Aston Villa v. Arsenal 2-2 26/Dec/08

Villa deserves revenge at home since the last time both teams met at the Grove with a humiliating defeat two-nil, thanks to an own goal and a stunner from Agbonlahor. Disgracefully that revenge will have to wait another year when the Gunners took an impressive and unexpected lead of two that was nullified in the last minutes. With "Villa wrote off from championship" according to Wenger, the ones that are getting off the title race are Arsenal since all our hopes resided in our flamant Skipper Cesc had vanished. Yes, vanished. Cesc was the hope and the medial knee ligament injury is a tough and painful one (from experience I can tell). We are off without Cesc, that is for good. Anyway returning to the match Arsenal...





... saw some modifications, with Silvestre as left back. I do not know if Wenger could, at least, change midfielders from position as often as he does it in the defense department. Although this could make wide material discussion the defense has been the most vulnerable of Arsenal's, in a sense thanks to this modifications. The visiting side was dispossessed and lacked ball control, accuracy and passing. Villa seemed to have measured all of Arsenal's tricks and the only connection to the Dutchman in front was through long balls. Gabriel drove Silvestre nuts the entire game and by the 16' possession stat showed a miserable 26% for the Gunners. Villa pressure increased through minutes even with several arrivals from van Persie. Most of Villa's attacks came from the feet of Young who took advantage of the Arsenal's diminished right side. The zonal block defending was crushed when the miraculuous and unexpected lead came for the Londoners, at 41', with an arrival of Brazilian Denilson. The undeserved lead gave the Arsenal plenty of morale to end the first half. This part ended with the substitution of Song with Welshman Ramsey, due to an injury.





At 46' the Boxing Day glory for Arsenal kept with a Diaby play. The combination of Diaby with Eboue, in a handful of tricks and a later shot kept the visiting side two-nil up. Certainly when Diaby performs well at midfield, he scores and this was not the opposite case. According to Javier Tabares the impact of the first goal held the Villains still. Arsenal dominion of the match came naturaly and Ramsey introduction to the match brought balance to a diminished and weak midfield. But as every fairy story the doom came for Arsenal at 64' when the idiocy of William Gallas rose. Exactly when the real Skipper is unavailable Gallas has a criminal mind in which all kind of dumb things abruptly come. He provoked the penalty, in a late sliding tackle, on Agbonlahor. Barry did not missed from the spot and the game was now 1-2. Strangely enough it seems that Gallas idiocy arises each time he steps on Birmingham soil as you can remember on last year's fatidic match. Several bookings were part of the growing preoccupation for the Londoners as the final minutes came. Nasri's substituion was just a reminder of the tight battles helds in the pitch as Arsenal defended with five. Four minutes were added (only God knows from where the ref got them) and in the 93' the equalizer came after a poor defending by Arsenal, through the left foot of Zat Knight.


It has been a tough weeek, with gossip alm around; Villa wrote off title, Alonso's renewed move to the Grove, CR7 saga strikes again and even Wenger at Madrid.


Although the last match of the year is against Portsmouth, you know, dear reader, that I do not like to do "End of Year Specials" since we consider final as season ends. Even though, I would like to thank each and every person who has visited this blog this year. We have seen Mexico's caatstrophe in pre-olmpics, Spain rise in EURO and Arsenal's defeat at UCL. With home fixtures against Plymouth and Bolton we will resume next year's action. Thank you dear reader and happy Christmas.