-1 just after the restart, fired in his second at the near post.

On 62 minutes, Van Persie turned in a cross from Francis Coquelin to complete his personal treble and his team’s half-dozen.

The Arsenal captain has now scored 13 goals in 13 games against Blackburn. But then the Lancashire side have a habit of coming unstuck against Wenger’s side - this scoreline edged out their 6-2 defeat at December 2006 as the heaviest Arsenal victory at Emirates in the Premier League.

Thierry Henry upped his own record as the Club’s top-scorer by slotting home a seventh with the final kick of the game.

It was the perfect riposte on a magnificent day for Arsenal.

Wenger would have taken any kind of victory this afternoon but you sense each goal pumped a little more confidence back into the veins of those on the pitch and in the crowd.

You better believe it - Arsenal are still very much alive in the fight for fourth place.

Wenger made two changes from the side held to a goalless draw at the Reebok Stadium against Bolton on Wednesday. Coquelin replaced Bacary Sagna at right back. The latter’s 90 minutes in midweek represented his first involvement since October 2. Meanwhile, Tomas Rosicky came into central midfield for Aaron Ramsey. It was the Czech international’s 150th game for the Club.

The closure of certain sections of London’s underground network had meant this game had been brought forward by two hours. Heavy snow was also forecast for late in the afternoon. With Liverpool and Chelsea playing Tottenham and Manchester United respectively later in the weekend, everything seemed to suggest that this was a good game to ‘get out of the way’ early.

Presuming Arsenal won of course.

And the home side would start the process inside two minutes. Theo Walcott escaped on the right and reached the byline. His low cross gave Van Persie a tap-in at the far post.

Simple.

It was the Dutchman’s 26th goal of the season and 20th in the Premier League – the first player to reach that mark this season.

It was also the 121st of Van Persie’s Arsenal career, moving him clear of Dennis Bergkamp as the 10th most prolific striker in the Club’s history.

It was also just the start Arsenal required and they attempted to capitalise straight away.

Oxlade-Chamberlain made space for himself on the left but no-one could convert his dangerous ball across the face of goal. And, on the quarter-hour, Van Persie’s free-kick flew through a crowded area, narrowly missing its intended target – Per Mertesacker.

Blackburn had arrived on solid away run – five points from trips to Manchester United, Liverpool and Everton. But the early goal had been a blow and the closest they came was when Anthony Modeste flew in at the near post and connected with Wojciech Szczesny not the ball. Both carried on after treatment.

Midway through the half, Walcott hit the byline again and Rosicky teed himself up for a shot. It was goalbound but blocked.

Shortly afterwards the veteran midfielder’s cross-shot whistled just wide. Then Mertesacker met Oxlade-Chamberlain’s corner at the far post and Stephen Nzoni desperately hacked the ball over his own bar.

Such was Van Persie’s confidence he even tried a trademark chip.

This was becoming a strange game. Arsenal had all the possession and were creating all the attacks but they were still some way away from top gear.

But Blackburn had done nothing thus far so their equaliser in the 31st minute came out of the blue. Laurent Koscielny hauled down Modeste just outside the area and Pedersen whipped in a free-kick. Szczesny got a hand on the ball but could not prevent it from finding the top corner.

It had been a game of one-way traffic and Arsenal had now hit a speed bump.

However, within nine minutes, they were in cruise control again as the home side increased the tempo.

In the 38th minute, Song sent Walcott racing to the byline and his cutback was slotted home by Van Persie from close-range.

Two minutes later, Van Persie nudged a pass into the path of the sprinting Oxlade-Chamberlain. A wonderful first touch allowed him to skip around Paul Robinson and slide home the third goal of his Arsenal career.

Since they had scored it had all gone wrong for Blackburn. Before that brace they had lost Ryan Lowe after a tackle from Rosicky. After it, Givet upended Van Persie with a two-footed lunge. A red card was inevitable.

Now Arsenal had their tails up. A short corner saw Arteta angle a ball towards the far post, Mertesacker flicked on and Vermaelen failed to convert at the far post.

It was the final chance before the break.

Little changed after the restart as Arsenal began with style. Five minutes in, substitute Grant Hanley nearly turned Walcott’s cross into his own net. Van Persie’s corner eventually fell to Arteta, who thumped home his fourth goal of the season from the edge of the area.

Blackburn seemed a broken team now but Arsenal were in an ominously unforgiving mood. Walcott traversed the area and fed Oxlade-Chamberlain at the far post. The midfielder fired home with glee.

Walcott or Van Persie had made or scored all the goals but the 18-year-old was starting to take the limelight.

On the hour, he outpaced one Blackburn defender then tricked his way past another before picking out Arteta at the far post. The Spaniard’s volley was ambitious - and wildly high.

However, in goal-scoring terms, Van Persie is still unequivocally the main man this season. In the 62nd minute, the Dutchman converted Coquelin’s low cross to complete his hat-trick.

Wenger clearly did not want to take his foot off the pedal. That is why he brought Thierry Henry and Sagna for Oxlade-Chamberlain and Koscielny.

However, inevitably, Arsenal slackened off and you could not really blame them. Coquelin cracked a shot over the bar and substitute Yossi Benayoun fired at Robinson. But it seemed they had settled at six.

Still, this was a day when almost everything went right for Arsenal.

Van Persie set up Henry to score with the final kick of the match.

A perfect end to a perfect afternoon.

Source: Richard Clarke, Arsenal.com on 4 Feb 12

Lost in Space

Sometimes your team is just beaten by a better team. Sometimes the opponent is stronger or faster or more technically skilled, and you just have to take your beating with the best grace you can muster. Thus the equanimity with which Alex Ferguson accepted Manchester United’s loss to Barcelona in last season’s Champions League final: Barça was simply and obviously better. (Sir Alex trudged home and took out his checkbook.)

But then sometimes your team loses not because the other team is better but . . . well, for some other reason. And the other reasons vary from sport to sport. A whole baseball team loses confidence at the plate and enters a collective slump; basketball players cease to trust one another and start doing everything one-on-one.

These afflictions - loss of confidence, loss of trust - can happen to soccer teams as well, but there’s also a distinctive way things go all pear-shaped in soccer. Let’s call it spatial disorientation.

Soccer can’t be played well without good spatial awareness, which has three elements: self, teammate, opponent. Only the best players perceive all three with absolute precision: those stunning threaded passes that players like Xavi and Pirlo specialize in depend on the instant and intuitive coordination of all at once. So too the prescient defending that I’ve celebrated in Cannavaro. When Cruyff would do his traffic-cop thing, holding the ball at his feet while irritably waving his teammates to different locations on the pitch, you could tell that he just didn’t understand why they hadn’t assumed the proper positions of their own accord.

But Cruyff was the only one who knew exactly what the chessboard was supposed to look like. For lesser players, it seems, the maintenance of accurate spatial awareness is hard work. Strikers drift offside; midfielders get too close to one another, usually clumped in the middle of the pitch so that two defenders can mark four men, prompting Jonathan Wilson to moan about “lack of width”; defenders fail to keep a straight line and end up playing forwards dangerously onside. Happens all the time.

During the flow of most matches the players’ spatial awareness comes and goes. After a couple of offside flags the striker starts watching the defensive line more closely and adjusting his position11 Unless his name is Ibrahimovic.; the midfielders make proper room for one another; the back four eyeball one another to get their line straight and keep it that way.

