Arsenal’s outstanding 1-0 victory over an admittedly poor Manchester United team may not have shuffled us into the middle of pack for the title race but it sure has restored some much needed pride.
Here was a Gunners team who had dealt themselves and their fans a significantly large dose of frustration, anxiety and sadness over the last three games, not to mention the whole end of the season. Had those previous three games ended in the wins Arsenal required, the fans may well have settled for a draw from this potentially huge game against the old enemy.
As it was however, it was a win the fans were calling for more than ever and, for once, the Gunners did just that.
The match
Arsenal were very much the dominant side for much of the game and up until the latter parts of contest the Red Devils couldn’t get a look in. Early possession stats read 74% in favour of the Gunners but, as is so often the case with this team, chances were few and far between. As the away side’s first attack of any threat came along at around the 20th minute it seemed as though it would be the usual Arsenal story. We’re all too familiar with this particular story of late and it was only a brilliant piece of anticipation and effort from Bacary Sagna which prevented United from taking the lead against the run of play and the run of the game.
Surviving that sole scare seemed to set the tone in terms of the Arsenal mindset for the rest of the match. There was something in the air today; a breath of fresh air whipping the Gunners into a competitive mood.
Even Arsenal’s determined edge couldn’t prevent fortune from favouring United however. That old adage of ‘fortune favours the brave’ was seriously called into question half an hour in as Nemanja Vidic flicked Theo Walcott’s cross away from goal with his hand, Robin van Persie lurking close behind. At first glance, Vidic’s clearance seemed the type of thing Arsenal’s current defence has been crying out for. Television replays told a different story though: the story of how Champions need luck. It seemed Arsenal wouldn’t have that luck, as Chris Foy’s assistant pointed only for a corner.
2nd half
The second half was much more open than the first, with little glimpses of the counter-attacking threat of both sides shining through.
In the 56th minute Arsenal provided us with a goal to cheer. There have been so few such moments recently that it almost felt like an anti-climax but, in hindsight, the importance of that goal cannot be overestimated.
With United chasing the lead, Arsenal held strong, restricting the potential Champions to half-chances.
Arsenal’s pace had noticeably increased, moving away from the almost futile patient probing game to the swift, accurate passing from the earlier stages of the season. United looked rattled by Arsenal’s pressure-inducing style: the second goal was lingering.
The next Arsenal goal never came but, at the other end, the Gunners stood firm. Squeezing out any potential United threat, they finally made it through to a hard-earned 1-0 win with just the one real scare along the way as Gael Clichy appeared to bring down Michael Owen in the box.
Man of the Match – Aaron Ramsey
Earlier on I mentioned something about a ‘breath of fresh air’ evident in the team on Sunday. That breath was Aaron Ramsey. The Wales captain started slowly, understandably, but did firmly find his feet as the game wore on. His youthful combination with Jack Wilshere and Alex Song is a huge source of optimism for the team and for the fans. I in no way intend to demean the outstanding ability of Cesc Fabregas but without him all three midfielders performed better than they have done for a while. During the first half in particular, it was pure domination in the central areas and Aaron Ramsey’s performance, accompanied by his well taken goal, epitomised that.
What could have been...
Alongside the elation of beating United comes a further sense of frustration of ‘what might have been’ had we performed like that over the past two months.
I think we should look towards the positives however. Odds of 100/1 on Arsenal to win this year’s title might not be worth a flutter but there is no doubt that yesterday’s determined, concentrated and slightly more fluent performance provides definite optimism for the future.
The team showed on Sunday that it isn’t a complete invertebrate and that it is capable of beating the big teams in big games.
Having said that however, I’m not convinced we would have won this game had it been a title decider; that mental weakness is still evident in places, particularly the defence.
Thomas Vermaelen
For those of us who thought Thomas Vermaelen must have emigrated to Australia, talk of his possible appearance before the end of the season is a hugely positive one.
His return might not complete the puzzle completely but it may well provide such a huge piece that the rest of the picture becomes clearer. His ability, organisational skill and character are captaincy material and could just sort out that soft underbelly of the team.
It’s worth stopping for a minute and imagining a season where United and Chelsea have no Vidic or John Terry for the entire campaign.
There are many small improvements to be made to this team but his return is the starting point.
So what now...
With the chances of the trophy-less run coming to an end this year being so small, we may as well start looking towards next season. I know we’ve probably used that exact phrase for five seasons before this but, frustratingly, it’s time to do it again.
It’s ludicrous to suggest that it’s time for Arsene Wenger to leave but even he has admitted that it may be time to question his philosophy, although not entirely.
This team is not far away, in fact it’s ridiculously close to the top in all aspects and with small additions and improvements we can go further. Yes we’ve heard it before but without this truly legendary manager we could well have become what Liverpool are now.
The big picture is missing only a few small pieces, and those pieces can be found when we tilt the lid. There is no need to sell eight of our first-team players and then sign another six. Two or three in and out is enough when combined with slight formation tweaks and the added experience the players have from the season gone by.
When Man United flashed a 25-yard free kick in at goal at the end of Sunday’s game, Emmanuel Eboue had clear second thoughts about chasing down a needless ball. Proof: they are learning.
For now then, let’s win our remaining games, ‘keep the faith’ and hope for a United point deduction.
