All To Play For by Arsenal 247

A fortnight of fire for Arsenal.Expect change at the top.

The first game against the Liverpool did us more favours than we realise, that, with some luck, might actually put us back on course for the Champions League and the Premiership.But the game on Wednesday highlighted the weaknesses that appear to have taken over at the club.  There is a lack of confidence, a lack of belief.  Arsenal no longer seem the club who when the backs were against the wall, they would fight to the finish to get a result, not a draw, but a victory.  For some reason there is none of what Tony Adams and Martin Keown instilled in the club.  And this, really, has been our Achilles heel.

Against Liverpool, we started well.  There was some confidence, some creative play and some hunger, but physically we were matched by a below par Liverpool side that over rely on Gerrad and Torres.  And after Adebayor ended his goal drought we were punished by Dirk Kuyt, somebody who has been poor for Liverpool and whose family, it was confirmed, were neighbours with the official charged with officiating the game.

Personally I don’t care that a penalty was not awarded.  We should have won the game without the need to talk about penalties and dodgy refereeing decisions.  In fact, doing so only detracts from the problems that we are facing and need to be addressed.

Yet, a one all draw, is in my opinion a fair result.  It will mean that we will travel to Anfield knowing that we need to score an early goal.  Doing so will mean that they have to score two and while they have Torres, I think that Gallas and Senderos could manage him.  Anfield can be as special as it wants, but they will be relying on Gerrard to do it again, to pick up the team and drag them to a result.  We will need to be ready for a tight and defensive game at Anfield and we will have to be focused and sharp so that we can hit them on the counter-attack.  Flamini will have a lot of work to do and he’ll have his work cut out to manage and trick Mascherano.

Liverpool have one pot to play for, we have our season.  The one-all draw that is being taken into the game isn’t advantage Liverpool, for them to think and for the email to confirm it will just make us more determined.  It just needs us to nick a goal early on, at Anfield, for them to go into meltdown.  At this point we need to continue hitting them on the counter and seal up the back line.

In the League Rotation-mad Rafa will change his squad to ensure that his preferred, er, team are fresh for Tuesday.  So we need to capitalise on this at the weekend so that we can set the tone for a comeback on Tuesday night.  Then we can head into the semi’s where we can seek revenge for the earlier loss in the League at the Bridge.

As for United, well, they are playing the way they are playing, but with Vidic out for 3 weeks, they are week at the back.  And playing this game at Old Trafford will make us more determined to turn-around the earlier result in the FA Cup.  Then, well, we just have to seek favours from other teams, Boro this weekend – Aliadiere perhaps, and Chelsea, who are still chasing the League.

Who knows, but as crazy as it sounds, we are still in with a shout.

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