Sunday, April 24, 2011

Nasri Guilty As Arsenal F.C. Is Sentenced To Third

Bolton 2 Arsenal 1

Well if there were any believers left in this team's title ambitions, their hopes have been well and truly shattered now.

Nine points behind and now looking over its shoulder, the team is on course for that all to familiar collapse at the business end of the Premier League season.

Still though, with four matches left to play, it's probably too soon to start the inquisition into where it all went wrong so I'll just concentrate on this game.

Set-pieces were our undoing again today. One in either half saw us concede two goals. Typical Arsenal is all you can say about them. In the first half Song allowed his man, Cahill (just wait for the everyone to link him to us), to pull away from him far too easily. This resulted in Clichy pulling off of Sturridge to try and challenge him as he won the corner kick. Nasri (nightmare day for him) managed to clear it off the line but only to the unmarked Sturridge's head. He made no mistake from about half a yard out and Bolton were one up.

The penalty, right after the break, was a non-event really. It was the wrong decision to award it and Szczesny made a comfortable save with his feet.

Van Persie then proceeded to equalize almost immediately after. A lovely one-two between him and Fabregas (who had another very good game) saw space open up for the former to strike home his 17th goal in as many matches.

Robin has come to form in the second half of the season and he's most definitely my player of the season. The differences in fortunes between him and Nasri speak volumes. Nasri played his best at the start of the season with almost no pressure on him. Van Persie has done it when it matters the most, at the most important time of the season. If the football awards were handed out after the end of the season, he'd have won both the PFA and Football Writer's player of the year without a doubt. His goal today meant he has scored in seven consecutive away games in the Premier League, a new record, and that just says everything about how he's playing.

Nasri had a day to forget. He was put through three times and made a meal of the opportunity offered every time. Perhaps Chamakh might have made more of his header if he had went for goal rather than the tap-down on one particular opportunity, but Nasri's display in front of goal was not good enough for this level.

The winning goal for Bolton was all about Djourou. He let Cohen get in front of him and the Bolton substitute sent a terrific header in over Nasri's head. And that was it.

So we have four games left. The team needs to restore some pride and provide us with some glimmer of hope for next season. Manchester City are eight points behind us with two games in hand, and we have to go to Stoke and play Manchester United next week. So don't rule out finishing as low as 4th if this run continues. And if that happens then Wenger will have some serious reflecting to do in the summer.

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