#afcvavfc

There are plenty of weeks ahead for season reviews, player appreciation for Super Tom and Mikel Arteta as well as Matthieu Flamini (although the stories on him finishing up with us haven’t quite been vocalised as yet, which does worry me), but that’s not for today. Today is the smallest form of joy that we can take from what has been a truly crazy and horrific season as far as we’re concerned. That small form is St.Totteringhams day. Whatever you say about our season, our squad, the manager, the board, the apparently divisive atmosphere at the stadium, the clowns on AFTV or even Piers bloody Morgan, the final day of results were particularly fun! We were typically nervy as the game wore on after an initially good start. Nervous against the worst club in the league. That’s been the way of our football. The atmosphere was heavily dictated by goings on at St.James’ Park. Sp*rs were 2-0 down and we were 1-0 up. The fans knew. The players in turn, knew. The atmosphere for a little subdued when it went to 2-1 up north and especially so when Mitrovic got himself sent off. It somehow then went to 3-1 for Newcastle and we managed to score to make it 2-0. The fans started the “it’s happened again…” song, but I did think it was still early. Playing vs 10 men with 10 minutes to play, I still thought there might be a sting in the tail. Or not, as it turned out. It went to 4-1. Then 5. I really couldn’t quite believe it. We were winning 4-0 and they were losing 5-1. A happy happy St.Totteringhams day to one and all! Whatever any other fan Sp*rs or otherwise says to us for celebrating 2nd place are only deflecting from their own terrible seasons thus far. Let’s face it not many of us are going to know too many Leicester fans right? Not until next season anyway. Many a Sp*rs fan will tell you it doesn’t matter and that CL football is more important. While they may well want to echo the thoughts of their manager, they do care, as do we. It’s a nice way to go into the summer for they players. You can bet it’s these little things that psychologically affect players both at the club and players wanting to join. It’s doesn’t changer too much as we’ve been above them for 20 seasons on the spin but it’s more the fact that if they had finished above us external players may have sat up and too more notice. Us finishing above them is a historical normality and won’t have changed opinions of external players, however them finishing above us would have been more headline worthy news. It would have been noticed a little more. Thankfully it’s not happened and we have a slightly more upbeat jaunt into work this week. This season however can well and truly get in the bin. As nice as it was to pip Sp*rs to 2nd and with CL football in the bag, it’s a season that reeks of missed opportunities. It’s most definitely a season where an opportunity or in fact multiple opportunities have been spurned. No matter how this last day has gone we have fallen 10 points short of Leicester. I can think of at least 15 points that we’ve well and truly chucked away when better in game management would have seen us walk this league. Swansea at home, Liverpool away, Palace at home, Sp*rs away, Norwich away, West Ham away and Southampton at home. They are all games that we should have won. No question. But bad decisions from players and the manager in game cost us the points. That’s 15 points that would have seen us coast the league. You might even argue that there are 4/5 points that could be arguable. That would at least put us level with Leicester and with rivals that were closer to them they may well have succumbed to pressure in games that they had coped in with ease. It’s now all about how we act in the summer after seeing the likes of Rosicky, Arteta and Flamini move on. It also seems like Walcott may well be on his way so we will likely be seeing at least 3 coming in according to the boss and potentially a 4th, however that may well be a January signing as we know what Wenger is like. But then again who knows, the last year of his reign may well be a ruthless one. I hope so - but any spending he does will need to keep in mind how his successor will treat those players and whether they match the incoming managers style. Back to the day itself and it was really nice to see Mikel Arteta get a goal to bow out in style but also a shame to not get to see Rosicky don the Red and White one more time. They have both been brilliant players for us in different ways. If not for injuries Rosicky could truly have been a legend, as it is he will retain a cult hero status with his knack of scoring v Sp*rs. Arteta provided us with much needed stability at a time where our best players were leaving and genuinely helped to keep us afloat in the 2011/12 season. He was in tears at the end of the game and that I think looks to be the end of his association with Arsenal football club. He’s obviously emotional about playing his last game as a player but also he looked like a man saying goodbye. I really hope he is given a role at the club as he seems like a really nice guy and someone who has had a great footballing education. More on those two in the coming weeks… Lots to chew over with a big summer coming up. I’ll look over the season, Rosicky, Arteta, Flamini & transfers over the next few weeks. This week however is too good a week to start second guessing the manager and eulogising outgoing players. Let this be a week of celebration.

