The race to be London's finest

The Barclays Premier League Champions for 2012-13 have already been crowned, Manchester United crossed that off the list of things to look forward to. The relegation battle too has already taken two casualties in QPR and Reading and Roberto Martinez's Wigan Athletic are in a trench war to avoid being the third. We are into the last 4 games (5 for some teams) of the season and it is the battle for the UEFA Champions League spots that is really hotting up.

Three teams from the capital - Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur from North London and the West Londoners Chelsea - are in the running to take 3rd and 4th spots in the league table. As it stands, it's Arsenal who are 3rd on 63 points followed by Chelsea with 62 and Tottenham with 61 points; that's as close as it gets. Although, one has to remember that the Blues and Tottenham have a game in hand which incidentally sees them play each other.

For Arsenal and Tottenham, all of their efforts and energy are solely directed at claiming that crucial Champions League spot. Chelsea are still involved in the Europa League; they beat FC Basel 2-1 away in Switzerland in the 1st leg of their semi-final tie on Thursday night. So while Arsene Wenger and Andre Villas-Boas (AVB) have one and only one competition to contend with, their opposite number Rafa Benitez has to juggle with rotating his squad of players in the best way possible as we near the end.

THE RUN-IN
Chelsea and Tottenham play each other at Stamford Bridge on the 8th of May. That game is a potential 6-pointer and could be very crucial in determining where both teams end up in the final scheme of things. For Chelsea, it comes 3 days after a trip to Old Trafford to face champions United, though there is always the likelihood of Ferguson giving his youngsters a chance with the title wrapped up. Outside of that huge fixture, Tottenham do appear to have a more tricky schedule as they play Wigan, Southampton, Stoke and Sunderland - 4 teams battling to avoid the drop. The end of the season is not the time to be playing such teams as with their backs against the wall they can cause an upset here or there.

Arsenal seem to have a clearer route to the last game with just Wigan, of the relegation teams featuring in the mix. Chelsea face a trip to Villa in their penultimate game before finishing off at home against Everton, who depending on how things go could still be in with an outside shot of making the Top 4 come the final day.

FORM GUIDE
Since the turn of the 30 game mark, all 3 teams have been unbeaten. Chelsea and Tottenham have identical records with 2 wins and a draw each in their 3 games while Arsenal have registered 3 wins and a draw having played a game more. And traditionally, the Gunners are known to finish their season strongly while Spurs will be keen to outdo their North London rivals. There are no concerns with regards to player availability for either team, especially for Tottenham after both Gareth Bale and Jermaine Defoe made impressive comebacks against Manchester City last weekend.

THE RAFA FACTOR
One person who could have a major say in Chelsea's fate is their manager (ok..interim) Rafa Benitez. The Spaniard already knows that he is not going to be in-charge next year. Having vented out his frustrations previously, Benitez will be keen to ensure that his 'interim' tenure here has some silver lining to it. And that silver lining that he's looking for could well be the Europa League trophy. Yes, the Europa League trophy and not Champions League qualification, because quite simply he's not going to be here next season and he could afford to not care less about whether Chelsea make Europe's premier competition or not. Even more so if you look at the flak that he's had to take (often undeserved) from the Chelsea fans.

So, he will look to guide the Blues to the Europa League glory, which makes for a nice addition on his CV. He's already a manager whose exploits in continental cup competitions are quite admirable and this could easily help him land a good job elsewhere when he does leave West London. In that eventuality, Chelsea's league campaign could well stutter with Rafa opting to play his best side in Europe.

WILL MERSEYSIDE HAVE A SAY?

Any slip-up on the part of these teams could leave Everton in with a chance of stealing one of those places. The Toffees are currently 5 points behind Tottenham having played an extra game and as such face a mammoth task if they are to somehow catapult themselves into the London dogfight. They do play Chelsea on the final day at Stamford Bridge and if the race goes all the way down to the wire, that game could very well prove decisive. Even if not furthering their own chances, they could well throw a spanner in the works for Roman Abramovich's Chelsea.

WHO WILL BE LONDON'S FINEST?

For Spurs, it represents an opportunity to overcome the disappointment of last season where their 4th place finish was rendered void by Chelsea clinching the Champions League. That saw them getting bumped down to the Europa League. Also, them making the grade would go some way in their efforts to keep hold of Gareth Bale.

Arsenal traditionally finish strong and another 3rd place finish, even 4th for that matter, will be a huge improvement from where they stood earlier. Champions League football is always a big draw when it comes to attracting the best players, and Arsenal need major additions to their squad next year.

