Artlee Mhlanga
After a welcome international break Arsenal should be able to capitalise on their fixture list as we approach the title run in. I say should with a high level of caution. Okay, so the Gunners are out of the FA Cup and Champions League. Disappointing? Yes but there is still reason to believe that we may just end this painful silverware drought with the Premier League crown. United have big games coming up in between their league clashes and these will surely play a bearing on the fitness of their squad and the team line-ups for the Premiership games. The surrounding title challenging teams fighting Arsenal will certainly become stretched in these last few weeks because of other commitments and then you cue in an Arsenal with, Walcott, Fabregas and Song. These absentees could not have picked a better time to return to full fitness.
Arsenal’s near fully fit squad should use the Blackburn game as a means of gaining momentum. This match does look to have all the ingredients of an away team that will come to frustrate and stay compact when defending. A problem that Arsenal simply have to deal with in 90 minutes. Van Persie summed Arsenal’s misfortunes accurately: “…at the last moment, its often not good enough.” In the 89th minute of the Carling Cup, it was not good enough. Bendtner was not good enough in the 86th minute at the Nou Camp when he was sent clean through. Van Persie does have a point and if in the last moments we were good enough, Arsenal would have a trophy in the bag and be favourites in the Champions League.
For the team’s progression this has to be addressed. A word to Van Persie, ‘at the last moment, it is often our weakest links that aren’t good enough.’ Wenger should be rallying the squad for these last nine games. A big win is needed to push on further. Even though the fixture is the last kick off tomorrow, the players will know that whatever results Man Utd and Chelsea get, this game is a must win. With a stroke of luck, Arsenal could end up reducing the points difference between them and Man Utd by Saturday evening. If all goes according to plan and we witness the demise of United’s stronghold at the top of the table and Arsenal capitialise – the Premiership crown will assure key players like Nasri, maybe even Fabgregas, that the club can develop a winning habit.
