A Premier League of ups, downs and outs leaves a legacy of flaws

The Champions League finalists finish sixth in the league, Manchester United lose an eight-point lead and Manchester City lose five away games but end up winners

It was the flaws that made for an engrossing Premier League season. Even Manchester City, on their path to the prize, contrived to lose five away games. The new champions will scarcely be in anguish now but such results emphasised that this, to put it kindly, has been a transitional campaign.

One ought to marvel that Manchester United got so close to retaining the title. Expenditure in the transfer market has increased by comparison with earlier periods under the ownership of the Glazers but the outlay still seems relatively small when set against the scale of the club itself. That policy leaves United with a capable team rather than an enthralling one.

No one, for instance, assumes that either Antonio Valencia or Ashley Young, the wingers employed against Sunderland on Sunday, is going to be ranked with Cristiano Ronaldo, who moved from Old Trafford to the Bernabéu in 2009, when he was 24. There can be no claim that his best years had been in the service of United.

In the weekend win it always looked as if Wayne Rooney alone could settle the outcome, as he did. United are not alone in being a prominent side that is, for the moment, best suited to domestic consumption. The last 16 of the Champions League contained only two English sides. Arsenal were eliminated by Milan then and, while Chelsea will meet Bayern Munich in the final, the Stamford Bridge team have come sixth in the Premier League.

In the case of Arsenal one wonders if a touch of panic might be of assistance. Arsène Wenger seems so patient that trophies are still a remote consideration. Depth, for instance, was needed in attack but the transfer of Lukas Podolski from Cologne was agreed only recently. Had another forward arrived sooner, Arsenal would have enjoyed the option, on occasion, of selecting the excellent Robin van Persie as a schemer instead of a spearhead.

It might, all the same, be perverse to dwell on that sort of issue when half the teams in this season's Premier League have had a better defensive record in away matches than Arsenal. For a club of their standing, references to the injury troubles of Thomas Vermaelen do not amount to a satisfactory explanation. Indeed the side lost 4-0 away to Milan when the Belgian was in the line-up.

Vulnerability at even the mighty clubs has intensified the drama of the Premier League. Instead of being the resourceful, steely side of former days, United could find nothing better to do with an eight-point lead than discard it while losing, for instance, at Wigan Athletic and allowing Everton to recover from 4-2 down to draw at Old Trafford.

Nemanja Vidic suffered a grave injury against Basel in December but one would expect United to cope better at critical times, even if their points tally for the season was still large. Chelsea have suffered a greater fall from grace and, given the switch from the unsuccessful André Villas-Boas to the interim head coach Roberto Di Matteo, the improvisatory tone has been inescapable.

There is a craving at Stamford Bridge to see Fernando Torres flourish but the striker instead seems like the embodiment of the Premier League nowadays. He holds the promise of excellence but it is not fulfilled often enough. So it is, incongruously, that a 34-year-old Didier Drogba can look the principal hope for Chelsea, with agitation at the likelihood that he will leave.

Elsewhere the general state of affairs at Stamford Bridge would be envied. Liverpool have made a modest advance by taking the League Cup after a penalty shoot-out with Cardiff City and getting to an FA Cup final won by Chelsea, but it is too much to ask that Steven Gerrard single-handedly supplies the verve in midfield.

Tottenham Hotspur have come fourth, denying Newcastle United the prospect of Champions League football, but their stadium is not big enough to help generate the levels of income that would enhance the squad markedly. Beyond the current circumstances there is a difficulty in telling what we ought to anticipate from the Premier League in the near future.

Touches of austerity can be spotted, even if City are unacquainted with them. Should the forthcoming financial fair play measures have the profound effect sought by Uefa, we could see a dip in glamour that is more than offset by the rise in competitiveness. As it is, the elite have not seemed quite so aloof even if City will be sure that their era is only beginning.

Source: Kevin McCarra, The Guardian on 15 May 12

Wenger's reaction to the FC Cologne 1-2 Arsenal match

on the minute’s silence before the game…
I think it is the minimum you can do. It was a terrible shock when you see what happened there, in a country that is so peaceful. We would like to support all those people who suffer, of course. We know that Norwegians follow English football.

on his thoughts after a good work-out…
We played at a good pace in the first half and looked dangerous. Gervinho had a good start and that is always important for his confidence. Overall, I liked today. We took many risks and were exposed to counter-attacks but, overall, I am happy.

on Gervinho’s brace on his Arsenal debut…
He has shown his qualities. He has quick movement behind [the defence], the timing of his movement is great and he is easy to find. We have seen what he can bring to the team and he contributes to the high pace we have in the team.

on how pre-season preparations are going…
The team is not completely ready but it was the end of our first phase of preparations and it was important to win the game.

on Conor Henderson’s injury…
The only sad thing today is the injury to Conor Henderson, it looks quite bad but let us hope that we have good news tomorrow morning. He twisted his knee, I don’t know how big the damage is but the first signs don’t look too encouraging.

on any other knocks…
Samir got a kick to his ankle, Gervinho got a kick on his knee but both have minor damage.

on plans for the week ahead…
Training, training, training! Morning and afternoon. It is a block of work that will be very intense for us. Tomorrow will be an easier day but Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday will be higher levels of work.