Champions League winners, to being eliminated in the group stage to Europa League champions potentially, it has been a chaotic season for Chelsea. A revamp of the team has been undertaken with a new brand of attacking football with a lot of flair on display this season. Transition times are always rocky, but Chelsea have managed to stay in the fight. The youngsters who've joined in have had a good first season and will be primed to have a second crack at Europe next year. They will need to finish strongly to ensure that opportunity and avoid missing out on Champions League football. 

English football's failings on Europe's biggest stage

Germany and Spain each have 2 representatives in the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League, Europe's premier club competition. For the first time in 3 years, England has none. But, a more damaging fact is that no English team even made the Quarterfinals of this year's competition.

The last time an English side did not make the Quarterfinals was way back in the 1995-96 season. However, at the time, the format was such that only the winners of each of Europe's domestic leagues featured in the tournament. Blackburn Rovers, by virtue of winning the league the previous season, were England's representatives; but a disappointing campaign saw them finish bottom of their group behind the likes of Spartak Moscow, Rosenborg and Legia Warsaw. Also, there was no Round of 16 back then as there were only 16 teams spread across 4 groups.

If we were to look for the last instance of this event under the current format, we would have to keep looking for a while; because there has simply been no precedent. Never have the Quarterfinals of the Champions League been played with zero English participation. While naysayers will say that it does not really reflect much, and that England has been the most consistent in producing semi-finalists in the last decade and that the English league is more competitive in nature, there is no denying the fact that the best of England are no longer a match for the best of Germany, Spain, Italy and a few other countries.

Manchester City and Chelsea exited at the group stage, while Manchester United and Arsenal had tough first round encounters against Real Madrid and Bayern Munich respectively. You could argue that City were in the Group of Death, but that is no justification for finishing last behind even Ajax. For a team of City's quality and resources, they were expected to make a fist of it. As good as Dortmund and Real were, City were poor and failed to mount a serious challenge against any of their opponents. Chelsea too fell at the first hurdle, in the process suffering the ignominy of being the first defending champions to go out in the group phase. After starting brightly, they were outplayed by Juventus and Shakhtar Donetsk in key games which eventually spelt the death knell for their European ambitions and then manager Roberto Di Matteo's job for the season.

The sending off of Nani in the 2nd leg encounter at Old Trafford has been mooted as a turning point which swung the tie in favor of Madrid against Man United. Truth is though, that United failed to grab a multitude of opportunities even before the incident to pocket the tie. In the 1st leg in Madrid, there were opportunities for Robin Van Persie and Ryan Giggs to have accumulated more away goals for United, but they fluffed their chances. The 2nd leg saw United once again control the game and frustrate Madrid, but they failed to put away their chances. Nobody needs reminding that football is a game of 90 minutes; 60 minutes of good work does not entitle any team success, and lest we forget even 10 minutes after the Red card United looked comfortable with a 1-0 lead and 18 minutes to go to full time. Why didn't Sir Alex Ferguson use his experience to bring on a defender for a forward and try and preserve the lead? Why did he he get carried away berating the official and jeeing up the fans instead of perhaps focusing on substitutions? Why did he wait until they were 2-1 down to make his substitutions? Sending-offs swing a game, yes, but they are a part of the game and at this level you have to be prepared for that eventuality. Instead of planning out how best to see off the game, United's manager, staff and players seemed more keen on sulking and complaining about the decision and that i believe is what cost them the game and not the Nani's dismissal in itself.

As for Arsenal, they just came up against a supremely talented and confident team in Bayern Munich. The tie was pretty much settled in the 1st leg where the Germans decimated Arsenal to register a 3-1 win aided by some dodgy team selection and tactics from Arsene Wenger. The Germans are one of the favorites to take home the trophy this year and i firmly believe that Bayern Munich will either be Champions or be beaten by the eventual winners.

The English Premier League, from top to bottom, is definitely more competitive than its European cousins. This is due to a lot of reasons, but primarily down to the more even collective bargaining agreement that sees TV revenue shared equitably. The Bundesliga is seeing a revival of sorts again with all the teams playing an attractive brand of football and with clubs being owned by the fans as opposed to conglomerates, ticket prices are very affordable and the stadia and facilities have gotten a major uplift. Borussia Dortmund, once on the verge of bankruptcy and extinction, have made the journey to becoming champions of the Bundesliga twice over with a squad that that cost not more than £20 million. But, the irrefutable fact remains that there has been a gradual decline in the English game showcased by the failings of England's top clubs at the highest level. True, Chelsea did win it last year, but they needed a healthy serving of good fortune along the way.

