Right from the kickoff I thought it was a done deal. Villa had only recently beaten us 2-0 at home, and with Cesc out, Adebayor suspended, and our midfield resembling more of a reserve side than a Premier League caliber first XI, I though in no way a win was possible, much less a result. Luck happened to be on our side in the first half, and a number of Villa chances went begging in the first 30 minutes. First Sidwell, the Luke Young, and after that James Milner all had opportunities that were denied either by Almunia or the woodwork. There was no hope for an Arsenal side that couldn’t hold onto the ball. Alex Song and Abou Diaby were turning everything over, the backline was in pieces – for sure this was an embarrassment in the making.

Then luck came our way. I’m used to seeing this happen to Arsenal – be in control of a match, failing to convert on a number of chances, and getting hit against the run of play. Instead, it was Arsenal who struck against the run of play. Denilson latched onto a botched clearance in the box and slid it in through Friedel’s legs. Quite a fortuitous sequence, and there was now a glimmer of hope. Coupled with that, Wenger had apparently seen enough of Alex Song, and Aaron Ramsey was sent in as a replacement on his 18th birthday. A Villa equalizer was seemingly inevitable, and when Almunia misplayed a cross into his box, Agbanlahor’s looping header was headed in. That was until Bacary Sagna stepped up and somehow kept it out with a superb overhead kick. You have to see this clearance. Impeccable. So after all that, it was 1-0 at halftime to the away team. Don’t ask me how, but the rag tag midfielders that Wenger had sent out were doing their job.

The second half couldn’t have started any better. Just three minutes in, work from two of Arsenal’s more maligned players doubled the lead. Diaby, who recovered from a shocking first 20 minutes to put in a solid performance, found some space on the right side with some nifty footwork, found Eboue streaking down the wing and followed him. Eboue was left unchallenged for some 60 yards, until he found Diaby cutting inside with a nice through ball, and Diaby obliged by smacking the ball into the back of the net. It was sublime stuff and I was left shocked that this team might find a way to win. The fight back from Villa all of sudden was no longer inevitable – although I was still worried. This team still lacks a killer instinct – and when Van Persie found the post with his non-chocolate leg, I had a feeling it would come back to haunt this side.

10 minutes later, Villa were gifted back into the game with another Gallas error. Yes, perhaps the penalty was a bit harsh, but it was once again the pace of Agbanlahor giving the backline fits. Barry slotted home the penalty, and it was now 25 minutes + stoppage time of chomping on my nails, hoping for the miracle of a win.

Alas, it was not to be. A nagging air of inevitability hit me at the start of stoppage time – as if it was practically guaranteed that an equalizer was imminent. Lo and behold, it turned out to be a stoppage time goal from Zat Knight, courtesy of some more poor marking from our defense. No one happened to be within three yards of the man at the top of the box, and he ensured at least a draw for the Villains.

What do you make of this result? Arsenal played as poor a first half as I have ever seen them play, and the fact that they headed into the half 1-0 was a huge stroke of luck. But after going up 2-0, shouldn’t aspirations for victory be the trend? Not that I wasn’t hoping for a win, but considering the changes that Villa missed, a draw is not a bad result. I know that blowing a 2-0 win away from home isn’t good – but it’s not as though the lead was blown at the Emirates. A stronger side had already failed to beat Villa at home. So looking at this, and staying just three points behind Aston Villa is pretty good right?

This season is no longer a fight for a title. While a said including Cesc was a stretch to talk about title chances, his loss marks the end of any semblance of a hope (unless Wenger goes on a mega-shopping spree. Either way you look at it, the title can’t be discussed. This team needs to fight for its life in the Champions League, as failure to finish in the top 4 could have painful repercussions in the scheme of next things. No Champions League could be a huge problem. Then again, AC Milan is in the UEFA Cup this year and seem to be doing ok. It’s going to be a long rest of the season and a test of Wenger’s mettle as well as the rest of the team.

Long highlights are after the jump via 101greatgoals. Don’t forget to sound off below as well.