As I say, that’s how it goes in most matches. Sometimes the disorientation sets firmly in for a whole match - or even longer. Which brings us to the Arsenal defense.

“Shambolic” is, I believe, the term of art for how Arsenal has been defending for the last couple of years, but especially this season. Eight goals to Manchester United; four to Blackburn - Blackburn - though Arsenal’s defenders managed two of those themselves. It seems that no matter who Arsène Wenger puts in his back four, the selected players are immediately deprived of even the most basic powers of spatial awareness. I suspect that the team doctors, when they examine the newly signed, are using some hypersophisticated technique for removing the exteroceptive faculties. The Daily Mail ought to look into this.

After all, Per Mertesacker has never had much pace or quickness of reaction, but until quite recently, if you looked for him within a few yards of where he was supposed to be on the pitch you would typically find him there. Yet the Blackburn match treated observers to frequent sightings of Mertesacker lumbering towards his own goal, some several yards in arrears of the opposing forwards. In a similar vein, when a Blackburn attacker misplayed a pass and left it at the feet of Johan Djourou standing all alone just outside the box, Djourou just stared at the ball for a few moments as though it were an unfamiliar object before finally deciding that it ought to be kicked. This he did, though only as a Blackburn player arrived on the scene, which led to a collision that left Djourou kneeling on the grass in pain for a few moments.

The strangest and worst moment of all came early in the second half, with Arsenal leading 2-1. Mauro Formica stood over a free kick for Blackburn a couple of yards outside the area on the right wing, and lofted a chip so gentle that, had it landed on a butterfly, it would have done little damage. But it did not land on a butterfly. It landed on the knee of Alex Song, who seemed to have no idea that a game was being played in his vicinity, and rolled peaceably into the net. No Blackburn player was in the neighborhood.

Among Arsenal defenders spatial disorientation has set in with a completeness that I don’t think I have ever seen at the highest levels of soccer. Player after player stands bemused, gaping at his surroundings as though Scotty has just beamed him down to an unknown planet. Where am I? Those people wearing the same shirt I’m wearing — are they related to me in some way? And why are people running past me kicking a ball?

I don’t know how to account for this phenomenon. It is obviously true that injuries and other personnel changes have made life difficult for Arsenal, but that should primarily affect a player’s sense of his teammates’ positioning; it shouldn’t have him chasing down the opposition from a dozen yards behind, or leave him unaware that someone almost within spitting distance is taking a free kick.

So there’s something deeply mysterious, at least to me, about the completeness and universality of Arsenal’s defensive dislocations. I don’t know what Wenger is doing to address these problems, but I hope he’s having his people work on he most elementary of defensive drills, and working on them hour after hour after hour. In addition to that, he needs to think seriously about whether his players are choking or panicking, because the psychologies of the two conditions differ dramatically. And finally, I think it’s time to call in a shaman.

Source: Alan Jacobs, The Run of Play on 17 Sep 11

Arsenal's Laurent Koscielny gifts Blackburn Rovers thrilling win

Blackburn Rovers quite incredibly ended up delivering on Chris Samba's promise to make Arsenal's life a living hell, all the more surprisingly given that for almost an hour the visitors looked to have only the weather to worry about. Arsenal twice took the lead and should never have lost in such a slapdash manner, yet once again they contributed to their own downfall to the extent that the supposedly unhappy Blackburn fans were speculating before the end that this could be another 8-2.

The soggiest Saturday of the season so far all but washed away the protest march against Steve Kean before kick-off. A few hundred bedraggled supporters made their point as they were escorted to the ground by police, and perhaps even succeeded in showing the depth of their feeling by braving a downpour, though there was little sign of dissent inside the ground, and even on the concourses home fans were debating with each other whether the manager deserved more loyalty.

After 90 tumultuous minutes and a rousing first win of the season, the consensus was that he probably did. "We showed what we are all about," Kean said. "We dug in and struck on the break. I was disappointed that people felt the need to demonstrate, but hopefully we sent everyone home happy."

Everyone except Arsenal. Two visits to the north-west have resulted in 12 goals conceded and no points won. The Gunners have four points from their opening five games, and have been beaten three times already. "It is not good enough," Arsène Wenger accepted. "We should not come here and concede four goals, especially from a position where we are 2-1. We do not seem to have the capability to keep our defensive focus for 90 minutes, and you cannot expect to win matches if you give away cheap goals."

It was the Blackburn supporters who had been expecting that, or possibly cheep goals, in view of their low opinion of Venky's, their owners. Yet when a clever ball forward by Alex Song split a statuesque Rovers defence to allow Gervinho to claim his first league goal for Arsenal after 10 minutes there were no dissatisfied rumblings from the terraces, and to their credit Blackburn managed to give their fans something to cheer by getting back on terms midway through the first half. This time it was Yakubu Ayegbeni's turn to score a first goal for his new club, and though the former Everton striker was slightly fortunate to be in the right place for Junior Hoilett's pass as he wandered back from an offside position, there was nothing wrong with the deft single touch that stranded Wojciech Szczesny.

Players were beginning to lose their footing at this point as rain hammered down from a still-darkening sky, though Arsenal produced some of their brightest football and could have scored through Andrey Arshavin and Gervinho in addition to the goal from Mikel Arteta that restored their lead by the interval. Another first-time scorer for a new club, all Arteta had to do was crash the ball home from near the penalty spot after Aaron Ramsey's shrewd run and perfect square ball had created the opportunity.

So Arsenal had little to excuse what befell them at the start of the second half, especially as their inability to defend set pieces reached ludicrous new heights when Song turned Rubén Rochina's free-kick past his own goalkeeper under no particular pressure.

Now trying to weather two storms at once, with the Rovers fans noisily backing their side, Arsenal simply went from bad to worse. Another set piece led to another goal for Yakubu, standing level on the six-yard line to get the crucial last touch to Steven Nzonzi's low cross after collecting a corner at the back of the area, then almost laughably Arsenal contributed a second own goal.

There was not a lot Laurent Koscielny could do to avoid diverting the ball into his own net once Szczesny had failed to cut out Martin Olsson's firmly struck cut-back from the byline, but the way Yakubu, of all people, had sent the substitute skipping down the right to easily evade Johan Djourou's rushed challenge, and enjoy the freedom of an empty Arsenal half to run at, will give Wenger sleepless nights.

Paul Robinson made a couple of good saves before Marouane Chamakh's well-taken goal five minutes from time gave the scoreline some respectability from Arsenal's point of view and a better indication of the balance of the game, though conceding four goals to Blackburn is almost as bad as shipping eight at Old Trafford.

That is not to take anything away from a spirited and energetic Blackburn performance. This always promised to be a day for Kean to remember, and amid frantic scenes at the end, after Per Mertesacker had headed over and Robin van Persie struck a shot at Robinson with stoppage time chances to claim a point, it was.

