Abou Diaby... nets the winner against Liverpool
The week that was - February 2010
February 24, 2010
Usually we can look back at a week and feel that it was defined by a game or two. This week it was a position: goalkeeper.
One week ago, Arsenal travelled to Portugal for the first leg of the Champions League Round of 16 against Porto. To define it as a game of ups-and-downs would be a bit of an understatement. We lost the game in a pretty sickening way, but we did get that vital away goal. Lukasz Fabianski let in two goals that have been replayed and discussed about four billion times, but otherwise played pretty well. Sol Campbell reminded us why we signed him by scoring, but he also played a role in Porto’s second goal.
Cesc spoke in support of Fabianski and back-up keeper Vito Mannone also came to the Pole’s defense by explaining why it’s rough being a goalkeeper. Arsène Wenger refused to bash Fabianski’s performance in his post-match comments, but he was much less shy in regard to the referee. He went so far as to point out five mistakes the ref made.
Football columnists and bloggers were chock full of opinions on both Fabianski and Arsenal’s goalkeeping situation. The gist of the commentary focused on: ‘Why didn’t Arsène buy a new keeper?’ and ‘Arsène knows nothing about goalkeepers!’ But seriously folks, truly great goalkeepers are rare and teams who have one won’t give him up easily or cheaply. Finding the right guy is not easy. Manchester United went about six years between world-class goalkeepers Peter Schmeichel and Edwin van der Sar.
Let’s also keep some perspective. A 2-1 away loss isn’t the worst thing in the world in Champions League football. Especially when it comes against a team that is on a hot streak and is notoriously tough at home. And even more especially when you consider that your already depleted line-up was also missing your starting goalkeeper, a starting center back, a starting midfielder, and two starting strikers. The second leg isn’t until March 9th, so hopefully we should have most of those players back.
The next match came against Sunderland, a team that has been experiencing a free-fall for a few months. Somewhat ironically, said free-fall seems to have begun following their win against Arsenal back in November. This matchday was much more positive. Manuel Almunia returned and kept a clean sheet, while Nicklas Bendtner scored his first goal since returning from injury. We also made up some ground on Man Utd, who lost to Everton. Arsenal is still very much in reach of the title, but as Arsène said after the game, "The only thing we can do is win our games and hope that the others drop points.”
The manager praised Bendtner’s performance and is very happy he’s returning to form after recovering from injury. Bendtner is happy too. And so is Theo. It’s been a brutal season for Theo Walcott from an injury standpoint, but he’s hoping it’s behind him now and is ready to make an impact.
More good news came from the youth ranks as 17-year-old Benik Afobe signed his first professional contract with the Club. He’s been with Arsenal since he was eight, and his 12 goals in 17 matches with the Under-18s show he is definitely one to keep an eye on. Young goalkeeper James Shea also signed a new contract.
A potential boost also came from the treatment room with the news that Robin van Persie could return to the line-up in April. I don't think we can reasonably expect to him to come back firing on all cylinders, but perhaps a couple of extra goals here and there? That makes me smile.
Looking ahead, Arsenal travels to Stoke on Saturday in one of the toughest of the remaining 11 games. Stoke knocked us out of the FA Cup at Britannia Stadium one month ago and also won at home last season. No one is expecting they will be any easier to deal with this time. But let's turn Sunderland into the beginning of a 12-game unbeaten streak, shall we?
Until next week…
- Kevin Mooney
February 17, 2010
After that run of four really big games, it felt a little strange that there was no Arsenal last weekend, not even in the form of hoping no one came back injured from an international break. And yet, even with a rare weekend off, the injuries have once again begun to mount.
We just can’t catch a break, can we?
All in all, however, a week off did come at a good time. Even though players like Arshavin, Gallas, and Eduardo are all out for today’s game at Porto, some of the other guys like Bendtner, Diaby, and Vermaelen probably benefited. And make no mistake, those three players will be key against Porto.
