Winning dirty with a bit of style



Dominant...Djourou winning in the air against Everton's Saha

 A veteran of countless title showdowns involving Arsenal and Manchester United now reckons that the Gunners are well-equipped to lift their first title since 2004.
Everton’s Phil Neville put aside personal allegiances earlier in the week to declare the readiness of the Gunners to end their silverware drought. Having witnessed at close quarters the damage this current crop of Gunners can inflict, last Sunday, he deemed it timely to anoint them capable pretenders to the throne currently occupied by Chelsea.
It must have been sweet music to the ears of Arsene Wenger who has worked hard and tirelessely to build up this squad to its present state. Along the way, he has stubbornly and tenaciously held-on to the principles that helped him forge his reputation. His particular brand of football that combines high-pressing passing, en masse movement and what World War II Germany was famously known for – blitzkrieg.
An Alsatian, whose family migrated from Germany to Strasbourg in France after the second World War, Wenger has maintained a blind, sometimes infuriating faith in his methods and the players he has chosen to put that method into practice. After years of stop-start failures, minimal success and a yawning treasure room, it now looks like he will be vindicated at last.
Neville captained Everton to last Sunday’s 2-1 defeat at home to Arsenal and saw how the visitors refused to be bullied and rather, imposed their game on the hosts and roiunded it up,with precision finishing in front of goal.


“You always fancy yourself to rough them up”, he confessed. “But we couldn't do it, and that's where they have improved. You could see the difference. We have always caused them problems with our energy before. They haven't been able to cope, but they did this time. They were deserved winners”.

It brought back memories of the years of the ‘Invincibles’; the Patrick Vieiras, Fredrik Ljungbergs, Ray Parlours, Kolo Toures and Thierry Henrys. Men mountains who happened to be footballers. Colossal figures who bestrode the landscape of English football. Vieira once said that at the height of their powers, the Invincibles often attempted to beat teams in the first 20-30 minutes, and spend the rest of the game passing the ball around.
In those times, Arsenal maintained an embarrassingly vice-like grip on all – yes, all – London clubsides in the premiership by never losing to any of them for many, many years. All London clubs including Chelsea, Tottenham as well as of course WestHam, Crystal Palace, Charlton Athletic.
This present squad are not there yet, but the foundations are firmly in place.
When you develop a fearlessness away from your own turf and believe in your ability to go anywhere and win, then you are to be handled with care. And awe.
So far this season, after 13 games, the Gunners have won four away matches, drawn twice and only lost once. The manner of the draws against Liverpool and Sunderland suggested that we could – with a little bit of luck – have snatched wins. The nature of the four wins demand respect if for no other reason, but for the fact they were recorded in notoriously difficult terrain. Against Manchester City, Blackburn, Wolves and Everton. Those are not places for the faint-hearted and for all their skill and talents, the one ingredient – fighting spirit – which the Gunners have always been accused of lacking seem to have been added to the mix at last.
As we have seen season after season, titles are often won and lost in such backwater, less-glamorous settings, faraway from home and in hostile, miserable conditions that test the mettle of visiting teams and push their resilience to the limits.
Maybe Wenger cannot truly teach defence. Maybe not. But long as he’s got the right men to do the job for him, he need not fret over the perceived inadequacies that are often mentioned about his teams. In men like Koscielny and Squillaci, he has acquired battle-tested hardmen who have stood up admirably well to all the intimidation that comes with defending in the rough and tumble of the premiership. Whatever you may think about them both, I’ve been impressed with their application to the job.
The only other defender schooled by Wenger, the young, injury-prone Johan Djourou has invariably been forced to up his game. Wenger has always believed in him. It was why he separated him from the fumbling Philippe Senderos and sent the latter first on loan to AC Milan and later to Everton before selling him to Fulham last summer.
After persevering with Djourou for years, it is most-heartening to see him now living up to that trust. He has seen two ready-made defenders come in over the summer and known that it had to be now or never for him as regards a career at Arsenal.
A one-time Swiss international, who appeared in the 2006 World Cup finals before falling out of favour and reckoning, he has stepped up to the plate in all the games he’s played so far this season. Pushing things further, he has emerged as a fighter and bulwark of defence using his giant frame to maximum effect and it is no surprise that the Ivorian-born who turns 24 next January has played more games already this season, than he did in the past 14 months. What a remarkable change of fortune!
The likes of Chamakh, Fabregas, Walcott and Nasri may be hugging the limelight and taking all the plaudits that come with goalscoring, but it is the dirty work done at the back by someone like Djourou, alongside Koscielny, Squillaci, Song and Vermaelen (whenever he returns) that will significantly determine our title hopes this season.
So well have they been doing the dirty work that a disciple of defending like Phil Neville has been impressed.

Has Newcastle defined our season?

