Former Tottenham striker Dimitar Berbatov enjoyed a happy return against his old rivals as Monaco won 3-1 at Arsenal in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie.
Instead of standing up to be counted and making home advantage count, the Gunners' players under-performed in what was a truly shocking display in their first ever competitive clash against Arsene Wenger's former club Monaco. The two sides had met last summer in the Emirates Cup - with the French side winning 1-0 - and the visitors again came out on top this time.
Geoffrey Kondogbia and Berbatov set Monaco on their way before substitute Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain appeared to have reignited the tie with a stoppage time strike.
That goal gave Arsenal a glimmer of a hope and a platform to build on for the second leg but then came the sucker punch as Monaco grabbed a third through substitute Yannick Ferreira-Carrasco.
Arsenal had actually started fairly well and had Danny Welbeck not been wasteful in front of goal they could have taken an early lead. Fellow forward Olivier Giroud was even more guilty of having a poor game up front as he wasted countless chances to get a goal for the hosts.
The French striker headed off target from an Alexis Sanchez corner before blazing over to ruin a fine passing move. Sanchez set up Santi Cazorla with a back heel before the Spaniard found Hector Bellerin. Bellerin then crossed for Giroud but he just lacked the finishing touch.
It was surprising from a man who had been in fine form in recent games and been firing in the goals. He was a shadow of his normal self and just couldn't hit a barn door in what was a huge night for the Gunners.
Arsenal may have had a lot of the ball but it was their opponents who took an unlikely lead against the run of play. Joao Moutinho squared the ball for Kondogbia and the 22-year-old unleashed a long-range effort to beat David Ospina in the Arsenal goal, with the aid of a slight deflection off Per Mertesacker.
The hosts had a chance to level in the closing minutes of the first half but that man Giroud again missed the target with a header.
Wenger's men came out of the blocks quickly after the restart with Giroud sending a shot wide before the Frenchman headed over from a Santi Cazorla free-kick.
Those misses proved costly as poor defending allowed Monaco to break quickly and Anthony Martial set up Berbatov, who collected the ball on the edge of the box and smashed a shot beyond Ospina.
At 2-0, Arsenal needed to find a response and quickly. They really should have reduced the deficit after 57 minutes but Sanchez's effort was well kept out by Danijel Subasic before Giroud fired the follow-up over with the goal at his mercy.
Monaco almost increased their advantage soon after but Ospina came out in the nick of time to superbly block Martial's effort.
Arsenal wasted further chances to get back in the game when substitute Theo Walcott saw his effort saved by Subasic before Sanchez later sent his volley into the side netting.
It took until second-half stoppage time for the Gunners' faithful to finally have something to smile about. Mesut Ozil's cross was only cleared as far as Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and the England international curled a fine effort into the top corner to give the hosts a much-needed lifeline.
But just as it looked as if Arsenal had put the tie back in the balance, they threw it away to sum up what had been a frustrating and shocking day for the London club.
Deep into stoppage time Monaco grabbed their third goal as Ferreira-Carrasco raced through before sending a shot into the bottom corner.
The full-time whistle couldn't have come soon enough as that was one of the worst Arsenal displays I have seen in a long time. We are far too Jekyll and Hyde for my liking. One week we win away at the champions Manchester City then on another week we can do this. We are far too inconsistent.
No disrespect to Monaco but when the Champions League round of 16 draw was done everyone involved with Arsenal was no doubt delighted and thinking we actually had a chance to progress through to the quarter final. That should have been enough motivation to at least get a positive result in the home leg.
Instead we now have a huge uphill battle on our hands and have to score at least three goals in the away leg to avoiding an early exit from the competition.
I'm not saying it's impossible as two years ago we lost by the same scoreline in the first leg against an even bigger opponent in Bayern Munich. We then produced a wonderful display in Germany to win 2-0, only to lose away goals. We need to show similar second leg spirit against Monaco to stand a chance.
I am not feeling too confident and this is probably the most deflated I have felt writing an Arsenal blog....even more so than when we lost 2-1 to our bitter rivals Spurs earlier this month. But, at the same time, I will refuse to totally give up hope on our boys until the final whistle of the second leg.
It will be tough but not impossible so I'm just praying we can put in one hell of a huge performance in the second leg.
We need to dust ourselves down quickly and move on from the bad day at the office and find a huge response when we return to against with a home clash against Everton in the Premier League.
I don't get to see my beloved Gunners too often and actually have tickets to the match against the Toffees and all I can say is we better not play like we did against Monaco again. So come on lads show some improvement and produce a huge display in front of the home fans against Everton.
COME ON YOU GUNNERS
Wednesday, 25 February 2015
Saturday, 21 February 2015
Giroud fires Gunners to third
Olivier Giroud proved to be the goal hero yet again as Arsenal moved up to third with a 2-1 win at Crystal Palace.
The French striker, who scored two in the Gunners' 2-0 win over Middlesbrough in the FA Cup last time out, added to Santi Cazorla's penalty to set the visitors on their way.
Substitute Glenn Murray pulled one back for Palace late on but it was too late to late as Arsenal held on for all three points. With Manchester United losing to Swansea and Southampton not playing until the following day, Arsene Wenger's men were able to leapfrog their league rivals into third.
