This season for Arsenal
fans has undoubtedly been one to forget. Currently languishing in the
obscurity, yet strange security, which is 4th spot at the moment
seems as though it’s a regular season for Arsenal in recent years yet it is not
what the fans expect or want. That doesn’t tell the whole story though,
Arsenal’s season has been on the brink of disastrous and their early season
form was encapsulated in the 8 – 2 capitulation at Old Trafford. No desire, no
passion, no quality.
However, for the white
side of North London, the grass had looked as green as ever. Despite a 3rd
round loss to Stoke City in the Carling Cup and a lacklustre showing in the
Europa League, which was self-induced because of Harry Redknapp’s desire to do
well in the league (this is shown as he completely left Rafael Van Der Vaart
out of the Europa League squad). Spurs form in the league had been consistently
good and their quality was able to lift them to third in the league above their
local rivals and within an outside shout of a title challenge and this was
backed up by a currently on-going run in the F.A cup.
Fast-forward the year
to February 26th to the North London derby, a fixture which Arsenal
hadn’t won in the league in four meetings. Arsenal fans watched the first 35
minutes from behind the sofa or through the bottom of a pint glass as Arsenal
gifted Spurs a two-goal lead and the bottlers tag started to creep up on the
Arsenal squad again. But within three minutes, Spurs had relinquished their two
goal buffer and Arsenal were back on level terms, the half-time whistle went
and when the teams came back out for the second half, never had the cliché
“It’s a game of two halves” been more apt. Arsenal scored three goals in the
second half and demolished Tottenham, at one point in the afternoon Arsenal
were 13 points behind Tottenham and quickly that gap had been shortened to
seven points.
Around then was Spurs
worst form of the season, losing away to Man City; if only narrowly and drawing
to Liverpool saw Spurs outstanding form come to a sudden struggle. Spurs
haven’t won in the league since beating Wigan on January 31st and
since the Arsenal game they’ve lost both league encounters; with Man United and
Everton respectively. Arsenal’s form has a stark contrast, they are unbeaten in
the league in six games, winning five and drawing one and they have come from
behind to win in their last four. Because the two teams contrasting form has
coincided with each other, the gap is now just a solitary point that separates
third place Tottenham from their local rivals a place below them, leaving Spurs
feeling the collective Arsenal breath on their necks.
The reason that many
have mooted as the major point of Spurs downfall is the England managerial talk
surrounding current gaffer Harry Redknapp. The talk seemed justified the week
it came to surface as Spurs smashed Newcastle 5 – 0 and fans were pleading with
‘Arry to hang around. Since then however, a tough run of fixtures and
disappointing results and the unsettling talk seems to have slowed the Spurs
juggernaut.
The upturn in form of
Arsenal coincided with their rivals dip, it seemed as though Arsenal turned a
corner in their season when they came from two-goals down to thrash Spurs at
the Emirates, in terms of success it came too little, too late, but in terms of
salvaging some pride and a basis to build on next season, it came at the
perfect time.
Since the Spurs game, Arsenal have beaten off two of their 4th
place rivals in Liverpool and Newcastle and they also came agonizingly close to
overturning a first-leg four goal deficit against AC Milan. These results have
come from a correlation of good team spirit and personal form of individual
players.
However, one man who
can’t be blamed of having bad form is captain fantastic Robin Van Persie. With
33 goals in all competitions this season, Van Persie really has been a talisman
for Arsenal this season and fans will be pleading with the club to tie him down
to a new contract as he has been in exquisite form. Van Persie had been
carrying Arsenal for much of the season but the improvement in form of Thomas
Vermaelen and Laurent Koscielny, the return of important players and the
emergence of players such as Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Wojciech Szczesny all
formulated into a solution of the early season troublesome Arsenal equations.
With tough games left
and stiff competition coming from West London in the form of Chelsea, the race
for the last automatic Champions League spot is well and truly in the balance.
Arsenal’s pedigree for the Champions League is a real danger for Spurs but
Spurs have turned into a team that can’t be doubted due to their quality. Will
Spurs finish above Arsenal for the first time since 1995 and make this season
memorable, or will Arsenal’s experience in dealing with the Champions League
spots shine through?
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