With the 2011/12 season now well and truly over it's time for me to present my Arsenal awards for the season. It was a real topsy-turvy season for Arsenal for Arsenal, and their third placed Premier League finish was the very most that could have been hoped for in reality. In the dark days of last August I think most Arsenal fans would have been very happy to settle for their eventual league position.
Altogether I have 14 awards to present for various achievements, and they're all from my own perspective of course.
Best Defensive Player:
There are a few contenders for this award with Wojciech Szczesny, Bacary Sagna and Laurent Koscielny all having a good chance of winning it. I suppose Sagna's injuries should really count him out, and while Szczesny was good there is still plenty of room for improvement. For me Koscielny was head and shoulders above all the other defenders at the club, as he personified the art of defending at times.
His reading of the game is second to none, and the timing of his tackling is excellent. He should be the first choice central defender in Arsenal's team sheet every week next season with others fighting for the right to play alongside him. To add to his excellent season he also managed to score the goal that ensured Arsenal finished third and qualified for next season's Champions League.
Best Midfield Player:
When both Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri were sold Arsenal looked certain to hand their midfield duties over to Jack Wilshere. His season long injury meant that somebody else had to step up to the plate, but there weren't too many contenders for the role. It was hoped Aaron Ramsey would be the man to do the job, or that Tomas Rosicky would regain the form of a few years earlier.
Ramsey had an up and down season, and Rosicky came to the fore after the turn of the year, but it was a deadline day signing who proved to be their midfield inspiration. Mikael Arteta is believed to have taken a pay cut to join Arsenal from Everton only hours before the transfer window closed, and he grabbed the chance to play at a higher level with both hands. His ability to control the tempo of the game for Arsenal was crucial at so many times, and they really struggled when he was injured for the last few games.
A midfield consisting of both Arteta and Jack Wilshere next season could be a really exciting prospect for Arsenal and their fans.
Best Attacking Player:
There can't be any doubt about the winner of this award after Robin van Persie scored 30 Premier League goals for Arsenal. He was the top scorer in the Premier League, and some of the goals he scored were quite incredible.
He has suffered badly with injuries over his Arsenal career, but he has managed to stay injury free for the last 18 months. He has been in incredible goalscoring form in that time, and hopefully he will decide that his future should be spent at Arsenal.
Best Player:
Despite both Koscielny and Arteta playing very well all season long there can only be one choice for this award too. RVP had the season of his career so far, and there is every possibility it could be his last season for Arsenal too. His goals almost single-handedly carried the team at times if the experts are to be believed.
It would be great if he signed a contract to see out his career at Arsenal, and helped the club to achieve the success he wants to achieve himself. Whatever happens Arsenal will go on, and RVP's season will be remembered as probably the best one in his career.
Most Improved Player:
When a player turns 30 he is usually past his best, and Toms Rosicky will be 32 later this year. He has spent the last four ears either injured or unable to find the form of his earlier career. In the second half of this season in particular he managed to rediscover some of the form which tempted Arsenal to spend so much money on him six years ago.
He was able to take control of the midfield in games, and play the role vacated by Cesc Fabregas. When the team needed some forward momentum in the second half of the season he was the player putting in the effort to drive others on. Hopefully his new contract will inspire him to even better things next season.
Best Goal:
I was lucky enough to be in the Emirates when RVP scored what I consider to be Arsenal's best goal of the season. Alex Song floated a ball over the top of the Everton defence with 20 minutes left in the game which marked Arsenal's 125th anniversary. As the ball fell to RVP he unleashed a magnificent volley in to the far corner of the net to leave Tim Howard helpless.
The technique on dis play from RVP for that goal was something most players can only dream of, but he has shown all too often what he is capable of. It was a fitting goal to celebrate three points on such a momentous occasion for the club and the fans too.
Best Tackle:
Laurent Koscielny showed what a fine art tackling can be on many occasions throughout the season, and deserved to be named Arsenal's best defensive player. However, the sheer importance of the tackle by Kieran Gibbs in the final game of the season means he has to win the award. With time almost up Gibbs slid in to put his body on the line, and deny West Brom what looked like a certain equaliser.
That tackle was probably the difference between third and fourth place for Arsenal, and it's value cannot be overestimated. Gibbs may still be young and a little defensively naive at times, but he showed how much he wanted to win the game with a fantastic tackle.
Best Performance:
Arsenal had some very good performances during the season, and it's never easy to pick the best one. The 5-3 win away to Chelsea was a highlight, and so was the 3-0 win at home to AC Milan. The best performance in my opinion though was the 5-2 at home to Spurs.
After 20 minutes Arsenal were 2-0 down despite having played very well. Spurs goals came from a lucky deflection, and a penalty awarded after a Gareth Bale dive.
Arsenal went into the game 10 points behind Spurs, and it looked like that gap would increase to 13 points after the game. Surely it would have meant third place was beyond Arsenal, but that didn't matter in the end. Arsenal came storming back with two goals before half time, and then they added another three in the second half.
Within weeks Spurs had collapsed, and Arsenal had passed them to move into third place. Arsenal may have struggled to hold on to third place, but they just about kept it and Spurs were destined for the Europa League yet again.
Most Memorable Moment:
There were quite a few memorable moments during the season, but one sticks out in my mind more than all of the others. During Arsenal's 5-3 win at Chelsea there was an incident which will live long in my memory.
Arsenal had come back from 2-1 down at half time to lead 3-2 until Juan Mata scored an equaliser for Chelsea with 10 minutes left. Only five minutes later RVP ran on to a back pass which was meant for John Terry, and rounded the keeper to make the score 4-3 to Arsenal. As RVP ran through the sight of Terry falling flat on his face in a hopeless attempt to stop him was the sight which will live long in my memory.
Most Frustrating Player:
When Arsenal signed Gervinho from Lille last summer I couldn't help wishing they had signed Eden Hazard instead. Gervinho had played very well for the French double winners, but Hazard was the real class player in their ranks. Gervinho has looked very good at times during the season for Arsenal, but the lack of end product can be very frustrating.
He is very good at using a burst of pace to beat his opponent, but he seems unable to pick out the killer final pass. When faced with good goal scoring chances he rarely looks composed, and usually grabs at the shot before missing. I'm hoping his second season will offer a lot more because he looks like he has the potential to be a very good player.
Unluckiest Player:
I suppose Bacary Sagna could be considered to be very unlucky to have broken his leg twice during the season. Abu Diaby barely kicked a ball all season long because of his continued run of injuries. The unluckiest player player had to be Jack Wilshere though, as his injuries meant he missed the whole season.
He may have picked up his knock on the Emirates Cup, but the original injury happened on international duty. He had just played almost every game in the previous season for Arsenal, and looked ready to be their midfield leader when Cesc Fabregas left. His progress has been set back by a whole year and he will miss Euro 2012, as well as possibly missing the start of next season.
Player That Should Have Been Used More Often:
When Arsenal signed Akex Oxlade-Chamberlain last summer I didn't think he would be used very much during the season. I assumed he would gradually become a part of the first team squad as Arsene Wenger look to slowly introduce him. As Arsenal's injury problems mounted Chamberlain got a look in sooner than expected when he came on as a sub in the debacle away to Manchester United.
The result was nothing to do with him, but it was a long time before he got another chance in the Premier League. When he did play again he showed glimpses of what Arsenal can expect in the future, and certainly looked like he should have started more than six Premier League games. His performance in midfield at home to AC Milan an excellent one, but he never got the chance to play in that role again.
I thought that Wenger may have been protecting him from the rigours of first team football at his tender age, and possibly hoping to keep him from the eyes of the watching England manager. I think he may not have played too often to make sure he didn't get chosen for England for Euro 2012, but the gamble didn't work. I certainly would like to have seen a lot more of him, and I'm sure I will next season.
Lifetime Achievement:
Pat Rice eventually hung up his tracksuit at the end of the season, as Steve Bould became Wenger's new assistant. Rice joined Arsenal in 1964, and except for a spell at Watford towards the end of his playing career he was an Arsenal man for 48 years. He will be missed by fans and players alike, and it will be very strange to see the Arsenal bench without him on it next season.
Special Mention:
A very special mention has to go to West Brom's goalkeeper in Arsenal's final game. Ben Foster had an excellent season for Albion, but thankfully he picked up a knock before the final game of the season. His replacement was Marton Fullop, and he was in a very generous mood on the day.
Fullop managed to almost throw the ball into his own goal twice during the game, as Arsenal scraped a 3-2 win. If they hadn't won that game they would have finished in fourth place, and been consigned to Thursday night Europa League football.
That's it for today.
See you tomorrow.
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Arsenal Season Review Part 2
I started my season review of Arsenal a few days ago, and I went through all the major events up until the end of December 2011. At the turn of the year Arsenal were on 36 points, and they were still in contention for a top four finish. They had also qualified for the last 16 of the Champions League, and they had an upcoming FA Cup third round game at home to Leeds United.
Despite beating both Leeds and Aston Villa to progress to the fifth round of the FA Cup January was a very bad month for Arsenal in the Premier League. They took the lead away to both Fulham and Swansea, but ended up losing both games. They also lost at home to Manchester United, and their chances of a top four finish were fading rapidly.
Thankfully some of the other teams fighting for that top four finish were having troubles of their own, and Arsenal didn't completely lose touch. They did start to slip very far behind Spurs though, and it looked like they would have a very tough task trying to finish in their usual place ahead of their local rivals.
Things went in reverse in February when Arsenal got their league form back on track, but their cup results were far less impressive. They went out of the FA Cup away to Sunderland only a week after taking all three Premier League points on the same ground. Only a few days before that defeat to Sunderland they were beaten 4-0 away to AC Milan in the first leg of their Champions League tie.
The bleak days of January and February were of course brightened up by the temporary return of Thierry Henry on loan from the New York Red Bulls. The three goals he got increased his lead at the top of the all-tike goalscoring records for Arsenal, and it was great to see him in action for Arsenal again. He may not be the player he was a few years ago, but his last minute winner against Sunderland was absolutely priceless.
Those back to back defeats against Milan and Sunderland were followed by a home game against Spurs, and it was a game Arsenal had to win. They went into the game 10 points behind Spurs, and any other result would have been nothing short of a disaster. The game didn't start well for Arsenal, but they managed to come from 2-0 down to win 5-2.
Arsenal's comeback on that day was quite incredible, and it shifted the momentum in the race for Champions League places in their direction. They went on to win their next four Premier League games, and stretch their run to seven wins in a row. Arsenal's fantastic sequence of results coincided with a collapse from Spurs, and suddenly they were third in the table and looking good.
In the middle of that run they played their return leg with Milan, and very nearly managed to overturn the four goal deficit. They led 3-0 at half time, but they ran out of steam as well as fit players on the night. They may have gone out of the competition, but they had managed to regain some of their pride at least.
Things were looking very good for Arsenal when they went to struggling QPR at the very end of March. The other face of Arsenal was on display in that game, and they were beaten 2-1 by a team that just wanted it more. The usual questions about the desire and commitment of the players were being asked again.
Title chasing Manchester City were Arsenal's next opponents, and they were outplayed by an Arsenal team which had found everything they were missing against QPR. A late Mikael Arteta goal gave Arsenal all three points, and a win away to Wolves a few days later looked likely to see them tie up third place with a few games to spare.
With five games to go Arsenal were clear favourites for that third spot, and it was theirs to win or lose. Three of their next four games were at home, and surely Arsenal could get the points they needed in those games to end the season on a high. However, Arsenal fans know that their team rarely do things the easy way, and Arsenal failed to win any of their next four games.
It was no coincidence that the very influential Arteta hobbled off after only eight minutes in the first of those games, and didn't play again for the rest of the season. Robin van Persie's goals were crucial to Arsenal all season long, but the influence of Arteta was another factor in their recovery after their disastrous start to the season. No matter what players Arsenal sign this summer Arteta should be the first choice player in their midfield next season.
In their final home game of the season Arsenal needed a win over Norwich City to stay ahead in the race for third place with Spurs playing away to struggling Aston Villa the next day. The game against Norwich seemed to sum up Arsenal's whole season, as they took an early lead before falling 2-1 behind. They fought back in the second half to go 3-2 up, but in true Arsenal style they allowed Norwich to score a late equaliser.
A win for Spurs away to Villa would have seen Arsenal fall back to fourth place with just one game left to play. Arsenal fans were biting on their fingernails on that Sunday afternoon, but thankfully Villa managed to get a draw and keep Arsenal in pole position with one game to play.
Arsenal's final game was away to West Brom, and a win would have guaranteed them third place, and a spot in the group stages of next season's Champions League. Any other result would have left Arsenal in fourth place, and their hopes resting on Bayern Munich beating Chelsea in the Champions League final. Thankfully Arsenal managed to beat West Brom, and it was Spurs who were demoted to a Europa League place next season when Chelsea beat Bayern last Saturday night.
Of course Arsenal didn't do things the easy way against West Brom when they threw away an early lead before coming from behind to win 3-2. The winning goal came from Laurent Koscielny, but he had a lot of help from the West Brom keeper.
I had felt Arsenal had been unlucky on a few occasions throughout the season with refereeing decisions in particular.Swansea, Spurs and Liverpool all got penalties against Arsenal when their players had clearly dived, and Arsenal didn't get a single penalty at home all season long in the league. However, the performance of Martin Fulop in goal for West Brom in that final game made up for any perceived bad luck during the season.
Arsenal were far from their best in that game, and stumbled over the finishing line with some huge slices of help from Fulop. He handed Arsenal's first and third goals to them on a plate, and he deserves a place in the Arsenal hall of fame.
It meant St. Totteringham's Day arrived yet again, as it has in every single season under Arsene Wenger. That's 16 years in a row that Wenger has led Arsenal to finish above Spurs, and not many of them were as close as this season's finish.
The signs of Arsenal taking their transfer dealings seriously this summer are there already with the arrival of Lukas Podolski. Hopefully he will get to play alongside RVP rather than instead of him, but only time will tell whether RVP chooses to stay or not. I hope he does stay, but I also hope Wenger has other players in mind if the worst does happen and RVP leaves.
Overall a third placed finish was not a bad one for a team which seemed to lurch from one crisis to another at times during the season. I would have liked a better run in the FA Cup, but it wasn't to be and unless the team is considerably strengthened it remains Arsenal's best chance of a trophy for next season.
There are 17 other teams in the Premier League who would gladly have swapped places with Arsenal despite the turmoils of their season. Qualification for next season's Champions League is not everything, but it certainly beats not qualifying when no trophies have been won. There are only four trophies on offer to Arsenal every season, and Arsenal managed to win as many of them as most other teams.
The biggest failure of the season was their inability to genuinely challenge for any of those four trophies. They were never in the running in the Premier League, and all of their cup campaigns finished relatively early. It would be great to see the team right up there with a chance of winning something next season, and that's what the fans really want to see.
