Arsene objects to Manchester City’s public pursuit of Samir Nasri
This article titled “Arsène Wenger: Manchester City’s Roberto Mancini is ‘out of order’” was written by David Hytner at the Meihu Sports Centre, Yiwu, for The Observer on Saturday 16th July 2011 16.39 UTC
There was a storm before Arsenal brought the curtain down on their Asia tour, featuring thunder, lightning and torrential rain, yet it was nothing like the one afterwards, when Arsène Wenger raged at a familiar slight.
The manager has digressed regularly from the real business here, which has been to promote the club’s brand to the captive audience in Malaysia and China, to insist that the captain Cesc Fàbregas and Samir Nasri are staying put in north London. Fàbregas, who has not been in Asia because of injury, is dancing once more with Barcelona, while both of the Manchester clubs want Nasri, who is into the final 12 months of his contract.
Wenger began the tour by declaring his determination to keep Nasri this summer was so absolute that he would be prepared to lose him on a Bosman free transfer next year, and he ended it with a stinging rebuke to his Manchester City counterpart Roberto Mancini, who has said that he still hopes to sign the midfielder by the end of the month.
“This comment is out of order,” Wenger said, before addressing the issue of its disrespect. “I cannot say otherwise. These comments are not allowed. They are against the basic rules of football and he should be informed [of that].
“I don’t know what should be done. I don’t spend my time worrying about what other people say because we are focused on our game. But what we want is respect and we don’t make these comments about players who are under contract at other clubs. It’s time football in England came back to these basic rules.”
Nasri was the focal point at the outset even if, in between the explosive weather and post-match quotations, the match was something of a damp squib. He was again handed an advanced midfield role in the middle of Wenger’s 4-1-4-1 formation, strengthening the impression that, if Fàbregas were to leave, Nasri might be asked to step into his boots.
The story of the first half was the pace and incision of Hangzhou Greentown, the Chinese Super League team, together with some dreadfully sloppy Arsenal defending. Thank goodness it is only pre-season. Sébastien Squillaci got another dishonourable mention.
Greentown had the first chance with just 90 seconds on the clock, Wang Song breaking clear only to be denied by Vito Mannone’s legs, and Paulo Pezzolano hit the post shortly before the opening goal after being given too much time to line up a curling shot. A minute later they scored through Sebastián Vázquez’s close-range finish, and there were soon sightings of Wenger’s outstretched arms on the bench. Carlos Vela’s bundled equaliser on 45 minutes, after Andrey Arshavin and Robin Van Persie had combined, had scarcely been signposted.
It felt strange to see Arsenal turn out in a neat-and-tidy athletics stadium, given the clamour from the fans in China to see them. The capacity was 45,000 and it was significantly under half full, although virtually everybody was supporting Wenger’s team. For Arsenal, though, the live broadcast rights to the game across China were everything. Rather more watched from their armchairs.
Arsenal’s marketing department has been excited at how the tour has helped to make the club more visible in China and increase their reach. One of many remarkable statistics was the one million users who logged in to a web chat with Vela and Aaron Ramsey, whose nickname in these parts is Mr Handsome.
There is no doubt that Arsenal have felt the love from the locals. They have choreographed their tour to perfection, making capital from even the little touches. The players’ names on the back of their shirts here were in Mandarin.
Wenger made 11 half-time changes, the arrivals including Ramsey and Theo Walcott, and his new-look line-up dominated the second period. Yet they spurned a stream of chances to win, with Walcott the chief culprit.
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This article titled “Andrey Arshavin’s goal completes the Arsenal recovery against Barcelona” was written by Kevin McCarra at Emirates Stadium, for The Guardian on Thursday 17th February 2011 00.32 UTC
Arsenal may not have won the Champions League tie but they approach the return with a serenity that is no longer within Barcelona’s reach. The visitors lost a lead and then the match. In that run of events an initially effortless side became careless and vulnerable. They ought to reproach themselves and there is now penance enough in a return at the Camp Nou that will be stressful for Barcelona no matter how it is eventually resolved.
