Verney and Beezley are back later than usual after last week's technical glitch prevented the previous post from going live on the web.
It isn't the happiest return either after England's embarrassing Euro 2016 exit to minnows Iceland, which caused Roy Hodgson to quit his post as manager, but more on that later.
The tournament is now down to its final eight teams so let's look back at the round of 16 action and what Verney and Beezley think will happen next.
MOMENTS OF THE KNOCKOUT STAGES SO FAR
The tournament will have new winners this year as holders Spain, who had won the previous two European Championships, were knocked out in the round of 16 following a 2-0 defeat by Italy. Iceland and Wales kept their dreams alive by beating England and Northern Ireland respectively, while world Champions Germany, and Belgium, comprehensively beat Slovakia and Hungary. Host France needed a quick-fire double to come from behind to beat the Republic of Ireland, while Poland and Portugal also progressed. But what do Verney and Beezley think of the recent action?
JV: Whilst I was gutted to see England eliminated, the story of Iceland's journey is a wonderful one and fair play to them for still being in the tournament against the odds. Wales are left flying the flag for Great Britain and, although they fully deserve their place in the quarters, the fact we beat them and are no longer in it is all the more frustrating. Before the tournament began I predicted France to claim the title and, although they were far from convincing for large spells against Republic of Ireland, I'll stick to my guns with Les Bleus. However, Italy and Belgium have been more convincing than the French so far so we'll have to wait and see what happens. The moment that stands out for me above all others from the round of 16 came from Switzerland. Despite losing on penalties to Poland, the sublime overhead kick scored by Swiss midfielder Xherdan Shaqiri is easily one of the goals of the tournament.
RB: Italy 2 Spain 0... Whoops Spain, that didn't go to plan?! Italy, however, were my outsiders for the tournament. Whilst everyone was branding Spain, Germany and France I was stood at the back going “you forgot Italy?!” Chiellini and Pelle (Is that the Southampton guy?) for Italy. So yeah either way we get new champions! Iceland and Wales are flying the flag for the underdogs! Germany, Belgium, Italy or France could win it in my opinion! Verney stole my line about Shaqiri!
ENGLAND
Finishing second behind Wales in Group B meant a round of 16 tie against Iceland, who scored a dramatic late winner against Austria to finish as runners-up above Portugal in Group F. We took the lead after just four minutes through a Wayne Rooney penalty but fell 2-1 behind before the midway point of the first half following goals from Ragnar Sigurdsson and Kolbeinn Sigthorsson. There was still plenty time for England to muster a comeback but it wasn't meant to be for the Three Lions as another international tournament slipped through their grasp. So what were the verdicts of Verney and Beezley.
JV: When we found out we were going to be playing Iceland I felt cautiously optimistic. I knew if we could hit our true potential we could prove far too big match for Iceland, but we had to make sure we didn't underestimate the minnows despite the fact they were playing in just their first ever major international tournament. Unfortunately, I think we did underestimate them and were made to pay the price and far too many of the players underperformed. What summed it up for me was the fact that our best player on the night by far was Marcus Rashford, who was only actually on the field for a little over five minutes. What were the other players doing for 85 minutes? Team selection and tactics also left a lot to be desired. Whilst it can't be denied that Harry Kane had a superb season for Spurs in the Premier League, he didn't do much to impress at the Euros and I still don't understand why fellow striker Jamie Vardy only started one game. Vardy didn't enter the action against Iceland until the hour mark but why weren't him and Rashford introduced a lot sooner? I rate Kane as a striker but when things are not going your way why on earth didn't Hodgson make changes quicker, especially in a knockout game? Joe Hart's mistake for the second goal cannot be ignored either and I don't think too many of England's players impressed during the tournament. We had 10 more shots on goal compared to Iceland but just couldn't capitalise and that really is embarrassing. After France had looked below par for large spells against Republic of Ireland, I genuinely thought we could have matched them had we reached the quarters. This tournament could have been our best chance in years to win a tournament but we threw it all away. Iceland deserve huge credit for the number they did on us, but they are a side we should be beating so there's no excuses.
RB: Yeah I'm missing this part, I'm still embarassed about this and I believe Rooney should retire from international football, and Hart couldn't catch a cold! Well that's that... on the other side though Iceland fully deserved it! They outplayed us, showed more passion and more importantly scored more goals! The only shining light was Rashford for all of 5 minutes!
I think I covered the gist of it, leaving Beezley with the simple task of summarising. Top work!
QUARTER FINALS
It will be difficult to try and enjoy the Euros with the same enthusiasm following England's exit but there is no denying that there are some excellent ties coming up in the last eight, especially Germany Vs Italy. So what are Verney and Beezley's predictions for the quarters?
JV: Germany's clash with Italy is arguably the pick of the ties and one that is very hard to call. A lot of neutrals would no doubt be tempted to go for Germany but Italy, who had been given little chance by some before the tournament, cannot be written off. My head says Germany, but my heart says Italy, so I'll go with the Italians but I won't be surprised at whatever outcome this game ends up with. Although England are out and, despite the fact some Welshman enthusiastically celebrated our exit, I would genuinely like to see Wales to well. Belgium will provide difficult opposition after scoring eight goals in their last three games. I think it will go to extra-time and even penalties and I'll go for Wales simply to stay loyal to the home nations. On paper hosts France should beat Iceland but football isn't written on paper and you never know what surprises Iceland might spring next. France will need a fast start and to not leave it as late as they have in some of their previous games, but I think they'll still win. But before all those games is the first quarter final between Poland and Portugal. Portugal have had a poor Euros and didn't win any of their group games, so I hope Poland beat them, but Cristiano Ronaldo's men will be a tough nut to crack and I think they will win 3-1.
RB: Portugal Vs Poland- you have to say Portugal should convincingly win but look at the England game! Italy Vs Germany- far too close to call and I'm honestly not sure, but I'll take a shot... Italy! Wales Vs Belgium- On the form of Hazard alone I can't look past Belgium here! France Vs Iceland - I can't see past France.. Iceland beat us and deservedly so but I can't see France showing them such disrespect!
When we return next time eight will be down to four, the disappointment of England's exit will still be leaving us with a feeling of what might have been, and we'll be closer to knowing whether any of the surprise packages could yet win the Euros.
KEEP TAKING THE ROAD TO PARIS WITH US!
Wednesday, 29 June 2016
Tuesday, 14 June 2016
Euro 2016: The tournament so far
With big sporting occasions you always need top commentators and pundits to help dissect and analyse the goings on whether it be John Motson or Saint and Greavsie.
But for Euro 2016, being held in France, you will have to make do with the wit and expertise of the duo Joseph Verney and Rob Beezley. You can either stick with us with the loyalty of Paolo Maldini or just dip in and out at your leisure, but rest assured we will try stay clear of the Michael Owen stating the obvious kind of style.
With every team in the tournament now having played once we look back on what Euro 2016 has had to offer so far.
MOMENTS OF THE TOURNAMENT SO FAR
Four of the five Home Nations reaching the tournament, Iceland playing in the first ever major tournament and the normal big powerhouses in Germany, France, Italy, Spain and co on show. Yes, this had the makings of another great international tournament, but how has it been so far?
JV: This is the first tournament I can remember in a long while when I cannot easily recite every single group, who is playing in what order and the different possibilities for the knock-out stages. Maybe I wasn't as buzzing for a major international tournament as normal, but fast forward to day two and England's first game and I was soon listening to football songs and in a great mood ahead of the match. I have seen bits or all of most of the matches so far and Republic of Ireland and Italy have been the two sides to catch my eye so far. Luka Modric's goal for Croatia against Turkey was pure class and I hope we see plenty more wonder goals as the tournament goes on. The tournament is still in its early stages and there is plenty time for teams to stand up and be counted as places in the knock-out stages gradually begin to be finalised in the coming days.
