Arsenal secure Champions League place with victory at West Brom

Do not try telling Arsenal's fans that Champions League qualification is not a ribbon-draped, podium-bouncing achievement in its own right. At least, perhaps not until the lustre has finally faded from a breathless, error-strewn 3-2 defeat of West Bromwich Albion that sealed third place in the Premier League to scenes of wild relief as much as delirium. The annual trophy-by-proxy is now Arsenal's for the 15th season in a row, its metaphorical lustre deepened by a dramatic denouement to a season in which the fortunes of these late-model Gunners have oscillated between talk of an era-ending slump, to a spurt of mid-season title form, to a stuttering finish that threatened, with 45 minutes left, to gift the £25m bounty of a third‑place finish to Tottenham Hotspur.

In the end Arsenal's season was decided not by a moment of class from one of their own players but by a performance of memorable ineptitude in the West Bromwich goal by Marton Fulop, who contributed to all three of their goals. Fulop, who looked crestfallen, will be forever welcome in north London. Albeit, if the Hungarian's presence in place of the injured Ben Foster will have heartened Arsenal's travelling support before kick-off, there may have been a simultaneous flush of dread at the prospect of the tyro Carl Jenkinson and the one-way Roberto Carlos, André Santos – a man whose rampages go strictly forwards and not back – in a rejigged defence.

In the main, though, it was a cheerfully demob-happy Hawthorns in the early stages as the trend for end-of-season fancy dress was faithfully observed. In the fourth minute Fulop, starting his first game since September, made his own contribution to the gaiety, summoning up a decidedly wonky turn as a Premier League goalkeeper to gift Arsenal a dream start. Called upon to clear a ball deflected towards him by Jonas Olsson's challenge, Fulop instead produced a wretched moment of air-control, allowing Yossi Benayoun to nick the ball away and roll it into an empty net.

West Bromwich responded with verve and on 11 minutes a lovely through pass from James Morrison, nutmegging Francis Coquelin, released the unmarked Shane Long, who beat Wojciech Szczesny with a low finish. It was close but Jenkinson may have narrowly played him onside. Worse was to come three minutes later as Graham Dorrans hustled off in pursuit of Morrison's lofted pass with three red-shirted defenders in vague attendance. Arsenal hesitated. Dorrans didn't, chesting the ball down and volleying low into the corner. "One Roy Hodgson," chanted the crowd and if the new England manager really can make other teams defend and press this poorly perhaps Europe should already be trembling. The front half of Arsenal's game continued to function with relative fluidity, Benayoun offering width and Santos creeping forwards with roving intent from what might be called his "false three" role. Santos produced the equaliser, robbing Youssouf Mulumbu 30 yards out, advancing with a skip and shooting powerfully inside Fulop's left‑hand post. Again the keeper should have done better.

Arsenal were level but with Tottenham winning at home there was still a frenzy to the rejigged team sent out by Arsène Wenger for the second half. Theo Walcott replaced Tomas Rosicky, who had been all-but invisible, but still Arsenal's backline seemed to flap in the breeze, Simon Cox crossing dangerously from the right but just out of reach of Marc-Antoine Fortuné.

No matter, though: Arsenal still had Fulop. Robin van Persie's corner on 54 minutes should have been caught. Instead the Hungarian produced a limp double-fisted punch back towards his own goal that looped to Laurent Koscielny, who prodded the ball home. In the lead for the second time, Wenger brought on Kieran Gibbs to play at left-back and moved Santos into the left-midfield position he had, in effect, played for much of the first half. And it was Gibbs who produced a season-saving recovery tackle in injury time to deny Billy Jones when he looked certain to score.

This was also a game of goodbyes, some confirmed, some merely guessed at. Hodgson was roundly cheered throughout by three sides of the ground, an experience he may like to bottle and carry around with him for a while in his next job.

The retiring Pat Rice was chaired rather bashfully by his players at the final whistle. And at the very end Van Persie took a moment to applaud pointedly the away support. If his emotional demeanour is any guide, the kitty may yet be swollen a little further.

Source: Barney Ronay, The Guardian on 13 May 12

Wenger's reaction to the WBA 2-3 Arsenal match

on sealing third place…
I think if you look at the season as a whole, we lost only two of the last 16 games and created a fantastic run. In the end we finished with 70 points, which is respectable, and we qualify for the Champions League for the 15th consecutive year. Of course we are very proud of that, especially this season having started where we started. We had problems getting over the line and you could see that again today.

on another comeback…
When we were 1-0 up we were nervous. When we were 2-1 down we got back to our game again and in the end we just hung on. We defended crosses with resilience but as long as we did not manage a fourth goal [I was nervous]. I am still thinking of suing the referee for the five minutes of added time because my heart suffered immensely!

on the Tottenham game…
Yes [I was aware of what was going on]. They were 2-0 up and basically I did not want to finish fourth. If Chelsea win the Champions League then you are not in it and you are also not [definitely] in it because you play a qualifier.

on thoughts of a third-placed finish in September…
In September certainly not. We were 17th in the league then and in the first seven games we had lost four. When you have played seven games and lost four you think there are 31 games to go and it is very difficult to imagine that you will finish third. But we had an exceptional run after our exit in the Champions League.

on the defence...
Szczesny has played injured in the last five weeks with a shoulder problem. He gets injected on the day of a game and plays, you cannot maintain your level like that forever. We just decided to do it because there was not long to go. If it was in the middle of the season we would have rested him.

on Gibbs' late saving challenge…
I feel he came on very well. He suffered on that flank in the second half but when he came on he won headers and won tackles to get us out of difficult situations. He deserves huge credit for that tackle.

on overhauling Tottenham...
I don't know [if it is one of my best seasons], I leave that to you. I am very proud of this season because we were not only tested on the football front - which as a Club we are used to - but on our mental solidity, unity and solidarity within. We were deeply tested, we did not show any weakness, kept united and in the end came back. It is a good lesson for everybody. At some stages everybody was wondering what we were doing.

on qualifying for Champions League…
I would not say it is a failure. We have qualifying for the 15th season in a row now. There are only three clubs that have done that so it is not as easy as it looks.

on keeping hold of Van Persie…
It is easier to attract players and to keep them.

on signing Podolski…
I was asked many times the question whether or not we relied too much on the goalscoring of Van Persie. He has scored 30 goals and we have tried to add somebody else who can score as well. Yes [we plan to speak with him before the Euros].

on Van Persie's post-match celebrations…
You can make of that what you want. If a player does not come out and celebrate you say he is a already gone and if he goes and celebrates with the fans that means he is saying goodbye. I believe it is positive.

on a fitting send-off for Pat Rice…
First of all we are from the same generation you would call the 'Old Guard'. I am very happy to give him that present today. I would have been sad for him to leave the Club today and not be in the Champions League. It is very emotional for him and for me as well because I arrived here and he was always my assistant. Pat has many qualities of the 'Old Guard'; that means he is a fighter, he doesn't talk too much - but when he talks, he talks! He is mentally strong.

on the dramatic title race…
It is unbelievable. Maybe QPR knew they were safe, I don't know. Maybe they relaxed a little bit and thought they were over the line. But it is Manchester City and they can score goals. That can happen.

Source: Arsenal.com on 13 May 12

13 May 2012: West Bromwich Albion 2-3 Arsenal, The Hawthorns

It was tense, it was tight - but it was ultimately successful.

Arsenal finally secured third place in the Premier League with a nail-biting 3-2 win at West Brom on a frantic final day of the 2011/12 season.

The last 90 minutes was a microcosm of the Gunners’ rollercoaster campaign and the decisive moment came when Laurent Koscielny prodded home from close-range just before the hour following a mistake from Marton Fulop.

The Hungarian keeper had been a late replacement for Ben Foster and it was his error in the fourth minute that allowed Yossi Benayoun to score into an empty net.

Then on the half-hour, a long-range shot from Andre Santos beat him at his near post.

In between those first two goals, James Morrision had set up an offside-looking Shane Long and then Graham Dorrans to put West Brom in front.

The finale was intense and nerve-wracking with Kieran Gibbs crucially sliding into stop Billy Jones scoring in injury time.

However Arsenal saw out the game and, in celebration, the players chaired departing assistant manager Pat Rice out to their supporters.

A touching moment for a superb servant to Arsenal Football Club.

It was fitting that Rice's team concluded the campaign with a performance based on the very commodity the Irishman has always exuded - cast-iron character in the face of adversity.

Hopefully Arsenal can kick-on to silverware next season without Rice. But third place is perfectly satisfactory for now.

It was always going to be a dramatic final afternoon with issue key issues remaining at the top, bottom and surrounding the European places.

Arsenal had the luxury of self-determinism. Victory this afternoon would secure third spot but its by-products – guaranteed entry to the Champions League Group Stages for the 15th successive season and a finish above near-neighbours Tottenham - were just as important.

Wenger’s side saw three changes. The elevation of Francis Coquelin was expected after Bacary Sagna broke his leg in last week’s draw with Norwich. But the younger Frenchman did not come in at right back. Instead he replaced Aaron Ramsey in midfield and Carl Jenkinson took the full-back berth. It was his first start since the home win over West Brom back in November.

The final swap saw Santos replace Gibbs on the other defensive flank. Theo Walcott was fit but only made the bench.

A victory for West Brom would provide them with a top-10 finish for the first time in the 20 years of the Premier League. Either way they were saying goodbye to manager Roy Hodgson before he left to take over the reins at England.

