Arsenalist

Ask most football fans what the best way to win a game is and they would probably say a last minute goal.

Grabbing all three points when you were resigned to one gives supporters that extra buzz. These mental blows occur away from the stadium too as rival supporters cheer your opponents on, and will be devastated to see you nick the points.

This will have been the case on Saturday as no doubt fans of Chelsea and Manchester United were willing on Hull to check Arsenals’ title charge. Indeed, the win saw Arsenal’s Premier League odds shorten yet further.

For 90 minutes they did that, just. Despite their lowly position The Tigers don’t actually lose many games at home and have recorded decent results against Chelsea, Everton and Man City at the KC this season.

They would always make it difficult for the Gunners on a heavy pitch just days after a Champions League game.

But if in the wake of the Aaron Ramsay’s injury two weeks ago you thought there would be a change of tactics when it comes to tackling nobody told Phil Brown.

The Hull boss backed George Boetang after the game after the Dutchman was shown two yellow cards just before the break, saying he had done nothing wrong. How Brown can say that and keep a straight face I don’t know.

First he poked Bendtner in the eye and then he made a horrible studs-up, knee-high tackle on Bacary Sagna which could have easily put the Arsenal player in hospital. But such are the fine margins in football Sagna escaped without injury, while Ramsey’s leg remains in a cast after a bad tackle a fortnight ago. It looks like Arsenal are going to have to do things the hard way this season.

Back to the game and after Arshavin’s classy opener was cancelled out by Bullard, Arsenal began to look a little leggy – no surprise after their exertions against Stoke and Porto. But if you want to win the league you need to pick up points when you are not playing well and the manner of Arsenals’ winner, in the third minute of stoppage time, suggests this could well indeed be their year.

A last gasp Steve Bruce double for Man United against Sheffield Wednesday in April 1993 is often used as an example of how a pivotal game, indeed a pivotal moment, in a season can change the destiny of a side.
If Arsenal have the Premier League title in their hands come May, they could well point to that day in Hull as their pivotal moment.

For his part Bendtner will be looking to continue his fine form until the end of the season and beyond.

The World Cup 2010 betting currently makes Denmark outsiders, but if the Arsenal player can keep scoring they might cause a few upsets.

MOTD Highlights:

Andrei Arshavin 1-0: Watch :: Download

Horseshit 1-1: Watch :: Download

Nicklas Bendtner 2-1: Watch :: Download

Arsenal.com Match Report

Wenger Interview :: Bendtner Interview :: Shitbag Interview

Twitter – @arsenalist

Full Highlights:

Bendtner 1-0: Watch :: Download

Bendtner 2-0: Watch :: Download

Nasri 3-0: Watch :: Download

Eboue 4-0: Watch :: Download

Bendtner (Foul + Penalty) 5-0: Watch :: Download

BBC Wenger Interview :: Sky Sports Wenger Interview

Arsenal.com Match Report

Twitter – @arsenalist

Watch MOTD Highlights

Cesc Fabregas 1-0: Watch :: Download

Some guy who sleeps with his mother: Watch :: Download

Theo Walcott 2-1: Watch :: Download

Andrei Arshavin 3-1: Watch :: Download

Wenger Interview :: Walcott Interview :: Laws Interview

Arsenal.com Match Report

Twitter – @arsenalist

A Premier League victory has never seemed hollower for Arsenal fans in the wake of that shocking injury to Aaron Ramsey at the Britannia Stadium.

It was a nightmare revisited for the Gunners – the sight of one of their own writing in agony on the ground, his team-mates covering their faces in anguish, the physio and medical staff rushing onto the field. It was St Andrews all over again.

Like that day almost exactly two years ago the Arsenal player was the victim of a crude, clumsy but not malicious tackle. Ryan Shawcross is a full-blooded defender and went into the tackle 100 per cent. But with Ramsay’s ankle stuck in the turf, it caught the full force of the defender’s weight. Shawcross’s reaction afterwards said it all. He will take the punishment heading his way but he doesn’t deserve to be persecuted forever more as it is clear he didn’t intend to deliberately injure the Welsh midfielder.

It was still a nasty sight though and one which visibly shook up the Arsenal players. It is still too early to tell the seriousness of Ramsay’s injury, apart from the fact his season is over. We can only hope he has as speedy recovery as possible and he can one day return to the field to fulfil his enormous potential.

Back to the game and it would have been understandable if the remaining players buckled under the pressure. But the vital late win shows there is a spirit in the camp, one that was sadly absent at Birmingham two years ago.

Then the game ended with a clumsy penalty conceded and William Gallas refused to leave the pitch in protest. It was a terrible day all round.

But with this team there appeared a steely determination to rise against adversity, and turn a negative into a positive. Despite Arsenal’s relatively favourable fixture list this game was a major banana skin. So to come away with a 3-1 win, just hours after seeing City trounce Chelsea, puts them right back in the title race.