RB: Having missed the first game of Euro 2016 my first viewing was Switzerland vs Albania and the battle of the Xhaka brothers in a game which ended 1-0 to Granit's Switzerland! Then came the Bale free-kick that Slovakia's keeper should have done better with! Then the final game of the day was of course England vs Russia and England getting agonisingly close to the three points, literally seconds!!! Sunday and Monday I didn't see much of any of the games due to work commitments but rest assured I've heard about "that" Modric worldy!! Onto Tuesday and Hungary beating Austria 2-0, Before the pin up boy appeared for Portugal in their game against Iceland, who did absolutely no harm to their reputation in a game that ended 1-1.
ENGLAND
Going into the tournament there appeared to be varying opinions on England's chances. On the one hand there was less pressure and hype as normal as some were unsure whether England had the calibre to improve on their performances in recent major tournaments. But with James Vardy and Harry Kane having superb seasons for their clubs and a lot of younger players coming through there was also something of an air of optimism about England, so it really was hard to really know how we would fair this time around. After the opening England game ended in a 1-1 draw with Russia, how do our chances look?
JV: After Eric Dier's delightful free-kick after 73 minutes in what had been a largely impressive performance, all the hard work was undone by an injury time leveller from Russia. In some ways the draw almost felt like a defeat such was the rather deflating feeling that followed Vasili Berezutski's stoppage time header. This now makes the next game against Wales even bigger than it already was as we must avoid a defeat if we want to realistically stay in the competition. Wales impressed in their win over Slovakia and will arguably go into the game as the more confident of the two sides and, for me, it will depend which England side turns up on the day. We are more than capable of beating Wales on our day but we could also lose badly so we must be careful. We need to show plenty of hunger and desire, give Vardy a run out and stop Kane from taking corners to give us the best possible chance.
RB: Now for my part on England and I'm going to start off with 2 VERY bad points that everyone has been thinking. Kane on corners and starting Sterling?! What's Roy thinking?! Now knowing my luck Kane will deliver a corner that Sterling will head in against Wales on Thursday!! Jokes aside though yes he's worth 50m at club level but what does Sterling do for England?! In my opinion the best chance we had was a 4-4-2 formation at the Euros and have Alli feeding Kane and Drinkwater who didn't go, feeding Vardy who didn't even make it onto the pitch against Russia! Now for the positives, Rooney had an incredible game in midfield and was a real general and Eric Dier scored a sublime free-kick! Going into the Wales game.. I'm confident but cautious!
ROUND TWO OF GROUP MATCHES
The second round of group games will go a long way to deciding the fates of many of the teams in this tournament, so what can we expect and what is there to look forward to next?
JV: Although this will sound very biased as an Englishman, the first fixture that really stands out to me from the second round of group matches is our clash with Wales. It will be really interesting to see how fellow home nation Northern Ireland do against Ukraine, while the other match in Group C between Germany and Poland could potentially be a great encounter. Czech Republic and Croatia could muster up a decent match, while the clash between Italy and Sweden has me intrigued. I am really looking forward to the Republic of Ireland's clash with Belgium and, although it would be good to see some great football from the Belgians, I'd love Martin O'Neill's men to beat them. All eyes were on global superstar Cristiano Ronaldo as Portugal took to the field for their opening game, but major tournament debutants Iceland held them to a very credible 1-1 draw.
RB: Well the second round of games is where the tournament starts to take shape and you start to see who will be going home and who will go through as the new rule third place team! You have to believe England need to beat Wales to stand a chance and it would be a shock to see any of Spain, Portugal, Germany, France or Italy go home but as already stated this is where the tournament takes shape! Here's to the second round of games!
TIPS TO WIN THE TOURNAMENT
Before the tournament kicked off hosts France were the favourites of many, while the likes of world champions Germany and Euro holders Spain are always dangerous, but whether any of them will claim the big prize of Euro 2016 glory is another story.
JV: France were my very early prediction to win it but after the first round of group matches it is still all to play for and I don't think any of the major teams have stood out. There isn't a team that I have seen yet and thought wow they are going to win the Euros, but let's see how the rest of it pans out. There is something though that is clearly apparent so far and that is write off Italy at your peril. In some of the build up of their opening match with Belgium, it sounded like many didn't fancy Italy's chances in the tournament, but they definitely impressed me and were more than deserving of their 2-0 win. I'm not saying they are going to lift the Euros but, if they play like that, they will give themselves a sniff of a chance at least.
RB: I've got to be honest when the tournament started I thought it was anybodies Euro's! You have your early favourites.. Spain, Portugal, Germany, Italy and France! If I had to put money on it then I would say Germany to win the Euro's! As stated by Joseph no-one particularly stands out so here's to the rest of the Euro's and seeing a clear winner!
Hopefully, when you return for the next edition of Verney and Beezley, England will have boosted their chances of reaching the knock-out stages with a victory over Wales....well we are allowed to dream aren't we.
KEEP TAKING THE ROAD TO PARIS WITH US! COME ON ENGLAND!
But for Euro 2016, being held in France, you will have to make do with the wit and expertise of the duo Joseph Verney and Rob Beezley. You can either stick with us with the loyalty of Paolo Maldini or just dip in and out at your leisure, but rest assured we will try stay clear of the Michael Owen stating the obvious kind of style.
With every team in the tournament now having played once we look back on what Euro 2016 has had to offer so far.
MOMENTS OF THE TOURNAMENT SO FAR
Four of the five Home Nations reaching the tournament, Iceland playing in the first ever major tournament and the normal big powerhouses in Germany, France, Italy, Spain and co on show. Yes, this had the makings of another great international tournament, but how has it been so far?
JV: This is the first tournament I can remember in a long while when I cannot easily recite every single group, who is playing in what order and the different possibilities for the knock-out stages. Maybe I wasn't as buzzing for a major international tournament as normal, but fast forward to day two and England's first game and I was soon listening to football songs and in a great mood ahead of the match. I have seen bits or all of most of the matches so far and Republic of Ireland and Italy have been the two sides to catch my eye so far. Luka Modric's goal for Croatia against Turkey was pure class and I hope we see plenty more wonder goals as the tournament goes on. The tournament is still in its early stages and there is plenty time for teams to stand up and be counted as places in the knock-out stages gradually begin to be finalised in the coming days.
RB: Having missed the first game of Euro 2016 my first viewing was Switzerland vs Albania and the battle of the Xhaka brothers in a game which ended 1-0 to Granit's Switzerland! Then came the Bale free-kick that Slovakia's keeper should have done better with! Then the final game of the day was of course England vs Russia and England getting agonisingly close to the three points, literally seconds!!! Sunday and Monday I didn't see much of any of the games due to work commitments but rest assured I've heard about "that" Modric worldy!! Onto Tuesday and Hungary beating Austria 2-0, Before the pin up boy appeared for Portugal in their game against Iceland, who did absolutely no harm to their reputation in a game that ended 1-1.
ENGLAND
Going into the tournament there appeared to be varying opinions on England's chances. On the one hand there was less pressure and hype as normal as some were unsure whether England had the calibre to improve on their performances in recent major tournaments. But with James Vardy and Harry Kane having superb seasons for their clubs and a lot of younger players coming through there was also something of an air of optimism about England, so it really was hard to really know how we would fair this time around. After the opening England game ended in a 1-1 draw with Russia, how do our chances look?