One primary reason that can be attributed to the relative downfall of English sides is the severe lack of quality in the midfield area. In recent seasons, there has been an over-reliance on the forward line to get the job done. En route to the title last year, Chelsea put up a workmanlike midfield which effectively snuffed out the opposition, including Barcelona, but it was Didier Drogba and his goals that almost single-handedly carried them to the title. The season before that United made it to the final, thanks mainly to a somewhat favorable draw and rightly got decimated in the final against Barca. United's triumph in the 2006/07 season was also driven by their midfield consisting of Paul Scholes and Owen Hargreaves who were fantastic in that campaign. Their ability to control the midfield allowed the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney and Carlos Tevez to do their bit up front. Darren Fletcher's absence from the final the very next season against Barcelona proved more damaging than expected. Xavi and Iniesta turned Anderson inside out and cantered to a 2-0 victory. Liverpool's championship side that secured that magical victory in Istanbul was driven on by talismanic Steven Gerrard and Xabi Alonso in the middle. This year, United are on the way to a 20th league title, but with an over-reliance on their forwards, Van Persie in particular. Time after time, they have gotten out of jail with the help of their forwards. The reason they have been behind in games so often is again the lack of midfield.

Yaya Toure is arguably one of the best central midfielders in the league (discounting David Silva as he likes to roam and sometimes plays in a wide position). He was one of the prime pillars on which City's success last season was built. He has been a little out of form, you can blame fatigue or just lack of touch for that. And early on, his struggles corroborated a lot with City's struggles and hence they failed to get momentum going. Michael Carrick's return to form for United has been a joy to watch this season. But, he too suffers from a lack of quality sidekicks. Chelsea for all their attacking flair leave huge gaps in the central midfield and  rely on workhorses John Obi Mikel and Ramires for solidity. They lack a definitive shape and when Eden Hazard, Juan Mata and Oscar all go forward, they are left exposed at the back. Tottenham too have relied on the brilliance of Gareth Bale, but have some good options in the form of Scott Parker, Gylfi Sigurdsson and Moussa Dembele. Jack Wilshere is the true outstanding talent currently playing in the English league and when he plays, Arsenal look a totally different side. Mikel Arteta also comes into his own in the company of the young Englishman. But, for Arsenal, more than losing Van Persie, the loss of Alex Song was a big blow. He lent them that steel in midfield and he was very good with his distribution, a combo that has been tough to replace.

Now compare that with the 4 teams that have made it to the semi's. Barcelona, lest we mention have the trio of Xavi, Sergio Busquets and Andres Iniesta who boss the midfield. Bayern Munich have got Bastian Schweinsteiger, Javi Martinez and Toni Kroos who boss the midfield. Borussia Dortmund play Ilkay Gundogan, Sven Bender and Mario Gotze who do the same for the Black and Yellow. And Real Madrid have got the tireless Sami Khedira working with master passer Xabi Alonso and Mesut Ozil who pretty much impose their authority in that area of the pitch. Juventus, who were outclassed by Munich, don't fare too badly either with Andrea Pirlo, Claudio Marchisio, Paul Pogba and Arturo Vidal. The fact that they were usurped by Bayern just goes to show how well the Germans are playing and how effective their midfield unit is in nullifying that of their opponents. PSG who narrowly lost to Barcelona have 2 fine youngsters in Marco Verratti and Blaise Matuidi (not bought for huge sums of money by the way) who'd be able to gain the measure of even the best English sides. Doesn't make for healthy reading, does it?

Paul Pogba mentioned in a recent interview that the main reason for his departure from Old Trafford was Ferguson's stubborn refusal to play the youngster choosing to plump for veterans such as Ryan Giggs and Scholes instead. This when it was so blatantly clear that United needed legs and energy alongside the passing ability of Carrick. So, until this problem is solved, the well documented struggles of English sides against the best of Europe is going to continue. The Italian league is on a bit of a rebuilding phase as even the traditional big boys such as Milan and Juve struggle financially. So, the Premier League may not fall behind them, but the drop in quality overall has been obvious. A continued decadence and England could fall behind Italy and surrender that 4th Champions League spot to another nation as Italy found out when usurped by Germany.

United go 15 points clear as City slip up at Goodison

Manchester United inched a step closer to their 20th domestic league title with a 1-0 win at home to Reading  that pushed their lead over defending champions Manchester City to 15 points.

It was a lackluster performance from the league leaders in the late kick-off of the day. In spite of playing a near full strength team, the Red Devils managed just the solitary goal, Wayne Rooney's shot taking a deflection en route to goal to secure 3 points for Sir Alex Ferguson's side.

