Resurgence Continues

Another  big day for the Gunners, as we won easily 3-0 over Aston Villa and benefited from the 0-0 Chelsea-Tottenham match. Sure it would have been nice to see Chelsea win against our North London rivals, but the result solidifies our position  in third and makes the chances of  Chelsea making the Champions League that much more daunting. The quality of our play against a very average Villa team was exemplary, with a surging style in  the first half that garnered two goals (and could have been four or five) and a tight, gritty second half where we maintained possession for long stretches (I think I counted over 20 straight completed passes a few times) and kept the clean sheet. Report cards:

Szczezny: another strong performance, where he showed that his positioning has improved and he has the ability to cut off the crosses that used to give him more trouble. He didn't come out ill-advisedly once, was smarter with  his distribution and has certainly played a role in the reversal since the beginning of the year disappointment.

Sagna: another strong game for Sagna. He sent in less crosses than the past few games but was strong in the back and his return has clearly been a huge bonus for the team.

Vermaelen: our best defender had a very good game, making things easier for Djourou, as the last minute replacement for Koscielny. After the terrible start to the season, it was our defense and a few clean sheets that played a big part in our quick movement up the table. Injuries have thus been a huge part of the problem this year -- maybe more important than Fabergas and Nasri's departures. It provides a strong argument for shoring up that defense in the summer window. Vertohogen is a player we should buy, as he can be a backup center half and also play as full back or defensive midfielder (this would allow us to unload the truly horrible Squillaci, one of the worst center halfs I've ever seen). I like the Santos/Gibbs mix on the left and obvioulsy Sagna on the right. We have to see who can back him up, as that was a big problem after his broken leg. Maybe it's Coquelin or Jenkins, but we certainly need someone. I might also consider unloading Mertesacker, who is good at positioning but made a mistake or two a game, never became the promised scoring threat and is way too slow for the premiership.

Djourou: speaking of center halves, obviously Vermaelen and Kocielny are the pair that have really shored up the defense and seem to be our future, but it was nice to see Djourou put in a strong performance, after many to forget (including, lest us forget, assisting in our collapse to Fulham early in the new year). One hopes he can keep that form as an important backup and cup player next year.

Gibbs: his first goal as a Gunner set up the comfortable win and he was menacing going forward throughout, a promising trend going forward to keep competitors from overcommiting on the right, where most of our attacks and goals have come from this year. Santos came in late and started by almost giving up a goal, but was then fine and he will hopefully return to form soon.

Arteta: a great game that culminated with a pristine late free kick into the far corner. He is not Fabergas but has been invaluable to us this season controlling the middle and getting the fall forward.

Song: continues to develop into a more offensive-minded player while still being a stalwart at the back. Rumors have spread of bringing in M-Villa, but I'm circumspect, as I believe Song will continue to improve over the next few years (and already has 9 assists in the EPL this year, I believe).

Ramsey: not terrible, but could have been better and really is one of the most disappointing players this year. When Wilshire comes back, one assumes he will be moving to the bench.

Rosicky: not as spectacular as the last few games, but nice movement to get a decent shot off in the first half and appears to have renewed confidence that should translate to more goals and assists going forward.

Walcott: another breakout performance for Walcott, whose first touch has inexplicably improved dramatically in recent weeks (could it be Chamberlain breathing down his throat?), as has his comfort on the ball. His goal to make it 2-0 showed the sort of talent and coolness in front of goal we have been waiting for for years. One hopes he keeps it up until the end of the season.

Gervinho: had an okay game, but sometimes makes poor decisions in the box that undermine scoring and assist opportunities. One wonders if he will be able to play at this level in the future or whether we pick up another winger and he becomes a marginal player next year.

RVP: not his best performance of the year, but had a lovely touch and turn that would have ended up in the net but for a goal-line defender clearance. He has actually slowed down his productivity the last two and a half games, but will hopefully get back on track versus the relatively inept QPR defense. 

Chamberlain: came on very late and looked lively as usual, with a potential penalty appeal waved off (rightfully in my estimation). A force for the future indeed!

As we continue to win (seven on the bounce in the premiership), my one concern is that we get cocky and don't spend sufficiently in the transfer window. I don't want to repeat again what I have so often said, but I do believe we need a center half, creative midfielder and striker (preferably who can play on the wings as well). If we can pick up some other reserve players who can fill in for the cups next year (and for the inevitable injuries we will sustain), hopefully we can finally win some silverware. We have easily looked the second-best team in  the EPL the last two months and have to be cursing the injuries at the beginning of the season, and new year, that stand between us and a possible title run this year. We should also be ruing the flat performance against Sunderland in the FA Cup, the tight loss to Man City in the Carling and the save that kept out a fourth goal and potentially the comeback of all times in the UCL. But I believe we now have a team that has the spine, the mentality and the talent to start really challenging for silverware again. Note: with Sagna-Koscielny-Vermaelen-Gibbs starting, we have yet to lose this year!

Looking to the last eight games (and 24 points), the two that stand out are obviously the home matches against Chelsea and Man City. I believe that if we continue to play as we have, we should be able to beat Chelsea and essentially guarantee UCL for next year and give Man City a game, as they have been more than beatable on the road (and we almost beat them twice at the Ethiad). The other challenge will be away at Stoke (as Man City just learned), but a solid performance and patience should allow us to take all three there. Let's just hope no let up is in the offing as we struggle to finish a position above where we were last year (lest us forget the post-Carling collapse that saw us go from 2nd to 4th). Go Gunners!