JV: After Eric Dier's delightful free-kick after 73 minutes in what had been a largely impressive performance, all the hard work was undone by an injury time leveller from Russia. In some ways the draw almost felt like a defeat such was the rather deflating feeling that followed Vasili Berezutski's stoppage time header. This now makes the next game against Wales even bigger than it already was as we must avoid a defeat if we want to realistically stay in the competition. Wales impressed in their win over Slovakia and will arguably go into the game as the more confident of the two sides and, for me, it will depend which England side turns up on the day. We are more than capable of beating Wales on our day but we could also lose badly so we must be careful. We need to show plenty of hunger and desire, give Vardy a run out and stop Kane from taking corners to give us the best possible chance.
RB: Now for my part on England and I'm going to start off with 2 VERY bad points that everyone has been thinking. Kane on corners and starting Sterling?! What's Roy thinking?! Now knowing my luck Kane will deliver a corner that Sterling will head in against Wales on Thursday!! Jokes aside though yes he's worth 50m at club level but what does Sterling do for England?! In my opinion the best chance we had was a 4-4-2 formation at the Euros and have Alli feeding Kane and Drinkwater who didn't go, feeding Vardy who didn't even make it onto the pitch against Russia! Now for the positives, Rooney had an incredible game in midfield and was a real general and Eric Dier scored a sublime free-kick! Going into the Wales game.. I'm confident but cautious!
ROUND TWO OF GROUP MATCHES
The second round of group games will go a long way to deciding the fates of many of the teams in this tournament, so what can we expect and what is there to look forward to next?
JV: Although this will sound very biased as an Englishman, the first fixture that really stands out to me from the second round of group matches is our clash with Wales. It will be really interesting to see how fellow home nation Northern Ireland do against Ukraine, while the other match in Group C between Germany and Poland could potentially be a great encounter. Czech Republic and Croatia could muster up a decent match, while the clash between Italy and Sweden has me intrigued. I am really looking forward to the Republic of Ireland's clash with Belgium and, although it would be good to see some great football from the Belgians, I'd love Martin O'Neill's men to beat them. All eyes were on global superstar Cristiano Ronaldo as Portugal took to the field for their opening game, but major tournament debutants Iceland held them to a very credible 1-1 draw.
RB: Well the second round of games is where the tournament starts to take shape and you start to see who will be going home and who will go through as the new rule third place team! You have to believe England need to beat Wales to stand a chance and it would be a shock to see any of Spain, Portugal, Germany, France or Italy go home but as already stated this is where the tournament takes shape! Here's to the second round of games!
TIPS TO WIN THE TOURNAMENT
Before the tournament kicked off hosts France were the favourites of many, while the likes of world champions Germany and Euro holders Spain are always dangerous, but whether any of them will claim the big prize of Euro 2016 glory is another story.
JV: France were my very early prediction to win it but after the first round of group matches it is still all to play for and I don't think any of the major teams have stood out. There isn't a team that I have seen yet and thought wow they are going to win the Euros, but let's see how the rest of it pans out. There is something though that is clearly apparent so far and that is write off Italy at your peril. In some of the build up of their opening match with Belgium, it sounded like many didn't fancy Italy's chances in the tournament, but they definitely impressed me and were more than deserving of their 2-0 win. I'm not saying they are going to lift the Euros but, if they play like that, they will give themselves a sniff of a chance at least.
RB: I've got to be honest when the tournament started I thought it was anybodies Euro's! You have your early favourites.. Spain, Portugal, Germany, Italy and France! If I had to put money on it then I would say Germany to win the Euro's! As stated by Joseph no-one particularly stands out so here's to the rest of the Euro's and seeing a clear winner!
Hopefully, when you return for the next edition of Verney and Beezley, England will have boosted their chances of reaching the knock-out stages with a victory over Wales....well we are allowed to dream aren't we.
KEEP TAKING THE ROAD TO PARIS WITH US! COME ON ENGLAND!
Sunday, 15 May 2016
Giroud hat-trick sees Gunners seal second
The curtain has now gone down on Arsenal's season after Olivier Giroud's hat-trick helped move them above Spurs into second with a 4-0 win over relegated Aston Villa.
The French striker has received a lot of criticism this season for some very frustrating performances but his goals took his tally to 24, which is his best scoring campaign for the Gunners.
Captain Mikel Arteta almost got a fairytale ending in his final appearance for the club but his late effort is likely to go down as an own goal by Villa goalkeeper Mark Bunn.
Arsenal went into the game knowing they had to win and hope Tottenham lost at Newcastle if they were to overtake their rivals in second. The Gunners did just that as their win, coupled by Spurs' 5-1 defeat, saw them record their highest league finish since moving to the Emirates. Is that good enough though? In some ways second isn't too bad considering how things were looking a month or two ago, but there is also a feeling of frustration. Having been in the title race up until the last few months, and then seeing the same old story of it fading away from us, I am not so sure. We beat Leicester twice and took four points off Manchester City yet still finished 10 points from the top. We should've done far better and we need to spend money in the summer if we are to go one better next season, but more about that in next week's blog.
Arsenal opened the scoring after just five minutes when Giroud headed in Nacho Monreal's cross. Although the Gunners continued to control the first half they were unable to add to their lead until the latter stages of the game.
Villa had a half chance to draw level through Jordan Ayew after eight minutes but, fortunately for the hosts, Laurent Koscielny was able to clear the danger.
Alexis Sanchez looked lively in attack and the Chilean saw his shot blocked before curling another just off target. Sanchez then nearly set up a goal as his cross set up Jack Wilshere, but the midfielder's effort went just wide.
At the other end Scott Sinclair's effort ended up near the back post and there could have been serious danger for the hosts if any Villa players were able to take advantage, but Monreal was able to clear the danger.
With us winning and Spurs trailing 2-0 at half-time things were looking good, but I knew it wasn't over yet and we really needed to get a second goal to end any hopes of a Villa fightback.
We weren't testing Bunn enough and the efforts that were coming our way we wasted as Hector Bellerin, Mohamed Elneny and Sanchez all sent their shots over the bar.
Two goals in as many minutes then put the result beyond doubt. Sanchez and Mesut Ozil combined before the latter cut the ball back for Giroud to score his second 12 minutes from time. It was a nice touch by the Arsenal players who went over to celebrate with Tomas Rosicky, who is set to leave this summer after 10 years at the club.
Giroud completed his hat-trick just two minutes later after latching onto a fine through pass from Bellerin before sliding the ball beyond Bunn.
With two minutes remaining Arteta came on for his last competitive match in an Arsenal shirt and he very nearly scored soon after. The midfielder's shot hit the bar before bouncing back off Bunn and creeping over the line. As much as it would have been great to see him sign off with a goal it doesn't look as though he'll be able to claim it.
The own goal sealed a comprehensive victory for the Gunners and with Spurs crumbling at Newcastle there was at least the consolation of finishing above our rivals and qualifying for the Champions League once again, but I want more than just this!
OPPOSITION VIEW
Aston Villa fan Cole Demetriades admitted he was "delighted the season is over" as his side bowed out of the Premier League and he is hoping his side will cope better with life in the Championship.
"I'm happy we will never have to play Arsenal again or see Olivier Giroud again," said Demetriades. "And I'm happy Arsenal finished above Spurs, being a good north London boy myself.
"I am happy that next year we will be in a division where we can actually compete. 64 points behind Leicester tells you we don't belong in the division.
