Goals from Gabriel and Mesut Ozil saw Arsenal bounce back to winning ways and move to the top of the Premier League table with a 2-0 win over Bournemouth.
This really could've been another potential festive banana skin for the Gunners as not only were they coming into the game on the back of a 4-0 hammering at Southampton, but Bournemouth looked set to be tough opponents. The Cherries were unbeaten in six games prior to this match, including victories over Manchester United and Chelsea, so it was obvious that they shouldn't be underestimated and had the ability to pile more misery on us. Instead, we equipped ourselves well and the king of assists Ozil once again proved to be the hero for Arsenal.
Although Ozil deserves a lot of the credit, a special mention should also be given to Arsenal goalkeeper Petr Cech, who broke the Premier League clean-sheet record with the 170th of his career in England's top flight.
It was a positive evening for the hosts but it doesn't fully make up for the horror show they produced at Southampton on Boxing Day and there is still plenty of work to be done if we are to lift the Premier League trophy in May. But for now at least we can enjoy being top of the table! Arsenal's lead at the top may only be temporary as if Leicester beat Manchester City the Foxes will take over at the summit. But should Claudio Ranieri's men fail to win then the Gunners will hold onto top spot at the end of 2015.
Bournemouth tested Cech via Josh King's curling effort but it was Arsenal who opened the scoring when Gabriel headed home Ozil's pinpoint corner after 27 minutes.
Ozil continued to pull the strings and soon picked out Theo Walcott with an excellent pass, only for the England forward's effort to be deflected wide for a corner. From the resulting set-piece Gabriel's header hit a post before the rebound hit Per Mertesacker in the face and somehow bounced just wide.
Walcott came close to doubling the Gunners' advantage before the break when he latched onto another fine Ozil pass, but Bournemouth goalkeeper Artur Boruc reacted well to block the shot.
Bournemouth had a chance to level the scores in the early stages of the second half as substitute Junior Stanislas beat the offside trap and raced through on goal. The Bournemouth forward took slightly too long on the ball, allowing Gabriel time to slide in to block any potential shot from coming in.
That ended up proving costly for the Cherries as Arsenal doubled their lead through Ozil after 63 minutes. The German played a neat one-two with Olivier Giroud before controlling the ball with his chest and coolly slotting the ball under Boruc.
Walcott came close to adding a third goal for Arsenal but his shot went across the face of goal and agonisingly wide. Walcott had an even better chance soon after when Boruc failed to keep hold of Giroud's effort, but the England man scuffed the rebound wide. Luckily for Walcott his blushes were spared as the flag had already been raised for offside.
At the other end, Cech didn't have too much to do to ensure he broke David James' clean sheet record, although he was forced into a routine save from Matt Ritchie's long-range strike.
Arsenal really should have added the icing on the cake with a third goal but Giroud scuffed an effort wide before Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain's shot hit a post.
Cech got his fingers to Glenn Murray's effort in stoppage time to ensure a record breaking night for himself and a clean sheet for the new league leaders Arsenal.
There was still time for Arsenal to try and get another goal and it looked like they might get it when Ozil picked out Walcott with another sublime pass, but Boruc spread himself well to block the shot.
OPPOSITION VIEW
Regardless of the defeat for Bournemouth, their story is nothing short of remarkable. To come from nearly losing their place in the Football League to being in England's top flight is a tremendous achievement and their manager, Eddie Howe, has done one hell of a job. I once interviewed Howe and must say he is such a top bloke and he really has done the Cherries proud during his time at the club.
Bournemouth fan Ella Jennings is proud of her side despite the result and hopes they can prolong their stay in the Premier League.
"The first Premier League season has been a tough one for Bournemouth, having been plagued by injuries," said Jennings. "Despite this, they have performed fantastically to date, and we hope to at least see a mid-table finish!
"A win over Arsenal would have been a big ask so the result was expected, but congratulations to The Gunners on a great game.
"After some other great results this season, I really hope that The Cherries can continue in a successful second Premier League season next year!"
MY FINAL THOUGHTS
Although it depends on one other result we could remain top of the league going into 2016 and, considering some of the low points we have had, that would actually be a decent achievement.
To lose to the likes of West Ham and West Brom and get hammered by Southampton, yet still be top of the pile, gives us hope of lifting the league title. Some of the other Premier League results this season also show that the top sides have not been at their best but to be top at this stage is better than I had expected so, for the moment at least, I am happy.
That doesn't change the fact I feel we need to enter the January transfer market even more so this season. We need a top quality defensive midfielder to fill the void left by the injured Francis Coquelin. Mathieu Flamini has impressed at times but is more of a back-up player and not one to be starting every single game. Whilst Giroud and Walcott have done well at times, I still feel we need a top quality striker to enable us to make more of the sheer amount of chances Ozil is creating.
January is also set to be a tough month, including a trip to Anfield and the visit of Chelsea, not to mention the always incredibly difficult away game at Stoke. Adding more depth to the squad would give us a better chance of getting through this tough run of games and I think our league standing at the end of January could go a long way to deciding our fate - it really is a key month for us.
The visit of Newcastle to the Emirates is next on the agenda so let's try and make sure we start 2016 with a bang!
COME ON YOU GUNNERS
Tuesday, 29 December 2015
Sunday, 27 December 2015
Saints punish Gunners sinful defence
As the goals flooded in, I kept wondering to myself, 'How on earth is this the same team?'
Going from a well-deserved 2-1 win over Manchester City to an utter capitulation in a 4-0 defeat at Southampton left me stunned. I always knew it would be a tough game but I certainly didn't expect that!
Going into the game we had conceded the joint-fewest number of goals in the league this season but that certainly wasn't evident at St Mary's where our defence fell apart, especially in the second half.