It was going to be a massive afternoon no matter what.

Arsenal could not have made a better start. Neither side had settled into any sort of rhythm before the visitors went ahead.

In the fourth minute, Benayoun chased a lost cause and the hesitancy of stand-in Fulop at the edge of his area allowed the Israeli to nudge the ball past the stranded keeper and tap home in the empty net.

It was massive moment and should have helped the away side settle. However, it did not and West Brom were level in the 11th minute – although the strike was marred by controversy.

Long appeared to be clearly offside when he race onto Morrison’s through ball. However, a flag to not come and the former Reading frontman buried his shot from just outside the area.

Four minutes later it got worse but this time Arsenal had to look at themselves.

Again Morrison provided the ball forward but Dorrans was afforded too much space to nod down and hook the bouncing ball in the same corner Long had found just before.

With Tottenham leading, Arsenal had it all to do.

In fairness they would dominate the remainder of the half territorially. The buzzing business of Tomas Rosicky and Benayoun kept winning the ball while Gervinho always offered an outlet.

Just before the half-hour, Robin van Persie was brought down just inches outside the area could only batter the wall from the free-kick.

The chance came as a result of sustained Arsenal pressure and it would soon brings its reward.

In the 30th minute, Santos stole the ball, weaved inside and let fly. Again Fulop could have done better but the ball went in off the post.

Arsenal now had some momentum but, despite sustaining pressure as before, they could not breakthrough.

In fact the third goal would arrive 10 minutes into the second half. Van Persie swung over a corner from the right and, under pressure from his defender Jonas Olsson, Fulop punched the ball towards his own net allowing Koscielny to stab the ball home from close range.

It had taken Arsenal 44 minutes to regain the lead and they just about deserved it.

However, West Brom would respond with perhaps their best period of the game so far. They forced a succession of corners and substitute Keith Andrews stung the hands of Wojciech Szczesny from distance.

Wenger had brought on Walcott for Rosicky at the break. Just before Andrews' effort, he reached the byline and clipped the ball back to Alex Song, whose drive was deflected wide.

But as the seconds ticked by, Arsenal began to look a little nervous and Hodgson’s substitutions suggested he was desperate to say goodbye with a win.

They poured forward until the final whistle and only a superb challenge from Gibbs stopped Jones scoring at the far post

It was a massive moment. It saved Arsenal’s season and ensured the Club can now look forward to Champions League football next term.

A breathless end to the ultimate rollercoaster campaign.

Source: Richard Clarke, Arsenal.com on 13 May 12

New Arsenal show the best of the old Arsenal

Since the last international break, it’s fair to say that the new Arsenal’s form has been excellent. We’re still fighting back, and we can’t get complacent over recent form, but even the most optimistic of Gooners couldn’t have predicted the relatively rapid improvement of our newly constructed side after the defeat away at Blackburn at the start of September.

We can now realistically challenge for the top four, and despite those around us in the top half also winning at the weekend, we’re well positioned going into the next international break. In some ways, the two weeks off will be good for those not involved in international fixtures, as they’ve put a lot of effort into games during the last few weeks. However, every Arsenal fan will be keeping everything crossed and waiting anxiously for news about the fitness of our international players when they return to the club in a week and a half.

I’m sure I’m not the only Arsenal fan who is seriously worried that Robin van Persie, or others, will get a long term injury in a friendly. It’s happened before, and inevitably will happen again. Just please can it not be now.

The West Brom win reminded me of the old teams from the Arsene Wenger era that we loved. There wasn’t a moment in the game that I thought we’d lose. We used to do similar things to teams at Highbury, where we’d give out an aura that there was no way the opposition were going to get a sniff of a result. The 3-0 victory was very comfortable, as West Brom didn’t really threaten until late on when the win was already safe.

Arguably we haven’t had that aura in recent years as we haven’t had players that the opposition are truly scared off. They’d line up at Highbury and see Patrick Vieira, Robert Pires, Dennis Bergkamp and Thierry Henry and already think they were beaten. We clearly haven’t got the same number of world class players now, but in Robin van Persie, the opposition must look at him in his current form and know that he’s likely to find the net. The others around him are feeding off the Dutchman’s aura, and we’re now seeing the likes of Aaron Ramsey stride across the pitch with more confidence and he’s really dominating games in midfield.

We have to hope this next international break doesn’t disrupt the confidence the team are playing with, as confidence in sport, and particularly in this Arsenal team, as we’ve seen in the last few months, can be extremely fragile. While the team is on a high, we have to take advantage of it and be claiming as many points as possible. We’re definitely doing that at the moment.

As amazing as the win at Chelsea was last week, there were still questions over the defence. They still haven’t been fully answered, and won’t be until we go on a consistent long run of good defensive performances, but two clean sheets in a week since Chelsea is a good start. As mentioned in the last blog post, we now have a good problem at the back over who plays. Thomas Vermaelen has played three games since returning from injury, and in those we’ve conceded one goal. It was also good to see the attacking side of his game on Saturday as it offers the team another dimension when going forward. His finish for the second goal was excellent and, although he headed wide, he found space in the box from a set piece in the second half. Laurent Koscielny had another good game, leaving Per Mertesacker as the man to miss out this time.

As mentioned, Aaron Ramsey is playing really well, but as much as his individual performances have improved, the understanding he now has with Alex Song and Mikel Arteta is very good. What is also encouraging, is that we now have midfielders that are confident enough in themselves, and more importantly are confident in the ability of their team mates behind them, to feel that they can make runs into the box and not leave the team vulnerable at the back. Admittedly, West Brom didn’t offer much going forward, however we regularly saw Ramsey, Arteta and even Song, join attacks and try to break into the box to give other players options and support Robin van Persie.

I think that is key to seeing that we’re not reliant on our Dutch captain. We’re getting other players in and around the box, it just so happens that van Persie is in the right place to finish off most of the moves.

The third goal on Saturday was classic Arsenal. Despite the major personnel changes to the squad, it was refreshing to see them score a typical Arsenal goal under Arsene Wenger. The passing was crisp, the movement was excellent, and the finish from Arteta was perfect. You could just keep adding the superlatives for that goal.

I think there were a lot of expectations of Mikel Arteta to score a lot of goals as an attacking midfielder to compensate for the losses of Fabregas and Nasri, however in the last few weeks it’s been important for the team to work hard defensively, and Arteta has typified that by doing the simple things well and giving the team a good base from which to attack. He’s been sitting deeper than Fabregas or Nasri did, leaving Ramsey to be the more creative midfielder. However, more attacking contributions from Arteta would be very welcome as he can finish extremely well. As soon as he received the ball back from Robin van Persie, it seemed inevitable he’d score.

A minor point I’ve noticed in recent weeks, that might seem daft, but I think shows how much the team are gelling, is how happy everyone looks when we score. The players all seem to love playing for Arsenal Football Club, and look pleased with every goal. The jubilation against Chelsea was understandable, but even a comfortable victory against West Brom brought massive smiles. It’s only a minor point, but helps with the general positive mood around the club. Just look back at Yossi Benayoun’s reaction to Arteta’s goal, lovely stuff.

Let’s hope this two week break doesn’t get in the way of the gradual improvement of this new Arsenal team. If they can show the old Arsenal-like aura again, score some brilliant team passing goals, keep the team spirit up and work hard for each other, we can continue moving towards the top four. We must not assume that Arsenal are now back, and neither can the team. The hard work must continue because as soon as the team stop working hard for each other, we can easily slip back to our early season form.

So in the next two weeks, lets reflect on the successful start to the recovery, concentrate on what we’ve done well, and make we get straight back to the same level against Norwich in two weeks’ time. In a reflective way, I’m going to watch John Terry slip over again. That just doesn’t get old.

Source: Sam Limbert, ESPN Soccernet on 8 Nov 11

Mikel Arteta helps older and wiser Arsenal complete month of recovery

Arsenal may be on as good a Premier League run as they have managed for 20 months but for Arsène Wenger the scars from the early-season blows have not yet healed. "I'm always a little bit concerned that the ghosts we had to fight one month ago will come back," he confessed after their most relaxed win of the season.

"We are not yet on a completely different planet. Until then we have still to fight against it. One month ago [it was actually nearly two] we played here against Swansea and had absolutely to win or you had a complete disaster. One month ago the questions we had to answer were: 'Do you face a relegation battle or not?' That makes the game more difficult. It's more enjoyable now. We are a bit lighter in our display and that gives us confidence."

Maturity was the asset that Wenger identified as critical in his team's turnaround. The addition of experienced signings from the summer transfer window, added to the return of the likes of Thomas Vermaelen, has given Arsenal an older, and shrewder, spine. Against West Brom, the backbone of the team included Vermaelen (aged 25), Alex Song (24), Mikel Arteta (29) and Robin van Persie (28).

Three of them delivered the goals and Song was a little unfortunate not to join them on the scoresheet. But they all provided so much more than end product. There was an authority, a calmness, a sense of complete control that was not evident earlier in the season when Arsenal were prone to looking panic stricken. "I feel we have more experience in the side and know how to the kill the game without exposing ourselves," said Wenger.

He paid tribute to the growing influence of Arteta, who has taken responsibility for much of the unsung work in midfield: "He's a really important player in our team. He is the player between Song and [Aaron] Ramsey or [Tomas] Rosicky. That gives us continuity. When we need to keep the ball he can do that. With Jack [Wilshere] missing he is really a player who allows you to keep the ball when it is needed."