 

Leading from the front....Fabregas scoring the winner against Everton


Since the opening day 1-1 draw away to Liverpool, we’ve not got anything out of a game after falling behind. That tendency, or failure, or flaw has punctuated our season so far and almost blighted what we all hoped would be the start of something glorious
But how quickly things change in the crazy world of football. Who would have thought after that gutting defeat by Newcastle at the Emirates, that we would now be sitting in second spot, just two mere points behind ‘mighty Chelsea’?
Against Newcastle, heads seemed to drop too easily. Spirits seemed to ebb away too quickly. Legs tended to become heavier too willingly and the malaise spread from the stands onto the pitch; everyone in the stadium got sucked into a depressing vortex of conceeding defeat cheaply.
I feared at that time, that quite unlike our perennial rivals Manchester United and Chelsea, we suddenly had picked up the bad habit of giving up too meekly.
There’s a rather intelligent saying amongst church-going folk, that an army of sheeps led by a lion, would always defeat an army of lions led by a sheep. Smart talk ay?
Which is why we have to look again and closely at the leadership of this team.
We surely haven’t forgotten all the brouhaha and hell-raising of the summer when Barcelona tried their utmost to lure Cesc Fabregas away from us. We couldn’t have forgotten how nerve-wrenchingly long it took for Fabregas himself to come out and pledge his loyalty to the club. That in itself spoke volumes of the torment and soul-searching he was going through. It’s a short career for sportsmen – footballers inclusive - and despite all the mind-numbing riches and unbelievable fame that attends their profession, the real legacy and chest-thumping moment they will cherish most when it’s all over are the trophies, the medals, the silverware they managed to reap.
So far, Fabregas has only one miserable looking FA Cup medal to show for all his seven odd years at Arsenal. In between, he has won two very major titles with Spain – something most players will never achieve in three lifetimes. But at club level, the barreness is not just looking like a permament thing, it is looking like becoming endemic and most dangerously, it is becoming accepted. When your club manager starts talking of third place in the league, being a ‘success’ for a club as famous and rich in history like Arsenal, that might be the signal for everyone in the house to re-assess their commitment.
At such a young age, Fabregas has done so much – sometimes I think too much – for Arsenal. Of course he has been well-rewarded and must be one of the top ten richest 23 year-olds in world sports. But if you have studied him carefully all these years, you will not fail to notice that he is hugely and fiercely ambitious.
So often in the past three seasons, the young Catalan has dragged us almost single-handedly from the brink of gaping defeats onto sweet heights of victory. He has put his fragile body on the line so many times that we’ve lost count, in a quest for success. He has been forced to grow up fast in the midfield following the enforced departure of established names like Ray Parlour, Gilberto and the mercurial Patrick Vieira. The examples are countless but his performances and goals against Manchester United at Old Trafford on September 17, 2006 where we beat the Mancunians through a Fabregas-Adebayor combo in the last minutes must stand out. In that category, add AC Milan at San Siro on March 4, 2008; Tottenham at the Emirates in October, 2009; and Aston Villa also at the Emirates, December 27 last year when he rose from the bench on one leg to destroy the Villans in 26 minutes and retired limping from the pitch.
In all his days at Arsenal, Fabregas has epitomized the spirit of the all-conquering Invincibles whose never-say-die attitude took them throughout an entire season unbeaten. Fabregas was a fringe member of that squad and was schooled in the art of never giving up.
Many iconic leaders of men bear that trait and it is what separates them from mere mortals. No war, no battle, no contest – sporting or otherwise – ever goes perfectly to plan, simply because there will always be unforeseen developments in the heat of the moment. There will be mistakes since we are human. There will be miscalculations. There will be surprises. There will be things like weather and nature which are beyond human control. And most importantly, there is the over-riding factor of the unpredictability of the enemy. The best laid-plans are always, always at the mercy of the enemy due to the simple fact that we never know the enemy’s own plans as well.
It is the same principles that govern football. But with a team led by a lion, you stand a good chance of overcoming whatever the enemy comes up with.
Wenger had little hesitation in enthroning Fabregas as captain in the winter of 2008 after William Gallas descended into unwarranted personality clashes and finger-pointing. For such a bold move, he deserves praise. The master has had no reason since then, to regret the decision because the pupil has delivered and led the team by example.
There has been criticism since the departure of Tony Adams and Patrick Vieira, that Arsenal has been reduced to a team of sissies, without a shouting, Sergeant-Major-type captain to scream at malfunctioning teammates and knock heads together. Someone like Adams, or Roy Keane who would take umbrage at any laxity and confront teammates seen to be shirking in their responsibilities. Thierry Henry and Gilberto were seen as too weak. Gallas? Too temperamental and unpredictable. Fabregas? Too intense and surely not a talker, least of all a shouter.
What he lacks though in vocal ability, he makes up for by his exemplary fighting spirit. Against Newcastle however, he wasn’t at the races. He couldn’t find his range of passing. He was easily outmuscled and shuffled off the ball by the duo of Kevin Nolan and Cheik Tiote. Granted that he hit the bar with an exquisite freekick, that had it gone in would have changed the dynamics of the match, he still looked frustrated and unhappy. And so as the game wore on and became a siege, his lack of spirit transmitted to other teammates and we found ourselves mired in an unyielding armwrestle. At a time when everyone looked up to the captain for direction, passion and spirit, we got a tired man who looked like he didn’t want to be there any longer.
Seasons are won and lost on moments and games like the Newcastle match. No team wins all games. Not all games are won on strolls. No team equally scores first in all games. When a team concedes and falls behind, it is then that its true character comes to the fore. Not when they are hammering the opposition with five, six goals or when the opposition are one man down.
But events since that game has shown that in Fabregas, we may yet have a leader of men with mettle and grit to lead this team out of a prolonged hiatus. His manly performances against Wolves and Everton this past week clearly showed where his heart lies – putting aside all the shenanigans of Barcelona over the summer.
Fighting back from the brink is what has made Manchester United respected, famous and feared. They demonstrated it once again against Wolves and Aston Villa over the past week. We used to have that quality in abundance as well, even sometimes with ten men. Backs-to-the-wall wins in notoriously-difficult places like Molineux and Goodison Park seem to have re-ignited that spirit.
It was so heartening to see the way and manner Fabregas has led his group out of adversity. It has been re-assuring to see how we responded from that Newscastle loss to save our season.
November used to be a luckless month for us where for some strange reason we never got it right. If that was really the case, no one has told this bunch of lions.
In the space of one week, we have been transformed from no-hopers, into real contenders for the title. Thanks to Newcastle it seems, we have re-discovered our mojo.