The manner of the performance was very disappointing and there can be no excuses from our players, who should have shown a lot more fight and hunger to win. After Leicester's defeat by Liverpool we knew that victory would've put us top of the table and surely that should have been enough motivation for the players to go out there and produce a strong performance. But instead we were truly awful and Southampton were the better side on the day. In my opinion the second goal shouldn't have been given due to a foul in the build up but, in truth, that didn't have too much impact on the game and Southampton were more than worthy winners.
We didn't actually start the game too badly as Olivier Giroud headed over from a Mesut Ozil cross in the opening few minutes. Neither side was playing particularly well and it took a wonder goal from Cuco Martina to break the deadlock. Per Mertesacker's clearance fell to Martina and the 26-year-old connected with the ball with a sublime first-time strike, giving Petr Cech no chance.
Southampton could've been further ahead before the break but Shane Long saw his effort ruled out for a foul on Mertesacker, much to Arsenal's relief.
At the other end Nacho Monreal saw his shot saved by Maarten Stekelenburg, while Theo Walcott twice failed to hit the target as the Gunners struggled to find a way through.
Southampton almost doubled their advantage within five minutes of the restart but Virgil van Dijk's header was ruled out for offside. But the hosts made no mistake five minutes later as Long scored the first of his two goals. The Irish forward latched onto Sadio Mane's pass to score from close range, although some sections of the crowd felt the goal should've been ruled out. In my opinion Laurent Koscielny was fouled in the build up to the goal, but I also genuinely believe that had it been ruled out we still wouldn't have got anything from the game as the performance really was that poor.
Birthday boy Aaron Ramsey was unable to reduce the deficit as a deflection stopped his shot from causing any real danger and things went from bad to worse for Arsenal as Jose Fonte headed home Ryan Bertrand's corner to make it 3-0.
Dusan Tadic forced Cech into an excellent save before Long's shot hit a post as Arsenal's defence continued to look all over the place.
Ozil came close in the latter stages with a shot that rolled across the goal line, but Arsenal really didn't do enough to test Stekelenburg on the night. The Gunners will certainly have to do far better, in both attack and defence, in their upcoming games if they are to turn their season back around.
Arsenal's shaky defence conceded a fourth in stoppage time as Tadic set up Long to calmly slot the ball under Cech and into the net to complete a miserable night for the Gunners.
OPPOSITION VIEW
Southampton fan Mavis John was delighted to see her side return to winning ways but admitted that the referee did make some mistakes on the day.
"After what was becoming a worrying slump, it was great to see Saints playing the kind of football we know they're capable of," said John.
"It was a bit of surprise to see Martina on the team sheet but his wonder strike showed that he's worthy of a start every week.
"It's fair to say that some of the refereeing decisions were questionable but in the end the two disallowed goals were probably evened out by the two that were given. We march on!"
MY FINAL THOUGHTS
It was a truly abysmal display at St Mary's but at least we kept hold of second place, although the result allowed Manchester City to cut the gap on us to just a point. But still being second isn't too much consolation and doesn't disguise the fact we were appalling.
If we can bounce back and beat Bournemouth, with Leicester and Manchester City hopefully drawing, we could yet be top before the end of the year. That seems such a crazy thought after the horror show against Southampton, but we must make sure we move on from that quickly.
Bournemouth have already beaten Manchester United and Chelsea this month so certainly shouldn't be underestimated and we will need a far better performance against the Cherries if we are to get our season back on track.
COME ON YOU GUNNERS
Going from a well-deserved 2-1 win over Manchester City to an utter capitulation in a 4-0 defeat at Southampton left me stunned. I always knew it would be a tough game but I certainly didn't expect that!
Going into the game we had conceded the joint-fewest number of goals in the league this season but that certainly wasn't evident at St Mary's where our defence fell apart, especially in the second half.
The manner of the performance was very disappointing and there can be no excuses from our players, who should have shown a lot more fight and hunger to win. After Leicester's defeat by Liverpool we knew that victory would've put us top of the table and surely that should have been enough motivation for the players to go out there and produce a strong performance. But instead we were truly awful and Southampton were the better side on the day. In my opinion the second goal shouldn't have been given due to a foul in the build up but, in truth, that didn't have too much impact on the game and Southampton were more than worthy winners.
We didn't actually start the game too badly as Olivier Giroud headed over from a Mesut Ozil cross in the opening few minutes. Neither side was playing particularly well and it took a wonder goal from Cuco Martina to break the deadlock. Per Mertesacker's clearance fell to Martina and the 26-year-old connected with the ball with a sublime first-time strike, giving Petr Cech no chance.
Southampton could've been further ahead before the break but Shane Long saw his effort ruled out for a foul on Mertesacker, much to Arsenal's relief.
At the other end Nacho Monreal saw his shot saved by Maarten Stekelenburg, while Theo Walcott twice failed to hit the target as the Gunners struggled to find a way through.
Southampton almost doubled their advantage within five minutes of the restart but Virgil van Dijk's header was ruled out for offside. But the hosts made no mistake five minutes later as Long scored the first of his two goals. The Irish forward latched onto Sadio Mane's pass to score from close range, although some sections of the crowd felt the goal should've been ruled out. In my opinion Laurent Koscielny was fouled in the build up to the goal, but I also genuinely believe that had it been ruled out we still wouldn't have got anything from the game as the performance really was that poor.
Birthday boy Aaron Ramsey was unable to reduce the deficit as a deflection stopped his shot from causing any real danger and things went from bad to worse for Arsenal as Jose Fonte headed home Ryan Bertrand's corner to make it 3-0.
Dusan Tadic forced Cech into an excellent save before Long's shot hit a post as Arsenal's defence continued to look all over the place.