Source:  Paul Wilson, The Guardian on 17 Sep 11

Wenger's reaction to the Blackburn Rovers 4-3 Arsenal match

on the team's second-half performance...
It's difficult to explain. I feel overall we created many chances, even in the second half. It just looked like we had a lack of focus for what we knew they were good at - corners and free-kicks.

on concerns about Arsenal’s defending...
You cannot say you are not worried when you see the performance we put in today. It's just not defensively solid enough. When you are 2-1 in front against Blackburn and you know that you are solid defensively, we will score goals.

on a disappointing afternoon...
It was not all negative today, that is the frustrating thing. There were a lot of positives as well, we just didn't bring the focus to get anything out of the game. At the moment we do not have the capability to focus defensively for 90 minutes to win games. It is important you do not give cheap goals away like we did.

on Arsenal’s start to the season…
It's just not good enough and, of course, we are very frustrated. The spirit in the team is quite willing but if you look at the number of goals we have conceded it is just not good enough. You cannot come here and concede four goals the way we did today. On the other hand I believe that the group will take off but it is important that we can get results.

on speculation about his future…
Speculation is part of modern life, there is nothing I can do about that. My future is focused on me giving the best for the Club.

Source: Arsenal.com on 17 Sep 11

17 September 2011: Blackburn Rovers 4-3 Arsenal, Ewood Park

Blackburn staged a second-half comeback to consign Arsenal to a 4-3 defeat at Ewood Park on Saturday.

At the break, Arsène Wenger’s side seemed set to record a confidence-boosting victory. Gervinho and Mikel Arteta both notched their first goals for the Club; inbetween Yakubu briefly equalised with a cute finish.

However, everything changed after the interval. Alex Song turned a free-kick into his own net, then Yakubu stabbed home from close range. The revival was completed in the 68th minute when Laurent Koscielny conceded another own-goal, this time from Martin Olsson’s cutback.

Substitute Marouane Chamakh steered in a header with six minutes left to set up a grandstand finish.

Robin van Persie and, most notably, Per Mertesacker spurned opportunities in added time.
 But the equaliser just would not come.

It was another disappointing day for Arsenal.

Ahead of this game, Wenger handed Andre Santos his debut at left lack. Gervinho and Song were back after domestic suspensions. Aaron Ramsey had recovered from his ankle injury and was restored to central midfield. Andrey Arshavin replaced Theo Walcott.

Both these sides were under early-season pressure but while the visitors seemed to be on the rise, Blackburn were rock bottom. The first half did nothing to ease the situation.

The visitors were lively and attacking from the first whistle, exploiting any nervousness in the home dressing room.

It took them just 10 minutes to go ahead. Song was allowed the carry the ball forward in midfield and nudge a perceptive pass to Gervinho inside the area. The Ivorian swiveled and dribbled a low, angled shot across Paul Robinson and into the far corner. All too simple.

It was a blow to Blackburn’s seemingly fragile confidence but they tried to respond via a traditional method when Christopher Samba slid a header wide from Ruben Rochina’s free-kick.

However, overall, Arsenal were in the ascendency. Arshavin’s volley forced the best out of Robinson. The Russian had previously seen a rising drive deflected over. In the 24th minute, Sagna’s cutback found Gervinho in space in the area but this time hasty shot was hacked over the bar.

It seemed that Arsenal were about to take over but, in fact, the visitors got themselves level. In the 25th minute, Junior Hoilett’s clever pass found Yakubu, whose finish was equally adroit. Like Gervinho’s strike it was about placement not power.

The lead would not last long. In the 33rd minute, Ramsey escaped down the right-hand channel – an area Arsenal have already exploited to great effect – and cut the ball back for Arteta.

The midfielder met it with a sweet sidefoot finish high into the net.

Having got the lead again, this time Arsenal were more purposeful about killing off the game.

Ramsey robbed the ball and led a four-on-two breakaway. Had Gervinho’s raking crossfield pass been controlled by the outstretched foot of Arshavin then surely Arsenal would have extended their lead.

But the visitors would spurn an even better chance just before the whistle. Arshavin outpaced Jason Lowe on the left and cut inside before finding Gervinho. The Ivorian went for goal but Scott Dann charged down his effort. The unmarked Van Persie was in a much better position.

Arsenal were on top but it seemed that half-time did them damage.

Blackburn came out with greater intent and, within four minutes, had grabbed another equaliser.

Arshavin fouled Lowe on the right. Ruben Rochina’s chip to the near post hit the inside of Song’s right knee and trickled past the flat-footed Szczesny.

Matters got more difficult for Arsenal when Sagna limped off and Djourou had to fill in at right-back. Left winger Hoilett had been Blackburn’s most effective outlet all afternoon.

The impetus was now with the home side. They went in search of the lead and, eventually, found it.

Mario Formica went through one-on-one and drew a fantastic save from Szczesny and, just before the hour, Blackburn got a third. Hoillet’s long corner fell to Steven Nzonzi way beyond the far post. He drilled a low ball into the area and Yakubu tapped home from close range. Replays suggested he may have been offside.

Walcott replaced Arshavin as Arsenal sought parity. And it was that offensive attitude that saw them concede a fourth.

After an Arsenal attack brokedown in the 68th minute, Nzonzi’s clearance eventually found its way to Olsson on the right. He skipped past the sliding Djourou on the touchline and the Song on the byline. His cutback hit Koscielny at the near post and found the net.

Arsenal were stunned and again went in search of a response. Song was withdrawn in favour of Chamakh.

With 10 minutes left, Robinson tipped over Van Persie’s header from point-blank range. In the 84th, Chamakh rose between two Blackburn defenders to head home the Dutchman's left-wing cross.

It set up a frantic finale and Arsenal might have snatched a point in the first minute of added time when Mertesacker steered a header over the bar from Santos’ deep hanging cross.

Van Persie also saw a shot charged down by Robinson and Chamakh steered a late header wide.

But it was just not Arsenal’s day.

Source: Richard Clarke, Arsenal.com on 17 Sep 11

Arsène Wenger considers options after Arsenal draw with Blackburn

Arsène Wenger is brooding over another campaign that may well go wrong. The goalless draw with Blackburn Rovers has added to the harm and he sounded in the mood for radical action. "I want to finish the season and then we'll see," the Arsenal manager said, although he did not go into detail.

He has held the job since the autumn of 1996 and the current contract stretches to 2014. Wenger may have been referring to a thorough rebuilding of the squad, but it would also be reasonable for him to ask himself whether his own impact is waning. The previous home match with Sunderland had also been goalless.

"We've known for a long time that these games were coming and that we had to win them," he said. "It's difficult to explain. The players did want it but we were just one-paced and that's not our game." The manager himself seemed off-form as he got his facts wrong and grumbled about the Premier League leaders Manchester United having the advantage of playing first, as they did at the weekend.

Wenger supposed that this applied until the end of the season. It does not. On 8 May, for instance, Arsenal's away match at Stoke City precedes United's home game with Chelsea. If he were in livelier mood, it might also have occurred to Wenger that his side could grab some points against Liverpool at the Emirates on 17 April while Sir Alex Ferguson's side are engaged that weekend in an FA Cup semi-final with Manchester City.

Despondency was widespread in Arsenal's ranks on Saturday. The side have not won a League game since 23 February and this goalless draw had been preceded by the same deadlock. It was quite an exploit for Arsenal to avoid scoring against Blackburn, whose defensive record away from home is the worst in the Premier League.

Wenger's players crept through the game as if hoping to go unnoticed. Arsenal resisted any inducement to take control, stubbornly declining to cut loose even after Steven Nzonzi was sent off for an uncontrolled challenge on Laurent Koscielny in the 76th minute. Steve Kean's side were, if anything, likelier to score than the hosts, if only because of Manuel Almunia's shakiness in goal.