Everton 1 Arsenal 2



Collector's item...Sagna screams his delight as Squillaci offers a helping hand

We bulldozed our way back into second spot at a a very unlikely place, Goodison Park on Sunday afternoon with a very handy 2-1 win against Everton.
Two sweet strikes by an unlikely Bacary Sagna and Cesc Fabregas either side of the first half got the maximum points for us and though Everton managed a riposte through Tim Cahill in the 88th minute, we held on to a very vital and crucial win in what is now becoming an intriguing title race.
Just as was the case at Molineux, four days earlier, crucial saves by the fast-improving Lukasz Fabianski was the platform on which our fourth away win of the season was built on.
He stopped at least five goal-bound shots in the second half to prevent an Everton fightback and enhanced his reputation to the limits.
More than anything else though, was the eventual capitulation of log leaders, Chelsea later in the day to Sunderland, which now reduces the gap between we and them to a miniscule two points. What a win. And what a fortunate turn of events all weekend to make the win all the more sweeter.


Below are the ratings to help describe the match better,


• Fabianski (8/10) – Simply put, he played a blinder. I could recollect him making point blank saves from Jermaine Beckford, Steven Piennar, Loius Saha and Jack Rodwell. He has truly turned the corner and must now be seriously considered as our new number one even if the luckless Almunia returns from injury. His overall command of his area and confidence rubbed off on his teammates as he steeped up to the plate in the second half when Everton bombarded us with shots raining in from every angle. After all the fierce criticism he’s faced in the past year, this has been the best kind of response from him.
• Clichy (6/10) – Did well whenever pressurized especially in the early minutes of the game when Everton seized the initiative. He initially found the marauding Seamus Coleman a handful but settled well as the game progressed and we took control.
• Djourou (8/10) – Another bloke who played out of his skin. He stood up to all the aerial balls pumped into our area by Everton as the hosts tried to make the best use of Cahill’s aerial abilities. Djourou outjumped everyone and also put in some crucial tackles around the edge of the box. So good was he that Fabianksi hardly had any save to make all through the entire fisrt half. He has filled in admirably whenever called upon and methinks he has a big, big future long as he exorcises the demons of injury.
• Squillaci (7/10) – You have to admire the all round ability of this well-travelled Frenchman. Watching him go about his job makes you wonder why we held onto the departed Mikel Silvestre for so long. His replacement, Squillaci, has proved a far better alternative to the hesitant defending of his countryman. He was more withdrawn than Djourou which isn’t surprising considering the difference in years, but all in all he helped keep the dangerous duo of Cahill and Saha quiet – until the 88th minute at least.
• Sagna (8/10) – Whatever you say about this match, Sagna’s goal will always get prominent mention. Only his second goal for us since coming here three seasons ago, this one was sweet as it was crucial. Receiving the ball from Arshavin in the 36th minute on the edge of the Everton area, he dummied past Mikel Arteta before unleashing a fierce howitzer. So brutal and powerful was the shot that Tim Howard in goal only reacted after the ball had hit the net. Sagna’s reward for his endless overlapping runs could not have been more emphatic. How happily he celebrated and how grateful his teammates all were to share in his special moment. More of that hopefully, from Mr Bacary.
• Song (7/10) – As usual, he shielded the back four with panache and calmness. Never stopped running. Never stopped tackling and his role was crucial in stiffling the likes of Arteta and Pienaar who enjoy running from the deep. He almost scored himself in the first half with his new-found attacking confidence by unleashing a shot from distance. Top marks though to a player who’s fighting spirit always propels the team.
• Wilshire (5/10) – His appearance was only for 45 minutes but in that time, he did all the usual things he’s known for very well. Switched play with the confidence of a seasoned pro and his trickery proved too much for their hatchetman, John Heitinga who couldn’t resist tugging and fouling the young Englishman. Wilshire was withdrawn in the second half with the intention to protect him from such rough handling.