That's it for today.
See you tomorrow.
Despite beating both Leeds and Aston Villa to progress to the fifth round of the FA Cup January was a very bad month for Arsenal in the Premier League. They took the lead away to both Fulham and Swansea, but ended up losing both games. They also lost at home to Manchester United, and their chances of a top four finish were fading rapidly.
Thankfully some of the other teams fighting for that top four finish were having troubles of their own, and Arsenal didn't completely lose touch. They did start to slip very far behind Spurs though, and it looked like they would have a very tough task trying to finish in their usual place ahead of their local rivals.
Things went in reverse in February when Arsenal got their league form back on track, but their cup results were far less impressive. They went out of the FA Cup away to Sunderland only a week after taking all three Premier League points on the same ground. Only a few days before that defeat to Sunderland they were beaten 4-0 away to AC Milan in the first leg of their Champions League tie.
The bleak days of January and February were of course brightened up by the temporary return of Thierry Henry on loan from the New York Red Bulls. The three goals he got increased his lead at the top of the all-tike goalscoring records for Arsenal, and it was great to see him in action for Arsenal again. He may not be the player he was a few years ago, but his last minute winner against Sunderland was absolutely priceless.
Those back to back defeats against Milan and Sunderland were followed by a home game against Spurs, and it was a game Arsenal had to win. They went into the game 10 points behind Spurs, and any other result would have been nothing short of a disaster. The game didn't start well for Arsenal, but they managed to come from 2-0 down to win 5-2.
Arsenal's comeback on that day was quite incredible, and it shifted the momentum in the race for Champions League places in their direction. They went on to win their next four Premier League games, and stretch their run to seven wins in a row. Arsenal's fantastic sequence of results coincided with a collapse from Spurs, and suddenly they were third in the table and looking good.
In the middle of that run they played their return leg with Milan, and very nearly managed to overturn the four goal deficit. They led 3-0 at half time, but they ran out of steam as well as fit players on the night. They may have gone out of the competition, but they had managed to regain some of their pride at least.
Things were looking very good for Arsenal when they went to struggling QPR at the very end of March. The other face of Arsenal was on display in that game, and they were beaten 2-1 by a team that just wanted it more. The usual questions about the desire and commitment of the players were being asked again.
Title chasing Manchester City were Arsenal's next opponents, and they were outplayed by an Arsenal team which had found everything they were missing against QPR. A late Mikael Arteta goal gave Arsenal all three points, and a win away to Wolves a few days later looked likely to see them tie up third place with a few games to spare.
With five games to go Arsenal were clear favourites for that third spot, and it was theirs to win or lose. Three of their next four games were at home, and surely Arsenal could get the points they needed in those games to end the season on a high. However, Arsenal fans know that their team rarely do things the easy way, and Arsenal failed to win any of their next four games.
It was no coincidence that the very influential Arteta hobbled off after only eight minutes in the first of those games, and didn't play again for the rest of the season. Robin van Persie's goals were crucial to Arsenal all season long, but the influence of Arteta was another factor in their recovery after their disastrous start to the season. No matter what players Arsenal sign this summer Arteta should be the first choice player in their midfield next season.
In their final home game of the season Arsenal needed a win over Norwich City to stay ahead in the race for third place with Spurs playing away to struggling Aston Villa the next day. The game against Norwich seemed to sum up Arsenal's whole season, as they took an early lead before falling 2-1 behind. They fought back in the second half to go 3-2 up, but in true Arsenal style they allowed Norwich to score a late equaliser.
A win for Spurs away to Villa would have seen Arsenal fall back to fourth place with just one game left to play. Arsenal fans were biting on their fingernails on that Sunday afternoon, but thankfully Villa managed to get a draw and keep Arsenal in pole position with one game to play.
Arsenal's final game was away to West Brom, and a win would have guaranteed them third place, and a spot in the group stages of next season's Champions League. Any other result would have left Arsenal in fourth place, and their hopes resting on Bayern Munich beating Chelsea in the Champions League final. Thankfully Arsenal managed to beat West Brom, and it was Spurs who were demoted to a Europa League place next season when Chelsea beat Bayern last Saturday night.
Of course Arsenal didn't do things the easy way against West Brom when they threw away an early lead before coming from behind to win 3-2. The winning goal came from Laurent Koscielny, but he had a lot of help from the West Brom keeper.
I had felt Arsenal had been unlucky on a few occasions throughout the season with refereeing decisions in particular.Swansea, Spurs and Liverpool all got penalties against Arsenal when their players had clearly dived, and Arsenal didn't get a single penalty at home all season long in the league. However, the performance of Martin Fulop in goal for West Brom in that final game made up for any perceived bad luck during the season.
Arsenal were far from their best in that game, and stumbled over the finishing line with some huge slices of help from Fulop. He handed Arsenal's first and third goals to them on a plate, and he deserves a place in the Arsenal hall of fame.
It meant St. Totteringham's Day arrived yet again, as it has in every single season under Arsene Wenger. That's 16 years in a row that Wenger has led Arsenal to finish above Spurs, and not many of them were as close as this season's finish.
The signs of Arsenal taking their transfer dealings seriously this summer are there already with the arrival of Lukas Podolski. Hopefully he will get to play alongside RVP rather than instead of him, but only time will tell whether RVP chooses to stay or not. I hope he does stay, but I also hope Wenger has other players in mind if the worst does happen and RVP leaves.
Overall a third placed finish was not a bad one for a team which seemed to lurch from one crisis to another at times during the season. I would have liked a better run in the FA Cup, but it wasn't to be and unless the team is considerably strengthened it remains Arsenal's best chance of a trophy for next season.
There are 17 other teams in the Premier League who would gladly have swapped places with Arsenal despite the turmoils of their season. Qualification for next season's Champions League is not everything, but it certainly beats not qualifying when no trophies have been won. There are only four trophies on offer to Arsenal every season, and Arsenal managed to win as many of them as most other teams.
The biggest failure of the season was their inability to genuinely challenge for any of those four trophies. They were never in the running in the Premier League, and all of their cup campaigns finished relatively early. It would be great to see the team right up there with a chance of winning something next season, and that's what the fans really want to see.
That's it for today.
See you tomorrow.
Saturday, May 19, 2012
Arsenal Season Review Part One
A very difficult and sometimes hard to take season is over for Arsenal and their supporters. Considering how bleak things looked during the summer after the departure of Cesc Fabregas the final Premier League position has to be seen as a positive. At one stage Arsenal found themselves 17th in the league, but gradually they turned things around to finish in a very respectable third spot.
Of course Arsenal didn't exactly do things the easy way, and it's been quite a long time since they did.
There was a huge turnaround in the personell in the first team squad last summer with Samir Nasri and Gael Clichy also being sold. Denilson, Nicklas Bendtner and Carlos Vela were also sent out on loan, as Arsene Wenger made room for some new arrivals. With loads of money to spend the hope was that he would replace the quality of Cesc with players of the highest calibre.
The signs were promising early on when Gervinho, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Carl Jenkinson arrived, but there were no more significant arrivals until the transfer window was very close to slamming shut. In the last days and hours of the summer transfer window Arsenal brought in Andre Santos, Per Mertesacker, Ju-Young Park, Yossi Benayoun and Mikael Arteta, but none of them commanded a huge fee.
With both Cesc and Nasri gone it looked like the midfield strings would be pulled by Jack Wilshere, but Wenger could not have known he was going to miss the whole season through injury. The other midfielder who very rarely featured because of injury was Abu Diaby, and his constant injury problems must cast some serious doubt on his future at the club and in the game too. Their absences gave chances to other players who might have been expected to have had less opportunities in the first team.
The goalkeeping duties were taken over by Wojciech Szczesny, and he has shown himself to be a real star of the future. It's been a few years since Arsenal have had a goalkeeper who looks capable of playing at the very highest level, but Szczesny has shown enough to suggest he is that man. He's still only 22 years old, but if he continues to progress he could have the Arsenal goalkeeper's shirt for many years to come.
With Thomas Vermaelen available again after missing most of last season through injury there was some hope that the Arsenal defence would be a lot tighter than it had been the previous season. The additions of Mertesacker and Santos also looked to be very promising, and there was real hope of Arsenal having real cover in all four defensive positions.
Of course most of those arrivals were after Arsenal's first three league games of the season, and they only managed one point in those games. Worse still was what happened when they went to Old Trafford to play Manchester United just a few days before that window closed. The horror of that 8-2 defeat to United will be a memory which haunts Arsenal fans for many years to come.
Despite their terrible start to their league campaign Arsenal somehow found the strength within themselves to beat Udinese over two legs to qualify for the group stages of the Champions League. They were drawn with the champions of both Germany and Greece, as well as the runners up in the French League. It looked like Arsenal would have a tough task ahead of them, but they qualified for the knockout stages by winning their group with a game still left to play.
Arsenal managed to win four of their six games in September, as the new players seemed to be settling in very well. The only game Arsenal lost in September was away to Blackburn in the league, and it was in true Arsenal style. They were 2-1 up early in the second half when Bacary Sagna went off injured, and Blackburn ended up winning 4-3.
The fact that Arsenal put the ball through their own net twice didn't help, but the defending on display was nothing short of comical. When Arsenal eventually woke up they pounded the Blackburn goal, but they could only pull one goal back despite creating loads of chances. By early October Arsenal had seven points from seven games, and they were already 12 points behind the league leaders.
They had lost four league games which included defeats at home to Liverpool, as well as away to United and Spurs. They had at least progressed past Shrewsbury Town in the Carling Cup, as well as taking four points from their first two Champions League games. There were signs that things weren't all doom and gloom, but Arsenal needed to improve an awful lot in the league.
Arsenal then went on to win their next five league games, as they started to make up ground on the teams above them. The highlight of those five wins was the 5-3 victory away to Chelsea when Arsenal showed all of their attacking strengths and defensive weaknesses in the same game. The sight of John Terry lying flat on his face as Robin van Persie raced past him to score was one of the season's highlights for me.
The only Premier League defeat before the turn of the year after the loss away to Spurs was a 1-0 defeat away to league leaders Manchester City. Despite losing Arsenal played very well, and put up a performance to make their fans proud of their efforts. When the year ended Arsenal had 36 points from 19 league games which meant they had taken 29 points from their previous 12 games.
They were also through to the last 16 of the Champions League, and they faced the mouth-watering prospect of playing against AC Milan. There were some real reasons to be hopeful for Arsenal fans, and the prospect of a possible signing or two in the January transfer window were something to look forward to also. The injury crisis which the club had experienced in recent seasons had reared it's ugly head again, and the squad was looking a little threadbare.
Sagna had suffered a broken leg in the defeat to Spurs, and Santos picked up a bad injury in a meaningless Champions League game away to Olympiacos in Greece. With Kieran Gibbs and Jenkinson also injured Arsenal found themselves trying to cope without any recognised full backs in the team. They seemed to cope throughout December, but the question was would they continue to cope.
Arsenal had exited the Carling Cup at the hands of Manchester City, but they still had the FA Cup to look forward to. The prospect of qualifying for the next season's Champions League was still a very rel one, and there was also the matter of that last 16 tie with AC Milan. After an awful start to the season things were certainly starting to look a lot better at the half way mark.
The outstanding player in the first half of the season was undoubtedly RVP, as his goals were a primary factor in many of Arsenal's victories. He had returned from injury in the second half of the previous season, and scored so many goals in the calander year 2011. For the first time in his Arsenal career he was relatively injury free, and the club were feeling the benefits.
Besides RVP I thought the last minute capture of Arteta had a huge influence on Arsenal's recovery. He may not have been their first choice purchase for midfield, and he certainly wasn't a ready made replacement for Cesc. He brought a stability to the midfield which others had failed to do, and the whole team benefited from his arrival.
I'll go into my thoughts on the second half of the season next time, and then move on to an overall summary.
That's it for today.
See you tomorrow.
Of course Arsenal didn't exactly do things the easy way, and it's been quite a long time since they did.
There was a huge turnaround in the personell in the first team squad last summer with Samir Nasri and Gael Clichy also being sold. Denilson, Nicklas Bendtner and Carlos Vela were also sent out on loan, as Arsene Wenger made room for some new arrivals. With loads of money to spend the hope was that he would replace the quality of Cesc with players of the highest calibre.
The signs were promising early on when Gervinho, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Carl Jenkinson arrived, but there were no more significant arrivals until the transfer window was very close to slamming shut. In the last days and hours of the summer transfer window Arsenal brought in Andre Santos, Per Mertesacker, Ju-Young Park, Yossi Benayoun and Mikael Arteta, but none of them commanded a huge fee.
With both Cesc and Nasri gone it looked like the midfield strings would be pulled by Jack Wilshere, but Wenger could not have known he was going to miss the whole season through injury. The other midfielder who very rarely featured because of injury was Abu Diaby, and his constant injury problems must cast some serious doubt on his future at the club and in the game too. Their absences gave chances to other players who might have been expected to have had less opportunities in the first team.
The goalkeeping duties were taken over by Wojciech Szczesny, and he has shown himself to be a real star of the future. It's been a few years since Arsenal have had a goalkeeper who looks capable of playing at the very highest level, but Szczesny has shown enough to suggest he is that man. He's still only 22 years old, but if he continues to progress he could have the Arsenal goalkeeper's shirt for many years to come.
With Thomas Vermaelen available again after missing most of last season through injury there was some hope that the Arsenal defence would be a lot tighter than it had been the previous season. The additions of Mertesacker and Santos also looked to be very promising, and there was real hope of Arsenal having real cover in all four defensive positions.
Of course most of those arrivals were after Arsenal's first three league games of the season, and they only managed one point in those games. Worse still was what happened when they went to Old Trafford to play Manchester United just a few days before that window closed. The horror of that 8-2 defeat to United will be a memory which haunts Arsenal fans for many years to come.
Despite their terrible start to their league campaign Arsenal somehow found the strength within themselves to beat Udinese over two legs to qualify for the group stages of the Champions League. They were drawn with the champions of both Germany and Greece, as well as the runners up in the French League. It looked like Arsenal would have a tough task ahead of them, but they qualified for the knockout stages by winning their group with a game still left to play.
Arsenal managed to win four of their six games in September, as the new players seemed to be settling in very well. The only game Arsenal lost in September was away to Blackburn in the league, and it was in true Arsenal style. They were 2-1 up early in the second half when Bacary Sagna went off injured, and Blackburn ended up winning 4-3.
The fact that Arsenal put the ball through their own net twice didn't help, but the defending on display was nothing short of comical. When Arsenal eventually woke up they pounded the Blackburn goal, but they could only pull one goal back despite creating loads of chances. By early October Arsenal had seven points from seven games, and they were already 12 points behind the league leaders.