For the time being Arsène Wenger can settle for feeling proud of the maturity of Arsenal players whose temperaments did not shrivel even when Barcelona were at their most intimidatingly fluent. Instead Arsenal persevered in looking for weaknesses and eventually located them. Robin van Persie tied the score in the 78th minute with a drive from a tight angle on the left that ought never to have beaten Víctor Valdés at his near post.
There was further proof to come of Barcelona fallibility. Five minutes later Cesc Fábregas set Samir Nasri moving on the right and the cut-back was swept home perfectly by the substitute Andrey Arshavin. Barcelona had come as close as seems feasible to resembling normal, intermittently accident-prone human beings. Chances were squandered as if it could be taken for granted that there would be many more to come for Lionel Messi and others.
That assumption turned out to be a delusion and now there are matters of bare fact to occupy them. The centre-half Gerard Piqué was booked and will be suspended for the second leg. The Barcelona manager, Pep Guardiola, must therefore hope that the captain Carles Puyol’s recovery from a knee injury does not falter between now and 8 March.
There was proof in abundance of Barcelona’s technique and imagination, yet they were not ruthless in taking the full benefit. They had been 2-0 ahead here a year ago before drawing the first leg of the quarter-final but went on to rout Arsenal 4-1 in the return. That may account for the complacency when Barcelona neglected to drive home the advantage of David Villa’s opener last night.
Arsenal’s emergence as the single likely challenger to Manchester United for the Premier League title ought to have told Barcelona that there is more of an edge to Wenger’s men nowadays. With an away goal recorded in a narrow defeat Guardiola’s side deserve to remain favourites for the quarter-finals but that assertion is open to more debate now than anyone anticipated.
Meeting Barcelona is a predicament for virtually all teams but Arsenal’s case is unusual. Rather than being the normal contrast of styles, this encounter saw Guardiola’s side taking on opponents who would like nothing better than to emulate their methods.
Arsenal withstood that comparison. Even when the visitors took the lead through Villa in the 26th minute it came in a spell where they might just as easily have fallen behind. Neither team was particularly convincing when seeking to thwart the other. Their heart is not in such work.
That openness made for a frenetic yet also adroit spectacle. Barcelona could well have had a lovingly crafted opener after a quarter of an hour. Andrés Iniesta picked out Messi and he laid the ball back to Villa before breaking free on the return. It may only have been the wish to take the goal with a flourish that undermined him as a dinked shot went beyond the far post.
Arsenal were at least as effective then in unpeeling a back four. Following good work by Theo Walcott, Fábregas lobbed a pass to Van Persie, who rattled a shot that was saved by Valdés. Even if Wenger’s men blundered in their effort to spring the offside trap, Messi sending Villa in for the opener, Arsenal had been trying to dictate the terms of the match and so break a Barcelona rhythm that is as natural as a pulse.
There had been indications from early moments that Barcelona are less sure in defence without Puyol. In that aspect the visitors could be seen as fallible human beings. They were not in full command when a run like Walcott’s unpeeled the right side of the defence in the 55th minute, although his low ball was cleared. There was enough disquiet in Barcelona for Piqué to receive his yellow card, after bringing down Fábregas.
There was a gathering conviction to Arsenal and, in consequence, the odd indication of alarm in the visitors as the second half assumed its shape. It took 20 minutes or more before Barcelona enjoyed a studied period of possession as they probed around the edges of the Arsenal penalty area. Two substitutions reflected managerial outlooks.
Guardiola’s preference was conservative, as Seydou Keita took over from Villa, while Wenger pitched on the creative Arshavin for the holding midfielder Alex Song. The match had turned pensive. That was natural after two sides who had regularly swept around this pitch realised that they resemble normal footballers in one respect. They, too, can get very tired. Arsenal still mustered a perseverance that took them to victory.
