Arsènal

by Alex Fynn

  When the season was over, Wenger reflected, “We could not win the next game [a 1–1 home draw with Aston Villa] and then confidence dropped a little bit. Then every time after that when we were in a situation leading 1–0, we did not have the same drive going forwards, we just wanted to keep the result because we had less confidence. That all started at Birmingham.”

  March’s Premier League programme saw one deception after another for Arsenal. Ahead of the run of fixtures against Birmingham, Villa, Wigan and Middlesbrough, some Gooners were anticipating who the opposition might be when the title was confirmed. But these encounters saw a pitiful return of four points from a possible 12; certainly not the form of champions elect. The players who had shown they had it in them to ‘win ugly’ in Prague back in August had forgotten how to eke out victory when the chips were down. Arsène Wenger had once more failed to prepare his men to come out fighting and strong leadership on the field was conspicuous by its absence. It was difficult to imagine that Tony Adams or Patrick Vieira would have let control slip away in this manner.

  Injuries compounded Wenger’s problems. Eduardo was on crutches, whilst Robin van Persie, though finally able to return never regained his early-season sharpness, a converted penalty his only goal in the first eight appearances after his mid-March comeback. The disappearance of Tomas Rosicky had the fans renaming him ‘Rosicknote’, as he did not feature again after the end of January, with the medical team apparently unable to explain why his hamstring injury was the cause of such a prolonged absence. Wenger was mystified. “It is not a serious injury but a strange one; he is not making much progress,” he said. “It is impossible to say when he will return. It is a frustration for me.” So much reliance had been placed on the good form of Emmanuel Adebayor that when his own scoring run hit a lean patch, results suffered.

  Wenger was forced to field players – Theo Walcott and Nicklas Bendtner were tried as starters – whose form or readiness for the task in hand was found wanting, hardly a surprise given their youth and inexperience. The fragility of Arsenal’s situation was laid bare. The alchemist had accomplished so much with so many non-world-class performers, but now his unit had been breached. While United had Cristiano Ronaldo, Carlos Tévez et al and Chelsea a variety of international options, Wenger was forced to run arguably his only world-class star into the ground. The midfield appeared to visibly wilt, and the wisdom of letting Lassana Diarra go was again called into question. The dip in form may not have been purely down to physical reasons, but the decision to depend on younger players, whilst initially providing Wenger’s pace and power prerequisites, was shown to be misplaced. Would more experienced professionals have paced themselves better? By the time of the Birmingham game that changed the course of the season, Fàbregas had already made 30 appearances and Flamini 28. At the cam paign’s conclusion they had registered 45 and 40 respectively. It placed huge demands on two young men still learning their trade. Arsenal were top dogs for the first seven months of the campaign, but the only trophy handed out in February was the one that Wenger conceded to Tottenham by sending out a mix-and-match team at the semi-final stage of the Carling Cup.

  Then in the midst of their woes Arsenal faced their most difficult assignment so far. They travelled to Milan needing to avoid defeat to progress to the Champions League quarter-final. At a time when they were producing turgid domestic displays, where exactly did they find the mettle that saw them dethrone the holders of the European Cup in their own backyard? The goals in the 2–0 victory might have come in the latter stages of the match, but the scoreline accurately reflected their superiority on the night. At times, Wenger’s young team ran rings round their illustrious foes, who at the same venue the previous April had made Premier League champions Manchester United look like continental novices. It was a remarkable triumph, and one of Arsenal’s great nights in Europe.

  The contrast to domestic disappointment might be explained by the greater self-belief of opponents who consider themselves at least to be the equal if not superior to Arsenal. So there is more of a positive approach by both sides and less concentration by one team to simply deny the other. Greater space is a consequence, which is then expertly exploited by Wenger’s men. In an ironic way, it probably gives them a better chance of beating a Barcelona than a Bolton.

