April has started and as last year's pandemonium of matches the toughest challenge of the year in one of the most fixture-congested months in the season has begun. We will ses if the Gunners are able to earn some silverware in the two fronts left as they climb positions with now a 17-match without-loosing streak. Regarding World Cup Qualifications round nothing new came to surface except the ban of Barry Ferguson from Scotland's squad due to a drinking desobedience issue before, during and after the match.
After a delightful international break the Gunners received Man City: Cesc Fabregas finally made his return after the knee injury he suffered against Liverpool nearly four months ago. The horrid exhibition at City's ground earlier this season seemed a thing of the past and certainly this was a different match. The international break functioned quite well for the Gunners as nearly all the players returned without constrains. After this match Villareal away is what expects for the North London side, next Tuesday. Of course, almost every fan and even players are excited about this match. Yet in the plethora of idiotic declarations that surge in Gunners' news this intelligent man finally makes a far more intelligent remark.
In our ever silent watch at Gunners' enemies, Villareal lost 3-0 against Mr. Sánchez's Almeria. In other news the late show by Utd over Villa ensured Arsenal even a broader advantage in the race for the fourth place, that now seems far enogh to worry fans contradicting the position of a few months ago.
With all this information the game seemed odd enough but the immedite response to this environmet was Adebayor header in the 9th minute. A perfect Cesc freekick-setup and a reluctant and distracted defense gave the Gunners the early lead. Arsenal had the game dominated through the first half, mostly due to the absence of response by the Northern opposition. By the 25' Arsenal had arrived at least in four occasions showing the strange talent of the whole squad. Even defendesrs like Touré approched more and more towards Given's goal. The Citizens tried well enough several times to overcome the Gunners with possession but the lack of quality and resilience was enough to show their futile attempts brought to an end rapidly. Arshavin's shot at 44' was among the highlights of the first half.
Next half grew more ambitious with City's attempts growing by the miute although they were killed immediately by a brilliant goal, again with the association of the midfield maestro Fabregas. A flick, that seemed strangely familiar to the one scored by Güiza against Turkey in the last EURO 2208, from the captain to Adebayor was enoguh to see the latter net easily past Given. From then on the match was a pure soliloquy by the London team, that managed the pace at their will and allowing themeselves to fail event the most obvious of opportunities.
Regarding the job of Arshavin, Latorre commented that the Russian is a player that moves with the ball instead of touching it as his fellow teammates. The dissapearance of the miniature Russian was due to one reason only: the forward aspect of Cesc in the field. This enhacement made by Wenger gives Cesc energy and less physical display but a free way to wander on the pitch. Strangely enough, as it has been with many of these repositionings, he did not appeared much. One can obviously argue that it was due to an injury problem after nealy four months sidelined, but the Russian player was shadowed when Cesc was too near to him. In any case this problem will be solved with the addition of van Persie in the squad; a more wide place for Arshavin.
Theo Walcott, beaten to death by City defenders, wasted several chances in front of goal but with certain key players off-pitch Wenger tried in to some young guns such as the criticised Bendtner and the Welshman Ramsey. With a few glimpses from the latter and an awful shot from the former the match ended quite calmed, with a clean sheet for the Gunners and a satisfaction to face Villareal next Saturday.
And finally to some of my countrymen Javier Aguirre has taken the role of manager, succeding Sven Goran Eriksson. More of that will be treated later.
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