Have a great one folks.

Wow. So the season comes to a close with a bang! The perfect way to end what has been a very up and down season well and truly on the up. I’ll get into a full season review next week, for today I’ll solely be focussing on Wembley.

My day began as any typical Arsenal game day does. Nervously. Though it being a cup final and al, the trepidation was slightly heightened. All I could think about was the two extreme situations. Winning vs losing. The height of joy vs the depression of defeat. And a cup final can only be measured in extremes, there is no middle ground of happiness or consolation in correcting a mistake next week. It’s a now or never occasion, all of which combined makes for a very nervous start to the day. I had an hour before I made way to Wembley way and did the only thing I could to distract myself from the day, the only thing that I could think might slightly take my mind away from the nerves. I vacuumed the house. On cup final day. Ridiculous I know but this will now forever remain a tradition for cup final days.

I made my way up to Wembley a little early and met up with my fellow Gooner cousin whom I’d later watch the game with. We soaked in the atmosphere walking up Wembley way and went for a pre match meal nearby. On completing the meal and walking towards the stadium we were surrounded by around 30-40 Villa fans who began the mocking; “f**k the Arsenal, f**k the Arsenal” was the tune. Along with “We do what we want, we do what we want, we’re Aston Villa we do what we want” and finally a rendition of “we shall not be moved”. Imaginative. Both my cousin and myself did our best to belt out “49, 49 undefeated!”. We were fighting a losing battle here but it was all in good faith and quite a bit of fun really so no harm no foul. Although I do have to question their song choices. Now I can understand the “f**k the Arsenal” as it kind of makes sense with the context of the day. However the “we do what we want…” number had me and my cousin a little confused. It’s a song that could well be used in a restaurant or an argument between two homeless men - simply anywhere, but I have no idea as to how this came about as a ‘pop’ song for the Villa faithful. Secondly there was the delight of “we shall not be moved” - our question was where would you like not to be moved from? 17th place? Are you retainers of the FA Cup? Now I’m not one to mock a club whilst they’re down (unless it’s Chavski or Sp*rs) but I didn’t quite get the purpose of the songs here. Simply weird.

Keeping in tone with the context of the Villa faithful, our seats were in the club Wembley section of the West Stand. Sandwiched right in amongst the Villa fans both above and below. They were damn loud, throughout the full 90 minutes and for their consistent crescendo of noise they should be applauded greatly. Wonderful fans for the most part (I’ll get onto what 'the most part’ means a little later). We knew we would be in for some proper stick no matter who scored goals. If it was them who scored we would get some banter-ful abuse, if it was us then the abuse would have been a little more aggressive. Either way it was going to be an afternoon well and truly in the trenches.

We started the game fairly well and settled quite well without having the focal point in Giroud as a get out clause for when we ran out of ideas at the back. In having a 'runner’ as our CF our game needed to be very much about moving the ball more quickly and efficiently than usual, something at which I was really pleased with. It really reminded me of how we used to play before the days of Adebayor. The ball was kept largely on the floor unless there was no other option, which was a rare occasion. We had one real potential moment of tension throughout the first half with a Richardson cross aimed towards Benteke, however the Scz dealt with it quite beautifully, punching clear. Thereafter we began to turn the screw and create some chances. The best of which fell to Aaron Ramsey and Theo Walcott. Ramsey blazed over when finesse was required and Walcott got very unlucky with a tremendous block from Richardson on the line. We were beginning to dominate. The football played in the lead up to both of those chances was quite simply, sublime. Mesut Ozil was at the heart of both moves and he had an unbelievable game on Saturday evening. He was a conductor leading an orchestra, an architect, waving the team on through his wizardry. The take and the nutmeg prior to the Ramsy chance was something special and the cross to Walcott was pin point. I know Santi Cazorla got the MOTM award on the day but I thought Ozil was deserving of the honour. The people (I still can’t believe they exist) who continue to lambast him in the media need to make their opinions based on what he does not what his body language might say.