Every contest is a comparison and the judgment on Arsenal is severe since they bore no resemblance to a United line-up that rallied from 2-0 down for their 4-2 victory at Upton Park. The general impression is that that Arsenal's defence has been unsatisfactory since, in particular, the centre-half Thomas Vermaelen became a long-term absentee. That verdict is correct, but the troubles do not end there.

Arsenal were incapable of imposing themselves and Blackburn cannot have felt overwhelmed at any stage. Steve Kean, the manager, must have had one of his more reassuring afternoons since his promotion into the job five months ago. There was no comfort for his opposite number. Wenger ended the day with three centre-forwards on the field, having sent out Nicklas Bendtner and Marouane Chamakh to accompany Robin van Persie, but that seemed merely to cost the team what little poise it had.

There were occasions when the side might well have scored. Jack Wilshere, for instance, had a mis-hit when he looked set to claim a goal and Alex Song saw an attempt blocked in the fourth minute. Instead of developing momentum, however, Arsenal suffered a surge in their anxiety levels. Pleasing as it was to see the return of Theo Walcott from his ankle injury, his inaction during five weeks on the sidelines meant that he needed help from others, even if Wenger had hoped that the Englishman would come to the aid of the team.

It may have been natural for Walcott to be replaced, but there was a little concern at the sight of an ice pack being applied to the ankle. Of course, nobody would have given much thought to that if Arsenal had been playing the smart and dashing football of which they are so capable.

The talk now is of Chelsea strengthening their squad and United planning to spend heavily in the summer. Given the current sense of transition at both clubs, this campaign had held out the now receding hope that Arsenal would take their first trophy in six years. The mission can only get harder still. No wonder Wenger has started to think of a time when he will no longer be with Arsenal.

Source: Kevin McCarra, The Guardian on 4 Apr 11

Gunners left frustrated

Arsenal were left frustrated as their Premier League title hopes suffered a setback after struggling Blackburn battled to a goalless draw at Emirates Stadium.

The Gunners - who now trail leaders Manchester United by seven points with a match in hand - had plenty of possession, but were unable to really test Paul Robinson.

Rovers - who had lost five of the last eight matches - grew in confidence and survived the sending-off of midfielder Steven Nzonzi to earn a useful point in their battle against relegation.

With United having coming from behind to win at West Ham earlier this afternoon, Arsenal could not afford another off day following two successive draws before the international break - but that is exactly what transpired.

It had been a positive start by the Gunners, with fit-again Theo Walcott looking lively down the right.

After four minutes, the England winger got away to the edge of the Rovers box before squaring to Alex Song and his shot was deflected behind.

Walcott was proving too hot to handle and his low centre across goal was hacked clear by Ryan Nelsen before he was then denied at the near post by Robinson.

Rovers - just a point above the drop zone - were in danger of being overrun.

However, Steve Kean's men were given some respite when full-backs Martin Olsson and Bacary Sagna collided when going for a 50/50 on the touchline, leaving the Rovers man worse off.

Samir Nasri then needed treatment for a clash of heads with Nelsen, returning with a thick bandage.

That break in play interrupted Arsenal's flow and on 23 minutes, Rovers had an opportunity when Laurent Koscielny tripped David Hoilett 22 yards out in a central position.

Brett Emerton, however, smashed the free-kick high into the stands.

Arsenal were soon back on the offensive and broke quickly when Robin van Persie fed Nasri on the overlap, but as the Frenchman cut the ball back on to the penalty spot, Jack Wilshere somehow stabbed his first-time shot wide.

Manuel Almunia had been a spectator, but the keeper was almost embarrassed when Olsson's 25-yard effort took a slight deflection and he was left out of position as the ball bounced off his gloves and rolled just past the post.

Hoilett then cut inside Sagna before darting into the penalty area only to skew his shot wide.

Walcott burst clear from a quick throw-out, but had no support and eventually dragged his shot wide from 20 yards.

Rovers sent a long ball into the Arsenal box from a free-kick in their own half, which Almunia failed to punch and Nzonzi saw his backward header drop just wide.

Again the hosts started brightly at the restart as Van Persie got away down the left to force a corner, which the Dutchman went across to take and then whipped straight across the face of goal.

The game, though, soon slipped back into the same pattern as Rovers continued to break up Arsenal's attacks with relative ease.

Frustrations boiled over again when Wilshere elected to pass back to Andrey Arshavin rather than shoot, the ball going behind for a corner, which Koscielny guided goalwards but Robinson held.

Wenger had seen enough and with 32 minutes to go, sent on Captain Cesc Fabregas, replacing Arshavin, on his return from a hamstring injury.

Arsenal, however, continued to lack a creative spark in the final third as time and again they failed to find the decisive pass.

Van Persie made space for a low shot at the edge of the area, but Robinson was down quickly.

Wilshere needed treatment after falling on his shoulder when sliding for a loose ball on the far side.

On 76 minutes, Rovers were reduced to 10 men when Nzonzi was shown a straight red card after jumping in two-footed on Koscielny.

Wilshere's quick feet saw the ball pulled back for substitute Marouane Chamakh on the penalty spot, but his shot was blocked by Olsson's brave dive.

Robinson produced a fine save from Chamakh's deflected header, but the whistle had already gone for a push by the Moroccan.

Fabregas smashed a 25-yard free-kick into the wall as Arsenal's frustration continued.

Michel Salgado blocked Bendtner's goalbound header off the line, and Van Persie nodded over in stoppage time to leave Arsenal counting a costly third successive draw.

Blackburn defender Chris Samba praised the team's spirit as they held Arsenal to a goalless draw at the Emirates.

''It was very tough today,'' Samba said on ESPN. ''We showed great spirit at the end when Steven got sent off. We stayed together and today we showed we wanted to stay in the league. It's really encouraging for the next game.''

Martin Olsson added: ''We always had good spirit in the team and I think we showed today the commitment in the team.''

Rovers boss Steve Kean felt his team are showing progress.

''We set out a plan to make sure their midfield three did not get as much time on the ball as they like and we did that well in the first half,'' he said. ''When we lost a man we thought 'here we go', but we showed good togetherness and the lads were tremendous with a fantastic appetite to get something. It is a very important point and keeps our momentum going.''

On the sending off, when Nzonzi was shown a straight red card for a two-footed challenge on Laurent Koscielny after 76 minutes, the Rovers boss admitted it was a decision which could have gone either way.

''When I first saw it looked a bit nasty, but when I've seen it again got some of the ball,'' Keane said. ''But it is one of those which is sometimes a yellow and sometimes a red.

''The player is devastated because he is not a malicious player and thought he made a genuine attempt for a 50/50 ball.''

Wenger was at a loss to explain the lacklustre display which resulted in a costly third successive draw.

''It was a frustrating performance because we had no pace in our game. Overall it was a flat performance with a lack of energy level, a lack of sharpness. It was quite a big concern to see what we have seen today,'' he told ESPN Extra Time. ''It is difficult to identify one special thing.

''I felt we started okay and after our game became flat. Very few players looked to have the resources to put the pace up in the game.

''Part of it is down to the fact that Blackburn defended well but I don't put the majority of reasons down to that. I feel it is more down to our poor offensive performance today.''

