Arsenal 1 Wigan 0: Match Report & Player Ratings

Saturday, 06 December 08, 10:56 AM · Comments(29)

The game started brightly despite both teams giving the ball away with alarming regularity.

In the first 6 minutes, Van Persie looked involved and committed. Wilson Palacios' deflected strike required an early save from Almunia.

Despite a lot of petty fouling, Arsenal started to get their passing game together after the 10-minute mark, although tough-tackling Wigan midfielder Lee Cattermole succeeded in breaking up play.

On 15, a Van Persie corner is cleared by Cattermole straight to Fabregas. Fabregas dinks the ball back into the mixer and a poor Titus Bramble challenge sees the ball drop to Adebayor in the box. Adebayor plays it comfortably under Kirkland, 1-0 Arsenal.

Arsenal showing a lot more conviction in their tackling today, Van Persie, Denilson and Fabregas in particular.

On 23, Van Persie attempts a strike following an Adebayor header, but is misbalanced. Palacios commits a crude lunge on Nasri earning a yellow card.

Tackles are flying in all over the place, Song lucky to escape yellow having raked his studs down Emile Heskley's ankle. Wigan will do well do keep up this sort of pressure for 60 minutes let alone 90.

On 31, Eboue replaces Nasri, struggling from the earlier challenge. Arsenal's midfield now looks utterly powder puff. Denilson, Fabregas, Song, Eboue - save Fabregas, this has to be the worst Arsenal midfield for 20 years! How did it ever get this bad?

Wigan earning plenty of set pieces, but Arsenal dealing unusually well with the high balls.

However, as the half soldiers on it's clear that Arsenal are no longer controlling the game - the midfield needs Viagra. Song and Denilson can't get into the game and Van Persie and Adebayor are getting increasingly isolated up top.

On 42, Adebayor teams up with Van Persie but slashes over the bar from distance. When Arsenal break, not a single player is in the box - Arsenal are playing like the away team. This has shades of the Villa defeat 3 weeks ago, except Arsenal are thankfully 1-0 up and Wigan don't have the pace to stretch Arsenal like Villa did.

Out of nowhere, Denilson and Adebayor play swift passes outside the Wigan box, and Adebayor manages an excellent strike from 22 yards that's handled onto the post by Kirkland.

Despite the scoreline, and Arsenal coming close to a second, Wenger clearly has his work cut out at half time getting an effective midfield performance out of the available players in the second half.

On 47, Clichy needlessly loses possession and recklessly fouls Antonio Valencia on the track back. Again, the incoming free kick is dealt with well by Arsenal.

On 50, some good work by Henri Camara wide left, he crosses to the rising Heskey who can only head down into Almunia's path.

As expected, Wigan have physically dropped, but still look dangerous. Toure struggles to deal with Camara in the box but wins the physical battle. Then on 75 good resilience from Denilson who plays to Van Persie cutting in on his favoured left foot from a central position. His low strike is inches from Kirkland's right-hand post.

On 64, a good long shot from Denilson strikes the foot of the post - fine effort. However, just when Arsenal look as though they might control the remainder of the game, Palacios breaks free wide right as Clichy is caught in no-mans land. Palacio's cross reaches Heskey but is fumbled wide for a Wigan corner. The corner is floated in and finds Mario Melchiott free in the box, his strike brilliantly parried by Almunia.

On 70, Van Persie's corner his headed wide by the unmarked Adebayor - should have done better. Then Fabregas plays a one-two with Eboue and feeds Adebayor in for a fine strike well saved by Kirkland.

Arsenal clearly need a second as Valencia slashes a half-chance wide. Entering the final 15, Wigan start to regaining confidence whilst Arsenal creak under the pressure of expectation

On 75 a Zaki strike fails to test Almunia. Wigan probing whilst Arsenal keep losing the ball in midfield. Fortunately, Wigan lack cutting edge.

Fabregas breaks through into the area on 87 but stumbles on his own feet.

Arsenal seem incapable of keeping possession. Eboue is having a nightmare, giving the ball away with every touch - then Wenger subs him. He subs his sub. Silvestre on for Eboue - booed off by the home supporters.

One suspects the boos are as much directed at Wenger for ever buying him - but supporters have a right to voice their opinion as long as the player being booed is leaving the pitch - NOT whilst he's on it.

Maybe Song wants a piece of the action too, as he starts mislaying passes - Eboue-style. Arsenal committing suicide here, but hang on despite doing their best to throw the game away.

Arsenal win in the end, and deservedly so, but the awful midfield is the crux of Arsenal's problem, failing to assist a panicky defence that in fairness performed well today, and also failing to control possession and provide adequate support for the forwards.

No doubt, Arsenal's patchy form and absolute necessity to win led to the nervousness of the last 15 minutes, but with games against Middlesbrough, Liverpool and Aston Villa coming up, Arsenal are almost bound to cave in again on this evidence.

Today's victory masks none of Arsenal's problems, which can only be rectified by new signings - Arsenal clearly need more than a central defender, they desperately, desperately need a top class defensive midfielder and a right winger too.

Today was another nail in the coffin for Song, and particularly Eboue, whilst Denilson is struggling to be effective being played out of position every week. He's a squad player, no more than that.

On the positive side? Arsenal fought harder than they did in their last home league defeat at Aston Villa, the defence looked reasonably solid and the front two were quite sharp.

Almunia (7)
Made a crucial stop from Melchiott to retain Arsenal's lead. Otherwise, adequate.
Sagna (7)
Solid as always.
Toure (7) STAR MAN
Performed well today, anticipated a lot of through balls and even won his fair share of headers.
Djourou (7)
Was impressed by Djourou who was strong and refused to panic under pressure, unlike some of his team mates.
Clichy (6)
Decision making and positioning was often poor, but just about managed to hold it together.
Denilson (7)
Did as well as could be expected stuck out wide right. I don't know what people expect from a young midfielder playing his first full season in the first team. Always fought for the ball, never hides and tried to make the difference coming forward even if he loses possession a little too much.
Fabregas (6)
Seems to have the midas touch as captain. Three games, three wins. Put in a decent shift; by far Arsenal's most creative passer, but even he gave a few sloppy passes away.
Song (5)
Tried, but was mostly ineffective. Simply isn't Arsenal quality - a championship player at best.
Nasri (6)
Was playing fairly well before being subbed early in the game.
Adebayor (7)
Had a good game, was in the right place at the right time for his goal and had several other good efforts. Was restricted by lack of support from midfield.
Van Persie (6)
Tigrish performance and looked threatening at times but failed to add a much needed second goal despite several half chances.

SUBS

Eboue (4)
I feel sorry for Eboue. An average right back who makes for an even less effective right midfielder, now dumped on the left wing. Wenger is more to blame than anything for Arsenal's dismal lack of midfield depth. Having said that, Eboue simply has to perform better than he did - but for a sub to be subbed is a pretty horrible experience.
Silvestre (5)
Only had 5 minutes.

Arsenal 1 Wigan 0: Match Report & Player Ratings

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