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This article titled “Three lessons for Arsenal before they take on Barcelona” was written by Sid Lowe, for The Guardian on Tuesday 15th February 2011 08.00 UTC
1 Internazionale
Champions League 20 Apr 2010
Much is made of José Mourinho’s ultra-defensive approach to the semi-final second leg against Barcelona last year but Inter did actually lose that game and, but for a poor decision from the referee in the final minute, would have lost the tie. A far better performance came in the first leg at San Siro – the first time Guardiola’s side had been beaten by more than one goal. Mourinho’s team combined tight defending with physical pressure, quick counterattacking and an awareness, above all, of the space behind both Barcelona full-backs. They were helped though by Barcelona’s marathon coach trip to Milan
Result
Internazionale 3 Barcelona 1
2 Sporting Gijón
La Liga 12 Feb 2010
As David Villa put it: “Sporting managed to do to us what no one else has done to us and stop us playing.” “It can be hard,” Pep Guardiola said, “when a team puts nine or ten men behind the ball and denies us space.” Manolo Preciado built two solid lines, close together, ceded territory and possession and funnelled Barcelona into traffic. They had not so much parked the bus, one newspaper noted, as parked the airbus. Sporting got the opener on a swift break from the edge of their area but were pinned back in the second half. Barcelona were also stymied by the absence of Sergio Busquets and, in the first half, Pedro
Result
Sporting Gijón 1 Barcelona 1
3 Real Madrid
La Liga 29 Nov 2010
On the morning of the game at the Camp Nou, Gonzalo Higuaín could be seen hobbling round the team hotel. Most assumed that Mourinho would take the opportunity to replace him with an extra defensive midfielder and play deep. Instead, emboldened by Madrid’s results until that moment, his team played high. But they did so without the pressure that makes that approach work and, once Barça got the first, they were sunk. Lionel Messi sliced them open, finding space behind for David Villa to punish them. Madrid couldn’t get a kick. Of the ball or, even, of their opponents’ legs
Result
Barcelona 5
Real Madrid 0
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This article titled “Arsenal stumble on the answer to their defence question: Johan Djourou” was written by Dominic Fifield, for The Guardian on Tuesday 15th February 2011 08.00 UTC
Back when Arsenal’s strength of character was being questioned in the wake of late capitulation at Newcastle, a list of natural born leaders had tripped off Theo Walcott’s tongue with only one name raising eyebrows. To cite Cesc Fábregas or Robin van Persie, senior internationals in a youthful team, seemed obvious. Gaël Clichy too, as the last remaining member of the Invincibles. “And there is Johan Djourou, a great leader as well,” said Walcott. It was delivered as an assumption, almost a gimme, yet the mention meant so much more.
Other members of Arsène Wenger’s side have drawn the focus this season, whether it has been the resurgence of Samir Nasri or the emergence of Jack Wilshere that has caught the breath, but the Swiss centre-half has arguably felt more like this team’s find of the campaign to date. Djourou has been transformed from an injury-prone bit-part player, all promise and no product, into a key member of the backline. Barcelona boast the capacity to provoke panic on Wednesday night, but the 24-year-old at the heart of Arsenal’s defence will exude calm authority as the visitors, all a blur, tear at him.
The Ivorian-born defender has waited patiently for this opportunity to prove his class. So much of his career has been lost to injury, with last season virtually a write-off after serious knee ligament damage restricted him to a solitary appearance as a substitute on the final day. Yet, with Thomas Vermaelen now the one suffering on the sidelines, Arsenal have increasingly learned to lean on the man plucked from Etoile Carouge FC in Geneva as a teenager. Fábregas summed up his importance: “With the way we play, we have needed a centre-back like him: strong, good on the ball, quick, making his presence felt on the opposition’s strikers.” Arsenal may have stumbled upon the answer.
Whether this team can prevail against Barça’s mesmerising talent over two legs remains to be seen, but they will clearly require strength and pace at the back along with a willingness to hassle and harry all over the field if they are to stand any chance. Djourou offers presence and power, as well as aggression. There was an admission this season that a year on the sidelines had changed his attitude. “Maybe I was too nice,” he said. “I was a boy before the injury, looking up to the guys in front of me, but now I’m a man. The injury gives you a lot to think about. It made me angry because I wanted to be playing.”
