Easy Does It

from the factory floor

BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE

Ashburton Grove

Referee:  Phil Dowd

Arsenal 3-0 Aston Villa  24 March 2012

Gibbs [16]

Walcott [25]

Arteta [90]

Saturday morning arrived and I packed up for my first trip to the pub in a while. Huge flag. Check. Bottle of Woodford. Check. [There is a certain symmetry that on the day I honor this bet, we play Aston Villa]. Regina joined me this time for a rare foray into the sweary, smelly nether regions of the Factory. I introduced her to Liam before heading downstairs to hang the new NY Gooners flag. He apologized to her. It’s what most people do when they find out she’s my girlfriend.

The game barely got going enough to realize Djourou was in for Koscielny before Heskey clocked the former in the face with a deliberate elbow. Predictably TJ and I disagreed. Also predictably, as with most Phil Dowd officiated affairs, I’m right [Then again, he’s got all that podcasting nous and I just make meticulous drawings of joyous Arsenal moments to dull the pain of the recent barren spell]. 

Sir Chesney

best. keeper. ever.

Wojciech is badass. Anyone who can break both arms and then come back in a couple of years to take the starting goalkeeper spot at a top club has to be. There were noises for some time about the maverick Pole and his abilities, but when he went on loan to Brentford in 2009 the noises were substantiated by a string of fine performances. At a time when there was a distinct anxiety in the Arsenal back four, fueled by a lack of confidence in our two first choice keepers and their inability/unwillingness to communicate and organize, here was an authoritative and cocksure 19 year old who had no problems shouting at his defense, and even less problems making spectacular saves.

His dad took a swing at Roberto Mancini. He’s a bit mental. He clearly enjoys defending penalty kicks. At Brentford in his second game he saved one. In his Premier League debut he faced Wayne Rooney at Old Trafford and put him off enough to sky the kick. Against Udinese this season in the Champions League qualifier he saved a crucial spot kick by Antonio Di Natale to protect our advantage and secure a position in the group stages. And most recently after a taste of divey Suarez, he just got up and made a double save on Dirk Kuyt at Anfield to set the tone for our defensive display, and maintain the momentum from the thumping derby triumph in the previous match.

Speaking of the scum, he also hates simians. Better than that he just loves Arsenal. Who can forget the Barca celebration? Or the way he sang with the away support at Wigan? You can overhear someone call him a legend in that Wigan clip, and you’ll get no argument from most Gooners, even though the kid will only be 22 next month and is still just in his first season as our number one.  Szczesny’s form in the first part of the season saw him produce a world class save just about every match, and has completely squashed the nagging calls for Wenger to dip into the transfer market for a world class keeper. We’ve already got one. His name is Sir Chesney. 


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It's Good To Have You Back

For a variety of reasons I have only been able to take in the last several matches via Twitter feeds, match reports and the like. It's quite a feeling to be losing a match 1-0 getting into a car to go to the airport and then discovering we won in the last minute just as I emerge from security and head toward my departure gate. Nothing takes the edge off a 15 hour flight like victory stolen from the jaws of defeat [It sounds awfully weird writing that phrase 'correctly' with respect to the Gunners].

By now we're all well aware of the Premier League record the Arsenal just set for consecutive comeback wins. But this team had to make comebacks already this season, so why does it seem so surprising? We shipped two marquee players without the expected big-name replacements. We pocketed the cash and brought in a few journeyman players, missing out on the likes of Juan Mata. Then we dropped two clangers.

The mauling at Old Trafford wasn’t exactly unexpected, even if the margin was more than anticipated. The capitulation at Blackburn compounded that result. A hand-ball assisted goal by Van der Vaart was the decider in the loss to Spurs.  Afterwards we went on a run that saw us climb from the relegation zone right back up to the top five with a series of gritty performances. If the football wasn’t exactly flowing, the points were steadily accumulating. We thrashed Chelsea at the Bridge and won a Champions League group that appeared to be the toughest draw, whereas the wealthy Manchester clubs crashed out against far inferior competition.

O Captain, My Captain

we've got the best player in the league

It’s hard to believe there were doubts about Robin Van Persie’s credentials as a leader when you look back over the season he is having. Even as a longtime admirer of his playing ability I have to admit that he continues to impress in this regard. Amy Lawrence sums it up rather nicely in her piece for The Guardian. No disrespect to Henry or Fabregas as players but they don’t have a patch on RVP as a captain. He arrived with questions over his temperament and survived questions of his durability and we are now seeing the man, who grew up loving the club he now plays for [see him as a kid in the Arsenal kit on Stuart MacFarlane’s Flickr], emerge as a leader to rival Vieira and Adams. He inspires this Arsenal side. His technical ability was never in doubt. In fact, the likes of Bergkamp, Henry, Van Basten, and Cruyff have testified glowingly on behalf of his footballing skill.

Walking In A Bergkamp Wonderland

that goal against Newcastle

The only thing missing from this drawing is the brick that Nikos Dabizas shat right after that indelible flick and turn from Dennis Bergkamp. To add insult to injury he was muscled off the ball by the Dutchman, who then gave Shay Given the eyes to the near post and passed it into the far corner cool as you like.