Wenger feels it is only bad luck that Arteta has never played international football – like many impressive Spanish players from the current generation. "Spain have plenty of midfielders who are absolutely outstanding," Arsenal's manager said. "What didn't help him maybe was that he was very young when he moved to clubs who were not as ambitious as they should have been.He moved to Rangers where it is difficult to convince managers in Spain that you deserve a chance in the Spanish national team."

Arteta says he will watch his compatriots in their upcoming friendly against England on the television, and enjoy a few days with his family. It will be a well earned breather for a player who has played every Premier League and Champions League game since he joined Arsenal for £10m on the stroke of transfer deadline.

He has had to adapt to a more cautious role and wants to find the ideal balance between his linking duties and a more offensive style. "For me, it's important that I help the team in an attacking way it a bit more," he said. "We've been working on being a bit more solid but I like to get forward, get freedom and I like to score goals," said the former Everton player. "I want to participate more on the attacking side so I did that and I'm pleased with that. I've not had a lot of time to settle. We've been under a lot of pressure to win games – we've needed results. But I've only been here two months. There's a lot of things to learn, a lot of things to improve, and hopefully I can do that."

For West Brom, the international break comes at a good time to allow them to try and get the successive defeats by Liverpool and Arsenal out of the system. "We've not been at our best in the last two games," said the defender Jonas Olsson. "We've shown last year we can compete against these teams but for us to get anything out of it everything has to click.

"We need to get some results against the teams around us. There's some important games coming up for us." Bolton, QPR, Wigan and Blackburn are on the horizon, so the opportunity to regroup is there. Finding a workable alternative to the front two of Shane Long and Peter Odemwingie is no simple task, though.

Simon Cox, whose efforts up front yielded little reward, cannot wait to turn his attention to the international scene in the days ahead as he joins up with the Republic of Ireland for their play-off against Estonia. "Any part I play in helping the team get to the Euros, I would be happy to play," he said. "If we get there it would be the biggest, most significant memory of my career."

Events from two years ago, when Ireland lost a play-off for the World Cup finals in the most painful of circumstances as France profited from Thierry Henry's handball, are a spur, but only in the context that there are no free passes to a tournament just because someone is due some good luck.

"We will take that as inspiration to win the game, but we can't look at that," he said. "That was back then, this is now. We will go into the game full of confidence on the back of really good results. We have conceded one goal in nine appearances, so we will take that as a basis and work forward. We have as good a chance as anyone. And I think it's our time after what happened before. They are probably the most important games of my career."

Source: Amy Lawrence, The Guardian on 6 Nov 11

'Superhero' Robin van Persie inspires Arsenal to win over West Brom

For the first time since a 0-0 draw on the opening day of the season, Arsenal have a positive goal difference. It has taken a few months of plugging away to repair the damage caused by conceding 12 times in consecutive away games at Manchester United and Blackburn, but the pluses keep coming.

This comfortable victory, over a West Bromwich Albion team sorely missing firepower up front, saw Thomas Vermaelen enjoy a scoring return to the starting lineup in the Premier League. He was last on the scoresheet 21 months ago, in February 2010, during a game that became infamous for the leg break suffered by Aaron Ramsey. Both of these players have since endured lengthy spells sidelined, and in rehabilitation, and it was a mark of how much stronger Arsenal currently feel that they could rely on two more influential players who are fit and firing. Believe the hype or not, there is more to this team than Robin van Persie.

Not that the Dutchman is easily shunted to the periphery – he did score one goal and make the other two with a typically switched-on display. "At the moment he is world class and it is difficult to stop him. He was not only a goalscorer, but also a provider and that's what I like from strikers," his manager, Arsène Wenger, said.

The first goal came in the 22nd minute when Ramsey, who is becoming quite the specialist at opening up games, released Theo Walcott with a searching pass. It looked like the chance had gone when the England winger aimed his shot straight at Ben Foster, only for Van Persie to arrive with superhero timing to stab in the rebound. As if to emphasise the point, a banner read: "We don't need Batman, we've got Robin."

The Holland international was involved in Arsenal's second, with a superb cutback on the volley with his right foot. Vermaelen arrived to drill powerfully past Foster. The Belgian almost had another only to glance a header narrowly wide.

"He should have got a second," Wenger said. "I like centre-backs who score goals." Vermaelen's partnership with Laurent Koscielny, although not given the sternest test, was impressive. Wenger was also mindful to praise the efforts of full-back Carl Jenkinson, whose energy and assurance demonstrated how well he has come back from his early setbacks.

Ramsey, Gervinho and Alex Song had chances after the break to increase Arsenal's lead. Mikel Arteta was the man who did, with a sumptuous strike to convert Van Persie's smart pass, and round off a performance described as "complete domination" by Wenger. West Brom's best moments came late on, but they lacked the killer touch.

Vermaelen showed his class at his favoured end of the pitch with a terrific interception to deny Somen Tchoyi, then Wojciech Szczesny denied Steven Reid and James Morrison.

Roy Hodgson reflected by defending his team's efforts, but lamenting the missing spark. "We were up against a form team who were rampant. One thing we did was put in a hell of a shift, but there is no doubt that Shane Long and Peter Odemwingie, our first-choice centre-forwards, might have caused more problems."

He did not have the heart to make much of a hopeful penalty appeal when Jerome Thomas came together with Koscielny, suggesting it was as much of a penalty as the one harshly conceded to Liverpool last week. West Brom never threatened to derail an Arsenal team on a sequence of four league wins.

Wenger was delighted to be able to look at a goal difference that is no longer embarrassing. "We gave ourselves a handicap with the 8-2 in Manchester so we had a mountain to climb. I was not used to seeing that. It was a shock every time to see a minus in front of our goal difference. And if you look at the teams above us they are catchable."

Liverpool and Tottenham are only two goals better off, Chelsea and Newcastle, seven goals ahead. The chase for improvement goes on.

Source: Amy Lawrence, The Guardian on 5 Nov 11

Wenger finds ammunition in his Arsenal

The dark, bleak tunnel that snared Arsene Wenger as a high-profile captive seemed unwilling to yield a chink of light as the Arsenal boss endured a desperate start to this Premier League season - yet the mood is quickly changing around his new-look team.

With the despair of losing his two best players essentially before a ball was kicked being compounded by a run of results that tested the patience of even the most loyal Wenger devotee, the Arsenal manager seemed helpless to avert a slide that many predicted would end with his demise.

Indeed, as the last international break interrupted the flow of Premier League action, Arsenal found themselves closer to the relegation positions than the top four spots they have come to call their own in recent years, with the pain of a defeat against local rivals Spurs lingering as the final round of Euro 2012 group qualifiers were played out.

However, the mood is slowly improving, and a new Arsenal side may end up benefiting from the diluted expectations of the first six weeks of the season.

When once a Champions League finish looked beyond Arsenal, they are suddenly looking like a team on the rise, and this comfortable win served to cement the feel-good factor developing around them.

Goals from Robin van Persie - inevitably - and Thomas Vermaelen, rounded off by a classy third from Mikel Arteta, sent Arsenal into this latest international sabbatical on a run of four successive league wins, and this performance suggested some of their old swagger is bubbling to the surface once again.

It was during the height of his crisis that Wenger clung onto the theory that his much-changed team needed time to gel as a unit, and it seems as if his faith is now being rewarded after West Brom were swept away with impressive ease.

Van Persie's opener after 22 minutes was created by a sublime pass from Aaron Ramsey and once Vermaelen slammed home a second six minutes before the break, a West Brom side that triumphed at Emirates Stadium last season knew that they would be leaving as losers this time.

Arteta's sweet 74th-minute finish after a neat assist from Van Persie added some delicious icing to the Arsenal cake and, while it would be hasty to suggest Wenger's rebuilding programme is complete after a win against a side who allowed his side to strut their stuff at will, the positives that were hard to find a month ago have now come into clear view.

Contrary to reports, this Arsenal revival is not merely built around the scoring form of the brilliant Van Persie, as the sight of Vermaelen standing alongside the improving Laurent Koscielny in the heart of the Arsenal defence gave Wenger's rearguard a solid security.

Then there was the impressive display of Arteta in the heart of the midfield, his silky movement and passing too much for West Brom to handle. Wenger broke with tradition when he signed the experienced Spaniard on the final day of the August transfer window and, while replacing the departed Cesc Fabregas was always an improbable remit for Arteta to fulfil, Arsenal's No. 8 is emerging as the new heartbeat of their midfield.

Crisp with his passing and intelligent in his movement, Arteta is giving Arsenal the sort of panache they badly needed to rediscover and Wenger was in bullish mood as he faced the media.

"I said a month ago that we had to wait for this team to improve and we are seeing that progress now," Wenger said. "We were in a very bad place when we lost at Tottenham before the last round of internationals and, at that point, everyone was saying we had no chance this season.

"Well, now that things are going a little better, I prefer to keep some perspective as it is clear that we have plenty still to improve. The positive signs I always saw in this team are coming through now, but this is a team still coming together."

West Brom manager Roy Hodgson has much to ponder, but he hit back at the suggestion of one brave reporter who claimed his side lacked desire against the Gunners. "You can accuse us of lacking quality, of hitting the ball long too often and many other things, but it is scandalous to suggest my team did not put in a shift in this game," Hodgson said. "We were beaten by an excellent Arsenal side who were too good for us on the day. That's the truth of the matter."

