Aston Villa 2-4 Arsenal – Supporters trip to Alton Towers
Posted on: November 28, 2010
3 points secured and our great recent away league form continues, yesterday’s victory making it 4 wins on the bounce. The first half performance was great, just like the one against Spurs last weekend, and just like Spurs last weekend we were 2-0 up at the break thanks to 2 great solo efforts from Arshavin and Nasri. To be honest we should have 3/4 up in the first half and the game should have been killed off.
A hint of De Ja Vu and ‘here we go again’ probably flashed across the minds of every Arsenal supporter watching the match as Aston Villa scored just after the restart, after Clark smashed a shot past Fabianksi, despite Carew standing directly in front of the keeper obstructing his view in a offside position. However we did what we were unable to do against Spurs last week which was score a third after Chamakh’s smart finish. At that point we thought great, the anthem ‘We are top of the League, say we are top of the League’ was on repeat in my mind, I just didn’t want to say anything to anyone just incase disaster struck.
When Aston Villa pulled a second back, once again I thought to myself ‘here we go again’ is no lead ever comfortable with this team? From that point on it was always going to be hanging on time and we we’re going to have to defend resiliantly. The fourth from Wilshere knocked the game on the head, but you just can’t help thinking why do we do it to ourselves? The rollercoaster ride this team takes you on is sometimes unbearable. We must be the only team in the world where even if we were 3-0 up the other team still feel like they could be in with a shout. Is it too easy for us, that we just have to gift teams a way back into the game for a tougher challenge. Don’t get me wrong we deserved the win, but the 4-2 scoreline just shows that we made it hard work for ourselves.
The performance of Arshavin will earn him great reviews in the Sunday papers, he certainly showed how he can play if he is up for it and what a threat he is. That is the Arshavin that we love to see, but 90% of the time he just doesn’t look bothered. Maybe that week off helped him and for once maybe he thought his place in the team was not safe. Consistency is the key with Arshavin and on his day he is capable of making something out of nothing and he absolutely tore Villa to shreds yesterday. Despite being very ordinary so far this season you can’t knock his 6 goals and 9 assists, just imagine what his record would be like if he played like he did yesterday every week.
The starting of Koscielny all but clears up Wenger’s selection policy. Koscielny is going to be used for League games and Djourou in Europe. It’s not the right selection policy in my eyes but it’s what Wenger seems to be endorsing. Today was only the 4th game Koscielny and Squillaci have won by starting together in their 9 games so far, and the 2 we conceded was the 13th they have conceded in the partnership so far. It still just doesn’t do it for me, I just feel so vulnerable watching Arsenal with Squillaci and Koscielny playing together and Djourou can’t do anymore than he has been doing recently to warrant a starting place in the team. Its wrong I think players should play on merit and Djourou deserves a place in the team.
Tomas Rosicky for me has the potential to be as threatning as Samir Nasri and Andriy Arshavin if he could just be more prolific and clinical in front of goal. He has only scored 16 goals in 107 appearances in a gunners shirt. He needs to do what Nasri has added to his game this year which is score more goals. He is yet to get off the mark this season and today he had numerous chances to do so. If he started scoring goals he would be such an asset to the team because his passing ability, his movement and his creativity is second to none, it’s just always the final product which lets him down. Something to work on.
Wigan at home next in the Carling Cup and I would expect starts for Van Persie, Walcott and Gibbs in an attempt to get them some games. That game will bring a close to a disastrous November which could prove to be the difference at the end of the season. Nevertheless we are still only two points off the top from United and we have just ended Aston Villa’s unbeaten home record so far this season. A Chelsea loss tomorrow will seal a good weekend and hopefully a Liverpool victory will burst the Scum’s bubble as well.
On another note it was great to see Robert Pires back in English football again, not sure what impact he is going to have for Villa but the man is a Premier League legend and I’m just happy to see him back in England again. Thanks Bobby.
Only one person got yesterday’s Question of The Day correct and that was Rhodri Thomas(@Loxi25), who got the answer of 10 games without conceding a goal in the 2006 Champions League correct. Congratulations to him.
Enjoy your Sunday and treat yourself to a few Yorkshire Puds on me. Cheers
Stat of the Day – Yesterday’s victory makes it 12 games without defeat at Villa Park
Question of the Day – In the 2003/2004 Invincible’s season, How many goals did Pires and Henry score combined in all competitions.
Leave your answers to the question as a comment or @ me on twitter.
Fabianski – 7, Clichy – 6, Koscielny – 6, Squillaci – 6, Sagna – 6, Arshavin – 8, Rosicky – 7, Song- 6, Wilshere – 7, Nasri – 8, Chamakh -8, Gibbs – 6, Djourou – 6, Denilson – 6
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