Well that was hard work but so satisfying at the finish. Newcastle came with a good plan and nearly pulled it off. Tiote and Cabaye worked hard to close down midfield space. Ba and Ben Arfa surged into the box when they could. But mostly they couldn’t because Arsenal put in one of their best team performances of the season.
Plenty has been written about Robin Van Persie, and we can’t deny how crucial he is, but last night was about Arsenal the team. They all worked and worked. Arteta, Song and Rosicky worked so hard to overcome the stifling midfield. They were patient too, going back to Vermaelen and Koscielny when they had to in order to keep possession. And did they keep possession! For a lot of the game Arsenal had the ball 70% of the time, Tim Krul for 20% of the time and Newcastle’s outfield players for the rest.
Sagna and Walcott had the beating of starting leftback Santon all the first half. At the break Newcastle swapped him for Perch who did better but still couldn’t keep Walcott out. It was definitely one of Walcott’s best performances. I know he sees himself as a striker, but last night he was a great winger. He combined perfectly with Sagna and really delivered final passes that made a difference. He had a role in both goals and set up plenty more chances as well. He won our man of the match poll.
Rosicky had another great game (and was second choice for man of the match), though perhaps looked a little less energetic than recently. Perhaps that was just because the Newcastle midfield kept pressing.
Until recently, the sight of Arsenal conceding the first goal would fill you with dread. But now it means a quick glance at the clock to see how much time they’ve got left to work with. Because this Arsenal team now seems to want a win no matter what. We set a strange record last night. First Premier League team to win four consecutive games despite going behind in each.
Obviously it would be better not to concede so many opening goals, but it says a massive amount about the ‘never say die’ attitude the team has developed. The sort of attitude that had Thomas Vermaelen sprint the length of the pitch to put the last minute winner in from three yards out. Arsenal so badly wanted that winner, right in the dying seconds, that despite two forwards leaping and missing the cross we had another two free players in the box to take it on. Brilliant determination. It’s the sort of commitment that we’ve grudgingly admired in the likes of Manchester United and I love it as much as the silky smooth stuff. Earlier this season, some fans moaned that we lacked the pride and grit of Adams, Keown, Parlour etc. and they had a point. Not last night.
So, what was that about minding the gap? Twelve points did you say? I don’t quite remember. The gap now is behind Arsenal and Chelsea, back to Liverpool and Newcastle. Things could still change, but it’s shaping up for a three-way fight for third and fourth. Arsenal just need to prepare for every game like it’s the final decider of the season and we’ll see which of the three teams cracks. On the evidence of last night it won’t be Arsenal.