"Last year at the FA Cup Final we lost 4-0 and in the first game of the new season we only played one player against Bournemouth who had started the final. Next year I hope will be very similar as the Villa team today won't be seen again and good riddance to the bad rubbish.
"We still pick the same sh*t players who have let us down all season so why would we expect a different result. Our bench looked better than our first team.
"I didn't see the game but I can promise you right now that at least two of Arsenal's goals will have come from individual errors. If I watch Match of the Day and see something different then I'll grow a pair of breasts and call myself Cindy."
MY FINAL THOUGHTS
Finishing as runners-up in some ways isn't that bad, but having another failed title bid and making some of the same mistakes as we have in the last few seasons is very frustrating, even if Spurs' capitulation did at least give us something to smile about.
We more than deserved our victory over Villa but I think, without being too disrespectful to them, the calibre of our opponents wasn't particularly high. In truth, we should have put the game out of sight much earlier than we did and against another side we may have got punished. We need to be a lot more clinical in attack and not leave it so late to get goals.
Giroud scored four goals in the final two league games this season and it is a shame he couldn't have done this a lot more in other games as we are left thinking about more what ifs.
Let's just hope we can go one better next season and claim the big prize of the Premier League title. Let's wait and see what happens!
COME ON YOU GUNNERS
The French striker has received a lot of criticism this season for some very frustrating performances but his goals took his tally to 24, which is his best scoring campaign for the Gunners.
Captain Mikel Arteta almost got a fairytale ending in his final appearance for the club but his late effort is likely to go down as an own goal by Villa goalkeeper Mark Bunn.
Arsenal went into the game knowing they had to win and hope Tottenham lost at Newcastle if they were to overtake their rivals in second. The Gunners did just that as their win, coupled by Spurs' 5-1 defeat, saw them record their highest league finish since moving to the Emirates. Is that good enough though? In some ways second isn't too bad considering how things were looking a month or two ago, but there is also a feeling of frustration. Having been in the title race up until the last few months, and then seeing the same old story of it fading away from us, I am not so sure. We beat Leicester twice and took four points off Manchester City yet still finished 10 points from the top. We should've done far better and we need to spend money in the summer if we are to go one better next season, but more about that in next week's blog.
Arsenal opened the scoring after just five minutes when Giroud headed in Nacho Monreal's cross. Although the Gunners continued to control the first half they were unable to add to their lead until the latter stages of the game.
Villa had a half chance to draw level through Jordan Ayew after eight minutes but, fortunately for the hosts, Laurent Koscielny was able to clear the danger.
Alexis Sanchez looked lively in attack and the Chilean saw his shot blocked before curling another just off target. Sanchez then nearly set up a goal as his cross set up Jack Wilshere, but the midfielder's effort went just wide.
At the other end Scott Sinclair's effort ended up near the back post and there could have been serious danger for the hosts if any Villa players were able to take advantage, but Monreal was able to clear the danger.
With us winning and Spurs trailing 2-0 at half-time things were looking good, but I knew it wasn't over yet and we really needed to get a second goal to end any hopes of a Villa fightback.
We weren't testing Bunn enough and the efforts that were coming our way we wasted as Hector Bellerin, Mohamed Elneny and Sanchez all sent their shots over the bar.
Two goals in as many minutes then put the result beyond doubt. Sanchez and Mesut Ozil combined before the latter cut the ball back for Giroud to score his second 12 minutes from time. It was a nice touch by the Arsenal players who went over to celebrate with Tomas Rosicky, who is set to leave this summer after 10 years at the club.
Giroud completed his hat-trick just two minutes later after latching onto a fine through pass from Bellerin before sliding the ball beyond Bunn.
With two minutes remaining Arteta came on for his last competitive match in an Arsenal shirt and he very nearly scored soon after. The midfielder's shot hit the bar before bouncing back off Bunn and creeping over the line. As much as it would have been great to see him sign off with a goal it doesn't look as though he'll be able to claim it.
The own goal sealed a comprehensive victory for the Gunners and with Spurs crumbling at Newcastle there was at least the consolation of finishing above our rivals and qualifying for the Champions League once again, but I want more than just this!
OPPOSITION VIEW
Aston Villa fan Cole Demetriades admitted he was "delighted the season is over" as his side bowed out of the Premier League and he is hoping his side will cope better with life in the Championship.
"I'm happy we will never have to play Arsenal again or see Olivier Giroud again," said Demetriades. "And I'm happy Arsenal finished above Spurs, being a good north London boy myself.
"I am happy that next year we will be in a division where we can actually compete. 64 points behind Leicester tells you we don't belong in the division.
"Last year at the FA Cup Final we lost 4-0 and in the first game of the new season we only played one player against Bournemouth who had started the final. Next year I hope will be very similar as the Villa team today won't be seen again and good riddance to the bad rubbish.
"We still pick the same sh*t players who have let us down all season so why would we expect a different result. Our bench looked better than our first team.
"I didn't see the game but I can promise you right now that at least two of Arsenal's goals will have come from individual errors. If I watch Match of the Day and see something different then I'll grow a pair of breasts and call myself Cindy."
MY FINAL THOUGHTS
Finishing as runners-up in some ways isn't that bad, but having another failed title bid and making some of the same mistakes as we have in the last few seasons is very frustrating, even if Spurs' capitulation did at least give us something to smile about.
We more than deserved our victory over Villa but I think, without being too disrespectful to them, the calibre of our opponents wasn't particularly high. In truth, we should have put the game out of sight much earlier than we did and against another side we may have got punished. We need to be a lot more clinical in attack and not leave it so late to get goals.
Giroud scored four goals in the final two league games this season and it is a shame he couldn't have done this a lot more in other games as we are left thinking about more what ifs.
Let's just hope we can go one better next season and claim the big prize of the Premier League title. Let's wait and see what happens!
COME ON YOU GUNNERS
Monday, 9 May 2016
Giroud ends drought in City draw
Olivier Giroud finally got back on the goal trail as Arsenal picked up a very credible point in a 2-2 draw at Manchester City.
The Frenchman has come under fire in recent months and his goal at the Etihad was his first in his past 16 Premier League appearances. For a striker that sort of statistic simply isn't good enough and up front is an area we have been severely lacking in, but he did perform well against City.
Giroud's goal cancelled out Serigo Aguero's opener before City retook the lead through Kevin de Bruyne within six minutes of the restart. Alexis Sanchez netted 22 minutes from time to ensure that Arsenal would at least get a share of the spoils.
After taking an impressive four points out of a possible six against Manchester City this season, and also beating champions Leicester twice, it makes it all the more frustrating that we were not in the title race for longer. Instead, as it stands, the Gunners lie third with a chance of leapfrogging rivals Spurs second or dropping lower than their current position.
Manchester City were playing in their last home game under Manuel Pellegrini, who is set to be replaced by Bayern Munich boss Pep Guardiola in the summer. In truth, it didn't feel like it was his last home game in charge and I am unsure how many will be that sad to see him go.
City started strongly and took the lead after just eight minutes when Aguero fired a low shot into the bottom corner. This could've led to City opening the floodgates but instead the Gunners battled back well and levelled matters just two minutes later. A mix up between Joe Hart and former Gunner Gael Clichy saw City conceded a sloppy corner and, from the resulting set-piece, powered home a header.
Arsenal were dealt a blow when Danny Welbeck was forced off with a knee injury after 24 minutes. The extent of the damage is not yet known and the England forward will undoubtedly be sweating on whether or not he will be available for England in the upcoming European Championships.
City looked the more likely to score again in the first half with Aguero seeing his effort deflect just over the bar, but the scores remained level going in at the break.