Despite the blow of seeing three other chances of silverware fall by the wayside in the past month, Wenger is not about to give up on overhauling United just yet. However, the Gunners boss accepts his team must rediscover that winning feeling.

''We have to focus on our performance, not on Manchester United. Before we speak about the title I believe we have to come back to a good level of performance.''

Wenger added: ''I fear nothing, I am concerned about our performance today. I just say that before we speak about the title we have to focus on our performance level, because it was not good enough today.

''That is our first concern. After that we can see, but our performance was flat, so we have to come back to a better level.''

Source: ESPN Soccernet on 2 Apr 11

Wenger's reaction to the Arsenal 0-0 Blackburn Rovers match

on a frustrating performance...
It was a frustrating performance because we had no pace in our game. Overall it was a flat performance with a lack of energy level, a lack of sharpness. It was quite a big concern to see what we have seen today.

on the reasons for the poor display...
It is difficult to identify one special thing. I felt we started OK and after our game became flat. Very few players looked to have the resources to put the pace up in the game. Part of it is down to the fact that Blackburn defended well but I don't put the majority of reasons down to that. I feel it is more down to our poor offensive performance today.

on the title race...
We have to focus on our performance, not on Man United. Before we speak about the title I believe we have to come back to a good level of performance. Then we can speak about that. But we have to raise our level.

on whether Man United's comeback affected them...
We play eight times behind Man United until the end of the season. I didn't make the schedule. [Man United coming back to beat West Ham] is not an excuse. It is our job to come back to our level.

on leaving too much to do in the title race...
I fear nothing, I am concerned about our performance today. You [the media] project all the consequences but I don't take any consequences, I just say that before we speak about the title we have to focus on our performance level, because it was not good enough today. That is our first concern. After that we can see but our performance was flat, so we have to come back to a better level.

on wasting chances...
We had golden opportunities in the first half and the second half but when you don't take them it is not a coincidence.

on whether the crowd will stick with the team...
That is not our concern, we are responsible for our performances and for our attitude, not for the attitude of anybody else.

on Fabregas starting on the bench...
It was a difficult decision but you could see that he still has some concern. I believe he is over his injury. He got a little setback at the Nou Camp, but before the game he was fit. Today he was fit, but there was some still reluctance in his head, so I decided not to start him.

He has had a few setbacks of course so he did not know completely if he could play 90 minutes. It takes step-by-step to get completely back and be free in his head and not concerned about the injury. He was concerned about having a recurrence.

on going out of so many competitions so quickly...
Football is like that and you have to try to give your best and live with the results. Against Barcelona we went out but we produced the performance we wanted. Today what is of more concern is that we were flat.

on being affected by recent results...
Maybe, but as well that is part of our job and we must have the mental strength to deal with that. You cannot worry about yesterday and lose the targets you have in front of you.

on Samir Nasri's head injury...
He is all right.

Source: Arsenal.com on 2 Apr 11

2 April 2011: Arsenal 0-0 Blackburn Rovers, The Emirates

Arsenal lost ground in the title race after being held by a dogged Blackburn Rovers side at Emirates Stadium on Saturday.

Manchester United’s lunchtime comeback at West Ham had put them eight points ahead having played two games more.

Arsène Wenger’s men reduced both those figures by one in a frustrating 90 minutes but it was not enough.

The home side started well but perhaps their best chance came in the final seconds when Nicklas Bendtner’s header was cleared off the line by Michel Salgado.

Arsenal are not out of the race but, crucially, their fate is now out of their hands.

Wenger’s side lacked a cutting edge and and a little luck this evening - even Steven N'Zonzi's late dismissal could not bring about a goal. They need to put both right very quickly or their title hopes may slip away.

However, this Premier League story has been a rollercoaster all season and there are sure to be a few plot twists in the final eight games.

That Manchester United result made this game massive for Arsenal. Fortunately they had re-enforcements. Theo Walcott (ankle) returned for the first time since the win over Stoke on February 23 while Alex Song (knee) had last figured in the Carling Cup Final. Cesc Fabregas (hamstring) and Abou Diaby (groin) were back aswell but only made the bench.

Robin van Persie started despite having hobbled off with a knee injury playing for Holland in midweek.

This was a tea-time kick-off but British summertime had started last weekend so the floodlights were barely required early on and coats were strictly optional.

Ten minutes before kick-off, Emirates Stadium enjoyed a tribute to David Rocastle on the tenth anniversary of his death.

If Arsenal were going to win the Premier League they would require some of Rocky’s tenacity in the final nine games.

And they certainly began the right way this afternoon.

The home side conjured up three chances in the opening six minutes. Song drove wide, Ryan Nelsen’s miscue drifted past of his own post and, finally, Walcott’s near post shot was pushed wide by Paul Robinson.

Arsenal were searching for the cushion of that early goal. And they were looking in all the right places.

However, a nasty injury to Samir Nasri disrupted their flow. As the Frenchman nodded over Andrey Arshavin’s cross, Nelsen headed the Arsenal midfielder on the temple.

Nasri’s was left with an egg-like swelling and subsequently a hefty bandage. Arsenal were out of sorts for 15 minutes as a result.

Blackburn did not profit though. Only Brett Emerton’s free-kick threatened Manuel Almunia’s goal.

As we reached the midpoint of the half, Arsenal had recovered. Robinson spilled Arshavin’s drive then an unmarked Wilshere sidefooted wide from close range after more good work from Walcott on the right.

However this was not one-way traffic. David Hoilett’s deflected drive was fumbled around the post by Almunia. Then, the same striker profited on Bacary Sagna’s error and, yet again, his effort ricocheted off an Arsenal defender and went wide.

The home side continued to attack but there was a fragile feeling about the defence today. In injury time, Robinson thumped a ‘Hail Mary’ of a free-kick into the area and N’Zonzi climbed above Almunia to nod wide with the goal gaping.

But the home side finished the half on the attack. Nasri’s swivelling shot was blocked and, from the corner, Sagna drove over the bar.

The effort and the emphasis was on the Blackburn goal once again at the start of the second half but this was proving to be a frustrating evening for Arsenal.

In the 55th minute, Nasri sent Wilshere momentarily clear on the right but he chose to cross not shoot and only won a corner. When it was swung over, Koscielny’s header was clutched by Robinson on the line.

On the hour, Wenger played his trump card. He brought on Fabregas as a replacement for Arshavin.

But it was followed by a significant substitution by Steve Kean. The visiting manager introduced Jason Roberts. The burly frontman was the perfect foil for a side now playing on the break.

That was the pattern of the game - Arsenal trying to pass their way to a goal, Blackburn happy to counterattack when those moves broke down.

Van Persie’s drive was saved by Robinson but by now the visitors were starting to show a little more confidence going forward.

With 15 minutes left, N’Zonzi fired over after a spell of Blackburn pressure. It would be his last positive act in the game. Seconds later he went in two-footed on Koscielny and was shown a straight red card.

That only increased the urgency about Arsenal. With 11 minutes left, Van Persie’s backheel freed Wilshere on the left-hand byline. He cut the ball back to substitute Marouane Chamakh whose goal-bound shot was blocked by the diving Martin Olsson.

Shortly afterwards, another substitute, Bendtner, sent a towering header wide.

Arsenal were now going for it. They had no choice. Wenger’s men had dropped two points at West Brom, another two would be a big blow to their title hopes.

