Author: luke

Arsenal booked a place in the FA Cup final by beating Wigan on penalties to put a first trophy in eight years in sight. However, the match did little to expel the current worries over Arsenal´s form, but a final is a final and that trophy drought could be about to be snapped.

Recent poor form has dogged the Gunners, and the match itself was hugely disappointing. The fact Arsene Wenger´s men struggled to see off a Wigan team with its own problems in the Championship will send fans into meltdown. It was simply another awful display from the team, with the simple truth being Arsenal should not need to go to penalties against a team in a division below. Sadly this kind of form does not bode well for the remainder of the Premier League season.

For now though the club and the players can celebrate getting to the FA Cup Final where they will play against either Hull or Sheffield United. The Gunners have put themselves as strong favourites to lift the trophy in May, but another abject performance like this could spell disaster in the Wembley showpiece.

Arsenal started the semi final on top, passing the ball nicely and creating chances. However, it was clear that Wigan had come organized and when they got the ball the players remained calm and carved their own chances in the game. After a goalless first half, the underdogs took the lead when Callum McManaman had been brought down by Per Mertesacker. Jordi Gomez stepped up and scored the penalty in the 63^rd minute.

Wenger´s men struggled under pressure for the next 20 minutes, but an equalizer arrived in the 82^nd minute when Mertesacker headed home at the back post, making amends for conceding the penalty earlier. The teams continued to trade throughout the remainder of the game and through extra time, but the stalemate could not be broken. Lukasz Fabianski was the hero in the shootout for Arsenal as he saved two penalties to send the Gunners to the final, and the fans can now dream of that long awaited trophy.

Arsenal´s Premier League season continued to crumble on the weekend as the Gunners crashed to another humiliating defeat against a Top Four rival. The team traveled to Goodison Park to play fifth placed Everton and was soundly beaten 3-0 to put qualification for the Champions League in doubt.

Picking apart the when´s and why´s of Arsenal´s decline is no easy task, but it seems a simple case of being another season where the club has flattered to deceive. Just two months ago the club was top of the league and this campaign had the air of something different about it. Now in April the Gunners are out of the title race and are clinging onto 4^th place. Just as worrying is the fact Arsenal has shipped 20 goals against rival Top Four clubs (6-3 Man City, 6-0 Chelsea, 5-1 Liverpool, and 3-0 on Sunday). It is a humiliating run that shows that the current squad is not up to the task of a sustained title challenge, at least mentally.

Sadly, Everton deserved to win the game, looking sharper and more skillful, and actually reminding of Arsenal teams of old. You know, the ones with a steely heart that could mix it with both skill and brawn. We have known for some time that Arsene Wenger´s current assembled ensemble is no match for his perfectly built teams of old, but this season has served as a starker wakeup call than most. The FA Cup may deliver a long awaited trophy, or it may not, but even a cup win would not stop the campaign from being a relative failure.

Everton took the lead in the 14^th minute when the ever threatening Romelu Lukaku had a shot saved by Arsenal stopper Wojciech Szczesny. The ball kindly found its way to Steven Naismith, who slotted home for 1-0. The Toffees doubled their advantage 10 minutes before half time when Lukaku dazzled with a run and finish. The rout was completed in the 62^nd minute when former Everton midfielder Mikel Arteta scored an own goal for 3-0.

In between the goals Everton was the better team. Driven by the ever impressive Ross Barkley, the Merseyside club pressurized and outplayed the Gunners, despite the stats seemingly favouring Arsenal. The win put Everton one point behind Arsenal with a game in hand, their quest for 4^th place now in their own hands. Arsenal will need to hope Everton drop points in the remaining five games to qualify for the Champions League.

Former Arsenal favourite Robert Pires has suggested that much of the clubs problems are due to a lack of firepower up front. The French wing legend said that a new striker is a priority for the club during the summer to give the team options and to relieve pressure on Olivier Giroud.

