Aston Villa's 2-0 victory over Arsenal at the Emirates was definitely the game of the weekend, and brought to mind how far the Gunners have fallen. I don't want it to seem like I'm hopping on the anti-Arsenal bandwagon(it's pretty crowded). Their critics say that they emphasize style over substance, but I think there's also a certain degree of xenophobia involved. Arsenal became the first team in the Premiership to pick a match-day squad without an Englishman. This is more a credit to their squad than an indictment of their academy, with Muamba, Sidwell, Bentley and Pennant all unable to make the grade in North London. While other teams were relying on the long ball, Arsenal's quick passing, fluid style saw them become the first, and only, undefeated team in Premiership history in 2004. However, it's pretty clear that this squad is not of the same caliber.Jen Lehmann was never the steadiest of keepers(understatement). He seemed to think he was wearing boxing gloves, and never passed up the opportunity to use them. When he stayed out of trouble he was a fine keeper, and he didn't miss a match in the 2003-2004. The fact that Manuel Almunia is being mentioned as an England keeper says more about the state of English goalkeeping than it does about Almunia. He is definitely the worst keeper among the Big 4, and while he has a good save record on pk's, he's unconvincing when coming to the ball. One can only wonder how Arsenal would be doing with Shay Given or Jussi Jaaskelainen between the sticks.
Arsenal have been inconsistent at the back this year, especially their central defenders. Injuries to Toure and Gallas have seen Silvestre come in the side, and the fact that Man U were willing to sell him to the Gunners shows what they rated him. Clichy and Sagna have been much better, but neither are very offensive and they have had their own injury problems. The Invincibles had Toure and Campbell in the center of defense, and they only missed 5 games between them. Ashley Cole and Lauren played on the wings, while Pascal Cygan and Clichy provided cover for the back line. Communication is very important among the back line, and Invincibles had all four defenders start 30 or more games. The constant shuffling this year, combined with Almunia have seen a softer defense.
The Arsenal midfield this year has talent, but it's quite raw. Fabregas is one of the best midfielders in the world, but he's only 21. Walcott and Nasri are great on the wings, but are second rate at tracking back and can easily disappear from games. The inexperience of Denilson, Song and Diaby shows. The loss of Rosicky to injury, the sale of Hleb and the departure of Flamini are being felt. They don't have a player that can win the ball in the middle of the field, and give Fabregas license to go upfield like Flamini did last year. The Invincibles midfield had a lot more grit. Viera and Gilberto could both put in a hard tackle, and then start the counter attack with a quick pass. Pires and Ljungberg were great on the wings, but weren't afraid to use their studs. Parlour, Edu, Wiltord and Jose Antonio Reyes filled any gaps in the midfield. They may not have had the same pace as the current team, but with they covered their defenders well and made hard tackles that started the classic Arsenal counter attack.
One place Arsenal have more talent is up front, but it's quality not quantity that matters. With Adebayor, Van Persie, Bendtner and Vela there is plenty of skill. There are also plenty of injuries and suspensions. It seems to take two strikers to replace one Henry, and that is felt throughout the side. Henry netted 30 goals in 37 games during Arsenal's undefeated season. Bergkamp was a great provider, and Aliadiere and Kanu also lined up alongside him. Henry had nearly half the goals, but everyone else in the side chipped in. Not only did they give up the fewest goals, they also scored the most.It's hard to imagine that we'll ever see another undefeated season. The competition at the top of the table is better, and even the easy sides put up a fight. The team that Arsenal put on the pitch on Saturday couldn't hold a candle to that 2003-2004 side. Wenger would agree, and say that he is building a young squad for the future. The question is, will the future ever come? Players want to win, and they also want top pay. At Arsenal, both are a few years away. Watching the young Gunners beat Wigan in the Carling Cup gave a lot of Arsenal fans hope for the future. Arsenal fans hope they'll be a great addition to the squad in a few years, not wholesale replacements for players that have been sold for the bottom line or moved on for higher wages.
One Liners
- Capello looks at Gerrard's groin, doesn't like what he sees and sends him home
- Schuster gets vote of confidence, that's the good news
- Drogba admits missile charge, apparently 2 pence is what goes for a missile in England these days
- Barton out for 2 months, tears fall in jail cells throughout England
- Bent said he struggled to communicate with Ramos, apparently Ramos sucked at Pictionary