Just as I began to think Villa are going to nick one here Wenger conducted a little shuffle of the pack. Walcott went to the left hand side with Alexis through the middle. Coquellin switched the ball wide to Walcott who played in Monreal for him to cross towards the back post. Alexis Sanchez somehow won the header, and not only won it but put it on a plate for the on rushing Theo Walcott to lash home. 1-0 and the stadium was bouncing! A perfect way to end the half.

The second began in the same vein where Villa didn’t really come flying out the blocks. After some stale possession on both sides Ozil broke down the right and the ball squirted itself over to Alexis. The rest was, as you know, spellbinding. What a strike he unleashed. Crossbar and in. Perfection. The stunning effort seemed to completely deflate Villa. We continued to apply the pressure and created a couple of other great chances through Cazorla and Walcott, but Given was equal to them. The third did come from some quite woeful defending from Villa and that man Benteke. It wasn’t the first time he let his man free and Mertesacker was on hand to help the ball home. The likes of Giroud would never have let that happen in our box and no matter what people say about our handsome front man, he is a real asset at both ends for us. The third was the point at which the Villa fans lost faith completely but they did manage to create a couple of opportunities. Agbonlahor should have had a free kick just outside the box and Grealish should have had a penalty in the 86th minute which was a little unlucky. I do think that it would have been a little late had they even got the penalty but they still had reason to be miffed. About as miffed as we were when a Ramsey shot struck Hutton’s straying arm earlier in the half but these were both fairly contentious so you can understand why either wasn’t given as well as understand if they were.

Giroud put the icing on the cake with a delightful near post flick from a quite brilliant ball in from the Ox. My cousin and I were in ecstasy at this point and cheering with the full reality that we had actually won the cup. This was the point at which Villa fans began hurling coins towards us as well as half finished drinks. They had been brilliant throughout however now were completely transformed into absolute morons. My cousin and I were never once instigating or inciting any reaction as I know what it feels like to lose a big game in that way. There were a couple of Gooners enjoying the reaction of the Villa fans and began hurling abuse back but the coin throwing from above and below was quite frankly disgusting behaviour. The small minority ruining what had been a quite exemplary vocal performance throughout.

We had so many outstanding performers on the day it’s tough to pick just one of the team as a MOTM so I’m going to pick a few. Hector Bellerin was exemplary throughout and covered well for Kos and the BFG on a couple of quite important occasions. 19 years old and a quite unbelievably experienced and assured performance. Plus I love the guys song. “I want to tell you, I might as well do…”. Ozil had an outstanding game and as I mentioned earlier was the artist to our quite beautiful picture. Cazorla was typically busy and created some brilliant opportunities as well as transitioned possession well between Coquellin and the front 4. Theo lead the line so well and him being in the side made us play more football on the deck. We resorted less to the long out-ball to Giroud and played some great short passing football because of this. A new style in the offing perhaps? Finally that man Alexis Sanchez. The big player for the big occasions. Endless energy, end product and a fabulous first season. Nothing more to be said.

The celebrations were brilliant and Wenger was in buoyant form. An amazing end to an improved season. Progress as far as I’m concerned and some silverware to boot! The following day’s parade was also a special day. It was brilliant to see so many fans out to support the team especially considering the wet weather. I’m told it was around 200,000 Gooners that made their way to Islington for the day’s shenanigans. The players were all in good form and in what looked like a telling statement from Theo it looks like he might stay: “This is the best group of players I’ve worked with and will continue to work with…” Thereafter giving a smile to the Arsenal faithful.

A great weekend in all and I hope you all enjoyed it to the full, unlike the continually miserable throng of fans that seem to exist, who demand change from winning. Money seems to make these people believe that their opinion is above our lowly selves and I’m sick of it. Enjoy yourself - we’ve just won the cup! I know I did/will/am for the foreseeable future!

