Never in doubt. NEVER IN DOUBT!
If only that was the case, and Arsenal strolled to a 4-0
win over West Brom today, maybe I’d have a few less hypothetical grey hairs
this evening. As it happens it didn’t, but we still managed to pick up the
three points necessary to guarantee Champions League football next season, with
a hard fought and exceptionally nervy 3-2 victory away at West Brom (or West
Brow, if you solely follow Andre Santos).
Once again though, we had to do it the hard way. 20
minutes into the game, it seemed a carbon copy of the Norwich match last
weekend, after Yossi Benayoun’s gift of an opener was quickly cancelled out by
two very avoidable goals from the home side. The first was as a result of an
awful decision by the linesman to not call Shane Long offside, who ran through
to finish home after a through ball from James Morrison. It wasn’t even
debatable. He was miles offside, but for whatever reason (I blame his extreme incompetence)
the linesman didn’t give it.
Graham Dorrans then put the Baggies in front after some
poor defensive work allowed the Scottish international to drill the ball home only four
minutes after the home side equalised, and there was a horrible sense of déjà
vu given what we saw at the Emirates only one weekend ago.
In truth, it wasn’t a great game to look back on
defensively. Both goals we conceded were pretty poor, and Martin Fulop in the
West Brom goal had an absolute mare. Quite the contrary to what I was thinking
would happen pre-match, given he’s an ex-Sp*rs player, and shit goalkeepers
like him are usually at their best against Arsenal. Luckily not this time, and
all three goals we scored were a present, starting with Benayoun’s in the
fourth minute after Fulop completely ballsed up collecting the ball inside the
box allowing Yossi to nick it off him and roll it into an empty net.
The second was equally as impressive from the flapping
goalkeeper. West Brom were dispossessed inside their own half, and the ball
fell to Santos, who’s shot fizzed its way towards Fulop, who palmed it into the
net.
2-2 at half time, and nerves were paramount, because as
we’ve seen all too many times before this Arsenal side has a fantastic ability
at fucking things up at the most inconvenient of times.
Theo Walcott came on for the second half instead of Tomas
Rosicky, and it didn’t take long for us to go in front again. Nine minutes
actually, and again it was Fulop we had to thank. The goalkeeper almost
impossibly palmed a Robin van Persie corner towards his own goal, and Laurent
Koscielny nudged it over the line to give Arsenal a lead that was never again
surrendered.
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| OOOOO I wanna dance with Koscielny! |
West Brom pushed in the final minutes, and substitute
Kieran Gibbs denied Billy Jones inside the area with a block that was worth
approximately £30m. And despite it being nervy, frantic and extremely panicked
at times, Arsenal held on to secure the win and that coveted third place that
guarantees access to the Champions League group stages next season.
There’s probably not a whole lot of point going into
detail with regards to the analysis of today’s match. Especially the negatives,
seeing as the season is now over so there’s hardly any point as it’s not
exactly something we’ll be looking to correct next weekend.
But there was a fundamental feeling of relief at the full
time whistle, because Sp*rs beat Fulham 2-0, as we all expected, so anything
other than a win and we would currently be sitting fourth, with our fate in the
hands of Chelsea. Who in their right mind would want that?
It wasn’t pretty, and it wasn’t the assured performance
that many were hoping for, but it was enough. And at the end of the day, that’s
all that counts.
A St Totteringham’s Day celebration to mark the end of an
era for Pat Rice, who shared some emotional moments with Arsene Wenger in the
dying minutes, and bowed out in style with a win that he totally deserved to
mark 44 years of immense service to Arsenal Football Club.
From here we enter the season debrief, and the players and
fans alike should feel relieved that we’ve managed to stumble over the finish
line, to take the third place that seemed impossible at the end of January.
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| Hopefully not the last time we see RVP wear the famous red and white (and blue next season). |
A huge amount of credit needs to be given to the players,
the coaches and other backroom staff for the turn around, and despite the
incredibly nervy finale to the season, nothing but praise should be given because
for so long it seemed such an unlikely outcome.
Yes, we are still well short of where we want to be. And
yes, there are still plenty of on field and backroom issues associated with the
club that will hopefully be fixed over the summer months. There will be time
for critique, and some critique there will be I’m sure.
But for now we must surely just rejoice that we’re
officially the best club in London again, and that the gap has well and truly
been minded between Sp*rs and us (thanks for the warning, by the way).
We are also able to watch the Champions League final
without literally bricking it over the possibility, however unlikely, of
Chelsea winning the competition as it’s Sp*rs at risk of being dumped into
the Europa League. No matter how hilarious that might sound, it’s no excuse AT
ALL to want those chav-ridden bellends from Fulham Broadway to win the most
elite club competition in European football. Do you really want those lot
parading their smug like faces around town, having been the first London based
club to win the competition? No, of course you don’t. So make sure you don your
Bayern Munich scarf come next Saturday. No exceptions.
Let’s enjoy ourselves until then, and reflect on a well
and truly barking final day of the Premier League season, as well as all the
other twists and turns that have come before it. And let the preparations for
season 2012/13 begin.
Happy St Totteringham's Day 2012. 16 years and counting.
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