Arsenal FC: 3 Goals Scored, 3 Points Gained and 3rd Place Secured

An English Premier League season that had engulfed football lovers and neutrals alike was finally coming to an end, and I must say that yesterday’s games were the most epic I’ve ever watched in my entire life. Never has there been so much at stake at various positions in the league, ranging from the very top to things down below.

Queens Park Rangers had it at the back of their minds that a defeat to Manchester City was going to cost them their top-flight status, but they gave the oil moneybags a run for their money. Summer signing Sergio Aguero put his name in Etihad folklore with that amazing strike right at the death.

In as much as I was happy to see the Premier League taken off Manchester United, the fact that Samir Nasri justified the noise he made was certainly a bitter pill to swallow. However, it was nice to see ex-Gunners like Kolo Toure and Gael Clichy get that “feeling” yet again.

Arsene Wenger was faced with a monumental task of rallying his troops for one final surge against West Brom with Champions League qualification being the ultimate price. Elsewhere, Tottenham hosted Fulham while Newcastle visited Everton.

Early on, the gauntlet was thrown by Tottenham when ex-Gunner Emmanuel Adebayor showed off his technique with a good finish to put them ahead. Arsenal responded through Yossi Benayoun’s determination and Martin Fulop’s stupidity.

The goalie had a moment Manuel Almunia would have been proud off when his decision-making got the better of him on the edge of his own box and Benayoun was on hand to punish him. In what might be his last game for Arsenal, the Israeli's efforts will forever remain in our hearts and we can only wish him the best in his future endeavors.

West Brom almost pegged Arsenal back through Marc-Antoine Fortune, but Wojciech Szczesny was on hand to make a good save at his near post. However, his invincibility did not last long, as Shane Long, who looked to be offside, broke through to place a shot past the goalie.

The hosts then took the lead courtesy of something Arsenal fans have become accustomed to: suspect defending. An chip over the top from James Morrison was controlled by Graeme Dorrans, who used his head to evade Laurent Koscielny before rifling the ball past Szczesny.

Benayoun was one of the livelier figures in the Arsenal forward line, and he connected with some nice Carl Jenkinson crosses, though the end product was lacking. Andre Santos then showcased his attacking prowess, shimmying past a handful of defenders before drilling the ball past Fulop to level the scores.

Wenger showed his intent after the interval, introducing Theo Walcott for Tomas Rosicky. The Czech dynamo wasn’t the usual vibrant Little Mozart we’ve seen in recent weeks. After some intense pressure, van Persie swung in a corner kick that was within Fulop’s range but he could only palm the ball toward Koscielny, who wasted no time in flicking it home.

Wenger brought on reinforcements in the form of Kieran Gibbs and Aaron Ramsey, but the home side looked more likely to score a goal with every attack they launched. Keith Andrews let one rip from some distance, but Szczesny was equal to the challenge.

The fact that Jermain Defoe made it two for Tottenham increased the pressure in my blood and certainly some Arsenal fans out there. Last week, we were in a familiar situation where Benayoun scored early, only for the opposition to score two. We pegged them back and got the lead only to surrender it late on.

An epic moment arrived when the tension was unbearable, even for a manager with an elephant’s skin, Arsene Wenger.

Late on, Koscielny put his body on the line to block a shot but the key moment of the day belonged to Gibbs, who gave everything to divert a goal-bound shot. The sound of the final whistle was like music to my ears, Arsenal had their destiny in their own hands and they fulfilled it.

Player Ratings

Szczesny (7.0) recovered from a disappointing first half. I also learned that he was nursing a shoulder injury for weeks but he had made himself available courtesy of pain killers.

Jenkinson (7.0) sent a boatload of crosses into the opposition area but he had some nervy moments with his shirt-tugging antics in Arsenal’s box.

Andre Santos (7.5) supported the attack well and had a well-taken goal.

Vermaelen (6.5) was caught out of position for both goals. In as much as I love the Verminator, he needs to improve on his positioning next season.

Koscielny (8.0) covered Vermaelen’s tracks, scored the match winner and made an important block late on.

Coquelin (6.5) was a bit sloppy in midfield but he held the fort well.

Song (7.5) enjoyed the free role he was assigned to and distributed great passes as well.

Rosicky (6.5) lacked his usual spark.

Gervinho (6.0) pressed and probed but offered nothing in the final third.

Benayoun (7.5) showed his determination in getting Arsenal’s first goal and used his versatility to great effect in the second half.

Van Persie (6.5) didn’t get on the score sheet but he held up play well.

Walcott (6.5) added to some wit to Arsenal’s attack.

Gibbs (8.0) will be forever remembered for the tackle that saved Arsenal’s season.

Ramsey (6.5) didn’t put a wrong foot after coming in.

Martin Fulop also deserves a honorable mention for a 10.0 performance against Arsenal. If you take out the “U” in his name, a new word would certainly be formed.

While Manchester City had the last laugh for their stellar performances all season long, the balance was restored in other positions as Arsenal secured what might be an automatic Champions League spot or a Champions League play-off spot depending on whether Chelsea win their game against Bayern Munich on Saturday.

A few months back, Rafael van der Vaart said that he was confident that Tottenham will finish above Arsenal. Despite the fact that I gave 11 reasons why Tottenham can never finish above Arsenal, here are a few more points for van der Vaart and those Spuds out there:

• Arsenal made its worst start in 58 years
• Arsenal sold last season’s most influential player
• Arsenal sold its homesick captain
• Arsenal lost its most promising player to an ankle injury for the entire season
• Arsenal lost 8-2 to Manchester United
• Arsenal didn’t win a league game in January
• Arsenal suffered a mysterious injury crisis that saw the team lose all recognized fullbacks for a month
• Arsenal were 10 points behind Tottenham before the North London Derby.

Despite all these shortcomings, the Gunners still finished above Tottenham.

I encourage you to check out this amazing article by Poznan in my Pants where Pictures Speak Loudest.

In all my years as an Arsenal fan, I’ve never seen the Gunners finish below the Spurs.

I’ve also been very confident with this assessment to the stage that I’m still in the opinion that if Arsenal ever ends up in 17th place, Tottenham will get relegated.

Happy St. Totteringham’s day.