Good Old Arsenal

from the factory floor

BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE

DW Stadium

Referee:  Mark Clattenburg

Wigan Athletic 0-4 Arsenal     03 December 2011

Arteta [28] Vermaelen [29] Gervinho [61] Van Persie [78]

Vast numbers of NY Gooners continue to appear at every match down at the Factory, so much so that we were once again shunted upstairs. With a gooner behind the bar on the main level, this suits us just fine. I fear for Liam’s health though. I still can’t figure how he kept pace with all four of us.

Speaking of pace, early going it was fairly pedestrian. Given the rotation for the CC match it was interesting to see how slowly we got out of the gate. I arrived a few minutes late and missed the early Wigan chances, so perhaps there was a little mini-shock there to overcome. Most forward moves for the first 20 odd minutes involved Arsenal players running in straight lines toward the Wigan goal, without too much threat.

The weather wasn’t exactly contributing to the spectacle of the match. It was a typically grim Wigan afternoon. TJ observed that despite the eclipse Pat Rice was wearing sunglasses. If Gervinho’s head was going block out the sun, then we would just have to play in the shade.

It looked like a match where our deeper players might need to get involved in the attacking build-up. Typically Martinez’ side doesn’t set their stall out to frustrate, but it seemed that would be the case. I figured Song would be the one to get forward to try and make something happen. Instead it was Arteta who stepped up and lashed a drive goal wards. I had just enough time to say ‘nice hit’ when it soared past the keeper and into the net. Well he did say he wanted to get in amongst the goals. Boof. He did.

In no time we had a corner after the restart. RVP curled a long cross to the back post, and Vermaelen rose, not like, but above a Sammon and pinged it in off the post. It was the very definition of a towering header.  Only a minute had elapsed since the opener. Two nil to the Arsenal going into the break, and we really need a song for him. Rather than sit comfortably, the goals seemed to awaken the whole team and we spent the rest of the half snapping at Wigan heels, harrying and harrassing them off the ball.

After halftime it was just about right back to the domination of the first, again without much in terms of scintillating football. Van Persie and Ramsey got themselves into a tussle with the Wigan center-backs, with the Welshman emerging with the ball and shaping to shoot in the penalty area when he was rather blatantly pulled down to the ground without his defender getting anywhere near the ball. Clattenburg waved play on incredulously. If I’m honest, I wasn’t initially too bothered, but there was a tiny doubt back in the recesses of our collective Arsenal memory, a nagging reminder of our capitulations against this team in the past two seasons.

Instead, a long series of passes ended at RVP’s feet in the penalty area. He did his ducking and diving routine, wriggled some space and hit a shot that Al Habsi could only parry and Gervinho converted the tricky rebound. It was a much needed goal for his confidence and a chance for a bit of a love-in with the away fans [is there any better traveling support in the league, I think not].

  

The grittiness of this team continues each week. Without ever scaling the heights this was a comfortable win, almost workman-like. Commentators moaned for a good hour about Wigan’s poor defending. The scouse accent gave away some lingering bitterness from 1989. [I suggest prune juice]. With some prompting from TJ we realized, like a comfortable pair of shoes, how cozy it is to complain about being 3-0 up away from home. We are getting our Arsenal back.

Chandler bemoaned the missed penalty shout the loudest, and after I mooted the scenario of bringing on some players in need of confidence [Park, Chamakh, Arshavin] we concluded that a 4-0 scoreline was a higher priority, in terms of continuing the impressive progress this side have made since the beginning of the season, in terms of confidence within the squad, and recognition from without.

The fourth goal eventually arrived. Theo did some strong work in his first touch and his fight to set up RVP, showing good awareness to pick the skipper out between 4 recovering Wigan defenders. I just can’t say enough about Walcott’s improvement. His first touch now tends to put him in a position to get behind defenders and he no longer looks to be apologetic about his pace. He has developed an intelligence about how and when to use it that has put paid to the ‘no football brain’ jibes. I have been duly converted.

With the goal came the requisite raft of changes. There was too little left in the match for any of them to make any inroads, but it was good to see Coquelin get a run-out just as well. It was just reward for his midweek performance and possibly the start of more minutes for him in the league.

Much was said about Arsenal’s away form in the early part of this season. However since the trips to Old Trafford and Ewood Park that form has been completely reversed. Only City are more lethal goal scorers on their travels full-stop, and barring those two early defeats, Arsenal boast one of the best defenses in the league on the road. With the rest of the league results coming in, we could further enjoy the gloss of the final score as we climbed above Newcastle into fifth place. Not a bad day at all.


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