In the final minute, Van Persie’s corner was met firmly by the head of Bendtner at the far post. However Salgado chested the ball off the line.

Deep into injury time, Van Persie headed over from close range.

This was a huge disappointment but it is not terminal. Arsenal must just keep plugging away while hoping their luck and their sparkle returns.

Nothing has been decided.
 
Source: Richard Clarke, Arsenal.com on 2 Apr 11

Match Preview: Arsenal vs Blackburn Rovers

You might not think it but, right now, Arsène Wenger really does have all he needs.

The last international break of the campaign has just finished so the Arsenal manager goes into the final nine Premier League games of the season with a relatively fit squad, no distractions and, most importantly, his destiny in his own hands.

February ended with a Carling Cup Final defeat, March saw them stumble out of two more competitions but April just might still be their salvation.

There have been vultures circling over Arsenal’s season ever since that defeat at Barcelona. And the scent of weakness grew a little more pungent a fortnight ago after the 2-2 draw at West Brom.

Manchester United’s narrow 1-0 win over Bolton on the same day hauled them five points ahead in the table having played a game more. If the leaders beat West Ham on Saturday lunchtime, the gap will be a mighty eight points by the time Arsenal kick-off in the early evening fixture against Blackburn at Emirates Stadium.

However, at the same time, Wenger knows his side WILL be champions if they win these nine games and so he has no time for recrimination, reflection and regret. The margins are too thin and time too short.

“If you worry about yesterday, you harm tomorrow’s chances,” he mused at Friday’s press conference. “Let’s just look forward at what we can achieve.

“Nobody can say we have not tried to go for everything but what is important now is just to focus on what we still can achieve and what would be a magnificent season.

“We have been a bit unlucky with the fixtures because we had many important games one after the other. It was very difficult to deal with that because we lost many players but, attitude-wise, this group has been fantastic and they deserve to be rewarded.

“We are in April now. We did not have many games in March but we kept our unbeaten run going even when it was under threat at West Brom when we were 2-0 down. We had a difficult month on all fronts so now it’s a new start for us.”

If Arsenal do win the title, March may be viewed retrospectively as being beneficial by ‘clearing the decks’. Having been busy to a record-breaking extent in January and February, Arsenal have now just one midweek fixture remaining. On the other hand, Manchester United must juggle FA Cup and Champions League commitments while battling to keep their noses in front in the title race.

“I don’t know how much of a factor that will be,” admitted Wenger. “But it could be a help for us because in December, January and February we basically played nine games per month. In the end it was too much. We lost important players for key games.

“We have a week to recover between every game now. That should help us but let’s just focus on our performances and not [wait for] anybody else to slip up. It’s down to us.”

The two-week gap since West Brom has allowed Cesc Fabregas (hamstring), Alex Song (knee), Abou Diaby (groin) and Theo Walcott (ankle) to return. Robin van Persie (knee) and Nicklas Bendtner (ankle) have recovered after picking up injuries on international duty in midweek. Denilson (toe) and Aaron Ramsey (groin) miss out.

History would suggest Blackburn are the perfect opponents for Arsenal this weekend. The Lancashire side have lost their last seven encounters against Wenger’s men conceding, on average, 3.5 goals per game. Steve Kean’s outfit have not won in their last six games this season whereas Wenger’s men are unbeaten in 12 Premier League matches.

Blackburn have lost all six away games in 2011 conceding 18 goals. Arsenal, on the other hand, have registered four wins and two draws at Emirates Stadium this year conceding just once – and that was a Louis Saha’s controversial goal for Everton in February.

However, after somewhat surprisingly replacing Sam Allardyce with Kean, Blackburn have succeeded in keeping themselves out of the drop zone. They have zig-zagged across the median line of the Premier League for four months, going as high as seventh but arriving this weekend in 13th spot.

“Blackburn are with all the clubs down there where it is very tight to stay in the Premier League,” said Wenger. “But, for me, Steve Kean has done a good job.”

The top flight has been difficult to decode all season. The perception is that the champions will be relatively weak in comparison to previous years whereas the bottom side will be relatively strong. For Wenger, this is not an indication of dropping standards at the top. It is just that an overall rise in quality has left the title contenders room for fewer off days.

“The top sides are not weaker just less consistent maybe because the bottom teams are stronger,” he said. “Also, from our side, maybe it is because we have gone for all competitions.

“We are on a run of 12 unbeaten games so that is consistency. We had problems at the start of the season to be consistent but since November we have been extremely consistent. We went out against Barcelona under very special circumstances. The only regret we can maybe have is the Carling Cup Final in the last minute. But we have gone on for many games now and done well.

“I don’t know if we need to stay unbeaten until the end of the season but that is our target.

“We need to continue our run and also just win again because we haven’t beaten Sunderland and West Brom. It’s important for us [to get a victory].

“Of course it’s important to have the good basis of an unbeaten run [ongoing] but what will make the difference is the three points against Blackburn.”

Source: Richard Clarke, Arsenal.com on 2 Apr 11

Rovers in need of Arsenal tonic

A match that has significance at both ends of the table is Saturday evening's offering, as Arsenal host struggling Blackburn Rovers.

Traditionally, the game has highlighted a difference in styles, with the hardworking, aerial presence of Rovers causing the one-touch passing game of Arsenal problems. Indeed, despite the sacking of Sam Allardyce and appointment of a man with no experience of a top job - Steve Kean - there is no suggestion that the game will offer anything different. Blackburn, now more than ever, need to bully Arsenal.

With new Indian owners Venky's watching on, the club's results have gone into freefall. January 23 saw them placed seventh in the table and nine points away from the relegation zone, but now they find themselves deep in trouble having taken just two points from their six matches since. Now only a point away from the drop, Rovers face Arsenal as well as both Manchester clubs in their remaining eight games and their hopes of landing striker Ruud van Nistelrooy in the summer will be rendered non-existent if they are unable to keep themselves afloat.

Blackburn travel to the Emirates on the back of six away defeats, but Arsenal have looked decidedly shaky of late as well. A nightmare month for Arsene Wenger's men has seen them exit all three cup competitions and only draw their last two league fixtures to leave them five points behind Premier League leaders Manchester United with a game in hand.

The possible return of injured skipper Cesc Fabregas would be a boost, as the Gunners have struggled to assert themselves over teams they really should have beaten. Wenger will also be glad that Robin van Persie's injury suffered on international duty for Netherlands appears unlikely keep him out of the game, as the likes of Andrei Arshavin and Tomas Rosicky have been struggling for form and the Dutchman has ten goals in ten games against Blackburn.

After seeing his side battle to a 2-1 win at Ewood Park earlier this season, Wenger maintained that "we knew they would play the kind of game we don't like". More of the same is to be expected and it will be another test of Arsenal's mental resolve at a difficult time.

Arsenal player to watch: Jens Lehmann
The German goalkeeper came out of retirement last week at the age of 41 to help out his old club in the midst of a goalkeeping crisis. An error-prone debut for the reserves against Wigan means he will most likely take his place on the bench behind Manuel Almunia, but whether it is getting into a fight with Didier Drogba, or urinating against an advertising board midway through a game, there is rarely a dull moment with him around. Almunia is under the spotlight after his mistake at West Brom and the cameras will surely be trained on his rival should he err again.