They had lost four league games which included defeats at home to Liverpool, as well as away to United and Spurs. They had at least progressed past Shrewsbury Town in the Carling Cup, as well as taking four points from their first two Champions League games. There were signs that things weren't all doom and gloom, but Arsenal needed to improve an awful lot in the league.
Arsenal then went on to win their next five league games, as they started to make up ground on the teams above them. The highlight of those five wins was the 5-3 victory away to Chelsea when Arsenal showed all of their attacking strengths and defensive weaknesses in the same game. The sight of John Terry lying flat on his face as Robin van Persie raced past him to score was one of the season's highlights for me.
The only Premier League defeat before the turn of the year after the loss away to Spurs was a 1-0 defeat away to league leaders Manchester City. Despite losing Arsenal played very well, and put up a performance to make their fans proud of their efforts. When the year ended Arsenal had 36 points from 19 league games which meant they had taken 29 points from their previous 12 games.
They were also through to the last 16 of the Champions League, and they faced the mouth-watering prospect of playing against AC Milan. There were some real reasons to be hopeful for Arsenal fans, and the prospect of a possible signing or two in the January transfer window were something to look forward to also. The injury crisis which the club had experienced in recent seasons had reared it's ugly head again, and the squad was looking a little threadbare.
Sagna had suffered a broken leg in the defeat to Spurs, and Santos picked up a bad injury in a meaningless Champions League game away to Olympiacos in Greece. With Kieran Gibbs and Jenkinson also injured Arsenal found themselves trying to cope without any recognised full backs in the team. They seemed to cope throughout December, but the question was would they continue to cope.
Arsenal had exited the Carling Cup at the hands of Manchester City, but they still had the FA Cup to look forward to. The prospect of qualifying for the next season's Champions League was still a very rel one, and there was also the matter of that last 16 tie with AC Milan. After an awful start to the season things were certainly starting to look a lot better at the half way mark.
The outstanding player in the first half of the season was undoubtedly RVP, as his goals were a primary factor in many of Arsenal's victories. He had returned from injury in the second half of the previous season, and scored so many goals in the calander year 2011. For the first time in his Arsenal career he was relatively injury free, and the club were feeling the benefits.
Besides RVP I thought the last minute capture of Arteta had a huge influence on Arsenal's recovery. He may not have been their first choice purchase for midfield, and he certainly wasn't a ready made replacement for Cesc. He brought a stability to the midfield which others had failed to do, and the whole team benefited from his arrival.
I'll go into my thoughts on the second half of the season next time, and then move on to an overall summary.
That's it for today.
See you tomorrow.
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Arsenal Beat West Brom 3-2 To Finish Third
Arsenal went into their final Premier League game of the season away to West Brom knowing a win would guarantee them third place. The reward for third place is a spot in the group stages of next season's Champions League, and it was a prize Arsenal dearly wanted. Any slip from Arsenal would more than likely have seen their local rivals Spurs overtake to claim that coveted third place.
Arsene Wenger made three changes from the team which drew 3-3 at home to Norwich last week. Carl Jenkinson was drafted in at right back for the injured Bacary Sagna, but the other two changes were a lot less expected. Andre Santos came in at left back for Kieran Gibbs, and Frances Coquelin replaced Aaron Ramsey in the heart of the midfield.
There was a place on the bench for the returning Theo Walcott who was held in reserve in case of emergency.
The game couldn't have got off to a better start for Arsenal with Yossi Benayoun putting them 1-0 up after less than four minutes. His goal was a simple tap into an empty net after a horrendous error from Albion keeper Marton Fulop. It was a gift which Arsenal were only too happy to accept, and it gave them the early advantage they craved.
Before Arsenal had scored their goal Spurs had already gone ahead of Fulham in their game, and it was vital that Arsenal kept their lead. However, that lead didn't last very long, as West Brom scored twice in the next 10 minutes to leave Arsenal's chances hanging by a thread. They needed to find something from somewhere, and shore up their leaky defence at the same time.
West Brom's first goal came from Shane Long, and there was a lot more than a hint of offside about it. When Long was played through on Wojceich Szczesny in the Arsenal goal he finished very well, but he was at least a yard offside. Only four minutes later Graham Dorrans put Albion ahead after some very poor defending from Arsenal, and Thomas Vermaelen in particular.
There were still 75 minutes to go, but Arsenal needed to get back into the game as son as possible. Just short of the half hour mark Arsenal got their lifeline, and Fulop again had a part to play in it.
Alex Song won the ball 25 yards from goal, and played it to Andre Santos who let fly with a very good left footed shot. Fulop got down to the ball, but he couldn't keep it from going in at the near post. Arsenal had an hour left to save their season.
Walcott replaced Tomas Rosicky at half time, as Arsenal looked to get more bodies forward in search of a winning goal. It didn't take too long for them to regain their early advantage, and yet again that man Fulop had a large hand in the goal.
Arsenal were awarded a corner when it probably should have been a goal kick to West Brom, and they took full advantage of their good fortune. Robin van Persie swung the ball onto the penalty area, but there seemed to be no threat from Arsenal as Fulop came to meet the ball. He could have caught the ball but he chose to punch it, and he got his punch horribly wrong.
The ball headed towards his own goal, and Laurent Koscielny was there to poke it home for Arsenal. They had the lead they wanted, and the Champions League spot was theirs to lose again. There were 30 minutes left, and Arsenal needed to defend as if their lives depended on it.
West Brom had a lot of corners, but real chances were few and far between really. There was one good save from Szczesny, but as the game entered the five added minutes Arsenal were still holding out. There was still enough time for some late drama, and both teams had good chances to score again.
First of all RVP was played through with only the keeper to beat, but his shot was off target and Arsenal missed their chance to seal the game. Within a minute West Brom had the chance they wanted to break Arsenal's hearts, and it took some heroics to stop them scoring.
Billy Jones was played in on the left, and as he drew his foot back to shoot my heart sank more than a little. I was sure he was about to get the goal which I feared had been coming for the last half hour, but Kieran Gibbs slid in to make a magnificent challenge. His timing was absolutely perfect, and the game ended not too long aterwards with Arsenal sitting pretty in third place.
I could pick the bones out of the Arsenal performance, and give some of the players who under performed a hard time. It doesn't really matter now though, as the result was all that was important on the day. With a few huge slices of luck Arsenal got that result, and will now take part in the group stages on next season's Champions League yet again.
The best player on the day for me was Benayoun, but the last ditch challenge from Gibbs was absolutely fantastic too. The players celebrated at the final whistle, as their said their farewells to Pat Rice after 38 years(never mind Watford) at the club.
I have bemoaned the apparent lack of fortune Arsenal have suffered from at times this season, but I cannot deny they were lucky to win. The performance of Fulop was the single biggest factor in their victory, and the injury Ben Foster picked up last week was a real gift to Arsenal.
Spurs will have to wait to see how the Champions League final finishes before they know if they will get to play in the Champions League next season or not. I actually think I want them to qualify, as it would mean Chelsea don't win the Champions League. I still want Arsenal to be the first London club to be champions of Europe.
An Arsenal season has rarely seen so many ups and downs as this one, but a third place finish is no mean achievement. Added to finishing third Arsenal also got to celebrate St. Totteringham's Day yet again, and Arsene Wenger has never seen his Arsenal team finish below them.
When you consider the money Linerpool and Chelsea have spent Arsenal have done very well to leave them trailing in their wake. They are the third best team in the Premier League, and they have funds available to strengthen the squad. Lukasz Podolski has already agreed to join the club, and hopefully some other top quality players will follow.
The biggest signing of the summer will of course be RVP if he can be convinced to extend his contract. He has been the best player in the Premier League this season, and it would be a huge blow if he left. If he does decide to leave the club will continue though, as it always does.
No player is bigger than any club, and Arsenal have recovered from selling better players in the past. I sincerely hope he stays, and Wenger gets to build a title winning team around him. It won;t be an easy task to prise the title from Manchester City, but at their best Arsenal aren't too far away.
Unfortunately when they're not at their best anything can happen, and it did far too often this season. The signs for next season are positive with the addition of Podolski, and the return of Jack Wilshere will be a welcome boost too. Hopefully the transfer dealings will be over and done with long before pre-season begins, and Arsenal can put the mistakes of last summer behind them.
That's it for today.
Here's the highlights from Sunday's game.
See you tomorrow.
Arsene Wenger made three changes from the team which drew 3-3 at home to Norwich last week. Carl Jenkinson was drafted in at right back for the injured Bacary Sagna, but the other two changes were a lot less expected. Andre Santos came in at left back for Kieran Gibbs, and Frances Coquelin replaced Aaron Ramsey in the heart of the midfield.
There was a place on the bench for the returning Theo Walcott who was held in reserve in case of emergency.
The game couldn't have got off to a better start for Arsenal with Yossi Benayoun putting them 1-0 up after less than four minutes. His goal was a simple tap into an empty net after a horrendous error from Albion keeper Marton Fulop. It was a gift which Arsenal were only too happy to accept, and it gave them the early advantage they craved.
Before Arsenal had scored their goal Spurs had already gone ahead of Fulham in their game, and it was vital that Arsenal kept their lead. However, that lead didn't last very long, as West Brom scored twice in the next 10 minutes to leave Arsenal's chances hanging by a thread. They needed to find something from somewhere, and shore up their leaky defence at the same time.
West Brom's first goal came from Shane Long, and there was a lot more than a hint of offside about it. When Long was played through on Wojceich Szczesny in the Arsenal goal he finished very well, but he was at least a yard offside. Only four minutes later Graham Dorrans put Albion ahead after some very poor defending from Arsenal, and Thomas Vermaelen in particular.
There were still 75 minutes to go, but Arsenal needed to get back into the game as son as possible. Just short of the half hour mark Arsenal got their lifeline, and Fulop again had a part to play in it.
Alex Song won the ball 25 yards from goal, and played it to Andre Santos who let fly with a very good left footed shot. Fulop got down to the ball, but he couldn't keep it from going in at the near post. Arsenal had an hour left to save their season.
Walcott replaced Tomas Rosicky at half time, as Arsenal looked to get more bodies forward in search of a winning goal. It didn't take too long for them to regain their early advantage, and yet again that man Fulop had a large hand in the goal.
Arsenal were awarded a corner when it probably should have been a goal kick to West Brom, and they took full advantage of their good fortune. Robin van Persie swung the ball onto the penalty area, but there seemed to be no threat from Arsenal as Fulop came to meet the ball. He could have caught the ball but he chose to punch it, and he got his punch horribly wrong.
The ball headed towards his own goal, and Laurent Koscielny was there to poke it home for Arsenal. They had the lead they wanted, and the Champions League spot was theirs to lose again. There were 30 minutes left, and Arsenal needed to defend as if their lives depended on it.
West Brom had a lot of corners, but real chances were few and far between really. There was one good save from Szczesny, but as the game entered the five added minutes Arsenal were still holding out. There was still enough time for some late drama, and both teams had good chances to score again.
First of all RVP was played through with only the keeper to beat, but his shot was off target and Arsenal missed their chance to seal the game. Within a minute West Brom had the chance they wanted to break Arsenal's hearts, and it took some heroics to stop them scoring.
Billy Jones was played in on the left, and as he drew his foot back to shoot my heart sank more than a little. I was sure he was about to get the goal which I feared had been coming for the last half hour, but Kieran Gibbs slid in to make a magnificent challenge. His timing was absolutely perfect, and the game ended not too long aterwards with Arsenal sitting pretty in third place.
I could pick the bones out of the Arsenal performance, and give some of the players who under performed a hard time. It doesn't really matter now though, as the result was all that was important on the day. With a few huge slices of luck Arsenal got that result, and will now take part in the group stages on next season's Champions League yet again.
The best player on the day for me was Benayoun, but the last ditch challenge from Gibbs was absolutely fantastic too. The players celebrated at the final whistle, as their said their farewells to Pat Rice after 38 years(never mind Watford) at the club.
I have bemoaned the apparent lack of fortune Arsenal have suffered from at times this season, but I cannot deny they were lucky to win. The performance of Fulop was the single biggest factor in their victory, and the injury Ben Foster picked up last week was a real gift to Arsenal.
Spurs will have to wait to see how the Champions League final finishes before they know if they will get to play in the Champions League next season or not. I actually think I want them to qualify, as it would mean Chelsea don't win the Champions League. I still want Arsenal to be the first London club to be champions of Europe.
An Arsenal season has rarely seen so many ups and downs as this one, but a third place finish is no mean achievement. Added to finishing third Arsenal also got to celebrate St. Totteringham's Day yet again, and Arsene Wenger has never seen his Arsenal team finish below them.
When you consider the money Linerpool and Chelsea have spent Arsenal have done very well to leave them trailing in their wake. They are the third best team in the Premier League, and they have funds available to strengthen the squad. Lukasz Podolski has already agreed to join the club, and hopefully some other top quality players will follow.
The biggest signing of the summer will of course be RVP if he can be convinced to extend his contract. He has been the best player in the Premier League this season, and it would be a huge blow if he left. If he does decide to leave the club will continue though, as it always does.
No player is bigger than any club, and Arsenal have recovered from selling better players in the past. I sincerely hope he stays, and Wenger gets to build a title winning team around him. It won;t be an easy task to prise the title from Manchester City, but at their best Arsenal aren't too far away.
Unfortunately when they're not at their best anything can happen, and it did far too often this season. The signs for next season are positive with the addition of Podolski, and the return of Jack Wilshere will be a welcome boost too. Hopefully the transfer dealings will be over and done with long before pre-season begins, and Arsenal can put the mistakes of last summer behind them.
That's it for today.
Here's the highlights from Sunday's game.
See you tomorrow.
Sunday, May 13, 2012
Arsenal's Premier League Trip To West Brom Previewed
Arsenal's season has come down to one game, and it's make or break for them in that game. Arsenal travel to West Brom this afternoon knowing that a win will guarantee them third place and a spot in the group stages of next season's Champions League. If Arsenal fail to win they could end up finishing fourth or even fifth, and that's not a thought worth bearing.
If Arsenal lose they can possibly finish fifth, but Newcastle would have to win at Everton and of course Spurs would need to avoid defeat against Fulham. The chances are the worst Arsenal can do is finish fourth, and normally that would mean they would play in the final qualifying round for next season's Champions League. However, Chelsea's upcoming appearance in the Champions League final could prove to be a fatal blow for any team that finishes fourth.
If Chelsea win the Champions League they will get the final Champions League place, and the fourth placed team will play in the Europa League. It would be a terrible blow for any team that finishes fourth, and I would hate to see Arsenal sweating on the result of the Champions League final. The other really bad thing about Arsenal finishing fourth would of course be that Spurs would more than likely finish ahead of them.