Alexander Buttner & Chris Smalling came in for regular full-backs Patrice Evra & Rafael respectively. Michael Carrick & Tom Cleverley were also given a rest as Anderson & Ryan Giggs started in the middle of the park. Robin van Persie, Rooney & Danny Welbeck all started in a full-strength forward line.

It was Rooney who got the goal on 21 minutes, but all credit should go to Rio Ferdinand who showed just why he has been recalled into the England set up with a brilliant forward run from defence that caught Reading napping. He managed to lay the ball off to his English compatriot, whose scuffed shot into the ground took a deflection and looped over Adam Federici in goal. Otherwise, it was a dull affair in which United's centre-backs Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic starred repelling every attack from the visitors. Vidic was lucky though not to have conceded a penalty for a push on Adrian Mariappa during a corner in the 2nd half.

City fire blanks in loss to 10-man Everton

Everton rebounded superbly from their humbling exit in the FA Cup last week, to beat champions City 2-0 at home. It was an inspired performance from David Moyes' side in complete contrast to last week when they were jeered off the ground by their own fans. Leon Osman's pile-driver of a shot from 30 yards out gave the Toffees the lead.

Missing the services of captain Vincent Kompany & start striker Sergio Aguero, City were helped in their attempt to recover the situation when Steven Pienaar was sent off for a second bookable offence giving the champions a numerical advantage. However, Everton defended stoutly to snuff out the visitors before Nikica Jelavic put the result to bed late in stoppage time. City had a penalty claim in the 86th minute waived off when the ball struck Marouane Fellaini's arm inside the penalty box, but the referee deemed that it had occurred outside the D and awarded only a free-kick.

This is the fourth straight defeat for City at Goodison Park in what has become a graveyard fixture for them. It was also David Moyes' 6th victory over Roberto Mancini, the most by any opposing manager in the Premier League. Sir Alex Ferguson is second on the list with 3 wins.

Saints march towards safety

Southampton completed an impressive 3-1 win over Liverpool at St.Mary's to further their chances of surviving the drop. Liverpool were undone by a superb performance from Mauricio Pochettino's side that saw them dominate the first half. Goals from Morgan Schneiderlin and Ricky Lambert gave the hosts a much deserved 2-0 win and Southampton could very well have gone out of sight with better use of the chances that they created with the pairing of Adam Lallana & Gaston Ramirez taking Liverpool apart. Philippe Coutinho grabbed one back for Liverpool on the stroke of half-time to give them hopes of a revival.

The second half was a more even affair and Liverpool had their chances to pull level in the first 15 minutes. Southampton though got back in the game with better possession and when Jay Rodriguez scored the home side's third, it appeared to knock the stuffing out of the visitors. Southampton with the win go 7 points clear of the drop zone.

Villans emerge victorious in relegation scrap

Aston Villa won their 2nd game on the bounce, a thrilling 3-2 win over fellow relegation contenders QPR. QPR's heroes from last week, Jermaine Jenas and Andros Townsend were again on the score-sheet  but they were pipped to the post by Paul Lambert's Villa side.

Harry Redknapp had led QPR to 2 successive wins themselves coming into the game made the early running as Chris Samba went close to giving them the lead off set pieces on numerous occasions  Jenas did give them the lead on 23 minutes when he finished off a rebound off of Bobby Zamora's initial shot. Villa were toothless for much of the first half, but like last week, Gabriel Agbonhalor popped up with a goal in first half injury time to level the game.

Andreas Weimann then gave Villa the lead 14 minutes after the restart before Townsend scored for the 2nd game running to make it 2-2. The game looked to be heading for a draw when Weimann who had an impressive game, cut the ball back from the right to lay it into star striker Christian Benteke's path who made no mistake with the finish.


Arsenal boost Champions League hopes

An impressive away performance at Swansea saw Arsene Wenger's side emerge 2-0 victors from the Liberty stadium. They had lost by the exact same scoreline to the Swans in their first meeting at the Emirates. The hosts had the better of the opening exchanges, but Arsenal grew into the game as it progressed and looked much the sharper in the 2nd half. A first goal for Nacho Monreal broke the deadlock in the 75th minute before substitute Gervinho made sure of the points with an 89th minute strike. It was the second impressive away performance in a week that Wenger can take heart from after their 2-0 win at the Allianz Arena in Germany on Wednesday.

Stoke City and West Bromwich Albion played out a 0-0 draw in the other game on Saturday.