• Nasri (7/10) – The little Frenchman was also full of running and drive and was denied twice from scoring after good link up plays. Firstly, a last ditch Sylvain Distin block thwarted him in the first half and in the second, his 40 yard sprint past Phil Jagielka was almost rewarded with a goal if not for the timely intervention of Howard. Nonetheless, he never tired of running into space and looking for outlets. A useful jack-in-the-box player, whose bag of tricks and intelligence makes him a handful for defences.
• Fabregas (7/10) – The captain was ontop of proceedings here. He played a very forward role, as second striker thus allowing him to express himself in an advanced position. Scored with a first shot in the 46th minute to seal the match and almost set up Chamakh later in the game with a cross field pass behind the Everton defence. He has soldiered on masterly and led his troops with distinction since overcoming a troublesome hamstring problem. It was good to see his trademark smile flashed all round at the end of what was surely a worthy win.
• Arshavin (7/10) – Despite not scoring, he could not be accused of not applying himself. Following on the Wolves game, this was another stellar performance from the Russian bear. Though supposedly used as a left winger, he switched positions endlessly and it was such adaptability that produced the first goal, which he laid on for Sagna to smash home. Could this new tendency to drift across the pitch be a new ploy by Wenger to maximize his talents? We wait and see.
• Chamakh (6/10) – Not at the top of his game for this one but nonetheless, he did enough to justify his reputation. He was continually taking up good positions and profited a lot from balls from the midfield. Was at the end of a Fabregas pass from the flank which he jabbed over the bar with the goalkeeper beaten. Was also involved in a cute one-two that produced the Fabregas goal.


Substitutes
• Denilson (7/10) – For a substitute, he gets a good rating for his interception and passing that immediately produced the second goal. He resisted well the Everton midfield and proved a more resilient alternative to Wilshire. Seems to enjoy playing on this ground, considering that he scored a long range effort here, last year in a 6-1 rout.
• Rosicky (6/10) – Came on for Arshavin and helped us withstand the growing threat of Everton as the game wore on.
• Eboue (5/10) – Replaced Chamakh late in the game as Wenger preferred to close shop and we held onto our two goal lead.

Once again, we forced our way back into the title calculations and made a statement regarding our aspirations for this season. As noted in the last blog, Goodison Park is one of the most-intimidating grounds in the league and their day, Everton have ben known to crush many a title-winning sides. Credit to us the way we withstood them and slowly imposed our game on them. It was a win that will go a long to determine where we end up come May.

Wolverhampton Wanderers 0 Arsenal 2

We all went in search of the record books Wednesday night as Marouane Chamakh played himself into the archives with a 39th second header that brought the opening goal in what was billed a testy encounter at the Molineux.
After the mishaps and debacles of the last two games, it was welcome relief for Gunners everywhere. We clearly had the bit between our teeth as we launched raid after raid on the hosts’ goalmouth and were simply unlucky not to have extended our lead before halftime.
Wolves picked up from where we left off in the second period and kept us on our toes with attack after attack. Thanks, I daresay to the improved form of Fabianski in goal, we held onto our lead as he parried, dived and flung himself everywhere on the pitch to preserve our lead. All those saves proved vital as we kept the Wolves away from the door – literally – until the 94thst minute when Chamakh doubled his tally for the night with a well-taken shot with the outside of his boot as we caught the hosts on the counter.
A hell of win it was and it was definitely what the doctor recommended as antidote to our worrying form in the past two weeks.
Many players on the night did their credentials loads of credit and the shirt lots of honour. It’s such wins in such uncompromising places, against hard-tackling opponents that often serve to indicate how seriously we are as title contenders. God thing we passed with blazing colours.