Pires played 189 games for the Gunners and was an integral part of a team that became the greatest in the clubs history. The “Invincibles” team of which Pires was a part was the last great Arsene Wenger side and the club has since gone on a trophy drought. Pires knows better than most what the current team needs after spending some time training with the players during last season.

So who could Arsenal buy to add extra scoring prowess to the team this summer?

Diego Costa

The Atletico Madrid hitman has exploded onto the scene over the last 18 months and is now among the most feared forwards in Europe. The Spain international has been at the forefront of an Atletico team that is challenging in both La Liga and the Champions League this season. Interestingly, the Spanish club needs to sell their star man and his buyout clause is thought to be 35 million Euros. Costa would prove a potent partner for Giroud and will surely be someone Wenger is looking at. However, just about every other big club will also be keeping tabs on Costa, with Chelsea reportedly leading the chase for his signature.

Karim Benzema

Wenger has been a long term admirer of French ace Benzema, and the addition of the hitman would add extra strength to the Arsenal attack. Sadly, it seems the time to get the Real Madrid forward was last summer when his future at the Bernabeu was in doubt. This season Benzema has fired 17 goals for Los Blancos and is once again a key component in the Madrid team. Prizing him away from the Spanish giant would be hard, and would certainly cost a lot.

Edinson Cavani

Rumors have persisted that the Uruguayan is unsettled with Paris Saint Germain since joining the French club in the summer. Cavani is entering his prime at 27-years old and has carved a skillful reputation with strong finishing. Arsene Weneger has expressed interest in the past, but will he stump up the cash to take the player from Paris?

Other Options

While the big name strikers of the European game would prove fantastic for the club and fans alike, the chances of securing such a name is uncertain. Wenger is unlikely to compete with 50 million bids coming from the likes of Chelsea, Manchester City, and Manchester United. Instead the boss may have to look at talented youngsters such as Kevin Volland from Germany or Real Sociedad´s in form striker Antoine Griezmann. Also, if winger Julian Draxler arrives from Schalke, Wenger could instead move Lukas Podolski or Theo Walcott into more advanced roles.

Arsenal restored a little bit of pride by holding Manchester City to a 1-1 draw at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday evening. Of course, a win would have been more welcome to the players and the fans, but in the light of recent games against title rivals it was a much better display. After losing 6-0 to Chelsea, 5-1 to Liverpool and 6-3 to City last time, this game was about restoring some dignity and keeping the clubs slim title chances alive.

A loss would have all but ended Arsenal´s chance of winning the Premier League this season, but a draw keeps the team 5 points behind Chelsea at the top of the league. That position could change if Liverpool and City win their games in hand, but at least this draw keeps the hope alive while also strengthening the teams hold on a Champions League spot.

City Manager Manuel Pellegrini named an unchanged 11 from the midweek destruction of rivals Manchester United, while Arsene Wenger named Lukas Podolski in the Arsenal team. The German has been proving a goal scoring threat for Arsenal and some fans are calling for him to start upfront. However, with the lack of supply coming the way of Olivier Giroud up top, perhaps Podolski is better off staying as a wideman and influencing the game from there.

A bright 45 minutes for Man City saw them dominate much of the game, and there was tension in the stands at the Emirates as the Gooners sensed another thrashing from a Top 4 rival. That worry turned to panic when David Silva stumbled into a deflected Edin Dzecko shot to give Man City a 1-0 lead in the 18^th minute. Despite the visitors enjoying the best of the match for the remainder of the half, Arsenal responded with better mentality than previous games and held on to keep the score at 1-0.

Wenger´s team talk seemed to do the trick as once again this season the Gunners emerged for the second half like a team transformed. Now it was Arsenal´s turn to be on the front foot, but City remained dangerous on the counter attack. Arsenal´s improved play led to an equalizer in the 53^rd minute when a bout of possession football led to Podolski breaking into the City area and supplying Mathieu Flamini for a shot from 12 yards. The Frenchman slotted home to equal the game, and although Arsenal kept pushing for the remainder of the game the score stayed at 1-1.