Sunday's fixtures
Sunderland vs Norwich City
Tottenham Hotspur vs Fulham
Chelsea vs West Ham United
Wigan Athletic vs Newcastle United

PREMIER LEAGUE ROUND-UP: Saturday, Feb 23

Fulham 1-0 Stoke City

A fantastic volley from Dimitar Berbatov on the stroke of half-time was enough to secure a much needed win for the Cottagers. In his 200^th Premier League appearance, the Bulgarian with a pacy right footed volley broke the deadlock off Robert Huth’s clearance. Stoke had a chance to equalize from the spot in the 56^th minute, but Mark Schwarzer saved Jonathan Walters’ penalty. The hosts had further chances in the 2^nd half to extend their lead with Berbatov, Riise and Sidwell all going close.

QPR 0-2 Manchester United

An absolute screamer in the first half from right-back Rafael and a neat finish in the second from veteran Ryan Giggs gave Man United a 15 point lead at the top of the table as they came away from their Loftus Road encounter with a 2-0 win. United were largely untroubled, controlling the game for the most part. The only worry for United was when striker Robin van Persie suffered a hip injury as he fell into a cameraman on the side-lines.  He was replaced by Danny Welbeck at half-time.

Arsenal 2-1 Aston Villa

Santi Cazorla was the hero at the Emirates, as his brace helped Arsenal to a much needed win over a fighting Aston Villa. Goals 5 minutes into the match and 5 minutes from the end of the match from the Spaniard helped ease some of the pressure on the club and their manager Arsene Wenger. Arsenal move within a point of 4^th placed Tottenham who play away at West Ham on Monday.

Norwich City 2-1 Everton

Norwich left it late against Everton, scoring 2 goals in the final 6 minutes to earn a come from behind victory against the Toffees. The home side created the better chances, but it was Everton who took the lead through Leon Osman on 39 minutes. Fighting back in the second half, the Canaries equalized through new boy Kei Kamara who powered a thumping header past Everton keeper Tim Howard. Captain Grant Holt then scored the winner in injury time ghosting in at the far post to tap the ball in to end Norwich’s barren run of 10 games without a victory.

West Brom 2-1 Sunderland

Two goals from Romelu Lukaku, one of them a penalty, saw the Baggies past Martin ‘O O'Neill's Sunderland at the Hawthornes. A first half penalty had given West Brom the lead, before Lukaku took advantage of a horror back pass from Titus Bramble to close down keeper Simon Mignolet forcing a clearance from his Belgian colleague that struck the onrushing Lukaku and went into goal. Sunderland did pull one back through Stephane Sessegnon, but West Brom held on for the win.

Reading 0-3 Wigan Athletic

Wigan took made full use of the man advantage, as they put 3 past Reading in a relegation 6 pointer at the Madejski stadium. Reading striker Pavel Pogrebnyak was given his marching orders in the second half for a cynical foul on Maynor Figueroa. It was Figueroa who finished things off with the third goal on 48 minutes after Arouna Kone had scored a quick double in the closing minutes of the first half. With the win, Wigan leapfrog Reading into 17th place.

In the Eye of the Storm

 

The Cannons have gone quiet. The confidence has been beaten to a pulp. The enthusiasm amongst the fans distilled down. The Arsenal at his disposal significantly depleted.

That’s the situation Arsene Wenger finds himself in ahead of this weekend’s Barclays Premier League action. In what has been a tumultuous week for the Frenchman, he witnessed his ‘B’ side get knocked out of the FA Cup by Championship opposition and then in midweek torn to shreds by a clinical Bayern Munich side that has all but dumped the Gunners out of the UEFA Champions League as well.

It has been 16 years since Wenger’s arrival at Arsenal from Monaco and this season is reminiscent of the situation that prevailed when he took over. Arsenal were a club in the dumps under then manager Stewart Houston. Arsenal currently lie 5th in the Premier League, still in contention for Champions League football next season, but have been knocked out of the 2 domestic cup competitions by lower league opponents and are teetering on the brink of a Round of 16 exit against Bayern in the Champions League. The club is heading for a 9th successive season without a trophy barring a miracle of some sorts that sees the whole Bayern squad suffer a bout of food poisoning before their return leg in Munich to give the struggling Gunners a walkover through to the next round. In between the 2 losses, Wenger lost his cool at a press conference before the Champions League game going off on a verbal tirade against a journalist. Yes, this season truly has been a frustrating one for Arsenal fans the world over and the pressure looks to be getting to their Manager.