Blackburn player to watch: Phil Jones
The teenage Blackburn defender, out since December with a knee injury, looks set to be recalled to the side and will save the Arsenal scouts a trip to watch him. Jones has been attracting the attention of Gunners with his commanding performances at centre-back and central midfield since his breakthrough. Strong, committed and with a cool head on his young shoulders, his peformances earlier this season led many pundits to suggest he is not far from England recognition. A good game against one of the league's best teams would do much to boost these claims.

Key Battle: Gael Clichy v Michel Salgado
The modern role of the full-back is due, in part, to the performances of Salgado and his team-mate Roberto Carlos at Real Madrid. The flying full-back has become a staple part of a football side and, although he has lost the pace and drive that once made him so successful, Salgado is still putting in a shift for Blackburn at the age of 35. Using his nous and positional sense more now with his ageing legs, the right-back has a player, in Clichy, who has followed his example on the other side of the pitch. When he first joined Arsenal, the Frenchman was deployed as a winger, but with the departure of Ashley Cole he has filled the gap perfectly and now his trademark forays up the pitch help the Gunners attack. An intriguing battle between young and old will certainly occupy one side of the pitch.
 
Source: Jon Carter, ESPN Soccernet on 1 Apr 11

Wenger hails Arsenal's returning 'leader' Fábregas after Blackburn win

Theo Walcott's crisp finishing quite rightly dominated post-match discussions after Arsenal safely negotiated their trip to bandit country, or at least the part of the world where football sometimes resembles rugby, though Arsène Wenger seemed to attach greater significance to the contribution Cesc Fábregas made in his first start of the season.

The Arsenal captain looked slightly surprised to be withdrawn after 68 minutes, not long after helping to create his side's winning goal, but his manager is determined to get the best out of him over the course of a whole season. "He didn't know he would be coming off before the end, but that was his first appearance since the World Cup final," Wenger said.

"As long as we look after him I don't think there will be any problems in getting him back to the player he was before. I don't think he is the type to give anything less than his best, just because he didn't get a move. He may have wanted to join Barcelona but he loves Arsenal as well, and that's why he made his decision. I am happy because you always want to keep your best players and it was vital for us to keep Cesc. There is a trust and confidence on both sides. He has given enough to the club and the club has given a lot to him in return."

Wenger is well aware that Javier Mascherano has just ruthlessly engineered his own move to Barcelona by effectively refusing to continue playing for Liverpool, but he has no fears Fábregas would try to do the same. "I don't know everything about the Liverpool situation, maybe there was a financial problem, but I do know it is difficult to legislate once a player says he is unhappy at a club. But Cesc has not said that. He is still our leader and I am looking forward to having him back."

If Arsenal were not quite at their free-flowing best at Ewood, that was due in part to Blackburn's wholly legitimate tenacity. The home side rallied after Walcott's opening goal and managed to finish the first half on top, though Sam Allardyce was willing to concede that Arsenal were a superior side. "You know when you play them that you have to take your opportunities to get your nose in front," he said. "Because if you don't you only need switch off for a split second and they will punish you."

Blackburn did switch off momentarily in letting Bacary Sagna escape down the right to set up Arsenal's winner. Fábregas's shot came back off Walcott for Andrey Arshavin to beat Paul Robinson to the rebound, though not even Allardyce could bring himself to point the finger at his defence for the first goal. "I wouldn't necessarily want to blame my defenders because I'm not sure what they could have done to deal with such accurate first time passing," he said. "When you have that sort of quality it is very hard to stop."

Blackburn's only hope, once Robin van Persie's unimprovable pass had breached their defence and invited Walcott to cut in on goal from the right, was that the England forward would pass up the chance or give another example of his allegedly poor decision-making. Some chance. Walcott had picked out Robinson's bottom corner before the goalkeeper had fully assessed the danger, shooting early and so sweetly the ball actually broke a few strands of the side-netting.

The only downside for Arsenal was that Van Persie lasted only 15 minutes longer before twisting an ankle that will keep him out for a couple of weeks.

The home side hauled their way back into the game in a most impressive manner, with El Hadji Diouf going round a suddenly ponderous Laurent Koscielny on the outside to leave Mame Biram Diouf the easiest of tap-ins with a ball cut back from the byline. Two Dioufs (the scorer is on a season-long loan from Manchester United) are not all Blackburn have to offer up front this season. Just before the Arsenal game they signed Benjani Mwaruwari from Manchester City on a one year contract. Rovers may continue to struggle against the very top teams, but life will not be dull with those three up front.

United's Diouf in particular looks as if he will be a handful for most defences on his own. As Allardyce said, his goal may have been a tap-in but he knew how to time his run and where to position himself after crossing from the opposite wing. Big and muscular, he put over a few useful crosses as well as meeting one or two, and when fully match-fit he should be a more than useful acquisition. Blackburn have finished outside the top 10 on only three occasions in their present 10-year Premier League sequence, and appear to have enough firepower to make the top half once again.

Source: Paul Wilson, The Guardian on 30 Aug 10

Gritty win at Ewood should not mask Arsenal need

The visit to Blackburn was always going to be a benchmark for what kind of autumn Arsenal were going to enjoy. After some disappointing displays towards the back end of last season, one of them at Ewood Park, there was a fear that, at least in terms of the team’s ability to cope with the potential banana skins of visits to more committed sides, we were witnessing a slow and continual decline in the spirit of the players. They didn’t care and weren’t always prepared to put in a shift and earn the right to play. Certainly, something went very wrong away from home in the concluding part of last season, a huge contrast to the opening away performances at Everton and Celtic.

However, a new season has begun. Possibly, with the exit of the moody William Gallas, there is a little more harmony in the dressing room. I won’t overplay this, as when things are going well, team spirit comes easy. However, Arsenal went to Blackburn and coped admirably with the physical onslaught of long balls into the area. Manuel Almunia was well protected by his defenders and when called upon did not shirk. Fair play to him for that, although one performance of this ilk should not change the fact that Wenger will never win a league title with Almunia in goal. He is not going to turn into a title-winning stopper at his age. So it is still imperative that a new keeper – presumably Schwarzer – arrives before August turns to September.

It must be hard work supporting a Sam Allardyce managed side. The joys, I suppose, are the winning of tackles and the thrill of danger when the ball is lumped into the opposition area. However, it’s interesting to note that the Rory Delap technique of using a towel as a prelude to a long throw-in has been adopted by Allardyce to create extra set pieces. But ultimately, it’s a bit like watching a battle, the Premier League season a war. It’s about territory, getting the ball in the danger area. There are times when there is a place in the game for some of what Blackburn do. They don’t take chances with the ball in defence. How Arsenal fans would love the full backs to play the ball down the line rather than square into the danger area in front of their own box. If Blackburn’s safety first tactics had been used in the dying embers of the game at St Andrews in late February 2008, the season might have had a different outcome. There is a time and a place for everything. Still, 90 minutes of Allardyce football at Ewood Park 19 times a season will keep Rovers in the top flight, which ultimately, I suspect, is the club’s priority.

