W.B.A. 2 Arsenal 2
I've been debating this result in my head for the weekend, reading various pieces from other blogs and just trying to come to some conclusion about our chances in the league.
We're still in it. There's no real debating that. If we beat United and match their results as well as win our game in hand then we win the league. No matter what way you look at that much, you have to admit it's still more than possible.
But when you consider everything, our chances seem slim. Particularly when you look at the defence. When we play the likes of United and Spurs, who's going to stop Van der Vaart or even Hernadez? We simply don't have the backline to cope with top-class firepower. So if we're going to beat those teams then their attacks need to have an off-day. Even if we got Song back, I don't think that would be enough because there seems to be a fundemental problem with how we defend. In a funny way I think having Walcott back too will help this because he does his fair share of tracking back.
The other thing you wonder about is our attack. We look toothless to out it mildly. Nasri's form has completely evaporated and RVP seems to be getting scraps at the moment. Arshavin had one of his good days against West Brom but that won't be enough. So we need Fabregas and Walcott back in a big way. Particularly Walcott.
Why him? Well without him, we look like a really slow side. Nasri has a bit of pace but we have no one in attack who could seriously burn a player off unless Theo is in the starting line-up. His pace takes him into positions that other players simply can't get to on time. He makes Eboue's passes look as good as Fabregas'. Simply put, we need him fit and on-form because he gives us another dimension that other players in the squad don't offer. Obviously, Fabregas is crucial too because we haven't dominated in midfield since we lost him to injury but, in my opinion, Walcott is key.
The internatinal break could not have been better timed. Providing everyone comes back from their respective teams without an injury then we should go into the final part of the season with an almost fully-fit squad. I can't predict what will happen but I'm confident that we can do it.
Saying that though, if we get anymore howlers of the proportion that Almunia provided then we really don't stand a chance.
