A Gooner in Montreal

Fighting the Power Shift - Arsene’s Last Struggle?

By Ulysse Pasquier, writing from Montreal

Football clubs do enjoy their deadline drama it seems. These last couple of days have been so hectic it has become difficult to keep track of my Twitter feed every single deal, and the transfer window is not even closed yet! We can expect more signings in the next 24 hours that could shape the rest of the season, notably in the Premier League with much of the attention focused on Arsenal. The Gunners have been incredibly busy since their humiliating defeat at Old Trafford, getting their hands on Park Chu Young from Monaco while waiting for Andre Dos Santos and Per Mertesacker to follow the South Korean to North London. Arsene Wenger has had a very worrying start of the season, to say the least, and Arsenal’s top four spot is already severely threatened, only three match-days into the new campaign. Whether this new found taste for spending is a reaction to this weekend’s loss or part of “Le Plan” is irrelevant, however after Manchester City’s performance at White Hart Lane, it could very well be Wenger’s despairing attempt at saving Arsenal’s seat in the Champions League. 

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Sagna leads the run past Everton as Arsenal go second.

By Ulysse Pasquier, writing from Montreal

Arsenal were arguably this weekend’s biggest winners as they defeated Everton 1-2 at Goodison Park to go second in the Premier League, just two points from Chelsea. While the Gunners benefited from the Blues’ poor performance against Sunderland, they still had to find the resources to overcome a spirited Everton side. The game itself had a very different dynamic to the 1-6 thrashing we witnessed on the first day of last season as David Moyes’s players proved to be much more challenging to beat. Goals from Bacary Sagna and Cesc Fabregas allowed Arsenal to take a commanding lead before an 89th minute strike from Tim Cahill halved Everton’s deficit to set up a thrilling end to the game. While it wasn’t the best performance from the Gunners, they went home with three deserved points and they will have Lukasz Fabianski to thank for the win. 

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The Art of ‘Winning Ugly’

Arsenal defeated Hull City 2-1 on Saturday thanks to a 90th+3 minute goal from the one and only Nicklas Bendtner. The match was both stressful and exciting and proved to be a massively important away win. With only 8 fixtures to go, the Gunners are well in the race for the title lying in 3rd just 2 points away from first place Manchester United. 

Hull City equalized in the 28th minute with a Jimmy Bullard penalty after Andrey Arshavin had put Arsenal in the lead. The Tigers were reduced to 10 men just before half-time when Boateng was sent off for testing Bacary Sagna’s knee with an awful foot-up challenge. Arsenal understandably dominated in the second half, however the job was far from done. Hull defended valiantly and with frustration rising for the visitors, a title-threatening draw was on the horizon. It was only in stoppage time that Mr. Wenger’s boys were able to find their winning touch. Boaz Myhill was unable to stop a 30-yard Denilson screamer and Bendtner was first to pounce on the rebound. 

I was thrilled to see the ball roll past the Hull keeper as it not only underlined my last entry’s argument about Bendtner’s positioning but it also showed Arsenal was finally able to do what any silverware-contender should master…’winning ugly’. 

Arsenal are one of the most - if not the most - creative and entertaining team to watch in Europe. Known for their slick one-touch passing, they are often criticized for wanting to ‘walk the ball’ in the net. Although they kept their style of play on Saturday night, they succeeded in creating a goal out of nowhere, no matter how scrappy it looked. Arsenal were able to keep their composure until the very end applying constant pressure on Hull’s goal and were rewarded with a much needed three points. 

I believe this is something they would not have been able to do 2 or 3 years ago. I remember telling myself when watching Man U or Chelsea, “how is it that they are always able to find the winning goal and Arsenal can’t!”. It was the 2nd away match in just two weeks that the Gunners managed to win in injury time. The players, who critics were calling “boys against men” after consecutive defeats to rivals earlier this year, are maturing, becoming more confident and more committed to winning.

Arsene Wenger described his team in an interview  as “the kings of scoring late” jokingly pointing out that it may be bad for his heart. Although I am sure Arsenal fans care about Mr. Wenger’s aging heart, we are not going to complain. Arsenal are in fact the most prolific late scorers of the Premier League with 19 goals scored in the last 15 minutes, more than any other team of the Big Four. These late goals can make the difference and are another proof that this young promising side is on its way to becoming one of the best.