Ironically, Rovers’ goal came from an on the floor attacking move which saw Koscielny caught out by El Hadj-Diouf. It wasn’t great defending, but for most of the afternoon, the team performed creditably in that department. Blackburn’s tactics were always going to create danger, but the visitors were solid and coped admirably with the onslaught. Predictably, Arsenal dominated possession and crafted enough openings to gain the points. It is difficult to single out any player as most did play very well. Fabregas was a little off his game at times, but rather than question his attitude, at this stage of the season, you have to put that down to his fitness. There is no conclusive news on Van Persie’s injury, but if he doesn’t play international football in the next fortnight you can see an upside.

Theo Walcott built on his display against Blackpool to make an excellent contribution. There are signs that he may be maturing in the way his believers always had faith he would. Long may it continue. To be fair to the player, a lot of hoo hah is being made about the talents of Manchester United’s new Mexican youngster Javier Hernández, and yet he is a year older than Theo. Over the seasons, his passing has been nowhere near as accurate at that of Cesc Fabregas, who developed in the spotlight from a similar age as Walcott. He has undoubtedly suffered by comparison. It seems to me the player might have bulked up a little recently. Strength added to speed undoubtedly caused problems for Blackburn, and now what Theo has to add to his game is consistency. He’s had two cracking matches and we can only hope for more. Even his doubters want him to make it, even if his development has, at times, proved very frustrating to witness.

The other goalscorer, Arshavin, made more of a contribution in this game. The first goal was a result of slick passing from the number 23 to Van Persie and then on to Theo. It was a lightning move – not ponderous at all. Passed into the goal, yes, but without unnecessary keep-ball in the build up. Very direct and too fast to counter. More of this please. The winning goal was equally delightful, using width to get the opposition defence on the back foot. With the amount of pace Arsenal possess, there should be more attempts to get the ball to the bi-line in this fashion. It’s how Blackburn scored too.

So, an encouraging start to the season. Arsenal will need to be as solid and impressive as this on a good number of other occasions if they are to succeed, but at this stage, all you can ask for is a statement of intent. Overcoming a Sam Allardyce managed side away was just that. Now for the team to deliver consistently, especially in the games against their main rivals, occasions where they invariably fell short last season.

However, there should be no illusion about the goalkeeping position. Ideally, both a keeper and a physical central midfielder will arrive before midnight on Tuesday. At this stage, the signs are that a keeper is all we can hope for. However, a failure to strengthen in the one position the squad is patently short in would be an abdication of duty, a surrender of Arsenal’s title chances. Over to you and that bulging bank balance Monsieur Wenger.

Source: Kevin Whitcher, The Online Gooner at 29 Aug 10

Blackburn Rovers 1-2 Arsenal: Arsenal’s passing game prevails

Arsenal emerge with the points after a professional display in a decent match.

Sam Allardyce chose to use the two Dioufs either side of Nikola Kalinic upfront, and continued to use Phil Jones ahead of the back four, in a very defensive midfield role. Vince Grella also came into midfield – Allardyce seems to see him as a ‘big game player’, since his three starts in 2010 have come against Arsenal (twice) and Manchester United, and the two before that were against Tottenham and Liverpool.

Arsene Wenger selected Cesc Fabregas and Robin van Persie for the first time this season. Laurent Koscielny returned to the side after suspension, so Alex Song moved back into his preferred deep midfield role.

The game started – and panned out – largely as expected. Arsenal tried to keep possession in midfield, whilst Blackburn pumped long balls into the box from every angle. Morten Gamst Pedersen’s throw-ins were dealt with reasonably well, but Arsenal’s backline had slightly more trouble with Paul Robinson’s huge punts into the area from his own half, and were guilty of both dropping too deep, and letting the ball bounce in the area.

Arsenal were fluid in midfield – it was surprising how often Fabregas dropped deep to link play, and it was also interesting how frequently Alex Song found himself in advance of Abou Diaby. The shape was rather more 4-2-1-3 than it was 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 – Theo Walcott and Andrei Arshavin played high up the pitch and looked to press the full-backs rather than forming two banks of four, whilst Fabregas acted as the link player.

The second point of interest about Arsenal’s shape was van Persie’s inclination to come short to meet the ball, playing the false nine role he perfected at the start of last season, before his injury when on international duty. Blackburn were reasonably well set-up to deal with this, with Jones ahead of the back four, but van Persie still found space to operate in, and his excellent ball in behind the full-back for Walcott’s finish (a classic Walcott goal) demonstrated the value of a striker dropping deep, and two wingers looking to make out-to-in runs.

Blackburn’s goal may have been atypical of their approach play, since it involved the ball being passed along the ground, but it still fitted with their general gameplan of playing direct football. Christopher Samba moved out of defence and hit a good ball to El-Hadji Diouf, who beat Koscielny before squaring for Mame Biram Diouf to tap into an empty net. Arsenal had been slightly caught out by quick balls into wide areas throughout the game, and Allardyce’s use of two quick, direct wide players worked well here.

After half-time the game continued its general pattern, though van Persie had been forced to leave the pitch through injury, Marouane Chamakh his replacement – the Moroccan offered a slightly more direct option, but Arsenal didn’t change their approach. With Fabregas not quite up to speed, the main threat was from the wide players, and in particular from Walcott. Gael Givet had problems with the Arsenal winger all day, frequently getting too tight to his man, which meant Walcott could use his pace to get in behind the defence, rather than having to beat Givet with a trick on the ball.

It was Walcott that created Arsenal’s second – not by his involvement in the deflection that found its way to Arshavin for the finish – but by his intelligent off-the-ball run into the centre of the pitch, to bring Givet inside and open up space for Bacary Sagna, who delivered the ball into the box. Walcott’s “footballing intelligence” has been criticized recently, based on the fact his final ball isn’t always good enough.

But this overlooks what Walcott does off the ball – he frequently makes very clever runs to draw defenders out of position, and Arsenal’s second was a good example of a goal stemming from that. This is an area where his lightning pace is vital but is not always appreciated – take his sideways run to take Nemanja Vidic away from the centre of the pitch for Samir Nasri’s goal against Manchester United – the idea of the run is the key factor, but Walcott’s pace is also key – had he not been so quick, Vidic wouldn’t have been so out of position, and may have got a block on the shot.

Blackburn were surprisingly subdued at 1-2 down, and Arsenal controlled the game well by keeping possession of the ball. Allardyce tried to introduce some guile in midfield by bringing on David Dunn, but he probably would have been better simply sticking to the long ball route, as the game completely passed Dunn by. Allardyce’s decision to remove Kalinic also seemed strange considering he eventually resorted to his classic Plan B of shoving Samba into a striking role.

Nevertheless, Arsenal clung on well, with Manuel Almunia commanding his box more effectively than some may have expected. Koscielny was guilty of making a mistake in the lead up to Blackburn’s equaliser in the first half, but was excellent in the second, and his overall tackling/aerial battle success rate was exactly what Arsenal needed in a fixture like this:

With two such differing styles, this game was about how effectively each could deal with the other’s gameplan. All too often Arsenal have struggled away against Sam Allardyce’s sides, but today they were much more assured defensively, and the win will be a good confidence boost for similar trips to sides which offer a more ‘physical’ approach than Arsenal would like.

Blackburn, however, struggled to deal with Arsenal’s movement off-the-ball – van Persie and Walcott’s runs into unusual zones caused problems for both the goals, although the second was rather fortunate. Blackburn have seemed too one-dimensional in their opening three games, and their goal showed that a similarly direct – but more sophisticated – approach might help them score more goals.

Source: Zonal Marking on 28 Aug 10