Night bird....Fabianski flying through the air in one of his great saves


Below are the ratings for the night.
* Fabianski (8/10) – In my opinion, he was our man of the match. Obviously now, he is a man transformed. He kept us in the game despite the one goal lead, with save-after-save which sometimes defied belief. He saved twice from the dangerous Kevin Doyle as well as from a Stephen Hunt ricochet in the first half, that was heading definitely for the net.
His distribution out wide to Rosicky also started the move that led to the second goal. It is important to note how his confidence levels have increased dramatically since he has had a regular run in the side. Gone are the nervy and senseless mistakes that have plagued his game all along. It wasn’t a surprise to see most of the players mugging after the game in acknowledgement of the huge role he played in this win. Without mincing words, this was his best showing in an Arsenal shirt.
* Clichy (6/10) – Not much to say about his performance. Not because it was poor, but because it was very normal and standard from him.
* Squillaci (6/10) – Did quite well especially in the second half when Wolves decided to go forward to save the game. He marshalled things at the back as he has done so effortlessly this season and it was heartening to know we have a re-assuring presence at the back. As they say, you cannot buy experience and even though we paid some few undisclosed millions for him, it is indeed money well spent.
* Djourou (7/10) – Did very well as a stand-in for the suspended Koscielny. Still very raw and gets pulled here and there much too often, he still dished out some timely tackles. Comes in very hand at set pieces and almost scored in the second half during a mini-goalmouth scramble but unluckily, his shot hit the bottom post. It is hoped his injury spell is now well and truly over because he needs games such as this to establish his reputation.
* Sagna (7/10) – Did his bit on the right hand of defence and helped ward off the threat of the nimble-footed Nenad Milijas and Slyvain Ebanks-Blake. Did fantastically well to prevent a certain Wolves equalizer early in the second half after Wilshire slipped and gifted them the ball. For that crucial block, he deserves top marks on the night.
* Song (7/10) – Was more withdrawn on the night and played his natural defensive midfield role unlike in previous games. He provided the pin-point cross from the right that Chamakh scored from and engaged in a perennial battle for possession with Hunt and Karl Henry all night. Was ever-willing to scrape and fight for the team.
* Wilshire (6/10) – At last, it has got to the point where we can finally say he had a day off. Was somewhat off the boil on the night and lacked the zip and fighting spirit that he is known for. Slipped and gave up possession to Wolves at the edge of our box early in the second half which almost proved costly. Was eventually withdrawn for Denilson and it wasn’t a surprising change at all. Will be back though to his mercurial best – certainly.
* Rosicky (8/10) – After Fabianski and Chamakh, he was the next best Gunner on the pitch. Packaged the first goal by turning three Wolves players beautifully before releasing Song on the right. Was instrumental also in maintaining our advantage in the face of sustained pressure, when he cleared off the line in the second half. Also involved in the second goal as he fed the ball to Fabregas which led to the assist that Chamakh converted. Yes, he hardly scores anymore these days, but he was instrumental in all we did on the night as he played the Nasri role to perfection. Top marks for the Little Mozart.
* Fabregas (7/10) – Improved dramatically from the Newcastle stinker, to put on his A-game as he directed affairs from the deep as only he can. Linked very well with the frontmen of Chamakh and Arshavin, as he took the game to the hosts with relish. He seems to enjoy playing on this ground considering that he scored here last season in a 4-1 pasting. Gave Chamakh the perfect pass that led to the second goal, which clinched the game deep into stoppage time.
His night was marred by a sliding tackle on Stephen Ward below the knee, that led to Wolves’ player’s departure with a gash. Point must be made however how Fabregas displayed his sense of decency by issuing an apology after the game to the Wolves side.
* Arshavin (7/10) – This was a glimpse of the Arshavin we bought two seasons ago as he discarded the horror form that has been his lot in the past months to put on a show. He hit the post at the end of a solo run in the second half, before which he was stoped from scoring by a point blank Marcus Hahnemann save after robbing a Wolves’ player of the ball in the first half. He appears to have come out of his slumber. Lets hope its for good.
* Chamakh (8/10) – Played himself into the record books for scoring our fastest ever goal on the premiership. The effect of the goal could be seen in the intense joy and celebrations by the other players, following a week of depressing defeats. The thing about his game is that he hardly seems to be involved too much, except at the crucial point of putting the ball into the net. His second goal, scored with the outside of the boot was a display of delicate skills. Fine night all round for a fine artiste.


Substitutes
*Denilson (6/10) – Came on in the 67th minute to replace an off-form Wilshire. Didn’t do too much that wasn’t already different from what we know of his abilities.
* Bendtner (3/10) – Replaced Chamakh as Wenger sought to wind down the clock.
* Nasri (3/10) – Hardly touched the ball as he replaced Arshavin in the 94th minute with the game all but over.


So now, we go to Goodison Park on Sunday in the quest for another three precious points on the campaign trail. Everton are a handful anyday, anytime and Sunday will be no different. They have emerged from an early season slump to claw their way up to 12th on the table. Everton don’t score much, but at a place like Goodison, a goal or two is often all they need to stop opponents.
We are in good spirits anyway ahead of the weekend and after subduing the Wolves, we have all the ingredients to nick all the pints and keep ourselves in the running and on Chelsea’s trail.