Diaby’s 72nd minute header against Liverpool won the game for Arsenal, and his presence and form really gives the squad something different. Arsène Wenger said that after struggling with injuries for a couple of years, Diaby has “stepped up and improved tremendously.”
Diaby spoke with Arsenal TV Online after the match and discussed his goal and how the team got a much-needed boost of confidence. Wenger said “the team is solid, mentally strong and determined” and firmly believes the title is still in reach.
It also happened to be his 300th victory in the Premier League. So a big congratulations to you, Boss!
The Reserves saw some action this week, and picked up two wins against Stoke and Chelsea. The Stoke match marked the return of Nacer Barazite who scored after just eight minutes. Not too bad for a guy who has been out of action for four months. 17-year-old striker Luke Freeman notched his first goal at the Reserve level to help beat Chelsea, which put Arsenal at the top of the Reserve League South. He’s definitely one to watch for the future.
Another player to keep an eye on is Craig Eastmond. The 19-year-old midfielder sat down with ATVO and spoke about his development and breakthrough with the first-team.
The Ladies team also was in the news as their old manager Vic Akers received his OBE from the Prince of Wales. In 22 years in charge, his teams won 32 trophies. Well deserved, I’d say. The Club also named his full-time replacement in 29-year-old Laura Harvey. She had served as Reserve team manager, so she definitely knows the ropes.
But back to the Champions League. The Boss feels that Porto are one of the teams who could win the whole thing. It will always be a difficult game, but combine that with the latest injuries and it’s even more so. William Gallas’ absence means that Sol Campbell will likely get the start, but Wenger is not concerned.
What he is a bit concerned about is a new Premier League proposal to institute a playoff between the teams who finish fourth through seventh to determine who gets the last Champions League spot. As always, he makes a good argument.
Looking ahead, Arsenal will be looking to build some momentum in the League against Sunderland on Saturday. We’ll also be looking to exact some revenge against the Black Cats after November’s 1-0 at the Stadium of Light.
But that’s Saturday. Today it’s all about the Champions League and the road to Madrid.
Until next week…
- Kevin Mooney
February 10, 2010
Last year, one of the big complaints by many pundits was that Arsenal could win the big games against the likes of Chelsea, Man Utd, and Liverpool, but would never win the league because we always drop points against teams lower down the table.
What a difference a year makes.
So far, the Gunners have performed remarkably well against teams not named Manchester United, Manchester City, or Chelsea. Without those losses, perhaps our position in the table would look much more impressive.
Not that third is anything to be ashamed of. As Arsène Wenger said, a top-three finish is much more difficult than winning a trophy. And dare I say, much more lucrative. Considering that in the pre-season, many picked us to finish as low as sixth in the league, I can’t say I’m too unhappy right now.
But before anyone concedes anything, bear in mind that the last time Chelsea defeated us, we were 11-points off the lead and the media was planning our funeral. A few weeks later we were top of the table. Yes, there are only 13 games left and we are nine points out, but the fixture list may just be a bit more favorable to us than anyone else in the title hunt right now. The Boss still thinks Arsenal can win the title, and he sees other reasons to remain optimistic as well.
Still, the Chelsea game wasn’t a complete disaster. With apologies to Michael Ballack, we did hold the ball a lot, and we did have a few near misses. If not for Didier ‘Arsenal Kryptonite’ Drogba, the score line may have turned out differently.
Arsène was vilified in the media and blogosphere this week for being mean to opposing teams and not giving them credit. There were all kinds of stories ripping him for not being complimentary to other teams and making excuses for Arsenal’s losses. Most of these stories were based on quotes pulled from his press conferences that were incomplete or horribly taken out of context. So much so that he found it necessary to clarify his comments and berate the press at the same time. And lucky for you, dear reader, USA.Arsenal.com provides the press conferences in full, as well as some transcripts so you can judge for yourself.
In other news, transfer sagas remain at the top of conversation list. The manager said last week that he tried to sign a player on transfer deadline day, but wasn’t able to pull it off and will not say who that player was. Fortunately, the media was on hand to speculate that the unnamed player was Stoke goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen. Logical? Perhaps. True? Not so much.
