ARSENAL 0, ASTON VILLA 2
Clichy cock-up leaves Wenger on a downer
AFTER the Lord Mayor, the nightmare. After the feast, the famine.
Serves Arsene Wenger right for playing his second-string side.
No wonder the Frenchman - following a dressing-room inquest that stretched longer than Emmanuel Adebayor - looked as bemused and as downbeat as he possibly has in his entire Arsenal manager's reign.
The players, for whose performance a Gael Clichy own goal and a Gabriel Agbonlahor strike was lenient punishment, were rumoured to be angry and devastated at a result that surely puts a November end to May pipe-dreams.
Wenger was simply non-plussed.
"It is unexplainable," he said. "We did not play near our potential. Villa deserved to win.
"You cannot speak about whether you will be champions or not be champions at this stage but to be champions you need to be consistent - and we are not."
Admission
Which is as close to admitting the league crown is beyond their grasp again. And it would be a justified admission. Defeats by Stoke, Fulham, Hull and Aston Villa before the first Christmas party disgraces football is not the form of would-be champions.
Only hearts and minds will be won by Arsenal. And even those were beyond them in 90 minutes when they were outplayed, outfought and, to Martin O'Neill's credit, outthought.
Manchester United's idealistic approach last weekend gave Wenger's team freedom of expression. O'Neill's side were far from unambitious but their priority was to press the princely Arsenal midfield. They were as persistent as a clutch of Tenerife timeshare salesmen.
It meant the only stride found by the home side belonged to Theo Walcott, who appears to be the only man who accelerates with the ball at his feet.
Threat
But he was the only home threat. And it was the vaguest of threats. Wenger repeatedly speaks about that need for consistency. Well, this was consistently poor.
When Wenger cushioned a first-half Clichy clearance as it headed towards the dugout, it was the finest piece of Arsenal control in a game smothered with quite remarkable Villa dominance.
They broke like bullets from a gun.
Ashley Young should be in the vanguard of the post-Beckham generation of players. Quick, incisive with the mental agility to constantly vary his angled runs.
He had already scissored William Gallas and his cohorts on several occasions before drawing a teenager's challenge out of Walcott.
Spot
Ref Mike Riley correctly called it a boot-size inside the area and Young clenched a celebratory fist.
Too soon, Ashley. Manuel Almunia dropped on his effort from the spot and Gallas - with the aid of an illegal head start - followed up with an impressive clearance. But Young, who nicked the post with a beauty, was far from alone in doing scant justice to Villa's superiority.
Gareth Barry - orchestrating midfield mastery with considerable help from Steve Sidwell - was left lamenting the weakness of his right foot and Stiliyan Petrov skewed badly when in a prime position.
So it was left to Clichy to reward them properly as he headed in Young's 70th-minute inswinger. Apologists will say he was under pressure from Agbonlahor, that these things happen. Well, they shouldn't.
Mistake
Clichy is a winger doing a full-back's job. He takes a defensive mistake out with him every time he emerges from the dressing room.
He contributes enormously to their wonderfully offensive style of play - and he contributes enormously to their woefully fragile defensive policy.
In fact, Arsenal's entire back four, even five, have a permanent case of the shakes.
Wenger, who pointed out that the seriously-injured Bacary Sagna was prostrate when Clichy put into his own net, almost pointed an accusing finger at his defence but he was predictably testy about the performance of Riley. He was wrong.
Fault
For once, a referee refused to pander to the power-brokers of the Premier League. Wenger claimed: "It was the clearest of fouls on Carlos Vela before their second goal and we might have been going for 1-1 rather than going 2-0 down."
Riley indeed may have missed a Curtis Davies offence against the Mexican prior to that clinching second. But it was not the fault of Riley that Gallas defended like an old mother when Martin Laursen's Twickenham-style punt was converted by Agbonlahor. Nor was it the fault of Riley that Cesc Fabregas muddled through the game like a big drinker stumbling into the night.