5th in the League, 4 points from the team ahead, to outsiders would appear to be a decent position for a club that finished third last season. But, if we were to look at some of the stats from this season, one would see how poorly Arsenal have fared. Arsenal suffered back to back home losses for the first time in the Wenger era when they lost to Blackburn and then Bayern. They have recorded the highest number of home losses this season under Wenger. They lost to lower league opposition for the first time in the Club’s history when they lost 2-3 to League Two outfit Bradford City in the League Cup.

To analyse how they've fared this season, I believe we need to look at the club’s realistic ambitions before the season. A top 4 finish in the league, Winning one or both of the Domestic Cups, Quarterfinals of the Champions League.   Whether Arsenal fans like it or not, the truth is the primary priority these days inside the Arsenal boardroom is Champions League football. The revenue that comes in by virtue of qualifying for Europe is significant and thus a top 4 finish, not the title is quintessential. To the Champions League, and Arsenal Football Club continues to be one of the biggest European clubs, but they are no longer amongst the Elite. The squad as such is depleted of quality and the gulf between them and Bayern, who now truly belong to the Elite, was evident on Tuesday night. Surely, if Wenger was asked before the season began on where he saw his side finish their Champions League campaign; he would have shot ‘Quarterfinals’ right out. And that’s the reality because he knows that Arsenal can no longer compete with the big boys in the Continent.

Which brings us to the domestic Cups. Here is where most, if not all the heartburn lies. The FA Cup and the League Cup are two competitions where fans and Wenger himself would have liked to progress to the very end lifting one if not both titles. The FA Cup as a matter of fact was the last trophy that Arsenal won in 2004 beating Manchester United in the final on penalties. Their exits to lower league opponents will hurt bad and apart from another chance at silver gone begging, the defeats have badly hit the confidence of the team.


So why do Arsenal and their manager find themselves in this situation? It begins and ends with their squad. Ever since their last trophy in 2004, there has been a constant exodus of talent from the club. So much so, that at times they have come to resemble a feeder club for the likes of Manchester City and Barcelona. When a top player leaves, it is imperative that a suitable replacement is groomed. That has not happened and as is Wenger’s philosophy, he does not like to buy talent preferring to bring a player through the ranks in-house. Arsenal until a few seasons back had the debt of their new stadium to account for and hence could not apportion much funds to Wenger to bolster the squad. The last 3 years however, the club has been reporting profits and the directors have sought to reassure the fans that funds are being made available for the Manager’s use if he chose to use it.

That, “if he chooses to use it”, is the key right there. Arsene Wenger believes in developing youth players rather than flashing the cheque book to sign superstars. In fact, it was a disagreement over precisely such a philosophy that led to his exit from Monaco and his eventual trip to Highbury to take over the managerial reigns there. Finally, his tactics and strategy of late have been raising more eyebrows than usual; none more so than midweek in the Champions League. Arsenal were very much the underdog going into the game against a superior Bayern side full of confidence. As if the match up weren't tough enough already, Wenger’s team selection possibly took away whatever little chance they had. Him opting for Aaron Ramsey in a 3 man midfield, putting Mikel Arteta in a deeper role and Santi Cazorla out wide was a recipe for disaster and the imbalance in the side meant that Arsenal just could not cope with the quality of the Germans’ midfield as the likes of Kroos, Schweinsteiger and Martinez had a field day.

The situation has now reached a point where there exist 2 groups amongst the Arsenal faithful – one that continues to believe in Wenger because of the history and what he’s done with the club during his tenure, while another is convinced that it is time for him to go as they feel he is not the man equipped to lead them out of this quagmire. His immediate priority for the season would be getting Arsenal to that 4th spot or above in the league as that would take care of European aspirations for next season and all the more satisfy the board and the shareholder’s primary objective. The second is to inject some quality into the squad. None of the players in the Gunners squad has any experience of lifting a major trophy and as such lack the big match experience. In contrast, the players that have left have collected 46 trophies between them. Players and leaders of the caliber of Patrick Vieira and Thierry Henry are needed and Arsene must spend come summer to ease the situation a bit and buy him some time that would allow the young crop to develop.

Arsene Wenger has run this club for 16 years and he is right when he questions the intentions of journalists and casual observers who seem to be calling for his head believing that he is a man capable of rescuing the situation for Arsenal. But, time for him is running out as the ground under his feet is caving in at a rapid pace, and he finds himself in the eye of a storm that is threatening to engulf the Emirates and leave Arsenal in the doldrums when it comes to future direction and success. It is up to him to help his guys weather it and restore the club to its former glory.

Bayern brush aside Arsenal in resounding victory

Bayern Munich produced a solid display as they brushed Arsenal aside to come away with a 3-1 away win at the Emirates in the 1^st leg of their UEFA Champions League Round of 16 clash. Against an Arsenal team that looked low on confidence and a bit disjointed, Bayern took full advantage to thrust open the gates and take a stranglehold on their Round of 16 tie.

