Arsenal secured their first Premier League win for seven weeks to cling to the remnants of their season. An underperforming Gunners side took advantage of some abysmal Blackpool defending to close the gap on league leaders Manchester United to seven points.
1st Half:
Arsenal were dreadful in the game's opening exchanges. Blackpool came out with early intent and drive, closing Arsenal down and winning the ball back quickly, while exploiting both the left and right channels to get behind the Arsenal back four.
Arsenal seem disinterested in earning the right to play their game, standing off the Tangerines midfield and allowing Charlie Adam to pull the strings whenever they attacked. It looked like a goal for the home side was imminent and probably would have come if referee Lee Mason had awarded a penalty after Laurent Koscielny brought down Gary Taylor-Fletcher in the box. While Mason's view may have been obscured, what his assistant was doing was beyond me. And you can bet that it'll be Mason who'll get the criticism in the press rather than his ostensible assistant.
But while Blackpool attacked with abandon - which has been their wont for most of this season - they forgot to leave the back door closed and Arsenal took full advantage. Up to then Abou Diaby had been as much use on the pitch as a chocolate ironing board, but he made a crucial tackle in the centre circle to set up the attack that led to the first goal. Cesc Fabregas played Robin Van Persie clear on the left-hand side and the Dutchman squared the ball for Diaby to tap in as the Frenchman continued his run into the penalty area.
There's no doubt that the goal completely changed the pattern of the match. Fabregas astutely took advantage of an absurdly high line that Blackpool were holding and repeatedly split their defensive rearguard with through-ball after through-ball. The best of which a sumptuous pass to Samir Nasri who was unlucky to hit the post with a first time volley.
The best move of the half led to the second goal; Emmanuel Eboue playing a rapid one-two with an otherwise below-par Jack Wilshere and the Ivorian rifled the ball past Richard Kingson in what was an almost identical goal to the one Nasri scored against Manchester City earlier in the season.
2nd Half:
Despite the two goal lead, Arsene Wenger had looked periodically anxious at Arsenal's inability to put the game to bed in the first-half. And knowing how difficult Arsenal have found it holding onto leads this season, Blackpool came out with redoubled effort, which was rewarded when Gary Taylor-Fletcher tapped in to an empty net to make it 2-1. Lee Mason's decision to play the advantage was correct but ultimately beneficial for Arsenal. Jens Lehmann - drafted into action as Manuel Almunia had to pull out during the warm-up (hold conspiracy theories please) - brought down DJ Campbell in the box and would have been sent-off had Taylor-Fletcher not scored. Without a substitute keeper, it was later revealed that Van Persie would have had to go in goal.
Thankfully the Dutchman remained in his nominal position of centre-forward, and finished the contest after getting on the end of a counter-attack that was worthy of the Invincibles side of 2003/04.
Conclusion:
As Van Persie said in the post-match interview, this was a win that Arsenal needed. It keeps the dying embers of the title race still flickering and puts an end to what has been a moribund run of form since the Carling Cup Final.
But this was not a good display. Taylor-Fletcher shouldn't have had one penalty but two after Koscielny fouled him in the box again in the second-half. And while Arsenal only have the league to focus on, the run-in is not easy by any means. Liverpool are next up on Sunday, followed by Tottenham at the Lane three days later. If Arsenal don't find the best of themselves before then, any hopes of a fourth Premier League title under Wenger could be gone long before United come to the Emirates on May 1st.
Man Of The Match:
Cesc Fabregas - What was most impressive from the Arsenal skipper was the in-game intelligence he showed. In the early stages of the match, there only looked like being one winner and that was Blackpool. So Fabregas took it upon himself to change his position during the match. He has spent most of the season playing as a second striker, but with his troublesome hamstring, Blackpool's high line and no designated holding midfielder in the Arsenal side, he dropped into a deeper "quarterback" role, dictating the game from there. Indeed, he played the Charlie Adam role better than Charlie Adam. This seizing of responsibility was the key decision of the game, and had Fabregas not taken it, Arsenal would not have won.
ARSENAL (4-3-3)
Lehmann - 6, Eboue - 6, Squillaci - 6, Koscielny - 5, Clichy - 6, Wilshere - 6, Diaby - 6, Fabregas - 8 (Ramsey - 87 min), Nasri - 5 (Gibbs - 86 min), Van Persie - 6, Arshavin - 5 (Walcott - 7)