Get in there you absolute beauties!!!!

Arsenal winning at Wembley again.

What a feeling.

Enjoy the summer Gooners!

Back and firing on all cylinders is the way to describe the performance against Villa. Ozil back with another goal and assist. Walcott back with another goal. Giroud continues his fine goal scoring form and King Santi continues with yet another imperious performance (a goal and 2 assists for anyone who missed it!).

There are so many good things to talk about from the performance which leaves me not knowing where to begin. Let’s go a little left field of the attacking splendour by wanting to once again give deserved praise to Nacho Monreal who has been quite fabulous this season. Gibbs will find it really difficult to get back into the team, as Monreal is really displaying some fighting characteristics at the moment.

The performance of the day has to be between Cazorla and Ozil. I’m inclined to pick Ozil only because he’s still looking for full fitness and producing some quite magical stuff. In fact he’s getting MOTM simply for the flick assist for Giroud’s goal. How are there still clowns around who don’t yet believe he has it? Anyway…

Obviously we were playing Aston Villa who can’t buy a goal at the moment, but you can only beat who’s in front of you. The one thing that will be interesting for next week is that we should have a full suite of players (bar Arteta and Wilshere) to select from. I do wonder how we will go but I think we’ll see Alexis, Welbeck and Giroud playing as a three because we’ll need to be pressing as a team and probably can’t afford the luxury of having Theo or Ozil playing in the wide areas. The real dilemma Wenger will have is to pick either Cazorla or Ozil in the middle. For me it has to be Cazorla as he’s not only completely on his game but he works a little harder than Ozil. If we were at home it may be a more difficult decision but as we’re away I think it has to be Cazorla with Ramsey and Le Coq behind him. I also think Bellerin must continue as his pace will be needed against Townsend and Lennon (if he plays). Lastly Ospina should retain his place as the most impressing part of his game is his composure. His distribution is quick but not rushed and he makes great decisions for set pieces.

Because of other results we’ve closed the gap on City, Chelsea and Southampton. Not a bad weekend by any stretch of the imagination.

Onto deadline day. We’re finally here and don’t seem to be in a stressful situation. We weren’t crying out for multiple signings but one more would have been nice. I think that not being in a position of desperation may well have aided a pursuit of bringing the fabled DM that we needed but alas Wenger thought we’ve got enough for the rest of the season. I really do wonder about his thinking here. In all honesty I have no doubts about us getting into the top 4 but another signing really could have helped an assault for the title itself. I saw a fair few ridiculous rumours about Reus but it’s not that type of signing that would have helped us to a title. As Liverpool showed us last year there’s only so much you can rely on your forwards scoring your way to the title. It’s at the back that trophies are won. I’m a little disappointed in that aspect of the window, which also suggests that Wenger will get one more season. Pinning hopes on a cup victory alongside a top 4 finish is not too unfathomable so fair play to him. I just can’t help but feel that little pang of disappointment at an opportunity missed. We really could be doing more in the title race and one more signing may just have given us the platform to do so. It’s not to say that we can’t do it with what we have but it would rely heavily on the same back 5/6 to do it. Rotation in dealing with fixtures would have been welcome. At least it was a deadline day that we didn’t need to watch in desperation for once and I guess that’s progress.

A last note of discussion on the title race. The weekend gone saw Chelsea take on City at what will now be known as Stampford bridge. Granted they were missing Fabregas and Costa but they showed hardly any ambition during the game, they played as if away from home and produced only 3 shots during the 90 minutes in comparison to City’s 9. Keep in mind that City also had their main man Yaya Toure missing so it was an evenly balanced affair on paper. Mourinho’s teams have won titles by not losing to the big teams around them and that’s obviously the tactic here which may well work in the long run. It’s just a little disappointing to see such a talented squad play some quite boring football at home. Fair enough if it was at the Etihad but to play in such a way at home almost seems as though Mourinho doesn’t have the confidence in his team. Not that I’m complaining - a draw enabled us to close the gap on both teams rather than just one so who cares.

Have a great week people.