Kevin Whitcher
Chelsea surprisingly losing at Palace should, ideally, have set this match up as a genuine six pointer for the title. As it is, Arsenal’s priority was rebuilding confidence after the poor displays against Chelsea and Swansea. Time to consolidate.
The first half did not go well, with the visitors controlling the game and consistently running channels to allow their team to cut back the ball from wide. However, Arsenal’s massed ranks meant there were enough bodies in the box to limit the damage. City’s solitary goal came on the break when the Gunners did not have enough men back. Losing possession up the field against the top teams can be hazardous, and so it proved.
Arsenal’s approach was markedly more cautious, and they played deeper than traditionally at home, aware of the dangers of over-committing. There was a feeling of resignation at the interval. It was difficult to see where an equalizer might come from.
Yet a different Arsenal took the field for the second half, and critically, created enough pressure to force parity, with more zip and drive about their play. We witnessed this for about two minutes against Swansea on Tuesday, and it produced two goals. The rest of that match was like watching the Gunners on Mogadon. Yesterday, aware of what was required, they were far more switched on, and showed more commitment, with its just rewards. There were chances at both ends to win the game, and by the end, a draw was probably the right result, as the home team played the better football in the second half.
Thomas Vermaelen had a good match, and it would be churlish to blame him for the City goal, which fell to David Silva due to the rebound. This is encouraging in the light of the likelihood that Laurent Koscielny will miss at least another week of football, and possibly the semi-final trip to Wembley.
Olivier Giroud ran around and gave what he had left, but his shot in the second half when he had clear sight of the goal from a little way outside the City penalty area summed up his season. The man is running through treacle. Playing as a lone forward all season is a thankless task, especially when the lack of support from midfield is not forthcoming.
It is interesting to note that both Manchester City and Liverpool have rejected the vogue to play with one forward and seem to be doing quite nicely with it. Do Arsenal have the personnel to play 4-4-2? City play with a more orthodox wide man on one side (Navas) and one who tends to float in (Nasri) on the other, although when everyone is fit, Navas might be displaced by Silva. Manuel Pellegrini has plenty of options, even when he has an injury list of his own.
Arsenal’s goal came from a good ball across the box, courtesy of Podolski, and there is a feeling that the team do not use width enough when they are having trouble breaking down determined opposition.
As much as anything, yesterday was about restoring pride and giving the Gunners some kind of platform to recover their season. Only the most blindly optimistic would believe that the title is still on, even if mathematical possibility still exists. Arsenal have taken two points from the last nine available. However, the performance gives them something to take to Goodison Park next weekend, and the crowd left the stadium a lot happier than they did on Tuesday after the Swansea match, even if at the end of it, the result was the same – two points dropped at home.
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