Theo Walcott opens the score.
[Photo: Getty Images via Soccernet Photo Gallery]
Today, at the JJB Stadium, the young deflated north London team encountered heavy resistance from Martínez's men; the Gunners lost a two-goal lead advantage with three goals in about ten minutes. A dose of their own medicine was administered quick as any chance of title vanished within N'Zogbia's celebration. Almunia, apparently suffered from a wrist injury and Fabianski was in charge of Arsenal's goal; bad call. In any case, the Gunners must maintain their ground in order not to give more points to retain that precious third place, which will automatically qualify them for European football next season.
Also, next week's clash could be something special when Emmanuel Adebayor returns to his former club after that horrid cameo. Reception will be hostile, and he should expect nothing less, after all he said and did. Were the couple weeks have been devastating, losing to Barça, and probably most important, to Tottenham pride wasn't restored with this deflating scoreline.
Emmanuel Eboué in dismay; the story of the season so far.
[Photo: Getty Images via Soccernet Photo Gallery]
The beautiful turf at the JJB was in perfect condition for the match. The home team took advantage of this situation and attacked thoroughly at least in the first fifteen minutes. The Gunners retaliated only when they acquired some confidence in the twentieth minute or so through the sole game of Samir Nasri. Captain Campbell headed a "decent chance" set by Denilson far from Kirkland's post. Slowly, the visitors imposed certain attitude and by the 30th minute, things settled at least in terms of possession.
With ten minutes to go, the Gunners created at least four ambitious chances. One thing to note was the slow response from the Arsenal players to start producing some football; even when certain pundits and would attribute this to the "visiting" factor, it took nearly thirty-odd minutes for them to accommodate in the pitch.
"Always cheating" chants were beginning to drool the stadium as the Gunners won nearly every last ball in the final minutes. Just as the half was fading the young speeder Walcott picked a through ball from Bendtner and he finished with a defender trailing; another shot off target gave him the "confidence needed" to secure another start.
N'Zogbia shoots to edge the Gunners.
[Photo: Getty Images via Soccernet Photo Gallery]
Apparently Nasri pulled Watson but the ref made the call to ignore it. In the next three minutes the Gunners took advantage of some poor marking and Sylvestre headed to put the ball in the back of the net. Just imagine how dreadful the defensive work may have been to let old Mikaël score! Even when the efforts by the home team were not copious, yet there seemed that with the current horrid run of games offered -defensively speaking- conceding was around the corner.
The game moved on and it turned out to be a quite comfortable deadlock for the Londoners. The dedication of the home supporters -singing and bantering the whole ninety minutes- was outstanding. But the lucky streak of opportunities passed out as the Latics translated that force from their supporters into the field; ten minutes to go Watson smashed a cross form the left. Suddenly the two-goal lead was at risk.
The introduction of Fran Mérida brought absolutely no change nor renovation to the depleted London squad; unlike his Spanish team mate Eboué imprinted certain speed. Arsenal's unfocused presentation appeared unlikely that the home team managed to pull such a feat of making two goals in the remaining three minutes; somehow they made it as another deceit from Fabianski blew out Arsenal's "title challenge".
The way the Pole tried to secure the ball was immensely disappointing worth of an amateur keeper. Again Arsenal paid their mistakes with such poor keeping. The Polish nightmare was completed when N'Zogbia stroke a barbaric shot in the post to rebound in the net.
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