Source: Arsenal.com on 23 Jul 11

23 July 2011: FC Cologne 1-2 Arsenal, Rhein Energie Stadion

Gervinho marked his Arsenal debut by scoring twice as Arsenal beat FC Cologne 2-1 on Saturday afternoon.

The Ivorian striker was on the pitch just 29 minutes but his appearance dominated proceedings. He lifted home a shot from Jack Wilshere’s perceptive pass in the opening stages and turned home Theo Walcott’s cross on the quarter-hour.

His collision with keeper Michael Rensing in scoring the second probably prompted his substitution on the half-hour. But this is no time for taking chances with injuries and the striker happily watched the second half from the sidelines with his team-mates.

Carl Jenkinson’s freakish own goal had given Cologne a route back just before the break. This open, lively friendly continued to entertain after the restart. Both sides had their chances but Arsenal deserved to hold on to the lead provided by the former Lille striker.

On the strength of today’s cameo, Arsène Wenger has spotted another diamond in the rough.Just before he left for Germany, Wenger had told Arsenal Player that this was the end of Phase One in pre-season training. But, with all due respect to the Malaysia XI and Hangzhou Greentown, the standard of opposition was about to step up.

Cologne had been happily mid-table in the Bundesliga for the past couple of seasons and boasted the mighty Lukas Podolski. Age just 26, the forward has already amassed an incredible 89 caps and 42 goals for his country.

Over 40,000 supporters were expected at the RheinEnergie Stadium this afternoon and all of them were silent pre-match in remembrance of the lives lost in Oslo the previous day.

With respect duly paid, the match got underway and after just three minutes Cologne had a chance. Podolski was bundled over just outside the area and Milivoje Novakovic curled the resulting free-kick inches above the bar.

But that was only the prelude to Arsenal taking the lead. In the seventh minute, Wilshere’s lofted pass allowed Gervinho to ghost inside Pedro Geromel and lift the ball over the advancing keeper.
A classy finish and, just maybe, the portent of goals to come.

This was a lively open game and, though Arsenal were the more incisive, Cologne were equally adventurous.

After 10 minutes Novakovic slipped a reverse ball to the unmarked Podolski, who dragged his shot across the goal of Wojciech Szczesny.

Then Thomas Vermaelen stole the ball in midfield and fed Gervinho on the left. The Belgian drove into the area and only the toe of Geromel stopped him converting from the Ivorian’s return ball.

Cologne were under the kosh and never truly cleared lines before they conceded a second goal in the 17th minute.

In truth, Wilshere’s pass should never have found Walcott on the right but Andrezinho allowed the ball to run under his foot. That said, the Englishman’s low, angled cross was wonderfully weighted and Gervinho stole in to clip the ball past Rensing.

The keeper got a knock for his trouble and was immediately replaced by Miro Varvodic.

Cologne had been rattled by the double blow and, though decent going forward, they were hesitant at the back.

It took Geromel and Youssef Mohamad to clear Walcott’s regulation cross into the box. Then the Englishman supplied another ball for Alex Song, whose cheeky, goalbound backheel was charged down.

On the half-hour, Gervinho went off. The second goal seemed to have taken another victim and so Ryo Miyaichi came on.

It did not affect the tide immediately. Soon afterwards Wilshere and Aaron Ramsey both had shots saved.

But, as half time approached, Cologne began creating chances. Szczesny saved from Adil Chihi and Novakovic had a drive blocked from Andrezinho’s clever knock down.

Then Ramsey’s quick free-kick fell into Cologne’s possession and Novakovic’s overhead kick was batted away by the keeper.

Despite the increasing confidence of the home side, the goal they grabbed in first-half injury time was hardly their own handywork. Jenkinson tried to clear a long punt forward but got it horribly wrong. The ball flew high into the air, over the head of the scrambling Szczesny and into the net.

Wenger made 10 changes at the break; only Kieran Gibbs stayed on. Andrey Arshavin went close with a couple of trademark piledrivers and, at the other end, keeper Vito Mannone snatched the ball of the toe of Podolski after Mato Jajalo’s scooped pass had given him a scent of a opening.

It was still a wonderfully open game and, buoyed by that freak goal, Cologne fancied an equaliser. Jajalo darted inside and Johan Djourou threw himself in to block from close range.

Tomas Rosicky’s drive stung the hands of Varvodic and, 13 minutes from time, Arshavin appeared to be clipped in the area.

The Russian then saw a shot batted away as Arsenal tried to secure the victory. But Cologne’s challenge now appeared to be flagging and the visitors held on with ease.

Despite the late injury to Conor Henderson that saw the Irishman stretchered off in the final second, this was a gratifying afternoon for Arsenal.

Source: Richard Clarke, Arsenal.com on 23 Jul 11