A title winner’s medal would certainly help Aaron Ramsay on his long road to recovery and the Premier League odds suggest Wenger’s men are in with a chance.

For his part, Shawcross will hope the incident does not hit his chances of securing a spot in England’s World Cup squad.

England’s defence has been hit by injuries and withdrawals and the will need a solid backline if they are to justify their position as third favourites in the World Cup betting.

Slightly longer MOTD highlight pack with the injury analysis at the end.

After the Ramsey injury, this team could’ve folded like it did against Birmingham when Eduardo got injured or responded. They responded. We were the better side after the first 10 minutes and fully deserved the full three points. Stoke tried to bully their way but we wouldn’t have any of it and rightfully spanked the shit out of the cunts.

The skinny guy from Superbad 1-0: Watch :: Download

Bendtner (from a perfect Fabregas cross) 1-1: Watch :: Download

Download First Half Highlights

Aaron Ramsey Penalty Shout: Watch :: Download

Aaron Ramsey Injury (graphic, his foot’s hanging): Watch :: Another vid :: Download

Handball and Fabregas Penalty 2-1: Watch :: Download

Vermaelen 3-1: Watch :: Download

Fabregas Interview :: Pulis Interview :: Wenger Interview

Twitter – @arsenalist

2 back of United, 6 of Chelsea. Much better than how things stood a couple weeks ago.

Nicklas Bendtner (good work by Eboue): Watch :: Download

Cesc Fabregas (foul + penalty): Watch :: Download

Wenger Interview :: Bruce Interview :: Sky Sports Wenger Interview

Arsenal.com Match Report

Twitter – @arsenalist

Moral of the story: Fabianski is trash and our strikers are ineffective. Also, Clichy is done. But we can overcome this by scoring just one goal in three weeks time.

Fabianski Own Goal (Clichy turned inside out): Watch :: Download

Sol Campbell: Watch :: Download

Another Sham Goal, Fabianski and Sol fuck up: Watch :: Download

Arsenal.com Match Report

Wenger Interview :: Wenger ITV Interview (UK) :: Fabregas ITV Interview (UK)

Twitter – @arsenalist

It was a cheerful end to a bruising fortnight.

The scrappy and, I admit, fairly dull win over Liverpool confirmed our place just ahead of the Merseysiders. However, the two thumpings which preceded it showed how far behind Manchester United and Chelsea the Gunners really are.

Still, results elsewhere and our games to come mean I’m at least a little optimistic for the rest of the season. Perhaps it’s just the eternal optimist in me poking its head above the parapet, but I don’t think we’re out of things just yet.

In previous seasons matches between the Big Four were seen as decisive in the title race as it was a given they would pick up points elsewhere. That isn’t the case this season – we could lose the ‘title six-pointers’ and still finish top.

For starters Chelsea have looked distinctly average in recent slip ups against Hull and Everton, while United are relying on Rooney to drag them through matches. In a league that is more competitive than ever I can see both sides dropping points in unlikely places from now until May. The Premier League title race is far from over.

Arsenal’s fixtures between now and the end of the season see them play a glut of relegation strugglers, some mid-table sides and four of the current top eight.

The home games against Sunderland, Burnley, West Ham, Wolves and Fulham are all winnable, as is Hull away.

These teams are likely to park the bus, but we should have enough to break them down. Eighteen points from these games would do nicely.

Wigan, Stoke and Blackburn away might prove to be trickier prospects.

The media would have us believe that southern softies Arsenal come unstuck against “gritty” northern opposition. There is a school of thought that says if you get stuck in against Wenger’s men they will fold. It is not entirely untrue and Wenger’s stubborn refusal to play any other way leaves him open to such criticism. The side will have to show great spirit if they are to take the points from these games. Five points would be a decent haul.

Perhaps the biggest games in the run in will be Birmingham and Tottenham away and Man City and Fulham at home.

All these sides find themselves in the top eight and these matches could prove pivotal in the title race. We need to win our home games so revenge for Adebayor’s celebration and a win over Fulham would go down well, victory over Spurs would be nice as always and even a draw against Birmingham would be acceptable.

That would leave Arsenal on 85 points, a more than competitive total and one that has been enough to win the Premier League on seven occasions.

The football odds suggest a title win is unlikely, especially as I have already spoken about the competitiveness of the league, but it is at least something to hope for after a tricky few weeks for the Gooners.

Great game. Yes, the better parts of it were dull but sometimes that’s how a game needs to be played. The second-half saw an inspired performance from Arsenal and their persistence to go forward paid off. The backs did a good job of backtracking and even though Liverpool had their half-chances on the counter, the overall effort was solid and much improved from the weekend. Man Utd dropped 2 and Chelsea dropped 3. Spurs also lost to Wolves.

Diaby 1-0 Download :: DM

Wenger Interview :: Benitez Interview :: Fabregas Interview

BBC Wenger Interview :: Benitez Interview

Arsenal.com Match Report

Twitter – @arsenalist