Pradeep Kachhala
There is nothing worse than getting beaten at your own game. There is nothing worse than gifting the game to the opposition with soft goals. There is nothing worse than failing to capitalise on your nearest rivals' slip-ups. This weekend, Arsenal managed to achieve all three of the aforementioned and suffered their second straight league defeat. Whisper it, but a loss at home on Sunday against Man Utd may plunge us back into yet another crisis of the type we saw in August.
Let’s rewind back to the Fulham game, where they absolutely pulverised us in the second half. Against Swansea, time and again Miquel, Arshavin, Walcott and even Henry, when he came on, gave the ball away or were poorly positioned as the Swansea full-backs and wingers pressed on. Perhaps we missed Arteta. However, the pressing point is that Ramsey gave the ball away far too much and, while I believe that he is an excellent footballer, he is playing his first full season in the EPL and has been slightly overplayed. Ignore Wenger's claims that it was a harsh decision; Ramsey's trailing leg left the referee no option but to give a penalty. But what really riled me was how, just after getting back into the game, like many times in the past six years we threw it away by sloppy defending. How many times have you been on the official site where an Arsenal player has claimed that the team will "learn from the defeat"? We repeat the same mistakes over and over again with different players.
I am usually very bullish and positive, but I have had lingering doubts about the team since we scraped a win at Villa Park, and I truly believe that our chances for fourth spot will hang on the Sunday game at the Emirates against Utd. Lose that, and Chelsea could be seven points clear, while Newcastle are already level with us on 36 points, with Liverpool only one point back.
What will we learn even if we do finish fourth? Perhaps in order truly to move forward, Arsenal may have to take a short-term hit in order to wake up the powers-that-be at the club. As it goes, Spurs are now ten points ahead. The best-case scenario is that they lose at the Etihad on Sunday while we beat United, cutting the gap to seven. But on present form, it is wishful thinking to start pre-assuming outcomes that will get us back in contention. There is a very, very real possibility that Spurs will finish above us. Considering they also have a strict wage-structure and a smaller stadium, it makes you think how far we have regressed since moving to the Emirates.
Is there anything to be positive about? Yes, in the sense that Wilshere will return along with Sagna, and perhaps RvP and Henry can pull a rabbit out of the hat on Sunday, but don't hold your breath. I have calculated that we can't actually lose any more games this season to have a chance of automatic Champions League qualification... does anyone really believe that, with our soft-centred defensive capabilities, this will really happen? Didn't think so.
What I do expect is some pride in our performance on Sunday, some anger at recent results and the same determination that Swansea and Fulham showed. We could be 7th by Sunday evening and if we do not win, the "Arsene must go" school of thought - which I do not agree with - will start again.