He has his chance now. Even with his knee problems, he remains the quickest of Arsenal’s centre-halves and, at 6ft 4in, he is more imposing than either Laurent Koscielny or Sébastien Squillaci at his side. That diminutive combination has been employed 14 times this season with the team shipping 22 goals in those fixtures. Djourou, in contrast, has not finished on the losing side in the Premier League since a 3-0 loss at Manchester City in November 2008, with the team breached just 14 times in his 25 games this term while he has been on the pitch. His selection prompts confidence these days.
His absence has the opposite effect. Wenger’s decision to omit him for the derby against Tottenham Hotspur at the Emirates in November, a contest lost 3-2, felt more significant in hindsight. Newcastle rallied after his withdrawal at St James’ Park – he departed injured a minute before Abou Diaby’s dismissal – and it is a measure of Djourou’s progress that it feels inconceivable that the visitors would have caved in so spectacularly had he remained on the pitch.
It is the sense that Arsenal now boast a partnership at the back which reassures most of all. Djourou’s chemistry and understanding with Koscielny in recent weeks, established most notably perhaps in the 3-1 victory over Chelsea and their dominance of Didier Drogba that night in December, has helped the Frenchman overcome an awkward start to his career in England since his £9.7m summer move from Lorient. Djourou is a commanding presence at Koscielny’s side. When Vermaelen returns from achilles trouble and is integrated back into the first team, it feels unlikely now that the Swiss will be the one to make way.
Djourou would expect as much. He is, after all, an international with 25 caps. Yet he began this season feeling like a fourth choice at the Emirates Stadium and has since come of age. Wenger has treated him cautiously, his initial fears that Djourou could not play three times a week gradually easing as the centre-half’s progress has been maintained. “He has gone from strength to strength since the start of the season,” said the manager. “When the team have had difficult moments – when we have had to defend in the air – he has been dominant. And he has not only shown dominance but personality as well.”
That will be needed aplenty against Barça, when Arsenal must push and press high up the pitch to stifle the visitors’ attempts to monopolise possession. The hosts’ centre-halves are sure to be overworked regardless but, at last, this team do not feel rendered vulnerable by a soft underbelly. Djourou has a point to prove.
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This article titled “Arsenal will give Barcelona a tough test this time, says Jack Wilshere” was written by Dominic Fifield, for The Guardian on Sunday 13th February 2011 22.30 UTC
Jack Wilshere believes Arsenal have learned the lessons from their chastening Champions League elimination by Barcelona last season and has called on his team-mates to “be a bit nasty” by “getting in the faces” of the Spanish team during a daunting tie, which begins at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday.
Arsène Wenger’s side are set to be boosted by the unexpected availability of Samir Nasri, arguably their most consistently impressive player this season, with the France international having recovered from hamstring damage sustained in the FA Cup fourth-round win over Huddersfield. His return would add to Arsenal’s attacking options, though Wilshere and his team-mates will be just as intent on nullifying a Barça team who have scored 71 times in La Liga already this campaign and won 6-3 on aggregate in last year’s quarter-final.
“I was at the Emirates Stadium for the first game against Barcelona last season and they were brilliant, especially in that first half,” said Wilshere. “I was in Bolton [on loan] for the second match and watched on television but I remember we basically played our game, passing it around. This year we have to get in their faces and show them what we’re all about. When we have the ball, we’ve got to keep it as well as they can. We’ve got to change our game a bit to play against Barcelona – we’ll learn from last year, but we need to get in their faces and, if you like, be a bit nasty, in a footballing sense, to get the ball back.
“We have to press them as a team – there’s no point just one of us going after them, so we have to close them down as a team and get the ball back from them. But we’ll go into the game on Wednesday looking for the win still. It’s important we get that to take to their place for the return match.”