Arsene Wenger chose to start Theo Walcott in a central role up front with a midfield 5 led by Jack Wilshere. Due to Nacho Monreal being cup tied and Kieran Gibbs injured, captain Thomas Vermaelen started at left-back which left Per Mertesacker to partner Laurent Koscielny in central defence. There were no surprises in the Bayern line-up as Jupp Heynckes opted for his tried and tested unit this season.

The game started off at a super tempo with both teams playing some end-to-end football. Though Arsenal had good possession they failed to create any real openings from it. Bayern on the other hand looked more incisive and took the lead in the 7^th minute, when Toni Kroos thundered in a right footed effort from outside the box which had the beating of Wojciech Szceszny. On 21 minutes, the deficit was doubled as Thomas Mueller took full advantage of some hapless defending from Arsenal. The Bavarians took control of the midfield and effectively snuffed out all of Arsenal’s chances as their key men in Walcott, Wilshere and Cazorla were completely isolated.

The Gunners began the second half much better with Wilshere coming into his own. Driving them on from midfield, he began to win more of his battles with Bayern’s enforcers Bastian Schweinsteiger and Javi Martinez. The spell of sustained pressure yielded a goal as former Bayern man Lukas Podolski found himself free in the penalty box to head home on 55 minutes when Manuel Neuer came off his line to collect the corner and missed it. With no further breakthrough coming, Wenger brought on striker Olivier Giroud and he had an immediate impact as he almost drew Arsenal level; his effort saved by Neuer.

But, Arsenal were shaky at the back all night and every time Bayern ventured forward, they looked capable of opening Arsenal up. On 77 minutes, Arjen Robben, on as a sub for Franck Ribery, latched onto a through ball on the right and passed up to an overlapping Philip Lahm whose low cross was deflected in by Mario Mandzukic.

This latest loss heaps more pressure on manager Arsene Wenger as Bayern literally have 1 foot (if not both feet) In the Quarterfinals and Arsenal look down the road at another season without a trophy.

PLAYER OF THE MATCH

Toni Kroos - was superb on the night with his passing and vision. Initiated most of Bayern's attacks and ventured forward to assist in attack grabbing the opener in the process. Struggled a bit when Wilshere upped his game, but by then he'd done his bit to secure Bayern a resounding win.

ARSENAL vs BAYERN MUNICH: Round of 16 Preview

Arsenal welcome runaway Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich tonight in the 1^st leg of their Round of 16 clash in the UEFA Champions League. Having been knocked out of all other domestic competitions, the Champions League provides the last chance for Arsene Wenger’s men to salvage a disappointing season. But, they face a daunting task as German giants Bayern come calling.

Arsenal, ever since they finished second behind another German side Schalke in Group B, were always in danger of drawing one of the Top teams in Europe. And their fears were confirmed, when they drew 4 time European champions Munich. The Londoners struggled in the Group phase to keep a clean sheet and it was one of the main reasons that hampered their progress early in the tournament. They were just unable to prevent teams from scoring and it will be Arsene Wenger’s major concern going into the game. Wenger will be forced into a reshuffle in the back-line as new left-back Nacho Monreal, signed from Malaga, is cup tied and Kieran Gibbs is out injured. This would mean Thomas Vermaelen starting on the left with both Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny playing centre-back.

The midfield is where the Gunners have an abundance of riches. The return of Jack Wilshere to the fold has lifted the Gunners’ performances and along with Santi Cazorla and Mikel Arteta, the trio forms a formidable threat to any side. Though Cazorla has gone off the boil after his early impressive form, he continues to be a positive influence on Arsenal’s play. Gervinho is back from the African Nations Cup, but with Olivier Giroud hitting good form of late, the Frenchman is likely to get the nod to start up front with Theo Walcott and Lukas Podolski taking their place either side on the wings. Walcott is the leading scorer for the Gunners this season with 18 goals in all competitions. Arsenal will be looking to rebound from a stunning 1-0 at home by Championship side Blackburn Rovers in the FA Cup and their manager and their fans will be looking for a response tonight with their main players back in the fray.

Bayern Munich come to London in red hot form. The Bundesliga leaders have lost just 2 games all season, once in the league to Bayer Leverkusen and once in Europe to BATE Borisov, and sit pretty atop their league 15 points clear of defending champions Dortmund. Bayern this season have been devastating at times and boast one of the best attacking line ups in Europe. Bastian Schweinsteiger in the company of Javi Martinez will run the engine room for Bayern with Toni Kroos playing a further forward to support the front-line  Croatian striker Mario Mandzukic, who has 17 goals to his name, should start up front with Thomas Mueller and Franck Ribery donning the wide positions. Add to that, the threat of Philip Lahm and David Alaba from the fullback positions and Arsenal seemingly have their hands full as they look to contain the visitors. 