Since Arsene Wenger took over the reins at Arsenal in 1996 they have finished ahead of Spurs in every single season in the Premier League. It would be a bitter blow for the Arsenal fans to see that fantastic sequence come crashing to an end. Arsenal's players have the fate of the club and their fans' bragging rights in their hands, and they have to rise to the challenge.
They have failed to win of their previous four league games, as they have stumbled towards the finishing line. Last week they turned around a deficit at home to Norwich, and looked likely to take all three points with only five minutes remaining. In true Arsenal style they conceded a late goal, and proceeded to miss some great chances in the dying moments.
West Brom haven't got the best home record in the league this season, and they have been beaten nine times already. They are playing well at the moment, and the players will surely be anxious to give Roy Hodgson a great send off. Hodgson will take over the management of the English team after this game, and he has left the club in much better shape than he found it.
Hodgson has been little more than a year in the hot seat at Albion, and the Arsenal players have a much bigger goodbye to say to one of their own staff. Pat Rice has been an Arsenal man since 1964 with the exception of a few years at the end of his playing career spent at Watford. He has been Wenger's right hand man since Wengerr became Arsenal's manager, and there is a huge fondness for him among the players and fans.
Arsenal's inability can to win any of their last four games can be put down to a host of reasons, but the main one for me is the absence of Mikael Arteta in those games. He has had a very good influence on the team since his arrival, and they have struggled in midfield in recent games while he has been injured. He won't be available today of course, and the players who are chosen need to be at their very best.
Wenger doesn't have too many options in his team selection today, and I expect to see a very similar team to the one which played last week. There will be a change at right back after Bacary Sagna suffered another leg break against Norwich, and I expect Carl Jenkinson to get the nod. Frances Coquelin came on for the injured Sagna last week and played well enough, but Jenkinson is the next in line after Sagna for that position.
A place for Coquelin could possibly be found in midfield, but I doubt it and he will probably be on the bench. The only other change might see Theo Walcott return if he has overcome the hamstring injury he picked up a few weeks ago. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain had a good effect on the team when he came off the bench last week, and I suspect he might be held in reserve again in case Arsenal need a real option from the bench.
I'm sure it will be a tense and nervous affair, but it's a game Arsenal can most certainly win if they want it badly enough. Despite some of the players feeling the effects of a long hard season they need to raise their game for the very last time this season to fight for the cause.
It would be ideal if Arsenal could come out and blow West Brom away from the first minute to the last, but that has hardly been their way in recent weeks. They have struggled to control games at best, and Norwich exposed their defence far too often last week. I will be happy with any sort of victory whether it's a first minute or last minute goal that brings it.
I have no doubt that West Brom will create chances, but equally I'm sure Arsenal will too. If Robin van Persie can add to his impressive 30 goal league tally for the season their chances will be greatly improved. He scored twice last week, and he missed a few very good chances as well.
Another two goals for RVP will create a record for any player since the Premier League went to a 38 game format, and it would be great for him to add it to his impressive collection of personal accolades for this season. Arsenal have been called a one man team because of RVP's goalscoring feats this season, and there is no doubt his contribution has been immense.
This could possibly be his last game for Arsenal, and if it is to be so I hope he can end on a high for himself and the club too. Ultimately Arsenal's season will be judged on whether they qualify for the Champions League or not, and this game will decide their fate. It would be fantastic to see that fate complete with a place in next season's competition, and St. Totteringham's Day arriving at the same time too.
I'm predicting a hard fought 2-1 win for Arsenal with RVP getting the goals that are so badly needed. It certainly won't be easy viewing for Arsenal fans, but most of this season has come under that category already. The most important thing is where they finish in the league, and that will finally be decided just before five this afternoon.
That's it for today.
See you tomorrow.
If Arsenal lose they can possibly finish fifth, but Newcastle would have to win at Everton and of course Spurs would need to avoid defeat against Fulham. The chances are the worst Arsenal can do is finish fourth, and normally that would mean they would play in the final qualifying round for next season's Champions League. However, Chelsea's upcoming appearance in the Champions League final could prove to be a fatal blow for any team that finishes fourth.
If Chelsea win the Champions League they will get the final Champions League place, and the fourth placed team will play in the Europa League. It would be a terrible blow for any team that finishes fourth, and I would hate to see Arsenal sweating on the result of the Champions League final. The other really bad thing about Arsenal finishing fourth would of course be that Spurs would more than likely finish ahead of them.
Since Arsene Wenger took over the reins at Arsenal in 1996 they have finished ahead of Spurs in every single season in the Premier League. It would be a bitter blow for the Arsenal fans to see that fantastic sequence come crashing to an end. Arsenal's players have the fate of the club and their fans' bragging rights in their hands, and they have to rise to the challenge.
They have failed to win of their previous four league games, as they have stumbled towards the finishing line. Last week they turned around a deficit at home to Norwich, and looked likely to take all three points with only five minutes remaining. In true Arsenal style they conceded a late goal, and proceeded to miss some great chances in the dying moments.
West Brom haven't got the best home record in the league this season, and they have been beaten nine times already. They are playing well at the moment, and the players will surely be anxious to give Roy Hodgson a great send off. Hodgson will take over the management of the English team after this game, and he has left the club in much better shape than he found it.
Hodgson has been little more than a year in the hot seat at Albion, and the Arsenal players have a much bigger goodbye to say to one of their own staff. Pat Rice has been an Arsenal man since 1964 with the exception of a few years at the end of his playing career spent at Watford. He has been Wenger's right hand man since Wengerr became Arsenal's manager, and there is a huge fondness for him among the players and fans.
Arsenal's inability can to win any of their last four games can be put down to a host of reasons, but the main one for me is the absence of Mikael Arteta in those games. He has had a very good influence on the team since his arrival, and they have struggled in midfield in recent games while he has been injured. He won't be available today of course, and the players who are chosen need to be at their very best.
Wenger doesn't have too many options in his team selection today, and I expect to see a very similar team to the one which played last week. There will be a change at right back after Bacary Sagna suffered another leg break against Norwich, and I expect Carl Jenkinson to get the nod. Frances Coquelin came on for the injured Sagna last week and played well enough, but Jenkinson is the next in line after Sagna for that position.
A place for Coquelin could possibly be found in midfield, but I doubt it and he will probably be on the bench. The only other change might see Theo Walcott return if he has overcome the hamstring injury he picked up a few weeks ago. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain had a good effect on the team when he came off the bench last week, and I suspect he might be held in reserve again in case Arsenal need a real option from the bench.
I'm sure it will be a tense and nervous affair, but it's a game Arsenal can most certainly win if they want it badly enough. Despite some of the players feeling the effects of a long hard season they need to raise their game for the very last time this season to fight for the cause.
It would be ideal if Arsenal could come out and blow West Brom away from the first minute to the last, but that has hardly been their way in recent weeks. They have struggled to control games at best, and Norwich exposed their defence far too often last week. I will be happy with any sort of victory whether it's a first minute or last minute goal that brings it.
I have no doubt that West Brom will create chances, but equally I'm sure Arsenal will too. If Robin van Persie can add to his impressive 30 goal league tally for the season their chances will be greatly improved. He scored twice last week, and he missed a few very good chances as well.
Another two goals for RVP will create a record for any player since the Premier League went to a 38 game format, and it would be great for him to add it to his impressive collection of personal accolades for this season. Arsenal have been called a one man team because of RVP's goalscoring feats this season, and there is no doubt his contribution has been immense.
This could possibly be his last game for Arsenal, and if it is to be so I hope he can end on a high for himself and the club too. Ultimately Arsenal's season will be judged on whether they qualify for the Champions League or not, and this game will decide their fate. It would be fantastic to see that fate complete with a place in next season's competition, and St. Totteringham's Day arriving at the same time too.
I'm predicting a hard fought 2-1 win for Arsenal with RVP getting the goals that are so badly needed. It certainly won't be easy viewing for Arsenal fans, but most of this season has come under that category already. The most important thing is where they finish in the league, and that will finally be decided just before five this afternoon.
That's it for today.
See you tomorrow.
Friday, May 11, 2012
Predictions For Premier League Gameweek 38
It's that time of the week again when I attempt to predict the outcomes of the upcoming Premier League games. Yet again last week didn't go too well with only one perfect scoreline, four correct outcomes and five incorrect outcomes. It means I'm fifth in my predictions league, and if I'm lucky that's where I'll finish.
This is the final week of the Premier League campaign for another season, and I'll be getting a three month break from my predictions. Despite some teams having nothing to play there is no doubt that English teams keep trying until the very end. It means that not all of the teams who need results will necessarily get them this Sunday.
Here's a look at how my predictions league stands.
Pos Player Week Total
___ ______ _____ _____
1 ahujag 50 2100
2 Ggooner 115 1850
3 b_red_devils 105 1765
4 nitin004 50 1595
5 JamrockRover 30 1405
6 gooner2194 -5 1405
7 ABlockGooner -20 1295
8 gOOner 55 1240
9 Rutland Gooner -45 1165
10 nawa87 -40 1120
Chelsea Vs. Blackburn Rovers
Sunday May 13, 3 pm BST
Chelsea won the FA Cup last week, and they have the Champions League final to look forward to next week. Their chances of finishing in the top four are over though, and they have to win the Champions League final to qualify for next season's competition. This game may not have much meaning for them, but they will have a trophy to parade and they will want to send their fans home happy.
Chelsea are bound to play a weakened team, and it's not easy to know which players will play for them.
Blackburn were relegated when they lost at home to Wigan on Monday night, and they only have their pride left to play for. They have lost seven of their last eight games, and they have struggled to score goals in those games too. It could be a tough season for them in the Championship next season.
I can't see any Blackburn players who would be of any use to fantasy managers this week.
I think Chelsea should have more than enough to get a win despite playing a weakened side.
Prediction: 2-0
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Everton Vs. Newcastle United
Sunday May 13, 3 pm BST
Everton are unbeaten in eight games, and a win will see them finish seventh above their arch-rivals Liverpool. They have looked very good since David Moyles brought in a few players in the January transfer window. There are very tough to beat at home, and only Manchester City have conceded less home goals than Everton.
Nikica Jelavic Steven Pienaar and Tony Hibbert have all been impressive during Everton's recent good run.
Newcastle need a win to have any chance of finishing third or fourth in the Premier League. They have had a very good season, and a top four finish would be an incredible achievement. They have won eight away games despite conceding a lot of goals on their travels.
Papiss Cisse has been in fantastic form since joining Newcastle in January, and is well worth considering for fantasy managers.
I think Everton will get the win they want to finish ahead of Liverpool, and Newcastle will have to settle for fifth place.
Prediction: 2-1
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Manchester City Vs. Queens Park Rangers
Sunday May 13, 3 pm BST
City only need a win to win the league title for the first time since 1968, and I can't see them slipping up. They have won 17 of their 18 home games in the league, and they drew the other one. They have the best defensive record at home in the league, and no other team has scored more home goals than them either.
There are a lot of City players to choose from, but Joe Hart, Vincent Kompany, David Silva and Sergio Aguero are probably the best bets.
QPR will be guaranteed another season in the Premier League if they win this game, and a draw is almost certain to be good enough too. The chances are they will stay up anyway unless Bolton can get a win at Stoke.QPR have lost their last eight away games in a row, and there is little chance of them getting the revenge Mark Hughes would love.
I can't see any QPR players who might set the world alight in the final week of the season.
I think City will have far too much for QPR, and run out easy winners.
Prediction: 4-0
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Norwich City Vs. Aston Villa
Sunday May 13, 3 pm BST
Norwich haven't won any of their last four league games, but they got a very good point at Arsenal last week. They have proved to be a hand full for any team on their day, and Paul Lambert has done a great job with them.
Grant Holt is probably the Norwich player most likely to perform, as long as he is picked.
Villa managed to save themselves from relegation by drawing with Spurs last week. They were far from impressive against 10 men, and they have been hard to beat away from home this season. They have suffered in front of goal with Darren Bent injured, and only Stoke have scored less goals than them.
I can't imagine that any Villa players will do anything to impress fantasy managers this week.
Despite Villa being a pretty poor team I have a feeling they will get a point out of this game.
Prediction: 1-1
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Stoke City Vs. Bolton Wanderers
Sunday May 13, 3 pm BST
Stoke may have nothing to play for, but I can't imagine that will have any effect on how they play. They have only lost four home games this season, and they are never an easy team to play at home.They might be the lowest scorers in the league and not have won any of their last five games, but they will still make Bolton battle very hard for their survival.
I can't see any Stoke players that might be overly impressive this week.
Bolton need a win to have any chance of staying in the Premier League. They have only won once in their last seven games, but they have managed to win six away games this season. I'm sure they will give all they have to get the result they need, but it might not be enough.
Martin Petrov is the Bolton player most likely to make an impression if they are going to get anything out of this game.
I don't think Bolton will manage to get the win they need, and the game will probably end in a draw.
Prediction: 1-1
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Sunderland Vs. Manchester United
Sunday May 13, 3 pm BST
Sunderland haven't won any of their last seven games, as their recovery under Martin O'Neill has faded badly. They have only lost four home games this season, and they haven't conceded too many goals at home either. The game has little meaning for them, but surely they can raise themselves to try to beat the title holders.
With the game meaning little to Sunderland I can't see any of their players who might make an impression for fantasy managers this week.
United have to get more points out of this game than City do at home to QPR, and I just can't see that happening. They have the best away record in the league, but even their 13th away win of the season probably won't be enough for them. Their defensive record away from home is the best in the league too, and they have to be favourites to take all three points.
There are a few United players who could perform well this week with Wayne Rooney, Ashley Young and Patrice Evra probably the most likely to do so.
I think United will get the win they want, but it still won't be enough to win the title.
Prediction: 1-3
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Swansea City Vs. Liverpool
Sunday May 13, 3 pm BST
Swansea have had an excellent season in the Premier League, but they have only managed one win in their last eight games. Their home record is very good though, and only the top five have lost less home games than them.
Michel Vorm and Gylfi Siggurdsen could be the Swansea players most likely to do well this week.
Liverpool might have won the Carling Cup, but their FA Cup final defeat last week will have been a big blow. They need to win this game to have any chance of catching seventh placed Everton, but they have lost nine away games this season. They have managed to win eight away games though, and they have won their last two on the road.
Luis Suarez could be the Liverpool player to do well this week if they can get a result from this game.
I have a feeling Swansea will manage to take all three points.
Prediction: 2-1
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Tottenham Hotspur Vs. Fulham
Sunday May 13, 3 pm BST
Spurs need to win this game, and hope Arsenal don't win away to West Brom to enable them to finish third. At worst they will finish fourth if they win, and then they will have to wait on the outcome of the Champions League final to decide their fate. They have been very impressive at home this season, and they will be going all out to get their 13th home win of the season.