There wasn't too much goalmouth action in the first half and it was in fact the hosts who started the brightest. But it was Arsenal who took the lead after eight minutes. Pape Souare, who was making his Premier League debut for Palace, pulled down Danny Welbeck in the box. Cazorla stepped up to take the resulting spot-kick and calmly rolled it into the bottom corner of Julian Speroni's net.
Arsenal were nowhere near their best and the lead didn't seem to spark them into life either, with the limited chances coming their way being wasted until the closing stages of the first half. Laurent Koscielny sent a header harmlessly off target, while Alexi Sanchez's deflected effort was comfortably saved by Speroni.
At the other end Dwight Gayle sent a free-kick high and wide before later evading two tackles and seeing a shot well blocked by Koscielny.
Palace were putting in a decent shift but all their hard work was undone when the Gunners doubled their advantage in first-half stoppage time. Sanchez released Welbeck and the England international saw his effort parried by Speroni before Giroud tapped home the rebound.
It was a far from convincing first half from Arsenal but the visitors had done what was needed to take firm control of the game.
The hosts started the second half as they had begun the first in a positive attacking fashion. Wilfried Zaha saw his effort deflected wide for a corner. Jason Puncheon also saw a shot blocked as Palace tried to get back into the game.
Arsenal really should have gone 3-0 up when Mesut Ozil released Alexis Sanchez but the Chilean's effort sailed agonisingly wide of the far post.
Zaha was continuing to cause Arsenal problems but they just couldn't make their attacks count as Jordan Mutch, Yannick Bolasie, Gayle and Puncheon all wasted chances.
There was a brief break in play when Gunners' shot-stopper David Ospina needed brief treatment after jumping above Per Mertesacker to head clear and hurting himself in process. Luckily for the visitors he was soon able to continue.
Arsenal new-boy Gabriel Paulista came on for a late cameo and soon after Palace grabbed a deserved consolation goal when Murray bundled home from close range in stoppage time. Murray then almost turned the consolation into a share of the spoils when he got on the end of Bolasie's cross. His header beat Ospina but fortunately for Arsenal it hit a post.
Wenger's men held on for the victory and moving up into third place is a big step in their battle to try and ensure Champions League qualification yet again.
Attention must now swiftly turn to the Champions League ahead of the upcoming visit of Wenger's former side AS Monaco.
COME ON YOU GUNNERS
The French striker, who scored two in the Gunners' 2-0 win over Middlesbrough in the FA Cup last time out, added to Santi Cazorla's penalty to set the visitors on their way.
Substitute Glenn Murray pulled one back for Palace late on but it was too late to late as Arsenal held on for all three points. With Manchester United losing to Swansea and Southampton not playing until the following day, Arsene Wenger's men were able to leapfrog their league rivals into third.
There wasn't too much goalmouth action in the first half and it was in fact the hosts who started the brightest. But it was Arsenal who took the lead after eight minutes. Pape Souare, who was making his Premier League debut for Palace, pulled down Danny Welbeck in the box. Cazorla stepped up to take the resulting spot-kick and calmly rolled it into the bottom corner of Julian Speroni's net.
Arsenal were nowhere near their best and the lead didn't seem to spark them into life either, with the limited chances coming their way being wasted until the closing stages of the first half. Laurent Koscielny sent a header harmlessly off target, while Alexi Sanchez's deflected effort was comfortably saved by Speroni.
At the other end Dwight Gayle sent a free-kick high and wide before later evading two tackles and seeing a shot well blocked by Koscielny.
Palace were putting in a decent shift but all their hard work was undone when the Gunners doubled their advantage in first-half stoppage time. Sanchez released Welbeck and the England international saw his effort parried by Speroni before Giroud tapped home the rebound.
It was a far from convincing first half from Arsenal but the visitors had done what was needed to take firm control of the game.
The hosts started the second half as they had begun the first in a positive attacking fashion. Wilfried Zaha saw his effort deflected wide for a corner. Jason Puncheon also saw a shot blocked as Palace tried to get back into the game.
Arsenal really should have gone 3-0 up when Mesut Ozil released Alexis Sanchez but the Chilean's effort sailed agonisingly wide of the far post.
Zaha was continuing to cause Arsenal problems but they just couldn't make their attacks count as Jordan Mutch, Yannick Bolasie, Gayle and Puncheon all wasted chances.
There was a brief break in play when Gunners' shot-stopper David Ospina needed brief treatment after jumping above Per Mertesacker to head clear and hurting himself in process. Luckily for the visitors he was soon able to continue.
Arsenal new-boy Gabriel Paulista came on for a late cameo and soon after Palace grabbed a deserved consolation goal when Murray bundled home from close range in stoppage time. Murray then almost turned the consolation into a share of the spoils when he got on the end of Bolasie's cross. His header beat Ospina but fortunately for Arsenal it hit a post.
Wenger's men held on for the victory and moving up into third place is a big step in their battle to try and ensure Champions League qualification yet again.
Attention must now swiftly turn to the Champions League ahead of the upcoming visit of Wenger's former side AS Monaco.
