Kevin Whitcher
Four points out of six in the two matches v Everton and Fulham was an absolute must. Anything less would have made life very difficult for Arsenal in their quest for a top four place, given that Manchester United are next up.
The Gunners did not play particularly well at Craven Cottage, in spite of having a man advantage for most of the game. The challenge by one time Highbury prospect Steven Sidwell was rightly punished with an immediate red. Olivier Giroud suffered the same fate at the game’s death. His intent did not seem as clear, but the referee’s argument would be that his studs made contact with his opponent’s ankle, so his challenge was dangerous. It was hardly a surprise he evened things up, although it came too late to do Martin Jol’s team any good.
It creates an interesting problem for Wenger. The upside of losing the player for three matches is that his form has not been good, so the manager’s hand being forced may be no bad thing. The downside is that the squad is thin for a likely replacement. Poldolski, Walcott and Gervinho have all been tried there. Podolski is probably the best option, but my suspicion is that Walcott will get the nod. Knowing the way football works, it will probably be Gervinho who then scores the winner against Alex Ferguson’s side… off his behind. Giroud will return for Arsenal’s final match of the season at Newcastle, by which point the Gunners’ fate might have been decided as far as a top four place is concerned. However, if they do have trouble finding the net against United, QPR and Wigan, the charge that the manager was foolish not to ensure a striker was bought in January will have genuine credence.
Arsenal’s goal came about from a good old-fashioned set piece involving headers by the two centre backs. It was nothing to do with Wengerball, but it is a weapon that should be utilized more. Too often, free kicks in the opposition half are taken short and play continues as it did in the build up to the free kick. There is little thought to actually assess the situation and do what is most likely to result in a threat to the opposition goal.
Rosicky returned in place of Jack Wilshere, and provided a couple of driving forward moments, but was generally uninfluential. At times, he swapped with Cazorla. The odd chance was created, but the team looked a little laboured. Fortunately, they were organized at the back, with the offside trap effective at nullifying the home team’s attacks. For the most part, it was a game that, aside from the red cards, will not live long in the memory.
However, it’s points that matter and Arsenal now have 62 (Ed's note - Sorry. Heavy night and an early morning. Bad combination. Arsenal have 63 points!). It would be amazing if 70 did not secure a top four spot. The side should be able to take six points from QPR and Wigan – their collywobble period would normally have happened by now if they were going to drop cheap points in the run-in. That leaves the United home and Newcastle away matches to try and secure another couple of points. I would take two draws there if you offered them to me now, because of the other two fixtures.
Should Arsenal finish top four, the manager will feel vindicated. Some fans will also be content with the season, others will not. Arsenal are the fourth most valuable club in world football. In England, only Manchester United are worth more. And that is why Arsène Wenger is under no pressure to win a trophy. For the people that run the club, he is doing just fine. Fans will make up their own minds when the season ticket renewals go out in May. The club are only really concerned about the 9,000 premium seats being sold for the season though. Any slack in take up of the ‘ordinary’ seats can be addressed on a match by match basis. The middle tier is not such an easy sell and unpaid for places there affect the bottom line much more dramatically. Currently, in that area of the ground, the fourth place trophy is proving a hard sell, meaning we may actually see a bums-on-seats signing this summer...
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