Arsenal restored a little bit of pride by holding Manchester City to a 1-1 draw at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday evening. Of course, a win would have been more welcome to the players and the fans, but in the light of recent games against title rivals it was a much better display. After losing 6-0 to Chelsea, 5-1 to Liverpool and 6-3 to City last time, this game was about restoring some dignity and keeping the clubs slim title chances alive.

A loss would have all but ended Arsenal´s chance of winning the Premier League this season, but a draw keeps the team 5 points behind Chelsea at the top of the league. That position could change if Liverpool and City win their games in hand, but at least this draw keeps the hope alive while also strengthening the teams hold on a Champions League spot.

City Manager Manuel Pellegrini named an unchanged 11 from the midweek destruction of rivals Manchester United, while Arsene Wenger named Lukas Podolski in the Arsenal team. The German has been proving a goal scoring threat for Arsenal and some fans are calling for him to start upfront. However, with the lack of supply coming the way of Olivier Giroud up top, perhaps Podolski is better off staying as a wideman and influencing the game from there.

A bright 45 minutes for Man City saw them dominate much of the game, and there was tension in the stands at the Emirates as the Gooners sensed another thrashing from a Top 4 rival. That worry turned to panic when David Silva stumbled into a deflected Edin Dzecko shot to give Man City a 1-0 lead in the 18^th minute. Despite the visitors enjoying the best of the match for the remainder of the half, Arsenal responded with better mentality than previous games and held on to keep the score at 1-0.

Wenger´s team talk seemed to do the trick as once again this season the Gunners emerged for the second half like a team transformed. Now it was Arsenal´s turn to be on the front foot, but City remained dangerous on the counter attack. Arsenal´s improved play led to an equalizer in the 53^rd minute when a bout of possession football led to Podolski breaking into the City area and supplying Mathieu Flamini for a shot from 12 yards. The Frenchman slotted home to equal the game, and although Arsenal kept pushing for the remainder of the game the score stayed at 1-1.

Arsenal suffered another setback in their fading title challenge as the team was held to a 2-2 draw against Swansea at the Emirates Stadium.

The visiting Welsh team grabbed a vital point in their pursuit of Premier League safety, but the result is another blow to the Gunners. While it has been easy to sugarcoat the recent run of form, the recent heavy defeats and lost points at Stoke must now be considered a mini collapse. A dire February and March from Arsenal has all but ended the clubs´ chances of lifting the Premier League trophy this season.

It was a sluggish start to the game from Arsenal and the players were clearly feeling the effects of Saturday´s drubbing against Chelsea. Swansea began much the brighter of the two teams and the Welsh club took the lead in the 11^th minute when Neil Taylor´s cross was met by Wilfried Bony in the Arsenal box. The striker wasted no time in clinically slotting the ball past Wojciech Szczesny.

Arsene Wenger has named a strong team, ignoring this weekend´s clash with Manchester City by bringing Mathieu Flamini into the team and sticking with Olivier Giroud up front. Arsenal perked up after the goal as the players hunted an equalizer, but the Swans remained a threat on the counter attack throughout the remainder of the first half.

Once again Giroud was left to cut a lonely figure up front as the midfield struggled to supply the killer pass to the Frenchman. However, the Gunners equaled the match early in the second half when Kieran Gibbs exploded down the left and cut the ball back into the area for Lukas Podolski to fire over Michael Vorm in the Swansea goal. With the score at 1-1, Arsenal settled and took less than two minutes to take the lead. The second goal arrived when Podolski finally found Giroud with a cross and the striker drove into the net to give Arsenal a 2-1 lead.

The team was closing the game out comfortably, but Swansea still looked dangerous on the break. Disaster struck in the 90^th minute when Leon Britton´s shot deflected off Per Mertesacker and Szczesny before hitting the back of Flamini and landing in the goal. A tragic own goal that could well have cost the club the Premier League this season, but ultimately it is the form over recent weeks that has put paid to Arsenal´s title ambitions.