COME ON YOU GUNNERS
Sunday, 15 February 2015
Giroud at the Double
Olivier Giroud scored two goals in as many minutes as holders Arsenal brushed aside Middlesbrough with a 2-0 victory in their FA Cup fifth round tie at the Emirates.
With Middlesbrough chasing promotion from the Championship this season and having knocked out Manchester City in the previous round, the Gunners knew they couldn't afford to be complacent.
Home advantage was a huge plus for Arsene Wenger's men and a mainly solid defensive performance restricted Boro to few opportunities, while Giroud's clinical finishing at the other end proved decisive and took his tally for the season to 10 goals in all competitions.
The French striker scored the first of his brace after 27 minutes when a fine pass from Santi Cazorla released Kieran Gibbs, who squared the ball for Giroud to score from close range. Giroud doubled his side's advantage soon after with a wonderful volley from Alexis Sanchez's corner. That took the 28-year-old's record to seven goals in just 11 games in the FA Cup.
Middlesbrough, who went into the game on the back of six consecutive wins, offered very little in response and it took them 39 minutes to register a shot on target. The returning Wojciech Szczesny, back in the starting line-up for the cup tie, comfortably saved Albert Adomah's effort.
Tomas Mejias made a string of excellent saves to deny the likes of Mesut Ozil and Theo Walcott to keep the score down but Aitor Karanka's men just couldn't offer enough at the other end to prevent the Gunners from sealing a rather simple passage into the quarter final.
Boro almost pulled a goal back late on but Kike's header hit a post and the visitors will now have to regroup and focus on ensuring they maintain their promotion push, in the hope of meeting Arsenal again next season in a Premier League encounter.
As for Arsenal, they looked very comfortable on the ball, disciplined in defence and quick in attack, although the Gunners should maybe have scored more of their chances.
Gabriel Paulista, who joined from Villarreal in the January transfer window, made his debut in defence. It is difficult to read too much into his first performance in an Arsenal shirt as he didn't really have too much to do so I am happy to reserve judgement until he has played more matches. To come out of his debut with a clean sheet is a decent start so let's see what happens when he comes up against sterner opposition in the Premier League.
The main thing was to secure passage into the last eight and Arsenal did just that and, looking at the teams left in, we have got to fancy our chances more than previous years. Liverpool are still in the competition, as are Manchester United if they get through their upcoming clash at Preston, but with no Chelsea, Manchester City or Tottenham our chances are certainly better than they could've been.
Whatever people think of the FA Cup, and I am not just saying this because we won it last year, I still think it is a wonderful competition filled with so much magic. It remains one of my favourite competitions so to stay in with a shout of winning it again feels me with a lot of joy so let's hope we can go all the way again.
The ideal scenario is for Manchester United to get knocked out and to avoid Liverpool in the quarter final draw. Obviously Manchester United seem likely to progress so if they get paired with Liverpool to ensure one is definitely knocked out in the last eight that would be a big help. I believe if we can get a home draw for the quarter final we can be more than a match for whoever we are drawn against, especially after securing a ninth win in a row at the Emirates. If I had to pick an opponent I would prefer Reading but anything can happen so let's just wait and see.
We have to play two more games before we can even start thinking about the final properly but you've got to be in it to win it and that we are. Dare I dream of more FA Cup glory? Que sera sera! Before we start dreaming about any further FA Cup tales we need to turn our focus to the trip to London rivals Crystal Palace in our next game.
COME ON YOU GUNNERS
With Middlesbrough chasing promotion from the Championship this season and having knocked out Manchester City in the previous round, the Gunners knew they couldn't afford to be complacent.
Home advantage was a huge plus for Arsene Wenger's men and a mainly solid defensive performance restricted Boro to few opportunities, while Giroud's clinical finishing at the other end proved decisive and took his tally for the season to 10 goals in all competitions.
The French striker scored the first of his brace after 27 minutes when a fine pass from Santi Cazorla released Kieran Gibbs, who squared the ball for Giroud to score from close range. Giroud doubled his side's advantage soon after with a wonderful volley from Alexis Sanchez's corner. That took the 28-year-old's record to seven goals in just 11 games in the FA Cup.
Middlesbrough, who went into the game on the back of six consecutive wins, offered very little in response and it took them 39 minutes to register a shot on target. The returning Wojciech Szczesny, back in the starting line-up for the cup tie, comfortably saved Albert Adomah's effort.
Tomas Mejias made a string of excellent saves to deny the likes of Mesut Ozil and Theo Walcott to keep the score down but Aitor Karanka's men just couldn't offer enough at the other end to prevent the Gunners from sealing a rather simple passage into the quarter final.
Boro almost pulled a goal back late on but Kike's header hit a post and the visitors will now have to regroup and focus on ensuring they maintain their promotion push, in the hope of meeting Arsenal again next season in a Premier League encounter.
As for Arsenal, they looked very comfortable on the ball, disciplined in defence and quick in attack, although the Gunners should maybe have scored more of their chances.
Gabriel Paulista, who joined from Villarreal in the January transfer window, made his debut in defence. It is difficult to read too much into his first performance in an Arsenal shirt as he didn't really have too much to do so I am happy to reserve judgement until he has played more matches. To come out of his debut with a clean sheet is a decent start so let's see what happens when he comes up against sterner opposition in the Premier League.