Arsenal 0 Newcastle 1

It looked very much like a re-run of the West Bromich game. On a sun drenched autumn afternoon at the Emirates, we were humbled and clobbered by a rampant and fearless Newcastle side that followed in the footsteps of another fellow newly-promoted West Brom.
It didn’t look ominous as we took the kickoff but after a luckless first half that saw few chances highlighted by a Fabregas freekick that kissed the bar and a wonder save by Newcastle goalie, Tim Krul, we all believed we at least deserved to go in on level terms at the break.
That was until Roy Carroll rose highest to nod in an opportunistic header in the 46th minute and cast a damper on another afternoon of misplaced expectations.
The resurgent Theo Walcott also hit the post in the second half and tried as we may with the introduction of three strikers all in the last 35minutes, we ended up empty-handed for the second time this season at the Emirates.
It wasn’t pretty viewing at all as all our attempts to carve open the visitors’ defence failed woefully and pitifully. It is hard to pin point exactly where things went wrong but the fact that Newcastle managed to win the possession count 51% - 49% must have been a very worrying statistic indeed.
One worrying thing that emerged from the loss was an apparent inability by us to win games after first conceeding. In all our victories so far this season, we had always scored first. Anyone who knows anything about football must know as well that a team can simply not always score first in every game. A good team must as well master the art of fighting back from a losing position. So far, against West Brom, Chelsea and now Newcastle we’ve failed to show that quality.
Luckily though in the bigger picture, we still remain in touch with league leaders Chelsea who were themselves beaten at Liverpool. However, we fall to third spot after being usurped by Manchester United – the only real winners on a weekend of widespread reverses at the top.




Heads I win....The moment that Carroll sunk Gunner hearts 

Below are the ratings for yesterday’s game.
• Fabianski (6/10) – Had a steady game quite alright but must take the blame for the goal. It was his only mistake of the game and how costly it proved.
• Clichy (7/10) – Saw a lot of the ball and roamed quite prominently upfront to supply passes to first Nasri and later, Arshavin. On an individual level, he was faultless.
• Squillaci (7/10) – I stilll like the look of this bloke. Very reliable at the back and has an ever-present assured presence around him. In the context of this game, that Carroll goal will be stick to beat every member of the defensive unit. Unfortunately.
• Koscielny (7/10) – Also did not disgrace himself. Helped shackle the trouble some Carroll and his support crew of Kevin Nolan, Shola Ameobi and later Nile Ranger. The goal was a blot though on the defence and that will be talking point whenever the story of this game is told. He was unlucky to be sent off for a foul, deemed rash on Ranger deep into stoppage time.
• Sagna (7/10) – Linked well with Walcott especially in the first half and after some initial struggles, contained the threat of Ameobi very well. Nothing to be ashmaned of in his except – one more – the goal we conceeded.
• Song (6/10) – So soon after his man of the match performance against WestHam eight days earlier, this was a complete contrast. He did his bit and held the defensive side of things well, but how do you as a midfielder defend against a freekick the type that led to the goal?
• Wilshire (7/10) – Does he ever have a bad game? No way. He returned from a three-game suspension to pick up where he left off. Harried Nolan, Joey Barton off the ball many times in the game and still found space to spring forward at every opportunity. Was very key to every attacking move we made and supported Song admirably in the middle. Sad that he had to end up on the losing side, but his star remains undimmed.
• Fabregas (6/10) – The captain returned as well after missing the Champions League trip to Ukraine. It was clear to see however thae he was playing with the handbrakes on, probably in an attempt not to overstretch his troublesome hamstring. Almost put us ahead with a cracking freekick in the 35th minute that hit the crossbar. The confidence behind his set piece ability is however something can be nurtured. Picked up a caution in the second half as he became frustrated and disilliusioned. A forgettable afternoon for him all in all.
• Nasri (6/10) – Also narrowly missed putting us in front with a scorching shot off a cutback from Fabregas that the Newcastle goalkeeper parried with aplomb. Picked up a knock and was later substituted early in the second half in order to avoid further damage.
• Walcott (7/10) – Did his growing reputation no harm at all despite the negative outcome of the game. Put in an accomplished shift and narrowly missed scoring with a shot from a tight angle that beat Krul but not the post. His decision-making, timing of runs, shooting have defintiely improved and this result would count as a slight hiccup in an emerging and glorious career.
• Chamakh (5/10) – Our big Moroccan looks to have gone off the boil. After starting the season like a runaway train, he seems to be coming to terms with the nitty-gritty and rough stuff of English football. Carried no valid threat all afternoon and it was no surprise when his number came up as early as the 57th minute.




Substitutes
• Arshavin (6/10)- Came on to replace Nasri in the 55th minute and he added zip to the left flank. Got behind the Newcastle defence a lot but his final balls were oftne missplaced and rushed. Yet still, he played much better than what we have seen of him recently.
• Van Persie (6/10) – It was expecting too much to see our returning Dutchman deliver so quickly after being out for over two months. His introduction though was greeted with enthusiasm around the ground and though the occsasion turned out to be an anti-climax, it was still a relief to see him back again.
• Bendtner (6/10) – He replaced Wilshire as Wenger went for broke with all his attacking ammunition in a bid to save the game. Didn’t offer much though as he was easily stiffled by the Newcastle backline.