It is not just on the field that Wenger's woes appeared to be evaporating, as the nervous and tetchy atmosphere that echoed around the Emirates earlier this season was replaced by a more positive vibe for this resounding victory. The confidence growing in the stands is trickling down to a team that now looks to have found its script at last.

Arsenal's early-season despair has been replaced with cautious optimism and, so long as Van Persie and the rest of Wenger's pack return from the international break unscathed, they have a clutch of winnable games on this horizon that should add to the momentum they are building up.

MAN OF THE MATCH: Mikel Arteta
This classy Spaniard is starting to look like the real deal in the heart of the Arsenal midfield, with his passing and finishing making him the outstanding performer in this game.

SANTOS' TWITTER TYPO
Arsenal full-back Andre Santos committed something of a Twitter crime when he posted a congratulatory comment to his team-mates after this latest win. "Great win gays," was his comment. We are sure he meant guys.

RVP JOINS THE ELITE
"There are only four or five players who tend to be in the world class category and Robin is clearly in that list right now," Arsenal boss Wenger beamed of his in-form hit-man Van Persie.

ARSENAL VERDICT
The Gunners will need to beat better sides than West Brom to confirm they are firmly back on track, but a routine victory like this was impossible to contemplate when they were staggering just a few weeks ago. They are showing positive signs of life once again.

WEST BROM VERDICT
Lacking quality and weakened by the absence of first-choice strikers Shane Long and Peter Odemwingie, they were no match for an improving Arsenal.

Source: Kevin Palmer, ESPN Soccernet on 5 Nov 11

Wenger's reaction to the Arsenal 3-0 WBA match

on the victory...
Overall it was a controlled performance where we had complete domination of the game. It was a good pace in the first half - in the second it was a little bit off - but we were never really in trouble. We are getting stronger and overall it is a positive afternoon. We scored five goals last week, three goals today and didn't concede.

on a positive goal difference…
Yes. We put ourselves with a good handicap with the 8-2 [defeat] at Manchester United! It's good but I was not used to seeing that before. It was a shock every time I saw minus in front of our goal difference. We know that can make a difference at the end of the season. Not only is it the first time we have had a positive goal difference but if you look at the teams above us there is not much difference - they are plus two or four maybe. That is catchable.

on the most satisfying aspect of the victory…
The spirit of the squad was right from the first to the last minute. We worked well together. I was always positive with the team because of course we were in a very bad position - but you felt the desire to do well. Now that we are doing better it is still there.

The team wants to improve, to work hard and get better and better. That is the most satisfying thing today. In the dressing room at half time you feel that they don't switch off at 2-0. That was not always the case.

on Koscielny and Vermaelen's partnership…
I expected [Peter] Odemwingie to play so I opted for two centre-backs who are quick. In the end he didn't play but they worked very well together.

on Van Persie…
At the moment it is difficult to stop him. He was not only a goalscorer but a provider today, that's what I like with the strikers. The only thing I know is that he is world class. When I was a kid, in Germany they had three rankings: national class, international class and world class. World class we always knew four or five players but I would put him into that calibre.

on being the best striker in the world…
There is some quality there. But of course [Lionel] Messi will win again. He is the best player in the world and deservedly so because he won everything. Let's not put too much pressure on Robin and let him enjoy a full season. I think we can make a better assessment at the end of the season.

on Vermaelen's finishing…
He should have got a second goal with the header! I like centre-backs who score goals, but I also like in my team that everybody is scoring goals.

on Jenkinson's performance…
Today he had a very interesting game with the quality of his defending and the quality of his crossing. The pace of his improvement is very interesting. His energy levels are absolutely amazing.

on turning a corner…
I think we have made some improvement, that is for sure. But there is still room for improvement. I always said let's come back in December after the real tests. Of course the first big test was Chelsea, and after we have won another game like today. Then it'll be down to the consistency we can show. Of course we are not at the level we were one month ago but we still have some work to do.

Source: Arsenal.com on 5 Nov 11

5 November 2011: Arsenal 3-0 West Bromwich Albion, The Emirates

Arsenal racked up their fifth straight Premier League win at Emirates Stadium with a comfortable 3-0 success over West Brom on Saturday.

As ever, Robin van Persie was at the hub of the action, scoring the first himself before setting up strikes for Thomas Vermaelen and Mikel Arteta.

West Brom offered very little and allowed Arsenal to stroll to possibly the easiest three points they will obtain this season.

Wenger’s men have now won their last four Premier League games and, at full time this afternoon, were level on points with Liverpool and Tottenham. The other north London side have a couple of games in hand but, like the rest of the top six, they should sense that a resurgent Arsenal side are now breathing down their neck.

A second successive clean-sheet also suggests the Emirates Stadium men are on the march.

Before kick-off, the ground fell silent as the Club honoured Remembrance Sunday and Armistice Day. Captain Van Persie held a wreath that will be laid at Islington Town Hall in the coming days.

The Dutchman returned to the starting line-up having been rested against Marseille in midweek. The move was no surprise. Ahead of this game, the 28-year-old had picked up two Player of the Month awards and in the Arsenal.com poll he had taken a thumping 88 per cent of the vote.

The trickier decision was at centre-back where, for the first time, Per Mertesacker, Vermaelen and Laurent Koscielny were all fit and available.

It was the German who missed out.
Emirates Stadium had been very much the foundation of Arsenal’s recent rise up the table. And the building blocks appeared to be in place from the start this afternoon.

The first 15 minutes were all Arsenal, even if they could not conjure up a shot on goal. The visitors had arrived with all-too-typical tactics of keeping it tight at the back and grabbing what they could on the break.

But in truth, they would offer little in the opening 45 minutes.

Arsenal scored with their first shot on goal and never looked back. Aaron Ramsey’s vision sent Walcott sprinting down the right. His shot was half-saved by Ben Foster and Van Persie swept the ball home from close range. It was his 13th goal of the season and his eighth in the last seven games.

The strike merely confirmed what the game was clearly telling us – Arsenal were in control.

They continued to hold a firm but hardly vice-like grip on the game until they got their second six minutes before the break.

Van Persie cut the ball back form the byline and Vermaelen thumped home his first goal since the fateful day Aaron Ramsey broke his leg at Stoke in February 2010.

It also put Arsenal into positive goal difference for the first time this season.

The first half had been comfortable for an Arsenal side that had barely got out of third gear. The stats said they had enjoyed 71 per cent of possession and had three shots on target, scoring two goals. West Brom had not mustered a shot.

Vermaelen nearly killed off any comeback just before the hour when he slid a header wide from Van Persie’s corner.

Just after that Chris Brunt fly-kicked a shot high over the bar. A decent chance, poorly executed.

But for all Arsenal’s control they had much more left in them. On the hour, Gervinho darted in from the left and Ramsey hooked a shot across the face of goal.

Roy Hodgson brought on Somen Tchoyi for Zoltan Gera to strengthen his front line. They had had precious little joy this afternoon.

However, by now, Arsenal were stirring again. Foster was forced to make a couple of solid saves in quick succession. First from Gervinho’s low drive and then after Song tried to find the top corner from the edge of the box.

In the 70th minute, Walcott drove in from the right flank and Van Persie hoisted his effort over the bar.

Wenger then brought off Ramsey and Gervinho for Tomas Rosicky and Yossi Benayoun. It seemed he wanted this game closed off – and that is just what he got.

Sixteen minutes from time, Van Persie touched the ball back for Arteta to sweep home a third. Game, set and match.

Tchoyi escaped shortly afterwards but Vermaelen chased him down all too easily and blocked at the second attempt. It was West Brom’s best chance of the game and also a microcosm of the 90 minutes.

If anything, the visitors had the best period in the final 10 minutes when the game was up.

Steven Reid’s header and James Morrison’s drive were both held by Szczesny.

However, nothing would dent a super (and straightforward) afternoon for Arsenal.

Source: Richard Clarke, Arsenal.com on 5 Nov 11

Robin to the rescue for Arsenal

Arsenal's title challenge suffered a blow as their late rally was only enough to secure a draw at West Brom.

Albion were 2-0 up just before the hour mark when Peter Odemwingie capitalised on a mix-up between Manuel Almunia and Sebastien Squillaci to add to Steven Reid's early header.

The Gunners staged a comeback with goals in the 70th minute from Andrey Arshavin and 78th from Robin van Persie, but they could not find a winner and are now five points behind Premier League leaders Manchester United, who beat Bolton 1-0.

The Baggies, meanwhile, are a point above the relegation zone in 16th place as they were at the start of the day.

Arsene Wenger's team were in need of a lift following their Carling Cup final defeat and elimination from the Champions League and FA Cup over the last few weeks, but they made the worst possible start as West Brom took the lead after only three minutes.

Albion skipper Chris Brunt swung in a corner and Reid was allowed the space to jump and crash a header beyond Almunia for his first Premier League goal for nearly five years.

Aaron Ramsey - who was starting a game for the Gunners for the first time since breaking his leg last season - appeared to be the main culprit in failing to mark Reid as Arsenal's defensive frailties were laid bare.

Moments later Jerome Thomas won the ball and broke forward, sending in a dangerous delivery that just evaded Odemwingie.

The visitors started to gain more possession but were struggling to get a proper foothold and the game was temporarily halted after 20 minutes when Laurent Koscielny clashed heads with James Morrison, the latter having to come off for treatment.

While Morrison was off the pitch Arsenal showed some threatening signs, with only the head of Jonas Olsson preventing Ramsey getting on the end of a Gael Clichy cross.