With Spurs needing a win I think Gareth Bale, Rafael van der Vaart and Emmanuel Adebayor could have a good week.
Fulham have won five of their last seven games, and a win could possibly see them finish as high as seventh in the league. They have only won four away games though, and only Stoke have scored less away goals than them. It will take an excellent performance for them to get a result against a Spurs team that have to win.
Clint Dempsey has had a fantastic season for Fulham, and he's worth including in any fantasy team at any time.
I think Spurs will get the win they need, but it might not be enough to secure third place.
Prediction: 2-0
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West Bromwich Albion Vs. Arsenal
Sunday May 13, 3 pm BST
West Brom have lost nine home games this season, and only the bottom three have lost more games at home. They have managed to win four of their last six home games though, and a win will confirm a top 10 finish for them. It will be their last game under Ray Hodgson before he takes on the England job, and the players will want to bid him farewell with a good performance.
I don't think there are ant West Brom players likely to get too many fantasy points this week.
Arsenal will finish third if they win this game, and they could even do it if they lose. Only the top two teams have scored more away goals than Arsenal, but they have conceded a lot of goals on their travels too. They haven't won any of their last four games, and this is their last chance to ensure they qualify for next season's Champions League.
If Arsenal are going to get the result they need Robin van Persie is the man to get the goals for them.
I think Arsenal will get the win they want, but it could be a very nervy day for their fans.
Prediction: 1-2
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Wigan Athletic Vs. Wolverhampton Wanderers
Sunday May 13, 3 pm BST
Wigan beat Blackburn on Monday night to ensue their Premier League survival for another season. They have won six of their last eight league games, and played really well in the process too. They have only won four games at home home this season, but they will fancy themselves to get another win in this game.
Victor Moses has been in fine form for Wigan recently, and could be worth including for fantasy managers.
Wolves have only taken four points in 12 games since they sacked Mick McCarthy, and they will be playing their football in the Championship next season. They have only two away wins all season, and they have conceded more goals in the league than any other team this season.
There are no Wolves players that look capable of performing well for fantasy managers this week.
I think Wigan will get yet another win, and Wolves will limp into the Championship well adrift of the rest of the league.
Prediction: 2-1
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That's it for this season, but as always feel free to tell me where I may have gone right or wrong as the case might be. I will be back next season with my predictions again, and hopefully I'll fare a little better.
See you tomorrow.
This is the final week of the Premier League campaign for another season, and I'll be getting a three month break from my predictions. Despite some teams having nothing to play there is no doubt that English teams keep trying until the very end. It means that not all of the teams who need results will necessarily get them this Sunday.
Here's a look at how my predictions league stands.
Pos Player Week Total
___ ______ _____ _____
1 ahujag 50 2100
2 Ggooner 115 1850
3 b_red_devils 105 1765
4 nitin004 50 1595
5 JamrockRover 30 1405
6 gooner2194 -5 1405
7 ABlockGooner -20 1295
8 gOOner 55 1240
9 Rutland Gooner -45 1165
10 nawa87 -40 1120
Chelsea Vs. Blackburn Rovers
Sunday May 13, 3 pm BST
Chelsea won the FA Cup last week, and they have the Champions League final to look forward to next week. Their chances of finishing in the top four are over though, and they have to win the Champions League final to qualify for next season's competition. This game may not have much meaning for them, but they will have a trophy to parade and they will want to send their fans home happy.
Chelsea are bound to play a weakened team, and it's not easy to know which players will play for them.
Blackburn were relegated when they lost at home to Wigan on Monday night, and they only have their pride left to play for. They have lost seven of their last eight games, and they have struggled to score goals in those games too. It could be a tough season for them in the Championship next season.
I can't see any Blackburn players who would be of any use to fantasy managers this week.
I think Chelsea should have more than enough to get a win despite playing a weakened side.
Prediction: 2-0
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Everton Vs. Newcastle United
Sunday May 13, 3 pm BST
Everton are unbeaten in eight games, and a win will see them finish seventh above their arch-rivals Liverpool. They have looked very good since David Moyles brought in a few players in the January transfer window. There are very tough to beat at home, and only Manchester City have conceded less home goals than Everton.
Nikica Jelavic Steven Pienaar and Tony Hibbert have all been impressive during Everton's recent good run.
Newcastle need a win to have any chance of finishing third or fourth in the Premier League. They have had a very good season, and a top four finish would be an incredible achievement. They have won eight away games despite conceding a lot of goals on their travels.
Papiss Cisse has been in fantastic form since joining Newcastle in January, and is well worth considering for fantasy managers.
I think Everton will get the win they want to finish ahead of Liverpool, and Newcastle will have to settle for fifth place.
Prediction: 2-1
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Manchester City Vs. Queens Park Rangers
Sunday May 13, 3 pm BST
City only need a win to win the league title for the first time since 1968, and I can't see them slipping up. They have won 17 of their 18 home games in the league, and they drew the other one. They have the best defensive record at home in the league, and no other team has scored more home goals than them either.
There are a lot of City players to choose from, but Joe Hart, Vincent Kompany, David Silva and Sergio Aguero are probably the best bets.
QPR will be guaranteed another season in the Premier League if they win this game, and a draw is almost certain to be good enough too. The chances are they will stay up anyway unless Bolton can get a win at Stoke.QPR have lost their last eight away games in a row, and there is little chance of them getting the revenge Mark Hughes would love.
I can't see any QPR players who might set the world alight in the final week of the season.
I think City will have far too much for QPR, and run out easy winners.
Prediction: 4-0
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Norwich City Vs. Aston Villa
Sunday May 13, 3 pm BST
Norwich haven't won any of their last four league games, but they got a very good point at Arsenal last week. They have proved to be a hand full for any team on their day, and Paul Lambert has done a great job with them.
Grant Holt is probably the Norwich player most likely to perform, as long as he is picked.
Villa managed to save themselves from relegation by drawing with Spurs last week. They were far from impressive against 10 men, and they have been hard to beat away from home this season. They have suffered in front of goal with Darren Bent injured, and only Stoke have scored less goals than them.
I can't imagine that any Villa players will do anything to impress fantasy managers this week.
Despite Villa being a pretty poor team I have a feeling they will get a point out of this game.
Prediction: 1-1
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Stoke City Vs. Bolton Wanderers
Sunday May 13, 3 pm BST
Stoke may have nothing to play for, but I can't imagine that will have any effect on how they play. They have only lost four home games this season, and they are never an easy team to play at home.They might be the lowest scorers in the league and not have won any of their last five games, but they will still make Bolton battle very hard for their survival.
I can't see any Stoke players that might be overly impressive this week.
Bolton need a win to have any chance of staying in the Premier League. They have only won once in their last seven games, but they have managed to win six away games this season. I'm sure they will give all they have to get the result they need, but it might not be enough.
Martin Petrov is the Bolton player most likely to make an impression if they are going to get anything out of this game.
I don't think Bolton will manage to get the win they need, and the game will probably end in a draw.
Prediction: 1-1
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Sunderland Vs. Manchester United
Sunday May 13, 3 pm BST
Sunderland haven't won any of their last seven games, as their recovery under Martin O'Neill has faded badly. They have only lost four home games this season, and they haven't conceded too many goals at home either. The game has little meaning for them, but surely they can raise themselves to try to beat the title holders.
With the game meaning little to Sunderland I can't see any of their players who might make an impression for fantasy managers this week.
United have to get more points out of this game than City do at home to QPR, and I just can't see that happening. They have the best away record in the league, but even their 13th away win of the season probably won't be enough for them. Their defensive record away from home is the best in the league too, and they have to be favourites to take all three points.
There are a few United players who could perform well this week with Wayne Rooney, Ashley Young and Patrice Evra probably the most likely to do so.
I think United will get the win they want, but it still won't be enough to win the title.
Prediction: 1-3
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Swansea City Vs. Liverpool
Sunday May 13, 3 pm BST
Swansea have had an excellent season in the Premier League, but they have only managed one win in their last eight games. Their home record is very good though, and only the top five have lost less home games than them.
Michel Vorm and Gylfi Siggurdsen could be the Swansea players most likely to do well this week.
Liverpool might have won the Carling Cup, but their FA Cup final defeat last week will have been a big blow. They need to win this game to have any chance of catching seventh placed Everton, but they have lost nine away games this season. They have managed to win eight away games though, and they have won their last two on the road.
Luis Suarez could be the Liverpool player to do well this week if they can get a result from this game.
I have a feeling Swansea will manage to take all three points.
Prediction: 2-1
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Tottenham Hotspur Vs. Fulham
Sunday May 13, 3 pm BST
Spurs need to win this game, and hope Arsenal don't win away to West Brom to enable them to finish third. At worst they will finish fourth if they win, and then they will have to wait on the outcome of the Champions League final to decide their fate. They have been very impressive at home this season, and they will be going all out to get their 13th home win of the season.
With Spurs needing a win I think Gareth Bale, Rafael van der Vaart and Emmanuel Adebayor could have a good week.
Fulham have won five of their last seven games, and a win could possibly see them finish as high as seventh in the league. They have only won four away games though, and only Stoke have scored less away goals than them. It will take an excellent performance for them to get a result against a Spurs team that have to win.
Clint Dempsey has had a fantastic season for Fulham, and he's worth including in any fantasy team at any time.
I think Spurs will get the win they need, but it might not be enough to secure third place.
Prediction: 2-0
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West Bromwich Albion Vs. Arsenal
Sunday May 13, 3 pm BST
West Brom have lost nine home games this season, and only the bottom three have lost more games at home. They have managed to win four of their last six home games though, and a win will confirm a top 10 finish for them. It will be their last game under Ray Hodgson before he takes on the England job, and the players will want to bid him farewell with a good performance.
I don't think there are ant West Brom players likely to get too many fantasy points this week.
Arsenal will finish third if they win this game, and they could even do it if they lose. Only the top two teams have scored more away goals than Arsenal, but they have conceded a lot of goals on their travels too. They haven't won any of their last four games, and this is their last chance to ensure they qualify for next season's Champions League.
If Arsenal are going to get the result they need Robin van Persie is the man to get the goals for them.
I think Arsenal will get the win they want, but it could be a very nervy day for their fans.
Prediction: 1-2
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Wigan Athletic Vs. Wolverhampton Wanderers
Sunday May 13, 3 pm BST
Wigan beat Blackburn on Monday night to ensue their Premier League survival for another season. They have won six of their last eight league games, and played really well in the process too. They have only won four games at home home this season, but they will fancy themselves to get another win in this game.
Victor Moses has been in fine form for Wigan recently, and could be worth including for fantasy managers.
Wolves have only taken four points in 12 games since they sacked Mick McCarthy, and they will be playing their football in the Championship next season. They have only two away wins all season, and they have conceded more goals in the league than any other team this season.
There are no Wolves players that look capable of performing well for fantasy managers this week.
I think Wigan will get yet another win, and Wolves will limp into the Championship well adrift of the rest of the league.
Prediction: 2-1
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That's it for this season, but as always feel free to tell me where I may have gone right or wrong as the case might be. I will be back next season with my predictions again, and hopefully I'll fare a little better.
See you tomorrow.
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Arsenal's New Shirt For 2012/13 Unveiled
Arsenal unveiled their new home strip for 2012/13 yesterday, and the reaction to it hasn't been exactly positive among their fans. I have to say I'm far from impressed with it myself, and I really can't see it being a best seller among the fans. In particular I think the black stripe on it is very unlike anything which should be included on an Arsenal shirt.
Of course Arsenal produced new shirts for the current season because of the celebrations for the club's 125th anniversary. There were also new shirts the previous season, and the fans are faced with forking out for the third season in a row. I know the anniversary was a one off event, but in the present economic climate it's an awful lot to expect of loyal fans.
It's not as if fans can just decide to change their allegiances over night. Sometimes it feels like the club are taking advantage of the very people who have made it what it is. There was a rise in ticket prices this season despite the financial hardship which is being felt by so many people all over the world.
I don't live close enough to Arsenal to be lucky enough to go to every home game, but if I did I can't imagine I would be able to afford a season ticket. Like so many others I lost my job in the current recession, but after eight months of looking for work I managed to eventually find one. I can only imagine that Arsenal fans in a similar situation to mine would have to give up their season ticket first.
There is a waiting list to get a season ticket, but that list has to be growing shorter by the day. It's an awful lot easier for casual Arsenal fans to get tickets for games at the Emirates at the moment. I have been over to three games myself this season, and there were no problems at all getting tickets for those games.
I was lucky enough to see Arsenal win all three of those games, and I'm looking forward to going over a couple of times next season. It means I have to put money aside every week, and add it to the little bit of money the advertising on my blog makes. I have to say the welcome myself and the other Irish Gooners I travel with get is second to none.
The hashtag #GoonerFamily gets used quite a lot on Twitter, but I genuinely feel a part of that family when I go to London to watch Arsenal play. It is a dream of mine to make a trip to an Arsenal away game, and join the greatest set of traveling fans in the Premier League. It brings a lump to my throat every time I hear the Arsenal fans singing loud and proud on their away days.
I may have gotten a little off track, but my point is that times are tough, and it's not easy for fans to shell out their hard earned money on a new shirt every season. The very least the club could do is make sure the shirts are ones the fans really want to buy, but I just don't think next season's is one of them. It will be very interesting to see how many fans are wearing the shirt when the new season starts.
That's it for today.
See you tomorrow.
Monday, May 7, 2012
Arsenal Regain The Mastery Of Their Own Fate
It has been an up and down season for so many teams in the Premier League this season. Arsenal have had their own fair share of highs and lows, but Saturday's draw at home to Norwich seemed to be an almost fatal blow for them. They had to hope a struggling Aston Villa team would take something off Spurs on Sunday, and they managed to get a 1-1 draw.
With Newcastle losing at home to Manchester City it means Arsenal are in third place with only one game left to play. The simple fact is Arsenal will finish third if they can win away to West Brom next Sunday, and a draw will more than likely see them finish fourth at worst. Having seen the highlights of West Bron's draw away to Bolton yesterday I have no doubt that Arsenal will have their work cut out in that game.
West Brom have been better away from home this season, but they are not an easy team to beat. They may have nothing to play for at this stage in the season, but Norwich showed how dangerous a team in that position can be. It will take a much better defensive performance in particular for Arsenal to get the win they need.
Next Sunday afternoon at 3 pm Arsenal will get the chance to do what they have been unable to do in their last four Premier League games. With the finishing post in sight Arsenal have faltered very badly, but this weekend they have been greatly helped by the performances of those teams fighting for third place with them. As it stands there are still four teams who can finish third, and Arsenal are ahead of the other three.
