Monday, April 13, 2009

Arsenal - On a Run and Making a Grab


Arsenal have played some 50 matches this season in all competitions.

I read an interview with good old Bobby Pires this morning where he called attention to the fact that Arsenal haven't lost a match in three months.

I found this remarkable, especially after feeling for most of the season that we were spiralling down a black hole and yes, even doubting Wenger's plot in many maddening moments of frustration.

So I had a look at the season's fixtures for myself, and found even more astonishingly, that we haven't lost a match since Porto beat us in the Champion's League way back on December 10.

So Bobby was wrong - it's actually four months without a loss.

Of course, there's a whole lotta ties along the way.

And we needed double overtime and penalty kicks to technically beat Roma in the Champion's League.

But we are indeed, on one hell of a run.

As we look down the barrel of the home stretch, it's a do-or-die week ahead as we make our grab for silverware this season.

We play Villareal at home tomorrow in a replay against the Yellow Submarine. We only need a tie to make the Champion's League Semifinals.

And Saturday we'll meet Chelsea in the FA Cup Semifinals.

We'll either be in or out when we head back to the EPL on Tuesday for a match against Liverpool at Anfield.

Yeah, we're pretty banged-up right now but so is everyone else.

Well, everyone except for Chelsea.
They seem to also be hitting their stride at the right time under the magical spell of Guus Hiddink.
I can only hope that their Champion's League match today against Liverpool is a duel to the death and ends with both teams battered and bloody and licking their wounds.
I wouldn't mind at all if guys like Drogba, Lampard, Torres and Gerrard all end up on the sidelines for a few weeks.
Not one bit.

And of course, I'm crossing my fingers, hoping for safe passage for own boys as they face off against the Yellow Submarine at home tomorrow in Arsenal vs Spanish Arsenal - Part Two. We know the Spanish side is a real threat and Bobby Pires even showed he's still got his stuff when he came on as a sub, but they've been dealt a major blow, losing the dangerous Marcos Senna, ahead of the rematch.

Our rear guard is decimated with the loss of Gallas and now Djourou, and Lukasz "shaky" Fabianski doesn't quite strike fear into the hearts of opponents as he fills in at goal, but we should have enough firepower in attack to keep the pressure off the back. At least, to get past Villareal.

It would be nice for a change, to come charging onto the pitch and take this one by the throat early. It's good to know we can change the game deep into the match, as we have time and time again this season, but I wouldn't mind overwhelming Villareal like we did Roma in the first leg of that series, only with some actual goals as reward this time around.

Well, it's almost time for the Liverpool vs Chelsea slugfest.
Let the beatings commence.

Until tomorrow...

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