The main thing was to secure passage into the last eight and Arsenal did just that and, looking at the teams left in, we have got to fancy our chances more than previous years. Liverpool are still in the competition, as are Manchester United if they get through their upcoming clash at Preston, but with no Chelsea, Manchester City or Tottenham our chances are certainly better than they could've been.
Whatever people think of the FA Cup, and I am not just saying this because we won it last year, I still think it is a wonderful competition filled with so much magic. It remains one of my favourite competitions so to stay in with a shout of winning it again feels me with a lot of joy so let's hope we can go all the way again.
The ideal scenario is for Manchester United to get knocked out and to avoid Liverpool in the quarter final draw. Obviously Manchester United seem likely to progress so if they get paired with Liverpool to ensure one is definitely knocked out in the last eight that would be a big help. I believe if we can get a home draw for the quarter final we can be more than a match for whoever we are drawn against, especially after securing a ninth win in a row at the Emirates. If I had to pick an opponent I would prefer Reading but anything can happen so let's just wait and see.
We have to play two more games before we can even start thinking about the final properly but you've got to be in it to win it and that we are. Dare I dream of more FA Cup glory? Que sera sera! Before we start dreaming about any further FA Cup tales we need to turn our focus to the trip to London rivals Crystal Palace in our next game.
COME ON YOU GUNNERS
Tuesday, 10 February 2015
Gunners outfox Leicester
Goals from Laurent Koscielny and Theo Walcott saw Arsenal bounce back from their derby day defeat to move back into the top four with a 2-1 win over bottom club Leicester.
The Foxes have been in the news a lot in recent days following strong rumours that manager Nigel Pearson had been sacked. Although it took them a while to eventually release a statement to deny this and confirm Pearson was still in charge the club performed well in the circumstances at the Emirates. It remains to be seen if he will still be in the job when Leicester next take to the field but he can be proud of his side's efforts against the Gunners.
As for Arsenal, it was a far from convincing display from the hosts but they were able to recover from the recent defeat at Tottenham to get all three points and leapfrog their neighbours in the table and that's what matters most, although performances will need to improve in the coming weeks.
The result itself continued Arsenal's fine run of home form, with the Gunners now having lost just one of their last 30 home league games, but it was the visitors who made the brighter start to the match.
Riyad Mahrez twice went close to giving Leicester the lead inside the opening 15 minutes. The Algeria international twisted and turned through the defence and cut inside Nacho Monreal before seeing his shot deflect wide. Mahrez was causing the Arsenal defence real problems but the next time he cleverly worked his way into the box his end product let him down and he sent a shot across the face of goal.
The hosts also wasted a chance to break the deadlock when Ozil's perfectly weighted pass found Walcott, but veteran goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer was on hand to deny him.
The Gunners were beginning to find their stride and they made it count by scoring the opening goal of the game after 27 minutes. Schwarzer had done superbly to keep out Ozil but, from the German international's resulting corner, Koscielny evaded his marker to ghost in and score from close range.
The visitors wasted an opportunity to level the scores when the lively Mahrez headed over the bar before bending a shot just wide moments later. The Foxes were made to pay for not converting their chances when Arsenal doubled their advantage four minutes before the break. Schwarzer could only parry Ozil's long-range strike and Walcott was on hand to smash the rebound into the bottom corner.
Arsenal were by no means at their best in the first half but they scored goals when it mattered in what turned out to be a fairly positive first half. The main negative was seeing Alexis Sanchez, who returned to the side following his recovery from a hamstring problem, pick up a knock and then appear to be holding his knee. Sanchez was later withdrawn after 67 minutes but hopefully that was more to rest him and ensure he doesn't suffer any further damage. We definitely can't afford to be without him for too many games, so let's hope it is nothing more than a small knock that he is able to quickly recover from.
Arsene Wenger's men started the second half with real purpose as they saw a penalty appeal for handball waved away before Tomas Rosicky volleyed wide inside two minutes of the restart.
Kramaric pulled a goal back for the visitors with a well-taken goal after 61 minutes. The Croatian striker had forced Ospina into a smart save earlier on in the second half before Per Mertesacker was forced to head clear off the line. Kramaric made no mistake with his next chance as Arsenal failed to clear Mahrez's cross and Kramaric lashed the ball home.
The game could've swung either way as the hosts almost restored their two-goal advantage soon after but Santi Cazorla's effort was well kept out by Schwarzer.
It was then Leicester's turn to try and find an equaliser as Mahrez again ran at the Gunners' defence, only to curl his effort wide of the mark. But the Foxes best chance fell to that man Kramaric 12 minutes from time. With a seemingly simple chance to level matters the forward instead opted for a cheeky chip, which was easily caught by the Colombian shot-stopper.
Arsenal were dealt a blow when substitute Aaron Ramsey, who had only been on the field for nine minutes, was forced off injured before Ozil appeared to pick up a knock. Fortunately for the hosts Ozil was able to continue.
The game ended in a more nervy fashion than many would have anticipated but Arsene Wenger's men held on to move them back above Spurs into fourth place following their rivals' 3-2 defeat at Liverpool. The Gunners are now only goal difference off third position in the table, although the teams either side of them (Southampton and Manchester United) both have a game in hand.