Ozil came close in the latter stages with a shot that rolled across the goal line, but Arsenal really didn't do enough to test Stekelenburg on the night. The Gunners will certainly have to do far better, in both attack and defence, in their upcoming games if they are to turn their season back around.
Arsenal's shaky defence conceded a fourth in stoppage time as Tadic set up Long to calmly slot the ball under Cech and into the net to complete a miserable night for the Gunners.
OPPOSITION VIEW
Southampton fan Mavis John was delighted to see her side return to winning ways but admitted that the referee did make some mistakes on the day.
"After what was becoming a worrying slump, it was great to see Saints playing the kind of football we know they're capable of," said John.
"It was a bit of surprise to see Martina on the team sheet but his wonder strike showed that he's worthy of a start every week.
"It's fair to say that some of the refereeing decisions were questionable but in the end the two disallowed goals were probably evened out by the two that were given. We march on!"
MY FINAL THOUGHTS
It was a truly abysmal display at St Mary's but at least we kept hold of second place, although the result allowed Manchester City to cut the gap on us to just a point. But still being second isn't too much consolation and doesn't disguise the fact we were appalling.
If we can bounce back and beat Bournemouth, with Leicester and Manchester City hopefully drawing, we could yet be top before the end of the year. That seems such a crazy thought after the horror show against Southampton, but we must make sure we move on from that quickly.
Bournemouth have already beaten Manchester United and Chelsea this month so certainly shouldn't be underestimated and we will need a far better performance against the Cherries if we are to get our season back on track.
COME ON YOU GUNNERS
Monday, 21 December 2015
Walcott in a Winter Wonderland
Before the game some people were saying this was a game that could define Arsenal's season and say a lot about their title credentials.
Fast forward 90 minutes and the Gunners have just beaten Manchester City 2-1 and, although they had to endure a tense final 10 minutes, the win was fully deserved.
Arsenal had barely mustered a shot on goal before Theo Walcott's wonder strike but Olivier Giroud's effort gave the hosts some breathing space.
Manchester City, who have been really struggling on their travels this season, pulled one back eight minutes from time to ensure a first away goal in nearly three months and a tense finish at the Emirates.
Arsene Wenger's men managed to hold on for a huge three points to give them a lot of reasons to be cheerful in their final game before Christmas. I certainly won't be getting carried away and know how quickly things can change in the Premier League, but that is definitely a win I'm going to enjoy.
Although Arsenal controlled large spells of the game it was in fact City who had the better of the early chances. David Silva and Fernandinho both sent efforts over the bar inside the opening 10 minutes.
Kevin De Bruyne then twice wasted the chance to open the scoring for City. The Belgian saw his driven strike parried behind for a corner by Cech before spurning another effort later in the half when he raced into the box and dragged a shot wide.
Arsenal took the lead with their first meaningful shot on goal after 33 minutes. Mesut Ozil set up Walcott, who turned on the edge of the box before curling a delightful shot beyond Joe Hart and into the bottom corner.
The Gunners doubled their advantage on the stroke of half-time after capitalising on a poor back-pass from Eliaquim Mangala. Arsenal stole possession and pushed forward before Ozil set up Giroud, who worked tirelessly and performed excellently throughout, to score with a low finish.
Arsenal were in dreamland but I was still fully aware that there was still a long way to go and not to get too over excited, despite the amazing scoreline. But the Gunners didn't disappoint and continued to grow in confidence in the second half and the defensive work-rate on show was second to none, with Per Mertesacker particularly impressing me at the back.
Arsenal maybe should've put the game beyond doubt in the second half but Hart spread himself well to block shots from both Joel Campbell and Aaron Ramsey.
At the other end, Sergio Aguero's header was straight at Cech, while substitutes Raheem Sterling and Wilfried Bony failed to trouble the Arsenal shot-stopper with their efforts.
City really should have reduced the deficit 11 minutes from time when Navas raced clear on goal. But instead of shooting the Spaniard opted to cut the ball back to Bony, allowing Mertsacker time to get back and clear the danger. But the visitors made no mistake three minutes later as Toure's goal gave them hope. The midfielder played a one-two on the edge of the box before bending a wonderful shot into the top corner.
Arsenal went from being in control to now having to face a nervy end to the game. I was genuinely nervous that our hard work might get undone late on and the goal really did seem to galvanise City, who now had the bit between their teeth. Bony sent a shot off target before Toure very nearly grabbed his second of the game but, fortunately for Arsenal, he poked the ball wide after having got behind the Gunners' defence.
There was a brief worry for Arsenal in the final minutes as Giroud went down injured but fortunately the French striker was able to continue and the Gunners held on for a huge three points.
OPPOSITION VIEW
Manchester City fan Joe Barnes admitted Arsenal were worthy winners, but he doesn't believe either side has what it takes to win the Premier League title this season.
"Arsenal were clinical," said Barnes. "City were wasteful and carrying a player who goes from a Lada to Rolls Royce far too infrequently in Toure
"It's Leicester's to lose because neither team look good enough to get over the line!"
MY FINAL THOUGHTS
That was certainly the perfect Christmas present for Arsenal fans but what we need to make sure now is that we maintain the same level of performance in other games as well. To make all this hard work count we need to make sure we get another three points against Southampton on Boxing Day and there are certainly enough positive signs at the moment to suggest we can do just that, providing we don't get complacent.
I still think no matter what happens we need to buy in January to add some extra depth to the squad but, after beating the likes of the two Manchester clubs already this season, we have proved we may just have what it takes this time around.
There's a long way to go but things are certainly looking up for us!
COME ON YOU GUNNERS
Fast forward 90 minutes and the Gunners have just beaten Manchester City 2-1 and, although they had to endure a tense final 10 minutes, the win was fully deserved.