Arsenal should have then equalised when Van Persie's header came back off the bar.

The ball dropped to Ramsey right in front of goal, but the Wales midfielder could only strike it straight at Scott Carson.

As Morrison returned with a bandage around his head the Gunners continued to press, Samir Nasri seeing a cross come off the legs of Abdoulaye Meite towards goal but Carson was able to avert the danger.

Van Persie tried his luck just before the break but his shot was off-target.

There was a substitution for each side at half-time as Albion boss Roy Hodgson brought on Marek Cech for Paul Scharner, who had also taken a knock to the head, and Wenger introduced Marouane Chamakh in place of Denilson in an attempt to give his side more attacking impetus.

Chamakh soon sent a header goalwards but it did not trouble Carson and within minutes, the Baggies were almost 2-0 in front as Brunt slid in to meet Cech's cross, the captain just poking it the wrong side of the post.

Wenger bolstered his forward line again with Nicklas Bendtner coming on for Ramsey, but just seconds later West Brom did score again - thanks in no small part to Almunia.

The Spanish goalkeeper came charging out of his box when Youssouf Mulumbu launched a long ball forward but completely misjudged it before getting in a tangle with Squillaci and Odemwingie gleefully slotted into the net.

The watching Jens Lehmann, back on the Arsenal bench after rejoining the club on a rolling monthly contract earlier in the week, looked less than impressed.

When Koscielny picked up a booking for a hefty challenge on Odemwingie and Van Persie blazed a free-kick over the bar, the Gunners seemed to be fading, but a slick move saw them suddenly pull a goal back through Arshavin, who played a one-two with Chamakh before turning and rifling a shot beyond Carson.

Marc-Antoine Fortune came on for Odemwingie but Arsenal began pouring forward and eight minutes after Arshavin's strike they found a leveller, with the Russian again the catalyst.

His looping cross hit the post and Meite was unable to deal with the rebound before Van Persie bundled it over the line.

Arsenal now looked the more likely winners, but Fortune went close at the other end, cutting into the box and seeing his shot deflect wide.

Play switched once more and the Gunners sent a succession of balls into the West Brom box, but there was no way through.

Jack Wilshere shot over the bar and Carson saved from Clichy at the death as Albion hung on for a vital point.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger admitted his team's 2-2 draw at West Brom was two points dropped in the Premier League title race - but insisted it was an important one gained for the players psychologically.

With United beating Bolton 1-0, Wenger's side are now five points off the top, but the Frenchman had spoken ahead of the Hawthorns contest about the need for "mental toughness'' in the Gunners camp and in that respect, he felt it was vital the game was not lost.

"The pitch was very difficult for us and it was difficult to pass at top speed, so it was almost more down to character and resilience - and we have shown plenty,'' Wenger said. "Mathematically we lost two points, but psychologically I think we won a point, because when you are 2-0 down with 20 minutes to go, you cannot be too unhappy with this comeback.''

He added: "I said that no matter happened today, it would not be over, but for the team it was important not to lose. With what has happened to us recently, you wonder how we would have recovered if we had lost the game today.''

Wenger took issue with the playing surface but acknowledged that poor defending on Arsenal's part had been key for both of West Brom's goals.

He said: "The pitch was not at fault when we conceded the goals - we were at fault on the first and the second, we cannot blame the pitch for that.''

Reid rose unchallenged in the box to nod home Chris Brunt's corner in the third minute, with Aaron Ramsey appearing to be the main culprit in failing to mark the former Blackburn player.

Almunia then came charging off his line in the 58th minute when Youssouf Mulumbu launched a long ball forward and completely misjudged it, the Spaniard getting in a tangle with Squillaci as Odemwingie gleefully slotted into the net.

The watching Jens Lehmann, back on the Arsenal bench after rejoining the club on a rolling monthly contract earlier in the week, looked less than impressed. Wenger made his disappointment at the mistakes plain, but refused to refer to individual names and preferred to focus on the way the team rallied afterwards.

"I do not want to go too much into individual criticism,'' Wenger said. "The players involved in that second goal know what it was about and what was good was the reaction the whole team has shown and their fighting spirit. It will be interesting through to the end because we are ready to focus and ready for a fight.''

West Brom boss Roy Hodgson was unsure what to make of the result after watching his team throw away a two-goal lead.

"We are upset we couldn't hang on because it was a sterling effort by the players, but we were playing against a very good team. With the questions they ask of you in terms of defensive organisation, you are always going to be hard pressed not to concede a goal.

"It is disappointing to be 2-0 up and not get a victory, but on the other hand, it would be wrong of me to suggest that Arsenal got anything from this game they didn't deserve."

"It is always a point gained if you are in a relegation battle and playing one of the serious contenders for the title."

Source: ESPN Soccernet on 19 Mar 11

Boasts amid blunders

On an afternoon when his crumbling season so nearly fell off the rails once and for all, Arsene Wenger chose his moment to proclaim the most unpredictable title race in years is destined to finish with his Arsenal side being crowned champions.

The 'In Arsene We Trust' movement will join their hero in claiming this 2-2 draw at the Hawthorns was a triumph for Arsenal's battling qualities in a month when their bid for a Quadruple has collapsed, yet even the most loyal followers of the legendary Gunners boss must question the motives behind his lavish boasts on a day when the flaws in his side were exposed for the umpteenth time.

With howling defensive errors undermining Arsenal's attempts to emerge from their recent slump, the two late goals that staved off another defeat merely papered over the cracks in an increasingly desperate title charge.

However, Wenger told the gathered media at The Hawthorns that his side were on the brink of becoming kings of English football, even though they fell five points behind title favourites Manchester United after this draw.

"We will win our game in hand and beat United, which will be enough to make us champions," Wenger defiantly boasted on a day when his side conceded another sloppy goal from a corner and saw the latest calamity 'keeper moment from Manuel Almunia leave them in danger of what may have been a fatal defeat.

While Wenger had every right to laud his side's dramatic late fightback thanks to goals from Andrei Arshavin and Robin van Persie, the truth was they looked like a side whose bolt had been shot for the first 70 minutes of this game against lowly West Brom.

However, the excuses continue to flow from the Arsenal boss as he did all he could to deflect attention away from a team who are clearly running out of steam at a crucial stage of the season once again.

"The pitch was difficult for us to play on in this game," Wenger said by way of explanation for this latest disappointment. "Also, we were far too tentative, too nervous in the opening period of the match. Clearly what has happened to us in the last few weeks was playing on our mind in this game.

"Still, I feel we showed great spirit and commitment to get back into this game and when you are 2-0 down away from home with 20 minutes to go, a point has to be viewed as a good result.

"This performance proves we are ready to battle and we are up for this fight and, even though big the mistakes we made to get ourselves into a difficult position today were disappointing, this is not a moment for personal criticism. It was our fault we conceded both goals, but we found a way to get a good point in the end."

It's hard to believe a defence that is so desperately inept when defending set-plays has a realistic chance of winning the Premier League and West Brom needed just three minutes to expose Arsenal's weakest link once again, as Chris Brunt's floated cross was headed home by an unmarked Reid. Aaron Ramsey was the guilty man as he lost his man in the box at a crucial moment.

Accusatory finger-pointing from defenders was complemented with arm-waving from 'keeper Almunia, yet the lack of a leader at the heart of Wenger's defence had been exposed and the remaining 87 minutes of this game suddenly had the potential to decide the futures of more than a few high-profile Arsenal stars.

The response Wenger would have expected from his players would not materialise before the break, so his move to replace the persistently ineffective Denilson with Marouane Chamakh at the break confirmed he appreciated the scale of his crisis. The roar that greeted the departure of the Brazilian from the travelling Arsenal supporters confirmed that they believe he has long outstayed his welcome in this team.

Yet disaster was just around the corner for Arsenal as after 58 minutes, a long punt upfield inspired keeper Manuel Almunia to rush from his goal and collide with defensive partner Sebastien Squillaci.

If this was not a team challenging for one of the biggest prizes in world football, the comedy scene created by Arsenal's No. 1 would have been humorous, but Wenger did not see the funny side as Peter Odemwingie fired his shot into the unguarded goal to double the Baggies' lead.

The Arsenal boss threw a water bottle in disgust as his side had attempted suicide a second time and, at that point, it was hard to see how a side lacking inspiration and drive would find a way back into the game.

That was before a stunning strike from Arshavin and a fortunate leveller from Van Persie gave Arsenal a point the West Brom manager felt they deserved.

"We played against one of the very best teams in the Premier League today, so collecting a point was a fine effort," Roy Hodgson said. "This is certainly a point gained for us and, while we were given some help by Arsenal in the two goals we scored, that performance was close to the maximum my players can provide."
Those who witnessed Arsenal's efforts at The Hawthorns will confirm it was the display of a side who appear to be wallowing in their own self pity after going out of three cup competitions in quick succession.

These players seem unable to recover from a setback and respond in the right manner and that looks certain to deny them their final shot at glory in this troubled season.

Wenger's confident boasts after this game may well have been designed to convince his players that they will shed their defeatist mentality in time to enter the winner's circle come May, but you have to wonder whether even the persistently optimistic Frenchman seriously believes their moment of glory is a matter of weeks away.

MAN OF THE MATCH
Steven Reid. The Albion midfielder showed some classy touches and outshone many of the star names around him.

