After going up a goal from a Bacary Sagna glancing header, Arsenal turned sixes and sevens at the back and were undone by a Didier Drogba double. Reminiscent of the 5-1 loss to Tottenham in the Carling Cup and the 4-0 loss to Manchester United in the FA Cup, the result left Arsenal Supporters wondering if their side is good enough.
Arsenal Supporters want to win the league, and after taking 4 points from their last 5 games, it looks unlikely. Chelsea and Manchester United would both need to lose the plot, and Arsenal would have to improve their form dramatically.
Losing to Chelsea from Drogba goals is a painful experience Arsenal Supporters are getting used to. The 2005 Community Shield the 2007 Carling Cup Final were eerily similar.
Two good things have happened for Arsenal this season; a side, mind you, that hasn't won anything since the 2005 FA Cup during the Vieira era, although they did make it to the Champions League final in 2006: they have been competitive in the league, after doing well to hold onto 4th the 2 previous seasons, and they had a great victory in the Champions League away to AC Milan. Depending on your point of view, it might not sound like much, but it has been an improvement over last season, and a consolation to supporters who haven't had overly-high expectations.
Arsene Wenger's experiment of playing with a small, young, inexpensively-assembled squad is stuttering. Eboue doesn't look good enough to be a starter at this level. Walcott and Diaby, who came on as substitutes, made regrettably little impact. Van Persie didn't look fit. Adebayor wasn't having one of his best games, and then faded.
Clichy was probably Arsenal's best player.
With 7 games left in the league, and everything to play for in the Champions League, Arsenal Supporters can't discount the possibility of winning something, although it looks unlikely at this point, with the side in such a fragile state.
2 days ago
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Mathematically we are still in it but it was a very disappointing game. Chelsea played well and we had nothing up front to provide any goal threat. It is a dangerous and slippery slope that we are on now; something has to be done immediately to halt the slide.
The formation seemed a bit strange: Van Persie and Hleb seemed both to occupy the left flank but neither tracked back so it was like a 433 but everyone was cramming toward the middle with the left side open. We were fortunate that Clichy played a good game otherwise we would have been awfully exposed on the left. I hope the injury to Sagna is not serious or else the effect on the rest of the season would not be good.
Now some players are off midweek for international friendlies; I hope things don't get worse when they come back for the away game at Bolton.
Yet more injuries would be a laugh. For a brief moment during the game yesterday, Arsenal were down to 8 players, with 3 defenders receiving treatment. Only Sagna's was too serious to continue. Gallas and Toure came back on right away, but both had a game to forget.
Was Clichy responsible for the first goal? Anyways Almunia had a good day...esp the save off Drogba towards the end. It would have been great if Sagna's goal was a winner...anyway should do his confidence some good and may he come back stronger...fingers crossed for the climax...but on team strength and form, Arsenal deserve to finish third or maybe second :)
I don't remember Clichy being responsible for the first goal. Gallas lost out attempting to head the ball clear, and then the ball was deflected perfectly into Drogba's path.
Clichy did concede the freekick that led to the second goal, but it was so far from goal, it's hard to blame him much.
Chelsea, I would say, have a strong squad. Anelka's a good player to be able to bring in. Essien was great when he moved to midfield, not that Makalele had been a slouch.
I still want to defend Eboue a little, but it is difficult when he keeps acting irresponsibly. Besides being a hot head, I did not believe him to have had a worse game than say Adebayor for one.
Anyway, I am forced by current events to back down from before when I was convinced Arsenal would win the league. I must admit it is unlikely now. However, I do not believe either Chelsea or United will win their remaining games. Arsenal however can only benefit if we will our remaing games. Admittedly, that is unlikely on current form. (This is for the benefit of Santos or the red scare. I'm sure they will appreciate my new found sense of restraint). I do however remain extremely hopeful that both Chelsea and United will crash and lose out of the title race to Arsenal. But alas...wishes are not horses, so this beggar unfortunately may have to continue walking.
Eboue played an ok game. He didn't have a lot of his usual antics but he didn't contribute very much going forward.
Like I said before, we are still in it mathematically but the teeam's form must improve dramatically to achieve it. The potential is there and the key is how the players can fulfill the potential. There are still big games coming up: the CL and league games against Liverpool, and the visit to Old Trafford but from now on, every game is critical Whether it's Bolton or Manchester.
kdat - I've tried, since your recent defense of Eboue, to give the player a second look, and try to pick out the positives from his performances, but I thought he contributed very little yesterday. "Woeful, Shocking" - these are words I would use to describe his performance, if I weren't practicing restraint.
eboue is a liability every match to be sent off. i don't understand why walcott does not start instead of him. i understand walcott is too young according to professor wenger, but with eboue clearly not contributing much, why not let walcott try to develop his skill, especially with the blistering pace he adds to the wing (see 2nd goal at the san siro)?
as for the title race, i think it is safe to say that arsenal is done. i said this last week, i will say it again... psychologically, they are broken. in the beginning of the season, arsenal were scoring beautiful, flawless goals. they are still trying to do that and it is clearly not working. some of united's goals have been downright ugly. even wes brown's HUGE goal was not the prettiest at all. only when arsenal realize they need to score no matter how ugly it is will they succeed.
also, where has adebayor been? he is non-existent. i also think the loss of rosicky has played a large role in their form as of late.
kdat, the restraint, or as i like to call it, "reality," is appreciated.
Drogba is a terrible roommate.
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