Although the teenage midfielder acknowledged a need to tweak the team’s approach, Wenger retains faith that his players can unsettle Barcelona by tapping into their own strengths, albeit if they can secure possession for themselves. Arsenal claimed an unlikely 2-2 draw against these opponents in last season’s first leg despite being without key players, and with Cesc Fábregas’s domestic season ended by the injury picked up converting the hosts’ equaliser from the penalty spot. Yet there is strength in depth this time around, with Nasri’s potential return particularly timely.
The French midfielder has excelled, scoring 14 times, and had been expected to miss the first leg at the Emirates Stadium. He will have further tests on his hamstring tomorrow and Tuesday before a decision is made, though there is optimism that he will be able to feature against the Spanish champions.
“I will not take a crazy gamble, but physically he is ready,” said Wenger. “There is just a risk of him suffering a setback, so we will test him medically and physically. There are other important games coming up – we have Leyton Orient in the FA Cup, and the Carling Cup final, and the return game in Barcelona in three weeks. So it is important not to be stupid.
“I personally believe we go into the Barcelona game in better shape than last year. We had so many uncertainties last season – Robin [van Persie] was injured, William Gallas went off in the first game, Andrey Arshavin went off after 27 minutes, we had no Alex Song or Fábregas in the second game … The team, for me, had less confidence and we have matured since then. We can certainly compete technically better with them. It will be interesting to see whether we play with belief.
“You can wonder whether we need to change the way we play at the Nou Camp but, at home, we will try to play to our strengths. We will try to attack the other team. If we just play in the final third defensively, that would not be our natural game and we would not be happy – we’d come out of the match thinking we hadn’t played. But if we can escape their pressure, then we can be dangerous. We will create chances if we can put them under pressure. We have to think about how we do that.”
The size of the task awaiting Arsenal was put into perspective by Fábregas who acknowledged the Catalans are “the best team in the world” at present. “We have a young team but one with a lot of quality and energy,” he said. “We are very motivated. They are such a good team that, even if you know everything [about them], they have so many quality players that they can make the difference. We don’t have to worry too much about them. We have to play with no fear. Last season in the first half [of the first leg] especially we respected them too much. We just have to play our game and that is it.”
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This article titled “Robin van Persie double helps Arsenal cruise to victory over Wolves” was written by Paul Doyle at the Emirates Stadium, for The Observer on Saturday 12th February 2011 17.27 UTC
Having curtailed Manchester United’s unbeaten run last week Wolves arrived here intent on boosting their survival chances and, in the process, Sir Alex Ferguson’s title ambitions. If Mick McCarthy had harboured any notion that that task might be facilitated by Arsenal’s mind-set, which could have been jolted either by last week’s collapse at Newcastle or the prospect of challenging Barcelona on Wednesday, it did not take long for that hope to be crushed.
Wolves began with the composure of a team whose record against the top sides this season has been perversely positive and, with Jamie O’Hara and Nenad Milijas probing with precision, the initial signs were that this was going to be a close contest. Yet the reason Wolves are in the relegation zone is that for all their bright play this season they have been tainted by haplessness, sudden outbreaks of ineptitude sabotaging otherwise accomplished performances.
It was no surprise then to see George Elokobi standing off Cesc Fábregas in the 14th minute, almost advising the Spaniard to take his time and pick out the cross of his choice. Fábregas duly clipped the ball towards the penalty spot, where Richard Stearman had lost track of Robin van Persie. The striker volleyed past Wayne Hennessey and into the net.
Having thus sunk their teeth into Wolves, Arsenal proceeded to tear them to shreds. Jack Wilshere, the 19-year-old whom Fabio Capello has acclaimed as the brain of England’s midfield for the foreseeable future, masterminded the dismemberment.
Five minutes after the opening goal he made another incision, serving Andrei Arshavin with a superb long pass from deep. The Russian jinked past Ronald Zubar and cut the ball back for Theo Walcott, whose shot from eight yards was clawed away by Hennessey. Fábregas followed up and fired low towards the corner but Stearman, covering his goalkeeper, cleared off the line.
Two minutes later Arsenal cut through again, Wilshere this time outfoxing the Wolves’ defence with a sweet dink towards Fábregas. Hennessey scampered off his line to prevent the midfielder from applying a fatal touch.