Sloppy defending allowed City to regain the lead as De Bruyne raced towards goal with far too much ease before his drilled effort beat Gunners' goalkeeper Petr Cech at his near post.
Arsenal once again pegged back their opponents when Giroud set up Sanchez to race forward and fire a clinical strike beyond Joe Hart in the City goal.
The visiting fans had to endure a heart in mouth moment when Aguero's shot flashed just past a post before the hosts very nearly won it two minutes from time. Substitute Wilfried Bony hit a sweetly struck volley towards goal that beat Cech but, fortunately for the Gunners, it crashed back off the crossbar.
Neither side was able to find a winner and, although a draw was a decent result, it was still a shame that we couldn't take full advantage of Tottenham's slip-up.
OPPOSITION VIEW
Man City fan Joe Barnes feels his side should have got more than a draw from their encounter with Arsene Wenger's men.
"We deserved more," said Barnes. "Aguero and Fernandinho were brilliant.
"The rest of the midfield needs an overhaul. Pep (Guardiola) needs to prove his worth and earn his money.
"Arsenal were lucky to escape with a point."
MY FINAL THOUGHTS
A draw away at City would be considered a good result normally but it begs the question how we can get a credible point there yet lose to sides like West Brom. We definitely need to be a lot more consistent.
The title is obviously out of reach and if we did finish second or third there isn't much difference in terms of the end outcome - qualifying for the Champions League and not winning the title. But with the chance of overhauling bitter rivals Spurs, depending on their next result, means the players will have no excuse not to be motivated for the final game of the season at home against already-relegated Aston Villa.
If we beat Villa and Spurs were to lose at Newcastle we would finish second but we can't afford any slip-ups as we could yet finish fourth or even outside the Champions League places.
In terms of the league it is winding down with an all too familiar feeling but that won't stop me from wanting the lads to get a big win against Villa, so let's go end the season on a high.
COME ON YOU GUNNERS
The Frenchman has come under fire in recent months and his goal at the Etihad was his first in his past 16 Premier League appearances. For a striker that sort of statistic simply isn't good enough and up front is an area we have been severely lacking in, but he did perform well against City.
Giroud's goal cancelled out Serigo Aguero's opener before City retook the lead through Kevin de Bruyne within six minutes of the restart. Alexis Sanchez netted 22 minutes from time to ensure that Arsenal would at least get a share of the spoils.
After taking an impressive four points out of a possible six against Manchester City this season, and also beating champions Leicester twice, it makes it all the more frustrating that we were not in the title race for longer. Instead, as it stands, the Gunners lie third with a chance of leapfrogging rivals Spurs second or dropping lower than their current position.
Manchester City were playing in their last home game under Manuel Pellegrini, who is set to be replaced by Bayern Munich boss Pep Guardiola in the summer. In truth, it didn't feel like it was his last home game in charge and I am unsure how many will be that sad to see him go.
City started strongly and took the lead after just eight minutes when Aguero fired a low shot into the bottom corner. This could've led to City opening the floodgates but instead the Gunners battled back well and levelled matters just two minutes later. A mix up between Joe Hart and former Gunner Gael Clichy saw City conceded a sloppy corner and, from the resulting set-piece, powered home a header.
Arsenal were dealt a blow when Danny Welbeck was forced off with a knee injury after 24 minutes. The extent of the damage is not yet known and the England forward will undoubtedly be sweating on whether or not he will be available for England in the upcoming European Championships.
City looked the more likely to score again in the first half with Aguero seeing his effort deflect just over the bar, but the scores remained level going in at the break.
Sloppy defending allowed City to regain the lead as De Bruyne raced towards goal with far too much ease before his drilled effort beat Gunners' goalkeeper Petr Cech at his near post.
Arsenal once again pegged back their opponents when Giroud set up Sanchez to race forward and fire a clinical strike beyond Joe Hart in the City goal.
The visiting fans had to endure a heart in mouth moment when Aguero's shot flashed just past a post before the hosts very nearly won it two minutes from time. Substitute Wilfried Bony hit a sweetly struck volley towards goal that beat Cech but, fortunately for the Gunners, it crashed back off the crossbar.
Neither side was able to find a winner and, although a draw was a decent result, it was still a shame that we couldn't take full advantage of Tottenham's slip-up.
OPPOSITION VIEW
Man City fan Joe Barnes feels his side should have got more than a draw from their encounter with Arsene Wenger's men.
"We deserved more," said Barnes. "Aguero and Fernandinho were brilliant.
"The rest of the midfield needs an overhaul. Pep (Guardiola) needs to prove his worth and earn his money.
"Arsenal were lucky to escape with a point."
MY FINAL THOUGHTS
A draw away at City would be considered a good result normally but it begs the question how we can get a credible point there yet lose to sides like West Brom. We definitely need to be a lot more consistent.
The title is obviously out of reach and if we did finish second or third there isn't much difference in terms of the end outcome - qualifying for the Champions League and not winning the title. But with the chance of overhauling bitter rivals Spurs, depending on their next result, means the players will have no excuse not to be motivated for the final game of the season at home against already-relegated Aston Villa.
If we beat Villa and Spurs were to lose at Newcastle we would finish second but we can't afford any slip-ups as we could yet finish fourth or even outside the Champions League places.
In terms of the league it is winding down with an all too familiar feeling but that won't stop me from wanting the lads to get a big win against Villa, so let's go end the season on a high.
COME ON YOU GUNNERS
Saturday, 30 April 2016
Welbeck winner as Wenger hits landmark
Arsene Wenger marked his 750th game in charge of the club with a 1-0 win over relegation-threatened Norwich but some sections of the crowd protested against his reign during the match.
Although Wenger has achieved good things during his time with the Gunners, including league and cup doubles and an unbeaten season, no Premier League trophy in 12 years has seen his tenure questioned more and more in recent years.
With title rivals Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United all underperforming it was seen by many as Arsenal's best opportunity to win the league in a long time. Credit to Leicester, they fully deserve to be top on merit regardless of how we have done but there is no denying that we should have done a lot better than we did.
There are no easy games in the Premier League but to comfortably beat Leicester away and Manchester United at home, and then lose against West Brom and West Ham really is frustrating. In some games I truly believe if we'd had a top class striker we could've turned some of the defeats into wins and things may have looked different, but it's all ifs and buts.
It isn't even the results at times but more some of the performances. Even against Norwich we looked void of ideas for at least the first 45 minutes and, although I was delighted with the win, we should be creating a lot more in attack.
The introduction of Danny Welbeck proved the difference as he came off the bench after 56 minutes before netting the winner and being named man of the match.
But Arsenal started slowly and it was their opponents who created the first real chance of the match after five minutes. The lively Nathan Redmond took a touch before shooting low towards goal, but Petr Cech did enough to keep the ball out with a decent save.
The Gunners tried to respond with Alex Iwobi shooting across the face of goal before Olivier Giroud saw a shot well blocked by Russell Martin.
A planned protest took place after 12 minutes as it is 12 years since we last won the league title, but some sections of the crowd disagreed and chanted in support of their long-serving manager. In some ways I can understand people wanting change but the protest itself was a bit pathetic.
On the pitch Arsenal were being reduced to half chances as Alexis Sanchez and Mohamed Elneny both had shots blocked by the defence, while Laurent Koscielny sent his headed effort over the bar.
Norwich had the best chance of the first half after 42 minutes as Cech showed great reactions to keep out Redmond's volley and push it away from danger. Redmond tried his luck again in the closing minutes of the first half but sent his effort wide as the scores remained goalless at half-time.