  So even with major rivals on the horizon, perhaps all was not lost. In the Premier League, visits to Chelsea and Manchester United lay ahead. In the Champions League, the quarter-final draw saw them paired with Liverpool, the second leg at Anfield. The San Siro result was a reminder that Arsenal were capable of beating anyone anywhere, and if they could repeat their away form in the key clashes to come then maybe the season could still be salvaged. The table said that Arsenal had still only suffered a solitary league defeat after 30 matches. If they could keep that statistic going until the end, surely they could still take the title?

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  CLOSE, BUT NO CIGAR

  The series of key encounters that would determine the outcome of the 2007/08 season for Arsenal began with a visit to Stamford Bridge. There they faced a Chelsea side who were in the midst of a lengthy undefeated run under José Mourinho’s replacement Avram Grant, making them legitimate title challengers alongside Arsenal and Manchester United. Ahead of the clash, Wenger addressed the problems he had faced in recent weeks. “I believe we need to get back to speeding up our passing around the box,” he said. “That’s where we can be neater and where we can make a difference. We have been too narrow. That’s down to the fact that I play Alex Hleb on one flank and he is more comfortable centrally and always comes inside. Therefore if teams defend deep like Middlesbrough did, we can be a bit narrow. We will play wide on Sunday, and Eboue is a natural wide player.”

  Certainly a lack of width had been an unresolved issue since Thierry Henry last contributed a full season and used the flanks to such devastating effect. Emmanuel Eboue’s return in the 27 appearances up to that point was a paltry total of two assists and not a single goal in all competitions. Being forced to rely on a squad member so patently out of form to improve the team’s attacking potential exposed how bare Wenger’s cupboard was. With Van Persie, Eduardo and Rosicky all able to play wide, and all absent for so many matches, Wenger had no real alternative than to field players who, under normal circumstances, might have struggled to make the substitutes’ bench.

  In spite of his limited choice, at least the manager could rely on someone to find a goal from somewhere. But the ‘One-nil to the Arsenal’ scenario was a scoreline from another era. The predicament in 2008 was that once ahead, Arsenal’s inability to maintain a hard won advantage against their main rivals became their Achilles’ heel. Unfortunately it encouraged some feeble gallows humour: Why wouldn’t you trust Arsenal to take your dog for a walk? Because they can’t hold a lead.

  Against Chelsea, the goal they needed to win the game arrived in the 58th minute, courtesy of Bacary Sagna. But if it appeared that the tide might have turned, the sensation was illusory. Moments later, the scorer suffered an ankle injury in an innocuous challenge, and one of Wenger’s most consistent and invaluable performers did not appear again for the remainder of the campaign. While Sagna was receiving treatment, Chelsea rang the changes and Nicolas Anelka was brought on to reinforce the attack. Within seconds they were level, the Arsenal defence unsettled and not adapting in time to counter the change in their opponents’ formation.

  As if the succession of injuries wasn’t bad enough, it seemed as if officials’ questionable calls always went in favour of the opposition, with scorer Didier Drogba receiving the ball in an offside position in the build-up to the goal just the latest example. Despite the fates conspiring against Arsenal, had the players performed to the level they were capable of against weaker sides such as Birmingham and Middlesbrough their misfortune would only have registered as consolation goals for their opponents. They could then have afforded to come away empty-handed from Stamford Bridge and Old Trafford and still been
at the top of the table (instead of in third place) such was their earlier points advantage.

  Arsenal were duly defeated by Chelsea, the central defence allowing Drogba a snap shot to register his second goal of the game. According to former Arsenal double-winning captain Frank McLintock, Gallas and Toure would always be vulnerable to opponents such as Drogba, “who disrupts them because they lack a bit of height [both are under six feet tall] and strength. When they come up against a player with sheer physical strength they sometimes get bullied.” This was certainly a state of affairs neither McLintock nor Tony Adams would have permitted. When Arsenal had registered a home win against Chelsea earlier in the campaign, Drogba had been absent through injury, undoubtedly a contributory factor in their first victory over their West London rivals since the Ivory Coast international’s arrival from Marseille in 2004.