A forgettable day all round and one we will all want to confine to history. What better way to do that than to got to Molineux on Wednesday and get the three points at stake. Its three defeats now for us in the league and if we truly harbour any title-winning ambitions, we must avoid more of such setbacks at least before Christmas.

The wait and the waste seem over

Speed merchant....Thoe Walcott against Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League

Watching Theo Walcott scoring twice against Newcastle last week in the Carling Cup, it confirmed what may have all along been an open secret. As he the dissected Newcastle’s backline again and again with his jet speed and took on the unfortunate Tim Krul in goal, he reminded me very much of a certain Frenchman who used to ply his trade with masterly precision at Highbury.
Of course, I’m talking about Thierry Henry, whose catch-me-if-you-can style flummoxed defenders for eight years and helped us win a clutch of trophies.
Watching Theo on the night of October 27 at St James Park, was almost like seeing Henry back amongst our fold once again. But it wasn’t the Frenchman of course.
Walcott started this season like a house on fire and after an interruption of six weeks due to an ankle injury sustained up in a European Championship qualifier against Switzerland, he has picked up where he left off.
Finally now, it seems the boy wonder is ready to take up the mantle of Henry and become one of the most fearsome strikers in the land.
Finally, all the years of promise and potential look to be actually turning into fruition. The 21 year-old Englishman who has endured a career under the most-vicious scrutiny and most-intense cross examination, is maturing to becoming a player of real stature.
It wasn’t just the goals against Newcastle that mattered. It was the manner of his scoring them and the confidence that accompanied it. Gone are the hesitancy and doubt that have blighted his game. Gone are the hurried, rash decision-making that prompted the likes of Chris Waddle to accuse him of lacking a football brain, earlier this year.
In place of all that, is a firm belief in his ability that he can go past any defender and beat any goalkeeper. He demonstrated this new maturity at Ewood Park in September, where he scored a scorching grounder to help us to a 2-1 win. He showed it again in claiming a fitting hattrick against Blackpool in our first home game of the season in August.
Even last Saturday he almost added to his tally by leaving West Ham’s Herita Ilunga for dead before unleashing a carpetter that beat Robert Green in goal, but not the post and rebounded agonizingly into the grateful keeper’s hands.
In my country, Nigeria, they often describe such metamorphosis as “jungle don mature” – meaning the bush is now fully grown. The new Theo Walcott now looks hungry as a caged lion and burning with a passion to prove himself to all doubters.
It is however crucial to note that Wenger himself has been responsible in holding back Theo’s progress. Curious as this may sound, the Frenchman has hindered the Englishman somewhat by plunking him on the wings and taking him away from the heart of action where he can plunder goals.
After what the Englishman has done so far in front of goal, it looks like Wenger is finally ready to use him as a striker – which has always been his natural position.Acknowledging the threat that Walcott poses to defences, Wenger declared before the Shakhtar Donetsk game in Minsk that:


“Theo can be a prolific goalscorer. Once he is a yard in front of a defender, no one can catch him.”

True indeed. He put on a show just 24 hours later in Minsk as he outran the entire Shakhtar defence in the 10minute to score a wonderful, wonderful goal with his now trademark sprint. The sight of the entire Arsenal standing up to greet the goal couldn’t have served as a better endorsement and appreciation of this youngman’s incredible abilities.
In all the four or so years I’ve been watching him, I’ve never seen him caught by opposing players once he gets on his bike. Tottenham’s Aaron Lennon might have a thing or two to say about it, but methinks Theo is the fastest player in the English premiership.
Which was why Wenger chose to ‘waste’ him on the wings in an attempt to make maximum use of his speed and beat full backs. After all these years, that experiment hasn’t worked wonderfully well. Crossing balls still remains a weak part of his game – something which he has been slated again and again for. Better crossers like Manchester City’s Shaun Wright Phillips and Tottenham’s Gareth Bale have shown how effective a good crosser can be to a team if they do it well.
In their heydays, Marc Overmars, Steve Macmanaman and Robert Pires were one of the best crossers in the world, but for a greyhound like Walcott, it hasn’t come naturally despite years and years of trial.
After these four seasons with us, it now looks like the real Theo Walcott is about to stand up. His destiny seems to lie in front of goal, taking on defenders and shooting past goalkeepers. Having seen the prodigy, Jack Wilshire overtake him as English standard-bearer at the club, Theo knows he has to start delivering. And his response so far has been nothing less than impressive.
All the years of waste and waiting seems over with Theo. As long as he is played as a striker, we hope his time is truly now.