Hennessey denied Fábregas again in the 37th minute and had to produce two more fine saves from Van Persie before the break to keep the deficit to a single goal. Wilshere was showing the poise and vision that has enraptured Capello, but in the 46th minute he demonstrated that he still has scope to improve.
After waltzing through the defence he teed up Walcott for a simple tap-in, only for the winger to slash his shot wide from eight yards. Such wastefulness remains a persistent failure for Walcott despite the clear progress that he has made this season, but Wenger preferred to point out that Wilshere could have scored himself.
“He had a very good game but there is just a hesitation sometimes to finish himself,” said Wenger of Wilshere, who has scored twice this season. “At the moment he always chooses to give the ball to someone else. Cesc [Fábregas] was like that for a while. When he is a bit more confident he will score more goals.”
Walcott should score more goals, too, but at least he showed that his decision-making and execution are not as unreliable as they once were by creating Arsenal’s second goal in the 56th minute. After being released by Fábregas he played a perfect square ball to Van Persie. The Dutchman finished emphatically, rifling past Hennessey from the edge of the area.
At no point did Arsenal look like repeating their capitulation against Newcastle, partially because Johan Djourou, who had been forced off with injury at St James’ Park, remained immaculate throughout and partially because Arsenal, without going gung-ho as in the past, mostly kept Wolves on the back foot.
Walcott was given the best opportunity to make the victory more emphatic but mis-controlled when put through by Fábregas before recovering to curl a shot wide from an acute angle. Two minutes from time the winger combined with the substitute Marouane Chamakh to rip Wolves apart anew but again he erred at the finish, shooting straight at Hennessey.
“I can’t say we were unlucky, there was a murder going on out there and there was nothing we could do about it,” McCarthy said. The Wolves manager added: “But for Wayne Hennessey we could have lost by six, seven or eight. To get better we have to admire that performance by Arsenal and aspire to it.”
Wenger, meanwhile, aspires to beating a team that, he concedes, are currently at an even higher level than Arsenal and believes this victory will help. “We are playing certainly the best team in world [Barcelona] so it is important to go in with confidence and in a strong situation in the league,” he said. “We have the hunger to do well in all competitions and we showed here that we can focus on one at a time.”
THE FANS’ PLAYER RATINGS AND VERDICT
CHRIS TENNANT, Observer reader We played really, really well. We looked competent throughout and although Wolves gave us a good game we didn’t look vulnerable against them, we just got on with our game. There were, however, quite a few opportunities that we should have made more of and Hennessey made some freak saves. But after half-time, you knew we wouldn’t make the same mistakes as we did last week against Newcastle. I don’t expect us to overtake United but today we looked like a team that was capable of doing so. Overall a cohesive team performance.
The fan’s player ratings Szczesny 8; Sagna 8, Djourou 8, Koscielny 8, Clichy 8; Song 8, Wilshere 8 (Denílson 6) Fàbregas 8; Walcott 8, Van Persie 8 (Chamakh 6), Arshavin 8 (Bendtner 6)
LOUIE SILVANI, MyWolvesblog.com It was a bit of an anticlimax after last week’s win over United. We didn’t do too much going forward until the last 10 minutes but the game was over at that stage. It was the right team that started for us and I don’t think we played that badly but Arsenal were just really good. They were on another level, especially Wilshere and Fábregas. Hennessey made some fantastic saves and Henry had a good game too. We’re bottom of the table now and we’ve two massive games coming up against Blackpool and West Brom. We need to get four points from those.
The fan’s player ratings Hennessey 9; Zubar 8, Berra 7, Stearman 7, Elokobi 6; Hammill 7, Henry 8, O’Hara 6; Milijas 7 (Ebanks-Blake 6), Jarvis 6 (Foley 7); Doyle 7 (Fletcher 6)
To take part in the Fans’ Verdict, email sport@observer.co.uk
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This article titled “Theo Walcott sees no point in sulking over lost points or tough breaks” was written by Dominic Fifield, for The Guardian on Monday 7th February 2011 23.01 UTC
The Arsenal players had been in a hushed state of shock as their plane departed Tyneside on Saturday but, as they taxied on the runway upon arrival back at Luton airport later that night, the chorus of mobile phone alerts trilling through the cabin heralded consolatory news.