Nor that Denilson melted in the blast of Villa's physical heat. Nor that the introduction of Adebayor gave the imperious Laursen his first anxious moment.
It was the fault of players who simply could not respond to a fine Villa display. Boss O'Neill said: "I thought we were exhilarating. We were a joy to watch. We broke quickly and deserved to win. We played without fear and didn't panic when we didn't take early chances."
Arsenal may still have a hand to play at the business end of the season but, yesterday, they were inexplicably poor. Yet that was still no excuse for the exodus of fans long before the final whistle.
The Emirates is the home of the short pass - and the short memory.
This article has 22 comments
Arsenal and Wenger are becoming embarrasing to our (supportes) physche, wenger shoud be fired if the club wins no troiphy at the end of this season.
By smart. Posted November 17 2008 at 2:22 PM.
Arsenal, were a disgrace to watch on satday, i sat through the match horrified and embarras, its high time arsene wenger realize you dnt win trophies with boys but with strong and able men. Fabrehgas was a disaster, denilson a liability, and gallas a passenger on d field. We deserve better than this from wenger and his boys.
By smart- abuja nigeria. Posted November 17 2008 at 2:18 PM.
why are arse-nal supporters moaners,you brought all these to yourselves,with your arrogance,whenever arse-nal wins a game you over praise and overrate your team ,imagine fabregas sayin thier women will beat spurs ,what happened later.you are gone already better fight to qualify for EUFA!!!
By john blues. Posted November 17 2008 at 12:53 PM.
The coach is to blame for all this.The teams plays too many passes, which gives the opposition time to recover.How do we expect a team to score goals when they dont cross the ball into the D zone,how can a team score when they dont shoot at goal.Whats the point of having wing players when they dont go round the defence & cross for strikers.The team needs a holding midfielder to protect the defence, the caliber of Obi Mikel, Makelele who does not go too far forward.
By shoes. Posted November 16 2008 at 8:23 PM.
Lets face it as a gooner, we an't going to win the title this season and AW knows this. It looks like we've moved a season back to 05-06 when we lost 8 premship games in the season.
I'm sure AW should be questioning himself for how long the fans are going to be behind him, coz seasons have come and gone ans still the cabinet at the Emirates is still empty.
Paying an average £60 a ticket in this economic climate will start ti feel the pinch should things continue ging on like this. I recall Fergi stating how Arsenal will cope when times are hard. That time sure an't far away now.
I love my team, but something surely tells me there is no money to spend to buy top players, sure we can fant about it, but thats a fact.
By grant chinyuku. Posted November 16 2008 at 3:22 PM.
The reason arsenal lost is that they have been found out. Their play is one dimensional and they lack flair imagination and balls. Villa just sat back and let them make their own mistakes same as Hull.
By Alfie. Posted November 16 2008 at 3:06 PM.
Arsenal have lacked quality players for a long time the sooner wenger realises the better, We need players coming in like Jimmy Bullard i know it sounds stupid but the lad is quality, English and he has got passion which arsenal lack.
By mike. Posted November 16 2008 at 2:42 PM.
All Arsenal fans , get these issues now and stop celeberating your win over man utd .You were happy to beat man utd last. that match was a kind of arrangee match to save your coach from being sacked cos there was really plan to kick him out.Did you see him and alex sharing drinks together before the match have you seen or heard that before NO .
By temple man utd. Posted November 16 2008 at 12:56 PM.
Bendtner is the worst striker ive seen in an arsenal shirt, he doesnt know what to do when he gets the ball i cant believe what le professor has seen in him le professor is losing the plot. GUNNERS for life.
By FAZ. Posted November 16 2008 at 12:27 PM.
7 English players in the Villa team - played with fluency and purpose.
1 English player in the Arsenal team - played like you would expect a bunch of continental journeymen to play.
By ModestMouse. Posted November 16 2008 at 10:49 AM.
the emirates is beggining to be a happy ground for the villa still undefeated at the stadium
By askpaul68. Posted November 16 2008 at 10:40 AM.