Shakhtar Donetsk 2 Arsenal 1

Ex Gunner, Eduardo(left) applauds the
fans holding an Arsenal shirt 

In what was always going to be our toughest Champions League game, we lost at the Dombass Arena to a revenge-seeking Shakhtar side. It was a very different side to the one that humiliated the Ukrainians a fortnight ago, as we made seven changes to the team that won 5-1 in the Emirates.
On account of injury, our entire midfield underwent a make over as Alex Song, Cesc Fabregas, Denilson and Abou Diaby all stayed at home. Andrei Arshavin also joined the missing-in-action list, while Marouane Chamakh and Bacary Sagna were rested.
Interestingly, we took the the lead in the 10th minute through the ever-improving Theo Walcott, who raced onto a through pass out of defence by Wilshire to score in his usual break away fashion.
Shakhtar, severqally known as 'Pitmen' or 'Miners' (depending on your choice of vaocabulary) responded with a sustained onslaught and despite some brave defending by Johann Djourou and Lukasz Fabianski, we were pegged back in the 28th minute when Craig Eastmond headed-in an own goal under pressure from a freekick.
Shakhtar continued their pressure and we were containing them comfortably until the 45th minute when Dario Srna nicked the ball off Gael Clichy to send a cross into the ball for the lurking ex-Gunner, Eduardo to shoot past Fabianski.
We had chances in the second half through Sebastian Squillaci, Walcott and Wilshire, but it was not to be our night as the hosts held on for their win.
In the larger picture, we still top the group though on goals’ difference now as Shakhtar join us on seven points apiece. We play host to Partizan Belgrade next and a win will surely seal up the business of qualification ahead of the final group game away to Braga in December.


Below are the ratings:
*Fabianksi (7/10) - Actually did well despite the defeat. It was always going to be a difficult game in difficult surroundings and he coped admirably for all that came his way. He was free from blame for both goals that went in and even prevented many more. Surely now, he is established between the sticks and all the stupid blunders seem to have been dealt with.
*Clichy (5/10) - A very ordinary game from Clichy. Was doing ok, just ok until he allowed Srna to dispossess him of the ball in the 45th minute, which ultimately led to the winning goal. Tried to atone for his mistake with his usual overlapping runs but the mistake was to remain crucial.
*Squillaci (6/10) - Did well on the night. He always brings a calmness to the defence and his experience allows him to read games well and anticipate a lot of situations. Despite the defeat, he acquitted himself well.
*Djourou (7/10) - Interestingly, this could count as Johann’s best game for us all season. The amount of blocks and interceptions he made were quite impressive and he even saved a goal bound shot on the line in the first half. The run of games he’s got already has helped his form a lot and it is hoped barring injuries, his long-trumpeted potential is beginning to emerge. Keep it up Johann.
*Eboue (6/10) - The Ivorian did well on the night and performed as expected of him. He helped out in defence when required and stifled the threat of Eduardo all night. Apart from the the winner which he scored, the ex-Gunner was not given any room to manouver.
*Eastmond (6/10) - It would go down as a better-forgotten night for the young Englishman but with his age, it should count as part of the learning curve. He was forced under pressure by ex- Barcelona defender, Dmitry Chygrynskiy to head into his own net but he recovered to hold his own. In the absence of Song and Fabregas, it was always going to be a formidable task for Eastmond to cope, and ultimately he was subbed early in the second half. Mention must be made that the long term injury to Emmanuel Frimpong is the reason why Eastmond is getting a look-in.
*Wilshire (7/10) – The young maestro picked up from where he left prior to his suspension. He dictated the pace of our game and provided the breakthrough pass for Walcott to score our goal. Was unfazed by the physicality of the game and almost scored himself in the second half. All in all, it was great to see him back in the side.
* Nasri (6/10) – Was required to play the Fabregas role on the night. But it didn’t quite go according to plan. Was visible though in the first half as he took on the Shakhtar defence repeatedly but there was no ready outlet to feed his balls. Tired and faded as the match wore on.
* Rosicky (6/10) - Was very pedestrian all night. Not much to write about him as he failed to impose himself in the middle.
* Bendtner (5/10) - For someone who is trying to break into the team, this was a missed opportunity to show what he could do. He was pedestrian all night and the sight of Chamakh on the bench must have served as a constant reminder that he wouldn’t be getting too many chances to start like last night.
* Walcott (8/10) - Another impressive day at the office. Apart from his well taken goal that silenced the home crowd, he was dangerous all night and never allowed the Shakhtar defence to relax. He is now a genuine source of goals for us and he has equalled his best tally of seven goals for us in only the third month of the season. Expect greater things from him this season.


Subs
*Vela (5/10) – As is now the fashion of the Mexican, he contributed nothing of note to the game. Came on in the 56th minute to little effect.
*Emmanuel Thomas (5/10) – Came on late for the tiring Walcott but had little impact on the proceedings. It will be nice to see what he can offer though as a starter.
*Chamakh (5/10) – He replacd the ineffective Bendtner but time ran out on him to impact on the game.