Arsenal had barely mustered a shot on goal before Theo Walcott's wonder strike but Olivier Giroud's effort gave the hosts some breathing space.
Manchester City, who have been really struggling on their travels this season, pulled one back eight minutes from time to ensure a first away goal in nearly three months and a tense finish at the Emirates.
Arsene Wenger's men managed to hold on for a huge three points to give them a lot of reasons to be cheerful in their final game before Christmas. I certainly won't be getting carried away and know how quickly things can change in the Premier League, but that is definitely a win I'm going to enjoy.
Although Arsenal controlled large spells of the game it was in fact City who had the better of the early chances. David Silva and Fernandinho both sent efforts over the bar inside the opening 10 minutes.
Kevin De Bruyne then twice wasted the chance to open the scoring for City. The Belgian saw his driven strike parried behind for a corner by Cech before spurning another effort later in the half when he raced into the box and dragged a shot wide.
Arsenal took the lead with their first meaningful shot on goal after 33 minutes. Mesut Ozil set up Walcott, who turned on the edge of the box before curling a delightful shot beyond Joe Hart and into the bottom corner.
The Gunners doubled their advantage on the stroke of half-time after capitalising on a poor back-pass from Eliaquim Mangala. Arsenal stole possession and pushed forward before Ozil set up Giroud, who worked tirelessly and performed excellently throughout, to score with a low finish.
Arsenal were in dreamland but I was still fully aware that there was still a long way to go and not to get too over excited, despite the amazing scoreline. But the Gunners didn't disappoint and continued to grow in confidence in the second half and the defensive work-rate on show was second to none, with Per Mertesacker particularly impressing me at the back.
Arsenal maybe should've put the game beyond doubt in the second half but Hart spread himself well to block shots from both Joel Campbell and Aaron Ramsey.
At the other end, Sergio Aguero's header was straight at Cech, while substitutes Raheem Sterling and Wilfried Bony failed to trouble the Arsenal shot-stopper with their efforts.
City really should have reduced the deficit 11 minutes from time when Navas raced clear on goal. But instead of shooting the Spaniard opted to cut the ball back to Bony, allowing Mertsacker time to get back and clear the danger. But the visitors made no mistake three minutes later as Toure's goal gave them hope. The midfielder played a one-two on the edge of the box before bending a wonderful shot into the top corner.
Arsenal went from being in control to now having to face a nervy end to the game. I was genuinely nervous that our hard work might get undone late on and the goal really did seem to galvanise City, who now had the bit between their teeth. Bony sent a shot off target before Toure very nearly grabbed his second of the game but, fortunately for Arsenal, he poked the ball wide after having got behind the Gunners' defence.
There was a brief worry for Arsenal in the final minutes as Giroud went down injured but fortunately the French striker was able to continue and the Gunners held on for a huge three points.
OPPOSITION VIEW
Manchester City fan Joe Barnes admitted Arsenal were worthy winners, but he doesn't believe either side has what it takes to win the Premier League title this season.
"Arsenal were clinical," said Barnes. "City were wasteful and carrying a player who goes from a Lada to Rolls Royce far too infrequently in Toure
"It's Leicester's to lose because neither team look good enough to get over the line!"
MY FINAL THOUGHTS
That was certainly the perfect Christmas present for Arsenal fans but what we need to make sure now is that we maintain the same level of performance in other games as well. To make all this hard work count we need to make sure we get another three points against Southampton on Boxing Day and there are certainly enough positive signs at the moment to suggest we can do just that, providing we don't get complacent.
I still think no matter what happens we need to buy in January to add some extra depth to the squad but, after beating the likes of the two Manchester clubs already this season, we have proved we may just have what it takes this time around.
There's a long way to go but things are certainly looking up for us!
COME ON YOU GUNNERS
Sunday, 13 December 2015
Rambo sends Gunners top
Aaron Ramsey produced a goalscoring man of the match performance as Arsenal moved to the top of the table with a routine 2-0 win at struggling Aston Villa.
Ramsey was superb in midfield and when he added to Olivier Giroud's earlier penalty the Gunners looked in control for most of the game.
Villa are struggling at the bottom of the table and currently have just six points from 16 games but, before the game, I was slightly nervous about the game.
We have done well in difficult situations but then struggled in some of the so-called easier games prior to this one and, with former Gunner Remi Garde in charge of our opponents, I sensed a potential banana skin game.
Getting an early goal definitely helped to settle the nerves. Theo Walcott burst into the box before being pulled back by Alan Hutton and referee Kevin Friend awarded a penalty. Giroud, who scored a crucial Champions League hat-trick in midweek, clinically dispatched his 50th league goal for Arsenal with the resulting spot-kick. Giroud could've added to his tally in the first half, only to see his effort cleared off the line.
At the other end, Villa created few chances and were not able to make much of the ones they did have as Leandro Bacuna blazed a shot over the bar.
That miss proved costly as Arsenal doubled their advantage through Ramsey after 38 minutes. In-form Mesut Ozil, who has been at the heart of a large portion of the Gunners' goals of late, was at it again to set up the second goal. Ramsey started the move by finding Ozil, who in turn exchanged passes Theo Walcott before racing clear through on goal. Ozil hesitated for a moment before squaring the ball across to Ramsey for the Welsh midfielder to slot home.
Aston Villa improved after the break and wasted the chance to reduce the deficit when Scott Sinclair headed over Hutton's cross. That was a big let off for Arsenal but, in truth, Villa didn't really do too much to threaten the visitors' defence other than a few wayward shots.