Chelsea travel to Liverpool tomorrow night needing a win to keep their slight chances of a top three or four place alive. If they win that game they will be three points behind Arsenal with a home game against Blackburn next Sunday to come. I have no doubt that they will beat Blackburn which would mean an Arsenal loss to West Brom would drop them below Chelsea in that scenario.
However, a point at West Brom will guarantee fourth place for Arsenal, as Chelsea will not be able to catch them and neither will Newcastle unless they beat Everton by 17 goals. It would leave Spurs as the only team that can finish above Arsenal besides the top two teams that have run away with the title challenge. It would also leave Arsenal fans hoping for a Bayern Munich win over Chelsea in the Champions League final on May 19.
It seems incredible that Arsenal have allowed their season to develop in this way, as they had so many chances to take the points they needed at home. They played three of their last four games at home, and a win in any of those games would have Arsenal almost over the finishing line. Each of those games should really have been won, but now it's their away form that will come under scrutiny.
Arsenal started the season really badly, and took only one point from their first four away games. Since then they have done quite well on their travels with 27 points from 14 games, and not too many teams can better that. In most of those games they had Mikael Arteta in their team, and his absence has been a real problem for them in recent weeks.
He went off injured after only eight minutes of the defeat at home to Wigan, and Arsenal have looked very unsteady in midfield since then. With Jack Wilshere and Abu Diaby both missing virtually the whole season injured it has left the club with very limited options in midfield. Both Aaron Ramsey and Alex Song had very bad games on Saturday, but they will probably have to play against West Brom.
The only other options besides both of them are Frances Coquelin and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain who are both young and relatively inexperienced. It would be a huge risk to throw either of them in at the deep end, and I cannot see Arsene Wenger taking that risk.
With Bacary Sagna having broken his leg on Saturday there is every chance that Coquelin will be needed in defence anyway. I suspect Carl Jenkinson will play at right back instead of Sagna, but Coquelin didn't do so badly there on Saturday when he replaced Sagna.
When I watched the game on Saturday I thought Kieran Gibbs had a bad game in defence, but when I watched it again I realised others had left him badly exposed at times. Thomas Vermaelen is fantastic player, but some of his performances in the last couple of months have been very poor defensively. He needs to concentrate on his defending this Sunday, as a win for Arsenal will have to be built on defensive strength.
The first priority for any defender is his defending, but against Norwich Arsenal simply didn't do that. When they were 1-0 and 3-2 up they were still somehow outnumbered at the back at times by Norwich. The players need to be aware of their defensive responsibilities, and stick to them unless circumstances and the manager decide otherwise.
I can't say I am overly confident of the team getting the result they need, but I will be cheering them on with my heart and soul as always. I would dearly love to see them score early and build on that lead, but that has been far from the Arsenal way this season. I have no doubt there will be twists and turns as the games progress on Sunday afternoon, and I can only hope when the final whistle sounds Arsenal are looking forward to Champions League football next season.
Finally for today Arsenal have unveiled their new home shirt for next season, and I have to say I really don't care for it. I don't like the black(or is it navy stripe), and I can at least see it saving me €60 because I won't be buying it. That may change with time s it usually does, but I sincerely doubt it.
That's it for today.
See you tomorrow.
With Newcastle losing at home to Manchester City it means Arsenal are in third place with only one game left to play. The simple fact is Arsenal will finish third if they can win away to West Brom next Sunday, and a draw will more than likely see them finish fourth at worst. Having seen the highlights of West Bron's draw away to Bolton yesterday I have no doubt that Arsenal will have their work cut out in that game.
West Brom have been better away from home this season, but they are not an easy team to beat. They may have nothing to play for at this stage in the season, but Norwich showed how dangerous a team in that position can be. It will take a much better defensive performance in particular for Arsenal to get the win they need.
Next Sunday afternoon at 3 pm Arsenal will get the chance to do what they have been unable to do in their last four Premier League games. With the finishing post in sight Arsenal have faltered very badly, but this weekend they have been greatly helped by the performances of those teams fighting for third place with them. As it stands there are still four teams who can finish third, and Arsenal are ahead of the other three.
Chelsea travel to Liverpool tomorrow night needing a win to keep their slight chances of a top three or four place alive. If they win that game they will be three points behind Arsenal with a home game against Blackburn next Sunday to come. I have no doubt that they will beat Blackburn which would mean an Arsenal loss to West Brom would drop them below Chelsea in that scenario.
However, a point at West Brom will guarantee fourth place for Arsenal, as Chelsea will not be able to catch them and neither will Newcastle unless they beat Everton by 17 goals. It would leave Spurs as the only team that can finish above Arsenal besides the top two teams that have run away with the title challenge. It would also leave Arsenal fans hoping for a Bayern Munich win over Chelsea in the Champions League final on May 19.
It seems incredible that Arsenal have allowed their season to develop in this way, as they had so many chances to take the points they needed at home. They played three of their last four games at home, and a win in any of those games would have Arsenal almost over the finishing line. Each of those games should really have been won, but now it's their away form that will come under scrutiny.
Arsenal started the season really badly, and took only one point from their first four away games. Since then they have done quite well on their travels with 27 points from 14 games, and not too many teams can better that. In most of those games they had Mikael Arteta in their team, and his absence has been a real problem for them in recent weeks.
He went off injured after only eight minutes of the defeat at home to Wigan, and Arsenal have looked very unsteady in midfield since then. With Jack Wilshere and Abu Diaby both missing virtually the whole season injured it has left the club with very limited options in midfield. Both Aaron Ramsey and Alex Song had very bad games on Saturday, but they will probably have to play against West Brom.
The only other options besides both of them are Frances Coquelin and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain who are both young and relatively inexperienced. It would be a huge risk to throw either of them in at the deep end, and I cannot see Arsene Wenger taking that risk.
With Bacary Sagna having broken his leg on Saturday there is every chance that Coquelin will be needed in defence anyway. I suspect Carl Jenkinson will play at right back instead of Sagna, but Coquelin didn't do so badly there on Saturday when he replaced Sagna.
When I watched the game on Saturday I thought Kieran Gibbs had a bad game in defence, but when I watched it again I realised others had left him badly exposed at times. Thomas Vermaelen is fantastic player, but some of his performances in the last couple of months have been very poor defensively. He needs to concentrate on his defending this Sunday, as a win for Arsenal will have to be built on defensive strength.
The first priority for any defender is his defending, but against Norwich Arsenal simply didn't do that. When they were 1-0 and 3-2 up they were still somehow outnumbered at the back at times by Norwich. The players need to be aware of their defensive responsibilities, and stick to them unless circumstances and the manager decide otherwise.
I can't say I am overly confident of the team getting the result they need, but I will be cheering them on with my heart and soul as always. I would dearly love to see them score early and build on that lead, but that has been far from the Arsenal way this season. I have no doubt there will be twists and turns as the games progress on Sunday afternoon, and I can only hope when the final whistle sounds Arsenal are looking forward to Champions League football next season.
Finally for today Arsenal have unveiled their new home shirt for next season, and I have to say I really don't care for it. I don't like the black(or is it navy stripe), and I can at least see it saving me €60 because I won't be buying it. That may change with time s it usually does, but I sincerely doubt it.
That's it for today.
See you tomorrow.
Sunday, May 6, 2012
Arsenal Blow It In Typical Style Against Norwich
Arsenal went into yesterday's game at home to Norwich City with their fate in their own hands. All they had to do was beat Norwich and then beat West Brom next week to finish third in the Premier League. It was a very simple scenario, but Arsenal rarely do things the simple way.
Arsene Wenger picked the same team that drew 1-1 away to Stoke last week, and it was a team with enough ability to get the job done. Unfortunately it would seem that yet again the Arsenal players felt the game was a foregone conclusion. The very same thing happened away to QPR and at home to Wigan when both of those games were lost.
The game couldn't have started better for Arsenal with Yossi Benayoun putting them 1-0 up after little more than a minute. He was found by a Tomas Rosicky pass just outside the box, and he curled home a lovely goal as the defenders backed off. It was the perfect start for Arsenal, but it soon became apparent they wouldn't have things all their own way.
Norwich showed the attitude and desire that the Arsenal players seemed to be missing and dominated the game. Arsenal were unable to shake off their lethargy, and Norwich took advantage with goals from Wes Hoolohan and Grant Holt. The manner in which Arsenal conceded those goals was nothing short of a shambles at best.
Hoolahan got the first of those goals with a first time shot from 10 yards that seemed to go right through Wojciech Szczesny in the Arsenal goal. Szczesny had the type of game yesterday that has seen other Arsenal goalkeepers get a very hard time from the fans. His distribution and kicking was very poor at best, but he wasn't the only Arsenal player who played badly.
The second goal from Holt had a huge slice of fortune about it, as it deflected over Kieran Gibbs and into the net. The fact that Gibbs was the man trying to stop Holt is another matter, as Norwich took Arsenal apart on the break time after time. Too many Arsenal players were simply unwilling to do what was expected of them, or unable to do so.
Holt was a huge problem for the Arsenal defence all day, as his ability to make any long pass stick to him frustrated them. Thomas Vermaelen had another awful game, and if Sebastien Squillaci played like that the fans would have given him a tough time too. The defence weren't helped by a midfield which went missing for the first hour of the game with Alex Song and Aaron Ramsey also having very bad games.
To make matters worse for Arsenal Bacary Sagna went off after just over 30 minutes with his second broken leg of the season. He won't be making the trip to Euro 2012 with France, and it was a sad day for him. With no direct replacement on the bench for Sagna it was left to Francis Coquelin to come on and play at right back.
I'm not sure how Sagna managed to break his leg, as he tried to take down a pass. There were no Norwich players anywhere near him at the time, and I don't know if it actually happened in a previous challenge.
The second half started in the very same manner with Arsenal struggling to find any cohesion, and Norwich looking very dangerous on the break. They could and should have had a penalty, and maybe both Ramsey and Laurent Koscielny could have had their marching orders too. The Arsenal team were going nowhere, and Wenger had to change something.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain came on for Ramsey, and Marouane Chamakh came on for Benayoun to try to change things around. Their impact seemed to change the pace of the Arsenal play, and Norwich started to tire a little too. All of a sudden Arsenal looked capable of getting the goals they needed, and the goals did come.
The equaliser was tucked home by Robin van Persie after a good ball over the defence from Song. Song had tried to play killer passes all through the game, and none of them were anywhere near their target until he made that goal. He may have made the goal, but the amount of possession he wasted by trying to play those passes too often was ridiculous.
The momentum was with Arsenal and the pushed forward looking for the all important third goal. With 10 minutes to go it was that man RVP who yet again got the goal after the ball deflected to him 10 yards out. The home fans were ecstatic, and the players only needed to be professional for the last 10 minutes.
It was obvious straight away that Arsenal were going to struggle, as Norwich set about them yet again. It was no surprise at all when the equaliser came for them with five minutes remaining. Steve Morison was played in behind the Arsenal defence, and he finished very well past Szczesny into the far corner.
The chance for Norwich came about after another poor pass from Song in midfield, and it left Arsenal with five minutes to save the game. RVP missed a great chance from six yards out with only the keeper to beat, and Song almost scored with a back-heeled attempt. Arsenal continued to pour forward, as the four added minutes counted down.
With very little time left the chance Arsenal wanted arrived when RVP closed in on a Chamberlain cross at the far post. It looked like he was certain to poke the ball home, but a push in the back from a Norwich defender saw him end up in the back of the net instead of the ball. It was an absolute stone wall penalty, but to be honest it should have been a free out first when a clearly offside Gervinho went for the ball.
At the final whistle the Arsenal players were clearly disappointed, but they had no one to blame other than themselves. The performances of a few of the players were absolutely awful, and some of those players need to take a long hard look at themselves in the mirror. The overall strength of the squad was shown up when players who have clearly being struggling recently had to be selected.
It looks like third place has been blown by Arsenal with Spurs in particular the most likely to take advantage. A win for them today away to struggling Aston Villa will see them having to win their final game at home to Fulhm to finish third, and there is nothing Arsenal can do about it. Even if Spurs don't win today there is every chance Arsenal will be just as bad against West Brom next week when they have to win again.
When the pressure was on the team far too many players were found wanting. It has to be asked whether there is a mindset at the club that is completely wrong. How can Arsenal fall apart in the run in yet again, as they have done for too many seasons in a row.
Where were the leaders on the pitch yesterday to take control of the team when they took a 3-2 lead with 10 minutes left. Where were the calm heads to settle others around them who were unsure of what to do. I don't think it's any surprise that Arsenal's collapse has coincided with the injury to Mikael Arteta.
He has been a huge influence in the team this season, but his purchase was hardly part of the long term plan for the club. Arsenal only looked to buy him with the summer transfer window a matter of hours away from closing, and it's probably just by chance that he has come to so influential. Maybe the Arsenal players are protected too much by the club, and when the going gets tough they are found wanting.
Arsenal might still finish third in the Premier League, but I doubt it. Even they do it will still not hide the problems the squad has, and they have to be addressed this summer. Besides players of real ability Arsenal need to bring in some players who have real mental strength, and can change the mindset of a team that crumble far too often in my opinion.
I'll be watching the games today in hope more than expectation that results go in Arsenal's favour. No matter what happens today Arsenal can still finish third, but after yesterday's game it's now out of their control. It's a scenario which never should have been allowed to happen, but it's a reality now.
That's it for today.
Here's the highlights from yesterday's game.
See you tomorrow.
Arsene Wenger picked the same team that drew 1-1 away to Stoke last week, and it was a team with enough ability to get the job done. Unfortunately it would seem that yet again the Arsenal players felt the game was a foregone conclusion. The very same thing happened away to QPR and at home to Wigan when both of those games were lost.
The game couldn't have started better for Arsenal with Yossi Benayoun putting them 1-0 up after little more than a minute. He was found by a Tomas Rosicky pass just outside the box, and he curled home a lovely goal as the defenders backed off. It was the perfect start for Arsenal, but it soon became apparent they wouldn't have things all their own way.
Norwich showed the attitude and desire that the Arsenal players seemed to be missing and dominated the game. Arsenal were unable to shake off their lethargy, and Norwich took advantage with goals from Wes Hoolohan and Grant Holt. The manner in which Arsenal conceded those goals was nothing short of a shambles at best.
Hoolahan got the first of those goals with a first time shot from 10 yards that seemed to go right through Wojciech Szczesny in the Arsenal goal. Szczesny had the type of game yesterday that has seen other Arsenal goalkeepers get a very hard time from the fans. His distribution and kicking was very poor at best, but he wasn't the only Arsenal player who played badly.
The second goal from Holt had a huge slice of fortune about it, as it deflected over Kieran Gibbs and into the net. The fact that Gibbs was the man trying to stop Holt is another matter, as Norwich took Arsenal apart on the break time after time. Too many Arsenal players were simply unwilling to do what was expected of them, or unable to do so.