The frenzy of Twitter and text messages confirmed Manchester United’s unbeaten record was no more. “It changed the mood, the boss’s mood as well,” said Theo Walcott. “Everyone had grins on their faces. Suddenly it was a point gained and something we can build on.”
A much needed positive spin had been applied to a traumatic occasion. Arsenal’s title challenge and sense of conviction remain intact.
Some psychological scars will inevitably have been inflicted by the concession of a four-goal lead and Arsène Wenger’s side may yet tremble should Wolves rally against them on Saturday with their wounds still so fresh from the debacle at St James’ Park. Yet Walcott’s honest assessment of their failings, even as victims of the contentious refereeing decisions that so infuriated the manager, should stand them in good stead. The winger hopes to take out his own lingering frustrations on Denmarkon Wednesday while his club-mates are apparently united in a desire to learn from their mistakes.
“You have to give credit to Newcastle, who taught us a lesson and showed us how to play against 10 men,” said Walcott. “We are known for keeping the ball and we just didn’t in that second half. It just didn’t click and, when their second goal went in, it hit us quite a bit. We’ve been reduced to 10 a few times this season and managed to keep the ball well enough but we couldn’t do it on Saturday. Newcastle switched it well and opened us up and their set pieces took us by surprise. None of us wanted to look the boss in the eye afterwards, that’s for sure. It was such a disappointment: when you are 4-0 up and want to win the league, it shouldn’t happen – even if you go down to 10 men.
“Newcastle did very well, taught us a lesson, albeit with a bit of help from a couple of penalties. But there’s no point sulking on it now. We have the character in the team to recover from that, people who will stand up to be counted.
“There are so many people in our side who will respond in the right way but even the boss would have gone home thinking it’s a point gained in the end. We can build on it, particularly after the first-half performance. That was the best first half I’ve been involved in since I’ve been here. And, really, it is looking good for us. We are only four points behind and United have still got to play Chelsea twice.”
The winger still considers this season as his best opportunity yet to win silverware as an Arsenal player – “This is the year we need to,” he acknowledged, with the side still contenders on four fronts and his own form compellingly persuasive. His initial flurry of goals has been checked by the ankle injury sustained with England early in the victory over Switzerland back in September, but there has been a consistency to his game in recent weeks to suggest growing maturity.
The opener on Saturday was the 11th goal of his most productive season yet and his importance to Arsenal grows more evident with each week. Fabio Capello will hope his influence is as significant with the national side, starting in Copenhagen where the player will hope a 16th cap would yield a first goal since the hat-trick in Zagreb which sparked England’s World Cup qualification campaign back in 2008.
Walcott offers the Italian bite and balance on the right and, while he has started four of his country’s five games since the start of the season, he clearly still feels he has a point to prove after his omission for the tournament in South Africa.
While Walcott, like his club-mates, had been wary of catching Wenger’s eye on Saturday evening, he had sought out Capello prior to the Euro 2012 qualifier against Bulgaria back in September to get an explanation for missing out on the summer squad.
“I didn’t want be too eager and in his face straightaway, so I waited until the Bulgaria game and spoke to him after training, literally on the training pitch,” Walcott said.
“He’s the sort of man you can go up to and ask anything and he will help you, and I wanted to know why I hadn’t gone. I’ll keep what he said between us.
“I was happy with his answer. I had moved on – I didn’t want to dwell on missing out because that would have killed me. I needed a mental break as well as a physical break and it has helped me out. I looked at myself and my game and tried to see what I could do to improve.
“I guess it’s nice the manager has come out himself since and said he made a mistake not taking me. It’s in the past and I just want to make sure it never happens again. It’s time to take my England career on to the next level.”
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