Focus must now turn to the FA Cup as Arsenal hope to continue the defence of their title when they host Championship high-flyers Middlesbrough. It will not be an easy contest and we will have to be at the top of our game to avoid any potential banana skin. We will need to up our performance level but if we show the right amount of hunger and desire and play as I know we can we should get through.
COME ON YOU GUNNERS
The Foxes have been in the news a lot in recent days following strong rumours that manager Nigel Pearson had been sacked. Although it took them a while to eventually release a statement to deny this and confirm Pearson was still in charge the club performed well in the circumstances at the Emirates. It remains to be seen if he will still be in the job when Leicester next take to the field but he can be proud of his side's efforts against the Gunners.
As for Arsenal, it was a far from convincing display from the hosts but they were able to recover from the recent defeat at Tottenham to get all three points and leapfrog their neighbours in the table and that's what matters most, although performances will need to improve in the coming weeks.
The result itself continued Arsenal's fine run of home form, with the Gunners now having lost just one of their last 30 home league games, but it was the visitors who made the brighter start to the match.
Riyad Mahrez twice went close to giving Leicester the lead inside the opening 15 minutes. The Algeria international twisted and turned through the defence and cut inside Nacho Monreal before seeing his shot deflect wide. Mahrez was causing the Arsenal defence real problems but the next time he cleverly worked his way into the box his end product let him down and he sent a shot across the face of goal.
The hosts also wasted a chance to break the deadlock when Ozil's perfectly weighted pass found Walcott, but veteran goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer was on hand to deny him.
The Gunners were beginning to find their stride and they made it count by scoring the opening goal of the game after 27 minutes. Schwarzer had done superbly to keep out Ozil but, from the German international's resulting corner, Koscielny evaded his marker to ghost in and score from close range.
The visitors wasted an opportunity to level the scores when the lively Mahrez headed over the bar before bending a shot just wide moments later. The Foxes were made to pay for not converting their chances when Arsenal doubled their advantage four minutes before the break. Schwarzer could only parry Ozil's long-range strike and Walcott was on hand to smash the rebound into the bottom corner.
Arsenal were by no means at their best in the first half but they scored goals when it mattered in what turned out to be a fairly positive first half. The main negative was seeing Alexis Sanchez, who returned to the side following his recovery from a hamstring problem, pick up a knock and then appear to be holding his knee. Sanchez was later withdrawn after 67 minutes but hopefully that was more to rest him and ensure he doesn't suffer any further damage. We definitely can't afford to be without him for too many games, so let's hope it is nothing more than a small knock that he is able to quickly recover from.
Arsene Wenger's men started the second half with real purpose as they saw a penalty appeal for handball waved away before Tomas Rosicky volleyed wide inside two minutes of the restart.
Kramaric pulled a goal back for the visitors with a well-taken goal after 61 minutes. The Croatian striker had forced Ospina into a smart save earlier on in the second half before Per Mertesacker was forced to head clear off the line. Kramaric made no mistake with his next chance as Arsenal failed to clear Mahrez's cross and Kramaric lashed the ball home.
The game could've swung either way as the hosts almost restored their two-goal advantage soon after but Santi Cazorla's effort was well kept out by Schwarzer.
It was then Leicester's turn to try and find an equaliser as Mahrez again ran at the Gunners' defence, only to curl his effort wide of the mark. But the Foxes best chance fell to that man Kramaric 12 minutes from time. With a seemingly simple chance to level matters the forward instead opted for a cheeky chip, which was easily caught by the Colombian shot-stopper.
Arsenal were dealt a blow when substitute Aaron Ramsey, who had only been on the field for nine minutes, was forced off injured before Ozil appeared to pick up a knock. Fortunately for the hosts Ozil was able to continue.
The game ended in a more nervy fashion than many would have anticipated but Arsene Wenger's men held on to move them back above Spurs into fourth place following their rivals' 3-2 defeat at Liverpool. The Gunners are now only goal difference off third position in the table, although the teams either side of them (Southampton and Manchester United) both have a game in hand.
Focus must now turn to the FA Cup as Arsenal hope to continue the defence of their title when they host Championship high-flyers Middlesbrough. It will not be an easy contest and we will have to be at the top of our game to avoid any potential banana skin. We will need to up our performance level but if we show the right amount of hunger and desire and play as I know we can we should get through.
COME ON YOU GUNNERS
Sunday, 8 February 2015
Derby Disappointment
Football can be really deflating sometimes and that is certainly how I felt after Arsenal's 2-1 defeat at Tottenham in the north London derby at White Hart Lane.
Before the match even kicked off the natural nerves set in as there was the usual pressure to get a result in what is considered one of the biggest fixtures in Arsenal's yearly calendar. Getting victory over your bitter rivals is always paramount and anything other than that is simply not good enough, although admittedly Spurs are very tough opponents. As much as I dislike Spurs and the defeat is a bitter pill to swallow, I can't really deny that they deserved the win. Yes, I did just say that! Hopefully I won't have to say that sentence again next season!