Although Villa didn't trouble the defence too much, it didn't stop the clean sheet from being a big plus point, especially for goalkeeper Petr Cech who levelled David James' record of most clean sheets kept in the Premier League.
Arsenal had a chance to add further gloss to the scoreline before the end but Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain's effort was well saved by Brad Guzan in the Villa goal.
Three points, a clean sheet and moving top of the league - I couldn't ask for much more but will certainly not be getting carried away just yet.
OPPOSITION VIEW
Villa fan Cole Demetriades was left frustrated by his side's performance and had no complaints over the penalty which gave Arsenal the lead.
"When I saw the team I thought if Clark was fit he should be playing and I really think one of Gil and Grealish should be in the team for home games, because otherwise we have no creativity," said Demetriades.
"The first half was typical of Villa for the whole of 2015 not just this season. It was definitely a penalty no complaints there. Does Hutton need to make a challenge? Walcott had a lot to do from that position and he is not a left-footed player.
"The second goal was a classic away team counter attack with the exception of the fact you were playing like the home team, with great possession. Our players don't make enough effort to sprint backwards to stop Arsenal and it's a great move from their perspective.
"Villa were better in the second half, particularly when Gil came on, and Bacuna was unlucky with our best effort. But ultimately it was a routine three points for Arsenal and we can hope for more luck over a festive period with some far easier fixtures. 0-2 was a more than fair result."
Demetriades was also critical of Villa striker Rudy Gestede, who joined the club from Blackburn this summer.
"In terms of general play I really can't understand why we have Rudy Gestede," added Demetriades. "All he offers is an aerial threat, which is fine, but we don't have any width and our wide players prefer cutting inside and shooting rather than crossing to him.
"Therefore it's like having ten men if we don't use him. I thought it was an odd signing at the time because of this very reason."
MY FINAL THOUGHTS
I really do feel for Villa and Garde and part of me hopes they beat the drop. They have looked doomed in previous seasons and somehow survived and I think they can again but they also can't complain if they do get relegated as they just aren't causing enough of a threat to their opponents this year. I want Garde to do well there, but it's a difficult job for anyone to take on and only time will tell if he can succeed...but early signs indicate it is going to be a big struggle.
We deserved to beat them though and, with the visit of Manchester City looming just before Christmas, this is just the result we needed. The match against City, who are rated by many as favourites to lift the Premier League trophy in May, could go a long way to deciding our title fate so we needed to keep up the pace and we did just that by beating Villa.
In some ways I think we are more than capable of beating Manchester City but in other ways I worry about this game as we have shown signs of weakness at other points this season. Whatever the result, we must make sure we put in a performance to be proud of.
Many people are saying this is our best chance of winning the title in years, especially with Chelsea's season fading fast and Manchester City not looking as unstoppable as normal. But, if we really are to lift the title, we need to avoid any further injuries and not allow any complacency to creep into our game.
I am normally a super optimistic fan but even I think City will do it but let's just hope the players can prove me wrong with a big performance and win against Manuel Pellegrini's men.
COME ON YOU GUNNERS
Ramsey was superb in midfield and when he added to Olivier Giroud's earlier penalty the Gunners looked in control for most of the game.
Villa are struggling at the bottom of the table and currently have just six points from 16 games but, before the game, I was slightly nervous about the game.
We have done well in difficult situations but then struggled in some of the so-called easier games prior to this one and, with former Gunner Remi Garde in charge of our opponents, I sensed a potential banana skin game.
Getting an early goal definitely helped to settle the nerves. Theo Walcott burst into the box before being pulled back by Alan Hutton and referee Kevin Friend awarded a penalty. Giroud, who scored a crucial Champions League hat-trick in midweek, clinically dispatched his 50th league goal for Arsenal with the resulting spot-kick. Giroud could've added to his tally in the first half, only to see his effort cleared off the line.
At the other end, Villa created few chances and were not able to make much of the ones they did have as Leandro Bacuna blazed a shot over the bar.
That miss proved costly as Arsenal doubled their advantage through Ramsey after 38 minutes. In-form Mesut Ozil, who has been at the heart of a large portion of the Gunners' goals of late, was at it again to set up the second goal. Ramsey started the move by finding Ozil, who in turn exchanged passes Theo Walcott before racing clear through on goal. Ozil hesitated for a moment before squaring the ball across to Ramsey for the Welsh midfielder to slot home.
Aston Villa improved after the break and wasted the chance to reduce the deficit when Scott Sinclair headed over Hutton's cross. That was a big let off for Arsenal but, in truth, Villa didn't really do too much to threaten the visitors' defence other than a few wayward shots.
Although Villa didn't trouble the defence too much, it didn't stop the clean sheet from being a big plus point, especially for goalkeeper Petr Cech who levelled David James' record of most clean sheets kept in the Premier League.
Arsenal had a chance to add further gloss to the scoreline before the end but Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain's effort was well saved by Brad Guzan in the Villa goal.
Three points, a clean sheet and moving top of the league - I couldn't ask for much more but will certainly not be getting carried away just yet.
OPPOSITION VIEW
Villa fan Cole Demetriades was left frustrated by his side's performance and had no complaints over the penalty which gave Arsenal the lead.
"When I saw the team I thought if Clark was fit he should be playing and I really think one of Gil and Grealish should be in the team for home games, because otherwise we have no creativity," said Demetriades.
"The first half was typical of Villa for the whole of 2015 not just this season. It was definitely a penalty no complaints there. Does Hutton need to make a challenge? Walcott had a lot to do from that position and he is not a left-footed player.
"The second goal was a classic away team counter attack with the exception of the fact you were playing like the home team, with great possession. Our players don't make enough effort to sprint backwards to stop Arsenal and it's a great move from their perspective.