Defenders Holger Badstuber and Jerome Boateng are definitely out and are the only major absentees for the German side. For all the talk about their offense, it is their €4.5 million summer acquisition Dante who has had the biggest impact. He has been the bedrock of a much improved Munich defence that has conceded just 7 goals in 22 league games thus far. Bayern have been flying domestically and are on a 5 game winning streak, scoring 13 goals and conceding none in the process.

Today’s match will be won and lost in the midfield area. Whichever side seizes the initiative here will be in a good position to drive home the advantage. Arsenal will be wary of Bayern’s threat especially with their defence not being reassuring at the back. They will have to contain the threat of Ribery and Mueller from the flanks and also keep tabs on Kroos who can hit the long ball well. Jack Wilshere will once again go up against Munich’s towering Brazilian defender Dante, the pair having met at Wembley recently in the friendly between England and Brazil. Bayern’s wingbacks will be entrusted with the job of keeping a lid on the dangerous Walcott. Arsenal have been poor away from home in Europe and will need some sort of advantage to take to Munich to have any hope of upsetting the Bavarians and will need their 2 “W’s” – Wilshere and Walcott – to fire to get that 3^rd “W” -  a win – under their belt.

HISTORY

• Arsenal and Bayern have previously met 4 times in the Champions League, with the Germans winning 2, losing 1 and 1 draw. Bayern won their last meeting in the Round of 16 in the 2004/05 season 3-2
• Arsenal have won 6 of their last 7 home games against German opposition. Their only loss came earlier this season when they lost to Schalke.
• England has not been a happy hunting ground for Bayern. The Bavarians have lost in each of their last 4 trips to the country with their last win coming at Old Trafford in 2001 in the Quarterfinals stage.

FA Cup 5th Round: Saturday's results

Arsenal 0-1 Blackburn Rovers

"In Arsene we Trust" was a familiar chant that used to reverberate around Arsenal Football Club every time the Gunners encountered trying passages of time during a season. This season has been a difficult one, but that familiar chant is no longer to be heard. It got worse on Saturday as the Gunners faltered yet again en route to a 1-0 loss at home to Championship side Blackburn Rovers. 

Arsene Wenger fielded a weakened XI and was made to pay the price for it. The likes of Jack Wilshere, Santi Cazorla & Theo Walcott were all rested with the big game midweek against Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League in mind. Leading assister Lukas Podolski and Aaron Ramsey also started from the bench. Colin Kazim Richards scored the only goal of the game in the 72nd minute to give Rovers a famous away win. Ironically, it was after Wenger threw on the big 3 of Walcott, Wilshere & Cazorla to try and get a result that Blackburn went up the other end and got the winner. 

Arsenal enjoyed a lot of possession, but produced nothing significant out of it. A drab first half saw hardly any clear cut chances being created and the 2nd half saw much the same. Desperate for the win, Wenger rang in the changes, but it was Blackburn who eventually broke the deadlock and saw off a late Arsenal surge to secure the win as a cacophony of boos rang out around the Emirates.

Arsenal are now left standing in only the Champions League. They have now suffered 2 ignominious exits in Cup competitions, having fallen to League Two Bradford in the Carling Cup. 

Oldham Athletic 2-2 Everton

A last gasp winner from Matt Smith secured a 5th Round replay for Oldham against Premier League side Everton. Oldham opened the scoring at Boundary Park in the 13th minute through Jonathan Obita. Goals from Victor Anichebe and Phil Jagielka looked to have turned the tie in Everton's favour and it looked like David Moyes' men were heading to the Last eight of the competition. But, Oldham's 6'6 striker Smith, played hero once again, rising highest to head home in the 4th and final minute of Injury time to send the home fans into raptures.

Smith, had been the hero in the previous Round as well when his 2 goals helped see off Liverpool in Oldham's 3-2 win here at Boundary Park in January.

Other results of the day:
Milton Keynes Dons 1-3 Barnsley
Luton Town 0-3 Milwall

Sunday's fixtures see Chelsea host Brentford in their 4th Round replay while Manchester City play host to Neil Warnock's Leeds United. 

SUNDAY
Chelsea vs Brentford
Manchester City vs Leeds United
Huddersfield Town vs Wigan Athletic