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Aston Villa: Friedel, Reo-Coker, Davies, Knight, Luke Young, Milner, Sidwell, Petrov, Barry, Ashley Young, Agbonlahor. Subs: Guzan, Harewood, Delfouneso, Salifou, Shorey, Gardner, Osbourne.
Arsenal: Almunia, Sagna, Eboue, Djourou, Silvestre, Song Billong, Denilson, Nasri, Diaby, Gallas, Van Persie. Subs: Fabianski, Toure, Vela, Ramsey, Wilshere, Clichy, Bendtner.

It’s now time for the players only Wenger seems to believe in to step up. Many other blogs I’ve read seem to think that Song, Denilson, Diaby, and Eboue are quite poor players. They now have a chance to solidify a spot in the first XI for the next few months. Times are bad when a 17 year old and a 16 year old are your first choice back ups off the bench. Odd to see Clichy starting on the bench – he must have picked up a knock and Silvestre will probably be on the left. I’m real nervous about today. Last match against Villa was a 2-0 defeat at the Emirates, with the pace of Agbanlahor and Young really bothering the backline. If there is anything last week shows us, it’s that the current defense has trouble dealing with the direct ball over the top. Here’s hoping for a solid result to get this Cesc-free portion of the season underway.

I hope that Santa has a couple of new midfielders in his sack for us this holiday season. It could be a long four months…

And as Arsene would say – Joyeux Noël.

I’m not going to get into too much detail. This is a squad that has underperformed for a majority of the season, and continued to do so. Emotions were riding high after a win over United; but today it all stands for naught. Players like Nasri, Cesc, and Walcott continue to play very inconsistently, and it makes you wonder again and again why Wenger has faith in players when they fail to get adequate results. It’s very, very hard to be optimistic about the chance for this squad, as it stands, to win the title, with four losses so far in just 13 league games.

The problem starts in central defense. William Gallas, for all his purported claims to being a leader, has failed time and time again to provide the sort of experience needed for this squad to succeed. Almunia has spoke up since the loss, calling for players to analyze their performance. The keeper is the last one to blame for the loss, coming off a cheek injury and saving a penalty. Perhaps he could be given the armband? Meanwhile, Gallas and Silvestre have not adequately answered the questions asked from them by opposing attackers all season. Nothing summed it up better than Gabriel Agbonlahor outpacing him on the second goal. Is Wenger biased to have a back four that is all French? Bring back Senderos. I wish. Someone please, please explain the reasoning for him to be loaned out. He’s made all of one appearance for Milan, while he would be given a shot here. At least you’d think. I would much prefer Djourou and Senderos at this point.

You can only analyze things so many times. I feel like the United victory was simply wool being pulled over the eyes of Arsenal supporters. Recent form does not bode well for a title challenge. Time to set our sights on the Carling Cup. Is it silly to worry about this squad even finishing fourth? Villa clearly wanted the game more yesterday, and look very solid. Making things worse, Sagna is out for a few weeks, and Cesc is suspended for the next match, due to yellow card accumulation.

Highlights after the jump, and as usual, leave your thoughts below.

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Injury news ahead of tomorrow is a bit better – Adebayor could be ready to go, as he faces a fitness test, as well as Manuel Almunia, who is recovering from the swift kick in the face that he received last weekend against United. However, it’s doubtful that Adebayor would be risked unless he is completely fit, seeing as our striker depth is a bit weak with the suspension of van Persie and all. The good news on the injury front is Eduardo’s return to practice, and while he only took part in some light jogging and stretching, it’s a great sign.

Saturday’s match will be a challenge. Villa has played well, although a little inconsistent. Sounds familiar. Nothing better than building on last week’s result will suit me, especially since this is another home fixture. It’ll depend on who is healthy for Villa, as I recall reading that John Carew is a question mark, although the likes of Gabriel Agbonlahor and Ashley Young will challenge our back four even if the tall Norse striker is out. A big game from Fabregas is needed, and while it sucks to put so much pressure on the young man, he is one of the most experience players in the side. There’s not a lot more to say – should be an entertaining one, and for those of us in the US, don’t forget to tune in on FSC and leave your thoughts below.