WEST BROM VERDICT
This was a gutsy effort from Hodgson's men and, while the two goals they scored were gifts from Arsenal, their energy levels remained high throughout. Time will tell whether they have enough class to stay in the Premier League.

ARSENAL VERDICT
Just for once, Arsenal struggled to produce the brilliant flowing football that seems to compensate fans who claim the entertainment they get from their team is more important than trophies. Even though this point may be useful in the title race, the Gunners didn't look like champions in the making at the Hawthorns.

EXCUSE CULTURE
Footballers will hide behind any excuse offered to them when they fail and Wenger may be guilty of providing his players with another get out after this latest below par showing. The Arsenal boss blamed the Hawthorns pitch for his latest setback, but the reality is the fragile nature of his players was a bigger issue.

Source: Kevin Palmer, ESPN Soccernet on 19 Mar 11

West Brom's Steven Reid knocks another dent in Arsenal's title tilt

Arsenal avoided another defeat, which appeared to be their fate for two-thirds of the match, but they have now won only one of their past six – and that was against Leyton Orient. This was very much a case of two points dropped on a day when Manchester United won to extend their lead at the top of the table to five. Arsène Wenger and his team still have a game in hand, but on recent evidence it would be reckless to gamble on them taking maximum advantage.

West Bromwich Albion were left in if-only mode after blowing a 2–0 lead, but they remain impressively resurgent under Roy Hodgson's restorative management, unbeaten in their past five and in the sort of form that should edge them clear of relegation. Both goals Arsenal conceded were embarrassing, indicating their need for a more reliable goalkeeper and rock-steady centre-halves. It is a recurring weakness and one that will probably leave Wenger and company empty-handed for a sixth season. The problem is something of a blind spot for the Arsenal manager: Albion's second was horribly reminiscent of the way Birmingham were gifted the Carling Cup.

The opening goal here, after only three minutes, was not much better from a defensive viewpoint. The centre-halves in particular were found wanting both before and after Chris Brunt's corner, which was needlessly conceded and hopelessly combated. When Steven Reid rose above Aaron Ramsey to power a header into the roof of the net, one wondered why Ramsey, and not one of the big defenders, was guarding the centre of the six-yard box. The thought also occurred that Jens Lehmann, back on the bench, would have made a better fist of organising those in front of him.

Arsenal threatened equality after 26 minutes, when Andrey Arshavin crossed to Robin van Persie, whose header rebounded from the crossbar. Ramsey, following in, had his shot saved.

Unable to assemble their customary passing game on an uneven surface, the Gunners needed a more direct approach, and Wenger sent on an extra striker, Marouane Chamakh, in place of Denílson, switching to 4-4-2. The desired improvement was still a long time coming and Albion should have doubled the margin nine minutes after the interval, when Brunt wasted Marek Cech's left-wing cross by shooting wide from six yards. The second goal was not delayed long. After 58 minutes a long, lofted clearance from Youssouf Mulumbu panicked Manuel Almunia into rushing out of his penalty area to deal with a situation that was Sébastien Squillaci's responsibility. The bounce of the ball confused both of them, each looking to the other as Peter Odemwingie rolled the ball into an untenanted net. When the television cameras panned to the bench, Lehmann's face was a picture.

Arsenal were back in it after 70 minutes when Arshavin, supplied by Chamakh, scored emphatically, left to right, and nine minutes later it was 2–2, Arshavin crossing from the left for Nicklas Bendtner to head against the far post. The ball bounced into the six-yard box where Abdoulaye Méïté's maladroit intervention could not stop Van Persie from nudging it home.

Arsenal would have won it in added time had not Scott Carson plunged low to his right to repel Gaël Clichy's goalbound drive, but such a result would have been hard on West Brom, who deserved their point. Wenger played down his obvious disappointment. "Mathematically, we lost two points, but psychologically we gained one," he said. "I'm proud of the spirit we have shown, which proves we are ready for the fight. We played opponents who were very well organised, on a pitch which was very difficult for us. That meant our comeback from 2–0 down was down to character and resilience. It was important for us not to lose after what has happened to us recently."

Hodgson praised his team's "sterling effort", and singled out contributions from James Morrison, who played with a gashed forehead, Paul Scharner, who was concussed, and Brunt, who insisted on taking part despite a high temperature. The Albion manager said: "It is always disappointing to be 2–0 up and not to get a victory, but it has to be a point gained when you're in a relegation battle and playing serious contenders for the title."

Source: Joe Lovejoy, The Guardian on 19 Mar 11

Wenger's reaction to the West Bromwich Albion 2-2 Arsenal match

On his mood after the game…
I am proud of the spirit we have shown. It shows we are ready for a fight. We made things difficult for ourselves with the second goal and we faced opponents who were very well organised. It was a little bit attack against defence, like you do in training. We were nearly punished because they had a chance in the second half before they scored the second goal. The pitch was very difficult for us, it looked difficult to get passing to the top speed. It was more down to character and resilience, which we have shown plenty of. Mathematically, we [have] lost two points but psychologically we have won a point because when you are 2-0 down with 20 minutes to go, you are not to unhappy to come back.

On West Brom’s second goal…
I do not want to go too much into individual criticism. What was good was the reaction the whole team has shown. It will be interesting until the end [of the season], we are ready to focus and ready to fight.

On the Premier League title race…
I felt, no matter what happened today, it will not be over. For the team, it was important not to lose. With what happened to us recently, of course, you wonder how you would recover if you lose the game today.

On the defending for West Brom’s first goal…
[I was] very disappointed. I think we were far too nervous and tentative in the first part of the game. They played with more freedom than we did. We were a bit nervy and you could see that the recent games had an impact in our mind. The team has shown great character. I am very proud of that.

On the state of the pitch…
The pitch was not at fault when we conceded the goals, we were at fault on the first and the second goal. We cannot blame the pitch for that. I just felt, with a team playing deep, the pitch slows the passing play down and makes it difficult for you. Today was more down to spirit than typical [and] technical Arsenal play.

On some frustrating mistakes…
That’s the Premier League this season. I have heard that Manchester United won in the last two minutes. It is the least-predictable season since I have been in England. So it will be down to consistency and, as I said, character.

Source: Arsenal.com on 19 Mar 11

19 March 2011: West Bromwich Albion 2-2 Arsenal, The Hawthorns

Arsenal staged a two-goal comeback at West Brom on Saturday to keep alive their hopes of winning the Premier League title.

Arsène Wenger’s side seemed to have suffered a massive blow to their aspirations when a defensive mix-up saw Peter Odemwingie put the home side 2-0 ahead just before the hour.

Arsenal had been trailing since Steven Reid’s header in the third minute and, despite having overwhleming possession, they could not break down a stubborn West Brom defence.

However, Andrey Arshavin put them back into contention in the 70th minute and then, seven minutes later, Robin van Persie trickled the equaliser over the line.

Arsenal fought frantically for a winner and came closest when Gael Clichy’s drive was saved by Scott Carson. Manchester United’s late victory over Bolton mean Wenger’s men have dropped behind in the title race but, after this massive scare, it could have been much worse.

Questions will be asked about the defence after this result but Wenger’s team gave a resolute answer to any concerns about their spirit.

Arsenal’s title chances were certainly damaged in this pulsating afternoon of football but the blow was not fatal.

They are still in the race.

There were two familiar names back in the squad this afternoon. Aaron Ramsey had come off the bench last weekend against Manchester United but this afternoon he started his first game for the Club since he had picked up that horrible broken leg at Stoke in February 2010. He replaced the injured Abou Diaby.

Meanwhile, Jens Lehmann was on the bench after coming out of retirement to answer an emergency call from Wenger. It was the German’s first Arsenal appearance since May 2007.

Elsewhere, Sebastien Squillaci replaced Johan Djourou, who is out for six weeks with a shoulder injury, and Gael Clichy replaced Kieran Gibbs.

This was a massive day for Arsenal. After the disappointments of recent weeks, Wenger’s men needed a fillip and, of course, three points.

However they would make the worst possible start.

In the fourth minute, Laurent Koscielny gave away a corner on the left which Chris Brunt swung over to the edge of the six-yard box. It found Reid, who pulled away from Ramsey before powering home a header from close range.

It was a horrible goal to concede and instantly put Arsenal on the back foot. They struggled to respond until the quarter-hour but, after that, would dominate.

On a difficult surface, the visitors took time to get their passing going. But gradually Ramsey found his measure and Samir Nasri started to have an influence on the right.

At one point towards half time, Arsenal were registering 74 per cent possession but it only brought them one real opportunity before the break.

It came in the 25th minute. Clichy raced down the left and clipped a cross towards the stretching Van Persie, who sent a looping header against the bar.

Carson stood motionless as the ball bounced back off the woodwork. But the keeper responded quickly when it eventually came down at the feet of Ramsey. The Welshman got his shot away but the ball bounced back off the body of the West Brom stopper.

Apart from that, it was one-way traffic and all in the direction of the hosts' goal. However the home side defended in numbers and, though thoroughly questioned by Arsenal, they always found an answer.

It was a massive half-time for Wenger and he made a decisive change. Denilson off, Marouane Chamakh on.

The Moroccan went up front, with Van Persie in support. Nasri moved to central midfield and Ramsey shifted to the right.

It was an attacking move. And Wenger would make another just before the hour when the Welshman made way for Nicklas Bendtner.

That came just after substitute Marek Cech broke away on the left and his cross was put wide by the sliding Brunt when he should have scored.

However, after the change, West Brom did find a second.