"Villa were better in the second half, particularly when Gil came on, and Bacuna was unlucky with our best effort. But ultimately it was a routine three points for Arsenal and we can hope for more luck over a festive period with some far easier fixtures. 0-2 was a more than fair result."
Demetriades was also critical of Villa striker Rudy Gestede, who joined the club from Blackburn this summer.
"In terms of general play I really can't understand why we have Rudy Gestede," added Demetriades. "All he offers is an aerial threat, which is fine, but we don't have any width and our wide players prefer cutting inside and shooting rather than crossing to him.
"Therefore it's like having ten men if we don't use him. I thought it was an odd signing at the time because of this very reason."
MY FINAL THOUGHTS
I really do feel for Villa and Garde and part of me hopes they beat the drop. They have looked doomed in previous seasons and somehow survived and I think they can again but they also can't complain if they do get relegated as they just aren't causing enough of a threat to their opponents this year. I want Garde to do well there, but it's a difficult job for anyone to take on and only time will tell if he can succeed...but early signs indicate it is going to be a big struggle.
We deserved to beat them though and, with the visit of Manchester City looming just before Christmas, this is just the result we needed. The match against City, who are rated by many as favourites to lift the Premier League trophy in May, could go a long way to deciding our title fate so we needed to keep up the pace and we did just that by beating Villa.
In some ways I think we are more than capable of beating Manchester City but in other ways I worry about this game as we have shown signs of weakness at other points this season. Whatever the result, we must make sure we put in a performance to be proud of.
Many people are saying this is our best chance of winning the title in years, especially with Chelsea's season fading fast and Manchester City not looking as unstoppable as normal. But, if we really are to lift the title, we need to avoid any further injuries and not allow any complacency to creep into our game.
I am normally a super optimistic fan but even I think City will do it but let's just hope the players can prove me wrong with a big performance and win against Manuel Pellegrini's men.
COME ON YOU GUNNERS
Wednesday, 9 December 2015
Athens miracle puts Gunners through
Olivier Giroud's first hat-trick for the club saw Arsenal defy the odds and qualify for the knock-out stages of the Champions League with a 3-0 win over Olympiakos in Athens.
There was a big worry for Gunners' fans when Giroud went down injured at 1-0. Even when he came back on I, at the time, thought it was a big risk especially with the spate of injuries we have picked up lately. But by god am I glad he came back on to add two further goals to secure runners-up spot for us in Group F.
Arsenal went into the game knowing they had to win to move level on points with the Greek side, and then win by a two-goal margin or any victory scoring three or more, to ensure they came out on top of the head-to-head battle to progress.
Normally before a game I have some sort of gut feeling but this time I really did feel split over how we would do. Part of me thought we could do it, while another bit of me thought we would come close but not close enough...so the eventual outcome made me even more delighted. Arsenal have now reached the knock-out stages of the Champions League for a 16th year in a row.
Arsenal controlled large spells of the game but it was Olympiakos, who had previously won 12 domestic league games on the bounce, that wasted the chance to open the scoring when Seba sent a volley off target.
The Gunners also came close to breaking the deadlock when Mathieu Flamini's deflected strike hit the crossbar. This seemed to spark Arsenal into life and the visitors soon took the lead as Giroud latched onto Aaron Ramsey to head the ball in off goalkeeper Roberto shortly before the half hour mark.
But things looked to have taken a turn for the worse for Arsenal when Giroud turned his ankle and required medical attention early in the second half. It not only looked like the end of his evening but, with not many attacking options on the bench, I briefly wondered where the next goal would come from. But just as I was saying 'Wenger please sub him off! We can't risk any more big injuries', the French striker was back on the field to score a well-taken second within four minutes of the restart. Joel Campbell, who produced arguably his best performance in an Arsenal shirt, picked out Giroud with a sublime pass before the striker calmly slotted the ball beyond Roberto.
Olympiakos came close to pulling a goal back but Kostas Fortounis's effort was well saved by Petr Cech. That was about as good as it got for the hosts and it wasn't too long before Arsenal scored their third to wrap up the victory and a memorable night in Greece. Nacho Monreal's shot was blocked by the hand of Omar Elabdellaoui. Giroud stepped up and scored the resulting penalty to complete his hat-trick 24 minutes from time.
GROUP F
If someone had said to me when the groups were drawn that we would secure second spot in Group F, I would've been delighted. Finishing above Bayern Munich was always going to be tough and we did manage to beat them in the clash at the Emirates. The performance away to Olympiakos was also of a very high quality.
For all the positives, there were also negatives. Without disrespecting Dinamo Zagreb and Olympiakos too much, how did we end up needing a final-game miracle to progress? A huge effort and one I am proud of the manager and players for, but such a dramatic turnaround shouldn't have been needed.
The defeats to Dinamo Zagreb and Olympiakos in the opening two games were very poor and we can't repeat them again but the miracle in Athens could yet prove a huge result, not just for our Champions League campaign but for our overall season. Elimination would have been hard for the players to take, but the turnaround to qualify can give us a big boost going into the rest of the season, so let's wait and see what happens.
Finishing runners-up in Group F does mean we are likely to get a much tougher last-16 draw than if we had topped the group. But being in the Champions League is all about pitting your wits against the best so if we are serious about this competition we need to prove we can beat the big guns.
Obviously I'd prefer Wolfsburg or Zenit in the next round but I'll accept whoever we get. No matter what team we draw we must ensure we play more like we did in Athens than how we did in some of the other Group F games.
MY FINAL THOUGHTS
Finally we can relax that we have progressed through to the knock-out stages but we must be ready to go again quickly and turn our attentions back to the Premier League. Two points behind leaders Leicester going into the next match and we travel to Aston Villa on the back of an excellent European performance. Surely that was the perfect tonic to prepare us for Villa but there is no room for complacency and we need to make sure we are at our best to get maximum points and keep our season moving on an upward curve.....but I'll certainly take nothing for granted and there is still a hell of a long way to go.