Adding to the pressure of it being a derby match, there was also the chance to move up into third, albeit temporarily, but instead we wasted the opportunity to get back into the top four and allowed our London neighbours to leapfrog us in the table. The result itself was hard to take but it was more the manner of the performance that hurt the most. We really were poor and made it all too easy for Spurs and as manager Arsene Wenger conceded "we gave two cheap goals away". He wasn't wrong either! They were poor goals and the defending in general for most of the game was dire. Rather than being able to celebrate his 700th Premier League game in charge of Arsenal with a win, Wenger was left with a big feeling of disappointment.
The day had already got off to a frustrating start when my taxi turned up late meaning I missed the start of the game. I arrived at the pub shortly after Mesut Ozil's 11th-minute opener and was able to greet my friends, including a Spurs fan celebrating his birthday, with a big grin on my face. Danny Welbeck raced down the wing before sending a cross into the box, which Olivier Giroud mishit before Ozil volleyed beyond Hugo Lloris for his third goal in as many games.
It actually felt like it was then going to be our day and we could've doubled our advantage within four minutes of the restart but Santi Cazorla's strike was superbly saved by Lloris. But as soon as Tottenham equalised through the first of Harry Kane's two goals after 56 minutes we didn't really show any signs of getting anything out of the game. Gunners' goalkeeper David Ospina did well to keep out Eric Dier's flick but when the ball fell to Kane the goalkeeper was stranded and he was able to shoot into an empty net.
Ospina, who returned to the side after keeping four clean sheets in as many games, made several excellent saves throughout the game but the visitors couldn't capitalise and simply didn't create enough chances at the other end. Being without the injured Alexis Sanchez didn't help our cause but there can be no excuses. Even without the top class Chilean we really should have done far better!
Arsenal almost retook the lead on the hour mark but Welbeck's curling effort was superbly saved by Lloris. From the resulting corner Laurent Koscielny's header was comfortably saved by the French shot-stopper. Giroud later wasted a glorious opportunity when he headed way off target after being picked out by a great cross from Ozil. Those misses proved costly for the visitors as Spurs came up with a late winner.
Kane has a bright future ahead of him and is a superb talent and the 21-year-old broke the hearts of the Gunners' faithful with a headed goal four minutes from time. My initial reaction at the time was a very critical one towards Ospina as I said to friends he really should've done better and at least dived to try and save it. On reflection that was very harsh as Ospina put in a decent performance and, in fact, it was actually a fine header from Kane.
Arsenal will need to pick up form very quickly to ensure they do not fall behind in the race for a top four finish. Wenger has never finished below Spurs in the table and if they are to avoid that happening a much-improved performance will be needed against Leicester in the next game to kick-start a positive run of form.
Watching the highlights back wasn't pleasant viewing but, although the result was painful, I was not going to let it stop me from doing my weekly Arsenal blog and I didn't want bias to cloud my judgement. I still think we will finish above Spurs but they were worthy winners on the day.
The defence that had seemed a lot more solid in recent weeks were very shaky and the longer the game went on it was no real surprise to see Spurs get on the scoresheet. It is just baffling how we can go from a superb defensive display at the home of champions Manchester City last month to this shoddy display at Tottenham. We really must get a lot more consistent. Every time it looks as if we are turning a corner a blip happens.
We need to get back into form soon as February is likely to be a decisive month for Wenger's men. The FA Cup tie with Middlesbrough, the first leg of the Champions League against Monaco, and trying to get back into the top four. We need to make sure that come the end of February we are still fighting seriously for all of those and not let it all disappear from our grasp in one go.
Focus must now turn to getting back to winning ways in the league when we host Leicester. The huge feeling of deflation should act as motivation to make sure we put in a far better performance in our next match.
COME ON YOU GUNNERS
Before the match even kicked off the natural nerves set in as there was the usual pressure to get a result in what is considered one of the biggest fixtures in Arsenal's yearly calendar. Getting victory over your bitter rivals is always paramount and anything other than that is simply not good enough, although admittedly Spurs are very tough opponents. As much as I dislike Spurs and the defeat is a bitter pill to swallow, I can't really deny that they deserved the win. Yes, I did just say that! Hopefully I won't have to say that sentence again next season!
Adding to the pressure of it being a derby match, there was also the chance to move up into third, albeit temporarily, but instead we wasted the opportunity to get back into the top four and allowed our London neighbours to leapfrog us in the table. The result itself was hard to take but it was more the manner of the performance that hurt the most. We really were poor and made it all too easy for Spurs and as manager Arsene Wenger conceded "we gave two cheap goals away". He wasn't wrong either! They were poor goals and the defending in general for most of the game was dire. Rather than being able to celebrate his 700th Premier League game in charge of Arsenal with a win, Wenger was left with a big feeling of disappointment.
The day had already got off to a frustrating start when my taxi turned up late meaning I missed the start of the game. I arrived at the pub shortly after Mesut Ozil's 11th-minute opener and was able to greet my friends, including a Spurs fan celebrating his birthday, with a big grin on my face. Danny Welbeck raced down the wing before sending a cross into the box, which Olivier Giroud mishit before Ozil volleyed beyond Hugo Lloris for his third goal in as many games.