  In answer to the criticism that in January he should have bought a centre back, Wenger replied, “I expected Johan Djourou to come back from Birmingham but he was injured. You have to accept in January to find a centre back who can play for Arsenal Football Club at the top of the league is not easy.” Well, Liverpool managed it, their improving form from the turn of the year owing much to the arrival of the Czech international Martin Skrtel. According to former player Alan Smith, Jonathan Woodgate was waiting and hoping that Wenger’s oft-expressed admiration for him would, in a reverse of the Dennis Bergkamp transfer (when the Dutchman wanted to sign for Arsenal’s neighbours) see him land at the other end of Seven Sisters Road. If Wenger was interested, he procrastinated, and Woodgate signed for Tottenham. There was speculation that Woodgate had indeed signed for Arsenal hours before he was announced as a Tottenham player, after the production company responsible for the club’s TV channel was notified of an unscheduled press conference. But it was suddenly pulled, prompting a belief that the new signing the conference had been called to announce might have failed the club’s very thorough medical. With the experience of Van Persie and Rosicky’s frequent unavailability, might it have been that the club simply didn’t want to take another chance?

  In a question-and-answer session held with shareholders two days after the end of the season, Wenger specified he was in the market for a defender (and a creative midfielder). “We have to rectify how we deal with direct balls,” he admitted to the audience. “When a team just goes for long, direct balls against us, we have to improve.” The obvious conclusion was that the sought after defender would be a big six-footer who would provide a better option than Philippe Senderos, Johan Djourou and Alexandre Song.

  Following the Chelsea defeat Senderos, who had performed admirably against Milan, was given the chance to address the lack of height at the back and with Sagna unavailable Kolo Toure moved to right back. Presumably, Wenger felt Toure to be a better bet in an unfamiliar role than either Eboue or Justin Hoyte, whose defensive qualities he had come to question. Unfortunately, a number of key goals in the final matches of the season were subsequently conceded as a result of attacks down the right side of the defence, with Toure – struggling for form ever since picking up an injury playing for the Ivory Coast in the African Cup of Nations – unconvincing in the position. Sagna proved a huge loss and another case of ‘what if?’

  Due to the quirk of the fixture list sandwiching the two legs of a Champions League quarter-final around the scheduled Arsenal v Liverpool Premier League match, the two sides faced each other three times in seven days. For the first leg of the European tie Arsenal, the home team, went ahead, only to concede an away goal that left Liverpool far better placed to qualify. There was a bitter taste in Arsenal mouths when Alex Hleb was clearly tugged back by Dirk Kuyt in the penalty area in full view of the referee. Events the following week would compound the sense of injustice.

  Despite dropping points left, right and centre, Arsenal were still in with a chance of the title, but a second home draw with Liverpool in succession, both sides resting many of those who had been on European duty, more or less lined up the nails in the coffin of any lingering hopes of overhauling Manchester United and Chelsea. Some felt that Wenger was wrong to prioritise Europe and that he should have fielded his strongest line-up for all three matches against Liverpool. He chose to return to the Toure/Gallas partnership for a final time in the league fixture and lived to regret it as the duo were at fault for Liverpool’s goal. The similarity between the two games was reflected in the same scoreline and another decent Arsenal penalty claim being waved away by the referee. The personnel may have changed, but it was a surefire case of déjà vu all over again (as the legendary baseball catcher Yogi Berra first declared). One hammer blow after another.

  Travelling to Anfield for the deciding leg of the quarter-final, many Gooners were optimistic. To have any chance, Arsenal had to score and in spite of not getting the rub of the green in recent weeks, they could normally be relied upon to do just that. The game was set up perfectly for Wenger’s attacking philosophy. They had little to lose by playing positively, a simple case of score or go out, and Liverpool notching one of their own wouldn’t actually change that situation. The consequence was a marvellous first half as the visitors handed out a footballing lesson. The goal, with the final brushstroke applied by Abou Diaby, illustrated the interplay, precise passing and speed of movement that is the hallmark of Arsenal football at its peak. Once again, they were ahead in the tie and with the advantage of knowing that they too had scored a vital away goal.