Holt was a huge problem for the Arsenal defence all day, as his ability to make any long pass stick to him frustrated them. Thomas Vermaelen had another awful game, and if Sebastien Squillaci played like that the fans would have given him a tough time too. The defence weren't helped by a midfield which went missing for the first hour of the game with Alex Song and Aaron Ramsey also having very bad games.
To make matters worse for Arsenal Bacary Sagna went off after just over 30 minutes with his second broken leg of the season. He won't be making the trip to Euro 2012 with France, and it was a sad day for him. With no direct replacement on the bench for Sagna it was left to Francis Coquelin to come on and play at right back.
I'm not sure how Sagna managed to break his leg, as he tried to take down a pass. There were no Norwich players anywhere near him at the time, and I don't know if it actually happened in a previous challenge.
The second half started in the very same manner with Arsenal struggling to find any cohesion, and Norwich looking very dangerous on the break. They could and should have had a penalty, and maybe both Ramsey and Laurent Koscielny could have had their marching orders too. The Arsenal team were going nowhere, and Wenger had to change something.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain came on for Ramsey, and Marouane Chamakh came on for Benayoun to try to change things around. Their impact seemed to change the pace of the Arsenal play, and Norwich started to tire a little too. All of a sudden Arsenal looked capable of getting the goals they needed, and the goals did come.
The equaliser was tucked home by Robin van Persie after a good ball over the defence from Song. Song had tried to play killer passes all through the game, and none of them were anywhere near their target until he made that goal. He may have made the goal, but the amount of possession he wasted by trying to play those passes too often was ridiculous.
The momentum was with Arsenal and the pushed forward looking for the all important third goal. With 10 minutes to go it was that man RVP who yet again got the goal after the ball deflected to him 10 yards out. The home fans were ecstatic, and the players only needed to be professional for the last 10 minutes.
It was obvious straight away that Arsenal were going to struggle, as Norwich set about them yet again. It was no surprise at all when the equaliser came for them with five minutes remaining. Steve Morison was played in behind the Arsenal defence, and he finished very well past Szczesny into the far corner.
The chance for Norwich came about after another poor pass from Song in midfield, and it left Arsenal with five minutes to save the game. RVP missed a great chance from six yards out with only the keeper to beat, and Song almost scored with a back-heeled attempt. Arsenal continued to pour forward, as the four added minutes counted down.
With very little time left the chance Arsenal wanted arrived when RVP closed in on a Chamberlain cross at the far post. It looked like he was certain to poke the ball home, but a push in the back from a Norwich defender saw him end up in the back of the net instead of the ball. It was an absolute stone wall penalty, but to be honest it should have been a free out first when a clearly offside Gervinho went for the ball.
At the final whistle the Arsenal players were clearly disappointed, but they had no one to blame other than themselves. The performances of a few of the players were absolutely awful, and some of those players need to take a long hard look at themselves in the mirror. The overall strength of the squad was shown up when players who have clearly being struggling recently had to be selected.
It looks like third place has been blown by Arsenal with Spurs in particular the most likely to take advantage. A win for them today away to struggling Aston Villa will see them having to win their final game at home to Fulhm to finish third, and there is nothing Arsenal can do about it. Even if Spurs don't win today there is every chance Arsenal will be just as bad against West Brom next week when they have to win again.
When the pressure was on the team far too many players were found wanting. It has to be asked whether there is a mindset at the club that is completely wrong. How can Arsenal fall apart in the run in yet again, as they have done for too many seasons in a row.
Where were the leaders on the pitch yesterday to take control of the team when they took a 3-2 lead with 10 minutes left. Where were the calm heads to settle others around them who were unsure of what to do. I don't think it's any surprise that Arsenal's collapse has coincided with the injury to Mikael Arteta.
He has been a huge influence in the team this season, but his purchase was hardly part of the long term plan for the club. Arsenal only looked to buy him with the summer transfer window a matter of hours away from closing, and it's probably just by chance that he has come to so influential. Maybe the Arsenal players are protected too much by the club, and when the going gets tough they are found wanting.
Arsenal might still finish third in the Premier League, but I doubt it. Even they do it will still not hide the problems the squad has, and they have to be addressed this summer. Besides players of real ability Arsenal need to bring in some players who have real mental strength, and can change the mindset of a team that crumble far too often in my opinion.
I'll be watching the games today in hope more than expectation that results go in Arsenal's favour. No matter what happens today Arsenal can still finish third, but after yesterday's game it's now out of their control. It's a scenario which never should have been allowed to happen, but it's a reality now.
That's it for today.
Here's the highlights from yesterday's game.
See you tomorrow.
Friday, May 4, 2012
Arsenal's Premier League Game With Norwich City Previewed
There are only two Premier League games left to play for Arsenal this season, and on the face of it they should win them both. Since their disastrous start to the season the very best they could really have hoped for was a third placed finish. That target is still well within their sights with their fate still firmly in their own hands.
Of course in true Arsenal style they haven't made things easy for themselves, as they have stumbled towards the finishing line in recent weeks. Arsenal have only taken two points in their last three league games, and only scored two goals in the process. If they had even managed three more points in those games third place would be a much easier prospect for them now.
It's no coincidence that Mikael Arteta only managed to play for 10 minutes of those games before picking up a season-ending injury against Wigan. His influence on their midfield since his arrival on the August transfer deadline day cannot be overestimated. With Jack Wilshere missing the whole season injured Arteta brought the stability that Arsenal's transformation was built on.
They have struggled to impose themselves on opponents without him, but they must find a way in the next two games. The prize on offer is too good to turn down, and it's up to the players available to make sure Arsenal finish third. It is of course possible that fourth place will be good enough for a Champions League place next season, but it's a risk no team can afford to take.
If the unthinkable happens and Chelsea win the champions League final they will take the place of the team that finish fourth in the Premier League. Chelsea lost to Newcastle on Wednesday night, and that defeat means a top four finish is beyond them barring an incredible sequence of results in their favour. They still have an FA Cup final to play, but the Champions League final against Bayern Munich is their real priority.
Arsenal play their game this week on Saturday, and it gives them the opportunity to put some pressure on both Spurs and Newcastle who are chasing them. If Arsenal can beat Norwich it will leave them four points ahead of both of those teams before they play their games. Spurs play away to an Aston Villa team that probably need a point to ensure Premier League survival, and Newcastle are at home to title chasing Manchester City.
It's Arsenal's final home game of the season, and a chance for the players to give the fans a farewell they deserve. It hasn't been a great season for Arsenal fans, but three points on Saturday would put a smile on their faces as they face the prospect of three months without their favourite team. The summer months are never easy for fans, but at least there's the unending transfer rumours to look forward to.
Despite being far from their best at the moment Arsenal still have a far better team than Norwich. The players need to approach the game with the intensity that a must win game deserves, and attack Norwich as if their lives depend on it. There can be no let up for the entire 90 minutes, as the better the victory the tougher it will be for the chasing teams.
The only way Arsenal can tie up third place is if Spurs lose and Newcastle don't win along with an Arsenal win of course. I can see Newcastle not winning, but I think the most Arsenal can hope for is Villa to manage a point against Spurs. If that is the case Arsenal can make things a lot better by racking up a good scoreline against Norwich.
Norwich won't make it easy for Arsenal, as they have put up a fight against every team they have played this season. They create good goalscoring chances in every game they play, but they also give up an awful lot of chances too. Arsenal need to take advantage of the slack defending Norwich are guilty of far too often, and punish them as often as possible.
Robin van Persie needs to score two goals in his last two games to reach the magical 30 league goal mark for the season, and it would be great if he could do it against Norwich. He has won the player of the season awards from both the players and the football writers, and it would be a perfect way to celebrate his awards. Hopefully he will be around next season to try to retain his awards, and maybe even win a trophy with Arsenal.
I would imagine the Arsenal team will be very similar to the one that drew 1-1 away to Stoke last week. There's a possibility of Andre Santos or Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain starting, but I think Arsene Wenger will opt for an unchanged side. The experience of players like Tomas Rosicky and Yossi Benayoun could be crucial on the day.
It could be a nervy affair for the players and fans if Arsenal don't score early on, but the team need the full backing of the crowd for every minute of the game. I have confidence in the ability of the players to get the result they need, and to put in the performance required. Now is the time for the players to show they have the same belief in themselves, and do all that is required of them.
It's as simple as giving their all in the final two games of the season, and delivering the results that will achieve Champions League qualification for next season. Arsenal are the only team with their fate in their own hands, and the other teams will be feeling just as much pressure.
I'm predicting a 3-1 win for Arsenal with RVP bagging the goals he needs to reach the 30 mark. It would be great if Arsenal could run up an emphatic scoreline, but once they win it doesn't really matter if it's a last minute 1-0 victory. As an Arsenal fan you learn to live with the tension, and it seems like the team don't like to make life too easy for their fans.
That's it for today.
See you tomorrow.
Of course in true Arsenal style they haven't made things easy for themselves, as they have stumbled towards the finishing line in recent weeks. Arsenal have only taken two points in their last three league games, and only scored two goals in the process. If they had even managed three more points in those games third place would be a much easier prospect for them now.
It's no coincidence that Mikael Arteta only managed to play for 10 minutes of those games before picking up a season-ending injury against Wigan. His influence on their midfield since his arrival on the August transfer deadline day cannot be overestimated. With Jack Wilshere missing the whole season injured Arteta brought the stability that Arsenal's transformation was built on.
They have struggled to impose themselves on opponents without him, but they must find a way in the next two games. The prize on offer is too good to turn down, and it's up to the players available to make sure Arsenal finish third. It is of course possible that fourth place will be good enough for a Champions League place next season, but it's a risk no team can afford to take.
If the unthinkable happens and Chelsea win the champions League final they will take the place of the team that finish fourth in the Premier League. Chelsea lost to Newcastle on Wednesday night, and that defeat means a top four finish is beyond them barring an incredible sequence of results in their favour. They still have an FA Cup final to play, but the Champions League final against Bayern Munich is their real priority.
Arsenal play their game this week on Saturday, and it gives them the opportunity to put some pressure on both Spurs and Newcastle who are chasing them. If Arsenal can beat Norwich it will leave them four points ahead of both of those teams before they play their games. Spurs play away to an Aston Villa team that probably need a point to ensure Premier League survival, and Newcastle are at home to title chasing Manchester City.
It's Arsenal's final home game of the season, and a chance for the players to give the fans a farewell they deserve. It hasn't been a great season for Arsenal fans, but three points on Saturday would put a smile on their faces as they face the prospect of three months without their favourite team. The summer months are never easy for fans, but at least there's the unending transfer rumours to look forward to.
Despite being far from their best at the moment Arsenal still have a far better team than Norwich. The players need to approach the game with the intensity that a must win game deserves, and attack Norwich as if their lives depend on it. There can be no let up for the entire 90 minutes, as the better the victory the tougher it will be for the chasing teams.
The only way Arsenal can tie up third place is if Spurs lose and Newcastle don't win along with an Arsenal win of course. I can see Newcastle not winning, but I think the most Arsenal can hope for is Villa to manage a point against Spurs. If that is the case Arsenal can make things a lot better by racking up a good scoreline against Norwich.
Norwich won't make it easy for Arsenal, as they have put up a fight against every team they have played this season. They create good goalscoring chances in every game they play, but they also give up an awful lot of chances too. Arsenal need to take advantage of the slack defending Norwich are guilty of far too often, and punish them as often as possible.
Robin van Persie needs to score two goals in his last two games to reach the magical 30 league goal mark for the season, and it would be great if he could do it against Norwich. He has won the player of the season awards from both the players and the football writers, and it would be a perfect way to celebrate his awards. Hopefully he will be around next season to try to retain his awards, and maybe even win a trophy with Arsenal.
I would imagine the Arsenal team will be very similar to the one that drew 1-1 away to Stoke last week. There's a possibility of Andre Santos or Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain starting, but I think Arsene Wenger will opt for an unchanged side. The experience of players like Tomas Rosicky and Yossi Benayoun could be crucial on the day.
It could be a nervy affair for the players and fans if Arsenal don't score early on, but the team need the full backing of the crowd for every minute of the game. I have confidence in the ability of the players to get the result they need, and to put in the performance required. Now is the time for the players to show they have the same belief in themselves, and do all that is required of them.
It's as simple as giving their all in the final two games of the season, and delivering the results that will achieve Champions League qualification for next season. Arsenal are the only team with their fate in their own hands, and the other teams will be feeling just as much pressure.
I'm predicting a 3-1 win for Arsenal with RVP bagging the goals he needs to reach the 30 mark. It would be great if Arsenal could run up an emphatic scoreline, but once they win it doesn't really matter if it's a last minute 1-0 victory. As an Arsenal fan you learn to live with the tension, and it seems like the team don't like to make life too easy for their fans.
That's it for today.
See you tomorrow.
Thursday, May 3, 2012
Predictions for Premier League Gameweek 37
It's that time of the week again when I attempt to predict the outcomes of the upcoming Premier League games. The season is almost over now, and next week will be my final round of predictions until next August. As always I've enjoyed them, but the unpredictability of the Premier League doesn't make it easy.
Last week didn't go too well with no correct scorelines, five correct outcomes and nine incorrect. It means I'll be fighting to finish fifth in my predictions league, but I won't stop trying. There's no predictions league table this week, as it hasn't been updated as of yet.
Arsenal Vs. Norwich City
Saturday May 5, 12.45 pm BST
Arsenal have to win their last two games to be sure of finishing third. They haven't won in three games though, and they're not making things easy for themselves. Only the top two teams have won more home games than them, and only Manchester City have a better defensive record at home than them too.
Arsenal players aren't performing too well at the moment, but Robin van Persie and Thomas Vermaelen are still top class fantasy performers.
Norwich have lost four of their last five away games, and only kept two clean sheets so far this season. They concede a lot of goals, but they have performed very well on occasions too. Despite having little to play for they will still put all they have into the game.
There aren't too many Norwich players setting the world of fantasy football alight.
Arsenal have to win this game, and I think they should do so despite their injury problems.
Prediction 3-1
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Newcastle United Vs. Manchester City
Sunday May 6, 1.30 pm BST
Newcastle had a great win away to Chelsea on Wednesday night, and it got them right back into the race for third and fourth places. They have been very good at home this season, and only Manchester City have lost less home games than them. They need to take all three points in this game, and it will be a very tough task for them.
Papiss Cisse has scored 11 goals in his last eight games for Newcastle, and he's a must for any fantasy manager.
City got the win they needed against United on Monday night, and now they will be champions if they win their last two games. They have struggled away from home in recent months, but they have still scored more away goals than any other team. Only United have a better defensive record away from home too, and City will have to go for a win.