Per Mertesacker limped off within five minutes of the restart, with Gabriel coming on in his place and Koscielny taking the captain's armband before a substitution from the hosts raised a few eyebrows. Iwobi had been one of the more lively players on the pitch for the Gunners yet he was withdrawn after 55 minutes, with some fans wishing Giroud had been sacrificed instead.
Leaving Giroud on actually paid off though as he set up Welbeck for the winner shortly before the hour mark, with what was Arsenal's first shot on target in the match. Giroud cushioned a header down for the England striker to hit on the half-volley beyond John Ruddy and into the bottom corner of the net.
Norwich tried to find a way back into the game and only a superb sliding block from Gabriel denied substitute Dieumerci Mbokani a decent goal-scoring opportunity.
Arsenal had two chances in quick succession to double their advantage. A sublime pass from Mesut Ozil released Alexis Sanchez, but the Chilean shot straight at Ruddy. Ozil then came close with a volley, but his effort was excellently tipped over the bar by Ruddy, or at least it seemed to be but a goal kick was given.
At the other end Norwich were not creating too many chances and Sebastien Bassong's off-target header was about as good as it got for the visitors in the closing stages.
There were more protests against Wenger 12 minutes from time but they did little to have a positive or negative affect from what was in large parts a dull game.
Arsenal could've added a second eight minutes from time when Giroud set up Elneny, but the midfielder's strike was well tipped over by Ruddy.
Ozil picked up a silly booking five minutes from time following a challenge on Gary O'Neil and then turned his back on the referee.
The remaining minutes faded out with very little drama, although Ruddy did push forward in the hope of helping his side to an equaliser at the death but to no avail. Norwich remain in the bottom three but do have a game in hand over some of their opponents so could yet beat the drop.
The win moves Arsenal up into third place with just two games remaining, with both second place and finishing outside the top four both still possibilities for Wenger's men.
OPPOSITION VIEW
Norwich fan Adam Edwards believes his side were not clinical enough in the final third to have got anything out of the game.
"Norwich gave a solid defensive performance but produced only a couple of possible goal scoring opportunities," said Edwards.
"Norwich looked the more likely to score in the first half, but Arsenal's second half pressure warranted the win.
"Poor touches in the final third prevented Norwich putting more pressure on a team struggling with protesting supporters."
MY FINAL THOUGHTS
Depending on other results and how we perform in our final two league matches, we could finish anywhere from second down to sixth but as we haven't claimed top spot it could be seen as a failure regardless of where we end up.
I don't think the protests really achieved much but the criticism is undoubtedly going to continue over the coming weeks and months, but for now I just want to focus my energy on getting behind the boys ahead of the team's trip to top-four rivals Manchester City.
COME ON YOU GUNNERS
Although Wenger has achieved good things during his time with the Gunners, including league and cup doubles and an unbeaten season, no Premier League trophy in 12 years has seen his tenure questioned more and more in recent years.
With title rivals Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United all underperforming it was seen by many as Arsenal's best opportunity to win the league in a long time. Credit to Leicester, they fully deserve to be top on merit regardless of how we have done but there is no denying that we should have done a lot better than we did.
There are no easy games in the Premier League but to comfortably beat Leicester away and Manchester United at home, and then lose against West Brom and West Ham really is frustrating. In some games I truly believe if we'd had a top class striker we could've turned some of the defeats into wins and things may have looked different, but it's all ifs and buts.
It isn't even the results at times but more some of the performances. Even against Norwich we looked void of ideas for at least the first 45 minutes and, although I was delighted with the win, we should be creating a lot more in attack.
The introduction of Danny Welbeck proved the difference as he came off the bench after 56 minutes before netting the winner and being named man of the match.
But Arsenal started slowly and it was their opponents who created the first real chance of the match after five minutes. The lively Nathan Redmond took a touch before shooting low towards goal, but Petr Cech did enough to keep the ball out with a decent save.
The Gunners tried to respond with Alex Iwobi shooting across the face of goal before Olivier Giroud saw a shot well blocked by Russell Martin.
A planned protest took place after 12 minutes as it is 12 years since we last won the league title, but some sections of the crowd disagreed and chanted in support of their long-serving manager. In some ways I can understand people wanting change but the protest itself was a bit pathetic.
On the pitch Arsenal were being reduced to half chances as Alexis Sanchez and Mohamed Elneny both had shots blocked by the defence, while Laurent Koscielny sent his headed effort over the bar.
Norwich had the best chance of the first half after 42 minutes as Cech showed great reactions to keep out Redmond's volley and push it away from danger. Redmond tried his luck again in the closing minutes of the first half but sent his effort wide as the scores remained goalless at half-time.
Per Mertesacker limped off within five minutes of the restart, with Gabriel coming on in his place and Koscielny taking the captain's armband before a substitution from the hosts raised a few eyebrows. Iwobi had been one of the more lively players on the pitch for the Gunners yet he was withdrawn after 55 minutes, with some fans wishing Giroud had been sacrificed instead.
Leaving Giroud on actually paid off though as he set up Welbeck for the winner shortly before the hour mark, with what was Arsenal's first shot on target in the match. Giroud cushioned a header down for the England striker to hit on the half-volley beyond John Ruddy and into the bottom corner of the net.
Norwich tried to find a way back into the game and only a superb sliding block from Gabriel denied substitute Dieumerci Mbokani a decent goal-scoring opportunity.
Arsenal had two chances in quick succession to double their advantage. A sublime pass from Mesut Ozil released Alexis Sanchez, but the Chilean shot straight at Ruddy. Ozil then came close with a volley, but his effort was excellently tipped over the bar by Ruddy, or at least it seemed to be but a goal kick was given.
At the other end Norwich were not creating too many chances and Sebastien Bassong's off-target header was about as good as it got for the visitors in the closing stages.
There were more protests against Wenger 12 minutes from time but they did little to have a positive or negative affect from what was in large parts a dull game.
Arsenal could've added a second eight minutes from time when Giroud set up Elneny, but the midfielder's strike was well tipped over by Ruddy.
Ozil picked up a silly booking five minutes from time following a challenge on Gary O'Neil and then turned his back on the referee.
The remaining minutes faded out with very little drama, although Ruddy did push forward in the hope of helping his side to an equaliser at the death but to no avail. Norwich remain in the bottom three but do have a game in hand over some of their opponents so could yet beat the drop.
The win moves Arsenal up into third place with just two games remaining, with both second place and finishing outside the top four both still possibilities for Wenger's men.
OPPOSITION VIEW
Norwich fan Adam Edwards believes his side were not clinical enough in the final third to have got anything out of the game.
"Norwich gave a solid defensive performance but produced only a couple of possible goal scoring opportunities," said Edwards.
"Norwich looked the more likely to score in the first half, but Arsenal's second half pressure warranted the win.
"Poor touches in the final third prevented Norwich putting more pressure on a team struggling with protesting supporters."
MY FINAL THOUGHTS
Depending on other results and how we perform in our final two league matches, we could finish anywhere from second down to sixth but as we haven't claimed top spot it could be seen as a failure regardless of where we end up.
I don't think the protests really achieved much but the criticism is undoubtedly going to continue over the coming weeks and months, but for now I just want to focus my energy on getting behind the boys ahead of the team's trip to top-four rivals Manchester City.
COME ON YOU GUNNERS
Sunday, 24 April 2016
Jack back as Gunners draw
Jack Wilshere came off the bench to make his long-awaited comeback from injury as Arsenal once again dropped frustrating points in a goalless draw at Sunderland.
