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Written by Arsenal Latest

Published: Sunday, 19 February 2012 03:12

Arsenal's week got worse as they crashed out of the FA Cup losing to Sunderland 2-0. It was a poor showing from the away side, who have now been outscored 6-0 in their last two matches.

Fabianski: 7

Not really responsible for either goal, Fabianski had an ok game. Never really put under pressure, he handled crosses and balls in the air fairly well. Overall it was not a bad showing from Arsenal's number two.

Sagna: 5

Sagna was one of Arsenal's defenders who was not completely terrible. But by no means was he playing at the level we know he is capable of playing at. Three months out, he may still not be back in form but for a player of his calibre, much more is expected.

Vermaelen: 5

Often without question, Arsenal's best defender was far from it today. Having to move to left back early on, he never really looked to be comfortable. One of his poorest displays for Arsenal I feel but by no means, was he alone.

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Written by Brian Covert

Published: Thursday, 16 February 2012 17:15

In bad times you find out who your friends are. This is something us Gooners will be find out as we sift through the wreckage of our team’s 4-0 trouncing at the hands of A.C. Milan on Wednesday in the first leg of the Champions League round of 16.

Usually I’m pretty optimistic, a definite cup is half full type of guy when it comes to the Arsenal. But after this performance it’s difficult to pull even one positive from the cadaver that is this team right now.

In fact, forget about positives. Is there anything but negatives to take away from yesterday’s game? Seriously, in three short years we’ve gone from a team on the cusp of greatness, beating the then-holders 2-0, to being completely outplayed in Wednesday’s clash. The two scores demonstrate the current gulf in class between the traditional continental superpowers (what we’d like to be) and our beloved, sustainable football club.

From the outset, with RVP sharing a hug and pleasantries with his Dutch counterpart, Clarence Seedorf, at the coin toss to the end and Zlatan pretending he and Thierry were long lost chums, we carried a too-friendly aura. The only problem was the fact there was a game to be played in-between and when the whistle blew we just weren’t up to the task – misplaying balls and repeatedly getting caught out.

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Written by John Charalambous

Published: Thursday, 16 February 2012 13:19

The San Siro - so often the scene of triumphant Arsenal performances in the past - was last night a stark canvas displaying the failed artistry of Arsene Wenger’s side.  From the beginning there was a startling lack of desire, application and fight with Milan taking ruthless advantage of defensive failings.

Pre-match, many were saying Arsenal would score and take back a result to the Emirates. The general consensus was that this Milan side were a poor imitation of years gone by. Apparently, Mr Zlatan Ibrahimovic failed to read the papers. His performance inspired Milan to inflict Arsenals heaviest ever European defeat.

Arteta

It has been evident that Mikel Arteta has become the heartbeat of this Arsenal side, sitting deep in the midfield and pulling the strings, protecting the back four and rarely losing the ball. Last night saw his worst game in an Arsenal shirt – the Spaniard looked bewildered by the speed and quality of his Milan counterparts. The likes of Walcott, Rosicky, Song and Ramsey did little to ease the burden on Arteta, with players seemingly afraid to take responsibility and influence the game. This midfield malaise left our defence hopelessly exposed throughout the game. Kudos to Allegri and his players, they clearly had their tactics right and performed them on the pitch admirably. Stopping Arteta meant stopping Arsenal.

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Written by Alex Johnston

Published: Sunday, 12 February 2012 03:03

Arsenal left the Stadium of Light as victors after a turgid affair with a resurgent Sunderland side. Arsenal never really looked on top form, failing to maintain a fluid passing rhythm against a Sunderland side who seemed content with a draw. Oddly, despite the presence of the likes of McClean, Sessegnon and Campbell, Sunderland rarely threatened going forward, a real failure on O’Neill’s part as they could have really gave Arsenal a run for their money.

Tactical Praise

The first half was a case of Sunderland having an answer for any question Arsenal seemed capable of posing. O’Neill knows how to organise a team and the first half was a dire affair, not helped by a pitch that looked like it had held a midnight Weight Watchers rave. The second half gave us a glimpse of something that we have rarely seen in recent years, clever tactical substitutions from Wenger, granted though that the first one was forced.

Mertesacker was stretchered off with what was confirmed later as suspected ligament damage and Wenger replaced him with Aaron Ramsey, dropping Song in to defence. This changed the shape of the team into more of the 1-2 in midfield we played at the start of the season, with Arteta acting as a pivotal defensive midfielder. This helped the team apply more pressure on Sunderland and the extra attacking body of Ramsey brought our first goal with a tricky finish from the Welshman.