We also found out recently that our FA Cup defence will begin with a third round clash against Sunderland but it's all about the league for the rest of December and we need to make sure we stay focused and don't suffer any blips. Things are now looking good again but it is impossible to predict how things are going to turn out, so let's just wait and see.
COME ON YOU GUNNERS
There was a big worry for Gunners' fans when Giroud went down injured at 1-0. Even when he came back on I, at the time, thought it was a big risk especially with the spate of injuries we have picked up lately. But by god am I glad he came back on to add two further goals to secure runners-up spot for us in Group F.
Arsenal went into the game knowing they had to win to move level on points with the Greek side, and then win by a two-goal margin or any victory scoring three or more, to ensure they came out on top of the head-to-head battle to progress.
Normally before a game I have some sort of gut feeling but this time I really did feel split over how we would do. Part of me thought we could do it, while another bit of me thought we would come close but not close enough...so the eventual outcome made me even more delighted. Arsenal have now reached the knock-out stages of the Champions League for a 16th year in a row.
Arsenal controlled large spells of the game but it was Olympiakos, who had previously won 12 domestic league games on the bounce, that wasted the chance to open the scoring when Seba sent a volley off target.
The Gunners also came close to breaking the deadlock when Mathieu Flamini's deflected strike hit the crossbar. This seemed to spark Arsenal into life and the visitors soon took the lead as Giroud latched onto Aaron Ramsey to head the ball in off goalkeeper Roberto shortly before the half hour mark.
But things looked to have taken a turn for the worse for Arsenal when Giroud turned his ankle and required medical attention early in the second half. It not only looked like the end of his evening but, with not many attacking options on the bench, I briefly wondered where the next goal would come from. But just as I was saying 'Wenger please sub him off! We can't risk any more big injuries', the French striker was back on the field to score a well-taken second within four minutes of the restart. Joel Campbell, who produced arguably his best performance in an Arsenal shirt, picked out Giroud with a sublime pass before the striker calmly slotted the ball beyond Roberto.
Olympiakos came close to pulling a goal back but Kostas Fortounis's effort was well saved by Petr Cech. That was about as good as it got for the hosts and it wasn't too long before Arsenal scored their third to wrap up the victory and a memorable night in Greece. Nacho Monreal's shot was blocked by the hand of Omar Elabdellaoui. Giroud stepped up and scored the resulting penalty to complete his hat-trick 24 minutes from time.
GROUP F
If someone had said to me when the groups were drawn that we would secure second spot in Group F, I would've been delighted. Finishing above Bayern Munich was always going to be tough and we did manage to beat them in the clash at the Emirates. The performance away to Olympiakos was also of a very high quality.
For all the positives, there were also negatives. Without disrespecting Dinamo Zagreb and Olympiakos too much, how did we end up needing a final-game miracle to progress? A huge effort and one I am proud of the manager and players for, but such a dramatic turnaround shouldn't have been needed.
The defeats to Dinamo Zagreb and Olympiakos in the opening two games were very poor and we can't repeat them again but the miracle in Athens could yet prove a huge result, not just for our Champions League campaign but for our overall season. Elimination would have been hard for the players to take, but the turnaround to qualify can give us a big boost going into the rest of the season, so let's wait and see what happens.
Finishing runners-up in Group F does mean we are likely to get a much tougher last-16 draw than if we had topped the group. But being in the Champions League is all about pitting your wits against the best so if we are serious about this competition we need to prove we can beat the big guns.
Obviously I'd prefer Wolfsburg or Zenit in the next round but I'll accept whoever we get. No matter what team we draw we must ensure we play more like we did in Athens than how we did in some of the other Group F games.
MY FINAL THOUGHTS
Finally we can relax that we have progressed through to the knock-out stages but we must be ready to go again quickly and turn our attentions back to the Premier League. Two points behind leaders Leicester going into the next match and we travel to Aston Villa on the back of an excellent European performance. Surely that was the perfect tonic to prepare us for Villa but there is no room for complacency and we need to make sure we are at our best to get maximum points and keep our season moving on an upward curve.....but I'll certainly take nothing for granted and there is still a hell of a long way to go.
We also found out recently that our FA Cup defence will begin with a third round clash against Sunderland but it's all about the league for the rest of December and we need to make sure we stay focused and don't suffer any blips. Things are now looking good again but it is impossible to predict how things are going to turn out, so let's just wait and see.
COME ON YOU GUNNERS
Monday, 7 December 2015
Gunners revive league campaign
Olivier Giroud scored at both ends as Arsenal returned to winning ways and moved up to second in the Premier League table.
The Gunners had taken just two points out of a possible nine from their previous three league games but goals from Giroud, Joel Campbell and Aaron Ramsey ensured it would be a happy day for the hosts.
Arsenal were able to take advantage of Manchester City's surprise 2-0 loss at Stoke and are now just two points behind leaders Leicester. It was a much-needed result, especially after the recent injury blows to key duo Alexis Sanchez and Santi Cazorla.
Sunderland had a chance to open the scoring after just five minutes but Fabio Borini's strike was comfortably saved by Petr Cech in the Arsenal goal.
Duncan Watmore sent his header off target as Sunderland continued to create chances, while Cech had to be alert to keep out a shot that had come off Mathieu Flamini on its way to goal.
But it was Arsenal who broke the deadlock after a perfectly-weighted through ball from the in-form Mesut Ozil found Campbell in the box, and the Costa Rican calmly slotted the ball beyond Costel Pantilimon.