The midfielder came on to replace Mesut Ozil for the final seven minutes in what was his first competitive appearance since last May. That aside, it was hard to find too many other positives from the game from an Arsenal point of view.
At times we looked excellent in attack, with some good passing moves, but we didn't test Sunderland goalkeeper Vito Mannone enough and should've really done far better than we did.
Sunderland were plucky and battled hard throughout to gain the point they needed to take them out of the bottom three, but we really should be winning games like this and taking far better advantage of our attacking opportunities. Mannone did excellently to keep out some of our efforts but there was no excuse with the rest.
Although the title race is over for us, we could really do without needing a Champions League qualifier and had a great chance to move above Manchester City into third if we could've won...but we didn't and it was very frustrating. The result means we stay fourth and behind third-placed Manchester City, who we play next month, on goal difference.
Arsenal started brightly with Alex Iwobi shooting wide inside the opening three minutes before Per Mertesacker and Mohamed Elneny saw their efforts comfortably saved by Mannone. At the other end Lee Cattermole shot wide from the edge of the box, while Patrick Van Aanholt came closest to breaking the deadlock for the visitors as his free-kick hit the bar.
Mannone did well to saved Mesut Ozil's deflected shot before producing a superb one-handed stop to push Alexis Sanchez's free-kick behind for a corner. From the resulting corner, Mannone made an excellent save on the line to once against keep Arsenal at bay.
Both sides saw penalty shouts waved away by referee Mike Dean in the final 10 minutes of the first half. Sunderland striker Jermain Defoe saw his shot smash against the arm of Mertesacker. There didn't seem to be any intent by the defender but sometimes they get given, so Sunderland may have felt hard done by. But things were then evened out as Dean also failed to give Arsenal a penalty after Iwobi's shot was blocked by the hand of DeAndre Yedlin.
Arsenal had Petr Cech to thank for keeping the scores level as the goalkeeper produced a superb double save within four minutes of the restart. Jermain Defoe latched onto an excellent long ball from Jan Kirchhoff before unleashing a half volley, but Cech beat his effort away before getting across quickly to parry Yann M'Vila's follow-up.
Cech was called into action again just minutes later as he got down well to his right to parry Wahbi Khazri's effort. At the other end Iwobi and Aaron Ramsey both sent their efforts off target, while Elneny saw his strike block by the defence.
Sunderland were having the better of the chances in the second half and very nearly broke the deadlock shortly after the hour mark. Lee Cattermole's long ball released Defoe and the striker's lob went over Cech and just wide.
Arsenal were then nearly gifted a goal when Cech sent a long goal kick towards substitute Danny Welbeck. Mannone raced out of the box and misjudged his header of the ball the wrong way and Arsenal could've had a potentially great chance to score, only for Sunderland to somehow get away with it.
Welbeck tried his luck in the closing stages but the England striker shot straight at Mannone before Wilshere entered the action. It was great to see Wilshere back on the field but neither him or his team-mates were able to affect the scoreline.
Arsenal came very close to breaking Sunderland hearts four minutes from time when Sanchez cut inside and fired a low shot towards goal, but Mannone reacted superbly to parry the Chilean's effort.
As the game entered injury time, Sunderland wasted the chance to get a dramatic late winner when Lamine Kone sent an overhead kick over the bar. Neither side was able to add a late goal and the point was a lot more valuable to Sunderland than it was to us.
OPPOSITION VIEW
Sunderland fan Shaun Clewes was in positive mood after his side's hard-earned draw.
"I am happy with the performance but we could have got more from the match than the point," said Clewes. "We defended well and I felt that our penalty shout was much stronger than the Arsenal one, but am pleased that there was some consistency from the ref.
"The point doesn't really help either side but we are out of the bottom three which is the main thing."
MY FINAL THOUGHTS
It was a rather uninspiring performance from the Gunners. Although we were excellent with are passing moves at times, it simply wasn't enough. We didn't test Mannone enough and we seemed to lack ideas in attack at times. This game was never going to be easy but we still should've performed a lot better than we did.
Although we have known our fate for several weeks, we are now officially mathematically out of the title race and need to be careful to not also drop out of the top four. Technically we could still finish second but we could also finish below fourth, so we need to make sure we finish strongly to avoid that happening.
Second, third or fourth all mean the same thing in that we will have failed to win the title but we need to make sure we at least get Champions League football without having to play a qualifier. This means we must finish in the top three if possible although even that wouldn't really be enough as with our squad we should be doing better than we are.
Our last game of April sees us host relegation-threatened Norwich and, although we don't have much left to play for, we can't think like that and must make sure we produce three strong performances in our remaining league games.
COME ON YOU GUNNERS
The midfielder came on to replace Mesut Ozil for the final seven minutes in what was his first competitive appearance since last May. That aside, it was hard to find too many other positives from the game from an Arsenal point of view.
At times we looked excellent in attack, with some good passing moves, but we didn't test Sunderland goalkeeper Vito Mannone enough and should've really done far better than we did.
Sunderland were plucky and battled hard throughout to gain the point they needed to take them out of the bottom three, but we really should be winning games like this and taking far better advantage of our attacking opportunities. Mannone did excellently to keep out some of our efforts but there was no excuse with the rest.
Although the title race is over for us, we could really do without needing a Champions League qualifier and had a great chance to move above Manchester City into third if we could've won...but we didn't and it was very frustrating. The result means we stay fourth and behind third-placed Manchester City, who we play next month, on goal difference.
Arsenal started brightly with Alex Iwobi shooting wide inside the opening three minutes before Per Mertesacker and Mohamed Elneny saw their efforts comfortably saved by Mannone. At the other end Lee Cattermole shot wide from the edge of the box, while Patrick Van Aanholt came closest to breaking the deadlock for the visitors as his free-kick hit the bar.
Mannone did well to saved Mesut Ozil's deflected shot before producing a superb one-handed stop to push Alexis Sanchez's free-kick behind for a corner. From the resulting corner, Mannone made an excellent save on the line to once against keep Arsenal at bay.
Both sides saw penalty shouts waved away by referee Mike Dean in the final 10 minutes of the first half. Sunderland striker Jermain Defoe saw his shot smash against the arm of Mertesacker. There didn't seem to be any intent by the defender but sometimes they get given, so Sunderland may have felt hard done by. But things were then evened out as Dean also failed to give Arsenal a penalty after Iwobi's shot was blocked by the hand of DeAndre Yedlin.
Arsenal had Petr Cech to thank for keeping the scores level as the goalkeeper produced a superb double save within four minutes of the restart. Jermain Defoe latched onto an excellent long ball from Jan Kirchhoff before unleashing a half volley, but Cech beat his effort away before getting across quickly to parry Yann M'Vila's follow-up.
Cech was called into action again just minutes later as he got down well to his right to parry Wahbi Khazri's effort. At the other end Iwobi and Aaron Ramsey both sent their efforts off target, while Elneny saw his strike block by the defence.
Sunderland were having the better of the chances in the second half and very nearly broke the deadlock shortly after the hour mark. Lee Cattermole's long ball released Defoe and the striker's lob went over Cech and just wide.
Arsenal were then nearly gifted a goal when Cech sent a long goal kick towards substitute Danny Welbeck. Mannone raced out of the box and misjudged his header of the ball the wrong way and Arsenal could've had a potentially great chance to score, only for Sunderland to somehow get away with it.
Welbeck tried his luck in the closing stages but the England striker shot straight at Mannone before Wilshere entered the action. It was great to see Wilshere back on the field but neither him or his team-mates were able to affect the scoreline.