  Having seen Gallas and Toure struggle to deal with Peter Crouch three days previously, Wenger had brought back Senderos to partner the captain, with Toure again moved to right back. All had reason to feel personally responsible for subsequent mishaps. Senderos failed to challenge Sami Hyppia at a Liverpool corner and the scores were level. It was a rank loss of concentration that galvanised a side who had looked second best up till then, their improvement given further impetus by yet another injury. This time Mathieu Flamini was the victim, his 42 minutes being his last appearance in an Arsenal shirt (at the end of the season he joined AC Milan as a free agent). No Sagna, no Rosicky, no Eduardo and now no Flamini. Van Persie was still short of full match fitness after a long absence and Flamini’s replacement Gilberto a shadow of his former self. The momentum was now with Liverpool and it was no surprise when they took a 69th-minute lead through Fernando Torres.

  However, the twists and turns of what was developing into an epic encounter were far from over. Theo Walcott replaced Eboue and created a wonder goal to put Wenger’s team ahead in the tie on the away-goals rule. As a Liverpool move broke down on the edge of Arsenal’s penalty area, Walcott ran the length of the pitch, outpacing opponents and skipping tackles before delivering a cutback for Adebayor to roll in. Pandemonium broke out amongst the visiting supporters as, with 85 minutes on the clock, the goal looked decisive. Unfortunately, the excitement was contagious, and what followed exposed the team’s immaturity. By fair means or foul, any attacks had to be halted to buy time to regain concentration. Patrick Vieira would have ensured they were prepared for any eventuality and stopped any momentum with, if necessary, a foul, the subsequent break in play ensuring the minds of his colleagues were fully focussed on the task in hand. Instead his successors fell to a sucker punch.

  Left winger Ryan Babbel collected the ball near the touchline and ran towards the penalty area. Wenger was devastated at what followed. “Kolo didn’t touch him. Babel pulled Kolo’s shirt because he knew Gallas was blocking his way. He did what most strikers would but he went down because he was going nowhere.” It was an expertly engineered example of gamesmanship as initially it even convinced neutrals that Toure had been at fault. The referee was certainly in no doubt, awarding the spot kick and even booking the hapless Toure for good measure. Would Sagna have done better and dispossessed Babel before he was anywhere near the area? Possibly. Toure had rarely been convincing as a full back before his transition to a central defender and did nothing to change that view on his return four years on.

  A tale of tw
o penalties. The one denied Hleb in the first leg was far more clear-cut than the one awarded at Anfield (and successfully dispatched by Steven Gerrard). Arsenal were dead and buried. A fourth Liverpool goal in the dying embers of injury time was an academic footnote, although that the scorer was Babel was the final insult.

  Arsenal’s season was encapsulated in 90 minutes. Playing sublimely to establish a lead and then – with the prize in sight – undone by injury, defensive incompetence, lack of experience and poor luck, they managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. The Arsenal party put Anfield behind them as quickly as they could and after the short flight to Luton, Arsène Wenger arrived home just after midnight. Unable to sleep, he put on the television and played back the nightmare again.

  The following day at home, outwardly calm and relaxed, Wenger admitted that he “still hadn’t got over it”. He was adamant that in the same circumstances he would pick an identical line-up. “Senderos played well against Milan, Gallas and Toure couldn’t cope with Crouch and Eboue can’t defend well enough. The loss of the right back [Sagna] really hurt us. The decisions had gone against us. I looked at the tape again. The ref had a clear view [of the penalty incident].” Apparently, the official excused his decision by explaining to one of Wenger’s colleagues that “he was concentrating on the feet”.