Sunderland levelled matters on the stroke of half-time when Yann M'Vila's free-kick was sliced into his own net by Giroud. But Arsenal could've restored their lead soon after, only for Aaron Ramsey's shot to hit the side netting. At that point I did wonder whether it was going to be one of those days but fortunately we were able to see the game off in the second half.
The visitors almost took the lead shortly before the hour mark but Cech was on hand to turn Steven Fletcher's drive round a post. From the resulting corner, Cech made a fine point-blank save to keep Fletcher out from close range.
Those saves proved crucial as Arsenal weathered the storm before taking the lead through Giroud after 64 minutes. The French striker made amends for his earlier own goal by getting on the end of Ramsey's curling cross to head the ball home.
Arsenal tried to extend their advantage but substitute Theo Walcott sent his shot off target, Hector Bellerin's effort was blocked and Giroud's header was cleared off the line by DeAndre Yedlin.
Ramsey's acrobatic effort was comfortably saved by Pantilimon and those wasted chances almost came back to bite Arsenal two minutes from time. Jack Rodwell's fine through ball found Patrick van Aanholt but, fortunately for Arsenal, the defender fired his shot over the bar.
As the game entered injury time, Ramsey shot straight at Pantilimon but the Welsh midfielder had better luck next time, bundling home from close range after Calum Chambers' initial effort had been blocked.
OPPOSITION VIEW
Sunderland fan Shaun Clewes admitted that poor finishing cost his side in a game he felt could have gone the other way.
"I thought we were very unlucky to leave without a point," said Clewes. "We have been much more organised at the back in recent weeks.
"Yedlin was caught napping for the first goal but we produced a number of chances. But our finishing let us down."
MY FINAL THOUGHTS
Considering the way our league results had gone with no wins in three before this one, I was delighted to see us take all three points from a potential banana-skin game against Sunderland.
Whether or not we are serious title challengers remains to be seen as there is still plenty of the season left to go. There have been some great signs and some poor signs this season so it is hard to call and I think it will come down to how well we cope with our recent spate of injuries, and how Arsene Wenger uses the January transfer window.
Being just two points behind the leaders at this stage of the season is still decent though so let's wait and see how the next few weeks unfold.
Focus must now immediately turn to the Champions League and our make or break clash in Greece against Olympiakos, which will decide whether or not we progress or exit this year's competition. Here's to a miracle in Athens!
COME ON YOU GUNNERS
The Gunners had taken just two points out of a possible nine from their previous three league games but goals from Giroud, Joel Campbell and Aaron Ramsey ensured it would be a happy day for the hosts.
Arsenal were able to take advantage of Manchester City's surprise 2-0 loss at Stoke and are now just two points behind leaders Leicester. It was a much-needed result, especially after the recent injury blows to key duo Alexis Sanchez and Santi Cazorla.
Sunderland had a chance to open the scoring after just five minutes but Fabio Borini's strike was comfortably saved by Petr Cech in the Arsenal goal.
Duncan Watmore sent his header off target as Sunderland continued to create chances, while Cech had to be alert to keep out a shot that had come off Mathieu Flamini on its way to goal.
But it was Arsenal who broke the deadlock after a perfectly-weighted through ball from the in-form Mesut Ozil found Campbell in the box, and the Costa Rican calmly slotted the ball beyond Costel Pantilimon.
Sunderland levelled matters on the stroke of half-time when Yann M'Vila's free-kick was sliced into his own net by Giroud. But Arsenal could've restored their lead soon after, only for Aaron Ramsey's shot to hit the side netting. At that point I did wonder whether it was going to be one of those days but fortunately we were able to see the game off in the second half.
The visitors almost took the lead shortly before the hour mark but Cech was on hand to turn Steven Fletcher's drive round a post. From the resulting corner, Cech made a fine point-blank save to keep Fletcher out from close range.
Those saves proved crucial as Arsenal weathered the storm before taking the lead through Giroud after 64 minutes. The French striker made amends for his earlier own goal by getting on the end of Ramsey's curling cross to head the ball home.
Arsenal tried to extend their advantage but substitute Theo Walcott sent his shot off target, Hector Bellerin's effort was blocked and Giroud's header was cleared off the line by DeAndre Yedlin.
Ramsey's acrobatic effort was comfortably saved by Pantilimon and those wasted chances almost came back to bite Arsenal two minutes from time. Jack Rodwell's fine through ball found Patrick van Aanholt but, fortunately for Arsenal, the defender fired his shot over the bar.
As the game entered injury time, Ramsey shot straight at Pantilimon but the Welsh midfielder had better luck next time, bundling home from close range after Calum Chambers' initial effort had been blocked.
OPPOSITION VIEW
Sunderland fan Shaun Clewes admitted that poor finishing cost his side in a game he felt could have gone the other way.
"I thought we were very unlucky to leave without a point," said Clewes. "We have been much more organised at the back in recent weeks.
"Yedlin was caught napping for the first goal but we produced a number of chances. But our finishing let us down."
MY FINAL THOUGHTS
Considering the way our league results had gone with no wins in three before this one, I was delighted to see us take all three points from a potential banana-skin game against Sunderland.
Whether or not we are serious title challengers remains to be seen as there is still plenty of the season left to go. There have been some great signs and some poor signs this season so it is hard to call and I think it will come down to how well we cope with our recent spate of injuries, and how Arsene Wenger uses the January transfer window.
Being just two points behind the leaders at this stage of the season is still decent though so let's wait and see how the next few weeks unfold.
Focus must now immediately turn to the Champions League and our make or break clash in Greece against Olympiakos, which will decide whether or not we progress or exit this year's competition. Here's to a miracle in Athens!
COME ON YOU GUNNERS
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)