Arsenal came very close to breaking Sunderland hearts four minutes from time when Sanchez cut inside and fired a low shot towards goal, but Mannone reacted superbly to parry the Chilean's effort.
As the game entered injury time, Sunderland wasted the chance to get a dramatic late winner when Lamine Kone sent an overhead kick over the bar. Neither side was able to add a late goal and the point was a lot more valuable to Sunderland than it was to us.
OPPOSITION VIEW
Sunderland fan Shaun Clewes was in positive mood after his side's hard-earned draw.
"I am happy with the performance but we could have got more from the match than the point," said Clewes. "We defended well and I felt that our penalty shout was much stronger than the Arsenal one, but am pleased that there was some consistency from the ref.
"The point doesn't really help either side but we are out of the bottom three which is the main thing."
MY FINAL THOUGHTS
It was a rather uninspiring performance from the Gunners. Although we were excellent with are passing moves at times, it simply wasn't enough. We didn't test Mannone enough and we seemed to lack ideas in attack at times. This game was never going to be easy but we still should've performed a lot better than we did.
Although we have known our fate for several weeks, we are now officially mathematically out of the title race and need to be careful to not also drop out of the top four. Technically we could still finish second but we could also finish below fourth, so we need to make sure we finish strongly to avoid that happening.
Second, third or fourth all mean the same thing in that we will have failed to win the title but we need to make sure we at least get Champions League football without having to play a qualifier. This means we must finish in the top three if possible although even that wouldn't really be enough as with our squad we should be doing better than we are.
Our last game of April sees us host relegation-threatened Norwich and, although we don't have much left to play for, we can't think like that and must make sure we produce three strong performances in our remaining league games.
COME ON YOU GUNNERS
Thursday, 21 April 2016
Super Sanchez Downs Baggies
At times we were unplayable, at times the passing was a joy to watch, but it is a shame Arsenal couldn't have done this more often following the 2-0 win over West Brom.
Alexis Sanchez chipped in with two well-taken goals and, in truth, the score could have been a lot higher at the Emirates. The result eased concerns of the possibility of us finishing outside the top four as we moved up to third in the table. But it still left me with a frustrating feeling of what might have been had we been more consistent this season. Our form has been far too mixed but the win over West Brom was certainly an enjoyable one to watch for the most part.
With only four games remaining we need to focus on our own job and attempt to win them all if we are to stand a chance of catching our bitter rivals second-placed Spurs, who are currently five points above us.
Arsenal started brightly and took the lead after just six minutes when Mesut Ozil set up Sanchez to spin past his marker to score a fine low shot on the turn. The Gunners continued to pile forward with Ozil seeing his effort blocked before Hector Bellerin fired a shot just off target.
The hosts were in cruise control but their lack of adding a second goal nearly came back to haunt them when West Brom almost grabbed an equaliser shortly before the half hour mark. Baggies' defender Gareth McAuley's header beat Petr Cech in the Arsenal goal, only for the crossbar to keep him out.
Another chance went begging for Arsenal as Ozil saw a shot cleared off the line by Craig Dawson, but the hosts made amends by doubling their advantage seven minutes before the break. Sanchez curled a delightful free-kick beyond Ben Foster and finally the Gunners could put a bit of distance between themselves and their opponents, although a 2-0 lead by no means meant the game was yet over.
Arsenal tried to add further goals in the second half, with Foster denying Giroud before the hosts saw a penalty shout waved away after Alex Iwobi had gone down in the box. There was also a half shout for a spot-kick when Mohamed Elneny went down in the area but there didn't seem much in it and the referee, from the first viewing of the incident, was probably right to wave play on.
Foster ensured there would be no further goals as he kept out efforts from Ozil and Iwobi, while Olivier Giroud and substitute Joel Campbell shot wide in the closing minutes.
Although it was slightly frustrating to see the match finish just 2-0, it was a confident performance from the Gunners in the penultimate month of the season.
OPPOSITION VIEW
West Brom fan Mike Beddoes felt both teams wasted chances in what was a disappointing night for the Baggies.
"I'd say it was a game where it could have as easily been 4-0 Arsenal as it could have been 2-2," said Beddoes. "Missed opportunities aplenty from both sides.
"It was more decided by how weak both sides are than how strong either team performed."
MY FINAL THOUGHTS
For large spells this was a great performance but in the grand scheme of things it means very little. A win is always good and I was delighted to see us confidently beat West Brom, but in context of the whole league season it isn't going to affect our failed title bid.
We have a remote hope of catching Tottenham and, although second-placed would still ultimately be a failure, we must make sure we focus on keeping up our slim hopes of getting above our London rivals rather than letting our season fizzle out even more.
So let's make sure we put in a big strong performance at Sunderland next time around.
COME ON YOU GUNNERS
Alexis Sanchez chipped in with two well-taken goals and, in truth, the score could have been a lot higher at the Emirates. The result eased concerns of the possibility of us finishing outside the top four as we moved up to third in the table. But it still left me with a frustrating feeling of what might have been had we been more consistent this season. Our form has been far too mixed but the win over West Brom was certainly an enjoyable one to watch for the most part.
With only four games remaining we need to focus on our own job and attempt to win them all if we are to stand a chance of catching our bitter rivals second-placed Spurs, who are currently five points above us.
Arsenal started brightly and took the lead after just six minutes when Mesut Ozil set up Sanchez to spin past his marker to score a fine low shot on the turn. The Gunners continued to pile forward with Ozil seeing his effort blocked before Hector Bellerin fired a shot just off target.
The hosts were in cruise control but their lack of adding a second goal nearly came back to haunt them when West Brom almost grabbed an equaliser shortly before the half hour mark. Baggies' defender Gareth McAuley's header beat Petr Cech in the Arsenal goal, only for the crossbar to keep him out.
Another chance went begging for Arsenal as Ozil saw a shot cleared off the line by Craig Dawson, but the hosts made amends by doubling their advantage seven minutes before the break. Sanchez curled a delightful free-kick beyond Ben Foster and finally the Gunners could put a bit of distance between themselves and their opponents, although a 2-0 lead by no means meant the game was yet over.
Arsenal tried to add further goals in the second half, with Foster denying Giroud before the hosts saw a penalty shout waved away after Alex Iwobi had gone down in the box. There was also a half shout for a spot-kick when Mohamed Elneny went down in the area but there didn't seem much in it and the referee, from the first viewing of the incident, was probably right to wave play on.
Foster ensured there would be no further goals as he kept out efforts from Ozil and Iwobi, while Olivier Giroud and substitute Joel Campbell shot wide in the closing minutes.
Although it was slightly frustrating to see the match finish just 2-0, it was a confident performance from the Gunners in the penultimate month of the season.
OPPOSITION VIEW
West Brom fan Mike Beddoes felt both teams wasted chances in what was a disappointing night for the Baggies.
"I'd say it was a game where it could have as easily been 4-0 Arsenal as it could have been 2-2," said Beddoes. "Missed opportunities aplenty from both sides.
"It was more decided by how weak both sides are than how strong either team performed."
MY FINAL THOUGHTS
For large spells this was a great performance but in the grand scheme of things it means very little. A win is always good and I was delighted to see us confidently beat West Brom, but in context of the whole league season it isn't going to affect our failed title bid.
We have a remote hope of catching Tottenham and, although second-placed would still ultimately be a failure, we must make sure we focus on keeping up our slim hopes of getting above our London rivals rather than letting our season fizzle out even more.
So let's make sure we put in a big strong performance at Sunderland next time around.
COME ON YOU GUNNERS
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