Postby JoKeR1980 » March 11th, 2010, 9:19 pm
* An excellent result but not an excellent performance? It couldn't be because their opponents were so ordinary. And that's being kind to Porto.
* No William Gallas, no Robin Van Persie, no Cesc Fabregas. And a 5-0 victory. Arsenal's squad must be far stronger than their critics declared eight months ago.
* Credit to Nicklas Bendtner. Not so much, however, for his hat-trick, which must have been one of the easiest triples ever scored, but for his overall performance. He lead the line well throughout the game and was particularly impressive during Arsenal's 15-minute regression at the start of the second half. When no other player in the red could find another, he alone offered a degree of control and possession. The doubts persist but only because he is in the limelight. If Bendtner were playing for a mid-table outfit, he'd be optimistically referred to as a 22-year-old with plenty of promising potential.
* But for Lukasz Fabianski this tie would have ended as landslide victory and a sizeable attack on the credibility of Portuguese football and the Champions League. If we were being fair, and at the risk of sounding unkind, we'd say that Porto were inept.
* Arsenal should hope - and pray - that Tottenham beat Fulham in their FA Cup quarter-final replay next week. Because if Spurs progress to the semi-finals then the North London derby currently scheduled for April 10 will have to be postponed - and that will be very much to Arsenal's advantage. Otherwise, the Gunners will have to travel to White Hart Lane for a 12.45pm Saturday kick-off just two or three days after the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final. And the later their date with Harry Redknapp's troops, the more likely it is that Gallas, Van Persie and Fabregas will be fit to participate.
* According to Arsene Wenger, Van Persie is "at least a month away" from returning. As such, the most Arsenal can hope for is that he might figure in the CL semis - if they progress that far - to be played at the end of April. But had his injury been correctly diagnosed immediately after it was inflicted, and three weeks weren't allowed to elapse before he finally received the operation his ankle required, he would have had an outside chance of returning for the quarter-finals. How costly could that misdiagnosis still prove to be?
* It's no knee-jerk reaction from Tuesday night to conclude that Samir Nasri's best position is at the apex of a three-man central midfield. He was equally excellent in that role against Burnley on Saturday, creating Cesc Fabregas' goal with an exquisite chipped pass and taking control in the second-half after the Spaniard's withdrawal. Can he play in midfield alongside Fabregas? One would have thought so given that he started alongside Fabregas on Saturday and he isn't so different from Aaron Ramsey in style and build. But Arsene Wenger seems to think otherwise: "He can play there [in the centre], but when Fabregas comes back, Nasri will play wide." Surprising.
* Nasri's major contributions in Arsenal's last two games have been particularly impressive because of the responsibility they assumed. When his side needed someone to stand up - against Burnley when Fabregas was sidelined and against Porto when they appeared to be buckling - it was Nasri who came to the fore. Part of Andrei Arshavin's brilliance is his child-like nature, but the flip side is that he will probably never be a go-to player.
* Unfortunately for Nasri, it appeared as if he suffered some sort of calf injury during the game and he disappeared straight down the tunnel after his withdrawal. If the problem is severe enough to rule him out of the trip to Hull on Saturday then Nasri will - following the lead set by Alex Song against Liverpool, Diaby against Porto, Denilson against Sunderland, Aaron Ramsey against Stoke, and Fabregas against Burnley - become the sixth different Arsenal player in six consecutive matches to be ruled out of the next due to an injury inflicted whilst playing in the centre of their midfield. Surely some sort of record.
* One of the most important days this year for Arsenal was Thursday January 28. It was the day when, despite the fears of the previous evening, scans revealed that Thomas Vermaelen's leg hadn't been broken in the draw at Aston Villa. Edging slightly ahead of Richard Dunne as the signing of the season, Vermaelen is the player Arsenal can't do without right now. They have cover for Fabregas, they have cover for Van Persie. But with Johan Djourou out for the season, Sol Campbell out for every second game, and Gallas out for another month as the latest victim of Arsenal's quite-a-few-a-season habit of rushing back their injured players, all that stands in reserve to Vermaelen is Mikael Silvestre. And that's no cover at all.
* There is, however, a simple logical explanation for why Arsenal suffer a disproportionate of injuries caused by serious foul play: by playing a possession game and by playing to feet, they invite more tackles than any other side - Winners & Losers, February 28.
Anyone in denial, and there were plenty in response, should review Arsenal's tie with Porto and focus attention on the hospital pass that Alex Song received from Abou Diaby during the first-half. Rather than play his free-kick forward from the half-way line, Diaby did the Arsenal thing. But his pass was a fraction short, which is all it takes to invite dangerous collision, and an irresistible temptation. The result was of little consequence - Falaco was cautioned for his lunging tackle, Song was only in a heap for a few seconds - but it was a reminder that Arsenal's style of play can be as much to blame for the number of impact injuries they suffer as the occasional violent excesses of their opponents.
* The years have been indifferent to Sol Campbell. He is not very different to the player he was when he left Arsenal in 2006. A little slower maybe but he was never quick. A little bigger perhaps but he was always big. He still looks cumbersome in possession and occasionally hesitant but these are his time-honoured traits. And Wenger won't mind a jot. The experience and physical presence Campbell offers currently outweigh all the old flaws.
* Arsene's media management still leaves a headline or to be desired, however. According to The Guardian, 'When pressed on the issue, Wenger softened his stance, as though to guard against the "Bring on United and Chelsea" headlines. The Frenchman said: "What I want to say is that we do not choose Manchester United or Chelsea and maybe if I say, for example, we absolutely do not want to play an English team, I put ourselves already in an inferior position..."'
Too late.
Cue the backpage headline of the Daily Mail: 'Bring it on! Arsenal boss Wenger eyeing Chelsea or Manchester United'
Oh well...
in case you forgot.