There seemed little on when Odemwingie chased down Squillaci in pursuit of a long ball on 58 minutes. But Almunia also came out to collect and so when the West Brom striker won the ball he had the relatively simple job of rolling it into the empty net.

Again, a horrible goal to concede.

Arsenal now had everything against them. And when Van Persie hacked a free-kick well wide it seemed that they would struggle to respond.

But in the 70th minute, Arshavin handed the visitors a lifeline. The Russian popped up on the left of the area and rifled a shot into the far corner.

It was Arshavin’s sixth goal of the season and potentially the most important.

And the Russian would have an massive influence in the equaliser eight minutes later. It was his raking cross that drew Carson to the far post and bounced back into the area off the upright. The ball got stuck under the feet of Abdoulaye Meite and the sliding Van Persie got the merest of touches to trickle the ball over the line.

The game had turned on its head and now Arsenal were looking for a winner. Van Persie nodded wide from a corner and Jack Wilshere saw his shot blocked.

In injury time Clichy strode forward and saw his effort saved by Carson low at the near post.

Arsenal threw everything at West Brom in the dying seconds but, despite scrambles, the goal would not come.

At the end, the players looked crestfallen.

This was a trip - even a backward step - but there is time to recover.

* A word for the travelling Arsenal fans this afternoon. As at Old Trafford, they were utterly magnificent in their support - a credit to the Club.

Source: Richard Clarke, Arsenal.com on 19 Mar 11

And Then There Was One...

Last Saturday's defeat at Man Utd in the FA Cup ended a dismal fortnight which saw Arsenal eliminated from three of the four competitions they were contesting this season. Only one remains.

The performance at Old Trafford brought to the surface all the niggles and flaws of this current squad. Missing a couple of key players, the team still managed to conjure up some sumptuous approach play. However, their cutting edge was nowhere near sharp enough and defensive errors cost them dearly.

So, out of the FA Cup we went and that tournament went the way of the Carling Cup and the Champions League. The Gunners now only have the Premier League to play for. But is “only” the right word?

Ask any Arsenal supporter worth their salt what they wanted to win most at the start of the season and the answer should have been the Premier League. No one ever undeservedly wins the Premier League.

You can fluke the Carling Cup, the FA Cup and even the Champions League (as Liverpool proved in 2005) but no one ever flukes the Premier League. There are never any hard luck stories or arguments. The best team over 38 games always wins it. And Arsenal are now presented with a massive chance to do just that.

With ten games to play and their destiny in their own hands, the Gunners have a glorious opportunity to take the title this season. They now have no other distractions. With the exception of the midweek away game at Spurs on Wednesday 20th April they only have one game a week, providing plenty of time to re-group and prepare for the next match.

On the downside, once again, injuries have come at the wrong time. Wojciech Szczesny, Lucasz Fabianski, Johan Djourou and Thomas Vermaelen are all ruled out for the season. Cesc Fabregas, Alex Song and Theo Walcott are still a few weeks away from fitness. Of these, Fabregas would seem to be the key man. He is the one player who has the ability to elevate this squad from being a decent side to being potential title winners.

More positively though, with goalkeepers thin on the ground, it is great news that Jens Lehmann is back to provide some cover to the end of the season. I love Jens. He is mad like goalkeepers should be. He was part of the Invincibles squad. He won the 2005 FA Cup for Arsenal. More specifically, he has the sort of personality that will hopefully rub off on other players in a favourable way (maybe not Manuel Alumunia though!). If the presence of Sol Campbell helped matters towards the end of last season, then Jens in the dressing room will hopefully shake things up for the good this time round.

There can also be few complaints about the remaining fixtures. There are more away games than home matches but it still looks a shade more straight-forward than Man Utd’s run-in. United also have the considerable distraction of an FA Cup semi-final against Man City and a Champions League quarter-final against Chelsea. Arsenal couldn’t have scripted those match-ups better if Arsene Wenger had done the draw himself.

In reality though, what United are doing ought to be irrelevant to Arsenal. To reiterate: their destiny is in their own hands. It is up to the players to put the disappointments of the last few weeks behind them and focus on what can still be achieved.

Tomorrow they face West Brom away. However it can be achieved, they need to win this game. Who cares if it is the scrappiest game of the season or if Arsenal can only find a winning goal from an outrageous deflection or a mad goal-mouth scramble? What will matter is the three points. After that, the Gunners have an international break in which to re-group after a rough few weeks. It will give injured players more time to recover and everyone the opportunity to get their minds right for the closing weeks of the season.

In spite of the recent disappointments, Arsenal still have a massive opportunity to take some honours this season. It is now time for the talking to stop and the results to be delivered.

Source: David Young, ESPN Soccernet on 18 Mar 11

Match Preview: West Bromwich Albion vs Arsenal

Gone. Finished. Washed up. On their knees.

The labels applied to this Arsenal side in the past week are exactly those used the last time Arsène Wenger’s men went out of the FA Cup and Champions League in a matter of days.

Back then, Manchester United beat them at Villa Park on the Saturday then a heartbreaking goal from Wayne Bridge saw Chelsea knock them out of Europe at the Quarter-Final stage the following Tuesday.

When Arsenal trailed 2-1 to Liverpool at half time in the Premier League on the subsequent Friday their world seemed to have collapsed under the weight of their own potential.

However this was season 2003/04 remember, the unbeaten title triumph.

History tends to reflect success as an inevitable. But, in truth, this is never the case.

Robert Pires drew Arsenal level then, a minute later, Thierry Henry broke Liverpool hearts with an impossible solo goal. Wenger’s side won 4-2, secured the title at Tottenham and then would remain unbeaten but, at that point, the side that went on to be called the “Invincibles” seemed to have tossed away any chance of glory.

Right now, with his current side having gone out of the Carling Cup, Champions League and FA Cup within 13 days, Wenger knows the comparison between these two incarnations of his side is not only fair, it can act as an inspiration.

And, when he spoke at Friday’s press conference, the manager even drew a certain comfort from having been here before.

“I must say at half-time in the dressing room against Liverpool that day I felt that the team was really on their knees,” he recalled.

“They needed an ‘alert’ speech to get back and, on the day, Thierry Henry made a massive difference in the second half. Liverpool then accepted that we were superior but it was not an easy situation.

“The team at the moment needs a mental toughness too and to support each other.

“We are not in a disastrous situation. We are in a position where we have to be attracted by what we can achieve. We are not fighting against going down, we are fighting to win the title. So we do not want to feel sorry for ourselves; just go for it.”

Ironically enough, Wenger re-signed the “Invincibles” goalkeeper on Thursday and Jens Lehmann will be on the bench at West Brom on Saturday.

The German is 41 and had seemingly ended an illustrious career at Stuttgart last summer. He has arrived primarily as cover for Manuel Almunia but Lehmann brings baggage - namely determination, experience and a winning mentality. Arsenal need all three right now.

Elsewhere the injury list is still significant. Cesc Fabregas (hamstring), Alex Song (knee) and Theo Walcott (ankle) are still out. Abou Diaby (groin) and Johan Djourou (shoulder) have been added since the defeat at Old Trafford. In addition, it has been confirmed that Thomas Vermaelen (Achilles) is out for the season.

The only brighter news is that Nicklas Bendtner could be back after sickness.

West Brom are struggling to stay up but, at the same time, hard to beat under Roy Hodgson. The former Liverpool manager has only been in charge for three games but that has brought draws in the derby against Wolves and at Stoke plus a massive win at Birmingham a fortnight ago.

Those draws came courtesy of late equalisers by Carlos Vela. The on-loan Arsenal striker is not eligible this weekend.

But the other end of the pitch is the major concern at The Hawthorns right now; West Brom have not kept a clean sheet for 27 Premier League games. If they concede on Saturday they will break Burnley’s unenviable record. Arsenal, meanwhile, have taken 25 points away from home this season – the most in the Premier League.

“West Brom are still a footballing side,” said Wenger. “I saw them against Birmingham, they had a good performance but for both teams there will be a lot at stake. They will play with the idea that they can go down and we will play with the desire to get to the top.”

Those cup defeats have left Arsenal’s task crystal clear and their remaining ten games can be broken into three parts.

· A trio of relegation strugglers in the next month (West Brom A, Blackburn H, Blackpool A).

· Then top-seven sides for three weeks (Liverpool H, Spurs A, Bolton A, Man United H).

· Finally, the mid-table outfits (Stoke A, Villa H, Fulham A).

There is danger everywhere but surely winning the title pre-supposes nine points from those first three games and avoiding defeat against Manchester United.

West Brom are the only side to have outplayed Arsenal for 90 minutes at Emirates Stadium this season and won. That 3-2 defeat came in late September when Wenger’s side were struggling to mount a title challenge.

It will worry Arsenal fans that the catalyst for their revival since then – the defence - has lost a pair of major components, probably for the season, in their past two games – Szczesny against Barcelona and Djourou against Manchester United.

The Old Trafford side have conceded the most goals in the top four – a rare occurrence – and they are hampered by key injuries themselves. But, all season, they have had a canny knack of meandering their way to victory.

For Arsenal, a change of luck – pure and simple – would help. Not that Wenger is prepared to accept ill-fortune has been a factor. This has been the toughest two weeks of the season but the manager is still accentuating the positive.

'No. I don't believe [the Gods are against us],” he responded. “I believe you can have bad results in football. It can happen. What you don't understand is, if you look at what we did this season, it deserves a lot of credit.