There's plenty of City players to choose from for fantasy managers with Joe Hart, Vincent Kompany, David Silva, Carlos Tevez and Sergio Aguero all looking good.
I have a feeling City might just about be able to get the win they need to set up their first title win since the sixties.
Prediction 1-2
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Aston Villa Vs. Tottenham Hotspur
Sunday May 6, 2 pm BST
Villa probably only need one point from their last two games to ensure their Premier League survival. They have only won four home games this season, and no other team has scored less home goals than them either. They have been far from impressive this season, but surely they owe their fans a performance in the final game of the season.
I can't see any Villa players that look capable of making an impression for fantasy managers.
Spurs have found their form again just in time, and they need to keep winning to try to qualify for next season's Champions League. If they win their last two games they will finish no worse than fourth, but that might not be good enough depending on the outcome of the Champions League final. Their win at Bolton on Wednesday night was their first away win since December, and they need to do the same again.
Kyle Walker, Rafael van der Vaart, Gareth Bale and Emmanuel Adebayor are all racking up fantasy points at the moment.
I know Spurs need to win this game, but Villa need something from it too and I think it will end in a draw.
Prediction 1-1
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Bolton Wanderers Vs. West Bromwich Albion Bolton
Sunday May 6, 2 pm BST
Bolton are behind QPR on goal difference, and they will probably need four points from their last two games to survive. With a trip to Stoke on the last day that means they quite simply have to win this game. They have lost 11 of their home games so far though, and only Wolves have conceded more home goals than them.
If Bolton are to survive Martin Petrov could be the player to supply the assists for their goals.
West Brom are comfortably in mid-table with two games left to play this season. Their manager will be moving on to bigger and better things when the season ends, and it will be interesting to see how the players react. They have been good on the road with seven wins so far this season.
I can't see any West Brom players likely to excel in the last two games of the season.
I think Bolton will get the three points because they have to.
Prediction 2-1
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Fulham Vs. Sunderland
Sunday May 6, 2 pm BST
Fulham had a good win away to a second string Liverpool team on Tuesday night, and they can still finish above Liverpool if they can take more points than them in their last two games. They have won nine of their 18 home games so far, and scored plenty of goals in the process.
Clint Dempsey is the outstanding fantasy player in the Fulham team.
Sunderland haven't won any of their last six games, but at least they managed to score for a change last week. They have only four away wins to their name so far, and they have struggled to score on the road too.
Stephane Sessegnon, Simon Mignolet and James McLean are not bad fantasy buys, but they have slipped in recent weeks.
I think Fulham are likely to take all three points, as they have the chance to move up to eighth place.
Prediction 2-0
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Queens Park Rangers Vs. Stoke City
Sunday May 6, 2 pm BST
QPR face a daunting trip to Manchester City in their final game, and they have to get something from this game. They have won their last four home games to give themselves a chance of survival, and a fifth home win in a row might just be enough.
QPR players aren't exactly performing brilliantly, but Djibril Cisse might be the man to save them if he isn't sent off again.
Stoke have been poor away from home this season, and they have only won four games. They have only scored 11 goals in those games, and they have little left to play for.
There are no Stoke players who look like scoring plenty of fantasy points for the rest of the season.
I can see QPR getting the win they need, but their fate will not be decided until the final day of the season.
Prediction 2-0
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Wolverhampton Wanderers Vs. Everton
Sunday May 6, 2pm BST
Wolves are already relegated, and they are going to finish bottom of the table too. They have lost 13 home games so far, and no other team has scored less home goals than them either. They have the worst defence at home too, but they showed against Swansea last week that they will keep trying their best no matter what.
Matt Jarvis has been the best fantasy performer for Wolves this season, but their players are probably best avoided.
Everton look set to finish seventh this season, and above their arch rivals Liverpool too. They are unbeaten in seven matches, and they will fancy their chances against a team that are already relegated.
Nikica Jelavic has six goals in his last five games, and along with Steven Pienaar he looks like a good fantasy bet at the moment.
I can't see Wolves being able to get anything from this game, and Everton should win comfortably.
Prediction 0-2
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Manchester United Vs. Swansea City
Sunday May 6, 4pm BST
United lost away to City on Monday night, and they lost their place at the top of the table to them too. They have the easier games to finish their season, but they need City to drop points at some stage. They will know the outcome of the City game before they play, and it could be a real boost for them.
There are plenty of United players to choose from with Wayne Rooney, Antonio Valencia and Nani probably the most likely to perform well.
Swansea have lost 10 away games so far this season, and conceded quite a few goals in the process. They have done very well since their promotion, and put up some great performances against some of the top teams. This game will be a really big ask for them though, and they could be in for a bad day.
Michel Vorm, Scott Sinclair and Gylfi Siggurdson have all performed really well for fantasy managers, and are available at a good price too.
I think United will have far too much for Swansea in a game they just have to win.
Prediction 4-1
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Blackburn Rovers Vs. Wigan Athletic
Monday May 7, 8pm BST
Blackburn have to win their last two games if they're going to have any chance of staying in the Premier League. They have lost six of their last seven games, and conceded an awful lot of goals this season too. They have won six home games, but lost 11 and things are looking pretty grim for them.
Blackburn have lost their goalscoring touch, and none of their players look likely to perform well for fantasy managers.
Wigan have had a great run of results to move them to the relative safety of sixteenth place, and they look likely to avoid relegation. Three points from their last two games would surely be enough for them to survive, and the fixture list has been kind to them with Wolves to come after this game. They have won five of their last seven games, and beaten some of the best teams in the league in the process.
Victor Moses and Ali Al-Habsi are probably the Wigan players most likely to do well for them for the rest of the season.
This is a game Blackburn have to win, but I think Wigan will get at least a point out of it.
Prediction 2-2
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Liverpool Vs. Chelsea
Tuesday May 8, 8 pm BST
Liverpool play Chelsea in the FA Cup final on Saturday, and then again in the league on Tuesday night. Liverpool have only won five home games so far this season, and only managed 20 goals in the process. This will be their final home game of the season, and surely they will want to send their fans away happy for the summer.
It's hard to know what Liverpool players will be playing, but Luis Suarez got a great hat trick last week and could be the man for the job again.
Chelsea are realistically out of the race for a top four finish, and they will probably rest some players with a Champions League final to play. They have only won six away games so far this season, and their away form has probably cost them a top four spot.
With the Champions League final and FA Cup left this season Chelsea might rest some of their better players, and it might not be a bad idea to avoid them for fantasy managers.
The outcome of the FA Cup final will have a huge bearing on this game, and I can only guess it will end in a draw.
Prediction 1-1
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That's it for this week but like usual feel free to tell me where I may have gone right or wrong as the case might be.
See you tomorrow.
Last week didn't go too well with no correct scorelines, five correct outcomes and nine incorrect. It means I'll be fighting to finish fifth in my predictions league, but I won't stop trying. There's no predictions league table this week, as it hasn't been updated as of yet.
Arsenal Vs. Norwich City
Saturday May 5, 12.45 pm BST
Arsenal have to win their last two games to be sure of finishing third. They haven't won in three games though, and they're not making things easy for themselves. Only the top two teams have won more home games than them, and only Manchester City have a better defensive record at home than them too.
Arsenal players aren't performing too well at the moment, but Robin van Persie and Thomas Vermaelen are still top class fantasy performers.
Norwich have lost four of their last five away games, and only kept two clean sheets so far this season. They concede a lot of goals, but they have performed very well on occasions too. Despite having little to play for they will still put all they have into the game.
There aren't too many Norwich players setting the world of fantasy football alight.
Arsenal have to win this game, and I think they should do so despite their injury problems.
Prediction 3-1
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Newcastle United Vs. Manchester City
Sunday May 6, 1.30 pm BST
Newcastle had a great win away to Chelsea on Wednesday night, and it got them right back into the race for third and fourth places. They have been very good at home this season, and only Manchester City have lost less home games than them. They need to take all three points in this game, and it will be a very tough task for them.
Papiss Cisse has scored 11 goals in his last eight games for Newcastle, and he's a must for any fantasy manager.
City got the win they needed against United on Monday night, and now they will be champions if they win their last two games. They have struggled away from home in recent months, but they have still scored more away goals than any other team. Only United have a better defensive record away from home too, and City will have to go for a win.
There's plenty of City players to choose from for fantasy managers with Joe Hart, Vincent Kompany, David Silva, Carlos Tevez and Sergio Aguero all looking good.
I have a feeling City might just about be able to get the win they need to set up their first title win since the sixties.
Prediction 1-2
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Aston Villa Vs. Tottenham Hotspur
Sunday May 6, 2 pm BST
Villa probably only need one point from their last two games to ensure their Premier League survival. They have only won four home games this season, and no other team has scored less home goals than them either. They have been far from impressive this season, but surely they owe their fans a performance in the final game of the season.
I can't see any Villa players that look capable of making an impression for fantasy managers.
Spurs have found their form again just in time, and they need to keep winning to try to qualify for next season's Champions League. If they win their last two games they will finish no worse than fourth, but that might not be good enough depending on the outcome of the Champions League final. Their win at Bolton on Wednesday night was their first away win since December, and they need to do the same again.
Kyle Walker, Rafael van der Vaart, Gareth Bale and Emmanuel Adebayor are all racking up fantasy points at the moment.
I know Spurs need to win this game, but Villa need something from it too and I think it will end in a draw.
Prediction 1-1
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Bolton Wanderers Vs. West Bromwich Albion Bolton
Sunday May 6, 2 pm BST
Bolton are behind QPR on goal difference, and they will probably need four points from their last two games to survive. With a trip to Stoke on the last day that means they quite simply have to win this game. They have lost 11 of their home games so far though, and only Wolves have conceded more home goals than them.
If Bolton are to survive Martin Petrov could be the player to supply the assists for their goals.
West Brom are comfortably in mid-table with two games left to play this season. Their manager will be moving on to bigger and better things when the season ends, and it will be interesting to see how the players react. They have been good on the road with seven wins so far this season.
I can't see any West Brom players likely to excel in the last two games of the season.
I think Bolton will get the three points because they have to.
Prediction 2-1
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Fulham Vs. Sunderland
Sunday May 6, 2 pm BST
Fulham had a good win away to a second string Liverpool team on Tuesday night, and they can still finish above Liverpool if they can take more points than them in their last two games. They have won nine of their 18 home games so far, and scored plenty of goals in the process.
Clint Dempsey is the outstanding fantasy player in the Fulham team.
Sunderland haven't won any of their last six games, but at least they managed to score for a change last week. They have only four away wins to their name so far, and they have struggled to score on the road too.
Stephane Sessegnon, Simon Mignolet and James McLean are not bad fantasy buys, but they have slipped in recent weeks.
I think Fulham are likely to take all three points, as they have the chance to move up to eighth place.
Prediction 2-0
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Queens Park Rangers Vs. Stoke City
Sunday May 6, 2 pm BST
QPR face a daunting trip to Manchester City in their final game, and they have to get something from this game. They have won their last four home games to give themselves a chance of survival, and a fifth home win in a row might just be enough.
QPR players aren't exactly performing brilliantly, but Djibril Cisse might be the man to save them if he isn't sent off again.
Stoke have been poor away from home this season, and they have only won four games. They have only scored 11 goals in those games, and they have little left to play for.
There are no Stoke players who look like scoring plenty of fantasy points for the rest of the season.
I can see QPR getting the win they need, but their fate will not be decided until the final day of the season.
Prediction 2-0
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Wolverhampton Wanderers Vs. Everton
Sunday May 6, 2pm BST
Wolves are already relegated, and they are going to finish bottom of the table too. They have lost 13 home games so far, and no other team has scored less home goals than them either. They have the worst defence at home too, but they showed against Swansea last week that they will keep trying their best no matter what.
Matt Jarvis has been the best fantasy performer for Wolves this season, but their players are probably best avoided.
Everton look set to finish seventh this season, and above their arch rivals Liverpool too. They are unbeaten in seven matches, and they will fancy their chances against a team that are already relegated.
Nikica Jelavic has six goals in his last five games, and along with Steven Pienaar he looks like a good fantasy bet at the moment.
I can't see Wolves being able to get anything from this game, and Everton should win comfortably.
Prediction 0-2
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Manchester United Vs. Swansea City
Sunday May 6, 4pm BST
United lost away to City on Monday night, and they lost their place at the top of the table to them too. They have the easier games to finish their season, but they need City to drop points at some stage. They will know the outcome of the City game before they play, and it could be a real boost for them.
There are plenty of United players to choose from with Wayne Rooney, Antonio Valencia and Nani probably the most likely to perform well.
Swansea have lost 10 away games so far this season, and conceded quite a few goals in the process. They have done very well since their promotion, and put up some great performances against some of the top teams. This game will be a really big ask for them though, and they could be in for a bad day.
Michel Vorm, Scott Sinclair and Gylfi Siggurdson have all performed really well for fantasy managers, and are available at a good price too.
I think United will have far too much for Swansea in a game they just have to win.
Prediction 4-1
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Blackburn Rovers Vs. Wigan Athletic
Monday May 7, 8pm BST
Blackburn have to win their last two games if they're going to have any chance of staying in the Premier League. They have lost six of their last seven games, and conceded an awful lot of goals this season too. They have won six home games, but lost 11 and things are looking pretty grim for them.
Blackburn have lost their goalscoring touch, and none of their players look likely to perform well for fantasy managers.
Wigan have had a great run of results to move them to the relative safety of sixteenth place, and they look likely to avoid relegation. Three points from their last two games would surely be enough for them to survive, and the fixture list has been kind to them with Wolves to come after this game. They have won five of their last seven games, and beaten some of the best teams in the league in the process.
Victor Moses and Ali Al-Habsi are probably the Wigan players most likely to do well for them for the rest of the season.
This is a game Blackburn have to win, but I think Wigan will get at least a point out of it.
Prediction 2-2
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Liverpool Vs. Chelsea
Tuesday May 8, 8 pm BST
Liverpool play Chelsea in the FA Cup final on Saturday, and then again in the league on Tuesday night. Liverpool have only won five home games so far this season, and only managed 20 goals in the process. This will be their final home game of the season, and surely they will want to send their fans away happy for the summer.
It's hard to know what Liverpool players will be playing, but Luis Suarez got a great hat trick last week and could be the man for the job again.
Chelsea are realistically out of the race for a top four finish, and they will probably rest some players with a Champions League final to play. They have only won six away games so far this season, and their away form has probably cost them a top four spot.
With the Champions League final and FA Cup left this season Chelsea might rest some of their better players, and it might not be a bad idea to avoid them for fantasy managers.
The outcome of the FA Cup final will have a huge bearing on this game, and I can only guess it will end in a draw.
Prediction 1-1
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That's it for this week but like usual feel free to tell me where I may have gone right or wrong as the case might be.
See you tomorrow.
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