It actually felt like it was then going to be our day and we could've doubled our advantage within four minutes of the restart but Santi Cazorla's strike was superbly saved by Lloris. But as soon as Tottenham equalised through the first of Harry Kane's two goals after 56 minutes we didn't really show any signs of getting anything out of the game. Gunners' goalkeeper David Ospina did well to keep out Eric Dier's flick but when the ball fell to Kane the goalkeeper was stranded and he was able to shoot into an empty net.
Ospina, who returned to the side after keeping four clean sheets in as many games, made several excellent saves throughout the game but the visitors couldn't capitalise and simply didn't create enough chances at the other end. Being without the injured Alexis Sanchez didn't help our cause but there can be no excuses. Even without the top class Chilean we really should have done far better!
Arsenal almost retook the lead on the hour mark but Welbeck's curling effort was superbly saved by Lloris. From the resulting corner Laurent Koscielny's header was comfortably saved by the French shot-stopper. Giroud later wasted a glorious opportunity when he headed way off target after being picked out by a great cross from Ozil. Those misses proved costly for the visitors as Spurs came up with a late winner.
Kane has a bright future ahead of him and is a superb talent and the 21-year-old broke the hearts of the Gunners' faithful with a headed goal four minutes from time. My initial reaction at the time was a very critical one towards Ospina as I said to friends he really should've done better and at least dived to try and save it. On reflection that was very harsh as Ospina put in a decent performance and, in fact, it was actually a fine header from Kane.
Arsenal will need to pick up form very quickly to ensure they do not fall behind in the race for a top four finish. Wenger has never finished below Spurs in the table and if they are to avoid that happening a much-improved performance will be needed against Leicester in the next game to kick-start a positive run of form.
Watching the highlights back wasn't pleasant viewing but, although the result was painful, I was not going to let it stop me from doing my weekly Arsenal blog and I didn't want bias to cloud my judgement. I still think we will finish above Spurs but they were worthy winners on the day.
The defence that had seemed a lot more solid in recent weeks were very shaky and the longer the game went on it was no real surprise to see Spurs get on the scoresheet. It is just baffling how we can go from a superb defensive display at the home of champions Manchester City last month to this shoddy display at Tottenham. We really must get a lot more consistent. Every time it looks as if we are turning a corner a blip happens.
We need to get back into form soon as February is likely to be a decisive month for Wenger's men. The FA Cup tie with Middlesbrough, the first leg of the Champions League against Monaco, and trying to get back into the top four. We need to make sure that come the end of February we are still fighting seriously for all of those and not let it all disappear from our grasp in one go.
Focus must now turn to getting back to winning ways in the league when we host Leicester. The huge feeling of deflation should act as motivation to make sure we put in a far better performance in our next match.
COME ON YOU GUNNERS
Sunday, 1 February 2015
Five Star Gunners
Hector Bellerin scored his first senior goal and was among five different goalscorers as Arsenal smashed Aston Villa 5-0 at the Emirates.
The Spanish youngster continued his run of impressive performances and capped it with a goal to add to earlier strikers from Olivier Giroud, Mesut Ozil, Theo Walcott and a Santi Cazorla penalty. All of this was done without usual match-winner Alexis Sanchez, who was nursing a hamstring injury, as the Gunners moved back above bitter rivals Tottenham ahead of the upcoming London derby.
Arsene Wenger's men will also have been delighted to have once again kept things tight at the back as goalkeeper David Ospina recorded his fourth clean sheet in as many games.
In fact the only blot on the Gunners' day, from a personal point of view, was the fact that I missed the game. I have seen most of the games this season one way or another except for a small few. It seemed typical that I missed one of the best but as my beloved club are heading in the right direction I definitely can't complain. Arsenal have now claimed 19 points out of a possible 24, including the recent victory away at champions Manchester City, and kept three consecutive clean sheets in the league. Onwards and upwards.
Arsenal were also aided by Southampton's 1-0 home defeat by Swansea, meaning the now fifth-placed Gunners are only behind the Saints on goal difference. The Gunners are only one point behind third-placed Manchester United and six points behind Manchester City, so if they can keep up this good run of form, who knows, this could yet be a positive season.
Arsenal opened the scoring after just eight minutes and Ozil's contribution was simply sublime. The Germany international got a lot of criticism for his performances prior to the World Cup and missed the opening months of the season due to injury. But, after two goals in as many games and some excellent touches, maybe, just maybe, he is on his way back to his best. It is too early to say yet but at least his current form is a big improvement. As for the assist for the goal, it was truly wonderful. Per Mertesacker cleared the ball out from defence and Ozil produced the deftest of flicks to release Giroud, who raced clear on goal. The French striker almost got the ball stuck under his feet but managed to keep his cool before clipping the ball beyond Brad Guzan in the Villa goal.
The Gunners probably should've added to the score before the break but Cazorla's effort hit a post before Aaron Ramsey saw his strike saved by Guzan. Villa, who have now gone six league games without a goal, had a chance to level in the closing minutes of the first half but Ospina was on hand to keep out Andreas Weimann's header.
The visitors had another chance to level within a minute of the restart but Christian Benteke fired his shot wide. That miss proved costly as the Gunners ran riot to pile more misery onto Paul Lambert's relegation-threatened side.
