Arsene Wenger said that Arsenal were “terrible” in their 4-3 defeat at Ewood Park. Wenger said he is worried about the problems at the back after conceding two own goals.
Wenger was forced to scrap his normal post-match comments after witnessing the sad performance his squad put in. Arsene said (from ESPN): “It is terrible. It is just not good enough. Of course we are very frustrated – the spirit in the team is quite willing but if you look at the number of goals we have conceded that is not good enough.
“You cannot come here and concede four goals the way we did today. On the other hand I believe that the group will take off but it’s important that we get quick results.
“You cannot say you have no worry when you see the performance we have put in today. It’s just not defensively solid enough when you are 2-1 in front against Blackburn and you know if you are solid enough defensively you will score goals.
“It’s not all negative today. That’s, in fact, the frustrating thing as well. At the moment we do not have the capability to focus defensively to win games like that. It is important you do not give cheap goals away like that.”
There were flashes of brilliance from the Arsenal attack, but all that was washed away by the incoherent defending. When a team scores three goals, they expect to win, but this squad of Gunners should not expect to [...]
Arsenal fell to Blackburn at Ewood Park due to two own goals and terrible positioning.
Yakubu scored twice for Rovers in his debut for the club. The big Nigerian striker took advantage of the lack of organization in the Arsenal back-line. The Gunners attempted offside traps to stop the poaching Yakubu, but always one defender was left behind.
Let’s go through this nightmare of a match in chronological order. Arsenal started the match very well, and the attacking play led to Gervinho’s first competitive goal for the Gunners. Alex Song made a wonderful pass, and Gervinho cut the ball into the charging Christopher Samba. The ball deflected slightly before finding its way into the far corner of the net in the 10th minute.
For a while, it looked as if Arsenal could dominate the match, but Yakubu scored his first goal against the run of play. Junior Hoillet threaded a ball through to Yakubu, who took a quick stab at it. It was a fantastic finish. Andre Santos, starting in his first game for Arsenal, trailed the rest of the back four and allowed Yakubu to stay onside.
Mikel Arteta scored his first in an Arsenal shirt in the 34th minute. Song, again, sprung the break with a pass to Aaron Ramsey. The Welsh midfielder cut a cross back to Arteta, who blasted the ball into the back of the net. Arsenal were in a good position heading into halftime.
Blackburn notched the equaliser from an Arsenal own goal in [...]
Arsenal look to continue their run of results, while Blackburn boss Steve Kean is under pressure from supporters. Kean admires Arsene Wenger and the Arsenal philosophy, while Christopher Samba wants Blackburn to make life a “living hell” for the Gunners.
Injury News: Arsene Wenger revealed on Thursday that Aaron Ramsey could be available on Saturday (from Arsenal.com): “Ramsey had a little test today [Thursday] and will practice tomorrow, he has a little chance to be available.” Abou Diaby, Thomas Vermaelen, and Jack Wilshere will miss the match.
Alex Song and Gervinho will make their Premier League returns after both players received a three-match ban after the Newcastle game. Song was impressive against Dortmund. He provides great protection for the back four as a holding midfielder.
The early kickoff will be another chance for the new boys to shine. Mikel Arteta and Per Mertesacker should definitely make Wenger’s starting eleven. I suspect that Yossi Benayoun will fill in for Ramsey.
Blackburn have had their worst start to a season in the Premier League era, but so have Arsenal. Before the match at Ewood Park, some supporters will hold a protest against manager Steve Kean. Blackburn are bottom of the table with only a point from their first four matches. Arsene Wenger said he believes that Kean deserves more time (from The Guardian):
“I have a lot of sympathy for Steve Kean. He is a young manager and you want to give him time to do his job.
“A lot of time you complain the British managers [...]
Blackburn has haltedArsenal’s title chase today at the Emirates by forcing scoreless draw. The Gunners failed to go ahead even when they were a man up late on. With United’s win earlier today, it looks as if Arsenal title hopes are done and dusted. We failed to convert chances into goals and Almunia looked shaky yet again. Many Arsenal fans will be asking whether Wenger has overstayed his welcome in North London. What you think?
The former Spurs keeper held Arsenal today.
The match started out positive. Walcott and Song were back and fit, as well as van Persie. Cesc started on the bench. Theo looked great early on, using his pace and skill to beat the defence. He disappeared in the second half, probably due to fatigue after missing so many matches. Jack Wilshere again showed why he is such a promising player. He’s poor finishing shows why he is not yet a top player.
Arsenal’s best chance came in the 29th minute when Wilshere found himself with the ball right in front of the goal. Nasri put the ball on a plate for the 18 year-old Englishman, but Wilshere put the ball weakly wide. Jack really needs to learn to shoot the ball when he has the chance. Quite a few times in the match, he was driving foward and ended his run with a pass when a shot would be more preferable.
Manual Almunia and our centre-halfs again looked very fragile. Every set piece, including goal-kicks, [...]
The international break is done and dusted and it is time for the Gunners to take the field again in a must-win situation. Blackburn will be visiting the Emirates Saturday afternoon in a game that is vital to our title chances. Many players will be returning to the squad after recovering over the international break, including Cesc Fabregas, Theo Walcott, and Alex Song. Hopefully, these key players can make a difference.
RVP will most likely be ready to play, according to Wenger, he will have a final assessment tomorrow. The reason I am doing this match preview a day early is because I may be a bit busy tomorrow. If I have time, I will post up something about Wenger’s prematch presser.
A lot of positives and here is another: Denilson will miss the match. Many have been hammering Denilson lately on his poor play, including myself. It is about time Wenger stop playing him in this critical stretch of the season. Maybe this injury will hold Denilson back longer than expected…
Things are not going great at Blackburn. They are in 13th at the moment with 33 points, but they are only a point ahead of the drop. It is very tight at that part of the table and they desperately need points. Earlier this week, Blackburn boss Steve Kean expressed interest in Ruud van Nisterooy. It may not happen, seeing that Ronaldinho passed on the Rovers.
This match could decide our season. If we lose, and United win, [...]
