Arsenal hosted lowly Norwich in a game that had big
implications for both sides. With Manchester United and West Ham breathing down
their necks, Arsenal needed three points to further secure their place in the
Top 4 for an 18th straight season. Norwich, drawn back into the
relegation battle after a resounding loss against Sunderland need points to
avoid the drop. And while the visitors played with the requisite hunger,
Arsenal seemed flat for long stretches of the game. Sure they bossed
possession, but for the fourth time in their last nine home games, they failed
to produce a solitary shot on goal in the opening 45 minutes. Norwich had three
of note and but for the quick reflexes of Cech, would have been ahead at the
break. They started the second half in the ascendancy as well, though the
maligned Wenger found the right substitute in bringing on Welbeck for Iwobi, as
he finished a cushioned header from the otherwise ineffective Giroud to earn
all three points. It was a less than stellar display and begged further
questions of a manager who had to bear two rather tame protests in the 12th
and 78th minute from a patch of fans, though those who supported him
seemed to outnumber the detractors. Three thoughts on the game:
Wenger Silences His
Critics, At Least for a Game
Wenger can be lauded for subbing out the youngster Iwobi
rather than Giroud in the 55th minute, as the English International
scored the only goal of the game four minutes later, as Giroud cushioned a
header into his path from a Bellerin cross. Many, including me to be fair,
believed it was another boneheaded decision from our maligned manager, as Giroud
was having yet another game to forget. And yet the question of why Giroud was
even playing is certainly worthy of further scrutiny. After a purple patch in
the first half of the season, the Frenchman has been abject, not only failing
to score in his last 15 games, but seemingly unable to hold the ball up with
his usual efficiency, create the link-up play of last couple of years or be effective
in any way. He had 18 touches in the first half, the lowest total of anyone on
the pitch, and most of those were wayward. He seems to have forgotten that you
do not always need to hopefully head the ball forward every time you win a duel
and can actually bring it down and distribute or even head back to a waiting
midfielder. When a shot is available, he tends to look for a pass instead. His
runs look aimless and often late, he offers no speed or presence on the counter
and, when he is presented with chances – more often than almost any other
striker in England given the laudatory number provided by Ozil – he fluffs them
wide, sideways or over the bar. He has completely lost his confidence and looks
lost on the pitch, his only sign of emotion the wry smile he often offers after
another wasted opportunity.
Giroud needs to go this summer or Wenger’s final season in
England will be 2016-17, though many argue the misfiring striker is just the
most acute evidence of why the long-running manager should have already been
ushered to the exit. Arsenal fans can dream of Benzema or, if we are to believe
the latest rumors, Lewandowski, but until we see a quality striker with a
Gunner’s jersey on, we must fall back on the assumption he will again confound
his critics by stubbornly trying to win the league his way (aka, never get over
the line). The fact that the planned protest largely fizzled was provided as
evidence the majority of fans are still behind him, but I must wonder at this
point if they are not looking around at United, Liverpool and Chelsea
struggling and thinking the Top 4 every years is better than a true title tilt.
I’m not sure I agree.
Arsenal Close on Top
4 Yet Again
The win yesterday helped to stem the tide of recent poor results,
but it was still the case that United winning out and Arsenal not at least
drawing at City could see them dispatched from the Top 4 when the final whistle
blew. However, results went their way after the game, with United settling for
a 1-1 draw with Leicester and City offering their worst display of the season
in a 4-2 blown out loss to Southampton. What those results mean is a win
against lowly Aston Villa on the final day of the season now guarantees no
worse than fourth place for the Gunners. More encouragingly, they can help dump
Manchester City out of the Top 4 next weekend with a win, as United continue to
breath down their neighbor’s necks. In fact, the City loss even opens the door,
if narrowly, for West Ham, who stand five points behind the Capital One Cup
winners with a game in hand. What it all means is the City-Arsenal game next
weekend will be watched by a number of sides with City having everything to
play for while Arsenal can finally relax and, hopefully, give fans a display of
the talent they do still possess.
Norwich Plunder into
Relegation Netherworld
Norwich acquitted themselves well at the Emirates yesterday,
squeezing the Arsenal attack to the wings, smothering possession around the box
and surging on the counter. Redmond had two quality chances in the first half,
with both saved well by Cech and a few more chances went wanting throughout the
game. Like most of the season, it is their dearth of goals that will be the
biggest factor in their return to the Championship next season. They might
still escape, but it looks less likely as they run out of games while Newcastle
and Sunderland appear to have found some form at the right end of the season.
If they do yo-yo back to the second division, it is the loss to Sunderland 3-0
two weeks ago that was where the season truly went wrong. Heading into that
home tie, they had the opportunity to put seven points between themselves and
18th place. Instead they were crushed and together with the loss to
Crystal Palace the week before and Arsenal yesterday pushed them back into the
relegation zone. Their 32 goals for the season is third worst in the division,
only ahead of Aston Villa and West Brom and, like Arsenal, the lack of a proven
striker up front has been the major culprit. Like Sunderland, they do have a
game in hand on Newcastle in 17th, but United, Everton and Watford
await them as they try to save their season. It might be too big an ask at this
point.
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