Scorer turned provider as Giroud set up Ozil to double Arsenal's advantage after 56 minutes. Theo Walcott began a counter attack in his own half, racing forward before picking out Giroud. The French striker then released Ozil with a perfectly weighted pass and the World Cup winner ran on to it before calmly shooting into the far corner. In his first two starts following his return from injury Ozil has hit two goals to fill the Gunners' faithful with a bit more encouragement about his ability.
Wenger's men put the result beyond doubt with a third goal after 63 minutes. A quick throw from Ospina set Walcott on a run from inside his own half. Walcott then traded passes with Cazorla, continuing his run forwards and latching onto the Spaniard's return ball before curling a shot beyond Guzan.
Substitute Chuba Akpom had only been on the field five minutes when he won his side a penalty after being brought down in the box by Guzan. Cazorla stepped up and made no mistake as Guzan could only palm the ball into his own net 15 minutes from time.
Akpom was twice denied by Guzan before Cazorla teed up Bellerin to place a low shot into the bottom corner to complete the rout in stoppage time. Villa could've grabbed a consolation through Ashley Westwood but Ospina produced a fine save to keep him out and ensure another clean sheet for the Gunners.
It is a shame new signing Gabriel Paulista didn't get a chance to make his debut off the bench but, after a clinical attacking display and another clean sheet, the Gunners will still head to White Hart Lane for their next game full of confidence.
It could be the perfect time for a derby match, so let's just hope we can produce another fine display.
COME ON YOU GUNNERS
The Spanish youngster continued his run of impressive performances and capped it with a goal to add to earlier strikers from Olivier Giroud, Mesut Ozil, Theo Walcott and a Santi Cazorla penalty. All of this was done without usual match-winner Alexis Sanchez, who was nursing a hamstring injury, as the Gunners moved back above bitter rivals Tottenham ahead of the upcoming London derby.
Arsene Wenger's men will also have been delighted to have once again kept things tight at the back as goalkeeper David Ospina recorded his fourth clean sheet in as many games.
In fact the only blot on the Gunners' day, from a personal point of view, was the fact that I missed the game. I have seen most of the games this season one way or another except for a small few. It seemed typical that I missed one of the best but as my beloved club are heading in the right direction I definitely can't complain. Arsenal have now claimed 19 points out of a possible 24, including the recent victory away at champions Manchester City, and kept three consecutive clean sheets in the league. Onwards and upwards.
Arsenal were also aided by Southampton's 1-0 home defeat by Swansea, meaning the now fifth-placed Gunners are only behind the Saints on goal difference. The Gunners are only one point behind third-placed Manchester United and six points behind Manchester City, so if they can keep up this good run of form, who knows, this could yet be a positive season.
Arsenal opened the scoring after just eight minutes and Ozil's contribution was simply sublime. The Germany international got a lot of criticism for his performances prior to the World Cup and missed the opening months of the season due to injury. But, after two goals in as many games and some excellent touches, maybe, just maybe, he is on his way back to his best. It is too early to say yet but at least his current form is a big improvement. As for the assist for the goal, it was truly wonderful. Per Mertesacker cleared the ball out from defence and Ozil produced the deftest of flicks to release Giroud, who raced clear on goal. The French striker almost got the ball stuck under his feet but managed to keep his cool before clipping the ball beyond Brad Guzan in the Villa goal.
The Gunners probably should've added to the score before the break but Cazorla's effort hit a post before Aaron Ramsey saw his strike saved by Guzan. Villa, who have now gone six league games without a goal, had a chance to level in the closing minutes of the first half but Ospina was on hand to keep out Andreas Weimann's header.
The visitors had another chance to level within a minute of the restart but Christian Benteke fired his shot wide. That miss proved costly as the Gunners ran riot to pile more misery onto Paul Lambert's relegation-threatened side.
Scorer turned provider as Giroud set up Ozil to double Arsenal's advantage after 56 minutes. Theo Walcott began a counter attack in his own half, racing forward before picking out Giroud. The French striker then released Ozil with a perfectly weighted pass and the World Cup winner ran on to it before calmly shooting into the far corner. In his first two starts following his return from injury Ozil has hit two goals to fill the Gunners' faithful with a bit more encouragement about his ability.
Wenger's men put the result beyond doubt with a third goal after 63 minutes. A quick throw from Ospina set Walcott on a run from inside his own half. Walcott then traded passes with Cazorla, continuing his run forwards and latching onto the Spaniard's return ball before curling a shot beyond Guzan.
Substitute Chuba Akpom had only been on the field five minutes when he won his side a penalty after being brought down in the box by Guzan. Cazorla stepped up and made no mistake as Guzan could only palm the ball into his own net 15 minutes from time.
Akpom was twice denied by Guzan before Cazorla teed up Bellerin to place a low shot into the bottom corner to complete the rout in stoppage time. Villa could've grabbed a consolation through Ashley Westwood but Ospina produced a fine save to keep him out and ensure another clean sheet for the Gunners.
It is a shame new signing Gabriel Paulista didn't get a chance to make his debut off the bench but, after a clinical attacking display and another clean sheet, the Gunners will still head to White Hart Lane for their next game full of confidence.
It could be the perfect time for a derby match, so let's just hope we can produce another fine display.
COME ON YOU GUNNERS
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