“Now we have to put it right until the end of the season and continue to do as we did at the start of the campaign. Would anybody have predicted that we would be where we are, in front of Chelsea and Man City and fighting for the title? Nobody.

“We went out against Barcelona - it's just one goal, playing with ten men and we had a chance in the last minute to qualify. I don't think we have to be ashamed of what we did. We should be proud of what we did until now.

“So let people talk and let us do the job.”

And, despite everything, that job is still in their hands.

Source: Richard Clarke, Arsenal.com on 19 Mar 11

Arsenal left puzzled by nightmare loss to West Bromwich Albion

Arsenal will go into the Champions League game in Belgrade tomorrow trying to convince themselves that their shambles of a performance against a well‑organised, disciplined though hardly awesome West Bromwich Albion side on Saturday was just a bad dream. Having been debagged by the Baggies they will try not to be taken apart by Partizan, but until or unless Arsène Wenger addresses his most pressing problem in the January transfer window, the nightmare will recur.

"It's a mystery to me," Wenger said after Arsenal lost 3-2 to Albion, who were leading 3-0 before Samir Nasri twice took advantage of a tiring defence in the final 15 minutes. "Today in our performance something was not right. It is unexplainable how flat the whole thing looked for the whole game. I did not recognise my team today."

More than a few among a crowd of 60,000 would have been happy to enlighten him, for they recognised exactly what was wrong, starting with the goalkeeper. Manuel Almunia's loved ones must regularly give thanks that he did not decide to take up bullfighting rather than football, that the horns upon which he regularly finds himself are of a dilemma rather than a hunk of bad‑tempered beef.

Almunia's day began well with a sharp save from Chris Brunt's penalty, albeit one which he recklessly gave away by bringing down Peter Odemwingie, West Bromwich's quick-witted, nimble-footed import from Lokomotiv Moscow, then deteriorated rapidly thereafter. Two elementary errors enabled Albion to put the contest virtually beyond Arsenal's reach after Odemwingie had given them the lead early in the second half.

First Almunia allowed a firm but stoppable shot from Gonzalo Jara, sent clear by Brunt's back heel, to skid past him at the near post. Then, having left his goal to meet another threat from Brunt, he hesitated and was stranded by a simple pass which set up Jerome Thomas for a tap-in. This was hardly Arsenal goalkeeping in the tradition of Jack Kelsey, Bob Wilson, Pat Jennings and David Seaman. More like Dan Lewis, who is best remembered for fumbling the ball over the line in the 1927 FA Cup final to hand the trophy to Cardiff City.

Wenger was not prepared to single out Almunia for criticism. "You can have question marks over many players today if you look at the performances, especially defensively. Many players made massive mistakes defensively." No argument there and Almunia could plead in mitigation that all too often he had about as much cover as Gypsy Rose Lee, though with less support from the fans. From the first minute Thomas, once a member of Arsenal's youth team, was going past Bacary Sagna as if the right‑back wasn't there – and often he was not – while on the right Brunt and Jara motored through the Place de Clichy as if the lights were stuck on green. Greater awareness from the centre-backs, Sébastien Squillaci and Laurent Koscielny, might have prevented Albion's first and third goals.

Upsets among the leading teams are not uncommon when a Champions League fixture is in the offing. On the same September weekend two seasons ago Arsenal, facing Porto three days later, lost at home to the newly promoted Hull City. This time Wenger also had the excuse of having to field a patched-up side with its fulcrum, Cesc Fábregas, among the many injuries. None of which alters the fact that unless Arsenal sign a better goalkeeper there will be more humiliations before the season is out.

Maybe some of Wenger's players took West Bromwich too lightly. After all, Arsenal had scored 16 times in three home games while Albion had conceded seven in two away. Certainly they were taken unawares by the way Roberto Di Matteo's side came at them. "We pressed very high, we pressed them all over the pitch," he said. "We managed not to let them play their usual way and when we passed the ball we passed it very well and created chances ourselves."

In fact West Bromwich won at Arsenal for the first time since 1983 in much the same way Wigan recently won at Tottenham. They stifled the opposition with a five-man midfield while pushing up on the flanks at every opportunity and giving the lone striker, Odemwingie, steady support. Nasri's two, late goals, skilfully set up and taken as Albion started to wilt, offered Arsenal a great escape but any result other than a win for West Bromwich would have been a travesty. "Overall we got what we deserved," said Wenger. Arsenal are at Chelsea this Sunday..

Source: David Lacey, The Guardian on 27 Sep 10

Gunners Humbled

Carling Cup hangover? Or a grossly complacent and sloppy performance by a group of players that thought they only had to turn up to win? Seeing as Arsene Wenger made eight changes from the team that started against Spurs midweek, let's go with the latter, shall we?

Before talking about Arsenal’s display, it is only fair to say that West Brom were magnificent yesterday and thoroughly deserved their victory. They competed from the first whistle to the last. They took their game to the Gunners and looked the better side all afternoon. They attacked with pace and real intent and were organised and focussed in defence.

However, as good as West Brom were, it does not excuse the performance of an Arsenal team that has aspirations of winning a title. It was lamentable, undisciplined and totally unprofessional. It would be nice to put it down the team having a collective “off-day” but, unfortunately, one couldn’t help but sense that most of yesterday’s performance was down to arrogance and laziness.

Abou Diaby and Alex Song seemed to be having their own private competition as to who could give the ball away the most with artistic impression points being added for doing so in the slackest way possible. Andrey Arshavin looked disinterested, which is becoming something of a trademark for him, and you might have thought that Emmanuel Eboue, given a Premier League start in a season where he is more likely to play as a utility player, might have been keen to impress. You would have thought wrong.

And that was just the midfield. Up front, Marouane Chamakh was totally anonymous and to say the defence looked shaky all afternoon would be far too generous. The fullbacks were constantly terrorised by West Brom’s wide-players and, at times, the back four looked all over the place.

And then there was the goalkeeping. It was hard to know whether to actually feel a little sorry for Manuel Almunia. In the first half he kept the Gunners in the game making one tremendous save and also saving a penalty. After the break though, a catastrophic blunder saw him throw in the Baggies’s second goal and all his good work was undone. Any sympathy you might feel soon gets lost in the frustration of seeing Arsenal’s goalkeeper yet again take one step forward and two steps back. In an afternoon of ineptitude, it was his mistake that essentially cost Arsenal the match - but he wasn't solely to blame for what was a humiliating defeat.

One also has to question Arsene Wenger. Having got to the interval at nil-nil - and to have been fortunate to have done so - you might have thought this would have been one of the rare occasions when the Frenchman had a tea-throwing tantrum in the dressing room at half-time. And if that didn’t happen, surely he would deliver an inspirational speech that would pull the players out of their malaise and onto glory? Whatever he said at the interval, it had zero impact because the second half started as shoddily as the first half had been played out - only this time West Brom punished the Gunners with two quick and well-deserved goals.

Finally, Wenger saw fit to replace the pathetic Diaby and hapless Eboue with Tomas Rosicky and Jack Wilshere. It was a change that might have been better at half-time and before conceding a two-goal lead, but better late than never. Wilshere’s first contribution was to sweep a gorgeous ball out to the left-wing. It was a pass that showed more maturity, class and vision than anything Abou Diaby had produced in the preceding hour.

Though the Gunners conceded a third on the break amid more shambolic defending, the introductions of the substitutes did improve matters greatly and Samir Nasri, the one player in the starting eleven who could still hold his head up high at the final whistle, profited from the impetus that the fresh blood provided, scoring a couple in reply. As it was, the fight-back came too late and, to be honest, anything other than a West Brom win would have been a travesty of an outcome based on the whole ninety minutes. Arsenal got exactly what they deserved - absolutely nothing.

Arsene Wenger said after the match they he would have to analyse what went wrong but that suggests there was some sort of mystery as to why the Gunners were so poor. I don’t think there was any mystery to it at all and several individuals in that squad need to take a good look at themselves and ask themselves a few searching questions. The manager should at least be a bit clearer in his mind as to who the passengers are in his squad and who the real winners are.

The only consolation on the back of yesterday’s shambles was that, over the weekend, Chelsea and Spurs were also beaten and Manchester United and Liverpool were held to draws. Whilst it is infuriating to have squandered a golden opportunity to have made up some ground on Chelsea ahead of next weekend’s trip to Stamford Bridge, the other results did offer a bit of damage limitation.

It was all such a contrast to the glorious midweek trip to Spurs in the Carling Cup. That night Arsenal played some scintillating football and came away with a rousing and thoroughly-deserved win. It was a marvellous collective effort but Jack Wilshere does have to be singled out for particular praise. He orchestrated more or less everything good that Arsenal did and the whole game marched to his beat.

The kid is eighteen years old and yet he has the vision, temperament and bravery of a player ten years older than that. It would be easy to get carried away with that one performance but when he came on yesterday he looked far more accomplished and comfortable on the ball than either Diaby and Song. Tuesday night was not a flash in the pan for Jack Wilshere. He has looked good all season and, having been presented with a chance by Arsene Wenger, he appears to be taking it. We are going to see a lot more from him in the coming months.

The players now have to pick themselves up ahead of Tuesday night’s trip to Partizan Belgrade in the Champions League. Hopefully, their embarrassment at yesterday’s display ought to be motivation enough to turn things around - and they certainly need to ensure they do that ahead of next weekend.

Source: David Young, ESPN Soccernet on 27 Sep 10