Arsenal was not the only team to not make a big-money signing in January. In fact, there really weren’t any big moves at all. And the Manager also reminded us that big-player transfers don’t stop at the transfer fee. There’s still that small detail about the big-time salaries that go with the big-time players.
One oft-mentioned player who we may yet see playing for Arsenal is Bordeaux’s Marouane Chamakh. The Moroccan striker has apparently proclaimed that we are his favored destination in the summer when he is out of contract. Unsurprisingly, Wenger is keeping tight-lipped on the subject.
Another name that has once again surfaced on the transfer rumor pages is Cesc Fabregas. The Boss is unconcerned about the rumor.
One player that has moved away from the Club, albeit temporarily, is defender Kyle Bartley. He has linked up with Championship-side Sheffield United for the next three months. It’s a great opportunity for the player to show what he can do, and an even greater opportunity for Arsenal to see what we have. Good luck to him!
Looking ahead, Liverpool visits North London later today in the last of a brutal four-game stretch. I’m growing weary of saying ‘this is a key game’ because quite frankly, in the English Premier League EVERY game is a key game. The race for both the title and the Champions League spots increasingly come down to the last few games of the season. Arsène still thinks every team will drop points in the upcoming months and is calling for his players to stand together amidst the criticism. After tonight, the players get a bit of a break before the next game which is a week from today away to Porto in the Champions League.
Here’s to three points and getting back on track.
Until next week…
- Kevin Mooney
February 3, 2010
After a really deflating loss, such as the one at the hands of Manchester United on Sunday, I sometimes don’t know what’s worse, the loss itself or reading the really negative reactions to it in the press and blogosphere.
There is very little good to report about from the Man Utd match, and Arsène Wenger was less than pleased with his team’s performance. At least Thomas Vermaelen, whose status for the game was questionable after he nearly broke his leg against Aston Villa midweek, gave us something and scored a pretty goal late in the second half. It at least raised my hopes a bit for a few minutes, but it is definitely better to not dwell on that game.
Moving on then? Yes please.
The transfer window slammed shut on Monday and it happened to be one of the least busy January windows in recent memory. Spending among Premier League teams topped £150 million each of the past two years. This year it was but £32 million.
A quiet transfer window overall and very quiet one for Arsenal. The only deal for the Gunners was Sol Campbell on a free transfer. Certainly it was an interesting result considering the fact that Arsène Wenger said on several occasions that he was targeting a striker to replace Robin van Persie. But considering that the global economy is still very much in the doldrums, the Boss has an economics degree, and many clubs either are still holding out for outrageous transfer fees or simply do not wish to sell, it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise.
The manager did make one move, for Fulham center back Chris Smalling, but was ultimately thwarted in the end. By Man Utd. Curses!
There was also some outward movement of the loan variety with Philippe Senderos heading to Everton, Jack Wilshere moving to Owen Coyle’s Bolton squad and Sanchez Watt heading to Southend. Additionally, Wojciech Szczesny extended his loan spell with Brentford until the end of the season. With no more Carling Cup or FA Cup, these loan spells should provide the youngsters some good opportunities to show what they can do.
Looking ahead to the weekend, Arsenal travels a few miles in London traffic to Stamford Bridge to take on Chelsea. Hopefully it will turn out better than the last Sunday in November when the Blues routed Arsenal at the Emirates. Bacary Sagna admits a win is vital and Cesc Fabregas is urging his teammates to stick together and keep the faith. He said “If you don't believe, you don't win things.”
We believe Cesc, we believe.
Lastly, if you hadn’t already noticed, the Club launched a new online store for fans in North America. No more converting ponds to dollars or needing to take out a second mortgage to pay for international shipping. Check it out at ArsenalStoreUSA.com or click the Online Shopping link on the left side of the page.
Until next week…
- Kevin Mooney
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