Arsenal just don't have the consistency to win the league this season, you can't lose to Fulham, Stoke, Hull and now Villa before christmas and expect to win the league.
Villa on the other hand are going from strength to strength and the top 4 is a possability if they can avoid blips like Newcastle and Boro.
By The Gallster. Posted November 16 2008 at 10:03 AM.
bendner is not good enough he would not get into any off the top six teams yet wenger plays him we need some good english players well done martin o neil time to bring in the youngsters i think
By patrick. Posted November 16 2008 at 9:12 AM.
I think this is a classic example of "After the Lord Mayor's Show." Arsenal had to raise their game to beat Man United but can't do it on a regular basis.
Arsenal fans are deluding themselves if they think they have a team capable of winning the Premiership.
By John Mullany. Posted November 16 2008 at 8:26 AM.
time is up for wenger the man is clearly deluded arsenal were short of players at the start of the season and are still short now.wenger ego on winning the league with this side is not going to work .He has been a great manager at asenal but the time is right bfor arsenal to move on , you only have to look to see who wenger made captain to see how much he has lost touch with reality.I see a mid table finish .
By michael garnham. Posted November 16 2008 at 7:53 AM.
I must admit to being exceedingly happy to learn of this result. A good hiding for Arsenal is always pleasing. I am especially happy as it appears Arsenal are now out of the race for the title. Marvellous! Splendid!
By Sir Cecil. Posted November 16 2008 at 7:37 AM.
yeah i agree .Wrong formation 4-5-1 . AW suppose back to 4-4-2 with carlos vela partner Bendtner .
stupid Bendtner too ....
By harmi. Posted November 16 2008 at 5:58 AM.
I told u so last week, That win against ManU won't make u champs in May 2009. Wasn't I spot on on my comment that when ManU get their act together it'll like Barca. 5-0 vs Stoke. Well, ready to tremble u guys or err... ladies! Poor poor Arsenal U are GONERS!
By MHisham. Posted November 16 2008 at 3:18 AM.
Villa have consistently outplayed Arsenal in the past three, four meetings, only to either lose to the odd goal, scandalous refreeing, or just plain bad luck...they finally gtet justice!!!
By Booday10. Posted November 16 2008 at 1:16 AM.
Fabregas will leave in the summer - Wenger knows this, as he has to make a profit. All he does is bring players on, just for that profit, even if its a few million, to him thats better than being in debt. The board made an agreement with him many years ago that he wouldn't be sacked as long as he brought Champions League revenue to the club. He does, so as long as he finishes fourth, his job is safe. Two views on wenger - either he is mentally ill and is therefore delusional by thinking what he has is good enough. . .or he knows the team isn't good enough, but takes £75k a week to lie to the fans. I think that is what hurts. he keeps saying we will come back, but they shouldn't have to come back all the time.
It has been said that Arsenal have the third highest wage bill in Premier League. If this is true, I'd suggest Wenger has no idea at all what he is doing. Quite why he is paying Bendtner to play for Arsenal is insulting. The guy is a Championship player at most. People say, he's only young. Wenger says if you are good enough, you're old enough. He aint good enough full stop.
Football is full of ups and downs. Arsenal have to accept they won't chalenge for another 5 years at the very least if they continue this way.
heed my words, lads.
By One Love. Posted November 16 2008 at 12:59 AM.
i have been a gooner for over 30yrs. We should have arensal ladies in the premiership instead of this current team.
By patricia lee. Posted November 16 2008 at 12:52 AM.
clichy ? wat happed to gallas not preventing the cross or sagna going forward stupidly and walcott not providing any cover? I bet these stupid arsenal fans see how eboue compliments sagna now.. also why with a 4-5-1 against villa at home, with a rotteh striker like bendtner who can't get past his grand mother on the pitch let alone play alone up front.. arsene wenger is to blame for this losst as this was clearly rubbish tactics on his part.. watch arsneal crumble next summer.
By crappy. Posted November 15 2008 at 11:50 PM.